Masonic Notes And Queries.

Egyptian brother with whom Belzoni had estabhsed relations , somo half century since , and produced before the Lord Chancellor in his youth ?—A D ISTURBED SPIRIT — [ Our correspondent should toll us what kind of "disturbed spirit " he is . "We take him to bo of thc strongest rum , very slightly indeed disturbed by an admixture of water . If he really believes Bro . Pepper ' s ghost to be

a Mason he had better go to thc Polytechnic and try it , as he must know how , for himself . ] THE WORKING TOOLS . I recommend "Plain English" to buy at once the book he mentions . Many curious Masonic books are picked up in this way , and , from tho title as he gives it , it is no doubt a curious book . If he will favour me with a perusal of it , afterwards , I shall feel deeply obliged . — A . F . A . "WOODFORD , CO ., Swillington , Leeds .

TILE FREEMASONS OF NEWPORT , SOUTH WALES . The following fact is so creditable to the Freemasons of Newport , that it deserves to bo made a note of . It is extracted from the Guardian newspaper : — "A letter in the Times states that Mr . Samuel Baldwin Rogers , of Nant-y-glo , the inventor of iron bottoms for puddling furnaces—an invention of national importance—died in

great poverty last week , at Newport , aged 90 , and was only saved from a pauper ' s grave by the charity of thc Freemasons of the town . An imbecile daughter survives , and efforts are now being made in South Wales to save her from thc workhouse . " —PALMAM QUI MERUIT FERAT . —[ When residing at tho Blaineau , some twentytwo and long before wo were initiatedwe

years ago , , ¦ were well acquainted with Bro . Bogcrs , who was a man far in advance of his times . A favourite scheme of his , and one not so Utopian as certain interested companies pronounced it , was to collect tho immense quantities of gas , driven off into the open air , from all the iron-works in "Wales , to convey it to London , along the Great Western Railway , lighting thc chief towns on thc route ,

the whole of the metropolis , and the entire lino from one end to the other , and finally to supply tho same all over the country by thc lines of railway . This plan , gigantic as it was , would have most wonderfully enriched the iron-works in Wales , abolished the monopolies of gas companies , and by utilising that which is , to this very hour , wasted in quantities that defy figures to

represent it , economised the consumption of fuel—a subject now attracting considerable attention—and removed from the neighbourhood of numberless large towns , the metropolis included , thc pestiferous gas works which pollute the atmosphere and damage much valuable property . When coal becomes dearer and gas more used as an article of fuel—perhaps somo century

hence—then will poor Bro . Roger ' s scheme come to be appreciated , and the country may honour his remains with a stone monument whilst his discoveries were deemed unworthy of bread . Let us hope the brethren of Newport will not relax in their kind offices towards his imbecile daughter ; and to every brother , who can spare the means , we would say , contribute your mite . ]—E . R .

MAD ON FREEMASONRY . My business takes me occasionally to a printing office where a Masonic periodical was once printed , and I have to confer with a very intelligent compositor who , alas 1 for my comfort , knows I am a Freemason . He , it appears , set one or two volumes of that periodical , and , as he is a steady man , much respected in thc office , served

his apprenticeship there , and in every other way as sane as I am , is tolerated by his employers , who say , " He ' s a little gone on one subject , you know what ; but don't allude to it . " Well , I do my business with him all right enough , and turn to leave , when he catches mo by the button and says ,- — "Mr . , havo you been able to manage that little affair for me yet ? Because I know

that several Freemasons called on the governor yesterday ( or the day before ) , and they do persecute me So I'm sure I shan ' t be right in my head much longer if they go on like this . Do get me made a Freemason . " I have repeatedly told him the principles of the Order are to be truthful , and that no Freemason would seek to annoy him—whichfor the timepacifies him ; but the

, , same thing recurs on every visit . He is a good husband , bears an excellent character in the house alluded to , and is altogether as rational as I am on every other subject . Should I be doing wrong to propose him for initiation ? It might save , or restore , a very estimable man to reason if he saw what the Craft is . —A READER .

BROTHER FRANCIS CREW . Is Brother Francis Crew living or dead ? When he was actively at work for tho Girls' School he was seen everywhere ; but now his name is seldom mentioned , and although I havo not noticed his decease recorded in THE MAGAZINE it may have escaped me , so I ask the question . •—A COUNTRY SUBSCRIBER . —[ Brother Crew is , we are

happy to say , alive and better than we expected from his affliction . About three weeks ago we called upon him , and found him actually improved in looks . True , poor fellow , he is paralysed and has lost the use of his speech , but is able to say " yes" and " no" to all that is said to him . With these exceptions every one of his faculties are in as good a state as ever . Indeedhe went so far as to

, sing a snatch of a song , omitting the words—and there was the remains of his once clear and musical voice . We stayed with him above an hour , and his niece , who is an admirable interpreter of his wants and ideas , told us he felt the old proverb , " Out of sight out of mind , " very much , for at one time some of the brethren used to drop

in and talk to him , but only a few did so now ; and this she attributed to a report that had been spread abroad that he was imbecile . God have mercy , wo say , on the man that invented such an untruth ! Bro . Crew endorsed all she said . He showed us his arm and side ( that which was unaffected ) , to prove how good his health was . To every question we put to him he returned

a most intelligible " yes " or " no , " and was pleased to intimate that he should be glad to see us again . Bro . Francis Crew is as hearty as any man can be , gifted with all his intellects in their full vigour , and , we think , deserving of a little more attention from the Craft than he receives . A few minutes' chat with him occasionally would bo but a friendly actand to such a brother little

, courtesies of this kind would be a bright spot in his hour of trial . We are very glad " A Country Subscriber " has put the question to us , because we can answer it in a way that will be gratifying to hundreds . In our turn we should like to ask a question , —Is Bro . Crew ' s portrait as forgotten and neglected as himself ; and at whoso door lies the blame F ]

MASONIC DEGREES . Could one really believe that " Delta ' s" notes and queries are meant bond fide to advance Masonic truth and extend Masonic knowledge , one should have little difficulty in giving a satisfactory response to his almost innumerable communications , " de omnibus rebus efc quibusdam aliis . "

But I confess , having already had a little experience of " Delta ' s" controversial theories , that I cannot otherwise regard them than as " sensation" notes , raising up endless " vexata quosstiones , " stirring up endless controversies , and treading with irreverent footstep on what , as Masons , we have been taught to consider hitherto " holy ground . "

When " Delta , " for instance , iu tho very last number of THE MAGAZINE , gives vent to this reckless expression of individual opinion— " I feel convinced that the F . C . degree has been recently foisted into the system , " ho quietly ignores those most interesting communications from our Bro . D . Murray Lyon which should have served , one is led to think , to point out even to him