A Canadian Masonic Village.

A CANADIAN MASONIC VILLAGE .

BY AN ENGLISH BROTHER . A few weeks ago I visited the celebrated Orillia , a small town situated on the shores of the " Killarney of Canada . " The beautiful blue waters of Conchiching , surrounded with waving forests , clothed in dark evergreen , presenting a

coup cFceilaX once magnificent , picturesque , and romantic . The attractive scenery in the environs of this pretty village , nestled so cosily in the woods between hills whose terraced plateaus are verdant all the year round , is , to say the least , really a charming picture to

contemplate , especially when enjoyed from the lake on a calm summer eve , and reminds me forcibly of the appropriate verse by " Zelia , " a local poet ( whose beautiful lines on " Freemasonry" written for the Gavel , were so extensively copied by the American Masonic press ) , entitled "ASummer Eve in Orillia : "—

'Tis even ' g , all is calm and still , Beauty reigns o ' er vale and hill ; The red sun sinks in a cloudless sky , The breeze has changed to a low soft sigh . Lake Conchiching looks like a silver sheet , And her beautiful , beautiful leafy isles , Resplendent they bask in the setting sun ' s smiles

I do not propose , however , to dilate much upon the beauties ofthe surroundings or the picturesqueness of the splendid scenery , as upon the men whom I had the pleasure of meeting in the "La Petite Saratoga " of Ontario .

My only note of introduction was from a distinguished Quebec brother to 111 . Bro . Robert Bamsay , 32 ° , editor of the Gavel , who is devoted to our " Royal art , " and one of the truest and most enthusiastic Masons that I ever had the felicity to meet . His name as a Masonic writer

and knowledge as a Masonic jurisconsult is doubtless well known to you through his excellent magazine , which certainly would be a credit to any country . I need scarcely say that he received me with true knightly courtesy , and

at once made me feel at home , and from him I learnt the history of the rapid progress of the Craft in this section of Canada , which I must add is not only due to the enthusiasm of the brethren , but also to the untiring energy and zeal of the editor of the Gavel .

In the year 1867 , a few brethren devoted to the noble Order , met at the residence of \ r . AV . Bro . C . S . Elliot , and drew up their petition for a dispensation for a lodge ; Bro . D . M . Malloch was appointed first A \ orshipful Master ; Bro . C . S . Elliot S . AV . ; and C . A . Thompson , J . W . The

following are the names of the charter members , all of whom , with the exception of the Junior Warden , Avho has removed to the United States , and Bro . Croker , who was soon after called to refreshment in the Grand Lodge above , are still active members , and as true to their noble little lodge , which now numbers fifty of the leading

professional men , merchants and mechanics in the place . Charter members : Bros . Malloch , Thompson , Elliot , Braden , Moffatt , Croker , Jupp , Cozzens , Ross , Oliver . -Corbould , as ihey were on St . John ' s Day , 1868 , when only some seven or eight could be mustered to observe their first festival .

The following year AA or . Bro . Malloch left for Clinton , and Bro . Elliot was unanimously elected AVorshipful Master , the honourable position of which he ably filled for two years consecutively ; he is one ofthe best ritualists that I have ever yet met . Bro . Robert Ramsay was then elected ,

and after occupying the East for one year was succeeded by Bro . Frank Kean , the present whole-souled and genial-hearted frater , who now fills that position . V . W . Bro . C . S . Elliot is this year a Grand Steward of the G . L . of Canada . I may here remark that at tlie opening of the

lodge , 111 . Bro . Robert Ramsay was in the United States , and was elected a honorary member of the same , and upon his return to Orillia , in 1869 , at once set to work , and with the assistance of Comps . Ardagh , Corbould , and Moffat ,

three Royal Arch Masons of between thirty and forty years' standing , and some Companions from Barrie , the county town of Co . Simcoe , received a dispensation from M . E . Comp . Harington , and at the following session of Grand Chapter , 1870 ,

A Canadian Masonic Village.

obtained a warrant , when he was appointed 1 st Principal Z . and Grand Standard Bearer . Comp . C . S . Elliot was next elected 1 st Principal , and this year Comp . T . S . Atkinson , an excellent worker , occupies that exalted position . This chapter ( Signet , No . 34 ) has now over forty

members on its roll , and the work is done both creditably and well . Bye-the-bye , I forgot to state that the 3 rd Principal , E . Comp . T . H . Tebbs , is a member of the Mersey Lodge , No . 477 , Zetland , 537 , G . R . C ., and Joppa Mark Masters' Lodge , No . 4 , G . R . S ., all of Birkenhead , England .

After the chapter was m good working order , Sir Kt . Robert Ramsay applied to the Grand Prior of Canada , the V . B .. and E . Col . Frater AV . J . B . Macleod Moore , 33 , for a dispensation for an encampment of Knight Templars , and during last July the Grand Prior himself visited

Orillia , opened the encampment , and installed twelve Sir Knights . V . E . Frater R . Ramsay , 32 , resigned his office as Eminent Commander in favour of Sir Kt . M . H . Spencer , P . D . D . G . M ., who held the position till the annual election in

December following , when our friend , Frater Elliot , was duly elected , and is now its presiding officer . I may mention that this encampment , " Mount Calvary , " is now No . 108 on the roll of the Grand Conclave of England , and its Eminent Commander and Past Commanders

are all officers in the Grand Priory of Canada , V . E . Frater R . Ramsay being Grand Sub Prior ; V . E . Frater Spencer Grand 2 nd Captain ; and V . E . Frater Elliot Grand Hospitaller . This encampment and priory is highly to be praised for its work , and the courteous and

Knightly reception Avith which every officer and brother greets a visiting Frater . Since its inauguration , thirty Companions have been installed , and it is looked upon as one of the most flourishing in the Dominion of Canada . The same day that Col . Moore opened the

encampment , he also , as Chief Inspector-General for the Imperial Military and " Ecclesiastical Order of the Red Cross of Rome and Constantine , " granted a dispensation to 111 . Sir Kt . Robert Ramsay and others for Gethsemane Conclave , now No . 29 Grand Conclave of

England . 111 . Sir . Kt . Ramsay , immediately after installation , resigned the office of M . P . S . in favour of 111 . Sir Kt . Elliot , who held the same till the annual election , when 111 . Sir Kt . G . M . Wilson was elected M . P . Sov ., who , by-the-bye , confers the grade of the " Novitiate Cross " with much impressiveness .

I his beautiful rite , I may state , is daily gaining ground in thc Dominion , and , if I may judge from the enthusiasm of the Illustrious Sir Knights of Orillia , its glorious symbol is now firmly planted on Canadian soil . The Fraters here

have endeavoured to confine this branch to Templars alone , and although the Gethsemane Conclave numbers now some thirty members , they are all Knights Templar and Knights of Malta .

Leaving the chivalric bodies , I now come to a beautiful little rite , which , though very popular in the United States , numbering as it does some twenty-three thousand , has never yet been introduced into Europe : I allude to Cryptic Masonry . This branch , as I understand , consists of three

degrees—Royal , Select and Super-Excellent Master—and in this country the degree of Knight of the Red Cross , or Babylonish Pass , has been added since . In the United States , it is a pre-requisite to the Templar grade , and is there conferred in ali encampments ; the

working of these degrees takes place in a body called a Council . III . Comp . Ramsay was the first in Ontario to apply to III . Comp . T . D . Harington , 33 ° , tlie Inspector-General of the Rite under the Grand Council of New Brunswick , for a dispensation to open a Council of Royal and Select Masters at Orillia , which of course was promptly

granted , and at . a special communication of the Grand Council of New Brunswick , held in November , 1 S 70 , a warrant for Shekinah Council , No . 5 , was granted . Every 111 . Companion must be in possession of the Royal Arch Degree ; the three presiding officers are termed Most Illustrious Master , Right Illustrious Masters , and Illustrious Master . The brethren , who at present

A Canadian Masonic Village.

fill these positions , are 111 . Comps . Elliot , Corbett , and J . A . Ardagh , all being Doctors of Medicine . From this Council have since sprung Adoniram , No . 6 , at Toronto ; Harington , U . D ., at Gait ; and Labad , U . D ., at Bradford . As far as I can learn , it is the intention of the Illustrious

Companions to organize a Grand Council for Ontario , and doubtless under the guidance of that true and genial-hearted Mason , 111 . Comp . Harington , 33 , P . G . M . and Grand L ., Cryptic Masonry may expect to take its stand as one of the regular legitimate branches of the Masonic tree

in Canada . A great effort will also be made , I understand , to make these degrees a pre-requisite to the Templar , and thus , as the Gavel terms it , establish a system . A dispensation has also been granted to III . Bro . Robert Ramsay , 32 ° Bro . J . Ardagh , 18 ° 0

and Bro . AA iIliam Lount , 18 , together with some members of the A . and A . Rite from a distance , to open a Rose Croix Chapter , named Immanuel , which , I doubt not , will prove as successful as the other bodies , although I fancy the A . and A . Rite is not likely to flourish here whilst its

present system of government exists in England ; such , at least , is the feeling I found very generally prevail amongst such members with whom I came in contact . However , I am now writing about Orillia and not Golden-square , so I shall not allude to the government , or rather

misgovernment , of this very dignified rite . The Masonic Hall , in which these various bodies meet , is neat and plain . The brethren are preparing to erect an edifice for themselves , and during the coming summer will do so . I must say that I have invariably experienced ,

from all whom I chanced to meet , the greatest kindness and attention , and spent many happy hours amongst them ; they appeared to understand each other and act as one mind . Amongst others I may be pardoned for mentioning Bros .

Ostrander , Sutherland , AVorld , Bingham , Summers , and Bridgband—in fact , I cannot name all . I hope that if ever a brother from " the Canadian Masonic village" visits England , that the brethren there will only welcome him half as cordially as I was received here .

In conclusion , I might mention that most of the brethren here are reading and consequently intelligent working Masons , and following in the wake of those excellent monthlies , the Gavel and Freemason , are avowed and open advocates of the Grand Lodge of Quebec , and would welcome

its Grand Master , I believe , with more cordiality than some who hold high positions in the socalled Grand Lodge of Canada , which , after all , is a most absurd name , for the simple reason alone that its jurisdiction literally only extends over the Province of Ontario . I omitted

mentioning that my friend , 111 . Bro . R . Ramsay , is the Grand Representative of the Grand Lodges of Ohio and Nebraska , near the Grand Lodge of Canada , and also of the Grand Commandery of Ohio , near the Grand Priory of Canada .

If this merits a place in the valued columns of THE FREEMASON , I shall feel most happy , at some future time , to furnish you with a sketch of Masonry in Toronto , the flourishing and enterprising metropolis of Ontario . COSMOS .

"That Great, A Wful, Tremendous And Incomprehensible Name.''

"That GREAT , A WFUL , TREMENDOUS and INCOMPREHENSIBLE NAME . ''

( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) Your correspondent , on the sacred and mysterious name of the true and living God Most High , deserves well of R . A . M . He has set an example that others would do well to

follow . It is , I think , a mistake that there should he so much captious feeling in regard to writing and expatiation on the ritual of Freemasonry . There are , of course , landmarks and orders of the day to be observed by all Masons

on peril of their fidelity ; but surely it is placing your light under a bushel , instead of your city upon a hill , if some of the most beautiful truths which are shadowed forth by Masonic emblems

are to be kept hid from the popular world who are not Masons . Kept hid they cannot be , for they are known and appreciated by hundreds of men who , if they knew that in Masonry such