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Article TIDINGS FROM THE CRAPT M THE UNITED STAT... ← Page 2 of 3 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Tidings From The Crapt M The United Stat...
In a communication made to your Magazine last year , I alluded to a " Ritual of Knightly Obsequies , " prepared by John L . Lewis , jun ., of New York , a Mason high in rank and intelligence , and adopted by the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of the state of New York . As I
predicted at that time , the work has gone rapidly into use . At Rochester , New York , recently , the obsequies of a Knight Templar were perforhied agreeably to that formula , and , as is reported , with uncommon impressiveness and solemnity . At Zanesville , Ohio , the Commandery has republished this foirnula for the use of its ' members whenever death shall invade
its asylum . Your correspondent used it in November last , at the funeral rites of Sir Knight George Sheeks , near Hickman , Kentucky , and fairly tested its adaptedness . You will find a copy of it in the second number of theMasomc (^ ari As a propos ... to Yankee ingenuity , I will describe to you a popular method for building Masonic halls , recently discovered on our side of the sea . It is found ; that to burthen a Lodge with a debt of construction , is to
destroy its usefulness . Therefore , a joint stock association is formed , a legislative act of incorporation is secured , a , valuable building site in the business part of the town purchased , the aggregate > cost estimated , and the whole divided into shares , usually of ten or twenty-five dollars each . These shares are picked up with a greediness that smacks of u Wall-street ^ ? and the work is put right through . If no dividends are ever pronounced ,
what of it—haven't the stockholders got the building- —arid how can ten dollars be better invested than in a large , neat and useful edifice ? At Zanesville , Ohio , a hall has recently been erected on this plan at a cost of ten thousand dollars , of w hich the Masonic bodies ( five in number ) contributed by the purchase of the stock something-like one-fourth , and the Masonic fraternity , in their individual capacity , the remainder .
We read with peculiar interest in this country , the diversified and always suggestive communications of your correspondents . They throw light upon the internal regulations of the Order in England , far more valuable to us than laboured articles and dissertations upon Masonic principles . I can testify that there is an earnest desire among us to know the work and
lectures of symbolic Masonry as given abroad . Few of the English Brethren who visit this country make it a point to enter our Lodges , although they would be thrice w elcome among us , and w e have no means of gratifying our reasonable curiosity . But while thus commending the labour of your
correspondents , I must not fail to say that the series of papers on " The Orders of Chivalry" you are now publishing , is of uncommon merit ; and so are many other of your articles on standard subjects . Our American periodicals are beginning to appreciate their merits by reproducing them . Pity the international postage is such a barrier to to an international reciprocity of Masonic literature .
A few later statistics than those I forwarded to you last year , may be interesting . Alabama has now 221 lodges , and 6 , 846 members ( Master Masons are usually understood by the term members ) ; Arkansas , 103 lodges , 3 , 040 members ; California , 111 lodges , 4 , 282 members ; Connecticut , 80 lodges ; District of Columbia , 10 lodges , 513 members ; Florida , 32 lodges , 1 , 283 members : Georgia , 205 lodges , 12 , 310 members ; Indiana
215 lodges , 7 , 903 members ; Iowa , 108 lodges , 3 , 178 members ; Maine , 80 lodges ; Massachusetts , 95 lodges ; . Michigan , 95 lodges ; Minnesota , 8 lodges ; Mississippi , 197 lodges , 8 , 029 members ; Missouri , 103 lodges , 5 , 810 members ; New Hampshire , 00 lodges ; New Jersey , 44 lodges , 1 , 882 members ; New York , 408 lodges ; North Carolina , 126 lodges , 4 , 829 members ; Rhode Island , 14 lodges ; Tenessec 188 lodges , 7 ? 750
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Tidings From The Crapt M The United Stat...
In a communication made to your Magazine last year , I alluded to a " Ritual of Knightly Obsequies , " prepared by John L . Lewis , jun ., of New York , a Mason high in rank and intelligence , and adopted by the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of the state of New York . As I
predicted at that time , the work has gone rapidly into use . At Rochester , New York , recently , the obsequies of a Knight Templar were perforhied agreeably to that formula , and , as is reported , with uncommon impressiveness and solemnity . At Zanesville , Ohio , the Commandery has republished this foirnula for the use of its ' members whenever death shall invade
its asylum . Your correspondent used it in November last , at the funeral rites of Sir Knight George Sheeks , near Hickman , Kentucky , and fairly tested its adaptedness . You will find a copy of it in the second number of theMasomc (^ ari As a propos ... to Yankee ingenuity , I will describe to you a popular method for building Masonic halls , recently discovered on our side of the sea . It is found ; that to burthen a Lodge with a debt of construction , is to
destroy its usefulness . Therefore , a joint stock association is formed , a legislative act of incorporation is secured , a , valuable building site in the business part of the town purchased , the aggregate > cost estimated , and the whole divided into shares , usually of ten or twenty-five dollars each . These shares are picked up with a greediness that smacks of u Wall-street ^ ? and the work is put right through . If no dividends are ever pronounced ,
what of it—haven't the stockholders got the building- —arid how can ten dollars be better invested than in a large , neat and useful edifice ? At Zanesville , Ohio , a hall has recently been erected on this plan at a cost of ten thousand dollars , of w hich the Masonic bodies ( five in number ) contributed by the purchase of the stock something-like one-fourth , and the Masonic fraternity , in their individual capacity , the remainder .
We read with peculiar interest in this country , the diversified and always suggestive communications of your correspondents . They throw light upon the internal regulations of the Order in England , far more valuable to us than laboured articles and dissertations upon Masonic principles . I can testify that there is an earnest desire among us to know the work and
lectures of symbolic Masonry as given abroad . Few of the English Brethren who visit this country make it a point to enter our Lodges , although they would be thrice w elcome among us , and w e have no means of gratifying our reasonable curiosity . But while thus commending the labour of your
correspondents , I must not fail to say that the series of papers on " The Orders of Chivalry" you are now publishing , is of uncommon merit ; and so are many other of your articles on standard subjects . Our American periodicals are beginning to appreciate their merits by reproducing them . Pity the international postage is such a barrier to to an international reciprocity of Masonic literature .
A few later statistics than those I forwarded to you last year , may be interesting . Alabama has now 221 lodges , and 6 , 846 members ( Master Masons are usually understood by the term members ) ; Arkansas , 103 lodges , 3 , 040 members ; California , 111 lodges , 4 , 282 members ; Connecticut , 80 lodges ; District of Columbia , 10 lodges , 513 members ; Florida , 32 lodges , 1 , 283 members : Georgia , 205 lodges , 12 , 310 members ; Indiana
215 lodges , 7 , 903 members ; Iowa , 108 lodges , 3 , 178 members ; Maine , 80 lodges ; Massachusetts , 95 lodges ; . Michigan , 95 lodges ; Minnesota , 8 lodges ; Mississippi , 197 lodges , 8 , 029 members ; Missouri , 103 lodges , 5 , 810 members ; New Hampshire , 00 lodges ; New Jersey , 44 lodges , 1 , 882 members ; New York , 408 lodges ; North Carolina , 126 lodges , 4 , 829 members ; Rhode Island , 14 lodges ; Tenessec 188 lodges , 7 ? 750