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Boston was first settled in 1630, and for more than two centuries its inhabitants were “essentially of the old British type, as befits the descendants of the Pilgrim Fathers.” Only within the last fifty years has there been any considerable influx of what we now call the “foreign element.” The energy, industry and enterprise of the old Puritan stock, “in less than a century and a half, made the town the foremost champion of colonial independence. ” Even to this day travelers often describe it as having the appearance of a substantial En- glish provincial town. Until the breaking out of hostilities with the mother country, in the Revolu- tionary War, almost the entire commerce of the colonies was transacted through Boston. Communication with England was direct and frequent, and the relations be- tween the two communities were familar and close. The “home” fashions were caught up and adopted readily and eager- ly. The conditions thus described seem to account very satisfactorily for the prompt and cheerful acquiescence of the Boston Craftsmen in the new system and regula- tions which resulted in the “revival,” or reorganization of Masonry, which took place in London in 1717. The original Grand Lodge, then first es- tablished, made an important change in the practice of the Fraternity, by declar- ing: “That the privilege of assembling as Masons, which has been hitherto unlimited , shall be vested in certain Lodges, or As- semblies of Masons, convened in certain places; and that every Lodge to be here- after convened, except the four old Lodges at this time existing, shall be legally au- thorized 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 warrant no Lodge shall be hereafter deemed regular or constitutional.”! Before the “Revival of 1717” and the action here described, the brethren were accustomed to assemble in chance gather- ings, wherever and whenever a sufficient number could be found. The purpose of these assemblies was principally social enjoyment, but occasionally an Entered Apprentice was initiated, and few went beyond that degree. A ritual was almost unknown, and such forms and ceremonies as were observed would now be regarded as bordering on the burlesque and ridicu- lous. Of course, uniformity, discipline, gov- ernment, responsibility were impossible and unknown. They made merry, and they made Masons, but if any record was kept, it was in such a loose, indifferent way that only a few brief memoranda have survived. It is probable that such pre-1717 Lodges existed in a few of the larger towns in the colonies, but they were very insignificant affairs, and scarcely a vestige of any of them has come down to our time. The new system met with general ap- proval, and was adopted by common con- sent, from time to time, as it became known 374 THE TRESTLE BOARD . to the Craft in different localities. In no quarter was the new departure more cor- dially approved, or more cheerfully con- formed to than in the town of Boston. There is a tradition that the new Masonic plan was followed here as early as 1720, only three years after it was inaugurated in London. The most diligent search has been made for evidence in support of this tradition, but thus far without success. The first regularly warranted Lodge now known to have been established on this continent was the “First Lodge in Bos- ton,” constituted by Henry Price, Provin- cial Grand Master, on the 31st of August, 1:733, at the Bunch of Grapes Tavern, on King, now State, street. The original petition for this Lodge is now in the ar- chives of the Grand Lodge of Massachu- setts. In February, 1749, Thomas Ox- nard, Provincial Grand Master, granted a warrant for the “Second Lodge in Boston.” In 1783, under authority granted by John Rowe, Provincial Grand Master, the First and Second Lodges were united under the title of “Saint John’s Lodge,” which now, in a green old age of one hundred and sixty- two years, bears its blushing honors thick upon it. Henry Price, so far as is now known, was the first to exercise the authority of a Provincial Grand Master on this continent. Several of the Bodies which he constituted under that authority transmitted records, more or less complete, commencing at or very near the time of organization. They are the oldest Masonic records known to exist in this country, and will undoubtedly be examined with great interest by Knights Templar. The earliest records of the first Provin- cial Grand Lodge of New England, after the manner of that time, are not signed, but they are believed to be in the hand- writing of Peter Pelham, or his son Charles. Peter Pelham was the first portrait painter and engraver known in New England. He came from London, probably between 1724 and 1726. On the 22d of May, 1747, he married, for his second wife. Mrs. Mary Singleton, widow of Richard Copley, and mother of John Singleton Copley, the cele- brated artist, and father of Lord Lynd- hurst, who was three times Lord Chancel- lor of England. Peter Pelham was made a Mason in the First Lodge in Boston on the 8th of No- vember, 1738. On the 26th of December, 1739, he was elected Secretary of that Lodge, and the record of that meeting is entered in a new and beautiful handwrit- ing. He served in that office until Sep- tember 26, 1744, when he was succeeded by his son Charles, who acted as Secre- tary until July 24, 1754, when the volume ends, and perhaps longer. The penman- ship of the son was as beautiful as that of the father, and it is difficult to distinguish one from the other. The whole of the record of the first Pro- vicial Grand Lodge of New England, to January 20, 1752, is in the handwriting of Peter or Charles Pelham. The first ^ eleven pages are occupied with copies of deputations and transcripts of memoranda, probably copied from loose sheets or small books, and describing the important inci- dents in the history of the Provincial Grand Lodge between 1733 and April 13, 1750- 51, when the record proper commences. In this particular, as in other points, the example of the Grand Lodge of England was probably followed. Past Grand Mas- ter Heard, of Massachusetts, from actual inspection, describes the first volume of the records of the Grand Lodge of En- gland as interspersed with lists of Lodges and members, and also with blank pages, on which it was intended that other similar entries should be made. For the first ten or twelve years it is believed that the min- utes were written on loose papers or small books, from which they were copied into the large books in which they now appear. In both cases these transcripts were pro- bably regarded, at the time of their entry, as of little importance or value; but to the student of the present day they are of great interest. While they afford but scanty in- formation and leave much to be desired, they are in many instances curiously con- firmed by collateral evidence from sources not Masonic. The records of the first Provincial Grand Lodge in New England, are entitled “Pro- ceedings in Masonry from its First Origin in North America under our Rt. Worshl. Bro. Mr. Henry Price, Grand Master; in ye Year of Masonry 5733, Anno Domini I 733-” The claim set up in this title could not have been made later than 1750, when the record proper commences, only seventeen years after the “First Origin,” and when the facts set forth were quite fresh in the recollection of many brethren who were active and zealous in the Frater- nity, and who were probably almost as fa- miliar with this very record as they were THE TRESTLE BOARD. 375 with their Bibles. It is evident, therefore, that if the scribe had committed any se- rious errors in setting forth the principal Masonic occurrences of those seventeen years, some of those active and well-in- formed brethren would have suggested the proper correction. In point of fact, such a correction was actually made, as will be hereafter noted. The claim as to the “First Origin” was, until within a few years, universally admit- ted to be well founded, and even at the present day is disputed only by a very small number of zealous partisans in a single locality. Their doubts are founded upon the fact that a deputation was granted to Daniel Coxe, of New Jersey, three years earlier than to Henry Price, and the as- sumption that Coxe must have acted under the authority so granted to him. The as- sumption is sustained by no evidence what- ever. On the contrary, there are strong reasons for the belief that Bro. Coxe was in London during the whole period of two years to which his deputation was limited, and too busily engaged about important business interests to pay any attention to Ma- sonry. No one has ever even suggested that he did anything more as Provincial Grand Master than possibly to grant a warrant for a single Lodge, which had a feeble exist- ence for seven or eight years, then died and made no sign. Fortunately for the Craft, the second Provincial Grand Master for America had no very important business to prevent the exercise of his powers. He went to work vigorously and scattered the good seed far and wide. It was not in New England only that “Masonry caused great specula- tion in these days to the great vulgar and the small.” The Constitution of the First Lodge in Boston, hereinbefore named, is reported in the record in detail, followed by the decla- tion: “Thus Was Masonry Founded in New England.” The next important event is thus de- scribed under date of ‘‘5734 June 24. About this time our Worsh’l Bro’r Mr. 'Benj’n Franklin, from Philadelphia, be- came acquainted with our Rt. Worsh’l Grand Master Mr. Price, who further in- structed him in the Royal Art, and said Franklin, on his return to Philadelphia, called the brethren there together, who pe- titioned our Rt. Worsh’l Grand Master for a Constitution to hold a Lodge, and our Rt. Worsh’l Grand Master, having this year rec’d orders from the Grand Lodge in England to establish Masonry in all North America, did send a Deputation to Philadelphia, appointing the Rt. Worsh’l Mr. Benj’n Franklin First Master; which is the beginning of Masonry there.” It was not known until February, 1884, where Franklin received his first instruc- tion “in the Royal Art.” At that time, the Keysto?ie, a Masonic newspaper pub- lished in Philadelphia, made the first pub- lic announcement in regard to a manuscript volume, which had been in the possession of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania for three years and a half. This volume is said to have been formerly the property of David Hall, who was at one time Frank- lin’s partner in the printing business. It is a Ledger of about four hundred pages, the Masonic portion being comprised in the last one hundred and fifty or sixty pages. The book opens with an alpha- betical index to the names of the brethren with whom accounts were kept; next fol- low forty or fifty pages of memoranda of delivery of praytr-books and Bibles, copies of Laws sent to the State House, etc. , dur- ing the years 1791 and 1792; these are succeeded by a great number of blank pages and more accounts of deliveries of printed sheets, etc. ; and last of all come the Treasurer’s accounts with the mem- bers of a Lodge, occupying (with blank pages interspersed), about one hundred and fifty pages. One of these last-named •accounts is with Benjamin Franklin, and the second debit in this account is for the “remainder” of his “entrance” fee. We learn from another item that his “en- trance” took place early in February, i73i- We are unable to account for the curious order in which the different matters are arranged in this volume: an alphabetical list of members of the Lodge coming first, their accounts — running from 1731 to 173S — placed last, and sandwiched between the two, printers’ accounts of 1791 and 1792, although Franklin died April 17, 1790. Both such puzzles are frequent in Masonic accounts of the olden times, and by no means weaken our faith in their substan- tial correctness. If there were no discrep- ancies, no unaccountable omissions, we should be apt to say the accounts were too good to be true. The Lodge in which Franklin was made a Mason probably had no warrant, but was assembled after the style of the pre-1717 376 THE TRESTLE BOARD. Lodges, which were described in the open- ing of this article. How the brethren could go on in that way, so long after the reorganization in England, is another of those puzzles which “no feller can find out.” At that time it was the rule 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 Feb- ruary following. He was born in Boston, January 17, 1706, left there in October, 1723, “a boy of but seventeen.” His family knew noth- ing of him or his whereabouts, until he suddenly appeared among them again, early in May, 1724. His autobiography says: “After ten years’ absence from Bos- ton, and having become easy in my cir- cumstances, I made a journey thither to visit my relations, which I could not sooner well afford.” Whether this visit was in 1 733 or 1734 is uncertain. He came also in 1743, ’46, ’53 and ’54. If the first visit was in 1733, he was probably present when Henry Price organized the first Provincial Grand Lodge, July 30, or when he consti- tuted the First Lodge, August 31, 1733 — perhaps on both occasions. We infer from statements in Price’s letters that he brought here his deputation as Provincial Grand Master, delivered to him in hand a few months before in London. It is also very reasonable to suppose that he brought at the same time copies of the Constitution of 1723, containing the “Regulations to be kept and observed by all and every Mem-' ber of any Lodge or Lodges” by him con- stituted. Perhaps from him Franklin ob- tained the copy from which he made his reprint of 1734 — the first Masonic book printed in America. The imprint of that volume recites that it is “Reprinted in Philadelphia by special order, for the use of the Brethren in North America.” Henry Price was the only authority entitled to is- sue such a “special order.” In the Bos- ton newspapers of August, 1734, this vol- ume was advertised “For Sale at the Heart and Crown, in Cornhill.” The correctness of the memorandum under date of June 24, 1734, above quo- ted, has sometimes been disputed. But Franklin must have known of the claim, and it does not appear that he ever contra- dicted it. On the nth of October, 1754, he attended “a Quarterly Communication or Grand Lodge, hoi den in Concert Hall,” Boston. At that meeting the volume of Records, containing the item now under consideration, was probably on the Secre- tary’s desk and open to Franklin’s inspec- tion. Grand Master Price presided, Jere- my Gridley was elected to succeed Thos. Oxnard, deceased, and a committee was appointed to petition the Grand Master of England for a deputation in favor of Grid- ley. The petition forms a part of the Re- cord, although probably prepared after the meeting. It concludes with the list of “the several Lodges which have received Constitutions from us” — outside of Massa- chusetts. The first named is: “5734 Phila- delphia.” Under such circumstances this claim would not have been repeated if there had been any doubt or question as to its correctness. On the 28th of November, 1734, Frank- lin wrote to Price an official, and also a personal, letter. Both are couched in the most affectionate, respectful, and truly Ma- sonic language. He advises Grand Master Price that “we think it our duty to lay before your Lodge what we apprehend needful to be done for us, in order to pro- mote and strengthen the interest in Ma- sonry in this Province (which seems to want the sanction of some authority de- rived from home, to give the proceedings and determinations of our Lodge their due weight), to wit, a Deputation or Char- ter granted by the Right Worshipful Mr. Price, by virtue of his commission from Britain.” The record, herein quoted, ex- pressly declares that such a Deputation or Charter was granted. That it was received and acted under is proved by the fact that the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, on the 24th of June, 1834, celebrated the “Cen- tennial Anniversary of the Establishment of the First Lodge in Pennsylvania, of which Brother Benjamin Franklin was the First Master.” On that grand occasion the orator, Brother George M. Dallas, born only two years after Franklin’s death, was then Deputy Grand Master, chosen Grand Master in December following, and Vice- President of the United States ten years later. Franklin went to England in 1757, as the agent of the Colony of Pennsylvania, and remained there five years. When he returned, in 1762, he found that his old associates, the “Moderns,” had either died out or been driven out, and left the field in the undisputed possession of their rivals, the “Ancients.” Perhaps it was on ac^ count of this overturn that Franklin seems THE TRESTLE BOARD. 377 to have thereafter taken little or no inter- At that period the commerce between est in Masonic affairs in this country. In Nova Scotia and Boston was quite exten- 1764 he was again sent to England as the sive, and communication was frequent, agent of the Colony, and remained there especially with Annapolis Royal, the capi- until 1775- The day after his return he tal of the Province, and the oldest Euro- was unanimously elected a delegate to the pean settlement north of the Gulf' of Mexi- Continental Congress from Pennsylvania, co. Port Royal, the capital of Acadia, and had the honor of signing the Declara- was settled by the French in 1604, con- tion of Independence, having been one of quered by the English in 1710, and ceded the committee of five to prepare it. A few to them in 1713, when the name was months later he was sent by Congress as a changed to Annapolis. Commissioner to the Court of France. In Erasmus James Phillipps was probably that country he resumed active association a relative of Richard Phillipps, Governor with the Fraternity, and was treated with of Nova Scotia from 1719 until 1749. The the utmost respect and affection by the history of the Province makes frequent brethren. It was probably largely through mention of the former as an officer in the the influence thus gained that he succeeded English army, and later, as an active mem- in effecting the treaty between France and ber of the government. On the 1st of the United States, which may be said to August, 1737, he was present at Hampton, have secured the independence of the Col- New Hampshire, as one of three Commis- onies. sioners from Nova Scotia, appointed by the Another interesting incident in Masonic Crown, with others, to settle the boundary history is brought to our attention by the lines between New Hampshire and Massa- following entry in the records of the St. setts, a subject which had given rise to a John’s Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, protracted and violent controversy. On under date of 1740: “Omitted in place the 10th of August the Assemblies of the That Our Rt. Worsh’l Grand Master Mr. two Provinces met in their border towns, Price Granted a Deputation at ye Petition within five miles of each other, and the of sundry Brethren at Annapolis in Nova Governor, Brother Jonathan Belcher, came Scotia, to hold a Lodge there, and ap- in state, escorted by five troops of horse, pointed Maj’r Erasm’s Jas. Phillipps D.G. The Commissioners discussed the sub- M., who has since, at ye Request of Sun- ject until the 2d of September, when they dry Brethren at Halifax, Granted a Con- adjourned to the 14th of October, to re- stitution to hold a Lodge there, and ap- ceive appeals. On the last named date pointed the Rt. Worsh’l Hs Excellency they met, received the appeals of both Edw’d Cornwallis, Esq’r, their First Mas- Provinces, and adjourned to the istof Au- ter.” Rust in the next year, but never met again. This item is inserted between the dates During the sitting of this Commission, of December 24, 1740, and December 23, Brother Phillipps must have made the ac- 1741. It was for a long time a very trou- quaintance of Governer Belcher and other blesome puzzle to brethren who were inter- brethren who were actively interested in ested in the study of our Masonic history, the boundary question. He probably Henry Price was succeeded by Robert passed in the “great town” of Boston most Tomlinson in 1737; how, then, could he of the time from July, 1737, until June, have granted a Deputation to Phillipps at 1738, which was not occupied at Hampton, or about the time named? Moreover, In the last named month we find him in there were no settlers in Halifax until 1749 Nova Scotia again. On the 14th of No- — nine years later than the date of the vember, 1737, he and “J. Sheriff,” another item in the record. Who was Erasmus Commissioner, were made Masons in the James Phillipps, and why should he have First Lodge in Boston, been distinguished by the appointment of Grand Master Tomlinson went to En- Provincial Grand Master or Deputy Grand gland in 1738, returning in May, 1739. Master? A careful study and collation of During his absence Henry Price acted as facts, drawn from the history of the times, Grand Master, and commissioned Brother and other records and papers in the ar- Phillipps as Grand Master of the Province chives of the Grand Lodge of Massachu- of Nova Scotia. In the records of the setts, put all our doubts and difficulties to First Lodge in Boston, under date of April flight, and curiously confirm the correct- n, 1739, he appears as “Rt. Wpfull Bro. ness of the record under consideration. Erasmus Jas. Phillipps, G. M. De Nov. 378 THE TRESTLE BOARD. Scot.” He is also reported as present May 9, November 28, December 26, 1739, and August 12, 1741. A royal commission was issued on the 4th of September, 1740, to settle the bound- aries between the Province of Massachu- setts Bay and the Colony of Rhode Island. Five Commissioners were named from each of the Provinces ol New York, New Jersey, and Nova Scotia. Two of the Commissioners from Nova Scotia were William Shiriff and Erasmus James Phil- lipps. The court assembled at Providence, R. I., on the first Tuesday in April, 1741, pronounced its judgment on the 30th day of June, and adjourned to the 4th of Sep- tember following. The record of the meet- ing of the First Lodge in Boston, held on the 12th of August, 1741, contains the fol- lowing entry among the names of the brethren present: ‘‘Bro. E. Phillips pd. 20) Quarterage Bro. Sheriff pd. 20 i as mem’rs.” There is now in the archives of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts a copy of the peti- tion of Governor Cornwallis for the war- rant for the Lodge in Halifax, named in our record. This copy bears the signa- ture, and is believed to be in the hand- writing of “Eras. Jas. Phillipps, P.G.M.” It is dated “Halifax, the 12th June, 1750,” and is signed by Ed. Cornwallis, Wm. Steele, Robert Campbell, Will’m Nesbitt, and David Haldane. Cornwallis was uncle of Lord Cornwallis, of Yorktown fame; Steele was a brewer and merchant; Camp- bell and Haldane were lieutenants in the army, and Nesbitt was one of the clerks of the Governor. All of these brethren are named among the first settlers arriving in Halifax Harbor in 1749. The library of the Grand Lodge of Mas- sachusetts contains a copy of a very rare volume, entitled “Ahiman Rezon of the Grand Lodge of Nova S:otia,” published in 1786. It opens with “A concise Ac- count of the Rise and Progress of Free Masonry in Nova Scotia, from the first Settlement of it to this Time.” This “Account” confirms our record as quoted, in the strongest manner, as will appear by a brief extract: “As early as the year 1750, which was as soon almost as there were any houses erected at Halifax, we find a number of the Brethren met together with Governor Corn- wallis at their head. . . . Erasmus James Philips, Esq., of Annapolis Royal, was Provincial Grand Master at that time. And they agreed to petition him for a warrant 1 to hold a Lodge at Halifax, and that his I Excellency might be Master, of it. This I warrant was received on the 19th of July, 1 and on the same evening Lord Colville I and a number of Navy Gentlemen were \ entered Apprentices in this Lodge.” Lord Colville and the other ‘ ‘Navy Gen- 1 tlemen” were soon ordered to Boston. It appears by the records of the First Lodge in Boston, that he was “voted a member” on the 24th of October, 1750, and on the nth of January, following (1750 O. S.), he represented the Second Lodge, in Grand Lodge, as Master. The record of the Provincial Grand Lodge does not purport to be a contempo- raneous record until 1750 or ’51. We are not aware that any one ever made any other claim for it. Previous to that date the entries are evidently intended to be simply a skeleton of the history of Mason- ry in the town from 1733 to the time when the record proper commences. The item in regard to Nova Scotia was intended simply to note the fact that before 1740 a Deputation was granted to Phillips, “who has since ” granted a Constitution to hold a Lodge in Halifax. The facts are stated in a plain, simple, straightforward way, without the slightest attempt at conceal- ment or manufacturing of evidence. The exact dates are given in the record of Oc- tober 11, 1754. Not the shadow of reason exists, or ever has existed, for supposing that the recorder had any motive whatever for making anything but an honest record. Such we believe it be from beginning to end, and for that reason, as well as from the fact that they are the oldest Masonic records in the country, we commend these volumes to the careful examination of ev- ery brother who has the opportunity to in- spect them. To one at all familiar with the history of the times, these records will suggest the thought that many of the brethren who were active in the Fraternity at that day were also most conspicuous in civil life, and most honored and trusted by their townsmen. Many of them were veritable leaders of the people in those stirring times. In 1736, Henry Price wrote to the Lodge Glasgow Kilwinning: “It will perhaps be acceptable to you that we inform you our Lodge is adorned with the most emi- nent gentlemen of this great town, and kept up to its primitive beauty and purity.” Many of these brethren, at a little later THE TRESTLE BOARD. 379 period, became famous throughout the Colonies, and their names are to this day “familiar in our mouths as household words,” and will be to the end of time. Jeremy Gridley was made a Mason in the First Lodge in Boston, May n, 1748; and in 1753 we find him as Senior War- den, representing the Masters’ Lodge in Grand Lodge. He was the Attorney-Gen- eral of the Province, sometimes called the Daniel Webster of his day. He served as Provincial Grand Master from October 1, 1 755, when he was installed with great pomp and ceremony, until his death, on the 10th of September, 1767. His funeral was the most imposing ever held in the town. His brother Richard, made in the First Lodge in 1745, constructed the fortifica- tions on Breed’s Hill the night before the battle of June 17, 1775, in which he was wounded. James Otis, the “great incendiary of New England,” in 1761 argued the case of the writs of assistance, against his for- mer legal instructor, Jeremy Gridley. On that occasion, as John Adams said, “Otis was a flame of fire. Then and there the child Independence was born. In fifteen years, that is, in 1776, he grew up to man- hood and declared himself free.” Otis was a frequent attendant upon the meet- ings of First and Second Lodge, and in 1754 represented the latter in Grand Lodge as Senior Warden. In 1762, probably while on his way to England, John Hancock was made a Ma- son in Quebec, and became a member of St. Andrew’s Lodge of Boston. In 1776, as President of the Continental Congress, he made his name immortal by his famous signature to the Declaration of Independ- ence. Joseph Warren was initiated in St. An- drew’s Lodge on the 10th of September, 1761, and raised November 28, 1765. On the 27th of December, 1769, he organized a Provincial Grand Lodge of “Ancients” under authority from the Grand Lodge of Scotland. From that time, until his glo- rious death on the field of Bunker Hill, he was indefatigable in the discharge of his duties as Grand Master. John Warren, a younger brother of Jo- seph, served as surgeon in the Revolution- ary Army from the Battle of Lexington until nearly the close of the war; founded the Medical School attached to Harvard College; in 1783 delivered the first Fourth of July oration in Boston; was Grand Mas- ter of Masons in Massachusetts in 1783, ’S4, and ’87. Paul Revere, the ready mechanic, the universal genius, the swift messenger oi Simuel Adams and Joseph Warren, who, at a hint from them, seemed to be able to make anything from a caricature to a can- non — even he found ample time for the making of Masons. He served as Master of St. Andrew’s Lodge from 1770 to 1771, from 1777 to 1779, and from 1780 to 1782, afterwards as Master of Rising States Lodge, and, to crown all, as Grand Mas- ter in 1795, ’96 and ’97. Josiah Bartlett, another Re\olutionary patriot, a surgeon in the Navy, in 1783, the year of the peace, instituted King Sol- omon’s Lodge; was its first Master, and officiated as Grand Master in 179S, ’99, and 1810. Isaiah Thomas established the newspaper called the Massachusetts Spy , in Boston, in 1770, and in 1775 transferred it to Wor- cester. It advocated the cause of the pa- triots most vigorously, and proved a thorn in the flesh to the Governor and Council and' the Crown lawyers. Bro. Thomas acted as Master of Trinity Lodge of Lan- caster, Mass., and as Grand Master in 1803, 1804, 1805, and 1809. There is much truth in the claim made by Dr. John K. Mitchell, in his oration, delivered at the laving of the corner stone of the Temple in Philadelphia, in 1853: “Ours is the oldest representative gov- ernment in the world. It has always en- joyed the freedom which is still its boast. It has always elected its chiefs and rulers, and it has always made its own laws, by means of representatives, democratically elected. “But much as we, who were born to free- dom, may love Freemasonry, how must it have won and been worn in the hearts of the men of that remote time when the very name of liberty, as we now understand its significance, was yet an unknown word. Could the mighty minds of that dark era witness the workings of our vital system, feel the charm of its harmonious move- ment, and behold the happiness produced by an orderly and responsible govern- ment, without clinging to it as the harbin- ger of a brighter day for the nations, when such a representative system might issue from the mystical halls of Masonry, to en- lighten, warm, and lift up the crushed heart and the fettered soul of man, and make 380 THE TRESTLE BOARD. him such as he should be? It is not strange that the fathers admired and loved an In- stitution whieh embodies the very essence, the pure soul of liberty, resting upon the basis of delegated authority.” o Pre-Columbian Masons. The question is raised, whether or not any of the aboriginal races of North Amer- ica ever had recourse to the benefits of Freemasonry. Several years ago, while on the contribu- tory staff of an Eastern metropolitan paper, I interviewed on this subject a civilized and cultured Indian, and later on had the results thereof published. But as I have not that article at hand, I can only give a condensation thereof from memory. This Indian, then nominally connected with the Sioux Nation under Red Cloud and Spotted Tail, was not hereditarily one of them, but had his origin in a tribe en- countered earlier and further east, in Min- nesota, I think. He had not only a good English education, but was a regularly trained and licensed medical practitioner. Though a full-blooded Indian, he had the polished and varied accomplishments of one who has mingled only with the most cultured men and women of the world. He was then about seventy years old, but well preserved in all respects, and his wife was a white woman of elegant style and attire. He was also a cattle raiser of con- siderable means on a range in northwest- ern Nebraska, since obliterated by the hungry wave of homestead emigration. I believe he is now dead. Since early manhood he had been in Government employ as a commissioner treating with tribes and relics of tribes scattered over the United States and Brit- ish America, and for several years prior to the Custer massacre in 1876, and after- wards as occasion demanded, he served the Government as scout, interpreter and in- tervenor among the hostile tribes. His knowledge of the Indian tribes was, there- fore, as complete and accurate as was pos- sible to any one man. After discussing with him the history of the aborigines of the prairie States, I put this question to him: “Doctor, is it true that Freemasonry has ever existed among Indian races — were those most noted in United States history members of that brotherhood ?” To this he replied, in a diction not only grammatically correct, but peculiar in its recitative style and poetic measure of sound and accent: “That there has for ages existed among the American aborigines an order of no- bility which could command the recogni- tion and respect of modern Masonry I am quite sure: but whether the two ever had a common origin, or each was a like inspi- ration from Divine wisdom to two different races, that is a question with which I have labored with the devotion both of a mod- ern Mason and an Indian; but so far in vain. “Since that time in early manhood when the Great Spirit swept aside from me the mists of barbarism and let fall on me the sunlight of civilization, I have had an am- bition to become the Josephus of, the red men; to hand down to American literature an account of his wars and his antiquities. But alas, there has never been among the Indians any other record than the notched sticks of the old men, intelligible only to themselves, reminders to the wavering memory, and prompters to the garrulity of old age. The notched stick, interpretable by its keeper only, was not handed down to posterity. The history of his time and tribe which the barbarian Homer recited at the campfire, were sung never again when death had sealed his lips. “So, when I began to gather the mate- rial for my antiquities I found none au- thentic but those already in United States history. When I perceived among the survivals of the tribes signs and traces of Symbolic Masonry, and I asked their chiefs, sages and old men w r hence and how they obtained these sacred relics, they re- plied invariably, ‘From our fathers.’ But whence and how to them ?’ And they re- plied, ‘That is buried with them and the past.’ Again I asked, ‘What benefit does this wisdom confer upon you ?’ ‘The en- nobling of our lives.’ Lastly, I inquired, ‘Why, in this advanced age, perpetuate the mysticism and hailing signs of the hoary past.’ ‘To the end,’ said they, ‘that when we enter the realm of eternal morning the good and wise and great of all ages past may recognize us, greet us and take us into communion with them for evermore.’ “So, on my antiquities of this sort falls no other light than the wavering one of tradition. “But I have a theory as to the origin of aboriginal Misonrv and its introduction into America. I believe it was an inspi- ration from the Omniscient to a Polynesian THE TRESTLE BOARD. iSi or African (but not Ethiopean) race, and in essentials the same as that handed down to the Phoenicians from whom the mod- erns believe theirs came. Those same Polynesian races afterwards colonized Cen- tral America and Mexico, and thence (as Toltecs or Aztecs, if you wish it), during unknown ages, these Lares and Penates of an eternal wisdom and virtue were borne on a current of migration ever headed in a northeasterly direction. But these devo- ted pilgrims and colonists, all along the line of their migration from the Rio Grande northward, were set upon by a herd of van- dals — an all-devouring host as thick as grasshoppers on the plains. The vandals were Mongolians, and from them directly descended are the Sioux, Pawnees, Utes, Comanches, Apaches, and other western tribes, while the Pueblos of the southwest are the last survivals of these Polynesian- Toltecan pilgrims, who escaped the obliter- ation and debasement which these Mongo- lian Goths inflicted on the Toltecan colo- nists in the east, by infusing their own ignoble blood in them. “But the Toltecan strain and spirit were not wholly effaced in the northeast and southeast tribes, for underneath the Mon- golian scum and froth there yet gleamed the clear crystal of the Toltec; and in all travail of bondage the undebased and un- alloyed Toltec was incarnate in a Black Hawk, Logan or Osceola. And among these gems of nobility, and as long as they existed, the sacred fires of ancient wisdom were kept aflame, and the holy Lares and Penates of their Masonic rites were cher- ished. Indeed, all along to the last days, only the truly noble, wise and virtuous in all tribes were admitted to this exalted brotherhood. The common herd had no other conception or knowledge thereof than that pertaining to fetish superstition. So, my notched stick of antiquarian research, for all it is worth, may as well descend with me into the shades. “But if God, the all -merciful, who has been kinder to me than to my race, will grant to an old man his last and fondest desire, I will yet visit the regions and ruins of the southwest; I will stay and cor- rectly interpret, as I feel I can, such mystic emblems as I hear are visible (though crudely graven) in the cliff dwellings, as are found to this day among the Pueblos, par- ticularly the ruins of Central America, which scientists of known veracity say are as conspicuous for their Masonic express- ion as was the Temple of Solomon. There, if anywhere, I may discover the connect- ing link, the common origin (if such there ever were) between the barbarian and pale faced devotees of Masonic rites.” After I had got my interview in shape for publication, I submitted it to a white physician, who was also high up in Ma- sonic degrees. He said that Masonic his- tory shed no light on this matter. Still, modern and barbarian Masonry might have had'a common origin, but if they had they must have ere long widely diverged from each other; for, in the impoverished lan- guages of the barbarians, there could be but a minim of the sentiment, ethics and lore of Masonry expressed. The two could not far march together on parallel lines, nor at any time could a Caucasian juris- diction grant a dispensation to any asso- ciation of barbarians. Yet any individual of barbarian birth, after he had evolved himself into complete civilization, as had this cultured Indian, might be admitted into the brotherhood. Barbarian Freema- sonry could never have been anything more than the crudity from which the modern sprang; and, after all, the former is not yet admitted as a fact — only con- ceded to be a possibility. — E. P. McCor- mick , in Phoenix Republican.. o Saint Andrew. Within the jurisdiction of Rhode Island are two Masonic Lodges which are called by the name of St. John — the first Lodge in Newport, whose organization was au- thorized by St. John’s Provincial Grand Lodge of Boston, Massachusetts, Thomas Oxnard, Grand Master, December 27th, 1749, and the first Lodge in Providence, chartered by the same authority, January 1 8th, 1757. These two Lodges, bearing the name of the Mother Grand Lodge of the Province, have well upheld the honor of the Craft, as they have united their ef- forts to enlarge the scope of Masonic influ- ence and usefulness. At an early period in the history of or- ganized Freemasonry in Rhode Island, a Lodge, formed at Bristol, was named for the celebrated Christian proto-martyr ol Britain, St. Albans; while at a later da f e a number of earnest brethren in Newport made choice of the name of St. Paul, the great Apostle to the Gentiles, as a fitting appellation for a new Lodge which they had established. To these four old Lodges, 382 THE TRESTLE BOARD. each bearing the name of an illustrious Saint, a fifth Lodge is now added, the brethren of Riverside having decided that they will be known in their local Masonic organization as St. Andrew’s Lodge. Most certainly there is a justification for the selection of this name. Saint Andrew of blessed renown in the Christian Church was enrolled among the disciples of John the Baptist before he was called, beings en- rolled as the first of the twelve, to be a follower of our Lord. Andrew was. the brother of Simon Peter, and he was the means of inducing his impetuous, aggress- ive brother to take upon himself the vows of Christian discipleship. The Christian Scriptures furnish but scanty materials for a satisfactory biogra- phy of St. Andrew, and there is but little light thrown upon his career by the rec- ords of ecclesiastical history. There is no abundance even of traditional testimony respecting the man and his work. Enough is made known, however, to justify the in- ference that he was a faithful follower of the crucified and risen Christ, and that he bore himself nobly in the dual character of saint and hero when perils beset his way. The legends tells us that he traveled into Scythia, Cappadocia and Bithynia, converting multitudes to the truth by his earnest preaching and his devout life. Re- turning to Jerusalem he converted Maxi- milla, wife of Egues, the Roman pro-con- sul. Her avowal of the Christian faith so enraged her husband that he condemned the missionary apostle to be scourged and crucified. There is a variety of opinion as to the shape of the cross on which he suffered, but the form now commonly de- nominated St. Andrew’s cross is believed to be like that on which he died. Be this as it may, he suffered a cruel death; but all the legends and traditional evidence bearing upon that event show that he met with unflinching courage the fate of a martyr, giving expression to the very last of the preciousness of that faith which filled his soul with peace. His last words, it is said, were counsels to his friends and brethren to walk in the light and go for- ward in the paths of righteousness. My thought is that St. Andrew is a worthy and suggestive name for a Masonic Lodge to bear. It has a significance which includes matters of civil authority no less than those of ecclesiastical im- portance, while it has also come by long and frequent use in the Fraternity to be a reminder of some of the ideals which at- tach to our cherished institution. St. Andrew, we know, is esteemed the patron saint of Scotland, for since the fourth century, when a portion of the relics of the illustrious martyr were re- moved to that country, his memory has been a constant force of inspiration to the Scottish people, It is no cause of wonder that the first Order of Scottish Knighthood is designated by his name. He is also the patron of the Order of the Golden Fleece of Burgundy; while in Russia there is an Order bearing the name of Saint Andrew, the limited and carefully chosen member- ship of which are made known by their constant wearing of the cross which spe- cially signifies the Christian saint and martyr. In the expression of Freemasonry — es- pecially in Scottish organizations of the Craft — the name of St. Andrew frequently appears. In our own country there may be found a St. Andrew’s Lodge in almost every Grand Lodge jurisdiction; and so far as my examination has gone it shows that the Lodges thus designated have held good rank among sister organizations, and that they have been notably prosperous and useful in their fulfilment of the pur- poses for which these bodies are created. Among the subordinates of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts is that old and justly renowned Lodge of St. Andrew in Boston, chartered by the Grand Lodge ot Scotland in the year 1756. For several years prior to the date just named a num- ber of craftsmen had been accustomed to meet as a lodge at the Green Dragon Tav- ern, Boston. Under the elastic practice of former days these brethren regarded them- selves as practically constituting a Masonic Lodge. They were of the party which sympathized with the “Ancients” in Eng- land, and hence, not unnaturally, when they came to realize the propriety of ob- taining some governing sanction to their meetings and doings, they sought a char- ter from the Grand Lodge of Scotland, which favored the “Ancients” in the schism that then divided the mother coun- try, although nominally it maintained a neutral position. It was wise action on the part of the brethren who formed the Lodge of St. Andrew that they procured a charter, not from the Grand Lodge of the Ancients in * England, obtaining which would have brought them directly into con- flict with their neighbors and friends who THE TRESTLE BOARD. 383 adhered to the regular Grand Lodge, but that they sought and obtained a charter from the Grand Lodge of Scotland. As already intimated, this body had adopted the polity and ritual sanctioned by the An- cient or Athol Grand Lodge oi England, and its sympathies were quite apparent though it formed no direct alliance such as was desired by many prominent English and Scottish Craftsmen. The Grand Lodge of Scotland unquestionably had the right, acting under the rules then recog- nized, to issue a charter to the brethren of St. Andrew’s Lodge in Boston. The cele- brated Falkirk Lodge of Edinburgh rec- ommended the petition of the Boston Craftsmen and stood sponsor for the new organization. There were many obstacles and delays, but at last the desired warrant was obtained, and the former doings of the brethren of the Lodge of St. Andrew were Masonically legalized. There were strong and zealous brethren associated in the original membership of the lodge thus constituted. William Busted was the first Master; Joseph Webb, the second Master, was afterwards Grand Master of the Mas- sachusetts Grand Lodge, which was estab- lished in opposition to the St. John’s Grand Lodge. Some of the leading citi- zens of Boston were active members of St. Andrew’s Lodge. Joseph Warren and Paul Revere were leading spirits in the or- ganization. The first named brother was appointed by St. Andrew’s Lodge, in the year 1768, a committee to confer with the Ancient Lodges in Boston as to the expediency of applying to the Grand Lodge of Scotland for. a Grand Master of Ancient Masons in America. It was deemed expedient to so apply, and on May 30th, 1769, the Grand Lodge of Scotland made such an appointment, and commis- sioned Joseph Warren, Grand Master of Masons in Boston, and “over , a territory within one hundred miles of that town.” Two years later Warren had the terms of his commission enlarged, being named by the Grand Lodge of Scotland as “Grand Master of Masons for the continent of America,” a title somewhat more high- sounding and far-reaching than that borne by any other Provincial Grand Master, wherever or however appointed. Henceforth there were two Grand Lodges in Massachusetts, claiming and exercising wide powers. The St. John’s Grand Lodge,” which chartered numerous lodges in various States and Territories, and the Massachusetts Grand Lodge, which, un- der General Warren, and afterwards, claimed and exercised equal powers and prerogatives. Not to follow this narrative further, it may be said that the two Grand Lodges — representing the “Ancients” and the “Moderns” in this country — settled their differences and came together in 1792, uniting and forming the “Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient and Honorable So- ciety of Free and Accepted Masons for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.” This union, it may he remembered, ante dates by nearly twenty- two years the union in England of 1813. St. Andrew’s Lodge refused for several years to become a party to the alliance formed in 1792; but, in 1807, it was re- ceived into the United Grand Lodge, since which time it has been justly prominent in that body as it was before in the affairs of the Massachusetts Grand Lodge. The record of the Lodge of St. Andrew in Boston is bright and inspiring. There may be charged against it, perhaps, in the early period of its history, some mistakes of technical procedure, but it has generally hewn closely to the line of regular Free- masonry, and it has well illustrated the true principles of our Fraternity. Especi- ally has the body referred to been noted for the intellectual, moral and patriotic character of its membership. I point to the old Lodge of St. Andrew in Boston as an object lesson; and I call the names of Joseph Warren, Paul Revere and Joseph Webb, conspicuous among its early members, because I would by such references put emphasis and meaning upon the name of St. Andrew, selected to desig- nate the new lodge, and because I would point to its suggestiveness as calling for the best service which the members, and others who may be associated with them, can render in applying the principles which are fundamental to the Masonic Fraternity. Is the question asked, what are these principles? Is it made broad enough to call for a statement of the essentially moral elements of Freemasonry ? Then I would reply by affirming the proposition that these elements are included in the great and blessed truths which St. Andrew believed and taught. Freemasonry is not a system or creed of religion; but in my judgment it is essentially religious; and, more than this, it is charged with the 384 THE TRESTLE BOARD. spirit and purposes of the Christian relig- ion. It seems every way fitting that St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evange- list should be regarded as “patrons” of Freemasonry, although there is no his- toric evidence of their connection with a Fraternity from which the Masonic So- ciety can trace its descent. It quickens the moral pulse of the average Craftsman to have these eminent apostles of truth and righteousness brought to mind in the enforcement of Masonic lessons. For something of the same reasons and to the same end the name of St. Andrew may be properly associated with Masonic organi- zations as a reminder of religious obliga- tions — of that true service which is required both toward God and toward man. St. Andrew was the loyaj disciple of Him who said : “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” Mindful of the Apos- tle’s faith, and, also, of the service which he rendered for truth’s sake, and right- eousness sake, we shall be prepared all the more to appreciate the power and the scope of the Christian Revelation which points out to man his duty to God, his neighbor and himself. For my- self, I may say that I cannot think of Freemasonry in its highest and broadest range of moral unfolding except as an in- stitution pervaded by Christian principles; which, indeed, would be narrowed and dwarfed, disfigured beyond recognition, were it to disown the distinctive teaching of Christianity as related to the law of love and the law of duty. As an eminent au- thor justly remarks : “Freemasonry shows the touch of religion — the Christian relig- ion — on its entire system.” He further states: “And while Freemasonry delights in opening its portals to all who hold the great fundamental truths of religion, yet as it has prevailed chiefly amongst Chris- tian nations, its teachings have been very largely imbued with Christianity, and very many symbols now in general use admit of no explanation apart from that religion, and from the Holy Bible, which in Chris- tian lands is placed upon the altar of every lodge, read at every meeting, car- ried in every Masonic procession, and ac- knowledged to be the Great Light of Freemasonry.” It seems to me that a Christian element pervades the Masonic system and institu- tion — that in a large way it may be said: “The precepts of the Gospel are univer- sally the principles of Freemasonry.” While I stand upon this ground I am a firm believer in the universality of Free- masonry. I hold that the Christian School and the Universal School can co-exist in Freemasonry.” Most certainly we have no right — we ought to have no inclination — to shut the doors of the Masonic insti- tution against worthy men of any nation or creed. Hebrews, Mahommedans, Parsees, etc., if they can but meet the essential tests of faith respecting a Supreme Being. But this wideness of thought and fellow- ship does not require any elemination of the great principles of religious life and duty from the Masonic system. We may rejoice that as Christians and as Masons we hold much of truth in common! And we may rejoice, I think, that in both rela- tions we are most securely established and most greatly blessed, as we build upon “the Prophets and Apostles, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Corner Stone.” — Bro. Rev. Dr. Henry IV. Rugg. o : — What Grand Lodges Are. Ancient records of Masonry inform us that for centuries before Grand Lodges ex- isted, as now constituted, the great govern- ing bodies of the Craft were known as the “General Assemblies,” and sometimes as the “Yearly Assemblies of the Brethren.” They were not delegate bodies, but all the members of the Craft within certain dis- tricts, whatever their rank or office, were eligible to attend. Over all the Craft of certain districts or countries was a recog- nized authority, which could summon the Craftsmen to attend. A summons in that day meant very much what it does now. It was expected that it would be obeyed. The presiding officer of these assemblies (the person exercising a general authority) was usually styled the president, but often, in later years, he was called Grand Master. He was usually a person not necessarily an Operative Mason, but generally of high rank or title; or, as specified in the “An- cient Charges,’’ one “nobly born, or a gentleman of the best fashion, or some eminent scholar, or some master architect, or other great artist, or one of singular great merit in the opinion of the lodges.” They were often princes of the royal blood. It is quite evident that the ancient pre- siding officer of the Craft corresponded largely in authority with the Grand Master of our time. And it may be observed here that, at the present day, there are cer- THE TRESTLE BOARD. 3S5 tain powers said to be inherent in the office of Grand Master which are not specified in constitutions and regulations, either of an- cient times or at this day. The origin of these powers and privileges are to be found in the immemorial usages, recognized and practiced in the days of the Operative Masons. The general or annual assemblies of an- cient times were great events in the lives of the old craftsmen. They assembled to consult together as to the interests of the Craft. They sometimes declared or amended constitutions and made new regu- lations. They settled disputes among the brethren. They made Masons. They dis- cussed the plans of proposed great struc- tures which they were to erect, as great bridges, monuments, monasteries, capitols, castles, palaces, fortifications, churches, cathedrals, and the like. These assem- blies were also occasions of great friendly and fraternal reunion and social enjoy- ment. An incident of these great meet- ings was their .banquets. One of the leading characteristics of Ma- sonry in olden times was its social element, and this is meant to be the fact in this age. Centuries ago, among the Opera- tive Masons, the festivals of St. John the Baptist and the Four Crowned Martyrs, and later, that of St. John the Evangelist, were established. Even to-day, in Eng- land, and in some other countries (where, by the way, lodges do not meet so often as they do with us), a banquet is one of the incidents of almost every meeting. We should not forget to maintain the old social character of our Fraternity. In the great assemblies of our ancient brethren there met the master builders of the world — men whose work is the wonder and admiration of every subsequent age; men in whose skilful hands the rough ash- lar, the stone, the marble, the granite rock, were cut into forms of use and of surpassing beauty, and were builded into structures which have more the appearance of being the w’ork of divine than of human hands. Europe, Asia and Africa yet con- tain many of their marvelous works, for they built to endure for all time. The great secrets of Masonry in the an- cient days, aside from certain signs, words, and tokens used for test and recog- nition, were the principles of the builder’s art. And it may be stated here, as we go along, that the ancient Operative Masons were in most countries and for centuries the most favored and privileged of all laboring crafts. Now, it was from the an- cient Operative Masons there has come the Speculative Masonry of our day. Theirs was the master hand that drew, though unconsciously, the plans upon the trestle board of our great society. And in this even they builded better than they knew. An eminent writer says: “Their opera- tive art has been symbolized in the intel- lectual deduction from it known as Specu- lative Masonry, and may be briefly de- fined as the scientific application” and the moral adaptation “of the rules and prin- ciples, the language, the implements and materials of Operative Masonry,” result- ing in the formation of the most perman- ent, instructive, strongest, and most per- fect fraternal society the world has ever seen. The modern Grand Lodge originated in 1717, -when four old Lodges of London, England, united in the establishment of the Grand Lodge of England, known among writers as the “Premier,” or “Legal Grand Lodge,” the chief officer of which was named Grand Master. The old lodge at York was erected into a Grand Lodge, under the new system, in 1725, but in fact claimed and exercised some of the powers of a Grand Lodge long before the Premier Grand Lodge was instituted. And it was alleged that the Grand Lodge at York had authorized the institution of the Premier Grand Lodge, and it is certain that many years afterward the York Grand Lodge recalled and annulled the authority granted for the organization of the Premier Grand Lodge. The Grand Lodge cf Ireland was organ- ized in 1730, and that of Scotland in 1736, under the new system. In 1751 another Grand Lodge was instituted in England, known as the “Ancients,” and in 17S0 still another Grand Lodge of England, south of the Trent, was established in pur- suance of authority granted by the York Grand Lodge to the Lodge of Antiquitv, one of the old lodges which united in forming the original or Premier Grand Lodge. But this Grand Body existed but a short time. There were thus for a short period four Grand Lodges in England. The York Grand Lodge ceased to exist about 1790. During all this time the Premier or legal Grand Lodge seemed, however, to have the precedence. In 1813 the Premier Grand Lodge and the 386 THE TRESTLE BOARD. Grand Lodge of Ancients united and formed the United Grand Lodge of Eng- land, and there is now but one Grand Lodge of England. From the Grand Lodges above named have come all the legitimate lodges of An- cient Craft Masonry in the world. And now we may leave what to us, are foreign lands, and crossing the wide At- lantic, come to the shores of America. The first American Grand Lodge, insti- tuted by authority, was probably St John’s Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, established in 1733 by Henry Price, appointed by the Grand Master of England Provincial Grand Master of Masons of New England. But there were many Masons and several lodges in America before that date. There are to-day about fifty- eight Grand Lodges in America. All Grand Lodges of Craft Masonry and all Grand Masters are peers. The Grand Lodge of England, with the Prince of Wales as Grand Master, stands exactly on the same plane, Masonically, with the Grand Lodge of Minnesota, with its Grand Master, for the time being. And if I were called upon to exercise a judgment in the matter, I should say that the Grand Lodge of Minnesota, in dignity, in the practice of pure Masonry, in the regu- larity of its proceedings, and in gen- eral respectability, is the equal of the Grand Lodge of England, or any other Grand Lodge on earth. And had I not the very great honor of having been one of the number, I would say that the Grand Masters ofMasons in Minnesota, in intel- ligence, in Masonic knowledge, in loyalty to the Fraternity and in personal character are the peers of the Grand Master of Eng- land or of any other country. But mod- esty requires that I should leave this sen- tence out. What is a Grand Lodge of Masons ? It is the supreme governing power of Craft Masonry within its territorial jurisdiction, and has supreme authority over all lodges and Masons of the jurisdiction, and exer- cises legislative, executive, and judicial functions. I shall go no farther into de tail as to the power and authority of Grand Lodges, except to call attention to a feat- ure of Grand Lodge authority not gen- erally understood. The higher degrees, so called, except those of the Scottish Rite and those of Cryptic Masonry, all originated in the craft of symbolic lodges, and were con- ferred therein, or in connection therewith for many years, and were under the au- thority of Grand Lodges for long periods, in former times, and the immediate super- vision of them was transferred from the Grand Lodges with their consent largely as a matter of greater convenience. The arrangement, classification and grouping of our American system of degrees was largely the work of Thomas Smith Webb, the most accomplished Masonic ritualist of his own or any other time. He was a very prince of Masonic workmen. Even at this day the Grand Lodge of England ex- ercises authority over the Royal Arch de- gree, and the Grand Lodge of Scotland controls the Mark degree. All of the so called higher degrees, except those of Templary, and perhaps five of those of the Scottish Rite, are but developments, extensions, or amplifications of the ideas, principles and teachings of the Ancient Craft degrees. They are the limbs and branches, of exceeding value and beauty, of the great tree whose body and roots are Ancient Craft Masonry. But the essential proposition which is to be considered in this connection is this) : that the membership of all the so called higher degrees, including now the Scottish and Cryptic Rite, are composed of Craft Masons only, under the immediate juris- diction of the Grand Lodges, and can be no other persons; and a suspension or ex- pulsion from a Craft, or Blue Lodge, or by the Grand Lodge, suspends or expels from all the Capitular, Cryptic and Templar degrees as well. From all this it appears that practically the authority of the Grand Lodge may, in the government of the brethren, extend far into the higher degrees. In Masonry, as in some other things, there must be, and is, a decisive, a final authority somewhere, and the fact is that the Grand Lodge is the supreme, central and ultimate author- ity, within its jurisdiction, over all that pertains to, or purports to be Masonry, in determining what is, or what is not, legit- imate Masonry, and in the exercise of its authority, not over the ritualistic or admin- istrative affairs of the higher degrees, but over the status and conduct of the mem- bers of the Fraternity as Masons, who con- stitute the membership of the higher de- grees, when the good of the Fraternity re- quires the exercise of such authority. The Grand Lodge is the sun, the light, and life-giving power of the entire Masonic THE TRESTLE BOARD. 337 system, and holds within its far-reaching hibiting the strictness and severity of the control and influence, as by the law of at- law of righteousness. The anxiety now is traction, everything within its proper or- to throw these subjects into the shade, lest bit pertaining to legitimate Masonry, and fastidiousness of human judgment and feel- but for this central body all that is known ing should be so offended as to rise in re- as Masonry to-day would, to pursue the bellion against God for His harshness and similie, be dispersed and wrecked in dark- austerity. That this motive is entertained ness and illimitable space. in good faith, need not be doubted. But — Bro. J. A. Kiester , of Minn, the result in practice is, that we call God to o account and undertake, on the foundation Gladstone on Future Punishment. Evidently Hon. William E. Gladstone is not ready to subscribe to the theory that there is no hell. While he admits that the utterances of some of the clergy relative to the extent of punishment is extravagant, he insists that the fear of it should still be preached. In the North American Review , on the future of the unrighteous, he says: .“There is surely a side of the divine teaching set forth in the Scriptures which shows that the Christian dispensation, when it fails in its grand purpose of opera- ting as savor of life unto life, will be a savor of death unto death; and this under no new or arbitrary rule, but under the law, wide as the universe, that guilt deep- ens according to the knowledge with which it is incurred. Therefore, the great Apos- tle of the grace of God sets before us this side of his teaching: ‘Knowing the terrors of the Lord, we persuade men.’ Menace as well as promise; menace for those whom promise could not melt or move, formed an essential part of the provision for work- ing out the redemption of the world. And I ask myself the question, what place, in the ordinary range of Christian teaching, is found for ‘the terrors of the Lord?’ This instrument of persuasion, which St. Paul thought it needful to use with the Church in its stage of the first infancy, and in an environment of weakness, is it used as boldly now when she is armed with eight- een centuries of experience, and when so- cial and public power are still largely ar- rayed on her behalf? If not, there is dan- ger lest judgment, in a matter of great moment, should go against her by default. If the ‘terrors of the Lord’ had an essen- tial place in the apostolic system, they ought not to drop out of view in this or any later century, unless at the happy epoch when human thought and action shall present to the eye of the Judge of all nothing to which terror can attach. “It is not now sought to alarm men by magnifying the power of God and by ex- of our own judgment, to determine what He can or cannot do because we have con- cluded that He ought or ought not. For those who reflect on what God is and what we are, it will be evident that this is, to say the least, most dangerous ground. And propositions growing out of our own un- warranted assumptions are tendered to us for acceptance with a confidence which ought only to be felt when our reason is acting within its own province and the measure of our own powers. “It may be, and is even probable, that in the days when the utterance of belief was dominant and often arrogant, not only was the doctrine of eternal pains often publicly announced, but perhaps it may have been loaded with extravagant exten- sions, and with details sometimes unwar- ranted, sometimes even approaching the loathsome. This fashion has continued, within narrowing limits, down to the pres- ent day. I copy an extract from the work of Mr. Trapp, an English clergyman: ‘Doomed to live death, and never to expire. In floods and whirlwinds of tempestuous fire. The damned shall groan; fire of all kinds and forms, In rain and hail, in hurricanes and storms; Liquid and solid, livid, red, and pale, A flaming mountain here, and there a flaming vale; The liquid fire makes seas, the solid, shores; Archea o’er with flames, the horrid concave roars. In bubbling eddies rolls the fiery tide, And sulphurous surges on each other ride; The hollow winding vaults, and dens, and caves, Bellow like furnaces with flaming waves; Pillars of flames in spiral volumes rise Like flaming snakes, and lick the infernal skies. Sulphur, the eternal fuel, unconsumed. Vomits redounding smoke, thick, unillumed. * “There is no small talent in the con- struction of these lines; but it is impossi- ble to avoid seeing that, apart from all other questions, there creeps into this kind of literature a strong element of pure vul- garity. It will be a relief to turn from this unbridled effusion when we come to the temperate and careful statement of Dr. Pusev. “There is a form of sin which is called the sin against the Holy Ghost, which clearly brings home to us that we have a real capacity for spiritual suicide. There is a sin that cannot be pardoned. This sin is formally described in each of the three THE TRESTLE BOARD. 388 synoptic Gospels, and plainly referred to by the fourth evangelist. St. John, when, in his first epistle, he declares that there is a sin unto death which he declines to in- clude in the general rule of prayer for the pardon of sin. The fullest of the three synoptical notices is that of St. Matthew: ‘All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be for- given unto men. And whosoever speak- eth a word against the son of man it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.’ The declaration is, as it were, cased in armor by being made to reach over our whole existence. That existence reaches over two worlds; and forgiveness can never be, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Even more stringent, if possible, is the second declaration: “Better had it been for that man if he had never been born.’ The theory before us is neither more nor less than flat contradiction of a divine ut- terance clothed with peculiar solemnity. To presume upon overriding the express declarations of the Lord himself, delivered upon his own authority, is surely to break up revealed religion in its very ground- work, and to substitute for it a flimsy spec- ulation, spun like the spider’s web by the private spirit, and about as little capable as that web of bearing the strain by which the false is to be severed from the true.’ o Heaven and Earth. “What fanciful pictures many people paint of heaven!’’ I remarked to Gretchen the other evening, as I finished reading a recently- expressed belief of a noted divine. “As the world grows older and the re- search of man finds out the hidden myste- ries of the earth, the old theories of science are overthrown, and the old doctrines of belief are found to be not tenable. Men are growing more rapidly intellectual now than ever before since the Creation, and with that growth must naturally come strength and independence of thought. We are not now so ready to accept any state- ment of doctrine upon the ipse dixit of a dogmatic teacher, but must study it for ourselves. And so we find that those stu- dents who, looking beneath the surface of tradition see the fallacy of former theo- ries, and are bold enough to assert the result of their study, find themselves at once branded as heretics, and eccletiastical an- athemas are hurled at them. “The beliefs of our grandfathers seem now to be but childish fancies. They pic- tured celestial happiness as consisting of playing harps and singing psalms. They did not seem to realize that to sit through the ages of eternity upon a fleecy cloud, and sing and play in unison with thousands of other harpists, for who ever heard of a solo being sung in heaven ? It would become a trifle monotonous. And as for walking on golden pavements — well, the very hard- ness of the metallic substance would be a little tiresome. But the longing desire of their hearts was to be translated from the troublesome scenes of this life to those peaceful, restful, monotonous, though noisy pleasures of the celestial land of harp and song. Such was their interpretation of the Bible’s picture of heaven.” “Don’t you think,” said Gretchen, “that people in those days lived and died hap- pier than they do now? There was not such a mystifying conglomeration of doubt - producing theories, of skeptical ideas that destroys realities, and people were more contented with their condition. They pur- sued the even tenor of their way, going to church regularly, and followed what they conceived to be right. I believe they had as much happiness in life and received as rich a reward as their more learned breth- ren who followed them.” “Very true, Gretchen. They tried to make the most of life, and in their simple, primitive way doubtless enjoyed it. But you must know that they needed much less to make them happy than we do. They were the advance guard of the great army that was to follow. They felled many of the trees of doubt, and cut away much of the underbrush of superstition by the austere religion they practiced. They proved by their very Puritanism that the great multi- tude needed a Moses to lead them out of the darkened land of the Pharoahs, and explain the true meaning of the doctrines they professed. That Moses appeared in the profound thought and study of those who were bold enough to speak their be- lief, and with the courage of their convic- tions impress it upon the world. As in the settlement of all new countries the progress must be slow, the privations many and the dangers great, so the dissemina- tion of new doctrines and the development of true knowledge must be by patient plod- THE TRESTLE BOARD 389 ding, deep ploughing and careful research. But as the smoky clouds increase with every new’ cottage added to the settlement, and material strength is made greater by every new plow that turns the virgin soil, so is the true interpretation of truth made easier, and plainer by every new teacher who removes the accumulated rubbish of perversion and fanaticism. “Thus it seems to me that the heaven of the future is to be here with us, and its glory is daily becoming greater. We are eating of the Tree of Knowledge. Every year brings to light some fresh, new and important fact in the world’s construction. Man’s mental capacity seems unlimited, and his pow’er of research unrestrained. Indeed, every new discovery serves as a search light to reveal unheard of wonders yet to be found. “Why, if old Father Knickerbocker could only revisit this transformed city of ours, this Greater New York, and take an evening stroll on Broadway, he would im- agine himself among a different race of people. He would approach ‘one of the Finest,’ and inquire ‘where he was at.’ His eyes would dilate as he looked upon the almost celestial light afforded by the mysterious electricity, and he would be fairly paralyzed by the verification of Mother Shipton’s prophesy of ‘carriages without horses,’ running up and down the street. And think of it, my dear Gret- chen, we have only learned the first few letters of the alphabet of science. We have only picked up a pebble here and there, while the great, almost endless shore lies before us. Wonderful, silent, all- powerful secrets of earth unfold so rapidly that we can scarce keep pace with them. We need to know only a few more things before we will be as wise as the angels. Man’s ingenuity needs to contrive only a few more machines before we will be one family in all the world. “We can now look through a stone wall without a hole in it. We can examine a man’s bones and locate an imperfection. We can talk to our friends in Chicago or Japan without even leaving our comfort- able homes. We can see the magical pen- cil write our friend’s signature, though he be a thousand miles away. The faces of our friends in distant cities will soon be reflected in the mirror at our side, and we thus be enabled to talk to them face to face. The playhouse can now be repro- duced for us in our own parlors, and the voice of the dead Gesar crying W tu Brute!' be distinctly heard and recognized. Only a few more of the hidden mysteries of creation are needed to be known and applied to man’s use, to make him realize that with the Age of Arbitration, which is fast approaching, bringing univer.-al peace, will be ushered in the millenium, when ‘swords will be beaten into ploughshares, and spears into pruning hooks, and nations will not learn war any more.’ “With all these discoveries, all this knowledge, all these wonderful appliances for human comfort, no more desirable spot in all God’s universe could be found for heaven, than earth. With the discovery, which seems in the womb of the near fu- ture, of a means of reading man’s thoughts, and revealing his unspoken designs, will come the destruction of much of the evil that now exists, and the absence of sin will make heaven of earth. “So, lam inclined to the belief, Gret- chen, that earth is to be heaven, and that the knowledge now being unfolded is but the forerunner of greater revelations that will restore man to the image of his Maker, and raise him to the high position he was originally intended to occupy. It looks so to me, for I can’t see how harps and psalm singing through all eternity would be satisfactory to the great Creator or his creature.’’ Gretchen sat thinking, but did not say whether she believed it or not. — Lounger, in N. Y. Dispatch. o Masonic Homes. The topic which, more than any other, has engrossed the attention of the Masonic Jurisdictions of this country of late years, and which at the present time is without doubt the most important subject for con- sideration, is included in the following query: What is the best method of caring for the aged indigent Masons, or the wid- ows and orphans of Masons ? As a matter of statistics, without dis- cussing the question, we have compiled from the reports of proceedings of the var- ious Grand Jurisdictions mentioned below, brief statements of the action taken by each. The following endorse the Home system, all of them, with the single ex- ception of California, having homes in operation • California has purchased for home pur- poses 268 acres of land, costing $33,000, 390 THE TRESTLE BOARD. and has subscriptions of $57,000 and other assured contributions. Connecticut purchased building and pro- perty and instituted a home by act of Grand Lodge, in 1894. England has an “Aged Institution" with 469 beneficiaries, a “Boy’s School" and a “Girls’ School," the three expending in 1894 $310,000. There is in addition a “Benevolent Fund," which expended in 1894 $44,850 for the destitute and orphans of the Craft. Illinois has a home in active operation in Chicago, and steps are now being taken to institute another in the central portion of the State. Ireland has like institutions to those of England, expending immense sums for its orphans and aged destitute. Kentucky has had a home in operation for twenty-five years. It sheltered 232 orphans in 1894. Michigan has a home in operation. Missouri has a home, supported by Grand Lodge mainly. It has a permanent endow- ment fund of $50. 000. New South Wales has a home and a permanent fund of $15,000. New York has a home costing $254,- 804.86, an invested fund of $135,000 be- longing to it, and $70,000 in cash to in- crease the size of its buildings to needed capacity. North Carolina has the Oxford Orphan Asylum, which, under recent endowments, has materially increased its facilities for usefulness. Nova Scotia has a home for “old and infirm brethren, their wives and widows," and a fund of $15,000. Ohio has a home, to which Springfield made a donation of 153 acres of land and $11,000 in money. The buildings cost $125,101.95, and has one hundred rooms, of which ninety-three are living rooms. Pennsylvania has a home, and in addi- tion thereto, three immense charity funds, all for the relief of the distressed of the Craft. Scotland has various institutions for or- phans and distressed, and devotes 50 per cent of income of Grand Lodge to them. Tennessee has a home, costing $42,008, free from debt. It has 71 inmates, and there are 40 applicants besides. Grand Lodge gave $3,500 to increase its capac- ity, and other sources contributed $3,002. Virginia has a home with a capacity for ioo, and has an endowment of $26,139.67. Grand Lodge contributes $3,000 per an- num. Victoria has a home system. The following jurisdictions are laying by funds with the intention ultimately of building homes, or are otherwise moving toward that end. Alabama has referred proposed amend- ments of the Constitution involving the question of instituting a Masonic home, to constituent Lodges for action. In British Columbia the Grand Master and Wardens are a committee to report a plan for a home at next communication; has a charity fund of $6,351.83. Canada has accumulated an “Asylum Fund of $14,043.73, and disbursed last year for destitute $9,396.25. Delaware has just appointed a commit- tee of nine, of whom seven are Past Grand Masters, to consider the organization of a home for old and indigent Masons. Georgia, by action of Grand Lodge, has submitted the question for a home, to con- stituent Lodges. Idaho has accumulated an Orphan Fund of $25,037.70. Indiana has submitted to its Lodges the question of increasing dues from 50 cents to $1.00, to raise a fund of $50,000 with which to build a home. Indian Territory places to the credit of the “Widows and Orphans’ Home Fund" three-fourths of all money received above necessary expenses. Kansas has a home organization institu- ted by action of Grand Lodge, and will purchase a home when the funds already raised for that purpose are available. Maryland has a fund started for that pur- pose. Minnesota, with a “Widows’ and Or- phans’ Fund" of $14 000 for a nucleus, is anticipating the possession of a home for its helpless. Mississippi educates its orphans at the Protestant Orphan Asvlum, and has a home fund of $11,492.80, towards the increase of which it taxes each member of the In- stitution 20 cents per annum. Massachusetts has $77,000 in “Educa- tion and Charity Trusts," voting $10,000 to it out of surplus receipts of Grand Lodge for 1894, and has voted that the income of the Grand Charity Fund for the next ten years be added to and become part of the principal of said fund. Nebraska has raised $9,000 towards a THE TRESTLE BOARD. 39i home, and has an “Orphan Educational Fund” of $26,600. New Jersey has a charity fund of $7,- 422.56, and has taken action by which the annual surplus funds of Grand Lodge are to be paid into it from now on, “with defi- nite aim towards a further expansion into the fuller purposes of a Masonic Home.” New Mexico devotes 10 per cent of its income towards the institution of a Ma- sonic home for consumptives, and further sets aside 25 per cent of its income for a charity fund. Oregon has 852 shares of Masonic Build- ing stock, worth $42,500, and has $12,- 030.31 in cash, all belonging to the Edu- cational Fund, which are expected to be ultimately used for a home. Texas Grand Lodge has raised a fund of $100,000 with which to build a Masonic home, and bids for the home are now in- vited. South Australia has a Home Fund of $5,650 for “aged indigent brethren and widows.” Louisiana has passed an edict appoint- ing a Grand Lodge committee of seven to arrange for a home . — Kansas Freemason. o Reimbursement Among Lodges. There has been for several years consid- erable discussion upon the question as to whether it is the duty of a constituent Lodge to take care of its own members in distress in all cases, wherever they may be located. It is held by some that Masonic relief should be furnished by the Lodge of which the brother in distress is a mem- ber upon all occasions, and that in case of his death, the expense of his burial, if his own family is unable to bury him, should be furnished by his Lodge, and that his family should be supported by his Lodge, and that this should be done without regard to where he may be at the time the assist- ance is furnished; and that, in case the ex- penses of his sickness, burial, or other relief is furnished by Lodges or members of the Order in another State than his own, that his Lodge shall refund the amount of such expense to the Lodge or persons so paying it; and in case the Lodge of which he is a member is financially unable to meet said expense, that it should be re- funded by the Grand Lodge of the Juris- diction in which the brother’s Lodge is situated. It is held by others that the obligation to afford relief is only limited by the Masonic standing of the brother applying for aid, and is not a matter or Lodge membership; that it is obligatory on all Masons every- where to supply the wants of a brother without regard to the Lodge to which he may be especially allied as a member. That he is first and above all a member of the Fraternity, and entitled to be recog- nized and hospitably treated as a member of the great Masonic family, and that a member of the Order in good standing is entitled to call upon any other member of the Order for needed relief wherever he may be situated, and that the member furnishing such relief, or the Lodge — if furnished by a Lodge — has no claim for reimbursement upon the Lodge of which the brother relieved is a member. This question was thoroughly discussed at the Masonic Congress held in Chicago, in 1893, and the opinion there expressed was as follows: “That the brethren of Lodges granting aid are not entitled to demand reimburse- ment from the Lodge in which the benefi- ciary holds membership, but that when a member of one Lodge is relieved by another and the financial situation of his Lodge is such as to permit, common courtesy and duty alike demand that it should reimburse a poorer Lodge relieving its members.” At the session of the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin, held in June, 1895, the follow- ing proposition was adopted: “It is the duty of each Lodge to take care of its own members in distress, wher- ever they may be. In case of its ina- bility to do so, the duty devolves upon the Grand Lodge from which it holds its char- ter; it being understood that in no case is the Lodge furnishing relief and asking re- imbursement to go beyond actual necessi- ties without express authority from the re- imbursing body.” The committee reporting this proposi- tion to the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin was continued, and were instructed to bring it to the attention of other Grand Lodges, with a view to securing its general adop- tion. I have received from this committee a circular letter, approved by W. W. Perry, M.W. Grand Master of Wisconsin, calling the attention of this Grand Lodge to the action of the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin. In this letter I find the following statement: “Two Lodges in our State, aided by our Grand Lodge, are now, and have been for 392 THE TRESTLE BOARD. several years, supporting a hopelessly ill brother and his family — the brother being in good standing in an Iowa Lodge — and not one dollar has ever been contributed by his home Lodge!" This certainly is a practical illustration of the idea contended for by the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin. The law on this subject, adopted by the Grand Lodge of Wiscon- sin, has also been adopted by the Grand Lodge of California. The Grand Lodge of Kentucky has taken the opposite view, and concludes with the opinion expressed by the Masonic Congress, as above set forth. There is much to be said on both sides of the question. I believe that Masonic charity is, and should be universal, and that a brother who is a member of an Iowa Lodge should have the same right to ask and expect Masonic relief from a Lodge in the State of California, or in the city of Lon- don, or in any other part of the world, as he has in a Lodge in the State of Iowa, and that his ability to obtain such relief should not be in any sense dependent upon the right or hope of the Lodge furnishing the relief to be reimbursed by the Iowa Lodge. Such relief should be furnished, if he is found worthy, to the extent of his actual necessities, limited only by the ability of the parties or Lodge furnishing the assistance, and it should be done with- out asking whether or not the amount furnished would be repaid by his home Lodge. If, after the relief is furnished, the Lodge of which the brother is a mem- ber is able to reimburse the parties furn- ishing the relief, it should do so; but in my opinion this should be done volunta- rily by the Lodge, and not under compul- sion of any law. Whenever the Grand Lodges of the United States shall generally adopt a law making the reimbursement by a brother’s Lodge of the amount expended for his relief compulsory, Masonry will have been converted into a mere guaranty or insurance association instead of a purely charitable organization, as it now is. A person may then become a member of the Order hav- ing the positive assurance that the Lodge of which he is a member is compelled to furnish him support in sickness, bury him when dead, and provide for his widow and children, should their necessities require it, after his death. He can obtain the same relief, only making it more certain and positive, by joining an insurance com- pany and paying a stipulated sum annually therefor. I am in favor of the broadest Masonic charity when voluntarily exer- cised. but am opposed to any law or rule that provides for charity under compul- sion. But the importance of this question is one that merits attention at our hands, and a thorough investigation and discussion, and in order that it may have such atten- tion and discussion, I recommend that it be referred to a special committee to investi- gate and report thereon. In continuation of the discussion of the foregoing subject, and as a practical exam- ple of the views above expressed, I desire to call your attention to a case where a brother, who was a member of an Iowa Lodge, was buried by a Lodge in Wiscon- sin, and the expenses have not been re- paid by the Iowa Lodge. In the early part of March last I received a letter from the Master of North LaCrosse Lodge, No. 199, of North LaCrosse, Wisconsin, stating that W. H. Thomason, a member of Prai - rie La Porte Lodge, No. 147, at Gutten- burg, Iowa, had died in North LaCrosse, in poor and needy circumstances, and that his wife asked to have him buried by the Masonic Fraternity; that a telegram was sent to his home Lodge and reply re- ceived, authorizing them to give the body a Masonic burial; that the bill of expenses, amounting to about $75.00, had been sent to Prairie La Porte Lodge, but had not been paid. Upon receipt of this letter, I wrote to the Master of Prairie La Porte Lodge, stating the facts to him as they were stated to me, and I received a reply from him to the effect that at the time the telegram came from North LaCrosse Lodge he was out of town, but one of the breth- ren wired the Master of North LaCrosse Lodge to give the deceased brother a Ma- sonic funeral, signing the Master’s name to the message. He says further, that his Lodge is unable to pay the expenses of the funeral Upon receipt of this letter I suggested that Prairie La Porte Lodge call on the Grand Charity Fund trustees for assist- ance; but, upon examination, it was found that the amount of annual dues charged was too small to entitle them to relief from the Grand Charity Fund under the law as it now stands. I am satisfied that Prairie La Porte Lodge would pay this bill if it were able to do so; and I received on May 18th a THE TRESTLE BOARD. 393 letter from Bro. Sumner Miller, Master of said Lodge, stating that the Lodge would borrow the money to pay this sum, if I suggested that they do so; but I do not believe that it is desirable to require the Lodge to go into debt to that extent, under the circumstances. From the correspond- ence with Bro. Miller, I am satisfied that there was some misunderstanding between the members of his Lodge and the Wiscon- sin Lodge; but notwithstanding this, the ex- pense contracted by the Wisconsin Lodge should, under the circumstances, be repaid. As Prairie La Porte Lodge is unable to repay it, this expense should, in my judg- ment, be borne by the Grand Lodge of Iowa, not under compulsion of law, but as a voluntary contribution, and as an exam- ple of that Masonic charity which we are taught extends to all mankind, and unites the inhabitants of every nation and every clime into one common brotherhood. I recommend that the trustees of the Grand Charity Fund be authorized and di- rected to ascertain the amount justly due and owing North LaCrosse Lodge for the expenses of the burial of the deceased brother, William Thomason, and pay the same from the Grand Charity Fund; and I further recommend that they be author- ized to ascertain who is the brother in the Iowa Lodge now being relieved by two Lodges in Wisconsin, and of what Lodge he is a member; and to investigate the cir- cumstances connected therewith; and that they have power to contribute such amount as they think* proper from the Grand Char- ity Fund to his relief; and when they have ascertained the facts, they report the same to the incoming Grand Master. — Geo. W. Ball , G.M. of Iowa. o Does a Mason Under Charges Lose His Masonic Standing? I have seen it asserted, and in fact the decision that he does, carried out, which very much surprises me, that the brother was suspended from all the rights and privileges of Masonry. For what? Upon the bare statement of one individual that he has been guilty of that, which if true , would debar him from the rights and priv- ileges of Masonry. He is, therefore, re- ceiving the punishment before trial , for if the offence is proved, they can do no more than take from him all the rights which he has enjoyed as a Mason, and he is under- going this punishment on a simple charge which has not been proved against him, and on which he has had no opportunity to be heard in his own defence. Is this justice? In the admission of a candidate into our Institution, he becomes entitled to all the rights that belong to it, and he can- not be deprived of them until it has been satisfactorily proved that he is unworthy of them. Not from the mere assertion that he is, but he is entitled to a fair trial, and a chance to be heard in his own defence. How many times has circumstantial evi- dence fastened the guilt upon an innocent person, who has been made to suffer, and afterwards, by accident or confession, the real criminal has been brought to light? A person is often deceived in the identity of an individual, and cases have occurred where a person has been charged with the commission of a crime from the strong personal resemblance existing between him and the perpetrators of the crime, and were it not that he could produce proof of having been in another place at the time, far removed from the scene of the crime, he would have suffered the penalty. Now, are we, as Masons, obliged to con- sider a brother as guilty, and treat him as such, on the simple assertion that he is ? Brother A, for instance, thinks he sees Bro. B in disreputable company, and in nowise conducting himself as a gentleman or Mason; he does not speak to him, but his anxiety for the welfare of the Institu- tion causes him to enter complaint before the Lodge of which they both are members. Brother A is in good standing, and they have every reason to suppose that he is only acting for the interest of the Lodge, and they take notice of it and summon the individual to trial, but they have no right to deprive the accused of his rights and privileges as a Mason until the charge is substantiated, for this is all they could do if he was found guilty, and it is no defence of their position to say, “This is mere temporary; if he is not guilty, he will be restored What does restoration mean ? Why, that he has been deprived of some position which belonged to him, otherwise there could be no restoration. Now, by what law in Masonry can he be deprived of any of his rights until he has forfeited them ? Is suspicion a crime ? The best of us are liable to suspicion, and on this ground to be deprived of our Masonic rights until we can prove our innocence, well might the brother thus placed exclaim, “Save me 394 THE TRESTLE BOARD. from my friends! If these are they \Vho can turn from me when my character is assailed, debar me from their presence and close their doors against me, and when, perhaps, after a long and tedious trial, I am honorably acquitted, to say, ‘You are at liberty to unite yourself with us again,’ I think I should feel very much like de- clining such hospitality, and request to be excused from any further participation in such friendship.” It is true that in our courts of justice a person can be arrested on suspicion and placed in confinement, and thus be under- going a punishment before he has had a trial, even though he may be entirely in- nocent of the crime of which he is charged. This is absolutely necessary for the good of society, and though it may seem hard to incarcerate an innocent individual, yet it is better that the innocent should submit to this inconvenience than that the guilty should escape. But this does not apply to Masonry. We do not need any such pro- tection. We are bound by closer ties in our society than those which unite us as citizens. In the admission, then, of a candidate into our Institution, he becomes entitled to all the rights and privileges which belong to it, and he cannot be deprived of any of them until it is satisfactorily proved that he has forfeited them by his unworthiness. Not from the mere assertion that he has, which might be made against the most worthy. This is Masonic law from time immemorial, and every brother is entitled to the benefit of it. Now, I ask, are we to consider a brother as guilty, and treat him as such, until he can establish his innocence? Here is where Masonry exhibits its most beautiful teach- ings, and exemplifies its heavenly mission of charity and good-will to mankind. It throws its broad mantle of charity over the accused, and instead of casting him off upon suspicion, defends and protects him, allowing him all the rights and privileges until convinced that he is no longer en- titled to them. I have studied Masonry to no effect if I am wrong in this view of our obligations, and I would sooner forfeit my claim to membership in the association than retain it by being obliged to forego this opinion. We do not need the services of our brethren in our prosperity. It is only when we are'bowed down by affliction that we look to them for aid and support; but if they refuse it when we stand most in need of it, what use is all our bonds of brotherly love and friendship which Ma- sonry prides itself upon ? Here the beauty of our Order shows itself; when we are looked upon with suspicion and distrust by others, we have those to whom we can appeal for justice. — H., in Masonic Review. o The Stewards. The office of the Steward is one of con- siderable antiquity, and in former times was really of more importance than at present. In the last century a certain amount of conviviality, mild for the times, was part and parcel of the proceedings of every Lodge. The Lodge-room was fur- nished with long tables running from East to West, and during the work of the Lodge, which consisted, for the most part, of going through lectures, with extempo- raneous explanation given by the W.M., and interpolations on the part of the mem- bers, this last feature being what is meant by the right of the Fellow Craft to take part in the lectures under the guidance of an experienced Master, the Lodge was, at convenient intervals, usually the close of a section, called to refreshment, which meant that the B.B. took out their pipes, and called for their ale or their wine, which was provided for them by the Stewards, and consumed at the tables as they sat in the Lodge-room itself. The Charge found at the end of each section are the toasts which custom prescribed to be given on these occasions. The Stewards were, there- fore, in those days, very important officials,, in fact, they had the supervision of about one-half, perhaps in the minds of some, the better half, of the proceedings. As time wore on, however, and manners changed, the convivial aspect of Freema- sonry became less and less marked; re- freshment ceased to be an important part of Masonry, and when indulged in was rel- egated to the supper- room outside, and kept entirely separate from the ritual pro- ceedings, until the condition of things in vogue at the present day was reached, when many Lodges, in fact, in this coun- try and the colonies generally, almost all, have grown to confine the festive side of the Craft to a modest banquet on the oc- casion of the installation of an incoming Master. With this change the duties of the Stewards have shrunk to very attenuated THE TRESTLE BOARD. 395 dimensions, and all they are now usually expected to do, is to undertake the prepa- ration of the candidates, a duty which an- ciently devolved on the Tyler. Yet this duty, comparatively unimportant though it may be, is susceptible of being done either rightly or very wrongly. We have often pointed out the impor- tance in Masonry of the trite aphorism that first impressions are the most lasting, and the Steward has his due share in the mak- ing of the good or evil impression that is made upon the Masonic neophyte at the outset of his career. He should, in the first place, make certain that he is thor- oughly au fait in every detail of the prepa- ration. It has often fallen to our lot to see a candidate brought in improperly pre- pared, and when the Inner Guard has been lax, the error or omission only discovered at some later stage in the ceremony, then only to be rectified with a grievous loss of dignity and effect. Then the Steward should be especially careful not to allow himself to be betrayed into any unseemly levity during his part of the work of the evening. If he makes some ill-timed joke, or allows some detail of the preparation to be turned into ridi- cule, he is doing immense harm to the candidate’s due perception of what is to follow. Every newly made Mason should be given to understand that Masonry is not buffoonery, but a serious and solemn business, and he will not understand it in this light if any officer converts any part of his duty into mockery. The ritual work of the Stewards, like everything else in Masonry, should be done decently and in order, or left undone altogether. Leaving ritual work altogether, we shall conclude with a word of suggestion as to a way of utilizing the Stewards more exten- sively than is done at present. Why should they not help the Treasurer and the Secretary in some of the routine duties of their respective offices ? In large Lodges these officials have very onerous duties, and if a Steward were detailed to help each of them, the assistance would be a real boon, besides getting the juniors into train- ing for promotion. The making out of summonses by one Steward would greatly relieve the Secretary, and the collection of dues would be of equal assistance to the Treasurer. With reference to the latter work, it must have struck every one with experience, that an immense amount of trouble with arrears would be saved if members could be quietly called upon per- sonally every quarter for their subscrip- tion. It would, in nine cases out of ten, be planked down without hesitation, in- stead of being forgotten or neglected until its payment became a matter of real diffi- culty. And a Steward might easily be detailed to do the work of an amateur col- lector, and would be rather pleased to be of some use, for most Stewards are young in the Craft, and consequently full of en- thusiasm. We commend the suggestion to our readers — South African Freemason. o True Beneficence. We find in The Knight, published in Columbus, Ohio, some very pertinent sug- gestions, from which we quote: It is a matter of small moment to the various benevolent Orders whether the members of this, that, or the other church, join with them in their work of mutual help and general charity or not. They do not have to look to the churches for the “materials” to fill up their ranks; for, in this enlightened age, men of most all creeds and beliefs think and act for them- selves, and do not need the assistance of preachers or priests to determine for them whether a society or Order which cares for its sick members, buries its dead, assists the widow, supports and educates the or- phan, is worthy of their confidence and personal assistance; for, when they see such society disbursing thousands, and even millions of dollars annually in such God- like works, they can easily divine that such organization is one whose work is in the right line of religious duty, and self- interest, if nothing else, leads them to knock at its portals for admission. If per- sonally worthy, they are admitted without inquiry being made into the species of re- ligion or politics they profess — only, that they believe in the existence of a Supreme Being who rules over all. In this connection it is of interest to note that Freemasonry does not claim to be beneficial, but charitable. It does not promise one who joins a Lodge that he will be furnished with any stipulated amount while sick, or any certain sum be paid to his family upon his demise: but he is told that one of the fundamental principles of the Institution is charity; not that charity measured by the limit of stipulated weekly donations, pecuniarily speaking, but that true charity which measures a brother’s 39 6 THE TRESTLE BOARD. need and affords the necessary relief. We have in mind a case where a mem- ber of a Lodge was stricken with an incur- able disease. He was destitute of friends outside of his Masonic Lodge, and also of means. The brethren of his Lodge imme-. diately placed him in a Home, where he could receive proper care and attention. The physician to whose care he was given said he could survive but a few months. “Few or many,” said his brethren, “take care of him.” For more than eleven years the brethren of that Lodge have been car- ing for this brother, at an annual cost of three hundred dollars. This is true char- ity. Benevolence would have dropped him many long years ago. Had he be- longed to any of the societies organized for relief and pecuniary benefits, one year would have closed their contracts, and after that, the “brother” would have been left to the charities of the world, or the care of the county poorhouse. Such is not Masonry. It does not prom- ise anything but the broadest charity, which in its truest sense is limitless. Creed and religious predeliction has nothing to do with the action of the societies whose grand tenets are charity and benevolence. The narrow charity of the creeds of the world have led men to regard very lightly any promise made by priest or preacher. Bigotry has done more to turn men against religion than anything else. Narrow-mind- edness in charity has caused more to regard the church with aversion than any doctrine of religious belief. Thore is a grandeur in the doctrine of the Brotherhood of Man — that doctrine that leads one to feel deeply for his fellow- man; to be ready to aid him on all lauda- ble occasions, that brings one to a confi- dence in a broad-minded liberal idea, that is not confined to ecclesiastical lims. As man is a man, and deserves to be treated as a man. If he debases himself and for- feits his right to the regard of his fellows, he thereby loses his right to sympathy and ceases to be a man; but as long as he maintains his credit he is deserving of sym- pathy, and in Masonry he receives it. In beneficial Orders his connection is purely mercenary, and he pays for what he gets. In Masonry he pays for nothing, as far as benefits are concerned, but receives a thou- sand fold if misfortune assail him. True charity does not count the pence paid in, but is measured by the needs of the applicant at the time. Masonry is not religion, but as its handmaid it could teach the church lessons in true charity. — N. Y. Dispatch. o Qualifications of Candidates. Rev. Bro. J. S. Brownrigg, of London, Eng., in an excellent oration, thus admira- bly outlined the qualifications a candidate for Freemasonry is required by the Craft to possess: “We are always most properly reminded at the consecration of a new Lodge, of the extreme importance of guarding well its portals, of allowing no one to pass the Tyler’s sword without the assured convic- tion that the new member will be a credit to the Craft and to his Lodge. I would venture in the few words I address to you to ask you carefully to lay down for your- selves a few leading and general principles to guide you in your selection, and to es- tablish the grounds upon which you ought to base your rejection of candidates. “First of all, every candidate should be a man of honor. Honor is a difficult thing to define. It is something more than the avoidance of base and mean ac- tions. It is a high and sensitive apprecia- tion of what we owe to ourselves and to the world. It is the disregard of all selfish and low motives, which are ever tempting us from the clear narrow line of duty. It is the fixed determination at all costs and with all courage to maintain what is right in the face of the bitterest opposition of the strongest power. “Secondly, your candidate should be a man of charity. Charity is a comprehen- sive word. It means something more than the giving of what it costs us nothing to give; something more than the easy, self- complacent desire to be recognized as the benefactor of mankind. It is the grasping of the great truth that each man lives not for himself alone, that he does owe great and important duties to his brother man; that wherever and whenever he can help his brother, it is a sin to abstain from giv- ing that help; that no time, no trouble, muse be grudged if thereby any one with whom he is thrown into contact can be thereby bettered and improved. It is one of the great laws of our existence that in our lives we are either helping or hinder- ing others. The question, ‘What are we doing?’ is a solemn one. On the answer depends our qualification for admittance to or rejection from a Mason’s Lodge. THE TRESTLE BOARD. 397 Thirdly, exact from him who seeks to son; nine of the twelve jurors who tried enter our Craft, that he should be a man of him were Masons, but Hayward was found industry. We have no vacancies for idlers guilty of murder and executed, in our Craft. A man without a profession The law of the land is the law that or without useful work is a blot upon the Masons obey. Masonry will aid no man face of God’s fair creation. To most of who has violated that law. Masonry is a us work is a necessity, as without work we shield of defence to the innocent; it is not should starve. To all, work is a moral a cloak under which guilt may hide with obligation, as without work man’s higher impunity. and better life starves and dies. It should What, then, is the duty of a Mason to- be one of the questions which a Lodge wards a Mason charged with crime? To should propose to itself in considering the see that he has a fair and impartial trial; qualifications of a candidate for admission, that he is not condemned until his guilt is What is the man doing? How is the world clearly made manifest, and that he have the better for him? In his profession as full and free opportunity to establish his well as in his home what character does he innocence. bear for industry and perseverance, and Pending investigation, Masons should the constant desire to do all things, what- exercise the broadest charity. The world soever his hand findeth to do, well? Do is quick to condemn, even before guilt is you tell me that I have fixed my standard established. Let Masonry be first to up- too high, and that few if any can on these hold the innocent, and last to pronounce qualifications gain admittance? My answer judgment upon the erring, is, that I regret it, for I would gladly Brethren, are we wholly guiltless ? Have see an even larger increase to our Craft we performed our full duty by our erring than we are getting, year by year, but also brother ? Did we warn him of impending that it will be far better for your Lodge to danger? We saw him place the cup ol have the standard too high rather than too intoxication to his lips; did we admonish low. I have no hesitation in saying that him of the inevitable end? the one thing which at the present moment We saw him enter the gambling den; we is very distinctly injuring the Craft, both knew that he was engaged in riotous living; in England and abroad, is the too common we saw the beginnings of his guilt; did'we admission of men of low moral standard whisper a word of caution in his ear ? Did into our Fraternity. Men, perhaps, who we try to save him, to lead him back to can afford to spend large sums of money the paths of rectitude and honor ? upon our Fraternity, and even upon our Let us live up to our obligations. Let charities. Men who rise to important us make Masonty a power for good in the offices in their Lodges, and who are even world. Let no Mason say of us; “I am expert workers of our ceremonies, who weak, I am erring, I am guilty; but you pass before the world as good Masons, but were false to your vows. You did not who, nevertheless, are bringing upon us stretch forth a hand to uphold, to help or the just accusation from the outside world, to save !” — Masonic Hei'ald. that anyone who can pay the initiation fee o is able to gain admittance to a Lodge. First Masonic Funeral in Idaho. Forgive me if I have very plainly warned a young Lodge, to which, from the very There has been much written and said bottom of my heart, I wish God-speed of about the first Masonic funeral held in a real and present danger. California and odier Coast States, and o Idaho of course comes in for her share Gavel Taps. of what good might have resulted from re- . lating those incidents so familiar to ‘‘old True Masons are law-abiding citizens, timers.” During our visit to Boise County They do not take part in lynchings, they recently, we met many who well remem- never join the mob, they uphold law and bered the following circumstance, as told order and good government at all times by Bro. George Hunter in his “Remin- and under all circumstances. iscences of an Old Timer, and stood On the other hand, Masons do not shield ready to vouch for its truthfulness. Joe criminals, even if they are members of the Oldham, who was a prominent man in the Order. Harry Hayward, the notorious Basin in those days and whose name is Minnesota murderer, claimed to be a Ma- mentioned below, is now in the insane 398 THE TRESTLE BOARD. asylum at Blackfoot, having lost his mind and turning, I saw Mrs. Slade standing be- about three years ago. We have often side me, “Is not this George Hunter?" heard him relate this same story, and dif- she asked; I answered “Yes! and she fered only from the following in that it asked, “Did you not know Wm. Slade was told in his own language. Bro. Hun- who used to edit the Yreka paper years ter says: ago ? I answered “Yes! and you were On my arrival at Centerville, almost the Miss Brown, of Jacksonville; quite a young first man I met was an old Masonic friend, girl when I saw you last!” She said; named Owsley, a good physician, who had “Yes;” then pointing to her dead husband, come to this camp some time before. On said, “George, this and these dear children meeting and exchanging greetings, Owsley are all that is left me in this wide world, said, “You are, above all others, the very and God only knows what will become of man I am glad to see just now.” them and me for I am entirely without Thinking the doctor was probably means, even to bury my poor dead hus- “short,” I put my hand to my pocket; band, much less to clothe and feed my seeing my move he said, “No George, not children.” The tears streamed down her that! The facts are that a man has died wan cheeks as she said this, in a cabin just out of town leaving a wife I took her hand and said: “Mrs. Slade, and three small children entirely destitute, do not distress yourself about financial af- and far from their home and friends.” He fairs; you have sufficient to do to comfort told me the man’s name was Slade, and these poor orphan children; leave the rest that he was from Yreka, California; that to the doctor and myself, and rest assured he had come into the camp a few weeks that all will be done for your husband that before, with a yoke of oxen and a light you could wish, and you and your children wagon, taking sick, he had sold the team will be cared for. There are hundreds of and wagon, and consumed the proceeds in big, warm hearts near you, and when they providing for his family while he was are made aware of your troubles, they will sick, finally dying, leaving the family des- sympathize with and assist you and yours titute as before stated. That Slade had to their utmost ability.” made himself known to him as a Master She replied, “The doctor has already as- Mason, and had given him his Masonic sured me of these things; but I can only pin, and the name and number of his realize that I am left alone with these my Lodge, and requested him to do all in his poor children and this my dead husband.” power to assist his family; that he (Ows- Then, dropping on her knees, and lay- ley) had attended Slade during his sick- ing her weary head on the unthrobbing ness. breast of him who had been her stay and “Now,” said the doctor, “You are fer- support, she cried, “Alone ! Oh God, all .tile in resources and a good worker, and alone!” you must help me out.” I said, “Let us Well, this was too much for me, an old visit the cabin;” we did so, and I found timer. After wringing Mrs. Owsley’s the distressed family in a miner’s cabin hand and kissing the babies, I hurriedly which was built of logs, the door was of left the cabin, as I feared that if I remained split boards or shakes; in one corner was longer I might “slop over” myself. Ows- a fire-place and chimney of sticks and ley followed me. Nothing was said till we mud, posts had been driven into the reached the upper end of Main street, ground,, and on these had been made a Here we concluded to part, each taking a platform of poles, over which was strewed side of the street in search of “Brothers” fir boughs, making a regular miner’s bunk, belonging to our Fraternity. Lying on one of these bunks, with a few I will try to describe my progress which, blankets under him, I saw what was left I presume was duplicated by the doctor, of Slade, while sitting around the fire were The first house I visited was a large saloon, the sorrowing widow and children and Mrs. wherein were several “moneyed” tables Dr. Owsley. around which were many miners, packers After taking a good look at the corpse, and others, engaged in “fighting the I said, “Doctor, there seems something tiger” and similar games. It was “chips familar to me in that countenance, and if for dust” and “dust for chips” all around I had seen the man in health I should the hall. I approached the bar and or- probably have known him.” As I said dered something, at the same time — in my this I felt a hand laid lightly on my arm, own way — inviting as many other fellows THE TRESTLE BOARD 399 to join me as stood in need of refresh- ments, thus soon attracting the attention of many of those present. Among them was Joe Oldham, a brother of the famed Sim Oldham, of California. Joe was a tall, straight, fine looking man — a sporting man by profession, and a sa- loon keeper. He approachedjme with the others, and, stepping aside, asked me if I wished to speak with them. I replied: “Yes. Upon my arrival in this place an hour or so ago, I met Dr. Owsley, a brother, who informed me that he had been attending professionally upon a brother who had recently arrived from Yreka, and that the patient died during the previous night, leaving his widow and three small children destitute and friend- less in a cabin near by. Now, the doctor and myself are looking for brothers, and we hope those we find will seek for others, and meet us in some hall here, where I will institute a Lodge of Instruction (or Inves- tigation), when we will proceed to give the deceased a decent interment, and provide for the widow and orphans.” Oldham and myself then went to a store and ordered such things as were required for the immediate use of the family. Then we interested some sporting women, who repaired to the cabin and sewed for the family, closing their houses till after the funeral. There were no other women near at this time, except Mrs. Owsley and the broken-down and grief-stricken widow. For the rest of the day and night the hunt for brothers went bravely on through- out the surrounding camps. There were no Lodges in these camps as yet. The next morning at io o’clock a sa- loon-keeper stopped his business and gave us the use of his house to arrange matters in. There we met, some eighty odd brothers, dressed in woolen shirts and patched pants. After making the necessary examina- tions, we “clothed” ourselves in white pocket handkerchiefs in lieu of the proper aprons, and repaired to the cabin. We had prepared as good a coffin as could be gotten up in such a place, and the family were dressed in appropriate mourning. Forming in procession, we repaired to an adjacent mound and there gave our brother the usual Masonic burial, with all of its rites, etc. Then we returned to our improvised hall, placed a table in the centre of the room with gold scales, a blower and a purse on it, stating that all brothers had been made aware of the destitute circum- stances of the widow and orphans, and asked that all would perform their duty. We then formed in line and marched around the hall ; as a brother came up to the table he would select a weight and balance it with gold dust, put the dust in the purse and move on, giving place to another. Oldham marched immedi- ately in front of me, and as he came to the table, he pulled out a purse of some hundreds of dollars; carefully untied it, then poured the contents into the blower, shook the purse and dropped it on the dust, turned and said as he shook my hand — the tears trinkling off his long mustache, “Brother George, we can do something to atone for our cussedness, can’t we ?” This settled it; I did not take time to untie my purse; my eyes being rather dim at the time; I suppose caused by a bad cold that I had contracted a short time before. I just dropped what I had and passed on, as many others did. Suf- fice it to say, that on all being weighed, we found after paying all the expenses, we had a purse that we presented to the widow of nearly three thousand dollars. This purse, Owsley, Oldham and myself were delegated to carry to the widow, which we did, and upon presenting to her she utterly refused to take it as she said it was too much to accept from strangers. But after we had explained that if she did not take and use the money for her- self and children we would be forced to appoint guardians for the children, who would take and care for them and that which was donated to and for them, their use and benefit; our arguments prevailed and she accepted the generous aid, and within a few days started in the care of a brother for her distant home and friends. — Idaho Mason. o A Volunteer Crop. The warm March sunshine fell upon the moist earth, which looked up with her lap full of flowers. The distant mountains rose snow-capped at their highest points and stretched on around the fertile valley in a wall of royal purple or deep blue. The green foothills lay in billowy masses at their feet. The blue, cloudless sky arched over it all. Barefooted Chinamen, in loose, flap- 400 THE TRESTLE BOARD. ping cotton trousers and mandarin hats, worked among their long, straight lines of weedless vegetables. Blue lupines and yellow poppies grew along the roadside, and mocking birds sang in the tops of the eucalyptus trees. Several carriages holding a family party passed leisurely along the road. In the first were two men, who it was plain to see were brothers, one a resident, the other a visitor, judged by their conversation. “It’s glorious, Dick, that’s a fact,’’ said the visitor; “all and more than you claimed for it.’’ “You ought to come out here and spend the rest of your days in comfort.” “Oh, I don’t know! It’s pretty com- fortable at home, some of the time.” “Some of the time,” yes; now look at that. Did you ever see anything finer than that, George?” He had stopped- his horse on the brow of the hill. At one side lay the green bar- ley fields; on the other, the orange groves and orchards, with their dividing rows of eucalyptus and pepper trees, behind them the city, with its beautiful homes, and in the far-away haze a hint of the peaceful ocean. “It’s all very beautiful. I don’t wonder you love it.” “Love it? Yes; more and more when we read of the blizzards in the east, and we with never a bit of frost. Now look at this crop of barlev, and it’s a volunteer crop.” “A volunteer crop?” , “Yes; comes up of itself; you see, the seed drops, and, as there is no frost — ” “Yes — dear me, how the fellow fright- ened me!” A buggy containing a young man and several young ladies dashed past them, the young man firing his pistol into the air over his head as they passed. The girls screamed. The horses danced, the one in the buggy in which were the two brothers nearly upsetting them. ^ “I hope you won’t be hurt or offended, George,” said the elder of the two, “if I say what I have been thinking about How- ard.” He looked anxiously after the rap- idly retreating buggy as he endeavored to quiet his own horse. “Oh, he’ll manage the horse all right!” said the other, answering his look; he’s used to driving. The girls are safe.” “I wish he was,” said the elder man earnestly. “It pains me more than I can tell to see that he is inclined to be so wild.” “What’s the use of making so much of every little caper, Dick,” said the other somewhat warmly. “Have you forgotten your own pranks?” “No; would to God I could forget some! But it isn’t simply mischief I am thinking of. I saw him come out of a saloon last night. And from what he said to me the other day he must be familiar with the workings of gambling dens.” “No doubt he is somewhat,” said the other man a little uneasily, “but what can you expect ? A young fellow must have his little fling, must sow his wild oats.” “ ‘Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.’ Have you forgotten that, George ?” “Forgotten it, no, indeed; I never have a chance to. Howard’s mother never gives me the opportunity to forget any of those things.” “Howard’s mother is a good Christian woman and a good wife; no — ” “Indeed she is. I spoke irritably. You know how I love her, a thousand times more than when she was a girl. But I don’t see the use in making such a fuss over a boy’s capers. Howard will settle down. He’s goingto marry Alice Clark, as nice a girl as ever lived. You remem- ber Ben Clark married Nellie White. She’s their daughter.” “Is she a Christian !” “Yes.” “Does she know of these habits of How- ard’s?” “Well, yes, I suppose so — not perhaps as we do, but she must know something. But what can you expect? How many voung men are there who have no bad hab- its ?” “That’s the pity of it. But I hope my girls may remain unmarried, or die, rather than marry a man with bad habits. We’ve one grave in the cemetery now, and — ” He looked down and grew silent. “Yes, that was very sad about Ruth. Arthur seemed to be such a good young man, too; of course we knew he took a glass now and then, but — ” “I tell you, George, it isn’t safe to plant the seed you don’t want to grow,” said the other looking up. “You see this mustard?” He struck lightly with his whip at the feathery yellow bloom higher than his horse’s head. “In some parts of this State I know of men who planted mustard for the seed — then thrashed it out with ma- THE TRESTLE BOARD. 401 chines as you do wheat — and now they want to raise another sort of crop and they can’t. The mustard volunteers each year and kills out the other crop.” ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ It was during the next winter that the Los Angeles man received a letter from his eastern brother, who had returned home, telling him of the conversion of his son Howard. “Howard has turned out all right, just as I told you he would,” he wrote. “He was converted last week in a series of re- vival meetings here. Alice is perfectly happy. You know they were married just two months ago, and she says it is the best celebration of their wedding day that is possible. We all think the same, for really even I had begun to feel pretty anxious about Howard. He is as enthusi- astic and active as even his mother could wish, and we are in a happy and thought- ful frame of mind all around.” “I couldn’t have heard better news,” said the brother, as he finished reading the letter to his wife. “I hope he may stand firm. He is a gifted young man and cap- able of doing much good in the world.” It was two years later that the brothers met again in the depot in Los Angeles. It was raining. A steady drizzle fell on the impatient horse and beat on the buggy top as they drove to the house. “O Dick,” said the visiting brother, “I can’t believe it! I can’t even now, and I couldn’t stay there another day. I knew you and Laura would take me in.” “We’re only too glad to, my dear brother,” and he laid his hand lovingly on the other’s arm. There were tears in his eyes as he looked at the pale, thin, rapidly aging face of the other. “We are glad to have you come to us.” “When they lowered Mary in the grave I couldn’t stand it; I fainted, I guess. Oh, it was dreadful! I can’t te!lyou, and yet I can’t keep still. I think sometimes I shall go crazy. I can think of nothing else. Howard did so well for a lime, as I wrote you, and he meant to, I am sure he meant to, poor boy. I am sure it killed his mother; Mary never was very strong, you know, and he was all the boy we had.” “Don’t talk of it now, George,” said the brother tenderly; “wait till Laura gives you some warm dinner; you’ll feel stronger. We’ll be there in a minute, and she’ll have it all ready.” “Yes, I know. You see the old com- panions kept trying to win him back. If they’d let him alone, he’d have done all right, but they wouldn’t, and he went back. It was like what you told me when I was out here before — a volunteer crop. I’ve been thinking of it all day.” “Don’t think of it now, George. There’s the house; see,” wiping the tears slyly from his eyes, “doesn’t it look natural ?” “The house, oh, >es! No, I won’t talk about it. But you see — what is a man to do with his only son ? I couldn’t believe they’d send him up for life, but they say they had hard work to do that. You know the law allows capital punishment in our State. Oh, he’d never have done it if he hadn’t been tipsy! Ben Redding’s son — they’d been friends ever since they were children — you remember Ben. Well, he and Howard were at a game of cards in Overmeyer’s saloon; something came up; they quarreled, and Howard — oh, I never wanted him to carry a revolver! This the house, oh, yes! Well, I won’t talk about it, but you can see it was a volunteer crop — a volunteer crop .” — Emma Harriman. o The Masonic Brotherhood. The following incident, illustrating Ma- sonic brotherhood, is taken from an ora- tion delivered by Bro. Thos. E. Garrett, at the recent opening of the new hall at St. Louis: Much is said and surmised about the pe- culiar nature of our ties of brotherhood, which to the world appears so mysterious, so enduring, so strong. To many the uni- versality and binding force is inconceiva- ble. They cannot be fully explained except in the secret recesses of the Lodge; but I may be permitted to give a single illustra- tion of the true spirit of Masonic brother- hood which came under my personal notice not long ago. Two men had been fast friends. In an evil hour they quarreled, and from violent words they came to dagger’s points, but used no daggers. They did not speak, and had not spoken for years — mutual friends had tried the arts of reconciliation in vain. They were avowed enemies for life. The whole difficulty was purely personal, and the honor of neither was impeached either by the origin of the quarrel or sub- sequent circumstances; probably they were equally to blame. One of them became a Mason after the estrangement, and it hap- 402 THE TRESTLE BOARD. pened the other remained ignorant of it. One evening he, too, was admitted to the Lodge. Almost the first voice he heard, and certainly the first face he saw, was that of his enemy, who presided over the cere- monies of initiation and was obliged, ac- cording to usage, to address him by the title of “brother.” This was a most pecu- liar situation, and a severe ordeal for both. After the Lodge was closed, the appren- tice sought his quondam friend, the Master of the Lodge, and without any prelimina- ries, the following colloquy ensued, com- menced by the newly-made Mason: “Are you a member of this Lodge ?” “I am,” was the reply. “Were you present when I was elected?” “I was.” “May I ask if you voted?” “I did.” “Now, will you tell me how many votes it requires to reject a petition for admis- sion?” The Master answered, “One.” There was no more to say. The initiated extended his hand, which was warmly grasped by the other, and ut- tered with thrilling accent and deep emo- tion in his voice: “Friend — brother! you have taught me a lesson I shall never forget!” This is a little ray of Masonic light. No language is so eloquent as the throbbing of the heart full of joyful tears. Where this kind of cement is used in our moral edifice, should it not be endur- ing? Who can wonder that it is strong? o How I Learned Not to Chew or Smoke Tobacco. I could not have been over six years old when I took my first and last chew of to- bacco; but to this day I have a distinct remembrance of j ust how that tobacco felt, and of what I did to get the taste of it out of my mouth. I found the tobacco in a little paper bag upstairs in the hired man’s room. I had often seen the hired man chew, and supposed, of course, tobacco was something good to eat, and I wanted a taste the moment I saw it. I did not go and ask the hired man to give me some; no, I stole a small handful, and stuffing it into my mouth, began to “chaw.” At first it tasted sweet, then it began to sting and burn, until finally, in some alarm, I took the “cud” from my mouth, and threw it out of the window. The next thing I re- member, I was standing before the wash- stand in mother’s bedroom, cleaning my mouth out with castile soap and a tooth- brush. This was nature’s way of telling me not to put any more of the dirty stuff into my mouth; but nature had to be supplemented by mother. I do not think mother whipped me when she found out what I had been doing; but I am quite sure she did some- thing far better — gave me a talking to on tobacco that I, even at that age, could un- derstand and profit by. I was somewhat older when I smoked my first and last cigar, probably in my eleventh or twelfth year. Father was a farmer and grew tobacco. One day I went out to the shed where the tobacco hung, and pulling some leaves off a stalk, rolled them up into something which I fancied looked very much like a cigar. Then I crept away into a corner where no one would be apt to see me, lit the cigar, and placing it in my mouth, began to puff away, determined to get some of the ‘ ‘solid comfort” I had heard men tell of “suck- ing through a cigar. ’ ’ Of course I knew I was doing wrong. If I had not I would not have hidden; but men smoked, and other boys smoked, and I wanted to smoke, too; so smoke I did. The cigar drew splendidly. The smoke fairly poured out of my mouth as I puffed, puffed away, thinking what a bright lad I was to be able to make such a success out of my first cigar. But presently a queer feeling began creeping around inside of me. I took the cigar out of my mouth and looked at it. It was only about half gone, and appeared all right. I rose to my feet, but instantly sat down again. I could not understand what made my head so dizzy. And my stomach! my stomach!! oh, my stomach!!! The cigar dropped from my fingers, and I fell backward and lay at full length, chuck full of solid discomfort. No, I did not die; but for about an hour I was a very sick boy. Again nature had warned me to let tobacco alone. Nature had now done her part. She had shown me very plainly that tobacco was not good for me; and yet I think both her lessons would have been in vain had it not been for mother. Mother! Ah, only when we can look back over our youth through the eyes of manhood do we begin to understand how much we owe to mother. I had to have another dose of mother love THE TRESTLE BOARD. 403 and mother wisdom, and the cure was com- plete. This is how I learned not to chew' or smoke tobacco; and it has two lessons in it, one for the boys and one for the moth- ers. Boys, tobacco would not make you sick w'hen you first smoke or chew if it was good for you. Nature sends the sickness to warn you that you are taking a slow poison into your system. Leave it alone! It is only fit for worms to chew and for men to kill lice with. Mothers, if you do not want your boys to use tobacco, teach the wrong and the folly of it while they are young, before some other boy has had a chance to tempt them to smoke and chew'. Put them on their guard. Then, when asked to smoke or chew, they will know it is wrong, and w’hy it is wrong, and if you have done your duty well, their answer will be — No! — Everett McNeil. o Murdering Wagner. I was amused the other night at a joke I had read, and was laughing at it when Gretchen came into my den and asked what so pleased me. ■‘Why this,” I replied; and I read the joke, which w’as as follows: “Excuse me, sir,” said the detective, as he presented himself at the door of the music academy, “but I hope you will give me all the information you have, and make no fuss about it.” “What do you mean?” was the indig- nant inquiry of the professor in charge of the academy. “Why, that little affair, you know’,” re- plied the astute detective. “I don’t understand,” rejoined the pro- fessor, growing more indignant. “Why, you see, we got the tip from the house next door, that somebody here has been murdering Wagner, and the sergeant sent me down to w'ork up the case. So I hope you will give me as little trouble as possible, and deliver up the guilty party.” Gretchen laughed when I had finished the story. “Well, she said, “I think there are a great many Wagners murdered, and a great many people who are murdering Wagner.” “Yes,” I replied, “and murdering lots of other people. There are more murders committed every day than ever find their way into the papers, or are reported to the sergeant of police. The fact is, there is wholesale murder going on all the time, and few people know of it. Masonic work is murdered, the English language is mur- dered, form and ceremony are murdered, and the murdering business prospers. I was reading not long ago an account in an English paper of high repute, of a banquet at which a number of toasts w-ere proposed. In reporting the fact, the careful reporter said: ‘Of course, the Queen w’as drunk,’ etc. Now, think of it — ‘the Queen w’as drunk!’ Poor old lady! after nearly sixty years of honorable reign, to be reported in one of the periodicals of the realm as ‘drunk!’ It’s a shame to murder the Queen’s English so, and in that murdering to murder the good name of the best Queen w’ho ever sat upon a throne. The fact was, you know, that the Queen w-as not present at all, and the record should have been, ‘The health of the Queen was drunk,’ etc. “And precisely so are reputations assas- sinated and unhappiness produced. Men, either thoughtlessly or by design, traduce their fellows, and imagine they are doing great things to ‘tell tales out of school.’ and it matters not much whether they stretch their imagination a little in the re- tailing of the tale and make a “mountain out of a molehill,’ or turn white into black, so they tell the tale which is murdering somebody.” “But,” said Gretchen, “the murderiug of Wagner that was the cause of the de- tective’s visit to the academy was not that kind. It was a gross misinterpretation of Wagner’s music. It was making Wagner out a liar, for he never wrote the notes the murderer produced, but he or she, the murderer aforesaid, sung falsely and so out of tune that it was no music at all. Wagner’s conceptions were grand, sub- limely grand, and his mind must have dwelt in celestial grandness. Sung or played as Wagner wrote it, and as his mind conceived it, his music lifts the soul to the bliss of the seventh heaven. I like Wagner when he is not murdered.” “But Wagner is noisy,” I suggested, ‘ ‘ana those who reported that he was being murdered maybe mistook his grand cho- ruses for some battle of the gods. Noise is not always music, and all music is not noise. But I will admit that when Wag- ner is murdered, the pandemonium must be almost beyond endurance, and when Wagner is played out of tune I don’t won- der at the people next door giving the 404 THE TRESTLE BOARD. ‘tip.’ I was in a Lodge not long ago, where the officers had no proper concep- tion of the beauty of the degree. The Master, in a sing-song monotone, stumbled over the work, and Demosthenes Cicero, the Senior Deacon, murdered Wagner most outrageously. He strutted about, bellowing his part like a Free Silver Popu- list preaching sixteen to one. I thought then that if the ‘people next door, would send down to the sergeant of police and report the case, there would be a pretty good chance for the public executioner to perform on the strings of the electric chair, for the ‘murder of Wagner’ was a self- evident fact, and the witnesses to the crime numerous. ‘‘But the murder of form and ceremony is not so bad as that which is often com- mitted outside of the Lodge. Men are so ready to condemn without a hearing, to speak evil instead of good of their fellow- men, to look for motes in their brother’s eyes, and never for a moment stop to think that there is a beam in their own. They meet in a social way to enjoy a glass of ‘new brewed ale,’ and the while the foam is set- tling the froth of evil speaking bubbles over, and the story of Bro. Good fellow’s mishap is discussed — Wagner is murdered. If we would all only bind up Wagner’s wounds instead of tearing them open, we would be doing good instead of bad. But I suppose Wagner will be murdered until we all wear white wings.” — Lounger , in N Y. Dispatch. o A Boy’s Opinion. Sometimes a young lad will strike a truth in his random talk. To a middle aged woman one day, a young fellow said, confidentially : “You see, Mrs. R , my sisters think so much of the conventionalities. They are always telling me that only common girls do so and so, and that girls who have been taught properly don’t do this thing or the other thing. Now I think some- times they are mistaken. Lots of nice girls do things they didn’t use to do. They ride bicycles, and they go in parties or clubs with their brothers or friends. They can be jolly and good comrades with a boy; but they are nice, too, and just as well-behaved as my sisters ” “Yes, 1 think that, too,” replied the lady. “And you don’t think it makes the girls any worse? What about the boys?” “It makes the girls more friendly and 1 pleasant than those who stay at home and never see anything!” he exclaimed, em- phatically. ‘ ‘And it does something else. It makes us fellows more careful in what we do and say, when girls go everywhere as well as we do. Isn’t a bicycle tour or a camping-out, or a tramp in the country as good sport, and don’t it make the fel- lows better -behaved when girls are along ? Yes, sir! I don’t want to go to places where the girls can’t go; but I do think that the girls ought to give way too, in the matter, and try to go around to all the places and take part. The boys want the girls, and I do believe it would do the girls good, too, and wouldn’t hurt them a bit.” And this expression of the opinion of a well-brought-up young American boy is something for the mothers of the girls to think over . — Harper s Bazar. o Standing for Principle. There was no question about it, the struggle for a home and a livelihood was a hard one for the Pearsons. It had been severe enough before the father died, but now the widow left with Johnnie aged twelve, Susie ten, and two younger, to feed and clothe, with a cold winter, and the unpaid interest upon the mortgage on the roof that sheltered them, staring her in the face, was at her wits end to know what to do. “After all, Johnnie,” she said that morn- ing, as she rose from her knees after pray- ers, “I do not know why we should worry. He promised to be a husband to the widow, and I do not think He will let me starve. Let us cast our care on Him, do the best we can, and wait.” A rap on the door interrupted her re- marks. It was the village grocer. He stepped in in response to Johnnie’s invitation, and stood uneasily for a moment after the usual salutation. “I dunno as I know hardly how to be- gin, Mrs. Pearson, but I’ve had my eyes on that youngster of yours for some time. He’s smart and keen for business, and hon- est as the day is long. I says to my wife last night, sez I, I shouldn’t wonder if they was hard up at widder Pearson’s; I want a boy to help me in the store, and I am going up to-morrow morning and offer Johnnie a job. I s’ pose you’l hate to take THE TRESTLE BOARD. 405 him out of school, but after all, practical knowledge is better than book learning. Now what do you say to letting him come and earn $3 a week?” The widow turned to Johnnie fora reply. Johnnie’s face, which had brightened at the first, had taken on a sober, troubled ex- pression. ‘‘Please, sir,” he said, ‘‘would I have to sell tobacco?” “Sell tobacco? Well, I reckon you would. Why, boy, I take in more money on that than on anything else. But what’s that got to do with it ? You ain’t obliged to use it.” “I am :orry, sir, to disappoint you, or to seem ungrateful for your desire to help us, but I can not sell tobacco — not if we starve.” The mother nodded her approval. “That is right, Johnnie; I did not think of that.” “Wall, if that’s the way you feel about it, I may as well say ‘Good morning,’ and be oft', but it will be a long time before I offer you a favor again.” Johnnie and his mother sat in silence for some minutes, and then Mrs. Pearson spoke. “The devil is always transforming himself into an angel of light. Here we were this morning, praying for some way in which to raise the money we need, and what does old Satan do but slip around and induce Mr. S to come and persuade you to think that the Lord wanted you to sell tobacco.” “Well, I’m glad I saw the cloven foot,” said Johnnie, “Cheer up, mother, the Lord will not forsake us.” But even Johnnie’s courage began to ooze out as the days went by, and so little work came. In fact, they did not get as much help as before, for the story spread, and some who had been kind refused to do for peo- ple who “would not help themselves,” as they termed it. The weary winter months wore away, and in the early spring little Lois sickened and died. On the morrow the interest of the debt was due. “There’s just five cents in the treasury, mother,” Johnnie said, “but 1 am not sorry I did not sell tobacco, anyhow.” That night Johnnie came home with a letter containing two $20 bills, with a slip of paper on which was written, “a present from one who admires your grit.” So the home was saved. The next summer Johnnie worked for a farmer and earned someihing. His sis- ters picked and sold berries, and they be- gan the winter more hopefully. At the beginning of the year a great re- vival swept over the place. Mr. S , the grocer, was evidently under conviction, but he remained unyielding until the last evening. Then near the close he rose and said: “It’s no use, brethren, I must yield; I dare not hold out any longer lest it prove the last call. It’s the old tobacco that has plagued me. I felt condemned forsellingit when Johnnie Pearson looked in my eyes last winter, and said he couldn’t do it if we starved. “I felt conscience-stricken every time I saw the widow’s thin clothing and the pinched faces of her children. I tried to ease my mind by sending them some money after the little one died, but it didn’t mend matters much. Ever since this revival began that old tobacco has stood in my road. I didn’t want to give it up, and I couldn’t get around it, and now I call you to witness that here goes that part of my business, pipe and all, overboard, and I’m going to serve the Lord with all my heart.” Some of the people thought Mr. S had become slightly demented, but his mind was clear enough to conduct his busi- ness, with Johnnie’s help, for many a year after that, and he declared each season that he never had made so much before. “It pays to do right, I tell you,” he would say; and Johnnie would add, “Amen.” I know so, too, for he is to- day partner in Mr. S ’s business, and is laying by a handsome sum each year. — Clara Eastman Smith. o A Noble Example. Two or three years ago, one Sunday af- ternoon, a gentleman was walking with his wife, who was an invalid, in the great park which stretches for sixteen miles along the shore of the beautiful river just outside Philadelphia. They were comfortable, middle-aged people, long past the age of romance; but they were childless, and as is often the case, their hearts were tender with keen sympathies, and they gave to the poor and hurt of God’s creatures the love which they had never been permitted to spend upon a child of their own. As they passed through the thick woods 406 THE TRESTLE BOARD. and cool grassy slopes by the river, Mr. S carelessly spoke of the tens of thou- sands of poor people shut up in stifling cel- lars and alleys, and wondered why they did not come out, as the Saviour did, to “walk in the fields on the Sabbath day.” His wife did not answer, but seemed lost in thought. Presently she said: “Music would bring them — sacred mu- sic! If there could be an orchestra here every Sunday afternoon, a good orchestra, that would play the old familiar hymn- tunes, which carry everybody’s soul up to God, how much good' it might do!” Her husband looked at her, and saw that her eyes were full of tears. “It shall be done, wife!” he said. “I hope it will be done soon,” she said. “I should like to hear it — once before I go.” The next morning Mr. S headed a subscription for the amount required. The best orchestra in the city was engaged, and on the next clear Sunday afternoon was stationed in one of the most beautiful glades of the park. An hour before the time appointed crowds began to pour out from the city; men and women; old, bent creatures on crutches; children, and babies in their mother’s arms; the poor and ragged, many of them bloated from drink ; the very guests whom the Lord bade us find in the highways and byways, and compel to come in to His feast. There were many thousands, more than any church would have held and of a class who, conducted as many of our churches are now, will not enter their doors. At first there was confusion, but when the first notes of the solemn music were heard, the vast audience sat down on the grass and listened in reverent silence. The dusky aisles of trees, the quiet, bright river, the blue sky overhead, and strains which brought some old sacred memory to almost every heart, stilled and awed them. “Old Hundred” was played, “Jesus, Saviour of my Soul,” and then, “Nearer, my God, to Thee.” A woman, an old feeble black woman, began to sing the words in a trembling voice. Another and another joined, and then with one impulse, the whole mighty audience sang together. The sound rose like rolling thunder towards heaven. There were tears on many a hard face that day. The woman who had planned the good work was not there. She had been laid in her grave the day before. But is it too much to hope that she was permitted to hear that hymn ? o Why I Became a Mason. In 1873 I was out west when the yellow fever was raging, being in the employ of the Texas and Pacific Railroad, with head- quarters at Marshall, Texas. I was on the line when I heard that yellow fever had been pronounced epidemic in Marshall, and the place would be put under quaran- iine regulations at once. Going to the city to get my trunk, I found I was too late; the city had been literally abandoned, business was suspended, and every avenue of escape was cut off. We were quaran- tined! For two months I had absolutely nothing to do but watch them fill up the cemetery, the people dying faster than the undertaker could bury them, it being no uncommon occurrence to see three or four negroes take a corpse on a dray and haul it to the cemetery, and bury it without any ceremony whatever. I had plenty of time for thought. Walking up town one Sunday morning — I will never forget it, everything was so quiet that my boot-heels striking the pave- ment reminded me of some vast vault — I met several men with crape on their arms, one of whom being an acquaintance, I asked what it meant. He replied that Ro- senbaum had died the night before. “Rosenbaum,” I replied; “that is the man who does business on the corner, just across from the Capitol Hotel?” “Yes,” he replied; “that is the one. ” “Why,” I asked, “are you wearing crape for Rosenbaum ?” His reply was, “He is a Mason, and will be buried this afternoon with Masonic honors. ’ ’ I watched them perform their sad duty, and wondered and admired their loyalty. No one can fully appreciate those circum- ces without experiencing something sim- ilar. To say I admired them is too mild for a description of my feelings, and if I were to attempt to tell you how I felt on that occasion, I know, as some one has beautifully expressed it, “every thought would [bend and break with the burden of its own meaning.” There was a city literally deserted, busi- ness was suspended, the pastors of the dif- ferent churches had deserted their flocks; yet those Masons, forgetting self, forget- THE TRESTLE BOARD. 407 ting the disease to which their companion had fallen a victim, forgetting everything except that a brother had fallen, with loving hands bore his remains to their last resting place and laid them away with the usual formalities That is why I joined the Ma- sons. Some may say my motives were mercenary; call it what you will, I have given you facts, and if it was wrong to want to be identified with such people, then I did wrong. Since that time I have tried to live up t;o the teachings of the Order. — D. IV. Simmons , Cave Spring , Ga. o A Mason’s Revenge. There is in Texas a large corporation employing a great number of men, and di- vided into several departments. One of these employees, by strict application to business, honesty and ability, earned pro- motion from place to place, until he rose to be superintendent of an important de- partment. He had many men under him, and in the faithful discharge of his duty to his company, he iound it necessary to make some changes in the employees, thereby gaining the enmity of the dis- charged men and their friends. They swore his downfall, and in due time pre- ferred charges of a sweeping nature, and to prove the same resorted to all sorts of means, even to bribery of false affidavits, and to such an extent did they worry the superintendent that he tendered his resignation. The directors, who took the matter up, while they found some few of the charges true and others false, also dis- covered his real value to the company and the animus which prompted the charges, and he was soon recalled to the employ of the corporation in a more responsible po- sition. This man is a Mason, and as such has always shown the same ability and enthu- siasm which has characterized his business career. Successively and through merit he passed the different chairs in the several bodies of the Order, until there were no more to fill in the York Rite. His influ- ence as a Mason was wonderful, and it vivi- fied every body in which he worked, while his charity was proverbial. Among his persecutors were Masons, some of whom no doubt were honest in their belief that he did wrong, while others had personal motives. In due time, some of these Masons, who had not gone beyond the Blue Lodge, wanted to go where there was a little more “fuss and feathers;’’ but as the man whom they had fought so hard was the presiding officer, they were afraid to apply, and so expressed themselves to some of the members of the body. This came to the knowledge of the presiding officer, who immediately let them know that so far as he was concerned, all objec- tions were waived, and their applications were put in and they were elected. The degrees were conferred in his usual im- pressive manner by the man whom they had done all they could to get out of em- ployment, and blacked his business and moral character. How sweet was this presiding officer’s revenge in giving them a hearty welcome, and teaching them the beautiful lesson of “doing unto others as you would wish them to do to you.” He had heaped the coals of fire of forgiveness and brotherly love on the heads of those who had forgotten to “keep their passions within due bounds towards all mankind, but more especially a brother Mason.” And here was Masonic charity, that could overlook a personal injury, and have only the good of the Order in view. Truly Masonry is great in many of its beautiful lessons and works. — Texas Freemason. o Keeping Children at Home. There are few investments that parents can make which will pay so large profits as amusements that will keep their sons and daughters at home evenings. At almost any sacrifice of comfort it is worth while to set apart a room in the house that the children may call theirown. In this each one may have a cupboard or closet where his or her belongings in the way of books, toys and trinkets may be kept undisturbed by other hands. Of course, if each child can have his or her own room, so much the better; indeed, it is becoming an unwritten law that separate beds are necessary for children, and sepa- rate rooms, if the situation of the family will permit it. In one family where there are many children, the dining-room, which is the largest apartment in the house, has been by a sort of general consent, turned over to the little ones every evening after the last meal of the day. They may spread their toys and books on the table, turn som- ersaults over the floor, play antics of all 40 $ THE TRESTLE BOARD. sorts with the furniture, and nobody ob- jects so long as they do not indulge in breakage and quarreling. The line is drawn at that point. The din is sometimes dreadful, but there are too wise parents who have learned by a careful study of the children in the neighborhood that noise at home is a good deal better than sly wickedness abroad. The result of this course is that there is scarcely a sugges- tion of going out evenings. When the children are invited to the neighbors, they sometimes meet the invitation with a sigh and the remark, “Oh, I suppose we will have to go!” They are always de- lighted when their little friends come to see them, because they declare they can have so much more fun at home. This is a healthful and hopeful state of affairs. There is no greater compliment that can be paid to parents than to have the children always willing to remain in the house. It shows good feeling and fellowship between parent and child, and an absence of the dread and fear that is one of the most pathetic phases of child life. The little ones who live under a continual cloud, who fear to express an idea or give utterance to a thought in the presence of their parents, are greatly to be pitied; and such children are far too plentiful in every quarter of our wide land. o The New Woman. He sat before the mirror in his room, nervously brushing his raven-black hair into various shapes, while expectation gleamed in his dark -blue eyes, which ever and anon sought the clock nervously. “Seven forty-five,” he said, with a pout. “Well, she is certainly taking her time! I wonder if she thinks the play begins at midnight. I declare, if I dared, I’d go alone.” A ring at the front door, and he sprang up in a flutter. “There she is!” he cried, and with a glad little cry he darted down the stairs and was in the arms of a tall, handsome young girl, who wore an Inverness cape and a derby hat. “You’ve been smoking again, Clara,” he said, with a little shiver, “and after you promised papa, too.” “Oh, bother papa! Hurry up and get your coat on.” But papa was not to be bothered. He came out of the back parlor and advanced toward them with an angry air. “Theater again, Miss Jones?” he que- ried. “Don’fyou think this is a little too- rapidly? It’s the third performance in a week that you’ve taken Willie to.” “Oh, I like it, papa; indeed, I do.” “I dare say you do; but you know little of the world. Is this a ballet play you’re taking my son to?” Miss Jones laughed. “Oh, dear, no,” she replied; “they are too slow. We’re going to see the new living pictures — ” “I saw those! I saw those!” broke in the old man; “and no innocent boy of mine shall ever go! Venus and Hebe, and all the rest of ’em — ” “No! No! They’re behind the age! These are Samson, Apollo, Mars and Jupi- ter, by the handsomest leading men in the country. ’ ’ “Oh, that’s different! Wrap up well, Willie, and be home by eleven. Don’t invite him to eat or drink anything, please, Miss Jones; we had an awful time with him the other night.” “All right! Come along Willie! Take my arm.” And they were gone. o What the Wife Deserves. “My dear,” said an eminent philanthro- pist to his wife one day, as he suddenly burst into the sitting-room, “I have been counting the windows in our house, and find there are forty. It just occurs to me that you have to keep these forty windows clean, or superintend the process. And that is not a beginning of your work. All these rooms have to be swept and gar- nished, the carpets made and cleansed, the house linen prepared and kept in order, besides the cooking, and I took it all as a matter of course. I just begin to see what woman’s work is, even when she has help, as you are not always able to procure. You ought to receive a monthly stipend, as a housekeeper would. Why haven’t you made me see it before ? I have not been just to you, while I have been gener- ous to others.” The wife who told this in after years, to her husband’s credit, sat down with him, and for the first time since their mar- riage, opened her heart freely upon the r topic of woman’s allowance. She con- fessed to having had many a sorrowful hour at her position as a beggar. At the head of a large household in a western town, THE TRESTLE BOARD. 409 where domestic service was both scant and incompetent, she had hardly been trusted with five dollars at a time during their united lives. “Robert and I talked it over,” she said, “and decided that the woman who takes care of any household article, like a car- pet, for instance, from the time it is first made until it is worn out, has expended upon it an amount of time and strength fully equal to the labor that made it, counting from the shearing the wool till it comes from the loom. It may be unskilled work, but it is work all the same. And this is only one small item in her house- keeping labor. Does she not deserve some payment besides her board and clothing ? “Robert saw woman’s work in a new light. From that time till to-day he has placed a generous share of his income in my hands, not as a gift, but a right. And he knows that I will no more fritter it away than he will. If I choose to deny myself something I need and bestow its cost in charity or buy some books I crave, he no more thinks of chiding me than I think of chiding him for spending his money as he likes.” There are other Roberts who have yet to learn this lesson of justice, and they are found in every walk of life. I have known rich men who were ready to buy silks, vel- vets and diamonds for their wives, some- times far beyond what were desired, yet who grudgingly doled out five dollars at a time when appealed to for a little money. The reason given is that it may be spent foolishly. If anything will prolong ba- byhood into maturity it is such treatment. Against it a woman’s nature rises in rebel- lious indignation. Thoughts of bitterness rankle in the wounded heart, and there are flighty, mocking, flippant creatures made so by just this want of trust on the part of their husbands. The gravest and most elusive faults are always found among de- pendent classes. — Hester M. Poole, in Good Housekeeping. o If Rome is not a political power, why did the Pope, the sovereign of the Papal States, receive ministers from the various nations, the United States among others, prior to 1865? And why was the attempt made in 1870 to re-open the United States Legation at Rome? And why do the Pope and his emissaries still demand re- cognition of the Pope’s temporal sover- eignity ? The Mason’s Vows. BY ROBERT MORRIS. Hearken, brethren, while I tell you What we Masons pledge to do, When prepared at yonder altar. We assumed the Masons* vows, Foot to foot, breast, hand and cheek — Listen, while we make them speak. Foot to foot on mercy’s errand, When we hear a brother s cry. Hungry, thirsty, barefoot, naked, In God’s mercy, let us fly; This, of all our thoughts the chief. How to give him quick relief. Chorus— On yonder book that oath I took, And break it will I never. But swear by this, and this, and this, Forever and forever. Knee to knee, while humbly praying, None but God to hear and need, All our woes and sins confessing, Let us for each other plead. By the spirit of our call, Let us pray for brothe.s all. Chorus- Breast to breast in sacred casket, At life’s center let us seal All the truths to us intrusted, Nor one holy thing reveal. What a Mason vows to shield. Chorus — Hand to back, a brother ’s falling; Look! his burdens are too great! Stretch the generous hand and hold him Up before it is too late. This right arm ’s a friendly prop, Made to hold a brother up. Chorus- Cheek to cheek, in silent whisper, When the tempter tries to win, Urge a brother’s bounden duty — Show him the approaching sin— Point him to the deadly snare, Save him with a brother’s care. Chorus— Oftimes, brothers, let us ponder, What we Masons pledge to do, When prepared at yonder altar, We assumed the Mason’s vows. Foot and knee, breast, hand and cheek, Oftimes warning let them speak. Chorus — On yonder book those oaths I took, And break them will I never, But stand by this, and this, and this, Forever and forever. O Fairy Tears. In the long ago when fairy feet fell With noiseless tread on the grassy dell, A beautiful fairy princess was born On a bright and lovely summer’s morn. She was a fairy of high estate, And the fairy tribes gathered to celebrate The advent of their queen to be, Bringing gifts of richest rarity. With eating, drinking, dance and song, They passed the time the whole day long. But, alas! in the morn the whisper spread, f ‘The Princess dying!” “the Princess dead!” The startled birds flew far away, Respecting the fairies’ grief that day. Thev made her a coffin of red-rose leaf: Her epitaph read, “Her life was brief.” Each morn the parents sadly lave With tears that tiny new-made grave. The kindly sun in pity smiled Upon the grave of the fairv child; Each evening fell the kindly dew; From each fairy tear a poppy grew. — E. J. Carferty. San Francisco, April 9, 1S96. 4io THE TRESTLE BOARD A Speech at the Banquet Table. BY BRO. JOHN T. CLARKE, OF KINGSTON, N.H. Wor. Master and brethren, I did not think at this time That you would insist on my making a rhyme; But since y ou have asked me, and as I feel pretty keen, I will set into motion my “rhyming machine.” Now, you’ve set me to talking, and be it wicked or kind, I shall utter the thoughts that come first to my mind, And if I hit you a rub, one by one, Don’t think it an insult, but take it in fun. In our haste to get rich we think it no sin To shorien our “yard-stick” or sell leakv tin; We think we do right, we believe in the Lord, Though our loads will not measure over nine feet a cord. The “shoe boss” will tell you, in language refined, That his mission on earth is to help the “soles” of mankind, And with the great and the good his name he enrolls, While he sells sheepskin uppers and strawboard for soles. The carriage makers, the pride of our land, Will say that their vehicles most firmly will stand, And with all good materials they are surely ahead, While they use molasses for varnish and whiting for lead. The men who sell groceries must not be left out, For they are honest at heart and know what they’re about; There is something about them that is sure to bewitch — For they sell goods at cost— but they always get rich. We have men who let money as a business in life, Who care not to mingle in the world’s wicked strife; They send off their money with honest intent, To help the poor western farmer — at twenty per cent. Our green satcheled brothers— vendors of law— Whose pleadings will make an icicle thaw, Will prove you are innocent, by Blackstone or Coke, But when they have left jou, you’ll find you’re dead broke. The teachers of learning we must not overlook, Who think they can teach all there is in the book: They’ll teach German and Spanish— let the English go past, And can’t tell the height of trees by the shadows they cast. Then there are the doctors — that life saving crew — Who are death to neuralgia and tic douloureux; They say their lotions will give health, strength and pride, While their bottles cost more than the liquid inside. And now for the clergy, who always talk well — Picture the glories of heaven, the terrors of hell, And say that the good in bliss shall abound, But when they’ve finished, the hat’s passed around. We forget to be social, that God did intend We should live here as brothers, and as friend meet with friend; That along our pathway, as in life’s dewy morn, We should scatter the roses and cover the thorn. But within our Lodge-room on the level we meet, And join hand in hand in this sacred retreat. Within this asvlum our motto shrll be, *‘Who best can work and best can agree.” We have no clergy or peddlers, no teachers* or scribes; No carriage manufacturers, who offer free rides; No shoe boss or grocers, no men of great wealth, No doctors who promise a lease of good health. But business and titles we fling to the air: “We meet on the level and part on the square.” By the mystic word “brother” shall each one be known, From the country rag-picker to the king on the throne. O The Withered Leaf. An ancient lady is my aunt; A little old book has she — A faded leaf in the old book lies, As withered as leaf can be. The hands are withered that plucked it once For her on a day in spring; What ails her now, the poor old soul, That she weeps when she sees the thing? O Whenever a noble deed is wrought, Whene’er is spoken a noble thought, Our hearts in glad surprise To higher levels rise. — Longfellow. THE TRESTLE BOARD. A National Masonic and Family Magazine. PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE TRESTLE BOARD ASSOCIATION. Terms — $1.00 per year sent in United States, Mexico and Canada, and other Countries $1.25 strictly m advance. Single cop.es 10 cents. Subscribers not receiving numbers will notify us, and they will be supplied free. Discontinuances. — Subscribers wishing our magazine stopped at the expiration of their subscription, will please notify us by postal card otherwise we may consider it their wish to have it continued. How to Remit. — Send Cashier’s Check, Express Or- der, Post Office Money Order, Postal Note or Greenback in Letter. Receipts will always be sent enclosed in the next number issued after the receipt of the remittance. C. MOODY PLUMMER, Manager. 408 California St., San Francisco, California. Alvin Plummer, Eastern Manager. 66 St. James Avenue, Boston, Mass. Organized Charity. It is an anomaly in the logic of those who oppose the “Wisconsin Proposition,” that while charity without limit should be extended toward individual brethren, that unlimited extortion is advocated between Lodges and between Jurisdictions. This proceeds mostly from those who believe in the “close communion” of families in Lodge affairs instead of the broad and lib- eral idea of a universal brotherhood where- soever dispersed around the globe. The opposition to the “Wisconsin Proposi- tion,” which is only a step toward a gen- eral organization, the necessity for which The Trestle Board has always advo- cated, comes from those who view a stran- ger brother with distrust, and scan his personal appearance and clothing with the eye of one who is suspecting that he may be calling upon them for pecuniary assist- ance. Such Masonry is not Masonry, and should be relegated to the host of benefi- cial organizations which are doing that kind of work. If it is a duty to be chari- table to our brethren, which no brother will dispute, then should charity exist be- tween Lodges, and the strong should help the weak. We are taught to bear one another’s burdens, and if we find a brother struggling under adversity, to help, aid and assist him as far as we can without injury to ourselves or those dependent upon us. We cannot conceive why this same charity should not extend among Masons collectively and between Lodges. There are Lodges staggering under their burdens while others have their tens of thousands of surplus funds. It is the old story of the rich and the poor man, and there is no help for the poor widow’s son. Contrast the Lodges in any jurisdiction. THE TRESTLE BOARD. 4ir It is said they meet on the level and part on the square. They do neither, for the burdens of some Lodges are greater than others, and other Lodges will not bear the burdens of their own membership because, perchance, an individual strays away into another jurisdiction. We have said ex- tortion is advocated between Lodges, while charity is enjoined between brethren. Thus it looks to us; for charity is not charity where none is needed, and Lodges are only intended to make sure that the brethren shall have relief w r hen needed. Grand Lodges and brethren who oppose reim- bursement between Lodges because it would not be the exercise of charity, are begging the question. If unity of effort and work is more equal and efficient in individuals through Lodge organization, then the same unity of action must be more equal and efficient through the largest organization that can be formed. The “Wisconsin Proposition is an application of that prin- ciple in action. o Balloting on Candidates. We have nothing, as a journalist, to do with particular instances of seeming viola- tion of just principles of action in Lodge affairs. It is on general principles that we advise a remedy in wrong practices. There are times in the history of almost every Lodge, when there will be almost universal surprise and dissatisfaction with the result of the ballot on application for admission into the Fraternity as well as to member- ship in Lodge. Almost every brother of experience is cognizant of some instance which seems unexplainable on reasonable grounds. This leads to recrimination and even trickery in the effort at discovery of the one who has dared to use his sacred prerogative of throwing an objecting bal- lot. Our experience in Lodge association has led us to take no notice of such occur- rences unless after a series of years of gen- eral and continuous negative results with none or but little cessation. When be- coming tired of it, we have then only sought for a remedy which was legitimate and lawful. The obligation of strict se- recy as to any brother’s action in a given Case is imperative. The secret ballot was established for that purpose, and any eva- eion by a canvas of the brethren is a clear iolation of law and obligations. Some- vimes, like water which has been disturbed tand become muddy, if left alone, the diffi- culty will disappear. Sometimes a divis- ion of the discordant elements in a Lodge wili accomplish wonJers. and two Lodges will flourish where one has barely lived. There are other methods to bring harmony out of chaos which it might be well to try, according to circumstances, without com- promising any brother, and make use of every stone which some of the builders would reject as unfit for use in any part of the edifice. Masonry is a progressive sci- ence, and as there is no doubt the secret ballot is a modern invention which did not exist when our three ancient Grand Masters governed the Fraternity, the Craft will discuss the subject and seek to discover the remedy for so much discord as is some- times produced by the rejection of good men, and for no apparent cause, from ad- mission to our Lodges both by initiation and affiliation. The Trestle Board is convinced that there should be no secrecy about matters of Masonic character among brethren, and that in the decision concern- ing the qualifications of candidates for ad- mission, we should be united in our judg- ment, which can only be done by consulta- tion and a frank statement of knowledge of merits and demerits of each individual candidate in open Lodge. If any one known to be unworthy is proposed, then, as truth is mighty and must prevail, we shall be united on a verdict. If the objections of a brother are without foundation in any particular, every candid mind will unite to convince him of his error. We have never seen, in our long and active experience, any good objection to the viva voce discus- sion and ballot on candidates. As a mat- ter of fact, the membership at the last moment before the admission of a candi- date, is asked to express in that manner any objection they may have to such ad- mission. This is the last resort to keep out unworthy men. Why should it not become the first and only method to de- termine the method of selection of mate- rial ? o “Is Templary Trinitarian?’’ The Trestle Board is not inclined to be aggressive unless it or its opinions are assailed. It is contrary to its Masonic training to lug in sectarian teachings or dogmas as the faith or fundamental doc- trine of Masonry. It is not, in our opin- ion, the province of the journalist to mis- represent the cause, or endeavor to interpo- 4 12 THE TRESTLE BOARD. late new issues which tend to divide and confuse the supporters of a great and holy mission — the only object of the Institution of Masonry — Charity. Charity, in all its senses , is the professed end and aim of Masonry. Incidentally, fraternity is in- cluded, because the former cannot exist where the latter is absent. Therefore every disturbing element was eliminated in the origin and early history of the Institution, and to a very great degree has been con- tinued, except where sectarians have ob- tained control through membership, and have added to and “embellished” the rit- ual and monitorial of its work with their sectarian ideas and dogmas, until now we find that the various degrees, as conferred in this country, are interspersed frequently with sentiments and opinions which cause the Jew to open his eyes with astonishment at hearing language which its great found- er would perhaps repudiate or at least have modified. This is equally so to the monito- rial from other sects, as the Mohammedan, Parsee and Confucian, who have any con- science — for in every nation and in every clime Masonry is found. To illustrate: one day an active and very prominent brother, who is more interested in Templary than in Symbolic Masonry, stated to us that, while the former was Christian, the latter was not sectarian in any sense. We at once asked him to whom were Lodges dedicated. He turned to us and laughed, and said that we were right, that it was so; and there the matter ended. It is this increasing tendency to sectarian- ize the work of the symbolic degrees which began with the revival, perhaps, in 1717, and culminated in Webb’s work, that has made it almost insuperable to overcome in a man of conscience unless he is a Chris- tian, that we would remonstrate against. In this we are not antagonizing any an- cient landmarks. Now, has come in the appendant Order of the Temple, of which this writer has been an humble member for about thirty- five years, which is undeniably and exclu- sively Christian. We accept it as our faith. We were reared in it, and have ever been encompassed by its influences. Its name never was denied us, and we have never denied it. Our charity, as taught in Ma- sonty and Christianity, has ever permitted us to affiliate with Jew or Gentile and per- mit them to enjoy t eir own opinions. Now come in some of our brethren in Ma- sonry and fraters in Templary who accuse us of a heresy. Their argument first is, that one cannot believe in God unless he believes in Christ. Do all the Masons in the world believe in Christ, and are they any the less worthy Masons because they do not ? And second, they insist that one cannot believe in Christianity unless he believes in the doctrine of the Trinity. We ask, is the Grand Encampment hereti- cal? Is the Grand Commandery of Cali- fornia heterodox? Are the great Unita- rian and Universalist sects not Christians ? What are a great number of men we could name, whom the Order have delighted to honor with their highest gifts? Are they hypocrites or pagans ? Brethren of the Orient and Tyler , to use your own words, ‘ ‘vour argument is absurd and destroys itself.” Requiescat in pace. o Moral vs. Legal Responsibility. The Grand Lodge of Indiana owns her Masonic Temple and other real estate, en- tirely free from debt, and has besides $28,- 474 79 invested in bonds and stocks bear- ing from four to nine per cent interest, payable semi-annually. The per capita, dues from constituent Lodges has been reduced to forty cents, which we believe is lower than in any other Grand Jurisdic- tion. Sixteen years ago the Grand Lodge was embarrassed with a debt of nearly $100,000, and Grand Lodge dues were one dollar per capita. The Masons of Indiana may well be congratulated on their pres- ent prosperous and happy condition. So may it long continue. — Masonic Advocate. Our contemporary has apparently for- gotten one debt the Grand Lodge owes, on which it paid a small percentage several years ago, hardly enough to pay the inter- est for one year. This debt it assumed when it recalled the charter of Lafayette Lodge, and paid the value of its assets to the widow and orphans of Bro. Page on account of the money borrowed of her under false representations by that Lodge, it being the money paid her by a life 'in- surance company on account of the broth- er’s death. The action of Grand Lodge barred the constituent Lodge from per- forming its work as a “regular” body, and therefore there was no corporate responsi- bility for the debt. Grand Lodge deci- ded that itself was not legally holden, but said nothing about the moral responsibil- ity. The widow married again, but she THE TRESTLE BOARD. 4i3 lost her $4,000 with about ten years inter- est, while Grand Lodge is prospering and the dues required are dropping gradually. This Grand Lodge ignores its obligations elsewhere, for its Jurisdiction owes the San 1 Francisco Board of Relief about $2,700 for assistance given its membership during the past fifteen years, and refuses to pay. Masons are supposed to be just and honorable in their dealings with each other, but when a jurisdiction ignores all moral obligations and falls back upon its legal liability, how can the membership act otherwise ? Statistics of Grand Lodges. Graxd Lodge. i . oS Mem- ber- ship. Raised I Affili- ated. L. c X 1 C Died. f) knit- ted. | Sus- pended N. P. of Dues. Suspended and Expelled. Net Gain. 33 » O £ Alabama . 3S3 11,335 445 455 275 197 470 600 2S * If,.; Arizona 11 503 29 16 6 10 9 39 0 Arkansas 442 13,837 4S1 383 120 226 497 536 44 154 California 261 17,431 795 559 113 292 369 391 3 391 Colorado 90 7.023 378, 234 26 81 16S 180 3 206 Connecticut .. 111 16.632 664 113 39 27S 76 15S 1 303 Delaware .... 21 2.039 84 11 2 36 17 5 29 D.ofColumbia 24 4,791 231 70 41 73 , T4 109 86 Florida 143 4,622 34S 176 51 91 197 169 6 112 Georgia 405 16.S3S 826 1 • 1 603 Idaho 27 1.0S4 69 39 14 25 48 5 18 Illinois 718 50,727 2,970 953 304 706 1,124 93S 1,401 Indiana 4S1 27,507 1,423 653 267 435 645 492 45 610 Indian Terri’ v 73 2,56S 326 1S3 29 36 216 51 3 232 Iowa * 465 26,103 1.606 S75 162 264 760 562 36 1,051 Kansas 354 19.1S5 1,090 503 149 259 843 430 10 19S Kentucky — 461 IS, 002 1,231 446 340 299 604 1,164 25 75 Louisiana . . . . 129 5.346 317 120 41 130 139 134 4 71 Maine 193 21.S09 S23 124 52 372 2*24 213 3 1S7 Maryland .... 95 6.S92 42S 63 27 96 79 35 G 252 Mass’chusetts 234 35.913 1,948 2,300 so 481 462 330 5 1,210 Michigan 3S1 37. 706 1,997 674 SO 494 795 538 14 1 ,003 Minnesota . . . 203 15,065 S67 32S 50 166 39S 178 16 487 Mississippi. . . 269 8,795 536 301 174 168 310 410 29 94 Missouri .... 563 30,72S 1,2S6 S95 237 413 S71 S23 83 228 Montana 39 2,491 156. SO IT 27 72, 62 4 137 Nebraska 222 11,770 593 385 70 117 363 275 10 284 Nevada ~19 S47 23 9 11 22 36 51 66 N. Hampshire 7S S,S3S 360 12 1T4 SO 00 -w W O *- 94 New Jersey . . 1 165 15.6S6 844 174 76 250 1S5 216 O 441 New York 734 $S,573 5,552 1,053 1,097' 1 1,382 1,09S 2,S44, 1? 2,359 New Mexico.. 21 SS3 63 27 20 2S 14 43 N. Carolina . . , 290 10,041 471 ISO SS 171 281 272 7S *63 North Dakota 44 2.312 229 60 8 13 108 *36 1 139 Oklahoma ! 23 923 97 99 6 s 34 20 198 Ohio S 500 39,906 2,373 735 S20 569 742 1.53S 32 1,055 Oregon 100 4.S03 224 127 32 73 128 100 i 108 Pennsylvania. 425 4S,472 2.433 469 I 748 371 706 1,061 Rhode Island. 0 ~ o< 4,661 213 242 L 7 S5 17 40 3 104 S. Carolin a . 1S1 5,902 255 90 169 352 105 South Dakota 90 4^254 262 86 16 41 183 70 4 GO Tennessee 430 17,766 732 3SS 126 391 603 364 53 165 Texas 594 26,S41 1,341 1,493 279 40S 1,205 523 S7 S90 Utah . • 9 73S 52 ' 48 ( 10 21 16 0 62 Vermont 104 9.521 322 74 19 132 130 .60 0 91 Virginia 262 13,052 s 91 208 473 307 24 o73 Washington . . 97 4,959 267 1S3 16 62 184 155 5 98 West Virginia 107 5,567 454 102 50 70 13S 115 27 255 Wisconsin . . . 232 16,001 S76 294 43 173 343 244 IS 496 W\orning 16 976 76 27 3 1 20 16 0 1 Go 11,356 74S,264 39,466 16,809 5,571 10,S6S 16,364 16,996 75S 17,491 664 B. Columbia.. 21 1,269 135 SI 3 19 60 30 4 193 Canada 351 22, 805 1 1,204 361 149 24S 630 654 #* < t 175 Manitoba 51 2,334 166 113 12 13 143 66 0 55 N. Brunswick 31 1,764 82 27 8 36 55' 49 23 Nova Scotia. . 64 3.267 202 50 29 36 80 71 44 P. Edward Is.. 12 509 39 2 1 7 13 1 | 12 Quebec 57 3,432 249 39 I 31 35 S4 7S 5 117 5S7 35,3S0 2,077 673 233 394 1,065 94S IS 596 23 Total 11,943 783,644 41,543.17,482 1 ! 1 5,S04 11,262 17,449 1 1 ! 17,944 , 776 1S,0S7 ( ( 6S7 4 i4 THE TRESTLE BOARD. COMPARISON TABLE Grand Lodge. Numerical Standing. Subordinate Lodges. Percentage of New Work. Percentage of Net Gain. Ratio of New Work. Maximum. Minimum. Average. Alabama 24 133 8 30 .03.82 45 Arizona 50 86 19 46 .05.66 24 Arkansas 21 31 .03.51 47 California 15 482 9 66 .04.66 .02.29 37 Colorado 29 582 15 78 .05.54 .03.02 25 Connecticut 17 738 27 150 .04.06 .01.85 44 Delaware 43 196 22 97 .04.17 .01.44 41 District of Columbia 36 560 21 200 .04.91 .01.83 34 Florida 38 123 9 32 .07.72 .02.48 7 Georgia 16 41 .05.09 .03. 71 33 Idaho 44 127 13 47 .06.47 11 Illinois 2 673 15 76 .06.02 .02.84 18 Indiana 8 358 11 57 .05.29 .02.23 29 Indian Territory 40 79 10 35 .13.90 .09.93 1 Iowa 10 56 .06.41 .04.19 14 Kansas 12 339 9 54 .05.74 .01.04 23 Kentucky 13 452 9 39 .06.81 9 Louisiana 33 200 11 41 . 06 .00 .01.34 19 Maine 11 412 32 113 .03.80 .00.86 46 Maryland 30 278 16 72 .06.45 .03.79 12 Massachusetts 6 507 35 153 .05.75 .03.49 22 Michigan 5 593 21 99 .05.44 .02.73 28 Minnesota 20 803 17 74 .05.94 .03.34 20 Mississippi 28 187 11 32 .06.16 .01.08 16 Missouri 7 428 14 54 .04.21 .00.75 40 Montana 41 200 23 61 .06.63 .05.82 10 Nebraska 23 99 16 53 .05.16 .02.48 30 Nevada 48 124 13 45 .02.52 49 New Hampshire 27 296 24 113 .04.11 .01.07 ■42 New Jersey 19 300 19 95 .05.53 .02.89 26 New York 1 701 17 120 .06.43 .02.73 13 New Mexico 47 117 12 42 .07.50 .05.12 6 North Carolina 25 134 8 34 .04.66 38 North Dakota 42 212 18 53 .10.54 .06.40 3 Oklahoma 46 119 15 40 .13.38 .27.31 2 Ohio 4 515 15 80 .06.11 .02.71 17 Oregon 35 194 11 48 .04.73 .02.30 35 Pennsylvania 3 520 19 114 .05.13 .02.23 31 Rhode Island 37 487 35 126 .04.67 .02.28 36 South Carolina 31 151 9 32 .04.42 .01.81 39 South Dakota * 39 190 15 49 .06.25 .01.58 15 Tennessee 14 254 9 41 .04.08 43 Texas 9 258 19 45 .05.13 .03.43 32 Utah 47 182 13 82 .07.69 .09.16 8 Vermont... 26 278 23 91 .03.41 .00.96 48 Virginia 22 350 10 49 .04.59 Washington 34 235 13 51 .05.49 .02.01 27 West Virginia 32 162 15 52 .08.54 .04.80 4 Wisconsin 18 402 10 68 .05.77 .03.19 21 Wyoming 45 113 14 61 .08.29 .06.55 5 British Columbia 156 18 60 .12.55 .17.94 Canada 327 15 65 .05.32 .00.78 Manitoba 171 8 46 .07.29 .02.41 New Brunswick 133 14 57 .04.59 Nova Scotia 131 12 51 .06.27 .01.36 Prince Edward Island 91 27 42 .07.88 .02.42 Quebec 122 17 60 .07.51 .03.53 The Grand Chapter, O.E.S., of Colo- rado, has decided that the daughter of a deceased Mason is not eligible to re:eive the degrees after her mother marries again, although the latter married a Mason in good standing. We do not understand the principle of justice or equity u which this decision is made, when we read in another decision that the legally adopted daughter and the half-sister of a Mason is eligible. The daughter of a deceased Ma- son merits the kind care, love and protec- tion of the Order as much as the adopted ghter or half-sister of a living Mason, and especially so if her mother marries again. THE TRESTLE BOARD. 4i5 STATISTICAL COMPARISON. 1893 1894 1S95 1896 Grand Lodges 56 57 57 «J 1 Subordinate Lodges 11,457 43,197 16,470 6,081 10,542 11,676 42,930 11.S07 39,524 14,764 11,943 41.543 Raised Affiliated 14,807 5,528 17,4S2 5,S04 11,262 Restored 5,316 Died 10.278 10,726 1G,4S9 15,052 754 Dimitted IS, 372 13,035 '6S6 17,509 17,449 Suspended for non-payment of dues. Suspended and expelled 13,641 676 17,944 776 Membership 723,662 747,492 767,761 7S3,644 Based upon the tables we find in the Grand Lodges of the United States the fol- lowing percentages: 1893 1894 1895 1896 Accession bv new work 6.17 5.88 5.25 5.41 Additions by affiliation and restoration 3.22 2.S2 2.69 3.03 Losses bv death 1.51 1.11 1 .45 1.47 Losses for non-payment of dues 1.S6 1.S4 1.99 2.33 Losses bv dimission 2.63 2.30 2.25 2.27 Net gain” of the vear 3.53 3.31 2.54 2.07 In numerical standing the most prominent rank in the following order: New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Massachusetts, Missouri, Indiana, Texas, Iowa, Maine, Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, California, etc. The average membership to each Lodge is greatest in the following: District of Columbia (200), Massachusetts (153), Connecticut (150), Rhode Island (126), New York (120), Pennsylvania, (114), Maine (x 1 3), New Hampshire (113), Michigan (99), Delaware (97), New Jersey (95), Vermont (91), etc. The jurisdictions having Lodges of the largest membership are in the following order: Grand Lodge. Minnesota Connecticut New York Illinois Michigan Colorado District of Columbia. . Pennsylvania Ohio. .* Massachusetts Rhode Island California Kentucky Missouri Maine Subordinate Lodge. Name. No. Location. Membership Minneapolis 19 Minneapolis 803 Hiram 1 New HaveD 73S Genesee Falls. ... 507 Rochester 701 Covenant 526 Chicago 673 Grand River 34 Grand Rapids 593 Denver 5 Denver 5S2 La Fayette 19 Washington, D. C. 560 Washington ...... 59 Philadelphia 520 Magnolia 20 Columbus 515 Roswell Lee Springfield 507 What Cheer 21 Providence 4S7 California 1 San Francisco 4S2 Preston 2S1 Louisville 452 Temple 299 Kansas Citv 42S Ancient Landmark ,7. Portland 412 Editorial Chips. be considered an honor by the recipient. Now, anybody can petition who can ob- The only solution of the question of tain two signatures to recommend him, “Perpetual Jurisdiction,” now so much and the question with the Lodge then is, discussed in the Masonic reports and peri- shall it keep or return the fee. Invita- odicals, is to abolish the use of petitions? tions would obviate all the criminat on and and substitute invitations to membership recrimination concerning the use of the from the profane. Then would a good blackball, and the Institution would grow man be always selected, and the invitation in numbers with more desirable material 416 THE TRESTLE BOARD. and no fear of blackballs by the profane, with all its attendant evils. The “ancient landmarks” would not be disturbed by the change, we think, for Adoniram was se- lected in this way. The Grand Lodge of California issues two forms of dimits to brethren withdraw- ing from membership. One is accompa- nied with a recommendatory certificate and the other is not. The one which is not, “will not entitle the holder to apply for affiliation to any Lodge in this jurisdic- tion.” We do not understand why this discrimination is made with dimits, or what the standard is which may be required to receive a recommendatory certificate, or what is the degree of depravity or offence which will debar a brother from obtaining one. We think charges should be prefer- red against a brother withdrawing if a rec- ommendation cannot be given, and the brother tried, before turning him loose to prey upon the Fraternity. We hope Grand Lodge will consider this matter with refer- ence to the Craft at large. Is it just ? Mrs. Mary E. Partridge, Grand Matron of the General Grand Chapter, O.E.S., has been visiting the bodies of that Order in Utah the past month, and has returned to her home in Oakland. The Grand Lodge of California laid the corner-stone of the Sloat monument at Monterey July 7, with the usual ceremo- nies. The California party of Mystic Shriners have returned from their Alaska trip much pleased with their month’s excursion. A unique event occurred in Silver Gate Lodge, No. 296, at San Diego, July 17, in which Dr. J. P. Parker received the third degree at the hands of his son, Bro. A. S. Parker, who is Master of Fallbrook Lodge, No. 317. The Idaho Mason has an article to prove that “Freemasonry is not Christianity.” It is true. There is no sectarianisn in Masonry. The Jew, the Moslem, the Budd- hist, the Christian, and every sectarian can unite and become members of this univer- sal Fraternity of friends and brothers. Masonry treats only of our duty to God and to man, leaving alone all speculation as to our destinies in a future state, and methods of arriving at an unknown haven. This has always been the work of Mason- ry; but there are sectarians who would en- deavor to introduce and interpolate secta- rian doctrines and dogmas into Masonry. If any man seeks not to investigate the impossible and only to live and perform his duty, Masonry points out the true path, and by following that path he cannot ma- terially err. But every Mason cannot be a sectarian, and he need not be one to be a good man. “Uncle George” Lord, of San Diego, was the recipient of congratulations and presents on the 27th of June, which was the 96th aniversary of his birth. He is a native of New York city, and was made a Mason in 1828. He crossed the plains in 1851. The work of grading the site for the Ma- sonic Home, near Decoto, Cal. , was com- menced July 26, with teams and twenty- five men. Lebanon Lodge, No. 104, at Tacoma, Wash, was organized in June, 1895, with a membership of thirty-three. It was in- stituted last month with fifty-two members. No members have been received by affilia- tion. We do not understand whether that is the policy of the Lodge. There are some Lodges which approach very near to a prohibition of dimits, but it is hoped that it will not continue. If it does, the unaffiliated will be obliged to organize for the work of charity among themselves. The General Grand Chapter, O.E.S., has issued a proclamation, declaring the Grand Chapter of the District of Columbia has been duly organized, and is a constitu- ent member of the G. G. C. of the United States, with Mrs. Alcena Lamond, Teko- ma Park, D.C., as Grand Matron; L. Ca- bell Williamson, Washington, D.C., as Grand Patron; Wm. E. Nalley, Bright- wood, D.C., as Grand Secretary. We have sometimes wondered what was meant when we have heard the presiding officer, in opening a meeting of respectable and orderly citizens, saying that he should require all present to conduct themselves with due order and propriety during the meeting. This is a local peculiarity, we know, for in our travels we never heard it but in one State. The first time we heard THE TRESTLE BOARD. 4i7 it, it seemed to us that the speaker di- rected his warning at us personally for fear that we might commit some breach of decorum. We think the time has come when its utterance can be safely dispensed with, especially in the meetings where it is invariably heard. It is not an “ancient landmark.” The decision of Judge Catlin, at Sacra- mento, Cal., on the case of the Cerneaus against the Grand Chapter, R.A.M., of California, has reached us too late for this issue. We shall give the conclusions of the Court in our next issue. Gateway Council, R. 8c S. M., at Au- burn, and also Sacramento Council, are having quite a revival in work. Gateway made a visit to Sacramento recently, and vere graciously received, as Sacramento is tvell qualified to entertain. Mrs. Rinda E. Chesney, Past Grand Ma- tron of Kansas, has been appointed Matron of the Masonic Home of that jurisdiction, at Wichita. The Grand Chapter and Grand Com- mandery of California have adopted the plan of inserting beautiful half-tone por- raits of those they delight to honor as pre- siding officers, in the printed proceedings. This is infinitely better than preserving their portraits by the daubs now hanging in the Temple, which are liable to be de- stroyed by fire, and which have cost many thousands of dollars. Our brother of the Orient is after The Trestle Board again, denying that itself is arrogant or bigoted. Its own language determines the fact, and we will not re- peat. It refers us to the petition we signed when we became a Knight Templar. We have one of the printed blanks used by us as Recorder of a Commandery in good standing, and that appeared in the last Triennial parade with 200 members. No reference is made therein to any religion whatever, and for aught we know the same form is in use now. We have a vague recollection of hearing something read in California bodies which we never heard before. We were, on receiving the Order, asked on this subject if, in case of a reli- gious war, we would give our preference to the Christian religion, which of course we would do. But our brother ignores the principal point of our controversy, viz: the dogma of the Trinity. The preference given the Christian religion does not re- require us to engage in warfare against Unitarians, such as our present Grand Sen- ior Warden of the Grand Encampment of the United States, V.E. and Rev. Sir Hen- ry W. Rugg, who was Prelate of the Com- mandery in which and when we received the Orders of Knighthood; and we should ask to be absolved from our vows and de- cline to engage in any conflict with thou- sands of like opinion. If the Grand En- campment has interpolated any test of faith in the doctrine of the Trinity or of “a firm belief in the Christian Religion” even, it cannot apply to any fraters who- entered the Order before it was required. If it is now required that every man should be a firm believer in the Christian religion when he enters the Order, we will express the doubt that exists in our mind that all will accept the doctrine ol the Trinity as the test, and further, that it is a violation of the “ancient landmarks” of the Order to require it. Because the Grand Encamp- ment, by an interpolation in the old form of application, requires a profession of a belief in, instead of a promise to give a preference , in case of a religious w’ar, for the Christian religion, is no reason that a Templar is required to profess a belief in the dogma of the Trinity. Very many Christians do not believe it. We think the original requirement is all that is es- sential; for, if some sectarian fraters con- tinue their aggressive work, it might end in the requirement that each candidate shall belong to some evangelical church, and perhaps finally to the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Masonic Bodies should not grow narrow in their creeds and re- quirements. It is contrary to the spirit of the age, and Masonry as well as Templary is a progressive science. In Iowa any brother with a dimit, no matter how old it is, can petition for a new Lodge. In California a brother with a dimit of over one year old, is required to petition an old Lodge for membership and pay six months dues in advance, and if rejected he forfeits his six months dues, receives his affiliation fee, if any is charged and then and only then is qualified to pe- tition for a new Lodge. If the brother is accepted, he then is obliged to ask for a dimit, without any necessity for so doing, to enable him to join in petitioning for a 418 THE TRESTLE BOARD. new Lodge. If the charter is not granted by Grand Lodge, he is then in the same condition as at first, minus the money it cost him. There are thousands of Masons in California who would petition for new Lodges but for this disability and the ex- cessive charges for charters, etc. The Grand Lodges of Kentucky and Iowa think that reimbursement among Lodges for relief “should depend upon the duty and courtesy of the member’s Lodge if its finan- cial situation is such as to permit,” but express no sympathy or pity for the Lodges which are under Masonic obligations to help, aid and assist members of other Lodges if it takes the last dollar of its funds and becomes a burden on individual mem- bers. The San Francisco Board of Relief during the past fifteen years has expended $263.15 in affording assistance to members of Kentucky’s jurisdiction, and has been reimbursed in the sum of $73.50. Iowa’s account shows a balance of $1,748.30 against that jurisdiction in the same time. These two jurisdictions are in debt to the San Francisco Board of Relief alone to the amount of $1,937-95 for pecuniary charity in fifteen years past. How much the State of California can show for the same two States, is beyond possibility for us to as- certain, but is a large sum. This is a small portion of the burden of the Craft in newly settled sections of the country, and is good reason why the Wisconsin propo- sition should be adopted by every Grand Lodge. But, as for Ahishar, “there is no mercy,” and Grand Lodges like Indiana, Iowa and Kentucky will be slow to show pecuniary charity to the long overburdened Grand Jurisdictions of the Pacific Coast. A man is proposed in the Lodge. His character and reputation are above re- proach. He is physically qualified in every wa y — sound in mind and body. He would be welcomed in the best of society. The committee carefully examines into his char- acter, and are unanimous in highly recom- mending him as in every way qualified for membership. He is balloted for and a black ball appears. If the member who cast the adverse ballot knows anything de- rogatory to his character, he is right in voting against him; but if he uses the black ball simply to “get even” with the Master or to spite the brother who pro- posed the candidate, he is a blackball fiend, and when discovered should be as summa- rily dealt with as the commandant of a military post who would fire upon a friendly unarmed merchantman. — N. Y. Dispatch. What is the preventative against the use of the blackball ? There is only one rem- edy, and that is such as every good man will use in his business or his family rela- tions. It is to consult openly, frankly, fearlessly and confidentially with all those most interested, and then decide justly, impartially and without prejudice on the merits of the case by a viva voce and hand vote, just as every other affair of business is decided. The secret ballot methods are followed in no other business affairs except in politics, and Masonry should discard such methods as contrary to its spirit and teachings. The Grand Lodge of Maine, by the rec- ommendation of its Committee on Juris* prudence, of which Bro. J. H. Drummond is chairman, passed the following resolu- tions: “ Resolved , That this Grand Lodge is deeply impressed with the necessity of uniform legislation by the several Grand Lodges in relation to the admission of re- jected candidates.” Then follows a resolution concerning perpetual jurisdiction: “ Resolved , That each of the representa- tives of this Grand Lodge be requested to present these resolutions to the Grand Lodge to which he is accredited and re- quest for them fraternal consideration.” What is the natural conclusion to arrive at on reading these resolutions? It is that there is a necessity for a National Lodge. Yet the same brethren will hold up their hands with horror whenever one suggests the idea. Why not come out and say in plan language that a National Body is needed ? The committee to examine a visitor has as much right to demand to see and ex- amine the charter of the Lodge to which the visitor belongs as the visitor has to see the charter of the Lodge to which the com- mittee belongs. In fact, a brother should be proven satisfactorily and without any written or printed evidence, for that may be elsewhere, or, if present, be fraudulent. A genuine brother’s word is good evidence and should never be questioned, even to require the corroboration of written certifi- cates which can be easily manufactured. THE TRESTLE BOARD. 419 The Grand Representative system is gradually being abolished. Oregon Grand Commandery, Grand Chapter, R.A. M., and Grand Chapter, O.E.S., discontinued it in June last. The Grand Council, R. & S.M., of Mis- souri, requires one blackball to reject for degrees and two for affiliation. As a bal- lot in the Cryptic Rite is mostly a matter of form, we believe proficiency is sufficient for the degrees, and adimit for affiliation, and no ballot with either. There is no reason in the world why dif- ferences among Masons should not be ad- justed in the sacred precincts of the Lodge- room. There is sorrow again in the ranks of our brethren of the Cerneau Rite. Their Grand Commander, Wm. A. Hershiser, died at Columbus, Ohio, on July 9, aged seventy- six years. Bro. Owen A. Basset, P.G.M. of Kansas, and for many years Chairman of the Com- mittee on Jurisprudence, died at Ellsworth, Kansas, July 19. He was born in 1834, at Troy, Pa. The Grand Chapter, O.E.S., of Colo- rado, allows dual membership. Zabud Council, No. 7, R. & S. M., has been instituted at Walla Walla, Wash., with 24 members. The officers are: Judge W. H. Upton, T.I.M.; Dr. Y. C. Blalock, D.M.; R. T. Parks, P.C.W.; F. M. Pauly, Treas.; Dr. W. E. Russel, Recorder; Gilbeit Hunt, C. of G.; O. W. White, C. of C.; George Chamberlain, Steward; Maurice Murphy, Sentinel. The Grand Chapter, O. E. S., of Ver- mont, held its 24th annual meeting in Windsor, June 3. The following officers were elected: F. W. Baldwin, Barton, Grand Patron: Mrs. Eugenia M. Pettee, Bratleboro’, Grand Matron; J. H. McLoud, Hard- wick, A.G.P.; Mrs. George W. Wing, Montpelier, A.G.M.; H. L. Stillson, Bennington, G. SecV; Mrs. Helen M. Whit- ney, Windsor, G. Treas.; Mrs. Mary L. Paine, Windsor, G. Cond.; Mrs. Elma M. Miller, Newport, A.G.C.; Mrs. Olive J. Stowell, Putney, G. Lecturer; Rev. I. P. Booth, Morrisville, G. Chaplain; J. S. Weeks, St. Johnsbury, G. Marshal; Mrs. Lue D. Clement, Bradford, G. W T arder; E. J. Parsons, Island Pond, G. Sentinel; Mrs. Francis M. Watchie, West Burke, G. Adah; Mrs. Armilda M. Snow, Barre, G. Ruth; Mrs. Emma A. Hoyt, Danville, G. Esther; Mrs. Lulu S. Peck, Brookfield, G. Martha; Mrs. Helen C. Cole, North Bennington, G. Electa. Mrs. Olive J. Stowell, Putney, Committee on Foreign Correspondence. Bro. J. Ross Robertson, of Toronto, Canada, has given another evidence of his charitable interest for humanity by endow- ing liberally a new hospital at Stornoway, Scotland, in memory of his mother, who lived near there until 1S22. One condi- tion of the gift is, that two beds for chil- dren of Freemasons of Lodge No. 10S, Scottish Grand Lodge, shall be free. o Chips from Other Quarries. Some of our American contemporaries, more especially the Orient and Tyler , feel in a bad way about the orthodoxy of the “Order of the Temple. When that dis- tinguished body met in what we may call pre-eminently the Unitarian city of Amer- ica, Boston, the “ Christian ” character of the organization was so little understood by the Unitarian body of that city, that its leading religious papers took no notice .of the great honor conferred on Boston by its meeting there. How could it be other- wise ? The only business transaction was passing a resolution empowering Com- manderies to carry “Old Glory” in its processions along with California bears, etc. Resolutions bearing on the slaughter of Christians by the blood thirsty Turks, were quietly ignored. Drinking Califor- nia wine and smoking Southern tobacco, lighting their cigars with old Confederate money, seemed to be the utmost aim of the great assembly as far as we can judge. We cannot see why the question of religion should be mixed up with the “boys” hav- ing a good time. Templary and the Mys- tic Shrine, as far as Masonry is concerned, should be ranked as “twins” — outside the pale. It might, however, be as well for the editors of the Orient and Tyler to take a course on theology, and read up a little more on Unitarianism before they pursue this momentous question any further.' — Canadian Craftsman. A member of a Lodge out West died a few years since, and shortly after his de- cease the widow married another member of the same Lodge. In a few months he, too, climbed the golden stairs; nor was it long before the weeping widow, tiring of single blessedness, again sought the charms of wedded bliss, and once more took for a partner a brother of the Lodge. He, too, soon put on plumage and ‘ ‘walked through cedar valleys and joined the seraphim’s hymn.” The Lodge, in each case, per- formed the last sad rites with due solem- nity. But self-protection demanded some decisive action, and fearful that there might be further designs on the Lodge, and not 420 THE TRESTLE BOARD. knowing who would be the next victim, a motion was made at a regular meeting, by which a charge of unbecoming conduct would be preferred against any member who was seen at the widow’s. Fact. — Masonic Chronicle. The Grand Dieta of Mexico has revoked the charters of all Lodges of women and forbid their work, and has ordered the Holy Bible, Square and Compasses on all their altars in the Republic. They are now being generally recognized by all the Grand Bodies of the United States. In New York, during the past ten years, 24,944 Masons have become unaffiliated for non-payment of dues, of which number only 10,754 have been restored to mem- bership, thus involving a net loss of 14, 190, thousands of whom, we venture to say, were unjustly deprived of their rights, and now that they are beyond the portals of the Lodge their sense of the great injustice done them, coupled with false pride and delicacy, prevents them from seeking re- dress at the hands of their brethren. — Square & Compass. While many a brother doubtless with- draws his membership on account of pecu- niary difficulties or the necessities of those dependant upon him for every dollar at his command, there are but comparatively few sensitive, independent brethren who would make that state of facts known; hence, al- though compelled by his circumstances to ask for a dimit, the brother should not be deprived of those rights inherent to all Masons. Uoon the other hand, there are thick-skinned Masonic leeches who are ever ready to parade impecuniosity for remis- sion of dues; and doubtless there are nig- gardly brethren who are unaffiliated in order to avoid expense and responsibility. For such we have no defence, and all Lodges are better off without them. — W. M. Cunningham , of Ohio. Grand Master Brown, of Minnesota, in his annual address, shies his castor at the Masonic politician. We have him in big sizes. It is only a few years since a can- didate opened headquarters in one of the leading hotels in the city where Grand Lodge was assembled. Cigars and liquors were free, and the Masonic politician an- nounced himself as a candidate for the Grand Junior Wardenship. He was ably seconded in his efforts by other aspirants for office, elected and finally crowned with a $150 P.G.M. jewel — for the great sacri- fices he had made for Masonry. — Tyler. Masonry is a helping hand to every wo- man who is akin, by any close relationship, to any of its members. It is a flaming sword of protection around anv woman who has a right to call upon its help. o Literary Notes. We have received printed copies of the Proceedings of the following Grand Bodies, for which the Secretaries have our thanks: Grand Lodges of Wisconsin, North Dakota; Grand Chapter, R. A. M., of California; Grand Commanderies, K.T., of California, Kentucky, Mis- souri; Grand Chapters, O.E S., of Kansas, Oregon, Con- necticut, Massachusetts. Also, 2?d annual report of Pro- ceedings of Imperial Council, Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, held at Cleveland, Ohio, June 23, 1^96. The Scientific American , of New York, has signalized its fiftieth anniversary by the publication of a very handsome 72-page special number, which consists of a review of the development of science and the indus- trial arts in the United States during the past 50 years. It was an ambitious undertaking, and the work has been well done. The many articles are thoroughly technical, and they are written in a racy and popular style, which makes the whole volume — it is nothing less, being equal to a book of 442 ordinary pages — thoroughly readable. It is inclosed for preservation in a handsome cover, and is sold at the price of ten cents. O In Memoriam. Whereas, The Supreme Grand Master of the Universe, in His infinite wisdom, has seen fit to remove from his- earthly labors, and to take unto Himself, to that Celestial Lodge on high, not made with hands, eternal in the heav~ vens, our dearly beloved brother, Jonathan Cooper Tyler, who departed this life June 22d, 1896; therefore be it Resolved, That Molino Lodge, No. 150, F. & A. M., deeply deplores the loss of our late brother, whose ear was ever open to the call of charity, and whose kindly virtues endeaied him to all. Resolved, That our deepest sympathy be extended to the sorrowing wife, sons and daughters, in this their sad hour of bereavement, and we commend them to Him who alone can assuage their grief and heal the pangs of sorrow. Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be entered at length upon the minutes of the Lodge, that a copy thereof be engrossed and presented to the wife and children of our departed brother, and that a copy also be transmitted to The Trestle Bonrd, of San Francisco, for publication. John Simpson, [Seal] Louis A. Gyle, R. M. Wood, Committee* Tehama, Cal., June 30th, 1^96. O Deaths. At Livermore, Cal., July — , W. Watkin Wynn, a native of England, a member of Mosaic Lodge, No. 218, aged 69 years. In San Francisco, July 12, Jacob M. Smith, a native of New York, a member of Golden Gate Lodge, No. 30, aged 87 > ears, 7 months, 25 days. In San Francisco, July 15, Stephen Wing, a member of California Lodge, No. 1, a native of Massachusets, Past Grand Master of the Grand Consistory of California, aged 73 years, 5 months. In San Francisco, July 18, Byron Taylor, of Oregon City, Oregon, a native of Sheboygan, Wis., aged 53 years. His funeral was attended by Occidental Lodge, No. 22. In Corvallis, Oregon, July 22, H. R. Clark, a native of Clarington, Vt., aged 57 years. In Plumas Co., Cal., July 22, Amos U. Rugg, a native of Canada, a member of Golden Gate Lodge, No. 30, of San Francisco, aged 31 years, 6 months, 2 days. His funeral was attended by Brooklyn Lodge, No. 225. In San Fiancisco. August 1, Charles McKiever, a native of Ireland, a member of King Solomon's Lodge, No. 260, aged 60 years. THE TRESTLE BOARD. We are in want of a copy of the printed Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of California for the years 1862 and 1863, for which we will pay a fair price. - ■ We will send The Trestle Board one year to any subscriber who will send us four new names and $4.00 at one re- mittance. Subscribers are cautioned not to pay money on our account to A. P. Leavitt, as he is no longer our agent. * * ♦ Masonic Bodies in San Francisco. LODGES. No. Name. Time. Place. 1 . California ist Thursday Masonic Temple 17 . Parfaite Union . . . ist Friday . . 22 . Occidental ist Monday . 30 . Golden Gate . . . .ist Tuesday . 44 . Mount Moriah . . .ist Wednesday 120 . Fidelity ist Thursday. 127 . Hermann ist Monday 136 . Pacific ist Tuesday 121 Eddy 139 ■ Crockett ist Wednesday 121 Eddy St. 144 . Oriental ist Tuesday . Masonic Temple 166 . Excelsior ist Wednesday 44 44 169 . Mission ist 44 Valencia & 16th 212 . So. San Francisco . ist Thursday.South S. F. 216 . Doric ist “ 121 Eddy St. 219 . Speranza Italiana . 2d Friday . . Masonic Temple 260 . King Solomon’s . . ist Monday . Geary & Steiner ROYAL ARCH CHAPTERS. i . San Francisco . ist & 3d Monday . Masonic Temple 5 . California . ist & 3d Tuesday . “ 4 COUNCIL ROYAL & SELECT MASTERS. 2 . California ... ist Wednesday. . . Masonic Temple COMMANDERIES OF KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. i . California . . Friday . . . Masonic Temple 16 . Golden Gate . . ist & 3d Monday . 625 Sutter St. LODGE OF PERFECTION, 14°, SCOTTISH RITE. 6 . Yerba Buena . . . Friday Masonic Temple CHAPTER OF ROSE CROIX, l8°. 4 . Yerba Buena ... At Call Masonic Temple COUNCIL OF KNIGHTS OF KADOSH, 3O 0 . i . Godfrey de St. Omar . . At Call . . Masonic Temple GRAND CONSISTORY, S. P. R. S., 32 0 . California At Call Masonic Temple MYSTIC SHRINE. Islam Temple. . . . 2d Wednesday . . 625 Sutter St. CHAPTERS OF THE EASTERN STAR. i . Golden Gate . . Thursday 62s Sutter St. 124 Harmony,. . . Wennesday. . . . . 32 O’FarrelSt. 27 . Ivy . . . . . . . ist & 3d Tuesday . . 625 Sutter St. 99 . Beulah, 2d&4th Monsday. Corinthian Hall, So. S. F. GROUP OF GOOD SAMARITANS. i San Francisco ... ist Saturday . . 625 Sutter St. MASONIC VETERANS ASSOCIATION. Pacific Coast . . 2d Thursday . 5-6, cor. Bush& Kearny Past Master’s Association, Last Saturday each mo. Masonic Bodies in Oakland. 61 . Live Oak Lodge. . ist Friday . . Masonic Temple. iSS . Oakland 44 ist Saturday 225 . Brooklyn 44 ist Tuesday. . 555 East 12th St, 244 . Alcatraz 44 ist Monday . 7th & Willow Sts. 36 . Oakland Chap. R. A. C. ist & 3d Wed. Mas. Tem. 12. “ Coun. R. & S. M. 3d Thursday 44 44 11 . 44 Com’d’y, K. T. ist Tuesday 12 . 14 L. of P., 14 0 , A. A.S. R. ist & 3d Mon. 44 5 . Gethsemane Chap, R. C. 18 0 , 44 2d Monday 44 2 . DeMolav Coun. K of K. 30° “ 4th 8 . Oak Leaf Chap. O. E. S. 2d & 4th Thursday 44 65 . Unity Chap. O. E. S. 2d & 4th Mon, 7th & Peralta, Masonic Bodies in Alameda. 215 . Oak Grove Lodge 2d Thursday Masonic Temple. 70 . Alameda Chap. R. A. C. ist & 3d Sat. 44 115 . Carita Chap. O.E.S. 2d & 4th Wed, 44 Masonic Body in Berkeley. 26S . Durant Lodge ist Friday . . . I. O. O. F. Hall Masonic Bodies in Boston. LODGES. Grand Lodge meets on second Wednesday in March. June, Sept.. Dec., and Dec. 27, at Masonic Hall, 1S Boylston street, cor. Washington. Aberdour, 2d Tuesday, Masonic Hall, 18 Boylston st., cor. Washington, Adelphi, 3d Tuesday, 3*2 W. Broadway, South Boston. Amicable, ist Thu.. 6S5 Mass. Ave., Cambridgeport. Baalbec. 1st Fu., Meridian, cor. Eutaw. *- a*t Boston. Bethesda, 1st Tu., 337 Washington st., Brighton. Beth horon, 2d Tu., Brookline. Charit' , st Mon.. I. O.O. F. Hall, North Cambridge. Columbian, ist Th., Masonic Hall, 18 Bo>lston street, cor. Washington. Eliot, 3d Wed., Green st., opp. depot, Jamaica Plain. Faith, 2d Fri., Thompson Square, Charlestown. Gate of the Temple, 4'h Tu. 372 vV. Broad’y.S. Boston. Germania. 4th M011 , Masonic Hall, 18 Boylston street, cor. Washington. Hammatt, 4th Tu., Meridian, cor, Eutaw. E. Boston. Henry.Price, 4th Wed.. Thompson Sq., Charlestown. Tohn Abbot, 1st Tu., Gilman Sq., Somerville. Joseph Warren. 4th Tu., Masonic Hall, 8 Boylsion st*, cor Washington. Josrph;Webb, 1st Wed., Masonic Hall, 18 Boylston st., cor. Washington. King Solomon. 2d Tu., Thompson Sq., Charlestown. La Fayette, 2d Mon., 2307 Washington st., Roxbury. Lodge of Eleusis,3d Th., Masonic Hall, 1S Boylsion street, cor. Washington Lodge of St. Andi ew, 2d Th., Masonic Hall, 1S Boyl- ston street, cor. Washington. Massachusetts. 3d Monday, Masonic Hall, iS Boylston street, cor. Washington. Mizpah, 2d Mon., ' 85 Mass. Ave., Cambridgeport. Mt. Lebanon, 2d Mon., Masonic Hall, 1S Boylston st., cor. Washington. Mt. Olivet. 3d Th., 6 : 5 Mass. Ave., Cambridgeport. Mt. Tabor, 3d Th., Meridian, cor. Eutaw, E. Boston. Prospect, 2d Mon., Roslindale. Putnam, 3d Mon.. E. Cambridge, Cambridge and 3d sts. Rabboni, 2d Tu., Masonic Hall, Hancock st., Dorchester Revere, ist Tu., Masonic Hall, 18 Boylston street, cor. Washing on. Robert Lash, *th Wed., Masonic Hall, Chelsea. St.John’s, ist Mon., Masonic Hall, 1S Boylston street, cor. W ishingt-»n. St. Paul’s, ist Tu., 372 West Broadway, South Boston. Soley, 3d M011., Gilman Sq., Somerville. Star of Betlvehem. 3d Wed., Masonic Hall, Chelsea. Temple, ist Th., Meridian, cor. Eutaw, E. Boston. Union, 2d Tu., Hancock st., near Upham’s Cor., Dor- chester. Washington. 2d Th., 2307 Washington st.. Roxbury. Winslow Lewis, 2d Fri., Masonic Hall, 18 Boyistonst., cor. Washington. Winthrop, 2d Tu., Masonic Hall, Winthrop. Zetland. 2d Wed., Masonic Hall, iS Boylston street, cor. Washington. ROYAL ARCH CHAPTERS. Grand Chapter, Tu. preceding 2d Wed, of March, June, Sept, and Dec., Masonic Hall, 18 Bovlston st., cor. Washington. Cambridge. 2d"Fri., 6S5 Mass. Ave., Cambrideport. Dorchester, 4th Mon., Hancock st., near Upham’s Corner, Dorchester. Mt. Vernon, 3d Th., 2307 Washington st., Roxbury. St. Andrew’s, ist Wed., Masonic Hall, iS Boylston st., cor. Washington. St.John’s, 4th Mon., Meiidian, nr. Eutaw, E. Roston. St. Matthew’s, 2d Mon., 372 W. Broadwav, S. Boston. St. Paul’s, 3d Tu. Masonic Hall, 18 Boylston street, cor. Washington. Shekinah, ist Wed., Masonic Hall, Chelsea. Signet, 2d Th., Thompson Sq., Charlestown. Somerville, 3d Th., Gilman Sq., Somerville. COUNCILS ROYAL AND SELECT MASTERS. Grand Council, 2d Wed. in Dec., Masonic Hall, 18 Bovb ston street, cor. Washingtoh. Boston, last Th., Masonic Hall, iS Boylston street, cor. Washington. East Boston. 2d Tu., Meridian, cor. Eutaw, E. Boston. Orient, ,d Wed., Gilman Sq., Somerville. Naptaali, 4th Fri., Masonic Hall, Chelsea. Roxbury^. 4th Mon., 2307 Washington st.. Roxbury. COMMANDERIES KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. Grand Commandery, May and Oct., Masonic Hall. iS Boylston street, cor. Washington. Boston, No. 2, 3d Wed., Masonic Hall, iS Boylston st., cor. Washington. Cambridge, No. 4 2 , 1st Wed., 6S5 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridgeport. Cceur de Lion, No. 34, 3d Tu.. Thompson Sq., Charles- town. THE TRESTLE BOARD . De Molay, No. 7, 4th Wed., Maso.iic Hall, 18 Boylston street, cor. Washington. Joseph Warren, No. 26, 1st Mon., 2307 Washington st., Roxbury. Palestine, No. 10, 2d Wed., 685 Masonic Hall, Chelsea. St. Bernard, No. 12, 2d Wed., Masonic Hall, 18 Boyl- ston street, cor. Washington. St. Omer, No. 21. 3d Mon. 372 W. Broadway, S. Boston. Wm. Parkman, No. 28, 2d Th.. Meridian, cor. Eutaw, E. Boston. SCOTTISH RITE. Boston Lafayette Lodge of Perfection, 14 0 , 1st Fri. in Feb., April, Oct. and Dec., Masonic Hall, 18 Boylston street, cor. Washington. Giles F. Yates Council, Princes of Jerusalem, 16 0 , 2d\ Fri, in Feb., April, Oct. and Dec., Masonic Hall, 18 Boylston street, cor. Washington. Mt. Olivet Chapter, Rose Croix, 18 0 , 3d Fri, in Feb. April, Oct. and Dec. ,Masonic Hall, 18 Boylston st. f cor. Washington. ' j Massachusetts Consistory, *2°, 4th Fri. in Feb , April, Oct. and Dec., Masonic Hall, 18 Boylston street, cor. Washington. MYSTIC SHRINE. Aleppo (irregularly), Music Hall. EASTERN STAR. Vesta, No. to, TSt and 3d Fri., ii City Sq., Charlestown. Queen Esther, No, 16, 1st and 3d Thurs., Dudley, cor. Washington. Keystone, No. 18, 2d and 4th Tu., 730 Washington. Signet, No. 22, 1st and 3d Tues., Cambridgeport. Mystic, No. 34, 1st and 3d Monday, Meridian, cor. Eu- taw, E. Boston. Ruth, 2d and 4th Mon., 280 Broadway Chelsea* FIRST-CLASS RESTAURANT. 28 Montgomery St., S. F. Opposite Lick House. PRICES RE D.U.C E.Q1 Service and Quality First-Class, M as heretofore, without Fee or Tip. THE TRESTLE BOARD. % and SEWING MACHINES. 10 per cent Saved. "We Pay Freight. ♦ « ♦ These goods are obtained in exchange for advertising coniracts and are guar- anteed to be just as represented. All goods are ordered from the factories by specifications furnished by purchasers, and are absolutely new. Address, with 2 cent stamp, for list, REMMUL ADY CO., 66 Trinity Terrace, R. A., Boston, Mass. For the BEST VALUE in HATS and the largest Stock to choose from, go to CELEBRATED HATS AND Ladies’ Round Hats and Bonnets, G. HERRMANN & GO. THE HATTERS , 328 KEARNY ST, NEAR PINE. SAN FRANCISCO. The only Manufacturing Retail Hatters on the Pacific Coast. Send for illustrated catalogue. mailed free. AND THE DUNLAP SILK UMBRELLA 17S and 180 Fifth Ave., bet. 22 d and 23d Sts., and 181 Broadway, near Cortlandt St . NEW YORK. Palmer House, Chicago 914 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia Accredited Agencies in all Principal Cities. PLUMMER’S REFERENCE MAP OF THE For Sale at This Office. Price $5. THE TRESTLE BOARD. TAPESTRY PAINTING. GRANDPA’S BIRTHDAY. By J. F. Douthitt. Tapestry Paintings 2000 tapestry paintings to choose from, 38 artists em- ployed, including gold medalists of the Paris Salon. Send $25.00 for a $75.00 painting 32 x 6 feet, just for an introduction. Tapestry Materials We manufacture tapestry materials. Superior to foreign goods, and half the price. Just for a trial we will stnd you two yards of our 52 in. goods for $1.50. Send for circulars. Decorations Write for color schemes, designs, estimates. Artists sent to all parts of the world, to do every sort of decorating and painting. We are educating the countiy in color harmony. Relief, w T all-paper, stained glass, caipets, furniture window shades, draperies, etc. Pupils taught decoration, Send us $5.00 for a $25.00 color scheme to decorate >our house. Compendium 140 Studies sent on receipt of 25 cents. Manual ° f Art Decoration The art book of the century. 200 royal quarto pages. 50 superb full-page illustrations of modern home in- teriors and tapestry studies. Send $2.00 for this beautiful book. The Goddess »t Alvatabar A visit to the interior of the world. “Jules Verne in his happiest days outdone , ” 318 large octavo pages, 45 original illustrations by nine famous artists Send $2.00. Paper cover 50 cts. Send 50 cents for this fascinating book, w r orth $2.00. Art School Six 3-hour tapestry painting lessons, in studio, $5.00. Complete printed instruction by mail, $1.00. Tapestry paintings rented. Full size drawings, paints, brushes etc., supplied. Nowhere, Paris not excepted, are such advantages offered pupils. Send $1.00 for comp.ete instructions in tapestry paint- ing and compendium of 140 studies. J. F. DOUTHITT, American Tapestry and Decorative Co. 286 Fifth Avenue , New •York. When you write, please mention The Trestle Board THE TRESTLE BOARD. BUSINESS DIRECTORY. SAN FRANCISCO. PIANOS. ARCHITECTS. John M. Curtis & Co Room 51 — 126 Kearny W. W. Polk 18 Florence ATTORNEYS AT LAW. A. D. D’Ancona 405 Montgomery BOOTS & SHOES. A. Koenig 122 Kearny St., San Francisco Charles Dietle 235 Bush COOPER. George Larsen 531 Second St. DENTISTS. Charles W. Decker 806 Market J. J. Leek 1206 Market St. opposite Sixth DRUGGISTS. Wak elee & Co Corner Bush & Montgomery GENERAL ENGRAVER. James H. Duncan Room 25 — 26 Kearny MASONIC JEWELS & DIAMOND WORK. C A. Wagner, Manufacturing Jeweler . . . 126 Kearny H. W. Tuckey, Room 26 126 Kearny MEN’S FURNISHING GOODS. Morgan Brothers, Gents’ Furnishing Goods, 229 Montgomery St., S. W. corner Pine MERCHANT TAILOR. E. A. Lemoine 331 Kearny NOTARY PUBLIC & COMMISSIONER. Lee D. Craig 3 i 6 Montgomery Harry J. Lask .... Telophone 5781 . . . 209 Sansom SEARCHERS OF RECORDS. Simpson & Millar, McAllister & Larkin & 535 California SILVER SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS. A. W. N. Lyons, (manufacturer) . Room 19, 410 Kearny WATCHMAKERS & JEWELERS. Wilson Brothers ... 323 Montgomery True Economy. Not how cheap, but how good. The Hardman Piano leads all others. The Piano of America and the world. Startling success of the Hardman in England. Preferred by Royalty. First Medal at the Columbian Exposition. The claim made by the manufacturers that the Hardman Piano is the only Piano which IMPROVES UNDER USAGE is proved by the fact that the unanim- ous testimony of those who have bought it corroborates the statement. Its FULL RESONANT TONE is maintained through many years of service, and an added brilliancy with- out metalic quality results through use. THE J. DEWING CO., Sole Agents, Warerooms, 2d floor Flood B’ld’g, Fourth & Market Sts., San Francisco. Works like a Charm. STEARNS’ Nothing like it. Celebrated C 01 ^ C ari ^E’ A SURE CURE IN ALMOST EVERY CASE. STEARNS 9 CANDY KITCHEN, 1006 Market St., Opposite Fifth, San Francisco. ♦ Also a full line of Strictly Pure Home Made Candy. D. NORCROSS & CO Established 1849. ) Manufacturers of Blue Dodge, Royal Arch, Knights Templar, and Scottish Rite Supplies and Uniforms of every description. 220 SUTTER ST. san FRANCISCO. MASONIC, KNIGHTS TEMPLAR, ETC., CARDS, BADGES, INVITATIONS, PROGRAMS AND MENUS. The largest manufactory' in the United States. Having the cuts and dies for all the different bodies of Masonry, we can furnish same on any kind of stationery' at low rates. CJ/\ -JC* 535 CLAY ST If you wish a Menu for a special occasion write us WAITFR N J \ Jf/ // Wi^ particulars and we will send an appropriate sample. san Francisco Telephone, Main 330 ^ California Established 1850. Telephone No. 43. N. GRAY &, CO., TTlSriDEIR/XLAIKZIEIR.S , 641-645 Sacramento, Corner Webb Street, Embalming a Specialty. SAN FRANCISCO. THE TRESTLE BOARD. The veriest schoolboy realizes the possi- bilities of “Little drops of water,’’ and “ Little grains of sand,’’ in a collective sense. The average cycle rider of even limited mechanical experience will readily admit that attention to details, means an easy running bicycle. We are in earnest in our attention to details in the production of Crackajack II. Small matters, like reinforcements, the grinding of bearings, selection of stock regardless of cost, expensive labor, costliest machinery, are individually, small matters, but in the aggregate their importance cannot be overestimated. Dear reader, you know these are points for earnest considera- tion ere you make a selection. If judiciously weighed, we fear not the result. CRACKAJACK II. enjoying the Seal of Public Approval, and stands ready to give you yeoman service. UNION CYCBB M’F’G CO ., BOSTON , MASS. THE TRESTLE BOARD. % The Columbia Nameplate is a guarantee of quality such as is furnished with no other bicycle* & j * THE TRESTLE BOARD. Gorham Manufacturing: Co. @ AND MANUFACTURERS OF THE CORHHM PLHTED WHRE . . . Broadway and 19th St. New York 137 and 139 State Street, Chicago Special and Exclusive Designs for Hotels. Restaurants, Cafes, Steamboat and Dining- Car Service Estimates and Samples promptly furnished A COMPLETE LINE OF BAR SERVICE ALWAYS IN STOCK — ooocooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooc o c THE GENUINE ROGERS ELECTRO SILVER PLATE Spoons, Forks, Knives, Etc. Extensive Line. Serviceable Goods. Artistic Designs. The stock embraces a complete assortment of articles suitable for Weddings, Holiday Gifts, and use on all occasions. The Original and Genuine Star -fa Brand, which has been manufactured continuously for half a century and made the name of Rogers on electro silver plate celebrated, is stamped ^ROGERS & BRO., A.l. If you wish the best goods, insist upon having those bearing the above trade-mark. Every article is guaranteed. Manufactured exclusively by ROGERS & BROTHER, Waterbury, Conn. No. 16 Cortlandt St., N. Y. 5^ inches long. 4 inches. long . . i ? OQOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOO OOOO ooooooooc THE TRESTLE BOARD, € «« 9 « t« «*««*, C • * c t C • « *<• *•'*"<< # * * * C < • « • ► ; < « c • ‘ « * <• • . * e *» .*♦ • . ► « * . . « <*• . « * < *• < 4 . < V- t . '* .*'*** r ‘ t < f . • • / « 4 V » « ‘ . « , • . C £ t * , ‘ * « ■ t * % * c C - * ' . * « > t , < < * r - c * ° C * « c * t C Cc « O C - ' * * ' u c e. *«■ V V V c *r\w* * * < . ^ . * < < « ‘V e «•“<*.%*«* r.v*v **•“* ? w« fc c * *>* C « C t « t « « « v ♦ c «- C . ‘*t - *r + ^ i c * * '‘>‘c «• * . * t* * c ts \ * % « . ' • /.V« <- */' V' < * i *■ *• ‘ *- c * ^ ° e %. c , C * C r ° ^ r C v *0^^ c * ^ O c i c . - t * C C c, P Jkr^i ■ — JB i>“ CM^ FIBRE CHAMOIS WEIGHTS : Light, Medium, Heavy. 'COLORS As a support for puffed sleeves and skirts it is unequalled. Beware of WORTHLESS I MIT A TIOHS, the genuine article is plainly stamped , FIBRE CHAMOIS . : Black, Slate, Peru, Brown, Natural Chamois WHY IS IT that we build and sell 'more PHAETONS than all other factories com* bined ? We build PHAETONS exclusively. We study points of excellence in this one cla ss of vehicles alone. We /get the cost down to a rigiit price— j a surprisingly low price when real merit is considered. RESULT: Low prices for best Phaetons built. Send for our illustrated booklet and prices on different styles. You can order direct or through your dealer Address Sales Department THE COLUflBUS PHAETON CO., COl/UMBUS, Ohio. iiiiiPfctitggggg gggggggggggggggg ft g ft g g g g g g g g g OVER 4000 TONS SOLD IN 1894, APPLY IT— No Stain RUB IT-No Dust HEAT IT— No Odor That's why seven people in ten use g piamellrt© g The Modern Stove Polish Sold by all dealers g-ggggggggggggggg gggggggggggggggg g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g HIGHEST AWARD riEDAL and DIPLOMAS ■> WORLD’S FAIR CHICAGO. )R PURE LEAF LARD.HAMS.BACOM DRY, SALTED AND PICKLED MEATS. BARREL P ORK. PURE LARD. SA USAGES. FORSQKEfHING EXTRA CHOICE NORTH STAR SURE TO PLEASE. HENRY F. MILLER, Write for Catalogue and Prices. Standard and Reliable PIANOS td 4 0 93 P- i <4 8? p p c+ p 88 Boylston St., Boston. PT. DBMS HOME