Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Biographical Sketches Of Eminent Freemasons.
BIOGE ^ HICAL SKETCHES OF EMINENT ; FREEMASONS .
ITsro ^ before the notice of ou ^^ lives of departed Bretbren of the Craft , w talent , or zeal in the cause of F ^ position on tbe scroll of Masonic % m ^ as comprehensive as possibloy we sball also include similar skeleton biographies of those other members of our Fraternity who have won for themselves a world-wide reputation as benefactors to mankind , iu art , science , arid utility .
In commencing such a series a few words by way oi explanation may not be deemed out of place . To those Brethren who have facilities of reference , or to whose reading and acquirements such a Masonic adversaria might appear uncalled for , we beg to remind them that themajority of members of the Graft are engaged in numberless avocations , leaving little leisure , even if they had access to the requisite works , to seek out such subjects for themselves ; and in consequence they are not aware that in addition to their being part of a community inculcating virtue and knowledge , they are also
the successors of some of the most gifted , greatest , and best of men that ever graced our earth . To stimulate them to follow such examples and to avoid such failings as there are in every character however noble , we intend to place before them such a short account as will not be tedious and may induce further inquiry , or at least will have the merit of making them acquainted with the eminent Brethren their predecessors , —
" Who are not lost , but gone before . " It would have been much more satisfactory if we could have traced the Masonic career of those Brethren we propose to include in this series , but strange as it must appear , the official archives of the Craft are , on this point , in a hopelessly useless state . In enrolling the names of members the practice is to make them appear by Lodges , according as they happen to he initiated , and no general register or alphabetical order is in existence ! So that to gain any information from this source it is necessary that the inquirer should be able to furnish the very particulars he is inquiring for ; and to search through the chronological lists of names in the records of private vofc . it , 3 t
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Biographical Sketches Of Eminent Freemasons.
BIOGE ^ HICAL SKETCHES OF EMINENT ; FREEMASONS .
ITsro ^ before the notice of ou ^^ lives of departed Bretbren of the Craft , w talent , or zeal in the cause of F ^ position on tbe scroll of Masonic % m ^ as comprehensive as possibloy we sball also include similar skeleton biographies of those other members of our Fraternity who have won for themselves a world-wide reputation as benefactors to mankind , iu art , science , arid utility .
In commencing such a series a few words by way oi explanation may not be deemed out of place . To those Brethren who have facilities of reference , or to whose reading and acquirements such a Masonic adversaria might appear uncalled for , we beg to remind them that themajority of members of the Graft are engaged in numberless avocations , leaving little leisure , even if they had access to the requisite works , to seek out such subjects for themselves ; and in consequence they are not aware that in addition to their being part of a community inculcating virtue and knowledge , they are also
the successors of some of the most gifted , greatest , and best of men that ever graced our earth . To stimulate them to follow such examples and to avoid such failings as there are in every character however noble , we intend to place before them such a short account as will not be tedious and may induce further inquiry , or at least will have the merit of making them acquainted with the eminent Brethren their predecessors , —
" Who are not lost , but gone before . " It would have been much more satisfactory if we could have traced the Masonic career of those Brethren we propose to include in this series , but strange as it must appear , the official archives of the Craft are , on this point , in a hopelessly useless state . In enrolling the names of members the practice is to make them appear by Lodges , according as they happen to he initiated , and no general register or alphabetical order is in existence ! So that to gain any information from this source it is necessary that the inquirer should be able to furnish the very particulars he is inquiring for ; and to search through the chronological lists of names in the records of private vofc . it , 3 t