Correspondence

CORRESPONDENCE

We do not hold curselves responsible for the opinions of our Cor . respondents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications . All Letters must hear the name and address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , hit as a guarantee of good faith . \

OUR SCHOOLS . To the Editor of TBE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAK SIR AND BROTHER , — HOW is it that no one appears ever to have suggested tho adoption of tho German system in our charitable schools ' r Is it because that system , which provides tho children with a

house , food and clothing , and sends them to the xHibhc schools of the country for education , wonld not provide for so many well paid masters , matrons , secretaries , and all sorts of other officials ; or is it because tho middle class schools of this country do not provide a sufficiently good education ?

This German system is already at work m this country , and has done admirably for children of the saine class as those now in our two Masonic Schools . I fear , however , that too many persons now make these Charities of ours their means of subsistence , for Buch a plan as I suggest over getting a chance of a fair trial .

Yours fraternally , Huon H . EIACH , 31 ° , P . M ., Past Prov . G . Secretary , Oxon

THE POOR ORPHAN COX : THE LAST TIME OF ASKING .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . SIR , —There is only the forthcoming election for tho Masonic Boys' School in October next to servo this forlorn orphan . If he fails then , he fails for ever . Eight glad am 1 to announce that the Provincial Grand Lodge ol

Devonshire has adopted this orphan , as their protigd at the ensuing election . But they require extraneous aid . Will any of the Masonio body or others send me monoy or votes forthwith to secure this orphan ' s election ? I pledge my honour that such contributions or votes shall be faithfully applied . Such

benefactors would secure the grateful blessings both of widow and orphan . " Because I delivered tho poor that cried , and tho fatherless , and him that had none to help him . The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me : and I caused tho widow ' s hoart to sing for joy , " —Job xxix . 12 , 13 .

I am , Sir , Eespcctf ully yours , DANIEL ACE , D , D . Laughton Vicarage , near Gainsborough , 4 th Sept . 1877 .

A WORTHY MASON . To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —The death of Bro . John Woon , Quarter Master , Eoyal Marines , of the Wellington Lodge , 784 , at Deal , on the 8 th of March 1877 , aged 51 , left his widow with nine children , and only a small annuity . Ono of his sons , Albert Allen Woon , has been placed on the list for election into the Eoyal Masonic Institution for

Boys , to which his father was a subscriber , and some particulars of his service may interest your readers who havo votes for the Institution . Ho commanded a detachment of his corps serving in the Arctic regions from 1850 to 1854 , during tho discovery of the Northwest passage , and is thus mentioned iu the records : —One person especially distinguished himself , not only as a sportsman , but in the

execution of any service requiring unflagging energy and marked intelligence , and this was the non-commissioned officer of Eoyal Marines , Sergeant Woon . He did good service everywhere ; but " no better instance can bo given of the metal of which such men as ho are made than what occurred on the 4 th Jan . 1852 . A coloured man , serving in the ship , whilst out sporting , wounded a deer , and after

following it awhile , discovered he had lost his way just as a fog came on . The temperature was very low , the man was tired , aud tho peril of his position caused him to lose his presence of mind , and to wander abont . By great good fortune Sergeant Woon , who was likewise out in quest of game , joined him ; but the poor creature was so besido himself with excitement and horror , that every endeavour to

soothe him , by promising to take him safely on board the ship , failed . Fits came on , which , when they passed off , left tho man quite prostrated in strength . By entreaty and remonstrance , tho Sergeant induced him at last to walk a little ; but , at 2 p . m ., when the glimmering twilight called day of that season ivas fast closing in , the unfortunate man ' s energies entirely failed ,

and ho sank upon the ground , bleeding at his month and nose , and writhing in convulsions . The Sergeant saw now that all hope of the man saving himself was at an end ; aud to leave him where ho was many miles from the ship , was to leave him to certain death : he would have been devoured by tho wolves even before the process of freezing to death would have released hiui from his misery , There

Correspondence

was no alternative but to drag him to tho ship—no easy matter , when the Sergeant dared not part with his gun , and tho man waa one of the heaviest of a fine ship ' s crew . Sergeant Woon , then , with heroic resolution set to his task . Slinging both muskets over his shoulder , he took the man ' s arms round his own neck , aud commenced dragging his half-dead shipmate towards the " Investigator . " The labour

was , as may be supposed , excessive ; and the only relief the Sergeant had was , whenever he had dragged tho body up oue sido of a hill , or when he came to a raviue , to lay him down , aud roll him to the bottom ; rather severe treatment for an invalid , but it had tho merit of arousing the man somewhat from his lethargy . By eleven o ' clock at night tho gallant marine had thus conveyed hia burden to

within a mile of the ship ; but ten hours of such toil , and darkness , cold , and snow , now began to tell upon him . He could drag his burden no longer ; and as a last resource he implored the unfortunate man to make an effort , and tried to cheer him by pointing to the rockets which the Captain of the Investigator caused to be sent up as a guide to tho missing men . Finding , however , that all his

entreaties were replied to only by a request , " to be loft alone to dio , tho Sergeant laid him in a bed of deep snow , and storted off for assistanco from the ship . This was already on its way ; and Woon met and conducted two out of three parties to where the man lay , just iu timo to save him . Ho was found with his arms raised , and rigid in that position , his eyes open , and his mouth so firmly

frozen as to require much force to open it for the purpose of pouring restoratives down his throat , whilst his hands , feet and face were much frost-bitten . His life was , however , saved ; and for that tho courage and devotion displayed by the Sergeant deserved all credit . He served with the battalion in China during the war in 1857—1859 , was at the storming of Canton , the taking and destruction of Shekt .

sing , and other engagemouts . He accompanied the expedition to the North , and at the attack on the Peiho Forts , on 25 th June 1859 , was thus mentioned in the official gazetted despatoh : " The conspicuous gallantry of Sergeant . Major Woon and Quartermaster . Sergeant Halling also attracted his notice . " In March 1860 , at a general parade at Woolwich , General Sir A . Blaxland Stransham , then commanding

the division , presented him with the silver medal awarded him by the Lords of the Admiralty for " meritorious conduct , especially for his gallant behaviour while serving in China . " He was also granted an annuity of £ 10 . He saved the life of ono of his officers , and also of a drummor boy , about 14 years of age , at tho assault ou the batteries in the Peiho . The poor lad had been struck down by a

round shot , which completely carried away the inner part of his thigh . He was lying hopelessly in the mud , missiles of every description flying thickly about him , when he called to Serjeant-Major Woon to take him to a place of safety , which he did at the imminent risk of his life , and deposited him in a boat at some distance . On this occasion the loss sustained by his corps amounted to

no less than 19 officers and 190 men killed and wonnded . On leaving China he was presented with a piece of plate , as a token of tho esteem in which he was held by his comrades there . He waa commissioned as Quarter-Master 13 th September 1867 , and received the medal for the Arctic service , and a medal with clasp for Canton .

Exposure to climate and tho hardships he endured brought on the illness which caused his death , and obliged his son to seek the support of tho brethren for his election to our School . Toting papers may be sent to Lieutenant Des Barres , E . M ., W . M . Lodge 1096 , Walmer Barracks , Kent , or to Captain Mascall E . M . at the office of the Dorcas Beneficent Society , 7 Wellington-street , Strand , W . C .

I am Sir , your obedient servant , W . PORTLOCK DADSON ( Captain R . B . G . ) , Of Bayard Lodge , No . 1615 . 33 Golden . square , W . 5 th September 1877 . '

Old Warrants.

Old Warrants .

No . 87 . No . 255 " Ancients j" No . 321 A . D . 1814 , No . 225 A . D . 1832 , and No . 190 from A . D . 1863 . ANTRIM , GRAND MASTER . JAMES PERRY , D . G . M . THOMAS HARI-ER , S . G . W . JAMES AOAR , J . G . W .

© a all foboin it mag concent . WE , the Grand Lodge of the most Ancient and Honourable Fra ; ternity of Free and Accepted Masons ( according to the Old Constitutions granted by His Royal Highness Prince EDWIN , at York , Anno Domini Nine hundred twenty and six , and in the year of Masonry

Four thousand Nine hundred twenty and six ) , in ample form assembled , viz ., The Eight Worshipful Most Potent and Puissant Lord tho Eight Honourable Eandal William McDonnell , Earl and Baron of Antrim , Lord Viscount Dunluce , Lord Lieutenant of the Country of Antrim , in the Province of Ulster and Kingdom of Ireland ,

Knight of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath , one of His Majesty ' s Most Honourable Privy Council , and iu that part of Great Britain called England and Masonical jurisdiction thereunto belonging , GRAND MASTER OF MASONS , The Eight Worshipful James

Perry , Esquire , Deputy Graud Master , Tho Eight Worshipful Thomas Harper , Esquire , Senior Graud Warden , aud tho Eight Worshipful James Agar , Esquire , Junior Grand Warden ( with the approbation and consent of the Warranted Lodges held within the Cities and Suburbs of London and . Westminster ) , Do hereby authorize , atjtl