NOTE: This material is a text-file also containing the associated graphics - of the 1902 book, MASONIC HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. Where found, the original book measures 12 X 14, weighs 12 pounds, containing over 600 now-fragile pages; typically the spines are discovered to be broken testimony to the value of the book, as the broken spines came from having been read and studied! Beyond the geographic subject matter, this work contains a fabulous and scholarly introductory history of the Craft; profusely populated with illustrations.
The intent behind this project was to preserve a great Masonic history book. The book has been scanned, edited and copyrighted at Phoenixmasonry, Inc. by Ralph W, Omholt, Librarian with the intent that it can be used for on-screen reading enjoyment. Certainly, it serves as an electronic research treasure.
Accordingly, please enjoy!
MASONIC HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST
Graphic Recital of the Organization and Growth of
Freemasonry in the Northwest States
Comprising an Historical Review of the Institution
BY
JOHN MILTON HODSON, P. G. M., Oregon
WILLIAM H. UPTON, P. G. M., Washington
JONAS W. BROWN, P. G. M., Idaho
CORNELIUS HEDGES, P. G. M. and O. Sec'y, Montana
To which is prefixed a Narrative of the Origin of Freemasonry and Its Growth and Diffusion
throughout the World. Also an Account of the Capitular, Cryptic, and Scottish Rites
and the Knights Templar. Besides a Chronicle of the Rise and Progress
of the Modern Orders of the Mystic Shrine and Eastern
Star. To which are Added Brief Biographies
of Many of the Founders and
Builders of Masonry in
the Northwest
Entered According to Act of Congress In The Year 1902.
By The History Publishing Company
The astounding diffusion and marvelous growth of Freemasonry, not less than its wonderful vitality and remarkable influence upon men and nations, have constantly excited amazement among the peoples of the earth. It has seemed as if the Institution were not only of divine origin but also under the fostering care and protection of the Godhead, to such an extent has it been patronized apparently, by the Deity. But whether the countenance which the Craft has received is resolvable to celestial approval or merely to human favor, it is certain that its basic principles have ever contained essential elements of the larger conduct of man in his relations with his fellows; and from this Masonic seed has been germinated the vital code of liberty of speech, action and conscience, which is now recognized in all civilized countries as the birthright of every individual.
Progressive, modern thought, recent development of broadly free governments, and the constant advance of the times in every direction - material, mental and spiritual - are all directly traceable to the vitalizing system of postulates enunciated by the Masonic Fraternity, which spread beyond the limits of the Society and its devotees and unerringly pointed the course toward the consummation of the greatest happiness and freedom of the individual conjoined to his highest duty to Man and the State. The opposition of kings, priests and politicians was unable to stem or overcome the ever - increasing power of the Masonic tenets. The doctrines of equality, justice and liberty appealed too strongly to the weak and oppressed to be eradicated by command, cajolery, sophistry or threat. Hence the fulminations of temporal and religious sovereigns were fruitless. Persecution of the members of this new Fraternity was the natural reward of their temerity in setting up novel standards for the guidance of Man in his worldly and spiritual walks, but even this failed of its purpose. The feeble spark became the glowing flame which melted the shackles that Ignorance, Superstition, Intolerance and illiberalism had forged, and the enlightening conflagration from this fervent blaze is gradually consuming the remnants of the fanaticism, bigotry, oppression and false gods which the past has covertly and craftily attempted to transmit in their fullness to this period of light and reason, but which happily have come down the ages more and more denuded of their terror and power.
With the dethronement of the monstrous kingly and priestly domination and its entailed debasement, wrongs and harassments, and the installation in their stead of comprehensive freedom of thought and action, extended views of the rights of the citizen and enlarged mental and physical opportunities, was inaugurated the primal era of that felicitous succession which has opened to humanity the great avenues of knowledge and endeavor. Amid the advancement which followed the gradual displacement of illiteracy, ignorance and prejudice, the all - controlling factor in that remarkable work - the Masonic Organization - was preserved in all its purity and power. Neither assaults, calumnies, oppressions nor persecutions could swerve it from its purpose or stay its progress.
The fanatic, the bigot, the ignorant and the intolerant were alike impotent to impede its advancement or to destroy the force of its teachings. The inexorable laws of nature and the fate of the times worked transmutation of its membership, but its principles were external and immutable and their exploitation but added to its strength and dignity. Silently and imperceptibly, yet with cynical certainty and assurance and irresistible force, its persuasive and ameliorating dogmas were diffused until they were beyond all repression. The establishment of the new status softened the rigors and harshness of the old religious and political doctrines and afforded unhampered opportunity for honorable endeavor and purposeful effort.
Learning became widespread, the fallacies and falsehoods of the political and religious systems were uncovered, reason succeeded unthinking bias and nescience, the sects intermingled freely, clement notions increased, Man's correlative duty to his brother was now extensively cultivated and generous sufferance of divergent opinions ruled. The past was a hideous dream and was soon forgotten in the benign declarations of the new faith - the Brotherhood of Man and the Fatherhood of GOD. Thenceforward the path led easily and resistlessly to the ennobling triune of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.
The Masonic Sodality then began to enjoy the fruits of its humanizing labors, and in its development penetrated the remotest portions of the globe. In the early years of the American Colonies it indoctrinated liberal polities which conceived the Revolution and produced the great Republic. And at that time it cast its spell upon the expansive woods and plains, mountains and fields of the great territory edging upon the North Pacific and claimed it for its own. In that remote region, long isolated and undeveloped, the untutored savage and the fearless adventurer practiced the elevating tenets of the Masonic Craft and hewed the way to the later erection of the illuminating altars of this sublime Fraternity.
The mighty secret of its wide dispersion, significant growth and momentous power has ever been TRUTH. And TRUTH now, as formerly, is the touchstone of its "landmarks," the basis of its creed, its teachings and its action. Fortified with this trenchant enginery of offense and defense, the Masonic Establishment has been invincible, and by means of TRUTH has furthered, benefited and encouraged mankind in every department of human affairs. It was the pursuit of TRUTH which led to the early exploration and settlement of the Northwest country, and it was the spirit of TRUTH which united the pioneer denizens of that far - off land for the practice of all which ennobles and inspires. In all the vicissitudes of life in that then border land the consuming attractiveness of TRUTH made for endeavor, security and honor. The Red man alike with the White knew, appreciated and respected its force; hence, all dwelt together in that concord which nothing else could induce.
Under the beneficent rule of TRUTH this vast territory was populated, developed and civilized. It is not singular, therefore, that in the history of this region now distributed among four imperial States of the American Federation, Freemasonry, the foster - mother of TRUTH, should have played an important and controlling part. To graphically depict the many varying but ever - fascinating phases of that anomalous growth was alluring to both the publisher and the editorial corps. It inspired the former to engage in the responsible undertaking, while the task of portraying, the romantic era of this famed land at first interested, then absorbed, and at last completely enthralled the latter.
Their combined labors, pursued with ever - increasing enthusiasm, have produced the present work, in the preparation of which nothing, has been spared that might contribute to a correct, pleasing and permanent picture of the rise of the Masonic Edifice in the Pacific Northwest Distinguished Craftsmen, of pronounced literary ability and with personal knowledge of the times of which they write, have chronicled the local annals of the Fraternity.
Their work has been a labor of love, and in its execution they have evidenced profound reverence, affection and erudition. To this has been added the abilities of other notable authors whose pens have sketched generally the history and achievements of the Masonic Foundation. With pictorial embellishment and dress commensurate to its worth and with a confidence born of earnest and honest effort this historical narrative, dedicated, to TRUTH, is sent forth in the hope that its pages will, in some measure at least, serve to enlighten and entertain, as well as guide to a fuller appreciation of the goodness, nobility and magnificent of the Masonic Guild.
THE HISTORY PUBLISHING COMPANY
CHAPTER I.
The Origin of Freemasonry
Its History and Works from the Building of Solomon's Temple to the Beginning of the New Era of Masonry.
Science was the Father of Freemasonry and Religion its Mother; it was born in the early dawn of Creation, when the SUPREME GRAND ARCHITECT OF THE UNIVERSE commanded, "LET THERE BE LIGHT," AND THERE WAS LIGHT; it was rocked in the cradle of PHILOSOPHY, taught to walk and read Nature by REASON, and fed by TRUTH. From the day of its birth it had to contend against the darkness of Ignorance, the persecutions of Superstition, and the deadly assaults of Fanaticism, in defense of its life, and maintenance of its existence, a struggle which will continue in one form or another as long as the Sun will shine or the Earth move in the plane of its orbit.
Said our late and beloved distinguished Brother, ALBERT G. MACKEY:
"The true history of Freemasonry is much in its character like the history of a nation. It has historic and prehistoric era. In its historic era, the institution can be regularly traced through various antecedent associations, similar in design and organization, to a comparatively remote period. Its connection with these associations can be rationally established by authentic documents, and by other evidence which no historian would reject. Thus dispassionately and philosophically treated, as though was the history of an empire that was under investigation - no claim being advanced that cannot be substantiated, no assertion made that cannot be proved - FREEMASONRY - the word so used, meaning, without evasion or reservation, precisely what everybody supposes it to mean - can be invested with an antiquity sufficient for the pride of the most exacting admirer of the society.
"And then for the prehistoric era - that which connects it with the mysteries of the Pagan world, and with the old priests of Eleusis, of Samothrace, or of Syria - let us honestly say that we now no longer treat of Freemasonry under its present organization, which we know did not exist in those days, but of a science peculiar, and peculiar only to the Mysteries and to Freemasonry - a science which we may call Masonic symbolism, and which constituted the very heart blood of the ancient and modern institutions, and gave to them, while presenting a dissimilarity of form, an identity of spirit. And then, in showing the connection and in tracing the germ of Freemasonry in those prehistoric days, although we shall be guided by no documents, and shall have no authentic spoken or written narratives on which to rely, we shall find fossils embalmed in those ancient intellects precisely like the living ones which crop out in Modern Masonry, and which, like the fossil shells of the fishes of the old physical formations of the earth, show, by their resemblance to living specimens, the graduated connection of the past with the present. "No greater honor could accrue to any man than that of having been the founder of a new school of Masonic history, in which the fictions and loose statements of former writers would be rejected, and in which the rule would, be adopted that has been laid down as a vital maxim of all inductive science - in words that have been chosen as his motto by a recent powerful investigator of historical truth.
"Not to exceed and not to fall short of facts - not to add and not to take away. To state the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."
Our late Brother, ALBERT G. MACKEY, has thus clearly presented a true statement of the prehistoric and historic continuity of our Ancient and Honorable Fraternity. Tradition and symbolism have come down to us through the ages, as well as being recorded in hieroglyphics upon the monolithic monuments and in the temples of that most ancient land of mysteries and knowledge, Egypt, the land of the Pyramids and the Sphinx, watered by the River Nile, from whose bosom was recovered the infant MOSES, and with him in after times the knowledge and mysteries, in the Arcana of the past and the present Masonic world.
PHILO - JUDEUS says that "Moses was instructed by the Egyptian priests in the philosophy of symbols and hieroglyphics as well as in the mysteries of the sacred animals." The sacred historian also say's "he was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians." MANETHO and other traditionary writers inform us that "he was educated at Heliopolis (the City of the Sun) as a priest, under his Egyptian name, OSARSIPH, and that there he was taught the whole range of literature and science which it was customary to impart to the priesthood of Egypt. When, then, at the head of his people, he passed away from the servitude of Egyptian taskmasters, and began in the wilderness to establish his new religion, it is not strange that he should have given a holy use to the symbols whose meaning he had learned on the banks of the Nile."
Karnak is the name of a village in Upper Egypt, occupying a portion of the site of ancient, Thebes. The Great Temple of Amon, commonly known as the Temple of Karnak, is located on the east side of the Nile, about two miles northeast of Luxor. An avenue of sphinxes led to the Water. Besides the Great Temple there are some twenty smaller edifices dedicated to Mut, Khonsu, Mentu, Ptah and other deities. These ruins combine to make the most extensive collection in the world. The whole is a wonderful aggregation of buildings of temples, colonnades, courts and the inner sanctuary. It is constructed with a unity of design, and is different in that respect from the temple at Luxor. The roof was supported by one hundred and thirty-four columns eighty feet in height, and upon them the hieroglyphics may still be read of the histories of the various dynasties of the race of PHARAOHS or kings. Here, was where MOSES was initiated and graduated in the Ancient Mysteries, and from his knowledge gained in this school or academy he was able to found and organize the Jewish religion with civil and military government and the worship of the true GOD.
It is reasonable also to suppose that when he was for so many years an exile in the wilderness to the eastward, that his superior knowledge and attainments enabled him to communicate readily and have intercourse with those persons of like character on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates, and even from farther India, from whence the Egyptians originally derived in part and in a modified form the religion and mysteries they practiced, and which formed the curriculum of the hierarchy of Egypt.
REGHELLINI, in his work, "Masonry considered as the result of the Egyptian, Jewish and Christian Religions," published at Paris in 1833, says: "MOSES, in his mysteries, and after him, SOLOMON, adopted a great part of the Egyptian symbols, which, after them, we Masons have preserved in our own.
The direct traditional and historic base of our Craft rests upon the construction of Solomon's Temple at Jerusalem, itself a compendium of architecture, religion, science and philosophy, and the focus to which was directed the vision of all the learned of the ancient world, as well as the principal architects and builders, who came from Egypt, Phoenicia, Greece, from the West, along the shores of the Mediterranean to the far East, beyond the Euphrates and Tigris to India, and even far off Cathay, to construct the first and the most splendid Temple ever erected to the worship of the true GOD, and built by that ancient " Parliament of Religions," the Masonic Builders of the World. To be sure, the inner Temple or Sanctum Sanclorum, was to be sacredly and secretly used by the Levitical Priesthood, in accordance with the Mosaic ritual of the Tabernacle set up in the Wilderness, yet the knowledge of its purposes, and for what it was designed, was fully understood by the Architect Masons who constructed it and all the secret recesses and chambers of that wonderful edifice. The great porch or tower of 20 cubits or 39 77/100, feet square, and 120 cubits or 238 1/2, feet high in front of the Temple, before which stood the two great brazen pillars, was for astronomical as well as military purposes; to study the heavens, as did the Shepherd Kings centuries before on the plains of Chaldea, as also to serve as a watchtower to look over the City of Jerusalem, and watch the approach of invading enemies.
The great purpose of SOLOMON was to maintain peace, magnify his influence and power and to control the then great highway of overland commerce from India to the Mediterranean having unlimited resources and power, and having for his chief ally the friend of DAVID, his father, HIRAM, King of Tyre, with whom he divided the revenue of imports and exportation. Therefore, he cultivated the friendship of all surrounding countries and their governments, from whence came so many Craftsmen of all kinds and of all shades of religious beliefs, but having a central fundamental principle of the worship, each in his own way, of the one only and true GOD, for which the Great Temple was to be erected; and for the Deity Himself, each according to his nation and tongue, gave Him a name, accordingly, which was compounded and three names that were chosen by the chiefs of the architects at last became one for their own private recognition, according to legend and tradition.
When the time came for the dedication of the Temple, it was to be done out of doors in sight of everybody, and not in the Temple itself; nor was it done by the Jewish priesthood, but by King SOLOMON himself, as king and sovereign of the people, the representative of the people and for the people, not of the Israelites alone, but for everybody under his protection who might desire to come there and worship GOD in his own way and of his own free will; for in the midst of his memorable prayer he said:
Moreover, concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people, Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name's sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this house; then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling - place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all the people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people, Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name."
This part of his prayer was chiefly intended for the foreign Masons who had helped to build the Temple, for we read, "And DAVID commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel, and he set Masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of GOD." "And SOLOMON numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith DAVID, his father, had numbered them, and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand, and three thousand and six hundred. And he set threescore and ten thousand to be bearers of burdens, fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people at work."
Thus it will be seen came the first systematic organization of Freemasons of which we have any historic account, and to be directly employed upon government and religious work, under the immediate direction of one HIRAM ABIF, the chief architect of the work, who was sent by HIRAM, King of Tyre, in compliance with the expressed desire of King SOLOMON. It is upon the knowledge, education, skill, life, and tragic death of this most distinguished Mason of which there is any account, either historical, traditional, or legendary, that is formed the structure of our philosophic, semireligious, speculative, and symbolic Freemasonry of today, which has come down to us through the ages for a period of over twenty-nine centuries and carrying with it the history, tradition, and mysteries of as many centuries before. He is the central figure of all recorded time and the Master Builder of the Masonic World. He had the highest recommendation that could possibly be given to him at the time. HIRAM, King of Tyre, said of him in his letter to King SOLOMON:
"And now I have sent a cunning (wise) man, endued with understanding of HIRAM, my father's. The son of a woman of the daughters of DAN, and his father was a man of Tyre, skillful to work in gold and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord DAVID, thy father."
He was relieved, however, from having to originate the plans for the Temple, for DAVID, it seems, was the original designer who drew the plans of the Temple, in accordance with divine direction, for everything in and about this wonderful edifice then to be built, and had given them to his son, King SOLOMON, for the account given of it is as follows:
"Then DAVID gave to SOLOMON, his son, the pattern of the porch and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlors thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat; and the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of GOD, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things. * * * * * All this, said DAVID, the LORD made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern," etc.
There is a secret tradition that King SOLOMON, when the Temple was nearly completed, had tired of HIRAM ABIF, the Chief Architect of the Temple, who was the representative of the people and who had risen from their level to become the companion of kings. The necessity of personal intercourse during the construction of the Temple had made his architect familiar with that royalty which was but recent and in the second generation only; and the Tyrian architect regarded SOLOMON as but a man and the son of a shepherd of fortuitous circumstances, who by causing the death of his elder brother ADONIJAH, the next in line to DAVID, had succeeded the first occupants of the throne upon the change of the autonomy and form of government of the people of Israel. King SOLOMON, being jealous of his power and glory, and determined that no other monarch should erect a similar temple of equal magnificence and splendor, is said to have himself, secretly and surreptitiously, secured the plans and the last designs drawn upon the trestleboard of the Temple, and secretly contrived to plot whereby his chief architect might be removed, that no other king or nation should have them or be able to secure his services. The unconscious instruments of his purpose performed the part they were incited to enact, not knowing who was the actual chief conspirator whose will they had carried out, when they supposed that they were only executing their own; and yet received the decision of their fate at his hands, the chief conspirator and criminal acting as their judge - his grief and indignation simulated and hypocritical and from whose royal decree there was no appeal.
Through the long line of martyrs whose lives have been sacrificed on the altars of Truth, Science, and Philosophy and for Civil and Religious Liberty, Freemasonry has come down to the
present age brighter in its effulgence, and like the sun in its course, will forever shine, giving life and light wherever the unfettered intellect and the freed soul of man can measure the distance and the courses of the stars and find repose in the bosom of its divine Creator, the All Father and the ALMIGHTY GOD.
As a Brotherhood, traveling from one country to another in camps or lodges, ready to undertake the reconstruction of buildings, destroyed by the ravages of war or of the elements, from their ruins, or to build new ones - whether churches, cathedrals, public or private edifices or fortresses - the banded Craftsmen pursued their calling in every country of Western Asia, Northern Africa, and throughout all the countries of Continental Europe and the British Isles. While temporarily sojourning in huts or lodges themselves, they were ever ready to contract to build a most gorgeous, sumptuous palace, a costly cathedral, a lordly castle, or a plain citizen's dwelling. The science of construction in Grecian, Roman, Moorish, or Gothic architecture was as familiar to them as the curriculum of the most noted universities of today to the scholarly professors who occupy the chairs at Oxford, Harvard, Princeton, or Yale. Whether in Athens or in Rome, Grenada, Seville, or in Paris, at Dresden, Munich, Cologne, or Rheims, at London, Edinburgh, Stirling, or Melrose, these journeying Craftsmen, with their masters schooled in the learning of the old Colleges of Architecture at Rome, traveled with freedom from toll over the face of Europe, carrying the secrets and mysteries of their Craft with them, fully understanding the purposes and nature or character of the buildings to be constructed, and their handiwork still remains to be seen commanding the admiration of the beholders for centuries since the last finishing strokes were given and the scaffolding removed.
The ancient mysteries and knowledge of all the religions were known to them, for they had to erect the temples and edifices for them, and thus they learned the symbolism, faith, and philosophy of each, and were always well prepared to digest and analyze all shades of doctrines and beliefs while inwardly committed to none but their own independent thoughts, studying Nature and reading her mysteries by the God - given Light of Reason, and worshiping their Creator in the starlighted Cathedral of the Universe, the mountains for their altars and the plains and valleys for the checkered pavement of their temple and kneeling floor. Their working tools furnished them symbols for teaching moral lessons and guides for their conduct, while the blade of the trowel of the Master Mason reminded him of the form of his coffin, upon which in the lines from the points at right angles, if a Christian, he could discern the symbol of his faith, and, in its handle, he grasped the everliving acacia, which again placed in the ground at the head of his grave, like AARON's rod, would take root and bud and bloom anew in full strength and fragrance, the symbol and type of his own immortality.
These scattered lodges were at last mostly found in England, and after the Great London Black Plague and Fire of 1666. The four lodges that were engaged in the finishing of St. Paul's Cathedral in 1717, having admitted to their fellowship the scholars and philosophers and scientific men of that day as "Accepted Masons," instructed them in the allegories, legends, and symbols of the Craft, and Freemasonry, thus augmented, expanded and widened to a larger sphere and became stronger in its growth, while the floor of its temples became neutral ground, where political disputations ceased and polemical discussion of sectarian religious beliefs were rigorously hushed and barred, and Nature's humanity and loving kindness were given a chance to bring good men of opposite opinions together, who might have forever remained at perpetual distance from each other."
Such was the origin of Freemasonry in the beginning until the so-called "Revival of Freemasonry " in 1717, and which has come down to us with but few modified changes from that date for a period of one hundred and seventy-nine years. ESTO PERPETUA.
CHAPTER II.
The Objects of Freemasonry:
LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY, BROTHERLY LOVE, TRUTH, RELIEF TO THE WIDOW, THE ORPHAN AND THE DISTRESSED.
In stating the objects of Freemasonry at the head of this chapter as the cardinal tenets of our "Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity," and which we desire to illustrate, it may truthfully and logically be said that there must be LIBERTY to maintain EQUALITY and FRATERNITY as the natural result of the two which compose the first triad of Masonic principles which forms the base of our institution and the second triad is the living, force and natural outflow in activity of the former; for there could be no BROTHERLY LOVE without FRATERNITY, no RELIEF without the active principle of EQUALITY in HUMANITY, and no LIVING TRUTH without the exercise of LIBERTY to declare and maintain it. This double triad forms the double interlaced triangular symbol of the cardinal tenets of our beloved Order; and the hexagon in the center formed by the crossing of the lines of these two equilateral triangles shows the outlines of the foundation stone of our Temple in perspective, upon which is inscribed the Trinity of every true Mason's religion, regardless of any particular creed: FAITH, HOPE, CHARITY.
A sublime FAITH in the ALL FATHER and Creator of the Universe without superstition, for otherwise no man could be free or fit to become a Mason. A well grounded HOPE of IMMORTALITY, like that of JOB: "For I know that my Redeemer liveth"; or like that of PAUL: "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of GOD, an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens." And CHARITY, which crowneth all, so well described and systematized by MOSES, the lawgiver of Israel: "When thou cuttest down thy harvest in thy field and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the LORD thy GOD may bless thee in all the works of thy hands. When thou beatest thine olive trees thou shalt not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vinevard, thou shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless, nor take a widow's raiment to pledge. Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates. At his day thou shall give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the LORD and it be sin unto thee." Or as PAUL and PETER have said: "Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations; for brethren ye have been called unto liberty; but by love serve one another. Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous; fear GOD, love the brotherhood; honor all men. And now abideth FAITH, HOPE, CHARITY; but the greatest of these is CHARITY"; all of which latter is summed up in the Golden Rule, " Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them," as laid down by the Most Wise Master who ever appeared among men. These are the fundamental principles upon which the universal religion of Freemasonry is founded. In this connection we may revert to the Ancient Charges of a Freemason:
I. CONCERNING GOD AND RELIGION.
A Mason is obliged by his tenure to obey the moral law; and if he rightly understands the art, he will never be stupid atheist nor an irreligious libertine. But though in ancient times, Masons were charged in every country to be of the religion of that country or nation, whatever it was, it is now thought more expedient only to oblige them to that religion in which all men agree, leaving their particular opinions to themselves that is, to be good men and true, or men of honor and honesty, by whatever denominations or persuasions they may be distinguished, whereby Masonry becomes the center of union and the means of conciliating true friendship among persons that must have remained at a perpetual distance."
II. OF THE CIVIL MAGISTRATE, SUPREME AND SUBORDINATE.
"A Mason is a peaceable subject to the civil powers wherever he resides or works, and is never to be concerned in plots and conspiracies against the peace and welfare of the Nation, nor to behave himself undutifully to inferior magistrates; for as Masonry hath always been injured by war, bloodshed, and confusion, so ancient kings and princes have been much disposed to encourage the Craftsmen, because of their peaceableness and loyalty, whereby they practically answered the cavils of their adversaries, and promoted the honor of the fraternity, who ever flourish in times of peace. So that if a Brother should be a rebel against the State, he is not to be countenanced in his rebellion, however he may be pitied as an unhappy man; and if convicted of no other crime, though the loyal brotherhood must and ought to disown his rebellion, and give no umbrage or ground of political jealousy to the government for the time being, they cannot expel him from the Lodge, and his relation to it remains indefeasible."
FURTHER EXTRACTS FROM THE ANCIENT CHARGES OF A FREEMASON.
"The persons admitted members of a Lodge must be good and true men, free born, and of mature and discreet, age; no bondsmen, no women, no immoral or scandalous men, but of good report."
"All Masons shall work honestly on working days, that they may live creditably on holy days; and the time appointed by the law of the land, or by custom, shall be observed."
"The Craftsmen are to avoid all ill language and to call each other by no disobliging name, but Brother or Fellow; and to behave themselves courteously within and without the Lodge."
EDITORIAL NOTE. The Double Interlaced Triangle illustrated above was the device on DAVID'S shield and on SOLOMON'S seal. The twelve angles within and without each point had reference to the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Each angle being of sixty degrees, it is for this reason that in the jewel of a Past Master the compasses are extended to sixty degrees upon the segment or arc of a circle, the angle being that on which the bee forms its cell in the honeycomb within the hive, and which contains also a geometric problem and a key as well as moral lessons to be drawn therefrom.
"No private piques or quarrels must be brought within the door of the Lodge, far less quarrels about religion or Nations or State policy, we being only as Masons of the Universal religion above mentioned; we are also of all Nations, tongues, kindreds, and languages, and are resolved against all Politics, as what never conduced to the welfare of the Lodge or ever will. This CHARGE has always been strictly enjoined and observed; BUT ESPECIALLY EVER SINCE THE REFORMATION IN BRITAIN, OR THE DISSENT AND SECESSION OF THESE NATIONS FROM THE COMMUNION OF ROME."
We have cited these extracts from the "Ancient Charges of a Freemason " because within them is contained, preserved, and to be for all time perpetuated, the principles and doctrines of absolute civil and religious liberty to each individual member of the fraternity admitted within the sacred walls of its Temple; and, while its tessellated floor is neutral ground and no discussions of a debatable character upon matters of either religion or politics are permitted within the Sanctum Sanctorum, yet at the same time the good seed is sown. When the prejudices and passions of men are subdued to a peaceful tranquility, toleration prevails, the right of private choice and judgment is recognized, and the result is that, being honest, good men and true, pure in intentions, peaceably disposed, mutual respect and esteem is cultivated and a fraternal spirit of brotherly love and affection cements the Mystic bond of Brotherhood. Freemasonry has no punishment for sectarian religious heresy nor for political rebellion, excepting there be heinous crime connected therewith; for what may be considered treason today may by success be loyalty tomorrow, and by revolution the position of political parties be reversed in holding the reins of government.
These principles and maxims and the policy of our honored institution were well laid down for the government of the Craft by the Grand Lodge of England chiefly composed of those who had suffered as victims of persecution, Huguenots and Scotchmen when it was first organized by the four London Lodges on St. John the Baptist's Day, June 24, 1717, at the Apple Tree Tavern, London, when ANTONY SAYRE, the son of a French Huguenot, was elected Grand Master, at the time of the so called "Revival of Freemasonry," when speculative or philosophic Freemasonry became more general, and adopted or accepted by the operative guild or craft, which, continually traveling to and fro and in foreign countries, disseminated these principles whithersoever they journeyed in plying their vocation. As a distinguished writer has said, "The Grand Kabalistic Association known in Europe under the name of 'Freemasonry' appeared all at once in the world at the period when the Protest against the Papal Power came to break the Christian unity." As has also been well said by our late and lamented Brother, ALBERT G. MACKEY: "The design of Freemasonry is neither charity or almsgiving, nor the cultivation of the social sentiment, for both are merely incidental to its organization; but it is Ike search after truth, and that truth is the unity of GOD and the immortality of the soul. The various degrees or grades of initiation represent the various stages through which the human mind passes, and the many difficulties which men individually or collectively must encounter in their progress from ignorance to the acquisition of this truth."
It was this idea which generally prevailed in the seventeenth century among the operative Freemasons, who were called upon to construct religious and other edifices for the various sects which had divided the Christian Church, and that called forth a more general spirit of inquiry among them into religious and philosophical truths, and the calling to their aid the scientific, philosophic, and learned scholars of the age, who were welcomed into the Operative Guild as auxiliaries and were received and made Adopted or Accepted Freemasons, as had been their custom from time immemorial; and among those admitted was the learned antiquarian, ELIAS ASHMOLE, who also has left the impress of his work upon the drama in that portion of the ritual which now relates to the Fellow Craft Degree in particular and before Freemasonry was divided into three degrees. He was made a Freemason October 16, 1646, two centuries and a half ago and seventy-one years before the Grand Lodge of England was formed. Some thirty-six years after his admission into the fraternity, March 10, 1682, he was summoned to attend a Lodge of Masons the next day at Masons' Hall, London, an account of which he has left in his diary, in his collection in the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford. Among other things, he says:
"There is no doubt to be made that the skill of Masons, which was always transcendent even in the most barbarous times - their wonderful kindness and attachment to each other, how different soever in condition, and their inviolable fidelity in religiously keeping their secret - must expose them in ignorant, troublesome, and superstitious times to a vast variety of adventures, according, to the different fate of parties and alterations in government. By the way, I shall note that the Masons were always loyal, which exposed them to great severities when power wore the trappings of justice, and those who committed treason Punished true men as traitors. Thus in the third year of the reign of HENRY VI (1432), an Act of Parliament was passed to abolish the society of Masons and to hinder, under grievous penalties, the holding of Chapters, Lodges, or other regular assemblies. Yet this act was afterward repealed, and even before that, King HENRY VI and: several of the principal lords of his court became Fellows of the Craft."
Thus the principles of Freemasonry were those of absolute civil and religious liberty and equality of all men who were honest, good, and true, and worthy of admission to the Brotherhood, which were being fostered and strengthened within the sacred precincts of their Lodges, where they grew in strength and expanded and spread beyond their walls, and permeated society of every rank and degree, effectually but silently like the growth of the forest, doing their perfect work, and which in the course of events has proven irresistible; and all free government everywhere at the present day owes its existence primarily or indirectly to the influence of our beloved institution. The great mistake of many writers of Masonic history is the utter ignoring of the political and religious conditions of the times of which they write, of the controversies and conflicts of sects and parties of both Church and State, of the actors therein, who have directed the current of events of rival intolerant, superstitious, and persecuting religions, and of the antagonisms of contending political parties and armed adherents of ambitious kings and prelates.
Speculative Freemasonry itself is the child of both rational religion and liberal politics, but not of fanaticism and partisanship; it was begotten during a truce and born during an armistice; its clothing, the Master Mason's apron, is a flag of truce and at once commands, "Peace, be still!" for the place over which it flies is holy and neutral ground. The fugitive Huguenots driven from France upon the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, the despoiled Scottish noblemen, adherents of the House of the Stuarts, and liberalminded Englishmen who were scholars, fused with the operative Masons of the four Lodges that were engaged in the building of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, and became Accepted Masons and Brethren of the Craft.
They enriched the ritual and drama of initiation with moral and philosophic instruction, combined with scientific formula and symbols, and clothed it with legendary tradition blended with both sacred and profane history, and taught the most sublime truths that can be inculcated and impressed upon the hearts of men. The so-called "Revival of Freemasonry" in 1717 was the spiritual rebuilding of King SOLOMON's Temple in which every Mason to this day is engaged within himself, to be erected and dedicated to ALMIGHTY GOD. No slave or bondman was permitted to work on, in or about the Temple, not even to remove the rubbish. He therefore must be freeborn as well as a freeman in whom the spirit of Freemasonry is to dwell free as a citizen, morally free, and utterly free to worship GOD as he pleases, whose heart and mind are illuminated by the Great Light of the Holy Bible, which ever lies an open book, for all to read, upon every altar of Masonry, and erected to ALMIGHTY GOD.
It was the French Huguenot Reformer, JOHN THEOPHILUS DESAGULIERS, born March 12, 1683, at Rochelle, France, who having become a curate of the Church of England and initiated in the "Lodge of Antiquity" in St. Paul's Churchyard, secured the assistance of several older Masons to aid in the formation of the Grand Lodge of England, in which he was eminently successful. He was more of a scientist than a preacher, and PRIESTLEY styles him "an indefatigable experimental philosopher." Said our lamented Brother, ALBERT G. MACKEY: "To few Masons of the present day, except to those who have made Freemasonry a subject of special study, is the name of DESAGULIERS very familiar. But it is well they should know that to him, perhaps more than to any other man, are we indebted to the Present existence of Freemasonry as a living institution; for when in the beginning of the eighteenth century Masonry had fallen into a state of decadence which threatened its extinction, it was DESAGULIERS who, by his energy and enthusiasm, infused a spirit of zeal into his contemporaries which culminated in the revival of the year 1717, and it was his learning and social position that gave a standing to the institution, which brought to its support noblemen and men of influence, so that the insignificant assemblage of the four London Lodges at the Apple Tree Tavern has expanded into an association which now overshadows the entire civilized world. And the moving spirit of all this was JOHN THEOPHILUS DESAGULIERS."
ANTONY SAYRE, the son of a French Huguenot, was elected the first Grand Master. In 1718 he was succeeded by GEORGE PAYNE, and in 1719, DESAGULIERS was elected Grand Master, followed by the DUKE OF WHARTON, the EARL OF DALKEITH, LORD PAISLEY, and others. These three last named gentlemen, eminent Masons and Grand Masters, had been attainted and forfeited their titles in the British or rather Scotch peerages for their adherence to the House of Stuart, as will be seen by reference to DE BRETT'S "Peerage of Great Britain and Ireland." WHARTON forfeited his title in 1728. DALKEITH was a descendant of the DUKE OF MONMOUTH, illegitimate son of CHARLES II. CHARLES RADCLIFFE, who had married CHARLOTTE, Countess of Newburgh, a widow, was the third son of EDWARD II, Earl of Derwentwater, and assumed that title upon the death of his nephew, who was executed for rebellion against GEORGE II in 1716, and, fleeing to France, assisted in the planting of Freemasonry in that country and became the first Grand Master of Masons of France in 1725. His mother was MARY TUDOR, the illegitimate daughter of Charles II. He also had been attainted and convicted of treason before his flight. He left France in 1733 (sixteen years after the Grand Lodge of England was organized), and made several visits to England in unsuccessful pursuit of pardon. The blood of the Stuarts, though illegitimate, which flowed in his veins, operated as an effective barrier to his hopes and prospects. Filled with hopeless disappointment, he at last allied his fortunes with those of The Young Pretender in 1745, and sailed from France to join him, but the vessel in which he embarked was captured by an English man - of - war. He was taken prisoner and beheaded on Tower Hill, London, December 8, 1746. Under the skillful guidance of these eminent, learned and loyal craftsmen, the revivification of the decadent society became complete, and a higher appreciation of its principles and purposes attracted to its altar men of renown whose devotion insured the stability and growth of the institution as a fraternity dedicated to the uplifting of humanity.
The Grand Lodge of England, thus formed, made itself and its subordinates a Universal Bible Society and the sworn custodians of the Great Light of Freemasonry, and in the installation ceremonies of the Masters of Lodges, DESAGULIERS, when he framed them, borrowed almost the exact language in reference to it as used in the coronation ceremonies prescribed by King JAMES I of England
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(who was also, at the same time, King JAMES VI of Scotland). For the information of the Brethren and as matter of historic curiosity, we subjoin the charges in parallel columns:
AT THE CORONATION OF THE KING PRESENTATION OF THE BIBLE BY THE ARCHBISHOP.
"Then shall the Dean of Westminster take the Holy Bible that was carried in the procession, from off the altar and deliver it to the Archbishop, who, with the rest of the Bishops going along with him, shall present it to the King, first saying these words to him:
"Archbishop - Our gracious King, we present you with this Book, the most valuable thing that this world affords. Here is Wisdom. This is the Royal Law. These are the Lively Oracles of GOD. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this Book, that keep and do the things contained in it, for these are the words of eternal life, able to make you wise and happy in this world, nay wise unto salvation, and so happy forevermore through faith, which is in CHRIST JESUS, to whom be glory forever. Amen!"
"Then the King delivers back the Bible to the DEAN OF WESTMINSTER, to be reverently placed again upon the holy altar."
AT THE INSTALLATION OF THE WORTHY MASTER -
PRESENTATION OF THE BIBLE TO THE MASTER ELECT.
"Then the Marshal of the Lodge, going to the altar and taking the Holy Bible therefrom (or if for convenience sake using another), will deliver it to the Past Master acting as the Installing Officer, who says:
"Installing Officer - My Brother, I now present you the Book of Holy Writings. It is the Great Light in Masonry, and should ever be the great law of the Brotherhood. It will guide you to all truth, it will direct you to eternal happiness, and an attentive regard to the divine precepts it contains will insure you success in the fulfillment of the duties you are now about to assume. * * In short, by a diligent observance of the bylaws of your Lodge and the constitutions of Masonry, and, above all, the Holy Scriptures, which are given as the rule and the guide of your faith, you will be enabled to acquit yourself with the highest honors here and lay up a crown of rejoicing which shall continue when time shall be no more."
It is again placed upon the altar [or table].
The Scottish element at the time of the so-called " Revival of Freemasonry" in 1717 in England prevailed, and the Masonic world is greatly indebted to a man born August 5, 1684, at Edinburgh, Scotland - a Doctor of Divinity of the Presbyterian faith, who removed to London and became the Pastor of the Scotch Presbyterian Church in Swallow Street, Piccadilly - the Rev.JAMES ANDERSON, who was commissioned by the Grand Lodge of England, September 29, 1721, to collect and compile the history and charges of the fraternity from the then existing constitutions of the Lodges. Those who then composed the Grand Lodge of England were comparatively young men, DESAGULIERS being only thirty-eight years and ANDERSON thirty-seven years of age. A French Episcopalian and a Scotch Presbyterian working in harmony in drawing their designs upon the Masonic trestleboard relegated sectarianism to where it belonged. Both of them were away from their native land - both direct descendants of those who had been persecuted for political and religious conscience sake - and laboring in concord at a time when a century of persecution had driven the best blood and the greatest intelligence out of the United Kingdom to find a refuge in the then wilderness of America, where the great lights of Freedom and of Freemasonry were to be soon established and in time illumine the entire New World. "Anderson's Constitutions and Old Charges and Regulations," compiled by him, have been the general standing regulations of the fraternity for a century and three - quarters, since they were collated and compiled. St. Paul's Cathedral in London had just been completed, its great architect, Sir
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CHRISTOPHER WREN, had shortly afterward died and been immured within it when ANDERSON completed his important work for the Craft. The Brotherhood was soon thereafter to be divided and scattered.
It was during these troublous times that Free and Accepted Masonry had to be organized with a central authority placed within a representative body to be known as the Grand Lodge of England, that the Great Lights might be kept burning and send their refulgent rays around the globe and penetrate every corner of the earth. England, where it was organized, may therefore claim to have been the seat of WISDOM; Scotland, for having furnished the compiler of its constitution and laws which gave it STRENGTH; and France, the birthplace of the chief author and designer of its ritual, may claim its BEAUTY. ASHMOLE, ANDERSON, and DESAGULIERS, the rose, the thistle, and the lily, the floral symbols of light and power, of warning and protection, and of purity and adornment, represented in these three great master builders, will continue to bloom with the fragrant acacia, symbol of immortality, as long as there are compasses and squares to draw designs upon the trestleboards of the Craft, a trowel in the hands of a Master Mason to spread the cement, or the gavel of a Master to sound and direct the work. Thus Free and Accepted Masonry, at its revival in 1717, with a regularly constituted and organized Grand Lodge of authority delegated to it, created amidst political and religious strife of all parties, factions, and fanatics, started out on its grand, but quiet and peaceful mission, to humanize and civilize the world, with the silent but firm guaranty of the rights of conscience, bearing upon its snow white banners its grand principles of LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY, BROTHERLY LOVE, RELIEF, and TRUTH, and its standard planted upon its most perfect ashlar and chief cornerstone of FAITH IN GOD, HOPE IN THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL, and CHARITY FOR ALL MANKIND, especially of the HOUSEHOLD OF THE FAITHFUL.
Slave to no sect, who takes no private road,
But looks through Nature up to Nature's God;
Pursues that chain which links th' immense design,
Joins heaven and earth, and mortal and divine;
Grasps the whole world of Reason, Life, and Sense,
In one close system of Benevolence:
Happier as kinder, in whate'er degree,
And height of Bliss but height of Charity." - Pope.
CHAPTER III
Advent of Freemasonry into America.
MASONRY PROVIDED THE LEADERS THAT INCITED THE COLONISTS AND LED THEM TO VICTORY, LEAVING ITS IMPRESS UPON THE FREE INSTITUTIONS OF THE UNITED STATES.
Before entering upon the work of "The History of the Northwest" proper, it is expedient and appropriate that an account of our Masonic ancestry and descent in our own country of the American Republic should be given; and as there were individual Masons on the Pacific Slope, before American occupation, carrying the light within their own breasts, scattered over the country and traversing its solitude, so there existed a similar condition in the early settlement of the American Colonies upon the Atlantic Coast.
It is said that there is evidence that "Freemasonry existed in the then French Colony of Nova Scotia without the English language as early as 1606," or fourteen years before the Pilgrim Fathers landed at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts. The first Mason of whom there is any account in that state or in America in colonial times was Governor Jonathan Belcher who was made in a Lodge in London in 1704, or thirteen years before the so-called "Revival of Freemasonry in 1717. SERNO D. NICKERSON, Past Grand Master and now Grand Secretary and Historian of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, who is always exact in his statements of facts of history, records the following: " In 1741 Governor JONATHAN BELCHER said to the first Lodge in Boston (St. John's), 'It is now thirty-seven years since I was admitted into the Ancient and Honorable Society of Free and Accepted Masons.' He was present and his health was drank in the Grand Lodge of England, September 26, 1744. The Craft spread far and wide, and whenever two or three of them were gathered together they made merry, and they made Masons!"
Thus it will be seen that wherever there were three Master Masons to come together, and thus have a quorum, they would open a Lodge of Master Masons pro tempore, initiate, pass and raise candidates, close and disband until another emergency should arise. There was no supreme authority to govern and control, no warrants or charters issued, and this loose system generally prevailed, though fortunately for Freemasonry the population at that time was very limited and every man knew his neighbor before admitting him to the fellowship of brotherhood. Even in 1733 the population of the city of Boston was only about 18,000, Philadelphia about 12,000, and New York even in 1777 numbered only 21,767, so that in the selection of material there was not much danger of going very far astray.
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In the British Isles, however, Masonry had its Lodges which were permanent, kept their records, and were separate, independent sovereignties, amenable to no other regulations and laws but those established by themselves; and their government in legislation was shared by the humblest Entered Apprentice, who had both voice and vote in the administration of their affairs, and each was a free republic with freemen and Freemasons in itself, their Masters and other officers of their own choice, limited by their own laws and landmarks of the Order and the terms for which they were chosen; but when the Grand Lodge of England was organized at the Apple Tree Tavern in London, in 1717, then a new order of things commenced by its declaring, "That the privilege of assembling as Masons, which has been hitherto unlimitd, shall be vested in certain Lodges or Assemblies of Masons convened in certain places, and that every Lodge to be hereafter convened, except the four old Lodges at this time existing, shall be legally authorized to act by a warrant from the Grand Master for the time being, granted to certain individuals by petition, with the consent and approbation of the Grand Lodge in Communication, and without such consent no Lodge shall be hereafter deemed regular or constitutional." In "Anderson's Constitutions of 1723" we find among the General Regulations, "compiled first by Mr. GEORGE PAYNE, Anno 1720, when he was Grand Master, and approv'd by the Grand Lodge on St. John Baptist's Day, Anno 1721," the following, being the second paragraph of Article VIII:
"If any Set or Number of Masons shall take upon themselves to form a Lodge without the Grand Master's Warrant, the regular Lodges are not to countenance them, nor own them as fair Brethren and duly form'd nor approve of their Acts and Deeds; but must treat them as Rebels, until they humble themselves, as the Grand Master shall in his Prudence direct, and until he approve of them by his Warrant, which must be signify'd to the other Lodges, as the Custom is when a new Lodge is to be register'd in the List of Lodges."
Says Bro. SERENO D. NICKERSON: "The new system thus inaugurated met with general approval and was adopted by common consent by the English speaking portion of the Craft, from time to time, as it became known. In no quarter was the new departure more cordially approved, or more cheerfully conformed to than in the British North American Provinces."
In 1721 the Grand Lodge of Munster, Ireland, was formed, of which SPRINGETT PENN (the oldest son of the celebrated WILLIAM PENN, the founder of Pennsylvania) was the first Deputy Grand Master; but in 1730 the Grand Lodge of Ireland was regularly organized.
The Grand Lodge of Scotland was constituted in 1736. The Grand Master of Scotland, WILLIAM ST. CLAIR, Earl of Orkney, who then exercised supreme power, declared: "Taking into consideration that his holding or claiming any such jurisdiction, right or privilege might be prejudicial to the Craft and vocation of Freemasonry, renounced his claims and empowered the Freemasons to choose their Grand Master. The consequence of this act of resignation was the immediate organization of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, over whom, for obvious reasons, the late hereditary Grand Master or Patron was unanimously called to preside." This act carried with it all of the Scottish Lodges of one allegiance to the Grand Lodge of Scotland.
As all the duly constituted Masonic bodies in the American Colonies derived their warrant of authority from the Grand Lodges of England, Ireland and Scotland, it is necessary to briefly refer to the Grand Lodges in England, for there were several. According to ANDERSON and PRESTON, the first charter granted in England to the Masons as a body was bestowed by King ATHELSTAN in 926, upon the application of his brother, Prince EDWIN. "Accordingly," says a legend first cited by ANDERSON, "Prince EDWIN summoned all the Masons in the realm to meet him in a congregation at York, who came and composed a General Lodge, of which he was Grand Master; and having brought
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with them all the writings and records extant, some in Greek, some in Latin, and some in French and other languages, from the contents thereof that assembly did frame the Constitution and Charges of an English Lodge. From this assembly at York the rise of Masonry in England is generally dated; from the statutes there enacted are derived the English Masonic Constitutions, and from the place of meeting the ritual of the English Lodges is designated as the 'Ancient York Rite.'"
For a long time the York Assembly exercised Masonic jurisdiction over all England, but in 1567 it was split in twain. The Masons of the southern part of the island elected Sir THOMAS GRESHAM, the celebrated merchant, their Grand Master. He was succeeded by the illustrious architect, INIGO JONES. There were then two Grand Masters in England who assumed distinctive titles: the Grand Master of the north being called "Grand Master of all England," while he who presided in the southern portion of England was called "Grand Master of England."
The political disturbances, civil wars, and conflicts of parties during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries played havoc with Masonry, and the General Assemblies had ceased altogether. In 1715 there were but four Lodges in the south of England, all working in the city of London, and it was these four Lodges which came together on St. John the Baptist's Day, June 24, 1717, and formed the Grand Lodge of England and adopted the regulations, as already stated. This Grand Lodge and that at York maintained friendly relations until 1725, when the former invaded the jurisdiction of the latter, and again in 1735, when it repeated the offense by the EARL OF CRAWFORD, Grand Master of England, constituting two Lodges and appointing deputies for Lancashire, Durham, and Northumberland. Total non - intercourse and interdiction was the result between these two bodies. In 1738, or three years afterward, several Brethren seceded from the Grand Lodge of England, took advantage of this breach, and called themselves "York Masons," and when the latter body took action against them they then adopted the name of "Ancient York Masons," charged the Grand Lodge of England with making innovations, branding them with the name of "Modern Masons," and they then in 1739 established a new Grand Lodge in London under the name of the "Grand Lodge of Ancient York Masons." Thus these Masons not only seceded from their own regular Grand Lodge but appropriated the name of the other at York and affixed an amendment to it in the word "Ancient." The York Grand Lodge may have winked at or encouraged this revolt on account of the invasion of its own jurisdiction by repeated unfriendly acts of the Grand Lodge of England at London.
For some years the Ancient Lodges in several instances appear to have worked on an independent system, claiming the original right, which every body of Masons had, to assemble and work without a warrant; but finally in 1751 they changed the title again to "The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of England, according to the old Constitutions," while the regular body was known as " The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons under the Constitution of England." This latter body soon after its organization was recognized by the Grand Lodges of Scotland and Ireland, and these four, Grand Lodges granted warrants to subordinate Lodges in the American Colonies, and the seeds of rivalry and jealousy took root in a virgin soil, which bore fruit for nearly three quarters of a century.
The first regular authority or appointment to constitute Masonic Lodges in the American Colonies was issued by the DUKE OF NORFOLK, Grand Master of Free and Accepted Masons of England, on June 5, 1730, to DANIEL, COXE, of New Jersey, appointing him Provincial Grand Master of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. This was followed by Lord Viscount MONTACUTE, the succeeding Grand Master, on April 30, 1733, appointing HENRY PRICE, of Boston, Provincial Grand Master of New England. There are no official records or accounts of Provincial Grand Master COXE having
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created any Lodges or issued any warrants for Lodges while he held his appointment. There were independent Lodges within his jurisdiction which met semi - occasionally and did as they pleased, while he was in London the most of the time, looking after his own private interests. These independent single Lodges assumed each for itself the title of "Grand Lodge," and its Master that of "Grand Master.
On July 30, 1733, just three months from the date of his appointment, R\W\ HENRY PRICE, as Provincial Grand Master of New England, at the Bunch of Grapes Tavern, in Boston, was duly invested and congratulated, and St. John's Grand Lodge was then formed, the first regularly constituted Lodge of Masons in America, and the recognition of Freemasonry and of Lodges by the granting of warrants of authority was put in motion by his granting a warrant to eighteen Master Masons and their Brethren to form a subordinate Lodge known as First Lodge, in Boston, and installing their officers. In 1783 it took the name of St. John's Lodge, by which it has ever since been known. Among the first to recognize the authority of HENRY PRICE, who had been appointed Provincial Grand Master for all of North America, was BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, the so called Grand Master of the self - constituted "Grand Lodge of St. John's," in Philadelphia, in which he was made in February, 1731. The records of St. John's Grand Lodge of Boston recite that, "About this time (June 24, 1734) Our Worshl. Bro. Mr. BENJN. FRANKLIN from Philadelphia became acquainted with Our Rt. Worshl. Grand Master Mr. Price, who further instructed him in the Royal Art, and said FRANKLIN on his Return to Philadelphia called the Brethren there together, who petitioned Our Rt. Worshl. Grand Master, having this year Recd. Orders from the Grand Lodge in England to Establish Masonry in all North America, did send a Deputation to Philadelphia, appointing the Rt. Worshl. Mr. BENJN. FRANKLIN first Master; which is the beginning of Masonry there." This last sentence refers to regularly constituted Masonry by lawful authority.
During a period of forty years, up to December, 1773, this St. John's Grand Lodge bad granted forty charters or warrants for forty Lodges, as follows: Massachusetts eight, New Hampshire one, South Carolina one, West Indies three, Nova Scotia three, Newfoundland one, Rhode Island three, Maryland one, Connecticut eight, New York three, Maine two, New Jersev two, Canada one, North Carolina one, Dutch Guiana one, Virginia one. In this last mentioned Lodge, which was constituted at Fredericksburg, Virginia, GEORGE WASHINGTON was initiated on November 4, 1752, passed on March 3, 1753, and raised on August 4, 1753, with others, to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason. In addition to the foregoing, this St. John's Grand Lodge also granted several warrants or charters to so called Army Lodges in the colonial contingents during the French and Indian wars.
In 1752, a number of Masons who had probably received the degrees of Masonry under the authority of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, opened a Lodge at the Green Dragon Tavern in Boston, which was afterward known as St. Andrew's, and applied to the Grand Lodge of Scotland for a charter, having the approval of the Falkirk Lodge in Scotland. Action was delayed until May 21, 1759, when it was granted, but it failed to reach the Lodge until September 4, 1760 and Colonel JOHN YOUNG, who on November 14, 1757, had been appointed Provincial Grand Master of all Lodges in North America under the Grand Lodge of Scotland, does not appear to have done anything under its authority and seems to have been ignored. The Grand Lodges of the old country paid no attention to the jurisdictions of each other or those of the Provincial Grand Lodges which they established in the Colonies, when they made a single Subordinate Lodge a Grand Lodge by itself. On November 30, 1768, a committee of St. Andrew's Lodge, with its Master, JOSEPH WARREN, at its head, was appointed to confer with other "Ancient" Lodges in the town as to the expediency of
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applying to the Grand Lodge of Scotland for a Grand Master of Ancient Masons in America. There were three British regiments stationed in Boston at that time, each with a Military Lodge attached, but working under different Constitutions: English, Irish and Scotch. The petition was granted on May 30, 1769, by the Grand Lodge of Scotland, and Dr. JOSEPH WARREN appointed "Grand Master of Masons in Boston, New England, and within one hundred miles of the same." The New Grand Lodge was duly organized on December 27, 1769, and the officers publicly installed. It was thenceforth known as "Massachusetts Grand Lodge." Soon afterward the movement of the British troops caused the Military Lodges to sever their connection with it. The matter of a quorum was decided by the Grand Lodge declaring that, "whenever a summons is issued by the Grand Master, or under his direction, and the Grand Lodge in consequence congregated, the same is to all intents and purposes a legal Grand Lodge, no matter how few in number." This " Massachusetts Grand Lodge" continued to meet regularly, and chartered thirty Lodges as follows: In Massachusetts sixteen, in Maine one, in the United States Army one (American Union Lodge, No. 1. during the Revolution), in New Hampshire four, in Connecticut five, in Vermont two, and in New York one.
As near as can be gathered from the records and from all of the authorities examined, from the time of the organization of the first regularly chartered and duly constituted Lodge, that of St. John's Lodge at Boston, Massachusetts, on July 30, 1733, up to the close of the Revolutionary War by the Treaty of Peace, Great Britain acknowledging the Independence of the United States in 1783, a period of fifty years in Masonic history, there appears to have been constituted by warrant in the American Colonies (now States), by England's Grand Lodges, "Ancient" and " Modern," forty-four Lodges, by the Grand Lodge of Scotland two Lodges, by the Grand Lodge of Ireland one Lodge, and by the Provincial Grand Masters and Grand Lodges one hundred and twenty, making in all one hundred and sixty-seven Lodges duly chartered and constituted in the thirteen American Colonies, which established their independence and formed our Great Republic, of which forty-two per cent. of the whole or fifty-seven and one - half per cent. of the American chartered Lodges were chartered by the two Provincial Grand Lodges of Massachusetts, the Chief Grand East being at the city of Boston. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN came from Philadelphia for legal authority and more Masonic light, as has already been stated, and it was the place of his birth, where he was born on January 17, 1706, and whence he went to Philadelphia in October, 1723, when a boy about seventeen years of age, and it is of him and his connection with Freemasonry and his acts that we will now treat.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, after two years of sojourning in Philadelphia, and when nineteen years of age, took his departure for London, where he worked at the printer's trade, and then again returned, to Philadelphia on October 1, 1726, lacking three months of being of age. The rule then was that "no Lodge shall make any Man under the Age of Twenty-five, who must be also his own Master." FRANKLIN attained that age in January, 1731, and was initiated in February following in St. John's Lodge at Philadelphia, a self - constituted Lodge which assumed the title of "St. John's Grand Lodge," without a constituency and without other authority than that spontaneously assumed, regardless of the fact that the mother Grand Lodge of England in 1817, ten years before, had expressly forbidden "any Set or Number of Masons to take upon themselves to form a Lodge without the Grand Master's Warrant." In this fact, however, we discern the spirit and the germ of independence of the mother country; but, Masonically speaking, without any recognition whatever by regularly constituted Lodges or Brethren, who properly could hold no fraternal intercourse with them. True the Philadelphia St. John's Grand Lodge was the oldest Lodge, but it was nevertheless
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clandestine. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN was styled Grand Master, but he was not satisfied, having a strict regard for law and regular government. He had come into possession of "Anderson's Constitutions," and an examination of this work soon convinced him of the irregularity of St. John's Grand Lodge. The situation of the Lodge was also rendered more grave and precarious by the attitude and actions of certain Masonic pretenders who were attempting to establish an opposition body. FRANKLIN therefore on November 28, 1734, on behalf of his Lodge and himself, applied to HENRY PRICE, Provincial Grand Master of North America at Boston, for due authority for his Lodge that they might regulate Masonry in Pennsylvania and in Philadelphia, and in his letter said:
"I beg leave to recommend their request to you and to inform you that some false and rebel Brethren, who are foreigners, being about to set up a distinct Lodge in opposition to the old and true Brethren here, pretending to make Masons for a bowl of punch, and the Craft is like to come into disesteem among us, unless the true Brethren are countenanced and distinguished by some such special authority as herein desired. I entreat, therefore, that whatever you shall think proper to do therein may be sent by the next post, if possible, or the next following."
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, having obtained a copy of the Constitutions of 1723, immediately went to work and reprinted them. This was the first Masonic book printed in America. He sent copies for sale to the Lodges in Boston, advertising them in the newspapers of that city, for the market was limited at home and the population of Philadelphia incongruous and about equally divided at that time between the Quakers, North of Ireland men, Germans, and other nationalities. There were no public free schools as in New England, and public education was not generally popular. To foster this, FRANKLIN founded a public library, and with his Masonic Brethren he went to work for the education of the rising generation. HAYDEN tells us of the difficulties he encountered: "He was well known at this period as the friend and patron of popular education and every useful art. It was not alone apathy and indifference on the part of the community respecting education that he had to contend with, but there was an element in the population of Philadelphia and its vicinity that regarded all measures for the greater diffusion of knowledge as dangerous innovations on the established customs of society." There still exists a correspondence between one CHRISTOPHER SOURS, a German printer in Germantown, and CONRAD WEISER, in which the former complains bitterly of the efforts of FRANKLIN and the Freemasons generally to establish free schools. He says, "The people who are the promoters of the free schools are Grand Masters and Wardens among the Freemasons, their very pillars." It is not strange that Freemasonry with great difficulty obtained a foothold among such a population.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN was educating himself in science and philosophy, and his visits to England, as well as to his native city of Boston and other places in the American Colonies, enabled him not only to keep pace with the progress of the age and the development of the country, but to promote and stimulate advancement and preparation for a new epoch in history, for a radical change of affairs and for the accouchement of the daughter of the unfriendly, tyrannical Mother Country - the birth of a new Nation which was brought forth in violent suffering, blood, and tears. He had tapped the electric reservoir of the heavens and brought the lightning to the earth, but there was a greater storage in that mysterious river in the ocean sweeping along the Atlantic shores - the Gulf Stream - which contained mightier power, whose influence was felt from the St. Lawrence River on the north to the Gulf of Mexico on the south. Flowing in an opposite direction, but parallel with it, was the great current of public opinion, warmed by patriotism and love of country, with devotion to freedom created by a century and a half of struggle for existence - foreign foes with hostile, savage Indian allies to battle with, and no alternative but to conquer or die. In these
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contests the American Colonies on American soil had to fight the battles, of England against her antagonists of Europe and pour out their blood like water against the greatest odds for the benefit of the Mother Country, which controlled their commerce and navigation, prevented manufactures and taxed the people not only for the government of the Colonies themselves but also for the support of the British Government, in which they had no voice or vote, being denied the right of representation and the rights and privileges of British subjects under the Constitution enjoyed at home. Acts of oppression, tyranny, and cruelty on the part of the British Government were continually repeated all
along the line. The American Colonial heroes, who had captured the fortress of Louisburg, the "Gibraltar of America," and helped WOLFE to Carry the Heights of Abraham and defeat the French army and its Indian allies under MONTCALM at Quebec, were treated with disdain and their manly courage with contempt. The British General BRADDOCK, with superciliousness and scorn, had rejected the wise and prudent suggestions of WASHINGTON when marching to attack Fort Duquesne, and strutting with arms akimbo, exclaimed, " High times, by G - D, when a young buckskin presumes to teach a British General how to fight!" And yet that same "buckskin" was to save the remnant of the defeated army and to bury its overconfident commander in the road near where he fell.
Wherever true Freemasonry flourishes there the light of the Sun of Liberty shines in all its glory and refulgence, and the people among whom it lives and moves and has its being are
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enlightened, educated, free and intelligent, independent in character, patriotic to the core, and thoroughly imbued with the principle and sentiment of " Resistance to Tyrants is Obedience to God." In its temples they breathe the pure ozone of its spirit, perfumed with the incense of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity: Liberty regulated by wise laws, Equality upon the level of human rights, and Fraternity cemented by brotherly love, ever ready to extend relief and to receive and impart the truth. Where Freemasonry does not flourish, tyranny, mental and corporeal, ignorance, superstition, fanaticism and cruelty prevail.
Thirty-one years had passed away since HENRY PRICE, Provincial Grand Master, constituted the first regular chartered Lodge in America - St. john's, at Boston, Massachusetts and when sixty-seven years of age he was elected to represent Townsend in the Provincial Assembly of that Colony during the years 1764 and 1765. Says Bro. SERENO D. NICKERSON: "They were important and eventful years in the history of the Colony. It was in 1764 that the first public opposition was made to the Parliamentary schemes for taxation without representation in America. It was in that year the 'alarm bell' was first rung by that sturdy old patriot SAMUEL ADAMS, anticipating the famous utterances of PATRICK HENRY by just one year. The obnoxious revenue acts projected in 1763 and culminating in the Stamp Act, which received the royal assent in 1765, were the real moving causes of the American Revolution.
The Instructions to the Representatives of the town of Boston in the Provincial Assembly of the Year 1764," drawn up by SAMUEL ADAMS, contain the first public denial of the right of the British Parliament to tax the Colonists without their consent, and the first suggestion of a union of the Colonists for the redress of their grievances. These instructions were adopted by the inhabitants of Boston, in town meeting in Faneuil Hall, on May 24th. A few days later they were published and circulated through the continent. The effect was immediate. They became the basis of the Provincial policy, the germs of the great issues of the Revolution.
The Provincial Assembly of Massachusetts came together in June, and at once acted in accordance with the wishes of the people. A memorial, addressed to the Colonial Agent in London, was drawn up by Bro. JAMES OTIS and adopted June 13th, vindicating the rights and privileges belonging to the people by charter or by birth. On the day following a committee was appointed to correspond with the several Assemblies on the continent and urge them to united efforts for the protection of their inalienable rights. During the same month Bros. JAMES OTIS and OXENBRIDGE THACHER had respectively published their famous pamphlets, "Rights of the Colonies," and, "Sentiments of a British American." The former the Assembly adopted as its own, and ordered it to be sent to the Colonial Agent in England. HENRY PRICE had for his colleagues in the Provincial Assembly at this time Bros. ANDREW BELCHER, the member from Milton (son of Gov. JONATHAN BELCHER), JAMES OTIS and OXENBRIDGE THACHER, and he was in full sympathy with Grand Master JOSEPH WARREN, PAUL REVERE, and the many other Brethren who wrought under his own Grand Mastership and who so bravely battled for freedom in and about the "great town" of Boston, which was in that day the Mistress of North America" and the "Cradle of Liberty."
Events were now ripening fast throughout the entire length and breadth of the American Colonies, and it was soon apparent that it was to be a struggle to the death between British tyranny, backed by wealth and formidable power, on the one hand, and American liberty, supported by an unconquerable spirit, with limited resources but aided by Divine Providence, on the other. Freemasonry was strengthening itself and continually augmenting its numbers, while its members as citizens were incessantly active as patriots and continually preparing for the impending conflict. "The Colonies were sparsely peopled, except on the sea coast. They were hemmed in on every side. A
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hostile and insidious foe hung on the outskirts. A cordon of sixty French fortifications, from Montreal to New Orleans, encircled them on the west, threatening invasion and conquest. The Atlantic shut down upon them on the east, across which the Mother Country sent her emissaries, forcing submission to unreasonable demands or exacting tribute from a stricken and famished people; they must tamely submit or stubbornly resist. This discipline to these resolute and indomitable spirits was indeed bitter, but it developed a character and a reservation of force needful in events about to transpire." The ties of patriotism and Masonic Brotherhood combined were to be tested to the uttermost. Soon after the passage and signing of the Stamp Act a bill was passed by Parliament quartering British troops on the Colonies. These acts met with universal opposition. The whole country was wrought up into a state of intense excitement. Duties were imposed on
various needful articles of importation from Great Britain into the Colonies, and the collection was enforced by English troops quartered in Boston, which was followed by a combination of the merchants and people against the importation and consumption of the articles specified, and soon after by a repeal of the duties, except on tea. The people accordingly united in renouncing the use of tea. The shipment of the offensive article, however, was persistent. Two vessels bearing it eventually arrived in Boston harbor, and one of them, the Darimouth, anchored near Liverpool wharf.
We now come to the threshold of the initiatory step of physical defiance and resistance to the obnoxious acts of the British Parliament to coerce the Colonies, and in which Freemasons took the leading part. By concerted action the picked party of men in Boston were mostly Masons belonging to St. Andrew's Lodge and some few to St. John's Lodge, and they chose the others
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to join them who were not Masons of these latter there were three true and trusty young men from the town of Milton, JOHN CRANE, SAMUEL GORE and HENRY PURKETT, the last named afterward becoming a member of St. Andrew's Lodge. They held their meetings in the Green Dragon Tavern, in the Lodge room of St. Andrew's Lodge, and were so careful that they should be held secret that every time they met every person swore upon the Bible that they would not disclose any of their transactions but to Messrs. HANCOCK, ADAMS, Doctors WARREN, CHURCH, and one or two more (who were all Masons, and WARREN Grand Master). On the night of December 16, 1771, a portion assembled at the Liberty Tree, and were soon joined by those who came from the Green Dragon Tavern, and with the exception of a few on watch, all were disguised as Mohawk Indians. They then marched down to Liverpool wharf and boarded the ship Dartmouth first and then the other and threw overboard the entire cargo of tea. This was the famous "Tea Party" which became the nucleus of the "Sons of Liberty," and finally expanded into the military organization of "Minute Men." As the fact of this action could not be concealed, HENRY PURKETT, on returning to his home in Milton, where Governor HUTCHINSON had his mansion and then resided, informed the Governor that "there was a great bowl of tea made last night in Boston harbor which might prove to be a little salty."
The whole of the American Colonies had become alarmed, and to provide for the preservation of their rights a Continental Congress had been determined upon, to be composed of delegates from all the Colonies. This Congress assembled at Philadelphia, September 5, 1774, and M\W\ Bro. PEYTON RANDOLPH, Grand Master of Masons of Virginia, was its President. The Massachusetts Colony had already suffered beyond endurance. As the Suffolk County Convention were unable to meet in safety in Boston by reason of the British soldiery, it was held first at Colonel DOTY'S tavern in Stoughton, April 16, 1774, and then adjourned to meet at the house of RICHARD WOODWARD, inn - older in Dedham, on September 6, 1774, where the delegates to the number of sixty from the nineteen towns of Suffolk County (which then embraced the whole of Norfolk) assembled. Gen. JOSEPH WARREN (Grand Master) was made chairman of a large committee to frame suitable resolutions and to report September 9th at the house of Bro. DANIEL VOSE, in Milton, to which time and place the convention was adjourned. This house is still standing. Here the convention met pursuant to adjournment on September 9, 1774, with a full roll of delegates, when Gen. JOSEPH WARREN presented that remarkable paper known as the " Suffolk Resolves."
These resolves mainly formed the text of the "DECLARATION OF RIGHTS" adopted by the Continental Congress, October 14, 1774, or about one month afterward, and from which THOMAS JEFFERSON, as the chairman of the committee, a year and eight months and a half after that, drafted the Declaration of American Independence the real author of which may be said to have been, in the recital of the list of grievances contained therein and the declarations made by, Grand Master JOSEPH WARREN, who was the active strategist of the initiatory movement of the Revolution, and Bro. PAUL REVERE, the successful courier and scout.
Events followed each other quick and fast. Boston had been closed as a port of entry, the British troops under General GAGE had been reinforced and a squadron of the British Navy was anchored in Boston harbor, getting ready for hostile movements against the Colonists. The Masonic Brethren were everywhere on the alert, active and watchful. The British troops of fresh arrival were quartered upon the people of Boston, with a system of the closest espionage upon its inhabitants to see that no communication or correspondence with the patriots was held, to warn them and give the alarm of the movements of the British troops, who were organizing an expedition to make an incursion into the country adjacent to Boston to disarm and disperse the armed bodies
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of Continentals that were being formed of "Minute Men," and to destroy cannon and other military stores.
LONGFELLOW has so well described Bro. PAUL REVERE's ride and the circumstances connected with it that it has become classic in American poems. Yet it is greatly to be regretted that he does not give the whole story nor the name of PAUL REVERE'S friend who hung up the lanterns as a signal in the belfry of the Old North Church in Boston, giving information of the contemplated movements of the British troops on the night of April 18, 175. The facts, however, were as follows: The sexton of the Old North Church, who was a patriot and a friend of PAUL REVERE, was ROBERT NEWMAN, who was also a Brother Mason. This fact is proven by his grave in Copp's Hill Cemetery in Boston, which is but a short distance from the church. It is marked by a slate headstone with his name upon it, ROBERT NEWMAN, and also upon it is cut the Masonic emblem of the square and compass. Bro. ROBERT NEWMAN at that time had quartered upon him as unwelcome guests two of the British officers. On the evening of April 18, 1775, while they were out, he was sitting quietly in his house on Salem street, awaiting the arrival of his friend Capt. THOMAS BARNARD, who was watching the movements of the British regulars, while on the other side of the river
Bro. PAUL REVERE watched and waited for the signals that notified him of their route. Bro. ROBERT NEWMAN retired to bed on the arrival of the British officers, who also went to their rooms, and were soon, from their deep potations, fast asleep. Bro. NEWMAN then quietly arose and assuring himself that they were deep in slumber, took down the church keys, slipped out of the back entrance, met his friend Capt. THOMAS BARNARD, who apprised him of the news, and remembering his instructions from Bro. PAUL REVERE, proceeded to the tower of Old North Church, lighted the lanterns and hung them in the belfry arch, thus giving Bro. REVERE the signal agreed upon, that would tell him of the intended march of the British troops to Lexington and Concord.
After completing his momentous task, Bro. NEWMAN quickly descended, jumped out of a back window, and apparently unobserved entered his house and retired to bed. The British officers, having slept off the effects of their libations, awoke, and, after dressing and equipping themselves, became suspicious on learning that some one had been seen entering the house during the night. They went to Bro. NEWMAN's room and finding him asleep waked him and brought him out under arrest,
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but no charges being proved against him he was set at liberty. To commemorate this historical event the city of Boston caused a tablet to be placed on the tower of the church, October 17, 1878, containing the inscription on the preceding page.
The patriotic example exhibited by Bros. JOSEPH WARREN and PAUL REVERE, and a large number of their Brethren who joined them, stretched the mystic cord of Brotherhood from one end of the American Colonies to the other, and proved the ties of patriotism and fraternity. Bro. ISRAEL PUTNAM of Connecticut un - harnessed his horses from the plow as soon as he heard of the battles of Lexington and Concord, and mounting one of them rode to the field of conflict. Bro. and Col. DAVID WOOSTER, the first Master of Hiram Lodge, No. 1, of New Haven, Connecticut, was with other Brethren of the Committee of Safety, preparing to send reinforcements and supplies. Bro. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, Provincial Grand Master of Masons of Pennsylvania, became the Chairman of the Committee of Safety at Philadelphia, which enrolled volunteer companies and expressed the most patriotic resolutions.
So strong was the Masonic element in this patriotic movement throughout the country, which JOHN ADAMS of Massachusetts (though not a Mason himself) clearly saw would strengthen the patriot cause, that when it came to the question of measures of offense and defense, the selection of a commander in chief of the American forces who was both a Mason and a man of military experience was a necessity. In the Continental Congress ADAMS, speaking on the state of the Colonies and the army at Cambridge, proposed for commander in chief " a gentleman whose skill and 'experience as an officer, whose independent fortune, great talents and excellent universal character would command the approbation of all America and unite the cordial exertions of all the Colonies better than any other person in the Union, and that person is Colonel GEORGE WASHINGTON of Virginia."
BUNKER HILL MONUMENT
In addition to the appointment of Colonel WASHINGTON as the commander in chief, five Major Generals and eight Brigadier Generals were appointed, all but three of whom were Masons, while the commander in chief and the next in command were both Master Masons.
It was the patriotic and self - sacrificing example set by Bros. WASHINGTON, WARDE, PRESCOTT, WARREN, STARK, WOOSTER, SULLIVAN, PUTNAM, SPENCER, FRANKLIN and so many others, that animated our Masonic fathers of the American Revolution and united them with bands of steel in the one common purpose of resistance to tyranny and oppression, and made the present peaceful and unrestricted enjoyment of Freemasonry possible everywhere on the American continent.
Under the guidance and control of Freemasonry in the houses of the Provincial and Continental Congresses, the patriotic freemen and the Freemasons were knit together as a whole, and made common cause in the struggle for the freedom of the Colonies; and during this trying period the three Masonic Grand Lodges of the Provinces of New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania were extending the
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mystic cord of Freemasonry among those who were armed to do battle in defense of American liberty and the rights of man. These Grand Lodges chartered and instituted ten Masonic Military Lodges, which were distributed through the American Army. The Lodges thus duly constituted were as follows:
First. ST. JOHN'S REGIMENTAL LODGE, in the United States Battalion, July 24, 1775, by the old Provincial Grand Lodge of New York (Moderns).
Second. AMERICAN UNION LODGE, in the Connecticut Line, February 15, 1776, by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts (Moderns). [This Lodge is still in existence at Marietta, Ohio, and No. 1 on the roll of that State.]
Third. No. 19 on the Pennsylvania Grand Lodge registry, in the First Regiment of Pennsylvania Artillery, May IS, 1779, by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania (Ancients).
Fourth. WASHINGTON LODGE, in the Massachusetts Line, October 6, 1779, by the Massachusetts Grand Lodge (Ancients).
Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth and Tenth on the Pennsylvania Grand Lodge registry in the following order: No. 20, in a North Carolina Regiment, 1779; No. 27, in the Maryland Line, April 4, 178O; No. 28, 1780, and No. 29, July 27, 1780, in the Pennsylvania Line; NO 31, March 26, 1781, and NO, 36, September 2, 1782, in the New Jersey Line, by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania (Ancients).
"Masonic records and the concurrent testimony of WASHINGTON'S compeers both show that while commander in chief of the American Revolutionary Army he countenanced the establishment and encouraged the labors of these Military Lodges, wisely considering them as schools of patriotism and urbanity, well calculated to disseminate those mild virtues of the heart, so ornamental to the human character, and particularly useful to correct the ferocity of soldiers and alleviate the miseries of war. The cares of his high office engrossed too much of his time to admit of his engaging in the duties of the chair, yet he found frequent opportunities to visit these Lodges, and thought it no degradation to his dignity to stand there on a level with his Brethren." BIGELOW'S Address.
Says MACKEY: "A few years ago Capt. HUGH MALOV, a Revolutionary veteran, then residing in Ohio, declared that he was initiated in WASHINGTON'S marquee tent, the chief himself presiding at the ceremony." These Military Lodges increased greatly in their membership. The drum with the American flag spread across it became a Masonic altar with the three great lights upon it, while three bayonets stuck in the ground beside it with candles in them furnished the three lesser lights, which bore silent testimony to the ceremonies within the well guarded tent where none but Americans and Masons were on guard.
In the summer of 1776, the independence of the American Colonies being a foregone conclusion, and in advance sustained by a consolidated patriotic sentiment of the people, it became apparent that a change in the Continental flag would have to be made and a national ensign prepared for the new nation about to be born. In accordance therewith a committee was appointed by the Continental Congress, consisting of Colonel GEORGE Ross and ROBERT MORRIS, who, accompanied by General WASHINGTON, in June, 1776, while he was called to Philadelphia, called upon a Mrs. JOHN ROSS, whose husband was the nephew of Colonel GEORGE ROSS, a member of the Continental Congress, to ask her assistance in making the new flag. This committee were all Masons. In response to their request to make the flag, she said, "I don't know whether I can, but I will try." A rough
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drawing was presented to her, which at her suggestion was drawn again in pencil by General WASHINGTON in the back parlor of her house (which is still standing and is now No. 239 Arch street, Philadelphia).
The first flag of the United Colonies, which was designed mainly by Bro. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN who was at that time Provincial Grand Master of Pennsylvania, who with the rest of the committee visited WASHINGTON'S camp at Cambridge was thirteen stripes, alternately red and white, with the British Union jack retained, to symbolize the descent of the American people from the mother country. The new striped flag, which substituted the blue field with the thirteen stars for the field with the British union Jack, was hoisted for the first time over WASHINGTON'S camp at Cambridge.
The Continental Congress with but three or four exceptions was composed entirely of Masons. As Col. GEORGE Ross was of Scotch descent, the old Scotch Covenanters' "blue blanket," as it was called, may possibly have suggested the blue field for the union, which claim has been made for it; but casting aside this supposition, it is evident that General WASHINGTON, when he designed it, had in
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mind the Masonic covering of the Lodge, the blue and starry decked canopy of heaven. The three colors, the five-pointed stars of fellowship or fraternity and the seven red stripes, all suggestive of the three, five and seven steps of the Masonry of the Blue Lodge, while the six stars on the Master's collar, the four stars on the Senior Warden's, the two stars on the junior Warden's, together with the blazing star, comprised the thirteen stars of the constellation of the Masonic union, and were the symbols also of the thirteen States which formed the American Union.
The same Masonic symbolism was carried out in the devices of the Great Seal of the United States and also in the seal of the President. Immediately following the declaration of American Independence, July 4, 1776, Bros. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN and THOMAS JEFFERSON, and Mr. JOHN ADAMS, were appointed a committee to prepare a device for a Great Seal for the United States of America. The allseeing eye of Providence in a radiant triangle, the overthrow of PHARAOH and his hosts in the Red Sea, the pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night which led MOSES and the Israelites through the wilderness, and other devices, were suggested by Bros. FRANKLIN and JEFFERSON. Finally after various modifications the present Great Seal of the United States was adopted, June 20, 1782, which is Masonic as well as national, and which will remain forever. The coat of arms of the United States on the obverse, the American eagle with the shield upon its breast, the bunch of arrows in its left talon and olive branch in its right, the motto E Pluribus Unum in its beak, the circle of clouds above its head with a glory of thirteen stars upon a blue field bursting through it, while American and national in its purpose is Masonic to the fullest extent. The eagle is the symbol of St. JOHN the Evangelist, the great patron of Freemasonry; the arrows refer to King DAVID, who was a man of many wars and of much bloodshed, while they also represent the token of the fraternal love and sign agreed upon between DAVID and JONATHAN; the olive branch of the peaceful reign of SOLOMON, who built the temple at Jerusalem; the motto, E Pluribus Unum (many out of one), JACOB and his twelve sons or tribes of Israel. The clouds represent the pillar of cloud which hid the Israelites from the Egyptians when they were delivered and PHARAOH and his hosts were overwhelmed in the Red Sea; the thirteen stars, in double triangular form and one in the center, are symbolical of the delivery of the children of Israel from their oppressors and their attainment to a glorious freedom. The reverse is entirely Masonic, it being an unfinished pyramid, showing two sides of thirteen layers of perfect ashlars, seven at the base on each side, while in the zenith in the clouds is a triangle surrounded by a glory; to complete the pyramid when finished is the alls - eeing eye of Providence there being twenty-eight stones on a side to complete this pyramid, and as it has a square base there are but two sides to be seen, and these two sides thus show fifty-six stones, just the number of members of the Continental Congress who voted for and signed the Declaration of Independence. Above it is the motto "Annuit Coeptis " (Heaven favors the undertaking). On the base in Roman numerals is the year MDCCLXXVI (1776). At the bottom of the seal is the motto "Novus Ordo Seclorum" (A new series of ages). The pyramid is Egyptian in origin and form, and a free interpretation of its symbolism in our Great Seal may read, As the Israelites were delivered from bondage in the land of the PHARAOHS and the pyramids of Egypt, so we are now free and in our own country, and hereafter we will build for ourselves.
At the same time the Great Seal was adopted Congress ordered a smaller seal for the use of the President of Congress. It was a small oval, about an inch in length, the center covered with clouds surrounding a blue sky, on which were seen thirteen stars in double triangular form, with one star in the center, the whole forming a six - pointed star. Over this device was the motto
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"E Pluribus Unum." This seal was used by all the Presidents of the Continental Congresses. The seal now in use by the President of the United States is round in form, with an eagle engraved upon it.
It was the "Mystic Tie" of Freemasonry, and that alone, which upheld and preserved the cause of freedom in the dark hours of gloom, defeat and disappointment in the army under General WASHINGTON, and held its true and tried defenders together in one sacred band of brothers. When the hour of traitorous betrayal came, and the word went forth to "Put none but Americans on guard tonight," it was then that the "all - seeing eye" of the Masonic brethren covered the defenses of the patriot army, and presented that bold and resolute front that was the precursor of the great success that was to come.
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CHAPTER IV.
The Origin of Royal Arch Masonry.
OUTGROWTH OF SCHEMING FOR THE CROWN OF ENGLAND. PRACTICED BY THE "ANCIENTS" PRIOR TO THE REUNION OF THE GRAND LODGES.
The symbolism of Freemasonry teaches the fundamental belief of mankind, the hope of all ages - an existence beyond. The intelligence of our present civilization is but the evolution of cycles. Our thoughts quicken with knowledge, but our faith requires no elaboration to fortify the hope that the hereafter has a place for all the sons of men. The tribes in the jungles of India have traditions more sacred to them than is history to the Caucasian; and in their simple life they believe ALLAH hath power to save. The Koran abounds with the fruits of living faith. The North American Indian is as sure of his happy hunting ground as is the surpliced Bishop of the Elysian fields prepared for the faithful of the LORD. The Ancient Mysteries taught the doctrine of death and resurrection as strikingly as did the APOSTLES OF CHRIST. Tracing history until its attenuation disappears in the mists of tradition, the one distinctive Rock of Ages, illumined by the Star of Hope is absolute, confiding, peaceful faith in the immortality of the soul.
It is the search for TRUTH which is the one great study of Freemasonry. It is this thought which underlies even the foundation of our beautiful superstructure, and which weaves its woof in the labyrinths of mystery and finds living expression in the symbolisms of sections and degrees. As the devotee of science is stimulated to greater research by one achievement, so the novitiate in the mysteries of Ancient Craftship advantages acquired knowledge as the open sesame to other chambers in search for TRUTH, which is the essence of beginning, the hope of present and the belief in eternity.
Symbolic, or Blue Lodge Masonry, is the splendid foundation upon which, in all ages and climes, Craftship has been sustained. The adornment of columns and pilasters, of frieze and coping, are outward evidences of inward beauty which the Master Mason realizes are hidden from present view, and which may be discovered and elaborated along the paths which lead to the Holy of Holies, where TRUTH is enthroned in everlasting reign, and where the great I Am is the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and Omega, the ONE in all, the ALL in one.
Royal Arch Masonry is a progressive step in the ladder of knowledge, though its ritualism as taught by this generation is somewhat incongruous. It is, however, more realistic in its relations to the construction of the Temple than some other branches of Masonry, and in every reference to operative Craftship speculative lessons are taught. In the quarries we delve for useful knowledge; in the completion we celebrate the glory of jah; and in the rebuilding we discover the Covenant of Promise,
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and have the SIGNET OF TRUTH as our strength and fortress. And from this trinity of construction, completion, and rebuilding the student acquires knowledge which befits him for further research in the still greater development of other branches and other rites of Freemasonry.
The origin of Royal Arch Masonry is so intimately connected with the political disturbances of England and Scotland that a brief reference thereto becomes historically interesting. There are two parallel lines of history to be followed in relation to two separate Royal Arch degrees of Freemasonry, both of which, however, in their inception undoubtedly had a common origin. Both of these Royal Arch degrees evidently concealed purposes, both political as well as religious in their aims, in the interests of the rival houses of the STUARTS and the GEORGES, which were fraught with momentous issues, and which afterward culminated in civil and semi - religious war in Scotland and the northern portion of England, though Masonry in itself is declared to be utterly neutral. The biblical history of the rise and fall of the Jewish nation, the setting up of the Tabernacle and formulating the ceremonies of its religion largely borrowed from the Egyptian by MOSES, the building of the Temple at Jerusalem by SOLOMON, its repeated destruction and rebuilding in which NEBUCHADNEZAR, CYRUS, DARIUS, ZERUBBABEL, HEROD, TITUS VESPASIANUS, and others have been represented in history both sacred and profane, have produced legends and traditions, real and fictionary, mingled together and added to, for the purpose of parabling inventions in statecraft, politics, and religion of sects; while the Bible, with josEi~Hus and profane history, have served as vast quarries out of which material has been unlimitedly appropriated by legitimate and spurious Masonic inventors of degrees.
Freemasonry in the Old World from its very beginning was united in a greater or lesser degree to the crown and the established religion of the kingdom or state where monarchy prevailed either absolutely or constitutionally. In England and its dependencies, the so called " Revival of Freemasonry" took place on June 24, 1717 (ST. JOHN the Baptist's Day), when the four Lodges at St. Paul's Cathedral assembled at the Apple Tree Tavern and organized the Grand Lodge of England. It afterward divided the work into three degrees; Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason. It is necessary to briefly give some collateral history of the different reigns of monarchs and the times antecedent to this revival of Freemasonry in 1717 and for a period afterward, in order to better understand the conditions under which Freemasonry existed, in connection with government or incidental thereto, prior to its being planted in America. Monarchy was overthrown by OLIVER CROMWELL, when the royal troops were defeated at Marston Moor and CHARLES I beheaded on January 30, 1648. The Commonwealth was established with CROMWELL as Lord Protector and continued until his death in 1660, when CHARLES II succeeded to the throne and reigned until February 6, 1685. The latter was succeeded by his brother, JAMES II, who was false to his coronation oath to maintain the Protestant religion and was driven from his throne. He abdicated, but with a French army invaded Ireland and was with the Irish rebels defeated at the battle of the Boyne on July 1, 1690. He was succeeded by his son - in - law WILLIAM III (the Prince of Orange, by whom he had been beaten at the battle of the Boyne) and MARY, the eldest daughter of JAMES II. They were crowned King and Oueen April 11, 1689, and sworn to support and maintain the Protestant religion. MARV died without issue December 28, 1694, and WILLIAM III died March 8, 1702, and was succeeded by ANNE, his sisterinlaw, who, as Queen, was crowned April 23, 1702. She died August 14, 1714, and was the last of the house of the STUARTS to occupy the throne of the United Kingdom of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.
Queen ANNE was succeeded, pursuant to the provisions of the Act of Settlement, by GEORGE I, of the house of Brunswick and Hanover, a Protestant German Prince. In England the Protestant line of royalty had run out, and it became necessary to import a foreigner to keep the Protestant
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religion allied to the throne. The following is the Coronation Oath, taken in Section VII of the Order of Coronation Ceremonies:
"The sermon being ended, and his Majesty having in the presence of the two Houses of Parliament made and signed the Declaration, the Archbishop goeth to the King, and standing before him administers the Coronation Oath, first asking the King, 'Sir, is your Majesty willing to take the oath?' And the King answering, 'I am willing.'
The Archbishop ministereth these questions, and the King, having a copy of the printed Form and Order of the Coronation Service in his hands, answers each question severally, as follows:
Archbishop Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the people of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the dominions thereto belonging, according to the statutes in Parliament agreed on, and the respective laws and customs of the same ?
King I solemnly promise so to do.
Archbishop Will you to the utmost of your power cause law and justice, in mercy, to be executed in all your judgments ?
King I will.
Archbishop Will you to the utmost of your power, maintain the laws of GOD, the true Profession of the Gospel, and the Protestant reformed religion established by law? And will you maintain inviolably the settlement of the United Church of England and Ireland, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established within England and Ireland, and the territories thereunto belonging? And will you preserve unto the bishops and clergy of England and Ireland, and to the churches there committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges as by law do or shall appertain to them or any of them? King All this I promise to do. Then the King arising out of his chair, supported as before and assisted by the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Sword of State being carried before him, shall go to the altar, and there, being uncovered, make his solemn oath in the sight of all the people to observe the promises; laying his right hand upon the Holy Gospel in the Great Bible, which was carried before him in the procession and is now brought from the altar by the Archbishop and tendered to him as he kneels upon the steps, saying these words: King,The things which I have here before promised I will perform and keep. So help me GOD. Then the King kisseth the book and signeth the oath."
It is now necessary to revert to JAMES II, who was a Roman Catholic, and who abdicated the throne of England and Scotland in 1688 and died in Paris, September 6, 1701. He was married twice, first to ANNE, the eldest daughter of EDWARD HYDE, Earl of Clarendon, Lord High Chancellor of England, by whom he had eight children, the most of whom died in infancy. His first wife died March 31, 1671. He was married the second time to MARY BEATRIX ELEANORE, daughter of ALPHONSO, the second duke of Modena, by whom he had eight children. One of them, who had two sons and a daughter, was destined to keep Scotland in a ferment and England at the choppingblock at the Tower of London.
JAMES FRANCIS EDWARD was born June 10, 1688. After the death of his father, JAMES II, he was proclaimed at Paris King of England, and was designated in England by the name of "The Pretender." In 1719 he married MARY CLEMENTINA, daughter of Prince JAMES SOBIESKI, King of Poland, and died January 1, 1766, leaving issue two sons. First, CHARLES EDWARD Louis CASSIMER, commonly called "The Chevalier St. George," or in England "The Young Pretender." He was born in Rome, November 30, 1720, and married the Princess STOHLBERG of Germany, but died without issue, January 31, 1788. Second, HENRY BENEDICT, called "The Cardinal of York," who was born March 24, 1725, elevated to the purple by Pope BENEDICT XIV in 1747, and died in 1807, when the whole issue of JAMES II became extinct.
The socalled, revival of Freemasonry in 1717 occurred during the reign of GEORGE I, when The Pretender, through his friends and adherents in England, Scotland, and France, made use of
THE TEMPLE OF KING SOLOMON
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Freemasonry as a quasineutral ground when desiring to promote their objects in ousting the German house of Brunswick and Hanover from the throne of England and Scotland and establishing the papacy in place of the Protestant religion. The contest was between GEORGE I and JAMES III or The Pretender, and was continued between the next generations of GEORGE II and CHARLES EDWARD, The Young Pretender. It was during these events that the so-called Revival of Freemasonry took place and the Royal Arch degrees invented, which afterward aided in rending the Grand Lodge of England in twain and caused Freemasonry to be transplanted to France and other countries on the Continent of Europe, and to the American Colonies, the latter having rival Grand Lodges, with non - intercourse, propagating Masonry in America and sowing the seeds of discord and disunion in the fraternity at large. During the contest between these rival houses for the united thrones of England and Scotland, there was a strong Scottish bias in favor of JAMES III and his son CHARLES EDWARD, as being the rightful heirs to the throne; and being Scottish in descent and of the "true bluid," even some of the Scotch Presbyterians were in favor of the STUARTS, though the latter were Roman Catholics. Many of the Scottish nobility allied their fortunes with those of the STUARTS, called "The Pretenders," and forfeited their titles and estates. There were not less than seventy earls, lords, and viscounts who had forfeited their titles and estates, and some their lives, because they had favored and supported the cause of the house of the STUARTS against that of Brunswick and Hanover represented by GEORGE I and George II.
Before the Revival of Freemasonry, JAMES RADCLIFFE, the Earl of Derwentwater, was executed for rebellion in 1716, being beheaded in the Tower of London. CHARLES RADCLIFFE, on the death of the unmarried son of his brother, who was thus executed, assumed the title of Earl of Derwentwater. He had married CHARLOTTE, the Countess of Newburgh, a widow. He was the third son of EDWARD, the second Earl of Derwentwater, and his mother was MARY TUDOR, the illegitimate daughter of CHARLES II. He had also been arrested and attainted and convicted of treason, but escaped to France and thence to Rome, where he received a small pension from "The Pretender." After a residence of some years he went to Paris, where, with the Chevalier MASKLYNE, Mr. HEGUETTY, and some other Englishmen, he established a Lodge in the Rue des Boucheries, which was followed by the organization of several others, and was elected Grand Master. Leaving France for a time in 1733 he was succeeded in the Grand Mastership in that country by Lord HARNOUESTER. He made several visits to England in unsuccessful pursuit of pardon. The blood of the STUARTS which flowed in his veins operated as an effective barrier to his hopes and prospects. Baffled repeatedly by the strength of the influences adverse to his desires and discouraged by many bitter and hopeless disappointments he at last allied his fortunes to those of The Young Pretender in 1745, and sailed from France to join him, but the vessel in which he had embarked was captured by an English manofwar. He was taken prisoner, and he, too, thirteen years after his nephewCHARLES RADCLIFFE, the titular Earl of Derwentwaterwas beheaded on Tower Hill, London, December 8, 1746.
Of the other Scottish noblemen whose titles and estates were forfeited there were the Duke of Wharton, the Earl of Dalkelth, Lord PAISLEY, and others, together with GEORGE PAYNE and JOHN THEOPHILUS DESAGULIERS (a French Huguenot reformer, born March 12, 1683, at Rochelle, France), who on June 24, 1717, organized the first Grand Lodge of England at the Apple Tree Tavern. The suspicions attached during this crisis to Scotchmen in London are described by Sir ANDREW MITCHELL in a letter to DUNCAN FORBES on October 23: "Already every man of our country is looked on as a traitor, as one secretly inclined to The Pretender and wanting but an opportunity to declare. The guilty and the innocent are confounded together, and the crimes of a few are imputed to the whole
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nation." In his collection to be found in the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford, among other things, ELIAS ASHMOLE said: "There is no doubt to be made that the skill of Masons, which was always transcendent even in the most barbarous timestheir wonderful kindness and attachment to each other, how different soever in condition, and their inviolable fidelity in religiously keeping their secretmust expose them in ignorant, troublesome, and suspicious times to a variety of adventures, according to the different fate of parties and alterations in government. By the way, I shall note that the Masons were always loyal, which exposed them to great severities when power wore the trappings of justice and those who committed treason punished true men as traitors. Thus in the third year of the reign of HENRY VI (1432) an Act of Parliament was passed to abolish the society of Masons and to hinder, under grievous penalties, the holding of Chapters, Lodges, or other regular assemblies. Yet this Act was afterward repealed, and even before that King HENRY VI and several of the principal lords of his court became Fellows of the Craft."
Toward the latter part of the seventeenth century, on June 9, 1668, was born at Ayr, Scotland, ANDREW MICHAEL RAMSAY, the son of a baker, who was welltodo, and gave his son a liberal education in his own town and at the University at Edinburgh. By his great ability, diligence, and industrious perseverance he rose high in his scholarship to the position of a teacher. He was originally a Protestant in religion, and sought the practice of his profession, first in Holland, and was subsequently employed by JAMES III, the Pretender, as the tutor of his children. But having while in Holland imbibed the spirit of mysticism, he became the formulator of a Masonic rite bearing his name, from which several of the degrees were taken to form other rites and systems of Masonry out of the myths, legends, and histories of the ancient nations, with that of the Hebrew and Egyptian especially, and with the Temple of Solomon at Jerusalem as the central idea of concentration as a symbol. In 1728 he visited England and Scotland ostensibly with the object of having his system adopted by the Masonic Lodges there, while secretly engaged in the interest of the Pretender, but he did not meet with the success he hoped for. Being an apostate from Protestantism and a Roman Catholic he met with the strongest opposition from Rev. JOHN T. DESAGULIERS, a French Huguenot reformer, and Rev. JAMES ANDERSON, a Scotch divine, a native of Edinburgh and pastor of the Scotch Presbyterian Church in Swallow Street, Piccadilly, and compiler of the Constitutions and Ancient Charges of the Grand Lodge of England, and its history from 1717 to 1738. It was ANDERSON, under the direction and aid of DESAGULIERS, who reorganized the institution, and he was the veritable lawgiver of the fraternity at that time. RAMSAY returned to France, where he remained until 1740, when he again went to England for the same purpose, but did not succeed in establishing his work, and he returned to France, where he died May 6, 1743. But his visits to England were not entirely fruitless, as will be seen by the following.
The great majority of the fraternity in England were then communicants of the Established Churches of England and Scotland; a few only were Independents or Congregationalists, Methodists, and Dissenters, with some Roman Catholics of influence and of Scottish blood, but the greater portion of the minority were liberals in their religious sentiments and governed by a spirit of toleration toward all the various sects. While RAMSAY could not succeed in having the English Lodges adopt his system, especially the degree of the Royal Arch of Solomon or Enoch (which was also called the "Grand Scottish Knight of the Sacred Vault of James Vl," and used in France to promote the interests of the Pretender JAMES VI of Scotland, who was to be James III of England, if successful), yet he secretly furnished enough material and planted the seeds of jealousy, ambition, and discord, to bear fruit in the then near future, and to rend the Grand Lodge of England asunder and cause no less than three Grand Lodges to exist in England at one and the same time, at war with each other, and with intercourse interdicted.
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RAMSAY's Royal Arch of Solomon had failed to be engrafted upon the Masonic system of England, it being covertly in the interest of the adherents of The Pretender and incidentally at least or constructively under the influence of Scottish Masons and some others, and consequently the Secret Vault was left in ruins beneath RAMSAY's ambition, from which was to arise a second Royal Arch degree, or the Royal Arch of Zerubbabel. Though RAMSAY did not succeed with his Royal Arch degree at that time in England, he left fragments behind nearly sufficient to form another, which were made use of by LAWRENCE DERMOTT and other Brethren whose curiosity and inventive genius were aroused. It could be used for the double purpose of maintaining indirectly the cause of the house of Hanover, and at the same time it would gratify the desires and aspirations of those who were ambitious for office among the Craft. The sacred history of the setting up of the religion of the Hebrews in the erection of the Tabernacle in the wilderness by MOSES was to be exemplified as a symbol of a state religion, maintained by the civil government, with the ultimate power of the throne yet invisible in the distance. The return from Babylon to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple under ZERUBBABEL, in which labor no others were to be permitted but those who could prove their Jewish lineage and genealogy, confining the work to that people alone, from which all other Masons were to be excluded, was to signify that no Craftsmen friendly to the house of the STUARTS need apply. The legend of the discovery of the ruins of the Secret Vault over which the Sanclum Sanclorum, or Holy of Holies, had been erected, the finding of the fallen arch and the keystone on the highest part of the rubbish, the jewels of the three Grand Masters farther down on the heap, and the Ark of the Covenant and pillars at the bottom, which were recovered and brought to the surface for examination and the Book of the Law restored to the light, symbolized the Reformation in fact, under the government of the Crown, and the Bible recovered from the ruins, caused by the Dark Ages, for the use of the people had a signification which gave no promise of hope of a return of the British nations of England, Scotland, and Wales to the communion and authority of Rome.
The system of the Grand Lodge of England had become crystallized, impassive, and conservative, and during the foreign wars in which England was constantly engaged and at the same time combating the intrigues of the Jesuits and adherents of The Pretender both at home and abroad, it looked with ill favor upon RAMSAY's efforts to add anything more to Freemasonry, and was suspicious of everything that bore the appearance of innovation in the body of Masonry.
But there were those who believed in progress and adding new features to the work. Among these was a hot - blooded, restless agitator from Ireland domiciled in London, LAWRENCE DERMOTT, who with his companions seceded from the Grand Lodge of England proper in 1739, were expelled, and organized themselves into a new "Grand Lodge of Ancient York Masons," so called, without any authority of the Grand Lodge of York, while they styled the Grand Lodge and subordinates from which they had seceded as "Moderns." They added the Royal Arch degree to the other three. This new Grand Lodge of schismatics was under the leadership of LAWRENCE DERMOTT, who was at first the Grand Secretary and afterward the Deputy Grand Master of the seceders. "In 1756 he published his 'Ahiman Rezon,' a book of constitutions, wherein he proclaimed that the Masons of Ireland, Scotland, and the Ancient Masons of England had the same Customs, usages, and ceremonies, and that the Modern Masons in England differed materially, not only from the above but from most Masons in all parts of the world. He asserted that Ancient Masonry consisted of four degrees, the Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and the sublime degree of Master, and a Brother being well versed in these degrees and others well qualified, 'is eligible to be admitted.' The first reference to the Royal Arch degree that has been found either in print or manuscript and fairly considered is in a book published in 1744, by Dr. FIFIELD D'ASSIGNY, of the Grand Lodge of the Ancients, which states that the Royal Arch was
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known in London about the year 1740, soon after the bull of Pope CLEMENT XII proclaimed death to all Masons and the confiscation of all their property, issued April 28, 1738. The Royal Arch degree is said to have originated among the British royalists (jacobins) and to have been manufactured by the Chevalier RAMSAY. The Scotch Kilwinning Masons in 1736 claim to have saved from oblivion many higher degrees in Masonry, and DOVE, of Virginia, asserts that from these RAMSAY must have taken his Royal Arch. LAURIE, in his history of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, says: 'M. REGHILLINI DE Schio distinctly states that it was invented by the Scotch Chevalier RAMSAY, who he says created a new rite of the three symbolic degrees and added four others founded upon new institutions and doctrines, the last of the seven being the Royal Arch.' In December, 1736, RAMSAY was Grand Orator of the Grand Lodge of France, and in 1740 he came to England. From all the authorities consulted and by the strong preponderance of evidence it would seem that RAMSAY, from material purported to have been gathered at Kilwinning, Scotland, invented the Royal Arch degree, and that between 1728 and 1743 probably in the year 1740 in the interest of CHARLES EDWARD, The Pretender, he brought over to England several new degrees, among which was one called the Royal Arch; that he first offered these degrees to the London Grand Lodge, and upon its refusal to accept them, that he tendered them to the 'Ancients,' and that LAWRENCE DERMOTT thus became possessed of the groundwork of his fourth degree. DERMOTT was an indefatigable opponent, and he early saw in the contest he was waging with the London Grand Lodge the immense advantage which this new degree would give to the Ancients. The ritual was not identical with RAMSAY'S, but it bore marks of his work, and OLIVER says in his day the English ritual still embodied some of the details of RAMSAY's Royal Arch."
The reason for this is obvious: for DERMOTT to have adopted RAMSAY's Royal Arch in the main would have led into complications which might have been treasonable; for in 1743 CHARLES EDWARD, The Young Pretender, had been advised by his brother HENRY BENEDICT (who in 1747 was made a cardinal by Pope BENEDICT XIV) to leave Rome and go to Paris and prepare for his departure for Scotland to strive for the possession of the crown of the United Kingdom. RAMSAY in 1728 had in a similar manner intrigued with some of the Scotch Masons in London and also in Scotland in the interest of JAMES III, the Old Pretender, and failed for reasons heretofore stated; and in his efforts in the interest of the son of JAMES III, by the introduction of his Royal Arch of Solomon, 'he again failed to have his scheme adopted, and returned to France. Hence DERMOTT, with a part of the material of RAMSAY'S Royal Arch, and with his own inventions, fabricated the Royal Arch of Zerubbabel, or the English Royal Arch degree, as it has come down to us with its modifications and changes, but somewhat in a different form from that now practiced and commonly, though erroneously, called a part of the York Rite. We shall refer to RAMSAY's Royal Arch of Solomon again when we come to give the history of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, where the oldest Royal Arch degree will be found in its proper place. In 1767 the degrees of Perfection of that rite were conferred at Albany, N.Y., among which was the Royal Arch, called the Royal Arch of Solomon.
"The Ancients with their Royal Arch made great progress. Their system of work was favored by the Grand Lodges of Scotland and Ireland, and soon the schism was introduced into America. As early as 1758 Lodge No. 3 at Philadelphia worked as a Chapter, conferring the Royal Arch in communion with a Military Chapter working under a warrant, No. 351, granted by the Grand Lodge of all England." M\W\ Bro. WILLIAM S. GARDNER, of Massachusetts, Past Grand Master of that State and Past Grand Commander of Knights Templar, in his oration delivered at the centennial anniversary
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of St. Andrew's Chapter in Boston on September 29, 1869, states: "The establishment of the first Lodge in Massachusetts (St. john's) created dissensions between the Ancient and Modern Masons, the former being chiefly members of Military Lodges in the Royal regiments." Then he said: " Under this state of things they applied to the Grand Lodge of Scotland for a charter, and on the 13th of November, 1756, a warrant was granted by the name of St. Andrew's Lodge, No. 82. This charter is substantially in form like the one used by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, and grants to the petitioners and their successors full and ample power to meet, convene, and assemble in a regular Lodge, to enter and receive Apprentices, pass Fellow Crafts, and raise Master Masons." There is no allusion in the charter to the Royal Arch, nor to any other degrees than those specified above. The establishment of St. Andrew's Lodge in Boston did not remedy the difficulty, although the Brethren of this Lodge did everything in their power to promote friendly and fraternal relations with the members of the Modern Grand and subordinate Lodges. As late as 1766 a committee of St. Andrew's, in a letter to the Grand Master of Scotland, complain that "the Grand Lodge declared that the persons named in St. Andrew's charter were not at the time of their constitution Masons, but were irregular Masons, that they had at different times applied to the Grand Lodge for liberty to visit the Lodges under its jurisdiction, but have been refused, and members prohibited from visiting this irregular Lodge." "The Ancients soon retaliated, and in 1768 they voted to keep the Feast of ST. JOHN the Evangelist, and that none vulgarly called Modern Masons be admitted to the feast. Convinced that it would be utterly impossible to live on fraternal terms with the Modern Masons of Boston, they determined to strengthen themselves by the establishment of a Provincial Grand Lodge. Accordingly on St. Andrew's Day, 1768, JOSEPH WARREN being Master, they voted 'that there be a committee appointed to take into consideration the expediency of applying to the Grand Lodge of Scotland for a Grand Master of Ancient Masons in America, and to confer with such committees as shall be appointed by the other Ancient Lodges now in town.' The following month the committee reported favorably to the project, and proposed as officers Bro. JOSEPH WARREN of St. Andrew's Lodge, No. 82, for Grand Master; Bro. JEREMIAH FRENCH of the jurisdiction of Ireland, No. 322, for Grand Senior Warden; and Bro. THOMAS MUSGRAVE of the Duke of York's Lodge, No. 106, for junior Grand Warden. The petition was from four Lodges of Ancient Masons, viz.. St. Andrew's, No. 82, Registry of Scotland; Duke of York's, No. 106, Registry of Scotland, held in the 64th Regiment of foot; Lodge No. 58, Registry of England, held in the 14th Regiment; Lodge No. 322, Registry of Ireland, held in the 29th Regiment; Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, resident in Boston, Mass.
"In 1768 Boston was occupied by British troops. The commission to JOSEPH WARREN, Grand Master, was dated May 30, 1769, and received at Boston during the summer. Some of the members of St. Andrew's Lodge had seven years prior to this received the Royal Arch, for on the 29th of October, 1762, a committee of five from St. Andrew's Lodge, in a letter to the Grand Master of Scotland, say: 'We should likewise be glad to know if a charter could be granted to us for holding a Royal Arch Lodge, as a sufficient number of us have arrived to that sublime degree.' To this letter no response was received. August 28th, 1769, the first recorded meeting of the Royal Arch Lodge was held in Boston, and is in full as follows: "At a Royal Arch Lodge held at Masons' Hall, Boston, New England, August 28th, 1769present, the Right Worshipful Brother JAMES BROWN, Master; CHARLES CHAMBERS, S. W.; WINTHROP GRAY, J. W.; WILLIAM MCMILLON, HENRY GLYNN, WILLIAM McKANE, JOHN WORDDINGTON, JOSHUA LORING, D. Sy. The petition of Bro. WILLIAM DAVIS coming before the Lodge, begging to have and receive the parts belonging to a Royal Arch Mason, which being read was received, and, he unanimously voted in, and was accordingly
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made by receiving the four steps, that of Excellent, Superexcellent, Royal Arch, and Knight Templar.' This is believed to be the first record of conferring the Orders of Knight Templar in this country, and was given as a part of the Royal Arch, or as an honorary degree until December 19th, 1794, after which time the record is silent in regard to it. The other degrees were undoubtedly taken from the Irish ritual, for OLIVER says that the Irish system consisted of three degrees, the Excellent, Superexcellent, and Royal Arch, as a preliminary step to which the Past Master's degree was indispensable."
DERMOTT's Grand Lodge of the Ancient Masons also soon after granted charters for conferring the Knight Templar degree brought from France to England in 1750 It was a singular fact, coincidental with the schism created by DERMOTT in the Grand Lodge of the Modern Grand Lodge, that speculative and operative Masonry began to divide about the same time, or rather as an organization the operative portion was to wane within the fraternity, though the Accepted Nlasons were to control its progress and destiny. The reason chiefly for this gradual change was the laws of the kingdom in relation to the wages of the various guilds of workmen, including Masons. "The statute of GEORGE I is for the regulating journeymen tailors, etc., especially those of London, who have lately departed from their services without just cause and have entered into combinations to advance their wages to unreasonable prices and lessen their usual hours of work." This statute affected Masons as well, and of course indirectly the whole fraternity of Freemasonry, and the Accepted Masons retained the control and government of the institution, leaving the operative portion, the actual architects and builders, to attend to the material directly affected by the law in relation to contracts and wages to be paid. It is evident that those independent Lodges of Freemasons in Scotland, Ireland, and those of London, York, and elsewhere, outside of the four Lodges in London which formed the first Grand Lodge of England, had ceremonies or forms of initiation which those four Lodges did not possess, LAWRENCE DERMOTT, the author of the Royal Arch of Zerubbabel, himself says ("The True Ahiman Rezon," by LAWRENCE DERMOTT, Deputy Grand Master, dedicated to the Duke of Atholl, Grand Master of Ancient Masons, first American from third London edition, New York, 1805): "Suppose we were to inquire into the origin of the present Grand Lodge of Master Masons (Modern). Upon inquiry it would appear that all their boasted supremacy is derived from an obscure person, who lived about sixtytwo years ago, and whose name is not to be found on record amongst Ancient or Modern Masons. Whoever doubts the truth hereof let him examine Dr. ANDERSON'S Constitutions (printed in 1738), page 109, where it is written 'four Lodges,' that is to say, some persons who were wont to meet 'at the Goose and Gridiron Ale House in St. Paul's Churchyard; at the Crown Ale House in Parker's Lane; at the Apple Tree in Charles Street, Covent Garden; and at the Rummer and Grapes in Channel Row, Westminster, did meet at the Apple Tree aforesaid, in the year 1716, or rather 17, and having chosen (the nameless person before hinted) a chairman, they constituted themselves a Grand Lodge.' Such are the words of the most authentic history amongst Modern Masons, and beyond contradiction prove the origin of their supremacy to be a selfcreated assembly. Nor was a selfcreation the only defect. They were deficient in numbers. To form (what Masons mean by) a Grand Lodge there must have been the Masters and Wardens of five regular Lodges, that is to say, five Masters and ten Wardens, making the number of installed officers fifteen. Their Moderns (I mean their writers) cunningly call those transactions a revival of the Grand Lodge. Plausible as this story of a supposed revival, etc., may appear, yet one minute's reflection will show (an Ancient Mason) the fallacy of this part of their history.
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"This will be done by considering, that, had it been a revival of the Ancient Craft only, without innovations or alterations of anv kind, the Free and Accepted Masons in Ireland and Scotland, where no change has yet happened nay, Freemasons in general would agree in secret language and ceremonies with the members of the Modern Lodges. But daily experience points out the contrary. And this, I say, is an incontrovertible proof of the fallacy of their history.
Indeed, this is acknowledged by the Moderns themselves, in their calendar for 1777, page 31, where, speaking of the old Masons, we find these words, 'The Ancient York Constitution, which was entirely dropt at the revival of the Grand Lodge, 1717. By this it is plain that, instead of a revival, a discontinuance of Ancient Masonry took place. To put this matter out of the reach of contradiction, take the testimony of Mr. SPENCER, one of their Grand Secretaries. Copy of an answer, in writing, given to Brother W. C_____LL, a certified petitioner from Ireland: 'You being an Ancient Mason, you are not entitled to any of our charity.' The Ancient Masons have a Lodge at the Five Bells in the Strand, and their Secretary's name is DERMOTT. Our Society is neither Arch, Royal Arch, or Ancient, so that you have no right to partake of our charity.'
"The case was briefly this: A Lodge at the Ben Johnson's Head in Pelham Street in Spital - fields, were composed mostly of Ancient Masons, tho' under the Modern Constitution. Some of them had been abroad, and had received extraordinary benefits on account of Ancient Masonry. Therefore they agreed to practice Ancient Masonry on every third Lodge night. Upon one of those nights some Modern Masons attempted to visit them, but were refused admittance. The persons so refused laid a formal complaint before the Modern Grand Lodge, then held at the Devil Tavern, near Temple Bar. And the said Grand Lodge, though incapable of judging the propriety or impropriety of such refusal, not being Ancient Masons, ordered that the Ben Johnson's Lodge should admit all sorts of Masons, without distinction, and upon noncompliance to that order they were censured."
The following is what LAWRENCE DERMOTT, the author of the Royal Arch of Zerubbabel, says about the socalled " Revival of Freemasonry," June 24, 1717, during the reign of GEORGE I, after stating that he was introduced into the Society of Moderns in 1748: "About the year 1717 some joyous companions [Bro. THOMAS GRINSELL, a man of great veracity, and a brother of the celebrated JAMES QUINN, Esq., informed the Lodge, No. 3, in London (in 1753) that eight persons whose ORIGIN OF ROYAL ARCH MASONRY.
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names were DESAGULIERS, GOFTON, KING, CALVERT, LUMLEY, MADDEN, DE NOVER and VRADEN were the geniuses to whom the world is indebted for the remarkable invention of Modern Masonry, who had passed the degree of Craft, though very rusty, resolved to form a Lodge for themselves, in order (by conversation) to recollect what had formerly been dictated to them, or, if that should be found impracticable, to substitute something new which might for the future pass for Masonry amongst themselves. At this meeting the question was asked whether any person in the assembly knew the Master's part, and being answered in the negative, it was resolved, mem. con., that the deficiency should be made up with a new composition, and what fragments of the old order found amongst them should be immediately reformed and made more pliable to the humors of the people. The Ancients under the name of Free and Accepted Masons, the Moderns under the name of Freemasons of England; and though a similarity of names, yet they differ exceedingly in makings, ceremonies, knowledge, Masonical language, and installations, so much that they always have been, and still continue to be, two distinct societies, totally independent of each other." One of the questions that DERMOTT asks and answers is: "7th. Whether it is possible to initiate or introduce a Modern Mason into the Royal Arch Lodge (the very essence of Masonry) without making him go through the Ancient ceremonies? Ans. No."
Said our late good Bro. ALBERT G. MACKEY: "DERMOTT was undoubtedly the moving and sustaining spirit of the great schism, which, from the middle of the eighteenth to the beginning of the nineteenth century, divided the Masons of England, and his character has not been spared by the adherents of the constitutional Grand Lodge. LAURIE (Hist., P. 117) says of him: 'The unfairness with which he has stated the proceedings of the Moderns, the bitterness with which he treats them, and the quackery and vainglory with which he displays his own pretensions to superior knowledge, deserve to be reprobated by every class of Masons who are anxious for the purity of their Order and the preservation of that charity and mildness which ought to characterize all their proceedings.' I am afraid that there is much truth in this estimate of DERMOTT'S character. As a polemic he was sarcastic, bitter, uncompromising, and not altogether sincere or veracious. But in intellectual attainments he was inferior to none of his adversaries, and in a philosophical appreciation of the character of the Masonic institution he was in advance of his age. No doubt he dismembered the third degree, and to
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him we owe the establishment of English Royal Arch Masonry. He had the assistance of RAMSAY'S Scottish degree Royal Arch Masonry as we now have it come from the fertile brain and intrepid heart of DERMOTT. It was finally adopted by his opponents in 1813, and it is now hardly a question that the change effected by him in the organization of the York Rite in 1740 has been of evident advantage to the service of Masonic symbolism."
As LAWRENCE DERMOTT was the author of the English Royal Arch degree and unjustly attacked the constitutional Grand Lodge of England and stigmatized them as "Moderns" and belittled its organizers, and that we may have all the light upon this subject, which is desired by every honest and true Masonic reader, it is proper to give the biographical sketch and Masonic history of one of its chief founders, eminent in Masonry, as given by our late Bro. ALBERT G. MACKEY, and there is no higher authority than this most eminent Masonic historian and scholar JOHN THEOPHILUS DESAGULIERS. of those who were engaged in the revival of Freemasonry in the beginning of the eighteenth century none performed a more important part than he, to whom may well be applied the title of the "Father of Modern Speculative Masonry," and to whom perhaps more than any other person is the present Grand Lodge indebted for its existence. A sketch of his life, drawn from the scanty materials to be found in Masonic records and in the brief notices of a few of his contemporaries, cannot fail to be interesting to the student of Masonic history. The Rev. JOHN THEOPHILUS DESAGULIERS, LL. D., F. R. S., was born March 12, 1683, at Rochelle, France. He was the son of a French Protestant clergyman, and his father having removed to England as a refugee on the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, he was educated at Christchurch, Oxford, where he took lessons of the celebrated Dr.KEILL in experimental philosophy. In 1713 he received the degree of Master of Arts, and in the same year succeeded Dr. KEILL as a lecturer of experimental philosophy at Hart Hall. In the year 1714 he removed to Westminster, where he continued his course of lectures, being the first one, it is said, who ever lectured upon physical science in the metropolis. At this time he attracted the notice of Sir ISAAC NEWTON. His reputation as a philosopher obtained for him a fellowship in the Royal Society. He was also about this time admitted to clerical orders and appointed by the Duke of Chandos his chaplain, who also presented him to the living of Whitchurch. In 1718 he received from the University of Oxford the degree of Doctor of Laws, and was presented by the Earl of Sunderland to a living in Norfolk, which he afterward exchanged for one in Essex. He maintained his residence in London, however, where he continued to deliver his lectures until his death. His contributions to science consist of a "Treatise on the Construction of Chimneys," translated from the French, and published in 1716; "A course of Experimental Philosophy," in two volumes, published in 1734; and in 1735 he edited an edition of GREGORY'S "Elements of Catoptrics and Dioptrics." He also translated from the Latin GRAVESANDES' mathematical "Elements of Natural Philosophy." In the clerical profession he seems not to have been an ardent worker, and his theological labors were confined to the publication of a single sermon on repentance. He was in fact more distinguished as a scientist than as a clergyman, and PRIESTLY calls him ((an indefatigable experimental philosopher."
"It is, however, as a Mason that Dr. DESAGULIERS will most attract our attention. Soon after his arrival at London he was made a Mason in the Lodge meeting at Goose and Gridiron in St. Paul's Churchyard, which subsequently took the name of the Lodge of Antiquity. 'The peculiar principles of the Craft,' says Dr. OLIVER, 'struck him as being eminently calculated to contribute to the benefit of the community at large, if they could. be redirected into the channel from which they had been diverted by the retirement of Sir CHRISTOPHER WREN.' It is said that he visited that veteran architect, and from his conversations with him was induced to inaugurate those measures
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which led in 1717 to the revival of Freemasonry in the south of England. The reputation of DESAGULIERs as a man of science enabled him to secure the necessary assistance of older Masons to carry the design of revival into effect, and, supported by the activity and zeal of many Brethren, he succeeded in obtaining a meeting of the four London Lodges in 1717 at the Apple Tree Tavern, where the Grand Lodge was constituted in due form, and at a subsequent meeting on ST. JOHN the Baptist's Day, ANTONY SAYRE was elected Grand Master. In 1719 DESAGULIERS was elected to the throne of the Grand Lodge, succeeding GEORGE PAYNE, and being thus the third Grand Master after the revival. He paid much attention to the interests of the fraternity, and so elevated the character of Order that the records of the Grand Lodge show that during his administration several of the older Brethren, who had hitherto neglected the Craft, resumed their visits to the Lodges, and many noblemen were initiated into the institution.
"Dr. DESAGULIERS was peculiarly zealous in the investigation and collection of the old records of the Society, and to him we are principally indebted for the preservation of the 'Charges of a Freemason' and the preparation of the 'General Regulations,' which are found in the first edition of the Constitutions, which, although attributed to Dr, ANDERSON, were undoubtedly compiled under the supervision of DESAGULTERS. ANDERSON we suppose did the work, while DESAGUILERS furnished much of the material and the thought. One of the first controversial works in favor of Freemasonry namely, 'A Detection of Dr. Plot's Account of the Freemasons' was also attributed to his pen; but he is said to have repudiated the credit of its authorship, of which, indeed, the paper furnishes no internal evidence. In 1721 he delivered before the Grand Lodge what the records call 'an eloquent oration about Masons and Masonry.' It does not appear that it was ever published, at least no copy of it is extant, although KLOSS puts the title at the head of his 'Catalogue of Masonic Orations.' It is, indeed, the first Masonic address of which we have any notice, and would be highly interesting, because it would give us in all probability, as KLOSS remarks, the views of the Masons of that day in reference to the design of the institution.
"After his retirement from the office of Grand Master, in 1720, DESAGULTERS was three times appointed Deputy Grand Master in 1723 by 'the Duke of Wharton, in 1724 by the Earl of Dalkelth, in 1725 by Lord PAISLEY and during this period of service he did many things for the benefit of the Craft, among others that scheme of charity which was subsequently developed in what is now known in the Grand Lodge of England as the Fund of Benevolence. After this Dr. DESAGULIERS passed over to the Continent and resided for a few years in Holland.
In 1731 he was at The Hague, and presided as Worshipful Master of a Lodge organized under a special dispensation for the purpose of initiating and passing the Duke of Lorraine, who was subsequently Grand Duke of Tuscany and then Emperor of Germany. The Duke was during the same year made a Master Mason in England. On his return to England DESAGUI,IERS was considered, from his position in Masonry, as the most fitting person to confer the degrees on the Prince of Wales, afterward GEORGE II, who was accordingly entered, passed, and raised in an occasional Lodge, held on two occasions at Kew, over which Dr. DESAGULIERS presided as Master. Dr. DESAGULIERS was very attentive to his Masonic duties and punctual in his attendance on the communications of the Grand Lodge. His last recorded appearance by name is on March 19, 1741, but a few years before his death."
Of DESAGUILERS' Masonic and personal character Dr. OLIVER gives from tradition the following description:
"There were many traits in his character that redound to his immortal praise. lie was a grave man in private life, almost ai:)proaching to austerity; but he could relax in the private recesses of a tiled, Lodge, and in company with Brothers and fellows, where the ties of social intercourse are
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not particularly stringent. He considered the proceedings of the Lodge as strictly confidential, and being persuaded that his Brothers by initiation actually occupied the same position as brothers by blood, he was undisguisedly free and familiar in the mutual interchange of unrestrained courtesy. In the Lodge he was jocose and freehearted, sang his song, and had no objection to his share of the bottle, although one of the most learned and distinguished men of his day. In 1713 DESAGULIERS had married a daughter of WILLIAM PUDSEY, Esq., by whom he had two sons ALEXANDER, who became a clergyman, and THOMAS, who went into the army and became a colonel of artillery and an equerry to GEORGE III. DESAGULIERS died on the 29th of February, 1744, at the Bedford Coffee House, and was buried in the Savoy.
To few Masons of the present day, except to those who have made Freemasonry a subject of especial study, is the name of DESAGULIERS very familiar. But it is well they should know that to him, perhaps more than to any other man, are we indebted for the present existence of Freemasonry as a living institution; for when, in the beginning of the eighteenth century, Masonry had fallen into a state of decadence which threatened its extinction, it was DESAGULIERS who, by his energy and enthusiasm, infused a spirit of zeal into his contemporaries which culminated in the revival of the year 1717, and it was his learning and social position that gave a standing to the iiistitution which brought to its support noblemen and men of influence, so that the insignificant assemblage of four London Lodges at the Apple Tree Tavern has expanded into an association which now overshadows the entire civilized world. And the moving spirit of all this was JOHN THEOPHlLUS DESAGULIERS."
And it was this man and his contemporaries and fellows whom LAWRENCE DERMOTT attempted to belittle and treated with disrespect and disdain, drew off from this Grand Lodge with his fellow conspirators and organized a new Grand Lodge which he called the "Ancients," shifted the positions of the pillars, dismembered the third degree and manufactured the Royal Arch of Zerubbabel, as already stated, and which for a period of threequarters of a century was to divide the Masonic fraternity into two rival hostile factions in both Great Britain and America, while the two contending houses of the STUARTS and GEORGES for the throne kept both Great Britain and her American colonies in a turmoil, the mother country in a state of preparation to repel invasion and a portion of
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the time in civil and religious war, by which the pure waters in the stream of Masonry were to be muddied by the caving in of the banks of political and religious rivalries between the adherents of the houses of the STUARTS and of Hanover.
In order to complete the early history of the Royal Arch degree before it was finished in England it is necessary to introduce the following brief biographical sketch and Masonic history of another individual which is of great importance to our readers and especially the Masonic student: THOMAS DUNCKERLEY. No one among the Masons of England occupied a more distinguished position or played a more important part in the labors of the Craft during the latter part of the eighteenth century than THOMAS DUNCKERLEY, whose private life was as romantic as his Masonic was honorable. THOMAS DUNCKERLEY was born in the city of London on October 23, 1724. He was the reputed son of Mr. and Mrs. MARY DUNCKERLEY, but really owed his birth to a personage of a much higher rank in life, being the natural son of the Prince of Wales, afterward GEORGE II, to whom he bore, as his portrait shows, a striking resemblance. It was not until after his mother's death that he became acquainted with the true history of his birth, so that for more than half of his life this son of a King occupied a very humble position on the stage of the world, and was sometimes even embarrassed by the pressure of poverty and distress. At the age of ten he entered the navy and continued in the service for twenty-six years, acquiring by his intelligence and uniformly good conduct the esteem and commendation of all his commanders. But having no personal or family interest he never attained to any higher rank than that of a gunner.
DUNCKERLEY had hoped that his case would be laid before his royal father and that the result would be an appointment equal to his birth. But the frustration of these hopes by the death of the King seems to have discouraged him, and no efforts appear for some time to have been made by him or his friends to communicate the facts to George III, who had succeeded to the throne. In 1767, however, the declaration of his mother was laid before the King. It made an impression on him, and inquiry into his previous character and conduct having proved satisfactory, on May 7, 1767, the King ordered DUNCKERLEY to receive a pension of 100 pounds, which was subsequently increased to 800, together with a suite of apartments in Hampton Court Palace. He also assumed and was permitted to bear the royal arms, with
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the distinguishing badge of the bend sinister, and adopted as his motto the appropriate words, "Fato non merito." In his familiar correspondence and in his bookplates he used the name of FRITZ GEORGE. In 1770, when 46 years of age, he became a student of law and in 1774 was called to the bar, but his fondness for an active life prevented him from ever making much progress in the, legal profession. DUNCKERLEY died at Portsmouth in the year 1795, at the age of 71.
The Masonic career of THOMAS DUNCKERLEY, if less remarkable than his domestic life, is still more interesting to the Freemason. There is no record of the exact time of his reception into the Order, but it must have been not long before 1757, as he in that year delivered an address, as we should now call it, before the Lodges of Plymouth, which was published at the time under the title of "The Light and Truth of Masonry Explained," being the substance of a charge delivered at Plymouth in 1757. In the title of this production he styles himself simply as Master Mason, showing that he had not been long enough in the Order to have attained official position, and in the body of the charge he apologizes for the apparent presumption of one "who had been so few years a Mason." It is probable that he was initiated about the year 1755, being at that time in the navy, in one of the Lodges at Plymouth, which was then as now frequented by vessels of war. In this charge, it is worthy of note, a prayer written by DUNCKERLEY appears for the first time, which, slightly abridged, has ever since been used in all English and American Lodges at the initiation of a candidate. OLIVER says that shortly after his return to England he was elected the Master of a Lodge. This must have been in the year 1766 or 1767, for in the latter year he received from Lord BLANEY, the Grand Master, the deputation for Provincial Grand Master of Hampshire, which, we suppose, would scarcely have been given him if he had not "passed the chair." PRESTON speaks of his "indefatigable assiduity" in the discharge of the duties of the office and of the considerable progress of Masonry in the province through his instrumentality. He was soon after appointed to the superintendency of the Lodges in Dorsetshire, Essex, Gloucestershire, Somersetshire, and Herefordshire. And some years afterward the Grand Lodge, in grateful testimony of his zeal in the cause of Masonry, resolved that he should rank as a Past Senior Grand Warden, and in all processions take place next the Senior Grand Warden for the time being. During the rest of his life DUNCKERLEY received many evidences of the high esteem in which he was held by the Masonic authorities of the day, and at the time of his death was occupying the following prominent positions, in addition to that of Provincial Grand Master, which he held from the Prince of Wales, viz.: Grand Superintendent and Past Grand Master of Royal Arch Masons of Bristol and several counties, appointed by the Duke of Clarence, and Supreme Grand Master of the Knights of Rosa Crucis, Templars, and Kadosh, under Prince EDWARD, afterward Duke of Kent. His royal kinsmen did not neglect his claims to patronage.
Far higher, however, than any of these titles and offices and of more lasting importance to the Craft was the position occupied by DUNCKERLEY as an instructor of the Lodges, and a reformer, or at least a remodeler, of the system of lectures. To these duties he was called by the Grand Lodge of England, which authorized him to construct a new code of lectures, a careful revision of the existing ritual, and a collation of all ancient formulas. In the lecture of the third degree, as prepared by DESAGULIER, and ANDERSON, it is said "that which was lost is now found," meaning, says OLIVER, that the Master Mason's word was delivered to the newly raised Master in the latter ceremonies of the third degree, which would preclude the necessity of a Royal Arch degree. But DUNCKERLY was intent on also having a Royal Arch degree for his own constitutional Grand Lodge, or the Moderns, and he often visited the Lodges of the Ancients for the purpose of ascertaining what were the essential differences between the two systems, and of that which was good he culled
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the best and transplanted into the workings of the legitimate Grand Lodge. He dismembered the third degree, taking from it the Master's word. This involved the necessity of a new degree. Says OLIVER, concerning DERMOTT's Royal Arch. "As it was originally constructed, it was jumbled together in a state of inextricable confusion, the events commemorated in RAMSAY's Royal Arch, the Knights of the Ninth Arch, of the Burning Bush, of the East or Sword, of the Red Cross, the Scotch Fellow Craft, the Select Master, the Red Cross Sword of Babylon, the Rose Croix," etc. DUNCKERLEY borrowing from RAMSAY, DERMOTT, and from his own invention, fabricated his degree of Royal Arch for the Modern Masons, a violent innovation, for the success of which he was indebted only to his own great popularity among the Craft and the influence of the Grand Master.
GEORGE III, being the first native born King of England of the house of Hanover, there was no danger of further trouble from the house of the STUARTS, which soon became extinct, and the illegitimate brother of GEORGE III was engaged in reconstructing the Masonry of the Grand Lodge and using a portion of the work in the construction of his Royal Arch that had been invented by RAMSAY in the interest of the unsuccessful Pretenders, and some of the material of the " lost cause " was to be worked in for the moral support of Freemasonry given to the house of Hanover in the mother country and cemented to the throne. To DUNCKERLEY is the Craft indebted for the introduction into the lectures of the ancient astronomical figures, giving a new definition of the two parallel lines as a symbol of the two Saints JOHN and the "theological ladder." DUNCKERLEY wrote nothing of great importance. His contributions to Masonic literature seem to have been confined to a few charges or addresses delivered in 1757 and in 1769, and to a very brief chronological sketch of the Order of Knights Templar which was published in the third volume of the Freemason's Magazine. He was also the author of some Masonic poetry, and two of his odes are inserted in NOORTHOUCK's edition of the Book of Constitutions. But his most effective labors were almost altogether esoteric and his instructions oral, and his industry in this way seems to have been indefatigable and his influence extensive. The results are felt, as has already been said, to the present day. His popularity as a lecturer is to be attributed to the active character of his mind and his thorough mastership of the subjects which he taught, and the fluency of his delivery. His conduct was irreproachable and hence he was fortunate in securing the esteem and regard of the Craft, and the friendship of the most distinguished Masons who were his contemporaries. PRESTON styles him "that truly Masonic luminary," and OLIVER says he was the oracle of the Grand Lodge and the accredited interpreter of its consti
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tutions. His decision, like the law of the Medes and Persians, was final on all points, both of doctrine and discipline, and against it there was no appeal.
We have thus given the origin of the Royal Arch degrees, who made them, and the history of their authors in the Old World. The further history of the first Royal Arch degree, that of the Royal Arch of Solomon made by RAMSAY, will be found in the history of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, in a subsequent chapter of this work. The Royal Arch of DERMOTT and the Royal Arch of DUNCKERLEY were welded together when the constitutional Grand Lodge of Freemasons or Moderns and the Atholl Grand Lodge of the Ancients created by DERMOTT and his adherents were consolidated in 1813 into the present "United Grand Lodge of Ancient Freemasons of England," twenty-five years after the death of CHARLES EDWARD STUART, The Young Pretender, who died January 31, 1788, when that house of the STUARTS became extinct. In England in 1834 considerable changes were made in the ceremonies of exaltation, but the general outline of the system was preserved. The Royal Arch degree is now conferred in Chapters under the Supreme Grand Chapter of England and is the fourth degree in the Masonic series, and a Master Mason who has been so for twelve months is eligible for exaltation, unless this rule has been recently changed. The principal officers of an English Chapter are three Principals, Zerubbabel, Haggai, and Joshua; three Sojourners; two Scribes, Ezra and Nehemiah; a Treasurer and a janitor.
The American degree of Mark Master was established in London, England, and in June, 1856, the Grand Lodge of Mark Masters of England established, which governs that degree only. The American degrees of Mark, Past, Excellent, and Superexcellent Masters were extended to Scotland, and are the preliminary degrees required before receiving the Royal Arch degree in that country, the Chapters of which also confer the Order of the Knight of the Babylonish Pass, which is the same as the Knight of the East and Prince of Jerusalem, the fifteenth degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite and the Order of the Red Cross given in an American Commandery of Knights Templar. The officers of a Royal Arch Chapter in Scotland are the same as in England. In Ireland the officers are about the same as in an English or Scotch Royal Arch Chapter, and a new ritual has been adopted nearly conforming to the American. Said Bro. MACKEY: "However the legend or historical basis might vary in the different rites in all of them, the symbolical signification. of the Royal Arch was identical. Hence the building of the second Temple, so prominent in the English and American systems, and so entirely unknown in the Continental, cannot be considered as an essential point in the symbolism of the degree. It is important in the systems in which it occurs, but it is not essential. The true symbolism of the Royal Arch system is founded on the discovery of the Lost Word, which is the symbol of Truth."
It is most appropriate, in connection with the narrative of the origin of Royal Arch Masonry, and the story of the dissensions and triumphs of the Craft, to illustrate this chapter with the practical work of our ancient Brethren of operative Craftship. Four old English Cathedrals are selected for this purpose, each of which was projected in the seventh century. Razed by conflicting wars, rebuilt, and added to, their beauty of proportion and grandeur of construction command the admiration of succeeding generations. Canterbury, St. Paul's, York, and Rochester are enduring monuments to the brain and toil of their projectors. At St. Paul's Cathedral the four Lodges of London met to organize the Grand Lodge of England in 1717. The first stone of this edifice, destroyed by fire in 1666, was laid by Sir CHRISTOPHR WREN, eminent Mason the last by his son. Speculative Masons view with admiration the work of the old masters. They build not in the operative sense, but they mold and fashion the rough stones of humanity into perfect ashlars for the glory of "that spiritual building, not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens."
CHAPTER V.
Royal Arch Masonry in America.
AMENDED, ALTERED, ADDED TO, AND THE DEGREE OF MOST EXCELLENT MASTER INVENTED - THE WORK OF THOMAS SMITH WEBB.
THE recorded history of the Royal Arch degree in America gives the seniority to Royal Arch Lodge, No. 3, in Philadelphia, as being in possession of the work in 1767; but, as already mentioned, St. Andrew's Chapter, in Boston, originally called Royal Arch Lodge, first conferred the Royal Arch degree on August 28, 1769. In England between these two years the title of Chapter was adopted April 29, 1768, and ten years afterward the word Companion was first used in England February 8, 1778. The name and the title were subsequently adopted in America, though the Royal Arch Chapters were held in the bosoms of the Lodges of the Ancients in this country until the Royal Arch degree was severed from the control of the symbolic Lodges and organized under a separate government. While connected with the Lodge the Royal Arch had the three degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason to support it; but left to itself, it required additional degrees to produce a self - sustaining and attractive organization. Hence the addition of the Mark, Past, and Most Excellent degrees.
The Master is the first degree conferred in an American Royal Arch Chapter, as every Companion and well informed Mason knows. Beyond all question or doubt its origin was in the work of the "Fellows of the Craft," or what is now denominated the Fellow Craft degree, but shorn of that portion of what actually pertains to it, though THOMAS SMITH WEBB revamped it and introduced anachronisms into the ritual by putting in a parable of CHRIST [Matthew XXI and also a portion of the Revelations of ST. JOHN the Evangelist [Revelations 11, 17] chronologically 1043 years and 1106 years respectively after the erection of King Solomon's Temple. The parable refers to the enforced keeping of a contract without regard to the equities in the case where the price of labor is involved, and the other, the Revelation of ST. JOHN, in relation to the having an attentive ear and the giving of a precious white stone as a jewel, seal, keepsake, or talisman. It has no reference to a keystone or a building stone, but in the American degree is made to appear as a keystone with the misapplication of Scripture of "the stone which the builders refused is become the headstone of the corner." [Ps. cxviii, 22; Matt. xxi, 42; Mk. Xii, 12.] Now, a keystone is not a headstone or cornerstone, and the letters placed in the circle of the keystone in the Mark Master's
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degree express nothing whatever, though it is implied that the stone was shipped from Tyre to Jerusalem as a gift from the donor to be placed in the Temple.
The original degree of Mark Mason very properly has a cubic stone. This stone was translucent, of the purest alabaster or white marble, and finished and polished with the greatest of skilI. Upon its upper face were two circular lines with the letters H. T. W. S. S. T. K. S., which were the initials of a message that the True Word would be sent up in accordance with the compact or agreement between the two kings. This stone was to be placed on a pedestal in the center of the Secret Vault, or arch under the Sanctum Sanclorum or the Holy of Holies of the Temple, and afterward upon it was to be placed and sunk in the center of the stone a triangular plate of gold, which HIRAM, the King of Tyre, was having prepared with precious gems and costly stones and the letter's of the True Word in three languages engraved upon it. If the inventor of this, the oldest Mark degree, or if THOMAS SMITH WEBB, while quoting from Revelations had gone a little further, it would have been more complete and satisfactory to all who have received the degree, as witness the following from the next Chapter: -
"Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my GOD, and he shall go no more out; and I will write upon him the name of my GOD, and the name of the city of my GOD, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of Heaven from my GOD; and I will write upon him my new name."
Instead of the above, regardless of the information conveyed in the cabalistic letters in the circle of what yet was to be sent and placed in the center of the stone, the candidate himself is to enter his own device or mark, regardless of what it may be. There is no application of the message contained in the circle to the mark chosen by the newly made Mark Master Mason, though the candidate himself symbolically represents what is sent up to Jerusalem. Many marks are chosen which are nowise Masonic or have any Masonic symbolism or application. In one Chapter book of marks the device which a member chose, some years ago, was that of a ringtailed monkey climbing a pole. Although this is an extreme instance of the perversion of selected marks, it illustrates forcibly the point made.
The Mark Master degree teaches several important lessons which should be deeply engraved upon the mind and heart of every one who has received it, regardless of the incoherency of the matters and events which are embraced in the ritual of the degree itself.
The earliest date on which this degree was conferred in America of which there is any record was November, 17, 1774, in Halifax, Nova Scotia; next on May 17, 1791, in Hiram Chapter, No. 1, in Newtown, Conn. It was known in St. Andrew's Chapter in Boston in March, 1793, and conferred July 25, 1793, by the Chapter in that city. It was conferred by Washingion Chapter, in Providence, R. I., on October 5, 1793, and in Jerusalem Chapter, in Philadelphia, on May 18, 1795.
The degree of Past Master is thus defined by the eminent Masonic author ALBERT G. MACKEY: "An honorary degree conferred on the Master of a Lodge at his installation into office. In this degree the necessary instructions are conferred respecting the various ceremonies of the Order, such as installations, processions, the laying of cornerstones, etc. When a Brother who has never before presided has been elected the Master of a Lodge, an emergent Lodge of Past Masters, consisting of not less than three, is convened, and, all but Past Masters retiring, the degree is conferred upon the newly elected officer. Some form of ceremony at the installation of a new Master seems to have been adopted at an early period after revival. In the 'manner of constituting a new Lodge,' as practiced by the Duke of Wharton, who was the Grand Master in 1723, the language used by the
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Grand Master when placing the candidate in the chair is given, and he is said to use 'some other expressions that are proper and usual on that occasion, but not proper to be written.' Whence we conclude that there was an esoteric ceremony. Often the rituals tell us that this ceremony consisted only in the outgoing Master concerning certain modes of recognition to his successor. And this actually, even at this day, constitutes the essential ingredient of the Past Master degree. The degree is also conferred in Royal Arch Chapters, where it succeeds the Mark Master degree. The conferring of this degree, which has no historical connection with the rest of the degrees in a Chapter, arises from the following circumstance. Originally, when Chapters of Royal Arch Masonry were under the government of Lodges in which the degree was then always conferred, it was a part of the regulations that no one could receive the Royal Arch degree unless he had previously presided in the Lodge as Master. When the Chapters became independent the regulation could not be abolished, for that would have been an innovation; the difficulty has therefore been obviated by making every candidate for the degree of Royal Arch a Past Master before his exaltation."
DUNCKERLEY dismembered the third degree, which was only conferred upon the Master of a Lodge and who at the time he was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason was invested with the True Word. This DUNCKERLEY eliminated from the Master degree and placed in the Royal Arch. Consequently a substitute word was given to the Master degree, as also a substitute to the Past Master degree, upon the induction of a new Master elect into office, or when the degree was conferred in a Royal Arch Chapter as a prerequisite to being exalted to the Royal Arch degree. For several years past the question has been agitated in some of the Grand Lodges of the United States whether this degree is within the jurisdiction of symbolic or Royal Arch Masonry. The explanation just given of its introduction into Chapters manifestly demonstrates that the jurisdiction over it by Chapters is altogether an assumed one. The Past Master of a Chapter is only a quasi Past Master; the true and Legitimate Past Master is the one who has presided over a symbolic Lodge.
The jewel of a Past Master in the United States is a pair of compasses extended to sixty degrees on the fourth part of a circle, with a sun in the center. In England it was formerly the square on a quadrant, but is at present the square with the forty-seventh problem of EUCLID engraved on a silver plate suspended within it.
In England Past Master is understood to mean one who has actually served twelve months as Master of a Lodge. It is under control of the Grand Lodge, but is not termed a separate degree. In 1744 the words " having passed through the chair" were used to describe a ceremony. It has been said also that the Installed Master was originated about this period. The Constitution of 1723, concerning the installation of the Master, speaks of certain "significant ceremonies and ancient usages." The late Comp. JOHN DOVE, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge and the Grand Chapter of Virginia for many long years, said to his Grand Lodge in 1872: -
"I intended to have said something in condemnation of the action of the M\ E\Grand Chapter of England, in abolishing the degree of Past Master and substituting a socalled 'Chair Degree.' A degree which has thus been practiced for one hundred years, and by us in Virginia since 1790, ought not thus summarily be thrown out at the dictum of any one Grand Body."
In a code of bylaws, adopted by Jerusalem Chapter in Philadelphia, September 5, 1789, it is said: "No Brother can be exalted until he has been at least three years a Master Mason and has presided six months as Master of some regularly warranted Lodge or has passed the chair by dispensation."
The charter of Washington Chapter, already referred to, shows that the position now occupied by the degree was well defined prior to September, 1793. The Companions in Boston moved more
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slowly, as the degree has no Chapter record there prior to March 16, 1796, when three Brethren were " Past" and thirteen others were "Past" during that year.
At about this time the Chapter working under the charter of Harmony Lodge, No. 5?, in Philadelphia, conferred the degree. The bylaws required "that every Brother who has not passed the chair shall pay fourteen dollars, out of which the dispensation shall be paid for; if past the chair for being exalted, eight dollars."
This bylaw was adopted June 19, 1799. In January, 1801, a committee of the Grand Chapter found that two Brothers had been passed the chair without having been duly elected Worshipful Masters of said Lodge and without previously obtained dispensations from the R\W\Grand Master.
The degree was held as prerequisite to receiving the Royal Arch degree; therefore the necessity of a dispensation. This rule is still observed in Pennsylvania, where a candidate for the Mark Most Excellent, or Royal Arch degree must be a "Past Master, either by election or dispensation."
Respecting the Most Excellent Master's degree a celebrated Masonic writer has recorded the following: "The sixth degree in the York Rite. Its history refers to the dedication of the Temple by King SOLOMON, who is represented by its presiding officer under the title of Most Excellent. Its officers are the same as those in a symbolic Lodge. In some rituals the junior Warden is omitted. This degree is peculiarly American, it being practiced in no other country. It was the invention of WEBB, who organized the Capitular system of Masonry in this country, and established the system of lectures which is the foundation of all subsequent systems taught in America."
In speaking of WEBB's work, the late distinguished Bro. ALBERT PIKE said: "The Mark Master and Most Excellent Master were made by him, out and out. So was what there is of the Past Master."
It is not the intention in this work to open up a controversy, but simply to state facts and give the authorities when quoted.
The following biographical sketch and Masonic history of THOMAS SMITH WEBB Is of interest, especially to Royal Arch Masons, and is from the pen of Comp. MACKEY: "No name in Masonry is more familiar to the American Mason than that of WEBB, who really was the inventor and founder of the system of work, which, under the appropriate name of the American Rite (although often improperly called the York Rite, is universally practiced in the United States. The most exhaustive biography of him that has been written is that of Bro. CORNELIUS MOORE in his 'Leaflets of Masonic Biography,' and from that with a few additions from other sources, the present sketch is derived. THOMAS SMITH WEBB, the son of parents who a few years previous to his birth had emigrated from England and settled in Boston, Mass., was born in that city October 13, 1771. He was educated in one of the public schools, where he acquired such knowledge as was at that time imparted in them and became proficient in the French and Latin languages. He selected as a profession either that of a printer or bookbinder, his biographer is uncertain which, but inclines to think it was the former. After completing his apprenticeship he removed to Keene, N. H., where he worked at his trade, and about the year 1792 (the precise date is unknown) was initiated into Freemasonry in Rising Sun Lodge in that town."
[The Grand Commandery of Massachusetts and Rhode Island shows that THOMAS SMITH WEBB was born in Boston October 30, 1771. The records of Rising Sun Lodge, formerly in Keene, N. H., show that he was initiated December 24, 1790, passed and raised December 27, 1790. He withdrew from membership, was again admitted December 27, 1791, and finally withdrew March 7, 792. The evidence in Keene is that he was a bookbinder. On May 18, 1796, he received the
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Royal Arch degree in Harmony Chapter, No. 52, in Philadelphia, and was entered in the records as a sojourner.]
"While residing at Keene WEBB married Miss MARTHA HOPKINS, and shortly afterward removed to Albany, N. Y., where he opened a bookstore.
"Comp. ALFRED F. CHAPMAN, P. G. G. H. P., says: -
"'We have never seen authority for saying when or where he received the other Chapter degrees. He came into notice at the organization of Temple Lodge in Albany, N. Y., by authority of Grand Lodge, November 1, 1796. of this Lodge JOHN HANMER was Master, and WEBB was Senior Warden.
A special convention of Royal Arch Masons in Albany, including HANMER and WEBB, was held.
The former " proposed that the subject of opening a Royal Arch Chapter should be taken into consideration by all the Companions present, * * * as there is no Chapter in this part of the country."
"'WEBB was elected High Priest on February 14, 1797, when with " BENJAMIN BEECHER and JAMES PAMELLY," the "Lodge was opened in the degree of Most Excellent Master." This was the first time his name appeared in connection with that degree, nor does it appear in the records of Temple Chapter later than June, 1799.
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" 'It was at this early period of his life that WEBB appears to have commenced his work as a Masonic teacher, an office which he continued to fill with great influence until the close of his life. In 1797 he published at Albany the first edition of his "Freemasons' Monitor; or Illustrations of Masonry." It purports to be by a Royal Arch Mason, K. T., K. M., etc. He did not claim the authorship until the subsequent edition, but his name and that of his partner, SPENCER, appear in the imprint as publishers. He acknowledges in the preface his indebtedness to PRESTON for the observations on the first three degrees. But he states that he has differently arranged PRESTON's distributions of the sections, because they were "not agreeable to the mode of working in America." This proves that the Prestonian system was not then followed in the United States, and ought to be a sufficient answer to those who at a later period attempted to claim an identity between the lectures of PRESTON and WEBB.
"'About the year 1801 he removed to Providence, R. I., where he engaged in the manufacture of wallpaper on an extensive scale. By this time his reputation as a Masonic teacher had been well established, for a committee was appointed by St. John's Lodge of Providence to wait upon and inform him that "this Lodge [for his great exertions in the cause of Masonry] wish him to become a member of the same." He accepted the invitation, and passing through the various gradations of office was elected, in 1813, Grand Master of the Masons of Rhode Island.
"'But it is necessary now to recur to preceding events. In 1797, on October 24th, a convention of committees from several chapters in the Northern States was held in Boston for the purpose of deliberating on the propriety and expediency of establishing a Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons for the Northern States. of this convention WEBB was chosen as the chairman. Previously to this time the Royal Arch degrees had been conferred in Masters' Lodges under a Lodge warrant. It is undoubtedly to the influence of WEBB that we are to attribute the disseverance of the degree from that jurisdiction and the establishment of independent Chapters. It was one of the first steps that he took in the organization of the American Rite. The circular addressed by the convention to the Chapters of the country was most probably from the pen of WEBB.
"'The Grand Chapter having been organized in January, 1798, WEBB was elected Grand Scribe and reelected in 1799, at which time the body assumed the title of the General Grand Chapter. In 1806 he was promoted to the office of General Grand King, and in 1816 to that of Deputy General Grand High Priest, which he held until his death, During all this time, WEBB, although actively engaged in the labors of Masonic instruction, continued his interest in the manufacture of wallpaper, and in 1817 removed his machinery to the West, MOORE thinks with the intention of making his residence there.
In 1816 he visited the Western States and remained there two years, during which time he appears to have been actively engaged in the organization of Chapters, Grand Chapters, and Encampments. It was during this visit that he established the Grand Chapters of Ohio and Kentucky, by virtue of his powers as a General Grand officer. In August, 1818, he left Ohio and returned to Boston. In the spring of 1819 he again began a visit to the West, but he reached no farther than Cleveland, 0hio, where he died very suddenly, it is supposed in a fit of apoplexy, on July 6, 1819, and was buried the next day with Masonic honors. The body was subsequently disinterred and conveyed to Providence, where, on the 8th of November, it was reinterred by the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island.'
"WEBB'S influence over the Masons of the United States, as the founder of a rite, was altogether personal. In Masonic literature he has made no mark, for his labors as an author are confined to a single work, his ' Monitor,' and this is little more than a syllabus of his lectures, although,
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if we may judge by the introductory remarks to the various sections of the degrees and especially to the second one of the third degree, WEBB was but little acquainted with the true philosophical symbolism of Freemasonry, such as it was taught by HUTCHINSON in England and by his contemporaries in this country, HARRIS and TOWNE. He was what CARSON properly calls him, 'the ablest Masonic ritualist of his day, the very prince of Masonic workmen,' and this was the instrument with which he worked for the extension of the new rite which he established. The American Rite would have been more perfect as a system had its founder entertained profounder views of the philosophy and symbolism of Masonry as a science; but as it is, with imperfections which time, it is hoped, will remove, and deficiencies which future researches of the Masonic scholar will supply, it still must ever be a monument of the ritualistic skill, the devotion, and the persevering labor of THOMAS SMITH WEBB. The few odes and anthems composed by WEBB for his rituals possess a high degree of poetic merit, and evince the possession of much genius in their author."
Such is the opinion of the greatest Masonic lexicographer, philosopher, historian, and writer that America in fact, the entire Masonic worldhas yet produced, the late most distinguished Brother and Companion ALBERT GALLATIN MACKEY.
But Past General Grand High Priest ALFRED F. CHAPMAN has formed a different opinion of WEBB and his ability as a ritualist, and placed his crowbar under WEBB'S monument which would overthrow it in his treatment of the Most Excellent Master and WEBB'S connection with it. These divergent opinions are historically of much interest.
He says: "Necessarily something more than an outline sketch of this degree must be given, and largely from the fact that so much has been said in allusion to it that is incorrect and misleading. In his oration at the centennial celebration of St. Andrew's Chapter, in Boston, 1869, the late Hon. WILLIAMS. GARDNER, Grand Master of Massachusetts and Grand Master of Knights Templar of the United States, treated it lightly, as indeed he did the system, and evidently without much prior investigation as the occasion was entitled to.
In his history of 'Royal Arch Masonry in the United States,' appended to GOULD'S American edition, M\E\JOSIAH H. DRUMMOND quotes Comp. GARDNER in such a way as to leave the impression that his treatment of the subject is to be relied upon. M\E\ THEODORE S. PARVIN, in his addition on 'Templar Masonry in the United States,' does worse and repeats the glaring error, saying: 'The first mention of the
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Most Excellent Master degree, and without doubt the first time it was ever conferred in any Chapter outside of Temple Chapter, Albany, where it originated, was in the old St. Andrew's Chapter, Boston, during the visit made to it by THOMAS SMITH WEBB, in February, 1795.'
"In his address to the General Grand Chapter in 1783, the acting General Grand High Priest said enough about WEBB to have prevented the repetition of errors concerning him; but error reasserts itself, and necessitates the reiteration of facts here. It is of itself sufficient to show that WEBB could not have worked the Most Excellent degree in Temple Chapter two years before the body existed, and fifteen months before he was made a Royal Arch Mason. Neither could he have worked it in St. Andrew's Chapter at the time specified, and when he and HANMER did work the Most Excellent degree, (after their manner,' in this Chapter, on October 24, 1797, the degree had been known for years, outside of Temple Chapter, and familiarly so in Connecticut and Rhode Island. In the latter case, witness the charter of Washington Chapter.
"JOHN HANMER was an English Mason, and, as deduced from his own writing, came to the United States in 1793 or 1794. He exhibited a document from the Grand Master of Masons in England to the effect that he was 'skilled in the Ancient lectures and mode of work, as approved and practiced in England.' Writing from Charleston, S. C., under date August 23, 1809, HANMER said that he had been engaged in 'Masonic proceedings in America for more than fifteen years.' This shows that he did not originate the degree, although it is probable that WEBB and he added a large portion of Scripture to the ritual. Clearly HANMER was the ritualist at the outset, as see proceedings of the Grand Chapter of New York. At the convention of March 14, 1798, to organize a Grand Chapter, HANMER was High Priest of Temple Chapter, and was chosen Deputy Grand Secretary. He was chairman of a committee of five to draft a code of bylaws, chairman of a committee to draw up a form of warrant, to print the same, and procure a seal; also of a committee to receive applications of Chapters and Mark Lodges for warrants and to grant them; and on January 30, 1799, he was appointed to superintend the different Chapters and Mark Lodges in this State, to establish a uniform mode of working and lecturing, according to the directions of the Grand officers.
"At the Convention WEBB represented Hiberian Chapter, New York, and on January 29, 1799, was elected Deputy Grand High Priest. Whatever else this may indicate, it strongly suggests that WEBB was then better known for executive ability.
The publication of the Freemason's Monitor in 1797, in Albany, in view of all the facts, in no way weakens this suggestion.
"As to the origin of the Most Excellent degree that is obscure. The Irish system embraces the Chair, the Excellent, the Superexcellent, the Royal Arch, the Knight Templar, and the Prince Rose Croix; and the Scotch system, the Mark Master, Past Master, Excellent, and Royal Arch. Excepting the Chair, St. Andrew's Chapter (Lodge) in Boston worked the degrees named in the Irish system in 1769 and as late as 1797. The first to give way to a change of name was the Superexcellent. On December 14, 1797, OLIVER PRESCOTT received the Excellent and Most Excellent degrees, and the Royal Arch in August, 1799. The Mark and Past degrees had been received by him November 13, 1797. This indicates transition, and suggests that the Superexcellent degree
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of 120 years ago contained the marrow and something of the bone of the Most Excellent degree.
"Be this as it may, we do not have space to discuss probabilities, and so return to dates. The charters granted in Connecticut by Washington Chapter of New York, heretofore spoken of, show that Hiram Chapter, chartered April 29, 1791, had the degree, as noticed in' speaking of the Past degree. The charter of Washington Chapter, Providence, R. I., date of September 3, 1793, gives the names of the degrees as Mark, Past, Most Excellent, and Royal Arch, and its records show that all of them were conferred October 5, 1793. Four other chapters chartered in Connecticut by Washington Chapter bear unimpeachable testimony to the fact that the degree of Most Excellent Master was familiar to Washington Chapter in the earliest months of 1791. Where this Chapter found it is not known; the accident by fire obliterated a history that otherwise would have been instructive. In Pennsylvania, where the supremacy of the General Grand Chapter was never acknowledged, and where the work of WEBB was never encouraged, the Most Excellent degree was conferred in Jerusalem Chapter, No. 3, on November 5, 1796, more than three months before Temple Chapter existed.
We have thus fully given all the information that can be gathered concerning the Most Excellent Master degree and of its reputed origin. Whether THOMAS SMITH WEBB, JOHN HANMER, or any other Mason was the author of it matters not. It was a logical necessity that gave it birth, and in some form or other its birth would have been spontaneous, upon reflection, that, according to the legend and tradition, the Temple of Solomon was incomplete at the time of the death of its master builder, and that before there could have been a dedication it must have been completed by his successor, who took up the work where HIRAM ABIFF left off. The Temple was finished and dedicated, according to Holy Writ, the Jewish historian JOSEPHUS, and other authorities; the foundation stones still remaining intact beneath the holy hill of Mt. Moriah to attest the truth of history; and form the base of a thousand legends and tales of tradition that are interwoven into story and song to make the charm of the beautiful degree of Most Excellent Master.
A most egregious blunder was committed by WEBB, or whoever invented the degree, in leaving out the Masonic portion of King SOLOMON's prayer in the dedicatory ceremonies of the Temple, which should have been inserted as follows:
Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of Thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for Thy name's sake (for they shall hear of Thy great name, and of Thy strong hand, and of Thy stretched out arm): when he shall come and pray toward this house, Hear Thou in Heaven, Thy dwellingplace, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to Thee for that all people of the earth may know Thy name to fear Thee, as do Thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house which I have builded is called by Thy name; that all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else." [Kings 1, 8, 41, 42, 43, 6o; Chronicles 11, 6, 32, 33]
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JOSEPHUS gives this portion of Solomon's prayer as follows: "Nay, moreover, this help is what I implore of thee, not for the Hebrews only when they are in distress, but when any shall come hither from any ends of the world, and shall return from their sins and implore Thy pardon, do Thou then pardon them and hear their prayer. For hereby all shall learn that Thou wast pleased with the building of this house, and that we are not ourselves of an unsociable nature nor behave ourselves like enemies to such as are not of our own people, but are willing that thy assistance should be communicated to all men in common, and that they may have the enjoyment of Thy benefits bestowed upon them."
In homely phrase it may be said that this was the first union meeting nouse ever built in this world. It was the spirit of Freemasonry, of religious liberty, and perfect toleration for everybody. HIRAM, King of Tyre, worshipped GOD in a different manner from the Hebrews, as did the foreign Masons from all countries who worked upon the Temple, and each of the three divisions had a name for GOD, which was also known and recognized by the other two who had been brought together. "Then DAVID said, This is the house of the LORD GOD, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel. And DAVID commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel, and he set Masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God." [I Chronicles, XXii, 1, 2.] "And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay
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the foundation of the house. And SOLOMON's builders and HIRAM's builders did hew them, and the stone squares; so they prepared timber and stones to build the house." [1 Kings, v, 17, 18.]
And so it will be seen that these different nationalities of Masons who worshiped GOD each in his own way, who built and finished the Temple, were duly recognized by SOLOMON in his dedicatory prayer, and they could worship in that Temple as well as the Israelites, though the ceremonies and forms of the Jewish religion were used by the Levites as ordained by MOSES. This portion of the dedicatory prayer should be restored to its place in the ritual of the Most Excellent Master degree.
A full history of the Royal Arch degree in relation to its origin, the inventor in England, and its translation to America has already been given. THOMAS SMITH WEBB worked it over, making almost an entire new ritual of it to adapt it to his system, which now forms, as COMP. MACKEY says, the American Rite. In the English organization of the Chapter the presiding officer is the Prince and heir to the Jewish throne, ZERUBBABEL (being descended in the direct line from King SOLOMON), and as such represents the King, though nominally a tributary Prince, first under the Persian King CYRUS and afterward DARIUS. The too recent severing of political relations with the mother country, by reason of the war of the Revolution for American independence, caused the word Royal to be looked upon with disfavor by patriotic American Masons; and, as OLIVER, the English Masonic historian, truly says in his "Historical Landmarks" - "Our transatlantic Brethren, impelled probably by a dislike to royalty, have deposed ZERUBBABEL from the first chair and placed the High Priest in his place, giving the King only the second throne, which is evidently erroneous; and they have also greatly injured the force of the illustration of the triple office of the MESSIAH, by substituting a scribe for a prophet in the third chair."
In the American Royal Arch degree there is no illustration in regard to the MESSIAH, which in England is made to represent the alliance of Freemasonry and the established religion with the throne, but which in America can bear no such interpretation or significance. On this subject Comp. ALBERT PIKE says: "When Freemasonry appeared in Europe in the Middle Age it had a mission that exosed it to persecution, and that accounts for the obligations of its lesser mysteries. If it had then been only what Blue Masonry now is, in England and America, its obligations, being out of all proportion to its objects and unnecessary, would have been inexcusable or absurd. The objects to which the Order owed its existence were abandoned in England about the time when it crossed the Atlantic, and continuing to be a charitable and mutual beneficial association, it became the ally of the Enolish Government and Church. It carefully avoids giving offense to power and is dumb to all political truth, confining itself in its teachings within the domain of morality alone."
The symbolic Masonry of the present day in the United States is comparatively lethargic, passive, and selfish, and has not the living, active force and spirit and unity of purpose which animated the Masonic fathers of the American Revolution in their struggles for liberty and independence. The pall of apathy and indifference until lately seems to have obscured the starry canopy of heaven, but the American flag, the gift of WASHINGTON and the other Masonic founders of our
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constitutional liberty and American nationality, now occupies the place of honor in the East of many Masonic bodies.
There are several incongruities and anachronisms in the ritual of the Royal Arch degree of Zerubbabel that prove that WEBB was not a wellposted biblical scholar. The introduction of the Ark of the Covenant to the degree as one of the recovered treasures in the discoveries made among the ruins of the Temple is so contrary to the truth of history as to render a portion of the ritual absurd. The only contents of the Ark of the Covenant, when placed in the Sanctum Santiorum, or Holy of Holies in King SOLOMON'S Temple, were the two tables of stone: -
Kings 1, 8, 9 - "There was nothing in the ark, save the two tables of stone, which MOSES put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel when they came out of Egypt."
Chronicles 11, 5, 10 - "There was nothing in the ark, save the two tables, which MOSES put therein at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel when they came out of Egypt."
And when the Temple was rebuilt on the return of the Jews from their captivity at Babylon, there was no Ark of the Covenant at all recovered or placed in it.
In JOSEPHUS we find the following commentary upon this subject: "Some are of opinion that among the sacred things which CYRUS ordered to be restored the Ark of the Covenant was one, but it nowhere appears that this ark was carried from Jerusalem to Babylon. They tell us, indeed, that in the second temple sacrifices were offered as in the first, and all solemn days observed, especially the great day of expiation, when the law ordained that the blood should be sprinkled upon the mercy seat, and mercy seat, say they, was part of the ark; but, besides that, the ark, without the Shekinah or divine glory (which was then withdrawn), would have been of no great significance: the Jews universally acknowledged that the ark was one of the five things that were wanting in the second temple." So much upon the history of the origin and nature of the Capitular degrees.
______________________
THE GENERAL GRAND CHAPTER OF ROYAL ARCH MASONS OF THE
UNITED STATES.
We now come to the establishment of the regularly organized government of Royal Arch Masonry in the United States. Says Bro. MACKEY: -
" Until the year 1797 the Royal Arch degree and the degrees subsidiary to it were conferred in this country either in irresponsible bodies calling themselves Chapters but obedient to no superior authority or in Lodges working under a Grand Lodge warrant."
The first steps taken to organize a Grand governing body were by a convention of committees from St. Andrew's Chapter of Boston, Mass., Temple Chapter of Albany, N. Y., and Newburyport Chapter of Newburyport, Mass. This convention assembled in Mason's Hall, Boston, October 24, 1797, and was attended by BENJAMIN HURD, JR., High Priest, JOHN SOLEV, King, and WILLIAM WOART, Secretary, of St. Andrew's, THOMAS SMITH WEBB, High Priest, and JOHN HANMER, Scribe, of Temple; JONATHAN GAGE, Past King, and JOSHUA GREENLEAF, JR., King, of Newburyport Chapter. Two States were represented. These seven delegates from three Chapters and two States were
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Masons well known and of marked ability. THOMAS SMITH WEBB was chosen Chairman, and WILLIAM WOART, Scribe or Secretary. The convention unanimously adopted the following circular letter:
"Companions: From time immemorial we find that Grand Lodges of Free and Accepted Masons have been established wherever Masonry has flourished, for the purpose of granting warrants for the erection of private Lodges, as well as for the establishment of certain general rules and regulations for the government of the same. It is an opinion generally received, and we think well authenticated, that no Grand Lodge of Master Masons can claim or exercise authority over any convention or Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, nor can any Chapter, although of standing immemorial, exercise the authority of a Grand Chapter. We therefore think it highly expedient for the regular government of all Chapters within the said States who exercise the rights and privileges of Royal Arch Masons, and to prevent irregularities in the propagation of those rights and privileges, that there should be a Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons established within those States. And whereas this convention has received official information from our Companions at Philadelphia that the several Chapters within their vicinity have recently assembled and established a Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons for their government. In conformity to their example we think it our duty to recommend to the several Chapters within the said States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, and New York to unite and form a Grand Chapter for the said States. The local situation of the States before mentioned, the easy and frequent intercourse between their several principal towns and cities, as well as the similarity of habits, manners and customs, as citizens and as Masons, which prevail throughout the said States, induce us to believe that a union of all the Chapters therein in one Grand Chapter will have the most useful, lasting, and happy effect in the uniform distribution and propagation of the sublime degrees of Masonry. They therefore take the liberty of recommending to the consideration of your Most Excellent Chapter the propriety of appointing one or more delegate or delegates to represent your Chapter at a meeting of the several Chapters before mentioned, to be holden at the city of Hartford, in the State of Connecticut, on the fourth Wednesday of January next ensuing, investing them with full power and authority, in conjunction with the other delegates, to form and open a Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons and to establish a constitution for the government and regulation of all the Chapters that now are or may be hereafter erected within the said States."
It will be noted that what is now the State of Maine then formed a part of the State of Massachusetts, so that the territory then embraced all of New England and the State of New York, which was to form the preliminary jurisdiction of the Grand Chapter to be created.
This circular letter was signed by the seven Companions present in the order named and as a committee from each of the three Chapters represented. It was duly attested, also, by WILLIAM WOART, Scribe, under date of October 24, 1797, as "a true record of the doings of this Convention of Committees." In accordance with the request made in this letter, nine Royal Arch Chapters responded and sent delegates to a convention which assembled in Hartford on January 24, 1798: St. Andrew's BFNJAMIN HURD, JR., H. P.; HENRY FOWLE, S.; WILLIAM WOART, Sec. This Chapter held under warrant of St. Andrew's Lodge, No. 82, registry of Scotland, and has its records from August 12, 1769. King Cyrus Chapter, instituted in 1790. JONATHAN GAGE, P. K., and JOSHUA GREENLEAF, K. This Chapter was called Newburyport in the first convention records. Washinglon Chapter, No. 2, Providence, R. I., instituted September 3, 1793 Rev. ABRAHAM L. CLARKE, H. P., and WILLIAM WILKINSON, Scribe. Solomon Chapter, Derby, Conn. DANIEL HOLBROOK. The record of proceedings says this Chapter was instituted in 1794. As a matter of fact its first record bears date of
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December 29, 1795, and its charter the date of March 15, 1796. Franklin Chapter, No. 4, Norwich, Conn., chartered March 15, 1796 GURDON LATHROP. Franklin Chapter, No. 6, New Haven, Conn., chartered May 20, 1795 PETER JOHNSON. Hudson Chapter, Hudson, N. Y., instituted 1796 SAMUEL EDMONDS, JR., H. P., and JOHN C. TEN BROECK. Temble Chapter, Albany, N. Y., established February 14, 1797 THOMAS SMITH WEBB, H. P. Horeb Chapter, Whitestown, N.Y. JEDEDIAH SANGER. of the three lastnamed Chapters Temple is No. 5, Hudson is No. 6, on the roll of the Grand Chapter of New York, and Horeb is extinct. From these nine Chapters there were eleven representatives present. This convention established a Grand Chapter, to have jurisdiction over the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, and New York, under the name and title of "The Grand Royal Arch Chapter of the Northern States of America." It adopted a constitution and provided for a Deputy Grand Chapter in each of the States
"To have the government and superintendence of the several Chapters, and of the Lodges of Most Excellent Masters, Past Masters, and Mark Master Masons, within their respective jurisdictions; and shall have power, by patent, under their seal and the sign manual of the Deputy Grand High Priest for the time being, attested by their Secretary, to constitute new Royal Arch Chapters and Lodges of Most Excellent Masters, Past Masters, and Mark Master Masons' degrees, to establish a uniform mode of working, to assign the limits of Royal Arch Chapters respectively, and to superintend and regulate the general police of Royal Arch Masonry within their respective jurisdictions, according to the ancient usages and customs of Royal Arch Masonry.
On January 9 and 10, 1799, an adjourned meeting was held in Providence, R.I., at which time by the adoption of amendments to the constitution the title of this Grand Chapter was changed to "General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons for the six Northern States of America." At the septennial convocation held on January 9, 1806, the title was finally changed to "The General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons for the United States of America," which title it still continues to bear.
Pennsylvania refused to acknowledge allegiance to the General Grand Chapter, and to the present day maintains its independence. The Grand Body of the Keystone State is designated as the "Grand Holy Royal Arch Chapter of Pennsylvania." Virginia followed the same course, as did West Virginia, while Texas seceded.
In 1826 the septennial meetings were abolished and the general body has ever since met triennially. The General Grand Chapter consists of the present and past Grand High Priests, Deputy Grand High Priests, Grand Kings, and Grand Scribes of the State Grand Chapters of its own Jurisdiction and the past General Grand officers. The officers are a General Grand High Priest, Deputy General Grand High Priest, General Grand King, General Grand Scribe, General Grand Treasurer, General Grand Secretary, General Grand Chaplain, General Grand Captain of the Host, and General Grand 'RoyalArch Captain. It originally possessed large prerogatives, extending even to the suspension of Grand Chapters; but the spirit of the doctrine of independent State rights asserted itself, in a measure successfully, and by the present constitution it has "no power of discipline, admonition, censure, or instruction over the Grand Chapters, nor any legislative powers whatever not specially granted" by its constitution. "It may, indeed, says MACKEY, "be considered as scarcely more than a great Masonic Congress, meeting triennlally for consultation. But even with these restricted powers, it is capable of doing much good."
The General Grand Chapter experienced many vicissitudes before it became established in perpetuity. Its anomalous autonomy rendered it peculiarly sensitive to prevailing disturbances incident to the development of the new Republic. Interest lagged when the country became involved in the
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second war with England. Membership was small, communication between the States was slow, and the affairs of the nation dominated the people and overshadowed all other considerations. But the plant which originated in the garden of the "Convention of Committees" was well rooted and grew in strength and numbers. In 1816, in New York, the General Grand Chapter experienced a revival of interest, and from that year there was no doubt about its life and usefulness. When the anti-Masonic crusade swept over the land, many Brethren withdrew and many Lodges surrendered their charters. The Chapters were sympathetically depressed, but the General Grand Chapter pursued the even tenor of its way. Comp. EDWARD LIVINGSTON, Secretary of State, in President JACKSON'S Cabinet, was the General Grand High Priest of the Order, and ANDREW JACKSON himself was Past Grand Master of Masons of Tennessee. Eminent citizens espoused the cause of Freemasonry, and their integrity, zeal, and patriotism preserved the Order when less sturdy institutions would have been swept from remembrance. The war between the States seriously affected the General Grand Chapter. Upon the restoration of peace the efforts to reestablish amity between the sections acknowledging allegiance to the General Grand Chapter only partially succeeded at the triennial convocations of 1865 and 1868. In 1871 the triennial was held in Baltimore, and at that memorable convocation peace, harmony, and unity prevailed. Thenceforth no sectional differences marred the proceedings of the General Grand Chapter, and Companions from the several Grand jurisdictions could thereafter most fraternally invoke the agreement which ever follows "where three such as we shall meet of one accord."
From the small beginning in 1797 the General. Grand Chapter increased to an allegiant membership of 178,857 during its first century. In addition to this large membership, in 1897 there were 16,439 Royal Arch Masons in Pennsylvania, 2,505 in Virginia, and 6,205 in Texas, making 204,005 Companions in the United States. In British North America there were 6,758, divided as follows: Canada, 5,142; New Brunswick, 396; Nova Scotia, 706, and Quebec, 514. The total membership in all these States and Dominions has since greatly increased.
The centennial of the existence of the General Grand Chapter in the United States was celebrated in Baltimore during the week of October 11, 1897. The occasion was one of great rejoicing and bountiful hospitality. The chivalry of the Monumental City was most pleasantly taxed to its limit in providing entertainment and comfort for the numerous delegates who congregated under such auspicious circumstances. In addition to the centennial convocation, the General Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters also assembled in Baltimore the same week, as did the General Masonic Relief Association of the United States and Canada, and the Masonic Veteran Association of the United States. The Grand Chapter
R.A.M., of Maryland, and the Grand Council R. and S. M., of that State, were also in session. These lesser meetings were fraternally auxiliary to the splendid centennial which was ushered with thanksgiving and song, with speeches and good cheer. The whole week was given over to the celebration, which, in conception of arrangement and detail of programme, was appropriate, intellectual, and brilliant. Addresses of felicitation and congratulation were made by distinguished Companions, including His Excellency Governor LOWNDES, of Maryland; the venerable Nestor of Masonry, JOSIAH H. DRUMMOND, of Maine, Past General Grand High Priest; THOMAS J. SHRVOCK, Grand Master of Masons of Maryland; GEORGE L. MCCAHAN, General Grand High Priest; judge REUBEN C. LEMMON, of Ohio, since General Grand High Priest, and DAVID F. DAY, Past General Grand High Priest.
Thus, in the strength of vigorous age, the General Grand Chapter celebrated its natal day, and began its second hundred years with constituent Grand jurisdictions in forty States and Territories, and with thousands of subordinate Chapters, which in every section of the United States are building and rebuilding the Temple of Manliness and Uprightness, and yearly are making Capitular
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Masonry in this country one of the very strongest and one of the most influential branches of the Masonic family of the world.
Citizens and Masons vied with each other in making the centennial impressive and of historic interest. The occasion was referred to at each session of the various bodies, and Masonic lore was stored in the archives as a memorial for future generations. One hundred years is a long span. In our Republic of manifest destiny, and in this age of momentous undertakings, rapid strides and frequent changes, the present conditions of people, the boundary of possession, and the methods of government bear small semblance to the customs and practices which prevailed at the close of the eighteenth century. Freemasonry, however, stands immutable, unchanged, and unchangeable. Its landmarks are imperishable; and substantially as Royal Arch Masonry existed when THOMAS SMITH WEBB was the moving spirit of organization in 1797, it remained in 1897.
Among the many happy features of the centennial celebration was the presentation to M\E\Comp. GEORGE L. MCCAHAN, in retiring from the office of General Grand High Priest, after five years of faithful service, a magnificent jewel composed of a wreath of oak and laurel typical of victory, surrounding a circle containing one hundred diamonds, emblematical of a century. In the center of the circle were three equilateral triangles, severally ornamented with the keystone, pot of incense, and triple tau, with the High Priest's breastplate, set with precious stones, resting centrally thereon. These emblems were superimposed on three equilateral triangles, interlaced, the points of which extended to and joined the circle. The wreath was joined below by a High Priest's miter and was united at the top by a diamond. The jewel was suspended from an enameled coat of arms of the United States in relief, and the whole was attached to a heavy bar in bearing the legend "The General Grand Chapter U.S.A." The reverse was inscribed "The General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of the United States to GEORGE L. MCCAHAN, Past General Grand High Priest, October 15, A. 1. 2427."
In further commemoration of the centennial anniversary the General Grand Chapter ordered a bronze medal to be struck, on the obverse side of which should be the profiles of Comps. EPHRAIM KIRBY and GEORGE L. MCCAHAN, the first and last General Grand High Priests, with the figures 1797 and 1897 representing the first century of the founding and the centennial anniversary of the General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of the United States of America, and on the reverse the coat of arms of the same.
THE ORDER OF HIGH PRIESTHOOD.
Intimately associated with, but not a constituent part of the Grand Chapters of the United States, is the Order of High Priesthood. It has become the practice to confer the Order at the annual convocations of the Grand Chapters, and no Mason is eligible to its privileges who has not been elected a High Priest of a subordinate Chapter. The following description of the Order is taken from MACKEY'S " Book of the Chapter": -
"The design of this degree, so far as it relates to. its symbolic ceremonies, appears to be to present to the candidate the bond of brotherly love which should unite those who, having been elevated to the highest station by their Companions, are thus engaged in one common task of preserving the landmarks of the Order unimpaired, and in protecting, by their high authority, the integrity and honor
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of the institution. Thus, separated from the general mass of laborers in the field of Masonry and consecrated to a sacred mission as teachers of its glorious truths, those who sit in the tabernacle as the representatives of the ancient High Priesthood are, by the impressive ceremonies of the degree, reminded of the intimate friendship and fellowship which should exist between all those who have been honored with this distinguished privilege."
"It is impossible, from the want of authentic documents, to throw much light upon the historical origin of this degree. No allusion to it can be found in any ritual works out of America, nor even here anterior to about the end of the last and beginning of this century. WEBB is the first who mentions it and gives it in the series of Capitular degrees. It is probable that it was established by WEBB at the same time that he gave that form to the Prestonian lectures and ceremonies of the inferior degrees which have since so universally obtained in this country. If so, we may make a guess, and a guess only, at the source whence he derived his general idea of the degree. In 1780 a Masonic rite was founded at Berlin, Prussia, called the ' Initiated Brothers of Asia.' It was a philosophical rite, intended to give what was supposed to be a true explanation of all Masonic symbolism. The fifth degree of this rite was entitled 'Melchizedek, or the Royal Priest.' It is possible that this degree may have suogested to WEBB his idea of the Order of High Priesthood."
CHAPTER VI.
The Cryptic Rite of Royal and Select Masters.
WITH THE APPENDANT DEGREE OF SUPEREXCLELLENT MASTER;
RITUALISM APPROPRIATED FROM THE SCOTTISH RITE.
CRYPTIC MASONRY possesses absolute independence of all other rites and branches of Masonry. It owes its existence to the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, though it is disclaimed by that venerable body. It is beautifully and intimately associated with the drama of Symbolic and Capitular Masonry, yet the Chapter refuses to officially make of it a "tie that binds." Located by usage between Royal Arch Masonry and the Commandery, yet Templarism declines to fellowship with it. Still, in the Masonry of America it is a regular body which is much respected and which has a wealth of years and a strength of membership. It is recognized, yet its irregularity of origin and its singularity of relative position is admitted.
Withal it has a ritual of deep philosophy and earnest significance. It is a diamond setting in the precious stones of the Temple.
Referring to the origin of Cryptic Masonry, MACKEY says:
"There is no doubt that these degrees belonged originally to the Ancient and Accepted Rite and were conferred as honorary degrees by the inspectors of that rite.
This authority and jurisdiction the Supreme Council for the Southern jurisdiction of the rite continued to claim until the year 1870, although through negligence the Councils of Royal and Select Masters in some of the States had been placed under the control of independent jurisdictions called Grand Councils. Like all usurped authority, however, this claim of the State Grand Councils does not seem to have ever been universally admitted or to have been very firmly established. Repeated attempts have been made to take the degrees out of the hands of the Councils and to place them in the Chapters, there to be conferred as preparatory to the Royal Arch. The General Grand Chapter, in the triennial session of 1847, adopted a resolution granting this permission to all Chapters in States where no Grand Councils exist, but seeing the manifest injustice and inexpediency of such a measure, at the following session of 1850 it refused to take any action on the subject of these degrees. In 1853 it disclaimed all control over them and forbade the Chapters under its jurisdiction to confer them. As far as regards the interference of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite that question was set at rest in 1870 by the Mother Council, which at its session at Baltimore formally relinquished all further control over them."
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Said the late Ill\ Comp. ALBERT PIKE, 33 degree, then Grand Commander of the Southern Supreme Council:
"We do not know by what authority these degrees were introduced into Missouri, but we know that in Mississippi,the bodies were established by the Grand Council of Princes of Jerusalem; in Arkansas by the Supreme Council for the Southern jurisdiction, by whose authority also the Grand Council of the State was created; and that nearly every Grand Council in the United States owes its being either to the Supreme Council for the Southern jurisdiction or to JEREMY L. CROSS, who pretended to hold a commission from it."
Of these degrees the Grand Master of the Grand Council of Vermont said, at a late meeting of that body:
"It is a well established fact that the Supreme Council of the 33' of the Southern jurisdiction at Charleston, S. C., were the original possessors of these degrees in this country.
"In 1817 they were conferred in Baltimore on the members of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of the United States, of which THOMAS SMITH WEBB of Boston, Mass., then Deputy General Grand High Priest, was one. He came to Windsor, Vt., and on the 24th day of December, 1817, conferred the degrees upon the following Companions: L. W. HUBBARD, LEWIS F. GALLUP, GAIUS PERKINS, JONATHAN NYE, SILAS BOWEN, JOHN H. COTTON, and BENJAMIN NILES. In May, 1818, COMP. COTTON issued a charter to certain Companions at Bennington, Vt., dated May 23d, which is now in possession of HYMEN TUTTLE of that place. About this time they were introduced into Rutland and Addison Counties by JEREMY L. CROSS; by JOHN BARNEY into Franklin County, where he remained three weeks at the house of Comp. IRA HILL and gave him the work and lectures. This work is believed to be the oldest in Vermont, and nearly corresponds with our present work.
"NAPHTALI SHAW, of Bradford, disseminated these degrees in Orange, Caledonia, and Essex Counties in the autumn of 1818, and in the northeastern part of New York."
Authority for organizing Councils of Royal and Select Masters in the several States was derived as follows: -
From the Southern Supreme Council Direct: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. By its authority to JOHN BARKER, 33\ Inspector General: Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Ohio. Mediately through the Scottish line above mentioned: California, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. By JEREMY L. CROSS, 33\, in the Southern jurisdiction, Virginia; in the Northern jurisdiction, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Total by Southern Supreme Council direct, eight; by BARKER, as Deputy, four; by CROSS, sevenmaking nineteen who had their direct origin from the Southern Supreme Council. The number indirect from their original progenitor, ninemaking in all twentyeight Grand Councils from their Scottish Rite mother and grandmother. And this is also confirmed by Ill\ Comp. EUGENE GRISSOM, 33\, of the Southern Supreme Council, in his history of the Cryptic Rite. It is not now a question of jurisdiction, for all are independent of themselves or now owe allegiance to the General Grand Council constituted at Detroit, Mich., on August 23, 1880.
The strongest efforts have frequently been made to induce the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States to make the degrees of Royal and Select Masters prerequisite to receiving the Orders of knighthood, but without avail. They must stand alone in their beauty and strength, and teach their beautiful lessons without aid from any friends, either above or below.
The Mississippi plan to incorporate them into the Royal Arch Chapters has only been followed in three or four States Iowa, Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas. This has been generally opposed.
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RITE OF ROYAL AND SELECT MASTERS.
Said Ill\COMP. JOSIAH DRUMMOND in 1879: -
"Mississippi and Illinois have taken measures to transfer the Council degrees to their several Royal Arch Chapters, provided the General Grand Chapter will allow them to do so. We cannot see any advantage in so doing, as some are already complaining of too many degrees in the Chapter. If the Council degrees are not worth the working as they are, give them up disband. Do not try to foist them where they never belonged. If you give them to anybody, return them to that body from which we received them the A. & A. S. Rite. We are not aware that the Royal Arch Chapter ever had any control over them."
The degree of Royal Master and its complement, that of Select Master, furnish symbols of profound meaning, for deep reflection and contemplation upon the uncertainty of life and the possibility of a sudden death, and the necessary preparation for all the contingencies of a fatal catastrophe. Both degrees have reference to the Secret Vaults, an account of which we quote from MACKEY and OLIVER, as follows: -
"As a symbol the Secret Vault does not present itself in the primary degrees of Masonry. It is found only in the high degrees, such as the Royal Arch of all the rites where it plays an important part."
Dr. OLIVER in his " Historical Landmarks" (vol 11, P. 434), gives, while referring to the buildiiig of the second Temple, the following general detail of the Masonic legend of this vault:
"The foundations of the Temple were opened and cleared from the accumulation of rubbish, that a level might be procured for the commencement of the building. While engaged in excavations for this purpose, these fortunate sojourners are said to have discovered our ancient stone of foundation, which had been deposited in the secret crypt by Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty, to prevent the communication of ineffable secrets to profane or unworthy persons. The discovery having been communicated to the prince, prophet, and priest of the Jews, the stone was adopted as the chief cornerstone of the re - edified building, and thus became, in a new and more expressive sense, the type of a more excellent dispensation. An avenue was also accidentally discovered, supported by seven pairs of pillars, perfect and entire, which from their situation had escaped the fury of the flames that had consumed the Temple and the desolation of war that had destroyed the city. The Secret Vault which had been built by SOLOMON as a secure depository for certain secrets that would inevitably have been lost without some such expedient for their preservation, communicated by a subterranean avenue with the King's palace; but at the destruction of Jerusalem, the entrance having been closed by the rubbish of falling buildings, it had been discovered by the appearance of a keystone amongst the foundations of the Sanctum Sanctorum. A careful inspection was then made and the invaluable secrets were placed in safe custody."
Considered simply as a historical question, there can be no doubt of the existence of immense vaults beneath the superstructure of the original Temple of SOLOMON. PRIME, ROBINSON, and other writers, who in recent times have described the topography of Jerusalem, speak of the existence of these structures, which they visited and in some instances carefully examined. After the destruction of Jerusalem by TITUS, the Roman Emperor HADRIAN erected on the site of the "House of the LORD" a Temple of Venus, which in its turn was destroyed, and the place subsequently became a depository of all manner of filth. But the Caliph OMAR, after his conquest of Jerusalem, sought out the ancient site, and, having caused it to be cleansed of its impurities, he directed a mosque to be erected on the rock which rises in the center of the mountain. Fifty years afterward the Sultan ABDELMELUK displaced the edifice of OMAR and erected that splendid building which remains to this day, and is still incorrectly called by Christians the Mosque of OMAR, but known to Mussulmans
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as Etkubbetes Sukrah or the Dome of the Rock. This is supposed to occupy the exact site of the Solomonic Temple, and is viewed with equal reverence by Jews and Mohammedans, "the former of whom," says Mr. PRIME ("Tent Life in the Holy Land," p. 183), "have a faith that the ark is within its bosom now."
DOME OF THE ROCK
"The degree of Royal Master is the eighth of the American Rite," says COMP. MACKEY, "as that rite is now constituted. It is the first of the degrees conferred in a council of Royal and Select Masters. Under the present order the officers are a Thrice Illustrious Grand Master, representing King SOLOMON; Deputy Illustrious Master, representing HIRAM, King of Tyre; Principal Conductor of the Works, representing HIRAM ABIF; Treasurer, Recorder, Captain of the Guards, Conductor of the Council, Steward, and Sentinel. The place of meeting is called the Council Chamber, and represents the private apartment of King SOLOMON, in which he is said to have met with his two colleagues during the construction of the Temple. Candidates who receive this degree are said to be 'honored with the degree of Royal Master.' Its symbolic colors are black and red the former significant of grief and the latter of martyrdom, and both referring to the chief builder of the Temple.
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"The events recorded in this degree, looking at them in a legendary point of view, must have occurred at the building of the first Temple and during that brief period of time after the death, of, the builder, which is embraced between the discovery of his body and its 'Masonic interment.' In all the initiations into the mysteries of the ancient world there was, as it is well known to scholars, a legend of the violent death of some distinguished personage to whose memory the particular mystery was consecrated, of the concealment of the body, and its subsequent recovery. That part which referred to the concealment of the body was called the aphanism, from a Greek verb which signifies 'to conceal,' and that part which referred to the subsequent finding was called the euresis, from another Greek verb which signifies 'to discover.' It is impossible to avoid seeing the coincidences between the system of initiation and that practiced in the Masonry of the third degree. But the ancient initiation was not terminated by the euresis or discovery. Up to that point the ceremonies had been funereal and mournful in their character. But now they were changed from mourning to rejoicing. Other ceremonies were performed by which the restoration of the personage to life, or his apotheosis or change to immortality, was represented, and then came the autopsy or illumination of the neophyte, when he was invested with a full knowledge of all the religious doctrines which it was the object of the ancient mysteries to teach when, in a word, he was instructed in divine truth. Now a similar course is pursued in Masonry. Here also is there an illumination, a symbolic teaching, or, as we call it, an investilure with that which is the representative of divine truth. The communication in the Master's degree of that which is admitted to be merely a representation of or a substitution for that symbol of divine truth (the search for which, under the name of the True Word, makes so important a part of the degree), how imperfect it may be in comparison with that more thorough knowledge which only future researches can enable the Master Mason to attain, constitutes the autopsy of the third degree. Now, the principal event recorded in the legend of the Royal Master, the interview between ADONIRAM and his two Royal Masters, is to be placed precisely at that juncture of time which is between the euresis or discovery in the Master Mason's degree and the autopsy, or investiture with the great secret. It occurred between the discovery by means of the sprig of acacia and the final interment. It was at the time when SOLOMON and his colleague, HIRAM of Tyre, were in profound consultation as to the mode of repairing the loss which they then supposed had befallen them. We must come to this conclusion because there is abundant reference, both in the organized form of the Council and in the ritual of the degree, to the death as an event that had already occurred; and, on the other hand, while it is evident that SOLOMON had been made acquainted with the failure to recover on the person of the builder that which had been lost, there is no reference whatever to the well known substitution which was made at the time of the interment. If, therefore, as is admitted by all Masonic ritualists, the substitution was precedent and preliminary to the establishment of the Master Mason's degree, it is evident that at the time the degree of Royal Master is said to have been founded in the ancient Temple by our 'first Most Excellent Grand Master,' all persons present, except the first and second officers, must have been merely Fellow Craft Masons. In compliance with this tradition, therefore, a Royal Master is at this day supposed to represent a Fellow Craft in the search, and making his demand for that reward which was to elevate him to the rank of a Master Mason.
"If from the legendary history we proceed to the symbolism of the degree we shall find that, brief and simple as are the ceremonies, they present the great Masonic idea of the laborer seeking for his reward. Throughout all the symbolism of Masonry, from the first to the last degree, the search for the Word has been considered but as a symbolic expression for the search after Truth. The attainment of this truth has always been acknowledged to be the great object and design of all
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Masonic labor. Divine truth the knowledge of GOD, concealed in the old cabalistic doctrine under the symbol of His ineffable name, and typified in the Masonic system under the mystical expression of the True Word is the reward proposed to every Mason who has faith fully wrought his task. It is, in short, the ' Master's wages.' Now, all this is beautifully symbolized in the degree of Royal Master. The reward had been promised, and the time had now come, as ADONIRAM thought, when the promise was to be redeemed, and the True Word - Divine Truth - was to be imparted. Hence in the person of ADONIRAM, or the Royal Master, we see symbolized the Speculative Mason, who, having labored to complete his spiritual temple, comes to the Divine Master that he may receive his reward and that his labor may be consummated by the acquisition of truth. But the temple he had been building is the temple of this life, that first temple which must be destroyed by death that the second temple of the future life may be built on its foundations. And in this first temple the truth cannot be found. We must be content with its substitute."
THE GOLDEN VESSELS
The following description and explanation of the degree of Select Master is also from the pen of MACKEY: -
"The degree of Select Master is the ninth degree of the American Rite and the last of the two conferred in a Council of Royal and Select Masters, and the officers are the same as in the Royal Master's degree. The first three represent the three Grand Masters at the building of SOLOMON's Temple. The symbolic colors are black and red, the former significant of secrecy, silence, and darkness; the latter of fervency and zeal. A Council is supposed to consist (like that of the Lodge of Perfection of the 14th degree of the A. & A. S. Rite, from which it is borrowed) of neither more nor less than twentyseven; but a smaller number, if not less than nine, is competent to proceed to work or business. The candidate when initiated is said to be 'chosen as a Select Master.' The historical object of the degree is to commemorate the deposit of an important secret or treasure which, after the preliminary preparations, is said to have been made by HIRAM ABIF. The place of meeting represents a secret vault beneath the Temple.
"A controversy has sometimes arisen among ritualists as to whether the degree of Select Master should precede or follow that of Royal Master in the order of conferring. But the arrangement now existing by which the Royal Master is made the first and the Select Master the second degree of Cryptic Masonry has been very generally accepted, and this for the best of reasons. It is true that the circumstances referred to in the degree of Royal Master occurred during a period of
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time which lies between the death of the chief builder of the Temple and the completion of the edifice, while those referred to in the degree of Select Master occurred anterior to the builder's death. Hence in the order of time the events commemorated in the Select Master's degree took place anterior to those which are related in the degree of Royal Master, although in Masonic sequence the latter degree is conferred before the former. This apparent anachronism is, however, reconciled by the explanation that the secrets of the Select Master's degree were not brought to light until long after the existence of the Royal Master's degree had been known and. recognized."
[In fact, the Royal Master's degree was fabricated for the purpose of being used to aid the cause of the First Pretender of the house of the STUARTS, who failed in his object; and the degree of Select Master was fabricated for the benefit of his son, CHARLES EDWARD, the Second Pretender, who also failed in his object.]
In other words, to speak only from the traditional point of view, Select Masters had been designated, had performed the task for which they had been selected, and had closed their labors, without ever being openly recognized as a class in the Temple of SOLOMON. The business in which they were engaged was a secret one. Their occupation and their very existence, according to the legend, were unknown to the great body of the Craft in the first Temple. The Royal Master's degree, on the contrary, as there was no reason for concealment, was publicly conferred and acknowledged during the latter part of the construction of the Temple of SOLOMON; whereas the degree of Select Master and the important incidents on which it was founded are not supposed to have been revealed to the Craft until the building of the Temple of ZERUBBABEL. Hence the Royal Master's degree should always be conferred anterior to that of the Select Master."
"The appendant degree of Superexcellent Master was originally an honorary degree conferred by the InspectorsGeneral of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite at Charleston," says Mr. MACKEY. "It has since been introduced into some of the Royal and Select Councils of the United States and there conferred as an additional degree. This innovation on the regular series of Cryptic degrees, with which it actually has no historical connection, met with great opposition, so that the convention of Royal and Select Masters which met at New York in June, 1873, resolved to place it in the category of an honorary degree, which might or might not be conferred at the option of a Council, but not as an integral part of the rite. Although this body had no dogmatic authority, its decision doubtless had some influence in settling the question. The degree is simplv an enlargement of that part of the ceremonies of the Royal Arch which refer to the destruction of the Temple. To that place it belongs, if it belongs anywhere, but has no more to do with the ideas inculcated in Cryptic Masonry than have any of the degrees lately invented for modern secret societies."
CHAPTER VII.
Ancient Knighthood and the Crusades.
THE SCHEMING OF THE CHURCH, AVARICE OF ADVENTRUERS, AND THE PIETY OF THE CHRISTIAN FOLLOWERS OF THE CROSS. - RISE AND FALL OF CRUSADING KNIGHTS.
BEFORE entering upon the recital of the history of the Masonic Knights Templar, a brief sketch of the Crusades and the Orders of religious knighthood is necessary in explanation of the real causes that led to those religious military expeditions which ended in disaster and ruin to the hopes of misguided Christendom.
"In the early dawn of the eleventh century," says DRAPER in his "Intellectual Development of Europe," "the evil union of Church and State, their rivalries, intrigues and their quarrels had produced an inevitable result, doing the same in the west that they had done in the east, disorganizing the political system and ending in a universal demoralization. The absorption of small properties into large estates steadily increased the number of slaves; where there had once been many free families there was now found only a rich man. Even of this class the number diminished by the same process of aibsorption until there were sparsely scattered here and there abbots and counts with enormous estates worked by herds of slaves whose numbers, since sometimes one man possessed 20,000 of them, might deceive us if we did not consider the vast surface over which they were spread. Examined in that way, the west of Europe proves to have been covered with forests, here and there dotted with a convent or a town. From those countries, once full of the splendid evidences of Roman civilization, mankind was fast disappearing. There was no political cause, until at a later time, when the feudal system was developed, for calling men into existence. Whenever there was a partial peace there was no occasion for the multiplication of men beyond the intention of extracting from them the largest possible revenue, a condition implying their destruction. Soon even the necessity for legislation ceased; events were left to take their own course. Through the influence of the monks the military spirit declined; a vile fetichisni of factitious relics, which were working miracles in all directions, constituted the individual piety. Whoever died without bequeathing a part of his property to the Church, died without confession and the sacraments and forfeited Christian burial. Trials by battle and the ordeals of fire and water determined innocence or guilt in those accused of crimes. Society was dissolving, the human race was disappearing, and with difficulty the melancholy ruins of ancient civilization could be traced."
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Northern and Central Europe was becoming an inviting field for invasion by the Saracens, who, along the western shores of Asia impelled by the impending storm arising in the northeastern portion of that continent, had been crowded into the southwestern, and occupying Persia, Arabia, Western and Southern India, had already seized the Holy Land, taken possession of Jerusalem, driven Christianity from Northern Africa, invaded and occupied Spain and Portugal, and threatened Southern France; and the Crescent, approaching also from the eastward, threatened by the appearance of clouds of horsemen and warriors of the Mohammedan faith to entirely obliterate Christianity from the entire face of Europe. The hatred of the Latin or Roman Church against the Greek which rent Christendom in twain was to be adroitly used in precipitating armies of hundreds of thousands of men upon the territories of the Grecian Emperor in the disguise of friends while en route to the Holy Land to rescue the Holy Sepulchre from the hands of the infidels.
Among the pilgrims about the year 1093 was the monk PETER the Hermit, a Frenchman by birth, who on a secret mission of Pope URBAN II undertook the journey to the Holy Land. He was a native of the city of Amiens in Picardy. This monk during his sojourn at Jerusalem paid several visits to the Patriarch of that city, who gave him an exaggerated account of the evils under which the Christians of Judea labored from the sway of the Musselmans. PETER, ambitious like all other monks, seized with avidity on the opportunity which offered itself to him of acquiring a certain kind of importance, and promised the Patriarch to ask aid from the Pope against the infidels. On his return to Italy he presented himself at the Court of Rome, which he found fully disposed to second his views.
The indications were that ere long there would be a great uprising and overflow of the Mongol Tartar race that would force even the Turks from the continent of Asia into Europe and eventually submerge both Moslem and Christian in the waters of the Atlantic, for America then was an undiscovered land excepting to the Norsemen, who long centuries before had anticipated COLUMBUS. Christianity was extinguished in the East. The Musselmans had already conquered the greater part of Asia Minor. Greece and its Capital Constantinople was threatened with invasion and capture by the Turks. Its Emperor, ALEXIS COMNENUS, in vain appealed to the powers of Western Europe for assistance, which met with no response. In his extremity he was driven to appeal to Pope URBAN, binding himself by an oath to recognize him as the universal bishop. The bargain was concluded, and PETER the Hermit was directed to embark in the First Crusade. There were no grand military organizations, no welltrained armies, no tactical discipline or skill, and strategical movements of large forces were comparatively unknown. The populace were roused everywhere to the highest pitch of enthusiasm by Pope URBAN and PETER the Hermit, and the people, carried away in their fervor of excitement, spontaneously shouted, "GOD Wills it! Let us march."
The great military mob was at last gathered, and the Pope fixed the day of departure for Jerusalem on the day of the Assumption in the same year, 1096. The armies of the Crusaders began to move on all points. The first division was commanded by WALTER the Penniless. He departed on March 8, 1096, with a multitude of persons clothed in rags and on foot, like himself. They took the route through Germany and stopped at Mayance and Cologne. "There they committed so many horrors and atrocities," says the monk GULBERT, "that the citizens barricaded themselves in their houses to escape from the barbarity of these monsters. Mothers became furious, murdered the infants whom they nourished; husbands poniarded their wives,, and young people put themselves to death to avoid falling into the hands of those merciless fanatics who bore the cross on the shoulder." These first bands were followed by 40,000, led by PETER the Hermit, and recruited in France or on the borders of Germany. A monk named GONDESCALE went by way of Hungary, with an army of 15,000 pillagers. They committed so many atrocities by the way that the exasperated inhabitants
THE CRUSADES - ST. DAMIETTA BEFORE THE CRUSADES.
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rose in mass and massacred them to the last man. But this gallant nation was soon exterminated by 200,000 bandits.
AN ANCIENT KNIGHT OF MALTA
In spite of the friendly hospitality extended by the Greek Emperor, who provided every comfort and luxury even when BOHEMOND with his division arrived at Constantinople, the Crusaders sacked the environs, burned the dwellings, massacred the cultivators, forced the convents of the nuns, and in their thirst for pillage tore even the leaden roofs from off the churches to sell them to the Jews at forced sale upon them. ANNA COMNENA, the daughter of the Emperor, relates that PETER the Hermit was one of the most cruel and rapacious of the leaders of the Crusade. Said she, "His soldiers committed such frightful atrocities in the environs of Nice that the other Crusaders were indignant at them.
Another historian says:
"It was only now that the true Crusaders entered upon the scene. Six armies embracing all the chivalry of Europe and led respectively by GODFREY of Bouillon, HUGH the Great (Count of Vermandoro), ROBERT CUITHOSE, Count ROBERT of Flanders, Prince BOHEMUND of Tarentum (under whom was TANCRED), and Count RAYMOND of Toulouse, set forth for Constantinople. Having united their forces and spent some time at this place, they crossed into Asia Minor. Here their first step was the capture of Nice, June 24, 1097. They also defeated the Sultan SOLIMAN at Dorylacum and took the principality of Edessa. They then marched into Syria and laid siege to Antioch. After seven months' siege, during which the Crusaders suffered terribly from famine and disease, the city surrendered, June 3, 1098. The inhabitants were massacred by their captors, who were besieged in their turn by an army of 200,000 Musselmans. On June 28, 1098, the Mohamniedans were put to rout and the way opened to Jerusalem. In the summer of 1099, 40,000 Crusaders, the remnant of a vast host which had comprised not less than 600,000 warriors, laid siege to Jerusalem. The city was taken on July 15, 1098, after a siege of somewhat more than five weeks. Eight days later, on July 23, 1098, GODFREY of Bouillon was elected King of Jerusalem. The three Latin principalities of the East, Edessa, Antioch, and Jerusalem maintained themselves against the attacks of the Mohammedans till the year 1144, when the Emir of Mosul conquered Edessa and massacred its Christian inhabitants. His son, NOOREDDEEN, marched upon Syria and Palestine."
A Second Crusade was preached by ST. BERNARD, Abbott of Clairvaux, and in 1147 two large but poorly disciplined armies set out for Jerusalem. They were commanded by Louis VII, King of France, and CONRAD III, Emperor of Germany. This expedition utterly failed through the treachery (it is said) of the Greek Emperor, MANUEL COMNENUS, and neither army ever saw the Holy Land. In 1187 SALAHEDDEEN, or SALADIN, Sultan of Egypt, invaded Palestine, and in October of that year took Jerusalem. This event gave rise to a Third Crusade, under the leadership of FREDERICK BARBAROSSA, Emperor of Germany, PHILIP AUGUSTUS, King of France, and RICHARD C(I,UR DE LION, King of England. BARBAROSSA died of fever on the way. The Crusaders gained some important victories, but they were not united among themselves and the Crusade was closed by a treaty in which SALADIN agreed to impose no taxes on Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem. In 1195 HENRY VI of Germany undertook a Crusade (sometimes called the fourth), but the death of the Emperor caused the project to be abandoned. A Fourth Crusade, instituted by Pope INNOCENT III in 1203, turned from its course to take possession of the Byzantine Empire, and never reached Palestine at all.
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The Children's Crusade in 1212 (of which an excellent account has been written by the Rev. GEORGE ZABRISKIE GRAY of New York) is one of the strangest episodes in history. An army of unarmed French children, 30,000 strong, headed by a boy named STEPHEN, Set out for the Holy Land by the way of Marseilles. A similar army of German children, 20,000 strong, led by a boy named NICHOLAS, crossed the Alps at Mont Cenis. A second army of German children, numbering nearly 20,000, the name of whose leader is not known, crossed the Alps by a more easterly route, touching the sea at Brindisi. Their idea was that the Mediterranean would open a path for them to Palestine and that the Holy Land would be recovered and the Moslems converted by miracles. Some of the children got discouraged and returned to their homes, many stopped by the way, but most of them perished on the march, were lost at sea, or were sold into slavery. The great Mongolian Tartar Chieftain in Northern Asia, GENGHIS KHAN, or CHINGHIS KHAN (literally, the greatest khan, or ruler), originally TEMUDGIN, with probably the largest host ever assembled by a ruler, now began to move westward and southward across the great steppes and mountain ranges of Asia toward Europe and Northern Africa. It was the secret hope of the popes that this threatened human inundation might be prevented by driving the Turks back from the Holy Land, of which the Christians would regain possession, that the Turks would be forced to act as a wall or barrier against the impending invasion of the Tartar hordes, and that it would be better policy to make Palestine or the Holy Land the battleground rather than the eastern shores of Europe.
PETER THE HERMIT, PREACHING THE CRUSADES.
GENGHIS KHAN was born at Deylun Yeldok on the Hwang Ho in 1162, and was the son of Chief of the Mongol tribe Neyrun. He succeeded his father when thirteen years old, but a civil war followed and in 1178 he was compelled to flee to TOGEIRUL UNGH, Khan of the Keraite Tartars, whose daughter he married and whose armies he commanded with success. In 1203 he made himself master of the Keraites, and in 1204 utterly overthrew the
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Nayman tribes and made himself Chief of Mongolia. In 1206 he was declared GENGHIS KHAN, or chief of rulers, and the civilized Uigurs submitted to him. He soon published his great code, attacked Cathay or Northern China, crossed the Great Wall in 1211, sacked and burned Peking in 1215, and exterminated some rebellious tribes. He attacked ALLAHEDDIN MOHAMMED, Sultan of Chorasmia, in 1218, and had conquered all Turkestan in 1220; ravaged Balkh, Khorassan, and Persia; plundered all Asia as far south as the Sutlej, and penetrated Europe as far as the Dnieper, carrying slaughter and destruction evervwhere. GENGHIS KHAN was the founder of what became the Mogul Empire. His chief capital was Karakorum, in Tartary. It is stated that more than 5,000,000 persons, equal in number to all the present standing armies in Europe, were slain in his wars, which were carried on with the most heartless cruelty; but that through his vast dominion he enforced the strictest order, established a postal system, and tolerated all religions. GENGHIS died at Lupan in China, August 18, 1227. His four sons carried on his work of terror.
In 1228 FREDERICK II of Germany commanded a Fifth Crusade, by which he became master of Palestine and was crowned King of Jerusalem.
In 1239 the Turks having again seized upon Jerusalem, a Sixth Crusade was undertaken under Thibaut, Count of Champagne. A normal surrender of the Holy Land was the result. In 1244 Jerusalem was burned and pillaged by a new race of Turks.
A Seventh Crusade was headed by Louis IX (ST. Louis) of France, who set out in 1249. It was badly defeated by the Sultan of Egypt, who also made a prisoner of the King.
The Eighth and last Crusade was also undertaken by ST. Louis, in 1270. The King died at Carthage of the plague, and Prince EDWARD, afterward EDWARD I of England, assumed command of the army. The expedition accomplished nothing of importance, and in July, 1272, EDWARD returned to England with the last of the Crusaders.
The chief result of the Crusades was a better acquaintance by the people of Western Europe with two civilizations more advanced than their own the Greek and the Saracenic. Thus a powerful impulse was given both to the literature and the commerce of Europe.
Our greatest Masonic historian in America, ALBERT G. MACKEY, draws these conclusions from the long and sanguinary campaigns of the Crusaders to recover the Holy Land from the control of the infidels:
"There was between Freemasonry and the Crusades a much more intimate relation than has generally been supposed. In the first place, the communications frequently established by the Crusaders, and especially the Knights Templar, with the Saracens, led to the acquisition by the former of many of the dogmas of the secret societies of the East, such as the Essenes, the Assassins, and the Druses. These were brought bv the Knights to Europe, and subsequently, on the establishment by RAMSAY and his contemporaries and immediate successors of Templar Masonry, were incorporated into the high degrees, and still exhibit their influence. Indeed, it is scarcely to be doubted that many of these degrees were invented with a special reference to the events which occurred in Syria and Palestine. But the influence of the Crusades on the Freemasons and the architecture of the Middle Ages is of a more historical character. In 1836 Mr. WESTMACOTT, in a course of lectures on art before the Royal Academy, remarked that 'the two principal causes which materially tended to assist the restoration of literature and the arts in Europe were Freemasonry and the Crusades. The adventurers,' he said, 'who returned from the Holy Land brought back some ideas of various improvements, particularly in architecture, and along with these a strong desire to erect castellated, ecclesiastical, and palatial edifices, to display the taste they had acquired; and in less than a century from the first Crusade, above six hundred buildings of the above description
THE CRUSADES. ENTRY INTO CONSTANTINOPLE.
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had been erected in Southern and Western Europe. This taste was spread into almost all countries by the establishment of the fraternity of Freemasons, who, it appears, had, under some peculiar form of brotherhood, existed from an immemorial period in Syria and other parts of the East, from whence some bands of them migrated to Europe, and after a time a great influx of these ingenious menItalian, German, French, Spanish, etc. had spread themselves in communities through all civilized Europe; and in all countries where they settled we find the same style of architecture from that period, but differing in some points of treatment, as suited the climate.'"
ORDERS OF RELIGIOUS KNIGHTHOOD CONNECTED WITH THE CRUSADES.
RHODES IN THE TIME OF THE CRUSADES.
Prior to the commencement of the preaching of PETER the Hermit of the first Crusade in the middle of the eleventh century, some merchants of Amalfi, a rich city of the kingdom of Naples, while trading in Egypt obtained from the Caliph MONSTASER BILLAH permission to establish hospitals in the city of Jerusalem for the use of poor and sick Roman Catholic pilgrims. A site was assigned to them close to the Holy Sepulchre, on which they erected a chapel dedicated to the Virgin, giving it the name of St. Mary ad Latinos, to distinguish it from those churches where the service was performed according to the ritual of the Greek Church. The building was completed in the year 1048, and at the same time two hospitals for either sex were erected in the vicinity of the chapel for the reception of pilgrims. Subsequently each of these hospitals had a separate chapel annexed to it, that for the men being dedicated to ST. JOHN the Almoner and that for the women to ST. MARY MAGDALEN. Many of the pilgrims who had experienced the kindness so liberally bestowed upon all wayfarers abandoned all idea of returning to Europe, and formed themselves into a band of charitable assistants and without assuming any regular religious profession devoted themselves to the service of the hospital and the care of its sick inmates. The chief cities of the south of Europe subscribed liberally for the support of this institution, and the merchants of Amalfi, who were its original founders, acted as the stewards of their bounty, which was greatly augmented from the favorable reports of grateful pilgrims who had returned home, and the revenues of the hospital were thus increased. The associates assumed the name of Hospitalers of Jerusalem.
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When the Holy City was conquered by the Crusaders many of the latter laid aside their arms, joined the society, and devoted themselves to the pious vocation of attending the sick. It was then that GERARD, the rector of the hospital, induced the brethren to take upon themselves the vows of poverty, obedience, and chastity, which they did at, the hands of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, who clothed them in the habit selected for the Order, which was a plain black robe, bearing a white cross of eight points on the left breast. This was in the year 1113, when the society had taken up arms and assumed the title of Knights Hospitalers of St. John of Jerusalem, and GERARD by decree of Pope PASCAL II was made the first Grand Master of the Order. Pope ANASTATIUS IV in 1153 published that remarkable bull which is most explicit concerning the Knights of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, confirming the Grand Master RAYMOND in his right of exemption from the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Jerusalem. He added: "As all your property is designed for the support of the pilgrims and the poor, we prohibit laymen and ecclesiastics of any rank from exacting tithes therefrom. We interdict all bishops from publishing suspensions or anathemas in the churches placed under your authority, and even when an interdict is obliged to be fulminated in any country in which you are located, divine service shall still be celebrated in your churches, only with closed doors and without ringing the bells. That you may be able always to celebrate mass we permit you to receive into your temples priests and clergy of all nations, after first having informed yourselves of the correctness of their morals and the regularity of their ordination. If the prelates to whom they are subjected refuse to grant them to you, I authorize you, by virtue of the power which has been delegated to the Holy See, to take them by force, and from the moment they shall have entered your temples they shall be subject to your Chapter and the Pope alone. We also permit you to receive into your hospitals laymen to serve the poor. We prohibit the laymen that is, the knights who shall be received into your company from returning to the world after having taken the habit and the cross. We prohibit them also from going into another Order, under the pretense of leading a more austere life. You will cause your altars and oratories to be dedicated by the diocesan bishop, if he will do it gratuitously; but if not, you will select another prelate. Finally, we confirm you in all the domains and lordships which your Order possesses in Asia or in Europe, or which it may in future acquire." Pope ANASTATIUS IV, after having reigned a little over fourteen months, died on December 2, 1154, and was succeeded by ADRIAN IV, the Pope who gave the crown of Ireland to the King of England.
In 1156 the Knights Hospitalers of St. John of Jerusalem had become so arrogant of their power and independence of the authority of FOUCHER, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, and gave such great annoyance that he sent letters to the Pope, complaining of the Knights Hospitalers and of the abuses which they made of their privileges by receiving into their churches Christians who had been excommunicated by the bishops and by causing the priests of their Order to administer the viaticum, extreme unction, and ecclesiastical sepulchre. In his letter FOUCHER accused them of not observing the interdicts launched against cities, of ringing the bells of their churches in contempt of the canons, of celebrating service publicly and in a loud voice, and in receiving the offerings of the people to the prejudice of the mother churches. He finally besought the Holy Father to prohibit them from proceeding to the consecration or deposition of their priests without the participation of the prelates, and to order them to pay him a tithe on their lands and revenues. He further accused them of having made him undergo humiliation by erecting a magnificent hospital opposite the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which, from the richness of its architecture, eclipsed his metropolitan church. He complained that they rung their bells with all their might whenever he rose to preach, and added, that having dared to reproach them for their conduct, he had been assailed by the knights even in
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the patriarchal palace, and that darts had been hurled at him even at the very altar of the Holy Sepulcher. The Hospitalers had, in fact, rendered themselves so redoubtable that no one dared to resist them in the kingdom of Palestine, not even the bishops and Patriarch, because they were entirely independent, by virtue of the bull granted them by ANASTASIUS IV.
FOUCHER was a Frenchman, and, worn out by the continual harrassing and contumely of which himself and his clergy were the objects, determined to go to Rome to fortify his demands, and, accompanied by two bishops, he went thither; but Pope ADRIAN was already advised of his coming by the Hospitalers, who had gained him to their side, and when the Patriarch and his prelates presented themselves to His Holiness, they found an inflexible judge who refused to give them the slightest satisfaction. They were then compelled to retrace their steps and return in sadness to Jerusalem. The death of ADRIAN occurred on September 1, 1159. He drank a cup of water from a fountain in which there was accidentally an insect, which fastened on his throat and ate the oesophagus, notwithstanding all the aid of the most skillful physicians.
The Order of Knights Hospitalers of St. John of Jerusalem in the beginning was composed chiefly of Italian monks and men at arms, pilgrims and Crusaders. As seen by the bull of PASCAL II, who also was a native of Italy, and confirmed them as an Order of religious knighthood, they had a monopoly of that profession, and in the short period of five years, by the importunities of themselves and their friends, rapidly became wealthy, domineering, and arrogant. They owned the choicest spots in Jerusalem and other places in Palestine, and there did not seem to be anything left for anybody else, so grasping had they become as an association in so short a time. They became neglectful of the protection of pilgrims on the road to Jerusalem from the place of debarkation at Jaffa, and the consequence was that those pilgrims who were unarmed, and there were great numbers of them, after the Christians had captured Jerusalem, were insulted, robbed, maltreated, and murdered, for the want of proper escort and protection against the assaults of the Arabs and Mohammedan robbers of the deserts.
It was at this juncture, to protect the pilgrims and see them safely through, that nine French knights, the followers of BOUILLON or BALDWIN, united in the year 1118 in a military confraternity or brotherhood in arms, and entered into a solemn compact to aid each other in clearing the roads and in defending the pilgrims in their passage to the holy city. Two of these knights were HUGH DE PAYENS DE GUENCE (or Hugh of the wild, marshy lands of Guence in France) and GODFREY DE ST. ALDEMAR (or Omar). RAYNOUARD (" Les Templiers ") says that the names of the other seven have not been preserved in history, but WILKE (" Geschichte des T. H. Ordens") gives them as RORAL, GUNDEMAR, GODFREY BISOL, PAVENS DE MONTIDIER, ARCHIBALD DE ST. AMAN, ANDRE DE MONTBAR, and the Count of Provence. This little squad of French noblemen took upon themselves the arduous duty of protecting and escorting the pilgrims, which of itself was a silent rebuke and reflection of neglect on the part of the Knights Hospitalers of St. John of Jerusalem. But as these French Knights were so insignificant in numbers they only excited derision and contempt. They were comparatively without means, having exhausted their resources, but they had friends. They were humble, modest, and unpretending, but with noble blood, lionlike courage in action, and capable of making the greatest sacrifices in their devotion to the sacred cause in which thev had engaged, They resolved themselves into another organization of knighthood, uniting the monastic with the military character, and they took, in the presence of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, the usual vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and with great humility assumed the title of " Poor Fellow Soldiers of CHRIST." BALDWYN, the King of Jerusalem, assigned for their residence a part of his palace, which stood near the former site of the Temple; and the abbot and canons of the Temple gave
LOUIS VII RECEIVING THE CROSS FROM ST.BERNARD.
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them, as a place in which to store their arms and magazines, the street between the palace and the Temple, whence they derived the name of Templars, a title which they ever afterward retained.
RAYNOUARD says that BALDWYN sent HUGH DE PAYENS to solicit a new Crusade, and that while there he presented his companions to Pope HONORIUS II, from whom he craved permission to form a religious military Order in imitation of that of the Knights Hospitalers of St. John of Jerusalem.
KNIGHT TEMPLAR CASTLE CRAGIN IN THE HOLY LAND.
The Pontiff referred them to the ecclesiastical council, which was then in session at Troyes, in Champagne. Thither DE PAYENs repaired and represented to the fathers the vocation of himself and companions as defenders of the pilgrim. The enterprise was approved, and ST. BERNARD was directed to prescribe a rule for the infant Order. This rule, in which the knights of the Order are called "Pauperes Commililis Christi et Templi Solomonis," or "The Poor Fellow Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon," is still extant. It consists of seventytwo Chapters, the details of which are remarkable for their ascetic character. It enjoined severe devotional exercises, self - mortification, and prayer. It prescribed for the professed knights white garments, as a symbol of a pure life; esquires and retainers were to be clothed in black. To the white dress Pope EUGENIUS II subsequently added a red cross, to be worn on the left breast as a symbol of martyrdom.
Thus was confirmed and established that diamond Order of Christian chivalry, the crown of the Crusades, the magnanimous and chivalric Order of Knights Templar. Its origin was as humble as the babe in the manger, but with a grand and glorious life when in full power of manhood, and yet destined to perish in the flames and burnt from off the face of the earth betrayed to its death by the Order of Knights Hospitalers of St. John of Jerusalem, who were jealous and haters of it from the beginning, and who were the secret instruments in part of its destruction, and as a reward for their vile treachery received a portion of the spoils with the islands of Rhodes and Malta, and became known ever after as "Knights of Rhodes and of Malta." The Order of Knights Templar existed 195 years, from 1118 to 1313 It had just twentytwo Grand Masters from the beginning, who, with the years in which they were elected, are as follows, compiled on the authority of ADDISON: 1. HUGH DE PAYENS (1118); 2. Robert of Burgundy (1136); 3. EVERARD DE BARRI (1146); 4. BERNARD DE TREMFLLAY (1151); 5. BERTRAND DE BLANQUEFORT (1154); 6. PHILIP of Naplous (1167); 7. ODO DE ST. AMAND (1170); 8, ARNOLD DE TROYE (1180); 9. GERARD DE RIDEFORT (1185); 10. Brother WALTER (1189); 11. ROBERT DE SABLE (1191); 12. GILBERT HORAL (1195); 13. PHILIP DE PLESSIS (1201); 14. WILLIAM DE CHARTRES (1217); 15. PETER DE MONTAIGU (1218); 16. HERMANN DE PERIGORD (1236); 17. WILLIAM DE SONNAC (1245); 18. REGINALD DE VICHIER (1252); 19. THOMAS BERARD (1256); 20. WILLIAM DE BEAUJEU (1273); 21. THEOBALD DE GAUDINI (1291); 22, JAMES (or JACQUES) DE MOLAY (1297).
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There could be but one Grand Master of Knights Templar in the world, and when on May 12, 1310, his entire staff and escort of fiftyfour Knights Templar, and on March 18, 1313, after nearly seven years of imprisonment, DE MOLAY, the actual last Grand Master of the Templars, was burned at the stake in the city of Paris by order of Pope CLEMENT V and PHILIP the Fair, the avaricious and treacherous King of France, there were no more conclaves or asylums or elections, and the Order with its name excepting in history utterly perished. Those in Spain and Portugal who were exempted from such a cruel fate took the name of "Knights of Christ." Those in England and Scotland were forced to unite with their enemies and enter the priories and preceptories of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, where they still retained that name. They were noblemen, and none but those of noble blood were admitted to the Order of its knighthood, and being military priests sworn to chastity never married, and consequently no children to inherit their names and property. The Order, however, had become liberalized by contact with the Christians of the Greek or Eastern Church, and in truces with the Saracens found that humanity could be exercised toward a fallen foe who would give a sign of appeal for mercy upon the battlefield. Like all men who travel they became enlightened by contact with other people and grew less bigoted when peace ruled for a time and mankind were spared the horrors and atrocities of a fanatical and religious war.
THE CHRISTIAN ARMY IN THE MOUNTAINS OF JUDEA.
There was another Order of knighthood organized during the Crusades in the year 1190. This was The Teutonic Knights of St. Mary of Jerusalem. The origin of this Order was an humble but a pious one. During the Crusades a wealthy gentleman of Germany who resided at Jerusalem, commiserating the condition of his countrymen who came there as pilgrims, made his house their receptacle and afterward built a hospital, to which by permission of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, he added an oratory dedicated to the VIRGIN MARY. Other Germans coming from Lubeck and Bremen contributed to the extension of this charity, and erected at Acre during the third Crusade a sumptuous hospital and assumed the title of
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Teutonic Knights or Brethren of the Hospital of our Lady of the Germans of Jerusalem. They elected HENRY WALPOTT their first Master, and adopted for their government a rule closely approximating to that of both the Hospitalers and the Templars, with an additional one that none but Germans should be admitted into the Order. Their dress consisted of a white mantle, with a black cross embroidered in gold. CLARK says (" Hist. of Knighthood," ii, 6o) that the original badge, which was assigned them by the Emperor HENRY VI, was a black cross potent, and that form of cross has ever since been known as a Teutonic Cross. JOHN, King of Jerusalem, added the cross double potent goldthat is, a cross potent of gold on the black cross. The Emperor FREDERICK II gave them the black doubleheaded eagle, to be borne in an escutcheon in the center of the cross; and ST. Louis of France added to it, as an augmentation, a blue chief strewn with fleurdelis.
During the siege of Acre they did good service to the Christian cause, but on the fall of that city the main body returned to Europe with FREDERICK II. For many years they were engaged in crusades against the pagan inhabitants of Prussia and Poland. ASHMOLE says that in 1340 they built the city of Maryburg and there established the residence of their Grand Master. They were for a long time engaged in contests with the kings of Poland on account of their invasion of their territory.
The Knights Templar who had made their escape from France to Germany when their Order was destroyed found shelter and protection in that country at the hands of the Teutonic Knights, who were engaged in looking up the frauds perpetrated by the rapacious monks and clergy, who had forged title deeds and mortgages upon lands and property of absent Crusaders or those who had fallen in defense of the cross in the Holy Land. While so engaged the self - crowned Pope, JAMES D'Ossa, who had been made a cardinal by CLEMENT V, succeeded that Pope and took the name of Pope JOHN XXII. He excommunicated the Teutonic Knights, but they, relying on their great strength and the remoteness of their province, bid defiance to ecclesiastical censures, and the contest ended in their receiving Prussia proper as a brief of the kings of Poland.
In 1511 ALBERT, Margrave of Brandenburg, was elected their Grand Master. In 1525 he abandoned the vows of his Order, and with a large number of the Teutonic Knights became a Protestant and exchanged his title of Grand Master for that of Duke of Eastern Prussia. Thus the dominion of the Teutonic Knights was brought to an end, the foundation laid of the future kingdom of Prussia, and the national colors were those of the Knights Templar and Teutonic Knights blended, the beauseant of black and white with the broad red stripe beneath it, which is the flag of Prussia today. The Order, however, still continued its existence, the seat of the Grand Master being at Mergentheim in Swabia. By the peace of Presburg in 1805 the Emperor Francis II obtained the Grand Mastership with all its rights and privileges. In 1809 NAPOLEON abolished the Order as he did that of the Knights of Malta or Knights Hospitalers of St. John of Jerusalem in 1798. It is not the purpose in this work to give a full and complete history of these three religious military Orders of knighthood established during the Crusades. These three Orders had an existence as follows: The Knights Hospitalers of St. John of Jerusalem or Knights of Malta, 685 years; Knights Templar, 195 years; the Teutonic Knights of St. Mary, 335 years of the Prussian division and 619 of the Austrian continuance, counting from A. D. 1190, the year of the founding of this third Order of knighthood.
It was during the Crusades in Palestine that the rivalry between the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem and the Knights Templar culminated in intense hatred and Jealousy of the former toward the latter, that bitter hostilities broke out between them and frequent conflicts occurred. When the orders came from Pope GREGORY IX to give no quarter to the infidel Saracen the German Emperor FREDERICK II, in command of the crusade, directed that no attention be paid to this inhuman order,
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but that whenever any man of the enemy threw down his arms add made the sign of distress or appeal for mercy that his life should be spared. The Knights Templar and Teutonic Knights obeyed their immediate commander, but the Knights Hospitalers of St. John of Jerusalem obeyed the orders of the Pope. This also caused the breach to be widened between these two Orders, while the Pope excommunicated the German Emperor and at the same time engaged in infernal treachery by secretly conspiring with the Sultan and betraying the plans of FREDERICK to the enemy that even the Crusaders themselves should be defeated. When the objects of the crusades had utterly failed, so far as the Saracens were concerned, and all Palestine had been rid of every vestige of the defenders of the cross, Constantinople itself in possession of the Mohammedan power, which is still retained, and the Crusaders had withdrawn from the field and these Orders of knighthood had gone into garrisons denominated preceptories and priories, and taken possession of confiscated lands that had belonged to exterminated heretics, each Order of knighthood for itself when it had become permanently domiciliated naturally drew around it the people among whom it had fixed its habitation.
DEPARTURE OF CRUSADERS FOR PALESTINE.
The Teutonic Knights returned to their own country of Germany. The Knights Hospitalers of St. John of Jerusalem divided the map of Europe between them, and were located in provinces where there were indications of heresy still remaining, to be ready to crush it, as well as along the shores of Italy and the Mediterranean, and at the Holy See of Rome; the Knights Templar, chiefly in France, with priories also in England and Scotland, but the Grand Master and chief military divisions at the islands of Cyprus, Malta, and others, to repel invasions and attacks of the Turks or Saracens on Southern Europe.
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The chiefs of the Knights Templar were the elite of the nobility, including some scions of royalty not in the line of regal ascension, and also of the most intelligent and courageous warriors of their times. One cause of their defeat was the overwhelming numbers of their enemies. The Orders of knighthood could not breed legitimately or beget their own kind. Their vows of celibacy prevented any recruits springing from their own loins, while the fruits of polygamy of their Moslem foes, in which some were fathers of even eighty children, kept the Moslem military strength up to the highest standard and condition. The monastic vows were a declaration of war against GOD and nature itself. The command of JEHOVAH or ALLAh to the Hebrew and the Ishmaelitish races were implicitly obeyed, and there was no lack of virile energy and courage, and an abundance of men.
The Knights Templar in their respective garrisons of castles, forts, priories, and preceptories, while keeping up their military and religious discipline, nevertheless found time for reflection and study of the causes of the crusades at home and abroad, when, other than the scum of Europe which settled upon its dregs, the best people had been almost entirely obliterated from the face of the continent. The rapacity of the popes and clergy down to the lowest monks was appalling to these self - sacrificing stalwart warriors of the Cross, who had returned and found utter strangers in the places and homes of their kindred; and upon investigation it was discovered that frauds, forgeries of title deeds, and confiscations under pretexts of heresy had despoiled their kindred, and the meagre few who survived were beggars upon the highways and lanes, perishin as tramps by the wayside. The entire Order of Knights Templar was becoming permeated with a profound sense of the injustice and wrong which had been perpetrated against so many of their own blood, while expression was carefully suppressed. The indications, however, were such that the Templars anticipated a bull from the Pope for a dissolution and disbandment of their Order, which might be expected at any time. But there was a determined unwritten resolve to stand fast together. They quietly continued their investigations, and where wrong, fraud, and forgery had been successful, they took possession of lands and property and held them in trust for the rightful heirs when they should present themselves, and large numbers of estates were thus recovered and delivered to those to whom they rightfully belonged. The Teutonic Knights in Germany did the same. By prudence, economy, and thrift they managed their property successfully, and being powerful in numbers and increasing in wealth they excited the suspicion, the avarice, and hatred of both kings and popes, while the senior and rival Order of Knights Hospitalers of St. John of Jerusalem - envious, jealous, and revengeful was ever ready to do them an injury and a wrong.
But the time was near at hand when this grand chivalric Order of Christian knighthood of the Templars was to have its beauseant, its banners of the Cross, which it had bravely borne in the storms of battle for nearly two centuries, go down in gloom and blood and be buried in the ashes of their martyr defenders, through treacherous betrayal, to gratify the envy, jealousy, and murderous avarice of both King and Pope. The altar and the throne united the combined enemies of the liberties of mankind on earth and the would-be tollgate keepers of the road to the upper world. PHILIP the Fair of France, who had a quarrel with Pope BONIFACE VIII, was delighted on hearing of the death of his enemy on October 11, 1303 Pope BENEDICT II then ascended the throne, but as he did not please the cardinals they resolved on his destruction, and a youthful looking priest dressed as a nun of a neighboring convent approached the Holy Father when at a banquet and in the name of the abbess, who was one of his penitents, presented him with a silver plate of figs. The Pope took two of them and offered the others to the guests, who refused them, not to deprive His Holiness of them. On the same night he was attacked with severe pain in his bowels and with vomiting; his physician perceived that he was poisoned, but it was too late to arrest the
THE CRUSADERS. THE BATTLE OF ANTIOCH.
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evil, and he died on July 6, 1304.
He was not the man that was wanted for what was to follow. He was succeeded by BERTRAND DE GOT, a Frenchman who assumed the title of CLEMENT V, who was made such through the influence of PHILIP the Fair, who was at first hostile, but sent him a letter for a conference which had been arranged. BERTRAND DE GOT as Archbishop cast himself at the feet of the King, exclaiming: "Sire, I now see why you wished to render me good for evil, and I submit entirely to you. Command and I am ready to obey. From this moment I forget the past; I renounce my friends, and am ready to sacrifice all my existence for you." PHILIP raised him to his feet, and having embraced him, said: "Thus, then, it depends on me to make you Pope, but I will only do it on the express condition that you reconcile me with the Church; that you commune with me and those who have followed my party; that you grant me all the titles of my kingdom for five years, and that you condemn the proceedings and memory of BONIFACE; that you entirely reinstate the COLONNA in their wealth and dignities; and, finally, that you will make cardinals of the ecclesiastics whom I will designate to you. I also reserve an important condition which you must accept without knowing what it is." The Archbishop swore upon the host to comply with the wishes of the King. All went to the city of Lyons, and in the Church of St. just, on November 14, 1305, the ceremonies of consecration were held, and in the presence of an immense concourse of archbishops, bishops, kings, and princes, he was crowned as Pope CLEMENT V.
CLEMENT created ten French Cardinals, took off the bulls launched by BONLFACE VIII against the COLONNA, and restored the cardinalate to JAMES and PETER, with power to reach all the dignities of the Church, even that of Sovereign Pontiff. He extorted enormous sums from the bishops and abbots of France who came to his court, and when he perceived that a fear of being mulcted prevented the clergy from visiting him, he determined to make a tour through the dioceses. He passed through a great number of cities and everywhere carried off treasures from the churches and monasteries. It is related that it took five whole days to carry away from the rich abbey at Cluny the gold and silver, and not content with his own extortions he sent his legates everywhere, who forced the exactions to that extent that an appeal was made in despair to the King. PHILIP Instructed MILON DE NOYERS, the Marshal of France, to complain to the Holy Father against his extortioners, and to obtain their recall. But this only increased the evil. The Pope, fearing lest energetic measures would be taken to shackle his financiering expedition, urged the receipt of the money, and ordered his legates to increase their severity and set all ecclesiastical dignities up at auction. He also resolved to use the tribunals of the inquisition with which BLANCHE of Castile and ST. Louis had endowed France, so as to avail himself of the decrees of the fourth council of the Lateran, which provided that the property of heretics and their accomplices belonged to the Holy See, without the children or relatives of the condemned being able to claim the least part.
We now come to the great conspiracy. Pope CLEMENT V and PHILIP the Fair, while the latter was at Poitiers, entered upon the infernal project for the destruction of the Knights Templar, who were to be proclaimed and attacked as heretics, destroyed, and their wealth divided between the Pope and the King. While the King was laid up with his disorders he with the Pope meditated upon the plan - how the matter was to be brought about and meet with success. CLEMENT adopted the following ruse: He first caused a new crusade to be preached in Europe and even at points in Syria. He then sent the following letter to the Grand Masters of the Templars and the Hospitalers: "We inform you, my Brethren, that we have been urgently solicited by the kings of Aragon and Cyprus for aid for the Holy Land. We order you to come to France as secretly as possible, to deliberate with us. You will also be careful to bring with you large sums to equip a numerous army." JACQUES DE MOLAY, Grand Master of the Templars, promptly obeyed the injunctions of the Holy Father. The unfortunate DE MOLAY with a large amount of treasure and his retinue and staff of sixty knights, with no suspicion of treachery, sailed for France, and on his arrival in Paris early in
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1307 fell directly into the trap that was set for him by his enemies. The Pope and PHILIP had agreed that the Knights of the Temple should be arrested at the same time, in the different Christian kingdoms, and that they should be handed over to the inquisitors as suspected of heresy, that their property should be seized in the name of the Church, and that they should be put to death on the scaffold, after having been put to the torture to make them avow imaginary crimes. The execution of this hellish plot was not deferred. The Pope informed the kings of Aragon, Castile, and Portugal of his determination to annihilate the Templars, and on the appointed day they were all arrested and plunged into the dungeons of the inquisition on October 13, 1307.
MALTA. FORTIFIED BY THE CRUSADERS.
To a renegade, said to be an expelled Prior of the Order, SQUIN DE FLEXIAN or FLORIAN, with NOFFODEI, and, as some say, another unknown person, is attributed the invention of the false accusations upon which were based the persecutions and downfall of the Knights Templar. He was a native of the city of Bezieres, in the south of France, and having been received as a Knight Templar had made so much proficiency in the Order as to have been appointed to the head of the Priory of Montfaucon. REGHELLINI states that both SQUIN DE FLEXIAN and NOFFODEI were Templars and held the rank of Commanders; but Dupuy ("Condemnation des Templices") denies that the latter was a Templar. He says: "All historians agree that the origin of the ruin of the Templars was the work of the Prior of Montfaucon and of NOFFODEI, a Florentine banished from his country and whom nobody believes to have been a Templar. The Prior by the sentence of the Grand Master had been condemned for heresy and for having led an infamous life to pass the remainder of his days in a prison. The other is reported to have been condemned to rigorous penalties by the provost of Paris." REGHELLINI's account ("La Maconnerie Consideree, etc., i, P. 451) is more circumstantial. He says: "In 1306 two Knights Templar, NOFFODEI and FLORIAN, were punished for crimes and lost their Commanderies, that of the latter being Montfaucon. They petitioned the Provincial Grand Master of Mount Carmel for a restoration to their offices, but met with a refusal. They then
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obtained an entrance into the Provincial Grand Master's country house, and having assassinated him concealed the body in the woods under some thick shrubbery, after which they fled to Paris. There they obtained access to the King and thus furnished PHILIP with an occasion for executing his projects by denouncing the Order and exposing to him the immense wealth it possessed. They proposed the abolition of the Order, and promised the King for a reward to be its denouncers. The King accepted their proposition, and assuring them of his protection, pointed out to them the course which they were to pursue. They associated with themselves a third individual, called by historians 'the Unknown' (l'inconnu), and NOFFODFI and FLORIAN sent a memorial to ENGUERAND DE MARIGNI, superintendent of the finances, in which they proposed, if he would guarantee them against the attacks of the Order of the Templars and to grant them civil existence and rights, to discover to the King secrets which they deemed of more value than the conquest of an empire.
As a sequel to the first declaration they addressed to the King an accusation, which was the same as he had himself dictated to them for the purpose of the turn which he desired to the affair. This accusation contained the following charges: -
1. That the Order of Templars was the foe of all kings and of all sovereign authority; that it communicated secrets to its initiates under horrible oaths, with the criminal condition of the penalty of death if they divulged them; and that the secret practices of their initiations were the consequences of irreligion, atheism, and rebellion.
2. That the Order had betrayed the religion of CHRIST by communicating to the Sultan of Babylon all the plans and operations of the Emperor FREDERICK II, whereby the designs of the Crusaders for the recovery of the Holy Land were frustrated.
3. That the Order prostituted the mysteries most venerated by Christians by making a knight when he was received trample upon the Cross, the sign of redemption; and abjured the Christian religion by making the neophyte declare that the true GOD had never died and never could die; that they carried about them and worshiped a little idol called Bafomet, and that after his initiation the neophyte was compelled to undergo obscene practices.
4. That when a knight was received the Order bound him by an oath to a complete and blind obedience to the Grand Master, which was a proof of rebellion against the legitimate authority.
5. That Good Friday was the day selected for the grand orgies of the Order.
6. That they were guilty of unnatural crimes.
7. That they burned the children of their concubines, so as to destroy all traces of their debauchery."
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These calumnies formed the basis of the longer catalogue of accusations, afterward presented by the Pope, upon which the Templars were finally tried and condemned.
In the preliminary examination of the accused SQUIN DE FLEXIAN took an active part as one of the commissioners. In the pleadings for their defense presented by the knights they declare that "knights were tortured by FLEXIAN DE BEZIERES, Prior of Montfaucon, and by the monk WILLIAM ROBERT, and that already thirty-six had died of the tortures inflicted at Paris and several others in other places." of the ultimate fate of these traitors nothing is really known. When the infamous work which they had inaugurated had been consummated by the King and the Pope, as their services were no longer needed they sank into merited oblivion. The author of the "Secret Societies of the Middle Ages," page 268, says "SQUIN was afterward hanged and NOFFODEI beheaded, as was said, with little probability by the Templars."
JACQUES DE MOLAY, the last Grand Master, when under torture and nature was weak confessed to being guilty of the charges, but on regaining his strength flatly denied them. The Papal commission assembled in Paris on August 7, A. D. 1309. The Grand Master was brought before it. He professed his belief in the Catholic faith, and denied that the Order was guilty of the charges alleged against it, as also did many of the other knights. At the Porte St. Antoine on many pleasant evenings in the following May 113 Templars were in slow succession burned at stakes. Yet of this vast concourse of sufferers all died protesting their innocence; not one proved an apostate. Stout of heart and supreme in faith, these men, who were ready to lay down their lives and to meet with unshaken constancy the fire, were surely the bravest of the knights, and their dying declarations are worthy of our most reverent consideration.
After a weary imprisonment of six years, embittered by many hardships, the Grand Master DE MOLAY was brought up for sentence. He had been found guilty. On March 13, 1313, when the vesper bell was sounding, DE MOLAY and other Templars were led forth to their stakes. With his dying breath - "before heaven and earth, on the verge of death, when the least falsehood bears like an intolerable weight on the soul" he declared the innocence of the Order and of himself. Some averred that forth from the fire DE MOLAY'S voice sounded, "CLEMENT, thou wicked and false judge, I summon thee to meet me within forty days at the bar of GOD!" Some said that he also summoned the King. In the following year King PHILIP the Fair and Pope CLEMENT V were dead. of these mention will be made shortly.
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The Order of Knights Templar was wholly destroyed. Those of it who fled to Germany, as has been already stated, were received by their Brothers in arms, the Teutonic Knights, and were incorporated as part of them, greatly augmenting their numbers. In after years, like their Grand Master, they adopted the Protestant faith, and it was this Order of knighthood which secretly protected MARTIN LUTHER on his return from Worms at the beginning of the Reformation by seizing his person and concealing him in the Castle of Wartburg. The Knights Templar in England, Ireland, and Scotland by edict were forced to enter the preceptories and priories of their enemies the Knights Hospitalers of St. John of Jerusalem. The bloody executions having terminated the two execrable tyrants Pope CLEMENT V and PHILIP the Fair divided between themselves the riches of the Templars. PHILIP kept the land and CLEMENT took all the ornaments of gold and silver and the coined money, which enabled him to reward the panderings of his nephew and the Countess de Foix. The Knights Hospitalers of St. John of Jerusalem who had secretly aided in the schemes for the destruction of their hated rivals were given as a reward the islands of Rhodes and of Malta, and were ever after known as the Knights of Malta.
DISCOVERY OF THE TRUE CROSS.
The Knights Templar in the north of England and in Scotland rallied to the aid of King ROBERT BRUCE in his efforts to gain the independence of Scotland and regain his crown. At the battle of Bannockburn on June 24, 1314, before a year had expired since the martyrdom of DE MOLAY, they helped BRUCE to win his victory against overwhelming odds over his enemy EDWARD II of England, the son - in - law of PHILIP the Fair of France, and Scotland was free. As these Knights Templar could no longer be known as such they were incorporated by BRUCE into the Scottish Order of Knighthood of Chardon or of the Thistle, with which was connected the Order of the Rosy Cross or Royal Order of Scotland, of which mention will be made hereafter.
Such is the history of the grandest Order of knighthood, which for sublime faith and indomitable courage (every member of which was sworn not to flee from the presence of its enemies, and who preferred death to dishonor) took foremost rank of any that ever existed upon earth.
CHAPTER VIII.
How the Holy Cross was Lost.
THE LEGEND OF THE FINAL LOSS OF THE HOLY CROSS AND THE LAST STAND OF THE CRUSADERS - TOLD BY WILLIAM C. PRIMM IN "TENT LIFE IN THE HOLY LAND."
HERE beginneth the story of the great battle of the Cross, wherein the wood that HELENA found in the pit near Calvary which HERACLIUS, barefoot and bareheaded, carried on his shoulder into the gates of the Holy City, after he had regained it from the Persians; which holy men of many centuries had gathered around with devoted affection was lost unto Christians forever. There are prayers in the golden vials spoken of in the Apocalypse that went up before that wood and sanctified it, whether it were or were not the wood of CHRIST'S Passion. The story is told as it was heard. The principal historic facts have been abundantly verified by examination the incidents were gathered from the monks of Terra Santa, and especially from FRA GIOVANNI was a treasure house of fine old legendary lore.
It was the year of grace and peace, A. D. 1187, that the kingdom of Jerusalem fell. Dark clouds gathered in the previous year. Dire portents were in the heavens. Earthquakes and terrible tempests shook Jerusalem on her throne of hills. The jealousies of the Knights of St. John and of the Temple, the contests for superiority and the rival claims to the kingdom itself, might well make BALDWIN IV believe that his crown was the lost crown of CHRIST, not that of SOLOMON. Meanwhile YUSEF SALAH - E'DEEN, the new Egyptian Calif, having made firm his throne in that country, had extended his power around Palestine, and was now in Damascus, meditating on a way to excuse himself from a violation of the treaties and make an attack on Jerusalem. The excuse was at hand. REGINALD of Chatillon, a Knight of the Cross, had come to Palestine with Louis LE JEUNE and joined the forces of RAYMOND of Poitiers, Prince of Antioch. Keen as a hawk and as brave as a lion, the young soldier, nameless and of low origin, not only won a name but on the death of RAYMOND won his widow (CONSTANCE) and his throne.
The stories of his bravery and beauty, sung by the troubadours of that day, were countless, nor was any one more mentioned as a stout knight and valiant soldier than REGINALD of Chatilion. His career is the theme for a history. His arm never grew weary in battle, nor did his sword rust in its scabbard, until he was taken prisoner by the Moslems and kept in chains for years at Aleppo. Released at last, he found his wife dead and his son on his throne. He gathered around him the most daring and reckless of the Templars, and having by a second marriage obtained other castles and possessions, he made it the business of his life to harass and annoy the Saracens wherever
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he could find them. At length, emboldened by his success, he conceived the idea of marching to Medina and Mecca, and plundering the holy Kaaba itself. With his hitherto invincible band of warriors he set out on this perilous enterprise. They surprised and captured the Egyptian caravan crossing the desert from India and advanced in triumph to the valley of Rabid, scarcely thirty miles from Medina, where they were met by an overwhelming force and routed with terrible slaughter. REGINALD escaped even here, but YUSEF SALAH - E'DEEN was aroused by this sacrilegious undertaking. He swore an oath that could not be violated that the knight should die and Jerusalem should be taken.
BALDWIN V, the infant successor of the imbecile BALDWIN IV, died. The proud and weak Guy of Lusignan took the throne. His own brother, GEOFFREY, on hearing of the succession, exclaimed, "If they made a king out of Guy, they would make a god out of me, did they but know me." Once and again SALAH - E'DEEN advanced into Galilee. Treaties were made from time to time, and for a little while observed; but the bold REGINALD held himself aloof from all treaties and continued to capture Moslem caravans wherever he could overtake them. At length the end came. RAYMOND, Count of Tripoli, had strengthened himself in the city of Tiberius against King Guy, with whom he was now at enmity, for RAYMOND had claims to the throne which had been disregarded in behalf of Guy of Lusignan. A Moslem army entered Galilee by way of Damascus, summoned by RAYMOND to his aid. The Grand Master of the Templars and the Master of the Hospitalers were surprised and surrounded near Tabor. of the deeds that were done that day there are records in ancient books and songs that make it illustrious among days of battle. Overwhelmed by thousands, they held the field one long day, nor had any Christian knight thought of leaving the field (save three cowards, of whom hereafter), but every man, fighting as it were his own battle, fell where he fought and died on the plain. They exhausted their quivers and drew the reeking shafts from their bodies to hurl them back again on the foe. They lost their lances and wrenching the spears of the Saracens from their bleeding sides died piercing the enemy with a last thrust of his own javelin. One by one they went down on the bloody field, until the Master of the Hospitalers had fallen; one Knight of the Temple remained on the field alone of all that company to fight the battle of the Lord. JACQUES DE MAILLE, Mounted on his white charger, still lived and still his battle ax flashed death in the closing ranks of the foe. "Ha, ha! ST. JACQUES for the Holy Cross!" he shouted, as he hewed his way hither and thither through the ranks of the Moslems, who now believed that he was the very ST. GEORGE, who the Christians boasted came down to fight their battles. "That for the Holy Sepulchre!" and a tall Saracen went down with crushed brain among the hoofs of the horses; "That for the good ST. JAMES!" he shouted, as the leader of his enemies fell headless before the swoop of his falchion; "And that for Holy JACQUES, my patron saint!" as with his blade he made the sign of the Cross in the air, and cleaving as he brought it down the head even to the chin of a Saracen, as if he would thus make a socket for the holy sign to stand in. "That for the Cross!" "That for Jerusalem!" "That for King Guy!" "And that and that and that for JACQUES DE MAILLE!" "Ha, ha! ST. JACQUES' Holy Cross! and that for the dead lady of my love, MARGUERITE, may GOD have mercy on her soul!"
The white horse staggered as a javelin went through him from beneath, and now plunging forward bearing his brave rider to the ground. Nothing daunted, the knight sprang to his feet, waving his ax around and shouting the war cry of the Templars, as the steel went crashing through the dense flesh that gathered around him. They lay heaped up to his knees, a hideous, gasping pile, life gurgling out of their lips through blood, while the living shrank back aghast, forming a dismayed circle around him, and silence took possession of the scene. Then DE MAILLE, bleeding
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from twenty wounds, worn out with labor of killing, fell on his knees, and murmuring a prayer, died as a brave man should die, with his arms stretched to heaven and his face to the astonished foe. The Moslems rushed on him, tore his armor to pieces and distributed it among themselves as relics of a brave man. They even mutilated his body and preserved portions of it for talismanic purposes, such was their respect for his prodigious valor. This battle occurred May 1, 1187.
SALAH - E'DEEN now advanced into Galilee with 80,000 horsemen. The imminent danger which threatened the kingdom united all the Christian knights. Even RAYMOND of Tripoli obeyed the summons of Guy to all Christians to assemble at Sephouri, about five miles north of Nazareth, now called Sefurich. While the armies were gathering here SALAH - E'DEEN attacked Tiberius and captured the city. The citadel held out against him, defended by RAYMOND's brave wife.
THE CRY OF THE BATTLEFIELD WENT UP BEFORE .
Fifty thousand Christian troops were gathered at the fortresses of Sephouri. Had they remained there to await the coming of SALAH - E'DEEN the fate of the world would have been different. RAYMOND strongly counseled it. He pointed as an evidence of his good faith in the advice to his wife now in prison at Tiberius, to whose rescue he would gladly march, but he believed it fatal to the hopes of Jerusalem to advance on the plain with this army, to raise which had exhausted the powers of the kingdom. The Grand Master of the Templars, who, two months before that day bad fled from the field of Tabor and with two of his knights alone survived the slaughter that was ended
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with the fall of DE MAILLE, called RAYMOND a traitor to his face and ridiculed his advice. "I swear to GOD and man that I am willing to lose Tripoli and all I possess on earth if we may only secure the safety of the Holy City," said RAYMOND. "We have seen wolves in sheep's clothing," sneered the Templar. "I call on Him who died on the Cross to witness my sincerity!" said RAYMOND. "The name of MOHAMMED would sound better on the lips of a traitor," said the Templar. To this RAYMOND, nobly resolving not to open a private quarrel then, made no reply. Evil counsels prevailed and the army advanced toward Tiberius. All the nobles and knights except the Templar agreed with RAYMOND, but Guy yielded to him and they advanced to a certainty of defeat and death.
GOD, AND HE PERMITTED THE END TO COME.
To the northeast of Tabor is a great plain above which rises a conspicuous hill known as the mountain of CHRIST'S sermon, or the mount of the Beatitudes. The Arabs called it in those days as now TellelHattin. This hill covered the left of the Christian hosts as they advanced. The Moslems were on the heights that crown the western bank of the sea of Galilee, north of Tiberius, and were scattered through all the passes and defiles, so that as soon as the Christians were fairly advanced on the plain the great number of the enemy and their skill as horsemen enabled them to surround the army of Guy and pour on them unceasing volleys of arrows. It was on the morning of July 4, 1187, that the Christians advanced over the plain. Annoyed by the shafts of the Saracens and their constant sallies on both flanks, they yet advanced steadily to the middle of the plain,
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intending to cut their way through the ranks of the enemy and thus gain the shore of the sea of Galilee. It was here that SALAH - E'DEEN came down upon them like a thunderbolt at the head of 20,000 horsemen. It was one of the most terrible charges on record. But the Christians, closing up their ranks, received it as the rock receives the sea and it went back like the foam. Now high up among the Christian host the Holy Cross itself was elevated, and men knew for what they were to fight and die. Around it, to use the words of SALAH - EDEEN himself, they gathered with the utmost bravery and devotion, as if they believed it their greatest blessing, strongest bond of union, and sure defense. The battle became general. On all sides the foe pressed the brave knights and their followers. The latter fell by the hundreds from exhaustion and thirst, for they had been short of bread and water for a week. Twice did SALAH - EDEEN repeat that tremendous charge, penetrating into the ranks of his enemies, and fighting his way out again without breaking their army. Night came down on the battlefield while its fate was yet undetermined, and they rested for the morrow. What wild despairing cries and prayers went up to GOD before the Cross of CHRIST that night we may not know until the vials of the elders are opened.
Holy Cross! shouted the Grand Master of the Templars.
Long before day by the admirable disposition of his army SALAH - EDEEN had decided the battle even before it was fought. But he had not decided how many of his host were to be slain on the soil of Galilee by the swords of the Christians. As the day advanced the two armies beheld each other. SALAH - EDEEN waited till the sun was up, and then the "sons of heaven and the children of fire" fought their great battle. The Christians fought as they were accustomed. Their heat and thirst was terrible, and increased by the enemy setting fire to the dry brush and grass, from which the strong wind blew a dense smoke before them, nearly suffocating them. The scene was like a very hell: knights and devils contending among the flames. Again and again the bands of the Templars threw themselves upon the Saracen front and endeavored to pierce
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through its steel walls to reach the citadel of Tiberius, but in vain. The cry of the battlefield went up among the smoke and flame before GOD, and He permitted the end to come. "Holy Cross!" shouted the Grand Master of the Templars, as he fought his way toward the banner of the Calif, followed by his brave knights. " RAYMOND for the Sepulchre! " rang over the clash of steel in the battle. "Ha, ha! RENAUD RENAUD CHANTILLIAN CARRAC No rescue! Strike, Strike!" shouted the proud retainers of the old knight, who were reveling in the blood of the conflict.
By this time in the center of the field the fight had grown thickest and most fierce around the True Cross, which was upheld on a slight eminence by the Bishop of Ptolemais. Around it the bravest knights were collected. There GEOFFREY of Lusignan, brother to the King, performed miracles of valor, and the Knights of the Temple and the Knights of St. John vied with each other in bravery. As the fray grew darker and the shafts flew swifter around them, and one by one they fell down before the holy wood, the stern, calm voice of the bishop was heard chanting "De Profundis clamavi ad te Domine exaudi vocem meam" in tones that overpowered the din of the battle and reached the dying, even as they departed. Nearest of all to the Cross was a man wielding a sword which had already done fearful work on the Saracens. The sign on his back was not sufficient to distinguish him from the other soldiers, but they who fought by his side well knew the brave Precentor of the Sepulchre, Bishop of Lydda, the city of St. George. How many souls he had sent to hell that day it is impossible to relate. He and four others remained around the old Bishop of Ptolemais, who was fainting from loss of blood, for many arrows had pierced him and his life was fast failing. "BOHEMOND for the Cross!" shouted the young Prince of Antioch, as he swept the Paynims down by the scores. "St. George, St. George!" shouted the holy bishop, his bright eye flashing around him. He caught sight of the tottering Cross as the Bishop of Ptolemais went down dead. Springing forward, he seized it with his left arm and with prodigious strength threw himself into the faces of the foe. The lightning is not more fierce or fast than were the blows of his sword as he hewed his way along, followed by BOHIEMOND of Antioch, RENAUD of Sidon, and one unknown Knight of the Temple. The latter pressed forward to the side of the brave bishop. BOHEMOND and RENAUD were separated from them, but the two fought on alone in the midst of thousands of their enemies.
At length, the unequal contest was well nigh over The eye of SALAH - EDEEN was fixed on that dense mass that surrounded the Cross. He smiled bitterly as he saw it trembling and ready to fall from the hand of the gallant bishop, who held it aloft with his left arm while with the right he cursed the infidels with the curse of steel that damned them then and forever. Well might the Soldan believe that as long as he held that holy wood so long his mighty arm would remain strong and the blood replace in his brave heart the flood issuing from his wounds. But he grew faint at length, and yet shouting in clear tones, "St. George, St. George!" knelt down by the Cross, shielded by the strong arm of the Templar who fought above him, still unwounded and undaunted, though he now found himself the last knight at the Cross of his LORD. One glance of his eye over the plain told him that all was lost, and nothing now remained for him to do but to die bravely for GOD and for Jerusalem. Far above the field above the summit of the Mount of Transfiguration he beheld the heavens opened and saw the gates of pearl. Clear and distinct above the clash of arms and loud cries on the field of blood he heard the voices of angels singing triumphant songs. So he took courage as the darkness of the battle gathered blacker around him. For now, as the Bishop of Lydda fell prostrate on the ground, the Cross had nearly fallen, and the Paynims raising a shout of triumph rushed in upon their solitary foe. But they rushed through the gates of hell sheer down to the depths of death to everlasting perdition. Down came the flashing ax on head and shoulders and limbdown through eyes and chin and breast; so that when they went to Hades in that plight their prophet had difficulty in recognizing them even as of mortal shape. The dead lay all around him.
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He trod his iron heel in their faces and crushed it in their breasts, and laughed as he dealt these more than human blows with cool, calm aim, but lightning force and velocity. No sound but the clashing steel was heard in this part of the plain, where for awhile it appeared as if the saint of the fallen bishop was standing over him in arms for the cause of the Sepulchre. But every inch of his armor bristled with arrows that were drinking his blood; a well sped javelin had made a hideous opening in his throat, and the foam from his lips was dropping red on his steel breastplate.
Looking up once more, far over hill and plain, he saw again the battlements of heaven and a shining company that were approaching even to his very front. The battle was visible no longer, but close beside him the divine eyes of the Virgin Mother were fixed on him with the same look that she of old fixed on that Cross when holier blood than his ran down its beam. But that was not all he saw. There was a hideous sin on the soul of the knight of the Cross. To expiate that sin he had long ago left the fair land of France, where he had lordly possessions, to become an unknown Brother of the Order of the Temple. And now through the fast gathering gloom he saw the face of that one so beloved and so wronged, as she lay on the very breast of the matchless Virgin, and the radiance of her countenance was the smile of heaven. Though he saw all this the gallant knight fought on, and his swift ax flashed steadfastly above the melee. There was a sudden pause: his lost love lay warm and close on his breast lay clasped in his arms on his heart of hearts. He murmured a name long forbidden to his priestly lips, and then, waking for one instant to the scene around him, he sprang at the throat of a Saracen, grasped it with his stiffening fingers, and the soul of the Paynim went out with his, as he departed to join the great assembly of the soldiers of the Cross. So the Cross was lost on the field of Galilee.
Guy of Lusignan, eighth and last king of Jerusalem, with a small band of faithful knights still held his ground on the hill of Hattin. When the Cross vanished from the field a wail of anguish rose from all the plain and quivered in the air at the very gates of the celestial city. RAVMOND of Tripoli and RENAUD of Sidon cut their way through the ranks of the Saracens and escaped around the foot of Mount Tabor to Ptolemais. All the rest that were living fell into the hands of SALAH - E'DEEN. The next day he executed his threatened vengeance on REGINALD of Chatillon, hewing him down to the ground and leaving him to be dispatched by his followers. The fearful sacrifice which he then made of the Templars, how they crowded to its martyrdom, and others sought to be included in it, is a well known page in history. The Cross which was lost on this field was never regained by the Christians. It remained for some time in the custody of SALAH - EDEEN, and a few years later, A. D. 1192, it was shown to the pilgrims to Jerusalem through the condescension of the Calif. And so ends the story of the last battle of the Holy Cross.
GRAND MASTER OF GRAND ENCAMPMENT OF KNIGHTS TEMPLAR, U.S.A.
CHAPTER IX.
Order of Masonic Knights Templar.
THE TRUE ORIGIN OF THE ORDER NOT OFABSOLUTE KNOWLEDGE, THOUGH THE CHRISTIAN SUCCESSION FROM CHIVALROUS KNIGHTHOOD IS CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD THE WORK IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
It is a singular fact that the first Knight Templar degree of which there is any record was conferred in America in 1769, and afterward in Ireland in 1779, or ten years later. St. Andrew's Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, of Boston, Mass., then St. Andrew's Royal Arch Lodge, authorized by the Grand Lodge of Scotland, held its first recorded meeting on August 28, 1769, in Masons' Hall, Boston, and the record of that meeting contains the first account of the conferring of the degree of Knight Templar that has been discovered, either in this country or Great Britain, and the record is as follows: "Bro. WILLIAM DAVIS came before the Lodge begging to have and receive the parts belonging to the Royal Arch Masons, which being read was received, and he unanimously voted in, and was accordingly made by receiving the four steps, that of Excellent, Superexcellent, Royal Arch, and Knight Templar."
The records of Kilwinning Lodge, Ireland, warranted October 8, 1779, show that its charter was used as the authority for conferring the Royal Arch, Knight Templar, and Rose Croix degrees as early as 1782. Both St. Andrew's Lodge of Boston, Mass., and Kilwinning Lodge of Dublin, Ireland, in which the first recorded mention of the Templar Order is to be found, derived their charters from Scotland. The late THEODORE S. PARVIN, Past Grand Recorder of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States, thought "that the Military Lodges attached to the Irish regiments of the British army brought the degree with them from the motherland, and our American Brethren first obtained it from that source." In St. Andrew's Lodge, Boston, it was given as a part of the Royal Arch or as an honorary degree until December 19, 1794, after which time the record is silent in regard to it.
The true origin of the Masonic Knights Templar has been the subject of long and ardent discussion. Its actual connection with, or succession from, the Knights Templar of the Crusades is not generally claimed, though its militarism, and the essence of its sublime ritual come to the Order as a heritage from chivalrous knighthood and from pilgrimages of warfare and penitence. In the tomes of learned essays and dissertations upon Templarism, the best and most succinct account is from the pell of MACKEY. On the origin of Masonic knighthood he says: -
"There are four sources from which the Masonic Templars are said to have derived their existence, making therefore as many different divisions of the Order.
1. The Templars who claim JOHN MARK LARMENIUS as the successor of JAMES DE MOLAY.
2. Those who recognize PETER D'AUMONT as the successor of MOLAY.
3. Those who derive their Templarism from the Count BEAUJEU, the nephew of MOLAY.
4. Those who claim an independent origin, and repudiate alike the authority of LARMENIUS, of D'AUMONT, and of BEAUJEU.
"From the first class sprang the Templars of France, who professed to have continued the Order by authority of a charter given by MOLAY to LARMENIUS. This body of Templars designate themselves as the 'Order of the Temple.' Its seat is in Paris. The Duke of Sussex received from it the degree and the authority to establish a Grand Conclave in England. He did so, and convened that body once, but only once. During the remaining years of his life Templarism had no activity in England, as he discountenanced all Christian and chivalric Masonry.
"The second division of Templars is that which is founded on the theory that PETER D'AUMONT fled with several knights into Scotland, and there united with the Freemasons. This legend is intimately connected with RAMSAY'S tradition that Freemasonry sprang from Templarism and that all Freemasons are Knights Templar. The Chapter of Clermont adopted this theory, and in establishing their high degrees asserted that they were derived from these Templars of Scotland. The Baron HUND carried the theory into Germany, and on it established his rite of Strict Observance, which was a Templar system. Hence the Templars of Germany must be classed under the head of the followers of D'AUMONT.
"The third division is that which asserts that the Count BEAUJEU, a nephew of the last Grand Master, MOLAY, and a member of the Order of Knights of CHRIST the name assumed by the Templars of Portugal had received authority from that Order to disseminate the degree. He is said to have carried the degree and its ritual into Sweden, where he incorporated it with Freemasonry. The story is, too, that BEAUJEU collected his uncle's ashes and interred them in Stockholm, where a monument was erected to his memory. Hence the Swedish Templar Masons claim their descent from BEAUJEU, and the Swedish Rite is through this source a Templar system.
"Of the last class, or the Templars who recognized the authority of neither of the leaders who have been mentioned, there were two subdivisions, the Scotch and the English; for it is only in Scotland and England that this independent Templarism found a foothold.
It was only in Scotland that the Templars endured no persecution. Long after the dissolution of the Order in every other country of Europe, the Scottish preceptories continued to exist and the knights lived undisturbed. One portion of the Scottish Templars entered the army of ROBERT BRUCE, and after the battle of Bannockburn were merged in the 'Royal Order of Scotland,' then established by him.
"Another portion of the Scottish Templars united with the Knights Hospitalers of St. John. They lived amicably in the same houses, and continued to do so until the Reformation. At this time many of them professed Protestantism. Some of them united with the Freemasons, and established 'the Ancient Lodge' at Stirling, where they conferred the degrees of the Knight of the Sepulchre, Knight of Malta, and Knight Templar. It is to this division that we are to trace the Masonic Templars of Scotland.
"The English Masonic Templars are most probably derived from that body called the 'Baldwyn Encampment,' or from some one of the four coordinate Encampments of London, Bath, York, and Salisbury, which, it is claimed, were formed by the members of the Preceptory which had
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long existed at Bristol, and who, on. the dissolution of their Order, are supposed to have united with the Masonic fraternity. The Baldwyn Encampment claims to have existed from 'time immemorial,' an indefinite period, but we can trace it back far enough to give it a priority over all other English Encampments. From this division of the Templars, repudiating all connection with LARMENTUS, With D'AUMONT, or any other of the selfconstituted leaders, but tracing its origin to the independent action of knights who fled for security and for perpetuity into the body of Masonry, we are, I think, justly entitled to derive the Templars of the United States."
A document engrossed on parchment and dated December 20, 1780, is the earliest, preserved by the Baldwyn Encampment. It states that by "charter or compact our Encampment is constituted the Supreme Grand and Royal Encampment of this noble Order." In the circular letter this charter or compact is considered to refer to a previously existing document, but on what grounds it is difficult to imagine. The manuscript contains some twenty clauses, some of which appear to hint at the modern constitution of this Grand Encampment, partly from the fact that knights would be recognized as legal if made before 1780 in Encampments not acknowledged by this constituted authority. It bears the signature of the Supreme Grand Master, JOSHUA SPRINGER, and is the first information we have of the institution of a Grand Encampment south of York. Part of a minute book of the honorable Order of Knights Templar, "assembled in the Grand Lodge room at York," still preserved, commences February 18, 1780, "Sir FRANCIS SMYTH, Grand Master" (Bro. FRANCIS SMYTH, according to Bro. Dr. BELL'S valuable "Stream of English Freemasonry," was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of all England, held at York, A. D. 1780). There is also among the archives of the old Grand Lodge at York a copy of a certificate signed by JOHN BROWN, G. S., as follows: -
"Admitted 1st degree, 26th January, 1779. Raised 2d degree, 28th February, 1779. Raised 3d degree, 27th September, 1779. Raised 4th degree, or R. A. M., 27th October, 1779. Knight Templar, 29th November, 1779.
"So far as existing documents go, York possesses the earliest as to a constituted authority for Knight Templary. After Bristol comes London, under THOMAS DUNCKERLY, A. D. 1791 (the third in point of antiquity). The Encampment held at Bath was under the control of the Baldwyn Grand Encampment, and joined the Grand Conclave when the Baldwyn did, on the revival of the Bristol authority, A. D. 1857. Bath, Birmingham, Warwick, Highbridge, Salisbury, and other Encampments, we believe, recognized and supported the movement, which Templars today know nothing of. Then, however, it was an active organization, but soon collapsed. Correspondence with the Grand Conclave of London commenced in A. D. 1809, and continued from time to time up to A. D. 1820, when all communication ceased until about A. D. 1860."
Lieut. - Col. WILLIAM JAMES BURY MACLEOD MOORE, G. C. T., Supreme Grand Master of the Sovereign Great Priory of Canada, who was born January 4, 1810, and died September 1, 1890, and who wrote Division XVII on British Templary in the work of the "History of Freemasonry and the Concordant Orders," enters very fully upon the history of Knights Templar in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and on page 773, under the head of "The Rose Croix and Kadosh originally Templar Degrees," says: "The name Masonic Knights Templar (1791) was now first heard of in England, and up to this time all the Templar Encampments were qualified to give the degrees of the Rose Croix and the Kadosh, which had existed in England as Templar degrees years before the establishment of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. In the original form of the Templar ceremonies the Rose Croix de Herodom was the one step above the Templar installation, followed by the Kadosh, and the emblems were engraved on the certificates issued prior to 1851, all these degrees possessing
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similar characteristics, their object being the same. The Templar ceremony proper perhaps confined itself more to facts of history; the Rose Croix taught the truths of Christianity, displaying more of the allegory in its symbolic teaching of the Christian faith; the Kadosh was instituted to perpetuate the memory of the persecution of the ancient Order, the constancy and suffering of the knights on their dissolution, with the martyrdom of DE MOLAY at Paris in 1314."
There is much dispute in regard to the formation of the first Encampment or Commandery of Knights Templar in the United States and where it was organized. M\E\ Sir FREDERIC SPEED, Past Grand Commander of the Grand Commandery of the Knights Templar of Mississippi, has made an exhaustive examination of this subject, as appears in the "History of Freemasonry and Concordant Orders," and he differs from others in the claims as to the oldest or first organized Commandery:
"'Grand Master DEAN, in his address to the Grand Encampment in 1883, submitted what he regarded as "indisputable evidence that the degrees of Knight of the Red Cross and Knight Templar were conferred in Charleston, S. C., in a regularly organized body as far back as the year 1783." And this is the earliest period at which it is claimed that a regularly organized body existed. The evidence upon which this claim is based is an old seal formerly in the records of the South Carolina Encampment, No. 1, Charleston, and now in the archives of the Grand Encampment, and an ancient diploma, (written in a very neat chirography on parchment, with two seals in wax attached, one in red of the Royal Arch, and the other in black of the Knights Templar. The upper part of the diploma contains four devices within four circles, all skillfully executed with the pen. The first device, beginning on the left hand, is a star of seven points with the Ineffable Name in the center and the motto "Memento Mori"; the second is an arch on two pillars, the All - seeing Eye on the keystone and a sun beneath the arch, and 'Holiness to the LORD' for the motto; the third is the cross and a brazen serpent erected on a bridge, and 'Jesu Salvator Hominum' for the motto; and the fourth is the skull and crossbones, surmounted by a cross, with the motto 'In hoc signo vinces.' The reference of the last three devices is evidently to the Royal Arch, the Red Cross, and the Templar degrees. The first is certainly a symbol of the Lodge of Perfection; and hence, connectedly, they show the dependence of the Order of Templarism in the State at that time upon the Ancient and Accepted Rite." The diploma is in these words: "We, the High Priest, Captain Commandant of the Red Cross, and Captain General of the Most Holy and Invincible Order of Knights Templar of St. Andrew's Lodge, No. 1, Ancient Masons, held in Charleston, S. C., under charter from the Grand Lodge of the Southern District of North America, do hereby certify that our trusty and well beloved Brother, Sir HENRY BEAUMONT, hath passed the chair, been raised to the sublime degree of an Excellent, Superexcellent, Royal Arch Mason, Knight of the Red Cross, and a knight of that most Holy, Invincible, and Magnanimous Order of Knights Templar, Knights Hospitalers, Knights of Rhodes, and of Malta, which several Orders are above delineated; and he having conducted himself like a true and faithful Brother, we affectionately recommend him to all the fraternity of Ancient Masons around the globe wherever assembled. Given under our hands and seal of our Lodge, this first day of August, 5783, and of Malta 3517. GEO. CARTER, Capt.Gen'l; THos. PASHLEY, 1st King; Wm. NISBETT, 2d King; Wm. NISBETT, Rd. Mason Recorder."'
"A careful examination of the diploma discovered on the seal the words 'Lodge No. 40.' This Lodge was formerly St. Andrew's Lodge, No. 1, of Pensacola, Fla., established by JAMES GRANT, Provincial Grand Master of the Southern District of North America, which embraced cast and west Florida, and its registry number in Scotland was 143. It appears to have been worked at Pensacola until about the close of the Revolution, when, as Florida became again a Spanish province, Pensacola was deserted by many of its inhabitants who had been British subjects, they removing to Charleston S. C. This removal was mostly in 1873 and the year before, and with them it seems St. Andrew's Lodge was also removed, and it applied for and in July, 1783, received a charter from the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania as No. 40 on its registry."
Maryland Encampment, No. 1, of Baltimore, it is claimed was organized in the year 1790. It sets up the claim that Bro. EDWARD DAY, who resided in the vicinity of Baltimore, was in possession of the work if the Templar Order and that of Malta as early as the year 1780, the presumption being that he received them in some body in the city of Baltimore whose members subsequently organized Encampment No. 1.
Sir ALFRED CREIGH, in his history of the Knights Templar in Pennsylvania, asserts that Commanderies Nos. 1 and 2 in Philadelphia, No. 3 of Harrisburg, and No. 4 of Carlisle were organized in the years 1793 to 1797 respectively, deriving their authority from Blue Lodge warrants.
Woslon Commandery was duly organized May 15, 1805, having previously existed as a Council of Red Cross from the year 1802. From the fact that it was organized by Knights Templar who received that degree in St. Andrew's Lodge in 1769, its organization is claimed to date from that year.
St. John's Commandery, No. 1, of Providence, R. I., organized in the year 1802, claims precedence from the fact that it is the oldest chartered Commandery, and has continuous records from the date of its organization. The original records are still preserved and are as follows:
"PROVIDENCE, August 23, 1802
"The knights of the most noble and magnanimous Orders of the Red Cross, and of Malta, Knights Templar, and of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, residing in the town of Providence, having at a previous assembly determined 'that it is proper and expedient for the preservation and promotion of the honor and dignity of the Orders of knighthood that an Encampment should be formed and established in said town,' assembled at Masons' Hall for that purpose at 7 o'clock P.M. Present Sir THOMAS S. WEBB, Sir JEREMIAH F. JENKINS, Sir SAMUEL SNOW, Sir DANIEL STILLWELL, Sir JOHN S. WARNER, Sir NICHOLAS HOPPIN. The Sir Knights having unanimously placed Sir THOMAS S. WEBB in the chair, then proceeded to form and open a regular Encampment of the several Orders before mentioned, in solemn and ancient form, by the name of St. John's Encampment. The Encampment then proceeded to the choice of officers by ballot, when the following knights were duly elected and qualified to the offices affixed to their respective names, viz.: Sir THOMAS S. WEBB, Grand Master; Sir JEREMIAH F. JENKINS, Generalissimo; Sir SAMUEL SNOW, CaptainGeneral; Sir DANIEL STILLWELL, Standard Bearer; Sir JOHN S. WARNER, Sword Bearer; Sir NICHOLAS HOPPIN, Guard.
"A committee was appointed at the meeting, consisting of Sir THOMAS S. WEBB, Sir JEREMIAH F. JENKINS, and Sir SAMUEL SNOW, to prepare and report a code of bylaws for the new Encampment. This committee reported through their chairman at the next meeting, held on the 13th of September, when a code was adopted."
The first assembly of the Encampment for work was held September 27, 1802. The record, which doubtless contains the earliest recorded account of the election and creation of Knights of the Red Cross in a regularly organized Encampment not held under the sanction of a Lodge warrant, possesses unusual interest and is as follows: -
"Comps. NATHAN FISHER and WILLIAM WILKINSON, having been in due form proposed as candidates for the Order of the Red Cross, were balloted for and accepted, having paid their fees into the hands of the Recorder. A Council of the Knights of the Red Cross being then summoned
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and duly assembled, the said Companions were in the ancient form introduced and dubbed knights of that Order with the usual ceremonies. Sir JOHN CARLILE, Sir EPHRAIM BOWEN, JR., Sir NATHAN FISHER, and Sir WILLIAM WILKINSON were then severally proposed as candidates for the Orders of Knights Templar, and of Malta."
At the next assembly, held September 29, 1802, Sir WILLIAM WILKINSON and Sir NATHAN FISHER, who had previously been proposed, were balloted for and accepted as candidates for the Orders of Knights Templar and Knights of Malta. They were accordingly prepared and introduced by the master of ceremonies (W\ Sir HENRY FOWLE), and after the usual solemnities were knighted and admitted members of those ancient Orders.
Washington Commandery, No. 1, of, Hartford, Conn., claims to date from the year 1796; St. Peter's Encampment, in New York, from 1799. The honor of organizing the first Grand Encampment is claimed by Pennsylvania as having been organized in Philadelphia on May 12, 1797, and had four subordinates Nos. 1 and 2 in Philadelphia, No. 3 in Harrisburg, and No. 4 in Carlisle.
The close of the Revolution found the various bodies practicing the ritualism of knighthood, as disorganized as were the American colonies. The succeeding years were without cohesion or definite purpose and unity. In this respect the conditions were similar to those which affected the Colonies in their weak and discredited Confederation. This has been well termed the transition period of the Templar Order in America. Hitherto the various bodies were in great measure selfcreated and independent, but at this time was inaugurated a more permanent organization, with a superior power for the regulation and government of the Chivalric degrees. It was only a few years before that the Red Cross and Knight Templar degrees were conferred, under Lodge and Chapter warrants, in conjunction with the Royal Arch degree. The former were at length and by the slow processes of evolution, eliminated from the latter. Upon the separation of the Red Cross and Templar degrees from the Royal Arch, Encampments were created which assumed the right to impart this work to the exclusion of Chapters. In this assumption the Capitular bodies gradually acquiesced and thus sealed with approval the transference of authority over this branch of the Masonic institution. Thus placed upon a firm basis, with proper supervision, the Templar Rite began to grow and to assume its potential place in the Masonic system. The need for a more extended and attractive ritual was early apparent, and this demand was met by THOMAS S. WEBB and JEREMY L. CROSS. They remodeled and revised the existing forms, augmenting the work and adding to its dignity and beauty. The labors of these Masonic ritualists form the basis of the admirable work of today. As their efforts in respect of other Masonic rituals produced results that raised their dignity and insured their permanence, so did the revisions and extensions of these esoteric enthusiasts enhance the sublimity of the knightly ceremonials and by their fascination assure their growth and power.
The early years of the Nineteenth Century discovered the few Templar bodies in America widely scattered and without any Grand Encampment, but the demands for better government, harmonious policies and fraternal unity, induced the establishment of various Grand Encampments, the first being that of Massachusetts and Rhode Island in 1805, followed by New York in 1814, Virginia in 1823, Vermont in 1824, New Hampshire in 1826 and Connecticut in 1827. The further organization of Grand Encampments and even of subordinate Encampments ceased for a period of sixteen years, due to the AntiMasonic excitement, the outgrowth of the Morgan incident, so craftily inspired and used by Thurlow Weed and his associates to further their political designs. With the gradual subsidence of the ridiculous prejudices and passions engendered by this occurrence and restoration to sanity of the people of the different States, the various bodies of Masonry, many of which had wholly ceased to meet or perform any function, resumed their labors. Thenceforth the principals and
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practices of Masonry prospered and advanced beyond any prior measure, and, with greater knowledge of its true purposes, became strongly and safely ensconced in the good opinion and friendship of the masses.
As the natural sequence of the efforts of the different Grand Encampments to become integral parts of a general body with authority to establish uniformity and cohesiveness in the various subordinate and grand bodies, a Grand Encampment of the United States, with jurisdiction over all, soon came to be formed. The first effort was made in 1816, but proved abortive. This, however, paved the way for the final organization of the Grand Encampment. THOMAS S. WEBB, HENRY FOWLE, JOHN SNOW and THOMAS LOWNDES journeyed to Philadelphia in June, 1816, to confer with the Grand Encampment of Pennsylvania with the view of uniting all the Encampments in the United States under one head and system of government. The three first named represented what was then known as the "Grand Encampment of the United States," by which term the Encampment of Massachusetts and Rhode Island was designated, and the fourth was a delegate from the Grand Encampment of New York. The mission to Pennsylvania failed owing to the refusal of the delegates from this Encampment to concede certain demands of the New England and New York contingent. WEBB and his associates thereupon returned to New York and formulated a Constitution which was subsequently ratified by their respective Encampments and eventually became and to this day, with minor amendments, has remained the supreme law of the American Templar system. One of the more important of the changes, enacted in 1856, was the revision of the terms used to designate the supreme and State bodies the word "General" being omitted from the name of the Grand Encampment and the State organizations being called Grand Commanderies. By means of the Constitution thus framed by WEBB and his confreres the whole Templar fabric was brought into harmony with the legislative and governmental system of Freemasonry, and from this period dates the actual success of the Masonic Knights Templar in America; and since that time it has spread and grown until it is now almost universal, and has become recognized as one of the most useful, beautiful and beneficent of the appendant Orders.
The British Templar system, as now known, was revived in the year 1791, when a Grand Conclave was held in London, at which the statutes of the degrees were remodeled, and a brief ritual was adopted in commemoration of the union of the Orders of ST. JOHN of Jerusalem and the Templars. THOMAS DUNCKERLEY, who had been chosen by the Knights Templar chief of their own Encampments, assumed, without any apparent authority, the direction and government of the combined Orders and thus continued until his death in 1795, Upon his demise the Templar organization became decadent. About nine years after DUNCKERLEY's death the Duke of Kent, upon solicitation of some of the survivors, issued a new warrant or charter for the continuance of the Order. Three years later another warrant was issued in which the Duke of Kent was recognized as the permanent patron of the Order, WALLER RODWELL WRIGHT being designated as Grand Master. WRIGHT was in 1812 succeeded in this office by the Duke of Sussex, who continued to occupy the chair until his death in 1846, when he was succeeded by Colonel CHARLES TYNTE, to whom is due the credit of having finally revivified the system and placed it upon a lasting basis. Colonel TYNTE died in 1860 and Colonel WILLIAM STUART was advanced to the Grand Master's seat. Under Colonel STUART's administration the Order grew in popularity and numbers and attained a high social position. At length, in 1873, the branches of the Order in England and Ireland were united under the Grand Mastership of the Prince of Wales ALBERT EDWARD, now King EDWARD VII. The Scottish branch failed to respond to the summons to join with the English and Irish branches. The acceptance by the Prince of Wales of the responsible duties of the Grand Mastership procured for the Order a new
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and higher status, and it immediately entered upon a prosperity theretofore unknown. A national body was thereupon formed, called the "Convent General," having the government of the Order throughout the Empire. This body revised the laws, nomenclature, costumes and the ritual of the Order, establishing uniformity in all departments and welding the institution into a homogenous and purposeful whole.
The Order of Knights Templar is a very popular branch of Masonry in the United States. The ritual possesses a deeply reverential charm, while the splendor of the knightly accompaniments adds to the impressiveness of the ceremonies and has a salutary effect upon the citizenship of the Christian Knight. The public parades of Commanderies in State and Triennial Conclaves have a stimulating effect upon the Order in the several Grand jurisdictions, and illustrate to the public the uniformly high character of citizens who espouse the cause and assume the vows of Knighthood.
The following data, arranged in tabular form, must delight the heart of every Knight Templar as evidence of the great growth of this grand chivalric Order.
The officers of the Grand Encampment for 1901 - 1904, elected and appointed, are herewith given. Sir Knights will recognize in the line some of the most distinguished Masons in the United States Knights who ably support the Most Excellent Grand Master: -
Grand Master - M\E\ Sir HENRY B. STODDARD, Bryan, Tex.
Deputy Grand Master R\E\ Sir GEORGE M. MOULTON, Chicago, Ill.
Grand Generalissimo V\E\ Sir HENRY W. RUGG, Providence, R. I.
Grand Captain-General V\E\ Sir WILLIAM B. MELISH, Cincinnati, 0.
Grand Senior Warden V\E\ Sir JOSEPH A. LOCKE, Portland, Me.
Grand Junior Warden V\E\ Sir FRANK H. THOMAS, Washington, D.
Grand Prelate V\E\ Sir DANIEL C. ROBERTS, D. D., Concord, N. H.
Grand Treasurer V\E\ Sir H. WALES LINES, Meriden, Conn.
Grand Recorder V\E\ Sir JOHN A. GFROW, Detroit, Mich.
Grand Standard Bearer V\E\ Sir ARTHUR MACARTHUR, Troy, N. Y.
Grand Sword Bearer V\E\ Sir CHARLES C. VOGT, Louisville, Ky.
Grand Warder V\E\ Sir ROBERT STRONG, New Orleans, La.
Grand Captain of the Guards V\E\ Sir CHARLES E. ROSENBAUM, Little Rock, Ark.
The list of Grand Commanderies with dates of organization and numbers enrolled are subjoined:
There are 43 Grand Commanderies, 1,017 Subordinate Commanderies, with an army of 126,020 KnightsTemplar under the jurisdiction of the National Grand Encampment of the United States.
There have been 28 Conclaves held since its organization, and the following are the times and places of meeting and of the several Grand Masters:
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CHAPTER X.
Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.
"THE APOSTLE OF FREE THOUGHT, FREE SPEECH AND FREE CONSCIENCE"
- EARLY ACCOMPLISHMENT AND CONTEMPORANEOUS
HISTORY - THE LESSONS OF PROFOUND PHILOSOPHY.
THE Grand Cabalistic Association, known in Europe under the name of Freemasonry, appeared all at once in the world at the period when the protest against the papal power came to break the Christian unity. The destruction of the Order of Knights Templar and the burning at the stake of JACQUES DE MOLAY, their last Grand Master in Paris on March 11, 1313 - thousands of their members proscribed or persecuted to their tir death under the pretext of heresy, excommunicated and scattered under the terrible conspiracy of Pope CLEMENT V, PHILIP the Fair of France, and the ultramontane Order of Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, who received as a reward for their perfidy the possessions of the Templars in the islands of Rhodes and of Malta (obtaining as well a new title, that of the Knights of Malta), - caused the remnants of Knights Templar to seek refuge in other countries than their own, where they might enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
One portion fled to Germany, where protection was found under an excommunicated Emperor, and were incorporated into a branch of the Teutonic Order of Knights of St. Mary, which had fought by the side of the other in the wars of the Crusades in the Holy Land. The beauseant or battleflag of black and white in the form of a pennon (swallow - tail), which could no longer be carried was taken, the swallow - tail part cut off, and, as a reminder of the blood of the martyred Templars so unjustly and wickedly put to death, the broad red stripe was placed under it and adopted as the flag of Germany, which still continues to be the standard of that nation under the House of Brandenburg. Some of the Knights in northern France and Germany renounced the vows of a military priesthood of an Order dismembered, dissolved, and scattered, and, contracting matrimonial alliances, reared families and were absorbed among the people according to their condition and estate. Yet secretly to distinguish their origin they adopted a name as the followers of HUGO DE PAYENS DE GUENOC, the founder of the Order of the Temple, and in time became more generally known as Les Huguenots, or French Protestants. Having preserved their blood and language distinct, many of the Knights gradually returned to France, from which in after years, upon the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, their descendants were again robbed of their property, expelled from France, and driven to other countries, being a repetition in part of what in 1313, or 372 years before, had been visited upon their ancestors, the Knights Templar.
The remnants of the Knights Templar in England, Scotland, and Ireland were ordered to disband their organization, dissolve, and become incorporated with the English branch of Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, or Knights of Malta, to enter their priories and preceptories, or suffer the
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like consequences as had been visited upon the Brethren in France and throughout southern Europe. EDWARD II, the son - in - law of their bitter enemy, PHILIP the Fair of France, was then on the throne of England, and equally fierce in his determination to carry out the relentless measures of persecution against the Templars in his dominions. America had not then been discovered and there was no place of refuge in the British isles except in the Kingdom of Scotland, then harassed by raids from England across the border and threatened with subjugation by EDWARD II. It was at a time when ROBERT the Bruce, the rightful heir to the Scottish throne, was contending for the freedom and independence of Scotland and his lawful inheritance to the crown. To him a remnant of the Knights Templar, who refused to join with their enemies the Knights of Malta, fled for protection. He had led a portion of them in the wars of the Holy Land to regain possession of the sepulchre of CHRIST.
JAQUES DE MOLAY
Their faith in him did not prove groundless, but the name of Knight Templar as elsewhere throughout Europe had to be dropped, on account of the hostility and power of their enemies, and that branch was incorporated by BRUCE into the Order of Knights of St. Andrew of Scotland, of Chardon, or of the Thistle, which with their aid on ST. JOHN the Baptist's Day, June 24, 1314 (a little more than a year after their last Grand Master DE MOLAY had been burned at the stake), at the battle of Bannockburn the army of EDWARI) II was overthrown, the independence of Scotland was secured, and ROBERT BRUCE was restored to the throne. In honor of the victory secured by him on that day he instituted the Order of the Rosy Cross at Kilwinning in the county of Ayr, which served alike for the Knights of St. Andrew and Royal Order of Scotland and the Knights Templar which had been incorporated into that Order - that in the persecution, sufferings, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of the SAVIOR the Knights Templar might see symbolized the persecution, suffering, and death of their Grand Master DE MOLAY and the resurrection of their lost cause and restoration of their possessions wrongfully held by their inveterate enemies, the Knights of Malta; while as Scottish Knights of St. Andrew they saw the past woes of Scotland, her deep misery and degradation heaped upon her by the same relentless foe, and which had now risen with their aid to a glorious independence, with the brightest hopes of peace, prosperity, and happiness before her.
From the loins of the old Knights Templar of Great Britain and France and the Teutonic Knights of Germany sprang the fathers of Freemasonry and the Reformation, and to them is the Masonic world indebted for all there is of Speculative Freemasonry, their colleges of science and philosophy, with the grand triune principles of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity emblazoned on its banners with the interlaced triangles of Faith, Hope, and Charity. The subsequent wars between England and Scotland caused many to flee from Scotland to the Continent and seek asylum in France and Germany, and to again return to their native land when the times were more propitious and there were favorable opportunities. And for nearly five hundred years the chivalry of Scotland was in constant migration to and from the Continent, and it was but natural that during that long period
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those descended from or allied in blood to the Knights Templar of Scotland, when seeking an asylum abroad where they were welcomed as friends and given protection, should carefully seek out those of the same blood and visit the localities where once had stood the priories and preceptories of their Templar ancestry. In those times Scotchmen generally traveled in foreign 'Countries while the English landsmen remained at home.
In 1324, ten years after the battle of Bannockburn, which made Scotland free from EDWARD II, there was born in the small village of Spresswell, in the northwest portion of the county of York, England, a male infant who was destined to start a movement that in time - should revolutionize the world. There were no printing - presses in those days and all the learning acquired in colleges was from bound manuscripts only, mainly written in black letter of the old Gothic style. As this infant grew up to youth and manhood he was sent to Oxford, where he was educated and became a Master in Baliol or Queen's College. He arose to eminence in his profession, but it was another work which was to make his name immortal. There was no printing - press, but he employed hundreds of pens to transcribe his the first translation of the Bible into the common English tongue from the Latin vulgate of ST. JEROME, for he was not familiar with either Hebrew or Greek. This was no other than JOHN WYCLIF, the "morning star" of the Reformation. There are still extant 170 copies of WYCLIF'S translation of the Great Light, and one may be seen in the Lenox Library in New York. The flames have not been permitted to consume them, and the centuries have not obliterated the hand - writing. The Bible was precious in those days. It required nearly $200 to buy a single copy, or what would be not less than $1,000 now. It was beyond the reach of the poor, except as they had access to the house of the wealthy or families united in its purchase. JOHN WYCLIF died in his bed on December 31, 1384, and his remains were reverently laid near the Lutterworth pulpit, but not to rest in peace. Thirty years later, in 14l5, the Council of Constance, which condemned JOHN Huss and JEROME of Prague and burnt them outside the city gate, ordered WYCLIF's books to be destroyed and his bones to be exhumed and burned. Pope MARTIN V commanded FLEMING, Bishop of Lincoln, to execute the decree, and it was done but not until 1428. The harmless bones were consumed and the ashes were thrown into the Swift, as the ashes of DE MOLAY were thrown into the Seine. But the Great Light was preserved by its friends and destined to illumine the world.
A century rolls by, and a German monk, the son of a silver miner in the Hartz Mountains, is a guest in the hotel of the Knights of Rhodes and of Malta in the city of Worms, by command and appointment, and to confront in the Diet to be held the Emperor CHARLES V, whose kingdom extends over the Old and the New Worlds; his brother, the Archduke FERDINAND; six Electors of the empire, whose descendants now almost all wear kingly crowns; eighty dukes, most of them reigning over countries of greater or lesser extent; the Duke of Alba and his two sons, eight margraves, thirty archbishops, bishops or prelates; seven ambassadors, among whom are those of the kings of France and England; the deputies of ten free cities, a great number of princes, sovereign counts, and barons; and lastly, the Pope's nuncios - in all, 204 of the highest of the world's rulers and personages - constituting the imposing court before which this son of a peasant and silver miner is summoned to appear to testify to the truth, the Great Light of Masonry. When the Pope's agent asks him: "Will you or will you not retract?" he instantly, without hesitation, replies in a few words, thus concluding, "I cannot and I will not retract anything, for it is not safe for the Christian to speak against his conscience." Then looking around on the assembly that holds his life in its hands, says: "Here I am, I can do no otherwise, - God help me! Amen." Thus spake MARTIN LUTHER.
He had a safe conduct to go to Worms and return. Some of the papal representatives present demanded that the safe conduct granted to LUTHER should not be respected. "The Rhine," they
INTO THAT SOLITARY CASTLE, CALLED THE WARTBERG, LUTHER WAS CONDUCTED.
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said, ought to receive his ashes as it did a century ago those of JOHN Huss." "When this was learned," says PALLAVICINI, "four hundred nobles were ready to maintain the integrity of the safe conduct with their swords." These were the Teutonic Knights. LUTHER left the city of Worms to return home, but while on his way his friends feared treachery, for the Emperor CHARLES V had proclaimed against him. As his vehicle was following the road near the forest of Thuringen the driver was suddenly set upon by five horsemen and three of them seized LUTHER, dragged him from the carriage, flung a cloak over his shoulders, and placed him on a led horse and rode off with him as a prisoner, being soon afterward joined by the other two mounted men. They first took the road to Broderode, but soon doubled back by another route, and tracked the wood backward and forward in all directions, to confuse any one who might pursue them. Night having fallen and there being no chance of any one following them, LUTHER'S captors struck into a new route. It was nearly 11 o'clock when they reached the foot of a mountain, which their horses slowly ascended; on the summit was an old fortress, surrounded on all sides except the approach by the black forests that cover the mountains of Thuringen. Into that solitary castle, called the Wartburg, formerly the retreat of the ancient landgraves, LUTHER was conducted. Bolts were drawn, iron bars fell, the gates were thrown open for the reformer to pass, and then closed upon him. He dismounted in the courtyard. One of the horsemen, BURKARD VON HUND, Lord of Altenstein, withdrew; another, JOHN VON BERLEPSCH, provost of the Wartburg, led MARTIN LUTHER to the chamber that was to be his prison, and in which lay a knight's uniform and a sword. The three other cavaliers who were under the provost's orders took off LUTHER's ecclesiastical habit and clothed him in the habit of a knight', telling him that he was to let his hair and beard grow, so that no one even in the castle might find out who he was; the people of the castle were only to know the prisoner by the name of Knight GEORGE. LUTHER could scarcely recognize himself in his new garb. At last they left him to his solitude, and his mind roamed by turns over the wonderful things which had just come to pass in Worms, the uncertain future that awaited him, and his strange abode. Through the narrow windows of his dungeon he could see that he was encompassed by dark, lonely, and immense forests. They were the Teutonic Knights who had thus made him prisoner, to keep him safely from the Wolves of Rome, and it was a long time before his friend FREDERICK the Elector knew of his place of concealment.
Here, like ST. JOHN on the Isle of Patmos, LUTHER was shut up for a year, while Germany was mourning his supposed death. Here he translated the Bible from the Latin into his German mother tongue. "Let there be light, and there was light!" LUTHER now voluntarily left the Wartburg and returned to his home. The printing - press, which had been invented, was printing the Great Light, which was being seen and read throughout all Germany; and ALBERT of Brandenburg, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, and hosts of others espoused LUTHER'S cause in its defense. In Germany its security was assured at least. The 19th of April is a day of the most notable anniversaries of the whole year. On April 19, 1529, the great declaration of religious independence in favor of the Bible was made at the Diet of Spires by the princes of Germany, who protested against the decree of the Emperor CHARLES V suppressing it, and the rights of conscience for which they were denominated Protestants.
King HENRY VIII of England took up the cause of the papacy and wrote against LUTHER, for which he had added to his title "Defender of the Faith," given him by the Pope. But because the Pope would not sanction his divorce from CATHARINE of Aragon that he might marry ANNE BOLEYN, he cut loose from Rome, divorced himself, and proclaimed himself the head of the Church in England, which act Parliament confirmed. He soon caused ANNE BOLEYN to be beheaded, and the next day married JANE SEYMOUR, who lived but a year, when he married ANNE of Cleves,
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a Protestant, from whom he was divorced after he had beheaded THOMAS CROMWELL, who had advised the marriage. He then married the guilty and unhappy CATHERINE HOWARD, whom he soon afterward beheaded. And finally he chose for his sixth wife CATHERINE PARR, the virtuous widow of Lord LATIMER, who survived him. He died on January 28, 1547, and the world was made better for the removal of this bloody monster from the face of the earth by the Almighty hand, for it prepared the way in a measure for Freemasonry and free conscience, with the Great Light that was to illumine the British Isles.
All the monasteries throughout Christendom were stirred up, and imprisoned knowledge, history, and the concealed sciences, so long buried like caged birds and chained souls, were occasionally making a break for freedom. Some were to fall into the flames and become martyrs for conscience sake, perish by the wayside, or successfully make their escape and become torch - bearers of the light of freedom and the truth. Scotland at this time swarmed with ignorant, idle vagabonds in the garb of monks, who like locusts devoured the fruits of the earth and filled the air with pestilential infection; with friars, white, black, and gray; canons, regular and of ST. ANTHONY; Carmelites, Cordellers, Dominicans, Franciscans, Conventuals, and Observantines; jacobins, monks of Tyrone, and the Templars' old enemies, the Holy Knights of St. John of Jerusalem; and others, miserable libels even on ordinary depraved humanity. But ere long a change for the better came over Scotland, produced by the most remarkable Scotchman of that age.
In the year 1505, in the suburbs of Haddington - or, as some believe, in the village of Giffordgate - Scotland, was an infant born, in the same year that MARTIN LUTHER entered the Augustinian Monastery at Erfurt. He took his name, as it was supposed, from the paternal mansion, which was called the "knock" It was situated near the birthplace of that great patriot WILLIAM WALLACE and the ancestral home of MARY STUART. Here was born JOHN KNOX. He attended the grammar school until he was sixteen years of age, when he was sent to the University of Glasgow. He had for his teacher JOHN MAIR, who was well calculated by a vigorous mind, strong convictions, and progressive thought, to mold and shape the intellect of his pupil, who soon outstripped his master, who encouraged him forward in the direction of his inclination which fixed the line of his destiny. MAIR held sentiments which were in perfect consonance with the principles and teachings of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry today, which but few held then, and a smaller number dared to express, with respect to the authority of the Pope and the prerogatives of kings, which found their fruitage at a later day in religious and civil freedom - on the one hand, freedom of conscience and the overthrow of civil and spiritual despotism; on the other, the lifting up of the people as the source of all civil authority and the court of highest appeal. These sentiments which had previously been held by a few on the Continent were readily imbibed by the young student. They commended themselves to his innate sense of right, and he was prepared to follow them on to their legitimate results. Although he became a priest, yet JOHN KNOX was at the same time like the rest of his countrymen not impervious to the truth. They were strong, rugged, and courageous. Give them a little light, they crave more and will have it. And even at that period, despite the depression of the dominant religion, they were brave, resolute, and powerful, stern as the mountains of the North, and unbridled as the air which swept the highlands and the moors. Bannockburn told the story of their prowess, and EDWARD II, unable to conquer them, was driven back to the Southland, the border bristling with bayonets, and guarded by frowning castles which lifted their dark bastions and towers into the murky sky.
Among the acquaintainces of JOHN KNOX Was PATRICK HAMILTON, the great - grandson of JAMES II and one year the senior of JOHN KNOX. He was made Abbot of Ferne when only thirteen
BURNING OF WYCLIFS BIBLES.
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years old. He had been a student in the University of Paris. Here he heard of MARTIN LUTHER, and his attention as a student of the sacred languages was directed to the Great Light, which he was soon able to read in the original tongues, and his faith in the papacy became weakened. He returned to Scotland, where Cardinal BEATON of St. Andrew's, learning of his defection from the faith, charged him with heresy and declared that he ought to be put to death. HAMILTON deemed it best to return to the Continent, and went to Wittenburg, where he met MARTIN LUTHER, PHILIP MELANCTHON and FRANCIS LAMBERT; he then went to Marburg, where he formed the acquaintance of WILLIAM TYNDALE and JOHN FRITH. With their instruction and encouragement he resolved to return once more to Scotland, his native land. In his own country he preached to noblemen and their families, who were his own kindred, some of whom believed. Then he ventured to proclaim the truth in public places and to common people. Some heard him gladly, others pronounced him a heretic afid reported his words to the ecclesiastical autocrat of St. Andrew's. HAMILTON was induced to appear at a conference for the ostensible purpose of calmly discussing the principles of his faith. Then followed a mock trial, after which he was cast into the old sea - tower, which still remains, and on a wintry day in 1528 he was burned at the stake. With his dying breath he prayed for his murderers. When nearly burned through the waist by the fiery chain which bound him to the stake, and when power of speech was gone, a spectator, addressing him from the crowd, asked that if he still had faith in the views for which he was condemned he should indicate it by a sign. Thereupon he lifted his mutilated hand and held it aloft until he died, thus declaring his unfailing trust in GOD and pointing the way to that Heaven which opened for his entrance. Thus perished, at the age of twenty-four, the great - grandson of JAMES II, King of Scotland. Some of the nobility of Scotland were deeply affected by the martyrdom of this royal youth. Does a Roman cardinal hold in his hands the lives of men nobly born? Are we answerable for our faith to a cruel hierarchy? Whereunto shall this matter grow? Then came the inquiry, "For what did HAMILTON die? Many sought an answer, and in finding it discovered the truth. On the day that HAMILTON died the papacy unwittingly kindled a fire which shone all over Scotland, in the flames of which it was itself consumed.
A few years later the Earl of Arran was appointed to administer the government during the minority of the Queen. The Scottish Parliament granted to all the privilege of reading the Bible in their own language, and it was scattered throughout Scotland, but the man who dared to read and interpret for himself was accused, and another fire was to be kindled. GEORGE WlSHART, brother of the Laird of Pittarrow, a man of extraordinary power and eloquence, commenced preaching the truth and crowds accompanied him everywhere. Among them there followed him wherever he went a thoughtful man of small stature and intellectual countenance, whose love for WISHART, like that of JONATHAN for DAVID, surpasses that of woman. The holy fire of the preacher burned into his soul and consumed the last remains of a superstitious belief. The day that an attempt was made to assassinate WISHART this attendant interfered and saved his life. But by order of the Earl of Bothwell, WISHART was seized. His faithful friend preferred to share his fate. "GOD bless you!" said WISHART; "one is sufficient for a sacrifice," and so they parted. That young man who went sorrowfully away was no other than JOHN KNOX, he who was to carry on the work which WTSHART laid out. WISHART was tried and condemned to death. They put on him a black robe, attached bags of gunpowder to his person, and with a chain about his waist led him to the stake. When he came to the place of execution he knelt down and rose again, thrice repeating the prayer: "O! thou Savior of the world, have mercy upon me! Father of Heaven, I commend my spirit into Thy hands." The same words were spoken at the stake by DE MOLAY, the last Grand Master of the Templars. A trumpet sounded; it was the signal for execution. WISHART was bound to the stake and the fires kindled. Archbishop BEATON
GOD BLESS YOU! SAID WISHART: ONE IS SUFFICIENT FOR A SACRIFICE.
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looked from his castle window and "fed his eyes with the martyr's torments." Some who witnessed the martyr's death said, "BEATON is WISHART'S murderer, and he shall die." "Law in its pure and proper sense," says a modern historian, "there was none in Scotland. The partition lines between evil and good were obliterated in the general anarchy, and right struggled *against wrong with such ambiguous weapons as the wild justice of Nature suggested."
On another day three men made their way along the dark passages of the castle to the chamber of BEATON, into which they forced an entrance. They bade the cardinal "repent him of his former wicked life," after which they smote him with their swords until he died. Then from the window of the castle from which he had witnessed the execution of WISHART they exposed the dead cardinal to the view of the multitude now gathered about the castle gate, and then carried the body to the old sea - tower, in which HAMILTON had been imprisoned and before which WISHART had been burned. It was lawless justice smiting down one beyond the reach of the law. The murderer died for his crimes, and on that day rang the death - knell of superstition, fanaticism, and irresponsible power. The long night waned and the light of the dawn of civil and religious liberty appeared in the low horizon. Now JOHN KNOX, whose life is interwoven with the woof and web of all Scottish history until the fires of persecution are utterly extinguished in that noble land made holy by the blood of the martyrs, and grand in history, legend, poetry, and song, once more appeared upon the scene.
A year after the death of BEATON, JOHN KNOX was quietly engaged as a teacher in St. Andrew's. He was selected as an assistant to the preacher, a converted monk, late from the monastery at Stirling, by the name of JOHN ROUGH, and he entered upon the work.
The parish church was crowded to hear the new preacher. He made the arches ring with his vehement eloquence. His lone voice in St. Andrew's Church reached farther than the walls that shut him in. All Scotland heard it and was moved as by an earthquake. His followers multiplied as the rain - drops of a continuous shower. Rome was alarmed. Something must be done and done quickly. A French fleet hastened to St. Andrew's. The people saw the white sails at the foot of every street, and soon discovered that they were surrounded by the enemy. Then came the contest, but it was unequal. The garrison surrendered. The castle was taken. JOHN KNOX and many others went aboard the French galleys, and, in violation of solemn pledges, were bound with chains and conveyed to France. The heretics were commanded to recant, and were threatened with tortures if they refused. They said they were ready to die, but not to deny their faith. Once the galleys returned to the vicinity of St. Andrew's, and when JOHN KNOX saw the spire of the parish chapel, though denied his liberty and sick of a fever, he said, " I shall not depart this life until that my tongue shall glorify GOD'S goodly name in that place."
The fleet returned to France. After nineteen months of imprisonment it, was supposed that heresy had received its death - blow in the consent of the Scottish Parliament to the marriage of the beautiful Queen MARY to the dauphin of France, and in the belief of this, KNOX was contemptuously liberated. For Rome - it was a great blunder. JOHN KNOX was greater than the Scottish queen - a mightier factor in the world's history than the thrones of Scotland and France combined. After his liberation he went to London, where he labored
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earnestly. EDWARD VI offered him a bishopric, but he declined. The condition of affairs was unsatisfactory and it was but a question of time that there would be a relapse of the people, and on the accession of Queen MARY to the throne of England it came. Under the reign of MARY his fears were more than realized. Persecution was revived. The heavens were red with flames and the - earth with blood. KNOX was urged by his friends to go to the Continent, but he at first refused. They begged him in tears for his own sake and theirs to go, and he reluctantly consented. He crossed the English Channel to Dieppe, where he waited for a short time, then traveled into France, Germany, and Switzerland, and at Geneva waited patiently for the time when he might resume his labors in his own land, while Scotland waited with anxious hopes and fears for his return.
Five years had elapsed since he was exiled from England, and finding that it was possible for him to return to Scotland, though denied a passage through England, he sailed direct from Dieppe to Leith, Scotland, and arrived at a most critical period. He went to Perth and commenced his labors. It was determined to give him a welcome at St. Andrew's. As he approached the old town and saw the spire of the cathedral lifted above the trees, JOHN KNOX'S prophecy when a prisoner on the French galleys, that he would live to preach in the parish church, was at once recalled. The archbishop of St. Andrew's, hearing that KNOX proposed to preach in the cathedral, collected a number of armed men and notified him that if he attempted to address the people he would do it at the peril of his life. JOHN KNOX was urged by the noblemen to preserve silence. He declined. It was a question of life and death - not of one, but of civil and religious liberty in Scotland. He announced that he would preach on the following day. To his enemies he said, "I call to GOD to witness that I never preached in contempt of any man nor with the design of hurting any earthly creature, but to delay to preach on the morrow, unless forcibly hindered, I cannot agree." To his friends he said: "As for the fear of danger that may come to me let no man be solicitous, for my life is in custody of Him whose glory I seek. I desire the hand or weapon of no man to defend me. I only crave audience, which if it be denied me here at this time I must seek where I may have it." He stood in his purpose immovable as Ben Lomond Mountain, which from a serene heaven looks down its slopes to the valleys beyond. The day came. The sun struggled through the mists which overhung the town. The attention of the people was now turned toward the castle, where the soldiery awaited the command of the archbishop to do their work of death, and again to the parish church, toward which a multitude were wending their way. The hour of service came. JOHN KNOX passed fearlessly down the street, entered the church, ascended the pulpit, before him a sea of faces, and a breathless silence of the people as he rose in his place. He preached. And not only that day, but on several successive days, to large assemblies, not only at St. Andrew's but at Kelso, Jedburgh, Ayr, Stirling, Perth, Montrose, and Dundee, making a tour through Scotland, which everywhere felt the magnetic influence of his presence.
Provision was made for the education of the young, schools were established, and Scotland took on a freer and better life, and there was a season of quiet, King FRANCIS II of France died, and on August 19, 1561, MARY, Queen of Scots, returned to Scotland. Her return was greeted with many demonstrations of joy, but the "deil" came with her in her retinue. She married Lord DARNLEY, but had for a paramour an Italian named DAVID Rizzio, her private secretary. One evening, while the queen, Rizzio, and a few of MARY'S friends were sitting in the supping room in the Holyrood House, muffled steps were heard on the stairway leading to this room. A moment later, Lord DARNLEY entered, pale and trembling, followed by armed men, who seized the Italian and slew him, regardless of the entreaties of the queen to spare his life. MARY dried her tears and said, "Now I will study revenge." The murder of her paramour, instigated by DARNLEY, diverted her attention
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from her designs against JOHN KNOX and the reformed religion. She had but one idea, the avenging of Rizzio's death. The unprincipled BOTHWELL was ready to become her agent. DARNLEY was enticed to an isolated dwelling in Edinburgh, and on the night of February 10, 1569, was murdered, the house in which he was lying being blown up by gunpowder, MARY had found her revenge. Shortly afterward she was married to BOTHWELL. Before the bar of public opinion and at the tribunal of GOD she was pronounced a murderess and an adulteress. Thereafter her hands were covered with blood - she was more unhappy than ever before. Her energy of character deserted her; her guilt haunted her. Avengers seemed ever on her track; her power over her former friends was broken. Scotland was frowning and sullen, and would no longer come at her call. Armies would no longer fight for the beautiful but wicked queen. BOTHWELL was hated and fled for his life. MARY was a prisoner in Lochieven Castle, made her escape aided by the HAMILTONS and their allies, attempted to hew her way back to the throne, was defeated, exiled to England, there imprisoned, and after a long confinement in the Tower of London was beheaded.
Thus closed the wretched life of the beautiful but unprincipled MARY, Queen of Scots. Upon the regency of the Earl of Murray the kingdom had comparative peace. On December 15, 1567, the Scottish Parliament confirmed the action of i56o in favor of the Protestant religion. It took deep root and extended its branches. Then JOHN KNOX, worn with labor, depressed by disease, and in the course of nature approaching the end of life, thought to lay off his armor and compose himself for a change of worlds. But suddenly with all Scotland he was startled by the intelligence of the good regent's death. While passing through a narrow street in Linlithgow, the Earl of Murray was shot and mortally wounded by a concealed assassin, the ingrate HAMILTON, the bastard son of the Archbishop of St. Andrew's, whose life, after the battle of Langside, the regent himself had spared. In a few hours the regent - the wise ruler, the earnest Christian, the friend of the Reformation - a man of rare beauty of character, was no more. Scotland deeply mourned his death. JOHN KNOX was almost crushed by the blow which smote down the beloved regent. Ever memorable is the sermon that JOHN KNOX preached over the remains of the Earl of Murray and the prayer that he offered on the sad funeral day. But JOHN KNOX himself was not safe from the papal assassins. One evening as he took his accustomed seat at his table he felt impelled to change his place. A moment later a musket - ball passed through the window over his vacant chair; it was deflected from its course and deeply imbedded in the ceiling. KNOX'S time had not yet come. Yielding to the solicitation of friends, he removed to St. Andrew's, where he continued his work for a short time, when he was invited to Edinburgh, his friends desiring to hear him once more before he died. He went on the condition that he should not be required to keep silence respecting the conduct of those who kept the castle, "whose treasonable and tyrannical deeds he would cry out against as long as he was able to speak."
In the early part of September of the year 1572 the news came to Edinburgh of the massacre of St. Bartholomew in Paris. CHARLES IX, at the instigation of his mother, CATHERINE DE MEDICI and the papacy, had ordered the murder of Admiral COLIGNY, and in Paris and throughout France 70,000 men and women, old and young, and little children were put to death in the short space of only one week. By direction of Pope GREGORV XIII a public thanksgiving was held throughout all papal countries. When the envoys of CHARLES IX reached Rome the Pope wished that they should hand to him in solemn audience the letters of the Court of France and the strange present which CATHERINE DE MEDICI sent him. "It was the head of Admiral COLIGNY," says BRANTOME, "whom the mother and son, those crowned murderers, had sundered from his noble body and which they sent to the Pope, as the most agreeable offering they could make to the vicar of CHRIST." Pope
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GREGORY received this head with transports of ferocious joy, and in testimony of his gratitude to the king he sent him a magnificent blessed sword, on which was represented an exterminating angel. He also had a medal struck in honor of the event, and in theVatican's galleries is still to be seen a painting of those horrible and cruel deeds. Lovers of civil and religious liberty everywhere were bowed down under this great affliction. Scotland was overwhelmed with sorrow. JOHN KNOX was sorely distressed, but his faith in GOD and in the final triumph of the right did not fail him. He asked that, although he was partly paralyzed, he might be carried to the pulpit of old St. Giles' Church, and there he forgot his physical pains in the expression of his holy wrath. The wavering grew firm. The discouraged became hopeful. The voice of the people was as one man: "Come what may, we will hold fast to the Holy Bible."
But the great life - work of JOHN KNOX was done. On Monday, November 24, 1572, the brave old lion of Scotland passed away in peace in the sixty-seventh year of his age. Well did THOMAS CARLYLE say, "that for her liberty Scotland owed more to JOHN KNOX than to all other men." His influence was far more potent than that of ROBFRT BRUCE, of DAVD II, or of HENRY VIII. Had he not, with MARTIN LUTHER, MELANCTHON, FAREL, ZWINGLE, RIDLEY, LATIMER, CRANMER, and others, prepared the field, there would not have been any such thing known as speculative or philosophic Freemasonry and the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, or any other rite of Masonry ever come into existence, with Morality, Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity for its base, an altar erected with the chief Great Light of Masonry thereon as the silent witness of the solemn obligations taken upon it. But we are anticipating what is hereafter to follow.
On Wednesday, November 25, 1572, JOHN KNOX was buried in the churchyard of St. Giles. A multitude of people witnessed his burial. Loving and grateful hands laid him in his grave, and Regent MORTON, looking into that lowly resting - place, exclaimed in words immortal as their subject, "There lies he who never feared the face of man - who, though often threatened with dog and dagger, hath ended his days in peace." The strides of the Reformation through streams and seas of blood and persecution for nearly three centuries materially changed the character of nearly the whole population of Europe and converted the island of Great Britain into a home of refuge for the persecuted, exiled reformers, fleeing before the armies of the papacy, led by those bloodhounds in human form the Dominicans and Jesuits. On the continent of Europe operative Masonry was comparatively at a halt. The renunciation by HENRV VIII of the papal authority and declaring the English Church independent of the Vatican added fresh fuel to the fire of the wrath of the Pope. When ELIZABETH
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upon the death of bloody MARY was called to the throne both England and Scotland were in a constant state of inflammation consequent upon the great religious and political conflicts and warfare which extended throughout Christendom. Under her patronage a new style of architecture called the "Elizabethan" was introduced and newer designs were drawn upon the trestle - boards by the master workmen of the Craft, while the noblest spirits - poets, scholars, and philosophers of the agefound patronage and protection at the hands of this masculine "Virgin Queen of England," against whom the thunders of the Vatican roared in vain and the daggers of its Jesuit assassins failed when directed at the breast of their intended royal victim.
When ELIZABETH passed away on March 24, 1603, she was succeeded by JAMES (STUART) VI, the Protestant King of Scotland, who became JAMES I of England, uniting the thrones of both countries on July 25, 1603, in the very dawn of the seventeenth century - an age of stupendous convulsions and disturbances, which shook the British Isles to their foundations, and were the cause of forced as well as voluntary expatriations, peopling the Atlantic shores of America with English colonies along the watery edge of a rock - rimmed wilderness inhabited by hostile savages, but where the vision of ST. JOHN the Evangelist was fully materialized in after years in the form of perfect civil and religious liberty. "And the woman [Liberty] fled into the wilderness, into her place where she hath a place prepared of GOD. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place where she is nourished from the face of the serpent," said ST. JOHN the Evangelist in his Revelations.
Religious freedom in the main was secured. The Scottish King of England and the United Kingdom had the Great Light brought forth and translated out of the dead tongues and given to the people, and appointed to be read openly in the churches in a language that could be heard and understood by all. He provided an honored place for it in public processions and in the coronation ceremonies to be forever used in the crowning of the Protestant sovereigns of Great Britain and none others, and in after years the same ceremonies, modified, were to be continually used in the installation of Masters of Lodges of Freemasonry and other ceremonies of the Craft. Rome had nothing to expect in her favor from JAMES I, and through her deadly corps of Jesuit conspirators and assassins attempted to destroy both JAMES I and the Parliament of England bN blowing them into the air. Fortunately for him and his kingdom and for humanity, the Gunpowder Plot failed, and the immediate conspirators and assassins met the due punishment of their intended crime, while the Pope, in anger and disappointment, said low mass for their lost souls. The first quarter of a century passed away, terminating his reign on the throne by a natural death, on March 27, 1625, and he was succeeded by his
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eldest son, CHARLES I. During the latter's reign, he having married HENRIETTA MARIE (daughter of HENRV IV of France), a papist wife, and imported a retinue and horde of priests and Jesuits with her from France, the realm was rent with wars and bloodshed. At last he was brought to trial by Parliament, and two years before the first half of the century closed, he was on January 30, 1648, beheaded for his treason to the British Constitution and to the people.
In the midst of these wars and troubles operative Freemasonry was inactive and silent, while speculative Freemasonry, in connection with it as we now have it, had not been dreamed of by the wisest philosophers and scholars of those days. The Protectorate of CROMWELL, however, materially changed this state of affairs. On the pacification of the people and the restoration of peace, the affairs of Great Britain underwent a favorable transformation, and he caused her flag to be honored at home, respected abroad, and dreaded by her enemies throughout the world. At home the schools and universities advanced to a high state of improvement and culture; commerce, manufactures, and navigation flourished to a degree that had never been reached before; and the erection of magnificent buildings and structures had begun to a liberal extent, giving employment to architects and the guild of Freemasons in their construction, when suddenly it was brought to a stop by the death of OLIVER CROMWELL, on September 3, 1658. The year and a half that his son RICHARD ruled as the Protector of the Commonwealth was not marked by any event of importance, and the tide of progress and good government was to be turned back, and all the evils which could be brought upon a nation within itself were consummated upon the accession of CHARLES II to the throne, on May 29, 1660. For the twenty-five years of his reign of revenge, profligacy, debauchery, and immorality, no period of the world's history since the days just before the flood has had its equal among any people. If he could have covered his kingdom with a roof he would, had he been able to entirely debauch and corrupt the people, have converted it into a general house of prostitution. During his reign in the summer of 1664 the Great Plague broke out in London and spread over the kingdom, and in London alone, in the short space of four months, not less than 100,000 people were swept away by its ravages. Two years afterward, on September 3, 1666, the Great Fire of London broke out, which raged for three days, in which over 13,000 houses and 90 churches, including St. Paul's, were destroyed and laid in ashes. To restore and rebuild the city caused the influx of an immense gathering of operative Masons from all over the kingdom and from abroad to find employment in London, which also received a new addition to its population in the expatriated Huguenots from France and other religious reformers, who, in exile, sought security from persecution, hoping to find that freedom of conscience denied them at home. These people having to depend upon their own industry for their maintenance, fused with the guilds of London and the other cities in their various branches of labor and swelled the ranks of operative Freemasons and other organizations, and indoctrinated them with their own ideas of civil and religious liberty.
On February 6, 1685, the world was relieved of the presence of CHARLES II, and on April 23d following, JAMES II ascended the throne, and he was the last of the male line of the STUARTS to be crowned King of Great Britain and Ireland. But he, treacherous and false to his oath, after four years' efforts to restore the supremacy of the papacy, was forced to abdicate by the people and driven into exile, from whence he returned to make one more, and the last but fruitless effort to regain his throne. Says the French historian DU CORMENIN (himself a Catholic), in his " History of the Popes": "CLEMENT XI addressed a brief to JAMES II, the dethroned King of Great Britain, who had come to France to hide his shame, to console him in his exile, and to announce to him in the name of GOD that he would return in triumph to London with an escort of Jesuits, a prediction which most happily for England was not realized. Some months afterward the infamous JAMES II surrendered his soul
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to the devil in the Castle of St. Germain en Laye, and made this singular exhortation to the Prince of Wales, his son, whose legitimacy was more than suspected: 'Remember, my son, that if ever you remount the throne, we owe all to the Pope and the Jesuits. Spare no means to re - establish the Catholic religion in your kingdom. Burn, sack, murder; and remember that it is better to gain Heaven than to merit the blessings of the people.' The young prince promised to follow these instructions faithfully. Immediately after the death of his father he assumed the title of JAMES III, and styled himself King of Great Britain, by which two or three valets attached to his person, and the papal nuncio, saluted him. The solicitude of CLEMENT XI for the STUARTS had only regard to the interests of the Holy See, for the Pontiff did not believe they could ever be re - installed on the throne of Great Britain, and he appeared so ardent in maintaining their interests only to excite disturbances in the three kingdoms and call off the attention of the powers to that quarter, whilst he was preparing to seize Sicily or the Milanese, or even the kingdom of Naples, which excited his covetousness.".
The revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIV of France in 1685 had driven a million of Huguenots with their families to England, Holland, and America, and WILLIAM of Nassau and Prince of Orange (the grandson of William the Silent and great - grandson of COLIGNY, the Huguenot Admiral of France, slain at the massacre of St. Bartholomew) was called to the throne, with the Protestant daughter of JAMES ii as Queen, and they were jointly crowned as WILLIAM III and MARY II, King and Queen of Great Britain, Ireland, and the Colonial Dependencies. In after years, Pope BENEDICT XIV in 1747 elevated to the purple HENRY BENEDICT, the second son of The First Pretender, as the Cardinal of York, who died at Rome in 1807 - the last of the STUARTS.
During the middle portion of the eighteenth century, while the Continental wars were in full activity, Freemasonry continued to thrive in spite of the devastation of war and the hostility of nations. The thunders of the Vatican against it in the fulmination of the bulls of Pope CLEMENT XII and his successors, threatening excommunication, confiscation of property, imprisonment, and death to all who belonged to the hated and persecuted Order, failed to crush the spirit or destroy the bonds of fraternity which bound it together. During this period English Freemasonry remained comparatively inactive or was engaged in dissensions and bitterness of strife; its power for good was rendered inoperative, the true spirit of Freemasonry emasculated, and the two Grand Lodges of England were like tired and exhausted eunuchs, who had become worn out in a boxing or wrestling match in the aretia and were no longer capable of doing each other harm. Each changed its lectures and formula repeatedly, and English Freemasonry stood still. It has been well and truly stated by a most distinguished Masonic writer that at this time "it became envious and suspicious of the higher degrees. It refused to recognize them as Masonic or to form any connection with them, or with the Royal Arch of DERMOTT, framed from the Royal Arch of ENOCH or SOLOMON. It never had any object after the struggle of the Stuarts had ended. But Scottish Freemasonry, on the contrary, engaged in its long controversy with royal and Pontifical despotism, and became the apostle of free thought, free speech, and free conscience."
At the beginning of the eighteenth century there were thirty-four counties in England without a printer. The only press in England north of the Trent was at York. As to private libraries there were none deserving the name. Until now man was wandering in the midst of thick darkness the truth appeared to him but as a doubtful light - - in a morbid atmosphere. In the eighteenth century priestly influence was annihilated and the reason of mankind developed itself in a prodigious manner; while philosophy enlightened the minds of all and mankind recovered its rights, but only after tremendous struggles in blood and carnage, in both the Old and New World. The sacred love
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of liberty, that divine sentiment the lightnings of which despots had restrained, was reanimating all hearts. The planting of Freemasonry upon the continent of Europe set the whole philosophic world ablaze, and it was moving almost in a meteoric shower upon the minds of men ardently searching for liberty and the truth. The house of the STUARTS used it as far as possible in the bonds of a newly created fraternity among fresh adherents, but as soon as the STUARTS' objects were understood by men of keen foresight and perception they ceased to follow after the false lights, which ere long ceased to glow and the efforts to use it were made in vain. The Jesuits, seeing that papal bulls of excommunication, confiscation of property, imprisonment, torture, and death failed to arrest its progress, to destroy it inveigled themselves into it and manufactured degrees and rites almost innumerable to confuse the fraternity and divert the life - giving stream into useless channels, to be dissipated and lost in the desert of vain ideas and hopeless anticipations. The unsatisfactory termination of the Master Mason's degree in a historic sense created a desire for further knowledge in the finishing of King SOLOMON'S Temple after the death of the master builder, over which a veil of mystery was hung, the neophyte not being fully able to discern the spiritual sense and symbolism of the third degree. With the Great Light before him the seeker of knowledge and truth was still groping in fog, endeavoring to brush the mists aside, to get a fair view of the retrospective past and that which was in the future beyond.
That which is called Ancient Craft Masonry had already, so far as its progenitors and promoters were concerned in England, served its purpose, was tied to the throne and interests of the house of Hanover, and all further progress except on those lines was stopped. So - called "landmarks" were set UP, and borrowed, and misappropriated, and made apt the language of ST. JOHN the Evangelist in the closing of his Revelation: "If any man shall add unto these things, GOD shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, GOD shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."
Yet the first Grand Lodge of England, or the Moderns, violated its own landmarks, changed the names and positions of the pillars, and its ritual; expelled the seceders, who organized a Grand Lodge of their own, which conferred new degrees, manufactured by RAMSAY and others, imported from France; and after a period of sixty years, in 1813, both united in organizing the present Grand Lodge of England. To elucidate the history of the Temples of SOLOMON, of ZERUBBABEL and of HEROD, the traditions, legends, and instructions in the Blue Lodge, there is neither time nor opportunity, for "Masonry is a progressive science," and not an inert, inoperative, passive, and immobile institution.
Soon after Freemasonry was introduced into France by Lord DERWENTWATER, really in the interest of the house of the STUARTS, philosophers and scholars from all over Europe who were admitted to the fraternity saw that the meagre curriculum of its ritual was but of a primary or kindergarten nature. The chief thing, however, was the right of conscience in the reading and interpreting the great Light of Masonry each for himself, and the Bible was a free book. Wherever a Masonic Lodge was organized and its altar set up there was the Holy Bible, in this sense following directly in the path and field of the great Reformation. While not teaching any form of religious belief, the Order of Freemasonry at once became the first great Bible society of the world. Protestantism and Roman Catholicism might clash in fierce contests without, but the voice of sect had no place in a Masonic Lodge, where the silent and invincible Word of GOD, the mighty and everlasting truth, uttered for itself without creed, "I Am that I Am, and my word shall not return unto me void, saith JEHOVAH," and the Great Light must shine. In this respect Freemasonry became a passive bulwark of defense to Protestantism without declaration, a partial asylum to the Hebrew, and
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THE DYING KING EXHORTS HIS SON TO PERSECUTE ALL DISSENTERS FROM THE FAITH.
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a neutral ground where men of opposite religious and philosophic opinions might meet, leaving their particular notions and prejudices outside, having the Bible for their guide and the grand doctrine of the " Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man," with the Golden Rule - "Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you do ye even so unto them, and love thy neighbor as thyself" - to measure and lay out their work. In other words, the Bible for authority was per se the substitute for the Pope, with a sublime, trusting faith in GOD and the immortality of the soul, being all that was and is required by Freemasonry, leaving the conscience to be drawn to the Infinite by the superior power of the celestial magnet of the Holy Spirit, while to the true, Christian Mason the cross will remind him of the words spoken by Him " who spake as never man spake," " If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me."
When MICHAEL RAMSAY commenced his speculative Masonry in Paris he carried with him beyond doubt from his native Scotland some remains of the ancient myths, legions, and fragments of Masonic and chivalric history from Kilwinning and elsewhere, which he sought to make use of first in Holland and then in France, where, becoming the tutor of the children of JAMES II and of The Pretender, he changed outwardly at least his religion from that of the Protestant to the Roman Catholic. But mysticism, the Passion Play, and the religious dramas enacted in the papal church presented a field for his inventive talent, in which also he found many Jesuit and other collaborators and competitors, until there seemed to be as many rites and degrees of Freemasonry as there are visible stars in the heavens. They were all built up from the same foundation, that of the Blue Lodge, which in its essentials ever remained the same, like the Ten Commandments, as a constitution and a base of all the statutory and sanitary laws in the Mosaic dispensation. The history of the Jewish race - its progress and autonomy as a nation, its fall and the destruction of its temples of worship, its legend and myths in common with its half - kindred, the descendants of ISHMAE - furnished material, added to the Egyptian, Indian, and Grecian religions, out of which, with science and philosophy, to mold them in as a composite speculative system, each according to the phantasm of the inventor, with the tales of the Crusades thrown in, like fragments of colored glass in a kaleidoscope, to give brilliancy to the invention. In spite of RAMSAY's apostacy from the Protestant faith, he was nevertheless a Scotchman, mingled with his countrymen abroad, and retained in part some of the tenets of his early Protestant training, while there still lingered in his memory the tradition of the destruction of the Order of the Temple and the Scottish remnant which aided ROBERT BRUCE in the defense of Scotland at the battle of Bannockburn. He was now in Paris, where the Order was first destroyed. Says MACKAY: "He had while in Holland become acquainted with PIERRE POIRET, one of the most celebrated teachers of the mystic theology which then prevailed on the Continent. From him RAMSAY learned the principal tenets of that system, and it is not unreasonable to suppose that he was indoctrinated with that love of mystical speculation which he subsequently developed as the
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inventor of Masonic degrees and as the founder of a Masonic rite. In 1710 he visited the celebrated FENELON, Archbishop of Cambray, of whose mystical tendencies he had heard, and met with a cordial reception. The archbishop invited RAMSAY to become his guest, and in six months he was converted to the Catholic faith. FENELON procured for him the preceptorship of the Duc de Chateau - Thierry and the Prince de Turenne. As a reward for his services in that capacity he was made a Knight of the Order of St. Lazarus, whence he received the title of Chevalier, by which he was usually known. He was subsequently selected by JAMES III, The Pretender, as the tutor of his two sons, CHARLES EDWARD and HENRY, the former afterward The Young Pretender, and the latter the Cardinal York. For this purpose in 1724 he repaired to Rome. But the political and religious intrigues of that court became distasteful to him, and in a short time he obtained permission and returned to France. In 1728 he visited England and became an inmate of the family of the Duke of Argyle. He had already acquired so great a literary reputation that the University of Oxford conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Laws. He then returned to France and resided for many years at Pointoise, a seat of the Prince of Ttirenne, where he wrote his 'Life of Fenelon' and a 'History of the Viscount Turenne.' During the remainder of his life he resided as intendant in the prince's family, and died May 6, 1743, in the fifty-seventh year of his age. No one played a more important part in the history of Freemasonry in the eighteenth century than the Chevalier RAMSAY, and the influence of his opinions and teachings is still felt in the high degrees which have been adopted by the various rites into which Masonry is now divided.
That portion which related to the Roval Arch and that of the Knights Templar in part, which were the composition and inventions of RAMSAY, who has been mentioned as having been converted to the Catholic faith by FENELON, the Jesuit Archbishop of Cambray, have already been given. In reference to FENELON, Chancellor D'AGUESSEAU said: "He is a gossip, simple and artful, open and deceitful; modest and ambitious; sensitive and indifferent; capable of desiring everything, and of despising everything; always agitated, always tranquil; mixing in nothing, taking part in everything; a sulpician, a missionary, even a Jesuit and a courtier, all at once; fit to play the most brilliant parts, fit to live in obscurity; competent for all things, and yet still more competent for himself; a versatile genius who
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knows how to assume all characters without ever losing his own, and at the bottom of which is a fruitful and graceful imagination." Du CORMENIN adds, "He was cowardly, hypocritical, and persecuting"; and he says further: "What will appear still more extraordinary than the intimate friendship between the Archbishop of Cambray and the Abbe DUBOIS, was his affiliation with the Templars. All historians agree in saying that FENELON was received as a Knight of the Temple in 1699, a period at which he was already in possession of his see, and that on the day of his Joining the Order he pronounced the usual oath, which contains a full and entire adhesion to the doctrine of pantheism; it is this: 'GOD is all which exists - each part of that which exists is a part of GOD, but is not GOD. Immutable in His essence, GOD is mutable in His parts, which, after having existed under the laws of certain combinations, more or less complicated, revive under the laws of new combinations. All is uncreated.' Thus, then, FENEI,ON - that devoted servant of the Holy See, that intrepid defender of pontifical authority, that fierce apostle of Jesuitism, that bitter Catholic - was not even a Christian! He died at the age of sixty-four years, on the 7th of January, 1715, at the time when Louis XIV, to assure the triumph of the Society of Jesus, was preparing to force Parliament to register the edicts which assimilated the refusal to accept the bull 'Unigenitus' to heresy, and rendered the guilty liable to be burned. He was also preparing to restore the heated chambers, which under his predecessors had put to death so many victims, and he would certainly have executed this criminal design if death had not delivered France of him."
This Order of Knights Templar was the spurious and pretended successor to the real one, and which existed under a forged and pretended charter of LARMENIUS and statutes constructed by an Italian priest named BONANI, under the direction of PHILIP of Orleans, the Regent of France during the minority of Louis XV. FENELON being dead, RAMSAY proceeded with his inventions, and to counteract the evils of the pretended Order of the Temple in Paris invented for his system the Templar Kadosh degree, which after his death was incorporated in 1754 by the Chevalier DE BONNEVILLE into the Rite of Perfection. The first part of the degree being severed from the latter, became the true Trinitarian Knights Templar degree, and with the Rose Croix, which was taken to England, Scotland, and Ireland, adopted in the Athol Grand Lodge at York, upon which the Baldwin and all other Encampments were organized, and in the manner already stated came to America, with which the WEBB Templar manufactured degree was welded and fused, and from which the American Knights Templar system arose and has reached its prominent position in the Masonic world today. In 1747 The Young Pretender, four years after the death of his tutor RAMSAY, established a Chapter of Rose Croix in the town of Arras, in France, with the title of Chapitre Primordial de Rose Croix. The charter of this body is now extant in an authenticated copy deposited in the departmental archives of Arras. In it The Young Pretender styles himself King of England, France, Scotland, and Ireland, and, by virtue of this, Sovereign Grand Master of the Chapter of Heredom, known under the title of the Eagle and Pelican, and, "since our sorrows and misfortunes, under that of Rose Croix." From this we infer that the degree had formerly been known as Knight of the Eagle and Pelican, a title which it still retains; that it was at that date introduced into France by The Young Pretender, who borrowed it from the Rosy Cross of the Royal Order of Scotland, of which, because as the King of Scotland is the Hereditary Grand Master, he, by virtue of his claim to the throne, assumed the Grand Mastership. Hence it is probable that the Rose Croix degree has been borrowed from the Rosy Cross of the Royal Order of Heredom, but in passing from Scotland to France it greatly changed its form and organization, as it resembles in no respect its archetype, except that both are eminently Christian in their design.
This degree became diffused through numerous rites of Masonry, but became the eighteenth of the Rite of Perfection, the eighteenth afterward of the Council of Emperors of the East and West
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and of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, the seventh of the French or Rit Moderne, the third of the Royal Order of Scotland, the twelfth of the Elect of Truth, the seventh of the Phlalethes, and went with the Templar Kadosh to England and became the sixth of the degrees conferred by the Encampment of Baldwin at Bristol, England. This now brings us to.
THE RITE OF PERFECTION.
In 1754 the Chevalier DE BONNEVILLE established a Chapter of the high degrees at Paris, in the College of Jesuits of Clermont, hence called the Chapter of Clermont. The system of Masonry he there practiced received the name of the Rite of Perfection, or Rite of Heredom. The College of Clermont was, says REBOLD, the asylum of the adherents of the house of the STUARTS, and hence the rite is to some extent tinctured with STUART Masonry. It consisted of twenty-five degrees, as follows: 1, Apprentice; 2, Fellow Craft; 3, Master; 4, Secret Master; 5, Perfect Master; 6, Intimate Secretary; 7, Intendant of the Building; 8, Provost and judge; 9, Elect of Nine; 10, Elect of Fifteen; 11, Illustrious Elect Chief of the Twelve Tribes; 12, Grand Master Architect; 13, Royal Arch; 14, Grand Elect Ancient Perfect Master; 15, Knight of the Sword; 16, Prince of Jerusalem; 17, Knight of the East and West; 18, Rose Croix Knight; 19, Grand Pontiff; 20, Grand Patriarch; 21, Grand Master of the Key of Masonry; 22, Prince of Libanus; 23, Sovereign Prince Adept Chief of the Grand Consistory; 24, Illustrious Knight Commander of the Black and White Eagle; 25, Most Illustrious Sovereign Prince of Masonry, Grand Knight Sublime Commander of the Royal Secret.
Four years later this Chapter of Clermont gave way to the Council of Emperors of the East and West. These degrees, so far as they go, were of course the same. The distinguishing feature of this rite is that Freemasonry was derived from Templarism, and that consequently every Freemason is a Knight Templar. It was there that the Baron VON HUND was initiated, and from it through him proceeded the Rite of Strict Observance, although he discarded the degrees and retained only the Templar theory. The Rite of Perfection, with its degrees and divisions, was but a series of traps organized by the Jesuits for the purpose of discovering the true animus of men at the last in their real sentiments toward the papacy in the Templar Kadosh degree and disposition toward the house of the STUARTS; and the real head was The Young Pretender, CHARLES EDWARD. His project having failed and the prospect of his ever regaining the throne of Scotland and England becoming hopeless, the Rite of Perfection was but lukewarmly maintained, as political events in the world were soon to assume remarkable changes. The Baron VON HUND, after receiving the degrees of the Rite of Perfection and seeing it on the wane, went to work and borrowing from it constructed the Rite of Strict Observance, and it was divided into seven degrees: 1, Apprentice; 2, Fellow Craft; 3, Master; 4, Scottish Master; 5, Novice; 6, Templar; 7, Professed Knight. He took the first half of the Templar Kadosh degree of the Rite of Perfection for his Templar degree, leaving out the Kadosh. This was after VON HUND returned to Germany and had been appointed a deputy from the French authority to disseminate the high decrees in that country; but he took advantage of the knowledge gained, and it is said proceeded to formulate the Templar Rite of Strict Observance. ROBISON Says that "while VON HUND was in Paris he there became acquainted with the Earl of Kilmarnock and some other gentlemen who were adherents of The Pretender, and received from them the new degrees, which had been invented, so it is said, for political purposes by the followers of the exiled house of STUART." "While he resided in Paris," says FINDEL, "he received some intimations of the Order of Knights Templar in Scotland. The legend, which it is unnecessary to say has been deemed fabulous,
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is given to us by CLAVEL ('Hist. Pitton,' p. 184), who tells us that 'after the execution of JACQUES DE MOLAY, PIERRE D'AUMONT, the Provincial Grand Master of Auvergne, accompanied by two Commanders and five Knights, escaped to Scotland, assuming during their journey, for the purpose of concealment, the costume of operative masons. Having landed on one of the Scottish Islands they met several other companions Scottish Knights, with whom they resolved to continue the existence of the Order, whose abolition had been determined by the Pope and the King of France. At a Chapter held on St. John's Day, 1313, D'AUMONT was elected Grand Master, and the Knights, to avoid in future the persecutions to which they had been subjected, professed to be Freemasons and adopted the symbols of that Order. In 1361 the Grand Master transported his see to the city of Aberdeen, and from that time the Order of the Temple spread under the guise of Freemasonry throughout the British Islands and the Continent.'"
The question is not now as to the truth or even the probability of this legend. Baron VON HUND accepted it as a historical fact. He was admitted at Paris to the Order of Knights Templar (RAMSAY'S), CLAVEL says by The Pretender, CHARLES EDWARD, who was the Grand Master of the Order. ROBISON intimates that he was inducted by the Earl of Kilmarnock, whose signature was attached to his diploma. GADICKE says that he traveled over to Brabant to the French army and was there made a Templar by high chiefs of the Order; and this statement may be reconciled with that of ROBISON, for the high chiefs of GADICKE were probably the followers of The Pretender, some of whom were likely to have been with the French army. RAGON also asserts that "the Templar system of RAMSAY was known in Germany before the foundation of the Chapter of Clermont, whence VON HUND derived his information and his powers; that it consisted of six degrees, to which VON HUND added a seventh; and that at the time of VON HUND's arrival in Germany this regime had Baron VON MARSHALL at its head, to whom VON HUND'S superiors in Paris had referred him." This seems to be the correct version of the affair, and so the Rite of Strict Observance was not actually established but only reformed and put into more active operation by VON HUND. Continuing the line of descent, we come to the -
COUNCIL OF EMPERORS OF THE EAST AND WEST.
In 1758 the Rite of Perfection having become dormant it was revived in Paris in a Chapter called the Council of Emperors of the East and West. The members assumed the titles of Sovereign Prince Masons, Substitutes General of the Royal Art, Grand Superintendents and Officers of the Grand and Sovereign Lodge of St. John of Jerusalem. Their ritual, which was based on the RAMSAY Templar system of the Rite of Perfection, consisted of 25 degrees: 1 to 19, the same as that rite; 20, Grand Patriarch Noachite; 21, Key of Masonry; 22, Prince of Lebanon; 23, Knight of the Sun; 24, Kadosh; 25, Prince of the Royal Secret. It granted warrants for Lodges of the high degrees, appointed Grand Inspectors and Deputies, and established several bodies in the interior of France, among which was a Council of Princes of the Royal Secret at Bordeaux. In 1763, the Jesuits seeing that these degrees had passed beyond their control now, for the purpose of destroying them and Freemasonry with them altogether, if possible, induced a tool of theirs, one PINCEMAILLE, the Master of the Lodge La Candeur at Metz, to publish an exposition of these degrees in the serial numbers of a work entitled "Conversations Allegoriques sur la Franche - Maconnene." In 1764 the Grand Lodge of France offered him 300 livres to suppress the book. PINCEMAILLE accepted the offer but continued the publication, which lasted until 1766.
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Between the years 1760 and 1765 there was much dissension in the rite. A new Council of the Knights of the East was established at Paris in 176o as the rival of the Emperors of the East and West. The controversies of these two bodies were carried into the Grand Lodge, which in 1766 was compelled for the sake of peace to issue a decree in opposition to the high degrees, excluding the malcontents and forbidding the symbolical Lodges to recognize the authority of these Chapters. But the excluded Masons continued to work clandestinely and to grant warrants. From that time until its dissolution the history of the Council of the Emperors of the East and West is but a history of continuous disputes with the Grand Lodge of France. At length in 1781 it was completely absorbed in the Grand Orient and has no longer an existence. Before it ceased to have an existence it had granted and delegated powers to propagate the rite in other countries, and therefore, to preserve the connection, the following is given:
In 1758, the year of their establishment in France, the degrees of this Rite of Heredom, or of Perfection, as it was called, were carried by the Marquis De BERNEZ to Berlin and adopted by the Grand Lodge of the Three Globes. Three years afterward, on August 27, 1761, the Deputies General of the Royal Art, Grand Wardens, and officers of the Grand and Sovereign Lodge of St. John of Jerusalem, established at Paris (so reads the document itself), granted a patent to STEPHEN MORIN, by which he was empowered "to multiply the sublime degrees of High Perfection and to create Inspectors in all places where the sublime degrees are not established." THORY, RAGON, CLAVEL, and LENNING say this patent was granted by the Grand Council of Emperors of the East and West; others say by the Grand Lodge; DALCHO says by the Grand Consistory of Princes of the Royal Secret at Paris. Bro. ALBERT PIKE, who has very elaborately investigated the question, says that " .the authority of MORIN was a joint authority of the two then contending Grand Lodges of France and the Grand Council, which is what DALCHO calls the Grand Consistory. From the Grand Lodge he received the power to establish a symbolic Lodge, and from the Grand Council or Consistory the power to confer the higher degrees. Not long after receiving these powers MORIN sailed for America and established bodies of the Scottish Rite or of Perfection in St. Domingo and Jamaica. The first Deputy Inspector - General appointed by STEPHEN MORIN under his commission from the Emperors of the East and West was HENRY A. FRANCKEN, who received his degrees and appointment at Kingston, Jamaica. The date is not known, but it must have been between 1762 and 1767. FRANCKEN soon repaired to the United States, where he gave the appointment of a deputy to MOSES M. HAYES at Boston, and organized a Council of Princes of Jerusalem at Albany. He was the first propagator of the high degrees in the United States."
After appointing several deputies and establishing some bodies in the West India Islands, MORIN is lost sight of. Nothing is known of his subsequent history or of the time and place of his death. RAGON, THORY, and CLAVEL say that MORIN was a Jew; but MACKAY says, "As these writers have judaized all the founders of the Scottish Rite in America, we have no right to place any confidence in their statements. The name of MORIN has been borne by many French Christians of literary reputation, from PETER MORIN, a learned ecclesiastical writer of the sixteenth century, to STEPHEN MORIN, an antiquary and Protestant clergyman, who died in 1700, and his son HENRY, who became a Catholic and died in 1728."
As we have already stated, the Monk of Eisleben of Germany was the great pioneer and torch - bearer of the Reformation to bring out the Great Light which had been hidden and concealed in the monasteries of Europe for centuries. When MARTIN LUTHER released the Bible from its chains in his monastery and from the fetters of a dead language not understood by the common people, and it was given to the world literally on the wings of the printer's press, he prepared the way to unlock the treasuries where the wisdom and knowledge of the centuries had been imprisoned
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for ages and came forth liberated and disenthralled. The myths and legends of history and tradition, with the arts, sciences, and philosophy that burst forth from their prison cells like birds just out from their cages, by natural instinct had to look around for a place to perch for safety, and after two centuries it became at last firmly secured under the protecting wings of the Black Eagle of Germany in the person of FREDERICK the Great. He saw what the Jesuits had done in the collating of degrees, formulating others, and combining the whole in the Rite of Perfection, that in the outcome the unwary might be caught at last in the Templar Kadosh degree. Not that there is anything improper in the degree itself, but the spirit manifested by the one who received it would show his real animus toward the papal power which put the Templars to death and robbed them of their possessions, and by this test thus mark their victims for destruction; for the Jesuits everywhere were pursuing a deadly still hunt for the blood of the real Knight Templar, wherever he might be found, where Rome controlled the religion of the state.
That we may understand the Masonic character of FREDERICK the Great, we give the following: In the year 1778, during our American Revolution for independence, FREDERICK the Great of Prussia, the friend of WASHINGTON, whom he greatly admired as a patriot and a Freemason, to whom he sent the present of a sword (as did also the Earl of Buchan of Scotland), and for whom Fredericksburg, Virginia, was named, found trouble in his own dominions, which he promptly suppressed. The Superior of a Dominican Convent at Aix - la - Chapelle (Father GREINEMAN) and a Capuchin Monk (Father SCHIFF) were trying to excite the lower classes against the Lodge of Masons at that place, which had been reconstituted by the mother Lodge at Wetzlar. When FREDERICK the Great heard of this he wrote the following letter to the instigators, dated February 7, 1778:
"Most Reverend Fathers - Various reports, confirmed through the papers, have brought to my knowledge with how much zeal you are endeavoring to sharpen the sword of fanaticism against quiet, virtuous people called Freemasons. As a former dignitary in this honorable body I am compelled as much as it is in my power to repel this dishonoring slander, and remove the dark veil that causes the temple we have erected to all virtues to appear to your vision as a gathering point for all vices. Why, my most reverend Fathers, will you bring back upon us those centuries of ignorance and barbarism that have so long been the degradation of the human reason - those times of fanaticism upon which the eye of understanding cannot look back but with a shudder - those times in which hypocrisy, seated on the throne of despotism with superstition on one side and humility on the other, tried to put the world in chains and commanded a regardless burning of those who were able to read? You are not only applying the nickname of masters of witchcraft to the Freemasons, but you accuse them of being thieves, profligates, forerunners of anti-Christ, and admonish a whole nation to annihilate such a cursed generation. Thieves, my most reverend Fathers, do not act as we do and make it their duty to assist the poor and the orphans; on the contrary, thieves are those who rob them sometimes of their inheritance, and fatten on their prey in the lap of idleness and hypocrisy. Thieves cheat, Freemasons enlighten humanity. A Freemason returning from his Lodge, where he has only listened to instructions beneficial to his fellow-beings, will be a better husband in his home. Forerunners of anti-Christ would in all probability direct their efforts toward an extinction of divine law. But it is impossible for Freemasons to sin against it without demolishing their own structure. And can those be a cursed generation who try to find their glory in the indefatigable efforts to spread those virtues which constitute them honest men? - FREDERIC."
In his own country of Germany the Rite of Perfection under FREDERICK the Great, freed from the intrigues and power of the Jesuits, continued to flourish, and he gave it its Grand Constitutions in 1762, which on October 25th of that year were finally ratified at Bordeaux, France, and proclaimed
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for the government of all the Lodges of sublime and perfect Masons, Councils, Colleges, and Consistories, of Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret, over the two hemispheres. This was done with the consent and approval of the Grand Consistory of Berlin, of which FREDERICK the Great was the Grand Commander and the Supreme Chief of the Scottish Rite or of Perfection. But he seeing the success of the War of the American Revolution for liberty and independence, a new nation born and established on the western shores of the Atlantic, whose independence had in 1783 been acknowledged by the mother country of Great Britain and a treaty of peace made and declared; and knowing what influence Masonry had exerted in producing that result, and the new American nation with an immense continent behind it with a vast future before it, resolved upon a change and an augmentation of the Rite of Perfection. Thus, after a period of twenty-four years, he reconstructed and reorganized it upon a new basis, and to prevent its control from again falling into the hands of the Jesuits and to bring into it also the history of the Teutonic Knights during the Crusades, that Order now being composed of Protestants, he added and interlaced eight other degrees to it, named the new and reformed system,
THE ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY,
and established the Grand Constitutions, which were ratified and signed at Berlin on May 1, 1786. By these Constitutions of 1786 he resigned his authority, and his Masonic prerogatives were deposited with a Council in and for each nation, to be composed of Sovereign Grand Inspectors - General of the thirty-third and last degree of legitimate Freemasonry, limited in number to that of the years of CHRIST on the earth.
On August 17, 1786, FREDERICK the Great died. In France the Rite of Perfection was condensed into seven degrees, called the Kil Alotierne, or the Modern French Rite, which was composed as follows: 1, Apprentice; 2, Fellow Craft; 3, Master; 4, Elect; 5, Scotch Master; 6, Knight of the East; 7, Knight Rose Croix. Bro. FRANCKEN instituted a Lodge of Perfection of the fourteenth degree at Albany, N. Y., on December 20, 1767, nine years before the Declaration of Independence, and conferred the degree of Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret (then the twenty-fifth degree, but now the thirty-second) upon a number of brethren. This body after its creation remained comparatively dormant for many years, and its original warrant, books of record, and patents of brethren were fifty-five years after its establishment discovered and brought to light in 1822 by the late Bro. GILES FONDA YATES. This was the first body of the Rite of Perfection planted on the continent of North America. From its ritual and material no doubt it aided THOMAS SMITH WEBB to formulate his system of degrees in the Royal Arch Chapter, to appropriate the fifteenth and sixteenth degrees entire, to make his Red Cross degree as he did, and, from the Rose Croix and other material with his own invention, to make his American Knight Templar degree, for he resided at Albany in the interim and prepared his system there. Bro. YATES by due authority revived the Lodge of Perfection and placed it under the superintendency of a Grand Council of Princes of Jerusalem, as required by the old Constitutions of 1762, and such Grand Council was subsequently opened in due form in that city. Bro. MOSES M. HAYES in 1781 appointed Bro. DA COSTA as Deputy Inspector - General for South Carolina, Bro. Solomon Bush for Pennsylvania, and Bro. Behrend M. Spitzer for Georgia, which appointments were confirmed by a council of Inspectors - General on June 15, 1781, two years before the close of the Revolutionary War. After the death of Bro. DA COSTA, Bro. JOSEPH MYERS was appointed by Bro. HAYES to succeed him. Before DA COSTA died, he, in accordance with the Constitutions of 1762, established a sublime Grand Lodge of Perfection in Charleston, S. C., where
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for the first time in the United States of America were the degrees from the fourth to the fourteenth, inclusive, actually worked; for in this country the three symbolic degrees are under the control and government of the Grand Lodges by which they were established, their authority duly recognized by all legitimate Scottish Rite Brethren who have remained true and loyal in their allegiance to the sovereign powers of Ancient Craft Masonry, which in turn appoints representatives to and receives them from the regular legitimate Councils of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in various countries of the world and are in amity with them.
On February 20, 1788, a Council of Princes of Jerusalem was duly constituted at Charleston, S. C., and the officers installed by Bros. BEHREND M. SPITZER and A. FROST. The researches into the early history of the planting of the Scottish Rite or that of Perfection in this country prove that, notwithstanding the appointment of Inspectors - General in the several States, the Rite was worked in Charleston, S. C., only, and to the zeal of our Charleston Brethren (the most of whom were of Huguenot descent), to their constant application to the Scottish Rite, are we indebted for the foundation of the first real bodies of the rite in America and the parent of all legitimate bodies of the rite in existence. In 1796 a Council of Knights Kadosh (now of the 30th degree) was organized in Philadelphia by Brethren who had fled thither from the West Indies. This Council soon after became extinct through the return of its founders, and in 1797 a Chapter of the Rose Croix (of the 18th degree) was founded in New York City. The condition of France and of French Freemasonry was in constant ebullition and trouble through the machinations of the Jesuits. In the terrible upheaval and revolution of that people in 1798 everything civil, judicial, political, and Masonic were in a state of unutterable confusion, conflict, and chaos. The Rite of Perfection in a mutilated and sickly condition continued to exist in the French West India Islands, where remnants of the bodies were scattered. The Constitutions of 1786 established by FREDERICK the Great, as well as the rituals of the eight additional degrees which constituted the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, had been received by the Brethren at Charleston, S. C. Although the Revolutionary War in America had been successful and the United States had been established on a sure foundation with a constitutional government, yet it was in its infancy. In some portions Freemasonry under different and several Grand Lodges, the inheritors of their English Grand Lodge progenitors, was still unsettled, and a hostile feeling manifested itself for many years. There were two opposing Grand Lodges in South Carolina, one the "Ancients" and the other the "Moderns." In this state of affairs the Brethren of the Rite of Perfection in Charleston found themselves between two fires, and without a supreme head to their own rite existing anywhere; and, as related by Sir WALTER SCOTT, in "Quentin Durward," one of the Waverley Novels, in the reply made by QUENTIN DURWARD to CHARLES, Duke of Burgundy, when he said, "And that finally, when I did avail myself of that imputed character, it was as if I had snatched up a shield to protect myself in a moment of emergency and used it, as I surely should have done for myself and others, without inquiring whether I had a right to the heraldic emblazonments which it displayed."
So it was with the Brethren at Charleston, S. C. They were in possession of the Grand Constitutions of 1786 as well as 1762, together with the rituals of the new rite formed as the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, and the new rite and Grand Constitutions of 1786 became their shield of protection and defense, by their appropriation and adoption, no power then on earth existing to dispute their right to them; and the parent Supreme Council, which was formed agreeably to the Constitutions of 1786, was that founded at Charleston, S. C., on May 31, 1801, by Bros. JOHN MITCHELL and FREDERICK DALCHO - the former a colonel in the American army, and the latter a Protestant clergyman and a most distinguished writer. And so was formed the first Supreme Council.
CHAPTER XI.
Supreme Council of the Thirty-Third Degree.
INSTITUTION OF THE MOTHER COUNCIL OF THE WORLD AT CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED AND OVERCOME IN THE
PROPAGATION OF THE RITE - FRAUDULENT BODIES
THE CURRICULUM.
THE Supreme Council, founded at Charleston, South Carolina, though composed of but two Inspectors - General in the beginning, became the mother and grandmother of all other legitimate Supreme Councils that were brought into existence after it was first established, and which with itself are the only legal authority of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in America or elsewhere.
[THOMAS SMITH WEBB and HENRY FOWLE of Boston, JOHN SNOW of Providence, and THOMAS LOWNDES of New York - they four only - organized themselves into the General Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States, and adopted a constitution for themselves and all Grand and subordinate Encampments or Commanderies thereafter constituted under its authority. This was done at New York on June 20, 1816. They had the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for an example to follow, though they had twice the number to start with. It had two and they four.] In 1802 the Supreme Council at Charleston conferred the 33d degree on Bros. Count DE GRASSE TILLEY, HACQUET, and DE LA HOGUE, and these Brethren by its authority of Letters Patent, dated February 21, 1802, established the Supreme Councils of France and those of the French and English West India Colonies. The Supreme Council of France was duly installed by Ill\DE GRASSE TILLEY on December 22, 1804, at Paris, in the hall known as the gallery of Pompeii, situated in the Rue Neuve des Petits Champs. This Supreme Council was the first and only one established in France, and it was afterward divided into two branches, one called the Supreme Council of France and the other the Supreme Council of the Grand Orient of France. These two bodies are still in existence, but the former only is in relation of comity with the mother Supreme Council (which created it) and all the other regular Supreme Councils of the world. Ill\Bro. DE GRASSE TILLEY also established the Supreme Councils of Italy, Naples, Spain, and the Netherlands.
Article V of the Grand Constitutions of 1786 provides that there shall be only one Supreme Council of the 33d degree in each nation or kingdom; two in the United States of America, as distant as possible one from the other; one in the British Islands of America, and one also in the French Colonies.
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The first Supreme and mother Council of the World, having commenced its. labors on May 31, 1801, at Charleston, S. C., its own jurisdiction extended over the whole of the United States of America until August 5, 1813, when the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Northern jurisdiction of the United States was established by the former through its special proxy and representative, EMMANUEL DE LA MOTTA. This Supreme Council, whose M P S Grand Commander was Bro. DANIEL D. TOMPKINS, Vice-president of the United States, replaced the Grand Consistory of Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret, 32d degree, which had been established by the same authority August 6, 1806. Subsequently in after years the seat of the Northern Supreme Council was removed to Boston.
Its jurisdiction embraces all the northern or northeast quarter of the United States east of the Mississippi River, excepting the small eastern fraction of Minnesota, and embraces the States of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Delaware. All the rest of the States and Territories were reserved by the Supreme Council for the Southern jurisdiction of the United States, which remained undisturbed and unaffected by the acts of secession of the Southern States which formed the Southern Confederacy during the Civil War.
The Supreme Council for the Northern jurisdiction of the United States of America created the Supreme Council of England and Wales in March, 1846, and this body in its turn created the Supreme Councils of Scotland and the Canadian Dominion, the Southern Supreme Council creating the Supreme Councils for Ireland, Mexico, and others on the American continent. The labors of the two Supreme Councils of the United States and their subordinates have never ceased, and from the first days of their creation up to the present time both have enjoyed the rights and privileges of Supreme Cotincils as the regular constituted and administrative heads of the Ancient and Accepted Rite, each in its respective Jurisdiction; and whenever an attempt has been made to invalidate their authority and prerogatives it has been met with a denunciation of the individuals or bodies encroaching upon their rights. Therefore, since August 5, 1813, the provisions of Article V of the Constitutions of 1786 have been complied with, and there are in the United States of America, consequently, but two regular Supreme Councils. They have ever preserved and enforced their authority, and they have never failed to discountenance all attempts against an authority which rightfully ab initio et de jure et de facto belongs to them. It was impossible for a third Supreme Council to be established in the United States of America without violating the Constitutions of 1786, and without which, as already stated, neither the 33d degree nor a Supreme Council can exist. It was an unwise measure to establish a second Supreme Council in the United States, as subsequent events proved. It was a strange historic coincidence that the very year that saw Blue Masonry of the two Grand Lodges in England consolidated into one body, that Scottish Freemasonry in the United States should have even amicably divided into two separate organizations, each Supreme Council altering and amending its own constitutions and statutes, changing and making alterations of its ritual, destroying the beauty, harmony, and uniformity of the work.
In 1813 there were no railroads or steamboats, and the distances being great, modes of conveyance difficult, accompanied with loss of time and great expense in traveling to and from the place of meeting, and the country again at war with Great Britain, it was at that time considered advisable to establish a second Supreme Council. It will be a happy day for the rite when both Supreme Councils shall again be consolidated into one national Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the United States of America, with a representative government established upon the principles of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, which are emblazoned upon its banners and which it professes to teach.
By reason of its self - preservation as the Royal and
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Military Order of the House of the Temple, and because of its progressive Freemasonry - rescued from the hands of the Jesuits and its weapons turned against them by FREDERICK the Great, who gave its Grand Constitutions in 1762 and 1786 - its system and autonomy of government cannot be fundamentally disturbed. Scottish Freemasonry, from its foundation to the top of its loftiest spire, is the Temple of Civil and Religious Liberty, teaching and practicing the true principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity. "It has the old Knights Templar for its models, the Rose Croix for its fathers, and the Johannites for ancestors." It is the perpetuator of the school of Alexandria, heir of all the ancient initiations; depository of the secrets of the Apocalypse and the Sohar; the object of its worship is Truth, represented by the Light; it tolerates all creeds and professes but one and the same philosophy. The allegorical object is the rebuilding of the Temple of SOLOMON; its real object is the reconstruction of social unity by the alliance of reason and faith in accordance with knowledge and virtue, with initiation and tests by means of degrees; and, we may add, to preserve the natural liberties and rights of man - corporeal, intellectual, and spiritual - against all usurpations of royalty and priestly power. Said that implacable enemy of Freemasonry and the mouthpiece of Pope Pius VI, the Abbe BARRUEL, in 1797, charging the Freemasons with revolutionary principles in politics and with infidelity to the Roman Catholic religion, seeking to trace the origin of the institution to those ancient heretics the Manicheans and through them to the old Knights Templar, against whom he revived the old accusations of PHILIP the Fair and Pope CLEMENT V: "Your whole school and all of your Lodges are derived from the Templars. After the extinction of their Order a certain number of guilty knights, having escaped proscription, united for the preservation of their horrid mysteries. To their impious code they added the vow of vengeance against the kings and priests who destroyed their Order and against all religion [papal] which anathematized their dogmas. They made adepts who should transmit from generation to generation the same mysteries of iniquity, the same oaths, and the same hatred of the GOD of the Christians [the Pope] and of kings and priests [papists]. These mysteries have descended to you, and you continue to perpetuate their impiety, their vows, and their oaths. Such is your origin. The lapse of time and the change of manners have varied a part of your symbols and your frightful systems, but the essence of them remains; the vows, the oaths, and the conspiracies are the same." So far as concerns teaching hatred of the temporal and spiritual tyranny of such monsters as PHILIP the Fair, Pope CLEMENT V, and the treacherous Knights of Malta, of persecution and the tortures of the inquisition, and of the burning at the stake of DE MOLAY (the last Grand Master of the Templars) and his fellow Knights, the fanatical Abbe BARRUEL was correct. Archbishop Du - PANLOUP, in his book against Freemasonry, after quoting all the anathemas of the Popes and the declarations of other Church authorities in 1876, said, "A Catholic who becomes a Freemason descrates the temple of the living GOD to work at the temple of an idol." What a vast number of idolaters there are in the Christian and civilized world! But they are chiefly those who make their god of dough into a myriad of wafers with a stamp of the crucified SAVIOR upon them, and then with their blind followers become cannibals and eat the god of their own creation. They are not like the Freemasons who, obeying the voice of their Most Wise and Divine Master in partaking of the bread and the wine in the celebration of the Passover, "As oft as ye do this, do it in remembrance of Me." It is a memorial service and not a logical cannibalism. But this is a digression.
Of the legitimate Supreme Councils in the world duly recognized by each other in the sustainincy of fraternal relations, there are the following, with the dates of their constitution: Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A., May 31, 1801; France, September 22, 1804; Northern jurisdiction, U.S.A., August 5, 1813; Belgium, March 11, 1817; Ireland, June 11, 1825; Brazil, April 6, 1826; Peru,
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November 2, 1830; New Granada, 1833; England, Wales, and Dependencies, March, 1846; Scotland, 1846; Uruguay, 1856; Argentine Republic, September 13, 1858; Turin of Italy, 1848; Colon, Cuba, 1855; Venezuela, 1864; Mexico, April 28, 1868; Portugal, 1842; Chili, May 24, 1862; Central America, May 27, 1870; Hungary, November 25, 1871; Greece, June 24, 1872; Switzerland, March 30, 1873; Canada, October, 1874; Rome of Italy, January 14, 1877; Egypt, 1878; Spain, 1879; Tunis, May 11, 1880. The following Supreme Councils have been formed but have not received formal recognition and the courtesy of an exchange of representatives: Naples of Italy, Dominican Republic, Turkey, Palermo of Italy, Florence of Italy, and Luxembourg. To several of the Supreme Councils the Grand Lodges of the maritime States of the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts appoint representatives and in turn receive representatives from them, being also Grand Lodges having the government of the Blue degrees. But in the United States, England, Scotland, Ireland, and the Dominion of Canada the government of the symbolic Lodges and the control of the Blue degrees remain with the Grand Lodges which are sovereign in their jurisdictions.
In the United States, in both the Southern and Northern jurisdictions, there has been much annoyance in the past from spurious and clandestine individual imposters and the bodies created by them. One JOSEPH CERNEAU, a French jeweler, born at Villeblerin, France, in 1763, in the beginning of the nineteenth century (1806) removed from the French West Indies to the city of New York.
There in 1812 he invaded the jurisdiction of the Supreme Council of Charleston, S.C., which then governed the whole of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in the United States, and established a spurious body under the title of "Sovereign Grand Consistory of the United States of America, its Territories and Dependencies." This Masonic charlatan, who claimed the right to organize bodies of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, was expelled and his pretensions denounced in 1813 by the legal Supreme Council sitting at Charleston, S.C.
CERNEAU and his adherents gave much trouble in the Scottish rite for many years, and the bodies which he had formed were not entirely dissolved until long after the establishment of the legal Supreme Council for the Northern Jurisdiction. By his fraudulent successors and to the harm and disgrace of Masonry, spurious Masonry has been, in some form or other, set up in various portions of the country to this day to disturb the harmony of the Order. This imposter, with the old Rite of Perfection which had ceased to exist, consisting of twenty-five degrees, established clandestine bodies not only of that rite but of Royal Arch Masons and Knights Templar in New Orleans, as he had previously done in New York; and by jugglery shifted and changed the names of his bodies from time to time, as suited his pleasure, and by mere dicta per se declared himself and his coadjutors Sovereign Grand Inspector - Generals of the 33d degree. A clandestine Lodge of Fellow Craft Masons might with equal propriety resolve itself into a Grand Lodge of Master Masons, without ever having been even clandestinely raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason. Afterward, unfortunately, the Northern Supreme Council for a few years was divided into two factions, of which the imposters took advantage. One of these factions compromised with, healed, and affiliated some of the dupes of these frauds, and when the schism or breach was afterward healed, the Northern Supreme Council for a time was infected with an unhealthy absorption by an unwise compromise which was made with the best of intentions for the good of Freemasonry. Some of the healed frauds violated their oaths, broke their plighted sworn faith, repeated their nefarious practices and were expelled. With additional Masonic knowledge gained through degrees regularly conferred upon them, and more Masonic stock in trade with which to do business, they proceeded to establish new bodies of clandestine Scottish Rite Masonry, quarreled among themselves and again divided into several so-called Supreme Councils, spreading confusion among the Craft.
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JOSEPH CERNEAU had been a member of several Masonic bodies in the West Indies. He had a patent from MATHIEU DUPOTET, certifying that he had received the degrees of the Scottish Rite of Heredom, and authorizing him to confer the degrees up to the twenty-fourth and organize bodies in the northern part of Cuba, and to confer the twenty-fifth on one person in each year, the twenty-fifth being then the highest degree of that Rite of Perfection, and the highest CERNEAU had received according to his patent. CERNAU had his patent from DUPOTET, who had his from GERMAIN HACQUET, who had his from Du PLESSIS, who had his from PREVOST in 1790, who had his from FRANCKFN. As stated, what authority he had was outside of the United States. He had but twenty-five degrees, was not in possession of the eight other, including the thirty-third, and invaded the jurisdiction of the Supreme Council at Charleston, S. C., which then embraced the whole of the United States, by issuing a warrant for a Grand Consistory in New York City on October 28, 1807, which was not fully organized until the autumn of 1808. It organized the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of New York on January 22, 1814, whose subordinates were: Ancient Encampment, New York; Temple Encampment, Albany; Montgomery Encampment, Stillwater. The first official proceedings show that on the day mentioned the Sovereign Grand Consistory "decreed the establishment of a Grand Encampment of Sir Knights Templar and Appendant Orders for the State of New York, and immediately proceeded to its formation by choosing the Grand Officers thereof" from among the members of the Consistory. Not a single Commandery had requested such action, nor had a single Knight Templar, as such. It was the voluntary action of an alien body, which in itself had no such authority as it assumed to exercise. A warrant of recognition was issued in 1816 to Columbia Commandery of New York and a warrant for a new Commandery at New Orleans the same day. CERNEAU had also established a spurious and clandestine body of the Rite of Perfection in the latter city. The following quotation is from the records: "On the 4th day of May, 1816, a meeting of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of New York was called to act upon an application by a collected body of Sir Knights Templar, Royal Arch Masons, and members of the Sovereign Grand Council of Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret for the State of Louisiana, sitting at New Orleans, praying that a constitutional charter be granted them, etc. They had previously to this application elected and installed their officers. The charter, by resolution, was granted them, and it was also Resolved, That the Ill\Bro. JOSEPH CERNEAU having been designated by the Louisiana Encampment, be and is hereby acknowledged and accredited as such." Just one month and seventeen days afterward (June 20 - 1, 1816), the General Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States was established in New York by four men only, as already stated, who were self - appointed delegates, viz,, THOMAS SMITH WEBB, HENRY FOWLE, and JOHN SNOW, of Boston and Providence, and THOMAS LOWNDES of the CERNEAU Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of New York, and representing also the CERNEAU Temple Encampment of Albany and Montgomery Encampment of Stillwater, N. Y. So from the very beginning this CERNEAU fraud was interwoven into the fabric of the General Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States, as well as the Cryptic Rite so called, or the side degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Royal and Select Masters, LOWNDES creating Columbia Council, No. 1, of Royal Masters, he not then being in possession of the ritual of the Select Master's degree. Says Past Grand Master HOPKINS, in the Grand Encampment proceedings for 1889, page 192: "What authority JOSEPH CERNEAU had for conferring the Orders of Knighthood and constituting Commanderies, and whence he derived his authority, has not been ascertained. No authority to confer the Orders of Knighthood is contained in his patent; at least there is no such authority in the patent of July 15, 1806, granted to MATHIEU DUPOTET. If he had any other patent, or if he
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himself had ever received the Orders of Knighthood, no evidence of the fact has been found." If Past Grand Master HOPKINS had been posted he would have had no difficulty in understanding it.
If JOSEPH CERNEAU, as a Deputy Inspector - General for the old Rite of Perfection (25th degree), had possessed the legal right to have conferred its degrees in the United States at the time he did, and had not invaded the jurisdiction of the Supreme Council at Charleston which already occupied the territory, he would not have required any special patent or authority to confer the Knight Templar degree, as it was a part of the Kadosh degree of that rite. As he had no legal authority to enter the United States to propagate that rite, and it was an invasion of jurisdiction to establish it as he did, it was of course clandestine and so declared. But he did what the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite did not do, and this presents a new question. The Supreme - Council at Charleston, in the re-arrangement of the Kadosh degree, dropped the first part of the degree or concluded not to work it, and declared CERNEAU's Consistory at New York clandestine and probably supposed that in so doing it disposed of the whole matter. But it did not, and CERNEAU no doubt learning in some way that as the authority of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, which declared him an imposter and his work clandestine, did not work the first or Templar part of the Kadosh degree, saw an opening for himself and his Consistory by detaching the Templar part of the Kadosh degree, and established the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of New York on the segment of the Kadosh degree. The first constitution of this Grand Commandery made its membership consist of officers and members of the Grand Conimandery and delegates from such subordinates under its jurisdiction as might recognize its authority. It also provided that the Grand Master should be admitted as a member of the Supreme Council without fee, that the Commanders of subordinates should be entitled to the degree of Prince of the Royal Secret, and that the members of the Consistory should be admitted free of charge. Thus the reciprocity of these two branches of clandestine Masonry was made complete, which was quite natural, as they were composed of the same individuals. This CERNEAU Consistory did just what the Supreme Council at Charleston should have done in the first place by in effect keeping the Templar degree active within its bosom, as the first part of the Kadosh. In this respect CERNEAU got ahead of it and even further, for THOMAS LOWNDES was the delegate from the CERNFAU Grand Commandery of New York to the convention of the four individuals who organized the General Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States a little more than six weeks afterward; and what is more surprising than all, is, that at that convention the CERNEAU delegate (LOWNDES) was the only one really in possession of the Templar degree. The other three (WEBB, FOWLE, and SNOW) only had a Templar degree, which, as the late Bro. ALBERT PIKE said, " was manufactured by THOMAS SMITH WEBB out of whole cloth." They adopted a constitution for the General Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States first, ratified it, subscribed to it, installed officers under it, and left the matter of the ritual and degrees to be adjusted afterward. WEBB had previously obtained possession in some way at Albany, N.Y., of the ritual of the Council of Princes of Jerusalem, or had access to it, "and taking the 15th and 16th degrees bodily," as PIKE says, "and putting them together made one degree of them and called it the Red Cross degree." It was this degree alone, which is entirely Hebrew and Persian in drama and history of events 536 years before CHRIST, upon which Boston Commandery was first organized in 1802. St. John's Commandery, No. 1, at Providence, R.I., was organized on August 23, 1802, with WEBB'S manufactured Knight Templar degree. In the archives of this St. John's Commandery, No. 1, is said to be the original manuscript of WEBB'S Templar degree. This
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will account in a great measure for WEBB'S strenuous earnestness in the organization of the National Encampment, and, with three other individuals, getting the control in the start, and his willingness to accept the representative of the CERNEAU Grand Coinmandery of New York in its organization for his own situation and that of the bodies of his own creation upon his own made rituals. He was becoming desperate and apprehensive lest they might not be recognized as legitimate after the other and more regular Commanderies of Knights Templar came out from under the folds of the Lodges of the Ancients, under whose authority they claimed to be organized or to which they were appendant.
Reverting again to the Supreme Council for the Southern jurisdiction of the United States: It may be noted that the rite suffered severely from the misfortunes incident to the late Civil War. Its treasury was exhausted in Masonic charity, its records and rituals lost and burned in the conflagration of Charleston (the birthplace and home of the late Bro. ALBERT GALLATIN MACKAY, 33°, its Secretary - General), and other cities. At the close of the war but few bodies had any existence, and the brethren who had not died were scattered and left impoverished, so that it seemed almost impossible to resuscitate the rite in that portion of the jurisdiction. There is something inexpressibly sad and touching as the records are read of the last two meetings of the Supreme Council for the Southern jurisdiction of the United States, held just previous to the late Civil War and those immediately following it - that of March 28 - 31, 1860, held at Washington City, D. C. of the nine active members who assembled then but one survives, the good, noble, and beloved Bro. FRED WEBBER, 33°, Secretary - General. The last act of that session was to pay a pilgrimage to Mt. Vernon, escorted by Washington Commandery of Knights Templar, and hold a Lodge of Sorrow in honor of the memory of GEORGE WASHINGTON, the Father of his Country, a little more than a year before the flames and explosions of the Civil War were to burst forth over the land. The session of April 1, 1861, was held at New Orleans, when twelve of the officers and active members were present, of whom only one is now living, Bro. FRED WEBBER. At the session of February, 1862, at Charleston, only four were present, and all are dead. War was then raging in all its fury, Freemasonry being apparently dead, and silence prevailing in all the valleys, while tears were flowing in that dark hour from the eyes of men unused to weeping. The Southern Supreme Council did not meet again until after the close of the war, and then in the Masonic Hall in Charleston, S. C., on November 17, 1865 - only six members were present and all have since died.
The Northern Supreme Council was then sundered in twain, and imposters and frauds were like jackals gorging themselves on the battle - field with the bodies of the slain. "Ardet ut vivatl" (she burns that she may live) was once a motto of the old Knights Templar, and the phoenix was again to rise from the ashes of the funeral pyre; for with indomitable energy and zeal of Grand
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Commander, ALBERT PIKE, 33° - of matchless scholarship in ancient lore and of profound knowledge in the old mysteries and philosophy - commenced the reconstruction of the rite at Charleston, S. C., upon the old foundations which remained undisturbed, aided by that other most illustrious Mason, the MOSES and lawgiver of the fraternity of Freemasons around the globe, ALBERT GALLATIN MACKAY, 33°, the late Dean and Secretary - General of the Southern Supreme Council (assembling like ZERUBBABEL and HAGGAI with a few others at the ruins of their Temple at Jerusalem). Though the temple and city were destroyed, yet their jurisdiction of the holy empire remained intact. Without money and means they devoted themselves to the work. That portion of the jurisdiction which before had been comparatively unoccupied had happily escaped the ravages of war, and the black cloud of sorrow and desolation which covered the southern and eastern portions of their jurisdiction, still moistened with blood and wet with the tears of the sorrowing and afflicted, had a silver and even a golden lining when lifted by the fresh breezes from the Pacific shores, borne across the Sierras and the crest of the Rocky Mountains to the woe - stricken hills and valleys of the South. During two and a half years of the war Bro. PIKE had been engaged in rewriting and restoring the rituals of the Rite and upon the cessation of hostilities he undertook the work of reconstruction and propagation. This was a most herculean task to attempt or accomplish, and in the midst of it there arose opposition and bitter controversy from ignorance and prejudice which continued for many years. It was happily allayed, and the error acknowledged by those brethren who had wantonly assailed the rite, but who afterward became its most vigorous and ardent defenders.
On the Pacific Coast the - late Ill\E. H. SHAW, 33°, Active Inspector - General for the State of California, aided by Ill\ THOMAS H. CASWELL, 33° (late Grand Commander of the Southern Supreme Council), in 1866 - 70 established twenty bodies of the rite in California, including the Grand Consistory, and subsequent to that time as Inspector - General Bro. CASWELL established two other bodies of the rite in California, besides doing a very large amount of work in advancing the interests of the rite on the Pacific Coast; and, as the late Grand Commanders PIKE, BATCHELDER, and TUCKER passed away, he by seniority in rank and line became the Grand Commander of the Supreme Council in 1895, a worthy successor to such eminent and distinguished Masons and Commanders, and whose eminent labors for the rite ceased only at his death. In Oregon in the same period the late Ill\JOHN C. AINSWORTH, 33°, then Active Inspector - General of that State, aided by the late E. H. SHAW, 33°, established six bodies of the rite. The latter also established four bodies of the rite at Virginia City, Nev., in 1867, and in 1871 one at Salt Lake City, Utah. Ill\E. H. SHAW, 33°, by deputy, constituted one body at Hamilton, White Pine County, Nev., in 1871, and Ill\THOMAS H. CASWELL, 33°, by deputy, one body at Eureka, Cal., in 1871. The Southern Supreme Council in 1872, by deputy, established fifteen bodies of the rite at Seattle, Olympia, Port Townsend, and Port Gamble, on Puget Sound, in the then Territory but now the State of Washington. In 1874 - 5 two bodies of the rite were organized at Carson City, Nev. In October, 1883, three bodies of the rite were established in Oakland, Cal. The late Ill\CHARLES F. BROWN, 33°, in 1883 constituted three bodies of the rite in Los Angeles, Cal.
The see of the Supreme Council for the Southern jurisdiction of the United States is nominally at the place of its foundation, which is Charleston, S. C., but its headquarters is really at Washington City, D.C., where it has been for a third of a century. It owns its own House of the Temple, which belongs to all the members of its jurisdiction alike, with the grandest Masonic Library and the rarest and most valuable books to be found in the world, the gift of the late Grand Commander ALBERT PIKE, the rebuilder and restorer of the ancient mysteries of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite - the sage, philosopher, scholar, lawyer, poet, and the most renowned Mason of modern
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times - linking the present with the past; the only man on earth who took up the gauntlet thrown down by Pope LEO XIII and smote the brazen face of the papacy with a mailed hand squarely on its frontlet between the eyes as the champion of Freemasonry, and the rights of free conscience, the natural heritage of all mankind.
SECRET MASTER.
His re-clothed and incomparable ritual of the degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite - the legend, the morals, and dogma - are a curriculum for the Masonic student and scholar, a compendium of knowledge beyond price; and he who has the time, the means, and the capacity to acquire and retain the same, will become possessed of the exhaustless treasures of the dowry of Truth, the daughter of ALMIGHTY GOD.
The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite confers no degrees but what are strictly and legitimately its own, and its doors are open to every worthy, intelligent Master Mason, who is seeking for knowledge and light, who is willing to use the sword when necessary in defense of the trowel in the building of the Temple of Civil and Religious Liberty, where the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity are inculcated and where the loftiest truths of science and philosophy are taught and demonstrated, and the religion of humanity without creed and politics without party are most studiously cultivated: a ladder like that in JACOB's dream, where the Christian, the Jew, the Mohammedan, the Brahmin, or the Buddhist Brother, inspired by the angels of their better natures, may climb to its summit, view the Infinite, and hold communion with the All - Father, if he so desires, without encroaching upon the rights and privileges of his Brother Mason. It is this spirit of toleration which the rite inculcates, and is like the bee which gathers honey from every flower for the common hive, yet carries a weapon to defend itself when attacked in its course by the oppressor, the thief, and the robber in every land.
PERFECT MASTER PART I.
Before giving further history of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, it is proper at this time to state the requisite qualifications to receive the degrees, an outline of each, and what they teach, so far as they can be made known outside the arcanum in which they are conferred. To receive the degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite it is only necessary to be a Master Mason in good standing, in the United States, the three degrees of Entered Apprentice Mason, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason having been conferred by proper authority under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodges whose sovereignty over those degrees is fully recognized and respected; these degrees are accepted and counted in the scale of the thirty-three.
In some countries the Supreme Councils are the Grand Lodges under whose authority the symbolic degrees are also conferred. In the United
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States the degrees of the Scottish Rite are conferred in regularly constituted bodies at or in the vicinity of the applicant's residence, if there be any; or they are conferred by communication by Active Inspectors - General of the 33d degree of that rite, or by their duly appointed deputies, who are authorized to communicate them and create members at large, as nuclei for others, to be afterward constituted into bodies when there are a sufficient number, the fees being paid into the treasury of the Supreme Council. While the number of degrees may be considered large, yet the lessons and catechism to be learned are very short, not averaging over five questions and answers to a degree in order to be perfect. The patent or diploma will at all times admit the lawful possessor to any body of the rite which he is entitled to visit by virtue of the rank of the degree to which he has attained.
PERFECT MASTER PART II.
The following is the scale of degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry: -
SCALE OF DEGREES OF THE ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED
SCOTTISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY.
The Ineffable Degrees. - The Ineffable degrees pertain to King SOLOMON's Temple only, and commence where the Master's degree of the Symbolic Lodge stops.
There are eleven degrees which are conferred in a Lodge of Perfection, beginning at the brow of Mt. Moriah and ending with the dedication of King SOLOMON'S Temple, with the final instructions to the workmen, enabling them to travel in other countries to be received with honors and entrusted with other work. These degrees are: 4°, Secret Master; 5°, Perfect Master; 6°, Intimate Secretary; 7°, Provost and judge; 8°, Intendant of the Building; 9°, Knight Elect of the Nine; 10°, Illustrious Elect of the Fifteen; 11°, Sublime Knight Elect of the Twelve; 12°, Grand Master Architect; 13°, Royal Arch of SOLOMON; 14°, Perfect Elu, or Grand Elect Perfect and Sublime Mason. The 4th and 5th degrees have relation to the proper tribute due to the memory of the third Grand Master of the Temple; the 6th, 7th, and 8th degrees, to supplying the place made vacant by the death of the architect of the Temple, in keeping the record of the plans agreed upon by the two kings, the adjustment of the accounts and demands of the workmen, the settlement of disputes, and the resumption of work upon the Temple; the 9th and 10th degrees, to the faithful administration of justice, which never tires or sleeps; the 11th degree, the rewarding of the faithful and true for bringing offenders to justice, and the regulation of the equitable collection of the revenues of the realm; the 12th degree, the science of architecture, the use of all the instruments and their morals, and the science of astronomy, with geometry and the lofty lessons to be learned in the starry heavens above us; the 13th degree, the fortunate discovery of that which has been lost, but still unknown to the discoverers; the 14th degree, the preparation of the heart, mind, and body, by consecration to the service of true Freemasonry, to receive, on the completion of the Temple, with the fullest and most ample explanations, the great treasure and reward which is delivered by the two kings to the patient, discreet, and faithful workman, thereby enabling him in all his journeys through life to be welcomed and received as a true Brother, earn his wages and the bread for himself and his family, and contribute to the relief of his fellows.
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[From the 6th and a portion of the 14th degrees, with other matter added, the side degree of Select Master was made; and from the 13th and 18th degrees, with a change of history applied to the second Temple, RAMSAY made the Royal Arch of ZERUBBABEL, which DERMOTT engrafted upon his seceding Grand Lodge of the Ancients. This, in a slightly modified form, is now the Royal Arch conferred in England; and in this country, remodeled by WEBB, is the Royal Arch of the American Rite.]
KNIGHT ELECT OF THE NINE.
Second Temple Degrees - The following are the Second Temple series: 15°, Knight of the East, of the Sword, or of the Eagle; 16°, Prince of Jerusalem. These two degrees are founded upon the history of the two reigns of the Persian monarchs, CYRUS and DARIUS; the destruction of the Temple of SOLOMON by NEBUZURADAN; the captivity of the Jews, who were carried away to Babylon; the decrees of these two kings permitting the rebuilding of the Temple by ZERUBBABEL, the restoration of the holy vessels, and the release of the Jews from captivity, with the hindrances and opposition from the Samaritans - all serving to symbolize the destruction of the Order of Knights Templar, which was ruined, scattered, and proscribed, and of a country which had lost its liberties and the difficulty of regaining them - teaching Freemasons, as brethren, the lessons of patience and perseverance under affliction and trials, and that they should never despair in their efforts to regain what, through treachery, persecution, oppression, and robbery, whether of liberty or possessions, they like the old Knights Templar may have lost.
The history of these degrees will be found in full in the first book of Esdras, in the Apocrypha in the Bible, and is dramatized from it, and furnishes the foundation upon which these degrees are constructed.
[These two degrees were taken bodily by THOMAS SMITH WEBB from the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, telescoped or consolidated by him, mis-called the Red Cross degree, and placed by him in the American Commanderies of Knights Templar. They are entirely Jewish and Persian in history and drama, the events occurring 536 years before the crucifixion of CHRIST.] "Knight of Ihe East. - The fifteenth degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. It is substantially the tenth degree, or Knight of the Red Cross of the American Rite. " - Mackay's Enc., P. 415.
"Knight of the Red Cross. - WEBB, or whoever else introduced it into the American system, undoubtedly took it from the sixteenth degree, or Prince of Jerusalem, of the Ancient and Accepted Rite. It has within a few years been carried into England under the title of the Red Cross of Babylon. In New Brunswick it has been connected with Cryptic Masonry. It is there as much out of place as it is in a Commandery of Knights Templar. " - Mackay's Enc., P. 418.
"Babylonish Pass. - A degree given in Scotland by the authority of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter. It is also called the Red Cross of Babylon, and is almost identical with the Knight of the Red Cross conferred in Commanderies of Knights Templar as a preparatory degree." Mackay's Enc., p. 99.
"Embassy. - The embassy of ZERUBBABEL and four other Jewish chiefs to the Court of DARIUS,
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to obtain the protection of that monarch from the encroachments of the Samaritans, who interrupted the labors in the rebuilding of the Temple, constitutes the legend of the sixteenth degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, and also of the Red Cross degree of the American Rite, which is surely borrowed from the former." - Mackay's Enc., P. 250.
The Spiritual Temple Degrees. - 17°, Knight of the East and West; 18°, Knight of Rose Croix (Rosy Cross). [The 15° and 16°, embraced in the Council of Princes of Jerusalem, are now, with the 17° and 18E, in the Southern jurisdiction, conferred in the Chapters of Rose Croix.] The 17°, or Knight of the East and West, portrays the history, life, and doctrines of ST. JOHN the Baptist, and his sad fate, like that of the master builder of King SOLOMON's Temple, who fell a victim and a martyr to the principles of virtue, integrity, and truth; and also the history and teachings of ST. JOHN the Evangelist, who in his gospel declared that "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with GOD, and the Word was GOD," and whose rapturous vision of the new Jerusalem on the Isle of Patmos, in which he was told to "weep not, behold the Lion of the Tribe of Judah hath prevailed," made him the Knight of the West, to proclaim the truth in revelation, as ST. JOHN the Baptist had been the Knight and Herald of the East, at the head of the Order of the Essenes, to declare the approach of "One that cometh after him and who is preferred before him." The 18°, or Knight Rose Croix, portrays the history of Him who came to elevate His race and to be the reformer and redeemer of men - one whom all liberal - minded men, regardless of creed, will readily admit was unjustly and inhumanly put to death, to satisfy the insensate clamors of a fanatical mob, at the instigation of a hierarchy that was false to its race and content to willingly serve under the foreign yoke of a conqueror, to pay tribute to his power, that priestly authority might control the destiny of its own people whom it was willing should be kept in subjection that they might, with a rod of iron, rule over the heart and conscience of men: a hierarchy that finds today its counterpart at the Vatican in Rome. In the Rose Croix degree no violence is done to any man's religious faith, while the Christian may draw its lessons more closely to heart than others; yet the grand principles of Toleration, Humanity, and Fraternity are taught, in which all good men may recognize CHRIST as a most wise master builder and one endeared to us as "our elder Brother," who has taught us to say "Our Father which art in Heaven," and "Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you do ye even so unto them, and love thy neighbor as thyself."
GRAND ELECT PERFECT AND SUBLIME MASON
OR PERFECT ELU.
The Historic, Philosophic, and Chivalrous Degrees. 19°, Grand Pontiff; 20°, Grand Master of all Symbolic Lodges; 21°, Noachite or Prussian Knight; 22°, Prince of Libanus or Knight of the Royal Axe; 23°, Chief of the Tabernacle; 24°, Prince of the Tabernacle; 25°, Knight of the Brazen Serpent, 26°, Prince of Mercy or Scottish Trinitarian; 27°, Knight Commander of the Temple; 28°, Knight of the Sun or Prince Adept; 29°, Grand Scottish Knight of ST. ANDREW; 30°, Knight Kadosh, of the Black and White Eagle, or Knight Templar.
The 19th degree relates to the Apocalyptic Vision or Revelation of ST. JOHN the Evangelist, and the hoped - for millennium, when there shall be a perfect union of mankind under the benign sway of toleration and charity. In this degree it is plainly to be discerned that ST. John the Evangelist had been initiated into the ancient mysteries, for his revelations followed in parallel
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lines; and what has always been a mystery and a puzzle to Christians generally and to biblical scholars in the main, is made so clear, so lucid, and apparent that this degree gives the most profound satisfaction to the Masonic searcher after the truth. The 20th degree teaches the full arcana of the Grand Oriental Chair, inculcating the most pious reverence for the Deity, knowledge, science, philosophy, charity, generosity, heroism, honor, patriotism, justice, toleration, and truth. The 21st degree portrays the history of the Knights Crusaders, who returned to Europe from the wars in the Holy Land to find themselves and their kindred stripped of their properties by the rapacity, cunning frauds, and forgeries of the monks, and the punishment meted out to those cowled thieves and robbers who plundered the estates of the living and dead, the absent defenders of the faith in Palestine, and turned old men, women, and children out upon the highways to starve and perish by the roadside. The 22d degree relates to the work upon Mt. Lebanon and the preparation of the timbers and woodwork for the Temple; the dignity of labor, that in Freemasonry rank and nobility go for naught, and that he who will not work and share equally with his fellows of the Craft shall not eat. The 23d and 24th degrees relate to the history of the formulation of the ceremonies of the Jewish religion in the setting up of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and the doctrine and laws given by Moses, who was well versed in all the knowledge of the Egyptians. The 25th degree portrays the sufferings of the Children of Israel, who were bitten by fiery serpents in the wilderness, and the raising up of the brazen serpent by Moses, that those who looked upon it might live, and teaches the profoundest doctrines of life and death, to lead men away from their evil passions, and to look for help and relief from above. The 26th degree particularly treats of mercy, charity, and loving kindness, of toleration, and that men are not to be persecuted and tortured on account of different creeds or faiths, all of which is set forth by recounting the sufferings and woes inflicted for religious differences of opinion in the ages that are past. The 27th degree relates to the Crusades to the Holy Land under HENRV VI, Emperor of Germany, son of FREDERICK BARBAROSSA, aided by all the knighthood and chivalry of Europe, and joined by PHILIP AUGUSTUS of France and RICHARD CEUR DE LION of England. This became the Teutonic branch of the Order of the Temple, known as the Knights of ST. MARY, which established a hospital on Mt. Zion for the reception of pilgrims.
PRUSSIAN KNIGHT. OATH OF THE TEUTONIC KNIGHT ON
THEIR RETURN FROM THE CRUSADES.
These Teutonic Knights afterward gave protection to the persecuted Templars, and subsequently to MARTIN LUTHER, and became the defenders of the great Reformation. The lessons taught are to defend the honor of Freemasonry, to uphold its banners and vindicate its principles; to love, revere, and preserve liberty and justice, and to - favor, sustain, and defend the oppressed, without neglecting the sacred duties of hospitality. The 28th degree treats of astronomy, science, and philosophy, and inculcates the full exercise of intelligent reason and faith in the reading of the great book of Nature, with a well - grounded trust in the wisdom and mercy of the Creator. The 29th degree portrays the history and valor of the Scottish division of Knights Templar or Grand Scottish Knight of ST. ANDREW; the
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inculcation of a spirit of humility, patience, and self-denial, with charity, clemency, and generosity, based upon virtue, truth, and honor; resistance to all oppression, whether it proceed from temporal or spiritual authority, and the recovery of what was lost through persecutions, robbery, and death, inflicted by those powers which destroyed the Order of the Temple and plundered it of its lawful possessions, giving a portion as a reward to its enemies, the Knights of ST. JOHN of Jerusalem or Knights of Malta. The 30th, or true Knight Templar degree, Knights Kadosh or of the Black and White Eagle. Kadosh means holy. Kadosh Kadoshim is Hebrew for the Sanctum Sanctorum, or Holy of Holies of the Temple. It relates to the history of the Order of the Temple, its woes, confiscation of property, sufferings, banishment, destruction, and death, and bears the same relation to the Knights Kadosh that the 3d degree does to the Master Mason, the 9th degree to the Knights Elect of the Nine, and the 18th degree to the Knights Rose Croix, with this difference, that it is vastly more profound in its depth of meaning and more determined in its aims and objects. It is the Areopagus and citadel of Freemasonry.
It neither attacks nor defends any man's creed or religious faith, but it determinedly maintains the rights of conscience, freedom of speech, and free government. The horrors of the past committed by crowned and mitred tyrants like PHILIP the Fair of France and Pope CLEMENT V, crushing out the souls of men, burning them at the stake or torturing them in the dungeons of the Inquisition, and trampling liberty in the dust, are neither forgotten nor forgiven so long as oppression and wrong from temporal and spiritual despots are permitted to 'exist and curse the sons of men.
Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity are its cardinal tenets, with the warning ever in view that eternal vigilance, education, and enlightenment are the life and guaranties of liberty. These are the avengers of the martyred DE MOLAY, the last Grand Master of the Templars, and his Brethren who were burned at the stake and all the victims of that terrible power which for centuries has cursed the earth and is a continuous menace to the rights of man. The Jesuits once were in the possession of these degrees, and the Kadosh degree was used by them as the last trap into which the candidate was led, to ascertain and discover if possible his true animus toward the papacy and to learn if he was a descendant of the Templars or a Huguenot in secret, and if so, he was marked for a victim to be boycotted in business, persecuted and proceeded against, according to the conditions of the times and the powers they possessed. When it was learned that the Kadosh were the true descendants and successors of the Knights Templar in disguise they changed the name to that of Knights of the Black and White Eagle, referring to the colors of their beauseant. And when finding that they could no longer work the Kadosh degree in safety under the new name they then worked in the 9th degree, or Knight Elect of the Nine, which symbolized the same thing.
The first part of the original Kadosh degree was what is now, with the ritual modified and somewhat changed, the Knights Templar degree. The Knights Templar who survived the persecutions and massacres of their Brethren retained the Christian faith, which was essential to their existence, though disguised or mixed with other Orders. But in order to be revenged upon their enemies PHILIP the Fair, Pope CLEMENT V, and the treacherous Knights of Malta - the surviving Knights took a solemn oath to aid, though it might not be literal in its methods, yet in effect by any and every lawful means, the Reformation, and LUTHER, KNOX, and others; and in spirit they and their successors have done likewise in every country where conscience has been fettered and liberty enchained or stifled. No one under the inflexible rule of the real Order of the Temple, or "Poor Fellow Soldiers of King SOLOMON'S Temple or of JESUS CHRIST," could be admitted and created a Knight Templar unless he was of noble blood. The remnant of Knights Templar who, after the battle of Bannockburn, Scotland, June 24, 1314, had been created by BRUCE, at Kilwinning, Knights of the Rosy Cross
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and Knights Grand Crosses of ST. ANDREW of Scotland, are said to have created the Order of Knights Kadosh, to be composed of themselves and those they saw proper to admit to their fellowship and confidence, after having tested the patience, fidelity, and courage of the latter. And as they could no longer be known as Knights Templar, they chose the name of Kadosh, which is Hebrew, the better to conceal their identity for personal safety, and to be retained in remembrance of the holy house of the Temple on Mt. Moriah near where the Order of the Temple was founded. It is greatly to be regretted that their true name of Knights Templar was not retained to the end; but being sensitive and proud of their blood, achievements, and history, they preferred to let the true name or title go down in honor and be concealed by the adoption of a new one (Knight Kadosh), not dreaming that other persons of another and future age and another land across the Atlantic Ocean (not then discovered) should presume to take their names and titles and consolidate them with those of their enemies, the Knights of Malta, unwarrantedly use emasculated portions of their work, and ignorantly but innocently flaunt their insignia and banners before the world, without lineage of blood or lawful inheritance of their ancient rights, honors, and privileges, and without carrying out the objects and purposes of the old and true Knights Templar, as faithfully delineated by their true successors, the Knights Kadosh, in the degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry by its regular and legally constituted authorities. Happily, however, the error is being condoned and compensated for in a measure by the swelling of the ranks of the Scottish Rite by those who have received the consolidated WEBB and CERNEAU Templar degree.
As NAPOLEON once said, " If you prick a Russian you bleed a Tartar," so it may be said with nearly equal truth, that if one happens to prick an intelligent Knight Templar of the American Rite, who has attained any distinction at all, he will in all likelihood find himself drawing the blood of a Rose Croix Knight or of a Knight Kadosh of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, the parent of all true Masonic knighthood, chivalry, and philosophy.
In connection with this subject all hostility is disclaimed to a rite long established, especially when it is too late to remedy the original wrong or correct the error, but it is believed that the motto "Magna est veritas et prevalebit," will eventually contribute to the reformation of the error; and that in writing the history of Freemasonry impartially and unbiased "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth" should be stated clear from the fountain head - "nothing extenuated and naught set down in malice." Compensation is being made by the manly, chivalric, and Masonic support being given by the Grand Lodges, Grand Royal Arch Chapters, and Grand Commanderies of American Knights Templar in recognizing the legality and regularity of both the Southern and the Northern Supreme Councils of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, which so far as they are concerned at the present day is ample atonement for the infringement and wrongs perpetrated nearly a century ago by WEBB, LOWNDES, and their coadjutors, for which their innocent successors are in no wise to be held responsible.
Consistorial and judicial Degrees. - 31°, Grand Inspector Inquisitor Commander; 32°, Master of the Kadosh, or Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret.
The 31st degree is the highest judicial degree, and in it the Supreme Council and the Consistory sits as a Supreme Court, in which all appeals are heard and the trials of all cases had above the isth degree of the rite. The lessons taught in the ritual are of the highest order of justice, in which MOSES and lawgivers of the ancient nations are represented and cited, and it is the most august tribunal held in Freemasonry to teach the loftiest principles of truth, equity, and justice.
The 32d degree teaches the ancient truths and philosophy of our Aryan ancestors, as they have come down to us drained through the Alexandrian school of science, and the Zoroastrian doctrines;
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the fundamental principles of the Mosaic and Christian dispensations, the resurrection of the body, and the immortality of the soul, with all the symbolism of our ancient Brethren left us as monuments to guide us in our investigation and search after truth.
The symbolic plan of organization and division of the Masonic army, with the headquarters of its chiefs arranged geometrically with the mystic numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9,.are thus classified: No. 1 represents unity or the sun, the ancient symbol of the Creator, the source of life, light, heat, or GOD; No. 3, the trinity of creation - the father, the mother, and the son - also the three highest officers who constitute a Master Mason's Lodge; No. 5, the five senses with which man is endowed, the five orders of architecture, and the five points of fellowship of the Fellow Craft Mason whose Lodge consists of five and from which he is raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason; No. 7, the seven liberal arts and sciences, the seven planets represented in the seven golden candlesticks or candelabrum; the seven prismatic colors in the rainbow, the symbol of the first covenant made by GOD with man; the seven days of the week, and the seven who compose the Entered Apprentice Lodge. Besides the foregoing other explanations are taught at the proper time, which brings the searcher after the hidden truth face to face with the splendid images of the Prophet EZEKlEL and the Apocalypse of ST. JOHN the Evangelist, which the old Knights Templar sought in the secret reading of the Great Light for themselves and which was the real pretext for charging them with heresy.
If the printing - press had been invented and brought into action at that time, the Knights would have anticipated the Reformation under MARTIN LUTHER, MELANCHTHON, and ZWINGLE fully two hundred years before.
In the Northern Masonic jurisdiction the degrees of the Council of Kadosh are embraced within the Consistory the 32d degree, being directly connected by representation with the campaigns of the Crusades against the Saracens, and requiring the skill and adroitness to delineate the drama presented. The ritual of the Southern jurisdiction is intellectual, historic, and philosophical. The rite in the Southern jurisdiction has a high culture for its initiates, and seeks to instruct and not to astonish and amuse. The refined scholar as well as the robust and athletic, can find food in both jurisdictions for thought and liberal advancement along moral, patriotic, and intellectual lines.
In the Northern jurisdiction Councils of Deliberation of all the bodies from the 14th to the 32d degree, inclusive, are held in each State, presided over by a deputy for the State (who is an Active Inspector - General of the 33d degree and of that Supreme Council), in which all local legislation is presented and acted upon, to be afterward approved, ammended, or annulled by that Supreme Council. In some of the States until recently there have been Grand Consistories governing the lower bodies, but they have nearly all surrendered their charters as Grand Bodies and are now merely Consistories without any powers of supervisional government.
THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE THIRTY - THIRD AND LAST DEGREE OF
THE ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY (THE
MOTHER COUNCIL OF THE WORLD) FOR THE SOUTHERN JURISDICTION
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
33° Grand Master of the Kadosh, or Sovereign Grand Inspector - General of the Royal and Military Order of the House of the Temple.
The 33d degree is conferred in the Supreme Council of the rite, which is the governing body over all and which prescribes its laws and statutes for the various divisions into which the organized
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bodies are divided. The active members are limited to thirty-three, including the officers, who for their respective States are relatively the Grand Master of the rite and who hold their offices during good behavior and their good standing in their Blue Lodges as Master Masons, and no longer Honorary Inspectors - General are those who are elevated to the degree, but have no other powers than those specifically delegated to them, or are appointed to act upon committees or as deputies to propagate the rite by communicating the degrees and establishing bodies. In all other respects they are like delegates from Territories to Congress, with the right to a voice but not to a vote. In the Northern Supreme Council the active members are sixty-six, or just double the number.
OFFICE OF THE SOVEREIGN GRAND COMMANDER, SUPREME COUNCIL, S.J., WASHINGTON, D.C.
In the Southern Supreme Council there is what may be called the vestibule, the Court of Honor, which is composed of two grades or ranks, and each active and emeritus member of the Supreme Council is ex officio a member of both grades.
The first grade is that of Knight Commander, which is conferred for general meritorious services supposed to have been rendered to the rite, and is conferred upon Brethren of the 32d degree, upon the recommendation of Grand Consistories or by the Active Inspectors-General of their respective States. The second or higher grade is that of Knight Grand Cross, which, with the jewel, is conferred upon Brethren of the 32d or honorary 33d degrees for extraordinary service and merit in the rite. Both of the grades of honor are reserved and cannot be conferred upon any Brother who asks for them. When conferred it is an act of gratuity and appreciation of services rendered. It is necessary to have the rank of Knight Commander of the Court of Honor in order to be eligible to receive the 33d degree.
In the Southern Supreme Council there are 27 Active Members, with 6 vacancies to fill. There are 406 Honorary Members of the 33d degree, and 13 Knights Grand Crosses of the Court of Honor. There are also 792 Knights Commanders of the Court of Honor.
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There are 3 Grand Consistories - Louisiana, Kentucky, and Japan - with a membership of 562, and 33 Consistories of the 32d degree, with a membership of 4,636, or a total of 5,198. There are 39 Councils or Preceptories of Knights Kadosh, with a membership of nearly 6,000; 51 Chapters of Rose Croix, with a membership of nearly 6,000; 84 Lodges of Perfection, with a membership of nearly 7,000, all under the jurisdiction of the Southern Supreme Council.
SUPREME COUNCIL CHAMBER, S.J., WASHINGTON, D.C.
The following have been the Grand Commanders and the life terms which they have served in the Southern Supreme Council: JOHN MITCHELL, 33°, 1801 to 1823; FREDERICK DALCHO, 33°, 1823 to 1844; ALEXANDER McDONALD, 33°, 1844 to 1855; JOHN HENRY HONOUR, 33°, 1855 to January, 1859, when he resigned; ALBERT PIKE, 33°, from January, 1859, until his decease, April 2, 1891; JAMES CUNNINGHAM BATCHELOR, 33°, from October, 1892, until his death, July 28, 1893; PHILIP CROSBY TUCKER, 33°, from October, 1893, until his death, July 9, 1894; THOMAS HUBBARD CASWELL, 33°, from October 26, 1895, until his death, November 13, 1900. The three latter were Lieutenant and Acting Grand Commanders during the interims between the date of the deaths of their predecessors and the elections at the next regular meetings of the Supreme Council. The following are the present officers and Active Members of the Southern Supreme Council, also the Honorary Members and the Grand Cross for California:
Elective Officers - JAMES D. RICHARDSON, Grand Commander, Murfreesboro, Tenn.; SAMUEL E. ADAMS, Lieutenant Grand Commander, Minneapolis, Minn.; ERASMUS T. CARR, Grand Prior, Miles City, Mont.; MARTIN COLLINS, Grand Chancellor, St. Louis, Mo.; RUFUS E. FLEMING, Grand Minister of State, Fargo, N. Dakota; FREDERICK WEBBER, Secretary - General, Washington, D.C.; W. FRANK PIERCE, Treasurer - General, San Francisco, Cal.; RICHARD J. NUNN, Grand Almoner, Savannah, Ga.; SAMUEL M. TODD, Grand Auditor, New Orleans, La.
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Appointed Officers - JAMES R. HAYDEN, Grand Mareschal of Ceremonies, Seattle, Wash.; BUREN R. SHERMAN, Grand Chamberlain, Vinton, Iowa; IRVING W.
PRATT, First Grand Equerry, Portland, Ore.; ADOLPHUS L. FITZGERALD, Second Grand Equerry, Carson City, Nev.; GEORGE F. MOORE, Grand Standard - Bearer, Montgomery, Ala.; FRANK M. FOOTE, Grand Sword - Bearer, Evanston, Wyo.; HARPER S. CUNNINGHAM, Grand Herald, Guthrie, Oklahoma.
Active Members - THEODORE SUTTON PARVIN, Iowa; JAMES DANIEL RICHARDSON, Tennessee; JOHN FREDERICK MAVER, Virginia; NATHANIEL LEVIN, South Carolina; GEORGE FLEMING MOORE, Alabama; FRANK MILLs FOOTE, Wyoming; IRVING WASHINGTON PRATT, Oregon; JAMES A. HENRY, Arkansas; AUSTIN BEVERI,V CHAMBERLAIN, Texas; WILLIAM ALLEN MCLEAN, Florida; JAMES WAKEFIELD CORTLAND, North Carolina.
SUPREME COUNCIL CHAMBER, S.J., WASHINGTON, D.C.
Emeritus Members - GEORGE B. WATERHOUSE, North Carolina; JOHN MCCRAKEN, Oregon; WILLIAM ROBERTS BOWN, Nebraska; JOHN LONSDALE ROPER, Virginia; ROBERT S. INNES, Minnesota; THOMAS A. CUNNINGHAM, Maryland; EUGENE GRISSOM, North Carolina; HARRY R. COMLY, Montana; ROBERT CARROLL JORDAN, Nebraska.
It may be here mentioned that the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Northern jurisdiction of the United States, of which HENRY L. PALMER, 33°, is the Sovereign Grand Commander, has 48 active members (being 18 less than its full number of 66), 2 Emeritus Members, and 649 Honorary Members, or a total of 699 members of the 33d degree. There is no Court of Honor. There are 32 Consistories of the 32d degree, with 22,406 members; 58 Chapters of Rose Croix of the 18th degree, with 22,899 members; 63 Councils of Princes of Jerusalem of the 16th degree, with 23,464 members; and 80 Lodges of Perfection of the 14th degree, with 26,187 members. These subordinate bodies are represented in each State in a
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Council of Deliberation, presided over by a deputy, who is an Active Member of the Supreme Council. All legislation of local character is there acted upon, and all laws passed by such body have to be approved by the Supreme Council before becoming laws in active operation.
REMARKS IN CONCLUSION UPON THE ANCIENT AND
ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY.
In the foregoing pages are recorded a condensed statement and history of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. Originally the Rite of Perfection, with twenty-five degrees, was established in 1754, compiled or rather grouped in one system by the Chevalier DE BONNEVILLE in the College of Jesuits of Clermont at Paris; hence called the Chapter of Clermont, which there received the name of the Rite of Perfection or Rite of Heredom. "The College of Clermont was," says REBOLD, "the asylum of the adherents of the house of STUART, and hence the rite is to some extent tinctured with STUART Masonry." The Pretender, Prince CHARLES EDWARD, in the town of Arras in France, in 1747 established a Chapter of Rose Croix, borrowing it from the Rosy Cross of the Royal Order of Scotland. He, being hereditary King and Grand Master, changed the forms to symbolize his misfortunes, - the fall of his cause, the lost hope of its resurrection and his restoration to the throne, - comparing his life and fate to that of the SAVIOR of the world. The Chapter of Rose Croix authorized any three of its members, whenever they should meet and there was an attached friend, to confer the first three degrees of Masonry upon him, and it was in this way that Masonry on the continent of Europe was perverted and divided, as it was intended to be by the Jesuits. In 1758, when the Rite of Perfection no longer served the purposes of the Jesuits, it was taken possession of by the Council of the Emperors of the East and West, and by the Marquis DE BERNEZ carried to Berlin. In 1759 a Council of Princes of the Royal Secret - the highest degree conferred in that rite, the 25th - was established at Bordeaux, France. On September 21, 1762, nine commissioners met and drew up Constitutions for the government of the Rite of Perfection, which have since been known as "The Constitutions of 1762." Those only pertained to the Rite of Perfection, and as they carried that of the Templar Kadosh or 24th degree, the ne Plus ultra under these Constitutions, it is highly probable that some sea voyagers who visited Bordeaux received the Templar portion of that degree - either received or retained in their memory its ritual - and carried the same to Boston, Mass., where in St. Andrew's Lodge or Chapter, on August 28, 1769, in Masons' Hall, "Bro. WILLIAM DAVIS came before the Lodge begging to have and receive the parts belonging to the Royal Arch Masons, which being read, was received, and he unanimously voted in and was accordingly made by receiving the four steps, that of Excellent, Superexcellent, Royal Arch, and Knight Templar." The record of that meeting contains the first account of the conferring of the degree of Knight Templar that has been discovered in Great Britain or this country. The next was in Ireland. This part of the Templar Kadosh degree was no doubt thrown out as a feeler for the introduction of the Rite of Perfection, and that part was successful, as we have already shown, by the adoption of it by the Athol or Dermott Grand Lodge of the Ancients in 1780 at York, England, and through that source it came to the Lodges of the Ancients established in America.
Up to the end of the 18th century the Rite of Perfection of twenty-five degrees was the only rite worked in the French West India Islands, and it was that rite that was established by MORIN, FRANCKEN, HAYES, and other Deputy Inspectors - General, either there or in the United States, and its source was entirely French. The French Revolution in 1798 utterly destroyed all true Masonic organization and government. 'Riot, anarchy, butchery, and bloodshed prevailed, until a directory, consulate, and an empire under NAPOLEON the Great arose to bring order out of chaos and new life
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from the ashes of the dead. Freemasonry had fled from France to Germany and the rest of western Europe. The Prussian King - prior to NAPOLEON, the world's greatest soldier and general - FREDERICK the Great, during the War for American Independence, watched its beginning and observed its triumphant close. In his latter years the Rite of Perfection had been brought into his kingdom and he had no doubt given it due investigation, and saw that in substance it was a fine system of Freemasonry, if divested of its sinister objects for which it had been formulated by the Jesuits, and that it could be used for better and nobler purposes; but the principles it inculcated were better adapted to the republican soil of America than to any portions of the Old World and to render it more effective he caused the Constitutions of a new rite to be framed embracing the Rite of Perfection of twenty-five degrees, reinforced by eight others, to be known as the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, consisting of thirty-three degrees, corresponding to the number of years of CHRIST upon earth. These Constitutions are known as "The Constitutions of 1786," said to be or purported to have been made by FREDERICK II, King of Prussia. Much dispute and controversy has been had over their authenticity and genuineness, but our late Grand Commander, ALBERT PIKE, made an elaborate and exhaustive examination of this subject, and his logic and reasoning are conclusive as to their being genuine.
How or when these Constitutions of 1786 and the additional eight degrees to the Rite of Perfection came to Charleston, S.C., to enable one or two men to first establish the rite on May 31, 1801, has never been adequately explained.
FREDERICK the Great had by this time been dead fifteen years. If the two Brethren, MITCHELL and DALCHO, found these Constitutions and the rituals of the additional degrees, took them up and mutually obligated each other to form the first Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in the world, then they were greater than FREDERICK the Great himself, who only governed a kingdom, while they founded an empire, and of the means by which this sovereignty was established there is no record. Omitting entirely the question of government, the eight additional intercalary degrees added to the Rite of Perfection furnish the internal and confirmatory evidence of the authenticity and origin of the Constitutions of 1786. They are almost entirely of German history, origin, and construction. The 21st degree of Noachite or Prussian Knight is evidently connected with the Teutonic Knights of the House of Brandenburg, which protected MARTIN LUTHER and became Protestant, of which FREDERICK the Great was the lineal successor. The 23d, 24th, and 25th degrees - Chief of the Tabernacle, Prince of the Tabernacle, and Knight of the Brazen Serpent - are delineations and explanations of the setting up of the religion of the Hebrews in the Wilderness by MOSES, the history of the Israelitish nation in its wanderings and sufferings in the desert when bitten by serpents. In that age the Germans were great students of the Bible, and as all Masonry is connected with the history of the Jewish people, it was but natural that what is taught in those degrees was intended to act as a searchlight into the inner sanctuary of that religion. The 26th degree, Scottish Trinitarium or Prince of Mercy, was intended for the principal benefit of Scottish exiles and sojourning Knights within his kingdom, where they had always been protected from persecution and given asylum.
The 27th degree, or Knight Commander of the Temple, is entirely German in its construction, and gives the history of the Teutonic Knights and other German Crusaders in the Holy Land, when they fought under an excommunicated German Emperor and side by side with the Knights Templar, to whom afterward they gave asylum and protection when they were fugitives, fleeing from persecution, torture, and death at the stake in France. The 28th, or Knight of the Sun or Prince Adept, is a scientific, philosophic, and astronomic degree, and accounts for the fact that there is not one calendared or other saint to be found among the fixed stars, constellations, or other heavenly
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bodies on the celestial globe. The Copernican system does not demand a copper or a nickel as toll for the passage of a soul on its way to heaven. The 29th degree, or Grand Scottish Knight of ST. ANDREW, is preparatory to the Templar Kadosh degree or the 30th, and is devoted to the Scottish Templars. The 31st degree, or Grand Inquisitor Commander, is a substitute for that secret examination which the Jesuits pursued in the torture chamber of the Inquisition, after they had caught their victim in the last part of the Templar Kadosh degree in the Rite of Perfection, and after they had made him betray himself by certain acts required in which his true sentiments were expressed. The name Inquisitor was retained, but the candidate himself is the inquisitor, and it is self - examination and a study of the great lawgivers of the past that is to render him capable of acting and deciding questions of justice and equity as a judge, and be prepared for that final examination held before the Supreme judge of the world.
The 33d degree of Sovereign Grand Inspector - General represents FREDERICK the Great as the Grand Commander or Grand Master of the rite himself - his position on the tracing - board, in the center of his encampment when in the field and in command of the symbolic Masonic army. Prior to his death, when all supreme authority was vested in himself and with the Princes or Masters of the Royal Secret, he formed his military Masonic court. The insignia, colors, standards, devices, and words, although in Latin, are all German and Scottish in their combination, meaning, and symbolism; and the Grand Constitutions of 1786, which combined these eight additional degrees with the Rite of Perfection which now form the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, are as evidently authentic to the member as would be a state paper received from the Chancellor of the German Empire at Berlin, with the signatures and all the seals attached thereto.
FREDERICK the Great was a successful strategist as well on the field of war as in his palace at Potsdam. He was a profound French scholar, a liberal Protestant Christian and philosopher, and surrounded himself with the greatest men intellectually, philosophically, and otherwise of that age. From expelled Jesuits like VOLTAIRE and others he learned much. The Jesuits could no longer divert, scatter, or control Masonry nor subdue it; and when FREDERICK the Great took it in hand he completely rescued it, shaped its organization as the Royal and Military Order of the House of the Temple, and provided that the sovereign power held by himself should be deposited in the bosoms of the Supreme Councils of the nations when they should be created after his death, and their foundations should be in the virgin soil of the New World. And it was so.
One hundred years ago there was not a man in America that could devise such a system, and even if it were possible there was no field for it in the distracted, disordered, and divided Masonic mind. The rivalry between the "Ancients" and "Moderns," few in number; the people impoverished and sore from the War of the Revolution and on the verge of another war, either with France or England, and the fires of political rivalry and of factions aflame, the more intense because of the limited population everywhere - precluded the possibility of the creation or production at that time in the United States of such a scale of degrees with such a system of government as the Grand Constitutions of 1786 of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. This is proved by the very fact that, beyond themselves, no immediate attempt was made to establish it in this country; and only a foreigner and a Frenchman would start out with it as did Count DE GRASSE TILLEY, who went first with it to the French West Indies and then to Paris and Belgium, where he established Supreme Councils that astonished their mother at Charleston. When it is considered that in the whole of the United States at that time there were not more than five thousand Masons, all told, that were enrolled, it is not strange that Scottish Rite Masonry, waiting for hostile Blue Lodges to cease their quarreling and make peace, had to stand still until times were more propitious
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for its growth. Neither MITCHELL, DALCHO, or any American Mason concocted the Constitutions of 1786. French Masons did not formulate them, nor invent the additional eight degrees, for they express the Lutheran spirit and are German in their conception and tone, and of the highest order at that.
All the history has been given in relation to the field prepared, the good seed sown, and the fruit produced from the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, which is doing so much good in countries with less liberal forms of government, encouraging priestridden and downtrodden people, long under the iron heel of tyranny, superstition, and fanaticism to look up and hope for the time when the presence of a Dominican or Jesuit priest shall no longer darken their doors and the people so long cursed shall be disenthralled. This is the mission of Scottish Freemasonry, as proclaimed by its greatest Grand Commander, ALBERT PIKE - who did more when alive to that end than an army with banners, whose words are weapons upon thousands of tongues, and will be repeated until the end of time.
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CHAPTER XII
Freemasonry Subsequent to the Revolution.
THE GROWTH OF THE FRATERNITY AND THE ESTABI,lSHMEN - l' OF THE SEVERAL AMERICAN JURISDICTIONS, DUE TO THE WIDE DISPERSION OF LOYAL COLONIAL CRAFTSMEN.
UPON the conclusion of the Revolution a strong spirit was manifested for independence of the Mother Country in all matters pertaining to the Craft. This disposition had been apparent in many ways prior to the commencement of hostilities, and at the close of the war was openly advocated. Most of the Brethren had been actively engaged in the conflict, and all its horrors, sufferings, and bloodshed but accentuated the bitterness of the Colonists. It was natural, therefore, with the return of peace, that an effort should be made in this direction.
Appropriately, Massachusetts, the birthplace of the Revolutionary spirit and the scene of the first encounters, assumed the lead. Its Grand Lodge declared for absolute independence. The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania followed, and its voice was soon supplemented by that of others. The proposition was advanced to form a Masonic Union patterned after that of the States, wherein every Grand Lodge should have representation. It was intended to confer upon GEORGE WASHINGTON the distinctive honor of General Grand Master, but opposition to the plan soon developed. Unfortunately for the success of the plan many of the Tories, who had remained loyal to the crown, were active members of the Craft and exerted their influence to overcome the tendency of the time. Several Grand Lodges were thereby placed in opposition to the scheme, and it was abandoned, although not until the seed thus sown had borne fruit which eventually emancipated the Craft and established the existing American system of independent Grand jurisdictions. The death of WASHINGTON was largely instrumental in repressing temporarily the active movement for a General Grand Lodge. A few years later the plan was attempted to be revived, but failed to evoke the support anticipated. One of the strongest factors to this end was the jealousy of the various Grand Lodges of their jurisdictional rights, which they had now fully learned and thoroughly appreciated.
During the dark period of the Revolutionary strife, the labors of the several Lodges had been slight and indifferent except for the work performed by the Army Lodges. With the cessation of the sanguinary struggle the work was resumed, but it found the Lodges mostly disorganized and dispirited. The conditions prevailing were exact reflections of the status of the people and Colonies
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during the experimental period from the distrusted Confederacy to the formation of the Federal Government under the Constitution. But with the return of confidence in the stability of the Republic, under its written organic law, came a renewal of hope in the Masonic Institution, and thence its career became a progressive march toward the full consummation of its glorious purposes, unhindered save by the MORGAN episode, and demonstrating by its works its right to endure as the exemplar of principles at once gracious and divine.
The renewal of interest in Freemasonry induced the formation of many new Lodges throughout the Atlantic Slope, every portion feeling the effect of the revival, and the altar fires, new and old, dotting town and hamlet from the driven snows of the extreme north to the glowing warmth of the south. Then the Great Lights, like the sun in its course, began to tip the crests of the Alleghany and the Appalachian range of mountains, which were then the Western boundary of civilization, and soon thereafter to dart their beaming rays down the western slopes and across the lakes, the fountains of the St. Lawrence River, and the broad Valley of the Mississippi, "The Father of Waters," and its tributaries, and thence up the steep sides of the rugged and rocky granite piles of the Far West, dipping at length, across peaceful vales, into the broad and peaceful western sea. The Masonic and patriotic spirit and memories of the Masonic fathers of American Independence accompanied the Great Lights wherever the altars of Freemasonry were set up in the then vast wilderness filled with hostile tribes of Indians.
The first Lodge to be opened for work was at the town of Lexington in Kentucky under a charter issued by the Grand Lodge of Virginia, November 17, 1788, as Lexington Lodge, No. 25, the town and Lodge having been named after Lexington in Massachusetts, where the first blood was shed in the American Revolution. The next in order was American Union Lodge, the charter having been granted to it by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, February 15, 1776, as a Military Lodge in the Connecticut Line of the American army during the Revolutionary War, which found lodgment at Marietta, Ohio. It was opened by the Master, Lieutenant JONATHAN HEART, with Colonel BENJAMIN TUPPER and General RUFUS PUTNAM as Wardens. There were several Brethren who had been members of the Military Lodge, No. 10, also warranted by the St. John's Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, and in all there were ten of these officers and soldiers of the Revolutionary army who met and elected their officers and opened this Lodge June 28, 1790. The Grand Lodge of South Carolina chartered Parfait Union Lodge at New Orleans, Louisiana, March 30, 1794, to French refugee Brethren from the Island of Hayti, while the Grand Lodge of North Carolina granted a charter to St. Tammaity Lodge, No. 29, at Nashville, Tenn., December 17, 1796.
From the altars of these first Lodges planted on the western slopes of the Alleghany Mountains the lights of Masonry began to burn like blazing beacons, lighting up the Mississippi Valley and its tributaries from the lakes to the gulf and casting over the barren wastes and stony sentinels of the plains and the sun - kissed shores of the Pacific a flood of golden light. Their united glow spread a sheen of effulgent brilliance over the vast expanse and started the flames upon new Masonic altars set up in every direction by the pioneer torch - bearers of the Craft. The French traders of St. Louis and St. Genevieve in the then French Territory of Louisiana, who purchased their goods at Philadelphia, were initiated into Masonry in the old French Lodges L'Amerite, Nos. 71 and 73, on the roll of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. Those Lodges had been formed chiefly of officers and soldiers who had volunteered and served under Bro. LAFAYETTE in the American Revolution, and becoming imbued with the spirit of Freemasonry, awaited with patience the negotiations between THOMAS JEFFERSON, President of the United States, and NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, the Consul of France (both Masons), for the purchase and cession of Louisiana to the United States, which took place
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April 30, 1803. As their numbers became augmented from time to time, they at last made application in the year 1807 - 8, for a warrant of Constitution, which was granted by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, for Louisiana Lodge, No. 109, to be held in the town of St. Genevieve, Territory of Louisiana, OTHO STRADER being its first Master, and Dr. AARON ELLIOTT and JOSEPH HERTICH its first Wardens.
It numbered among its members PIERRE CHOUTEAU and BARTHOLOMEW BERTHOLD, the founders of the great American Fur Company, and many others, who subsequently became prominent merchants of St. Louis. This was the first Lodge established in what is now the State of Missouri.
The war with Great Britain in 1812 - 14 greatly disturbed the progress of Freemasonry in the valley of the Mississippi as well as elsewhere in the United States. For several years thereafter but little advance was made by the Craft in this region, but on November 29, 1818, the Grand Lodge of Kentucky granted a dispensation for Arkansas Lodge at the Post of Arkansas, but when Little Rock became the capital of Arkansas it surrendered its dispensation by reason of the removal of the seat of government. And thus Freemasonry on the west bank of the Mississippi River was established in its infancy. The first meeting of the Convention for the organization of the Grand Lodge of Missouri was held on WASHINGTON's birthday, February 22, 1821, and adjourned to April 21St of that year,, when it was duly organized. It may also be noted as of general interest that among the famous Masons of the Mississippi Valley, HENRY CLAY became the Grand Master of Kentucky and ANDREW JACKSON, the hero of the battle of New Orleans, became the Grand Master of Tennessee.
The Freemasonry of the Mississippi Valley was not hide - bound, nor were the strict rules and regulations which now generally govern it then enforced.
Non - affiliation and suspension for noii - payment of dues were not then in vogue, nor were they considered Masonic crimes, nor was membership then altogether confined to one Lodge; but whenever and wherever one brother could render a kind office to another it was freely given, even life for a life in defense when rendered necessary. Not a party of hunters, trappers or traders or any expedition set out from the Western Mississippi cities or towns toward Texas, New Mexico, the Rocky Mountains, to Oregon as then known, or California, but there were the Brethren of the Mystic Tie to a greater or lesser extent to be found among them, and the Grand Lodge of Missouri was their lenient, fostering, protecting, and indulgent mother. I n those early days she did not invoke the stern rigor of the statutes of her sovereignty, but allowed the elasticity of human nature some recognition in the administration of her government. It is true that there was a great laxity for want of a perfect system and regularity at 'her Grand East in those early times but for men of moral courage, stern integrity, fidelity to principles, and Masonic obligations, and with physical strength, pluck and daring, even to the risking of life itself, the material of the jurisdiction of the then frontier Grand Lodge of Missouri was the peer of any Grand Lodge.
While new altar fires were set aflaming in the West, those of the East were kept glowing. The progress along the Atlantic seaboard was constant and inspiring.
Many of the disputes arising from conflicts of authority were settled and the Craft placed upon a harmonious basis. In Massachusetts the two Grand Lodges ended their contentions by uniting on March 5, 1792, thereby restoring concord, encouraging labor, and assuring prosperity to the fraternity. St. Andrew's Lodge, which refused to acquiesce in the Union, finally united its fortunes with the new Grand Lodge, and thus completed the Masonic circle.
If the claim that the Massachusetts Grand Lodge was of the "Ancients" be true, then the coalition mentioned antedated the union in England of 1813 by twenty-two years. Immediately after the uniting of the Grand Lodges, a new "Book of Constitutions" was published, dedicated to GEORGE WASHINGTON, and this has since, with minor changes, been the manual of Massachusetts. The Grand Lodge officiated at the laying of the cornerstone of the
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Bunker Hill Monument, June 27, 1835, General LAFAYETTE being present and assisting as a brother Mason. The MORGAN excitement affected the prosperity of the Craft in the State, as elsewhere, to great degree, the utmost bitterness prevailing, and leading eventually to the surrender of the Grand Lodge incorporation, but it was probably due to this Grand Lodge and one of its members that the utter idiocy of the agitation then prevailing was made patent to the people at large, who thereupon moderated their views and at length completely changed their ideas regarding the institution, so much so that the Legislature of the State has since been extremely considerate of Masonic interests, and has enacted many laws in its behalf.
The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts strongly advocated the establishment of a General Grand Lodge, the feeling against English domination of the Craft being very emphatic. The same spirit permeated the Craftsmen of Pennsylvania, probably the earliest home of Freemasonry in the United States. The propriety of severing official relations with the Grand Lodge of England was considered at the quarterly communication of the Pennsylvania Grand Lodge, held at Philadelphia in September, 1786, when it was formally declared that all ties except those of brotherly love and affection were determined. Thereupon the Grand Lodge, acting under the British warrant, was closed forever, and an independent sovereign body called the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania was created. This action was concurred in by thirteen Lodges, which had theretofore worked under the authority of the English warrant. The former Grand Officers were continued in their positions with full powers. From this later Grand Lodge were issued warrants authorizing the creation of subordinate bodies in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana', Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Haiti, Trinidad, Cuba, and Mexico, in addition to army Lodges and two in South American countries. From these various bodies several Grand Lodges were subsequently organized. As illustrative of the extent of the Lodge powers and the freedom then prevalent in the conferring of various degrees which had not yet been separated into different orders, it may be observed that under the warrant of the Lodges, Nos. 2 and 3, the Knight Templar degree was conferred by these bodies during the period from 1783 to 1787. In 1782 - 1783 the Ahiman Rezon, containing the Constitutions of Pennsylvania, was published, the dedication being inscribed to WASHINGTON as General of the American armies and as a distinguished brother.
Originally, the Pennsylvania Brethren favored the establishment of a General Grand Lodge, having in view the selection of WASHINGTON as General Grand Master, but with his demise this sentiment changed and strong opposition to the plan developed. The Craft in Pennsylvania manifested a sincere affection for WASHINGTON at all times, and at his death mourned his loss as personal. On several public occasions WASHlNGTON attended the Grand Lodge, which is possessed of one of his Masonic letters. His legatees also presented to the Grand Lodge one of his Masonic aprons, and the Grand Lodge in turn voted $1,000 for the erection of a monument over his remains at Mount Vernon, and contributed a block of marble for the great WASHINGTON Monument in Washington, D. C.
LAFAYETTE, the associate of WASHINGTON in the gloomy days of the Revolution, was also cherished by the Pennsylvania Brethren both as patriot and brother, and upon his return to the United States was received with many manifestations of love and reverence. He was honored with membership in the Grand Lodge, and was received everywhere by the Brethren with every mark of esteem. The loyalty of the Pennsylvania Brethren has ever been pronounced, and every demand of the Government has been met promptly. When Great Britain in 1812 provoked its second war with the Americans, the Grand Lodge immediately offered its services in defense of the Quaker City, and upon the call for aid, five hundred and ten members responded. The same devotion to the flag inspired the organization of a relief association for Masonic soldiers enlisted in the Union cause during the Rebellion, but this help was not confined to members of the Craft, and gradually extended
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to all of the soldiers, and eventually resulted in the formation of hospital and other corps for the alleviation of the troubles incident to war. By enactment of the Grand Lodge in 1799, one - third of its receipts were devoted to charity, and these, with the accumulations from a bequest of $20,000 made by STEPHEN GIRARD, and of $50,000 donated by THOMAS R. PATTON, former Grand Treasurer, aggregate about $200,000. Through the loving efforts of the Brethren, a shelter for the aged, decrepit, and forlorn Mason, his wife, widow, and orphan has been established at Philadelphia, and in the beneficence of its work will rival the magnificence of the Temple, said to be the finest in the world, which has been erected in the same city by the same exalted spirits.
All of the New England Jurisdictions were nurtured by Massachusetts and she proved a worthy mother to all, giving of her substance and earnestness much that contributed to the early and permanent success of the Craft. The same spirit of independence which led the Colonies to throw off the yoke of the mother country, early induced the Craftsmen in the various portions of New England to establish their own Grand Lodges and year after year discovered them setting up their own altars. The first of the offshoots to erect its own Grand Lodge was Connecticut. St. John's Lodge, of which PAUL REVERE was at one time Grand Master, had chartered a number of Lodges in this territory of which six survived. A similar number had been warranted by the Massachusetts Grand Lodge, and four Lodges had received authority from the Provincial Grand Master of New York.
American Union, an Army Lodge, chartered by St. John's Lodge and attached to a Connecticut regiment was also working. These bodies, although working under different dispensations, labored in concord and eventually convened for the purpose of forming a Grand Lodge. The first meeting to this end was held in April, 1783, and the second in January, 1784, but the work was not consummated until May, 1789, when a Constitution was adopted and officers were elected. The Grand Lodge was formed by twelve of the Lodges and it was noted as remarkable that all of these Lodges were still in existence and represented at the centenary observance of the Grand Lodge in 1889. Under the Grand Lodge the Fraternity prospered and at the commencement of the nineteenth century the membership had grown to 3,000 - Some trouble was experienced from the establishment of spurious Lodges by JOASH HALL about the year 1800, but this was soon remedied.
Out of Connecticut came charters for Erie Lodge and New England Lodge which, with American Union, the Army Lodge before mentioned, assisted in the formation in 1808 of the Ohio Grand Lodge. The Grand Lodge was incorporated by act of the Legislature in 1821 and five years later voted $500 for a monument to WASHINGTON. In common with other Masonic Bodies, the Grand Lodge felt the effects of the MORGAN crusade, and it created such demoralization that in 1831 the Grand Treasurer was the only officer who did not refuse to continue in office.
Although new officers were elected at that session all but the Grand Master and Grand Treasurer failed to appear at the convocation the following year.
New Hampshire was the second of the Massachusetts branches to form a Grand Lodge. The first Lodge in this colony was warranted about 1737 and it remained the sole Lodge for forty-five years when another was constituted, but the latter did not long survive. During the period immediately following the cessation of hostilities between Great Britain and the colonies, several other Lodges were consecrated to the cause of Masonry. The first movement toward the creation of a Grand Lodge was a meeting of deputies at Keene in July, 1789, at which a resolution to that end was adopted. A second meeting was held the same month, but the Grand Master was not installed until April, 1790. For several years the Grand Lodge celebrated ST. JOHN's Day by parading to a church and there commemorating by appropriate services the recurrence of this Masonic patron's festival. The organization of Washington Lodge at Exeter, July 22, 1801, was marked by rather novel ceremonies.
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The Grand Lodge was opened by the Grand Master who thereupon summoned the officers of the new Lodge. These were then severally examined and ascertained to be worthy and well skilled in the Ancient Art. The Grand Lodge, headed by a band of music, marched to the meeting - place of the new subordinate where the Lodge was opened, the Grand Officers taking their official positions. The Master was then obligated and inducted into the Oriental Chair in the presence only of all attending Past Masters. Then the procession was reformed and proceeded to a near - by church where the ceremonies were enlivened by the music of a male and female choir. After the consecration of the Lodge, investiture of the Master, proclamation and prayer, the Brethren again formed in procession and marched to a hostelry where a sumptuous banquet had been provided by the stewards. Later the Lodge was closed. This Grand Lodge was probably the first to establish a form of application for the degrees. The form was adopted in 1802, the first half being substantially the declaration now set forth upon all of the petitions. The second half was a formal recommendation of the applicant by two members of the Lodge who attested the moral and other qualities necessary to constitute him a fit member of the Craft, and two other members vouched for the petitioner. In 1807 the Grand Lodge appointed a delegate to represent it in a Grand Masonic Convention at Washington, D. C., authorizing him to propose and agree to a systematic method of working and lecturing in the United States, but it also expressed its opposition to the formation of a General Grand Lodge as had been proposed.
The Grand Lodge of Rhode Island was organized on June 25, 1791, by two Lodges - one located at Newport and the other at Providence. The Constitution adopted provided for annual sessions, alternating between Newport and Providence. A memorial service was adopted in 1797. In this jurisdiction the Lodges were required to work under dispensations for several years before charters were issued, a practice which has since become general. It was not until the year 1800 that the Lodges of this State were numbered. New Lodges were usually constituted and the installations of officers held in public. Originally the Lodges had no authority to confer the Third or Master's degree, which was worked by a separate Masters' Lodge. Another strange regulation was that which declared that an Entered Apprentice did not become a member of the Lodge which conferred it.
This was supplemented by another requiring Fellow Crafts to apply by petition for, advancement. St. John's Lodge of Providence was the home Lodge of THOMAS S.
WEBB, who in 1813 - 1814 was Grand Master, and whose chief celebrity in the Masonic Institution is as the revisionist of the rituals of the several bodies. During WEBB'S mastership in 1814 the Grand Lodge fortified the harbor of Providence against the British, and he named the defenses Fort Hiram. An application was made to this Grand Lodge in 1811 for a warrant to open a Lodge on the Island of St. Bartholomew, but it was refused, the Grand Lodge placing its denial upon the ground of want of jurisdiction. The Grand Lodge in 1826, and again in 1848, revised its Constitution, and also in 1863 adopted a revision of the ritual. All of the Lodges but one acquiesced in the latter changes, and that one for continued contumacy was suspended.
Vermont was the next of the Massachusetts Masonic progeny to build its own household. Duly accredited delegates from three Lodges assembled at Manchester in August, 1794, and several preliminary meetings were held at which the necessary formula for the formation of a Grand Lodge were pursued and adopted. Eventually, on October 13, 1794, a Constitution was adopted and officers chosen. The growth of the Order was rapid, and many charters were granted. In fact, so great was the progress and so numerous the applications for warrants, that the Grand Lodge passed a number of measures tending to protect the Fraternity from imposition. Among other regulations it required the petition of five known Master Masons for a charter, the examination of the Master and
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Wardens as to their knowledge of the Masonic art, the approbation of the two nearest Lodges, and a distance of at least twenty miles between Lodges, unless at certain seasons of the year the Brethren would be obliged to travel round creeks and bays to get to the Lodge to which they belonged, in which case the Grand Lodge was authorized to dispense with the rule enforcing, distance. In January, 1802, the Grand Lodge adopted a standard work for the Lodges, and in January, 1804, it ordered the discontinuance of the chisel as a working - tool of the Entered Apprentice degree. In 1805 the Grand Lodge adopted a law conferring upon Master Masons the sole right to vote in the Lodges, and also conferred upon the Lodges the power to hear and determine all disputes between their members and to suspend, expel, and restore them, all without right of appeal. It may be noted as curious that the Grand Lodge, in 1807, directed the publication in local newspapers of the expulsion of members, to which was added a request to the publishers throughout the Union to reprint the item. Some years later the Grand Lodge provided the correlatively curious rule that all restorations to membership should be likewise printed in the public journals. This Grand Lodge also appropriated various sums in the first quarter of the nineteenth century for the distribution, gratuitously, of the Bible, and also aided several Bible societies. A sum of money was donated in 1824 to a Craftsman who had been deprived of his place and emoluments as an elder of a Christian church because he had become a Mason. This Grand Lodge also early expressed its disapproval of the use of ardent spirits, and also frowned upon public dinners at its communications, adopting a resolution to this effect in 1826, and in the following year it recommended to all subordinates to exclude the use of ardent spirits on all public occasions. It seems to have been the disposition of both the Grand and Subordinate Lodges of Vermont to aid all public movements, contributing moneys' freely toward the same, and in this manner advancing the interests of educational, colonization, and other projects. This jurisdiction suffered from the intense feelings aroused by the anti-Masonic agitation, 'the bitterness engendered thereby being almost beyond conception. Most of the Brethren held resolutely to their principles, and, though sore tried, the justness of their cause eventually triumphed, and since the progress of the Fraternity has been more than satisfactory. In this State the Legislature, during the height of the MORGAN excitement, passed a law making it a public offense to administer what were termed "extra - judicial" oaths, the law being aimed directly at the Masonic fraternity, and being designed to abolish all forms of obligations, but, as was to be anticipated, the law was ineffectual to accomplish the end desired.
The Craft had become a well - known and thriving institution in Maine at the date of its admission to Statehood, there being thirty-one Lodges, all of which had been chartered by Massachusetts. The State was admitted to the Union in 1819, and later in the same Year a convention of the Lodges was held to promote the organization of a Grand Lodge, twenty-nine of the Lodges being represented. In June, 1820, the representatives of twenty-four Lodges met, adopted a Constitution, and elected officers, the first Grand Master being WILLIAM KING, Governor of the State. The Mother Grand Lodge donated the sum of one thousand dollars to its youngest Masonic child, as the basis of its charity fund, and helped it in many ways. At the session of 1820 a proposition was made to the Grand Lodge to set apart one - tenth of all moneys to be received thereafter from charter and initiatory fees for the purpose of translating the Bible into various tongues and distributing the same without note or comment, but it was decided that as the funds of the Grand Lodge were devoted to other objects of charity, such as supplying the temporal wants of the needy, no part thereof could be applied, to such purpose. This Grand Lodge in 1824 adopted the report of a committee favoring the admission of candidates by solemn affirmation in all cases in which applicants
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had conscientious scruples against taking an oath. This invasion of one of the most sacred of the Landmarks of the Craft raised a cloud of protests throughout the United States, and eventually the Landmark was restored.
All of the Lodges in New York, with one exception, had been chartered by the English Grand Lodge of "Moderns" when the Revolutionary outbreak occurred, and all but one suspended labor until the close of the war. Many of the regiments stationed in New York City during its occupation by the British had attached to them so-called Army Lodges, which were exceedingly active, and in these Lodges Whigs and Tories, Federalists and Royalists, were accustomed to meet, forgetful for the nonce of the bitterness aroused by the conflict between the Crown and its Colonies. A Provincial Grand Lodge having been established in New York City in December, 1782, upon the evacuation of the British troops, it was decided to leave the Grand Warrant for use of the successors of the incumbent Grand Officers, most of whom, being British soldiers, were obliged to depart. The first American Grand Master of this body was WILLIAM COCK, who was succeeded by ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON in 1784. Two years later all Lodges in the State were ordered to deposit their warrants, so that the rank of all might be determined. In the same year a committee was appointed to consider the propriety of holding the Grand Lodge under its then warrant, and to effect a change if it should be thought expedient. This committee afterward reported that no change was necessary. The festivals of the two SAINTS JOHN were observed by the Grand Lodge in 1785 and 1789 with much ceremony. In August, 1790, the Grand Lodge declared in favor of a Supreme Federal Grand Lodge. Owing to conflicts between the "Moderns" and "Ancients" and a number of clandestine Masons, a check - word was adopted by the Grand Lodge in 1793, but the next year it was changed. The use of this safeguard was continued for several years. In 1796 it was resolved by the Grand Lodge to refuse to grant any dispensation or charter for a Lodge to any persons residing out of the State and within the jurisdiction of another Grand Lodge. JACOB MORTON was in 1801 inducted into the Grand Orient as successor of ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON with elaborate ceremonials, Knights Templar officiating and the Grand Master delivering a felicitous address.
The second war with England caused an emergency convocation of the Grand Lodge, September, 1814, seventeen Lodges responding, and the members, with other Brethren, devoted several days' labor toward the erection of a fort on Brooklyn Heights as a defense of the city. The Grand Lodge on June 5, 1816, prohibited the use of distilled spirits in Lodge rooms. For many years the jurisdiction was torn by dissentions arising from attempts to establish a second Grand Lodge.
Three Lodges of Albany in December, 1801, issued a circular to the country Lodges advocating the formation of another Grand Lodge. The Lodges divided upon the proposition, some of the country Lodges uniting with the city Lodges in opposition. Action was postponed until 1823, when it was discussed with much bitterness. Before this was settled the subordinates in ten of the western counties convened and petitioned the Grand Lodge for the formation of a second Grand Body in the western portion of the State. In June, 1822, another proposal was made to erect a new Grand Lodge in the country. Many objections were made to the Grand Lodge by the interior Lodges, the principal ones being in regard to payment of mileage and expenses of representatives, the right to vote, and representation of country Lodges by proxies to the Grand Lodge. The Grand Lodge was in many respects purely a city organization, and gradually excited the opposition of the country members. It was fast becoming discredited, and in June, 1822, the dissentions culminated in the organization of another, or country, Grand Lodge, which was known as St. John's Grand Lodge. Five years later the country and city Grand Lodges under a compromise treaty coalesced, it having been agreed that there should be but one Grand Lodge, that the records should remain in New York City, that
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the Grand Secretary and Grand Treasurer should be elected from that city, that the other officers should be chosen alternately from city and country, that Past Masters should not be represented by proxies, and that no Master or Past Master should represent more than three Lodges. New York State was the home and hotbed of the anti-Masonic crusade brought about by the MORGAN incident, and so intense was the excitement that all but seventy-two of the 502 Lodges surrendered their charters. For seven years no work was done. The Grand Lodge, to help allay the feeling of opposition, prohibited all public parades. Despite this inhibition and in the face of special notifications York, Hibernia, Benevolent, and Silentia Lodges, under the leadership of HENRY C. ATWOOD, resolved to appear in public to celebrate ST. JOHN's Day, 1837. The parade was held, three hundred joining in the same. In July succeeding ATWOOD was expelled, the specific charge being disobedience to the mandate of the Deputy Grand Master, who had warned him against proceeding with the march and celebration. The Lodges participating met and on September 12, 1837, established a Grand Lodge under the name of St. John's. This body and its subordinates were refused recognition by the American and European Grand Lodges, being declared clandestine, and so continued until 1850, when the St. John's Grand Lodge was merged with the Grand Lodge of New York and its members healed. In June, 1853, the St. John's Grand Lodge drew away from the Grand Lodge of New York, basing its action upon four grounds, the first being to the Grand Master, REUBEN H. WALWORTH, for his claimed disloyalty to the Masonic Institution; the second, that large amounts of money had been squandered; the third, that Lodges had been inordinately taxed, and the fourth the inquisitorial exercise of power over subordinate Lodges and individual members.
When the term of Grand Master WALWORTH expired, three years later, the St. John's bodies returned to the regular Grand, Lodge and the schism was finally closed. The St. John's Grand Lodge at this time had about one thousand members enrolled in its subordinates. The Grand Lodge of New York has ever been liberal in its charities and consistent in its help to the needy. In 1810 it provided instruction to fifty poor orphan children. In 18l2 the destitution and suffering of the people at Buffalo was relieved by the citv Lodges. Moneys were raised in 1815 for the presentation to each scholar in the Fraternity's free school of an outfit of clothing.
The movement to erect a building for the Grand Lodge in New York City and an asylum for Masons, widows, and orphans was started in 1843, and has since seen fruition in the magnificent Temple of the Craft in New York City and the more useful and gracious home at Utica. The Grand Lodge is the possessor of one of the finest Masonic Libraries in the world, and is adding to it constantly. Six of the original Lodges still exist, their antiquity not having impaired their vigor or usefulness.
Closely following the termination of the War of Independence, the various Lodges in New Jersey united to establish a Grand Lodge. Accordingly, the representatives of the different subordinates met at New Brunswick, and on December 18, 1786, organized the Grand Body, most of those participating having been actively engaged in the conflict. A number of the military Lodges connected with the forces operating in New Jersey joined in the creation of the Grand Lodge, accepting later the warrants of the new governing body. New Jersey was the theater of many of the notable encounters of the Revolution, and during the interims of warfare the members of the several Army Lodges and those Masons whose membership was in regularly located Lodges, availed themselves fully of the opportunities thus afforded to meet their Brethren of the Mystic Tie, and many strong and in some cases romantic attachments were formed which outlasted hostilities. Although the Grand Lodge was organized in 1786, it was four years later before its Constitution was formally promulgated and adopted. As might be expected, General WASHINGTON, during his prolonged stay in and about New Jersey, was a frequent attendant upon the Masonic communications, and his presence
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and inspiring words were always keenly welcomed. This jurisdiction, while consistently opposed to the creation of a General Grand Lodge, was nevertheless favorable to the appointment of WASHINGTON as Grand Master of the United States, and even went so far as to receive a favorable report from a committee, but the proposition meeting with no general favor, owing to the objection that it would create a precedent that might prove injurious to the Craft in general, was permitted to lapse. The anti-Masonic crusade affected this Grand Lodge to some extent, but not as much as the other jurisdictions to the north and east. After the gradual decline of prejudice growing out of the MORGAN trouble, the Lodges began to prosper, and their course has since been pleasant and beneficial.
Two months after peace had been proclaimed the Lodges meeting on the Eastern Shore of Maryland assembled at Talbot Courthouse to establish a Grand Lodge, representatives from five Lodges being present to forward the project. At the meeting when it was proposed to elect officers for the Grand Lodge, some question was made as to the right of the convention to do so. It was then decided to appeal to the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania which had warranted most of the Maryland bodies for authority to set up an independent Grand Lodge. No definite reply to this request appears to have been given, probably for the reason that the supplicating bodies possessed the inherent right to establish their own Grand Lodge when they so determined. The convention met in July, 1783, for the second time, the Masters and Wardens of the Lodges being present instead of deputies. At this session the indisputable right of the Lodges to form an independent Grand Body was strongly declared and the assembly also elected a corps of officers. It was also decided that the Grand Lodge should meet quarterly and should sit at different places at its various communications. There were some members of the Grand Lodge who continued of doubtful belief as to their power to constitute a new Grand Body without the sanction of the Pennsylvania Grand Lodge, and the Grand Master of Maryland endeavored to obtain the final opinion of the Pennsylvania body, but without success, although a committee for the purpose of determining the question was appointed by the latter, but this committee does not appear to have made any report concerning the matter. Eventually the Maryland body concluded the matter by a declaration recognizing its right to form a Grand Lodge and the incident was considered closed. Thereafter there was no representation in the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania from Maryland. To settle all questions concerning the regularity and validity of the organization of the Grand Lodge in April, 1787, the officers of the different Lodges were summoned and the Grand Lodge was then formally reorganized and this date is generally accepted as that of the formation of this body. The three Lodges on the Western Shore, being two at Baltimore and one at Joppa, did not join in the establishment of the Grand Lodge but later submitted to its authority. With the settlement of the questions affecting the regularity of the organization of the Grand Lodge, the subordinates increased rapidly, twenty warrants being issued in the period to 1800, but of these seven became dormant.
For twenty years thereafter very little progress was made, but in 1820 interest in Masonry revived and for a decade there was great activity, no less than eighteen charters being issued for the establishment of new Lodges or the rejuvenation of old ones. In the following decade, however, there was a cessation of activity and the Fraternity lapsed to such extent that the entire membership did not exceed 300 and it was distributed among thirteen Lodges. This remarkable decrease in Lodges and membership was due wholly to the anti-Masonic excitement, but this decadent condition was of comparatively short duration and by 1845 interest was revived and the Craft began to prosper again and in the ensuing five years ten new Lodges were formed and many others revived. The Grand Lodge in 1797 Petitioned the Legislature for an Act of Incorporation which was granted finally in 1822. Under this Act the Grand Lodge continued to exercise its corporate powers for forty-four years when the Act was so amended as to enable the Grand Lodge
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to acquire additional property. A curious tribunal existed in this State up to 1872 called the "Grand Stewards' Lodge," composed of the Masters of the Baltimore Lodges and a Past Master from each Lodge in the State. Originally this Lodge was composed of the Deputy Grand Master and eight Brethren appointed annually by the Grand Lodge to which body was delegated the charge of the Grand Lodge Charity Fund. In time this Lodge extended its power and in addition to managing the financial interests of the Grand Lodge, received authority to act as an intermediate appellate court with power of discipline. After an existence of seventy-five years this Lodge was abolished, the Grand Lodge assuming its proper authority. This Grand Lodge on September is, 1793, in conjunction with the Lodge at Alexandria, Virginia, laid the cornerstone of the Capitol at Washington, D. C., the ceremonies being performed by GEORGE WASHINGTON, then President. This body also on July 4, 1815, laid the cornerstone of the WASHINGTON Monument in Baltimore, the Grand Master officiating and being the first monument erected to the memory of the distinguished patriot. On many occasions the Grand Lodge has been called upon to lay the corner - stones of public and private buildings and to participate in many public ceremonies. In 1845 a charity fund was established and much money was donated, ultimately reaching the sum of $54,000 which was invested in a new Temple which for many years was a losing venture. Many valuable records were destroyed Christmas Day, 1890, by a fire which consumed the old Masonic Hall on St. Paul Street.
Although the first warrant for a Lodge in Virginia was issued in 1741, a Grand Lodge was not formed therein until 1777. A number of Lodges were warranted by other Grand Bodies, but all were either united afterward to the Virginia Grand Lodge or surrendered their authority. Alexandria Lodge, No. 39, which was constituted by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, February 3, 1783, in April, 1788, surrendered its warrant and obtained one from the Grand Lodge of Virginia, and in 1804 gained permission to change its name to "Alexandria - Washington Lodge, No. 22." The Grand Lodge in 1798 declared against any member of the Virginia Lodges visiting the Lodges of the "Ancients," under penalty of expulsion, and this penal statute had the desired effect. WASHINGTON was made a Mason in this State on November 4, 1752, receiving the degrees in Fredericksburg Lodge. A monument to his memory was dedicated in 1858 by the Grand Lodge on the anniversary of his birth, with imposing ceremonies. The Grand Lodge also laid the cornerstone of the monument to commemorate the surrender of Yorktown, which the United States erected at the latter place. The Grand Lodge of Virginia was the parent of the Grand Lodge of West Virginia, which was formed in 1865, having chartered most of the Lodges which engaged in the formation of the latter, and also furnishing the form of Constitution which was used for several years. The prosperity of the Lodges in Virginia and West Virginia was sadly affected by the War of the Rebellion, but upon its culmination all again became successful and useful.
Among the earliest of the Colonies to receive the Masonic Institution was South Carolina, in which as early as 1735 a Lodge was constituted, known as Solomon's Lodge, located at Charleston, under a warrant issued by Lord WEYMOUTH, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England. At the same time that the warrant was granted to this Lodge, another was granted for a Lodge bearing the same name and located at Wilmington, North Carolina. The Charleston Lodge thus formed is still in existence. The Provincial Grand Lodge which had existed in South Carolina since 1737, declared itself in 1787 independent of England, and organized as a regular Grand Lodge. All the Lodges under this Grand Lodge were "Ancients." The "Moderns" in the same year formed a second Grand Lodge. For many years these bodies maintained a most un - fraternal rivalry, the "Ancients " being particularly energetic, while the "Moderns" sedulously adhered to the old regulations that required the uninitiated to voluntarily seek them. In December, 1808, the two Grand Lodges united
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as the "Grand Lodge of South Carolina," but dissentions soon arose over the eligibility of the "Moderns," the "Ancients" holding that the former could not become "Ancients" except by submitting to the ceremonies of the latter. The dispute raged bitterly and other Grand jurisdictions interdicted the members. At length the "Ancients" revived their Grand Lodge and the civil tribunals were appealed to for relief. In 1817 the two Grand Lodges were again united upon terms mutually satisfactory and the Brethren have since abided together in peace and harmony. In this jurisdiction Orange Lodge, No. 14, has maintained a continuous existence since May 28, 1789.
In North Carolina the first Grand Lodge was formed in 1771 and it met alternately at Newbern and Edenton. Its records were destroyed during the Revolution. The Grand Lodge suspended its labors during the war, but it was reorganized in 1787 when new officers were elected and installed, all Lodges renumbered and new charters issued. In 1797 the Legislature enacted a law for the incorporation of the Grand Lodge, under which it has since acted. In 1856 the Grand Lodge established ST. JOHN'S College, a Masonic educational institution, at Oxford, and in 1872 converted it into an orphan asylum, which has been recognized by the people and State in many substantial ways.
The first Lodge in Georgia was known as Solomon's, 139, and was warranted by Lord WEYMOUTH, Grand Master of England. This Lodge existed until the close of the Revolution, when it ceased to exist. In 1786 the Grand Lodge was formed. The progress of the Fraternity thereafter was marked in the city of Savannah, but the country Lodges failed to prosper and in 1818 most of the interior bodies had ceased to exist. To remedy this condition of affairs a new Constitution was adopted in 1820 providing for quarterly meetings, those of March and June at Savannah and those of September and December at Milledgeville, and for the election of Grand Officers annually at the March meeting at Savannah. These changes did not, however, meet with the approval of the members generally and a conflict arose between the country and city members, the former vacating the work of the latter. At length a meeting was held in December, 1826, to correct the evils growing out of this condition of affairs, and a new Constitution was adopted abolishing the quarterly meetings and fixing the regular meeting - place at Milledgeville. The Savannah session of the Grand Lodge repudiated these acts of the Milledgeville communication and elected Grand Officers as usual. At the December meeting of the Milledgeville Grand Lodge, Grand Officers were elected, the March session at Savannah was declared illegal and the Brethren espousing the cause of the latter were expelled. As might be expected the bitterest feelings were engendered by this action, intensified by the course of one of the Savannah Lodges in adhering to the Milledgeville Grand Lodge. While these factional controversies were waging, the anti-Masonic crusade was begun and this served more than any other cause to reunite the warring partisans, and all Lodges but Solomon's, No. 1, of Savannah renewed allegiance to the Milledgeville Grand Lodge. In November, 1889, Solomon's, No. 1, was received into the Grand Lodge and the sentence of expulsion was removed, thereby completely restoring the harmonious relations of the Craft. The most notable event in the career of the Grand Lodge was its participation March 21, 1824, in the laying of the corner - stones of the monuments erected to the memory of Generals GREENE and PULASKI, in which ceremonies LAFAYETTE participated.
The early Lodges in Florida had ephemeral existence, all constituted, for one cause or another, surrendering their charters or becoming extinct. This condition of affairs continued until the organization of several subordinates in the early years of the nineteenth century. Three of these Lodges met in July, 1830, and formed a Grand Lodge. This Grand Lodge "has the distinction of being the first Grand Body erected in a territory, Florida not being then admitted to Statehood. Its career has been harmonious and the Craft has prospered under its wise administration.
Although possessing a comparatively small enrollment, the members of this jurisdiction have worked in unison to promote
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the principles of the Fraternity and have a proud record for genuine charity. Lodges have been chartered in all of the principal cities and towns and the future of the Craft is bright indeed. The records of the Grand Lodge were unfortunately destroyed by fire in 1888, together with much other valuable property.
The Grand Lodge of Delaware was organized in 18o6 under circumstances of such doubtful character, that for many years sister Grand Lodges refused it recognition. There seemed to be no concerted action by the Lodges as such for the formation of a Grand Body. A number of Brethren, said to have been nine, held a meeting at Wilmington, and decided to create a Grand Lodge for the better government of the Fraternity. A committee was accordingly selected to prepare the necessary articles, and in June, 1806, the same were received and approved, and temporary officers appointed. The Grand Lodge was then formally consecrated and established.
The distinctive events in the history of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia were its participation in the laying of the cornerstone of the new Capitol of the United States, and its dedication of the Great WASHINGTON Monument.
The cornerstone of the first Capitol was laid on September 18, 1793, by WASHINGTON, who was then President, assisted by the Craft, and the ceremonies were entirely those of the Fraternity. The Grand Lodge was in charge of the ceremonies attending the laying of the commemorative stone of the new Capitol, on July 4, 1851 - More recently the Grand Lodge placed the cap - stone of the WASHINGTON Monument, and performed the dedicatory services. Five Lodges united in establishing this Grand Lodge in February, 1811, the only subordinate not joining being Alexandria - Washington Lodge, which continued under the Virginia Jurisdiction.
The first Grand Lodge organized in the Mississippi valley was that of Kentucky, which was formed in October, 1800, by the Masters of five Lodges all under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Virginia. Among these Lodges was Lexington, No. 25, which is said to be the first Lodge organized west of the Alleghanies. The preliminary meeting of the representatives of these five Lodges was held in September, 1800, at Lexington, at which the inspiring cause for the setting up of a separate authority was declared to be the impossibility of extending the charities of the Virginia Grand Lodge to the Brethren and their families in Kentucky, and the difficulty of attending the Grand Lodge and receiving visits from the Grand Master. The Masters of the several Lodges participating exhibited the charters under which they were acting, and their own authorities as representatives whereupon the Grand Lodge was created in accordance with the customary forms.
Six years later the Grand Lodge Articles of Constitution were drafted by a convention of delegates. These were based upon the Virginia code and were adopted, and were in 1808 amended and then published. In 1802 the Grand Lodge established a charity fund, the moneys for the same being procured by a tax of one dollar for every subordinate initiation, and five dollars for every Grand Lodge initiation, and in this manner a large fund was accumulated. In 1867, a home for widows and orphans - the first of the Masonic homes - was incorporated, and the Grand Lodge evidenced its favorable consideration of this praiseworthy charity by levying a special tax upon the entire membership, and the funds thus derived were devoted to extension and maintenance of the home. The high - spirited denizens of Kentucky gave the State a reputation for dueling that reached to every quarter of the globe, and the tendency among them to resort to this means of satisfying their honor penetrated even beyond the lines guarding the Masonic Brotherhood. It accordingly early became necessary for the Grand Lodge to act upon several such incidents involving Brethren of the jurisdiction. A Brother who bore a challenge from one Brother Mason to another was in 1814 suspended by his Lodge, but on appeal to the Grand Lodge this sentence was modified and reduced to reprimand.
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Four years later the Grand Master himself engaged in a duel with a member of his own Lodge, and was summoned by the Grand Lodge to answer for his conduct.
After considerable debate both Brethren were suspended from all Masonic privileges for one year.
The second of the Grand Lodges formed in the territory west of the Alleghanies was in Ohio. The first Lodge opened in that district was American Union Lodge at Marietta, being the same Lodge for which a warrant was issued by the St. John's Grand Lodge of Massachusetts as an army Lodge connected with the Connecticut Line. This Lodge held its first communication June 28, 1790, JONATHAN HEART being Master. In December, 1794, Nova Cesarea Lodge was organized at Cincinnati. In 1803 warrants were issued by the Connecticut Grand Lodge for Lodges at Warren and Worthington; in 1805 the Pennsylvania Grand Lodge issued authority for a Lodge at Zanesville, and in 1806 the Kentucky Grand Lodge warranted a Lodge at Cincinnati. Delegates from five of these Lodges met at Chillicothe in January, 1808, and decided to form a Grand Lodge, and fixed on January 2, 1809, for the first meeting. General RUFUS PUTNAM was the first Grand Master. At the session in January, 1809, but four Lodges were represented, and the question was at once raised whether or not four Lodges could form a Grand Lodge. According to the DERMOTT Constitution five Lodges were necessary to form a Grand Lodge. It was finally determined, however, to proceed with the organization of the body, which was accordingly formed. The validity of the formation of the Ohio Grand Lodge has never been attacked, though it did not conform strictly to the ancient usage in respect to the number required to constitute it. The Kentucky Constitution was adopted temporarily for the guidance of the Grand Lodge. Although American Union Lodge was represented at the preliminary convention it declined to submit to the authority of the Grand Lodge, asserting superior prior rights. Afterward the Lodge was declared clandestine, but on petition of several of the Brethren a new charter was issued to them in 1816, and since 1842 the Lodge has been extremely active. The Grand Lodge has no fixed meeting - place, the sessions being held annually at such place as has been previously chosen. The same effects were produced in Ohio by the anti-Masonic crusade as were noted in the other jurisdictions. The membership fell away in every direction, and the number of Lodges decreased from ninety-four to seventeen.
Since 1840 the progress of the Craft in Ohio has been steady, uniformly harmonious, and eminently satisfactory to the Fraternity at large. In all that makes for the betterment of the Fraternity and in the living exposition of its vital principles, Ohio has ever been foremost and is a worthy exemplar of beneficent acts well done.
The Masonic Institution was introduced to the territory now known as Louisiana by LAURENT SIGUR, who, with a number of Gallican refugees from the West Indian Islands, formed a Lodge in 1793 known as Parfait Union. The original authority of these Brethren being doubtful, they applied to the South Carolina Grand Lodge for a charter, which was granted. In the following year several discontented Brethren obtained from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Marseilles, France, a warrant for a Lodge called Polar Star, and in 1803 it was finally chartered by the Grand Orient of France. Several Lodges were also warranted by the Pennsylvania Grand Lodge, and one by the New York Grand Lodge. All of these Lodges were located in New Orleans, and all but Louisiana Lodge, which had been authorized by New York, and Harmony Lodge, worked in the French language. The Grand Lodge was formed in 1812 by seven of the Lodges, Louisiana and Harmony Lodges, the only bodies working in English, refusing to participate. The non-concurrence of these two Lodges did not, however, stay the organization of the Grand Body, which elected officers, adopted a Constitution and regulations and re-chartered the participating Lodges, and was subsequently recognized and greeted by the other Grand Lodges. For many years differences existed among the Lodges over
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the various rites worked by the different bodies, and these differences were the subject of much consideration and action by the Grand Lodge. The Grand Lodge had been organized by York Rite Lodges, but its natural tendency to uphold this rite was subverted by those in control of that body. The Grand Orient of France invaded the jurisdiction in 1818 by warranting a Lodge to work the French Rite.
Some of the bodies under the Grand Lodge inaugurated the custom of working both rites. Those in control of the Grand Lodge had become members of the French Rite and favored its interests. These members determined to force the Grand Lodge to recognize the French Rite, and thus to remove all possible questions as to its legitimacy. It was at length decided to have a special meeting of the Grand Lodge, which was held in November, 1821, at which the city Lodges entirely ignored the country Lodges, of which there were seven, and five of which worked in English.
At this meeting of the Grand Lodge the Constitution was amended and recognition was accorded to the three rites - French, Scotch and York. In 1826 a new Lodge at New Orleans was chartered by the Grand Lodge, under the name of Harmony, the former Lodge of that name having become extinct some years before. This Lodge worked in English. From this subordinate, two years later, a delegation of Brethren separated and formed another Lodge, under the name of Louisiana. This schism was due entirely to the old differences over the various rites. Harmony Lodge was pronounced in its opposition to the French Rite, and on the recurrence of the anniversaries of the SAINTS JOHN, in 1828, refused admission to deputations from the Lodges working the French Rite. Complaint was made to the Grand Lodge, but it failed to act. Subsequently, however, the Grand Lodge recognized the regularity of the three rites, and peace was forced for a time. This was followed by the adoption by the Grand Lodge of a new set of laws, copied principally from the code of the Grand Orient of France, which brought about a status bordering on chaos.
There seemed to be no regularity or precedent and no firm power for the arbitrament of differences or the elucidation of many vexatious problems and conditions. Finally the "York" Lodges declared the Grand Lodge illegal for its recognition of the French Rite and for its permission to subordinates to work both the French and Scotch Rites at volition. In the midst of these difficulties the Grand Lodge of Mississippi declared against the regularity of the Louisiana Grand Lodge, and in 1847 issued charters for seven Lodges in and about New Orleans. These bodies met in 1848 and organized a "York" Grand Lodge. Early in 1849 steps were taken to unite the two Grand Lodges, and in March, 1850, the union was perfected, when a committee was named to prepare a new Constitution, which was subsequently, in the same year, ratified by nearly all the Lodges. Since then the progress of the Craft, with some fluctuations, has been satisfactory in every respect, the increase in membership and material wealth being large.
The first Lodge in Mississippi was Harmony, No. 7, at Natchez, which was opened by virtue of a warrant from the Grand Lodge of Kentucky. The date of its institution was October 16, 1801. This Lodge labored for thirteen years, when it surrendered its authority and effects. Two years later, however, it was revived.
Another Lodge, known as Andrew Jackson, was in the same year chartered by the Tennessee Grand Lodge, and the latter body again in 1817 warranted Washington Lodge at Fort Gibson. These three Lodges in July, 1818, organized the Grand Lodge at Natchez. A full corps of officers was selected and a Constitution adopted.
In 1819 a meeting of the Grand Lodge was held to consider the advisability of appealing to the State authorities for permission to establish a lottery as the means of obtaining money with which to buy a site for a Masonic Hall. The authority sought was obtained, but the lottery was not successful. Donations were then sought from the members. This plan proved more successful, and several years later the building was dedicated with imposing ceremonies.
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As was the case with many other Western jurisdictions, Masonry was carried into the Territory of Indiana by the Brethren of the Army Lodges. The first Lodge organized was Vincennes, No. 15, named for the little settlement where it was located. It was constituted in 1808. It was opened under a dispensation from the Kentucky Grand Lodge. In the period from 18l5 to 1817 the Kentucky Grand Lodge issued charters to five and dispensations to two Lodges in this district, while one dispensation was issued by Ohio. The chartered Lodges in 1818 met at Madison, and formed a Grand Lodge for Indiana. A Constitution was adopted, and WEBB'S Work was selected as that to be pursued by the subordinates. In 1828 the Grand Lodge was located permanently in Indianapolis. In 1848 it built a hall at Indianapolis for its accommodation, but this was superseded in 1875 by a magnificent Temple, which was constructed at a cost of $200,000, and which has since been one of the architectural attractions and show places of the city.
The early settlements along the Mississippi were made by the French, and by these were established the trading posts of St. Genevieve and St. Louis in the middle of the eighteenth century. The traders located at these posts purchased their wares in Philadelphia, and while temporarily abiding at the latter city some of them became members of the French Lodge there. Enough members of the Craft thus made had settled in these outlying posts to warrant the Pennsylvania Grand Lodge in 1807 to issue authority for the formation of Louisiana Lodge at St. Genevieve, and in 1809 for the establishment of a Lodge to be known as St. Louis, and to be located at the post of that name. In 1816 Tennessee chartered Missouri Lodge at St. Louis; Elkton Lodge, Elkton, in 1819; Joachim Lodge, Herculaneum, 1819, and St. Charles Lodge, St. Charles, 1819. of these Lodges Missouri, Joachim, and St. Charles united, in April, 1821, in organizing the Grand Lodge of Missouri. The officers elected were not installed, however, until the following month. Then the Brethren, parading in column, proceeded to the Baptist Church, where the ceremonies were duly performed, with strict adherence to the old formulas. The work of the Grand Lodge was thereupon resumed, and a Constitution drafted by a committee was presented and adopted. A special communication of the Grand Lodge was held in St. Louis, April 29, 1825, for the purpose of receiving LAFAYETTE, who was then in the city. LAFAYETTE was elected an honorary member, and was escorted to the Grand Lodge by a committee. He was accompanied by his son, GEORGE WASHINGTON LAFAYETTE. Both were received by the Grand Lodge standing, and after a felicitous welcome, to which LAFAYETTE responded in graceful terms, he was conducted to a seat in the Grand East. His son was also elected an honorary member of the Grand Lodge. Before retiring, LAFAYETTE addressed the Grand Body at some length. This Grand Lodge held its regular semi - annual meetings throughout the whole period of the fanatical anti-Masonic crusade. In April, 1832, the Grand Lodge decided to hold but one session annually, which has since been its rule. Prior to 1840 there was no law fixing a permanent headquarters for the Grand Lodge, but in that year a new Code of Laws was adopted, which provided for annual meetings in St. Louis. The Grand Lodge in 1881 appointed a committee to investigate and report upon the feasibility of establishing a home for Masonic widows and orphans. Several years later the committee reported in favor of the project, whereupon the Grand Lodge agreed to donate $10,000 toward its consummation. The necessary organization was immediately perfected, and moneys raised, and in 1888 a fine site, already improved, in West St. Louis was purchased for $40,000. The Grand Lodge dedicated the Home in June, 1889, and at that time the Home had assets of almost $100,000.
The Grand Lodge of Alabama was organized in June, 1821, by Lodges warranted by the Grand Lodges of Kentucky, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. These Lodges were all organized subsequent to the year 1811. The MORGAN excitement produced its effect upon this
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jurisdiction to such extent that in 1836 the Grand Lodge was unable to muster a quorum and the members in attendance declared it dead. A reorganization was effected, however, officers chosen, new charters issued and old ones validated and a new and stringent Constitution adopted. Among the provisions of the Constitution was the very drastic one that any Lodge which was not represented in the Grand Lodge for two successive sessions should be considered functus and its charter surrendered. Three of the original Lodges are still in existence and with the other subordinates are actively engaged in spreading the light.
The first Lodge in Michigan was warranted in 1764 by the Provincial Grand Master of New York, GEORGE HARRISON, and located at Detroit. It was intended to be an Army Lodge. But little is known of its operations. In 1773 authority was granted by the Grand Lodge of the "Moderns" in England for two Lodges at Detroit and one at Mackinaw in 1785. The latter were also Army Lodges and ceased when the British troops were withdrawn after the cession by England upon the close of the Revolution. In 1794 the Canadian Provincial Grand Lodge warranted a Lodge at Detroit which is supposed to be a revival of the original Lodge established in 1764, but in 1806 it was warranted again by the Grand Lodge of New York under the original name and number of Zion, No. 1. This Lodge was closed for some time owing to the capture of Detroit by the English in 1812. In 1816 General LEWIS CASS, who was then Governor of the Territory, was chosen Master. The original warrant of this Lodge was discovered in 1819 and surrendered to the Grand Lodge but resumed work upon the termination of hostilities.
In 1821 the second Lodge to be located in the Territory was warranted by the New York Grand Lodge. Within the next three years three other Lodges were authorized by the same Grand Lodge. In the summer of 1826 these four Lodges assembled and formed a Grand Lodge. LEWIS CASS was chosen Grand Master and a Constitution was adopted. This Grand Lodge was, however, superseded by another in 1827. Four subordinates were chartered by this later body. Owing to the anti-Masonic crusade which penetrated even into this far - off region, the Grand Lodge in 1829 suspended labor and upon its recommendation all the subordinates but one did the same and for eleven years this jurisdiction was practically dead. In 1842 a charter was obtained from New York by certain Brethren residing at Niles and in 1844 charters were issued by the same Grand Lodge to three others, being in reality the revival of former bodies. Once more did the representatives of four Lodges meet and form a Grand Lodge. The meeting was held in Detroit in September, 1844. At this session officers were elected, a Constitution was adopted and the Grand Lodge was once more launched upon the great Masonic sea with the cordial greetings and fraternal good - will of the Craft throughout the world.
This body succeeded to the property of the former Grand Lodge and has maintained a continuous and successful existence. It has no permanent abiding - place, its communications being held in the different cities of the commonwealth at pleasure. The Brethren of this jurisdiction have established near Grand Rapids a stately Masonic Home which was dedicated by the Grand Lodge in 1891 and is devoted to the care of Michigan Brethren and their widows and orphans.
The pioneer Lodge of Arkansas was organized in 1819 at the Post of Arkansas under a dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Kentucky. It was called Arkansas Lodge. Upon the removal of the seat of government to Little Rock the Lodge lost many of its members by demission and the Lodge was obliged to surrender its dispensation. In 1836 the Tennessee Grand Lodge granted a dispensation for a Lodge named Washington Lodge, to be located at Fayetteville. Other Lodges were constituted at Little Rock, Post of Arkansas, and Washington. These Lodges, through their representatives in 1838, met at Little Rock and formed a Grand Lodge. Officers were elected and installed, a Constitution was adopted, and the Fraternity was placed upon an organized basis. It has
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since made fairly satisfactory progress. The Grand Lodge, in 1857, founded ST.
JOHN'S College, and for some years thereafter it was a prosperous and highly creditable institution, but it was closed in 1883, owing to the difficulty of procuring the right man to guide its destinies. During its existence it did much good, a large number of Masonic dependents being the beneficiaries of its curriculum. The fiftieth anniversary of the Grand Lodge was fittingly observed in 1888. When the annual communication was closed, the hall was opened to the public and a grand commemorative demonstration was held. The programme included the reading of the proceedings of the original convention and a short historical account of the Lodges which participated in the organization of the Grand Lodge. JOHN P, KARNS, the sole survivor of the little band of representatives who formed the Grand Body, attended and related in an interesting way many incidents of note in its early history. His recital was supplemented by an extended address by one of the later Grand Officers. This was followed by an elaborate banquet to over five hundred Brethren, ladies and visitors, which was enlivened with toasts, music, and song. The Brethren of Fort Smith are the possessors of a magnificent temple, which was dedicated by the Grand Lodge in 1889. Part of the funds were contributed by the relatives of the late BARNARD BAIER, a member of the Craft, as a fitting monument to his memory, and additional funds were supplied by J. H. T. Main.
The primary Masonic meeting in Texas was held in the town of San Felipe, on the Brazos River, February 11, 1828, seven members of the Craft being present. At this little assembly it was decided to organize a Lodge. Accordingly it was agreed to apply to the Grand York Lodge of Mexico for a charter or dispensation, and STEPHEN F. AUSTIN, for whom the city of Austin was named and who was prominent in the settlement of Texas, was selected as Master.
Mexico was then rent by disturbances between the Masons and the "profane" growing out of a Bull of the Pope against the Masonic institution.
The Scotch Masons were principally citizens of means and distinction, and the York Masons opposed a central government. The latter were also in favor of expelling all Spaniards from the country. Hence the attitude of the Pope. In the civil war which followed, and in which the Scotch Masons were opposed by the York Masons, the Masonic Fraternity lost its power, and the petition of the San Felipe Brethren was not considered or granted. In March, 1835, the next and this time successful attempt to establish a Lodge in Texas was undertaken. Six Brethren met in a retired spot in a little wood near Brazoria and resolved to present a petition to the Louisiana Grand Lodge for a dispensation to establish a Lodge. With an additional signature, the petition was forwarded, and the same having been favorably considered, a dispensation was issued to Holland Lodge, and in December, 1835, the first Lodge was duly consecrated and opened. It required considerable moral as well as physical courage to declare one's adhesion to the Craft at that time in Texas, due as much to the distrust of the Mexican government of every movement in that border land as to the violent and bitter opposition of the Romish priesthood. The Lodge met until the following February, when the war with Mexico started. The town of Brazoria was deserted, and a detachment of the Mexican army seized the place and destroyed all the records and property of the Lodge. A charter having been granted in the meantime by the Louisiana Grand Lodge, it was, after many vicissitudes, safely delivered to the Master, and in October, 1837, the Lodge was reopened at Houston. Two other Lodges had in the interim been chartered by the Louisiana Grand Lodge. Representatives from one of these - Milam Lodge of Nacogdoches - met at Houston with delegates from Holland Lodge in December, 1837, to form a Grand Lodge. A representative was at the request of these two Lodges appointed to represent McFarlane Lodge of St.
Augustine, and the convention was opened - SAMUEL HOUSTON being selected as chairman. When Grand Officers were chosen ANSON JONES, first Master of Holland Lodge, was elected Grand Master. The Constitution and regulations of the
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Louisiana Grand Lodge were adopted temporarily, and a committee was designated to draft a Constitution. The Grand Lodge met in April, 1838, being opened in ample form, but did not adopt a Constitution until the following month. It was provided by this instrument that ten per cent of all revenues of the Grand Lodge should be appropriated for educational purposes. At the annual session in January, 1847, the Grand Lodge declared itself emphatically against the intemperate use of ardent spirits, profane swearing, and gambling as derogatory of the vital principles of Ancient Freemasonry, and provided that any Brother convicted for any of these offenses should be by the Lodge first admonished, then reprimanded, and finally, for persistent infractions, suspended or expelled. At the same session a resolution was adopted, requesting subordinates to solicit and receive donations of lands for the endowment of a college. In 1846 some of the Grand Lodge Records at Austin were destroyed by fire. This Grand Lodge in 1850 issued a dispensation for, and in 1852 chartered Union Lodge at Panama, but in 1855 the Lodge surrendered its charter. During the great migration to California in this period the Lodge rendered invaluable services to the Brethren on their way to the gold fields of the new El Dorado. Although its existence was short, it wrought well and creditably, and brought additional honor to the Fraternity and its brief career was the subject of genuine regret. The Grand Lodge owns a splendid Temple in Houston, which cost over $130,000, and was erected in 1873. In all that makes the Masonic Institution beloved, the Craftsmen of Texas, from the beginning, have been shining exemplars, and have with characteristic generosity practiced all those noble precepts which make the heart glad.
Tennessee was originally part of North Carolina, and the Grand Lodge of the latter from 1796 to the summer of 1812 organized nine Lodges in what is now the former State. The Kentucky Grand Lodge warranted a Lodge in this Territory in 1805, but on the protest of the North Carolina Grand Lodge that the former had invaded the Masonic Territory of the latter, the charter was revoked. The first steps for the formation of a Grand Lodge in Tennessee were taken in 1811, a convention for that purpose being held in December at Knoxville. The consent of the mother Grand Lodge was sought, and almost two years later it was granted. Acting upon the suggestion of the North Carolina Grand Lodge, delegates from the eight active Lodges were assembled. Authority to organize a Grand Lodge was presented from the North Carolina Grand Lodge, and the representatives thereupon selected a Grand Master and the other necessary officials. The Grand Lodge of Tennessee was then formally opened in accordance with Masonic custom. A Constitution was adopted, providing for four sessions annually, but this was changed in 1819 to annual sessions. The Tennessee Grand Lodge has the distinction of being the only Grand Body in the United States which was constituted by virtue of a warrant from another Grand Lodge, its creation being analogous to the formation of the Provincial Grand Lodges in the Colonies by the British Grand Lodge. This Grand Lodge in 1816 proclaimed that it had supreme jurisdiction over all Lodges of York Masons in Tennessee, and that it was the right of all regular warranted Lodges to make Masons in the higher degrees. Under this declaration, authority was granted for the holding of a Royal Arch Chapter in Nashville to confer the four degrees now worked by Chapters of Royal Arch Masons, the applicants being obliged to contribute $20.00 to the Grand Lodge Charity Fund. This charity fund was also augmented by the payment of $10.00 annually by each Lodge. In May, 1825, LAFAYETTE and his son visited this Grand Lodge. He was introduced by ANDREW JACKSON and received with grand honors, and made an impressive address. He had prior to admission been elected to honorary membership therein. The anti-Masonic crusade affected this jurisdiction, bitter feelings being engendered thereby even among the members, and having a most depressing effect upon the Fraternity. When the excitement
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subsided the Craft began to prosper again, but the Rebellion dispersed the Brethren and decimated the roster. In the early years of the war the Grand Lodge did not meet, but resumed its work after the internecine conflict was over, and it has since grown steadily.
The first Lodge warrant for what is now the State of Illinois was issued by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania to Western Star Lodge at Kaskaskie. This authority was issued in June, 1806, after the Lodge had worked under a dispensation for a space of nine months. Charters were also issued by the Grand Lodges of Kentucky and Tennessee for Lodges at Shawneetown and Edwardsville in 1815 and 1819 respectively. The Missouri Grand Lodge also granted warrants in 1822 to five Lodges. Representatives from all but one of these Lodges assembled at Vandalia in December, 1822, and adopted a Constitution, and in December, 1823, the Grand Lodge was duly constituted. Four years later this Grand Lodge and every subordinate became extinct, due probably to the anti-Masonic excitement. The Grand Lodge of Kentucky from 1827 to 1840 granted authority to three Lodges in Illinois and its Grand Master issued a dispensation for a fourth. The Missouri Grand Lodge in the same period chartered six Lodges and issued one dispensation all for the same State. From these Lodges the second Grand Lodge of Illinois was formed in 184o. At the convention held for the purpose six chartered Lodges and one of those under dispensation were represented. All of the records of the Grand Lodge were destroyed by fire at Peoria in February, 1850. The celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the formation of the Grand Lodge was held on October 1 and 2, 1889. The Brethren of this jurisdiction in 1885 established a Masonic Orphans' Home for the nurture and culture of indigent Masonic children and the care of Masonic widows, and its record has been such as to win the commendation of all Masons. The great Masonic Temple in Chicago is a most remarkable structure and a source of unending pride to the Fraternity. The cornerstone was laid in 1890. There are eighteen stories in the building, and fourteen elevators with a carrying capacity of 40,000 passengers daily. The seventeenth and eighteenth stories are used by the Craft, a roof - garden crowns the building and the rest of the great pile is let for commercial purposes. The aggregate cost of lot and building was more than $3,000,000. The view from the top of the building is said to be the most inspiring in the United States, while the extreme height of the structure, towering far above all others, renders it a landmark easily discernible many miles away. It is an eloquent, if mute, testimonial of the great love, fealty, and courage of the Illinois Craftsmen.
The original Lodges of Iowa were all chartered by the Grand Lodge of Missouri. The body first authorized was Des Moines Lodge at Burlington. It was organized in 1840 and chartered the following year. Subsequently Lodges were chartered at Bloomington, Dubuque, and Iowa City. A meeting of representatives of the latter bodies was held in the fall of 1843 at the hall of the Missouri Grand Lodge and this meeting decided in favor of calling a convention of all the chartered Lodges in the Territory to meet at Iowa City, January, 1844, to form a Grand Lodge. Accordingly delegates from four chartered Lodges and from two working under dispensation met at the appointed time and place. Representatives of the Missouri Grand Lodge thereupon opened a special convocation of that body for the purpose of constituting the Grand Lodge of Iowa. Grand Officers having been elected, the entire assemblage marched in procession to a church. There an oration appropriate to the occasion was delivered by one of the Iowa Brethren and at its conclusion the officers of the new Grand Body were duly installed. The Grand Lodge was then consecrated in due and ancient form. The Brethren then returned to the hall of Iowa City Lodge, whereupon the Missouri Grand Lodge was closed.
The Grand Master of the Iowa Grand Lodge was then conducted to the Grand East and with the usual formalities the Grand Body was opened and proceeded to business. All the chartered Lodges deposited their charters and by-laws and new charters were
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issued to them numbered consecutively according to the dates of their formation.
The two Lodges working under dispensation were granted charters by the Grand Lodge. Each year thereafter the Grand Officers were publicly installed and annual orations were delivered by eminent Brothers. The just pride of the Brethren of this jurisdiction is their Masonic Library which is probably the finest collection of Masonic literature in the world. The first suggestion for the establishment of a Masonic Library was made in 1847 when the Grand Master, OLIVER COCK, advised the consideration of a plan to collect books on Masonic subjects for the Grand Lodge. A committee reported favorably, but owing to the limited funds at the disposal of the Grand Lodge the scheme could not then be considered in the fulness suggested, but believing that a start should be made the sum of $5 was voted for this purpose and the Grand Secretary, THEODORE S. PARVIN, who became librarian of the later magnificent collection and attained high celebrity as a Masonic bibliographer, was deputed to expend the same. Three books were purchased and a subscription entered for a Masonic periodical. Thus was begun the great Iowa Library. It now comprises over 3,000 bound volumes and an almost endless catalogue of proceedings, periodicals, pamphlets, addresses, and various other printed matter besides a large department of Masonic curios, medals, etc.
The library is a monument to the genius and zeal of the late Brother PARVIN, whose devotion to its interests ceased only with his death.
Through his efforts the Grand Lodge in 1883 purchased the entire Masonic collection of ROBERT F. BOWER of Keokuk, a collection so vast and rare as to be practically impossible of duplication. So fast did the Masonic literary treasures accumulate that the Grand Lodge in 1883 resolved to build a suitable building in which to safely secure them. Accordingly a suitable location was obtained at Cedar Rapids and work was almost immediately begun. The cornerstone was laid in 1884 and in 1885 the library was moved into the building. The building is a handsome fire - proof structure having two stories and tower in front with a high story in the rear and is located in the center of a large lot. The cost of the lot and building was $40,000 while the contents are estimated to be worth over $50,000.
Several catalogues of the library have been published, the last in 1883.
About the same time that the Iowa Grand Lodge was formed the Brethren resident in Wisconsin met and established a governing body. The Grand Lodge of New York in 1823 granted a dispensation to a few Brethren then residents of Green Bay. A Lodge was thereupon opened and continued for many years to work, rendering important services to the Craftsmen in that district. In 1842 the Missouri Grand Lodge issued its authority to Brethren of Mineral Point and in 1843 granted its warrant to Brethren at Platteville. The Illinois Grand Lodge in 1843 also authorized the convening of a Lodge at Milwaukee. These three Lodges known respectively as Mineral Point, Melelody, and Milwaukee in 1843 organized the present Grand Lodge of that State. The first Grand Lodge in Wisconsin was organized in 1826 but lived only three years. The existing Grand Lodge was established by three subordinates, but no question seems to have been raised to its validity for this reason, though not in conformity with the requirements of the DERMOTT regulations. In this respect, however, it is not alone, as most of the extreme Western and Pacific Coast Grand jurisdictions were inaugurated by a similar number of Lodges and no objections appear to have ever been recorded to their regularity. The Wisconsin Grand Lodge has always been an active and harmonious body, guiding the Craft carefully, inspiring the Brethren with a proper appreciation of the goodness of the institution and manifesting at all times a kindly regard for the widow and orphan, the distressed, the sick, and the needy.
The discovery of gold in California in January, 1848, brought to that then terra incognita, in the years immediately succeeding, a host of Craftsmen, and led to the early establishment of a Grand Lodge. With all their feverish desire to hurry to the mines of the new El Dorado, the Brethren of the different
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States did not forget their Masonic affiliations. The Grand Lodge of Missouri was the first to issue a charter for a Lodge in the Golden State, its warrant being dated May 10, 1848, for Western Star Lodge, to be located at Benton City, near the head waters of the Sacramento River. The second charter issued from the District of Columbia Grand Lodge in November, 1848, for California Lodge, while the third warrant was granted by the Connecticut Grand Lodge in January, 1849, for Connecticut Lodge to be established at Sacramento. The Wisconsin Grand Lodge chartered Lafayette Lodge at Nevada City, and the Illinois Grand Lodge granted a dispensation for the establishment of a Lodge in any State or Territory where no Grand Lodge existed. Under this latter authority a Lodge was opened at Marysville.
A dispensation was also issued by the Deputy Grand Master of New Jersey for a Lodge, which was finally located at Sacramento in 1849, under the name New Jersey. Dispensations for two Lodges were issued by the Grand Master of the clandestine Grand Lodge of Louisiana, one of which, located at Benicia, through its representative, assisted in forming the Grand Lodge. New Jersey Lodge was the prime mover for the organization of the Grand Body, but when the project started by it culminated in proceedings for the formation of a sovereign power, it was excluded until the Grand Lodge was formed, and it was then granted a charter. The convention to erect a Grand Lodge in California met at Sacramento on April 17, 1850, and upon report of a committee California, Connecticut, and Western Star Lodges were declared to be the only legally chartered bodies represented. A Lodge of Master Masons was opened, and the Grand Lodge was then organized. Officers were elected and a Constitution was adopted. JONATHAN D. STEVENSON, who had commanded a regiment of New York Volunteers in the Mexican War, was elected Grand Master. A charter was issued to the spurious Benicia Lodge, and later to its other clandestine sister. Four of the five Lodges chartered at the organization of the Grand Lodge, namely, California, Western Star, Tehama (originally Connecticut), and Benicia, are in existence and are all thriving and vigorous. California Lodge is the first on the roll of the Grand Lodge, and for many years was first in membership, but in recent years Mission Lodge of San Francisco has forged ahead of California, having a present membership of 628, while the Mother Lodge has fallen to second place with 561 members. This Grand Lodge has granted dispensations and charters for two Lodges in Oregon, seven in Nevada, two in Arizona, three in the Hawaiian Islands, and one in Chili. In all, 349 Lodges have been chartered by the Grand Lodge, of which number 278 are alive.
The charities of the Fraternity and the individual Brethren of California have been prodigious. The amounts contributed for charitable purposes have been so large as to be matter of wonderment. The sudden migration of thousands of persons from every quarter to California, many without adequate provision, produced conditions that required immediate attention. Although Nature had smiled benignly upon California, many of the immigrants became sick, the death roll grew greater day by day, and the necessities of many of the new arrivals were urgent. As if by magic, the Brethren of the Mystic Tie, without Lodges or other organization, formed relief associations, established hospitals, waited upon the dying, and buried the dead and performed all those other kindly offices which fraternal love could suggest. For years the tide of immigration was set toward the Golden State, and its isolation and the difficulty and cost of departure placed upon the Brotherhood unusual burdens, all of which were borne cheerfully. In later years when the transcontinental railroads were opened and fares cheapened, somewhat similar conditions were produced, and the calls for aid were many, but they were all met with the same ready and hospitable response which has ever been characteristic of the Craftsmen of the pioneer Pacific State. Through the various Boards of Relief in almost half a century more than $350,000 has been disbursed, of which seventy-five per cent has been expended for the relief of Brethren, widows, and orphans of other jurisdictions, those of California being cared for by the various subordinates.
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The Grand Lodge has ever responded promptly to the call for help. It has contributed largely in times of public calamity, sending its funds to every portion of the globe to relieve the distress of suffering humanity. The Craft is possessed of a fine Temple on the Gothic order in San Francisco, in which the Grand and many of the Subordinate Lodges meet. In this building the Grand Lodge has its office and library. A beautiful and comfortable home for decrepit Brethren and their wives, widows, and orphans has been established at Decoto, in Alameda County, across the bay from San Francisco. It is maintained by an annual per capita tax of one dollar, levied upon the entire membership. The Brethren of California have ever been loyal to Masonic principles and thus true to the allegiance due to their country. It was due primarily to the Masons then in California that the State in 1850, when applying for admission to the Union, insisted upon becoming a free State, and it was also owing to their active intervention at the outbreak of the Rebellion in 1861, that California was preserved to the North, a task both dangerous and difficult, in consequence of the presence of a large and bitter population which had migrated from various portions of the South.
Four months after the sequestration of the Territory of Minnesota the first meeting of Masons was held in St. Paul, and it was there resolved to make application to the Ohio Grand Lodge for a dispensation to form a Lodge. The petition was signed by twelve Brethren. The dispensation was granted in August, 1849, and the Lodge, which was named St. Paul, was thereupon opened. It was rent by internal troubles which delayed the issuance of a charter until January, 1853. The second Lodge started in the Territory commenced its labors at Stillwater, under a dispensation issued by the Grand Master of Wisconsin. It was chartered in June, 1852, under the name of St. john's. A dispensation was also issued in the latter year by the Grand Master of Illinois for Cataract Lodge at St.
Anthony's Falls, and later in the same year it was chartered. These three Lodges, through their duly accredited representatives, met at the hall of St. Paul Lodge in February, 1883, and inaugurated the measures necessary to form a Grand Lodge.
A Constitution was drafted and adopted and officers chosen, and then the Grand Lodge was opened, the officers installed, and the body duly constituted. All the participating Lodges deposited their charters and were re - chartered and re - numbered. In the five years ensuing the Grand Lodge chartered twenty-two Lodges, among the number being a new St. Paul, in place of the original one of that name, which had surrendered its charter. The Grand Lodge donated to the new St. Paul Lodge all the property of the old Lodge. The Grand Lodge was incorporated by the Act of the Territorial Legislature in 1853, and the charter as amended February, 1885, is still in force. Grand Master A. T. PIERSON occupied the Grand Oriental Chair from 1856 to 1863, being one of the longest consecutive periods of service known to the Craft. The Grand Lodge Library and all its other property was lost by fire in 1868, but this calamity did not abate its labors or diminish its prosperity. The Constitutions of ANDERSON form the foundation of the Grand Lodge regulations, and have been maintained with but little revision. The Grand Lodge fixed the minimum fee for the degrees at $15, though most of the Lodges charge twice that amount and some more than thrice that sum. The dues of the members are extremely low, some of the subordinates requiring but two dollars per annum. The Grand Lodge has laid many cornerstones, including those of the various Masonic Temples. The most notable of the latter are those at Minneapolis, Duluth and Litchfield. The Minneapolis Temple is probably the finest in the State, its cost being in the neighborhood of a third of a million dollars. It is of white sandstone, eight stories in height, entirely fireproof, and modern in every respect. It has accommodations for three Lodges, a Chapter, Council, Commandery, and the various Scottish Rite Bodies, as well as an Armory and Drill Hall. The destruction of the Grand Lodge Library in 1868 was a sad blow, many rare works being lost; but with
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characteristic Masonic energy the Grand Body almost immediately took steps to replace the loss as far as possible, and has since accumulated a most interesting collection of Masonic publications.
The first Lodge in Nebraska held its initial meeting in April, 1855, in a trading-post at Bellevue. This Lodge was known as Nebraska and worked under a dispensation issued by the Deputy Grand Master of Illinois. To obtain the necessary privacy the Brethren were obliged to hang large blankets around the room, while an altar was improvised by stacking up a lot of Indian blankets. The Illinois Grand Lodge chartered this Lodge in October, 1855, and two years later the Lodge was chartered a second time by the Nebraska Grand Lodge. In 1855 the Missouri Grand Lodge through its Grand Secretary granted authority to open Giddings Lodge at Nebraska City and in 1856 it obtained a charter and was consecrated in due and ancient form. The Grand Master of Iowa in January, 1857, issued a dispensation to organize Capital Lodge at Omaha and in June, 1857, it was formally constituted under charter. With the formation of these bodies the desire for a Grand Lodge naturally developed and in September, 1857, a meeting was held at Omaha for that purpose. The members present pursued the usual preliminaries and the Grand Lodge of Nebraska was formally organized and it was shortly thereafter incorporated under State authority. At the annual communication in 1858 the Grand Master reported the issuance of three dispensations for Lodges.
Thereafter the increase of subordinates was steady. At each yearly session the number of charters was augmented. The original monitor selected by the Grand Lodge was Moore's "Craftsman," but in 1864 it adopted the "Webb - Preston Work." In 1866 the Grand Lodge appointed a standing committee of one from each subordinate Lodge with the Grand Master as chairman to take measures to form a home for the education of orphans of deceased Masons. This committee reported in 1867. The project having been favorably considered by the subordinate Lodges and the committee, a plan was adopted whereby an annual tax of $1i was levied upon every member of each subordinate and $2 upon every non - affiliate. It was also provided that every Lodge should each year conduct a fair or festival the proceeds of which should be devoted to furthering the scheme. Later the requirement for the holding of annual fairs or festivals was abolished. Afterward the annual tax upon the members and non-affiliates was reduced materially and in 1872 it was repealed entirely. By means of these several measures a considerable sum was obtained for the education of the intended beneficiaries and much good was derived from the fund. In 1888 the establishment of a Masonic Home was undertaken and in the following year a corporation was formed and the plan inaugurated under the fostering guidance and care of a board of twelve trustees.
In marked contrast to the political divisions which harassed and tore the Territory of Kansas until it earned the pitiful appellation of "Bleeding Kansas," the Masons of the State whatever their political beliefs or predilections, or bias on the questions then agitating the Territory met in the quiet of their Lodge rooms upon an equality and amid an honest peace that was impossible elsewhere. The conflicts between the "slave" and "free" parties were frequent and bitter in the extreme and here, as elsewhere, the Masonic Institution cast the weight of its quiet influence in behalf of the lawful liberty of every human being. The Missouri Grand Lodge was the parent and sponsor for the early Kansas. Lodges. The first dispensation was issued in August, 1854, to open a Lodge in Wyandotte Territory and to be known as Kansas Lodge, and in October, 1855, it was chartered. Thereafter in 1855 charters were issued for Lodges at Smithfield and Leavenworth. Two of these Lodges in November, 1855, sent delegates to Leavenworth with the purpose in view of organizing a Grand Lodge, but as Wyandotte Lodge was not represented the convention adjourned until the following month. Wyandotte Lodge being still un - represented, it was determined to organize a Grand Lodge, send a copy of the proceedings to Wyandotte Lodge for approval and when approved to install the
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Grand Officers and formally constitute the Grand Body. A Constitution and regulations were adopted. In March, 1856, another meeting was held at which all the chartered Lodges were represented. Doubts existing as to the validity of the proceedings of the convention held in December, 1855, the Grand Lodge was again formally organized. The Grand Master was installed by the three Masters present. In the five years following the formation of the Grand Lodge thirty-four Lodges were chartered by it. This Grand Body issued a number of dispensations and charters to Lodges in the Territory of Colorado. The Constitution of the Kansas Grand Lodge did not provide for the raising of moneys in excess of current needs and charities, and it has not therefore gathered any fund such as is found in so many of the jurisdictions, nor has it any home or organized charity. It was thought better to aid the needy when requisite, and then only far enough to enable them, whether Brother, widow, or orphan, to help themselves rather than to overburden the Craft with onerous taxes to be expended in encouraging profligate notions and hopeless dependency. Hence this jurisdiction enjoys low fees and dues, the former being $30 for the three degrees and the latter varying from $3 to $5 yearly. The career of both Craft and Grand Lodge has been singularly free from discord, which is all the more remarkable when the turbulence which surrounded them is appreciated. Many of the subordinates have erected convenient halls and buildings, but there are no large or costly structures in the jurisdiction, nor has the Grand Lodge seen fit to build a Temple, though it has fostered the establishment of a Masonic Librarv, and has a splendid collection of works and periodicals relating to Freemasonry.
The pioneer dispensation for Colorado came out of Kansas. The discovery of gold attracted many immigrants in 1858 and 1859, and in the latter year the Grand Master of Kansas issued his dispensation for a Lodge to be held at what is now the city of Denver. The Lodge was regularly formed, and under the name of Auraria, the then designation of the town of Denver, it continued its labors under dispensation for several years, and was twice chartered, once by Kansas and subsequently by Colorado. This Lodge afterward became known as Denver Lodge.
The Kansas Grand Lodge in 1860 chartered Golden City Lodge and in 1861 Nevada Lodge at Nevada City. The Nebraska Grand Lodge chartered two Lodges in 1861, one at Parkville under the name of Summit, and the other at Gold Hill with the name of Rocky Mountain. The Grand Lodge was formed in 1861 by delegates from Golden City, Summit, and Rocky Mountain Lodges. The meeting was held at Golden City, in August, and a full corps of officers was elected, and an elaborate Constitution was adopted. One of the provisions of the Constitution required the payment by the Lodges of $5 to the Grand Lodge for every initiation. Charters were issued by the Grand Lodge in 1865 for two Lodges in Montana, which subsequently united in establishing the Grand Lodge of that jurisdiction. Lodges were also chartered in Wyoming and Utah. A large number of charters was issued by the Colorado Grand Lodge for subordinates within its own jurisdiction, but many of the early warrants were surrendered owing to the dispersion of the Brethren.
The country being almost entirely mountainous, and mining the chief industry, the discovery of new districts caused immediate, and in many instances entire abandonment of the old camps and towns. Later, other occupations produced a more settled condition, and the Fraternity became an established institution, and its growth was then permanent and steady. A beautifully polished granite block, suitably inscribed, was in 1876 presented by the Grand Lodge for the WASHINGTON Monument at Washington, D. C., and the sum of $500 was also appropriated to assist in the completion of the same. A handsome five - story building of stone for the use of the Craft of Denver was dedicated in 1890. It is a monument to the faith and loyalty of the Brethren. The cost was over $300,000.
The first Lodge located between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada Range was at
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Carson City, Nevada. A dispensation was issued by the Grand Master of California in February, 1862, for Carson City Lodge. It subsequently became Carson Lodge, No. 1, of the Nevada Grand Body. Thereafter the California Grand Lodge chartered Washoe Lodge at Washoe City, Virginia Cily and Escurial Lodges at Virginia City, Silver City Lodge at Silver City, Silver Star Lodge at Gold Hill, Esmeralda Lodge at Aurora, and Lander Lodge at Austin. The two Lodges at Virginia City in November, 1864, entered into communication with the other Lodges in Nevada as to the feasibility of establishing a Grand Lodge. Five of the eight chartered Lodges adopted a resolution favoring the erection of a Grand Body, and in January, 1865, the Masters and Wardens of seven of the Lodges met at Virginia City and after the usual preliminaries organized the Grand Lodge. Lander Lodge later submitted to the authority of the Nevada Grand Lodge, it having failed to be represented in the formation of the Grand Lodge. The Masonic Hall at Virginia City having been burned early in September, 1875, the Master of Virginia Lodge on the 9th of that month opened his Lodge on the top of Mt. Davidson, a granite pile almost 8,000 feet above sea level and about 1,700 feet above the main business street of the city.
This mountain rises like a shaft, having an angle of nearly 45 degrees. A flagstaff was erected on the apex of the mountain and from it was floated a white flag having in the center the square and compass and letter G. The call for this unusual convocation of the Craft induced an attendance of ninety-two members of the Lodge, and in addition the Grand Master and almost 300 visitors from various American and foreign Jurisdictions. An altar was constructed from rough stones on the summit and the boundaries of the Lodge were marked off. A Bible was supplied and, after consecration, was placed upon the archaic altar. The three lesser lights were not set up as the sun was at meridian height, the moon shining clear and resplendent in the West and the Master reigning in the East. Being duly tiled and guarded, the Lodge was opened in ancient form and the regular business transacted. Then the Grand Master was invited to the chair and officiated while an appropriate programme was rendered, including several notable addresses and songs. The Lodge was at length called from labor to refreshment and after refection, called on again and closed. This session of Virginia Lodge was probably the most unique ever held by a Masonic Lodge.
The earliest Masonic Body in Utah, which was regularly constituted, was Rocky Mountain Lodge under authority of the Missouri Grand Lodge. It was composed principally of Federal officers and soldiers stationed at Camp Floyd, afterward known as Fort Crittenden. The dispensation was issued in March, 1859, and the charter in June, 1860. Later when most of the membership was, by the exigencies of the military service, transferred to New Mexico, the charter, records, and property were surrendered. The second Lodge established in the then Territory of Utah was under dispensation from the Nevada Grand Lodge. A meeting to effect an organization of the Masons then residing at Salt Lake City was held in November, 1865. It was decided to establish a Lodge and to apply to the Nevada Grand Lodge for authority. The petition was favored by Lander Lodge at Austin, Nevada, the latter being the nearest Lodge working in the Nevada jurisdiction. The dispensation was issued but conditioned that none of the Mormons, who then were overrunning the Territory and had already established their viciously immoral institution of polygamy, should ever be admitted to fellowship. This prohibition being accepted, the primary assembly of the members as Mt. Moriah Lodge was held in February, 1866. A short time thereafter the Lodge requested advice as to the treatment to be accorded to Mormons claiming to be Masons and requesting the privilege of visiting. The Grand Master advised the exclusion of all Mormons on the ground that by their practices they were not only violating the laws of the land prohibiting polygamy, but those of the moral code as well. In this decision the Grand Master was upheld by the Grand Lodge at its communication
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in September, 1866. The Grand Lodge refused to grant a charter to the body but extended the dispensation. A year later another petition for a charter was again denied and the dispensation was also recalled. The latter action was taken in consequence of the rebellious and insubordinate disposition of the officers who desired to be the judges of the material to be admitted and therefore desired the inhibition as to Mormon Masons repealed. The Grand Lodge ordered demits issued to all the members and donated to them the furniture and jewels of the Lodge. The members then sought a dispensation from the Grand Master of Montana but he denied their request. The revocation of the dispensation and the refusal of the Grand Master of Montana were approved by every Grand Lodge in the United States. About two months later the Grand Master of Kansas issued his dispensation authorizing the opening of a Lodge at Salt Lake City under the same name and in October, 1868, a charter was issued. In October, 1866, the Grand Master of Montana granted a dispensation for Wasatch Lodge also at Salt Lake City, and in October, 1867, a charter was issued to this Lodge. Argenta Lodge was next organized at Salt Lake City, under a dispensation from the Grand Master of Colorado, dated April 8, 1871. A charter was granted to this Lodge in the following September. In January, 1872, the Masters and Wardens of these three Lodges met and organized a Grand Lodge and placed Masonry on a firm and lasting basis in this Territory. All attempts of the Mormons to invade and overwhelm the Masonic Institution were checked and the career of the Fraternity has been honorable and in all respects eminently satisfactory to the Craft in general.
A dispensation from the Grand Master of Colorado was the first authority for the erection of a Masonic Lodge in the Territory of Wyoming. Later in the year, October, 1868, a charter was issued to this body under the name of Cheyenne Lodge, located at Cheyenne. The Nebraska Grand Lodge, in June, 1870, chartered Wyoming Lodge, at South Pass City. A third charter was granted September, 1870, to Laramie Lodge, Laramie City, by the Colorado Grand Lodge, and in September, 1874, it warranted Evanston Lodge, at Evanston. These Lodges in December, 1874, established the Grand Lodge of Wyoming, at a session held at Laramie City. At the session of the Grand Lodge in October, 1878, a square and a compass, made from pasteboard, and a Bible, were presented as memorials of a quaint meeting of emigrant Masons, held at Independence Rock, on July 4, 1862.
About twenty Masons, who were in several emigrant parties then en route to the West, decided to observe the National holiday. By good fortune a large, basin - like depression was found among the rocky hills admirably adapted for use as a Lodge room. An altar of thirteen stones, in token of the original Colonies, was hastily erected, the square and compass before mentioned were improvised, and the Bible procured, stations for the officers were set up, and with a patriarchal Brother on guard as tiler, a Lodge of Master Masons was opened according to ancient forms.
Those assembled were then entertained with addresses appropriate to the occasion, after which the Lodge, which was named "Independence Lodge, No. 11," was closed forever. The Wyoming Grand Lodge, in 1877, established a Masonic Library, which has since grown to goodly proportions and is a credit to the Craft of that jurisdiction. In 1884 the Grand Lodge was permanently located at Laramie.
ANDERSON'S Constitutions are the basis of work in Wyoming.
The Grand Lodge of Arkansas was the mother of the Masonic Bodies located in what are now the Indian and Oklahoma Territories. The first Lodge was Cherokee, at Tahlequah, organized in 1850. Subsequently charters were issued to Choctaw, at Doaksville, Flint, at Flint, and Muscogee, at Old Creek Agency. In 1861 these Lodges suspended labor owing to the Rebellion. In July, 1868, Oklahoma Lodge was organized at Boggy Depot. This was followed by Doaksville, in 1870, and Caddo, in 1873. The organization of the Indian Territory Grand Lodge was accomplished by a convention which assembled in October, 1874, at Caddo, when a Constitution and full complement
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of officers were selected. Within the next three years all the other Lodges in the Territory, which had been warranted by sister jurisdictions, had surrendered their charters to the Indian Territory Grand Lodge, and had been re-chartered. These with the Lodges organized by the Grand Lodge itself increased the roster to twelve subordinates. This Grand Lodge is a migratory body, meeting at such place as may be selected at the preceding session. The early history of the Grand Lodge was one of financial travail, it being obliged to borrow money to pay for the barest necessities. It was required to exercise the highest order of economy, but its experience with the problem of financing a Grand Body without capital or income, while a hard dispensation, nevertheless proved beneficial afterward, and taught the Grand Body the secret of material success, and it has now a substantial treasury.
Several handsome and commodious halls have been erected by the Lodges for their accommodation. An orphanage for Masonic children has been founded, and the Grand Lodge has given much encouragement to a library, which has now attained considerable proportion and value.
The square and compass were officially introduced to the country now comprised within the Dakotas under dispensation of the Iowa Grand Lodge. All of the dispensations and charters for Lodges in what was originally the Territory of Dakota were issued by that Grand Body, with two exceptions. The first altar of the Craft erected was named Dakota, was located at Fort Randall, and was opened in April, 1862, but was not chartered, and became extinct. In the succeeding years up to June, 1875, the Iowa Grand Lodge chartered six Lodges. At the convention which met at Elk Point in June, 1875, to organize the Grand Lodge, delegates were present from five of these bodies. It was decided to establish a Grand Body, which was accordingly done. As was formerly the custom, the officers of the Grand Lodge, escorted by the Brethren, marched to a church, listened to a Masonic address the officers were installed, and then all returned to the Lodge room, where the actual work of the new governing body was commenced. At the time of the formation of the Grand Lodge, there was a Lodge at Fargo known as Shiloh, and one at Bismarck called Bismarck, both authorized by the Minnesota Grand Lodge.
These bodies refused to join with the other Lodges in forming the Dakota Grand Lodge, owing to the claim of the Minnesota Body of exclusive jurisdiction over them. Considerable friction ensued between the two Grand Bodies over this claim, but it was at length settled by the action of the Lodges, which surrendered their charters to the Dakota Grand Lodge and accepted its charters instead. Eight charters were issued for new subordinates during the ensuing five years. At the annual communication of the Grand Lodge at Mitchell, in June, 1889, that body, in view of the then recent action of Congress in dividing the State and creating the commonwealths of South Dakota and North Dakota, adopted a series of resolutions, according to the Lodges north of the dividing line, its full consent to organize the Grand Lodge of North Dakota, granting the representatives of those Lodges permission to withdraw, and extending its best fraternal wishes for the success of the contemplated new Grand Body. The Dakota Grand Lodge also appointed a committee to report on equitable division of the Grand Lodge property and moneys. The report of this committee fixed the value of the property and moneys at $4,590, and recommended the payment of one - third of this amount as fair, there being twenty-six Lodges in North Dakota and seventy-three in South Dakota. This was agreed to, and the amount was thereupon paid. The Grand Lodge also presented its jewels to the North Dakota Grand Lodge as a token of its fraternal affection and good-will. The Dakota Grand Lodge then changed its own designation by proper amendment, and styled itself the "Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of South Dakota." Meanwhile, the representatives in attendance upon the Grand Lodge from the Lodges north of the seventh standard parallel, which was to be the dividing line between the Dakotas, convened for the purpose of
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forming the North Dakota Grand Lodge. Twenty of the Lodges were represented. A resolution was adopted, declaring the expediency of a Grand Lodge in North Dakota. A Constitution and Bylaws were adopted and officers chosen. By invitation of the Dakota Grand Lodge, the officers of both Grand Bodies were installed together, an incident probably without precedent in the Fraternity. After installation, the new body assembled and concluded its labors. Each of the Grand Bodies elected to honorary membership the Past Elective and Officiating Elective Grand Officers of the other. In addition to this, each of the bodies extended to the other the right hand of fellowship, while the North Dakota Grand Lodge adopted a series of resolutions expressive of its great appreciation of the fraternal love and kindness of the South Dakota Body, and also tendered thanks for its generosity and good-will. When the North Dakota Grand Lodge closed its first session, it had enrolled and chartered thirty Lodges.
Shortly after the cession by Mexico of the country which was in 1850 partly segregated as New Mexico, a Masonic Lodge was established at Santa Fe. The Missouri Grand Lodge in 1851 chartered this body as Alonlezuma Lodge. The same Grand Lodge granted seven charters subsequently at different times up to 1874.
Two of these Lodges surrendered their charters and the charter of a third was arrested. In August, 1877, delegates from three of the five Lodges met at Santa Fe and organized a Grand Lodge. An address was prepared to the Lodges not represented inviting them to unite with the New Mexico Grand Lodge. Recognition of the Grand Lodge was almost immediately accorded by eighteen sister Grand Lodges including Missouri, the mother Grand Lodge. At the session of the Grand Lodge in January, 1881, all Masonic intercourse with Missouri was forbidden, this course growing out of certain troubles with Silver City Lodge, whose charter had been arrested. At the following session the troubles were healed and harmonious relations again established with Missouri. The Grand Master advised the Grand Lodge in 1882 that he had refused requests to lay corner - stones for an Episcopal church and a female seminary owing to doubt of their being it "public" edifices. In January, 1881, the Grand Lodge chartered White Mountain Lodge at Globe City, Arizona, and this Lodge was one of those which subsequently assisted in the formation of the Arizona Grand Lodge.
California was the progenitor of the first Lodges in Arizona. The original was Aztlan, chartered October, 1876, and located at Prescott. Arizona Lodge of Phoenix was warranted October, 1879, and Tucson Lodge of Tucson October, 1881. In the latter year a dispensation was issued for Solomon Lodge at Tombstone. White Mountain Lodge at Globe City, under the jurisdiction of New Mexico, was opened in February, 1881, being the only Lodge having other than California authority. These Lodges, excepting only Aztlan, convened and organized the Grand Lodge. The delegates for the purpose held a convention at Tucson in March, 1882, and after careful examination of the authority under which each Lodge was working, adopted a resolution declaratory of the expediency of establishing a Grand Lodge in the Territory. After the adoption of a Constitution a Lodge of Master Masons was opened and officers were then elected and installed.
The Lodge was then closed whereupon the convention was also finally adjourned.
The Grand Lodge was then opened with appropriate ceremonials and proceeded to the transaction of its business. All of the Lodges were renumbered according to the date of chartering, Azilan, which shortly after the erection of the Grand Lodge submitted to its authority, being accorded the first number. At the date of the institution of the Grand Lodge and for some years thereafter the Territory was in such unsettled condition in consequence of the hostility of savage Indians, the sparsity of habitations and general lawlessness, that the attendants upon the annual communications were literally obliged "to take their lives in their hands" in traversing the parching deserts. Loyalty to the Craft could not be better exemplified. By
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the stout courage and unbending devotion of the Craftsmen the Masonic structure was maintained and progressed and it contributed not a little toward the ultimate assurance of peace and security. The same sturdy qualities which feared no foe and braved the perils of the sandy wastes have bent eagerly and tenderly to the cry of the penniless and the suffering and have by their merciful dispensations crowned the works of the Brethren with a halo of glory which will outlive all human institutions.
The recent acquisition of the Hawaiian Islands to the American Union necessitates some allusion to the state of Masonry therein. The first Lodge which was opened was under authority from the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite of France. This latter body granted a warrant for Le Progr'e s de L'Oceanie Lodge, and it was located at Honolulu and began its labors about 1843. Its progress for seven years was very satisfactory, but the discovery of gold in California and the migration thereto of most of the members in quest of fortune left the Lodge without Brothers sufficient to carry on it labors. The warrant reposed for many years in a dusty box, and was not thought of until 1855, when it was rescued from its dirt - laden resting - place by several Brethren who had seceded from Hawaiian Lodge, which was under the California jurisdiction. The Hawaiian Islands are within the authority of California and have been so since the formation of Hawaiian Lodge. In 1852 some sojourning Craftsmen united with several of the Brethren who had belonged to the original subordinate in petitioning the California Grand Lodge for a dispensation. The authority to open a Lodge was granted, and in May, 1852, a charter was issued as Hawaiian Lodge, No. 21. This Lodge is still a vigorous body and has a membership of two hundred. The seceding Brethren revived Le Progr'es de L'Oceani'e Lodge, and immediately friction arose over the legality of the latter body, and culminated in the interdiction of Masonic intercourse. The California Grand Lodge upheld its subordinate. After several years' disputation and correspondence, the quarrel was settled and harmony has since reigned between them. The second subordinate under California authority was organized in July, 1872, and chartered October, 1873, as Maui Lodge, at Wailuku, but for lack of sufficient material it at length surrendered its charter. The property of this Lodge when sold realized $417, which sum was presented by the parent Grand Lodge to Hawaiian Lodge for charitable purposes. The third Lodge established at the Islands was at Hilo, a charter issuing from the California Grand Lodge in October, 1897, under the name of Kilauea, No. 330. It now has a membership of seventy-five, and gives every evidence of a long and successful career. The ambition of the Brethren of Hawaii. is the ultimate erection of their own Grand Lodge; and the recent changes in the government of the Islands and the migration thither of many Americans indicate the early accomplishment of this purpose, in the fulfillment of which the California Grand Lodge will doubtless lend its hearty aid and extend sincere fraternal good-will. The Grand Master, EDMUND C. ATKINSON, and other Grand Officers of California, in 1886 visited Hawaiian Lodge officially. The event was such an unusual one for the Lodge that it and the citizens generally united in making the visitors' welcome pronounced and their stay enjoyable. The King, KALAKAUA, and Prince DOMINIS, both Masons, united with their Brethren in a series of royal entertainments to the distinguished Craftsmen. This is probably the longest official trip ever made by a Grand Master in visiting a subordinate Lodge, the entire distance traveled being 4,170 miles.
The spread of Masonry since the Revolution has not been confined to the United States. It has been extended, principally by Americans, to nearly all of the countries in the Western Hemisphere. The Scottish Rite was about 1820 introduced to Mexico in the first instance by the French Diplomatic Corps. The membership was composed principally of Europeans and Americans. In 1825 three Lodges of the York Rite were founded in the City of Mexico under authority of the New
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York Grand Lodge. These were followed by others, and in 1826 there were twenty-five Lodges scattered through the States. Later a Grand Lodge was formed in the City of Mexico. Afterward the rites became involved in a bitter political feud, and this, with the opposition of the priests, led to the extinction of the Fraternity.
In December, 1860, a Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite was established in Mexico by the Supreme Council, Southern jurisdiction of the United States, with authority over Mexico and all of the Central American States. Lodges of the York Rite were also successfully established and maintained, and recently they created a Grand Lodge under the name of Gran Dieta Simbolica, which has been generally recognized by the Grand Lodges of the world as a true and legal body. In 1870 the Southern Supreme Council of the United States established at Guatemala the Central American Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite, with authority over all of the States of Central America.
The English Grand Lodges of "Moderns" and "Ancients" have aided materially in the spread of Masonic principles in South American countries, and since the union of these Grand Lodges as the United Grand Lodge of England the work has been continued. Under these various Grand Bodies one Lodge has been established in the United States of Columbia, one in Venezuela, four in British Guiana, three in Brazil, one in Uruguay, five in the Argentine Republic, and one in Chili.
In the British Provinces of North America there were also warranted under the English Constitution seventy-three Lodges in Ontario, forty-seven in Nova Scotia, thirty-four in Quebec, twenty-five in New Brunswick, fifteen in Newfoundland, eight in Prince Edward Island, and four in British Columbia. In addition to these, there were many constituted by Provincial Grand Lodges, and not a few by American Grand Lodges. All of these bodies, save those which became extinct, united their fortunes with those of the Grand Lodges afterward formed in the various provinces.
The first Provincial Grand Master for Ontario, with headquarters at Niagara, was appointed in 1792 by the "Athol" or "Ancient" Grand Lodge. He issued twenty warrants up to 1804. Dissatisfaction arose over his administration of affairs, and an irregular rival Grand Lodge was formed. In 1817 a Grand Masonic Convention was opened at Kingston, and nearly all of the Lodges submitted to its authority.
The Craft having become disorganized and decadent, the Grand Lodge of England in 1822 sent a deputy to reorganize the Craftsmen. This led to the organization of the Provincial Grand Lodge of York, which worked effectively until 1830, when it became dormant owing to the MORGAN furor, and so continued until 1845.
Interest was then revived, and Masonry flourished for almost a decade. In 1853 a number of the Canadian Lodges with Irish warrants organized a Grand Lodge and made proposals to the Provincial Grand Lodge for a union, which, however, was declined by the fatter. This brought about a secession of many of the Lodges of the Provincial Grand Lodge and the formation of the "Grand Lodge of Canada" in 1855. Two years later the Provincial Grand Lodge severed its relations with the Mother Grand Lodge and formed the "Ancient Grand Lodge of Canada." A bitter feud between these Grand Lodges resulted, but the differences were harmonized in July, 1858, when both bodies united under the name of "The Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Canada." This body was finally recognized by the Mother Grand Lodge. From that time the progress of the Craft was steady and satisfactory, the membership, Lodges, and wealth of the Grand Lodge increasing each year, while the charities kept pace with the progress in other respects.
In 1867 the Province of Canada was, by Act of Parliament, severed and formed into two Provinces, one called the Province of Ontario, and the other the Province of Quebec. In October, 1869, the Grand Lodge of Quebec was formed by delegates from twenty-one Lodges, being more than
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a majority of all in the Province. In the following year seven other Lodges admitted obedience to the Grand Lodge. In 1872, two others submitted to its authority; in 1874, seventeen additional Lodges did the same, and in 1881 three more declared their allegiance. The erection of this Grand Lodge led to bitter opposition by the Grand Lodge of Canada, which claimed exclusive jurisdiction over Lodges of its own creation, located in the separated territory, and denied the right of the Brethren in the new Province to set up an independent Grand Body. The officers of the Grand Lodge of England objected to the claims of the Quebec Grand Lodge that it had exclusive jurisdiction within the limits of the Province, but were willing that the Montreal Lodges, which were on the English register, should submit to the Quebec Grand Body, and agreed to form no new Lodges in the Province; but coupled to this was an affirmance of the right of the Montreal bodies to continue under the English Grand Body if they so desired. Recognition offered on this basis was declined by the Quebec Grand Lodge. A further assertion was made that the doctrine of exclusive jurisdiction was purely an American invention. The Quebec Grand Lodge met all these propositions and many others with precedents innumerable, and demonstrated that the doctrine of exclusive jurisdiction was coeval with the British Constitutions. The American Grand Lodges promptly granted recognition to the Quebec Grand Lodge, and year by year thereafter its legality was acknowledged. In 1873 non - intercourse with the Canada Grand Lodge was declared owing to the latter's invasion of the Territory of the Quebec Grand Lodge. In 1874 this edict was withdrawn, as the Lodges formed by the Canada Grand Lodge united with the Quebec Grand Lodge. In this year the Canada Grand Body formally recognized the Quebec Grand Body. Non - intercourse with the Scottish Grand Lodge was declared in 1878 for invasion of the Quebec Territory; also with England in 1886 for the same cause. Among the Lodges of Quebec registry is Antiguity of Montreal. It was of Irish origin, and called the Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, and for nearly a century, as an Army Lodge, met in various parts of the world. It was warranted in 1752. Four years later it held meetings at Halifax, in Nova Scotia. In 1760 it met at Montreal; in 1764, 1765, and 1766 in the American Colonies; in 1767, in Ireland; in 1776, in New York; in 1777 - 1778, at Philadelphia; in 1816, at Sydney, N. S. W.; in 1846, at Kingston, Canada, and in 1857 it was finally permanently located at Montreal, and numbered 1.
The Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia was organized at Halifax, in February, 1866, by delegates from nine Lodges. In three years twelve Lodges were added. In 1869 the District Grand Lodge under the English Constitution coalesced with the Nova Scotia Grand Body, bringing to it twenty-five additional Lodges. This Grand Lodge has erected a handsome Temple and has established a Masonic Library.
The Grand Lodge of New Brunswick was established in October, 1867, by delegates from fourteen Lodges, who met at St. John. At that time there were twenty-six Lodges at work in the Province. Nineteen Lodges were actually represented, but five for various reasons did not unite in the resolution creating the Grand Lodge. The Grand Lodge was not, however, consecrated, nor were its officers installed until January following. All of the non - participating Lodges subsequently united with the New Brunswick Grand Lodge.
All of the Lodges - eight in number - in the Province of Prince Edward Island, united in June, 1875, and formed the Grand Lodge therein. A Constitution was adopted and Grand Officers were elected and installed. While the membership in this Province is small, the enthusiasm and earnestness of the Brethren are great, and many charities are credited to the jurisdiction. The roster is now about one thousand, but it is now receiving marked additions to the roll. A new Constitution was adopted in 1882, the principal amendments being to conform the code to changes in physical and political conditions.
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Like the New Brunswick Grand Lodge, the Grand Lodge of British Columbia was formed by eight Lodges, The delegates assembled at Victoria in October, 1871, and erected their Grand Body, adopting a Constitution and electing Grand Officers. The representatives of the English and Scottish Grand Lodges aided the movement to form the Grand Lodge, which was quite an unusual procedure. The year after the organization of the Grand Lodge, the only unrepresented Lodge at the creation of the Grand Body submitted to its authority. The first Lodge formed in this Province under the English Constitution was in 1859. A handsome Masonic Temple has been erected at Victoria.
A Grand Lodge was established in Manitoba in May, 1875. The representatives of three Lodges met at what is now the City of Winnipeg, and passed the necessary measures and took the needful steps to set up their own Grand Body. A few years later this Grand Lodge had forty-five enrolled Lodges and a membership of two thousand. In 1878 a division resulted from a dispute over the use of the Ancient York and Canada rituals, and an independent Grand Lodge was organized, but the next year the breach was closed, and the Brethren again united under one Grand Lodge. This Grand Body has since had a happy and successful career.
No history of Freemasonry would be complete which omitted some reference, at least, to the events growing out of the MORGAN episode, and this is particularly applicable to a sketch of the historical events subsequent to the American Revolution. The excitement, political and other, which was developed by it, is perhaps without parallel in the annals of the world, and it has certainly had no prototype in the records of fraternal confederations. The author of the trouble was WILLIAM MORGAN, an idle, dissolute, and drunken stone-mason, who spent most of his time in drinking - houses. His disposition was low and malicious, to which was added a small cunning filled with hate. He had lived in Canada, but moved to New York, and in 1823 settled at Batavia. MORGAN claimed to have received the Masonic degrees in Canada, but of this little is known. He succeeded, however, in gaining the confidence of some of the Craft, and was exalted to Royal Arch Masonry at Le Roy, in New York. He also gained entry to Wells Lodge at Batavia.
In 1826 his name was attached to a petition for a Chapter of Royal Arch Masons then in process of formation at Batavia. His name was objected to, however, and a new petition was drawn from which he was omitted. Afterward he tried to affiliate with the Chapter and was rejected. His rejection angered him and aroused all his base passions. He then conceived the notion of printing and selling the secrets of Freemasonry, both as a means of revenge and as a method of replenishing his purse, hoping thereby to grow rich, MORGAN succeeded in enlisting in his scheme DAVID C. MILLER, the publisher of a small weekly newspaper at Batavia, who was as unprincipled as MORGAN was worthless. On several occasions intimations were given of the prospective publication, and attempts were made to suppress the same. MORGAN proclaimed his willingness to do so, and surrendered some of his manuscript. In some manner information was received by a few Craftsmen of Batavia that part of the book had already been printed and was in MILLER'S printing - office. These zealous though misguided Brothers purposed breaking into the printing-shop and possessing themselves of the sheets, but were finally dissuaded from attacking the place. Two days later, September 10, 1826, incendiaries attempted to destroy MILLER'S office, but the fire was discovered and extinguished. The following day MORGAN was arrested for larceny and taken to Canandaigua. He was acquitted of this charge, but was immediately rearrested for debt and sent to jail. In the meantime MILLER had also been arrested upon a trivial charge, but was discharged from custody. MORGAN, having been released by payment of the debt, was, it is said, seized on leaving the jail and taken in a carriage some distance beyond Rochester, and thence to Niagara and Canada.
There is, however, no proof that MORGAN was carried away except by his own consent, and
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this was probably gained by the payment of some money and the promise of more, added to which was his fear of personal violence. Immediately it was charged that MORGAN had been abducted and killed by the Masons to avoid the revelation of their inner workings. The excitement grew apace, increased daily by violent and inflammatory handbills, circulars, and lying stories of the most improbable character. Meetings were held at which ignorant, vicious, and fanatical persons indulged in the most ridiculous tirades and denunciations of Masonry. Had MORGAN been left unnoticed, his publication would have been a financial failure, and it would have died a natural death. His subsequent claimed abduction would also have been without lasting effect, but for the actions of certain politicians in New York, who saw an opportunity to use the MORGAN incident to further their own schemes and ambitions. The Masons of the State, both as individuals and as organized bodies, denounced the asserted abduction of MORGAN as wholly contrary to Masonic principles. DE WITT CLINTON, a Mason, was then Governor of New York, and he issued several proclamations for the arrest of the kidnappers, and offered rewards to stimulate their apprehension. Subsequently, several persons concerned in the removal of MORGAN were indicted, and convicted of conspiracy to abduct him to foreign ports. The Sheriff of Niagara County was also charged with participation in the seizure and removal of MORGAN, but was acquitted by a justice of the Peace. The Governor, however, removed him from office, and he was later again charged with abduction, and was imprisoned for several years. Violent and bitter feelings were aroused among the people of the State. Meetings of all kinds were held, Masonry was denounced as an emanation of the devil, and the passions of all classes of citizens were aroused to the highest pitch. Politicians seized the opportunity to still further inflame the populace. Masons were pursued relentlessly, and many were forced to sever their connection with the institution, and those who refused to leave the Fraternity were persecuted and ostracized.
Resolutions were freely adopted against supporting Masons for any of the public offices, and meetings of the Craft were forcibly prevented, - in many cases by show of arms. Different religious societies declaimed against the Brotherhood in strong language, and demanded public renunciation by their communicants of all connection with the execrated society, on pain of excommunication. Hatred of the Fraternity increased with time, and the intensity of opposition was accentuated instead of decreased. Gradually the fanatical furor spread throughout the country, and overwhelmed the New England and Atlantic Coast States. It crossed the mountain ranges and raged with fury even in remote territories of the West. The effect upon the Fraternity was naturally disastrous. In New York, where the anti-Masonic crusade had its incipiency, the antagonism was greatest. This resulted in the suspension of most of the Lodges. In 1826 there were twenty thousand members included in four hundred and eighty Lodges, but the roll of membership decreased to three thousand in seventy-five Lodges by 1835, one-third being in New York City. The depressed condition continued until about 1840, when Masonry began to recover from the effects of the persecution and has since steadily progressed in numbers, wealth, and public estimation. In New Jersey the number of subordinates fell from thirty-three to six, while in Vermont and Maine the Grand Lodges failed to meet for several years. Many subordinate Lodges in all of the States suspended or surrendered their charters and ceased to work. Sturdy spirits, however, in all the States, particularly in New York, maintained their attachment for the institution and kept the altar fires ablaze. It required courage of high order and an exalted devotion to proclaim one's adhesion to Masonry, but both these qualities were in evidence everywhere. This was emphatically the case in Western New York where a few Lodges were kept alive continuously despite the rank and bigoted opposition. To the brave and loyal Brethren of that portion of the Empire jurisdiction all honor is due. Proscribed for their attachment and fealty, their
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persecutors were not content to leave them unmolested but attacked them on all occasions and made their lives a daily peril. It became necessary in some cities to meet clandestinely, the members resorting to various devices to avoid discovery and injury.
The whole series of incidents leading to MORGAN's disappearance was reprobated by the Craft. The Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter of New York not only disclaimed all knowledge, participation, or approbation, but emphatically denounced the occurrence as violative of law, the rights of personal liberty, and the principles of Masonry. Action was also taken by the various subordinate Lodges and Chapters of New York in which the abduction of MORGAN was stamped as an outrage and repudiated. Sister Grand Lodges in the United States, Canada, and foreign countries also disapproved of the act and proclaimed in decided language the lawfulness and beneficence of Masonry. In time these various declarations secured for the Craft a return of confidence and ultimately brought it into harmonious relations with the State and society.
In all probability the MORGAN excitement would have been of short duration but for the craftiness of politicians who sought to keep it alive as a lever to foster their ambitions. Among the noted political manipulators who did not hesitate to resort to this questionable method of promoting their power were THURLOW WEED, W. H. SEWARD, JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, WILLIAM WIRT, and many others of less renown. Among these THURLOW WEED was undoubtedly the ablest and at the same time the most unscrupulous. He established a newspaper at Albany to aid in attacking Masonry and at the same time to progress his political aspirations.
Many newspapers were established whose avowed purpose was hostility to Masonry. It is said that at one time there were one hundred and fifty public journals in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts whose sole object was to attack the Fraternity. The whole institution was constantly assaulted, the vituperation and bald falsehoods poured out by these publications being beyond conception or the possibility of description. In the interest of the elections WEED succeeded in having a body identified as that of MORGAN. In October, 1827, the remains of a Canadian were found on the beach at Oak Orchard Harbor, forty miles from Niagara. The body was badly decomposed, and notwithstanding that at the inquest it was positively stated not to be that of MORGAN, WEED succeeded in forcing a second inquest a few days later in which it was found to be MORGAN's body though there,was nothing upon which to predicate this. A few days later, however, it was demonstrated beyond all question not to be the body of MORGAN. WEED undoubtedly knew all the time that the body was not MORGAN's, but he is said to have observed: "It's a good enough MORGAN till after election." This furnishes the keynote to the then political situation. In the fall of 1827 the anti-Masonic party became active politically, and in the following year held two conventions. The candidates of the party were not generally successful, but for many minor offices, particularly in western New York counties, they were victorious. The anti-Masonic party soon became moribund, owing to the growing knowledge of Freemasonry among the people at large, and died in 1836, when it held a National Convention at Philadelphia and nominated a presidential ticket which received no support from the electors of the country. The party's strength was greatest in New York, the high-water mark being reached in 1832 when it polled about 157,000 votes.
There were two theories respecting the disappearance of MORGAN. The first was that MORGAN'S arrest was merely intended to cover his removal from his Batavia friends, and that he was released from the Canandaigua jail by false pretense, and conveyed violently and against his will out of the United States and then put to death. The second was that the entire affair was pre-concerted and that MORGAN was without violence and with his consent taken from his home to Canada and there left upon certain understandings, not the least of which was the probable profit to himself by his
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supposed abduction. The first theory led to the formation of the anti-Masonic party. The second theory has been prolific of inquiries as to MORGAN'S fate. It is not definitely known what became of MORGAN, and his subsequent career will probably never be ascertained. It is presumed that he eventually shipped to a foreign country and died abroad. For many years reports were made at intervals that he had been seen in various parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, but many of these were doubtless apocryphal. All the evidence available seems to support the theory that MORGAN consented to his "abduction," the inducement being the payment of $50 immediately and $500 after his arrival in Canada by several over-zealous Brethren, and that part of the bargain was an agreement to quit the United States forever. This amount of money was large in MORGAN'S eyes and undoubtedly led to early and free consent on his part. The great and unexpected disturbance caused by his disappearance, if known to him, probably frightened MORGAN to such extent that he feared to reveal himself to his friends and thus unconsciously added to the ferocity of the attacks upon the Masonic Institution.
[END OF GENERAL MASONIC INFORMATION]
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CHAPTER XIII.
Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE ORIGIN OF THE SOCIETY AND AN HISTORICAL
ACCOUNT OF ITS RECENT DIFFUSION IN AMERICAN COUNTRIES.
By W. H. UPTON, P. G. M., OF WASHINGTON.
ONE of the difficulties which beset the writer of history is well illustrated by the fact that although the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, in the form in which we know it in America, is only about one - third of a century old, although it was organized by men who are still living, and although both of the two men who may justly be styled, so far as America is concerned, its founders, have written upon the very subject of its origin, yet no man now living, except one of the two already referred to, its first Imperial Potentate, Dr. WALTER M. FLEMING, can sit down to recount the origin of the American Shrine or its connection, if any there be, with an older with any assurance that his narrative will stand the test of time, when the capricious hand of Fortune shall have cast up to the light letters, diaries, minutes, and other documents which are as yet carefully and, it seems to us, unnecessarily and unwisely buried in darkness. To the present writer it seems as though Brother FLEMING in what he has written concerning the Shrine, has attempted to reveil rather than reveal the true origin of the American Order; and that a few distinct words from him concerning the particular local society to which RIZK ALLAH HASSOON EFFENDEE belonged, the nature of the latter's authority, and, perhaps, a copy of the "authority" which Brothers FLEMING and FLORENCE received to "introduce the Order" into America would have been of more historical value than the interesting account of the Bektash with which he has favored us. And this must not be considered harsh or even uncomplimentary criticism; for few qualities have ever been more highly esteemed among Masons than "silence and circumspection." And if the reader should think that, in his journey back to Mecca and the days of KALIF ALEE, and the Past Imperial Potentate occasionally strayed intentionally or inadvertently from the arid sands which mark the dry road of history, into the cool groves and beside the perfumebreathing fountains of the garden of Romance, yet must we admit that he had ample Masonic precedents for doing so. Indeed, for at least five hundred years from the day that the Brethren, at the behest of good King ATHELSTAN or some other ruler for whose now forgotten name that of the king is an honorable even if pseudepigraphus, substitute, comoiled the lonly legendary romance which we find in the Masonic "manuscript constitutions, down to within the memory of men still young partly perhaps on account of a lack of full knowledge of the real facts, it was deemed an act of Masonic piety, in an historian, to interweave with the thread of Masonic history and circumstance, however fictitious, which seemed to reflect
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honor or dignity on the Fraternity. The example of such romancing may have influenced Dr. FLEMING and others who have written concerning the Shrine; for we see results of that method of writing "history" and see them everyday not merely when an innumerable cloud of writers repeat the old fictions handed down or invented by an ANDERSON, a PRESTON, a LAURY, an OLIVER, a MITCHELL, or a MACKEY, but as often as our Masonic Knight Templar imagines that his organization is descended from that of DE PAYENs and DE MOLAY; our Scottish Rite Brother prates of FREDERICK the Great and "The Constitutions of 1786"; or our Royal Arch Mason or Royal and Select Master confounds the beautiful allegory of the Temple with history. "Such digressions as these," to quote the quaint apology of honest old PLUTARCH in his life of ALEXANDER, "the nicest reader may endure, if they are not too long."
The reticence, already alluded to, of the writers from whom we might have expected most light, makes it possible to say little with absolute certainty concerning this Ancient Arabic Order, so favored of Masons, except that it is no part of Masonry and probably has no present connecting link with Arabia. Yet, on the other hand, there may be danger that a healthy revolt from the fictions administered by the pseudo - historians of the credulous ages may result the pendulum swinging too far in our jumping at the conclusion that the Shrine had no ancestor, but was invented, in New York in the eighth decade of the last century, out of whole cloth.
That conclusion we may reject with confidence. That the Shrine, as we have it, was greatly modified perhaps we should say reconstructed in New York about 1871 may be freely conceded; but that it was not then evolved exhilo, and that it had an ancestor, is no less certain. What its ancestry was is the unsolved riddle.
In a letter written in 1882 by Bro. WILLIAM J. FLORENCE, 32° - the well - known actor - that writer claims to have met that ancestry at Marseilles, France, in 1870. At that time, says the letter, he was introduced by a banker's clerk who "knew him to be a Mason" into what Bro. FLEMING styles "Bokhara Temple of the Arabic Bektash." What was the Bektash? It is usually stated and this is the view of Dr. FLEMING that the Bektash was an Order instituted by KALIF ALEE, "cousin - german and son - in - law" of MOHAMMED at Mecca, Arabia, A. D. 644, though others say "in the year of the HEJIRA 25, A. D. 656." It was organized, we are told, "as an Inquisition or Vigilance Committee, to dispense justice and execute punishment upon criminals who escaped their merited deserts through the inability or tardiness of the courts of justice." "The original secret intention was to form a powerful alliance among prominent, sterling men who would, upon a valid accusation, proceed to a trial ignoring all fear or favor, judge and execute, if it were merited, and within the day or hour inflict the death penalty, at the same time observing every precaution as to secrecy and security." Another purpose of the organization is said to have been "to promote religious toleration among cultured men of all nations." Its organization was perfected "and did such prompt and efficient service that they (sic) speedily excited the alarm of all the criminal classes throughout the domain of the Star and Crescent." It derived its name, "Bektash," "from the peculiar tall, white hat or fez which was always worn by the highest officials in the Mosque or during services and devotions in the Shrine." It is not to be confounded with that warlike sect, the Bektash Dervishes, although the latter are said to be "in alliance with the Bektash or Shrine" and are "counted among its most honorable patrons." Notwithstanding this disclaimer by Bro. FLEMING, it will be found that much that he and those who have followed his accounts have to say about "Shrines" in Cairo, Jerusalem, Constantinople, etc., seems to relate solely to the Shrines of the Bektash Dervishes and not to what we may style the Bektash proper.
The ceremonial of the latter is declared to be, or to have been originally "crude, membership
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being acquired on taking the 'Arab oaths.' The Order is said to have had a continuous existence in Oriental countries, and now gathers around its Shrines the best educated and most cultivated classes among Mohammedans, Hebrews and Christians."
Thus far we have been able to follow Bro. FLEMING and our other authorities with entire complacency, both on account of our implicit confidence in their sincerity, and because we are in possession of no information which conflicts with what they have told us. But when they go a step further and not only claim the Rosecrucian WEISHAUPT as a member of the Bektash but assert that he revived that Order, in Bavaria, in 1776, and identify it with the Illuminati; or when evidently identifying the Shrine with nearly every Hermetic, Kabalistic or Rosecrucian Fraternity known to Western Europethey claim Lord BACON, FREDERICK THE GREAT, GOETHE, SPINOZA, KANT, MIRABEAU and a long list of other occultists as members of the Bektash, we come to "the parting of the ways." We can go with them no further; nor do we think there is anywhere a single Masonic scholar who would, without new and convincing evidence, acquiesce in those statements which are inconsistent with all the evidence yet known to students at large.
Passing that point, then, and coming to more recent times leaving, it must be confessed, a considerable hiatus in the pedigree of our Order we are told by Bro. FLEMING that: -
"As to the Shrines or Bektash prevailing as independent bodies throughout Oriental Europe, their numbers reach away into the thousands. They are formed in all the large cities, after leaving Paris: Marseilles boasts no modest one; thence, to Rome, Naples, Cairo, Alexandria, Malta, Damascus, Tunio, Algiers, Tangier, and on and on through the endless territories of Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, and Syria, comprising vast thousands of Shrines, or Bektashheeyeh, and its (sic) millions of Disciples, all characterized by the same insignia, all derived from Mohammedan faith, and robed in steel, gold, and glory, and exemplified in a pomp and power unknown to any other institution on the globe."
Surely a brilliant and striking picture! Perhaps it may be as well to consider at this point, though it slightly interrupt our narrative of the origin of the American Shrine, to what extent recognition would be accorded by a Bektash at, say, Damascus, to a Noble of the Mystic Shrine hailing from America, or even to a Disciple from a Bektash at Paris or Marseilles. On that point Bro. FLEMING says: -
"An European, or a member from the Western Hemisphere, coming into any of the Shrines of the East, must, primarily, be vouched for by reliable authority or by one or more of the Moslems, who are satisfied that the stranger is entitled to enter. This endorsement having been received, the visitor or foreign member is escorted into the ante - chamber of the Shrine, where he is catechized through an interpreter that he is duly and truly qualified to enter. After such sanction is rendered, he is required to perform the ablution of purification from all sordid intentions; then, to take a preliminary obligation; and then, requested to kiss or salute the Holy Black Stone, a symbol of the same in the Mosque at Mecca; and, after burning the incense, as a purification of all siti and forbidden purposes, he is clothed in a garment or gown of pure white and a white fez. He is guided into the inner sanctuary or sacred Shrine, there conducted before the altar, and caused to subscribe to the Moslem oath, which is administered by an interpreter, and (is) then led to the Potentate, who proceeds to administer the secret obligation of the Holy Bektashheeyeh, which comprises the ceremonials of such as are permitted to make the Holy Pilgrimage to Mecca. This ceremony is both complicated and intricate, and not admissible to repeat or put in matiuscriptal form. It varies somewhat from our own form of ceremonies, but adheres closely to our own text of Mohammedan Attributes. The regalia, jewels, and general paraphernalia conform to such as we use in our own Temples, except, perhaps, more
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elaborated and more permanent in their texture; the insignia, jewels, and special badges of the Order are very similar to our own, only, perhaps, more gorgeous. The degree, as conferred, differs greatly from our usual ceremony, more particularly by containing all the ceremonies of the dancing, whirling, and howling Dervishes, which is (sic) simply impossible to the European. This is followed by the Muezzin cry * to prayer. * * * The degree of 'KaabahilAllah,' or the entrance into the Holy Sanctuary of the Mosque, is then conferred, the details of which I am not qualified to explain. But it is an elaboration of our present degree of the Shrine, particularly adapted to the Mohammedan rule, and difficult to adapt to a Christian country." * * *
From this quotation which we have extended somewhat further than strictly essential to the point immediately under consideration assuming the correctness of its statements, we may infer that "an European or member from the Western Hemisphere," however well vouched for, would at best be received but as one imperfectly initiated. He would be re-obligated according to the "Moslem oath," and would take "the secret obligation of the Holy Bektashheeyeh" exactly as though he had never taken it before. In other words, he would in Masonic parlance be "healed." But, owing to a fact very honorable to the occultism of the far East, the circumstance that an American Shriner may gain admission to an Asiatic Bektash, is not absolutely conclusive evidence that the two Orders are identical, or even related.
In the Orient, especially in Central and Southern Asia, the occult Fraternities, though fairly numerous, are not of mushroom growth, or designed primarily to promote financial, social, or insurance ends. They are depositaries of the most sacred mysteries of religion and the profoundest teachings of philosophy. They are, to the initiate, the most sacred of all human institutions; but are so only because the ends at which they aim are the most important to which the human soul can aspire. In some of them, so broad a conception of humanity is developed in the minds of the greatest of their adepts, and so profound an appreciation of the sacredness of the search for truths by means of the occult initiation, that instances are not unknown where initiates of one cult have extended a most appreciative and sympathetic welcome to those whom they had come to recognize as sincere seekers after the same "Lost Word" through an entirely different initiation. It may be safely stated as a general rule that, owing to racial differences of temperament between the Asiatic and the European, almost any Oriental Fraternity would extend to an Occidental Fraternity of similar ends and aims, irrespective of any connecting link between the two far more consideration than it would ordinarily receive from the other, were matters reversed.
In this connection it remains only to add that, while in earlier years of the American Shrine its members might have been received in the Bektash Bodies in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean bodies of which those at Marseilles and Algiers, respectively, are perhaps the best known if not also the oldest with some hesitation, and rather as initiates of a similar than of an identical Order, and were, no doubt, subjected to the "healing" procedure already mentioned, yet, since rumors of the phenomenal growth of the American Order during the last two decades of the nineteenth century, and of its influence and magnificence in the New World, spread through Northern Africa and the Levant especially through the return of Orientals from the World's Fair at Chicago in 1893, there has been a very noticeable disposition, on the part of those bodies, to fully identify the American Shrine with their own Order, and to recount with pride the tale of the splendors with which it has pleased ALLAH to endow the Bektash in its new home beyond the pillars of Hercules. As a result, the American Noble of the Mystic Shrine unquestionably has a more exalted standing in what we may call the Bektash Bodies, in the countries about the Mediterranean than he had twenty years ago.
On the fact that those bodies are numerous, influential, and scattered over a wide district, the
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evidence seems ample. When, in their modern form, they originated, or under what circumstances, has not been told. That they trace from ALEE, the Kinsman of the Prophet, we may think neither proven nor disproven by any accessible evidence. Let us, then, pass their former history, as an enigma to be solved when future generations shall find out the right, and consider the rise of the New Temple in the Occident.
The genesis of our American Order dates from the visit of Brother WILLIAM J. FLORENCE to the Temple of the Arabic Bektash at Marseilles, already mentioned. In that Temple, FLORENCE tells US he found many distinguished visitors and members who seemed absorbed in learning "how the French of Marseilles had succeeded in getting possession of such interesting secrets." If they found out, it is a pity our informant did not tell us what they found. It is also tantalizing to be told of the existence of "interesting secrets," and augments any doubt one may have as to the exactness with which the American Shrine is a reproduction of the Marseilles or other Bektash; for we think it will be readily admitted that, however "interesting" the American Shrine may be, the possession of any particularly remarkable "secrets" is the very last feature it would arrogate to itself.
Of Brother FLORENCE'S visit to the body at Marseilles, and of his subsequent movements, Brother FLEMING speaks as follows: -
"He at this time simply witnessed the opening session of the exoteric ceremonials which characterize the politicoreligious Order of Bektash of Oriental Europe. A monitorial historic and explanatory manuscript he also received there. It did not embrace the esoteric Inner Temple exemplification or obligation, nor the 'Unwritten Law,' which is never imparted to any one except from mouth to ear. Shortly afterward Mr. FLORENCE was similarly favored in Algiers and Aleppo. Through letters and commendations he finally secured the manuscript monitor history and descriptive matter from which sprang the Order in this country. It was in Algiers and Aleppo that he was received into the Inner Temple under the domain of the Crescent, and first became possessor of the esoteric work, the Unwritten Law,' and the Shayk's obligation. Subsequently he visited Cairo, Egypt, and was admitted and collected more of Oriental history and the manuscript of 'Memorial Ceremonials.' But Mr. FLORENCE was never fully recognized, or possessed of authority, until long after his return to America. All he possessed was a disconnected series of sheets in Arabic and French, with some marginal memoranda made by himself from verbal elucidation in Aleppo. Through Professor ALBERT L. RAWSON, these with others received afterward through correspondence abroad, comprised the translations from which the Order started here."
Another account states that FLORENCE returned to the United States in 1871 and suggested to Dr. FLEMING that they establish "the Shrine" in New York; that FLEMING had already received "detached and mutilated sections of a translation of the ritual" which had been "brought to America by a member," together with some vague history and ritualistic sections brought from Cairo by SHERWOOD C. CAMPBELL of New York; but that, as the FLORENCE ritual "came from Oriental Europe" and was "marked with certain sections of the Koran for notes and allusions which facilitated revision, Dr. FLEMING, with the assistance of Professor RAWSON, compiled the work which became the foundation of the Order in America.
Dr. FLEMING states that, "Mr. FLORENCE and myself received authority to introduce the Order here"; and elsewhere we are informed that that authority or, rather, that "Jurisdiction over the Order for America" was given to Dr. FLEMING by "the Arabic scholar, RIZH ALLAH HASSOON EFFENDEE"; but whence the latter's authority was derived, or in what manner he transmitted it, we are not told.
It is stated that the ritual now in use in America is "a translation from the original Arabic" found "in the archives of the Order at Aleppo," and carried thence to London, in 1860, by RIZH
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ALLAH HASSOON EFFENDEE, who afterwards placed it in the possession of Dr. FLEMING. In Arabic this ritual is known as the "Pillar of Society" and called the "Unwritten Law," in distinction from the Koran, or "Written Law."
On June 16, 1871, at the Masonic Hall, at No. 114 East Thirteenth Street, New York City, Brothers FLEMING and FLORFNCE conferred the "new Order" upon the following named Scottish Rite Masons: EDWARD EDDY, 33°; OSWALD MERLE D' AUBIGNE, 32°; JAMES S. CHAPPELL, 32°; JOHN A. MOORE, 32°; CHARLES T. MCCLENACHAN, 33°; WILLIAM S. PATERSON, 33°; GEORGE W. MILLAR, 33°; ALBERT P. MORIARTY, 33°; DANIEL SICKLES, 33°; JOHN W. SIMONS, 33°; and SHERWOOD C. CAMPBELL, 32°; and, with these and ALBERT L. RAWSON, 32°, "Arabic Translator," they, on September 26, 1872, instituted Mecca Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine the first of present Temples in the United States. As the "next session" was not held until January 12, 1874, it will be seen that the Order did not grow rapidly at first. But on January 4, 1875, a Temple called Damascus was organized at Rochester, N. Y.; and Dr. FLEMING, Potentate of Mecca Temple from 1871 to 1886, invested the following thirtythird degree Masons with the rank and prerogatives of Past Potentates, to enable them to act in establishing Temples throughout the countrv, to wit: ORIN WELCH, Syracuse, N. Y.; CHARLES H. THOMSON, Corning, N. Y.; TOWNSEND FONDEY, JOHN S. DICKERMAN and ROBERT H. WATERMAN, Albany, N. Y.; JOHN F. COLLINS, N. Y. City; JOHN L. STETINUS, Cincinnati; VINCENT L. HURLBURT, Chicago; SAMUEL H. HARPER, Pittsburg, Pa.; and GEORGE SCOTT, Paterson, N.J.
By what has been said, attention is attracted to two important facts: First, that in America, membership in the Order has from the beginning been limited exclusively to Masons. This is probably not always the case in the allied Temples in the Orient, to which we have alluded, and cannot always have been the case with them if the Bektash is of any such antiquity as is claimed for it, for it is the merest romance to claim that any Freemasonry existed in Asia or Africa between the twenty-fifth year of the Hejira and the same year in the eighteenth century of the Christian Era. The second fact which attracts our attention is, that in earlier years of the Shrine in this country the Order was conferred upon Scottish Rite Masons only. Later, the rule was relaxed; the Royal Arch Masons, who were also Knights Templar, were also made eligible. Cogent reasons both for and against that innovation could be presented. It must have tended to weaken, to some degree, the very exalted opinion formed of the American branch of the Order by what we may, by way of distinction, call the Bektash Bodies, in the Orient; for, around the Mediterranean, "Masonic" Knights Templar were practically unknown, and the Royal Arch ranks only as a fourth or fifth degree. It may be conceded, also, that it was unfortunate that, if no knowledge of "Ineffable Masonry" was to be demanded of candidates for the Shrine, the change did not either render all worthy Master Masons eligible or else limit membership to Scottish Rite Masons of the 32°, and Masons of the "American Rite" who had taken the whole of that Rite, Royal and Select Masters. The Select Master has had an opportunity to complete the study of one of the allegories of Masonry, while the Knight Templar who had taken neither the Scottish Rite nor the Cryptic degrees has seen but a broken pillar. But, on the other hand, had the Shrine been reserved for Scottish Rite Masons exclusively, it would have augmented the popular error that the Shrine is a Masonic Body, an error based solely on the fact that its membership is confined exclusively to Masons and, in particular, the further error that the Shrine is "the highest degree in Masonry." Indeed, in connection with that error, it is not improbable that, in time, the degree of the Shrine would have been regarded as a rival of the 33', and the Order might thus have aroused the ill - will and hostility of the Supreme Councils of the 33°. But perhaps the strongest vindication of the step taken when the standard of admission
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was lowered is found in the resultant experience that it has made the Shrine a "center of union and the means of conciliating true friendship" between Brethren who, separating at the door of the Lodge, had traveled different paths, the one in the Scottish Rite and the other in the so-called American Rite; and who might, therefore, but for the Shrine, "have remained at a perpetual distance," but who, in it, find themselves once more under a common rooftree.
In June, 1876, an Imperial, that is, governing Council of the Order was organized in New York City, with the following officers, all of them, except where otherwise stated, belonging to Shrines in the State of New York: WALTER M. FLEMING, Imperial Potentate; GEORGE F. LODER, Deputy Potentate; PHILIP F. LENHART, Chief Rabban; EDWARD M. L. EHLERS, Assistant Rabban; WILLIAM H. WHITING, High Priest; SAMUEL R. CARTER, Oriental Guide; AARON L. NORTHROP, Treasurer; WILLIAMS. PATERSON, Recorder; ALBERT P. MORIARTY, Financial Secretary; JOHN L. STETINUS, Cincinnati, First Ceremonial Master; BENSON SHERWOOD, Second Ceremonial Master; SAMUEL HARPER, Pittsburg, Marshall; FRANK H. BASCOM, Montpelier, Captain of the Guard; and GEORGE SCOTT PATERSON, Outer Guard.
Meetings of the Imperial Council have been held annually ever since, and its officers elected, at first triennially, but in later years annually. As early as the beginning of the year 1877, it was announced that the Imperial Council had perfected its "ritual, statutes, history, diplomas, dispensations, and charters"; and within the next two years the foundations were laid for the elaborate ceremonial, gorgeous scenic effects and realistic dramatic renditions of the ritual which are now characteristic of the Order. In 1877 there were four Temples represented in the Imperial Council; and the Nobles regarded the progress of the Order as eminently satisfactory when the close of the year 1879 showed thirteen Temples, with a total membership of 438. But, satisfactory as was that progress, it sinks into insignificance when compared with the growth of the Order during the last dozen years, which, indeed, has exceeded all precedents among similar societies. On May 1, 1901, its total membership was 60,422, distributed among eighty-three Temples in as many cities; and its present net increase of membership is at the rate of nearly five thousand per annum. The Order was introduced into the Pacific Northwest by the establishment of Al Kader Temple, at Portland, Oregon, January 3, 1888; Algier Temple, at Helena, Montana, March 23, 1888; Afifi Temple, at Tacoma, Washington, August 1, 1888; El Katif Temple, at Spokane, Washington, June 10, 1890; and El Korah Temple, at Boise, Idaho, June 23, 1896. Some accounts of these Temples will be given in later pages.
The annual sessions of the Imperial Council have been held in the following cities: In New York, in 1876, 1878, 18801885; in Albany, N. Y., 1877, 1879, 1880; in Cleveland, 1886, 1896; in Indianapolis, 1887; in Toronto, 1888; in Chicago, 1889; in Pittsburg, 1890; at Niagara Falls, 1891; in Omaha, 1892; in Cincinnati, 1893; in Denver, 1894; at Nantasket Beach, 1895; in Detroit, 1897; in Dallas, Texas, 1898; in Buffalo, 1899; in Washington, D. C., 1900; in Kansas City, 1901; and in San Francisco, 1902.
Its Imperial Potentates have been: WALTER M. FLEMING, of New York; SAM BRIGGS, of Ohio; WILLIAM B. MELISH, of Ohio, elected 1892; THOMAS J. HUDSON, of Pennsylvania, 1893; WILLIAM B. MELISH, again, 1894; CHARLES L. FIELD, of California, 1895; HARRISON DINGMAN, of Washington, D. C., 1896; ALBERT B. McGAFFEY, of Colorado, 1897; ETHELBERT F. ALLEN, of Missouri, 1898; JOHN H. ATWOOD, of Kansas, 1899; Louis B. WINSOR, of Michigan, 1900; PHILIP C. SHAFFER, of Pennsylvania, 1901; and HENRY C. AKIN, of Nebraska, 1902.
It is not allowable to convey to the reader who is not a Noble of the Order any conception of the peculiar forms and ceremonies which are found within the zealously guarded doors of its
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Temples, nor would it be easy to do so were it permissible; for there are some things which can be apprehended by the eye alone, or by the reason; but others which require no less than the action of all the five senses at one time, and these, aided by a mind rendered receptive and a body duly prepared in accordance with the most approved formulae, as well as by a conscience void of offense. It may be mentioned, however, that the same respect for justice, and the same disapproval of the lawbreaker, which led the KALIF ALEE to found the original Bektasb, still flourish in all their pristine vigor within the precincts of the Shrine, but, of course, without the punitive feature which characterized the KALIF'S sodality. Moreover, because the Nobles are all Masons, and because the overwhelming majority of them are Masons who appreciate to the highest degree the incomparable value of Masonry and Masonic principles, and for this reason chiefly, and not because the ritual expressly undertakes to reiterate Masonic principles, as such the basic virtues upon which Masonry itself is established Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and justice; Faith, Hope, and Charity; Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth, not only permeate every precinct of the Shrine, but are there practically exemplified to a degree known to few other societies.
The ritual and ceremonies in which the precepts of the Shrine are clothed, unlike those of most other societies, are not taken from the Jews or from those who worshiped the gods of Greece, Rome, or Egypt, or from Knightly Orders of the Middle Ages, but are those which characterize the followers of Mohammed. Being Masons, the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine cannot conceive that there can be more than one God, by whatsoever name He be called. In this Shrine He is called upon under His name, ALLAH; but neither Mohammedanism nor any other sectarianism is taught in the Shrine. The frequent appearance of the Nobles in public procession, clad in gorgeous apparel, accompanied by strange music, and often traveling with elephants, camels, dromedaries, and other Asiatic animals, has rendered the public so familiar with the general appearance of their regalia and the general conduct of the Nobles when journeying on missions of peace and charity, and conducting candidates on their way to the happy Gates of Initiation, that no more would seem necessary to be said under this head. These public appearances have also conveyed to the outer world the impression that there is much jollity and gaiety among the Nobles of this Order. The impression is a correct one. The Temple of the Mystic Shrine is not a house of mourning. Though the neophyte may travel across the hot sands of the desert with a calm dignity that inspires the admiration of all beholders; though he may ascend to the loftiest heights to grasp the mystic cord which, like the mighty sheet seen by PETER in his vision, seems to be let down from the seventh heaven to sustain and support him; and though he may hold on to the rope, as it were, "amid the crash of matter and the wreck of worlds," with a devotion which inspires the most profound emotion, yet there are, within the Shrine, other scenes than these. It is not well that man should forever climb, without rest or refreshment, in his search for that which is high. The mind, as well as the body, may lose its balance. Even old OMAR KHAYYAM, the Poet Laureate of our Order, tells us:
"You want to know the secret, so do I;
Low in the dust I sought it, and on high,
Sought it in awful flight from star to star;
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
My soul went knocking at each starry door,
Till, on the stilly top of heaven's stair,
Clear - eyed I looked and laughed and climbed no more."
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And therefore - few, we think, who have entered its portals will deny it - there are descents within the Shrine as notable as any other feature in it. In some Temples it has been shown that even the ceremonies of the "whirling Dervishes" are not - pace Dr. FLEMING, whom we have quoted to the contrary - impossible to the European. These occasional descents from "the stilly top of heaven's stair" are, for reasons before assigned, not without benefit. Their tendency is to restore men to that level upon which, it is the boast of the Craft, Masons should always meet. Then, too, LULU is rarely absent, and the "traditional banquet" never!
For
"He may live without love - what is passion but pining?
But where is the man that can live without dining?"
"To relieve the distressed is a duty incumbent on all men; but particularly on Masons * * * On this theme we contemplate, and by its dictates endeavor to regulate our conduct." Indeed, so indispensable a feature is "the traditional banquet," that in connection with the fact that the Order usually initiates a large sum of money in fees, it has been held by some of the most learned Sages of the Order that "The Mystic Shrine has but one Landmark: There must never be any money left in the treasury." However this may be, in all Temples where the principles of the Order are properly respected, the banquet - board invariably groans with the best the market affords, the wines are the rarest that money can buy, and camel's milk is as abundant as the sands of Arabia. Hence it is that the assemblies of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine are known far and wide as the meeting place of -
"Jest and youthful jollity,
Quips and Cranks and harmless Wiles,
Nods and Becks with wreathed Smiles.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Sport that wrinkled Care derides,
And Laughter holding both his sides."
Two peculiarities of American life and American Masonry, in connection with, what has been said concerning the nature of Shrine meetings, throw light on the extraordinary popularity of the Order, and help to answer the question as to what its future will be. The strenuous, restless, nerve-destroying life led by the American of our day; the wild, mad, unceasing struggle for wealth and business, political or professional success, mean destruction, both for the individual and for the race, unless the tension of almost incessant strife be broken, now and then, by periods of complete change of life and thought, through entire substitution of scene or environment.
Were Masonic Lodges conducted now and in America as they were conducted everywhere in the eighteenth century, and as some of them are, to a certain extent, in England yet were an hour of every meeting set apart to "talk Masonry," and the Lodge made a place for social intercourse, gay diversion, and complete mental relaxation a place to bring the latest story and the jolliest song, while, as in olden times, the punchbowl was always full, and the brimming glass went round the American Mason would probably find in the Lodge itself, as his fathers did, a sufficient release from the cares of life, and the only tonic needed to keep him invigorated for even the exhaustive life of today. But, changed as our Lodges are unavoidably changed, both by mutation in public sentiment as to certain social pleasures, and by an apparently unavoidable necessity of devoting nearly all their time to the single matter of conferring degrees; compelled, as the Lodges seem to be, to almost totally neglect the social side of Masonry, and the same being equally the case, and for the
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same reasons, with the so-called High Degree Bodies it is inevitable that the Mason should now look elsewhere for that relaxation and recreation which, in olden time, he found in the Lodge. Most fortunately by a happy accident, it would almost seem the Shrine came into American life just at the right time to supply that want, one of the most important needs of the age. And it is no reflection on the Lodge that the Mason goes from it to the Shrine to supply the demands of his social nature, to recuperate both mind and body by wisely becoming, for a few hours, as nearly a boy again as he possibly can. On the contrary, it is no doubt a benefit to the Lodge to relieve it from some of the lighter features, which our fathers, in the absence of social clubs, engrafted upon it, and permit it to devote itself uninterruptedly to the more important purposes for which Masonry exists. The Shrine would not be what it is did not its members carry into it the noble lessons which they learn at the sacred altar of Freemasonry; and the Mason returns from the Shrine to the Lodge, refreshed and recuperated, and with a new zeal to learn and teach the grand old truths of which the Lodge is the custodian.
We have never known a Shriner who was disappointed in the Shrine. Her features are so many and so varied that they are never exhausted and never tire. As was said of Egypt's Queen:
"Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
Her infinite variety."
When, in connection with this, we consider as has been suggested above that the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine supplies a real need of the age, and especially of the life of the American Mason as he finds life in the twentieth century, we must draw the conclusion that its future is bound to be one of continuing and increasing prosperity, and that its popularity or usefulness cannot wane as long as American life and American Masonry remain similar to what they are today.
CHAPTER XIV.
The Order of the Eastern Star.
A NARRATIVE OF THE ORIGIN AND SPREAD OF THE SOCIETY, AND AN ACCOUNT OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE NATIONAL AND GRAND BODIES.
THE ORDER of the Eastern Star is commonly believed to have been originated by ROB MORRIS. Recent investigation of the sources of this associated branch of Masonry, however, has proven conclusively that the degrees were in existence conferred long prior to the time that MORRIS claimed to have created them. work of the Order seems to have been transplanted to the United States from Europe, presumably France, in the latter part of the eighteenth century, under the name it now bears. The rite was imperfect and undeveloped, and at that time imparted without cost to Masons and their wives and widows, as a ready means of protection and succor. There was no government or system for its control, and its progress was slight and slow. These conditions were also found in other collateral degrees conferred upon the women of Masonic households, such as the "Heroine of Jericho," "Daughter of Zion," "Maids of Jerusalem," etc., and the number of these Orders which sprang up or were imported contributed largely to the uncertain status and indifferent labors of these various rites. To MORRIS is probably due the credit of modernizing and embellishing the former ritual of the Eastern Star and establishing a systematic form for its government. The time of MORRIS' work is variously stated, but the most authentic sources seem to establish the year 1850 as the commencement of his labor. In certain documents left by MORRIS, he states that he received the degrees of the Eastern Star in the year 1849 by communication, which was the customary mode for transmitting the same at that period.
MORRIS was brought to Masonic light, March 5, 1846, in Oxford Lodge of Oxford, Mississippi. He was then twenty-eight years of age, and the principal of an academy at that place. To natural aptitude for learning he added an excessive love of books. His temperament was poetic, and naturally the loftiest sentiments and the most exalted thoughts filled his mind. Love of the beautiful, admiration for the works of Nature, a truly sincere religious disposition, largeness of heart, and sympathy for distress and affliction, mingled with a longing to know and to solve the philosophies of life and death, were also marked characteristics. This rare combination of qualities, a single one of which would have been sufficient even for men of unusual ability, fitted MORRIS above all other persons of his time for what became his life work. His innate tendency to poetry made him a dreamer, a delver into the mysterious and the occult, and unerringly led him into the sentimental and the beautiful. It is
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not singular, therefore, that with his admission to the Masonic Institution he found much to captivate him. His admiration soon enlisted his splendid talents in its behalf, and thenceforth to the time of his death, in 1888, he was ever active in behalf of Masonry. His Masonic labors were unceasing, and ranged every department of the Fraternity; and he touched nothing that he did not adorn. His writings cover Masonic jurisprudence, rituals, handbooks, poetry, history, travels, biography, songs and contributions innumerable to Masonic journals. The immortal "We meet upon the Level and we part upon the Square," is from his pen, and stands as his imperishable monument in the Masonic Fraternity. In 1858 - 59, MORRIS was the Grand Master of Masons of Kentucky, a notable honor in itself, but his chief distinction is as the patriarch of the Order of the Eastern Star. The only reflection upon his efforts in behalf of the Eastern Star was his apparent desire to profit financially by propagating the degrees. While the mercenary spirit is not altogether strange, or even unusual, among fraternalists, it nevertheless seems a conflicting element among the many lovable traits and qualities of MORRIS. His was not a nature in which selfishly commercial instincts would be expected to find lodgment, yet to the confusion of all judgment, MORRIS revealed the sordid aspiration, which is the only blot upon his career.
About the year 1855 MORRIS instituted a "Supreme Constellation," which was a self - constituted body, assuming to be the supreme authority of the Order, and promulgating a system of rules and laws for the government of the rite. MORRIS became its "Most Enlightened Grand Luminary," and associated with him were three others, all bearing somewhat similar titles. The subordinate bodies were called "Constellations," and were formed upon petition of not less than five Master Masons. A charter was prepared and issued to these inferior bodies, authorizing them to confer the five degrees of the American or MORRIS Rite in accordance with the ceremonials arranged by him. Provision was made in the ritual for five "pillars" and five "correspondents," and these, with not more than twenty-five of each sex, composed a Constellation. As many Constellations thus formed as were desired might be connected with one Lodge. By the beginning of the year 1856, over seventy-five charters had been granted throughout the United States, extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and a year later nearly three hundred Constellations were in existence under the charters of the MORRIS Supreme Constellation. About this time MORRIS, despite his connection with the Supreme Constellation, renewed his former practice of selling the degrees for an inconsiderable amount. This led to his repudiation by the Supreme Constellation, which maintained an indifferent existence for some years under another ritual and then ceased to exist. MORRIS pursued his methods, effecting some slight changes in the nomenclature of the offices as well as in the ritualism; also discarding the use of the word "Constellation" and substituting for it that of "Family." He was careful, however, to assure to the members of the "Constellations." their full rights and privileges in the new "Families." In the period from 1860 to 1867 over one hundred "Families" were instituted, but there was as yet no formal organization of the Order in the strict sense of the term.
In 1866 ROBERT MACOY of New York formulated and published a manual and also several rituals of the Order. MACOY assumed in 1868 the prerogatives of MORRIS, upon the departure of the latter for an extended visit to the Holy Land and attempted to establish a Supreme Body which he called the "Supreme Grand Chapter of the Adoptive Rite of the Order of the Eastern Star." He styled himself variously as Grand Secretary and National Grand Secretary. This so-called body issued charters for over seven hundred subordinates in the United States and foreign countries. These organizations were by MACOY termed "Chapters." The designation "Chapter," taken by MACOY from the Royal Arch Body of Masonry, has since been used by the Order of Eastern Star as 'the distinctive appellation of its various bodies. MACOY apparently but the Grand Secretary of the
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Supreme Grand Chapter was in reality the entire body, though several persons of more or less prominence were supposed to hold the purely honorary positions. For some time MACOY disposed of charters, rituals and supplies, either directly or through appointed agents, doing a flourishing business and deriving a large income therefrom. MACOY was later joined by MORRIS in this traffic, the former being styled in the charters issued as M\E\Grand Patron and the latter signing as Grand Secretary.
The gradual spread of the Order of the Eastern Star, due at first to the purely selfish and mercenary motives of MORRIS and MACOY and later to the desire of Masons generally to have some permanent concordant institution founded upon rational bases for protective and social purposes, led to the ultimate formation of a supervisory body with ample powers. In several localities Grand Bodies had been formed and had begun to supplement the efforts of MORRIS and MACOY in setting up new altars of the rite. Several of these Grand Bodies did not confine the issuance of charters to subordinates in their own jurisdictions, but granted permission to form Chapters in other States. Notable among these were the Grand Chapter of New York which granted charters to Chapters in Maryland, Kentucky, and Wyoming in 1879 and 1880, the Grand Chapter of California which in 1879 issued permission to three Chapters in the State of Nevada, and the Grand Chapter of Mississippi which in 1876 granted authority to form a Chapter in Florida. There was no authority or body to govern or supervise any of the Grand Bodies, while the allegiance of subordinate bodies to the Grand Chapters creating them was more largely abstract than concrete. Moreover, the MORRIS and MACOY bodies were without the necessity of any fealty and acknowledged no supervisory authority. No power existed for the adjustment of disputes between the various Grand Chapters or between Subordinate Chapters and Grand Chapters. The laws and regulations of the Order were few, crude and unsystematic and the jurisprudence resulting therefrom was yet undeveloped. The rituals contained some slight rules, but they were indefinite and insufficient, and contributed, if at all, to complicate the general chaos and confusion. As the necessary consequence of all these conditions every jurisdiction proceeded in its own way and after its own notions and gradually raised a body of rules, which in many instances was wholly at variance with the spirit of the institution and its ritualism, while most of the legislation was in complete conflict with the enactments of the various other jurisdictions. Again, in the several jurisdictions there were many members stoutly advocating measures to narrow the operations of the Order to the female members, while in many of the Grand Chapters hopeless confusion was arising through the use of dissimilar rituals and the adoption of various and conflicting statutes defining the status of male and female members, and the setting up of different standards to the disadvantage of the male members. Among the repressive rules were those requiring of male members payment of fees and dues double that paid by females and depriving the Brethren of the right to vote upon applications for membership and at elections of officers.
The confusion resulting from existing conditions had grown to be intolerable, and in the summer of 1873 the first effort was made to establish, upon a sound and orderly basis, a Supreme Grand Council with worldwide jurisdiction. The meeting was held at New York, and a provisional organization was effected, with MACOY as Supreme Grand Patron, and MORRIS as Supreme Recorder, and other officers representing the States of New York, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. It was decided to meet at New Orleans in December, 1874, to complete the organization, and a Committee on Constitution and Regulations was appointed to report to an adjourned meeting to be held at New York in September, 1873. This committee failed to report, and the provisional body also failing to meet, the proposed Supreme Grand Council was not formed. But this tentative effort, though abortive, cleared the way for the eventual creation of a Supreme Governing Body with plenary capacity. The agitation for the organization of a Supreme Grand Chapter began in the summer of
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1874, and continued until the eventual establishment of the General Grand Chapter in 1876. Indiana was the birthplace of the active movement to this end, and credit for the same is undoubtedly due to the Rev. WILLIS D. ENGLE, of Indianapolis, who afterward became the first General Grand Secretary, and continued as such for many years. Bro. ENGLE early saw the need for a more orderly administration of the Order, and courageously inaugurated the plans, which were consummated later in the formation of the General Grand Chapter. Bro. ENGLE, young and impetuous, rebelled at the crudeness and imperfection of the whole system. He was particularly emphatic in his disapproval of the MORRIS and MACOY methods of bartering the degrees as a means of livelihood. The boldness and bluntness, and probably also the truthfulness, as well as the sincere vigor of Bro. ENGLE, brought down upon him the wrath of many of the MORRIS and MACOY adherents. The seed had, however, been planted in good soil, and soon rooted, grew amazingly, and finally bore fruit. The Grand Chapters of Indiana, Missouri, Mississippi, New Jersey, and California in 1875 adopted resolutions expressive of their desire to join in the formation of a Supreme Body, but no decisive step having been taken by any of them to call a convention for this purpose, Indiana again assumed the lead. At the meeting of the Grand Chapter of Indiana in April, 1876, the Grand Patron drew attention to the adoption of the various resolutions of sister bodies, respecting the formation of a Supreme Grand Chapter, and recommended that a call for a convocation of representatives of the different Grand Chapters be issued, that a time and place for the meeting be fixed and the qualification and number of members be declared. In conformity with this suggestion, the Grand Chapter adopted a lengthy resolution reciting the need for speedy and definite action to insure uniformity of work, modes of recognition, and regulations governing eligibility to membership. All Grand Chapters were invited to appoint seven delegates, of which the Grand Patron and Grand Matron should be, ex officio, two, with full power to do everything necessary to effect the end in view. It was also decided to meet in convention, for the purpose of organizing, at Indianapolis on November 8, 1876. A delegation of seven, including the Grand Patron and Grand Matron, was selected to represent Indiana.
The Grand Chapters of Nebraska, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, and California, responded to the invitation and appointed delegates, as requested. Owing to the nearness of the Presidential election, it was decided to postpone the convention until November 15, 1876. On this date the delegates met at the Masonic Temple, Indianapolis, and effected the organization of the General Grand Chapter. At the time of the formation of the General Grand Chapter, there were ten Grand Chapters, viz.: New Jersey, New York, Mississippi, California, Vermont, Indiana, Connecticut, Nebraska, Illinois, and Arkansas. Five of these, viz.: New Jersey, California, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri, were represented, and two others were favorable to the organization. The convention was called to order by JAMES S. NUTT, Grand Patron of Indiana, and JOHN M. MAYHEW of New Jersey, was elected President, and JOHN R. PARSON, of Missouri, Secretary of this preliminary body. A Constitution was adopted, and a committee was appointed to prepare a ritual. The Most Worthy Grand Patron was granted authority to issue, without cost, dispensations to all subordinate Chapters holding charters from the MORRIS and MACOY Supreme Grand Chapters. The Constitution adopted carefully expressed the limited authority of the General Grand Chapter, reserving to the Grand and Subordinate Chapters, and to the members individually, all powers not specifically delegated, thereby fully disposing of any possible recognition of the claims of MACOY, which the latter insistently contended for, sometimes with more zeal than judgment. Provision was also made in the Constitution for uniformity of the ritualistic work, and of the formula for installation of officers.
The second meeting of the General Grand Chapter was held at Chicago, Illinois, May 8 - 10,
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1878, seven Grand Chapters being represented. Five MACOY Chapters had exchanged their charters and five Chapters had been organized. Chicago was also the meetingplace of the third session of the General Grand Chapter, eleven Grand Chapters being represented. An additional MACOY Chapter had exchanged its charter, and the two charters issued by the Grand Chapter of New York, viz.: Maryland and Wyoming, had been surrendered for others of the General Grand Chapter. Eleven Chapters had also been instituted. Two additional Grand Chapters had been formed. ROB MORRIS attended this meeting and was made an honorary member, and as additional recognition of his position as "Father of the Order," his birthday, August 31st, was made the festal day of the Order. In this connection it may not be amiss to state that when MORRIS perceived the trend that was making for the organization of a Supreme Chapter, he quietly acquiesced, and thereupon endeavored to advance the interests of the Order by forming a Grand Chapter in Kentucky, but in this he was unsuccessful. In his address to the General Grand Chapter in 1880, acknowledging the honors conferred upon him, Bro. MORRIS expressed his disapproval of the course pursued by MACOY, although extenuating it to some extent, owing to what he conceived to be improper treatment of MACOY at the organization of the General Grand Chapter. He also voiced the sentiment that with the organization of the General Grand Chapter the Order had at last been placed upon a permanent basis, and correctly prophesied that time would demonstrate its utility and benefit as a helpmeet to Freemasonry. Bro. MORRIS attended the meeting of the General Grand Chapter, which met in St. Louis in 1886, and remained consistently faithful to the end, death claiming him July 31, 1888.
The spirit manifested by Bro. MACOY was strongly antagonistic to the General Grand Chapter, and directly opposite that of Bro. MORRIS. The latter wisely appreciated the tendency to systematic control of the Order, and gracefully submitted to what seemed to him to be the inevitable destiny of the institution which he had so largely nurtured. The antipathy of Bro. MACOY was deep-seated and lasted throughout his life. The motive generally ascribed for his opposition was the deprivation of the fees paid for charters, rituals and other supplies from which he had theretofore obtained a handsome income. Bro. MACOY was charged with having frequently changed the ritual as a means of completely enslaving the Chapters working under his charters, and of further augmenting his revenues from this source. His attacks upon the General Grand Chapter and upon individual members of both sexes, including prominent officials, were constant and vitriolic, at times descending to the utmost degree of virulence and indecency. He freely asserted that the General Grand Chapter was a fraud upon the Order, its members thieves and their motives base and degraded. Much of this was founded upon his claims to the exclusive right to the ritual. This he contended was of his own origin. He attempted to show that the ritual had been plagiarized or stolen by the General Grand Chapter. Although suit was threatened to enforce his pretensions, Bro. MACOY never had the temerity to try conclusions in a legal forum, contenting himself with the making of false claims and the vilifying of all whom he conceived to be parties to his undoing. To such fierceness did Bro. MACOY's opposition extend that he copied liberally from the ritual promulgated by the General Grand Chapter, which he published and sold and also distributed gratuitously throughout the country, sending copies to many Masons not members of the Order. The sources of the MACOY rituals were the "Mosaic Book," the "Ladies' Friend," the "Adoptive Rite," and the "Tatem Monitor." From these works the General Grand Chapter also drew the inspiration for its ritualistic ceremonies. Hence the claims of Bro. MACOY were unsubstantial and his grievances imaginary. Nevertheless, MACOY continued to the time of his death to assert the sole right to the ritual, and also claimed to be the supreme head of the Order. His objections to the establishment of the General Grand Chapter he attempted to frame upon high lines and as being dangerous to the independence of the State bodies and inimical to the
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perpetuity of the institution, but through it all was manifest his chagrin and disappointment over the loss of his revenues as a dispenser of charters and supplies. That MACOY did much to overcome opposition among Masons to the establishment of the Eastern Star as an associate androgynous Order cannot be denied; that he did much to dispel the idea, formerly prevalent, that women were not fitted for fraternal work, cannot be gainsaid, and that his labors in the field chosen by him helped the cause of Freemasonry, are undisputed. In addition to this credit, MACOY is entitled to the further honor of having labored for a systematic arrangement of its laws and ritualism. These efforts were generously recognized by the General Grand Chapter in 1895, after MACOY's decease, in the adoption of a report ordering his name enrolled upon the Memorial Scroll, though he had never been a member or connected with any body affiliated with it.
The fourth meeting of the General Grand Chapter was convened in San Francisco, California, August 1723, 1883. At this session, twelve Grand Chapters were represented. Two of the MACOY Chapters had exchanged their charters, and twenty-seven Chapters had been formed, and another Grand Chapter Ontario had been organized.
St. Louis had the honor of the fifth meeting of the General Grand Chapter. The meeting opened September 23, 1886, and continued in session for three days. There were ten Grand Chapters represented. One more MACOY Chapter surrendered its charter, and accepted a new warrant from the National Body. The report of the Right Worthy Grand Secretary showed the organization of twenty-nine Chapters and the formation of the Grand Chapter of Texas. The Most Worthy Grand Patron announced that in consequence of wanton disregard of the law, he had withdrawn recognition from the Minnesota Grand Chapter, and had recognized a new Grand Chapter, which had been organized in the place of the former. In 1883, in his address to the Grand Chapter of Minnesota, the Grand Patron criticized the exemplification of the work by Minneapolis Chapter as an infraction of the prescribed ritual. The Grand Chapter, however, did not coincide with the views of its Grand Patron, and adopted a resolution declaring that the ritualistic ceremony, as performed by the Chapter, was not contrary to law or a departure from the spirit of the ritual, being an attempt merely to dramatize the work, which the committee declared to be an enrichment of the initiatory ceremonies. At the session of the Grand Chapter in 1884, the Grand Matron alluded to the matter in her address. In order to avoid further consideration or action respecting the subject, the Grand Chapter precipitously adjourned, without having transacted its business or elected officers.
In March, 1885, the Grand Matron exercised her authority, and suspended all of the officers and members of Minneapolis Chapter from all privileges until the ensuing session of the Grand Chapter. As the Grand Secretary of the jurisdiction was a member of this Chapter, the action of the Grand Matron disqualified her, temporarily at least, as such officer, and the Grand Matron thereupon designated another Sister to discharge the duties of the position. A special session of the Grand Chapter followed, and all the acts of the Grand Matron were ratified. A new Chapter had meantime been formed, and officers elected and installed. This added to the intensity of the feelings prevalent. The Most Worthy Grand Patron thereupon withdrew recognition of the Grand Chapter, and recognized a new Grand Chapter, which was then formed. His action was approved by the General Grand Chapter, which authorized him to call a convention of all the Minnesota Chapters for the purpose of organizing a new Grand Chapter, and that this body, when thus formed, should alone be regarded as the lawful Grand Chapter. A call for a convention was issued in pursuance of the decision of the General Grand Chapter, but before the time designated, the Most Worthy Grand Patron recalled it, and afterward decreed that all Chapters should recognize the first Grand Chapter as the only valid body in the State. This course seemed just and right, and was approved by the General Grand Chapter at its session in 1889.
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The latter body directed recognition of the original body and also required all the Chapters in the State to pay dues and make report to it. The General Grand Chapter further required the primary Grand Chapter to receive into full membership all Chapters which complied with the requirement respecting payment of dues and the filing of reports. The original Grand Chapter would not, however, submit to the conditions imposed, and in 1891 recognition was again withdrawn. The General Grand Chapter in the following year confirmed this withdrawal and then gave its recognition to the second Grand Chapter. This led to bitter opposition on the part of the adherents of the older Grand Body and for several years a fierce controversy was waged by the partisans of the two bodies. At length in 1894, through the mediation of influential members, the factions were brought together and the Fraternity, after eleven years of wrangling and disputation, was reunited and, with harmony in the ranks, was initiated an era of prosperity which has continued to this day. At this session of the General Grand Chapter the Most Worthy Grand Patron also reported the assumption in 1885 of jurisdiction over Mississippi owing to the extinction of all the Chapters in consequence of repeated epidemics of yellow fever. ROB MORRIS, the Poet Laureate of the Masonic Fraternity and of the Order of the Eastern Star, attended this session of the General Grand Chapter and was warmly welcomed. It proved his last, as he died before the next session.
Twelve Grand Chapters were represented at the sixth session of the General Grand Chapter which met at Indianapolis in September, 1889. The reports showed the organization of twenty-eight Chapters and four Grand Chapters - Washington, South Dakota, Indian Territory and Ohio. The permanent withdrawal of the New Jersey Grand Chapter from the General Grand Chapter in 1887 was also this year reported. The two most important acts of this session were the adoption of the revised ritual, as now performed, and the investiture of the Most Worthy Grand Matron with full power and authority as the executive head of the Order excepting only the organization of Chapters and the issuance of charters which powers were reserved to the Most Worthy Grand Patron. The death of ROB MORRIS July 31, 1888, being reported, appropriate action was taken by the General Grand Chapter. The decay of the Order in Canada and re - assumption of jurisdiction was also reported.
At the seventh assembly of the General Grand Chapter in September, 1892, at Columbus, Ohio, the organization of six Grand Chapters was reported. These were Oregon, Montana, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Colorado and Maine. Sixteen Grand and two Subordinate Chapters were represented at this session. The formation of fifty-seven Chapters in unoccupied territory was reported.
The meeting of the General Grand Chapter in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1895 the eighth since its formation was characterized by the utmost good feeling and bright anticipations for the future. Twenty-four Grand Chapters were represented, being the greatest number up to that time. Fifty-eight Chapters were reported as having been established since the prior session. The organization of two Grand Chapters - North Dakota and Pennsylvania was also announced. The offices of Worthy Grand Conductress and Worthy Grand Associate Conductress were made elective instead of appointive.
The City of Washington, District of Columbia, was the meeting place of the ninth session, September, 1898. There were twenty-six Grand Chapters represented. In addition to the regularly accredited delegates, there were present from the Grand Chapters of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut members of those bodies. A conference was had with them with the view of causing their affiliation with the National Body. Three Grand Bodies had been formed in Rhode Island, the District of Columbia and Wyoming. The reports showed the organization of sixty-five additional Chapters.
The tenth triennial session of the General Grand Chapter was held in the city of Detroit,
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Michigan, on September 2427, 1901. The Most Worthy Grand Matron was presented with two gavels, one made from the wood of an apple tree planted in 1826 by General LEWIS CASS, first Grand Master of the first Grand Lodge of Freemasons in Michigan, and the other from wood used in playing the chimes of ST. GILES Cathedral, Edinburgh, in which edifice the Masons of olden times held some of their meetings. The reports showed that the Grand Chapters of Connecticut and Vermont had become constituent members of the General Grand Chapter, leaving but two Independent Grand Chapters New York and New Jersey and that Grand Chanters had been formed and recognized in Maryland, Arizona, Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. In the interim of the sessions Chapters had been organized in British Columbia, Hawaiian Islands, and India, which, with additional subordinates organized in Scotland, took the Order out of the category of an exclusively American society and made it international. Sixty-four Chapters were organized with 2,185 members in sixteen States and three Territories and in British Columbia, India, and Scotland, making 181 under the jurisdiction of the General Grand Chapter. Thirty-one Grand Chapters were represented during the session. A representative was also present from the Chapter in Honolulu, H.I. Seventy-eight Chapters, with a membership of 3,581, had been released to form the Grand Chapters already named. A number of changes were made in the ritual of considerable importance to the Order. The Most Worthy Grand Patron was directed to organize a Grand Chapter in the State of Nevada as soon as practicable, a sufficient number of Chapters having been formed therein and the creation of a Grand Chapter there being desired by the National Body. The session was one teeming with earnestness and goodwill and the prospects seemed to warrant the many prophecies of the greatest advance in the history of the Order.
Under the beneficent government of the General Grand Chapter the Order has been placed upon a firm and lasting foundation; regularity and order have been evolved from conflict, confusion and disunion; the esoteric work has been made uniform and more beautiful and exalted than before; system has succeeded chaos; confidence has replaced distrust; esteem has supplanted derision; and purposeful energy has overthrown indifference and disloyalty. Hence it is not surprising that from thirteen Grand Chapters, in existence at the time of the formation of the National Grand Chapter, with a membership of less than 13,000, the Order of the Eastern Star has grown to thirty-eight Grand Chapters acknowledging obedience to the General Grand Body, besides two other Independent Grand Bodies, with an aggregate membership of more than 275,000 in 3,700 Chapters. This is truly a demonstration of the advantage of a Supreme Body and proves the wisdom and prescience of the founders. They early appreciated the dangers and difficulties in the way of the Order. None better than they realized that, without organization and systematic administration, this helpful adjunct of the Masonic Craft would be engulfed in the maelstrom of prejudice, ignorance, jealousy, and sordidness. Happily such an untoward fate was averted and the Fraternity assured a long and useful career in all those fields where the finer sensibilities and sympathies of the woman's heart discover readily the need and way to bring joy and happiness to the weary and despondent, the hapless and sore and the troubled and worn.
It may not prove uninteresting to note some of the more important acts, measures, and declarations of the various Subordinate and Grand Chapters, and the parent Superior Body Michigan - naturally merits first consideration. In October, 1867, sixty delegates from fifteen Lodges met at Adrian and formed a Grand Lodge of Adoptive Masonry. A number of rituals were exemplified, and finally what came to be known as the "Tatem Work" was selected. The Grand Matron, then called Grand Worthy President, was made the executive head of the body. In 1869 the ritual was revised and a funeral ceremony was added. The following year MACOY complained that his ritual and burial
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service had been appropriated without permission. A committee appointed to consider the objection denied MACOY'S claim of right to the ritual, but conceded the justness of his ownership of the funeral service and its further use was prohibited. The next year a new funeral service of local origin was adopted. In 1876 a new ritual was promulgated, known as the "Michigan Ritual." In 1877 the General Grand Chapter was recognized and in 1878 its jurisdiction over the Eastern Star in Michigan was acknowledged and the laws and ritual were revised to conform to the regulations of the National Grand Body. In 1881 the Grand Chapter declared in favor of total abstinence from all intoxicants. The Grand Chapter in 1890 recommended to the General Grand Chapter the adoption of a uniform sign to be known by all Masons and members of the Eastern Star. The Grand Chapter in 1890 aided in promoting a State Masonic Fair for the benefit of the Michigan Masonic Home and $7,000 were obtained. Yearly since the Order has aided in promoting the Home. The Grand Chapter in 1899 designated a "Masonic Home Day," and on that day annually funds are raised in various ways to assist in the maintenance of the institution. The Great Seal of State, which was designed by Governor LEWIS CASS, first Grand Master of Masons in Michigan, was in 1898 ordered to be printed on the cover of the proceedings. This jurisdiction decided in 1886 that a member who becomes an infidel should not retain membership in a Chapter, and in 1900 that a person who can neither read nor write is, nevertheless, eligible to membership.
The Order of the Eastern Star was first established at Keyport, New Jersey, in March, 1869. Two additional Chapters were formed and these three organized the Grand Chapter at Newark in July, 1870. But one of these Chapters is still at its labors. The Grand Matron was by the Constitution declared the presiding officer. In 1871 the word "Supreme" was stricken from the ritual. MACOY chartered two Chapters subsequent to the organization of the Grand Chapter, and on being reproved for the same declined further participation in the affairs of the Order in the State. However, he afterward offered to sell to the Order certain supplies. In 1873 MACOY, who was then Grand Patron of New York, attended the Grand Chapter session and congratulated the body on its success. The New York Grand Chapter recognized the New Jersey Grand Chapter in 1874. Star officers and the Patron's lecture were added to the work in 1875 and in the following year the new MACOY ritual was adopted. The New Jersey Grand Chapter is one of the two remaining "Independent" Grand Bodies. It aided in the organization of the General Grand Chapter and adopted its ritual, but in 1880 withdrew. A year later it rescinded this action and rejoined, but in 1887 again withdrew and has thus continued. For a time it used a ritual of its own but in 1890 adopted the ritual of the General Grand Chapter which has since been used. Intercourse with Minnesota members belonging to Chapters other than those under the pioneer Grand Chapter was in 1891 interdicted. The twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the Order in the State was fittingly observed in September, 1894. The growth of the Order in the State has been slow, but is now improving.
The original Chapter in New York State was Alpha, No. 1, at New York City. It was organized in December, 1868. In 1870, when the Grand Chapter was organized, there were twenty Chapters, of which fourteen united to form the Grand Body. The Grand Patron was made executive head of the Order. The Grand Matron was merely a figurehead, having few duties to perform, and not being required to make any report or address. An Eastern Star mutual benefit association was formed in 1873, which did much good and then became extinct. In 1866 the members of the Order aided materially at a great Masonic fair, projected for the purpose of raising funds for the Masonic Hall and Asylum, at which $50,000 was realized. In 1873 the members again assisted for the same purpose, and helped to raise a substantial sum. In April, 1886, an entertainment was given by the Order for the Hall and Asylum Fund, which netted $500, and in 1889 the Masonic
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Home was benefited to the extent of $2,278 by a fair managed by the Eastern Star Association. In 1873, Star officers were added to the roster of Grand Officers. The following year a law was adopted, making it imperative that officers chosen should alternate between the city and the country. Sisters were also exempted from depending upon the standing of Masons through whom they gained admission. The MACOY burial service was adopted and distributed to the Chapters. Recognition was in 1874 accorded to the Grand Chapters of Vermont, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Indiana, and California. MACOY, in his report on correspondence to the session of 1877, attacked the General Grand Chapter, and endeavored to demonstrate that the New York Grand Chapter was "the parent Grand Chapter of the world." An effort to engraft upon the Order, as a second or advanced degree, the "Good Samaritan" work of MACOY failed upon an adverse committee report. A new Constitution was adopted, prescribing that the territorial jurisdiction of the Grand Chapter should be coextensive with the geographical limits of the State, but the executive officers were empowered to grant charters in all places where no Grand Chapter existed. The degree of the "Amaranth" was exemplified at the session of the Grand Chapter in 1884. The Grand Chapter in 1888, by resolution and without trial, suspended a Past Matron until such time as she returned certain property of a defunct Chapter, but this action was reversed the next year, and she was restored to membership without having complied with the resolution. This was followed in 1890 by the abolition by the Grand Matron of the office of Grand Lecturer, because he had used his position to promote the MACOY degree of "Queen of the South," which action was set aside as unprecedented. Two hundred dollars, raised by an entertainment in New York and Brooklyn, was in 1891 appropriated for the furnishing of a room in the Utica Masonic Home for deserving members of the Order. At the session of the Grand Chapter in 1891, it was prescribed that the candidate should repeat the obligation kneeling, and that the room should be darkened from the time of entrance until the conclusion of the obligation, thereby reversing a former decision, and disregarding one of the MACOY regulations, that the obligation should be taken standing. The formation of an Eastern Star Home Association was reported. This association now has about $5,000 toward the founding of a Home for members of the Order. May 30th of each year was, in 1894, established as "Decoration Day," when the graves of deceased members are decorated, and memorial services are held to commemorate the goodness and virtues of the Sisters and Brothers who have passed to the Supreme Chapter of the Universe. The matter of ritual has been the source of much tribulation to the New York jurisdiction. As early as 1873 the Grand Patron advised certain improvements in the work then in use. A committee was appointed, and in 1874 it reported a number of changes and amendments, which were adopted, and with these emendations the ritual was promulgated as the "standard" work. In 1875 the ritual was further amended by the addition of the Patron's lecture, and another committee was named to "revise" the ritual. A year later the work, as revised by the committee, was submitted to the Grand Chapter and adopted. Not content with these revisions, certain parts of the ritual of the General Grand Chapter were added in 1879, and further amendments were made in 1880. A committee was also appointed in 1881 to consider the propriety of adding new degrees to the ritual. This committee reported in 1882 and suggested many radical changes, but the report was re - referred to the committee, which again reported in 1883, but its report was tabled. The "Floral Addenda" of ALONZO J. BURTON, however, was added to the work. In 1885 a regulation was adopted permitting the exemplification of the "Floral Addenda" in public, but in 1886 this was repealed. Another set of revisionists was selected in 1888, and its report in 1889 was tabled. The Sisterhood degree was, in 1895, adopted as a ritualistic auxiliary, and in the same year further additions were made to the ritual, including a distress sign and motto. In 1896 the Grand Chapter bought the copyright of the ritual from the
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owners for $300, and prohibited the use of rituals not purchased from the Grand Secretary. Still another committee on reform of the ritual was designated in 1897, and two years later the work now known as the "New York Ritual" was formally adopted and promulgated. This Grand Chapter, through the influence of MACOY and since his death by force of habit, has refused to unite with the General Grand Chapter, but it is believed that the New York fraters will experience a change of heart in the near future and join their fortunes with those of the Sister jurisdictions.
The first Chapter in Mississippi was organized in April, 1870, and in December following the Grand Chapter was formed at Rienzi by representatives from five of the seven Chapters. Forty-one Chapters were organized in the State by the Grand Chapter, of which but seventeen reported to the Grand Body in 1877. At this session ten Chapters were represented. No meetings of the Grand Chapter were held in 1878 and 1879 owing to the prevalence of yellow fever. Lack of interest and other causes were accountable for the omission of meetings in 1880 and 1881, and after ineffectual efforts to overcome the moribund tendency of the bodies, Grand and Subordinate, the General Grand Chapter in 1885 assumed jurisdiction over the State, by which time every Chapter had died. During its early existence the Grand Chapter was active and earnest. It pledged cooperation for a Supreme Grand Council in 1873, but in 1875 withdrew its recognition and adopted resolutions for the establishment of a National Grand Body, and later gave its support and adherence to the General Grand Chapter when it was formed. During the entire existence of the Mississippi Grand Body, JOHN L. POWER was Grand Patron. This Grand Chapter for many years held public Grand Chapters of Sorrow. At these sessions obituaries were read, floral emblems presented, and music and songs rendered in commemoration of the departed members. On several occasions the Masonic Bodies attended in uniform. In 1895, shortly after the General Grand Chapter assumed jurisdiction of Mississippi, a new Chapter was organized, and since then six additional Chapters have been formed, and a new Grand Chapter will soon be instituted. After the National Body assumed jurisdiction of the State of Mississippi, it endeavored to revive the Order therein, and in May, 1886, it chartered a Chapter at Natchez, but its life was of short duration. After nine years of inaction, Winnie Davis Chapter was organized at Brookhaven, in April, 1895, with thirty charter members. Two years later two more Chapters were formed. In 1898 the fourth and fifth bodies were constituted. Another subordinate was authorized in 1900, and the seventh in 1901. Three of these Chapters are dormant, and the active Chapters now have a membership of almost two hundred. There is hope of an early revival of the Grand Chapter.
The pioneer Chapter of the Eastern Star in California was Golden Gate, of San Francisco, which was formed in May, 1869. For some time prior to this the degree had been conferred by communication. In 1873 there were ten Chapters regularly formed, and seven of these united in April of that year in the establishment of the Grand Chapter. Six of the original Chapters still exist. The Constitution adopted made the Grand Patron the executive head and presiding officer of the Grand Chapter. This is the sole Grand Body in which the Grand Patron is in exclusive control of the affairs of the Order. This anomalous condition was in 1886 attempted to be excused by a committee which, while admitting the mental equality of the Brothers and Sisters, asserted that the Brothers were better able to endure the labor of presiding over several days' deliberations. In 1899 an effort was made to rectify this perversion of authority, but it failed for want of a constitutional number of votes. In 1880 a Grand Chapter of Sorrow was held. The State was in 1882 divided into districts and a Deputy Grand Matron appointed for each. This system, modeled upon that of the Masonic Grand Lodge of the State, existed for sixteen years, when it was abolished and that of District Schools of Instruction established in its stead. Both systems worked well, but the later
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one is believed to be more comprehensive and successful. The session of the General Grand Chapter at San Francisco, in 1883, created a greater stimulus and enthusiasm than bad existed before, the number of subordinates and members being materially increased. The entertainment of the National Body was elaborate and pleasurable, and to the fund the Grand Chapter contributed $1,465. The General Grand Chapter in 1892 waived its jurisdiction over several Chapters in the State of Nevada in favor of the California Grand Chapter. This was done at the request of the Chapters and was consented to as it seemed unlikely that a Grand Chapter would ever be formed in Nevada, owing to its limited population and the improbability of an increase. An effort in 1901 to permanently transfer to California jurisdiction over the entire State of Nevada failed to receive the approval of the General Grand Chapter, which directed the organization of a Grand Body therein. A memorial service was held in San Francisco in 1888 in honor of ROB MORRIS. The Grand Chapter attended and included the programme in its printed proceedings. At the session of the Grand Chapter that year MORRIS was recognized as "the author and founder of the Order," while MACOY was acknowledged "the master builder, who systematized the work of the Order." The Grand Chapter, by resolution, deprecated the conferring of side - degrees by Chapters as not conducive to the wellbeing of the Fraternity and opposed to the regulations thereof. In line with this, the Grand Patron in April, 1898, issued a circular warning the members against recognizing the Order of the Amaranth. In his fulmination against this degree the Grand Patron ignorantly ascribed its authorship to MACOY, asserted that MACOY was not a member of the Order when he wrote the degree and had not been affiliated with the Eastern Star for several years before his death, and dogmatically alleged that the degree was used exclusively by colored Chapters. In all of these alleged challenges the Grand Patron was in error, a characteristic which marked everything which he said or did during his incumbency. MORRIS adapted the degree and MACOY revised it, as he did with so many other degrees culled by MORRIS from foreign sources. MACOY's revision was issued during the period of his greatest activity, and he continued in full fellowship to the date of his death. It may be added as a curious commentary upon this official denunciation that at the time of its issuance two Past Grand Matrons and the then Grand Matron of the State, together with many of the active workers of the Order, were members of the Amaranth. The Grand Chapter Committee, to which this pronunciamento was referred, rightly decided that it saw no harm in making membership in the Eastern Star a prerequisite to joining the Amaranth. The original ritual of this jurisdiction was adopted at the organization of the Grand Chapter. It was prepared by a committee appointed for the purpose. Two years later another committee was designated to revise the work, the desire of the Grand Body being the abbreviation of the initiatory ceremonies and the addition of the responses for the points as practiced in New York. After two years' labor this committee reported in 1877, and its recommendations were adopted, and the work known as the "California Revised Ritual" was published. The succeeding year this ritual was abandoned and that of the General Grand Chapter was adopted, and this has since been the prescribed ritual for California. When the project for establishing a Masonic Home at Decoto was inaugurated by the Masonic Grand Lodge, the Grand Chapter pledged $500 toward furnishing the building, while the Order, through the efforts of Chapters and members, added more than $6,000 to the building fund, besides active cooperation in a great Masonic festival at San Francisco, which netted about $40,000 for the Home. This Grand Chapter and its subordinates contributed $1,400 to relieve the distress occasioned by the Galveston flood in September, 1900. The membership of this Grand Body is now over 15,000, making it one of the largest jurisdictions.
The Grand Chapter of Vermont was formed in November, 1873. Representatives from five
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Chapters assembled at Brandon and perfected the organization of the Grand Body. There were six Chapters in the State at the time, one of which had been organized in July, 1869. A Constitution was adopted based upon that of New York. For many years this jurisdiction was troubled by the lack of a proper ritual. A committee appointed in 1875 to prepare a "uniform" work reported to the next session recommending the use of the New York ritual. This report was adopted and a supply of the rituals was directed to be procured, but in 1877 the new MACOY ritual used in New York was adopted. Two years later a committee on revision was appointed and directed to recommend a work calculated to promote the good of the Order. This committee reported in 1880, and the matter was postponed until the next convocation to gather the sentiment of the subordinate Chapters. An effort in 1881 to adopt the ritual of the General Grand Chapter met with no success. In 1888 the use of any ritual not formally adopted by the Grand Chapter was interdicted. A syllabus of the authorized work was issued to the Chapters in 1899 and later to the Patrons. Still another committee was appointed in 1892 which was authorized to arrange for the preparation and publication of an exclusive ritual for the use of the jurisdiction. This committee reported in 1893 in favor of adopting the General Grand Chapter ritual, but permitting Chapters desirous of so doing to continue the use of the MACOY ritual and in some instances to substitute for the historical portion of the ritual of the General Grand Chapter part of the ritual then in use. The recommendations of the committee were adopted and two years later all but five Chapters were using the ritual of the General Grand Body, and thereafter the latter work was gradually adopted and is now the exclusive work of the jurisdiction. In 1876 Sisters were freed from dependence upon the continued Masonic good standing of those through whom they acquired eligibility, and in 1879 it was decided to require a password from members visiting the convocations of the Grand Chapter. District conventions were made compulsory in 1895.
The Rite of Adoption was the first established in Indiana and was modeled upon that of Michigan. A Grand Lodge of this rite was established in January, 1869, at a meeting held at Elkhart. Five Lodges were represented. The work used was the "Tatem Ritual." This Grand Body held a second meeting in October, 1869, and the rite soon after died. In 1870 MACOY chartered a Chapter at State Line City and thereafter he granted charters for twenty-five other Chapters. The Grand Chapter was organized in May, 1874, ten Chapters being represented out of fifteen which still existed. The Grand Patron was selected as the chief executive. In the Grand Chapter the Brothers were permitted to vote while that privilege was denied them in the subordinate bodies. This rule was changed in 1877, at which time the Grand Matron was made the executive officer of the Grand Chapter. At the session that year Grand Officers were selected for the Star points. In 1879 the location of the Grand Chapter was permanently fixed at Indianapolis, but in 1899 it met at Fort Wayne when it celebrated its silver anniversary. In 1892 the Grand Chapter adopted a resolution declarative of its sentiment that a home for widows, orphans, and aged members of the Masonic Fraternity should be established.
The early Chapters of Connecticut were established by MACOY, the first being formed in April, 1869, at Bridgeport. Five years later the Grand Chapter was organized at New Haven, by which time twelve Chapters were in existence, and of which eleven were represented. The Grand Patron was given sole authority as head of the Order, but in 1876 this authority was rightfully bestowed upon the Grand Matron, and has so continued. MORRIS' birthday was in 1878 set apart as a day of recreation and social greetings, and has since been observed annually in some form, more recently by the giving of picnics. The Chapter of Sorrow, written by ADDDIE C. S. ENGLE, of Indianapolis, was adopted in 1889 for the use of subordinate Chapters as an appropriate ritual for commemorative services. In September, 1898, a monument to the first Grand Patron, CHAUNCEY
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M. HATCH, was unveiled, appropriate ceremonies being held under the direction of the Grand Matron. In 1897 a committee was detailed to confer with the General Grand Chapter relative to affiliating with the latter body. This Committee reported favorably in 1899, and in 1900 the Grand Chapter became a constituent of the National Grand Body. A committee on uniformity of work was appointed, which reported in February, 1875, in favor of the Rite of Adoption, with additions from the Mosaic Ritual. This was adopted, and was known as the "Connecticut Ritual or Addenda." Several of the Chapters rendered the work in dramatized form. The old MACOY custom of forcing Chapters to buy newly revised editions of the ritual led to comment thereon by the Grand Matron in 1876, and eventually forced the Grand Chapter into adopting the ritual issued by the General Grand Chapter, which was done in 1878, and the revised ritual of the General Grand Body was adopted as the Connecticut work in 1890. The Grand Chapter and its subordinates have been active in their efforts in behalf of the Wallingford Masonic Home, contributing money and furnishings quite liberally. In 1896 a visiting board of Sisters was appointed. This jurisdiction has for years transacted its annual business in one day, and has levied extremely small taxes, the per capita being five cents, with fifty cents for each member initiated. The Order is in the most prosperous condition in this State.
Nine of the twelve Chapters in Nebraska united to form the Grand Chapter in June, 1875. The meeting was held in the city of Lincoln, and the Grand Body was duly formed. The Constitution adopted made the Grand Patron the head of the Order, and granted membership to Past Patrons and Past Matrons, but without the privilege of the ballot. In 1888 the Grand Matron was invested with full authority as chief executive, and the Grand Patron was relegated to his true function of an adviser and counselor. For many years this jurisdiction made but little progress, and the Order was kept intact by the labors of a few willing hearts and hands. In 1892 the custom was established of having yearly Chapters of Sorrow. A Commandery of Knights Templar escorted a Chapter in 1894 at the funeral of a Sister. A public Christmas service was adopted in 1895, and in 1896 the plan of having district conventions was started. An attractive exhibition was made at the Trans Mississippi Exposition. In 1887 the Grand Chapter appointed a committee to confer with the Masonic Grand Lodge for the purpose of initiating plans for a Masonic Home, and in 1888 it adopted resolutions approving the project and pledging support to further the plan. Saloonkeepers are not eligible for the degrees in this State, but their female relatives may be received.
Illinois was one of the States which was favored with the early attention of MORRIS. He organized a "Family" in Chicago in October, 1866, and three years later it was converted into a "Chapter." MORRIS presided over the convention which met in Chicago in October, 1875, to organize the Grand Chapter. There were representatives present from twenty-two Chapters. At that time there were 181 Chapters in the State, many of them organized as MACOY Chapters. In this jurisdiction, as in so many others at organization, the Grand Patron was made the executive, but in 1877 the authority was shifted to the Grand Matron. The Illinois Grand Chapter participated in the organization of the General Grand Chapter, and recognized the National Body in 1877. A tempest in a teapot occurred over the action of the Acting Grand Secretary, who, in 1879, printed the proceedings, apparently without authority. The next session repudiated the publication, and appointed a committee to rewrite the proceedings from "memory," but in 1882 the printed proceedings of 1879 were formally adopted. The Grand Patron having appointed a Sister as Deputy Grand Patron, the Grand Chapter, in 1882, adopted a resolution declaring the appointment unconstitutional and all acts performed by her null and void. By invitation, MORRIS was present in 1883 and installed the officers. The next year he delivered an address before the Grand Chapter. In 1884 a committee
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was appointed to take action relative to the establishment of a Home for widows and orphans of Master Masons, with full power to solicit aid for the purpose. In the following year the Masonic Bodies inaugurated their plans for a Masonic Home. The Eastern Star sought recognition on the Board of Trustees. This was at first refused, but in 1886 it was granted. Contributions were made by the Chapters, and the Grand Chapter attended the dedication. In 1891 the Grand Chapter endeavored to have widows and orphans of the Eastern Star placed upon an equal footing with the widows and orphans of Masons respecting admission to the Home, but in this it failed. This led to the establishment of a separate institution wholly under control of the Eastern Star. The Order decided in 1895 to conduct a Masonic and Eastern Star Home, and thereupon purchased a tract containing twenty-eight acres, and upon which there was a large and roomy mansion. The Home was dedicated in July, 1897, and the Order has since conducted the institution in a most admirable manner. In 1900, the Illinois Grand Lodge of Freemasons presented $1,000 to the Home, which is free from debt, with a comfortable credit balance. The State was divided into districts in 1888, with a Deputy Grand Matron in charge of each; but this method of imparting the work was discontinued in 1893, when the Grand Matron and Grand Lecturer were directed to hold schools of instruction, and this plan has become both popular and successful. Memorial services in honor of MORRIS were held in Chicago in October, 1888, and were attended by the Grand Chapter. The degree of the Amaranth was exemplified before the Grand Chapter in 1893. At the same session it was ordered that all copies of the secret work should be surrendered to the Grand Chapter, and the work has since been imparted orally. Associate Matrons were in 1893 denied membership in the Grand Chapter. The twenty-fifth anniversary of the Grand Chapter was celebrated in October, 1899, in an appropriate manner, several able addresses and an historical sketch marking the occasion. In this jurisdiction it has been declared that the titles "Sister" and "Brother" should be used only in the precincts of the Chapter room. Electioneering for office by a candidate is an offense for which the punishment is forfeiture of office if elected, and ineligibility if not already elected.
At the organization of the Missouri Grand Chapter there were delegates present from forty=five Chapters. Ninety-nine Chapters were not represented. The convention was held in St. Louis in October, 1875. The Constitution provided for triennial meetings, commencing at seven o'clock in the evening. An evident desire to provide Grand Offices for all attendants upon the sessions led to the creation of a large number of Grand Deputies. In addition to a Deputy Grand Patron and a Deputy Grand Matron, there were provided a Deputy Associate Grand Matron, a Deputy Grand Conductress, a Deputy Associate Grand Conductress, five Grand Chaplains, five Assistant Grand Marshals, three Assistant Grand Adahs, three Assistant Grand Ruths, three Assistant Grand Esthers, three Assistant Grand Marthas, three Assistant Grand Electas, an Assistant Grand Warder, and thirty District Deputy Grand Patrons. There were in all seventy-seven Grand Officers, of whom seven only were elected. Besides this array of officials there was the usual representation from all subordinate bodies, including all Past Patrons and Past Matrons. In the interims of the Grand Chapter sessions the authority of the Grand Body was vested in a board of seven officers, which was required to meet annually. The many queer features of the Constitution led to an early revision of that curious instrument. A special session of the Grand Chapter was called in 1876, when the Constitution was entirely revised and brought into conformity with those of sister Grand Chapters. At this session representatives were selected to the convention which subsequently met, and formed the General Grand Chapter, and the Grand Chapter afterward declared its adhesion to the Federal Grand Body. The Grand Matron in 1880 arrested the charters of one hundred Chapters for failing to report. All but two of these bodies had the MACOY authority. In 1889 the law of this jurisdiction permitting
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the admission of ladies at the age of sixteen years was amended, and the minimum age fixed at eighteen years. The system of district schools of instruction was established in 1897, and has worked well. The members of the Order in this State have been extremely active in all matters of a charitable nature, and in 1878 took the initiative for the establishment of a Widows' and Orphans' Asylum. In 1888, when the Masonic Brotherhood inaugurated measures for the establishment of a Home, the Grand and Subordinate Chapters began making contributions, and the amount in eight years reached the sum of $2,000. An Eastern Star Chapel was built at the Home, and dedicated in 1897, the cost being over $3,500. It has a beautiful interior, with emblematic windows, and is a handsome as well as useful addition to the Home buildings. In 1900 the Grand Chapter agreed to give $3,000 toward the erection of the Old Peoples' Building, and to contribute annually fifteen cents per member toward the maintenance of the Masonic Home, provided members of the Eastern Star and their children were admitted upon an equality with those of the Masonic Fraternity, and two female members of the Grand Chapter were admitted to the Board of Directors. It was also decided to devote the Charity Fund to the establishment of an Old Ladies' Home. At this session of the Grand Chapter almost $1,500 was raised by voluntary donations in less than an hour. The Grand Chapter has made annual donations for Christmas presents for the aged inmates of the Home. A lady who cannot write her name is ineligible for membership, and electioneering, for office is prohibited. Chapters cannot parade with any other than Masonic Bodies.
The primary Chapter in Arkansas was established in 1870 and six years later in October the Grand Chapter was formed. The first annual meeting was held at Searcy, with six Chapters represented. The Grand Matron was given full authority in the management of the affairs of the Order. The Grand Chapter in 1879 created the office of Grand Orator and prescribed as his duty the preparation of an address on the principles and purposes of the Fraternity to be delivered before the Grand Body at the yearly convocation, which official duty it may be observed has been of infinite advantage to the jurisdiction and will in all probability be adopted eventually in all the States. The Grand Chapter in 1880 formally recognized the General Grand Chapter, submitted to its authority, adopted its ritual and prohibited the use of any other work or the conferring of the ritual except as directed by law. The Grand Chapter also sought recognition for the Order from the Masonic Grand Lodge. Eighteen districts were established in 1886 for instruction, each being in charge of a Deputy Grand Matron and a Deputy Grand Patron, but this method of imparting knowledge was abolished in 1891 when schools of instruction were substituted and the districts reduced to ten. The Grand Chapter attended the dedication of the Masonic Temple at Little Rock in 1892 by special invitation and since 1898 has used the hall of the Grand Lodge by tender of that body. In Arkansas the members vote by raising the right hand.
The effulgent rays of the Eastern Star first spread their glowing love and goodness in Kansas in December, 1875. A Deputy of MACOY organized eighty-two Chapters before October, 1876, when the Grand Chapter was formed. The following year delegates were elected to the General Grand Chapter and in 1878 they, under their authority, recognized that body and thereby discountenanced the MACOY system and practices. Control of affairs was placed in the hands of the Grand Patron, but this was changed in 1877 when authority was transferred to the Grand Matron. A Deputy Grand Patron and a Deputy Grand Matron were among the officers created by the Constitution, but in 1878 these positions were legislated out of existence. The Grand Matron, Grand Patron, and junior Past Grand Matron are the sole custodians of the ritualistic work. Originally this Grand Chapter held its meetings at the same time and place as the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, but this provision was amended in 1882 and since then the Eastern Star Grand Body has met at such times and places as
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it has selected. A resolution was adopted in 1880 expressive of the sense of the Grand Chapter that all Master Masons in the jurisdiction should unite in active membership with the Order of the Eastern Star. An organization known as the Eastern Star Association was formed in 1884 to celebrate the festal day of the Order and its success has been most pronounced. In 1891 the Grand Chapter voted an annual appropriation of $50 to a Chapter which was caring for an orphan, the money to be paid as long as the Chapter continued to have charge of the child. In 1893 the Grand Chapter met at Topeka by invitation of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar and many courtesies were extended to the visitors. Two years later the Grand Chapter attended a Knights Templar reception and ball at the invitation of a local Commandery. The Grand Commandery in 1898 also adopted a resolution extending greetings to the Grand Chapter, wishing it a pleasant and harmonious session and wise and judicious legislation. The Grand Chapter in 1885 inaugurated a plan for the establishment of a Home for widows and orphans and the aged and decrepit, which eventually found fruition in 1896 in a splendid institution, comprising a three - story structure of stone placed in the midst of a tract of fifteen acres. The initiation of more than four persons at one time is prohibited and the initiation of but one person is recommended unless it be husband and wife. The petitions of a Mason and his wife, if presented together, must be voted upon by the same ballot.
The institution of the Order of the Eastern Star in Massachusetts was accomplished in March, 1869, and this was followed by the formation of eight bodies prior to the organization of the Grand Chapter. After tentative efforts in that behalf, the Grand Chapter was established in December, 1876, five Chapters being represented. The Grand Patron, as was usual at that period, was made the chief executive. He was shorn of his power entirely in 1894, after gradual enlargement of the Grand Matron's powers, and the latter officer now wields the gavel of authority. The Constitution formerly gave the Grand Patron the designation of all appointive officers, including a Deputy Grand Patron. The membership of the Grand Chapter consisted originally of all incumbent and Past Matrons, Patrons and Associate Matrons, together with such other persons as the Grand Chapter might elect. In 1876 a committee on revision of the ritual was appointed, and in 1877 this committee recommended that action be deferred until the General Grand Chapter should finally decide on its work. This was done, and the ritual of the National Body was accepted and exemplified at a special meeting of the Grand Chapter in 1879. The Grand Chapter early acknowledged allegiance to the General Grand Chapter. It sent THOMAS M. LAMB as its representative, and he became a distinguished worker in that body, aiding it largely and beneficially in every department of its work, especially in the formulation of the esoteric and funeral ceremonies. In 1878 the Grand Chapter elected to membership fifteen persons who were not past officers. The State was divided into districts in 1892, and a Deputy Grand Matron placed in charge of each. All of the Chapters contributed freely for the purpose of maintaining the Eastern Star corner at the World's Fair, and another instance of the liberal tendencies of the members was illustrated in 1894, when a deficiency in the Grand Treasury was overcome by the individual donations of the representatives present at the session. Contributions to the extent of $1,664 were also made by the Chapters for the entertainment of the General Grand Chapter, which met at Boston in August, 1895. From this fund a banquet was provided, a theatre party given, souvenir badges and jewels presented, headquarters maintained and an information bureau conducted. With all the expenditures thus involved a small balance was left, and this was paid into the treasury of the Grand Chapter. The "Vocal Star" was rendered for the first time in the State at the session of 1896, and the Grand Patron recommended the exemplification of either the "Vocal Star" or the "Floral Addenda" at every session of the State Body.
The Order had a turbulent career in Minnesota for some time, but its early career was placid
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and prosperous. The primal body was organized in October, 1869, and this was followed by ten others up to the date of the formation of the Grand Chapter. The State Body was created in June 1878, at Minneapolis, five Chapters being represented. The Grand Matron was made the administrative head, and all Past Matrons and Past Patrons were constituted members of the Grand Body. Three districts, each in charge of a Deputy Grand Patron, were organized in 1882 for the purpose of imparting the work. The Grand Patron in 1883, in his address to the Grand Chapter, severely criticized the ritualistic work of Minneapolis Chapter, No. 9. The criticism reprobated an attempted dramatization of the work. The Committee on jurisprudence did not approve the Grand Patron's arraignment of the Chapter, and recommended that his comments be not entered on the Grand Chapter records. The committee declared that the dramatic form adopted by the Chapter was not only not an infraction of the prescribed ritual, but was an enlargement enhancing the beauty and attractiveness of the inductive ceremony. This report was adopted, but in 1884, while the report of a special committee disapproving of the Minneapolis Chapter work was being considered, the Grand Chapter was adjourned precipitately without the completion of the business of the session or the selection of officers. This necessitated a special meeting in May of the following year. The Grand Matron condemned the Minneapolis work, and four days after the organization, contrary to law, of another Chapter in Minneapolis, she suspended the charter of Minneapolis Chapter for its persistent rendition of the abhorrent histrionic ceremonial, and interdicted all intercourse with the offending fraternalists. This autocratic mandate also engulfed the Grand Secretary, as a member of the obnoxious subordinate, but she declined to surrender the Grand Chapter property in her possession when demanded. The Most Worthy Grand Patron of the General Grand Chapter was then drawn into the swirling and seething fraternal pool. In August, 1885, he uttered an official edict declaring that the Grand Chapter was no longer a legally qualified body, terminated its existence, and for the General Grand Chapter assumed jurisdiction over all lawful members and Chapters. Notwithstanding this momentous declaration, the Grand Chapter met in October, 1885, and arrested the charter of the suspended body, and approved the course of the Grand Matron and Grand Patron. In May, 1886, a second Grand Chapter was organized under the auspices of the General Grand Chapter, but the original Grand Chapter continued its labors with varying success. It maintained its existence, however and met regularly. All efforts to harmonize the warring, factions proved fruitless until 1894 when a union was perfected with the second Grand Chapter. At the time of the coalition the first Grand Chapter had eight subordinates and two hundred and eighty members, while the younger Grand Body had grown from six Chapters to sixty-four, with a membership of more than three thousand two hundred. The joinder of the contending Grand Chapters was effected in May, 1894, upon the basis of the preservation of the status of all officers and members of all subordinate Chapters and of the charters of all the Chapters. Thus the offending Minneapolis Chapter; which had caused all the turmoil, and which had gone over to the second Grand Chapter and had maintained its organization, again became a constituent body of the only Grand Chapter of the State but it, in common with all other Chapters, was obliged to conform to the work as promulgated by the General Grand Chapter. Hence, there was balm for both parties to the long and acrimonious contest. Peace spread her white wings and affectionate concord has since reigned. The Grand Matron of 1899 was, on her retirement from office, presented with an elaborately decorated robe de nuit, having on its center a white satin square decorated with the signet, the recipient's monogram, and the name of the Chapter presenting it, while the corners were embellished with silk flags. Twenty-one district schools of instruction were established in 1900, and the "Vocal Star" was worked during the session. The Grand Chapter has appointed a committee and levied a tax of ten cents per member
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for the purpose of aiding the Masonic Grand Lodge in the establishment and maintenance of a Masonic Home. The wearing of hats or bonnets during Chapter sessions is prohibited, as is also suspension or expulsion for nonpayment of dues. Newly initiated members are required to become familiar with the obligation, and a committee of three is maintained in every Chapter to impart instruction relative thereto. No appeal is permitted from the decision of the presiding officer of the Grand Chapter.
MACOY charters predominated in the early history of the Eastern Star in Iowa. Fifty-nine were sold by MACOY, the first in April, 1870. The first Chapter organized by the General Grand Chapter in this State was located at Iowa City and was established in May, 1877. A Grand Chapter was organized at Cedar Rapids in July, 1878, under the auspices of the National Body. There were seven Chapters represented. The Grand Patron was at first the executive officer, but the Grand Matron in 1881 was accorded this distinction. In 1879 regalia was adopted consisting for Sisters of a scarf with white ground and five colors worked on the edge, and for Brothers of a Masonic
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apron with a five - colored border and two stars at the points. Districts in charge of Deputy Grand Matrons were established in 1893. The secret work in cipher has been placed in the hands of the officers. The ENGLE memorial service is rendered at the yearly sessions. The Iowa Grand Lodge has extended to the Order the privilege of occupying Masonic halls for festal and ceremonial purposes. A Charity Fund was created by the Grand Chapter in 1893 and it now amounts to about $1,000. The sum of $832 was contributed in 1900 for the relief of the sufferers from the Galveston flood. A Sister under charges cannot defend for herself in this jurisdiction, but must be represented by a Brother member. It has been decided that affiliates may be elected by a two - thirds vote; that eligibility is not dependent upon perfect physical organization, and that the square and compass may be used on the Bible.
The first charter in Texas issued by the General Grand Chapter was on June 22, 1877, for a Chapter located at Dallas. About seven years before MACOY sold five charters for Chapters but they did not long survive. In May, 1884, when the Grand Chapter was organized, the National Body had authorized twelve subordinates. For several years the Fraternity struggled against adverse conditions and in 1888 the affairs of the Grand Chapter were in a chaotic state. In 1889 matters were even worse, and but two officers were present at the annual session, while the absence of the Grand Secretary was accentuated by the lack of report, statistics, and other data essentially necessary. The accounts were hopelessly muddled, and in many instances credit and debit entries were entirely omitted. Despite this discouraging state of affairs, the members resolutely faced conditions and immediately proceeded to enact measures to rehabilitate the business of the Order. Since that session the progress of the Eastern Star has been steady and prosperous. The ENGLE Chapter of Sorrow and the Floral Work were adopted for use in Subordinate Chapters while July 31st has been set apart as the MORRIS Memorial Day. The State has been districted for purposes of instruction, there now being ten districts in place of fifty-five as originally enacted. In this jurisdiction the Grand Patron held authoritative sway until 1895 when the prerogative of administration was placed in the Grand Matron's hands. No copies of the secret work are now in the possession of subordinate officers, the Grand Chapter requiring the members of the State Body to acquire proficiency through a Grand Chapter committee and to communicate the work in turn to the various officers. A circular was issued in 1897 warning all Chapters and Masonic Lodges against certain persons dubbed "pirates," who were going through the State imparting the work without right or permission. For several years the Grand and Subordinate Bodies contributed liberally for the aid of a Past Grand Patron By the great flood which overwhelmed Galveston in September, 1900, several members of the Order
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were lost and many others bereft of every possession. An appeal was made to the members of the Fraternity in Texas and elsewhere to which the responses were prompt and generous, and a sum aggregating $6,300 was secured in this manner. The Grand Chapter in 1891 started the proposition of erecting a Masonic Home and it has since continually favored the project contributing moneys liberally, part of which have been obtained by the sequestration of portion of the Grand Chapter income. In this State the Worthy Matron has the right to obligate candidates if necessary; none but Past Matrons and Past Patrons are eligible for Grand Chapter offices; suspension of a Brother by his Lodge does not deprive him of standing in the Chapter; and aid cannot be given by a Chapter to a Brother.
The first Chapter in the State of Washington was warranted by MACOY in 1869, and the first Chapter authorized by the General Grand Chapter was established in 1881. The Grand Chapter was formed in June, 1888, at Port Townsend, eight Chapters, all then organized participating. The Grand Patron, as usual, received full powers as head of the Order, but these were delegated to the Grand Matron in 1890. All Past Matrons and Past Patrons were made members of the Grand Chapter. The Constitution of the Iowa Grand Body was used as the basis of that formulated for this jurisdiction. The Grand Chapter in 1898 disapproved of the action of the Grand Matron, who had authorized a Chapter to confer the degrees at a town some distance from its regular meeting place, as violative of the law, and as an infringement of the territorial rights of another Chapter. The Grand Chapter also deprecated any chances in the ritual, and declared that the secret work ought not to be printed, except in cipher. The ritual in use is that of the General Grand Chapter, but notwithstanding this, the Grand Chapter in 1900 announced its independence of the National Body, also asserting formally that it had never granted consent to any one to represent it at the meetings thereof. The earnestness and enthusiasm of the members, and especially of the officers, may be fully understood when it is stated that a trip of four hundred miles was made by a Spokane Chapter in 1899 to exemplify the work before the Grand Chapter. By request of the Masonic Grand Lodge, the Grand Chapter in 1890 attended the ceremonies attendant upon the laying of the cornerstone of the Masonic Hall at Ellensburg. The right of the General Grand Chapter to enforce payment of dues from a Grand Chapter was denied in a decision rendered in 1895.
A charter for a Chapter to be located at the town of Vermillion, in South Dakota, was issued by MACOY in July, 1871, but, as was usual with his bodies, its life was short, and for many years thereafter the Order was unrepresented in this territory. In February, 1882, the General Grand Chapter warranted its first subordinate at Mitchell. The Grand Chapter was constituted at Watertown in July, 1889, by six of the Chapters. The duties of governing the Order were placed directly upon the Grand Matron. A somewhat recent amendment to the Constitution provides that the first six elective officers of any Grand Chapter under the General Grand Chapter shall, upon affiliation with any subordinate of the State, become permanent members of the Grand Chapter. The first Grand Matron elected very modestly declined the distinguished honor, - a quite unusual procedure. The widow of a Freemason of one of the South Dakota Lodges was in 1895 afforded liberal relief by the Grand and Subordinate Chapters upon the appeal of the Grand Matron. In 1896 the Floral Work was recommended for use by the Chapters, and in 1898 the "Vocal Star" was performed before the Grand Chapter. In this latter year the State was subdivided, and district conventions established for instruction of the subordinates. The Grand Chapter in 1898 voted $100 toward a fund to found a Masonic Home, and this has been supplemented yearly by the Chapters. The secret work of the jurisdiction is now communicated orally. Memorial services have been held at all of the recent yearly convocations. In June, 1899, the Grand Chapter attended the jubilee banquet, given by St. John's Lodge of Yorktown to the Masonic Grand Lodge on the occasion of the latter's silver anniversary.
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The odd guttural combination, O-ho-yo-hom-ma, signifying to belong to the Red Woman, was the characteristic name imposed upon the first Chapter formed in Indian Territory. This body was organized at Atoka, under the supervision of the General Grand Chapter, in February, 1879. In 1881 Antek Homma Chapter was started at McAlester. Thereafter six more Chapters were established up to July, 1889, when the Grand Chapter was created. The convention met at Atoka, with representatives present from six Chapters. The management of the affairs of the Order in the Territory was placed in the sole charge of the Grand Matron, and the General Grand Chapter was recognized. The Floral Work was rendered at the Grand Chapter session of 1891. Since 1893 each Grand Matron has, upon retirement from office, been presented with a Past Grand Matron's jewel. Districts were created in 1892 for the purpose of extending knowledge of the Order and its ritualism, and Deputy Grand Matrons were charged with this work. When the Oklahoma Territory was carved out of Indian Territory a controversy arose between the Grand Chapter and the General Grand Chapter as to which had authority over the new Territory. This question gave promise of a sharp conflict, but the General Grand Chapter, in 1892, graciously accorded the Grand Chapter jurisdiction over the disputed country and the prospective trouble was avoided. The concession of the General Grand Chapter placed the Grand Chapter in an unique position, from which disturbance was likely to ensue unless the Grand Chapter would concede jurisdiction to the Oklahoma Bodies as gracefully and fraternally as did the General Grand Chapter to the Indian Territory Grand Body. In each of the Territories there is a Masonic Grand Lodge, and in many matters the Grand Chapter was, by its own regulations, obliged to follow the law of the Masonic Grand Body. Hence as the Grand Chapter had authority over territory comprising two Grand Lodge jurisdictions, it was forced into the inconsistent position of enacting or enforcing laws which were valid in one part of its domain and invalid in another. A petition from eleven of the Oklahoma Chapters was submitted to the Grand Chapter in 1900 requesting permission to withdraw and organize a Grand Chapter in the new Territory, but the memorial was denied. The difficulty just suggested as to lack of uniformity in the application of its laws and a better fraternal spirit at length, at the Grand Chapter session held at Durant, in August, 1901, caused a reconsideration of the action of the previous year. The petition of the Oklahoma Chapters was granted, and the jurisdiction of the Indian Territory Grand Chapter was released. Upon official notification of the action of the Grand Chapter, the General Grand Chapter, at its session in 1901, directed the organization of a Grand Chapter in Oklahoma, and on February 14, 1902, at a convention held at the City of Guthrie, this was successfully accomplished. An Orphans' Fund has been established by the Indian Territory Grand Chapter and is gradually increasing. By regulation of the Grand Chapter every Past Grand Master of Indian Territory is a member of the Order. In 1896, among the candidates initiated by the Grand Chapter of Indian Territory were the Grand Master of Masons and the Grand Commander of the Knights Templar. The former was the last chief of the Wyandotte Indians. All intercourse with the Grand Chapter of New York was interdicted in 1896, and that body was declared clandestine. In 1900 the Grand Patron issued a special dispensation by "telephone." The Indian Territory Grand Chapter has engaged actively in aiding the Orphan Home projects of the Grand Lodges of Indian Territory and Oklahoma.
The Masonic Grand Lodge of Ohio, as early as 1868, placed itself squarely upon record as being opposed to the Eastern Star and other androgynous Fraternities. At its session that year it adopted a strong resolution, breathing the condemnatory spirit and pronouncing the degrees thus imparted as not Masonic nor entitling the recipients to any Masonic rights or privileges, and as being calculated to deceive and mislead women, and therefore improper. The resolution also forbade the
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use of Masonic halls, under any pretense whatever, for the purpose of conferring any of these degrees. This was the legitimate result of the traffic in this class of degrees by MORRIS, MACOY, and their followers and agents, and, while a narrow and prejudiced view of societies composed of both sexes was not altogether unjustified by the course of the men who, under the guise of unselfish advocacy of the Order of the Eastern Star and similar bisexuous institutions, had degraded them to the plane of commercial barter. Some years elapsed after the passage of this stringent and uncomplimentary resolution before any Chapter was organized under the auspices of the General Grand Chapter, although a MACOY Chapter, which was subsequently organized, had a brief career. The first Chapter of the National Body was formed at Columbus in November, 1883. Three years later, a second found lodgment at Cleveland. Thereafter others followed rapidly, and in July 1, 1889, a Grand Chapter was instituted at Cleveland, the meeting being held in the hall of the Knights of Pythias. The spirit of the Sisters of the Eastern Star rebelled against the injustice of the Grand Lodge resolution, and they early began a campaign of education, not only by addressing themselves to the subject verbally and by writing and printing, but also by those generous and loving acts which come spontaneously from the feminine heart, and which endear them to the sterner though kindly sex. The leaven of knowledge thus started began to work in the mass of ignorance and prejudice, and supplemented by constant loving help in every department of Masonic charity, and the growing conviction of woman's ability to manage herself and her affairs, gradually and surely produced the inevitable result. The Masonic Fraternity in general in the State was soon satisfied of the helpful ability of the Order of the Eastern Star in many directions in Craft work, but the conservatism of the Grand Lodge was not so easily overcome. Hence, in 1891, a committee was appointed to memorialize the Grand Lodge, requesting permission to hold Chapter meetings in the Masonic Lodge rooms. In 1892, this committee was made a permanent one, and an appropriation was voted to cover the expenses of the chairman of the committee. The Grand Lodge, at its session in 1892, receded slightly from its rigorous edict, and decided that with the consent of the Grand Master and the unanimous assent of the members of all Masonic Bodies occupying Masonic halls, the use of the latter might be awarded to Chapters of the Eastern Star for festival and ceremonial purposes. Guarded as was this concession, it was a substantial victory, in that it recognized the Order as an adjunct, at least, of the Masonic Fraternity, and it caused much rejoicing. Many of the Chapters were soon thereafter installed as occupants of Masonic halls. The constrictive conditions imposed were, however, soon observed to work to the detriment of the Fraternity, in that they placed in the power of the small - minded and biased few the exclusion of the Chapters from Masonic halls - when the large majority favored their reception. Indeed, one Grand Master was so ill - natured or prejudiced that he declared the Chapters had no legal right to meet in Lodge rooms, and obliged many of them to seek quarters elsewhere. At the following communication of the Grand Lodge, in 1897, the power of the Grand Master in this respect was abrogated, and the bigoted few were shorn of their right to object, and for the first time the Grand Lodge, in this its latest official utterance upon the matter, assumed a dignified, generous, consistent, and defendable position. The Grand Lodge thus finally decreed that Chapters might use Masonic halls merely by obtaining the consent of the bodies using the same. For this legislation the Order was duly grateful, and at length had genuine cause for sincere exultation. Thereafter the Order grew with celerity. The Grand Chapter in 1890 appointed a committee to secure means to provide a Home for indigent Masons and their children, and in 1897 it donated $100 to the Masonic Home at Springfield. The following year it contributed a like sum, and did likewise in 1899. Twenty-eight Chapters sent Christmas gifts to the Home in 1898, and in 1899 and 1900 and 1901 the various Chapters donated large sums of money at Christmas time for the benefit of the inmates. The Grand
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Chapter in 1898 approved of the use of the Sedgwick Monitor in conjunction with stereopticon views, and recalled the printed secret work, which was later issued in cipher. The Superintendent of the Masonic Home and his wife were honored by the receipt of the degrees at the hands of the Grand Chapter in 1899, and the following year the Grand Chapter adopted the infant child of the Grand Secretary. A new Code of Laws was framed in 1900, and adopted. In conformity therewith, it has been decided that a quorum is necessary to close a Chapter; that the ballot box should not be placed upon the Bible; that soliciting votes for an office is an offense and punishable; that the Worthy Matron, Worthy Patron, and Associate Matron cannot be elected to the same office for more than two consecutive years; that the Worthy Patron must be a Master Mason and a contributing member to both Lodge and Chapter; that a dispensation cannot be issued to ballot and initiate the same evening a petition is presented; and that upon the trial of a Sister the Brethren must retire at the request of a majority of the Sisters present, a similar regulation applying upon the trial of a Brother.
Four Chapters were organized in Oregon under MACOY charters, but all died. In February, 1880, the first Chapter was warranted by the General Grand Chapter. When the Grand Chapter was formed there were nine Chapters in the State. The Chapter at Roseburg issued a call for a convention to establish a Grand Lodge. This assembly was held at Roseburg in October, 1889, six Chapters participating, and the Grand Body was fairly launched on the fraternal sea with an able crew to guide the bark by the light of the Eastern Star through the rough waters to the haven of Loving Help. The Constitution of the Grand Chapter of California was adopted with some changes, but the provision of that code, placing executive authority in the hands of the Grand Patron, was not altered and remained the law of this jurisdiction until 1892, when the Grand Matron was rightly awarded her proper powers. Like the California Constitution, Past Matrons, Past Patrons and the Worthy Matron, Worthy Patron and Associate Matron, were constituted members of the Grand Body, with power to the Chapters to elect a representative when the first three officers were unable to attend. In 1892 the Grand Chapter supplicated the Masonic Grand Lodge to be permitted to aid in promoting its work. The Grand Lodge with true nobility accepted this proffer of help in its fraternal and charitable duties, and pledged its members to further the interests of the Eastern Star. In 1896 assurances of a like nature were extended. Until 1897 Oregon had the district system for instruction in the work, but it was then discontinued. Originally the minimum fee for ladies was $2.50 and for gentlemen $5, but later it was made uniform. The Grand Chapter has for many years, at its sessions, devoted part of its time to memorial services, when affectionate and touching tributes to the departed are uttered, every mourning Chapter recalling the virtues and goodness of those who have been enthroned in the Great Chapter on High. The ceremonial is very pretty, and the offerings of floral and verbal tributes to the beloved dead are both beautiful and inspiring. The Grand Chapter, as a body, attended by invitation a Lodge of Sorrow of the Masonic Grand Lodge in 1894. In 1895 all printed copies of the secret work were destroyed, and in 1896 the custom of veiling candidates during initiation was abandoned. The Grand Chapter took the initiative for the establishment of a Masonic Home, and with the assistance of the Masonic Grand Lodge, a goodly sum has been accumulated. Relief to the extent of $357 was contributed in 1899 to a number of members who had been left homeless and destitute by fire at Canyon City. The ENGLE memorial service was in 1900 adopted for use by the subordinate bodies. Each Grand Matron is presented with an appropriate jewel upon retiring from office. Participation in public celebrations or assemblies not Masonic is prohibited, as is also the giving of balls. The National Flag is required to be displayed at every convocation of the Grand Body. Relief from Chapter funds is restricted to females and children, and Chapters cannot be established at any place where a Masonic body does not regularly meet.
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The General Grand Chapter organized the Subordinate Bodies of Montana which subsequently set up their own Superior Body. The original Chapter, located at Helena, was granted its authority in December, 1880. Five Chapters - all that were then established there - united in September, 1890, in forming, the Grand Chapter. The meeting was held at Livingston and the Constitution was modeled upon that of Michigan. Although the Grand Matron was given direction of affairs she was not endowed with absolute authority until 1892 when she was empowered to issue dispensations and organize Chapters, The election of representatives for the Worthy Matron, Worthy Patron, and Associate Matron, in case of their inability to be present at the Grand Chapter sessions, was provided by a law adopted in 1897. In 1898 the Order inaugurated the proposition of establishing a Masonic Home which met with hearty support by the Masonic Grand Lodge, and in three years more than $1,000 was contributed for the purpose by the Chapters. This Grand Chapter in 1899 repudiated the claim of the General Grand Chapter, enunciated at its Washington meeting, that all printed matter between the covers of the ritual should be considered law and binding upon all Grand Chapters. The action of the Grand Chapter was considered by the General Grand Chapter at its session in 1901 and the Committee on jurisprudence reported recommending that the prior decision declaring all matter contained in the ritual binding upon Grand Chapters be rescinded as an infringement of the rights of the Grand Bodies and that only such portions as refer to landmarks and ritualistic work be made binding upon Grand Chapters, but that all matter contained in the ritual should continue to be binding upon Subordinate Chapters under the jurisdiction of the General Grand Chapter. This report was adopted.
The efforts of the Supreme Grand Chapter - the irresponsible and mercenary concern already mentioned - to dispense its fraudulent wares in Wisconsin were balked and blocked by the Grand Master of Masons who in 1874 issued a circular of warning to the Craftsmen and Lodges. The factotum of this meretricious manufactory of charters and degrees openly avowed the venal character of the industry and promised to abandon the business in this State and his promise was enforced by the issuance of the circular of the Grand Master. No effort was made to organize Chapters of the Eastern Star until July, 1890, when the pioneer subordinate was instituted at Sturgeon Bay. In seven months thereafter nine other Chapters were founded. This led naturally to the establishment of a Grand Chapter. A convention to create a State Body was held at Milwaukee in February, 1891, eight of the ten Chapters being represented. A Constitution was adopted and Grand Officers were elected. The officers were installed by the Most Worthy Grand Matron and Right Worthy Grand Secretary of the General Grand Chapter. The Constitution conferred full executive powers upon the Grand Matron and provided that all Past Matrons and Past Matrons should be members of the Grand Chapter, but this was changed in 1897 to exclude such officers thereafter. Nineteen Chapters were organized during the first year of the existence of the Grand Body. The Masonic Grand Lodge in 1890 extended its fraternal welcome to the Order of the Eastern Star and directed the Grand Master to issue without charge dispensations, when deemed expedient, to enable Chapters to hold their meetings in Masonic Lodge rooms; and this courtesy has since been uniformly and cheerfully accorded to the various subordinates. June 24th was in 1892 set apart as an Eastern Star day of recreation and enjoyment. District Chapters were established in 1894. The Floral Work was presented for the first time at the Grand Chapter session of 1895 and the "Vocal Star" was performed at the session of 1899. A handsome silk flag of the United States was presented to the Grand Chapter in 1898 by some of the Past Officers. Substantial aid was afforded the widow of a Master Mason in 1898 and at her death in 1899 the funeral expenses were paid by the Grand Chapter. Relief to the extent of $1,200, by contributions of the Chapters, was given to members in New Richmond which was destroyed by a
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tornado. In 1893 the Grand Chapter started a movement to procure a Masonic Widows' and Orphans' Home and the project is making good progress under the joint auspices of the Masonic Grand Lodge and the Grand Chapter of the Eastern Star and will soon be an accomplished fact. It has been decided in this jurisdiction that twenty candidates may be initiated at once; that inability to read or write does not disqualify for the degrees; that the cabalistic word should be taken on opening a Chapter; that the funds may be appropriated for any purpose; and that nonattendance for four successive meetings vacates an office.
The Grand Chapter of New Hampshire was organized in May, 1891, by a convention of delegates from six Chapters, which met at Lancaster. At that time there were but six subordinates in the State. The original Chapter was formed under the auspices of MACOY, and this was followed by three others under the same authority. Two of them are now extinct, and two accepted charters from the General Grand Chapter. The Constitution adopted at the creation of the Grand Body placed the authority of administration in the Grand Matron's hands, and constituted all Past Matrons and Past Patrons members of the Grand Chapter. In 1895 the Chapters were each allowed one representative in addition to the first three officers. The ritual has been performed at nearly every session since the formation of the Grand Body, and it has been uniformly exemplified in faultless manner. The Floral Work was exhibited to the Grand Body in 1899, and evoked much favorable comment. The Grand Matron is required, either personally or by deputy, to visit every Chapter each year, the Grand Chapter bearing the expense. It has been decided in this jurisdiction that a Chapter cannot have a public installation except by special dispensation of the Grand Matron.
In June, 1892, eleven years after the organization therein of the first Chapter of the General Grand Chapter, and fifteen years after the establishment there of several MACOY Chapters, the Grand Chapter of Colorado was formed. The MACOY Chapters, as usual, died after brief struggles for life. The primary Chapter of the National Body was located at Trinidad, and was chartered in 1881. When the Grand Chapter was founded, there were thirteen subordinates in the State. Ten of these united to create the State Body, which remained in session for three days before its work was completed. By the Constitution adopted the Grand Matron was made the administrative head, and all Past Matrons and Past Patrons were made life members. The Leadville Chapter donated $50 toward liquidating the expense of organizing the Grand Chapter. In this jurisdiction the secret work has been communicated orally since 1895, when the printed copies of the same were ordered surrendered and then destroyed. The word "session" has been officially pronounced the correct term to be used in designating meetings of the State and Subordinate Bodies. The Floral Work was performed for the edification of the Grand Chapter in 1893. The Grand Matron in 1900 recommended the appointment of a committee for the purpose of devising some plan, in conjunction with the Masonic Bodies, for the establishment of a Home to which members of the Order should be admitted equally with the widows and orphans of Craftsmen. This suggestion met with instant approval, and plans are now being formulated to effect the purpose outlined. The Grand Chapter has decided that a member of an extinct Chapter cannot visit a Chapter, and that the Worthy Patron must be an affiliated Master Mason.
Eleven weeks after the Colorado Grand Chapter was formed, the Chapters in Maine erected their own Grand Altar. The Order had then existed in the State under different authorities for twenty-two years. The first MACOY Charter was issued in May, 1870, and the first warrant from the General Grand Chapter was sealed and delivered in April, 1888. Thereafter, up to the date of, the convention which framed the Grand Chapter, ten more bodies were created. The State Body was established at a meeting held at Rockland in August, 1892, seven Chapters participating. As
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has been customary with the lately organized Grand Chapters, the Grand Matron was, without question, selected as the head of the Order. All Past Matrons and Past Patrons were constituted life members, but they, in 1896, lost their right to individual votes, and were given one vote collectively, as is the custom in most Masonic Grand Lodges. In addition to the first three officers of a Chapter there was formerly allowed additional representation based upon membership, but this law was found to work disadvantageously, and was, therefore, repealed. All Grand Matrons and Grand Patrons, on retirement from office, are presented with standard jewels costing $15 each. Every subordinate body is visited each year by the Grand Matron under a law making this an obligatory duty-a rule somewhat stringent, perhaps, but which, if imitated in other jurisdictions, would undoubtedly result in vast benefit to the Chapters. The State was divided into districts in 1896, and a Deputy Grand Matron assigned to each for the purpose of holding schools of instruction therein. These district meetings have been held constantly, and have been most beneficial, the members being brought into closer touch, ideas exchanged, new inspirations received, and increased interest manifested in the work. In this State it is the duty of the Worthy Matron to install her successor, though she may delegate the authority to another who is qualified. A Chapter, whose jurisdiction extends half way to the next subordinate, exercises authority over territory which is calculated by the usual traveled routes, and not by airline measurements. It would appear to have been the practice in Maine for the good ladies of the Chapters to take their children to Chapter meetings, for the Grand Chapter in 1900, after due deliberation, decided that the Eastern Star youth, irrespective of age, should be barred from the sessions.
North Dakota has from the beginning been a General Grand Chapter protιgι'. The National Body constituted the first Chapter in September, 1887, at Jamestown, and subsequently it warranted twelve others. In June, 1894, the Grand Chapter was formed under the personal guidance of the Right Worthy Grand Secretary as deputy of the Most Worthy Grand Matron, with the Most Worthy Grand Patron as counselor and friend, at a convention held at Valley City. All of the Chapters were represented. A Constitution was adopted and officers elected, and the Grand Matron was placed in charge of affairs. The day preceding the organization of the Grand Chapter an invitation was extended to the delegates of the several Chapters of the Order by the Masonic Grand Lodge, which was then in session at Valley City, to attend the installation of the Grand Lodge officers. This invitation was accepted, and the Right Worthy Grand Secretary was invited to a seat in the Grand East, being the first time a woman ever received such a distinguished honor at the hands of Masons, and for which distinction she thanked the Grand Lodge in an able and impressive address. A magnificent reception and banquet were had in the evening, to which the Eastern Star representatives were also invited. When the Eastern Star officers had, been elected, the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons extended an invitation to the former to unite with the latter in a joint installation. This invitation was accepted, and the two corps of Grand Chapter officials were thus inducted into office. It may be observed that this was the first double ceremony of the kind recorded up to that time. The Grand Chapter of the Eastern Star, before closing, adopted a resolution of thanks to the Grand Lodge, Grand Chapter, and Grand Commandery for the encouragement extended and courtesies bestowed by those Masonic Bodies at the beginning of its career. It nay be stated further that the fraternal patronage and support given the Eastern Star by the various branches of Masonry in North Dakota not only placed the Order upon a high plane and contributed materially to its advancement and success but also developed a social activity which, conjoined to the practice of the truest charity, has pointed unerringly the true mission of this young and potential handmaid of the Masonic Institution. The attitude of the North Dakota Masonic Orders is in refreshing contrast to the
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severely condemnatory spirit of the earlier years of the Order of the Eastern Star. That the Sisters of the North Dakota Bodies appreciate the favorable disposition of the Masons of their State has been made patent on many occasions. In 1896 the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons held its annual communication in a room adjoining that of the Grand Chapter of the Eastern Star and the latter body manifested its regard by presenting to that body a handsome floral piece, which action was suitably acknowledged. Schools of instruction, according to the district plan, were inaugurated by the Grand Matron in 1899. At the session of 1900 twenty-four of the participants in the organization of the Grand Chapter who were no longer members were granted the honor of life membership. At the same session the printed secret work was recalled and a cipher substitute distributed. The Grand Chapter also set apart the second Sunday in September to be observed as an annual memorial day when Chapters of Sorrow are held to commemorate the dead of the Order. The Floral Work has been rendered before the Grand Chapter which decided in 1898 that this work should be given only in the presence of members, which decision, though consonant with reason, is not in accord with the current of opinions heretofore expressed by Sister jurisdictions. Chapters in this State are not permitted to be named after living persons, which is undoubtedly a good rule. Four is the maximum number of candidates that can be obligated at the same time.
Pennsylvania was afflicted with three MACOY charters, the first as early as 1869, but all became extinct. In 1887 the General Grand Chapter chartered a Chapter at Pittston. Seven years later the Grand Chapter was formed. It met at Scranton in November and all of the five Chapters then existing were represented. The call for the organization of the Grand Body was promulgated by the Most Worthy Grand Patron and the Most Worthy Grand Matron attended and presided over the convention. After the usual preliminaries a Constitution was adopted and officers were elected and installed. The Grand Matron was designated as head of the Order with full administrative powers and all Past Matrons and Past Patrons were declared permanent members of the Grand Chapter. The Grand Matron in 1898 decided that any member in good standing could act as a proxy at the Grand Chapter sessions. This adjudication was overruled by the Grand Chapter, but the following year the Grand Body reversed itself and then amended the law making it obligatory that the proxy be a member of the Chapter represented. The Grand Chapter in 1899 decided that a candidate might unite with a Chapter located elsewhere than his home without procuring the consent of the Chapter established at the place of his residence.
The first Chapter constituted in Rhode Island was the subordinate at Providence. It was chartered in December, 1890, by the General Grand Chapter which also warranted four others up to August, 1895, when the Grand Chapter was formed. The call for the formation of the Grand Body emanated from the National Body. In compliance with this direction delegates from the five Chapters in the State assembled at Providence in August, 1895, and the meeting was convened with the Most Worthy Grand Matron in the chair. The usual Constitution was adopted and a full corps of officers was chosen. To the Grand Matron was assigned the responsibility of guiding the Order, and Past Matrons and Past Patrons were accorded seats in the Grand Body. A majority of Chapters or a majority of the members of the Grand Chapter was the alternative prescription fixed for a quorum, a rather unusual enactment, but one which has worked well in this jurisdiction. At the organization of this Grand Chapter it was accorded the unusual honor of having among the witnesses of its creation several distinguished members of the Order who were en route to the General Grand Chapter which met at Boston a week later. The Grand Body has adopted the custom of presenting to all its Past Grand Matrons jewels indicative of their rank and honors. It has been decided in this jurisdiction that a Chapter may have a duplicate charter, depositing the original in some place secure from fire.
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The seal of the Grand Chapter is an appropriate combination of the arms of Ancient Craft Masonry, the Arms of the State and distinctive features of the ritual of the Eastern Star.
Six Chapters had been established in the District of Columbia when the Grand Chapter was formed, the first in July, 1892. These Chapters were all represented and participated in the organization of the Grand Chapter, which was completely constituted in April, 1896. Semiannual sessions of the Grand Body are provided by the Constitution, the annual meeting, so-called, being held in January and the second meeting in June. Occasionally special sessions are held at other times. All the Grand Officers are elected in this jurisdiction. The Grand Matron is the Order's sole executive. In 1897 the New York Grand Chapter and all of its members were declared clandestine and all intercourse was interdicted for refusal to declare allegiance to the General Grand Body, but this decree was partially suspended in 1898, the purpose being to extend proper reception and treatment to representatives of the New York Body who attended the session of the General Grand Chapter held at Washington, D. C., in September, 1898, to confer with the National Body respecting submission to its authority. In June, 1899, the declaration against the New York Grand Chapter was withdrawn. The Matrons of the several Chapters in 1896 established an organization for helping the destitute, and material aid was thereby extended and much benefit conferred upon the deserving poor. In the following year, $1,436 was raised by a committee designated to aid a Masonic Fair. An association for the relief of soldiers and sailors engaged in the American-Spanish War was formed and contributions of ten cents a month were made by the members and disbursed for the alleviation of the sufferings of the Nation's warriors. The General Grand Chapter was handsomely entertained by this Grand Body in 1898. At the annual session of the Grand Chapter in 1898 yearly visitations and inspections of the work and records by Grand Officers were provided to be made, and at the same session the esoteric work was abolished in the printed form and thenceforth required to be communicated by word of mouth. The project of establishing an Eastern Star and Masonic Home was set in motion in 1899, when a committee was selected to ascertain the feasibility of the plan. At the following session the committee submitted a report which favored the proposition and requested the cooperation of Masonic Bodies, and thereupon an annual tax of twenty-five cents a member was levied to provide funds for the Home. The Grand Patron, in 1900, reported the addition to the membership of a large number of Masons of high standing and a constantly increasing popularity of the Order among the Masonic Brethren. This jurisdiction forbids the rehearsal of the ritualistic forms at any other than the regular meeting place. The Worthy Patron is required to kneel at the altar with candidates while the Lord's Prayer is recited or chanted, and all new members must be instructed thoroughly in the obligation.
The Grand Chapter of Wyoming was organized in September, 1898. The meeting for the purpose was held at Casper upon the direction of the Most Worthy Grand Patron. Six Chapters were represented at the convention. Two Chapters did not participate in the meeting, but later submitted to the authority of the newly created Grand Body. A Constitution was framed and a full corps of officers was selected.
The Grand Officers were jointly installed with the Grand Officers of the Wyoming Masonic Grand Lodge at a public meeting, the ceremonials of induction being very impressive. The various Masonic Grand and Subordinate Bodies in Wyoming have ever exhibited a most kind and fraternal spirit toward the Eastern Star, which has in consequence prospered, and the Order of the Eastern Star has in turn in many ways beyond the possibility of computation or expression requited the friendly attitude of the great Brotherhood. The Grand Matron has exclusive control of administration, and all Past Matrons and Past Patrons at the date of the formation of the Grand Chapters were made life members thereof. The first Chapter organized in Wyoming was
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located at Laramie, under a charter from the New York Grand Chapter, dated in December, 1879, but the following year this warrant was surrendered and another was then procured from the National Body.
A short time before the New York Grand Chapter issued its charter in 1879 for the first Chapter in Wyoming, it granted authority to a Chapter at Baltimore, in Maryland. Each of these Chapters was designated as Alpha, No. 1, and each, by a singular coincidence, surrendered its original authority in the year following its formation, and sought the patent of the General Grand Chapter. The progress of the Fraternity in Maryland was rather slow, and it was not until more than eighteen years had elapsed after the issuance of the first charter that the Grand Chapter was formed therein. In the meantime, eight other Chapters had been formed, and of the nine subordinates, six participated in the organization of the State Body. In pursuance of the custom of the General Grand Chapter to establish a Grand Body as soon as the permanence of a State Chapter is assured, the former body directed the erection of the Grand Chapter of Maryland. In conformity with this legislative order, the Most Worthy Grand Patron issued a proclamation convening the subordinates for the purpose at Baltimore in December, 1898. When the representatives had assembled, and the proposition to organize a Grand Chapter was put to a vote, six Chapters favored the resolution, and one opposed it. Upon the announcement of the vote, the minority Chapter seceded. The following year but five Chapters were represented, and an equal number did not participate. Some of the Sisters from the unrepresented Chapters had been appointed to certain offices, but they declined the honors. At the semiannual meeting in June, 1899, two of the recalcitrant bodies were represented, having reconsidered their opposition, and having concluded that the benefit of a State Body was greater than any resulting disadvantages. The only dissenting Chapter was the same year declared clandestine, but in 1900 it yielded obedience to the Grand Chapter, and with every link in the golden chain united in fraternal union for one glorious purpose, the Order has steadily advanced toward the consummation of its beneficent purposes. Life membership was by the Constitution extended to all Past Matrons and Past Patrons, and the Grand Matron was charged with the superintendence of the Order. Two sessions of the Grand Chapter each year were decided upon, one in January, and the other in June. The Constitution also provided that a quorum should consist of a majority of the Chapters. This requirement was not strictly observed at the January session in 1899, when but five Chapters were represented, but the exigencies of the time were put forth in excuse of this disregard of the law. It was ruled in 1899 that a Past Matron or Past Patron who affiliates from another jurisdiction is entitled to voice and place in the Grand Chapter, which decision may be regarded as the ultimate of fraternal liberalism.
The Grand Chapter of Louisiana was organized in October, 1900, at a meeting called under the authority of the General Grand Chapter. The session was held in the city of Alexandria, representatives being present from eight of the ten Chapters then existing in the State. In June, 1901, the second annual session was convened eight months after organization - when a decided gain in membership was reported, and four new Chapters had been established. In this short period the Grand Chapter accomplished four times as much work as the General Grand Chapter had done in four years. The first Chapter organized in Louisiana was Rob Morris, at New Orleans, which was chartered in April, 1884. It soon became dormant, but was rejuvenated in September, 1900. Twelve of the fourteen Chapters chartered in this State still exist, the aggregate membership being four hundred and fifty. Although the roster in this jurisdiction is small, the members are earnest and energetic, and there seems but little doubt that in a short time the roll will be materially augmented.
The Tennessee Grand Chapter was formally instituted in October, 1900. The convention
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assembled at the city of Nashville at the request of the General Grand Chapter, and adopted a Constitution, and elected and installed a full complement of officers. There were eleven Chapters in existence at the time of the organization of the Grand Chapter. The Order was introduced to the State as early as 1874, when a MACOY Chapter was founded at Nashville. Afterward two other MACOY Chapters were started. All of these Chapters became moribund. The General Grand Chapter granted its first Charter in Tennessee in 1880. Two other Chapters were subsequently warranted, but they, with the first, succumbed to fraternal inanition. For many years the Order was unrepresented in the State, but in March, 1893, the third series of Chapters was started, the immediate subordinate being located at Nashville. Thereafter, up to the organization of the State Body, eleven other Chapters were created, all under the authority of the National Body. One of these, Chattanooga, No. 2, surrendered its Charter in June, 1900, at which time the membership in the Chapter had dwindled to seven. The membership at the date of the establishment of the Grand Chapter approximated five hundred.
For almost seventeen years, one Chapter was the sole representative of the Eastern Star in the Territory of Arizona. This is Golden Rule, No. 1, of Prescott. Its charter was granted in February, 1882, by the General Grand Chapter. The second charter issued by the National Body was dated in November, 1898, and given to Arizona, No. 2, at Tucson. Subsequently, up to November, 1900, six additional authorities were granted, and of these eight Chapters, five united in forming the Grand Chapter. The convention for the same was held at Phoenix under a call of the General Grand Chapter, which issued its recognition in December, 1900. Officers were elected and installed, and a Constitution was adopted. The Masonic Grand Bodies extended an invitation to the members of the Grand Chapter to a banquet in their honor, which was accepted. With the aid and cooperation of the Masonic Brotherhood, the Order, at the commencement of its career in the Territory, starts under the most favorable auspices, and gives promise of great usefulness. The present membership is about five hundred.
A MACOY Chapter was organized at Covington, in Georgia, to which a charter was issued in December, 1875. Like many other Chapters organized under the MACOY authority, it did not survive long. Sixteen years later, the General Grand Chapter entered this field and organized Lithonia Chapter, No. 1, at Lithonia. Other Chapters were formed at intervals until fifteen had been organized. Six of these became dormant, and one surrendered its charter, but the others are actively engaged in promoting the advancement of the Order. The Grand Chapter was organized in February, 1901, at Brunswick by eight Chapters, under a call issued by the Most Worthy Grand Patron. The occasion was graced and made distinctive by the presence of the Most Worthy Grand Matron, who made a tour of the South, visiting the various subordinates, and encouraging them by her presence, words, and enthusiasm. The proclamation recognizing the new Grand Chapter was issued in April, 1901. There are now about four hundred members in the jurisdiction.
Alabama was one of the States in which MORRIS established a "Constellation." When MACOY succeeded to the dignity and assumed prerogatives of MORRIS he endorsed this body, which was located at Stevenson. This recognition did not, however, add to its strength or longevity, and it at last ceased to exist. The State was not, it would seem, an available field for the propagation of the Order, as no effort was made to organize a Chapter of the Order until March, 1891, when a subordinate was chartered by the General Grand Chapter at Burleson, under the name of Charity, No. 1. This Chapter is now dormant. A total of fifteen Chapters had been warranted by the National Body prior to the organization of the Grand Chapter, of which eleven are active. The State Body was established under the auspices of the General Grand Chapter in March, 1901, the Most Worthy
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Grand Matron officiating as the deputy of the Most Worthy Grand Patron. The convention assembled at Birmingham and adopted a Constitution and selected the usual corps of officers, who were duly installed. Nine of the Chapters were represented. Seven of these bodies had been organized within two years of the formation of the Grand Chapter. The delegates were all enthusiastic and promised a great advance in the work. Recognition by the General Grand Chapter was formally issued to the Grand Chapter in April, 1901. The membership roll contains about five hundred and fifty names.
The Order was extended to New Mexico in November, 1888, when Queen Esther Chapter was formed at Raton, under the authority of the National Body. Three years later the second subordinate was organized, and thence Chapters were founded from time to time until the number has increased to seven. None of the Chapters established in this Territory has become dormant. The bodies have all been active, the largest being Ransford, at Las Vegas, with a membership approximating one hundred. The total enrollment is about three hundred and fifty. In 1898 the Most Worthy Grand Patron on assuming office, endeavored to induce the members to create a Grand Chapter, and his urging resulted, in 1901, in a petition to the General Grand Chapter for the erection of a Grand Body in the Territory, but request was so long delayed that it was not received until just prior to the session at Detroit, when it was too late to take active measures to that end, The National Body approved the project, and a State jurisdiction has since been established. The Most Worthy Grand Patron, upon the direction of the General Grand Chapter, issued a call for a meeting of the State Bodies to create a Grand Chapter. The meeting for this purpose was held at Albuquerque on April 11, 1902, a majority of the Chapters being represented. Officers were elected and installed and a Constitution was adopted, whereupon the Grand Chapter was formally dedicated. Recognition of this Grand Body, as a constituent of the General Grand Chapter, was formally accorded on May 1, 1902.
The first Chapter organized in Idaho was known as Mt. Idaho and was located at Mt. Idaho in May, 1880, but it had no vitality and soon died. The second Chapter, named Hugh Duncan, No. 2, was located at Salmon City in March, 1886. Altogether nineteen Chapters have been warranted in this State by the General Grand Chapter. All but three of these have survived and are active bodies having an aggregate membership of 850. In 1898 a request was received by the Most Worthy Grand Patron for the organization of a Grand Chapter and a call for a convention was issued but the attempt to institute a Grand Body was not successful. A second petition was placed in the hands of the Most Worthy Grand Patron in 1901, shortly before the triennial meeting of the General Grand Chapter. Owing to the lateness of the reception of this request, the formation of a State Body was referred to the session and the establishment of a Grand Chapter in this jurisdiction was approved. The Most Worthy Grand Patron was directed to take the necessary steps to form the Grand Body at as early a date as possible. A call was accordingly issued and a constitutional number of Chapters met at Weiser on April 18, 1902, and through their legal representatives formally founded the Grand Chapter. A Constitution was adopted and officers were elected and installed. The official recognition of the new State Body by the General Grand Chapter was made May 1, 1902.
A Grand Chapter will soon be ordained in South Carolina which has now six active Chapters with several more immediately in prospect. The first Chapter chartered in this State was at Charleston by MACOY in 1873, but it met the fate of so many of his bodies and soon became extinct. The original Chapter of the General Grand Chapter was Gate City at Florence which was chartered in March, 1893. It surrendered its authority in February, 1895. The third Chapter of the National Body, Lily of the Valley of Orangeburg, chartered in July, 1896, has become dormant. The present State membership is about two hundred and seventy-five.
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One of the largest States numerically still under the immediate jurisdiction of the General Grand Chapter is Kentucky, which has a membership of four hundred and fifty distributed among eleven active Chapters. In all twenty-six subordinates have been chartered in the State, thirteen of which with an enrollment of four hundred and fourteen have become dormant and two have died. The first Chapter organized by the National Body was Queen Esther at Louisville in March, 1882, It had been a MACOY Body but surrendered its warrant and accepted another from the General Grand Chapter. Its career was a continuous struggle and it finally ceased to exist. The first Chapter in Kentucky was organized by MACOY at Lancaster in August, 1870. There is now every prospect that within a very short time a Grand Chapter will be established in this State.
West Virginia set up its first Eastern Star Altar in April, 1892, when Miriam Chapter was organized at Wheeling under a charter from the General Grand Chapter. Five other Chapters have since been established. The aggregate membership is now about two hundred. The Order has been progressing admirably in this State and promises to become an active jurisdiction. The formation of a Grand Chapter is now being agitated by the various subordinates and there is little doubt that a State Body will shortly be erected. The several Masonic Bodies of the State have been kindly disposed toward the Order and have given encouragement and, when needed, material help to the subordinates.
The first constituent of the General Grand Chapter in Utah was Lynds Chapter at Salt Lake City, for which a charter was granted in June, 1892. The second Chapter was formed at Park City in April, 1894, the third at Provo City in May, 1897, and the fourth at Ogden in December, 1899, Lynds Chapter has the largest membership, with Queen Esther of Ogden a close second. The latter Chapter was organized with forty-one charter members and doubled its roll in its first year. All of the Chapters are extremely active, the roster of membership now reaching beyond three hundred. These Chapters are eagerly looking forward to the early creation of a Grand Chapter.
In Florida the pioneer Chapter was organized at Jacksonville, under a MACOY warrant, in January, 1873. This Chapter maintained an active existence for a number of years, and was then overtaken by the doleful destiny which pursued nearly every charter issued by that fraternal empiric. In March, 1875, the Grand Patron of Mississippi issued a circular letter withdrawing all further recognition of the MACOY Supreme Grand Chapter, and assumed jurisdiction for his Grand Chapter of all unoccupied territory equidistant to other State Grand Chapters. The Mississippi Grand Chapter also undertook the care of the Chapter at Jacksonville until such time as Florida should have a State Grand Chapter of its own. The year following this proclamation of suzerainty, the Mississippi Grand Body chartered a Chapter at Cedar Creek. In June, 1880, the General Grand Chapter established a subordinate at Tampa, and later it authorized another body at Palatka. All of these Chapters died afterward. In December, 1889, the National Body again attempted the introduction of the Order in Florida by chartering a Chapter at Green Cove Springs. The subordinate at Palatka was revived in October, 1893, and thrived for several years, when it became dormant. The Chapter at Green Cove Springs had by this time ceased to exist. For many years it had seemed as if some superior evil power was operating to bewitch every effort to spread the Order in Florida, and though the Chapters at Green Cove Springs and Palatka appeared to have succumbed apparently to this occult force, the Fraternity finally attained such foothold and impetus, shortly after the rejuvenation of the Palatka Body, as to be proof against all incantatory processes. Following the reorganization of the PALATKA Chapter, each year has witnessed the formation of one or more bodies. Eleven Chapters have been established under the existing succession, of which one is dead, three dormant and seven active. The present membership is about two hundred and fifty. It is expected
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that a Grand Chapter will be created in this State in a short time, and the Order will then be placed upon a basis which will insure growth and fraternal success.
Virginia was invaded by MACOY as early as January, 1872, when he issued a charter for a Chapter at Portsmouth, but it went the way of the many other gregarious fraternal bands of which he was the progenitor. The first authority issued by the General Grand Chapter was dated March 30, 1896, to Adah Chapter of Woodstock. On the same day a charter was issued to Alpha Chapter, No. 2, at Petersburg. Later in the same year two other warrants were granted to bodies at Shenandoah and Gloucester. In 1897 three additional subordinates were created, and in 1899 a Chapter was organized in Richmond. Two of these Chapters are dormant, and the others reported a membership of one hundred and ninety-nine in 1900.
The Eastern Star Sodality has never been able to make much progress in North Carolina, owing entirely to local conditions. With habitual complacent assurance MACOY forwarded one of his charters to Kingston in 1869, but the body was short - lived. The General Grand Chapter manifested its authority in April, 1882, when it granted formal consent for the formation of a Chapter at Boone. Like the MACOY Chapter, this fledgling of the National Body had no vitality, and expired of fraternal innutrition. In July, 1890, another effort was made by the General Grand Body to establish the Order in the State, when it issued authority for a branch at Center Grove. Although it had twenty-seven charter members, this Chapter was unable to gather strength, and soon became quiescent. The third attempt to extend the Order to this State was made in 1900, a Chapter under the name of Stonewall being instituted in March at Robersoliville, with a charter list of twenty-four. This subordinate gave promise of long and active life, but finally succumbed in April, 1901, when it surrendered its charter. The State is thus left without any representation in the Order.
The largest unorganized district is the State of Nevada. Friendship, No. 1, was the original Chapter constituted by the General Grand Chapter. It was located at Elko, and was chartered in November, 1879, but it did not long survive. Thereafter, Electa, at Austin, Esther, at Carson City, and Adak, at Reno, were warranted and still exist. The proximity of these Chapters to California, the remoteness of other jurisdictions, the scarcity of population, and the intimate social relations existing between the residents of these two Pacific Coast States, led to the transfer of jurisdiction over these Chapters from the National Body to the Grand Chapter of the Golden State. At the seventh triennial convocation of the General Grand Chapter at Columbus, 0., in September, 1892, a resolution was adopted at the instance of the California representatives, upon the request of the Nevada bodies, in view of the improbability of the further extension of the Order in the Silver State, conferring supervision of these subordinates upon the California Grand Chapter. In April, 1894, jurisdiction over these Chapters was formally released by the General Grand Body. Thereafter, under the careful guidance, nurture, and inspiration of the California Grand Chapter, these subordinates prospered beyond all anticipation, Adah having recently attained the largest membership, and having a roster approximating one hundred and fifty. This cheering growth led to the organization of four other Chapters, viz.: Martha, at Wadsworth, Silver State, at Winnemucca, Argenta, at Virginia City, and Iphigenia, at Eureka. The institution of these subordinates, all of which acknowledge obedience to the California Grand Body, provoked a protest from the Most Worthy Grand Patron, who insisted that the California Grand Chapter had, without authority, assumed jurisdiction over the State of Nevada. In his report to the General Grand Chapter, the Most Worthy Grand Patron recommended the early organization of a Grand Chapter in Nevada. To accentuate its contention of jurisdiction over the State, the General Grand Chapter in May, 1900, issued a charter for Sabra, No. 9, at Delamar, and it was organized the following month with thirty-nine members. The understanding of the California
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members was, of course, strongly antipodal. By agreement between the Most Worthy Grand Patron and the Grand Patron the question as to which of the governing bodies had jurisdiction was referred to the General Grand Body. At the session of the latter, in September, 1901, the California delegates voiced the sentiment of their Grand Body in no uncertain tones in a resolution, wherein it was sought to settle the dispute permanently by waiving jurisdiction over the entire State of Nevada in favor of the California State Chapter. This resolution also expressed the desire of the Nevada Chapters to remain under the protecting care of their neighbor and friend. The General Grand Chapter praised the Grand Chapter of California for its unselfish labors, involving inconvenience and financial loss, in nurturing the Nevada constituents, but concurred in the views of the Most Worthy Grand Patron, and recommended the formation of a Grand Chapter as soon as practicable. This action was received with disfavor by the Nevada Bodies. Special committees were appointed by the latter to investigate the matter and to consider and report upon a communication from the General Grand Chapter, directing that a petition for the establishment of a Grand Chapter be formulated and forwarded to the National Grand Body. These committees reported against summary removal from the protectorate of the California Grand Chapter upon various grounds, the principal objections being the necessarily heavy capitation tax that would result, the paucity of membership, inadequacy of benefits for the unusual burden assumed, and probable destruction of the Order in the State. All of the Chapters prefer to remain under the California jurisdiction, and it will be interesting to note the progress of the effort to impose a Grand Body upon the Nevadans.
The first of the recent Chapters formed beyond the limits of the United States, under the authority of the General Grand Chapter, was Hawaii, No. 1, at Hilo, in the Hawaiian Islands. The charter for the same was issued in March, 1899, and this Chapter, the first of the extraterritorial subordinates, was fully organized in June following with thirty-four charter members. One year later its roster contained fifty-two names. The second Chapter formed in these islands was chartered in February, 1901, under the name of Leahi, No. 2. It is located at Honolulu, the chief city, and was organized in March, 1901, with a charter roll of sixty-two. Both of these bodies give assurance of vigorous careers and much usefulness, and their helpfulness is made certain by the friendly attitude of the Masonic Bodies established in these new possessions of the great American Republic. The second venture of the General Grand Chapter beyond the domain of the States was to British Columbia. In May, 1899, the charter of Alpha, No. 1, was issued to applicants at Rossland.
Forty-two persons assisted in June, 1899, in organizing the Chapter. The field of this subordinate is an exceptionally good one, the addition of thirty-seven members in one year being recorded in 1900, with better prospects for the future.
The primary Chapter in India is appropriately named The Pioneer, No. 1. It is located at Benares. The charter for this body was granted in October, 1899, but it was not organized until March, 1900. There were eight charter members, four of them related and named MADDEN. It is yet too early to hazard any prophecy as to the permanence of this foreign constituent of the National Body, but there should be no insuperable obstacle to the advancement of the Order in that or any other place where the Masonic Institution is planted unless it be the deep - rooted and absorbing prejudices of foreign Masons to androgynous degrees. It is hoped, however, that the bias that found its basic strength in ignorance has long since been dissipated and that tolerant views have supplanted the illiberalism of former days. A second Chapter has recently been formed in Calcutta and gives promise of great growth and usefulness. A Shrine of the Order has also quite recently been erected at Auckland. The pertinacious activity of MACOY, which could not be confined or controlled in the United
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States, was manifested even in far - off Scotland, where he chartered a number of Chapters, by some said to be as many as ten, but whatever the number, only four have survived. Glasgow claims the first body. Afterward Edinburgh and two small cities were honored. These Chapters use the MACOY ritual. Chapters of the Eastern Star were also organized at various places in Scotland by JOHN CROMBIE, the ritual used by him being a composite of the Adoptive Rite and the MORRIS Manual. This ritual was so crude that no interest was created, and eventually all of the CROMBIE Bodies died. The General Grand Chapter, in May, 1901, granted charters to Chapters in Dundee and Aberdeen. ALONZO J. BURTON of New York, for many years an active worker in the Order, was deputized by the Most Worthy Grand Patron to found branches of the Eastern Star in Scotland, and he succeeded in organizing two subordinates. Each of these Chapters was named for the city of its location. Dundee had the honor of the first number, and commenced its career with twenty-four charter members. The Chapter at Aberdeen was formed with thirteen applicants. It is hoped that the MACOY Chapters will unite their fortunes with those under the General Grand Chapter, and the establishment of a Grand Body will then be speedily consummated. The penetration of the Eastern Star, under the General Grand Body, through the mists of opposition to successful operation in the Scottish country will do much to advance the interests of the Order generally. When its beneficial operation upon the progression of the staid Masonic Craft is appreciated it will be eagerly welcomed by the now prejudiced jurisdictions, and with the general diffusion of the Eastern Star throughout the world, with its resultant benefits to the entire Masonic Institution, will be realized the fulfillment of its magnificent destiny as a coworker in fields that uplift and benefit mankind.
A brief reference to the more important of the various rituals heretofore used, together with some of the elements which made them distinctive, and from which the present work was evolved, may, it is hoped, prove not uninteresting. In the order of time, the "Thesauros" first commands attention. It is claimed to have been originally published in 1793, with various editions extending down to 1850, and purports to be a compendium of the laws and ritual of the Order of the Eastern Star as arranged by a committee of the Supreme Council thereof. The authenticity of this work is open to grave doubt, and there is every reason to believe that it was issued at a late period, after the Eastern Star had attained permanence, and for some ulterior and unwholesome purpose. The subordinates are by this publication variously denominated "Constellations" and "Councils." No officer was permitted to receive any remuneration for any services rendered, nor could any treasury or permanent fund be established in connection with the Order. Meetings were provided to be held quarterly, and the officers were called Principal, Vice - Principal, Treasurer, Secretary, and five Sisters of the Raysthe latter being blue, orange, white, green, and red. JEPHTHAH's Daughter, RUTH, ESTHER, MARTHA, and ELECTA were symbolized in the ritualistic work. The "Mosaic Book" was published at New York in 1855 under the authority of the Supreme Constellation of the American Adoptive Rite. A second edition of this work was printed in New York in 1857. The officers of the constellations symbolized various animals and flowers. These symbols, with the names of the officers to which they related, were as follows: Males - Heleon (lion); Pliilomath (coiled snake); Verger (raven); Herald (eagle); Warder (dove). These officials were also designated as "Pillars," and in the order of succession from First Pillar to Fifth Pillar, officiated as follows: President of Council, Lieutenant, Treasurer, Secretary, and Keeper of Portals. The first four each impersonated a Biblical character, viz.: JEPHTHAH, BOAZ, AHASUERUS, and ST.JOHN. Females Luna (violets); Flora (sunflower); Hebe (lilies); Thetis (pine branch); Areme (roses). These officers were termed "Correspondents," and ranked in the order named from First Correspondent to Fifth Correspondent, and represented ADAH, RUTH, ESTHER, MARTHA, and ELECTA. The Pillars had the sole authority to appoint the Correspondents, elect candidates,
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name their own successors, and appoint the times and places of meetings. Three Pillars were required to open a Constellation, and five of each sex were necessary to perform the ritual. At each meeting the names of all persons not entitled to attend were stricken from the roll by the joint action of the Pillars and Correspondents. After a stilted colloquy between Heleon and Warder relative to guarding the meeting place, the officers assumed their stations, whereupon members were admitted in pairs one of each sex. A labyrinth was passed in entering, the initiatory sign being given to the officers in passing, which salutation was returned with the responsive sign. When the members arrived before Heleon, they exhibited a tessera (a metallic star or other identifying instrument) which was examined, and on being found to be correct, they were permitted to be seated. After Scriptural readings, the signs and symbols were rehearsed. In contrast with the opening ceremonies, the concluding ceremonials were extremely brief, but included a prayer. In the initiatory work the candidate was first welcomed, then presented with a small Bible, and after being conducted to Heleon, and obligated by him, was taken through a "labyrinth," representing in its evolution a star, during which the five degrees were conferred. In this portion of the work one of the Correspondents represented the candidate. All of the degrees but that of MARTHA were modeled upon dramatic lines, and required much histrionic ability, as well as a considerable amount of stage paraphernalia. Lectures also accompanied the degrees, all being of great length, and delivered by Heleon. In the second edition of the Mosaic Book, words were substituted for the symbols, and the references to the laws and illustrations of the signs were omitted. The MORRIS' Manual was published in 1860, and was designed solely for communicating the degrees. The nature of Freemasonry and its advantages to women were explained, as were also the signs, signet, emblems, and colors (the latter in manuscript). The work also contained an obligation of secrecy. In the following year MORRIS published a Book of Instructions for use in conjunction with his Manual. In this supplement MORRIS provided a social grip and hailing sign, and originated a "membership board," which was a device with particolored rays, extended from a common center to a rim of double lines, in which were printed the several virtues, such as "affection," "charity," "truth," etc., the whole having the appearance of a gaily decorated wagon wheel, and in the interstices of the spoke - like radiations it was intended that the names of members, their character as wife, widow, etc., and the names of their sponsors should be recorded. The Patron and Patroness were made the exclusive judges of candidates and membership in the "Family," as MORRIS termed these bodies. The ritual was much like that contained in the Mosaic Book. It symbolized the virtues of ADAH, RUTH, ESTHER, MARTHA, and ELECTA by similar flowers and drew appropriate lessons from their lives. Each Sister was required to select one of the five flowers as her life emblem. MORRIS in 1865 published a revision of these works under the title "Rosary of the Eastern Star," in which he shortened the lectures, and the degrees were classified as "traditions," there being a tradition of the "Veil," the "Barley Field," the "Crown, Robe, and Scepter," the "Uplift Hands," and the "Martyr's Cross." A Christian application was also made of the story of each degree. In 1866 "The Ladies' Friend" was published by G. W. BROWN, of Michigan, which was a substantial reprint of MORRIS' work, the secret work being indicated by initial letters. JOHN H. TATEM of Adrian, Michigan, in 1867 compiled and published a monitor. This was a composite drawn from the Mosaic Book and MORRIS' Manual to which were added new opening, closing and installation forms. The method of communicating the cabalistic word and motto as now practiced was first given vogue in this monitor, which also first published the instruction that when a Mason saw one of the signs given he should immediately write his name and the appropriate pass on a card and hand it to the person making the sign. This book also used initial letters for the secret work. The Matron in TATEM'S Monitor was called Worthy President; the Patron, Vice President; ADAH,
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First Patron; RUTH, Second Patron, etc. MACOY'S Manual was issued in 1866 and was intended for use principally in imparting the degrees by communication. The only pledge was one of secrecy. It contained a grip, and also illustrated the symbols, lectures and general system of Adoptive Masonry. In 1868 MACOY issued his second manual under the title "Adoptive Rite," in which he styled himself "Grand Secretary of the Supreme Grand Chapter." This monitor provided the first form of Chapter organization; prescribed jewels for the officers and a floor Star and also exempted the Brothers from the necessity of initiation, their pledge of honor being deemed sufficient. The "covenant of adoption" required secrecy, obedience to law, advice, sympathy and aid and avoidance of unjust and unkind acts. The lectures at the Star points were similar to those of the former works. MACOY also included in the book an installation ceremony, a ritual for a Chapter of Sorrow and a funeral service. These were rendered principally by the Patron. In 1874 MACOY published his "Adoptive Rite Revised," in which he provided for a formal entry of the officers in procession, responses from the Star officers in opening the Chapter, an increase of the officers to fourteen and the addition to the Matron's part of the explanation of the emblems of the Star. These changes he procured from the California Ritual. The next work published by MACOY was entitled "Ritual of the Order of the Eastern Star." It was issued in 1876 and purported to be a book of instruction for the organization, government, and ceremonies of Chapters "in every department." This ritual made a number of changes based upon the California Ritual. The chief amendments were the introduction of the golden chain, the initiation of gentlemen (which ceremony had before been deprecated by MACOY), and a lecture by the Patron explanatory of the signs, passes, etc. The latter he took from a pamphlet issued by a Grand Lecturer of New York. MACOY in this work also put upon the Conductress the duty of ascertaining at the opening of the Chapter if all ladies present were qualified, while the Patron assured himself that all gentlemen were entitled to remain. Formula for organizing Chapters, dedicating halls and burying the dead were also included. Two years after the publication of his "Ritual, etc.," MACOY issued a work entitled "Critical and Explanatory Notes," in which portions of the ritual of the General Grand Chapter, which had just been distributed, were printed and reviewed. The criticisms and explanations were merely reiterations of the pretensions of MACOY which he had exploited so often as to become wearisome. MACOY again asserted that MORRIS had originated the Order and its ritualism and had conveyed all his rights and authority to the former. In this critique MACOY "explained" that his opposition to the formation of the General Grand Chapter was based upon the dread "that the spirit of innovation would destroy all that to which so much labor had been devoted to build UP," and prophesied that the ritual of the National Body would produce confusion and discord in the Order. MACOY also imposed upon the fraternal public a work called the "Standard." It made pretense to being a correct exposition of the ritual of the Order. MACOY in this copied the general arrangement of the ritual of the General Grand Body, and subordinated the authority of the Worthy Patron to that of the Worthy Matron. He took from that ritual other regulations of the National Charter, but retained, however, his own initiatory and other ceremonials with some minor changes. He also embodied in this work the degrees of the Amaranth, Queen of the South and Matron's Administrative. At the time of the publication of the book these three degrees did not attract any attention. The Amaranth, however, was a few years afterward dragged from its dusty limbo and galvanized by a few seekers after ritualistic novelty and bombast. It has not attained much favor or progress, and but for the antagonistic attitude of a few overzealous and truculent members of the Eastern Star would soon have been reinterred without ceremony in its forgotten charnel. In 1873 the California Grand Chapter published a work containing its ceremonials, including the opening and closing of the Chapter, the conduct of business, installation forms and the ritual as authorized and practiced in that jurisdiction. The
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initiatory ceremonies were modeled after those of the Adoptive Rite. This ritual first prescribed the square and compass as the official emblem of the Patron, while collars in the five colors of the Order were provided for eight officers. The Star officers were required to adorn themselves with appropriately colored aprons and sashes. The altar was an elaborate affair, having five glass sides, in different colors, and ornamented with emblematic designs and illuminated by means of a candle or lamp inserted inside. Surrounding the altar were cushions in five colors, and an illuminated five-pointed star was displayed in the East, sometimes suspended immediately above the Worthy Matron's station. In some Chapters this star was so arranged that by pressure upon an electric button the device burst into flame, and the glowing fire upon the astral figure produced an effect strikingly dramatic and impressive. Fourteen officers were required to complete the official roster. The candidates were required to kneel at the altar and to repeat the obligation. The ritual was a close imitation of the Adoptive Rite, including the lectures, and the degrees were conferred upon candidates standing. The initiation of Master Masons was in conformity with a special form and comprised the obligation, signs, passes, grip and the cabalistic motto, without the lectures. Numerous minor and verbal changes and additions were made, and the work became generally known as the "California Ritual." Four years after its adoption the California inductive ceremony was revised, the chief change being the elimination of the special form for initiation of Master Masons. In 1878 the General Grand Chapter adopted a ritual for the use of its constituent bodies, and it met with instant favor throughout the country. This work introduced the "alarm" now practiced and the grand honors, and also provided for the giving of the signs and responses in the opening ceremony. Prayers at opening and closing were also prescribed. New lectures were drafted for RUTH, ESTHER and ELECTA, and that for MARTHA was elaborated. The address of the Worthy Patron was wholly rewritten, and the use of Scriptural quotations in the Star labyrinth was sanctioned. Appropriate jewels for the various officers were provided, and the Worthy Patron was made the second officer. This ritual was revised by the National Grand Body in 1890, and a Marshal and an Organist were added to the list of officers. The lecture of ELECTA was recast and shortened, while the Worthy Patron's part was rearranged and abbreviated. In 1901 the General Grand Chapter again made some minor changes, and for the first time divided the monitorial and the secret work, directing the publication of the latter in a separate volume. The "Michigan Ritual," printed in 1875 for use in the Michigan jurisdiction, was issued by the State Body and was practically the "TATEM Monitor," with some slight alterations and changes. The "New York Ritual" was a redaction of the MACOY publication. The opening prayer was changed and a closing prayer was provided, as MACOY'S ritual did not have the latter. The Star lectures were changed and shortened, an interrogatory relative to belief in the existence of a Supreme Being was inserted, and a rehearsal of the Patron's duties was added to the opening ceremony. This ritual was revised on many occasions, there having been no less than eight edition published from 1876 to 1900. The "CROMBIE Ritual" was a work by JOHN CROMBIE of Aberdeen, Scotland, published. in 1889, and was largely a compilation from the MORRIS Manual and the MACOY Adoptive Rite. It was a crude and dull effort and contributed largely to the decadence of the Eastern Star Bodies organized by CROMBIE in Scotland. In 1881 one THOMAS LOWE, of Michigan, published an alleged "Expose" of the degrees of the Eastern Star. The character of his revelations may be readily determined from the statement that his claimed disclosures were unlike anything contained in any of the several monitors or manuals then purchasable in any book store, the lectures contained in the latter being then followed somewhat closely by the subordinates, though the secret work had been changed. In his divulgation LOWE displayed a deep-seated animus against all secret societies, but his controlling motive in printing the volume was to make money for himself by a
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false and fraudulent pretense respecting the inner workings of Masonic and Eastern Star Bodies. The book, it is pleasing to relate, was not well received, and LOWE failed in his effort to get rich by venting his splenetic attack upon these Fraternities.
More or less related to the MACOY rituals just noted were the Queen of the South, the Cross and Crown, the Amaranth, and the Matron's Administrative. The last named was designed to be conferred upon the Matron at or before her installation. The degree was intended to be conferred in a Council composed of Past Matrons and Past Patrons, and attempted an exposition of the duties, powers, and responsibilities of the Worthy Matron as the administrative head of the Chapter. The Scriptural heroine DEBORAH was typified in the degree as an instance of what might be accomplished by a woman whose faith is strong. This work was but little used and fell into desuetude. The Queen of the South was of French origin, and was recast by MORRIS. As originally written and performed in France it was a glowing and strikingly melodramatic composition, somewhat turgid, yet interesting because of the novelty of the plot, if the term may be permitted in reference to a fraternal degree. The design of the work was the attempted demonstration of woman's equality with man, and her fitness for a part of the work assumed by the male associations or fraternities. The visit of the Queen of Sheba to King SOLOMON was used as the basis of the story, into which were injected many incongruous biblical references. This is probably the first fraternal decree in which woman's rights, as known at the present time were advocated. Notwithstanding its many fantastical features, the Gallic production contained much merit, and was practiced for many years in France. It died, as did so many other bisexuous Orders in that country, in consequence of the constant warring and contentions between the Masonic Rites to which it was attached. The degree was translated for MORRIS, but the rendition into English was evidently very poorly done, as the spirit, beauty, and even much of the sense were lost. MORRIS, with all his imagery and poetic ability, was unable to restore its pristine beauties, hence it came from his hands lacking in fancy, devoid of action, and bereft of vivacity and fire an imperfect and impotent shadow of the primordial creation. MACOY tried his hand at revising it, but he, too, was unable to make it attractive and though included in a number of his publications, it was seldom performed. The gorgeous caparison required for the proper rendition of the degree probably conduced to its nonuse, but in this day of straining after unique effects, it is not unlikely that it will be revived and perhaps become one of the most successful of the androgynous degrees. The degrees of the Cross and Crown, and the Amaranth, were probably drawn by MACOY from foreign sources, and augmented and revised as supplements of the Eastern Star; and these, with the Queen of the South, were intended by him to be a series of connected degrees, constituting with the Eastern Star a complete system, but his hopes were doomed to disappointment, as all of these degrees failed owing to their inanity. In the Cross and Crown, four crosses - ingratitude, poverty, sickness, and death endured in life, crystallized in death as the crown of immortality, and were contrasted with five graces - piety, friendship, resignation, truth, and constancy and all of these were symbolized in the life and death of Christ. In the Amaranth there was an imitation of the ancient ceremony of knighting, in which the candidate was touched upon the head and shoulders with a sword, and also crowned with a wreath, and was then obliged to carry a banner with appropriate symbols, while the beauties of friendship, truth, wisdom, charity, and faith, were explained by the Star officers. Both of these degrees were crude in the extreme, and unworthy of intelligent attention.
Among the more important ceremonials adopted by the various Grand Chapters are the "Floral Work" and the "Vocal Star." Both of these are of recent origin and have become popular with the members of the Eastern Star. The "Floral Work" was written by ALONZO J. BURTON of New York
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and requires the services of ten officers. In it flowers are used to typify the principles of the Order, and appropriate flowers are presented by the Star officers to the candidates. There is in addition a floral march in which letters and figures are formed. Some of the secret work is also communicated for which reason a number of Grand Chapters have ruled that none of the work should be performed in public, which custom formerly obtained. The work is also supplemented with much vocal music. This ritual when rendered in full is beautiful and enhances the attractiveness of the Chapter work. The "Vocal Star" is not as might be imagined from its name an effort to emphasize the teachings of the points by means of song, but a ceremonial in which the symbolisms of the Star are explained or "voiced" by means of emblems and flowers. Some of the work was drawn from several of the earlier rituals and the whole was compiled by Mrs. A. C. S. ENGLE of Indianapolis, Indiana. Besides the verbal recitals there is a march in which letters and figures are evolved in addition to vocal and instrumental music and a poetic valedictory. A number of other works intended chiefly as additions to the regular ritual have been written but they are of minor importance and are designed principally for local use. Several memorial and funeral services have been composed by members of the Order, all of more than usual worth and beauty and which have not only deserved but have received recognition from the National and most of the State Bodies.
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FIRST GRAND MASTER, GRAND LODGE, F. & A.M., OF OREGON.
CHAPTER XV
The Grand Lodge of Oregon.
By JOHN MILTON HODSON, P. G. M.
WERE it possible for us to perfectly portray with the pen the noble impulses, the high hopes and aspirations of the faithful Brethren who laid the foundation stone and erected the first Masonic Altar upon the Pacific Coast; to tell the complete story of the difficulties encountered and triumphs achieved, it would indeed be a most pleasing task, and present a picture of fraternal fidelity and Masonic enthusiasm on the part of those noble pioneers that would be most gratifying to the reader.
Unfortunately, many of the early records were not carefully kept., little thought being had of their great interest to the coming generations. Several of them have been lost or destroyed, and the traditions have been but partially preserved in the fading memories of the few who remain who took part in the first Masonic organizations of the great Northwest; but such facts as are available have been collected and in the following pages will be set forth in as concise form as the ability of the writer will permit.
From the nature of the conditions surrounding the early immigrants, their character and known statements preserved, there were among, them many who had knelt at our altars before attempting to penetrate the wilds of the unknown country. And from later combinations, in both social and business relations, we have every reason to believe that Masonry formed the basis of introduction, as well as the tie for the most friendly associations of later years.
The first recorded action which we have been able to discover looking to the legal organization of the ancient fraternity upon the Pacific Coast is outlined in a notice published in the initial number of the Oregon "Spectator," a ' facsimile copy of which is before us. The "Spectator" was published at Oregon City, by the Oregon Printing Association, and edited by W. G. T'VAULT, and in the advertising columns of February 5, 1846, we find the following:
MASONIC NOTICE.
The members of the Masonic Fraternity in Oregon Territory are respectfully
requested to meet at the City Hotel in Oregon City, on the 21st inst.,
to adopt some measures to obtain a charter for a Lodge.
[Signed] JOSEPH HULL,
February 5, 1846. PETER G. STEWART,
WM. P. DOUGHERTY.
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THE GRAND LODGE OF OREGON.
Seven Master Masons responded to this call, to wit: Brothers JOSEPH HULL, PETER G. STEWART, Wm. P. DOUGHERTY, FENDAL C. CASON, LEON A. SMITH, FREDERICK WAYMIER and LOT WHITCOMBE. These Brethren, after consultation, prepared and signed a petition addressed to the Grand Lodge of Missouri, praying for a charter authorizing them to establish a regular Masonic Lodge at Oregon City, Oregon Territory, to be named Multnomah Lodge. PETER G. STEWART suggested the name.
There were no mail routes at that time extending across the continent, and it required several months for the pioneers of Oregon to communicate with the nearest settlements in the Mississippi Valley. Bro. W. P. DOUGHERTY undertook to secure the sending of the petition to the Grand Lodge of Missouri. He placed it in the care of Bro. JOEL PALMER, afterward a member of Lafayette Lodge, No. 3, who was at the time one of the messengers of the Hudson Bay Company, between St. Louis and the Pacific Northwest, and he delivered it to Brother JAMES A. SPRATT, of Platte City, Missouri. Brother SPRATT was an old friend and the financial agent of Brother DOUGHERTY, and at his direction presented the petition to the Grand Lodge of Missouri, and paid from money in his hands belonging to Brother DOUGHERTY the expense of securing its issue.
The Grand Lodge of Missouri being in session, on the 17th day of October, 1846, received the petition and granted its prayer, saying in its proceedings: "A charter was granted to Multnomah Lodge, No. 84, to be located at Oregon City, Oregon Territory." The officers named in the charter were: JOSEPI - I HULL, W. M.; WM. P. DOUGHERTY, S. W.; and FENDAL C. CASON, J. W. The names of the officers of the Grand Lodge of Missouri signing the charter for Multnomah Lodge were JOHN RALLS, Grand Master; J. D. TAYLOR, Deputy G. M.; F. S. RUGGLES, Senior G. W.; I. F. L. JACOBY, junior G. W., attested by F. L. BILLOW, Grand Secretary, with seal of the Grand Lodge.
We have before us the following from Brother JOHN D. VINCIL, Grand Secretary, presumably written in reply to a letter written to him by our late Brother PETER PAQUET, concerning the granting of the charter:
COPY
Of record of Grand Lodge proceedings concerning Multnomah Lodge, No. 84, located at Oregon City: -
October 17, 1846. "The petition of Brothers JOSEPH HULL, Jr., W. P. DOUGHERTY, FENDAL C. CASON, and others, Master Masons, residing in Oregon City, Oregon, for a warrant or charter for a new Lodge, and recommended by Platte City Lodge, No. S6, was presented, read and referred to the Committee on Applications."
Report on above by the committee, same date:
Your committee have had before them the petition of Brethren residing in Oregon Territory, asking for a charter, properly recommended by Platte City Lodge, No. ~6. Your committee would recommend that the Most Worshipful Grand Master be requested to grant them a charter, in accordance with ancient regulations of the Fraternity. Respectfully submitted,
WM. HUMPHREYS,
Chairman of the Committee.
In the list of Lodges there is the following:
"Multnomah, No. 84, Oregon City."
The above is all that can be found in the Grand Lodge proceedings' concerning the aforesaid Lodge.
I do not wish to be held responsible for the way in which records were kept or business done forty years ago, by the "Fathers."
Very truly and fraternally,
JOHN D. VINCIL,
Saint - Louis, Mo., March 19, 1886. Grand Secretary.
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Owing to the great distance and the infrequent departure of emigrant trains for the Northwest) it was several months before an opportunity was found to transmit the charter to the Brethren for whose benefit it had been ordered. In the latter part of December, 1847, Brother P. B. CORNWALL was making up a party to come West, from St. Joseph, Missouri; and to his care Brother SPRATT intrusted the charter. Brother CORNWALL started from St. Joseph with a party of five persons, about the ist of April, 1848, but, on account of hostile demonstrations on the part of the Indians, they were detained near Omaha for
TRUNK IN WHICH THE KELLOGGS BROUGHT THE FIRST CHARTER ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1848.
several days, until the arrival of a large train of emigrants, mostly from Ohio, in which company he traveled until they reached Fort Hall, some time in August, 1818. Brother CORNWALL and several others having heard of the discovery of gold in California, decided to seek their fortunes in that country instead of coming on to Oregon, as originally intended; 'he therefore placed the charter in the keeping of Brothers ORRIN and JOSEPH KELLOGG (father and son), of whom he says: "I had tested them and found them to be Master Masons." Brother JOSEPH KELLOGG had with him a small cowhide trunk, which he had made in 1834, and for the greatest possible safety of the charter, he placed it in this trunk and carefully conveyed it to Oregon City, and delivered it to Brother JOSEPH HULL, one of the original petitioners, on the 11th day of September, 1848, two years, seven months and six days from the first publication of the Masonic notice calling the informal meeting, at which the first petition was formulated. The trunk - referred to, in which the KELLOGGS brought the charter from Fort Hall, was some years ago
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presented to Multnomah Lodge by Brother JOSEPH KELLOGG, and is by the Lodge carefully preserved as an interesting historical relic.
Brother BERRYMAN JENNINGS installed the officers, and it is presumed performed the cere monies of constituting the new Lodge, but the first records of the Lodge having been destroyed by fire some years after the opening of the Lodge it is impossible to present a complete list of those present, or an exact account of how the ceremonies were conducted. However, it is related that Brother JOSEPH HULL called the Masons together upon the same day in which he received the charter, and at noon began the work of organization. That the meeting was held in the upper story of a log store building belonging to Brother Wm. P. DOUGHERTY; that the altar was a rough packing box, the Master's pedestal a barrel of flour - , the Senior Warden's a barrel of whisky, and the junior Warden's a barrel of sal,t pork, supplies belonging to the United States Government or Hudson Bay Company, but to them representing the corn of nourishment, the wine of refreshment, and the oil of joy. Brother DOUGHERTY having been attracted bv the discoveries of gold in California, had departed for that El Dorado some time previous to the arrival of the charter, hence could not be present to be installed Senior Warden, for which office he was named by the Grand Master of Missouri.
Brother ORRIN KELLOGG was elected and installed in his place. The officers of the new Lodge as installed, so far as we are able to secure the list, were: JOSEPH HULL, W. M.; ORRIN KELLOGG, Senior Warden; FENDAL C. CASON, junior Warden; JOSEPH KELLOGG, Treasurer; JOEL PALMER, Secretary; LOT WHITCOMBE, S. D.; BERRYMAN JENNINGS, J. D., and J. H. BOSWORTH, Tyler; of this we are not positive except of the first six officers, owing to the unfortunate loss of the records by fire in 1857. It appears that several petitions for the degrees were already on file, and we find that there were three acted upon at this first meeting of the Lodge. CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR, Amos L. LOVEJOY and ALBERT E. WILSON were severally elected; TAYLOR and LOVEJOY were initiated, passed and raised, and WILSON received the Entered Apprentice and Fellow Craft before the closing of the Lodge, which did not occur until the morning hours of the 12th, and the Brethren were well worn by the duties of a session lasting over sixteen hours.
Brother TAYLOR was chosen to take the obligations first, and in that way was entitled to the honor of being the first home - made Mason of the Pacific Coast, though Brothers LOVEJOY and WILSON were close in line, and some writers have asserted that all three were made at the same time and received the lectures togethet. This last feature may be correct, but upon the personal authority of Brother TAYLOR we can vouch that he was the first man to take the Master Mason's obligation, on the occasion of the organization of Multnomah Lodge.
Several of the Brethren soon became interested in, mining in California, and for a year or two the Lodge did not do a large amount of work, as its most active promoters, including Brother HUI,L, the first Master, were absent in the mines or in commercial occupations depending upon the rapid development of their interests in California. Brother HULL, the Master of the Lodge, started to the mines within a day or two after the organization, and did not return until in February, 1849, when he remained in Oregon but a short time, and in none of his letters of subsequent years does he speak of doing any further Masonic work. It therefore appears to have become dormant until the Grand Secretary of Missouri requested the late Captain J. C. AINSWORTH to overhaul the records of Multnomah, No. 84, and report to him the condition of affairs. We have before us a, letter from Brother AINSWORTH to our late Brother PETER PAQUET, under date of March 21, 1886, in which he speaks of his connection with Multnomah, No. 84. He says: "In 1850 I overhauled the records of Multnomah, No. 84, at Oregon City, and made a report of the situation to the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Missouri. I revived the old Lodge, and after much, labor got it in working order, and was elected Master at the
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first election ever held under the charter) and was, therefore the first elected Master under (of) the oldest chartered Lodge on the Pacific Coast." At this same election Brother R. R. THOMPSON was elected Senior Warden and Brother FORBES BARCLAY junior Warden, but of the other offices, we have no means of ascertaining who filled them.
From the date of the revival of Multnomah Lodge by Brother AINSWORTH, and his installation as its Master, it has enjoyed a fair degree of prosperity, and has numbered among its members many of the most prominent and enthusiastic Masons of the State. Names of men, not only leaders in Masonic thought and action, but in civil, political and religious life as well, and barring unavoidable difficulties, which naturally impede the progress of all societies organized for the elevation of the standard of morality and the betterment of human conditions, Multnomah Lodge has enjoyed a career of usefulness and high achievements of which any Lodge may well be proud.
WILLAMETTE LODGE, No. 2.
The records of this Lodge are in the best condition of any of the pioneer Lodges, and contain the principal points of interest from its first organization up to the present time. Such care reflects great credit not only upon those who first organized the Lodge, but also upon their successors. The proud position held by Willamette Lodge in the Grand jurisdiction of Oregon has been faithfully earned and is the result of systematic and enthusiastic Masonic management. The first settlement in the City of Portland was made in the latter part of the year 1842, by A. L. LOVEJOY. He established a landing which for several years was known to the people of Oregon City, then the largest settlement on the Coast, as "Twelve Miles Below," but being joined in 1844 by F. W. PETTYGROVE, they laid out a town site and named it Portland. Mr. PETTYGROVE established the first store in the new town. It was located in a log house on the southwest corner of Front and Washington Streets. These enterprising pioneers were shortly joined by Captain JOHN H. COUCH, who made a large addition to the town plat, when they proceeded to push their enterprise with their characteristic energy, which soon demonstrated the superiority of their position and fixed the location for the metropolis of the Pacific Northwest, as it stands todav and must ever continue, the commercial, social and Masonic center of all that great and flourishing section.
Seven years subsequent to the building of the first house in Portland, three Master Masons, known to each other as such - BENJAMIN STARK, BERRYMAN JENNINGS and S. H. TRYON - desiring to more fully enjoy the privileges of the Fraternity, united in an invitation to all Master Masons residing in or near the settlement to meet on June 24, 1850 (ST. JOHN's Day), to take council regarding the propriety of attempting the organization of a Masonic Lodge. Fifteen Brethren responded to this call, and after legally satisfying each other that they were all Master Masons and entitled to participate, they proceeded to business. The meeting was held in the store of Brother J. B. V. BUTLER, at or near the present corner of First and Alder Streets. After mature discussion they unanimously resolved to petition the Grand Master of California for a dispensation to open and hold a regular Masonic Lodge in Portland.
BENJAMIN STARK drew up the petition. It was dated June 24, 1850, and signed - by JAMES P. LONG, THOS. J. HOBBS, ALBERT E. WILSON,WM. M. KING, BENJ. STARK, JACOB GOLDSMITH, NATHAN CROSBY, SAMUEL W. BELL, RALPH WILCOX, S. H. TRYON, DENNIS TRYON, JOSEPH B. V. BUTI,ER, ROBERT THOMPSON, J. W. WHAPLES and GEO. H. FLANDERS.
They agreed upon the following list of officers: J. P. LONG, W. M.; RALPH WILCOX, S. W.;
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THOMAS J. HOBBS, J. W.; WM. M. Kli\TG, Treasurer; BENJ. STARK, Secretary; J. W. WHAPLES, Senior Deacon; DENNIS TRYON, junior Deacon, and J. B. V. BUTLER, Tyler. All who attended this meeting have passed over to the silent majority, but their valuable work remains as a bright example of earnest Masonic enthusiasm.
Brothers BENJ. STARK and S. H. TRYON sailed by the next steamer for San Francisco, and, arriving upon the evening of the meeting of Davy Crockett Lodge, put their petition before that Lodge and secured its hearty recommendation to the favorable consideration of their Grand, Master, M\W\Brother JONATHAN D. STEVENSON, the first Grand Master of California, who, on the 5th of
IDEAL SKETCH OF W. P. DOUGHERTY'S LOG STORE BUILDING IN WHICH WAS ORGANIZED
THE FIRST MASONIC LODGE ON THE PACIFIC COAST, IN 1848.
July, 1850, granted the prayer of the petition and issued his dispensation authorizing the opening and holding of a regular Lodge of Masons in the Town of Portland, Oregon Territory; signed JONATHAN D. STEVENSON, Grand Master; sealed with his private seal, and attested by JOHN H. GIHON, Grand Secretary. All this was accomplished in eleven days from the signing of the petition and shows the character of the participants for energy and promptness.
Brother S. H. TRYON immediately returned to Portland with the dispensation, also the proxy of the Grand Master to organize the Lodge, and set it to work, which he accomplished on the evening of July 17, 1850, at a meeting of the petitioners, held in the upper story of Couch & Co.'s warehouse,
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situated on the bank of the river, between Burnside and Couch Streets, and to make sure that the job was thoroughly done, he "installed" the officers that had been chosen at the preliminary meeting. The fact that it was only a Lodge under dispensation, the creation of the Grand Master of California, and that it might never become a chartered Lodge, entitled to have elected and installed officers, perhaps never entered his mind, and is a further illustration of the serious determination of the participants not to let any good thing get away. The second meeting of the Lodge was held July 20, and three petitions were received, to wit: W. W. CHAPMAN, H. D. O'BRYANT and WM. S. CALDWELL.
The scale of fees first adopted by the Lodge would seem rather high to the modern seeker after Masonic light, to wit: Entered Apprentice degree, $35; Fellow Craft, $30; Master Mason, $35; affiliation, $10; seal of the Lodge, $2; dues per month, $2. We note at the meeting for organization, Brother LEWIS MAY was admitted and allowed to participate as a charter member of the work of the Lodge under dispensation, we may remark that it was prompt and energetic, cleaning up all it had in hand before the meeting of the Grand Lodge of California, which occurred on the fourth Tuesday in November, the regular time being the first Tuesday, the Grand Master kindly extending the dispensation. The reports had been made up and forwarded, showing eight candidates entered, passed and raised, to wit: H. D. O'BRYANT, W. S. CALDWELL, WM. W. CHAPMAN, F. H. McKINNEY, G. W. BARBER, FRANCIS DE WITT, JOHN H. COUCH and GEO. W. WREN. GEORGE GIBBS and MICHAEI, SIMMONS were initiated under the dispensation as extended.
At the meeting held October 21, 1850, the Master and Wardens were authorized to apply for a charter from the Grand Lodge of California, and Brothers JACOB GOLDSMITH, BENJ. STARK and S. H. TRYON were elected to represent the interests of Willamette Lodge, U. D., in the Grand Lodge, and also to render all possible assistance to the Brethren of Lafayette, who were petitioning for authority to open and hold a Lodge in that town.
Although the published history of Willamette Lodge would make it appear that J. W. WHAPLES was the first Senior Deacon, it appears that Brother LEWIS MAY figures as such in the report to the Grand Lodge; also that he was present at the meeting of the Grand Lodge in the City of Sacramento, November 27, 1850, and that he returned to Portland about the first of January, 1851. As the records show that a meeting was held January 4, 1851, at which time Brother MAY presented the new charter, and that one petitioner, NOAH NEWTON, was initiated, and upon the following evening a new set of officers were elected and installed. No mention is made of any ceremony of Constitution, or of a proxy from the Grand Master for that class of work, but it is presumed that these powers were conferred upon Brother J. P. LONG, and that he conducted the ceremonies in due form, as he is mentioned as acting Grand Master in the installation of officers and F. S. K. RUSSELL as Grand Marshal. The following were installed: JOHN ELLIOTT, W. M.; LEWIS MAY, S. W.; H. D. O'BRYANT, J. W.; D. H. LOWNSDALE, Treas.; W. S. CALDWELL, Sec.; W. H. FISHER, S. D.; JOHN H. COUCH, J. D.; and NICHOLAS DE LIN, Tyler.
Under dispensation the Lodge held thirty meetings, in which sixteen Brethren participated as charter members, three were affiliated, ten, were initiated, eight passed and eight raised, the fees and dues collected amounting to $678. The meetings were held in the upper story of Couch & Co.'s warehouse, with the most primitive furniture, rough boxes, barrels, etc., such as are usually found about such places being used for stools, pedestals and altars. It is related that the altar was a rough box, covered with a French flag obtained from a vessel lying at the wharf, the jewels were manufactured by a local tinner, and the Tyler's sword was a present from Captain COUCH that had seen a quarter of a century's service on the high seas. The Lodge has preserved the sword as an interesting relic of its
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early experiences. The place of meeting was changed a few weeks before the meeting of the Grand Lodge to a building which stood upon the corner now occupied by the Masonic Temple, Third and Alder Streets. In February following, a unique accident happened to the Lodge - no less than the complete destruction of its hall by a large fir tree, which stood near, falling on it, necessitating the finding of new quarters. From March, 1850, until 1872, the Lodge held nearly all its meetings in the building of Captain FLANDERS, on the east side of Front Street, between Ankeny and Burnside Streets. In June of the latter year it removed to the then new Masonic Temple, corner of Third and Alder, where it has remained to the present time. It was an important factor in the erection of that Temple, owning 100 shares of its capital stock.
The Lodge held eighty-six meetings while under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of California, the last being on September 8, 1851, at which time it made up its final report, squared its accounts in a satisfactory manner, and withdrew from the jurisdiction, carrying with it the fraternal regards of the Brethren of California, and having at date of withdrawal fifty members. This record shows conclusively that the time and circumstances attending the organization of this Lodge were of the most favorable and it has since enjoyed a career of unusual prosperity, numbering among its membership many of the most influential and valuable citizens of the State. General GEO. B. MCCLELLAN, while located at Vancouver, December 9, 1853, received the degrees by special dispensation from the Grand Master, at the hands of Willamette Lodge. Two others, J. F. WINTER and H. C. HODGES, officers in the United States service, took the degrees during the same evening, and by authority of the same dispensation.
LAFAYETTE LODGE, No. 3.
The first mention of the organization of this Lodge which we have been able ' to discover is contained in the address of Most Worshipful Brother J. D. STEVENSON, the first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of California, delivered upon the occasion of its second annual communication, held in Sacramento City, May 6 to 9, 1851, in which without date he announces the issuing of a dispensation to the Brethren of Lafayette, Oregon, authorizing the forming of a new Lodge, and by the report of the Lodge made to this same session, we find that F. B. MARTIN was W. M., JOEL PALMER, S. W.; A. J. HEMBREE, J. W.; D. LOGAN, Sec.; W. D. MARTIN, Treas.; H. D. GARRETT, S. D.; W. J. MARTIN, J. D., and J. B. WALLING, Tyler. In addition Master Masons O. MOORE, S. MOORE, P. HIBBED, GEO. B. GOUDY, J. M. GILMORE, CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR, R. CLARK and W. BLANCHARD; C. RICHARDSON was returned as a F. C., and M. R. Crisp as an F. A.; sixteen members, eighteen in all reported, with the information that their work had amounted to four entered, three passed and two raised.
The report had been delayed and did not reach the Grand Secretary until after the close of the Grand Lodge, but the Grand Lodge, being advised of the work of the Lodge and its desire of obtaining a charter, probably by Brother CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR, who was at the time in business in Sacramento, it was, upon motion of Brother J. H. RALSTON, ordered by the Grand Lodge that upon arrival of the report and the approval of the work by the Grand Master and Grand Secretary, that charter be issued, and a foot note by the Grand Secretary states that all requirements having been complied with, the charter was issued as ordered on the gth day of May, 1851, and signed by JOHN A. TUTT, G. M.; B. D. HYAM, D. G. M.; E. F. W. ELLIS, S. G. W.; B. S. OLDS, J.G.W.; T. A. THOMAS, G, Treas., and L. STOWELL, G. Sec. The officers named in the charter were the same as reported. in the dispensation,
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and the Lodge was numbered 15 on the registry of California. of the exact date of the constituting of the new Lodge, or by whom the ceremonies were conducted, there is no record remaining, as the minute book of the Lodge for the first five years of its existence has been mislaid and cannot now be found. It is, however, related in the History of Masonry in California that at the semi - annual meeting of the Grand Lodge, held November 4, 1851, that Lafayette Lodge, No. 15, made full report and hon -
BUILDING, MAIN STREET, OREGON CITY, ORE., IN WHICH MULTNOMAH LODGE, No. 84,
(NOW No. 1) HELD ITS MEETINGS IN 1850.
orable settlement, and withdrew from the jurisdiction, reporting twenty Master Masons. of the early work of this Lodge we are almost entirely without reliable information, but we know that for many years it occupied a very important position in the Masonic work of this Grand jurisdiction. No less than four flourishing Lodges have grown up in the territory under her immediate jurisdiction. of the particular histories of the organizers of the Lodge, there are but few facts within our reach, as they have all passed to the realms of perfect light and left no written record of their lives. Enough to know' they were men of rugged character, high aspirations and in their life work left many examples worthy the emulation of their successors.
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GRAND LODGE, A. F. & A. M. OF OREGON.
The initiatory steps looking to the organization of the Grand Lodge were taken by a convention of Masons, held in the hall of Multnomah Lodge, No. 84, at Oregon City, August 16, 1851, of which Brother BERRYMAN JENNINGS was President,, and Brother BENJAMIN STARK was Secretary. After mature consideration of the purposes of the assembly, it was resolved to invite the Lodges to send regularly accredited representatives to a subsequent meeting, to be held at the same place upon the 13th of September following. Circulars containing a report of action and conclusions of the convention were sent to each of the three Lodges, and upon the day appointed, the following Brethren appeared: Brothers JOHN C. AINSWORTH, R. R. THOMPSON and FORBES BARCLAY, representing Multnomah, No. 84; Bros. JOHN ELLIOTT, LEWIS MAY and BENJ. STARK, representing Willamette, No. 11; and Brothers Wm. J. BERRY, H. D. GARRETT and G. B. GOUDY, representing Lafayette, No. 15.
Temporary organization was effected by choosing Brother JOHN ELLIOTT Chairman and Brother Wm. S. CALDWELL Secretary. A committee on credentials and order of business was appointed, consisting of Brothers JOHN C. AINSWORTH, JOHN ELLIOTT and W. J. BERRY, W. M.'s of their respective Lodges, who, after examining the charters and records of the Lodges, and considering the questions referred to them, the principal one of which was the constitutional authority of the officers and representatives present to organize a Grand Lodge unanimously reported substantially as follows: That they found full official representation from each of the three Lodges, to wit: Multnomah, No. 84, of the Grand jurisdiction of Missouri; Willamette, No. 11, of the Grand jurisdiction of California; and Lafayette, No. 15, of the Grand jurisdiction of California; that each was a regular Lodge, working under a legal charter, and that there being present a constitutional number of Lodges, they had the right, under ancient usages, to form for themselves a Grand Lodge, which findings were unanimously approved. It was further resolved to admit the Master Masons present to participate in the deliberations of the convention, and Brothers BERRYMAN JENNINGS and ROBERT THOMPSON were elected to full membership. A committee of five was appointed to prepare a Constitution for the Grand Lodge for the Territory of Oregon - JOHN ELLIOTT, BERRYMAN JENNINGS, BENJAMIN STARK, W. J. BERRY and JOHN C. AINSWORTH, after which the convention adjourned, to meet at 7:30 A. M., September 15, 1881.
The convention met promptly, pursuant to adjournment. Brother AMORY HOLBROOK appeared as proxy for J. C. AINSWORTH, and Bro. W. S. CALDWELL as proxy for LEWIS MAY, and after the reading and approval of the minutes of the former session of the convention, the committee reported a complete system of constitution and laws, which, after proper consideration, was approved. After which a Lodge of Master Masons was opened in due and ancient form, with the following, officers: JOHN ELLIOTT, W. M.; R. R. THOMPSON, S. W.; H. D.; GARRETT, J. W.; W. S. CALDWELL, Secretary; FORBES BARCLAY, Treasurer; A. HOLBROOK, S. D.; BENJ. STARK, J. D.; G. B. GOUDY, Steward, and HERMAN S. BUCK, Tyler. Whereupon an election of Grand Officers was ordered, and the following were duly elected and installed: -
BERRYMAN JENNINGS, M\W\Grand Master; JOHN ELLIOTT, R\W\D. Grand Master; W. J. BERRY, R\W\Senior Grand Warden; J. C. AINSWORTH, R\W\Junior Grand Warden; BENJ. STARK, R\W\Grand Secretary; ROBERT THOMPSON, R\W\Grand Treasurer. After which the proceedings thus far had were read and approved, and the Lodge was closed in due and ancient form, attested by Wm. S. CALDWELL, Secretary.
At 2 - o'clock P. M. of the same day, September 15, 1851, the above named Grand Officers,
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assisted by the following Grand Officers pro tem.: H. D. GARRETT, G. S. D.; A. HOLBROOK, G. J. D.; and PETER G. STEWART, Grand Tyler, with numerous visiting Brethren, opened in ample form the Grand Lodge, A. F. & A. Masons, of the Territory of Oregon, in its first annual communication. An order was adopted recognizing each of the charters for the Lodges present, and that they should be indorsed by the M\W\Grand Master, R\W\D. Grand Master and Grand Wardens, attested by the R\W\Grand Secretary, taking numbers in the order of their dates. Hence we have Multnomah, No. 1; Willamette, No. 2; and Lafayette, No. 3, of the Grand jurisdiction of Oregon.
The M\W\Grand Master appointed and installed the following associate Grand Officers: -
REV. DAVID LESLIE, Grand Chaplain; LEWIS MAY, Grand Marshal; Wm. S. CALDWELL, Grand Standard Bearer; H. S. BUCK, Grand Sword Bearer; R. R. THOMPSON, Grand Senior Deacon; H. D. GARRETT, Grand junior Deacon; G. H. HARRISON, Senior Steward; F. A. CLARK, junior Steward, and Wm. HOLMES, Grand Tyler.
The M\W\Grand Master then appointed the standing committees on Credentials, Grievance, Finance and Correspondence, after which he closed the Grand Lodge in ample form, the organization of the Grand Lodge of Oregon and its first annual grand communication having passed into history.
The second annual communication was held in Oregon City, June 14, 1852.
The address of Grand Master JENNINGS was devoted to general conditions, which he reported as entirely satisfactory. The Deputy Grand Master R\W\Brother JOHN ELLIOTT reported the granting of a dispensation to the Brethren of Salem for the organization of a new Lodge, which was chartered during the session as Salem Lodge, No. 4. The reports of the Lodges showed number of members as follows:
Multnomah, No. 1, sixty; Willamette, No. 2, forty-five; Lafayette, No. 3, forty-one; Salem, U. D., thirty-two, or 178 total; and the Grand Secretary's report of receipts showed $500.59, with a net balance, after paying the expenses of the organization of the Grand Lodge, and current expenses of the year, of $287.34. Bros. BENJ. STARK and R., R. THOMPSON, from the committee on correspondence, made a half - page report, which was the first Oregon report. M\W\Bro. BERRYMAN JENNINGS was re-elected Grand Master and Bro. BENJ. STARK re-elected Grand Secretary.
The third annual was held in Oregon City June 13, 1853. Lafayette, No. 3, was not represented. All the Grand Officers and the other three Lodges were present. The Grand Master reported having granted to sundry Brethren residing at "Olympia, Puget Sound," a dispensation for a new Lodge, which was chartered during the session as "Olympia Lodge, No. 5"; Bro. T. F. McELROY, W. M.; Bro. BENJ. F. YANTIS, S. W., and Bro. M. T. SIMMONS, J. W. A petition from Brethren residing in and near Hillsboro, Oregon, for a charter was granted - Bro. RALPH WILCOX, W. M.; Bro. W. S. CALDWELL, S. W., and Bro. C. G. MERRILL, J. W. M\W\Bro. JENNINGS declined re-election; whereupon Bro. JOHN ELLIOTT was elected M\W\Grand Master. Bro. BENJ. STARK was reelected Grand Secretary.
Brother STARK made a six - page report on correspondence, in which fourteen Grand jurisdictions are mentioned, mainly with reference to their having recognized Oregon Grand Lodge.
The fourth annual communication was held at Oregon City, on June 12, 1854. On account of the death of M. W. JOHN ELLIOTT, Grand Master, R. W. Bro. JOHN C. AINSWORTH, D. G. M., presided with a good attendance of Grand Officers and representatives of the six Lodges. The Deputy Grand Master reported the granting of three dispensations for the organization of new Lodges, which was approved by the Grand Lodge, and charters ordered as follows; "Temple, No. 7," of Astoria, Oregon;
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"Steilacoom, No. 8," of Washington, and '"Jennings, No. 9," of Dallas, Oregon.
An appropriation of $100 was made by the Grand Lodge as a beginning for the formation of the Educational Fund, and Bros. J. C. AINSWORTH, BERRYMAN JENNINGS and A. M. BELT were appointed a committee to solicit additions to that fund. This action was the result of the sentiment created by the address of Bro. JOHN C. AINSWORTH, as Acting Grand Master. Brother AINSWORTH was elected Grand Master and Bro. BENJ. STARK re-elected Grand Secretary.
THE WEST, MASONIC TEMPLE, PORTLAND.
The fifth annual was held in the City of Portland, June 11, 1855, with a fair attendance of officers and permanent members, all the Oregon Lodges present, but the ten Washington Lodges were absent, though all had reported and paid dues.
The address of Grand Master AINSWORTH and other official reports show the Craft to have been flourishing. The Committee on Educational Fund reported receipts from individual members of Lodges as follows: Multnomah, No. 1, $180; Willamette, No. 2, $35; Lafayette, No. 3, $30; Salem, No - 4, $62.50; Tuality, No. 6, $15; while Temple Lodge, No. 7, made a direct appropriation of $50 from its treasury instead of taking up subscriptions; which sums, added to the Grand Lodge appropriation and interest received, made up a total of $545.97, to which
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the Grand Lodge at this session added $200, thus forming a substantial basis from which has grown the princely fund now in the hands of the Grand Lodge. Brother AINSWORTH was re-elected M\W\Grand Master and Brother STARK was re-elected R\W\Grand Secretary.
The sixth annual was held in the City of Portland, June 9, 1856. Grand Master AINSWORTH reported the deaths of seven Brethren who fell in the war with the Indians: Wm. A. SLAUGHTER, W. M. of Steilacoom, No. 8, Washington; Captain CHARLES BENNETT, of Salem, No. 4; ABSALOM J. HENBREE, Lafayette, No. 3; A. J. BOLON,, Olympia, No. 5, Washington; JAMES SINCLAIR, Multnomah, No. 1; JAMES McALLISTER, Olympia, No. 5, Washington; and A. B. MOSES of Steilacoom, No. 8, Washington - in whose honor a page In Memoriam is dedicated. The Grand Master had issued a dispensation to Brethren of Winchester, Oregon, also to Brethren residing in Portland. In Grand Lodge the name of the Lodge at Eugene was changed from Spencer Butte and a charter granted to it as ""Eugene, No. 11"; the Brethren of Portland received a charter as "Harmony, No. 12," and. the Brethren of Winchester having changed their location to Roseburg, their dispensation was renewed for another year as "Laurel Lodge, U. D." The dispensation for the Lodge at Eugene had been issued by the Deputy Grand Master, Bro. A. M. BELT, who at this session was elected Grand Master, and Wm. S. CALDWELL was elected Grand Secreta.ry. The Educational Fund was increased by individual contributions and interest to $1,201.71, The Grand Lodge of Canada was recognized.
The seventh annual was held in Salem, June 8, 1857. All the Lodges were represented. Grand Master BELT had issued dispensations for new Lodges as follows: DAVID G. CLARK and others, of Corvallis; DELAZON SMITH and others, of Albany, and R. R. THOMPSON and others, of The Dalles. Laurel Lodge, U. D., was chartered as No. 13; Corvallis, U. D., as Corvallis, No. 14; Wasco, U. D., of The Dalles, as Wasco, No. 15, and the dispensation to Corinthian of Albany was continued for another year. At this session the word "State" was inserted in the Constitution and records instead of "Territory." Brother STARK was elected M\W\Grand Master and Brother CALDWELL re-elected Grand Secretary. The Educational Fund increased to $2,673.01 at this session, and a charter was granted to the Brethren of Winchester as "Winchester Lodge, No. 16."
The eighth annual communication was held in the City of Astoria, June 12, 1858. All the Lodges were represented, but eight of the thirteen Grand Officers were absent. Grand Master STARK reported the granting of seven dispensations for new Lodges, making eight working U. D., which were chartered as Corinthian, No. 17, of Albany; Western Star, No. 18, of Kirbyville; Ainsworth, No. 19, of Salem; Bethel, No. 20, of Bethel; Grand Mound, No. 21, of Grand Mound, Washington; Washington, No. 22, of Vancouver, Washington; Phoenix,, No. 23, in Jackson County, Oregon, and Ranier, No. 24, of Ranier, Oregon. The Educational Fund at this session amounted to $3,816.64. Brother STARK was re-elected M\W\Grand Master and C. J. TRENCHARD R\W\Grand Secretary. The Lodges of Washington Territory gave notice of intending to organize a Grand Lodge of their own, and the Grand Lodge of Oregon approved the step.
The ninth annual was held in the City of Eugene, June 13, 1859. The Grand Master was absent, and AMORY HOLBROOK, D. G. M., presided. The Grand Wardens and Grand Treasurer were present; all the other Grand Officers absent. All the Oregon Lodges were represented. Nos. 5, 8, 21 and 22 being Washington Lodges, and having organized a Grand Lodge for that Territory, were not present.
The Deputy Grand Master made the best report of the executive department that he could under the circumstances. He knew of the granting of the dispensations for two new Lodges, one at Sublimity, in Marion County, and the other at Browntown, in Josephine County, which were chartered as Sublimity, No. 25, and Belt, No. 26.
The Grand Lodge of Washington was formerlv recog -
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nized and welcomed to the circle of Grand Lodges. The Educational Fund was increased to $4,766.72 by reports of this session. Bro. AMORY HOLBROOK was elected M\W\Grand Master and THOS. McF. PATTON., Grand Secretary. The tenth annual communication was held in Salem, September 17, 1860. All the Grand Officers except Grand Senior Deacon were present and all the Lodges represented.
Six dispensations for new Lodges were disposed of by granting charters to Champoeg, No. 27; Thurston, No. 28, of Harrisburg; Lyon, No. 29, of Independence; Holbrook, No. 30, of Forest Grove, and leaving Yamhill., U., D., and St. Helens, U. D., to work for another year. WM. S. CALDWELL had for several years been making brief reports on correspondence. No report this year. Bro. JOHN MCCRAKEN was appointed Chairman of the committee having charge of the Educational Fund, Bro. AINSWORTH having resigned, and the fund. - now amounted to $6,139.33. Bro. AMORY HOLBROOK was re-elected M\W\Grand Master and THOMAS McF. PATTON was re-elected R\W\Grand Secretary.
The eleventh annual communication was largely attended, and was held in Salem September 16, 1861. M\W\Bro. HOLBROOK was absent in Boston, Mass., but wrote a brief address to the Grand Lodge. R\W\Bro. JAMES R. BAYLEY, D. G. M., presided over the Grand Lodge. There was a good attendance of the officers and members, and all the Lodges except Nos. 20, 23 and 24 were present. Yamhill, U. D., was chartered as McMinnville, No. 31, and St. Helens was, left to work another year U. D. The Educational Fund reached $7,229.27, and nearly all of it was kept loaned at the rate of 18 per cent per annum. The General Fund of the Grand Lodge amounted to $4,000, of which about one half was kept loaned at the same rate. The name of Winchester Lodge, No. 16, was changed to Oakland, No. 16. Bro. THOMAS H. PEARNE made correspondence report of fifty pages, reviewing twenty-three of the thirty-five American Grand Lodges for the current year and estimating from older reports he finds 5,300 Lodges having a membership of 250,000 in the United States.
Bro. James R. Bayley was elected M\W\Grand Master and W. S. Caldwell was elected R\W\Grand Secretary and they held public installation, at which the Grand Orator, Bro. T. H. Pearne, delivered an excellent address. The services were held in the M. E. Church, and the Brethren paraded the streets of the growing little city, headed by its brass band, and in all respects appear to have done things up in a style in advance of the times.
The twelfth annual communication was held in Salem, September 15, 1862, a good attendance of officers; NOS. 23, 24 and 29 not represented. Grand Master Bayley reported that a man who had been expelled from Lafayette Lodge, No. 3, had organized several clandestine Lodges, but his dupes soon found out the situation and the clandestine Lodges ceased to exist. The hall of Champoeg Lodge, No. 28, had been washed away during the winter floods. The Brethren of McMinnville not having receive d their charter as soon as they thought they were entitled to it, declined to be constituted and asked their money be returned to them, but it was never done, nor 'Was No. 31 ever really organized, but two years later the charter passed into the hands of the Grand Lodge and was never re - issued. Phoenix Lodge, No. 23, surrendered its charter, as did Oakland, No. 16.
Jefferson Lodge, No. 33, was chartered, and has always been an active and useful Lodge. Changing centers of population was the frequent cause of growth or depletion in the membership of Lodges; as the mines of Southern Oregon yielded abundantly or were cut short by drought or pinched out by breaks in veins. The Lodges in the villages of the agricultural portions of the State were much more steady in their growth and permanency.
Bro. Wm. W. Fowler was elected M\W\Grand Master and Bro. Wm. S. Caldwell was reelected Grand Secretary.
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The thirteenth annual was held in Salem, September 21, 1863. The Grand Master was absent and Bro. John McCraken, D. G. M., presided; twenty-one of the twenty-four Lodges were represented and ten of the sixteen Grand Officers were in their stations. New Lodges had been organized: Blue Mountain, at Auburn, and Canyonville, at Canyon City, but "Blue Mountain" made no report and only half its dispensation fee was paid, it disappeared from the list without note, while "Canyonville was chartered as "Canyon City," No. 34, and has since maintained its active character. Bro.
GRAND EAST, MASONIC TEMPLE, PORTLAND, OREGON.
John McCraken was elected M\W\Grand Master, and Bro. Wm. S. Caldwell was re-elected Grand Secretary.
The fourteenth annual communication was held in the City of Portland, June 20, 1864. Grand Master McCraken reported the granting of a dispensation to form a Lodge at Bannock, Idaho; also for organizing a Lodge at La Grande Oregon. The granting of this dispensation to organize a Lodge , - the unoccupied Territory of Idaho raised a question with the Grand Lodge of Washington, which claimed jurisdiction over that Territory, because it had belonged in the unorganized country which comprehended all that was left of the old Oregon Territory, when the State of Oregon was admit -
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ted into the Union; which was afterward divided by Congress into Washington, Idaho and the western portion of Montana. After considering the subject thoroughly the Grand Lodge of Oregon decided that the Grand Master was right, and ordered a charter, under the name of "Idaho Lodge, No. 35." Western Star Lodge, No. 15, and Belt Lodge, No. 26, were consolidated as Belt Lodge, No. 18, of Kirbyville. Bro. John McCraken was re-elected M\W\Grand Master and Bro. J. E. Hurford was elected R\W\Grand Secretary.
The fifteenth annual was held in Portland, June 19, 1865, with a good attendance, both of Grand Officers and representatives. The Grand Master had organized one new Oregon Lodge, which was charted as Brownsville, No. 36, and had granted dispensations for two in Idaho, which were chartered as Boise, No. 37, and Placer, No. 38, but had taken up the dispensation of the Lodge at La Grande. Idaho, No. 35, had lost its Lodge room and all its books and papers by fire, hence made no reports; the further discussion of jurisdiction over Idaho was continued between the Grand Master and M\W\Bro. Thos. M. Reed, Grand Master of Washington. This controversy was never really settled; Washington by resolution severed Masonic relations with Oregon in 1867; our Grand Lodge continued the even tenor of its way, and when the Idaho Lodges organized a Grand Lodge in December, 1867, the question naturally settled itself and in 1870 the Grand Master of Oregon announced the resumption of Masonic relations with the Grand Lodge of Washington. Bro. Stephen F. Chadwick was elected M\W\Grand Master, and Bro. J. E. Hurford was re-elected Grand Secretary.
The sixteenth annual was held in the City of Portland, June 18, 1866, with a good attendance*, twenty-five of the twenty-seven chartered Lodges were in attendance. There was but little even routine business, and no new Lodges created. Bro. A. W. Ferguson was elected M\W\Grand Master and Bro. J. E. Hurford was re-elected Grand Secretary.
The seventeenth annual was held in the City of Portland, June 24, 1867.
Twenty-four Lodges answered roll - call. Grand Master Ferguson being unavoidably detained away from the communication, sent his address, detailing his official doings for the year. He had established a Lodge, U. D., at Silver City, Idaho, under the name of "Owyhee," but owing to the organization of a Grand Lodge in Idaho soon after the granting of the dispensation, it came under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Idaho, and was not chartered by the Grand Lodge of Oregon. Three other dispensations had been issued for new Lodges, which were chartered as Scio, No. 39, Umatilla, No. 40, and La Grande, No. 41. At this session was announced the death of Past Grand Master Amory Holbrook, who had been one of the most able defenders of Masonic thought and action, and a useful member in all branches of the Fraternity, then established on the North Pacific Coast. The report of P. G. M. McCraken, Trustee of the Educational Fund, showed values in his hands amounting to $9,811.11, bearing interest at rates averaging about 15 per cent. Bro. Avery A. Smith was elected M\W\Grand Master and Bro. J. E. Hurford was re-elected Grand Secretary.
The eighteenth annual was held in the City of Portland, June 22, 1868. All the Lodges reported and paid dues, and but one failed of representation. A good attendance of Grand Officers. Grand Master Smith reported the organization of four new Lodges, which were disposed of by the Grand Lodge by charters, as: Columbia Lodge, No. 42, of Columbia Slough; Union Lodge, No. 43, of McMinnville; Lebanon Lodge, No. 44, of Lebanon; and Silverton Lodge, No. 45, of Silverton. The charter of Oakland, No. 16, which was surrendered in 1862, was restored and the Lodge reorganized by the Grand Lodge. As an illustration of the spirit prevailing in the Fraternity, we note that at this session of the Grand Lodge a Brother recently arrived from Illinois, and who had not yet affiliated with any Lodge, was seriously crippled in an accident, and applied to the Grand Lodge for assistance for
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himself and family. The Grand Lodge purchased a small farm in Linn County, costing one thousand dollars, and gave him the free use of the same during his incapacity to earn a living for himself and family otherwise. How few Grand Lodges would perform such an act at this date, or what would our own Grand Lodge think of a similar proposition in this commercial age? Bro. Avery A. Smith was re-elected M\W\Grand Master and Bro. J. E. Hurford re-elected Grand Secretary.
The nineteenth annual communication was held in Portland, June 21, 1869. A very fine attendance. Grand Master Smith reported the organization of a Lodge in East Portland, which was chartered as Washington, No. 46. Irving W. Pratt, first Master; John Harrison, S. W., and John B. Parker, J. W. The statistics of the Grand Lodge show thirty-three working Lodges, with 1,343 members, all reporting and paying dues, which amounted to $1,794 for the year, and a balance in General Fund of $7,435.35, and of the Educational Fund, bonds, notes and cash, $11,673.17.
Bro. David G. Clark was elected M\W\Grand Master and Bro. J. E. Hurford was re-elected R\W\Grand Secretary.
The twentieth annual was held in Astoria June 20, 22 1870. All the Lodges except Lyon No. 29, were present, all the elective Grand Officers and several other officers and permanent members. Grand Master Clark reported three new Lodges, and authority had been given for the restoration of the charter of Rainier Lodge, which had not been complied with, the Brethren not being supplied with a suitable hall. The Grand Lodge granted four charters this session, as follows: Baker Lodge ' No. 47, of Baker City, A. H. Brown, W. M., C. C. Dickenson, S. W., and A. Logan, J. W.; Blanco Lodge, No. 48, of Marshfield, Joshua Wright, W. M., Thos. R. Willard, S. W.; Monroe Lodge, No. 49, of Monroe, S. B..Cranston, W. M. Wm. Owens, S.W., and Jas. Campbell, J. W.; and to a suitable number of Brethren residing in Salem a charter as Pacific Lodge, No. 50, Frelon J. Babcock, W. M., B. F. Brown, S. W., and J. A. Waymire, J. W. This session appears to have been a very pleasant occasion. Little except routine business appearing, the Grand Master and Grand Secretary were both re-elected.
The twenty-first annual was held in Salem, June 19 to 22, 1871. The Grand Master reported two new Lodges, which were chartered: Cottage Grove, No. 51, Alex. H. Spare, W. M., David C. Underwood, S. W., and O. P. Adams, J. W.; Pendleton, No. 52, Geo. A. La Dow, W. M., O. F. Thompson, S. W., and J. S. White, J. W. He also reported the complete restoration of Rainier, No. 24, with full assurance of its future prosperity and permanence. Bro. William D. Hare was elected M\W\Grand Master, and Bro. J. E. Hurford, R\W\Grand Secretary.
The twenty-second annual communication was held in Salem, June 24, 1872. All the Grand Officers and the forty Lodges were present. The Grand Master reported four new Lodges, which were chartered as follows: Lone Pine Lodge, No. 53, Clackamas County, A. R. Johnson, W. M., J. E. Edumston, S. W., and F. H. Crawford, J. W.; Fidelity Lodge, No. 54, of Gervais, Joseph Smith, W. M., D. B. Martin, S. W., and John Calvert, J. W.; Portland Lodge, No. 55, John B. Congle, W. M., Jos. N. Dolph, S. W., W. W. Upton, J. W.; and Grand Ronde Valley Lodge, No. 56, John Dobbin, W. M., Samuel Hannah, S. W., and Wm. Hutchinson, J. W.
The Grand Master reported the arrest of the charter of Canyon City Lodge for various irregularities, and the Grand Lodge directed the incoming Grand Master to visit the Brethren, and if he could settle all difficulties, he was authorized to restore the charter. The Grand Lodge made a trip to Portland, held a session in the new Masonic Temple, and consecrated and dedicated it to the purposes of Masonry, in full form, and listened to an excellent address, delivered by P. G. M. Wm. D. Hare. Bro. T. McF. Patton and Bro. R. P. Earhart had been already elected and installed M\W\Grand Master and R\W\Grand Secretary, respectively, and after the dedication ceremonies,
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the session of the Grand,Lodge was closed, after adopting specially complimentary resolutions of thanks to Bro. Hurford for his eight years of faithful services as Grand Secretary.
The twenty-third annual was held in New Masonic Temple, Portland, June 9 to 12, 1873. The Grand Master reported a satisfactory adjustment of the Canyon City trouble, and the restoration of their charter. He had organized four new Lodges, which were chartered at this session: Tillamook Lodge, No. 57, of Tillamook, John H. Groff, W. M., E. J. Spratling, S. W., and H. Harrington, J. W.; Junction City Lodge, No. 58, of Junction City, - Thos. A. Miliron, W. M., V. Kratz, S. W., and N. Gilmore, J. W.; Prairie City Lodge, No. 60, of Prairie City, G. B. Fearing, W. M., J. J. Cozart, S. W.,,and J. W. King, J. W.; Aurora Lodge, No. 59, of Gardner, Robt. McKinney, W. M., Geo. M. Baldre, S. W., and Ziba Dimic, J. W.
The published proceedings of this year contain the account of the laying of the cornerstone of the new Capitol building at Salem, which was performed by the Grand Master, with Grand Lodge in special session, October 8, 1873. Forty-three of the Lodges were represented. An excellent address was delivered upon this occasion by P.G.M. Wm. D. Hare.
At the annual above treated Bro. T. McF. Patton was re-elected M\W\Grand Master and Bro. R. P. Earhart, Grand Secretary.
The twenty-fourth annual was held in Portland, June 8 to 10, 1874, with all the Grand Officers and forty-three of the forty-eight Lodges, three of them being U. D. The Grand Master reported five applications for new Lodges, but had only organized two, which were chartered as Halsey Lodge, No. 61, with John M. Morgan, W. M., Silas Keeny, S. W., Joseph H. Lane, J. W., and St. John's Lodge, of Albany, with Geo. Humphrey, W, M., J. W. Baldwin, S. W., and J. R. Herren, J. W. Bro. John B. Congle was elected M\W\Grand Master and Bro. R. P. Earhart was re-elected Grand Secretary.
The twenty-fifth annual was held in Portland, June 14 to 17, 1875. The Grand Master reported five new Lodges, which were disposed of by the Grand Lodge as follows: Chartered Elkton Lodge, No. 63, with Robert Booth, W. M., E. B. Smith, S. W., and W. R. Patterson, J. W.; Sheridan Lodge, No. 64, with C. G. Rowell, W. M., P. M. Scoggin, S. W., and H. W. Lamson, J. W.; Weston Lodge, No. 65, with John S. White, W. M., Geo.. Hayes, S. W, and John E. Jones, J. W.; Pearl Lodge, No. 66, of Turner, with J. W. Taylor, W.M., F. M. McDaniel, S. W., and Jas. Duncan, J. W., while the dispensation to the Brethren at Klamath was continued another year. The Brethren residing at Ashland petitioned for a charter, and, considering that a majority of the petitioners had formerly been members of Phoenix Lodge, No. 23, the Grand Lodge voted to restore the old charter, changing the location and name to Ashland, No. 23, since which time it has been a prosperous Lodge. A complete funeral service was adopted at this session, which, with very slight changes, has been maintained until the present.
The Grand Lodge now had fifty-five constituent Lodges, with a membership of 2,087, resources of about $4,000, and the Educational Fund was reported at $13,900. The Grand Master and Grand Secretary were re-elected.
The twenty-sixth annual was held in Portland, June 12 to 14, 1876. The fifty-five Lodges, with two U. D., were all represented, with nearly all the present and Past Grand Officers in attendance. In proportion to the facilities for travel, the meetings of the Grand Lodge were much better attended, through all the years of its existence up to that date, than they are in the morning of the twentieth century.
Those sturdy old pioneers knew well what they were there for, and they took ample time to consider well all matters brought before them, as well as devoting a greater share to fraternal greet -
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ings. Grand Master Congle reports to this session the proceedings had at a grand reunion between the Grand Lodges of Oregon. and Washington, participated in by the Royal Arch Chapters and Scottish Rite Masons, held at Olympia, August 17, 1875. The Grand Lodge of Washington, J. R. Hayden, Grand Master, received the Grand Lodge of Oregon, and after the usual procession, they repaired to a grove near the Capitol building and enjoyed many fine speeches and a dinner such as rarely falls to the fortune of the luckiest. It had been intended to have the Grand Lodges of - Idaho and British Columbia participate, but for unknown cause Idaho Was absent, except the wife of P. G. M. Jonas W. Brown, who was elected proxy for Idaho by those present, and the British Columbia Brethren were detained away by misconnection of one of the Puget Sound boats. The most important address of the occasion was of historical character by P. G. M. Chadwick, in which were preserved several of the earliest records of Masonry in Oregon, especially of Multnomah Lodge, No. 1, which, except for this, would have been lost to the Craft on account of the burning of the Lodge records in 1857. A grand ball was given in the evening, and the next day a clambake was the greatest success of the reunion.
In the midst of it the delegates from the Grand Lodge of British Columbia arrived and simply took the whole outfit captive and carried them away to Victoria and held them two days, in which banquets, junkets, balls, etc., sped the hours on fleet and happy wings. of the various functions many hundred Masons attended, but they seemed to have been so happy that but very few names were left on record as participating. Congle, Ainsworth, Earhart, Dolph, Chadwick, Jos. Kellogg, Jennings and Nesmith - familiar names in Oregon Masonic circles - were there and the most valuable result of the affair was the removal of the last vestige of the late coldness between the Grand Lodges of Oregon and Washington.
At the session Grand Master Congle reported the dispensation continued to the Klamath Brethren as surrendered, and two dispensations for new Lodges, which were chartered as Chadwick Lodge, No. 68, of Coquille, with Thos. R. Willard as W.M., C. Lehmherr, S. W., and R. N. Rosa, J. W., and Hiram Lodge, No. 67, of Summerville, with E. A. Collins, W. M., John C. Standley, S. W., and Chas. Hogarth, J. W.
Bro. J. H. Kunzie was elected M\W\Grand Master and Bro. R. P. Earhart re-elected Grand Secretary.
The twenty-seventh annual communication was held in Portland, June 11 to 13, 1877. Grand Master Kunzie reported the Craft in very prosperous condition. He had granted one dispensation for a new Lodge, which was chartered as Heppner Lodge, No. 69, with F. Maddock, W. M., J. L. Sperry, S. W., and O. H. Hallock, J.W. Bro. Robert Clow was elected M\W\Grand Master and R. P. Earhart was re-elected R\W\Grand Secretary.
The twenty-eighth annual was held, as all the Grand Communications subsequent to the dedication of the new Masonic Temple, in 1872, in the City, of Portland; this one June 10 to 12, inclusive, 1878. Grand Master Clow reported the organization of two new Lodges, U. D., which were Chartered as Gold Beach Lodge, No. 70, with Wm. Huntly, W. M., Robt. Walker, S.W., and N. Huntly, J. W.; Lakeview Lodge, No. 71, with Geo. Conn, W. M., Wm. Denny, S. W., and Abram Ten Brook, J. W.; the Grand Lodge also authorized the restoration of the surrendered charter of Sublimity Lodge, No. 25, changing the name to Santiam Lodge, No. 25, and its place of meeting to Stayton. The Grand Master and Grand Secretary were both re-elected.
The twenty-ninth annual was held June 9, 10 and 11, 1879. Grand Master Clow reported three new Lodges, which were disposed of as follows: A charter to the Brethren of Canyonville as South Umpqua Lodye No. 72, with C. H. Merrick, W. M., D. Hamblin, S. W., and C. Bealman, J.W.; and to the Brethren of Drain as Pass Creek Lodge, No. 73, with Jonas Ellensburg, W. M., John
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Young, S. W., and A. Hickathier, J. W., while all matters referring to the Brethren of Prineville were passed on under the care of the incoming Grand Master. The charter of Tillamook Lodge, No. 57, was declared forfeited, and they were ordered to turn all their records over to the Grand Secretary.
Bro. R. P. Earhart was elected M\W\Grand Master and Bro. Irving W. Pratt was elected R\W\Grand Secretary.
The thirtieth annual was held June 14, 15 and 16, 1880. Grand Master Earhart reported the organization of three new Lodges, which were chartered as Mt. Tabor, No. 74, with C. O. Hosford, W. M., J. S. Rathbun, S. W., and John Dolan, J. W.; Rockey Lodge, No. 75, of Corvallis, with James R. Bayley, W. M., John B. Lee, S. W., and J. W. Lewis, J. W.; Prineville and Klamath Brethren also asked charters, which were granted, as Prineville Lodge, No. 76, with James P. Coombs, W. M., Thos. Allen, S. W., and James Howard, J. W.; and Klamath Lodge, No. 77, of Linkville, with Alex. P. McCarton, W. M., Sikes Worden, S.W., and Samuel B. Cranston, J. W.
He further reported the exchange of the moneys, notes and accounts of the Educational Fund, amounting to about $19,000, with Bro. John C. Ainsworth for 635 shares of the stock in the Masonic Building Association, owners of the new Masonic Temple, Portland, where the Grand Lodge was holding its sessions, and also the further purchase of 20 shares more from other parties. This company was capitalized for $60,000, divided into 1,200 shares of $50 each, of which the Grand Lodge now owned 655, of a par value of $32,750.
Bro. R. P. Earhart was re-elected M\W\Grand Master and Bro. Frelon J. Babcock was elected Grand Secretary.
The thirty-first annual was held June 13, 14 and 15, 1881. But little, even routine, business was transacted. No new Lodges had been organized. Bro. Geo. McD. Stroud was elected M\W\Grand Master and.Frelon J. Babcock was re-elected R\W\Grand Secretary. Rev. and W. Bro. John R. N. Bell was this year appointed Grand Chaplain, to which position he has regularly been re - appointed, including the present year, 1902.
The thirty-second annual was held June 12 - 14, 1882. Another year of very quiet prosperity. The Grand Master reported the death of Bro. Wm. S. Caldwell, Past Grand Secretary; also made fitting reference to the death of President Bro. James A. Garfield, and expressed the bitter grief of all true men and Masons at his untimely taking off. No new Lodges organized, but a steady gain. The total membership amounted to 2,841, and the number of chartered Lodges had been steady at sixty-six for some years. Bro. Joseph N. Dolph was elected M\W\Grand Master and F. J. Babcock was re-elected R\W\Grand Secretary.
The thirty-third annual was held June 11 to 13, 1883. The charter of Mt. Tabor Lodge, No. 71, was taken up during the year, and Grand Master Dolph reported several applications for new Lodges, and he had granted three, which were chartered as Myrtle Point, No. 78, with Christian Lehnher, W. M., Vale N. Perry, S. W., and Leonard L. Harmon, J. W.; Shedd, No. 79, with J. J. Fisher, W.M., Geo. W. Davis, S. W., and H. B. Sprenger, J. W.; and Dolph Lodge, No. 80, of Centerville (now Athena), with Geo. H. Reed, W. M., J. M. Walker, S. W., and A. K. Price, J. W. Bro. Wm. T. Wright was elected M\W\Grand Master, after having served four consecutive terms as Deputy Grand Master, and Bro. F. J. Babcock was re-elected Grand Secretary.
The thirty-fourth annual was held June 10 to 12, 1884. Grand Master Wright reported laying the cornerstone of the Court House at Jacksonville, and the issue of a duplicate charter to Weston Lodge, No. 65, it having lost hall and everything by fire. He further reported the organization of two new Lodges which were chartered as Joseph Lodge, No. 81, with John W. McCally, W. M., Thaddeus J.
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Dean, S. W., and Jefferson Ellis, J. W.; and Wallowa Lodge, No. 82, of Alder (now Enterprise), with John C. Standley, W. M., Thos. H. Veasey, S. W., and Benj. Boswell, J. W. The number of Lodges was now seventy, and the total membership 3,178. Bro. David P. Mason was elected M\W\Grand Master, and Bro. Frelon J. Babcock re-elected Grand Secretary. Upon petition of Brethren residing at Pendleton, a Lodge was chartered direct as Kunzie, No. 83, making two Lodges in that thriving little city. Bro. Gustaf Wilson was appointed and installed Grand Tyler, to which station he was regularly re-appointed until 1902, when, on account of increasing age, he asked to be excused from further service.
The thirty-fifth annual was held June 9 to 11, 1885. A special had been held during the year, at which, upon June 26, 1884, the cornerstone of Clackamas County Court House was laid, and Bro. Peter Paquet delivered an able address. At the annual the Grand Master reported one new Lodge, which was chartered as Grants Pass Lodge, No. 84, with Luman Townsend, W. M., John W. Howard, S.W., and Henry Thornton, J. W. The Grand Master in his address incidentally mentioned invitations to attend the celebrations held in honor of the world - renowned Hebrew philanthropist, Moses Montefiore and the dedication of the Washington Monument by the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia. In the first occasion he was represented by P. G. M. John McCraken, but was without proxy in the latter. By resolution presented by P. G. M. Bayley, a charter was granted to himself as W. M., Allen Parker, S. W., and Elias Harris, as Newport Lodge, No. 85. No account of any petition, though it appears that there were six other Brethren associated with them. A Lodge of Sorrow was held on the evening of the 9th, at which the names of all the Past Grand Officers who had died were mentioned in loving memory. Bro. Thos. G. Reames was elected M\W\Grand Master, and Bro. F. J. Babcock re-elected Grand Secretary.
The thirty-sixth annual was held June 16, 17 and 18, 1886. On the 16th of June, 1885, a special communication was held to lay the cornerstone of a new hall for Multnomah Lodge, No. 1, of Oregon City, it having lost everything by fire the year previous; P. G. M. Stroud performed the ceremonies. On the 28th of July, 1885, a special communication was held in the City of Eugene for the purpose of laying the corner-stone of Villard Hall of the State University; Grand Master Reames performed the ceremonies. Another special was called February 22, 1886, to dedicate the new hall of Multnomah, No. 1; Grand Master Reames performed the ceremonies. At the annual, Grand Master Reames reported the organization of one new Lodge, which was chartered as Paisley Lodge, No. 86, with Wm. B. Royal, W.M., Herbert H. West, S. W., and Wm. L. Whitting, J. W. Bro. James C. Fullerton was elected M\W\Grand Master, and Bro. F. J. Babcock was re-elected Grand Secretary.
The thirty-seventh annual was held June 15, 16 and 17, 1887. Grand Master Fullerton reported three new Lodges, which the Grand Lodge disposed of by granting a charter to Arlington Lodge, No. 87, with Jos. A. Thomas, W. M., Arthur C. Hawson, S. W., and Carlton T. Bacon, J. W.; and a charter to East Gate Lodge, No. 88, of Huntington, with John W. Gray, W. M., John McKenzie, S. W., and Daniel Cochran, J. W.; and continuing "Fossil," U. D. Bro. Andrew Nasburg was elected M\W\Grand Master, and F. J. Babcock was re-elected R\W\Grand Secretary.
The thirty-eighth annual was held - June 13 to 15, 1888. A special communication was held at Corvallis, August 17, 1887, with P. G. M. Rockey P. Earhart presiding, at which the corner-stone of the Agricultural College Building was laid in due and ancient form. The following Brethren delivered brief addresses: Sylvester Pennoyer, Governor; Prof. E. B. McElroy, Reuben Strahan, J. D. Lee, J. K. Weatherford, Silas M. Yoran, J. R. N. Bell and Professor Hawthorne. Another special session, presided over by M\W\Bro. R. P. Earhart, February 29, 1888, dedicated the new temple of Eugene Lodge, No. 11. Grand Master Nasburg reported three new Lodges, which the Grand Lodge chartered
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also Fossil, U. D., left over from last year, as follows: Fossil Lodge, No. 89, with MT. W. Steiver, W. M., Ancil B. Lamb, S. W., and C. W. Halsey, J. W.; and Long Creek Lodge, No. 90, with Chas. H. Lee, W. M., Jas. W. Blackwell, S. W., and Thos. F. Scroggins, J. W.; and Cove Lodge, No. 91, with Wm. R. Holmes, W. M., E. P. McDaniel, S. W., and James Payne, J. W.; and Fairview Lodge, No. 92, with G. R. Shaw, W. M., Chas. Hoyt, S. W., and A. J. Hoyt, J. W. Bro. Jacob Mayer was elected M\W\Grand Master, and Brother Babcock re-elected Grand Secretary.
The thirty-ninth annual was held June 12, 13 and 14, 1889. A special was convened in the City of Portland, December 20, 1888, presided over by R\W\Bro. B. Van Dusen, D. G. M., for the purpose of conducting the funeral services over the remains of M\W\Bro. Berryman Jennings. At the request of the Deputy Grand Master, P. G. M. John McCraken conducted the exercises. At the annual, Grand Master Mayer reported dispensations for three new Lodges, which the Grand Lodge disposed of by granting charters to Nasburg Lodge, No. 93, of Helix, with John H. Irvine, W. M., A. B. Renwick, S. W., and J. E. Prouty, J. W.; and to Echo Lodge, No. 94, with L. C. Rogers, W. M., O. F. Thompson, S. W., and C. Robson, J. W.; and in the case of the Brethren of Tillamook, U. D., they being nearly all former members of No. 57, which surrendered its charter some years previous, the Grand Lodge decided to restore the old charter and number to the new Lodge, which has since been hailed as Tillamook., No. 57. Grand Master Mayer arrested the charter of Pass Creek, No. 73, for failing to hold meetings and general inattention to Masonic business; and East Gate, No. 87, of Huntington, surrendered its charter on account of inability to maintain a successful Lodge, and requested that the funds in their treasury be donated to Baker Lodge, No. 47, which had lost its hall by fire, which was approved by the Grand Lodge. Bro. Christopher Taylor was elected M\W\Grand Master, and Stephen F. Chadwick R\W\Grand Secretary.
The fortieth annual was held June 11, 12 and 13, 1890. The Grand Master, Taylor, reported two new Lodges, which were chartered as Milton Lodge, No. 96, with E. J. Davis, W. M., E. L. Harris, S. W., and A. M. Elam, J. W.; and Mount Moriah Lodge, No. 95, of Condon, with Geo. W. Parker, W. M., P. F. Cason, S.W., and J. H. Downing, J. W. It also appears that a charter was granted to Burns Lodge, No. 97, but there is no record or report showing a petition was presented or came before the Grand Lodge, but C. A. Sweek was W. M., Isaac Baer, S. W., and J. B. Huntington, J. W. A new charter was ordered for Klamath, No. 77, their former charter having been destroyed by fire; also, a new charter for Wasco, No. 15, in lieu of old one, which had been lost. Myrtle Point, No. 78, was authorized to cut the point off its name, leaving plain Myrtle, No. 78. Bro. James F. Robinson was elected M\W\Grand Master, and Bro. Chadwick was re-elected Grand Secretary.
. The forty-first annual was held June 10, 11 and 12, 1891. Grand Master Robinson reported the dedication of the new and elegant Masonic Temple in Albany. He had laid the cornerstone of the City Hall in Portland, and by proxy to P.G.M. Wm. T. Wright laid the cornerstone of the Presbyterian Church of Elgin. He had issued no dispensations, and only mentions the reception of one petition, which he refers to the Grand Lodge for its action, which, after consideration, is chartered as Elgin, No. 98, with Charles Hallgarth, W. M., E., L. Harris, S. W., and J. T. Galloway, J. W. Three other Lodges were chartered at this session: Taylor, No. 99, of Wasco, with W. A. Van Guilder, W. M., J. Edgington, S. W., and R. W. Brock, J. W.; and Beaverton, Lodge, No. 100, with F. M. Robinson, W. M., G. W. Stitt, S. W., and George Tucker, J. W.; and Albina Lodge, No. 101, with J. J. Fisher, W. M., J. R. Williams, S. W., and F, A. Nichols, J. W. The name of Columbia Lodge, No. 42, was by vote of the Grand Lodge changed to Mt. Tabor Lodge, No. 42. A telegram was received in the early part of the session announcing the death of Past Grand Master Nasburg, and a Lodge of Sorrow
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was held on Thursday afternoon in his memory. Bro. Brenham Van Dusen was elected M\W\Grand Master, and Brother Chadwick was re-elected Grand Secretary.
The forty-second annual was held June 15, 16, and 17, 1892. Grand Master Van Dusen reported the organization of three new Lodges, which were chartered as Bay City Lodge, No. 102, of Bay City, with J. E. Sibley, W. M., Miles Warren, S. W., and L. Parrish, J. W.; Medford Lodge, No. 103, with N. L. Narregan, W. M., Wm. Slinger, S. W., and Julius Goldsmith, J. W.; and Newberg Lodge, No. 104, with Geo. W. Cutts, W. M., J. D. Tarrant, 5. W., and, J.C. Sawyer, J. W.; while two other groups of Brethren came before the Grand Lodge with petitions and were chartered: Hood River Lodge, No. 105, with E. L. Smith, W. M., L. E. Niorse, S. W., and A. S. Blowers, J. W.; and Woodburn Lodge, No. 106, with James Whitney, W.M., J. A. Knight, S. W., and Al. Ives, J. W. Bro. Frank A. Moore was elected M\W\Grand Master, and Brother Chadwick Grand Secretary.
The forty-third annual was held June 14, 15 and 16, 1893. Grand Master Moore reported the issue of dispensations for four new Lodges, and presented a petition for another, all of which were chartered as follows: Siuslaw Lodge, No. 107, of Florence, Amos Hadsall, W. M., Emory W. Cobb, S. W., and Horace H. Fisk, J. W.; Jacob Mayer Lodge, No. 108, of Dayton, G. E. Detmering, W. M., J. S. Moran, S. W., and H. L. Pratt, J. W.; Oswego Lodge, No. 109, D. B. Rees, W. M., C. Webb, S. W., and Geo. S. Miller, J. W.; Rickreall Lodge, No. 110, Henry B. Thielsen, W. M., H. C. Fox, S. W., and J. F. Vaughn, J. W.; Hawthorne Lodge, No. 111, of Portland, A. L. Rumsey, W. M., C. E. Miller S. W., and W. B. Hill, J. W. Bro. Julius C. Moreland was elected M\W\Grand Master, and Brother Chadwick was re-elected Grand Secretary.
At the constitutional date for holding the forty-fourth annual communication the great flood of 1894 was prevailing, and as it was impossible for representatives of the Subordinate Lodges to reach Portland, on account of the disarrangement of the various transportation companies, therefore M\W\Grand Master Moreland issued an edict postponing the meeting of the Grand Lodge for one month. It assembled in due form on the 11th day of July, 1894. The Grand Master reported two new Lodges, which were chartered as Cresswell Lodge, No. 112, with J. H. Whitaker, W. M., L. D. Scarborough, S. W., and C. E. Colcord, J. W.; and Standley Lodge, No. 113, with J. C. Standley, W. M., J.W. Brownell, S. W., and W. A. Storie, J. W. He had continued by dispensation the work of Gold Beach, No. 70, which had lost its charter by fire, and the Grand Lodge ordered a new charter, properly endorsed and remitted the dues of the Lodge, for the current year. The word "City" was stricken from the name of No. 11, and the name of the Lodge fixed as Eugene, No. 11. Bro. Philip S. Malcolm was elected M\W\Grand Master, and Brother Chadwick re-elected R\W\Grand Secretary. At the opening of the forty-fifth annual, Grand Master Malcolm announced the death of Bro. Stephen F. Chadwick, Past Grand Master, and for six years past R\W\Grand Secretary, and also the appointment as Acting Grand Secretary Past Grand Master Bro. James F. Robinson, whowas elected and has each year been re-elected to that important office up to date of this writing, 1902.
The Grand Master reported one new Lodge, which was chartered as Columbia Lodge, No. 114, of Portland, with S. N. A. Downing, W. M., Owen Summers, S. W., and Jacob Inbody, J. W. The Grand Master further reported the conferring of the Fellow Craft and Master's degree upon Bro. Entered Apprentice Duncan Ross, who had lost his right arm by accident after his initiation, and the Grand Lodge endorsed his action. Bro. Morton D. Clifford was elected M\W\Grand Master.
The forty-sixth annual was held June 10, 11 and 12, 1896. Grand Master Clifford organized two new Lodges, which were chartered as Bandon Lodge, No. 115, with R. H. Rosa, W. M., Robert Walker S. W. and Gurley Boak J. W.; and Antelope Lodge, No. 116, with J. P. Kelsay, W. M.,
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Wilbur Bolton, S. W., and E. C. Haight, J. W. Bro. Phil Metschan was elected M\W\Grand Master.
The forty-seventh annual was held June 16, 17 and 18, 1897. No new Lodges had been organized. The Grand Master had presided at the dedication of the new hall of Pearl Lodge, No. 66, of Turner, on the 14th of May preceding.
Oakland Lodge, No. 16, surrendered its charter and the Grand Secretary was directed to issue Grand Lodge dimits to members in good standing. Bro. W. H. Hobson was elected M\W\Grand Master.
The forty-eighth annual was held June 15, 16 and 17, 1898. Grand Master Hobson reported the laying of the cornerstone of the new temple of Corvallis Lodge, No. 14, on June 1, 1898, and that he had issued dispensations for two new Lodges, which were chartered as Bridal Veil Lodge, No. 117, with Wm. Butler, W. M., Newton Conter, S. W., and A. H. Rankin, J. W.; and Acacia Lodge, No. 118, of Ontario, with Cassius H. Brown, W. M., Gilbert L. King, S. W., and Chas. W. Mallett, J. W. He had arrested the charter of Halsey Lodge, No. 61, which action was approved by the Grand Lodge. The surrender of the charter of Gold Beach Lodge was also received at this session of the Grand Lodge. Bro. John B. Cleland was elected M\W\Grand Master.
The forty-ninth annual was held June 14, 15 and 16, 1899. Grand Master Cleland reported the consolidation of Pendleton Lodge, No. 52, and Tyrian Lodge, No. 83, with the name and number of Pendleton Lodge, No. 52. The charter of Monroe Lodge, No. 49, had been arrested, which was approved. The Grand Master had laid the cornerstone of the new temple of Jennings Lodge, No. 9, at Dallas; also, a cornerstone for the new Episcopal Church at Eugene. The Grand Master dedicated the new temple of Corvallis, No. 14, December 28, 1898, and on the 29th he dedicated the new temple of Grand Ronde Valley Lodge, No. 56, at Union. Bro. John Milton Hodson was elected M\W\Grand Master.
The fiftieth annual was held June 13, 14 and 15, 1900, Grand Master Hodson had organized two new Lodges, which were chartered as Izalia Lodge, No. 119, of Glendale, with Grant Levins, W. M., J. L. Dewey, S. W., and Ambros Marshal, J. W.; and Ione Lodge, No. 120, with George J. Curren, W. M., Elisha G. Sperry, S. W., and Thos. J. Alynn, J. W. He issued a special dispensation continuing Imity Lodge, No. 20, its charter having been stolen; the Grand Lodge ordered a duplicate charter, properly endorsed. He had by proxy given to Past Grand Master M. D. Clifford laid the cornerstone of Canyon City Lodge, No. 34, new temple, July 21, 1899, and in like manner, Past Grand Master David P. Mason presiding, the cornerstone for a new hall for Jefferson Lodge, No. 33, on September 2, 1899. The Grand Master, in person, with a large attendance of the officers and members of the Grand Lodge and local Brethren, laid the cornerstone of the new Court House of Linn County at Albany, July 7, 1899, and on May 22, 1900, assisted by the officers and members of Ashland Lodge, No. 23, he laid the cornerstone of the new school building in Ashland. On the 24th of May, 1900, assisted by a large number of the Grand Officers and delegations from each of the Lodges in the city, escorted by Oregon Commandery, No. 1, Knights Templar, he laid the cornerstone of the Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland. The Grand Master dedicated the new hall of Jefferson Lodge, No. 33, on May 17, 1900. For conduct unbecoming a Masonic Lodge, the charter of Junction City Lodge, No. 58, was arrested, and the Grand Lodge sustained the Grand Master, revoking the charter and ordered dimits for the members in good standing. Bro. Henry B. Thielsen was elected M\W\Grand Master.
The fifty-first annual was held June 12, 13 and 14, 1901. Grand Master Thielsen had organized one new Lodge, Eureka, U. D., of Moro, which, at its own request, was continued under dispensa -
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tion for another year. By proxy issued to Past Grand Master W. T. Wright, he laid the cornerstone of the new temple of La Grande Lodge, No. 41, July 11, 1900.
On September 6, 1900, he laid, in person, the cornerstone of the new temple of Baker Lodge, No. 47, and of the opera house in Baker City, the same day; and on the 5th of February, 1901, he laid the cornerstone of the Portland Crematorium. On the 20th of December, 1900, he dedicated in due and ancient form the new temple of La Grande Lodge, No. 41. This being the semi-centennial of the Grand Lodge, a committee appointed by Grand Master Thielsen provided a programme, with music and addresses, for observance of the anniversary. Past Grand Master J. M. Hodson delivered a brief historical address, and Past Grand Master John McCraken related many interesting reminiscences referring to the early history of Masons and Masonry in Oregon. At this date, the close of fifty years of labor on the part of the Grand Lodge, it had 102 active Lodges, with a net membership of 5,644, an income of $6,496.21, expenses amounting last year to $5,276.78, and a net cash balance of $9,162.70, General Fund; while the Educational Fund had grown to the SUM of $103,124.70, with an annual income approximating $4,000 net. Bro. William E. Grace was elected M\W\Grand Master.
At the fifty-second annual communication, M\W\Brother Grace presided, but the proceedings have not been issued, hence we are without statistics of later date than those of the session of 1901. Bro. Wm. F. Butcher was elected M\W\ Grand Master at the annual, beginning June 11, 1902.
Since the organization of the Grand Lodge forty-one different Brethren have been elected Grand Master; twenty of them are living at this writing, and seventeen of them were in attendance at the last session of the Grand Lodge.
Below we give the list of elective Grand Officers since the organization, also the list of the living Lodges:
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And now, writing of the half century of Masonry in Oregon, in looking back over the fifty years in which the Grand Lodge, A. F. & A. Masons, has been an active factor in our great State, I stand amazed, nor do I believe that one of us fully realizes what has been accomplished.
A meager number of faithful Brethren, in the wilds of an almost undiscovered country, laid the corner - stone; brotherly love, relief, and truth their tenets. Upon it they builded; through prosperity and through adversity their offerings have been laid upon its altars, and today more than 100 Lodges, with nearly 6,000 Brethren, proudly enjoy the present and look to the future undismayed.
The knell of the world's most wonderful century has only just been rung, and we have lived and wrought in the period of its most stupendous developments.
One hundred years ago even the kings,
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princes and potentates of the earth could not enjoy half the luxuries that today crowd the homes of the common people of America. The arts and sciences have been laid under contribution, agriculture and commerce yield their bounteous supply. Invention and manufacture lead the world of thought, and reason crowns the whole with an educated civilization; but during all these years the most potent influence is from the principles practiced by the Brethren who meet upon the level, act by the plumb and part upon the square. Contrast but a few of the conditions, and we note the stupendous gain. The dawn of the old century saw only the ox cart and the lumbering stage coach; its close the palace car and the lightning express. Our grandfathers gathered their meager harvest with reap hooks and tramped out their grain with their horses or oxen; our combined harvesters and separators garner a thousand times more grain and prepare it for the markets of the world in a far briefer period. News traveled only by the star routes, and was often weeks or months in getting from point to point only a few miles apart. Today we harness the lightning or talk by telephone to friends hundreds of miles away. The great metropolitan papers, with columns filled with the news of the day from all parts of the world, were undreamed of in the wildest imagery of the ambitious journalist. No State had a thoroughly organized free school system, while today the doings of all the nations are common property within a few minutes after the incidents have occurred, and many millions of happy, industrious school children throng our halls of learning, anxious for that cultivation that fits them for the active duties of life. At the opening of the nineteenth century there were less than 25,000,000 English - speaking people; at its close more than 125,000,000 speak our tongue, and we give laws and greater liberty than they ever before enjoyed to as many millions more.
When our Grand Lodge was organized in all the vast country of Oregon Washington, Idaho and Montana only a few hundred hardy pioneers had penetrated. Today nearly two millions of civilized, cultivated and enlightened people enjoy happy and prosperous homes, with an opening future of almost boundless possibilities.
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CHAPTER XVI.
Royal Arch Masonry in Oregon.
By JOHN MILTON HODSON, P. G. H. P.
THE few Royal Arch Masons in the jurisdiction began considering the propriety of attempting to organize a Royal Arch Chapter soon after the organization of the Grand Lodge, F. & A. M., of Oregon, in 1851. Only about twelve were known to be in the Territory, and they were scattered from the Columbia River to its southern boundary, and the only occasion upon which enough of them met to raise the Royal Arch and talk of their interest in the Capitular Rite was during the annual communications of the Grand Lodge. During its sessions in the City of Portland in June, 1855, these consultations took definite shape, and Companions A. W. Ferguson and A. M. Belt were appointed to prepare a petition to the General Grand High Priest, asking for authority to organize a Royal Arch Chapter and to secure the necessary of signers. Owing to the many difficulties in the way, they did not succeed in completing their work until in the winter of 1856, when twelve Companions, to wit: A. W. Ferguson, A. M. Belt, Freeman Farnsworth, John C. Bell, William Tichnor, John P. Gaines, Noah Huber, A. H. Sale, Benjamin Stark, Joseph Jones, S. M. Black and C. L. Herrington were secured. The location chosen was the town of Salem, and the name adopted was Multnomah Royal Arch Chapter.
The petition, properly signed, was forwarded to the General Grand High Priest, Companion Robert P. Dunlap, who resided in the State of Maine, and who received it in the month of April, 1856. On account of his being very sick at the time of its reception, he could not give it consideration, but forwarded it to the General Grand King, Companion Charles Gallam, who resided in Baltimore, Maryland, who, on the 3d day of May, 1856, granted a dispensation authorizing the organization of a Royal Arch Chapter, all in due form, and it a rrived in the City of Portland during the session of the Grand Lodge in June, 1856.
The Companions named in the dispensation immediately issued an invitation to all Royal Arch Masons residing in the Territory to meet them in the town of Salem, on the 17th of June, 1856, for the purpose of organizing under the dispensation. In response to the call the following were present: Companions Freeman Farnsworth, Albert W. Ferguson, Alfred M. Belt, John C. Bell, Noah Huber, A. H. Sale, C. L. Herrington, David Leslie, Berryman Jennings, James Guthrie, Jr., and James R. Bayley.
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After a call to order and the reading of the dispensation, an opportunity was extended to the Companions present who had not signed the petition to enroll themselves as members, of which the following availed themselves: James Guthrie, Jr., James R. Bayley, Berryman Jennings and David Leslie; after which the Chapter was duly organized as Multnomah Royal Arch Chapter, No. 1, with the following officers, the first three being named for their positions in the dispensation: Freeman Farnsworth, M. E. High Priest; A. W. Ferguson, E. King; Alfred M. Belt, E. Scribe; David Leslie, Captain of the Host; James Guthrie, Jr., Principal Sojourner; Berryman Jennings, Royal Arch Captain; A. H. Sale, Master Third Vail; Jas. R. Bayley, Master Second Vail; John C. Bell, Master First Vail; Noah Huber, Secretary, and C. L. Herrington, Sentinel.
The Chapter immediately proceeded to work, and between that date and July 17, 1856, the following were exalted Royal Arch Masons and joined in the petition for a charter: John C. Ainsworth, Thomas McF. Patton, Ralph Wilcox, Aaron E. Wait, Harvey Gordon, Adam Matheny, W. P. Thompson, Avery A. Smith, Jos. M. Garrison and L. F. Cartee.
Their reports and dues being forwarded to the General Grand Chapter, which met in Hartford, Connecticut, September 9, 1856, Companion Stark attended its sessions and obtained the granting of a charter September 11, 1856. The charter arrived in Salem during the month of November following, but on account of there being no Past Grand High Priest in Oregon, correspondence was opened with Companion Wm. H. Howard, a Past Grand High Priest of Louisiana, who we understand to have been at that time a resident of California, and he consenting to consecrate and constitute the Chapter and install its officers, fixed the 15th day of February, 1857, for the ceremonies. Due notice having been given the Companions assembled, the Chapter was duly constituted and the following officers elected and installed: A. W. Ferguson, E. High Priest; A. M. Belt, E. King; James Guthrie, Jr., E. Scribe; T. McF. Patton, C. of H.; Jos. M. Garrison, P. S.; Harvey Gordon, R. A. C.; A. H. Sale, G. M. 3d V.; Jas. R. Bayley, G. M. 2d V.; L. F. Cartee, G. M. 1st V.; John P. Gaines, Treasurer; Wm. P. Thompson, Secretary; David Leslie, Chaplain, and Adam Matheny, Sentinel.
M\ E\Companion W. H. Howard delivered a valuable address upon the occasion of constituting the Chapter, and the Companions appear to have enjoyed a regular love feast. Resolutions of appreciation and thankfulness were extended to Companion Howard; and it appears further that they worked as well as played, for at the same convocation the petition of Bros. Francis S. Hoyt, John Anderson, James A. Bennett, Jas. K. Kelly and Jacob Consor were received for the degrees, and of A. N. Wilson and Lemuel Lyon for affiliation; the rules were suspended and Bro. Hoyt was elected, marked, passed, received and acknowledged, and, with Elisha McDonald, exalted, all the same day and evening.
We note, however, that in a majority of cases the candidates were required to wait the full periods before being marked and between degrees. Situated as they were, the exigencies often required them to be a law unto themselves, yet upon the whole we have been surprised to find them committing so few errors, and living so closely up to the landmarks, as we know them today. A large number of the members of Multnomah, No. r, have been among the most prominent men of the State, in business and political life. It being the Mother Chapter, naturally those who withdrew to assist in forming new Chapters represented the very best class of men in each community, and in all departments of Masonry the Brethren who humbled themselves that they might be exalted in Multnomah, No. 1, have come to the front as among the most able leaders of the Craft. She has furnished, in part or the whole, for organizing, six other Chapters, but at the last report had a membership of 131.
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CLACKAMAS CHAPTER, NO. 2.
For the organization of this Chapter the following Companions signed a petition to the M\E\General Grand High Priest, to wit: Amory Holbrook, Berryman Jennings, Ralph Wilcox, John C. Ainsworth, Aaron C. Wait, James Guthrie, Jr., A. B. Roberts, Benjamin Stark and James K. Kelley. The petition was forwarded to M\E\Companion Charles Gilman, General Grand High Priest, at his home in Baltimore, Maryland, who, on the 17th day of December, 1857, issued his dispensation to the above named Companions, residing in and near Oregon City, Oregon, authorizing the establishment of a regular Chapter of Royal Arch Masons in that town, to be known and designated as Clackamas Royal Arch Chapter, No. 2.
Acting under its authority, Companion Holbrook called a convention of Royal Arch Masons at Oregon City, February it, 1858, and with the assistance of the Companions who had signed the petition, and Josiah Myrick and J. G. Swafford, organized, opened and set to work in regular form the 'new Chapter. They adopted by-laws, secured suitable hall, fixed the fees and dues and provided in proper manner for its workings. The dues were fifty cents per month, payable quarterly, affiliation fees $5 and fees for the degrees $50, the first three $10 each and the Royal Arch $20. They immediately received several petitions, and on April 1, 1858, exalted a class consisting of F. S. Holland, A. H. Steele and W. S. Caldwell. The second class was exalted May 20, 1858, consisting of John H. Couch, John McCraken and G. C. Robbins, and on August 19, 1858, James A. Graham and F. Charman were exalted, using Companion David P. Thompson as substitute to make up class. On October 21st the petition of sundry Companions, residing in Portland, was recommended asking for a dispensation to organize a Chapter in that city. The last class exalted while working under dispensation was composed of H. W. Eddy, W. J. Bradbury and Joseph Kellogg, who were exalted January 25, 1859. Companion Josiah Myrick, who joined in the organization, was chosen Secretary of the Chapter and served at every recorded meeting, when present, as long as the Chapter retained its charter.
The charter was granted to Clackamas Chapter, No. 2, at the triennial session, in 1859, and was issued from Chicago by the General Grand Secretary, Benjamin Brown French, dated September 15, 1859, and is signed by Charles Gilman, G. G. High Priest, Philip C. Tucker, D. G. G. High Priest, and John L. Lewis, Jr., General Grand Scribe, the General Grand King not signing. The Chapter continued to work with varying fortunes. It assisted in organizing the Grand Chapter of Oregon in 1860, but owing to several of its members having removed from its jurisdiction, it was found almost impossible to obtain a quorum for the transaction of its affairs. Its last meeting was held December 27, 1863, over which Grand High Priest Comp. John McCraken presided, and after remitting all delinquent dues the Companions unanimously resolved to surrender their charter and paraphernalia to the Grand Chapter, which was done. In 1893 the Grand Chapter chartered a new Chapter at Oregon City and at the request of the Companions permitted them to use the old name and vacant number, and gave them as a souvenir of the early Chapter, the old charter, issued by the General Grand Chapter in 1859, and the Companions have had it neatly framed and it hangs upon the wall of the Masonic Temple, in Oregon City, and is cherished as a valuable historic relic by the Companions.
PORTLAND CHAPTER, NO. 3.
During the summer of 1858 the Royal Arch Masons, residing in Portland, frequently discussed the question of the propriety of organizing a Royal Arch Chapter in their city, which, in the latter
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part of the year, took the shape of a petition to the General Grand High Priest for a dispensation, which, being duly recommended by Clackamas Chapter, No. 2, October 21, 1858, was duly forwarded, reaching the office of the General Grand High Priest, in Baltimore, during the month of December, and upon the first day of January, 1859, M\E\Charles Gilman, G. G. H. P., granted the prayer of the petitioners and issued his dispensation to Companions Benjamin Stark, John H. Couch, George C. Robbins, A. E. Filson, A. B. Roberts, John McCraken, Henry F. Block, Noah Huber, J. R. Lawrence and R. R. Thompson, granting to them and their successors the right to open and hold a regular Chapter of Royal Arch Masons in the City of Portland, Oregon, to be designated as Portland Chapter, No. , appointing the first three named as the principal officers, to continue until the meeting of the General Grand Chapter, in 1859.
The dispensation reached Portland early in February, 1859, and on the 10th of that month Companion Benj. Stark convened the petitioners in the hall of Willamette Lodge, No. 2, all of them being present, and in addition Companions Daniel Wright, Ralph Wilcox and John C. Ainsworth, who, upon motion, were permitted to sign the roll and participate as members in the organization of the new Chapter. A Chapter of Royal Arch Masons was opened in due and solemn form, the dispensation read and upon motion ordered to be spread in full upon the records of the Chapter.
The by-laws of Clackamas, No. 2, were adopted for the government of the Chapter, so far as they might apply. The fees for the degrees were fixed at $60. Companion Benj. Stark was authorized to purchase a Chapter outfit, regalia, tools, etc., to an amount not exceeding $325. A petition for the degrees was received from Bro. W. V. Spencer and properly referred. The Secretary was authorized to procure suitable record books, and, in fact, the steps were taken in an intelligent manner to do all the things necessary to completely organize and set to work the new Chapter.
In consequence of the absence from the city of the High Priest and several of the Companions, no meetings were held until June 9, 1859, when a Chapter for instruction in the ritual was held, and on June 23d a regular convocation was held for the transaction of business, and after the Chapter was closed a Lodge of Mark Masons was opened and the Mark degree conferred upon Bro. W. V. Spencer, after which the Lodge was closed, and so far as the records show, this was all the work done by the Chapter under dispensation.
On the 9th of December, 1859, a convocation was held at which Companion Stark announced the receipt of a charter, which was granted by the General Grand Chapter, at its session in 1859, and issued from Chicago, September 15, 1859, and is signed by M\E\Charles Gilman, General Grand High Priest; Philip C. Tucker, D. G. G. H. P., and John L. Lewis, Jr., G. G. Scribe, the G. G. King not signing. It was resolved to hold a convocation on the evening of December 15th, for the completion of the organization of the Chapter by election of officers, which was done, so far as the members of the Council were concerned, Comp. John McCraken being elected High Priest; John H. Couch, King, and R. R. Thompson, Scribe, whereupon the further election was, upon motion, postponed until the services of a Past High Priest could be secured to install the officers. The Past Master's degree was conferred upon Bro. W. V. Spencer at this meeting.
At a convocation, held January 1860, the committee had not succeeded in securing a Past High Priest to install the officers-elect, but the committee on regalia reported progress and that they had borrowed $700 on the faith of the Chapter, and were paying 2 per cent a month interest on the same. At this meeting Companions Jacob Mayer, B. F. Brown, E. W. Tracy and James H. Lappens were elected to membership and signed the roll.
At a called meeting of the Chapter, January 12, 1860, Companion L. F. Cartee, High Priest
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of Multnomah Chapter, No. r, of Salem, being present and presiding, the remaining officers were elected, after which he installed all the officers in full form, as follows: John McCraken, High Priest; John H. Couch, King; R. R. Thompson, Scribe; John C. Ainsworth, C. of H.; B. F. Brown, P. S.; E. W. Tracy, R. A. C.; Jacob Mayer, M. 3d V.; Geo. C. Robbins, M. 2d V.; Daniel Wright, M. 1st V.; Henry F. Block, Treas.; Benj. Stark, Sec.; and James H. Lappens, Sentinel. After the installation the choice of a Chapter room was made by ballot, and the hall of Willamette Lodge, No. 2, was adopted. At the next convocation, held January 19, 1860, a full code of by-laws were adopted, which, with very slight amendments, have continued to be the laws of the Chapter to this time. Since its organization there have 267 Companions signed its by-laws, and its membership, at date of last report, was 165. It has numbered among its members many of the leading citizens of the city and State, and has in all respects fulfilled the highest ideals of its early promoters.
OREGON CHAPTER, NO. 4.
This Chapter appears to have been established very soon after the organization of Portland, No. 3, and its charter granted at the same convocation of the General Grand Chapter, in 1859, and signed by the same General Grand Officers, but we have been unable to secure exact dates or the names of the petitioners. It participated in the organization of the Grand Chapter of Oregon, and continued to exercise the functions of a Chapter constituent to it for some years.
The first report made by it, which was in 1861, showed twenty-three members. W. W. Fowler was High Priest; G. W. Greer, King; A. M. Berry, Scribe; G. M. Harris, C. of H.; J. S. Burpee, R. A. C.; Alex. Martin, 3d V.; Jno. E. Ross, 2d V.; Wm. Brice, 1st V.; M. Hanley, Treas.; James T. Glenn, Sec., with W. H. S. Hyde as a Past High Priest and the following members: Sewal Truax, John Anderson, O. Saltmarsh, L. Sachs, Wm. Hess, M. B. Morris, Jos. Marshall, John F. Gray, H. Bloom, Gustaf Wilson, Augustus Taylor, F. B. Sprague, J. W. McCully, Geo. T. Vining and James M. Tucker. Owing to lack of material, several Companions removing, and inability to secure the attendance of a quorum, it surrendered its charter in 1865.
In 1877 a new Chapter was organized in Jacksonville, and by courtesy extended by the Grand Chapter, the old name and number was adopted, since which time it has enjoyed a fair degree of prosperity, though never reaching a large membership.
THE GRAND CHAPTER, R. A. M., OF OREGON.
The initiatory steps for the organization of a Grand Chapter appear to have been taken by Companion Amory Holbrook, High Priest of Clackamas Chapter, No. 2, of Oregon City. During the month of January, 1860, he addressed a letter to each of the other Chapters in the State, to wit: Multnomah, No. 1, Salem; Portland, No. 3, Portland; and Oregon, No. 4, Jacksonville, inviting their cooperation in forming a Grand Chapter. The proposition was promptly endorsed by each of the Chapters. He then addressed M\E\Companion Albert G. Mackey, General Grand High Priest, giving him all the necessary information regarding Capitular affairs in this State and asking for authority to organize a Grand Chapter. In response to said application the General Grand High Priest, from his office, in the City of Charleston, South Carolina, issued his warrant consenting to and
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authorizing the organization of a Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons for the State of Oregon, at such time and place as the wish and convenience of the Chapters might dictate, dated March 21, 1860, and sealed with the seal of the General Grand High Priest.
Owing to delay in the receipt of the warrant, and the difficulty in securing the attendance of the Chapters during the summer months, the convention for organization was called to meet in Salem, September 18, 1860. Comp. A. W. Ferguson was chosen Chairman and Comp. Amory Holbrook Secretary, and there were found to be present the following representing Chapters: Multnomah, No. 1, Salem, L. F. Cartee, H. P.; A. M. Belt, King, and Andrew McCalley, Scribe.
Clackamas, No. 2, Oregon City, Amory Holbrook, H. P., and proxy for King, and David Rutledge, Scribe.
Portland, No. 3, Portland, John McCraken, H. P., and proxy for King, and John C. Ainsworth, Scribe.
Oregon, No. 4, Jacksonville, W. W. Fowler, King and proxy for Scribe.
The warrant of authority from the General Grand High Priest was read, whereupon a resolution to proceed to the organization of the Grand Chapter of Oregon was unanimously adopted, after which a Chapter of Royal Arch Masons was opened in due and solemn form.
A constitution and by-laws was proposed and adopted, after which an election of Grand Officers was had, which resulted as follows: Comp. A. W. Ferguson, M. E. Grand High Priest; Comp. Amory Holbrook, R. E. Deputy Grand High Priest; Comp. John McCraken, R. E. Grand King; Comp. L. F. Cartee, R. E. Grand Scribe; Comp. A. M. Belt, R. E. Grand Treasurer; Comp. T. McF. Patton, R. E. Grand Secretary; Comp. David Rutledge, E. Grand Chaplain; Comp. John C. Ainsworth, E. Grand Captain of Host; Comp. J. Myrick, E. Grand R. Arch Captain; Comp. A. McCalley, E. Grand Principal Sojourner; Comp. James Smart, E. Grand Sentinel. Comp. L. F. Cartee, P. H. P., installed Comp. A. W. Ferguson, M\E\Grand High Priest, who in turn installed the other Grand Officers in full form, and no further business appearing the Grand Chapter was closed in due form, to meet in Salem, September 17, 1861.
The first annual convocation of the Grand Chapter was held in Salem as per appointment, September 17, 1861, with the Grand Officers as above, except L. F. Cartee, Grand Scribe, who was absent, as were J. C. Ainsworth, G. C. of H., and J. Myrick, R. A. C., whose places were filled pro tern by. Comps. W. W. Fowler, Wm. Kaufman and Jas. R. Bayley.
Committees on Credentials, Finance, Charters and Dispensations were announced. All the Chapters were represented.
The Grand High Priest reported the granting of a dispensation for the organization of a new Chapter at Corvallis, appointing Comp. Jas. R. Bayley, H. P.; J. B. Congle, King, and James A. Bennett, Scribe. This new Chapter had exalted five companions, and it was chartered during this session as "Ferguson, No. 5." At this session Companions T. McF. Patton, B. F. Brown and A. M. Belt were appointed a committee on foreign correspondence. The receipts of the Grand Chapter were $310.64, including the $90 dispensation fee for Ferguson Chapter, No. 5. The published minutes contain a complete record of the proceedings, the constitution and laws of the Grand Chapter of Oregon and also of the General Grand Chapter, together with the proceedings in full of the convention for organization of the Grand Chapter of Oregon. Comp. John McCraken was elected M\E\G. H. P., and Comp. T. McF. Patton, R. E. Grand Secretary.
The second annual convocation was held in Salem, September 15, 1862. All the Chapters were
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represented. The list of committees was increased by the addition of "Grievance" and "By-Laws." The Grand High Priest, Companion McCraken, delivered an address in which he deplored the existence of the "civil strife" between the North and South, yet speaking hopefully of Masonic conditions in all the Chapters, except Clackamas, No. 2, which at this session placed its charter in the hands of the Grand High Priest, hoping to be able to secure a working quorum, in which case it was to be returned to them. The dues and fees of that year amounted to $178.16 and expenses to $162.70, one item of which we note was for the Grand Chapter Seal, $35. Comp. John McCraken was re-elected Grand High Priest and Comp. T. McF. Patton was re-elected Grand Secretary. The Grand Chapter was closed to meet the third Monday in September, 1863, in the City of Salem.
The third annual convocation was held, as per appointment, in Salem, September 18, 1863. All the Grand Officers were present, except the Grand Treasurer. The five Chapters were all represented, although Clackamas, No. 2, had held no meetings, and at this session made formal surrender of its charter and turned over to the Grand Chapter its entire equipments, to be returned if in the future it was revived.
The Grand High Priest announced a petition from a constitutional number of Royal Arch Masons, residing at Canyon City, Eastern Oregon, praying for a charter; the committee to whom it was referred reported in favor of a dispensation instead, which was approved by the Grand Chapter. The address of Grand High Priest McCraken abounded in loyal sentiments, both to the government of the United States and the interests of Royal Arch Masonry. He also mentions the recognizing of the Grand Chapter of Oregon by the Grand Chapter of Missouri, and also notes that owing to the disturbed condition of the country, the General Grand Chapter did not hold its triennial convocation.
The Grand Chapter passed a resolution denouncing the use of profane language, and the intemperate use of intoxicating liquors; but while admitting that it was the proper thing to do, to invite brother Masons to join the Chapter, they declined to legislate upon that subject. Companion Jas. R. Bayley was elected Grand High Priest, and Companion F. H. Pearne was elected Grand Secretary; and the Grand Chapter closed, after appointing the next convocation for the City of Portland, and to occur on Friday evening prior to the opening of the Grand Lodge.
The fourth annual convocation was held in the City of Portland, June 17, 1864. The Grand High Priest being absent, Companion Josiah Myrick, Deputy G. H. P., presided, and Companion B. F. Goodwin served as Grand Secretary pro tern. There was no report nor address submitted by the Grand High Priest, but we find from the report of the Committee on Charters and Dispensations that a new Chapter had been organized at The Dalles, and that Companion O. S. Savage was in attendance asking for a charter, which was granted as "Dalles, No. 6." The dispensation to the Companions at Canyon City was continued for another year. There were but three of the Chapters represented, and if it had not been for the presence of several permanent members there would not have been representatives enough to open the Grand Chapter. Oregon, No. 4, obtained permission to suspend their meetings for a period of six months. Companion J. C. Ainsworth was elected and installed M\E\Grand High Priest, and Companion B. F. Goodwin R\E\Grand Secretary, and the Grand Chapter closed to meet on the evening of the same day the Grand Lodge opened its next annual communication, in Portland, in June, 1865.
The fifth annual was held in the City, of Portland, June 19, 1865. The Grand High Priest being absent, Comp. C. H. Lewis, Deputy G. H. P.; presided. A communication from the Grand High Priest, reporting his executive acts, was read, by which it appeared that he had succeeded in getting the Chapter at Canyon City into good working order and that it was prospering, but that he had received the surrender of the charter of Oregon, No. 4, on account of the depletion of their numbers by removal until
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they could no longer maintain their organization. A charter was granted to the Canyon City Companions under the title of "Blue Mountain, No. 7." Comp. John H. Couch reported a balance in the treasury of $587.07, and official reports showed a membership of 170, not counting the dimitted members of Oregon, No. 4, which, in spite of the unfavorable conditions, showed the Royal Craft of Oregon to be fairly prosperous. Comp. C. H. Lewis was elected Grand High Priest, and B. F. Goodwin Grand Secretary; and the Grand Chapter closed to meet on Monday preceding the opening of the Grand Lodge in the City of Portland, in June, 1866.
The sixth annual convened in Portland, June 18, 1866. Comp. C. H. Lewis presided. Multnomah, No. 1, Portland, No. 3, Ferguson, No. 5, Dallas, No. 6, and Blue Mountain, No. 7, Chapters were present. At this session the first report on correspondence was printed in nine pages, in which eleven Grand Jurisdictions were reviewed, besides the General Grand Chapter, which met by special summons of Comp. Albert G. Mackey, Gen. G. H. P., at Columbus, Ohio, September 7, 1865. Comp. W. S. Caldwell, a member of Portland, No. 3, was the author of the report. Comp. Geo. A. Edes was elected Grand High Priest, and Chas. M. Cartwright Grand Secretary.
The seventh annual was held in Portland, June 24, 1867. The Grand High Priest was absent and Comp. B. F. Brown, Deputy G. H. P., presided. Chapters Nos. 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 were represented. The address was very brief, and the particular action of this convocation was the granting of a charter to Idaho Chapter, at Idaho City, Idaho, and placing it on the Oregon rolls as No. 8, but without anticipating, we may remark, that they soon found out their error, and next year asked the General Grand High Priest to pardon them, and heal Idaho, which we presume was accomplished, though we can find no record of the matter, and Idaho never reported but twice and never was represented in the Grand Chapter. The death of Comp. Amory Holbrook, one of the earliest promoters of the Capitular Rite in Oregon, is reported in these proceedings, and a page In Memoriam set apart to his honor. Eleven pages of correspondence, reviewing twelve Grand Jurisdictions, was the work of Comp. B. F. Brown, D. G. H. P. He was elected Grand High Priest, and Comp. Cartwright was re-elected Grand Secretary.
At the eighth annual, held in Portland, June 22, 1868, Comp. Brown presiding Grand High Priest, with .Chapters Nos. 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 represented, reports show that not a Royal Arch Mason had died during the year. Comp. J. H. Wythe presented a thirteen - page report on correspondence, in which twenty-one Grand Jurisdictions were reviewed. Thus we see that slowly but surely the Royal Arch Masonry of Oregon was being recognized and our Companions being brought into closer relations with Eastern Jurisdictions. It is a matter of note that at this session of the Grand Chapter Comp. James R. Bayley, already a Past Grand High Priest of 1864, was elected Grand High Priest, and that from that date he made special effort to establish Capitular Masonry on a sure footing, and that for seven successive years, he was re-elected Grand High Priest, making nine years of successful labor on his part devoted to the interests of the Grand Chapter. Also it was at this session that Rockey Preston Earhart was elected Grand Secretary, which important position he faithfully filled until his death in 1892; and to the faithful and intelligent effort of this much loved Companion much of the prosperity of Oregon Grand Chapter was due.
The ninth annual convocation was held in Portland, June 18, 1869, with all the Grand Officers except Principal Sojourner present, with the five active Chapters represented. Comp. J. H. Wythe again makes correspondence report, touching lightly on fourteen Grand Jurisdictions.
The tenth annual was held in the hall of Temple Lodge, No. 7, at Astoria, June 17, 1870. A good attendance of officers; but Dalles, No. 6, was absent, the other four Chapters present. The death of John H. Couch, Grand Treasurer, was announced. Comp. Stephen F. Chadwick made the report on correspondence, reviewing twenty Jurisdictions.
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The eleventh annual was held in Salem, June 16, 1871. All the Grand Officers present. Chapters Nos. 1, 3, 5 and 6 represented. Blue Mountain, No 7, reported and paid dues all right, but had no representative; their hall and all their belongings, including their charter, had been destroyed by fire. A duplicate charter was issued free of charge, with an explanation of the circumstances of its issue endorsed upon it by the Grand Secretary. Comp. Thos. McF. Patton presented the report on correspondence, 104 pages, well filled, reviewing thirty-three Grand Jurisdictions. His ability crops out in a marked degree in his first effort, and his long continued and intelligent labors in the correspondence field did much to place Oregon in the enviable position among the Grand Chapters that she has always maintained.
The twelfth annual was held in Salem, June 24, 1872, with all the Grand Officers present and all the Chapters represented. Grand High Priest Bayley reported the granting of a dispensation to the Companions of Albany to organize a Royal Arch Chapter, and the Grand Chapter granted a charter under the name of "Bayley, No. 8." He also reported having visited all the Chapters except No. 7, and found them working well. He had by proxy issued to Comp. John B. Lee, by authority of the General Grand High Priest, constituted Seattle Chapter, Washington. At this convocation we note for the first time the required payment of ten cents per capita to the General Grand Chapter. The General Grand only asked for one cent, but Oregon made it ten, which at least showed liberality. At this session the Grand Secretary was allowed $l00 for his services the past year, and the same amount annually until further orders. A year previous the Grand Treasurer had loaned the Masonic Building Association $450, but during the past year he had changed it into a subscription to its stock for $1,000, payment for which was reported at the twelfth annual, which left the Grand Chapter $400.59 balance in treasury. The Grand Chapter this year, for the first time, printed the list of elective Grand Officers since organization, which custom has prevailed ever since.
The thirteenth annual convocation was held in the Masonic Temple in the City of Portland, June 6. 1873. And it is to be noted that from that time the place of meeting has not been changed, but the hall in which the Grand Lodge holds its sessions, the several Lodges of the city and Portland Chapter, No. 3, has been the home of the Grand Chapter at each recurring annual convocation. At this session all the Grand Officers were present; all the Chapters except No. 7. All reported and paid dues, and for the first time the aggregate membership exceeded 200. Portland, No. 3, exemplified the Royal Arch degree, John McCraken, P. G. H. P., as High Priest, and B. F. Brown, P. G. H. P., as Principal Sojourner. Comps. B. G. Whitehouse, Dean Blanchard and S. O. L. Potter were exalted.
The fourteenth annual was held June 5, 1874. All the Grand Officers present and all Chapters were represented. Grand High Priest Bayley reported the organization of three new Chapters, all of which were chartered during this session, to wit: "La Grande, No. 9," of La Grande, Union County; "Eugene, No. 10," of Eugene, Lane County, and "Umpqua, No. 11," of Roseburg, Douglas Countymaking nine active Chapters, with a membership of 264. For five years Companion Patton had been preparing the reports on correspondence, from 100 to 125 pages of excellent matter, laboring without hope of fee or reward, and at this session the Grand Chapter presented him a fine gold-headed cane, suitably inscribed, as a slight token of its high appreciation of his able and disinterested services.
All the Chapters were represented at the fifteenth annual, which was held June If, 1875. A dispensation had been issued by John B. Lee, D. G. H. P., for the organization of a Chapter at Scio, Linn County, which was chartered as "Santiam, No. 12." The Grand Chapter authorized the payment of $100 per annum to the chairman of the Committee on Correspondence, but Companion Patton declined to serve and Comp. Martin V. Brown was appointed in his stead. For the purpose of securing greater uniformity in the work, Comp. Thos. H. Cox was chosen Grand Lecturer, with a salary of $300 per
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annum. He was required to spend five days with each Chapter, it paying his expenses during his stay.
At the sixteenth annual, held June 11, 1876, all the Grand Officers and the ten Chapters were present. A new Chapter had been organized at Harrisburg, Linn County, which was chartered during the session as "Harrisburg, No. 13." We notice that during these years the accounts of the Grand Chapter were kept in coin values, and when currency was used the discounts were shown. Companion Brown made a good report on correspondence, but the pressure was so great upon Companion Patton to return to that field of work that he consented and was again made chairman. Companion Bayley this year completed his eighth consecutive term as Grand High Priest, making nine in all, and declining further election, Comp. John B. Lee was elected to succeed him.
The seventeenth annual was held June 8, 1877; all the Chapters present. Companion Lee had been an active and efficient Grand High Priest; he had organized three new Chapters, which were disposed of by the Grand Chapter as follows: A charter was granted the Astoria Companions as "St. John, No. 14." A charter was granted the Jacksonville Companions as "Oregon, No. 4," thus restoring the old name and number, a majority of the petitioners having been members of old No. 4 when it surrendered its charter. Some years subsequent to this the old charter was found among the archives of the Grand Chapter and restored to Oregon, No. 4, though in reality it was a new Chapter, though by courtesy of the Grand Chapter it was given the rank of the old Chapter. The dispensation to the Baker City Companions was continued until next annual convocation.
At the eighteenth annual, held June 7, 1878, all the Chapters were represented except No. 4. A charter was granted to the Companions of Baker City as "Keystone, No. 15," and a dispensation was authorized to be issued to the Companions of McMinnville. Companion John B. Congle was elected Grand High Priest.
The nineteenth annual was held June 6, 1879. The fourteen Chapters were all represented. The Grand High Priest reported dispensations had been issued to Companions at McMinnville, Yamhill County, and also at Dallas, Polk County. Charters were granted as "Sterling, No. 16," of McMinnville, and "Ainsworth, No. 17," at Dallas. The Grand Chapter prepared a plan for assuming control of the Council degrees, but as the General Grand Chapter declined to assume any authority over the Cryptic Rite, the movement never materialized. Companion Congle was re-elected Grand High Priest.
The twentieth annual was held June 11, 1880; all the Chapters except No. 7 present, but no history-making proceedings were had. Comp. David P. Mason was elected Grand High Priest.
At the twenty-first convocation, June to, 1881, all the Grand Officers and all the Chapters were present. Two new Chapters had been organized and were chartered as "Washington, No. 18," of East Portland, and "Linn, No. 19," of Brownsville. All the officers were re-elected.
The twenty-second annual was held June 9, 1882. All the Chapters represented. The Grand High Priest noted the death of Albert G. Mackey, P. G. G. H. P. at Fortress Monroe, Va., June 21, 1881, aged 75 years. He also made appropriate mention of the assassination of Comp. James A. Garfield, President of the United States.
The first appeal in the history of the Grand Chapter was referred to the Committee on Grievances, which reported sustaining the action of Bayley Chapter, No. 8, in expelling a Companion for unmasonic conduct. A record of twenty-one years without an appeal or case of grievance speaks volumes for the unanimity of purpose and careful administration of Capitular law, as practiced by the pioneers of Royal Arch Masonry in Oregon. James F. Robinson was elected Grand High Priest.
At the twenty-third annual, held June 8, 1883, all the Chapters were represented. The Grand High Priest had granted a dispensation to the Companions of Union, Union County, and the Grand
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Chapter granted a charter as "Grand Ronde Valley, No. 20." The aggregate membership reported was 706, and the Grand Treasury balance was $1,254.92.
The twenty-fourth annual was held June 6, 1884. All the Chapters were represented. Comp. T. McF. Patton having been appointed Consul at Osaka, Japan, resigned the Chairmanship of the Committee on Correspondence and Comp. R. P. Earhart was appointed to that important position. Comp. Patton was presented by the Grand Chapter with a fine Past High Priest's jewel, suitably engraved, as a token of high appreciation of his eminent services as Correspondent. Comp. Ferdinand N. Shurtleff was elected Grand High Priest.
The twenty-fifth annual convocation was held June 8, 1885. Chapters Nos. 4, 9 and 11 not represented. A new Chapter had been organized at Ashland, Jackson County, which was chartered as "Siskiyou, No. 21." Companion Robert W. Hill submitted the report on correspondence, in the place of the Chairman. The Grand Chapter increased the salary of the Grand Secretary to $200 per year, and that of Correspondent to $150, at which amounts they have since remained. Companion James K. Weatherford was elected Grand High Priest.
At the twenty-sixth annual, held June 14, 1886, all the Chapters except No. 7 were represented. A new Chapter had been organized at Marshfield, Coos County, which the Grand Chapter chartered as "Arago,.No. 22." Companion Robt. W. Hill submitted his second report on correspondence, the Grand Chapter passed highly complimentary resolutions thanking him, but Comp. Patton, having returned from Japan, he was again placed at the head of the committee. Companion Wallace Baldwin was elected Grand High Priest.
The twenty-seventh annual was held June 13, 1887, with all the Chapters except No. 7 represented. A petition was presented from the Companions of Pendleton, Umatilla County, for a charter, which was granted as "Pendleton, No. 23." Companion R. F. Gibons was elected Grand High Priest, and Comp. Earhart appointed Chairman of Correspondence Committee, Comp. Patton having tendered his resignation; however, we note that Comp. Patton prepared the next report, making to that date fifteen reports prepared by him.
At the twenty-eighth annual June 11, 1888, all the Chapters were represented. Royal Arch Masonry was reported prosperous, but no history making record of transactions. Comp. Thos. McF. Patton was elected Grand High Priest.
The twenty-ninth annual was held June 10, 1889, with all the Chapters present. The routine business was promptly and harmoniously disposed of, but nothing of historical character. Comp. Donald Mackay was elected Grand High Priest.
The thirtieth annual was held June 9, 1890. Santiam, No. 12, had surrendered its charter during the year. All the other Chapters were present. The Grand Chapter contributed $50 to aid the sufferers from the great fire at Seattle, Wash., also $50 for aid of the survivors of the great Johnstown, Pennsylvania, disaster. It also contributed $100 toward the Washington Monument to be erected at Fredericksburg, Virginia. Comp. Seth L. Pope was elected Grand High Priest.
At the thirty-first annual held June 8, 1891, all the Chapters except Arago, No. 22, were present. Upon petition of the Companions of Sterling, No. 16, the name of that Chapter was changed to "Taylor, No. 16," in honor of Comp. Christopher Taylor, one of its pioneer members and at that time Grand Treasurer, but who was detained away from the annual convocation by severe illness from which he never recovered. Comp. David P. Mason, P. G. H. P., was elected Grand Treasurer, which responsible
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office he has continued to fill to the entire satisfaction of the Craft, to the date of this writing. Companion Jay Tuttle was elected Grand High Priest.
The thirty-second annual was held June 13, 1892, all the Chapters except La Grande, No. 9, were represented. The Grand High Priest reported three new Chapters organized under dispensation, and the Grand Chapter disposed of them as follows: A charter was granted to the Companions of Tillamook, as "Johnson Chapter, No. 24," to the Companions of Independence as Independence, No. 25, and directed that the dispensation to the Companions of Heppner be continued another year. On account of the death of our much loved Grand Secretary, Companion Rockey Preston Earhart, the Grand High Priest had appointed and installed Companion James F. Robinson, P. G. H. P., to the vacancy, to which position he was elected at this session, and has, since that time to the present, been regularly re-elected. Companion T. McF. Patton again took up the reportorial pen, as it had fallen from the hand of the late Chairman, Comp. Earhart, and prepared the report on correspondence for this year, but declining further service, Comp. John Milton Hodson was appointed chairman of the committee, making his first report in 1893, and has since prepared all the reports on correspondence up to date of this writing.
This year reports show a net gain in membership of 96, and for the first time passed the one thousand mark, reaching 1,080, and the Grand Treasurer showed a cash balance of a fraction over $2,500. Comp. Geo. E. Chamberlain was elected Grand High Priest.
At the thirty-third annual June 11, 1893, all the officers were in their stations, and all the Chapters except Oregon, No. 4, and Umpqua, No. 11, were present. The Grand High Priest reported the organization of a new Chapter at Oregon City, and upon petition from the Companions, it was chartered as "Clackamas, No. 2," the Grand Chapter allowing the use of name and number of the Chapter located in that city, which surrendered its charter in 1863. The Companions of Heppner were granted a charter as "Heppner, No. 26." Companion George McD. Stroud was elected Grand High Priest.
On account of the great storms and floods of the early summer, the convocation of the Grand Chapter was postponed until the 9th of July, 1894, and conditions of travel and transportation were such that even at that date but twelve of the twenty-five Chapters were represented. Comp. W. C. Crawford was elected Grand High Priest.
The thirty-fifth annual convocation was held June 10, 1895, with all the Chapters represented except St. John, No. 14, and Arago, No. 22. The death of P. G. G. H. P. Comp. John Frizzell of Tennessee was reported, also that of Comp. Wm. B. Isaacs of Virginia, and suitable resolutions In Memoriam adopted. No historical proceedings. Comp. J. M. Hodson was elected Grand High Priest and by resolution, passed by the Grand Chapter, was continued as Chairman of the Correspondence Committee.
The thirty-sixth annual was held June 8, 1896, all the Grand Officers and Chapters except No. 4 and No. 22 were present. The Grand High Priest reported the organization of two new Chapters, one at Hood River and the other at Grants Pass; the first was chartered as "Hood River, No. 27," the second as "Reames, No. 28." Comp. John H. Irvine was elected Grand High Priest.
Upon occasion of the thirty-seventh annual held June 14, 1897, the Grand Officers were all present and 23 of the 26 Chapters represented, St. John, No. 14, Arago, No. 22, and Hood River, No. 27, being absent. The Grand High Priest reported the surrender of the charter of Umpqua Chapter, No. 11, and his action in the premises was endorsed by the Grand Chapter. Comp. L. N. Roney was elected Grand High Priest.
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The thirty-eighth annual convocation was held June 13, 1898, all the Chapters except Arago, No. 22, and St. John, No. 14, were present. Reports showed the Royal Craft in good condition. The routine business was promptly disposed of but nothing of a history making character occurred. Comp Henry S. Strange was elected Grand High Priest.
The thirty-ninth annual convocation was held June 12, 1899. For the first time in its history the Grand Chapter lost its Grand High Priest by death during his term of office. Comp. Henry S. Strange passed through inner vails March 7, 1899. Suitable memorial reports and In Memoriam tablets were published with the proceedings. Comp. Wm. T. Wright, D. G. H. P., presided over the Grand Chapter. Harrisburg Chapter, No. 13, surrendered its charter at this session, settled all claims and its members received dimits enabling them to affiliate elsewhere, as has always been the policy of the Grand Chapter in such cases, for which cause the number of non - affiliated Royal Arch Masons in Oregon has always been comparatively few. Companion William Thomas Wright was elected Grand High Priest.
The fortieth annual convocation was held June 11, 1900. Twenty-two of the twenty-five Chapter present. The Grand High Priest congratulated the Companions upon the harmony and prosperity prevailing, but no history making proceedings were had. Comp. Orlando O. Hodson was elected Grand High Priest.
The forty-first annual was held June 10, 1901, Johnson, No. 24, Independence, No. 25, and Hoot River, No. 27, not represented. Very little even routine business appeared, the most cordial relation existed among the Companions and the continued prosperity of the Royal Craft was a subject of congratulation. The membership in the Grand Jurisdiction passed the 1,500 mark, reaching 1,509, and the Grand Treasurer reported a cash balance of $2,142.85. Comp. Henry B. Thielsen was elected Grand High Priest.
The foregoing brief sketch of the rise and progress, step by step, of Royal Arch Masonry in Oregon, conveys but a very small part of the many valuable acts and influences exerted upon the conditions ii the young and growing commonwealth. These matters were never committed to record; therefore, ii searching the archives we can find no more than the merest outlines of that which upon many interesting occasions was said and done, and of the history or career of the worthy pioneers who wrought so faith fully in establishing the Royal Arch upon a sure foundation; but few of them have left any record beyond their names as attending various convocations.
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THE ORDER OF HIGH PRIESTHOOD OF OREGON.
In 1880 there was but one anointed high priest in the grand jurisdiction of Oregon, so far was known. Companion Asa H. Hodson, residing at McMinnville, but hailing from the Grand Council of Indiana, instituted careful inquiry and arrived at the above conclusion. During the latter part of the year Companions Christopher Taylor, of Stirling Chapter, No. 16, of McMinnville, and John Muldrick, of Blue Mountain Chapter, No. 7, of Canyon City, each being a past high priest, also a Knight Templar, attended the Conclave of the Grand Encampment at Chicago, and after its close extended their visit through the east for some months and obtained the order of High Priesthood in the Council located in the city of Detroit, Michigan, before returning home. Obtaining their certificates and such instructions as their time and opportunities would permit, upon their return to Oregon they
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were prepared to join Companion Hodson in making up the necessary number for opening an emergent council for work. Owing to the distance from Canyon City to McMinnville, and the press of business, it was not until October 22, 1881, that Companion Muldrick could visit Western Oregon. Upon that date the three Companions above mentioned met in McMinnville and opening an emergent council, elected, consecrated, anointed and set apart, in form, Companions John J. Spencer and Horatio V. V. Johnson, past high priests of Stirling Chapter, No. 16, signing the records: Christopher Taylor, President; John Muldrick, Vice-President, and A. H. Hodson, Recorder.
Anxious that the ample number should be obtained at as early a date as possible, Companions Hodson, Taylor and Spencer visited the city of Salem November 19, 1881, and in the office of the Secretary of State opened an emergent council and anointed and set apart to the Order of High Priesthood, in form, Companions Rockey P. Earhart, and Frelon J. Babcock, each being a Past High Priest of Multnomah Chapter, No. 1, signing the records: A. H. Hodson, President; Christopher Taylor, Vice-President; and J. J. Spencer, Recorder.
The third emergent council was opened in Masonic Hall, McMinnville, January 3, 1882, upon which occasion Companion J. R. N. Bell, Past High Priest of Oregon Chapter, No. 4, of Jacksonville, and Companion Erastus Holgate of Ferguson Chapter, No. 5, of Corvallis, were anointed and set apart, in due form. The records of the proceedings are signed: A. H. Hodson, President; Chris. Taylor, Vice-President; H. V. V. Johnson, Chaplain; F. J. Babcock, Herald; and John J. Spencer, Recorder.
The fourth emergent council was held in Masonic Hall, McMinnville, January 5, 1882, upon which occasion Companions Bushrod W. Wilson and Wallace Baldwin, Past High Priests of Ferguson Chapter, No. 5, and Robert Clow, Past High Priest of Ainsworth Chapter, No. 17, of Dallas were anointed and set apart in due form; the records being signed: A. H. Hodson, President; Chris. Taylor, Vice-President; and F. J. Babcock, Recorder.
The fifth emergent council was opened in McMinnville, February 1, 1882, at which Companion James R. Bayley, past high priest of Ferguson Chapter, No. 5, was anointed and consecrated in due form; these records signed by A. H. Hodson, president; H. V. V. Johnson, chaplain; and Jno. J. Spencer, recorder.
The sixth emergent council was opened in the Masonic Hall, McMinnville, May 31, 1882, upon which occasion Companion Seth L. Pope was anointed and set apart in due form; he was a past high priest of Dallas Chapter, No. 6. This record is signed by A. H. Hodson, president; F. J. Babcock, Vice-President; H. V. V. Johnson, chaplain; and J. J. Spencer, recorder.
A convention of anointed High Priests was called to meet in the Masonic Temple, Portland, June 9, 1882, which was attended by the following Companions: R. P. Earhart and F. J. Babcock of Multnomah Chapter, No. 1, Wallace Baldwin of Ferguson Chapter, No. 5, Seth L. Pope of Dallas Chapter, No. 6, Chris. Taylor, A. H. Hodson, J. J. Spencer, and H. V. V. Johnson of Stirling Chapter, No. 16, Robert Clow of Ainsworth Chapter, No. 17, and a visiting Comp., W. F. West, of Shasta Chapter, No. 9, of California.
Companion Wallace Baldwin was called to the chair, and Comp. R. P. Earhart was appointed recorder, after which it was unanimously resolved that it was expedient to forthwith organize a Council of High Priests for the State of Oregon. The convention then proceeded to the election of officers, which resulted as follows: Christopher Taylor, president; A. H. Hodson, Vice-President; Seth L. Pope, chaplain; Robert Clow, treasurer; R. P. Earhart, recorder; Wallace Baldwin, master of ceremonies; F. J. Babcock, conductor; J. J. Spencer, herald; and H. V. V. Johnson, steward. Whereupon the officers elected proceeded to open a council in ample form. A code of rules for the government of the
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Grand Council was adopted, the records of the six emergent councils were approved, and ordered printed as a part of the permanent records of the Grand Council; the Recorder was authorized to procure a seal properly inscribed for the use of the Grand Council. The ritual as furnished by Companion Wm. Hacker, of Indiana, was adopted for the use of the Grand Council, which has never been changed.
Fourteen high priests presenting certificates of election and applying for the order, were received, anointed, consecrated, and set apart to the holy order, in full form; which added to those who had received the order in emergent councils and the three original High Priests, forming the same, made up a membership of twenty-eight, which has been regularly increased every year at the conventions held during the convocations of the Grand Chapter. At the last convention there were one hundred and forty-six. The following have served as M. E. President: Christopher Taylor, Asa H. Hodson, Frelon J. Babcock, Wallace Baldwin, David P. Mason, Jay Tuttle, John Milton Hodson, and Orlando O. Hodson; the first three have passed from labor to reward, but the influence of their work and example lives with us and the success of the order for which they so faithfully wrought is assured.
CHAPTER XVII.
Cryptic Masonry of Oregon.
BY JOHN MILTON HODSON, PAST M .GRAND MASTER.
COMPARATIVELY few Companions living in Oregon prior to 1880 had penetrated the Ninth Arch. In the early part of that year Companion Asa H. Hodson, who had recently settled in McMinnville, Yamhill County, and who came from Indiana, having for several years been a member of the Grand Council of Indiana, and Ill\Master of one of its subordinate Councils located at Muncie, began a systematic inquiry for members of the Cryptic Rite, and found James R. Bayley of Corvallis, from Springfield, Ohio; Christopher Taylor, of Dayton, who had obtained the degrees in a Council of Michigan while he was on a trip East during the summer of 1880; John R. N. Bell, of Roseburg, from a Council in Arkansas; Frelon J. Babcock, of Salem, from a Council in Vermont, and Companion John Gray, of Salem, but we are unable to find ,out where he was greeted. Companion Hodson applied to M\Ill\ General Grand Master Companion Josiah H. Drummond, of Portland, Maine, and obtained a special dispensation for conferring the degrees on a sufficient number of Royal Arch Masons to secure and maintain a regular Council.
Under and by authority of this special dispensation, which was dated September 1, 1881, the six Companions named above met in McMinnville, January 5, 1882, and conferred the degrees upon Companions John J. Spencer, Thos. J. Buford, Wallace Baldwin, Herman E. Harris and Robert Clow. During the interim between the time of receipt of the special dispensation and the holding of the meeting for conferring the degrees, the following additional Royal and Select Masters had been found: L. L. Rowland, A. M. Belt, Chas. E. Sitton, John Muldrick, Berryman Jennings, A. W. Ferguson, F. Farnsworth and T. McF. Patton, all of whom joined with the first five and secured a dispensation for opening a regular Council, U. D., as "Pioneer Council" of McMinnville, which was received about the date of the meeting in January, 1882, and, before separating, the Companions organized in due form and conferred the degrees of Royal and Select Master upon Companions George Tatom, Wm. C. Crawford, S. N. Lilley, Samuel Shaffer, D. T. Sears, John H. Lewis, Meyer Harris, E. Holgate and Bushrod W. Wilson,
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and at the evening session the following were greeted: Companions H. V. V. Johnson, Jacob C. Cooper, Jos. F. Wisecarver, G. W. Harris, Hiram A. Tucker, James S. Cooper, James Booth and J. H. Downing. The officers appointed by the M\Ill\Genet - al Grand Master were: Asa H. Hodson, Th\Ill\Master; Christopher Taylor, Dep\Ill\Master and Frelon J. Babcock, Ill\Conductor of the Work; and the Th\Ill\Master appointed the following: Samuel Shaffer, Treasurer; John J. Spencer, Recorder; Jacob C. Cooper, Capt. of the Guard; Hiram A. Tucker, Conductor of the Council, and H. V. V. Johnson, Chaplain.
At a meeting of Pioneer Council, U. D., January 31, 1882, the following Companions appeared and asked the recommendation of their petition to the General Grand Master to obtain a dispensation to open and hold a Council of Royal and Select Masters in Corvallis, Benton Co., Oregon: Wallace Baldwin, H. E. Harris, Wm. C. Crawford, John H. Lewis, Jas. R. Bayley, E. Holgate, B. W. Wilson, T. J. Buford, Meyer Harris, James Booth, Silas N. Lilley and J. R. N. Bell, which was granted, and their action approved, fixing the south line of Polk County, Oregon, as the limit of jurisdiction between the new Council and Pioneer.
The General Grand Master, Josiah H. Drummond, granted to Companion Frelon J. Babcock a dispensation to communicate the degree of Superexcellent Master to a sufficient number of Companions to ensure the conferring of this degree upon all Companions in the future. He, under this authority, at the meeting of Pioneer Council, U. D., December 27, 1882, explained to and obligated the following Companions: Christopher Taylor, Hiram A. Tucker, Wm. H. Bingham, Horatio V. V. Johnson, Asa H. Hodson, John J. Spencer and James O. Spencer, as Superexcellent Masters, which degree has been since maintained in this jurisdiction as a part of the Cryptic Rite.
The Companions residing in the City of Portland and vicinity presented. to a meeting of Pioneer Council, U. D., held July 28, 1883, a petition to the General Grand Council, asking for a charter to organize a Council at East Portland, to be known as Washington, No. 3, which was unanimously recommended, fixing the jurisdiction, so far as the west side of the Willamette River was concerned, as Clatsop, Columbia and Multnomah Counties for the new Council.
The names signed to the above petition were: Geo. H. Holbrook, W. H. Moore, Samuel Bullock, Abram Brandt, Wm. Underhill, John A. Newell, Penumbra Kelly, J. A. C. Freund, James E. Stewart, Griffin A. Stanton and H. E. Holbrook.
The work of Pioneer Council had been very successful and upon the making up of the reports for the General Grand Council upon the last of July, 1883, showed a membership of fifty, not counting the Companions who had been recommended for the organization of Oregon Council, No. 2, of Corvallis, nor Washington, No. 3, of East Portland.
The General Grand Council at its triennial assembly in Denver, August 14, 1883, granted a charter to Pioneer Council as "Pioneer Council, No. 1," of McMinnville, Oregon, and it was duly constituted' June 17, 1884, and its officers installed by Ill\Companion Frelon J. Babcock, Special Deputy of M. P. Geo. M. Osgoodby, General Grand Master.
It participated in the organization of the Grand Council of Oregon in 1885, and has since that time maintained a fairly prosperous condition. At the eighth annual assembly of Oregon Grand Council held at East Portland, February 1, 1893, upon its unanimous petition, its name was changed to "Hodson Council, No. 1," in honor of Illustrious Companion Asa H. Hodson, by whose exertion, chiefly, the Cryptic Rite was established in Oregon, and who was our first M\Ill\Grand Master.
Oregon Council, No. 2, of Corvallis, was organized May 4, 1.882, under dispensation issued by the General Grand Master, Most Ill\Josiah H. Drummond, in response to the petition recommended by
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Pioneer Council, No. 1, January 31, 1882, where is found a list of the petitioners, Companions, officers by appointment: Wallace Baldwin, Th\Ill\Master; Herman E. Harris, Dep\Ill\Master; James Booth, Ill\P. C. of Work.
At this meeting an emergency having been unanimously declared, the following well - known worthy Royal Arch Masons were duly elected and subsequently duly greeted as Royal and Select Masters in due form: Morris Stock, Zephin Job, Thos. Graham, Wm. Graves, J. Senders, O. V. Motley,
MASONIC HALL, BAKER CITY, OREGON.
Geo. W. Kennedy, M. S. Woodcock, Elias Harris, R. A. Foster, E. W. Langdon, N. Baum, R. P. Ear - hart, David P. Mason, A. K. Colburn.
By special dispensation from the M\Ill\General Grand Master, Ill\Bro. F. J. Babcock did, on the 26th of January, 1883, communicate the Superexcellent degree to thirteen Companions and the Council has since continued to maintain that degree. The General Grand Council, at its assembly at Denver in 1883, granted a charter as Oregon Council, No. 2, of Corvallis, bearing date August 14, 1883, and Ill\Companion Frelon J. Babcock was appointed proxy of the General Grand Master, and on the 27th day of June, 1884, he constituted Oregon Council, No. 2, and installed the following officers: Wallace Baldwin, Th\Ill\Master; H. E. Harris, Dep\Ill\Master; Jas. Booth, P. C. of Work; M.
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Stock, Treasurer; E. Holgate, Recorder; Geo. W. Kennedy, Capt. of Guard; John H. Lewis, Cond. of Council, and Jacob Senders, Sentinel.
Since which time this Council has enjoyed a fair degree of prosperity. It participated in the organization of the Grand Council, and has in turn entertained it, at its annual assemblies in a truly hospitable manner.
Washington Council, No. 3, was organized and duly constituted July 9, 1884, by Companion Frelon J. Babcock, Special Deputy of Most Illustrious General Grand Master George M. Osgood by, under and by virtue of a charter granted by the General Grand Council at its session in Denver, August 14, 1883, to the list of Companions recommended by Pioneer Council, No. 1, July 28, 1883. The first officers were: J. A. Newell, Th\Ill\Master; Wm. Underhill, Dep\Ill\Master; Samuel Bullock, P. C. of the Work; Penumbra Kelly, Treasurer; W. H. Moore, Recorder; A. Brandt, Capt. of Guard; Geo. H. Holbrook, Conductor, and G. A. Stanton, Sentinel. The Council immediately went to work with considerable activity, which life and enthusiasm has always been maintained. It now has the largest membership of any Council in the State.
Washington Council, No. 3, took the initial steps toward the organization of a Grand Council by adopting a resolution inviting the other Councils to participate in a convention to be held at McMinnville. This was done at the stated meeting of the Council October 3, 1884, and the convention was called for October 21, 1884, and a request forwarded to the General Grand Master asking him to appoint Companion Asa H. Hodson to preside over the convention and organize a Grand Council, provided the representatives of these Councils should upon due consideration so determine.
GRAND COUNCIL R. & S. MASTERS OF OREGON.
Owing to the time required to communicate with the other Councils and also with the General Grand Master all things were not in readiness at the date set in the resolution, and it was not until February 3, 1885, that the necessary arrangements were completed, and the emergent convention assembled in the hall of Pioneer Council, No. 1, with full representation from each of the Councils, together with several interested Companions.
The special dispensation and letter of instruction from Geo. M. Osgoodby, General Grand Master, were read, appointing Companion Asa H. Hodson his special proxy for conducting the convention. All the necessary steps were taken to fully and legally organize and constitute the Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters of Oregon; they adopted a Constitution and elected a full corps of officers and then adjourned, submitted all their proceedings to the General Grand Master, who approved the same and authorized the completion of the organization by the installation of the officers elected, which was done at a called assembly, held at McMinnville, May 11, 1885, when the following officers were installed: Asa H. Hodson, M\Ill\Grand Master; Wallace Baldwin, Dep\Ill\Grand Master; Christopher Taylor, G\Ill\Master; Samuel Bullock, G. P. C. of Work; Herman E. Harris, Grand Treasurer; Frelon J. Babcock, Grand Recorder; John A. Newell, G. Capt. of Guard; J. F. Wisecarver, Grand Steward; J. J. Spencer, Grand Sentinel.
No further business appearing, the Grand Council closed in solemn form to meet in first annual assembly at Corvallis on the second Wednesday of January, 1886. Reports at this date showed three Councils with a total of 88 members, as follows: Pioneer, No. 1, 39; Oregon, No. 2, 30; Washington, No. 3, 19.
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Since organization the Grand Council has held its sessions regularly and during all that time has enjoyed a fair degree of prosperity. As in all other Jurisdictions, it has maintained itself wholly upon the merits of its degrees, and will doubtless continue to do so in the future. As stated the emergent assemblies convened in McMinnville; Asa H. Hodson was the M\Ill\Grand Master, and Frelon J. Babcock Grand Recorder, serving until his death which occurred in 1891.
The first annual was held in Corvallis, January 13, 1886; a good attendance. Comp. Babcock
MASONIC HALL, SALEM, OREGON.
made a nine - page report on correspondence. Companion Wallace Baldwin was elected M\Ill\Grand Master.
The second annual was held in East Portland, January 12, 1887; Comp. Babcock increased his report on correspondence to twenty pages. Comp. Chris Taylor was elected M\Ill\Grand Master.
The third annual was held at McMinnville, February 1, 1888, and Comp. Samuel Bullock was elected M\Ill\Grand Master.
The fourth annual was held in Corvallis, February 6, 1889, at which assembly Comp. Geo. McD. Stroud was elected M\Ill\Grand Master.
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The fifth annual was held in East Portland, March 5, 1890, at which the death of Comp. Asa H. Hodson was recorded. He died at his home in McMinnville, May 6, 1889. He was born near New Vienna, Ohio, October 1, 1830; was made a Mason in Dublin Lodge, No. 349, Indiana, February 3, 1855. He was an active worker in Lodge, Chapter and Council and was chiefly instrumental in organizing the Cryptic Rite and the Order of High Priesthood in Oregon. He died lamented by a large circle of friends and the M\Ill\Grand Master paid fitting tribute to his ability and worth. Comp. Wm. C. Crawford was elected M\Ill\Grand Master.
The sixth annual was held at McMinnville, February 4, 1891. On account of severe illness the Grand Recorder was absent and Companion Chas. W. Talmage served in his place pro tern. Comp. W. C. Crawford was re-elected M\Ill\Grand Master.
The seventh annual was held at Corvallis, February 3, 1892. The death of Grand Recorder Comp. Frelon J. Babcock was reported and a page In Memoriam dedicated to a record of his many valuable services to the Craft. Comp. John H. Irvine was elected M\Ill\Grand Master and Companion Seth L. Pope was elected Grand Recorder. The duties of that important office he has faithfully discharged up to the present writing.
The eighth annual was held in East Portland, February 1, 1893. Comp. Joseph F. Wisecarver was elected M\Ill\Grand Master.
The ninth annual assembly was held in McMinnville, April 4, 1894. A resolution was adopted authorizing the healing and admitting to membership Companions who had received the degrees in Jurisdictions where Royal Arch Chapters held jurisdiction over the Cryptic Rite. Comp. A. L. Tyler was elected M\Ill\Grand Master.
The tenth annual was held with Oregon, No. 2, at Corvallis April 4, 1895. Comp. Thos. M. Hurlburt was elected M\Ill\Grand Master.
The eleventh annual was held with Washington, No. 3, of East Portland, April 3, 1896. A good attendance but no important business. Companion Thomas M. Hurlburt was re-elected M\Ill\Grand Master.
The twelfth annual was held with Hodson Council, No. 1, of McMinnville, April 2, 1897. Comp. Orlando O. Hodson was elected M\Ill\Grand Master.
The thirteenth annual was held with Oregon Council, No. 2, April 6, 1898. Comp. Orlando O. Hodson was re-elected M\Ill\Grand Master.
The fourteenth annual was held with Washington Council, No. 3, of East Portland, June 13, 1899. The Grand Master reported the organization of a new Council, U. D., at Albany, Linn County, which was chartered as Adoniram, No. 4, with the following officers and members: Thos. J. Butler, Th\Ill\Master; E. E. Hammack, Dep\Ill\Master; John H. Irvine, P. C. of Work; D. P. Mason, C. of G.; E. W. Langdon, Treas.; J. P. Galbraith, Recorder; H. L. Walden, Steward, and Wm. E. Baker, Sentinel. Members: W. E. Frazier, F. J. Miller and John A. Shaw. Comp. M. S. Woodcock was elected M\Ill\Grand Master.
The fifteenth annual assembly was held with Adoniram Council, No. 4, of Albany, June 4, 1900. The Grand Master reported the organization of two new Councils, U. D., one at Union, in Union County, and one in Pendleton, Umatilla County. The first was chartered as Union, No. 5, with the following officers and members: E. W. Davis, Th\Ill\Master; F. W. Davis, Dep\Ill\Master; H. L. Deacon, P. C. of Work; W. T. Wright, Treas.; C. H. Marsh, Recorder; M. S. Levy, C. of G.; Geo. Gignac, Conductor; J. J. Odale, Steward, and F. A. Bidwell, Sentinel. Members: R. H. Brown, W. H. Ewing, A. I. Gale, A. N. Gardiner and S. O. Swackhamer. The second as Pendleton, No. 6,
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with the following officers and members: Robt. Forster, Th\Ill\Master; Jno. Vert, Dep\Ill\Master; R. Alexander, P. C. of Work; J. R. Dickson, Treas.; Leon Cohn, Recorder; T. C. Taylor, C. of G.; J. H. Raley, Conductor; Wm. Slusher, Steward, and Wm. M. Pierce, Sentinel. Members: M. Baer, J. Barnhart, H. C. Gurnsey, W. D. Hansford, J. M. Leeser, H. M. Sloan, E. A. Vaughn, C. B. Wade, M. M. Myrick and W. L. Zieger. Companion John Milton Hodson was elected M\Ill\Grand Master.
The sixteenth annual was held with Hodson Council, No. 1, of McMinnville, April 3, 1901. All the Councils were represented and the Grand Master reported the rite in a prosperous condition. Comp. A. L. Rumsey was elected M\Ill\Grand Master.
The seventeenth annual assembly was held with Oregon Council, No. 2, of Corvallis April 2, 1902. No business of importance, but reports show a slight increase in membership. Comp. Herman W. Hall was elected M\Ill\Grand Master.
During the existence of the Cryptic Rite in Oregon the assemblies of the Grand Council have been held in the Council chambers of the different Councils in almost exact rotation, and each meeting has been enjoyable in the highest degree; banquets and social features have graced each occasion and the members are always glad when the date of the annual arrives. There are now six Councils with members as follows: Hodson, No. 1, 44; Oregon, No. 2, 38; Washington, No. 3, 123; Adoniram, No. 4, 20; Union, No. 5, 24, and Pendleton, No. 6, 19. The balance funds in treasury at last report were $200.65.
Comp. H. E. Harris was the first Grand Treasurer, serving one year. Companion Jos. F. Wise - carver was elected in 1886 and served four years. Comp. John Miller was elected in 1890 and served one year. Comp. Morris Stock was elected in 1891 and served six years. Comp. S. Bullock was elected in 1897 and has since been re-elected each year. The Grand Council has thus had but five different Grand Treasurers.
The assembly of the Grand Council for 1903 has been appointed of the Council chamber of Washington, No. 3, upon April 1st, and we trust that upon that date even more favorable reports of prosperity than in the past may be received.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Knights Templar of Oregon.
BY J. M. HODSON, P. G. C.
THE first definite action taken, looking toward the establishment of the Order of the Temple in Oregon, appears in the writing of a letter by Sir Knight Amory Holbrook of Oregon City, to the then M\E\Grand Master of the Grand Encampment, Sir Benjamin B. French, of Washington, D. C., under date of November 7, 1859.
At that time there were but five Templars residing in Oregon, to wit: Amory Holbrook of De Molay, Massachusetts; E. P. Henderson of Hubbard, Pennsylvania; James R. Bayley of Reed, Ohio; James A. Graham of California, Cal., and David Ruttledge of Clinton, Ohio. After considerable correspondence, an emergent dispensation was issued to these five or to any three of them, to open a Commandery and create four Knights Templar, to make up the ample number. The date of this dispensation was July 24, 1860. Upon receipt of this authority, a Commandery was opened, and Companions John McCraken, Cicero H. Lewis, John H. Couch and Josiah Myrick were created and dubbed Knights Templar in due form. The Commandery was then closed sine die, and they united with the Sir Knights mentioned above, in a petition for the opening of a regular Commandery, which was granted and received in Oregon September to, 1860, and a Commandery, U. D., was opened soon after in the City of Portland. During the two years in which the Commandery worked under dispensation, but few meetings were held, and but little work done, Thos. J. Holmes and Edwin Tracy being all who were knighted; but at the session of the Grand Encampment, in 1862, a charter was granted but was not received by the Sir Knights of Oregon until March 1, 1863; and owing to unfavorable conditions and the Sir Knights being scattered over the Territory, a quorum for organization was
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not obtained until the time of the meeting of the Grand Lodge in June of that year. Upon the evening of June 11, 1863, the Sir Knights assembled in the hall of Willamette Lodge, No. 2, in the City of Portland. Sir Amory Holbrook, as Special Deputy Grand Master, presided over the organization, and the following officers were elected and duly installed: John McCraken, Eminent Commander; John H. Couch, Generalissimo; Robert R. Thompson, Capt. General; Rev. David Ruttledge, Prelate; Cicero H. Lewis, Sen. Warden; Josiah Myrick, Jr. Warden; John C. Ainsworth, Treasurer; Edwin W. Tracy, Recorder; T. J. Holmes, Standard Bearer; James R. Bayley, Warder; after which the Commandery closed.
Another meeting of the Commandery was held June 25, 1863, at which a constitution and code of by-laws were adopted but no other business transacted; after which the Commandery closed, and so far as any history, record or tradition is concerned it remained closed, no further meetings being held; and in 1872 the charter was surrendered to the Grand Encampment.
OREGON COMMANDERY, No. 1, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.
In 1875, Sir James F. Robinson, residing at Eugene, but hailing from Emanuel, No. 7, of Missouri; Sir Rockey P. Earhart, residing at Portland, but hailing from Washington, No. 1, of Washing - ton, D. C., and Sir Frelon J. Babcock, residing at Salem, but hailing from Palestine, No. 5, of Vermont, after numerous consultations, opened correspondence with M\E\Sir James H. Hopkins, then Grand Master of the Grand Encampment, which resulted in their obtaining a dispensation to open an Emergent Commandery in the City of Portland, Oregon, and to dub and create a sufficient number of Knights Templar to make sure of being able to organize a permanent Commandery. This they proceeded to do on December 20, 1875. There were present at this meeting besides the three named in the dispensation, Sir Knights Ferdinand N. Shurtleff and David P. Thompson, each hailing from Washington, No. 1, Washington, D. C., and Andrew Roberts, hailing from California, No. 1, of San Francisco. The orders were conferred upon Companions James H. Evans, John B. Congle, Elisha I. Bailey, John Gray, Thos. H. Cox, Geo. McD. Stroud, Joseph N. Dolph, Benj. G. Whitehouse, Seth L. Pope and Martin V. Brown.
The powers of this dispensation having been exhausted, all the Sir Knights named above united in a petition to the Grand Master for a dispensation to open and hold a regular Commandery. The petition was granted February 26, 1876, and upon its receipt the Sir Knights organized and went to work in earnest. Sir James F. Robinson was Eminent Commander, Sir Rockey P. Earhart, Generalissimo; Sir Frelon J. Babcock, Capt. General, and under their charge the Commandery was very prosperous, and continued active work up to the meeting of the Triennial Conclave, at Cleveland, Ohio, in 1877, when Rev. Sir Knight H. W. Stratton carried with him to that conclave, for surrender, the dispensation heretofore granted and a petition for a charter, signed by the following Sir Knights: James F. Robinson, R. P. Earhart, Frelon J. Babcock, Ferdinand N. Shurtleff, Andrew Roberts, Elisha I. Bailey, Thos. H. Cox, B. G. Whitehouse, Jos. N. Dolph, John B. Congle, Martin V. Brown, Seth L. Pope, A. J. Woodworth, John McCraken, D. P. Thompson, C. H. Lewis, Adolph Nicolia, John Muldrick, Thos. G. Reames, Wm. P. Smith, Sidney A. Smith, Donald Mackay, John R. Foster, Geo. E. Withington, Thos. McF. Patton, Irving W.,Pratt, Kenneth Macleay, Daniel C. McKercher, Edwin I. Sprague, Sewal Truax, Louis Shons, M. T. Cunningham, B. E. Lippincott, Henry Everding, D. C. Lewis, Adam Randolph, H. W. Egan, H. C. Smith, Chas. E. Sitton, Jas. H. Evans, H. N. Crane, David P. Mason, Thos. M. Reed, Edwin S. Kearney, William Wadhams, W. B. Barr, J. H. Kunzie, Geo. McD. Stroud, John C. Ainsworth, H. W. Stratton and John Gray.
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This petition was granted upon October 6, 1877, and reached Oregon soon after, with a commission to Sir John B. Congle, as Special Deputy of the Grand Master, M\E\Sir Vincent L. Hurlburt, authorizing him to constitute the Commandery, and install its officers. He congregated the Sir Knights on the evening of October 22, 1877; the Commandery was opened in ample form and an election of officers had, which resulted as follows: Rockey P. Earhart, E. Corn.; Ferdinand N. Shurtleff, Generalissimo; Elisha I. Bailey, Capt. Gen'l; Irving W. Pratt, Prelate; Andrew Roberts, Treasurer; B. G. Whitehouse, Recorder; Seth L. Pope, Sen. Warden; B. E. Lippincott, Jr. Warden; Geo. E. Withington, Warder; E. J. Sprague, St'd Bearer; Donald Mackay, Sw'd Bearer; M. F. Cunningham, Chas. E. Sitton and Adolph Nicolai, Guards. After completion of the election and some other business, it was arranged to hold the installation services on Friday evening, October 26, 1877, and that they should be public to Masons and their ladies. Upon that occasion, the Knights Kadosh, in full regalia, members of Willamette Lodge, Harmony Lodge and Portland Chapter, R. A. M., with their ladies, assembled in the Grand Lodge room and witnessed the solemn ceremonies; after which they went to the concert hall and enjoyed some fine music, tripped the light fantastic, and participated in an excellent banquet. The decorations were elaborate, portions of it being the fine paintings which had been on exhibition at Philadelphia during the Centennial in 1876, and of the elegance of the whole the morning paper following gave the most flattering notice, saying in part: "The toilets of the ladies present were elaborate in the extreme, and when on the floor dancing, mingled with the beautiful regalia of the Knights Templar and the Knights Kadosh, the contrast was pleasing indeed, and the scene presented exceeded in brilliancy that of any assemblage ever before gathered in this city." Oregon Commandery, No. 1, has enjoyed a fair degree of prosperity during the subsequent years of its history. It participated in the organization of the Grand Commandery in 1887, has upon several occasions entertained its Grand Conclaves, and is at present the largest Commandery in the State, having about 200 members at this writing. The spirit of enthusiasm that animated its founders continues to pervade its asylum, and in its future there are no clouds.
Past Commanders: Cleland, J. B.; Cleland, W. A.; Cooper, C. V.; Gruber, S. H.; Hill, G. H.; Knapp, A. M.; Lippincott, B. E.; Mackay, D.; Malcolm, P. S.; Pratt, I. W.; Shurtleff, F. N.; Thurlow, A.; Taylor, D. W.; *Earhart, R. P.; *Patton, T. McF.
*Deceased.
SIR KNIGHT HENRY ROE, EMINENT COMMANDER,
OREGON COMMANDERY, No. 1, 1902.
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IVANHOE COMMANDERY, No. 2, EUGENE, OREGON.
As the Order of the Temple grew in popularity among the Companions of the Royal Arch, there were quite a number residing in the southern portions of the Willamette Valley who availed themselves of the opportunity of securing its degrees, uniting with Oregon, No. 1, but soon realizing that distance from their asylum hindered the most complete enjoyment of its privileges, determined to secure a Commandery nearer to their homes, and chose Eugene, Lane County, as the point most suitable. Early in the year 1883, a petition signed by the following Sir Knights, nearly all of whom were members of Oregon, No. 1, of Portland, was forwarded to M. E. Benjamin, Dean Grand Master of the Grand Encampment: James F. Robinson, Francis B. Dunn, John C. Church, Silas M. Yoran, Barney D. Paine, Horace N. Crane, John Whitaker, John M. Sloan, A. P. Anderson, David P. Mason, Enoch Hoult, Wm. P. Smith and Sidney A. Smith, which petition was granted, from the office of the Grand Master in Boston, Massachusetts, April 6, 1883. Upon the receipt of the dispensation the fraters proceeded to work at once, and at their first conclave received petitions from the following Companion Royal Arch Masons, all of whom were afterward elected and knighted: B. E. Grimes, Geo. C. Blakely, Wm. R. Walker, Lark Bilyeu, Geo. C. Swift, Geo. S. Washburn, Frank W. Osburn, H. A. Summerville, V. Mc - Farland, Wm. Preston, Robert S. Bean, Walter T. Peet, Geo. B. Dorris, Wm. Edris, James K. Weatherford, Jos. D. Matlock and L. N. Roney. A petition for a charter was made up and presented to the Grand Encampment at the Triennial Conclave held in San Francisco in 1883, which granted the same and it was ordered issued August 23, 1883.
M\E\Sir Robert E. Withers, Grand Master of the Grand Encampment, appointed as Special Deputy R\E\Sir Theodore S. Parvin, Past Grand Commander of Iowa, to constitute Ivanhoe, No. 2, and install its officers. On his way home from the triennial, Sir Parvin stopped off in the city of Eugene, September 12, 1883, and convened the Sir Knights and regularly constituted the Commandery and installed its officers in ample form.
This Commandery has from its first organization enjoyed a fair degree of prosperity, priding itself, however, more upon the quality than the quantity of work done. It now has a membership of 75 and owns perpetual asylum privileges in the elegant Masonic Temple in Eugene; also first - class paraphernalia. It has upon several occasions extended hospitalities to the Grand Commandery at the Grand Conclaves, and the Sir Knights and their ladies of Ivanhoe, No. 2, rank as hosts, par excellence.
Past Commanders: Hoff, O. P.; Loomis, C. E.; Osburn, F. W.; Dunn, F. B.; Page, J. L.; Paine, B. D.; Preston, Wm.; Roney, L. N.; Yoran, S. M.; Robinson, J. F.
TEMPLE COMMANDERY, NO. 3, ALBANY, OREGON.
On June 5, 1883, Sir Charles Roome, Deputy, and acting M\E\Grand Master of the Grand Encampment, granted to the Sir Knights residing in Albany and vicinity, a dispensation authorizing them to open and hold a regular Commandery at Albany, Linn County. The names attached to the petition for dispensation were: Sir Knights David P. Mason, George Humphrey, W. B. Barr, Geo. W. Maston, George E. Chamberlain, H. P. Webb, R. W. Jamieson, Wm. E. Price, James K. Weatherford and D. D. Henderson, being members either of Oregon, N. 1, or Ivanhoe, No. 2. They were recommended by Ivanhoe, No. 2.
The Commandery opened and went to work July 8, 1886, and by the meeting of the Grand Encampment in September of that year, the following names had been added to its roll: Charles E.
*Deceased.
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Woolverton, Geo. W. Smith, L. C. Marshall, E. W. Langdon, Frelon J. Babcock and W. R. Bilyeu, who, uniting with the Sir Knights to whom the dispensation had been issued, petitioned the Grand Encampment for a charter, which was granted September 23, 1886, at the Triennial Conclave, held in St. Louis. Sir Rockey P. Earhart, as Special Deputy Grand Master, congregated the Sir Knights January 6, 1887, and constituted the Commandery, installing its officers in full form.
Temple, No. 3, has enjoyed its full share of prosperity ever since its organization, having at this writing 75 members and excellent asylum privileges in the Masonic Temple at Albany, with good paraphernalia. The Sir Knights and their ladies of Temple, No. 3, have upon two occasions entertained the Grand Commandery in sumptuous manner, and have ever been enthusiastic in the support of all measures promoting Templar masonry, having the honor of taking the first step in the organization of the Grand Commandery.
Past Commanders: Allen, Frank E.; Chamberlain, Geo. E.; Galbraith, Jos. P.; Humphrey, Geo.; Langdon, Eugene W.; Marshall, L. Clay; Mason, David P.; Miller, Frank E.; Winn, Curt B.; Wyatt, J. Russell; Washburn, Edward.
MALTA COMMANDERY, NO. 4, ASHLAND, OREGON.
Soon after the organization of the Grand Commandery of Oregon, in 1887, the Sir Knights residing in Southern Oregon began to discuss the propriety of organizing a Commandery. They were few in number, but possessed a fair share of Templar enthusiasm; and several Sir Knights arriving from the East with the immigration coming into their part of the State during 1888 and 1889, their conclusions took definite shape, and at the annual conclave of the Grand Commandery held in Albany, October 28, 1890, the R\E\Grand Commander, Sir Rockey P. Earhart, presented with his address a petition from fourteen Sir Knights residing in Ashland and vicinity, asking for a charter direct, without the formality of working for a time under dispensation. The petition having been recommended by Ivanhoe, No. 2, it was received and referred to a committee, and after full consideration of the subject it reported authorizing the issue of a charter, which was approved, and Malta Commandery, No. 4, of Ashland, was directed to be legally constituted.
Owing to the delay on account of securing blank charters, this was not consummated until January 7, 1891, when Sir Frelon J. Babcock, Special Deputy Grand Commander, performed the ceremonies and installed the following officers: Thomas G. Reames, Eminent Commander; Wm. H. Atkinson, Generalissimo; D. R. Mills, Capt. General; S. S. Prentz, Prelate; P. W. Paulson, Sen. Warden; E. V. Carter, Jr. Warden; W. H. Holmes, Recorder; R. S. Barkley, Treasurer; George T. Baldwin, St'd Bearer; Wm. Slinger, Sw'd Bearer; F. H. Carter, Warder; Heaton Fox, from among the first knighted, was appointed Sentinel, the remainder of the class petitioning the first meeting were: F. A. Nichols, James Chisholm, and Sir R. W. Jamieson appears to have joined from Temple, No. 3. E. V. Mills, Dennis McCarthy, S. F. Morine, and Jonas A. Lee were the further additions during the first year, making up nineteen members at their first report in 1891, since which time the progress of the Commandery has been satisfactory; notwithstanding it has suffered its share in losses, by death and removals, it numbers over 50 Sir Knights, in good standing. Malta, No. 4, entertained the Grand Commandery in 1899, in such elegant style as to merit and receive the highest encomiums from the assembled fraters.
Past Commanders: Carter, Ernest V.; Kane, Ellsworth C.; Mills, Delos R.; Sherwin, Eugene A.; *Reames, Thos. G.; *Atkinson, W. H.
*Deceased.
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DE MOLAY COMMANDERY, NO. 5, SALEM, OREGON.
At the annual conclave of the Grand Commandery held in the asylum of Ivanhoe, No. 2, at Eugene, Oregon, October 12, 1893, the R\E\Grand Commander, Sir Silas M. Yoran, reported in his address that he had granted a dispensation to a number of Sir Knights residing in and near the city of Salem, Marion County, who were members of No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3, the valley Commanderies, to open and hold a regular Commandery. The Sir Knights to whom the dispensation was granted were as follows: Sirs Robert S. Bean, Eminent Commander; Wm. T. Gray, Generalissimo; E. B. McElroy, Capt. General; George B. Gray, Frank A. Moore, Wm. Cherrington, George W . Davis, Phil Metschan, B. H. Bradshaw, Finley Perrine, John Gray, George H. Bingham, P. H. De Arcy, Napoleon Davis, George P. Hughes, W. H. Holmes, I. L. Kimber, E. M. La Fore, E. P. McCormack, E. F. Parkhurst, W. H. Riddle and G. W. Smith. At the Grand Conclave they reported sixteen knighted and two admitted, making forty members, a truly flattering situation, and the Grand Commandery granted them a charter as De Molay, No. 5, and it was duly constituted October 24, 1893, by Sir Silas M. Yoran, P. G. C., as Special Deputy of the Grand Commander.
The successful and useful career of De Molay, No. 5, has been steady and without special incident; it has about eighty members at this writing, among whom are a number of the most able and valuable citizens of the State. De Molay has in turn entertained the Grand Commandery in the most hospitable manner, and her drill corps has for some years held the "Prize Banner" of the Grand Commandery, for the finest exhibition drill, and the Commandery taking it away from them will have to do some excellent field work. Being situated in our Capital City, and possessing a large and well improved jurisdiction, in which are many earnest and enthusiastic Masons, her continued growth and prosperity are assured beyond doubt.
Past Commanders: Bean, R. S.; Gray, W. T.; Gray, George B.; Cherrington, W. M.; Jordan, H. S.; Perrine, F. C.; Moore, F. A.
EASTERN OREGON COMMANDERY, NO. 6, LA GRANDE, OREGON.
On December 31, 1892, Sir Silas M. Yoran, R\E\Grand Commander, issued his dispensation to the Sir Knights residing in and near the city of La Grande, Union County, authorizing them to open and hold a regular Commandery in that city. The names of the Sir Knights to whom the dispensation was issued, and who afterward became members under charter are as follows, and they held the offices in the order in which their names appear: Wm. T. Wright, J. K. Romig, L. H. Russell, Ed Kiddie, E. W. Davis, S. R. Reeves, William M. Scott, C. S. Crater, Charles F. Brown, J. J. McDonald, D. L. Moomaw; there appears to have been four other signatures to the petition of Sir Knights holding membership in jurisdictions from which they did not wish to dimit, hence they were never reported and have not been preserved.
Owing to misconnections of trains, the books, papers and representatives from the Commandery failed to reach the annual conclave of the Grand Commandery, held in Eugene, October 12, 1893, but the Grand Commandery being advised of their successful work, continued the dispensation in force for another year. At the Grand Conclave, held in Salem, October 9, 1894, full reports and representatives were present and a charter was ordered, as Eastern Oregon, No. 6, and it was duly constituted by the R\E\Grand Commander, Sir Philip S. Malcolm, November 24, 1894, since which time the Commandery has enjoyed a fair degree of prosperity, now having a few more than forty members.
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Eastern Oregon, No. 6, entertained the fourteenth annual conclave of the Grand Commandery, September 27, 1900, in the very best style known to Templar hospitality. It has a large jurisdiction, containing many Royal Arch Masons, and the excellence of its work has demonstrated the wisdom of its establishment, and there is no cloud upon its future prospects.
Past Commanders: Davis, E. W.; Holmes, Fred J.; Kiddie, Ed; Matherson, J. D.; Oliver, Turner; Wright, W. T.
PENDLETON COMMANDERY, NO. 7, PENDLETON, OREGON.
At the annual conclave of the Grand Commandery, held in the city of La Grande, September 27, 1900, a petition for dispensation or charter, without recommendation from any Commandery, was presented to the Grand Commandery by the R\E\Grand Commander, Sir Curtis B. Winn, and was referred to a committee, which reported that the petition not being in perfect form, that it be referred back to the petitioners for correction, and when properly prepared, if presented to the Grand Commander, he was authorized to grant them a dispensation.
At the annual conclave, held in Portland September 26, 1901, the R\E\Grand Commander, Sir Frank A. Moore, reported in his address, that the Sir Knights of Pendleton and vicinity had complied with the resolution of the Grand Commandery, and that in January he had granted them a dispensation and in person organized and set them to work in good order. The Grand Commandery, after due consideration, granted them a charter September 26, 1901. The names of the following Sir Knights were signed to the petition for dispensation: Robert Forster, Thomas C. Taylor, William D. Hansford, J. R. Dickson, William Slusher, J. F. Robinson, William E. Carter, C. H. Carter, W. H. Babb, Joseph Klein, William M. Pierce and J. H. Raley.
The Commandery was represented in the Grand Conclave, and reported the knighting of ten candidates, while working under dispensation, showing a membership of twenty-one, and with a large field tributary to the Commandery, it certainly has a fair showing for a successful career.
THE GRAND COMMANDERY.
At the stated conclave of Temple Commandery, No. 3, held in its asylum at Albany, Oregon, January 13, 1887, a resolution was adopted inviting the other chartered Commanderies in the State: Oregon, No. 1, of Portland, and Ivanhoe, No. 2, of Eugene, to send delegates to a convention to be held in Albany on February 13, 1887, to take into consideration and if deemed practicable to organize a Grand Commandery of Knights Templar for Oregon. The invitation was accepted by each of the Cornmanderies, and in pursuance of said resolution, representatives of each Commandery assembled in the asylum of Temple, No. 3, upon the above date. The following were present: Sir Knights Rockey P. Earhart, F. N. Shurtleff and Andrew Roberts, representing Oregon, No. 1; Sir Knights Jas. F. Robinson, Silas M. Yoran and Robert S. Bean, representing Ivanhoe, No. 2, and Sir Knights David P. Mason, Frelon J. Babcock and George Humphrey, representing Temple, No. 3.
Sir David P. Mason was chosen Chairman and Sir Rockey P. Earhart Recorder. Sirs J. F. Robinson, F. N. Shurtleff and S. M. Yoran were appointed a Committee on Credentials, and reported as above.
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Sir Knights F. J. Babcock, R. S. Bean and Andrew Roberts were appointed a Committee on Order of Business, which reported as follows, which was adopted: Resolved, By the delegates of Oregon Commandery, No. 1, Ivanhoe Commandery, No. 2, and Temple Commandery, No. 3, in convention assembled, that we deem it expedient for the well being of the Order of Christian Knighthood, in Oregon, that we now proceed to the organization of a Grand Commandery, in and for the State of Oregon.
Resolved,
That the following order of business be adopted for this occasion:
1. Adoption of a code of statutes for the government of the Grand and Subordinate Commanderies of the State of Oregon.
2. Election of Grand Officers.
3. Adjournment until called together by the Grand Master of the Grand Encampment of the United States or by his duly appointed proxy.
In pursuance of the foregoing resolution a constitution and laws were adopted, and the following Grand Officers elected:
James F. Robinson, Ivanhoe, No. 2, Grand Commander
Rockey P. Earhart, Oregon, No. 1, Deputy Grand Commander
Ferdinand N. Shurtleff, Oregon, No. 1, Grand Generalissimo
David P. Mason, Temple, No. 3, Grand Captain General
Silas M. Yoran, Ivanhoe, No. 2, Grand Prelate
Robert S. Bean, Ivanhoe, No. 2, Grand Senior Warden
George Humphrey, Temple, No. 3, Grand Junior Warden
Andrew Roberts, Oregon, No. 1, Grand Treasurer
Frelon J. Babcock, Temple, No. 3, Grand Recorder
The appointed officers were:
George E. Withington, Oregon, No. 1, Grand Sword Bearer
John Milton Hodson, Ivanhoe, No. 2, Grand Standard Bearer
William B. Barr, Temple, No. 3, Grand Warder
Frank W. Osburn, Ivanhoe, No. 2, Grand Captain of the Guard
A resolution was adopted and forwarded with the record of the proceedings to the Grand Master, asking the appointment of Sir Irving W. Pratt as Special Deputy, to constitute the Grand Cornmandery, after which no further business appearing, the convention adjourned.
The Most Eminent Grand Master of the Grand Encampment, Sir Charles Roome, on the 4th of March, 1887, was pleased to grant the petition of the Oregon Commanderies and issued his warrant for the same to Sir Irving W. Pratt, as his Special Deputy, authorizing him to constitute Oregon Grand Commandery.
Pursuant to this warrant, Sir Irving W. Pratt did, on April 13, 1887, convene the Sir Knights of Oregon, including the representatives of the Commanderies attending the Albany convention of February 1o, 1887, and the officers thereat elected, and appointed in the asylum of Oregon, No. 1, Portland, and opened a Commandery with the following officers pro tern: Sir Irving W. Pratt, Special Deputy Grand Master; Sir Donald Mackay, as Deputy Grand Master; Sir B. E. Lippincott as Grand Generalissimo; Sir Thos. McF. Patton as Grand Capt. General; Sir John McCraken as Grand Prelate; Sir Archie Thurlow as Grand Senior Warden; Sir Philip S. Malcolm as Grand Junior Warden; Sir Melvin C. George as Grand Recorder; Sir Thos. H. Crawford
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KNIGHTS TEMPLAR OF OREGON.
as Grand Sword Bearer; Sir Julius C. Moreland as Grand Standard Bearer; Sir F. W. Baltes as Grand Warder; Sir Andrew J. Woodworth as Grand Capt. of the Guard.
The ceremonies of constituting the Grand Commandery were then performed, in ample form, and the officers elected by the convention installed by Sir Irving W. Pratt, Special Deputy Grand Master, which concluded the organization of the Grand Commandery, when it was called from labor to rest until 10 O'clock, April 14th, when a committee to select a suitable seal was appointed, and the Grand Recorder instructed to have 300 copies of the proceedings of the Albany convention and records of constitution printed. A levy of $1 per capita tax was made on the Commanderies and the time and place fixed for holding the first annual conclave was in the asylum of Oregon Commandery, No. 1, Portland, July 6, 1887, after which the Grand Commandery was closed in ample form. Since that date the Grand Commandery has held fifteen annual conclaves as follows: Portland, July 6, 1887, Sir James F. Robinson, Grand Commander; Sir Frelon J. Babcock, Grand Recorder.
Portland, October 9, 1888, Sir James F. Robinson, Grand Commander; Sir Frelon J. Babcock, Grand Recorder.
Eugene, September 12, 1889, Sir Christopher Taylor, Grand Commander and Frelon J. Babcock, Grand Recorder. Albany, October 28, 1890, Sir Rockey P. Earhart, Grand Commander, and Sir Frelon J. Babcock, Grand Recorder. The Grand Commander submitted a petition from Sir Knights of Ashland and vicinity asking for a charter which was granted at this conclave to Malta, No. 4. Sir J. M. Hodson submitted the first report on fraternal correspondence, which work he has continued at each Grand Conclave since, having prepared all the reports on correspondence to date.
Portland, October 27, 1891. Sir F. N. Shurtleff, Grand Commander, was absent in New York on account of business, and the conclave was presided over by Sir David P. Mason, Deputy and Acting Grand Commander. Sir Frelon J. Babcock was absent on account of severe illness, and Sir Curtis B. Winn served as Grand Recorder, pro tern.
Portland, October 25, 1892, Sir David P. Mason, Grand Commander. Sir James F. Robinson, our first Grand Commander, was elected and installed Grand Recorder at the conclave in 1891, and has served continuously since that date, to the entire satisfaction of the fraters.
Eugene, October 12, 1893, Sir Silas M. Yoran, Grand Commander, reported that he had granted dispensation to the Sir Knights of De Molay, No. 5, which was chartered at this session, and to the Sir Knights of Eastern Oregon, No. 6, which dispensation was continued.
Salem, October 9, 1894, Sir John Milton Hodson, Grand Commander. Eastern Oregon, No. 6, was chartered at this conclave. The Grand Commandery was honored by the official visit of M\E\Reuben H. Lloyd, Special Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Encampment, whose address was particularly gratifying and instructive to the assembled Sir Knights.
Albany, October 10, 1895, Sir Philip S. Malcolm, Grand Commander. At this conclave the Grand Commandery voted a prize banner to the Sir Knights of De Molay, No. 5, for their fine field drill.
Portland, October 8, 1896, Sir B. E. Lippincott, Grand Commander.
Eugene, October 14, 1897, Sir Robert S. Bean, Grand Commander.
Salem, September 22, 1898, Sir L. C. Marshall, Grand Commander.
Ashland, September 28, 1899, Sir John B. Cleland, Grand Commander.
La Grande, September 27, 1900, Sir Curtis B. Winn, Grand Commander.
Portland, September 26, 1901, Sir Frank A. Moore, Grand Commander, had issued dispensa -
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tion to the Sir Knights of Pendleton, and the Grand Commandery granted a charter to Pendleton, No. 7.
The sixteenth annual conclave was appointed for Eugene, September 25, 1902, Sir William Thomas Wright, Grand Commander.
At the organization of the Grand Commandery there were 174 affiliated Sir Knights in the jurisdiction. The growth, while not rapid, has been steady, each annual report showing a net gain. At the conclave in 1901 there were 504, and every one supplied with the standard uniform. The number will be materially increased during the current year, as a fair degree of Templar enthusiasm prevails throughout the jurisdiction. A Commandery will, without doubt, be organized in the near future in the growing city of Baker City, in and around which already reside several thoroughly enthusiastic Sir Knights. At each of the annual conclaves, the local Commandery has extended true Templar hospitalities, and upon each occasion the social features of the Order have been prominent, banquets, balls and concerts attended by the ladies have contributed to the success of the occasions, and no Grand Jurisdiction within our knowledge has finer prospects for continued activity and growth than the Templar jurisdiction of Oregon.
CHAPTER X I X .
Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in the State of Oregon.
BY JOHN MILTON HODSON, 33°.
THERE appears to have been but two Brethren of the Scottish Rite residing in Oregon prior to 1870. These were Ill..Bro. John C. Ainsworth, 33d degree, and Bro. H. C. Morrice, 14th degree. We are not informed as to when or where either of these Brethren attained the degrees further than in the proceedings of the Supreme Council at its session held in the city of New Orleans, in April, 1861, Bro. Ainsworth was elected an honorary Inspector - General, and Ill\Bro. A. T. C. Pierson, Active Inspector - General of Minnesota, was authorized to confer the 33d degree upon him.
There were, however, many among the leading Masons of the State who were desirous of obtaining more light, and believed it was contained in the beautiful rituals of the Scottish Rite. They, after many consultations, concluded to attempt the organization of a Lodge of Perfection, and upon the first of February, 1870, Ill\Bro. E. H. Shaw, 33d degree, Active Inspector - General of California, came to Portland and congregated the Brethren desirous of uniting in the enterprise, and by the authority of the Supreme Council and by his right as Sovereign Grand Inspector - General, conferred by explanation the degrees from the 4th to the 32d upon 16 Brethren who at once united in forming Oregon Lodge of Perfection, No. 1, of Portland, with officers and members as follows John McCraken, Ven. Master; A. B. Richardson, Sen. Warden; Josiah Myrick, Jr. Warden; W. W. Upton, Orator; S. G. Reed, Treasurer; Le F. A. Shaw, Secretary; Theo. Wygant, Almoner; H. C. Morrice, Master of Ceremonies; R. B. Knapp, Sen. Expert; W. W. Francis, Jr. Expert; J. A. Chapman, Capt. of Guard; J. C. Ainsworth, J. D. W. Biles, Jos. Kellogg, Jos. N. Dolph, A. Zeiber and E. M. Burton.
A code of by-laws was provided and the fees for the degrees from the 4th to the 14th inclusive were fixed at $110, and the Lodge went to work with enthusiasm and success. Bro. John C. Ainsworth, 33d degree, was created an Active Inspector - General and at once went to work with his usual enthusiasm; and at the session of the Supreme Council, held at Louisville, Ky., in May, 1872, made a complete report of his work and. the standing of the bodies he had organized in the State, together with Oregon Lodge of Perfection, No. 1, organized in 1870, which gives the only complete account of the various bodies organized in Oregon ever made to the Supreme Council. This list of bodies, with their presid -
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ing officers, at that date were: Oregon Lodge of Perfection, No. Portland, John McCraken, Ven. Master; Albert Pike Lodge of Perfection, No. 2, of Salem, S. F. Chadwick, Ven. Master; Ainsworth Lodge of Perfection, No. 3, of Corvallis, J. R. Bayley, Ven. Master; Albert G. Mackey Council, Princes of Jerusalem, No. 1, Portland, John McCraken, Ill\Tarshatha; B. B. French Council, No. 2, Salem, S. F. Chadwick, Ill\Tarshatha; Ainsworth Chapter, Rose Croix, No. 1, Portland, John McCraken, Wise Master; Giles M. Hillyer Chapter, Rose Croix, No. 2, Salem, S. F. Chadwick, Wise Master; and Multnomah Council, Knights Kadosh, No. 1, Portland, Ill. .John McCraken, Em. Commander. These bodies as charter fees, fees for degrees, and incidentals, paid to the Supreme Council for the years 1870 and 1872 the handsome sum of $3,905.51.
SCOTTISH RITE CATHEDRAL, CORNER MORRISON AND LOWNSDALE STREETS, PORTLAND, OREGON. (125 FEET BY 100 FEET.)
Of the above bodies those of Corvallis and Salem, after several years of earnest endeavor, found their fields of labor too narrow for satisfactory success and surrendered their charters and dissolved, a large number of their members joining the bodies in Portland, and the others drifted into non - affiliation, and many of them have passed the confines of earth life and are with us no more.
With the above mentioned report Ill\Bro. Ainsworth presented his resignation as Active Inspector - General to take effect as soon as his successor could be chosen, and duly qualified, which occurred at the session in 1874, when Ill\Bro. John McCraken was crowned an active member of the Supreme Council, and Bro. Ainsworth elected an emeritus member.
Soon after this above mentioned report, Albert G. Mackey Council, No. 1, Princes of Jerusalem, of Portland, controlling the 15th and 16th degrees was merged into Ainsworth Chapter, Rose Croix, No. 1, of Portland, and a few years subsequent, the Supreme Council ceased to organize councils of the Princes of Jerusalem, hence there are no bodies of these degrees, separate from the Chapters, now in the southern jurisdiction. Ill\Bro. John McCraken served as Active Inspector-General until 1878,
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when he tendered his resignation and was elected a member emeritus, Ill\Bro. S. F. Chadwick being elected his successor, but it does not appear that he ever accepted the election or performed any of the duties of Active Inspector - General, and in 1883 Ill\Bro. Rockey P. Earhart was crowned Active Inspector - General and served until his death in 1892; he was succeeded by Ill\Irving W. Pratt, in 1892, as Active Inspector - General, the duties of which important position he has continued to discharge up to the present writing, to the complete satisfaction of the Brethren and the great benefit of the Craft.
Ill\Bro. McCraken presided as Venerable Master from organization, until he was appointed Active Inspector - General in 1874, when he transferred the duties of the office to Ill... Bro. Pratt, who was regularly elected Ven. Master in 1876 and continued to serve until 1885, when Ill\Bro. Seth L. Pope was elected his successor, who served until 1891, when our present Ven. Master, Ill\Bro. Philip S. Malcom was chosen, whose industry and Masonic enthusiasm has made decided impressions for good upon the rite in the State. The membership of Oregon Lodge of Perfection, No. 1, of Portland, now reaches the respectable number of 441, good men and true.
MAIN AUDITORIUM, SCOTTISH RITE CATHEDRAL, PORTLAND, OREGON. (SEATING CAPACITY, 1,000.)
Bro. Le F. A. Shaw was first Secretary at organization in 1870, and served until January 1, 1871, when Bro. W. W. Francis was chosen to succeed him, who was in turn succeeded by Bro. H. C. Morrice, March 3, 1874, who served until October 5, 1875, when Bro. Francis again resumed the keeping of the minutes of the work, until February 29, 1876. Ill\Bro. B. G. Whitehouse was elected, who faithfully kept the records until February, 1888, when Bro. E. H. Miller was chosen, serving until March 1, 1891, when Bro. Gustaf Wilson was elected who served until March 1, 1902, when, on account o increasing age and infirmity he resigned and Bro. Brydon H. Nicoll was elected Secretary, which position he satisfactorily fills.
We find that in the main the history of the Lodge of Perfection was virtually the history of the other bodies, as the charters for Oregon Lodge of Perfection, No. 1, Ainsworth Chapter, Rose Croix, No.
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1, and Multnomah Council of Kadosh, No. 1, were issued by the Supreme Council upon the same date, to wit: December 13, 1871. By the authority of Ill\John C. Ainsworth, Sov. G. I. Gen., the Brethren were convened, the Chapter and council organized and officers installed upon the 16th day of January, 1872, with almost exactly the same Brethren occupying corresponding positions through all the bodies; this condition was maintained until in 1883 Bro. Philip S. Malcolm was elected Wise Master of the Chapter and through his energetic efforts an increased interest was soon manifested.
In the early part of 1891 the subject of organizing a Consistory was discussed and the matter soon took definite shape, and a petition for a charter was forwarded to the Supreme Council, which was granted under date of March 20, 1891, as Oregon Consistory, No. 1, of Portland; and the organization was completed May 13th, following. The officers elected and installed were: Philip Schuyler Malcolm,
BANQUET HALL, SCOTTISH RITE CATHEDRAL, PORTLAND, OREGON. (SEATS 500.)
33d degree, Grand Cross Master of Kadosh; David S. Tuthill, 33d degree, Prior; Louis G. Clark, 33d degree, Preceptor; Andrew Roberts, 33d degree, Chancellor; George H. Chance, 33d degree, Orator; John R. Foster, 33d degree, Treasurer and Almoner; and S. B. Riggen, Registrar. Ill\Bro. Malcolm was at the same time elected presiding officer of each of the other bodies, and infusing his own enthusiasm into the other Brethren they went to work with renewed energy and soon the attention of the Fraternity in general was directed to the beautiful features of the rite and many sought to participate in its light. The hall in the Masonic Temple soon became insufficient to accommodate the growing numbers, and new quarters were engaged in the Marquam block at an annual rental of $1,800, and fitted up at an expense of several thousand dollars with all the paraphernalia for conferring the degrees and accommodation of the Brethren in the best style. For some years it has been the practice, in addition to the regular meetings of the rite, to hold semi-annual reunions to which the country members were especially invited. These reunions were held in January and June, the latter during Grand Lodge week, prior to its open -
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ing, and has resulted in large additions from the ranks of the most earnest thinking Masons of the State. No contention or rivalry between the rites has ever been engendered but all working together in the most complete harmony; in fact a very large percentage of the members of the Scottish Rite belong to all departments of the York Rite; and very few of the Brethren who have joined the Lodge of Perfection have, on any account, failed to become Masters of the Royal Secret.
As a result of this prosperity of the Scottish Rite, their quarters in the Marquam are too small, and now, after an occupancy of ten years, the Scottish Rite is engaged in the erection of a magnificent cathedral, on the corner of Morrison and Lownsdale Streets, in the city of Portland, that, when completed, will be sufficient to accommodate not only themselves but all the Grand Bodies of the State for many years to come. The grounds are owned by Oregon Consistory, No. 1, incorporated, which issued bonds for $55,000, which, in addition to the sums already expended and in the Treasury, will be sufficient to complete and furnish the cathedral at a total cost of $100,000 without any indebtedness except the bonds issued. The cathedral will be furnished with a magnificent aeolian organ which was built for the Pan - American Exposition, at Buffalo, and when completed the cathedral and its furnishings will be a source of honor, pleasure and instruction to the fraternity for all the coming years.
The following are the officers of the Scottish Rite bodies as now constituted, 1902:
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The following Oregon brethren have served as Sovereign Grand Inspectors General and Active members of the Supreme Council, 33d degree for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry: John C. Ainsworth, John McCraken, Rockey Preston Ear - hart, and Irving W. Pratt.
The following brethren have received the 33d degree and elected Honorary Members of the Supreme Council: *Stephen F. Chadwick, *Joseph N. Dolph, John R. Foster, Ferdinand N. Shurtleff, Philip Schuyler Malcolm, Seth L. Pope, *Andrew Roberts, Benjamin G. Whitehouse, *David S. Tuthill, *George E. Withington, Louis Gaylord Clarke, Jacob Mayer, *Henry L. Hoyt, James W. Cook, George H. Chance, Douglas W. Taylor, Joseph Simon, Donald Mackay, John B. Cleland, Francis Asbury Moore, and John Milton Hodson.
* Deceased.
CHAPTER XX.
Al Kader Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, Oasis of Portland, Oregon.
BY NOBLE J. M. HODSON.
DURING the autumn of 1886, Sir James W. Cook, having been in attendance upon the Triennial Conclave Knights Templar, held at St. Louis that year, extended his trip as far East as Boston, Massachusetts. He had many friends in that city, several of whom were already members of the Ancient Arabic Order, recently introduced into the United States; and in the course of his stay he traversed the hot sands of Aleppo Temple, and was so impressed with the character and objects of the order that he soon became an adept in its workings and an advocate of organizing a temple in Oregon, but definite action was not taken until the latter part of 1887, when a petition was forwarded to Ill\Noble Sam Briggs, Imperial Potentate at the Grand Orient, at New York, asking a dispensation for opening a Temple and conferring the Order in the City of Portland, Oregon, which petition was signed by James W. Cook and the following qualified candidates for the Order: Irving W. Pratt, R. P. Earhart, B. G. Whitehouse, Jas. R. Bayley, J. R. N. Bell, R. F. Gibbons, A. Nasburg, Andrew Roberts, Jas. F. Robinson, Chas. E. Sitton, Geo. E. Withington, Hugh Logan, John R. Foster, F. N. Shurtleff, R. P. Knapp, P. S. Malcolm, D. C. McKercher, J. O. Spencer, Chris Taylor, David S. Tuthill, and D. W. Taylor.
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The dispensation was granted January 3, 1888, and upon its receipt a meeting was called in the Masonic Temple, Portland, February 15, 1888, at which fourteen of the above named petitioners were present, when Noble J. W. Cook, assisted by Noble A. F. Gunn of Islam Temple of San Francisco, obligated and conferred by explanation the order upon those of the petitioners present, and the remainder of the list all received the degree at subsequent meetings.
After receiving the degree they proceeded to complete their organization under dispensation by choosing the following officers: Noble Irving W. Pratt, Ill. Potentate; Noble Rockey P. Earhart, Ill. Chief Rabban; Noble F. N. Shurtleff, Ill. Assistant Rabban; Noble P. S. Malcolm, Ill. High Priest and Prophet; Noble Douglas W. Taylor, Ill. Oriental Guide; Noble John R. Foster, Ill. Treasurer; Noble Benj. G. Whitehouse, Ill. Recorder. The Ill. Potentate then announced the following appointed officers: D. C. McKercher, Ill. 1st Ceremonial Master; Andrew Roberts, Ill. 2d Ceremonial Master; Christopher Taylor, Ill. Marshal; J. O. Spencer, Ill. Capt. of the Guard; and Chas. E. Sitton, Ill. Outer Guard. The by-laws of Islam Temple of San Francisco were adopted in so far as they might apply to the uses of the new temple, and were referred to the Ill. Potentate for such changes as might be necessary to make them entirely applicable.
It is worthy of note that of the elective officers, Ill. Noble R. P. Earhart is the only one who has been called to cross the desert of death, while of the appointed officers Nobles Andrew Roberts, Chas. E. Sitton, and Christopher Taylor have passed to the Great Beyond. Noble Irving W. Pratt has so faith - fully and satisfactorily performed the duties of Ill. Potentate that he has with each returning year been re-elected. The same may be said for Nobles Douglas W. Taylor, Ill. Oriental Guide, and B. G. White - house, Ill. Recorder, which are records not frequently made by any officers. The name of "Al Kader" was adopted for the designation of the new temple, and the fee for the order fixed at $50; and in consideration of his eminent services in securing the dispensation and completion of the organization of Al Kader Temple, Noble James W. Cook was elected an honorary member with all the privileges of the Shrine for life.
At the meeting of Al Kader Temple, June 15, 1888, a petition was prepared and forwarded to the Supreme Grand Recorder asking for a charter, but the old dispensation was retained, and work under it continued until June 12, 1889, when it was surrendered to the Supreme Grand Council and a charter granted at the session, held in Chicago, June 17, 1889. The first meeting held under the authority of the charter was October 22, 1889, when the temple resumed regular business, all the same as though there had been no interruption, which, in fact, had been very slight. The progress of the Temple has been very steady and the additions to its membership almost continuous. Now, 1902, numbering 495. Since organization 33 Nobles of Al Kader have passed across the desert of death, to be seen of men no more, but their names are still carried upon the rolls in loving memory of their many virtues.
It has become the custom of the Temple to hold but two ceremonial meetings per year, one in the month of January and one in the month of June, upon each of which occasion large classes avail themselves of the opportunities to join the caravans that cross, with steady tread, the burning sands from the oasis of Portland to Lake Zem Zem where they find the traditional banquet of good things awaiting them, and we have never yet known one to fall by the wayside, or fail to do justice to the viands so bountifully supplied.
There has never been occasion to levy dues upon the members of Al Kader Temple, and yet it has often in its quiet way contributed liberally to the relief of the unfortunate and needy, and entertained large numbers of visiting nobles in sumptuous manner. Hundreds of the returning nobles and their ladies who have been in attendance upon the late session of the Imperial Council, at San Francisco,
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partook of its hospitalities and carried away with them pleasing memories of the pleasant hours passed in the headquarters of Al Kader Temple.
The membership is composed of the most active Masons of the State, and while they all recognize the important fact that the order is in no sense Masonic, yet as it draws its membership exclusively from Knights Templar and 32d degree Masons of the Scottish Rite, they seek to direct its labors in channels where may be practiced all the truly Masonic virtues; and with the sturdy nobles, men of high character in its body and controlling its action, there is a wide field of usefulness before it, aside from the social features which are never neglected.
While some may think this sketch of the Mystic Shrine out of place in a Masonic History, we do not think so, but recognizing that it has come to stay, and that it may be made continually a power for good, we deem it entirely proper and to urge upon every member to stand fast by all the principles and duties of a Noble of the Mystic Shrine, and there never will come a day that you or your successors in labor need blush for the title you bear.
CHAPTER XXI.
Historical Review of the Origin of Freemasonry in the State of Washington.
By Wm. H. UPTON, PAST GRAND MASTER.
OF the fact that the great State of Washington in the extent and variety of its natural resources the Pennsylvania of the West; in its manifest destiny the Empire State of the Pacific was originally an integral part of "the Oregon country," we have a sufficient reminder in the circumstance that from the window beside which this page is written one looks out upon the stately towers and turrets of Whitman College that most appropriate monument to the memory of that patriot, missionary and martyr whose historic midwinter ride across a continent, in 1842 - 3, saved Oregon to the United States, and whose ashes rest under a graceful obelisk at the site of his own Waillatpu Mission, only a few miles away. The fact that the rendezvous of that great stream of emigrants which Dr. Marcus Whitman's ride and representations caused to flow into the Oregon country in the year 1843 was in Missouri, and many of the emigrants themselves from Missouri, gives point to a jeu d' esprit of Brother A. G. Lloyd's: That brother - wearied by the controversy engendered by the question, so gratuitously raised, as to Whitman's motive in making his famous ride, when he was asked as to who, in his opinion, "saved Oregon," replied: "The Missourians saved Oregon." The same circumstance reminds us that it was to Missouri that the Masons of the Oregon country looked for their authority to open the first Lodge ever erected on the Pacific Coast of America; and when we learn how many of the leading spirits among the first settlers, on both sides of the Columbia River, were members of our Fraternity, the question forces itself upon us, Did not the Masons after Dr. Whitman do most to save Oregon to the United States?
No record exists from which we can point with dogmatic certainty to any particular minute as marking the absolute dawn of Masonry on the North Coast, or claim to name the first acts done there under the influence of Masonic teachings. It is not a far cry from the emigration of 1843 to the meeting of the Masons at Oregon City in 1846; yet between those events, without doubt, many an unrecorded act of fraternal kindness was done in the land of their new home by brethren of the mystic tie;
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and many a Mason there, "sustained and soothed by an unfaltering trust," wrapped the draperies of his couch about him and lay down to pleasant dreams. "And some there be who have no memorial; who are perished as though they had never been; and their children after them."
But, wheresoever he may roam, there ever recurs to the true Mason to the brother whose ear has heard aright and whose heart has learned to comprehend that sacred "Word" "which to know aright is life everlasting" - a longing to set up a visible altar to the Great Architect of the Universe; to behold the inextinguishable light radiating from it; and to enjoy those hours of unalloyed peace and harmony which are found only within the tiled recesses of the Lodge. It is without surprise, therefore, that we find in the very first number published of the Oregon Spectator printed at Oregon City the following advertisement:
"MASONIC NOTICE.
"The members of the Masonic Fraternity in Oregon Territory are respectfully requested to meet at the City Hotel, in Oregon City, on the 21St inst., to adopt some measures to obtain a Charter for a Lodge.
"February 5, 1846.
JOSEPH HULL,
PETER G. STEWART,
Wm. P. DOUGHERTY."
How the meeting was held by seven Master Masons; how the charter of Multnomah Lodge, at Oregon City, was sought and obtained; how, in 1851, two additional Lodges Willamette Lodge at Portland and Lafayette Lodge were constituted under charters granted by the Grand Lodge of California, which had been organized April 19, 1850; and how these three Lodges, on September is, 1851, erected the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Oregon, the first Grand Lodge in the Oregon country, a territory extending from the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky Mountains and from the California line to an undefined point in the North, situated, some Americans used to think, about latitude "fifty-four, forty," and including the present States of Oregon, Washington and Idaho and parts of Wyoming, Montana and British Columbia, and how a fourth Lodge, named, like that at Lafayette, from the town in which it was situated, had been formed at Salem, all this has already been fully told by an abler pen. Yet the Washington Mason any thoughtful Mason, indeed, must be prone to linger over the incident of the founding of the first Lodge on the Pacific Coast, for it was an act pregnant with mighty consequences, and one which made the spot where it occurred one "fit for pilgrimages."
Up the beautiful Willamette River, about a score of miles from where it pours its blue flood into the mighty Columbia, early settlers in Oregon found a magnificent waterfall. Surrounded by the "interminable woods" which had appealed to Bryant's imagination, the whole body of the great river, glistening in the sunlight, suddenly hurls itself almost perpendicularly over a precipice of black basaltic rock into a deep and sparkling pool, and thence calmly pursues its even course toward the sea. Viewed as an example of the handiwork of God, before the hand of man had touched its beauties, nothing of its kind in America was to be compared with it, save only Niagara, the Falls of the Snake and the Dalles of the Columbia; while to the utilitarian mind it seemed prophetic of usefulness far beyond that of the water powers which turned the spindles of Lowell, built up the Flour City at Rochester or its rival at the
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Falls of St. Anthony, or gave promise of a then unborn city on the banks of our own Spokane. No wonder that, beside the Falls of the Willamette, early settlers raised their rooftree and called their little settlement "Oregon City."
In this village, as we have seen, seven brethren of the mystic tie assembled on the 21st day of February, 1846; and in the same village, in due time, they erected their Lodge. At their first meeting, they decided to apply to the Grand Lodge of Missouri for a charter, and a petition was prepared for that purpose. When the charter was received, Brother Joseph Hull became the first Master of the Lodge; and in view of this fact an accomplished writer has said: "The distinguished honor of erecting the first Masonic altar on the Pacific Coast was conferred upon Brother Joseph Hull." While, in a sense, this is literally true; and while one could not wish to detract in the slightest degree from the honor so justly the due of Brother Hull for "there is glory enough for all," - we must agree with the opinion of Grand Secretary Thomas Milburne Reed that the erection of that altar was due to the fervency and zeal, and well - directed efforts, of other brethren as well, some of them afterwards very closely identified with Masonry in Washington.
But before pursuing that subject further, having mentioned the name of that giant among Past Grand Masters, permit the writer to place it on record that he is indebted as all writers must be who shall touch upon the same subject, until the end of time for by far the greater part of the material for the present chapter to the sketch of "Pioneer Masonry" previously written by Brother Thomas Milburne Reed. But for the latter's forethought, care and industry in collecting and preserving the story of the pioneer Masons, much of the material for a history of Masonry in the Northwest would already have been lost; and so thoroughly did he glean his field that little of any considerable value seems to remain to be extracted from sources now available by those who follow him. In the following pages the freest use has been made of Past Grand Master Reed's contributions to the history of our subject.
It will be remembered that Wm. P. Dougherty was one of the signers of the call for the first meeting at Oregon City. That meeting was held at his house or hotel. The matters of forwarding the petition for the charter and of paying the fee for the latter were intrusted wholly to Brother Dougherty. At this time there were virtually no mail facilities between Oregon and "the States." Brother Dougherty intrusted the petition to the Hudson Bay Company, whose messenger upon that occasion was Joel Palmer, afterwards a member of Lafayette Lodge, No. 3, Oregon. Says Brother Dougherty, in a letter still extant: -
"At the same time (when forwarding the petition) I addressed a letter to my agent, Mr. James A. Spratt [so Brother Dougherty gives the name, but an intimate friend of Spratt says his name was James G.], in Platte City, Mo. The petition and letter were transmitted through the Hudson Bay Company's Express to their destination. My letter of instruction to Brother Spratt was to pay for the charter out of my own funds, which were then in his possession."
The petition was duly received, was recommended by Platte City Lodge, No. 56, in which Brother Dougherty had been made a Mason and was graciously granted by the Grand Lodge of Missouri, October 17, 1846. The Lodge was styled "Multnomah, No. 84" and its charter was paid for as Brother Dougherty had directed. Brother Spratt intrusted it to Brother P. B. Cornwall, who states, in a letter addressed to Brother Reed: -
"The charter was placed in my care at St. Joseph (Mo.) late in the month of December, 1847, or early in January, 1848. I had a small party of five persons on the way to California, and we were spending the winter in St. Joseph. In April, 1848, we crossed the Missouri River a little above Council Bluffs and traveled up the south side of the Platte River on our way to California."
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After arriving at Fort Hall where the routes to California and Oregon, respectively, diverged,being bound for the former place, Brother Cornwall, about the last of August, intrusted the charter to Orean and Joseph Kellogg father and son, on their way to Oregon, "whom," he tells us, "I had tested and found to be Master Masons." The Kelloggs brought the charter safely to Oregon City, conveying it "in a small hairtanned cowhide trunk," which Joseph Kellogg had made in 1834 and which is still in existence, the property of Multnomah Lodge.
Before this Lodge was constituted on September 11, 1848, Brother Dougherty who was named as Senior Warden in the charter had removed to California. In consequence he was not installed; but his very considerable services to pioneer Masonry, which we have mentioned, make it a pleasure to record a brief outline of his long and honorable career. He was born fitting coincidence in the town of Washington, Washington County, Pennsylvania, in the year 1812; was made a Mason in Platte City, Missouri, - in the Lodge already mentioned in 1843; and in the same year migrated to Oregon in the first wave incited by Whitman's ride, settling at Oregon City. Removing thence to California, he did not long remain there; and on November 6, 1852, we find him dimitting from Multnomah Lodge, settled at Steilacoom, and assisting in organizing our own Steilacoom Lodge now No. 2, originally Oregon's No. 8. A charter member of that Lodge, he continued his connection with it, residing in later years at Rigney, near Stellacoom until he died April 18, 1897, full of years and honors.
After the organization of the Grand Lodge of Oregon, until almost the end of the year 1858, it remained as much the Grand Lodge of the Masons in what is now the State of Washington as of those of the Willamette Valley or any other portion of the vast Oregon country; but its history during as well as since those years has been told by Past Grand Master Hodson, with a skill and interest which would render any repetition here as daring as it would be superfluous. Suffice it to record the names of our Grand Masters and Grand Secretaries during those years, all of whom were men of great ability, and of standing and influence in secular as well as Masonic affairs:
GRAND MASTER. GRAND SECRETARY INSTALLED
Berryman Jennings ......................Benjamin Stark .......................1851
Berryman Jennings ......................Benjamin Stark .......................1852
John Elliott .................................Benjamin Stark .........................1853
J. C. Ainsworth ...........................Benjamin Stark .........................1854
J. C. Ainsworth ..........................Benjamin Stark ..........................1855
A. M. Belt ..................................W.S. Caldwell.............................1856
Benjamin Stark ...........................W.S. caldwell.............................1857
Benjamin Stark ...........................C.T. Trenchard ..........................1858
R. W. Bro. Thornton F. McElroy, junior Grand Warden in 1854, afterwards became the first Grand Master of Washington; and R. W. Bro. S. F. Chadwick, junior Grand Warden in 1858, and afterwards Grand Master, Grand Secretary, Committee on Correspondence, and Governor of the State, was father of our own Grand Master Chadwick.
OLYMPIA LODGE, No. 1.
At length our steps lead north of the Columbia River; for the second Lodge chartered by the Oregon Grand Lodge was our own Olympia Lodge, No. 1, being Oregon's No. 5. In his annual address to the Grand Lodge of Oregon, June 13, 1853, Grand Master Jennings said: -
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"On the 25th day of November last (1852) I granted a dispensation to sundry brethren residing at Olympia, Puget Sound, to open a Lodge, under the name of Olympia Lodge, returnable at this Grand Communication; which return has been promptly made through their Worshipful Master, Brother T. F. McElroy."
The first meeting of the Lodge, under dispensation, was held Saturday evening, December 11, 1852, and the minutes of the meeting will be quoted presently. The dispensation was not copied into the minute book, and the original is believed not to be in existence. A charter was voted to the new Lodge by the Grand Lodge of Oregon Territory, June 13th, and bears date June 15, 1853. This interesting document reads as follows: -
"B. Jennings, Grand Master. John Elliott, Deputy Grand Master. John C. Ainsworth, P. T. Grand Senior Warden. A. M. Belt, Grand junior Warden.
WISDOM. STRENGTH. BEAUTY.
"To All Whom It May Concern, the Grand Lodge of the Territory of Oregon, Greeting. -
"Know ye, that by virtue of the powers and authorities vested in us, we do hereby constitute and appoint our worthy and well - beloved Brethren Thornton F. McElroy, Worshipful Master, Benjamin F. Yantis, Senior Warden, and Michael T. Simmons, junior Warden, of a Lodge to be called Olympia Lodge, Number Five, to be held at Olympia, in the County of Thurston, and Territory of Washington. And we do further authorize and empower our said trusty and well - beloved Brethren McElroy, Yantis and Simmons, to admit and make Free Masons according to the most ancient and honorable custom of the Royal Craft in all ages and nations throughout the known world, but not contrary wise. And we do further empower and appoint said Brethren McElroy, Yantis and Simmons, and their successors, to hear and determine all and singular, matters and things relating to the Craft within the jurisdiction of the said Lodge, with the assistance of the members thereof. And lastly, we do hereby authorize and empower our said trusty and wellbeloved Brethren McElroy, Yantis and Simmons to install their successors, being first duly elected and chosen, to whom they shall deliver this Warrant, and to invest them with all the powers and dignities to their offices respectively belonging; and such successors, shall in like manner, from time to time, install their successors, etc., etc., etc. Such installation to be upon or near St. John the Evangelist's day, during the continuance of this Lodge forever. Provided always, that the said above named Brethren, and their successors, pay due respect to this Most Worshipful Grand Lodge, and the ordinances thereof, otherwise this warrant to be of no force or effect.
"Given in open Grand Lodge, under the hands of our Worshipful Grand Officers, and the seal of our Most Worshipful Grand Lodge at Oregon City, this fifteenth day of June, Anno Domini 1853, Anno Lucis 5853.
Grand Lodge
L. S. ROBERT THOMPSON, Grand Treasurer.
Oregon.
Attest:
BENJ. STARK, Grand Secretary."
Upon the back of the charter now appears the following endorsement:
"OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON TERRITORY, December 9, A. L. 5858, A. D. 1858.
To All Whom It May Concern:
Greeting.
This Charter having been submitted to the Grand Lodge of the Territory of Washington, it is therefore ordered that the Lodge be recognized as "regularly constituted," under the jurisdiction of this
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Grand Lodge, to hold its original name, and to take precedence in number according to the date of its Charter; and that this order be signed by the M. W. Grand Master, R. W. Deputy Grand Master, Grand Wardens, and countersigned by the Grand Secretary.
T. F. McELROY, Grand Master.
Seal of the Grand Lodge of the JAMES A. GRAHAME, Deputy Gr. Master. Territory of Washington. JAMES BILES, Senior Gr. Warden.
LEVI FARNSWORTH, Junior Gr. Warden.
T. M. REED, Grand Secretary."
The first meeting under charter was held Saturday evening, July 2, 1853, and Grand Secretary Reed infers that the ceremony of "constituting" the Lodge occurred upon that occasion. The record, however, is silent upon that subject; but mentions the election of the following officers that evening, viz.: T. F. McElroy, W. M.; B. F. Yantis, S. W.; M. T. Simmons, J. W.; B. Close, Secretary; Ira Ward, Treasurer; and Smith Hays, Tyler.
Brother Benjamin F. Yantis, thus elected to an important office, was the first petitioner for the degrees, and the first person made a Mason, within what is now the State of Washington. Brother Benjamin F. Shaw, afterwards a State Senator from Clarke County, received his three degrees on the same evenings as Brother Yantis, but later. Brother McElroy continued Master of Olympia Lodge until it ceased to be a constituent of the Grand Lodge of Oregon Territory. A comment made by Grand Secretary Reed may be quoted appropriately at this place: "Olympia Lodge has from the date of its organization maintained a healthy degree of prosperity, and has done a large amount of work in the conferring of degrees and in the reception of members, although its membership, at any given period, has rarely exceeded 100 Master Masons on the official roll. It being the first Lodge established north of the Columbia River, very many of those who at one time were members, either through initiation or affiliation, have identified themselves with other lodges, removed permanently from its jurisdiction, or have passed over the 'silent river of death.' But we may safely say that, up to the close of the first six years of its existence, and, in fact, up to the time of the organization of the Grand Lodge of Washington, its membership equaled fully one half of the enrolled membership of this Grand jurisdiction."
The first minutebook covering the period from December 11, 1852, to May 13, 1854, inclusive, ever kept by a Lodge of Masons in this jurisdiction must always be a memento of great interest to the Fraternity. The volume exclusive of flyleaves consists of eighty-eight leaves, 7 3/8 by 4 7/8 inches in size, of white notepaper of good quality ruled by blue lines one - fourth of an inch apart; and is substantially bound in leather and stamped "Records" on the back. Evidently about twenty other leaves had been cut from the front of the book, and some others from another place, but before it was used as a minutebook. Until November 8, 1853, that is, throughout more than half of the volume, the minutes, with two slight exceptions, were written on the right hand page only. The first thirty-one right - hand pages are numbered by pen. Much the greater part of the volume is in the handwriting of Bro. T. F. McElroy, the first Master of the Lodge, as also is this inscription, on the first flyleaf: "Records of Olympia Lodge, U. D., Dec. 11th A. D. 1852." The minutes show that the practice of a separate ballot for each degree prevailed throughout the period covered by the volume and disclose one instance in which the advancement of an Entered Apprentice, a brother who was afterwards a prominent member of the Grand Lodge was delayed many years by a single blackball. Some of the entries throw so much light on the usages of that day that it seems desirable to reproduce them.
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The minutes of the first meeting read as follows: -
"OLYMPIA, OREGON TERRITORY,
"Saturday evening, Dec. 11, A. D. 1852, A. L. 5852.
"T. F. McElroy, J. W. Wiley, M. T. Simmons, N. Delin, and Smith Hays, of the petitioners, with F. A. Clarke, Master Mason, member of Willamette Lodge, No. 2, and C. H. Hale, Master Mason, member of King David's Lodge, No. 62, under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Maine, (Ira Ward and A. K. Skidmore, of the petitioners being absent) having duly assembled this evening, at the Town
of Olympia, proceeded to organize a Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, under authority of a Dispensation granted to the above petitioners, by M. W. Berryman Jennings, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the Territory of Oregon.
"The Lodge was opened in due and ancient form in the first, second and third degrees: -
"Brother T. F. McElroy, W. M., Brother J. W. Wiley, S. W., Brother M. T. Simmons, J. W. Thereupon, the W. M. appointed Brother N. Delin, Treasurer, Brother Ira Ward, S. D., Brother Smith Hays, Tyler, Brother F. A. Clarke, J. D., pro tem., Brother C. H. Hale, Secretary, pro tem. Brothers J. W. Wiley and N. Delin were appointed a committee to draft bylaws.
"On motion, the ByLaws of Willamette Lodge, No. 2, were adopted for the present (so far as
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applicable) and the regular communications of the Lodge fixed on the first and third Saturday evenings in each month.
"No further business appearing, the Lodge was closed in the third, second, and first degrees in due and ancient form. "T. F. McELROY, W. M.
"Attest,
"C. H. HALE, Sect. pro tem."
This method of opening and closing the Lodge was adhered to for many years. On the expression "Ancient" F. & A. Masons which is still employed in Oregon there will be occasion to comment at a later page. At the second meeting, December 18, 1852,
"The petition of Benjamin F. Yantis, for initiation into the mysteries of Free Masonry, was received and referred to a committee. * * * On motion of Brother Clarke, the Secretary p. t. was instructed to address a note to Mr. E. Sylvester, expressing the thanks of this Lodge for his liberality in donating two town lots for Masonic purposes.
"Brothers F. A. Clarke and C. H. Hale, having signified their desire to become members of this Lodge, and having submitted satisfactory evidence of their good and regular standing as Masons, their names were, by unanimous vote of the Lodge, on motion of Brother J. W. Wiley, enrolled among the original members of the Lodge."
Brother Clarke was at this time still a member of Willamette Lodge; the objection to dual membership being of later growth. Mr. Sylvester, who afterwards became a Mason and a prominent member of this Lodge, owned the government donation claim on which the original townsite of Olympia including the principal business portion of the city is situated. The lots mentioned are doubtless those on which the first Masonic Hall on the Pacific Coast was afterwards built.
Feb. 5, 1853 "B. F. Yantis, who had been previously balloted for, was received and initiated into the mysteries of Free Masonry in due and ancient form.
"This was the first Masonic "work" ever done on the Pacific Coast north of the Columbia River.
Feb. 19, 1853 "A ballot was spread upon the application of __________ for initiation into the mysteries of Free Masonry; on display of the ballot three black balls appeared, and he was declared duly rejected."
March 19 1853 - "On motion the Lodge was closed in the second degree, and called from labor to refreshment, to resume labor on Saturday evening next, at six o'clock."
At the date last named, the record begins, "The Lodge was called from refreshment to labor." It is now the general opinion that such a practice is not permissible.
June 4, 1853 - Just prior to the meeting of the Oregon Grand Lodge, to which application was to be made for a charter, "The minutes of the Lodge from its organization to the present communication, having been read and duly considered, were finally approved."
At that meeting a committee who had examined the accounts of the Secretary and Treasurer reported that the Lodge had received, to that date, $310.00 and had paid out $124.00. The minutes continue,
"On motion, the W. M. was authorized to draw on the Treasurer for $100.00 to defray his expenses as delegate to the Grand Lodge." "Brother Hale offered the following resolution, which was unanimously adopted: -
"Resolved, That the petition of this Lodge be by the W. M. presented to the Grand Lodge in session praying for a charter." This was the last meeting under dispensation, and to this date belongs a "List of Members,"
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written on the last page of the volume, which names thirteen Master Masons, one Fellow Craft and three Entered Apprentices. Having obtained its charter, the Lodge met July 2, 1853; at which time, as before remarked, the minutes though full and minute give no intimation that the Lodge was formally "constituted" or its officers installed. And, although Master and Wardens were appointed by the charter, yet the first business done under it was to elect a full set of officers. The three named in the charter were elected to the offices therein awarded them.
July 9, 1853" - Warrant was ordered to be issued for ($20) twenty dollars, for Levi Ford in part payment for clearing Masonic lots."
July 16, 1853" - On motion, and by unanimous consent, the petition of ______________ for initiation into the mysteries of Free Masonry, was withdrawn."
Aug. 20, 1853" - F. C. Brother Ford's bill for clearing lots was approved and warrant ordered
for $45."
Nov. 19, 1853" - A communication from Lafayette Lodge, asking aid in liquidating a debt incurred by said Lodge in supporting a distressed worthy Brother, was received, and on motion, fifty dollars of Lodge funds was appropriated for that purpose." Lafayette Lodge returned $60.50 in discharge of this favor, July 7, 1855.
Dec. 27, 1853 - Lodge officers were elected; also, -
"On motion of Brother Delin, the W. M. was declared exempt from Lodge dues during the ensuing Masonic year.
"The Lodge was called from labor to refreshment until Thursday evening next." The officers were not installed until March 4th.
Jan. 21, 1854" - The petition of Brothers W. H. Wallace, Lafayette Balch, and others, to the M. W. Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Oregon, for a Dispensation to open a Lodge at Steilacoom, was received, and on motion the following resolution was unanimously adopted:
Resolved, That we have full confidence in the worthy Brethren whose names are attached to the petition, and that we believe the interests of the Fraternity would be advanced by the opening of a Lodge at Steilacoom; therefore we cheerfully recommend that the M. W. Grand Master grant the prayer of the petitioners."
Feb. 18, 1854" - A communication was received from Deputy Grand Master Ainsworth, announcing the melancholy and sad intelligence of the untimely death of our beloved Brother, and M. W. Grand Master, John Elliott," who had been accidentally killed February 1st.
It was voted that the members wear "the usual badge of mourning" for thirty days and that the Lodgeroom be "clothed in mourning," and a committee on resolutions was appointed.
Next we have our first mention of a ceremony of installation occurring north of the Columbia River:
March 4, 1854" - The officers elect were then installed in due and ancient form by Brothers James Biles and William Wallace, under authority from the Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Oregon, Brother John C. Ainsworth.
"The committee appointed at the last regular communication to draft resolutions expressive of the sense of the Lodge at the melancholy intelligence of the death of our beloved Brother and M. W. Grand Master John Elliott" [sic.], presented a long series of preambles and resolutions which were unanimously adopted and are worthy to be quoted in full, did our space permit, both on account of the quaintness of some expressions used and of their historical interest of the former we note that the Grand Master had been called "from death unto life" in the year "A. D. 5854," leaving "a vacuum in
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his household." The Lodge expressed its "hope that, in the moment of the fatal catastrophe, the mortal part which never dies put on immortality"; and declared that, "having full confidence in the ability, benevolence, purity of life, and amiable disposition of our Right Worshipful Deputy Grand Master, Brother J. C. Ainsworth, we cheerfully acknowledge and recognize him to be our M. W. Grand Master of the M. W. Grand Lodge aforesaid until he or his successor shall be legally elected, qualified and installed."
April 1, 1854 - Communication was read from Willamette Lodge giving notice of rejection of three, candidates for initiation."
The names are given one of them being that of a gentleman afterwards very prominent in Oregon. Speaking of two of their own candidates, the record continues: -
"Mr. Crosbic and Bolon applied for initiation one month previously and an inquiry was instituted to learn their character, but living under the jurisdiction of the Willamette Lodge, No. 2, a statement of their case was made to that Lodge and a communication was received from them and also from the Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Grand Lodge granting permission to Olympia Lodge, No. 5, to receive their petitions."
April 15, 1854 - "Inquiry was made as to what had been done in regard to Lodge building. The W. M. made a report and a committee was appointed consisting of Brothers Simmons, Hale, Waterman, Ethridge, Ward and McElroy to report at the next regular meeting."
The Lodge was doing a vast amount of "work" at this period, and no less than seven special communications were held prior to the next regular one, twenty days later.
May 6, 1854 - "A petition was received from J. W. Goodell accompanied by $15.00 praying for initiation."
This sum was doubtless the fee for the first degree only.
"A warrant was ordered to be issued for $300.00 in favor of Brother C. Ethridge to be applied towards defraying expenses for the new Lodge building.
"Brother Newman gave notice that he should move to change the ByLaws so that the monthly dues be raised from one to two dollars per month.
"A committee consisting of Brothers Sailor, Shaw and McAllister were appointed to obtain a suitable stone or block for the cornerstone of the new Lodge building to be laid on St. John's Day, the 24th of June next, and an invitation was given to the officers of the Grand Lodge and the Fraternity generally to be present on the occasion."
These latter entries illustrate the broad and liberal scale upon which the fathers of Washington Masonry were administering its affairs, as well as lead us to an interesting subject, the Hall of Olympia Lodge which will presently command our attention. One more special communication, held May 13, 1854, brings us to the end of this little volume of minutes. Before leaving it, however, we may note the payment of certain bills which throw light on the early history of the Lodge. Feb. 19, 1853, Bettman & Brand were paid $14 for a stove and Kendall Co. $6 for a stovepipe; March 26, 1853, G. A. Barnes, $9 for one half dozen chairs, James Taylor $33.78 "for making Lodge furniture"; S. P. Moses $22.50 for 19 ½ yards carpet, and "Brother S. Downs"who does not appear to have been a member of the Lodge -$15 "for work done in Lodgeroom"; April 16, 1853, Brother T. F. McElroy $8.45 "for expenses in fitting up Lodgeroom"; Jan. 21, 1854, the Kendall Co $14.75 for stove and pipe; March 18, 1854, "the bill of Brother Simmons for rent, also Brother Delin's bill for jewels, etc., were received and warrants ordered for $61.00." The second minute book, covering the period from May 20, 1854, to Aug. 5, 1865, inclusive, is
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also of great interest. It abounds with matter which the local historian of the Olympia Lodges will be delighted to quote; but in a work of a general nature, like the present, quotations must be limited to those of general interest. The following are deemed of that character:
Dec. 27, 1854 - "Brother Anderson moved that a committee of three be appointed to procure a suitable block of stone to be placed in the Washington Monument now being eiected [at the National, Capital, Washington, D. C.,] to the memory of that great and good man, Brother George Washington. Motion carried."
"A circular was received from the committee appointed by the Grand Lodge to receive contributions for the endowment of a Masonic College in Oregon." Oct. 6, 1855 "Brother G. Hays offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That the ByLaws be so amended that a member in good standing may dimit or withdraw from the Lodge after having paid all Lodge dues."
The fad of "enforced affiliation," one of the many innovations engrafted upon American Masonry after the dark days of the Morgan excitement, was in such universal favor at that day that it is not surprising that Brother Hays' resolution was, after six weeks' consideration, "indefinitely postponed." Not until 1894 did the Grand Lodge of Washington fully acknowledge the inherent right of the Mason to surrender his Lodge membership at will; and several Grand Lodges have not yet reverted to the ancient usage of the Fraternity in that particular. The surprising thing, therefore, is not that Brother Hay's resolution was rejected but that, in a Lodge on the very frontier of civilization, even one brother should have been found with so correct a conception of the animus of the Masonic Institution. It must be acknowledged in passing, however, that much of that broadness of view and catholicity of sentiment that has given the Grand Lodge of Washington so enviable a reputation abroad and caused her to revert so closely to the Ancient Landmarks of the Fraternity is undoubtedly due to the Masonic qualifications of the pioneer Masons of Washington Territory. Our next quotation perhaps shows the origin of a regulation always enforced in this Grand jurisdiction: -
Nov. 17, 1855 - "Brother Goudy introduced a proposition to amend the ByLaws 'so as to require a candidate, who has been balloted for and elected to take the first degree, to present himself for initiation within two months after his election, otherwise his election shall be considered void.' "
In 1855 and 1856 the Lodges suffered sorely, as we shall presently see, through the Indian War; and under date, Feb. 3, 1856, mention is made of an attempt of the Oregon Grand Lodge to raise funds for a monument "to the memory of those Brothers who have scaled their devotion to the service of their country with their lives, in the present Indian War."
Nov. 7, 1857 - "Brothers Glasgow, Garfielde, and Tilton were appointed a committee to reconcile any difficulties that might exist among the Brethren."
This was one of the standing committees, annually appointed; but additional interest is given to this item by the fact that in 1861 an attempt was made in the Grand Lodge to procure the expulsion of this Brother Tilton for having made newspaper attacks upon this Brother Garfieldethen Grand Master and a candidate for Congress. Brother Tilton showed a disposition to stand upon his rights, taking permission "to enter his protest as to the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge in the case, before any action had been taken in the subordinate Lodge of which the parties are members"; Brother Garfielde had the Masonic spirit to disclaim "any action on his part in the matter, either as to preferring charges or desiring to prefer charges"; and the matter was, very sensibly, dropped.
May 15, 1858 - "On motion of Brother Tilton, the delegation to attend the meetings of the
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[Oregon] Grand Lodge was instructed to use their influence by vote or otherwise for the repeal of the Resolution of the last Grand Lodge, prohibiting the traffic or sale of intoxicating liquors. In counting the votes, 10 were for and 3 against the motion."
The subject of the above motion does not appear to have come up in the Oregon Grand Lodge in 1858. A similar regulation was injected into the Washington Code in 1899; and, although considered by conservative Masons to be in conflict with the assurance given every candidate before he assumes his primary Masonic obligation, has not yet been repealed.
In the minutes of the same day we find our first allusion to a prospective Grand Lodge of Washington: -
"On motion, the Secretary of this Lodge was instructed to inform sister Lodges of this Territory that Olympia Lodge, No. 5, was in favor of a separate organization and would take the preliminary steps after adjournment of meetings of next Grand Lodge."
June 5, 1858 - "The Secretary was instructed to collect dues of all nonaffiliated Masons living within the jurisdiction of said Lodge."
This as appears from a later entryivas "conformably with a resolution of the Grand Lodge of Oregon Territory, passed June, 1854"; but the Oregon resolution, while it directed that the right to visit be denied to noncontributing nonaffiliates after six months' residenceand is therein subject to criticism did not go so far as to assert a right in a Lodge to enforce contributions from nonmembers by any other means than that mentioned.
We go beyond the period to which these quotations would naturally be limitedthe date of the, organization of the Grand Lodge of Washingtonto incorporate reference to two other matters: -
May 21, 1889 - "M. W. Bro. T. F. McElroy, presented to the Lodge, in the name of Mrs. Gatch (wife of Bro. T. M. Gatch) a valuable painting executed by that lady's own hand, as a present to the Lodge.
"On motion of M. W. Bro. McElroy, the Secretary was instructed to address a note to Mrs. Gatch, expressive of the gratitude of the members of the Lodge for the valuable present."
Brother Thomas Milton Gatch, A. M., Ph. D.., here referred to, deserves more than a passing mention. Born in Clermont County, Ohio, January 29, 1833, he was graduated at the Ohio Wesleyan University in 1855. He removed to California the following year, became professor of mathematics and natural science in the University at Santa Clara and was initiated into Masonry. In 1859 he removed to Olympia, where we find him visiting Olympia Lodge, February 19, 1859, hailing from Santa Cruz Lodge, No. 38, California; affiliating March 19, 1859; and dimitting July 16th of the same year, being "about to leave." His grand work for the cause of education in the Northwest is well known. He was president of the Puget Sound Wesleyan Institute in 1859; professor in the Willamette University at Salem, Oregon, in 1860; president of that University 1861 to 1865; principal of the Portland Academy at Portland, 1866 to 1870 during which latter period he instilled into the mind of the present writer a love of knowledge and a profound respect for the professor's character; president of Willamette University, 1870 to 1880; Mayor of Salem, 1877 and 1879; professor in the University of Oregon, 1880; principal of Wasco Independent Academy at The Dalles, 1881 - 1887; and president of the University of Washington, at Seattle, 1887 to 1895. He built the latter up from a small school with 168 pupils to a real University with more than 500 students on its roll; and he still lives to enjoy the homage of thousands of his old pupils. During all these years he has been a very active and useful Mason. Among his services to, the Craft were those of acting as Secretary of St. John's Lodge, No. 9, for more than ten years, beginning in 1888, and as Secretary of the Scottish Rite bodies in Seattle.
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Let our last extract from these interesting minutes be one which refers to a precious relic still carefully preserved in the hall of Olympia Lodge and proudly shown to visitors a relic not more sacred however, than the mother's love which, as the solemn assurance of the Lodge discloses, inspired the gift:
Aug. 6, 1859 - "M. W. Bro. McElroy presented to the Lodge, in the name of Mrs. Isabella Tilton (wife of Bro. James Tilton), a locket containing a lock of the immortal Gen. Washington's hair, with the request that she be assured by it that the Masonic cemetery, now the property of this Lodge, will always be kept sacred as a place of burial.
THE RESIDENCE OF C. P. FERRY IN WHICH A MEETING WAS HELD TO ORGANIZE
THE FIRST LODGE IN TACOMA.
"On motion of M. W. Bro. McElroy, the Secretary was instructed to address a note to Mrs. Tilton acknowledging the receipt of the lock of hair, once upon the head of our illustrious Brother, and tender to her the grateful thanks of this Lodge for the sacred relic, and assure her that the cemetery wherein are deposited the remains of her beloved daughters shall never be desecrated." So mote it be.
It is, of course, beyond the scope of this history to pursue the career of Olympia Lodge in detail throulrh later vears. We mav add to the svnor)sls of its career alreadv quoted from Brother Reed our own conviction, derived from a study of that period, that not only was Olympia odge the paramount influence in Masonry in Washington Territory during the first twenty years of its existence, but also that
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during the first ten, at least, far more than onehalf of the intellectual and executive activity existing in the Territory was exercised by men whose names were upon her roll.
Besides an almost unlimited number of appointive officers, Olympia Lodge has contributed to the roll of the Grand Lodge the following unequaled list of names: Grand Masters Thornton F. McElroy, Sclucius Garfielde, Thomas M. Reed, Elwood Evans, James R. Hayden; Deputy Grand Masters Wm. H. Wood and Wm. McMicken; Grand Wardens J. S. M. Van Cleve, Urban E. Hicks, Edward S. Salomon; Grand Treasurer Benjamin Harned; Grand Secretaries Thomas M. Reed, Thornton F. McElroy, Wm. H. Wood and Thomas M. Reed, again,the services of these four covering the whole period of the existence of the Grand Lodge.
The following brethren have served as Worshipful Masters of Olympia Lodge: Thornton F. McElroy, Wm. Rutledge, Thomas M. Reed, J. S. NI. Van Cleve, Benjamin Harned, Elwood Evans, Samuel Davenport, Rufus Willard, Wm. E. Boone, James R. Hayden, Edward S. Salomon, Wm. Billings, James C. Horr, Wm. McMicken, Peter McKenzie, Aaron Hartsock, R. G. O'Brien, Edward Harkness, Alexander S. McKenzie, John J. Gilbert, John F. Gowey, Thomas J. McBratney, John P. Tweed, Mark E. Reed, Frank M. Gowey, Harry D. Cowles, Gus Harris, George S. Armstrong, David E. Baily (P. G. M., Nevada), Edward M. McClintic, N. J. Redpath.
THE HALL OF OLYMPIA LODGE.
Extracts from the minutes, of Olympia Lodge printed in preceding pages disclose that the brethren of the capital city began, at a very early day, to make preparations to build a permanent home for their Lodge. As we have seen, as early as 1852 a site was obtained through the generosity of Mr.who very shortly became BrotherEdmund Sylvester. This site is upon a rising ground near the shore of Budd's Inlet, commanding, in one direction, a magnificent view of Puget Sound and the snowclad Olympic mountains beyond, while in another direction looms far above the clouds the stately sovereign of the Cascade range, grand old Mt. Rainier. The minutes show that the work of "clearing" the lots was in progress in the summer of 1853, and that preparations to build had been made as early as the spring of 1854 On Saturday, June 24, 1854, the corner stone of the first building on the Pacific Coast dedicated to the uses of Masonry was laid. Bro. T. F. McElroy presided as W. M., and, the minutes say:
"At 11 o'clock, a. m., a procession was formed, and Lodge proceeded to the new Lodge building, at which time and place the N. E. cornerstone was laid with appropriate ceremonies; after which the procession moved to Bro. Cock's Hall at the Pacific House, and listened to an eloquent address from Bro. J. P. Anderson on Masonry. Immediately after the oration the brethren partook of a sumptuous entertainment prepared by Bro. Cock for the occasion. The brethren then repaired to the Lodge room * * * [and] the Lodge was closed in the third degree in due and ancient form."
The exact date when the building was completed or occupied does not appear, but it was doubtless in December, 1854; for on October 21, 1854, the Master and Secretary were authorized to "audit accounts and issue warrants for such money as may be needed for completion of Lodge building and other purposes before the next regular meeting"; no meeting was held in November; the meeting of December 2d was largely attended by members and visitors; and, finally, on January 20, 1855, the fact is noted that, "a part of the Lodge building hitherto occupied by a branch of the Legislature of Washington Territory being now vacant," a committee was appointed to rent the same. This was no doubt the lower story, which was subsequently occupied by a high school and, at a later day, by the libraries of
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the Lodge and Grand Lodge, as a part of the office of the Grand Secretary, banquet hall, etc. For many years the Lodge properthe upper floor of the building was reserved exclusively for the purposes of Ancient Craft Masonry. At a later day, bodies of the so-called "high" degrees were also permitted to occupy it; and still later a Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star succeeded in crossing its threshold. But with these exceptions, it is believed, it has been kept sacred to the original purpose for which those who erected it with much toll and self-sacrifice designed it. It is no exaggeration to speak of the self-sacrifice of the brethren to whom we owe that hall. On one of the latter pages of the second minute book of Olympia Lodge occurs this entry: -
"For the purpose of erecting a Masonic Hall in Olympia, the following brethren subscribed the amounts set opposite their names, with the understanding that at some future day, when circumstances would permit, Olympia Lodge No. 5, should refund the money without interest."
Then follow the lists given below. Possibly some of the brethren paid additional sums after this memorandum was written, which was certainly before December 8, 1858, and probably several years before that date: -
The exact cost of the building is not known. September 21, 1854, say the minutes, "Bro. Ethridge, as superintendent of the work, made a report as follows, viz: that $1183.7S had been expended and that the Lodge is indebted to no person but Bro. Harned for work."
March 3, 1855 - "Whereas Bro. Harned has offered to wait on the amount coming to him if the Lodge would pay him 3 per cent per month on such, the committee find such offer favorable under circumstances, provided monies cannot be raised on easier terms. On motion * * * resolved that Bros. Harned and Morgan should be allowed an interest of 3 per cent if no monies could be raised on easier terms."
This was for "work done on the Lodge building." Both of the brethren mentionedBenjamin Harned, afterwards Grand Treasurer, and H. D. Morganwere unaffiliated Masons at that time; and both joined Olympia Lodge December 20, 1856. One other entry bears on the question of the cost of, the hall: -
June 2, 1855" - The committee on accounts, to whom was referred the accounts of Bros. Ward and Hays for lumber, reported that the Lodge was indebted to Bros. W. and H. $280. On motion, a note was ordered to be given to Bros. Ward and Hays for $28o, drawing 20 per cent per annum."
It may be stated that the rates of interest mentioned in the last two quotations were not above those then commonly paid on the Pacific Coast.
Thorton F.McElroy
First Grand Master
of
Washington
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Steilacoom Lodge, No. 2.
The destruction of all the records of Steilacoom Lodge, by fire May 10, 1868, makes it impossible to recount the early history of this interesting Lodge with the fullness that could be desired, or to be entirely sure that any account that can be written will be wholly free from errors. From the minutes of Olympia Lodge we know that on January 21, 1854, "the petition of Bros. W. H. Wallace, Lafayette Balch and others" addressed to the Grand Master of Oregon asking for a dispensation to open a Lodge at Steilacoom was received and recommended by Olympia Lodge. In his address in June, 1854, Acting Grand Maaster Ainsworth reported that he had granted that dispensation. This fixes the date as subsequent to the death of Grand Master Elliott, February 1, 1854; but unfortunately Bro. Ainsworth gave the names of none of the petitioners except Brother Wallace, and the records of the Grand Lodge are silent upon the, subject; and in 1854 the Grand Lodge did not print a list of the members of her Lodges. In 1878 Brother Dougherty reported that Brother Wallace had given him, from memory, the names of the petitioners"a's follows: William Henson Wallace, William A. Slaughter, James M. Bachelder, Lafayette Balch, John M. Chapman, William P. Dougherty and Leon A. Smith. Perhaps Henry Murray's name should be added to this list, which in other respects is probably correct; as, by its returns in 1855, this Lodge showed that it had raised six, affiliated one and dimitted one and then hadif we include Brother Wallace fourteen members. The brother who affiliated was undoubtedly George Gibbs, from Olympia Lodge; five of the brethren raised were doubtless A. B. Moses, Silas J. Stiles, J. B. Webber, James M. Hunt and Charles Wren; and to the name of the brother who dimitted we have no clew, unless Bro. Wallace be meant. of the officers of the Lodge while under dispensation we know only that Bro. Wm. H. Wallace was W. M., though there is perhaps a probability that Bro. Balch was S. W. The Lodge was voted a charter June 13, 1854. It was at first enrolled as No. 7, but that number ultimately fell to Temple Lodge, at Astoria, chartered the same day; and our Lodge became No. 8. Brother Wallace became the first Master, under charter; but before his term of office expired he was, for some reason not mentioned, suspended from office only by the Grand Master. Hence, in the following list
Brother Slaughter's title should doubtless be "S. W. and Acting W. M."; but the list of officers and members printed in the returns of 1855 the first list we have of brethren of this Lodge reads as follows:
"Officers W. A. Slaughter, W. M.;, S. W.; J. M. Bachelder, J. W.; L. Balch, T.; J. M. Chapman, S.; Henry Murray, Tyler.
"Master MasonsGeorge Gibbs, W. P. Dougherty, A. B. Moses, S. J. Stiles, J. B. Webber, J. M. Hunt, L. A. Smith, Chas. Wren.
"Fellow Crafts Geo. Suckley, Jesse Varner, E. Schroter, Wm. A. [recte Wm. H.] Wood.
"Entered ApprenticesA. L. Porter, L. F. Thompson, Henry Wilson, Wm. McLucas."
Further mention of all these brethren will be made on a later page but it may be remarked here that it seems to have been supposed in the Lodge that, either by his suspension from office or by a dimit, Brother Wallace had ceased to be a member of the Lodge; for his name was not on the annual returns until 1860. In that year he entered the Grand Lodge and served as a Grand Steward pro tem.
William Henson Wallace was born in Miami County, Ohio, July 17, 1811. He removed as a child to Indiana and thence in 1839 to Iowa, where he served in both branches of the Legislature, and in 1849 served as Senior Grand Warden. At Fairfield he was Receiver of public moneys for several years until 1853, when he removed to Washington Territory. In the Grand Lodge of Oregon in 1854 -
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as delegate of Steilacoom Lodge U. D. he was Chairman of the Committee on Finance. In the same year he was defeated as the Whig candidate for Congress and elected to the Legislature. In October, 1855, he became captain of a company of volunteers raised in Pierce County for service in the Indian war. In April, 1861, he was appointed by President Lincoln, Governor of Washington Territory, and he was elected to Congress the same year, defeating Bro. Garfielde. In July, 1863, he was appointed Governor of Idaho and was elected to Congress from that Territory in September following. At the close of his term he returned to Steilacoom, where he was elected Master of Steilacoom Lodge in De
MASONIC HALL, TACOMA, WASHINGTON.
cember, 1870. In the Grand Lodge he was appointed Grand Bible Bearer in 1871, and subsequently served two terms as Grand Orator and two as Grand Lecturer. He was a lawyer by profession and was classed as a close, logical reasoner, a brilliant orator, an affable companion, and a gentleman of polished and dignified deportment. But for his absences on public duties he would probably have reached the highest station in Masonry. He died at Steilacoom February 7, 1879, and was buried by his Lodge.
Mention has been made of the Indian war of 1855. It afflicted our Fraternity, and especially Steilacoom Lodge, so heavily that further mention of it must now be made. It arose from the killing, in September, 185S, by the order of Kamiakim, of Andrew J. Bolon, a special Indian agent and a member of Olympia Lodge, while traveling on a mission of peace from The Dalles toward Atahnam.
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Another member of Olympia Lodge, Lieut. James McAllister, and two members of Steilacoom Lodge, Lieut. A. Benton Moses and Lieut. Wm. A. Slaughter, were also among the slain. The death of the latter, in particular, spread a profound feeling of sorrow throughout the whole Northwest.
William A. Slaughter was born in Kentucky, in 1827. He removed to Indiana in boyhood and thence, from Lafayette, was appointed a cadet at West Point in 1844, graduating in 1848. He fought in the Mexican war and was then sent to the Pacific Coast as a lieutenant in the 4th infantry, being stationed at Vancouver in 1852 and at Fort Steilacoom in 1853. He affiliated with Olympia Lodge September 17, 1853, hailing from Port Huron Lodge, Michigan. He dimitted January 21, 1854, to sign the petition for Steilacoom Lodge and, as we have seen, succeeded to the head of the Lodge in the same or the following year. At the outbreak of the war, in September, 1855, he took charge of an important movement of the regular and volunteer troops for the protection of the settlers, and was killed at Brennan's Prairie at the junction of White and Green Rivers, December 4, 1855. His body was borne to Steilacoom, where he had a family, and buried with Masonic and military honors. The Grand Lodge of Oregon and the Legislature of Washington each paid tribute to his memory: "No officer of the army ever came to Fort Steilacoom who so endeared himself to the citizens of the Territory as did this gallant and enterprising gentleman." The County now called Kitsap, as well as the town now called Auburn, originally bore his name.
It is noticeable that many of the early members of Steilacoom Lodge were connected with it for but a short period. This and the fact that the membership of several of them whose subsequent movements it is not easy to trace terminated at about the commencement of the civil war, coupled with the circumstance that Fort Steilacoom and the Lodge were side by side during the first fourteen years of the latter's existence, may possibly indicate that many of these brethren were soldiers in the U. S. army.
As the Lodge records have been destroyed, and the information is preserved only in Oregon pamphlets which are out of print and excessively scarce, it may be well to record here the names of the officers of Steilacoom Lodge, after it was chartered and prior to the organization of the Grand Lodge of Washington, viz:
At an early day the brethren of this Lodge determined to have a home of their own. In June, 1860, the other Lodges were invited to be present at the laying of the cornerstone, and the "new Masonic Hall" was dedicated February 22, 1861. It, with the charter and records of the Lodge, wai burned May 10, 1868, after which the brethren erected their present hall.
The membership of the Lodge numbered about twenty until 1870. In that year it began gaining, u11 it reached a maximum of 48 in 1874 nt Since then it has perhaps averaged two score members, but so many of these were either nonresident or very aged that in 189S the Worshipful Master feared that if a certain decision, that the presence of seven members is necessary to open a Lodge of Master Masons, were approved, Steilacoom Lodge might be forced to surrender its charter. In more recent years it seems to have taken a new lease of life, and appears to have a bright future before it.
The only elective Grand Officers hailing from this Lodge were Wm. H. Wood and Erastus A.
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Light, Senior Grand Wardens, and James M. Bachelder, Grand Treasurer and junior Grand Warden. Its Masters have been: William H. Wallace, William A. Slaughter, James M. Bacheider, Wm. H. Wood, Samuel McCaw, Erastus A. Light, H. D. Montgomery, Robert S. More, J. L. Perkins, Irving Ballard, John McAllister, Winfield S. Leonard, Byron A. Young, Levi G. Shelton, Anthony P. Carr, Thomas McGeary, Warren L. Bair, Silas R. Moore, Owen P. Halligan, Ira D. Light, Edgar L. Brown, Frederick R. Doyne.
GRAND MOUND LODGE, NO 3
The minutes of Olympia Lodge show that at a regular communication of that Lodge held February 7, 1857, the "Petition of Bros. Charles Byles, Jas. Byles [recte Biles], J. Axtell, W. B. Newman, C. E. Baker, B. C. Armstrong, Aaron Webster, B. F. Yantis and R. L. Doyle, M. M., to the M. W. G. Lodge of Oregon for a dispensation to open a [] on Grand Mound Prairie in Washington Territory, to be called 'Grand Mound Lodge, No. ____,' was presented, and on motion the following resolution was unanimously adopted: -
"Resolved, That we have full confidence in the worthy brethren whose names are attached to the petition, praying a dispensation to open 'Grand Mound Lodge, No. ____,' and that we believe the interests of the fraternity would be advanced by the opening said new Lodge; therefore we cheerfully recommend that the M. W. G. M. grant the prayer of the petitioners.
"'Ordered, That the petition, together with a transcript of the action of this Lodge, be forwarded to the M. W. G. M."
At the same meeting, after some other business, the minutes show the following unusual but certainly very fraternal action: -
"On,motion, $50 was appropriated for the purpose of paying for dispensation of Grand Mound Lodge."
Some account of all these petitioners will be given on a later page. James Biles, who subsequently became Grand Master, was at this time a member of Olympia Lodge. The writer has found no minute of his dimitting at all, and he is first mentioned as "demitted" therefrom in the returns of 1859. He paid dues in Olympia Lodge at least as late as November 7, 1857, but, acting as S. W. pro tem. March 9, 1857, was then styled "visiting Bro."but with a line of erasure drawn through the words. He is no doubt the "Visiting Bro. Biles" mentioned in the minutes of Olympia Lodge September 16, 1858, as a matter important to Grand Mound Lodge was then presented to Olympia Lodge for consideration. He was an officer pro tem. at the first meeting of Grand Mound Lodge November 14, 1857; was installed its S. W. August 2 1, 1858; and was one of its representatives in the convention which organized the Grand Lodge in December following.
B. C. Armstrong was at this time a member of Olympia Lodge and retained his membership there, not being named in the charter of Grand Mound Lodge and never becoming a member of that body, although he contributed toward building its hall. The initials of the brother above styled "C. E. Baker were doubtless "E. B." though in the minutes he is once called "E. E." and usually "E." Perhaps no more appropriate place will present itself for a brief notice of one of these brethren whose virtues should not be left unrecorded.
Rev. Charles Byles, the first Master of Grand Mound Lodge, was born in Warren County, Tennessee, in August, 1809. He spent his youth in North Carolina, and in his twentieth year settled in Christian County, Kentucky. There, and in Hopkins County of that State, he lived till 1853, when he
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emigrated to Washington Territory and, with his family, constituted part of that memorable "train" which started for Puget Sound, came directly from "the States" and crossed the Naches pass of the Cascades into the valley of Puget Sound. He made his home on Grand Mound Prairie until he closed his earthly career sweetly and in peace, Friday, February 26, 1869. He had received the degrees, of Ancient Craft Masonry in Madison Lodge, No. 143, Madisonville, Kentucky, in 1840, and became Master of that Lodge. He was exalted to the degree of the Holy Royal Arch in the same town. He visited Olympia Lodge as early as March. 4, 1854, but no authority has been found for the statement made by Bro. Elwood Evansfrom whose obituary notice of Bro. Byles, in the Proceedings of the Grand Lodge for 1869, this sketch is chiefly adoptedthat he affiliated with that Lodge, which it is almost certain was not the case. He was a petitioner for the dispensation for Grand Mound Lodge, and its first Masterboth under dispensation and under charter; was Chairman of the Convention which organized the Grand Lodge of Washington in December, 1858; and was installed Grand Chaplain in December, 1862. He continued a member of Grand MoundLodge during the whole of its existencenot disdaining to act as its Tyler during its last as well as other years. In the language of Bro. Evans, "He pursued the avocation of preacher, not for pricefor he steadily refused compensationbut for pure love of Christianity and of his fellowman. Not brilliant as an orator, but always sound, practical, sensible, earnest: convincing men because all belief himself." In the language of Cowper, he was,
"Simple, grave, sincere;
In doctrine uncorrupt; in language plain,
And plain in manner; * * *
And tender in address, as well becomes
A messenger of grace to guilty men."
The difficulty and slowness of communication on the frontier in those days is well illustrated by the fact that in his address before the Oregon Grand Lodge, at Salem, June 8, 1887, Grand Master A. M. Belt speaking, among other things, of the petition forwarded to him in February, said: -
"Two other applications have been received for dispensations, one from Brethren in Illinois Valley, and the other from Brethren at Grand Mound, Washington Territory, but as only a few days intervened between the reception of the petition in the former, and necessary information in the latter case, and the sitting of the Grand Lodge, I have deemed it advisable to postpone action until this time."
The dispensation was issued by his successor, Grand Master Benjamin Stark; and, in the absence of any evidence whatsoever, either in the Lodge or Grand Lodge minutes, as to its exact date we may fairly accept the estimate of Bro. Thomas Milburne Reed"about September 1, 1857,"though the Grand Secretary charged himself with the $50.00 fee therefor under date "Nov., 1857."
Grand Mound was emphatically a rural Lodge. Near the southern line of what is now Thurston County, a little west of south from Olympia, is a curious natural phenomenonif, indeed, it be natural: An extensive, partly wooded prairie, embracing many square miles of area, takes its name"Mound Prairie"from the fact that throughout a great portion of it its surface is but a constant succession of regular mounds of uniform shape and similar size. Circular in shape, appearing, to a casual observer, perhaps fifty feet in diameter at their bases and six or eight feet in height, the slope of one mound has melted into the level of the prairie for but a few yards before another similar mound arises. And so on, for miles. No one, on first observing them, could fail to share the supposition of the first white settlers, that these peculiar formations were the sepulchral or religious works of prehistoric races. It is said that they have been explored in vain for any evidence of human workmanship and are the work
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of nature; yet still the mind cherishes a doubt. A single, sugarloaf shaped prominence, some hundred feet in height gave the name of "Grand" Mound to the Lodge, as well as to the railway station now near the former site of the Lodge. But in the days which we are now considering no village nestled on the bosom of Mound Prairie. Instead, stood one solitary twostory wooden building, distant, in the several directions, from one to four miles from any human habitation. It has been called a schoolhouse. And so it wasits lower story; but the minutes of the Lodge clearly disclose that it was not a schoolhouse, in part occupied by a Masonic Lodge; but an edifice erected by the joint efforts of the Brethren of Grand Mound Lodge and their neighbors, but as a Masonic building, the lower floor of which was to be devoted to the noble purposes of educating the young and the public worship of God, while from its upper rooms Masonic light shed its rays and Masonic lessons sweetened lives even beyond the utmost bounds of the mysterious prairie.
The records of the Lodge show the several brethren credited as follows: "By amount of account for building Masonic Hall," viz: Charles Byles, $93.88; James Biles, $252.22; Josephus Axtell, $23.00; R. L. Doyle., $25.00; Aaron Webster, $57.00; W. B. D. Newman, $33.50; total, $484.60 from six brethren - surely a praiseworthy record.
"The Masonic Hall" and common schoolhouse was located in the central part of the prairie at a point designed to afford the greater convenience of access to all the surrounding settlers who were, almost without exception, farmers, and stockmen - and, their families, their dwellings widely scattered around the outskirts of the prairie, in most cases several miles apart.
The first meeting of the Lodge was held "at their Lodge Room in Thurston County, W. T., November 14th, A. D. 1857, A. L. 5857," the following being present: "Chas. Byles, W. M.; Jas. Biles, S. W.; Josephus Axtell, J. W.; A. Webster, S. D.; W. B. D. Newman, J. D.; E. B. Baker, Sect." The latter brother, though styled Secretary, probably acted as Tyler, as the minutes are attested by James Biles, "Sect. P. T." It will be noted that but six brethren were present; and, in view of the question which has several times been raised in the Grand Lodge of Washington as to how many are necessary to open a Lodge, it may be added that at two of the ten meetings of this Lodge held before the charter was received there were present six members and one visitor; at one meeting, six members; at one, four members and two visitors; at two, five members; at two, four members; at one, three members and one visitor; and at one, three members only. At these communications all three degrees were conferred the third at a meeting at which were present four members and two visitors; and the brother who was raised is noted as "Sect., " though as usual the minutes are attested by "Jas. Biles, Sect. P. T."
At the first meeting, petitions for initiation were received from D. F. Byles and another; and it was ordered that the fees of this Lodge be: For initiation, $15.00; Fellow Craft's degree, $10; Master's degree, $10.00; affiliation, $3.00; monthly dues, 50 cents.
Affairs moved smoothly, and on June 26, 1858, it was unanimously voted to apply to the Grand Lodge for a charter. This application was graciously granted, and the Lodge designated as No. 21, by the Grand Lodge at its communication held at Astoria, July 13, 1858, at which time the returns of the Lodge showed a membership of nineD. F. Byles, who had been raised, supplying the absence of Bro. Armstrong from the list, besides J. W. Goodell, F. C., and M. Z. Goodell, E. A.
The minutes of August 21, 1858, note the presence of: -
"T. F. McElroy, T. M. Reed, B. Harned, G. K. Willard, E. Furste, J. Taylor, A. B. Rabbeson, W. Rutledge, visiting brethren from Olympia Lodge.
"The Lodge, having received a charter granted by the R. W. [sic] Grand Lodge of Oregon, formed a Masonic procession and marched into the school room connected with the Lodge building
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where the officers elect were duly installed, Bro. T. F. McElroy officiating as Deputy Grand Master, [ Bro. T. M. Reed officiating as Grand Marshal; after which the Lodge reformed in procession and returned to their hall, when business was resumed in the third degree." Extracts from other minutes will illustrate the progress of Masonry. The first of these extracts, though there are no italics in the original, seems slightly Hibernian in its logic:
September 18, 1858 - "The usual fee not accompanying the petition of A. E. Young, and the Lodge - being indebted to Bro. Jas. Biles, it was agreed by the Lodge that Jas. Biles be charged with the amunt of the initiation fee."
December 18, 1858 - "The W. M. stated to the Lodge that he had received a communication from Olympia Lodge containing accounts against members of this Lodge for dues, etc. Whereupon the Lodge "Resolved, That we cannot recognize the demand of Olympia Lodge against members of this Lodge for dues since the granting of our dispensation, neither can we recognize the justice of said Lodge demanding dues of this Lodge for nonaffiliated members." A similar resolution was adopted December 30, 1859.
April 1, 1859 - "Bro. T. M. Reed, Grand Lecturer, lectured in the different degrees very much to the satisfaction of this Lodge."
June 12, 1859 - "The hour of meeting for ensuing summer was changed from 6 to 4. o'clock P.M."
Aug. 15, 1859 - "Call meeting * * * It was moved that, under the circumstances Bro. Stevens living at Oysterville on Shoalwater Bay, and having mistaken the day of our regular communication, and being now on hand the Fellow Craft's degree be conferred on him; which was carried."
Sept. 3, 1859 - "The petition of George H. Foster for initiation was presented and read, and committee appointed to report forthwith. The committee reporting favorably, the ballot was spread, which resulted in his election."
Thereupon, Bro. H. K. Stevenshe of Oystervillehaving been elected to receive the second degree for a separate ballot for each degree was then the practice in our Lodges: -
"It was then ordered that the two degrees above referred to be conferred during the sessions of the Grand Lodge, about to convene at Olympia."
Dec. 30, 1859 - "On motion, it was ordered that the Treasurer be appointed a special committee to procure a dozen aprons, one pair drawers" and a blanket." Minutes like the following are quite common: -
"Feb 4, 1860 * * * Called off until one week from Wednesday next."
"Feb. 16, 1860 - Met at Lodgeroom. Called f rom ref reshment to labor."
March 3, 1860 - "On motion it was ordered that this Lodge furnish Sister Goodell the sum of sixteen dollars for the purpose of paying the tuition fee of the orphan children of our deceased brother, J. W. Goodell."
March 27, 1863 - "Resolved, That this Lodge charge two dollars for all demits granted.
NOV. 21, 1863, the following resolution was offered and adopted: -
"Resolved, That the Secretary of the Lodge be instructed to strike from the roll of members of this Lodge all the members of the same who are in arrears for dues one year, and that such members stand as suspended from all the privileges of Masonry for the nonpayment of dues; * * * The following named Brethren were suspended by the foregoing resolution, to wit: -
Then follow the names of four of the men who had so zealously founded this Lodge six years before and three other names. We may thank God that such drastic and unfraternal proceedings proceed
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ing which is still tolerated in some Grand Lodgeswere done away with in Washington Lodges it is to be hoped forever in 1896 by the adoption of section 333 of our Masonic Code, which reads: "No Lodge shall expel or suspend any member for failure to pay dues or assessments."
An appropriate comment on that method of dealing with a brother is presented by the ledger account of one of the brethren "suspended" that nightBro. Wm. H. Cooper, who had been initiated May 15, 1859. The credit side of his account reads as follows:
"Nov. 21, 1863 - Suspended for nonpayment of dues.
"Dec. 1863 - Reinstated because of informality.
"Nov. 15, 1864 - Reported Fallen in defense of his Country."
Then follows, in the handwriting of Grand Secretary Reed, to whose custody the records had been surrendered:
"1885, May 16. Paid in full, $18.60."
The following equally unwarranted resolution was adopted Nov. 12, 1864: -
"Resolved, That in the future any Brother suspended for the nonpayment of dues shall be required to pay dues for the time they remain under suspension, before they can be reinstated."
It is to the credit of the Lodge, though indicative of the soreness which such harsh measures always create, that, on the same evening, it was -
"Ordered, That a committee consisting of Jas. Biles, I. L. Holbrook, and Chas. Byles confer with members who have been suspended for the nonpayment of dues and who feel that they have thereby been improperly dealt with."
At about this date we meet with entries as, indeed, we do in all the Lodges and in the records of the Grand Lodge indicative of the inconvenience of the fact that, as it was expressed in "the States," gold was at a premium. On the Pacific Coast the expression applied to the same circumstance was that greenbacks were below paran expression due to the fact that the people of the Pacific Coast sternly insisted on remaining on a gold basis. They accomplished this by "blacklisting" men who "paid their debts in greenbacks." A merchant who had bought goods at gold prices could pay for them in the depreciated "currency there was nothing to prevent it: Congress and the courts declared what he offered a "legal tender." But if he did so, his credit was gone from the Mexican line to British Columbia his name was published in the newspapers, and he could buy no more goods. The account of Bro. James Biles, as Treasurer of Grand Mound Lodge for the year 1864, illustrates the inconvenience of the "double standard": After charging himself with various items amounting to $126.95, he adds the remark,
"The above was all paid in Gr. backs." Then follows the other side of the account, as follows: -
"Novr. 30th. Cr. By amt paid Grand Lodge, (which was paid in coin) . $ 36.00
By amt paid for chairs ...................... . . 9.75
(The above was paid in Gr. backs at 50c.) ______
45.75
Amt to balance ac't in Gr. B . . . . 35.45
______
126.95
Similarly, a brother having applied for a "demit" and having sent $10.oo in currency to pay his dues, -
"It was ordered that the Treasurer sell the Green Backs for coin, and that the deficiency be donated to the brother and he be granted a demit."
On September 10, 1864, occurs an entry to the effect that "ten dollars Green Backs" be placed to
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the credit of a certain brother "as" his fee for the third degree; but it was thereupon, -
"Resolved, That this Lodge in future will require the payment for conferring degrees to be made in gold coin or its equivalent."
It is in this connection that we get our only information as to the termination of the membership of one of the charter members of this Lodge, Bro. Baker. Being one of those whose names were stricken f rom the roll for nonpayment of dues, under the resolution of NOV. 2 1, 1863, already mentioned, the minutes show that on Oct. 28, 1863, the amount he owed as dues to Dec. 1, 1864, was paid "in legal tenders" and the difference between that currency and gold was remitted. There is nothing further in the minutes no record of a dimit or the like; but in the accountbook, after balancing Bro. Baker's account in the manner stated, the Secretary added, "Dropped from the Roll Oct. 28th, 1865."
The minutes of the "regular communication" of Dec. 30, 1865, begin by mentioning the members present to wit, four officers only and then continue in the following rather amusing form: -
"Whereas, this Lodge having been called off from our last meeting to last evening, and having .failed to meet at that time, the W. M. now declared that Lodge closed in ample form.
"Then proceeded to open in the 3d degree."
Since the establishment of the Lodge there had been very little if any increase of population in the vicinity, affording suitable material from which to add to the membership and assure the prosperity of the Lodge. Some of the original as well as of the later members had either died or removed to other localities or forfeited their membership. Meetings of the Lodge were ill attended and sometimes entirely omitted. As early as 1861 we find that, although two blank pages were left in the minute book after the minutes of August 24th, there is no record of another meeting till April, 1862. But one meeting is recorded between May and September of the latter year. After an apparent revival of interest, a few years later affairs grew worse. But one meetingwith but three Masons presentwas held in the year 1866. Under these circumstances those who had the good of the Lodge at heart were brought face to face with the fact that the continued existence of the Lodge depended on a change of location; and, as most of the members upon whom devolved the, active duties of the Lodge resided in or conveniently near the village of Tumwater, in December, 1866, the officers of the Lodge applied to, Grand Master Reed for permission to remove the Lodge to Tumwater. That village was within the territorial jurisdiction of Olympia Lodge, and less than three miles from its hall; and the proposed removal seemed to the members of Olympia Lodge to involve the surrender of so large and important a part of its jurisdiction that when their recommendation of the change was sought it was refused. But Grand Master Reed, "feeling an earnest desire for the life and future prosperity of Grand Mound Lodge," issued a dispensation, January 14, 1867, granting Grand Mound Lodge permission to remove its archives, etc., and to convene as a Lodge at Tumwater, but upon the express provision and condition that the Lodge in all matters, save in that of mere location, should be specially and exclusively conlined to.its own original jurisdiction and in no respect trespass upon the "material, business, rights, privileges, immunities or possessions belonging to or held by Olympia Lodge, No. 1, by virtue of its territorial jurisdiction." Accordingly, the minutes of the next meeting of Grand Mound Lodgethe first meeting since February, 1866 - begin: "Grand Mound Lodge, NO.3, met at their Hall in Tum Water Jan. 20, 1867, A. L. 5867"; and in Novemher following it appointed a committee "to rent the Hall, belonging to this Lodge, on Grand Mound."
So far as can be judged at this distance of time, it is probable that this arrangement might have been acquiesced in by Olympia Lodge, and concurrent territorial jurisdiction ultimately conceded to Grand Mound Lodge, but for the fact that at its very next meetingin Februarythe latter Lodge received a petition from, and in March initiated, a candidatea brother who in after years became a
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Grand Master of Masons who not only resided within the jurisdiction of Olympia Lodge but had been rejected by that Lodge in 1865. This act fanned a flame which ultimately destroyed Grand Mound Lodge. Olympia Lodge immediately adopted strongly worded resolutions condemning the action of Grand Mound Lodge and declaring the initiation of the candidate "irregular and clandestine." Grand Mound Lodge responded with a series of resolutions, probably from the skillful pen of Brother James Biles, too long to be reproduced here, but which the future local historian will delight to quote because of the amiable and Masonic spirit which pervades them. They express the "honest conviction" that the resolutions of Olympia Lodge "do not show that spirit that, our institution inculcates and enjoins upon us, should ever govern our actions with and towards Brother Masons." They confess the invasion of jurisdiction and show that it was unintentional; "Yet this Lodge, desiring to cultivate Harmony, Brotherly Love and Friendship, will not now claim jurisdiction, nor will we, while restricted in our jurisdiction as we now are, attempt to advance" the brother in question "by conferring other degrees upon him without the consent of Olympia Lodge. * * * "This Lodge is and will be bound by the sacredness of Masonry to respect the will and order of the M. W. Grand Master and is willing to accord to Olympia Lodge its Dignity and privileges"; nevertheless the resolutions of Olympia Lodge "are, in the consideration of this Lodge, too harsh and obnoxious to be sustained"; and, "in the complaint of grievance, some showing should have been made of a fraternal spirit"; and, finally, should Olympia Lodge refuse to modify its resolutions and be sustained by the Grand Master in its resolutions "as they now stand" Grand Mound Lodge will surrender the papers relating to the candidate and will surrender its charter; "but we do here assure and assert that we have desired and endeavored by word and action to cultivate a Fraternal Spirit with Olympia Lodge."
The Grand Master having ordered all papers relating to that candidate to be forwarded to Olympia Lodge, at a meeting held May 18, 1867, the Secretary was directed to comply with that order, and it was,
"Resolved., That in view of the want of fraternal courtesy by Olympia Lodge, and the action of the Most Worshipful Grand Master in sustaining said Lodge, this Lodge feels so much allieved that it is resolved not to hold any other communication until after the next sitting of the M. W. Grand Lodge" * * *
This resolution was adhered to. At the Grand Lodge in September following Grand Mound Lodge asked either that its meetings at Tumwater be sanctioned without the restrictions imposed by the Grand Master or that the jurisdiction of it and Olympia Lodge be joint; but the Grand Lodge adopted the opinion of a majority of a committee but rescinded its action a year later, that "Neither the Grand Lodge nor the Grand Master has the right to permit an invasion of the territorial jurisdiction without the consent of the Lodge whose territorial rights are sought to be abridged"; and Grand Mound Lodge was authorized to continue to meet at Tumwater, but under the restrictions imposed by Grand Master Reed.
The Lodge resumed its meetings, and nothing unusual occurred until July 31, 1868, when what appears to have been an all-night session was held. After some business which could have occupied but a few moments, the record states that "The Lodge was called from labor to refreshment at six o'clock." The record which, it will be remembered, was of July 3istthen immediately proceeds as follows: "August 1st, 6 A. M. Lodge called from refreshment to labor, when the following resolution was offered and passed." The resolutions were to the effect that as its Lodge room was in an "exposed condition" it was "inexpedient to confer degrees therein," wherefore they "respectfully and fraternally" requested Olympia Lodge to confer the second degree upon two Entered Apprentices. It may be worth noting that
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but three members of the Lodge the Master and Wardens A. E. Young, James Biles and F. M. Sargent were present at this mysterious meeting, at which, possibly, the future policy of the Lodge was marked out. Three other brethren were present and filled stations, Robert Frost, D. C. Cooper and Chas. White, described in the minutes as "all of Olympia Lodge." Brother Frost was at that time Senior Warden of Olympia Lodge, but the name of neither of the others appears upon the list of members returned by Olympia Lodge, either in 1868 or 1867. The Secretary was directed to "notify the brethren most convenient to the Lodge to be in attendance at our next regular communication"; and at an hour when most Masons are still in the arms of Morpheus, "the Lodge was closed in due form."
It next met August 28th, less than three weeks before the annual communication of the Grand Lodge. The minutes show that Olympia Lodge had conferred one of the degrees as requested; also "Communication received from Olympia Lodge containing resolutions rescinding certain obnoxious resolutions passed at a former meeting. * * * On motion it was ordered that, in view of the permanent establishment of this Lodge, we ask Olympia [] to grant us joint jurisdiction with herselfthis [] agreeing to be uniform in the fees with the said Olympia []. On motion it was ordered that Bro. Jas. Biles, S. W., be requested to present the matter to Olympia [] at her next regular communication."
After mention of other business all indicative of a belief in the continued existence and prosperity of the Lodge the minutes of the evening, as originally written in ink closed as follows: "Being no further business, the [] closed in due form." But the paper shows that, first, an attempt was made to erase the last four words with a knife and then, that failing, a pencil mark was drawn through them and then the record continued in pencil, to the end as follows: "was called from labor to refreshment until September 17th at 12 M., 1868."
There is more of the pencil record, but we must quote from it in connection with the proceedings of the Grand Lodge.
The latter body convened at Olympia September 17, 1868, at 2 o'clock P. M., but the Grand Master, Brother James Biles, did not appear until the following morning possibly being at Tumwater, where, accordingly to our pencil minute the following proceedings were had but there is nothinly whatever to show who was present: -
"September 17th, Lodge was called from refreshment to labor at 12 m. Minutes of the former meeting read and approved. Communication from Saint John's Lodge, No. 9, received and placed on file. Lodge was called from labor to refreshment until 81 oclock morning of the 19th."
It is impossible to tell whether the last four words above were intended as part of the last sentence quoted or as part of what we shall presently quote.
Grand Lodge held sessions at 7 o'clock P. M. on the 17th; at 10 A. M. on the 18th, at which time a resolution was received from Bro. A. E. Young, Master of Grand Mound Lodge, and referred to a committee, to rescind the resolution of the previous year, which denied the right of the Grand Lodge to trench upon the jurisdiction of Olympia Lodge; at 2 P.M. and 8 P.M. on the 18that which latter hour Bro. Young's resolution was adopted, in spite of an able minority report against it, presented by Bro. Elwood Evans. Thereupon Bro. Young presented a petition reciting that Olympia Lodge had "refused to entertain" Grand Mound Lodge's request of August 28th for joint jurisdiction, and praying the Grand Lodge "to order that hereafter the jurisdiction between said Lodges be joint." The petition was referred to a committee of five, and Grand Lodge was called to refreshment until the hour of 10 A. m. on the igth. At that session a divided committee presented two reports on the petition of Grand Mound Lodge, but the Grand Lodge adopted the views, of the majority of the committee, That, under existing circum
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stances, it would be inexpedient and unjust to invade the jurisdiction of Olympia Lodge, No. 1, without the consent of that Lodge."
This occurred after 10 A. M. of the 19th and hence it is probable that our next and last quotation from the pencil minutes of Grand Mound Lodge relates rather to the evening than to the "Morning of the 19th - its apparent date: -
"Lodge was called from refreshment to labor. Communication from Alaska [] which was received and placed on file. The following resolution was offered and unanimously passed:
"'To the Most Worshipful Grand [] of the Territory of Washington: -
"'At a regular communication the following resolution was passed: -
"'Resolved, That Grand Mound [], No. 3, A. F. & A. M., hereby surrenders her Charter, Bylaws, Books and all property belonging to the [] to the Most Worshipful Grand [] of the Territory of Washington.'
"Turn Water, W. T.
"September 19th, 1868, A. L. 5868."
Thus ends the minute book of Grand Mound Lodge. Brother Young presented the above resolution slightly changed in phraseology: the words " of Grand Mound Lodge held this evening" being inserted after the word "communication" therein, to the Grand Lodge late in the evening of the 19th, and the surrender of the charter was accepted by the Grand Lodge.
The extinction of the sacred fire on the altar of one of the "four old Lodges" to which the Grand Lodge of Washington owed its existence could not but be accompanied by pangs of sincere regret. Yet no doubt can possibly exist that it was not only a necessary but a wise and beneficial step. As we have seen, Mound Prairie could no longer support a successful Lodge; and the almost contiguous towns of Olympia and Tumwater then mere villages had not then, if, indeed, they have now any possible need for more than one Lodge. By surrendering its charter, Grand Mound Lodge strengthened other Lodges and the Fraternity generally, and fittingly rounded out its own honorable and useful career.
During its brief existence this Lodge supplied the Craft, besides the Chairman of the Convention which organized the Grand Lodge Rev. Charles Byles and several appointive Grand Officers, one Grand, Master, M. W. James Biles. The brethren who presided in its own oriental chair were: Charles Byles, T. R. Winston, J. L. Holbrook, James Biles, Austin E. Young, and Francis M. Sargent.
WASHINGTON LODGE No. 4.
On a gentle slope on the north bank of the Columbia River, a short seven miles above the mouth of the Willamette and about the same distance nearly due north from the site of the present City of Portland, the Hudson Bay Company established its Oregon headquarters in 1824, and the United States founded a military post Fort Vancouver in 1850. A town 'naturally came into being at the same place, favored as well by the protection which those institutions afforded as by its own charming and salubrious site, backed by the perennial green of the "interminable woods" and facing the still greener waters of incomparably the grandest river in North America.
In the Masonic year 18578 no less than six groups of brethren applied to Grand Master Benjamin Stark for authority to open Lodges in as many parts of the Oregon country. One of these was from brethren at Vancouver, for a Lodge to be called Washington. Neither the date of the petition nor the names of the petitioners are mentioned in the address of the Grand Master or preserved in any known
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record; but the date was doubtless September or October, 1857, and the three officers named in the dispensation were Brothers Lewis Van Fleet, W. M.; Ira Patterson, S. W.; and Levi Farnsworth, J. W. For reasons that will hereafter appear, no one affiliated with the Lodge while it remained under dispensation. Hence, as the tabulation of returns of the Grand Lodge in June, 1858, credits the Lodge with eight members, exclusive of eleven raised while U. D., it is easy to determine that the other five were O. B. McFadden, James A. Grahame, David R. Fales, James Mayberry and Morris Baker. The latter's nameas well as that of Bro. Louis Sohns, one, of the brethren raised during the yearis omitted from the list of members printed in the Oregon Proceedings for 1858; but it is certain that Baker was a member, and he served on a committee as early as Nov. 26, 1857. In records of the Lodge the same eight brethren are styled its "charter members."
The first minutebook of Washington Lodge, which extends to May 3, 1865, discloses usages, now abandoned in this jurisdiction, similar to those we have noticed in Olympia and Grand Mound Lodges: The style, "A. F. & A. M." was retained even as late as 1865 and, indeed, is carried into the corporate name of the Lodge; there was, until 1863, a separate ballot for each degree; not only was it common to call to refreshment that is, adjourn to a future day, but following the practice of opening and closing through all three degrees, when the Lodge was thus "called off," a Lodge of each degree was sometimes called, separately, to refreshment till the day named. The fees were $20 for the first degree, $15 for the second, the same for the third, and $15 for affiliation the latter reduced to $5 in 1862; and the dues were $2 per quarter until 1862, when they were reduced to fifty cents per month. In 1863 we find the usual provision, that fees must be paid in "coin or its equivalent." This Lodge had some usages which do not seem to have prevailed in the senior Lodges. Usually opening first on the Entered Apprentice degree, the minutes often show several offices filled pro tempore by Apprentices or Fellow Crafts. In the earlier years all its officers were elective. When a petition was presented, a vote was always taken as to whether it should be "received"; and it would seem that an elected candidate was never "in waiting," for the minutes invariably show that the candidate was "sent for."
The Lodge "sent for" a goodly number; for, during its eight months under dispensation, besides rejecting five applications, it initiated and passed twenty candidates and raised eleven. Unlike the other three pioneer Lodges, it did not immediately undertake to build a lodge room, but as early as Jan. 23, 1858, hired the exclusive use of one for a period of five years, from Bro. Gay Hayden who affiliated with the Lodge in November of the same year. Brothers McFadden, Grahame and Fales, respectively, were the first Treasurer, Secretary and Tyler. The minutes of the first meeting of the Lodge read as follows: -
"Vancouver, Washington Territory,
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