Ar00902

23 GREAT QUEEN STREET , W . C .

Grand Lodge Of Pennsylvania.

GRAND LODGE OF PENNSYLVANIA .

THE SESQULCENTENNIAL CELEBRATION .

AT a very early honr of the morning of the 24 th June , the incming trains brought into the city of Philadelphia delegations of Masons * rom all localities , principally within a radios of 100 miles , to join in * he public as well as secret commemoration of the sesqni-centennial of the founding of Masonry in this State , for although a number of Masons met as early as 1730 , at the old Tnn Tavern , in Water-street , it was not nntil St . John ' s Day , 1732 , that the G . Lodge was formed .

Great preparations had been made for the celebration , and it was looked forward to with joyal anticipation . Although the orders of Chief Marshal Hartranft directed the assembling of tho Lodges at 8 o'olock , it was fully thirty minutes after before the first one put in appearance ; bnt from this time until quarter after nine tbey came into column rapidly .

There was a prodigal supply of music , and , what was matter for general comment , an entire absence of banners of any kind . To the lookers-on there was an impressively fnnereal aspect to this body of 6 . 0 C 0 men , marching without a bit of colour overhead . The flash of jewels and swords , and the sturdy blare of the trumpets , in a bright morceau from some popular opera , were the only reliefs . Broad .

street , along the entire route was filled with people , and here and there a flag was thrown to the breeze ; but , as a rule , the lookers-on exhibited a blending of admiration with awe , as though they were under the spell of mystery which clothes this Order . In the vicinity of the Temple , however , the thoroughfare was densely packed , and along the northern front of the Public Buildings , from which a

splendid view of the march and countermarch , conld be obtained , thonsands upon thousands of people were ranged . The Eighth Division , which marched in the van of the procession , formed on the east side of Broad-street , with the head of tbe colnmn resting on Chestnut-street . It was marshalled b y Robert P . Dechert and the following aids : ~ 0 . C . Bosbyshell , P . L . Goddnrd , Louis J . Ladner , and C . W . Schnollerman . The Division included Lodges

Nos . 498 to 558 and a number of visiting Lodges . The Seventh Division , marshalled by J . P . S . Gobin and aids , Benjamin Kanffman , C . N . Brower , George Valentine , and N . H . E . Marter , came next . The Division formed on the west side of Broadstreet , with the head of the column on Walnut-street . It comprised Lodges from Nos . 445 to 496 , and several Lodges from the interior of the State .

The Sixth Division formed on Sprnce-street , east of Broad . The head of the column rested on Broad-street . Lodges Nos . 392 to 4-44 were in line . The Division was marshalled by C . W . Batchelor and aids . The Fifth Division , marshalled by William B . Smithformed ou

, Spruce-sfcrcet , west of Broad , the head of the column resting on Broad-street . The Marahal ' s aids were : —William A . Whithernp . L . S . Prince , William H . Clothier , Peterson B . Calvert , James P . Malseed , Charles E . Wright . A number of VisitingLodges marshalled with this Division .

The Fourth Division , marshalled by John W . Scholl , formed on Locust-street , east of Broad , with the right of column resting on Broad-street . Tbe Division included such Lodges as chose to participate from Lodge No . 289 to No . 339 . Marshal Scholl was assisted by the following aids : —P . M . Wasbabaugh , E . D . Sparks , J . H . Hooven , and G . P . Dennis .

Presley A . Guthrie marshalled the Third Division , including Lodges from Nos . 233 to 288 . The Division formed on Locust-street , west of Broad , with right resting on Broad-street . Major J . W . Ryan and T . J . Henderson acted as aids .

The Second Division , under the marshalahip of General Geovge R * Snowden , assisted by E . W . Patton and G . W . Fox aids , formed on Walnut-street east of Broad , with risrht resting on Broad-strpet . •The Division included snch Lodges as desired to participate from No . 432 to No . 75 .

The First Division , under James W . Latta Marshal , bronght up the rear of the column as the command moved up Broad street , and _ ° ok the head of the colnmn as it countermarched down from ^ olnmbia avenue . The Divison formed on Walnut-street , east of tfroad , and included Lodges from No . 2 to No . 72 , and visitors who wero not the guests of any particular Lodsre .

Marshal Latta was assisted by Charles Watson , Nathan II . Pennypacker , H . G . Schoranaker , and Hiram Fisher . Among the Visiting Lodges were No . 21 , from Harrislmrg , J . C . aesaman Marshal ; No . 75 , from Phrcnixville , F . B . Rhoarls Hiv ' ° ' , from Wesfc Cflf > ster , George E . Hoopes Marshal , mV . ° - 420 > from Conshohocken , Charles A . Maxwell Marshal . mi ' w ... wviinjuiMjuuftcn j Winn inn xi . iUiiAw mi i'liii email .

nere wero al so Lodges from Chpsfcer , Norristown , Reading , and jp aster , and representatives from the Grand Lodges of New thT-rv ' f •ry 1 nnc 1 , Colmec ^ clai ' , Khode Island , Delaware , Ohio , and E , " * ct of Colombia in line While the procession , under General ^ rtrantt . was marching out Broad-street , the Grand Lodge went AfK . rTi ? 10 niD * he Tem P . to which none but members were admitted . the opening , the Hon . Samuol B . Dick , Grand Master , made an

Grand Lodge Of Pennsylvania.

address , stating the pnrpose of the ceremonies of the day , and tendering a fraternal welcome to tho Visitors . Then followed—An address by Past "Master of Lodge No . 408 , Brother of the Hon . F ' earson Church , Presiding Jndge of Crawford county . Subject : — " Tho growth of tbe Grand Lodge . " An address by Past Master of Lodge No . 71 , tho Hon . Thomas J .

Clayton . President Judge of Delewaro county . Subject : — "The Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Masons of Pennsylvania . " An address by Brother Past Master Samuol Harper , of Lodge No . 219 , at Pittsburg . Subject . —The Relation of Our Subordinate Lodges to Oar Grand Lodge , " and the anthem , " Ad Primam , " music and chorus being under the direction of Brother Aaron R .

Taylor . After the benediction and closing of the Lodge , the doors were opened , and then the members , with distinguished visiting brethren from abroad , awaited the approach of the head of the colnmn , by the countermarch between ranks , down Broad-street , which bronght the 1 st Division to the front . A brief halt was then made , when the

march to the Academy was taken up in this order : — John F . Hartranft Chief Marshal . Geonje H . North Chief of Aids . Rnssell Shayer , Silas W . Pettit , Aar' > 'i K . Dankle , B . K . Jamison , William Baldwin , James C . Wray , Theo . E . Weidersheim , S . Bonnaffon jnn ., James D . Keyser , James M . Cox , E . G . Martin , M . D ., B .

Frank Eshleman , and Otto Schaettle , Aids . George TV . Wood Grand Marshal of Grand Lodge . William W . Allen , J . Parker Martin , and Arthur Thatoher , Aids Harrison G . Clark Grand Tyler of Grand Lodge . Henry H . Haynes Grand Parsaivant .

Louis N . Chastean Grand Sword Bearer . Samuel B . Dick Grand Master . Conrad B . Day Deputy Grand Master . E . Coppee Mitchell and Joseph Eichbaum Grand Wardens Thomas R . Patton Grand Treasurer .

Michael Nesbit Grand Secretary . Rev . Dr . Robbins , Rev . J . F . C . McCounell , and Rev . Richard H . Allen Grand Chaplains . John S . Graham and Oscar R . Meyers Grand Deacons . Spencer C . Gilbert and William Broadbent Grand Stewards . District Deputy Grand Masters , tbe Trnstees of the Grand Lodge

Charity Fund , the Trnstees of the Girard Bequest , and various Com . mittees , the almoners of the Grand Lodge , Charity Fund , and finally the members of Grand Lodge . Among the Visiting Grand Lodge Officers from other jurisdictions who have accompanied tbe Grand Lodge were William Hardacre R . W . Grand Master New Jersey ; Joseph W . H . Watson R . W . Grand

Master Delaware ; John S . Tyson R . W . Grand Master Maryland ; Jacob H . Medary Grand Secretary Maryland ; James D . Mason Grand Treasurer Maryland ; W . Abrahams R . W . Deputy Grand Master Maryland ; Edward M . L . Ehlers Grand Secretary New York ; Albert G . Goodnall Grand Lodge New York ; Zachariah Deddrick Trustee Grand Lodge New York .

Althongb the arrangements were such that the line of procession would not reach the Academy of Music , where the public ceremonies were held , until half-past 12 o'clock , a great throng of people had assembled in front of the house fully two hours before that time . All the hotels and other public places on Broad-street and many private houses were decked out in national and Masonic colours . As the

hours wore on the spectators increased in number , and at noon , when the Academy doors were opened , the ingenuity of tho police was put to the test in opening a channel for the passage of the line into the Academy . When the members of the Grand Lodge reached Broad and Locuststreets , they marched to the stage door of the Academy , were the

Officers and Committees took seats on the stage . Among the prominent men were Judge William Donaldson , of Pottsville , the oldest member of the Grand Lodge in Pennsylvania ; Sam . C . Perkins , a Past Master Philadelphia , lawyer , and President of tbe Public Building Commission ; and Bro . Clifford P . McCalla , a prominent worker in the Bi-Centennial cause , and the man who introduced the resolution

in the Grand Lodge under which authority was first granted for the celebration of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary . In the distribution of tickets tho authorities of the Grand Lodge restricted their patronage to the members of the Masonic Order . When the line reached the Temple on the return march the subordinate Lodges scattered for their respective headquarters instead of

assembling in the Academy . The consequence was that there was scarcely more than 200 persons in the auditorium when the Germania Orchestra , under the direction of William Stoll jnn ., opened the exercises with Weber ' s overture , " Jubal . " There were no decorations in the hoase except three rectangular tablets of white immortelles , upon the centre of which were tbe Grand

Lodge initials "G . L . of Pa ., " and on the others the Masonic years 5732 and 5882 . At the conclusion of the first orchestral rendering , Bishop Whitehead invoked the Divine blessing . A very interesting fpature of tho morniug exercises at the Temple was the presentation of a gavel to the Grand Lodge , the gift of the Mnsonic Veterans' Assnsiation . The gavel is made from one of the

columns that stood in tho old Masonic Hall , on Filbert-street , which lias been recently torn down . Tho column was of hard wood , anil f / Tun it were made two gavels , one to be nsed by the Veterans afc their meetings and the other presented to the Grand Lodge . The latter is very handsomely mounted with bands of silver , and on the outer rim is affixed a Veteran ' s badge . Upon the silver band is the following inscription : —

"The Masonic Veterans of Pennsylvania , on the occasion of the Rpsqni-Centennial of the first Grand Lodge in America , formed afc Philadelphia , 21 th Jane 1732 , present this gavel , made of wood , of the Pennsylvania Freemasons' Hall , erected in 1802 , on Filbert-street , above Eisrhth-street , Philadelphia , to the R . W . G . Lodge of Pennsylvania Free and Accepted Masons , 24 th June 1882 . " The Presentation was made by Brother Charlea E , Meyer , President