An Interesting Meeting.

AN INTERESTING MEETING .

One of the largest and most interesting general Masonic meetings ever held in Bath was the one which assembled on Friday , the 7 th inst ., under the wing of the Royal Albert Edward Lodge of Instruction , No . go 6 . The W . M . of No . 90 S occupied the chair , and was supported by numerous distinguished brethren , the

Masonic Hall looking especially attractive in consequence of the handsome decoration of the interior , which sets off its fine proportions to great advantage . The W . M . announced that no ceremony would be worked , as Bro . Hughan , the well-known Masonic historian , had kindly promised the brethren a lecture on the " Old Charges of British Freemasons . "

Bro . HUGHAN then gave an address on this particular branch of study , which he has so thoroughly made his own , extempore and with such ease , that the brethren listened with great delight , and on its conclusion the lecturer was most heartily applauded . Then came the " question time , " and for nearly one hour Bro . Hughan replied to the queries propounded

by several of the audience , who again and again plied the historian with questions so that they might obtain all the " light" possible . Naturally at times there was not a uniform agreement between the lecturer and some of his hearers , as in Bath there are happily not a few brethren who " read and think for themselves , " but Bro . Hughan , with his conspicuous fairness , did his best to satisfy the querists ,

and laboured zealously to distinguish between legend and fact . Bros . T . P . Ashley , Charles W . Radway , George H . Bartlett , Lawson Howes , Charles Beckett , C . W . Baldwin , E . W . Loveless , and others took part in the intensely interesting discussion , and all united in according to our esteemed brother a very hearty vote of thanks .

A Golden Day.

A GOLDEN DAY .

BKO . AND MKS . T . S . PARVIN CELEBRATE THEIK FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY . The Masonic Chronicle oi Columbus , Ohio , reproduces the following from the Cedar Rapids Gazette , and we venture to think that the career of the veteran , Bro . T . S . Parvin , possesses sufficient interest to English

readers to render its transfer to our columns acceptable ; " To-day is the 50 th anniversary of Mr . and Mrs . T . S . Parvin , of this city , and the event is being observed by them in that home-like simplicity that has always characterised their lives . Everybody knows Prof . Parvin as one of the greatest living Masons , and it is of his Masonic work and of his long connection with

that Order that he is best known , and to-day Mr . Parvin can well lay aside his interest in Masonry and his magnificent work in building up the greatest Masonic library in the world , and spend the day in thinking over years gone by that have rolled round and brought him and his noble wife that golden festival reached by so few . Another happy feature of the

event is that it calls attention to that noble woman who lias been Mr . Parvin ' s constant companion and helpmeet in all these long years , and while interest in her may have been overshadowed by the great services of Mr . Parvin to the public , yet it is a pleasure to their friends to have this opportunity of emphasising their regards for her , whose noble work assists in rounding

out their lives of usefulness . A truly good and noble woman is best seen at home . It is there that her goodness of heart is revealed , and Mrs . Parvin in her 50 years of married life has proven herself a true wife , loving mother , and noble woman , and whether it has been in performing the ordinary duties of the household , visiting the sick and afflicted about her , or in her

eight years of watchful care of an invalid daughter , she has always proven herself the devoted , loving , and faithful woman that she is . "A reporter for The Gazette had the pleasure last evening of spending a couple of hours with these worthy people , and the conversation naturally turned to their early days , and many were the stories and

reminiscences related . ' Yes , ' said Mr . Parvin , ' it is nearl y 50 years since we were married , and if our lives are spared a few hours longer , we will round out that period of time ; for you see we won ' t have to wait the usual wedding hours , for we were married before breaklast . That may seem curious , but it came about in this way . I was practising law in Muscatineand neighbouring

counties and had to go to Davenport to look after some business , and , as you know , there were no railroads in 'hose days , I had to drive across the country and it was necessary to get an earl y start , so the minister and our friends were called at a very early hour , the cerejiiony was performed , and Mrs . Parvin and I got in the buggy and drove to Davenport . There wasn't much time

or wedding trips thosedays , and we had to unite ours with business . " Mr . Parvin says thatof all the peopleinMuscatine at that time he can only recall five persons who are now living , and of those at the wedding only one survives , an older sister of Mrs . Parvin . Mr . Parvin sl 'll has the license that was issued for their marriage .

After it was recorded by the clerk , who was a special fiend of Mr . Parvin , he asked him to give him the 'cense , which favour was granted . The court house 1 W °° f ' envards burned with all the records , and "at marriage license is probably the only official paper 'flat escaped the flames .

un' , , ^ S . Parvin and Miss Agnes McCully were ¦ j ., ™ , 'n marriage at Muscatine , May 17 th , 1843 . , , ir life has been blessed with six children , four sons " two daughters . Of these Mrs . J . W . Lee lives in

A Golden Day.

Iowa City ; Theodore is in business in Mexico , where he has resided for a number of years ; Fred lives in Ottumwa ; a daughter , Miss Agga , was for eight years an invalid , till death brought her relief , and Newton R . is his father ' s coadjutor and able deputy , who has inherited a love for the work in hand that has rendered his assistance invaluable . It was in the care of the

invalid daughter that Mrs . Parvin revealed the most beauty of life . For eight years she minstered to her as only a mother can , never leaving her side nor allowing any duty to interfere with her devotion and care . Mr . Parvin is now in his 77 th year , and Mrs . Parvin is a few years his junior .

Before their marriage Mr . and Mrs . Parvin were members of the Presbyterian church , to which they are still devotedly attached , and in which Mr . Parvin has for many years been an elder . In early life he was a great Sunday School worker , and nothing pleases him so much as to talk to the children of . a Sunday School , and when he talks to children they never get tired or dull . 3 S

' To Prof . Parvin , more than any other person , is the State indebted for the magnificent library that is now its honour and glory . He began his collections over 50 years ago , which he has industriously continued ever since . We have seen his office when all it contained could be loaded on a single dray , but to-day its effects crowd the spacious building it owns as its home .

Not only is Mr . Parvin a collector , but he is a man of broad and liberal scholarship , of good judgment and great intelligence , who understands the presented prospective value of books and documents , and such other articles as go * o make the valuable and rare collections . "Mr . Parvin was the first person admitted to practice law within Iowa territory having been admitted to the

bar in August , 1838 . He practiced his profession till near 1859 , when he became connected with the State University . Prior to that time he held many positions , district attorney , county judge , secretary of the territorial council , private secretary of Gov . Lucas , and registrar of the State land office . He was the last Democrat to go out of office in I 1858 , when the State

became solidly Republican , and no other Democrat was again elected till Horace Boies was chosen Governor . " Mr . and Mrs . Parvin moved to Iowa City in 1860 , and for a year previous he had spent a good deal of his time taking care of the University property , of which he was custodian , and when the University opened he was elected to the chair of natural sciences , and took

up his residence at the seat of the State University . Mr . Parvin remained with the University 12 years in different capacities . He had been a teacher formerly in Cincinnati , and many of his old students are now occupying positions of honour and trust in various parts of the country . Mr . Bollinger , who is President of the Mississippi and Atlantic Steamship Company ,

was one of his students at Cincinnati , and among those who have gained distinction , who were students at the University are Thos . Wright , attorney , Chicago ; Frank Springer , of New Mexico ; Chief Justice Helm , of Colorado ; W . W . Baldwin , of Burlington ; Congressman Johnson , of North Dakota ; and Congressman Pickler , of South Dakota ; and many others

equally noted . There never was a student at the University who' did not love Mr . and Mrs . Parvin . Their home was always open to the boys and when they were perplexed or in trouble they were their constant advisers . The students used to tell of the good deeds of Mr . Parvin j how when nearing the end of the year , and they were short of funds , his purse

was always open to them , and in order to keep them in school itjwas frequently his habit to loan them money to help them out , and to their credit it may be said that although he supplied the boys with hundreds of dollars yet he never lost a cent , in doing so . " At one of the annual reunions a few years ago , Chief Justice Helm , of the Colorado Supreme Court ,

told of the affectionate remembrance in which Mrs . Parvin was held by the young men who were fortunate enough to come within the boundless scope of her practical sympathy while they were in college and no 'home folks ' to look after their wants . In his address at the banquet Judge Helm said that among all the pleasant recollections of his student life , and he had

many , he recalled none with more pleasure than those he had of Mrs . Parvin . ' She was , ' he said , ' the minis , tering angel whom the students like myself , poor in this world ' s goods , devotedly loved . Never was therea student sick and needing aid , but she was at his bedside to render all needed assistance . Every Saturday , bakeday , I and others like me were remembered with an

ample supply of cakes , pies , and other good things for a ' Sunday dinner . ' When we would be convalescing or over-weary we found a seat at her home and hospitable table . ' This tribute to womanly worth and gentleness was richly deserved and fully appreciated . " During the years that Mr . Parvin held a professorship in the State University , part of the time being

Vice-President , their home was head-quartcrs for regents and visitors on commencement occasions , and Mrs . Parvin was in this , as in all other of her husband ' s associations , hostess to them all . " In speaking of the early organisation ofthe Masons in this State , Mr . Parvin says that the Grand Lodge of Iowa was organised January Sth , 1844 , in the old

Mechanics' Academy building in Iowa City , which is now a part of the University hospital , and was for many years used by the students as a boarding hall . There were four lodges represented , with a total membership o ( a 100 . Mr . Parvin was elected Grand Secretarv , which position he has held continuously , except in 18 52 he was elected Grand Master and another chosen Secretary , but Mr . Parvin performed the duties of the

A Golden Day.

office that year , so that it can be said that he has held the office or performed the duties continuously ever since the Grand Lodge was organised . There is no other Mason in the world who has ever held any position for so many years . "About 1871 , Mr . Parvin resigned his position in the State University , the work of the Grand Lodge being

sufficient to occupy his entire time , and from that day to this he has devoted all his time to the Order , and has not only given the Grand Lodge an excellent administration , but has also gathered together the finest library of rare works and the greatest collection of Masonic and other curios that has ever been brought together in the world . The Masonic library in Iowa is

known in every country on the globe , and it is to Prof . Parvin more than to any other person that the credit is due for this magnificent collection , which as years pass on will be more valuable . Not onl y is it a great collection of Masonic work , but he has gathered the works of Iowa authors , geological and mineral specimens , rare literary works , manuscripts and many other articles that

arefof value , and are destined to become of much interest . " From his earliest life , Mr . Parvin has been gathering interesting facts in regard to the State . There is not another living person who can tell so much about the early times in Iowa as Mr . Parvin , and what is best about it there is no guess-work . He has preserved the records systematically , which with his retentive mind

enables him to be exact in all that he says about the early settlement of the ; State . It is really to be regretted that he has not found time to write a history of the State . He has the information and the elements of patient research that would enable him to give a value to such a work that no other person could . " Last night , in speaking of some of the earlier

incidents of the State , he referred to the famous Indian warrior Blackhawk , and the controversy that has arisen in regard to the disposition of his remains . Professor Parvin says that Blackhawk was buried on a bluff overlooking the Des Moines river , at what was then fowaville in Wapello county , and that a doctor in Quincy stole the remains and prepared the skeleton for use in his

office . A son of Blackhawk found that the remains had been removed , and tracing them to Quincy he appealed to Governor Lucas , who investigated the matter and caused them to be returned . The bones were shipped to Burlington in a box and as the son was afraid that they would be molested should they be deposited in the original grave , he asked Governor Lucas to care

for them , l'hey were in the Governor ' s office in the old capitol building for a long time , and Mr . Parvin says that they rested under his table , and that for a year or more he used the box for a footstool as he would sit at his desk . Mr . Parvin was at that time Governor Lucas' private Secretary . Afterwards the city of

Burlington started a historical society and the bones were shipped to that place . There has always been some doubt as to what really became of them , but as the historical collection was burned , it is believed that the box was in the building and destroyed along with the rest of the collection .

" Reference was made to the way in which Iowa people came to be known as Hawkeyes , and Mr . Parvin said that the popular idea that it had some relation to the hawk is a mistake . He said that David Rorer , afterwards a prominent judge at Burlington , and for many years a leading citizen ot the State , published rt letter in the Ft . Madison Patriot suggesting the term

Hawkeye , getting the idea of the name from Ohio , whose people are known as Buckeyes , and the great war chieftain , Blackhawk . The letter did not attract much attention at the time , but a year later a number of gentlemen , including Judge Rorer and Prof . Parvin were discussing the same matter in an office in

Burlington , and Judge Rorer called attention to the letter that he had previously written and published in the Ft . Madison Patriot , and it was there agreed that they would try to introduce the name Hawkeye for Iowa people . The few newspapers then in the State fell with tne idea and that is the way in which the name came to be applied to the people .

" fifty years is a long span of married life . It had brought Air . and Mrs . Parvin their sorrows and their joys , and to-day their chief glory is that they can look back upon 50 years of usefulness . Every day of their lives has been a blessing to those around them . Work has never been so crowded , nor the calls of business so exacting that they have not had time to take interest

in all that goes to benefit the people . Their early friends have nearly all passed away . In 1856 Mr . Parvin attended the great conclave of the Grand Encampment of the Kni ghts Templar of Hartford , Conn ., and of about 100 persons present at that time , only five survive , and of those who formed the Grand Lodge of Iowa only one is living and he sends his

congratulations to Mr . Parvin . On March 14 th , 1888 , was celebrated the anniversary of Mr . Parvin ' s becoming a Mason . At that time he received letters of congratulation from the leading Masons of the country , many of whom have since pissed away , and the only sadness of to-day is that it recalls so many old friends who have gone to their reward .

"An informal reception was held in the Masonic library , where many citizens of Cedar Rapids called to pay their respects . During the day they received many letters and congratulations . " * * Mr . P . irvin has built his own monument , and as

has been well said , ' Let the mute , but ever eloquent volumes , tell of his devotion to what lie believed to be right , of sacrifices made , of opposition encountered , of manhood sustained , of opportunities enlightened , ai . d of the good that men may do to live after them . ' "