The Sierra citizen. [volume] (Downieville, Calif.) 1854-185?, 1854-07-01

long before the commencement of the
Christian era, but it was in an age OF learn
ing and enlightenment, at time when
God was worshiped Gas spirit, and in
spirit and in truth" Freemasonry was
founded by an enlightened ruler, the wisest
man of his time, the chosen of God. 1t
was instituted by King Solomon, at the
building of the Great Temple, 1856 years
ago, in the year Of the world 1892 and
l,0l2 years before the Christian era. The
legacy which David, who had been making
great preparations for the work, bequeatn-
ed to Solomon, is described by David him
self in the first book Of Chronicles, the
14th, 18th and 10th verses: +" Now behold,
in my trouble l have prepared for the
House of the Lord, one hundred thousand
talents of gold, and thousand thousand
talents of silver, and Of brass and iron
without weight, for it is in abundance ;
timber also, and stone have prepared.
Moreover, there are workmen in album
dance, hewers, and workers of stone and
timber, and all manner of cunning men for
every manner of work. Of the gold, the
silver and the brass, and the iron, there is
no number
A writer, curious in these matters, has
made an estimate of the amount of these
talents of gold and silver alone, the weight
of which would be over 100000 tons, and
it would require over $4,000 wagons, at
two tons each, to carry them. Allowing
80 feet to each wagon and horses, more
than 800 miles would be covered. The
amount in Federal currency would be
1927 APO 1854, of which the annual inter
est at 6 per cent. would be $229,645, POI.
1t would make 100 banks of S35,OOO,OOO
each, and leave fraction of $l2,420,364.
In the building of the Temple, there
were $4,000 men employed.
Never, before or since, was so stipend
Gus a project in architecture undertaken,
much less successfully completed nor
could this one have been so, but for the
consummate wisdom displayed by Solo
mon in the commencement and prosecu-
ton of the vast work He reduced all the
operations to so perfect a system, and clas-
sihed and arranged the workmen in such
a manner that neither envy, discord nol
confusion was permitted to interrupt the
peace and harmony which prevailed among
them, during period of more than seven
years, occupied in completing the build
ing. There were three Grand Masters
three thousand and three hundred Masters
overseers of the work eighty thousand
Fellow Crafts, or artifcers and seventy
thousand Entered Apprentices, or bearers
of burden. This arrangement was a mat
ter of necessity, as there was so great a
number of workmen, in order to assign to
portions of them the particular labor they
were to perform. And that the whole
might proceed without clashing or confu
sion, Solomon gave them certain words
signs and tokens, by which each rank
should be distinguished. and which, even
after the completion of the Temple, were
to be used for beneficial purposes. This
was the foundation of Masonry, and that
such is the fact, we, as Masons, have evi
dence which is satisfactory and conclusive
We do not pretend to say that Masonry is
precisely the same now as then, but we are
well convinced that the original landmarks
of the order have been transmitted to us
unchanged and unimpaired. As Masons
we are in possession of interesting facts
unknown to the world, which are stated
to have originated at the building Of the
Temple. The same facts are in possession
of Masons in different; countries. If this
information existed only in our own coun
try, or in that from which we received it
we might readily suppose it to be fabrica
ted, but when we find the same facts, agree
ing in. all essential particulars, in almos
! every country on the globe, we are IRE
sistibly forced to the conclusion that the,
are true. Many of the workmen upon til,
Temple were from abroad, and after it
completion either returned to their home
or became scattered in remote countries
and thus were the teachings of Masonr,
planted in various portions OF the world
and thus was laid the foundation of it
universally. There are long periods il
the worlds history when we can find n
traces of its progress. but this is not to b
h wondered at, when we consider the char
aetere of the institutions 1T was and il
designed to operate on man Individually
}, in the still, quiet walks Of private life
T and hence, while the deeds OF some grea
conqueror, or the march Of q powerful il
vading army are biaz6ned forth by the hi:
torian to dazzle the minds of men, Masor
! ry, the handmade of peace, often. for
S long time receives not even q passing NJ
j tice We have seen, however, that M
!, fscnry, SO far from being founded in irref
gion, was Instituted at the building of Ii
, greatest Temple ever raised to the wsorshi
e Of the Living God. From that time unit
, the captiYitY of the Iorrs eee .zona,rc Is.