Freemasonry At The Front.

FREEMASONRY AT THE FRONT .

AN " Exchange " telegram dated Bloemfontein , 25 th inst ., reports that Lord Kitchener attended a Lodge meeting held there on Monday , as proxy for Lord Roberts . An address congratulating H . R . H . the Prince of Wales M . W . G . M . of England on his recent escape from assassination was proposed

by Lord Kitchener , and agreed to . It will be remembered that Lord Kitchener is a Past Grand Warden of England and District Grand Master of Egypt and the Soudan . His military chief Lord Roberts is also a P . G . W . of England .

An instance of the influence of Freemasonry making itself apparent on the battlefield is reported from Mafeking , it being stated that while Captain Maciaren was lying on the field wounded , a Freemason among the Boers discovered that he belonged to the Craft , and applied for permission to send

him to his own farm , where his injured limb was set . It is satisfactory to know that the wounded Officer has met other Brother Masons among the Boers , and that he is receiving every attention from them—truly an exemplification of the best principles of Freemasonry .

Bro . T . H . Roberts , of "Illustrated Bits , " 158 Fleet Street , London , has done a good deal for our neglected Balaclava men , and what he has done and what he has learned about these old soldiers encourages him to continue his very kindly task . Bro . Roberts has now arranged a

matinee to be held at the Tivoli in aid of his admirable fund on Monday afternoon , the 30 th inst . This , he says , will be one of the events of the season , and a glance at the list of music-hall celebrities who have promised their co-operation justifies his prediction . The object of the Balaclava Light U M « ^ urt jH / -tj »^ v * v *« v * s" \ *» r ^* 1 ^ S \ 1 1 r \ + l ~ 4 11 » - * * H tTT \~\ ¦» ¦* V < i * % * - \ *¦*» v- ^** n A 1 »* A * 1 1 » # cuivivuia 11 II la

* * " * *** . XJJ . Iga . uc J . YG . CI J . UUU , WUI ^ uuw picii ; LH- d . ii ^ exhausted , is thus set forth by the originator : To afford immediate and permanent relief to all needy survivors of the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava—after the most careful and stringent examination of each man ' s claim . In consequence of my invitation to all survivors of the Charge

to be my guests in Fleet Street during Jubilee time , it was discovered that some of these men were in the workhouse . Through coming to Fleet Street these men have obtained employment , and do not return to the Union , but there are still others who , though not actually in the "House , " are , so

to speak , at its portals . The whole expenses of correspondence , postage , administration , & c , are paid by Bro . Roberts who , we may add , is well deserving of the sympathy of his Brother Masons in his truly fraternal self ' imposed task .

The scene of the summer outing this year of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , which is devoted to historical and literary research in connection with Masonry , will , upon the invitation of Bro . R . V . Vassar-Smith P . G . D . Dep . Prov . G . M . of Gloucestershire ; Bro . G . Norman , Mayor of Cheltenham ;

and Lodges Royal Lebanon , Royal Gloucestershire , and Zetland , of Gloucester ; Foundation and Royal Union , of Cheltenham ; and Cotteswold of Cirencester , be these interesting localities . The visit will extend from Wednesday ,

4 th July , to the following Sunday ; and Gloucester Cathedral , the Roman remains , and the Abbey Church at Cirencester , and an inspection of Cheltenham will be included in the itinerary .

Our late Bro . Dr . Jabez Hogg , well known as a most genial and kind hearted Mason , appears to have enjoyed the distinction of having edited a paper in England for the longest period , if we are to credit the reply which appeared in " Tit-Bits" in answer to a query on the subject , and which

was to the following effect : " The late Mr . Jabez Hogg was on the editorial staff of the ' Illustrated London News' for more than fifty-one consecutive years , and edited the

' Illustrated London Almanac' during the whole of that period , having the assistance in that part of his work of Mr . Glaisher , the well-known scientist and aeronaut . " Two worthy Brethren to be thus associated .

No . 1 of the proceedings for 1900-1901 of the Grand Lodge of Scotland is a most complete and useful Craft publication , and must have entailed a large amount of care and labour on Bro . D . Murray Lyon Grand Secretary and his assistants . Besides a roll of Lodges under the Scottish Constitution , the names and addresses of their representatives ,

Freemasonry At The Front.

a list of the Officers of Grand Lodge , Grand representatives , the names of members of Grand Lodge , and the places in which Lodges meet , are alphabetically arranged , and the Lodges grouped under their respective Provinces .

Lord Sandhurst having resigned the position of Grand Master of All Scottish Freemasonry in India , on completion of his term of office as Governor of Bombast the Grand

Lodge of Scotland has appointed His Excellency the Right Hon . Lord Northcote Provincial Grand Master of Devonshire under the English Constitution , and present Governor of Bombay , as his successor .

''A Sprig Of Acacia.''

''A SPRIG OF ACACIA . ''

ON the 2 nd inst . the remains of Captain Robert M'Ferran , who was so well known in the neighbourhood , and indeed throughout the Counties of Antrim and Down , were removed from his late residence , Castlechester , Whitehead , for interment in the family burying-ground of St . Nicholas Churchyard , Carrickfergus , the funeral obsequies being

carried out with full Masonic honours . The cortege was one of the largest seen there for years , the Brethren of the various Masonic Lodges in the neighbourhood having turned out . in full force to pay their last tribute of respect to their deceased Brother , while representatives were also present from the

Brethren of Belfast , Woodburn , Marino , Ballycally , Larne , and Carrickfergus . Captain M'Ferran was born at Carrickfergus about eighty years ago , but for the last quarter of a century he resided in Whitehead . He was generally known for an act performed about forty years ago on the Northern

Counties Railway , when at great personal risk he brought a runaway train , in which he was a passenger , to a standstill between Greerisland and Carrickfergus . It appears that while the engine driver and stoker were standing on the platform at Greenisland the train suddenly started off at full

speed . Captain M'Ferran , perceiving that the train would inevitably be wrecked at Carrickfergus , which was then the terminus , climbed over the carriages and mounted the engine , and soon stopped the runaway .-- The Directors signalised their appreciation of this heroic deed by presenting a free

pass for life on their line in the form of a massive silver medal , which bears the following inscription : — "Presented to Mr . Robert M'Ferran , of Belfast , by the Directors , to mark their sense of his intrepid conduct in stopping a train between the junction and Carrickfergus on the 17 th January 1861 . "

WE regret to announce the death of Bro . W . E . Parry , Solicitor , which took place on the nth inst ., at his residence , St . John ' s Road , Clifton . The deceased , who was well known and much respected in the city , was the senior partner in the firm of Messrs . Plummer , Parry , and Patchett , but for some months , owing to ill health , he had

been unable to attend to business . The deceased was a prominent member of the Craft . He was a Past Master of the Jerusalem and Powell Lodges , and was also connected

with the Province of Somerset , being Past Master of the Vale of Brislington Lodge , and also Provincial Grand Registrar of the Bristol Province . He held the degree of Knight Templar , and attained other distinctions .

FREEMASONS of the Province of East Lancashire will regret to hear of the death of Bro . E . H , Flower Provincial Grand Assistant Secretary . For some years he acted as Provincial Grand Tyler . After the appointment of Bro . James Newton to the Provincial Grand Secretaryship ,

in 18 9 6 , Bro . Flower was engaged in clerical work in the Provincial Grand Lodge office in Cooper Street , Manchester , and last year his Provincial rank was raised . He was a member of the Robert Burns Lodge , No . 999 Manchester .

, Bro . Flower , who was seventy-three years of age , had been for some time in failing health . He was formerly a silversmith and jeweller in the city . His death took place at Stretford , on Sunday .

THE death occurred at his residence , Town Street , Shepton Mallet , on Tuesday morning , ioth inst ., of Bro . William Clarke , Secretary and Manager of the Gas Works , and Wine Merchant , one of the best known local residents , who had also an extensive connection as assistant registration

agent of the Conservative party in the East Somerset Division and in the old Somerset Division for a great number of years . He was also one of the senior Freemasons of the county , and bad filled many Offices in the Craft , Mark , and Provincial Lodges . As Director of Ceremonies he was in request at most functions of a public character in the town .