The Nevada Democrat., 1858-04-28
From the Alta California.
Tho FIrt Masonic Funeral In San Francisco.

From the Alta california.
Tho Firt Masonic Funeral In San Francisco
In the contempative hour Of retirement, how
many thrilling "reminiscences of the past crow,
upon the memory Some Of them are pleasing
and others are of a peculiarly painful character
The year l849 will ever be q memorable epoel
in the history of California The commercial
and gold-seeking adventurers "met on the level
in those days. There was no granite building
to trade in nor were there splendid palaces t.
live in, such as now adorn the surrounding hill
Of San Francisco. Thousands of people, Ions
accustomed to all the re6nements and luxuriei
of Eastern life. had to doff their fine linen and
put on the red shirt of the hardy miner. Pride
was unknown for time. Gentlemen had to
etoop from their dignity. and awkwardly wash
their own clothing They had to kndle their
own fires and do the work of o clHsinier. Some
reposed at night in canvas tent, while Others
closed their eyes among the sand hills. with
no other covering but the canopy of Heaven
"Bespangled with those isles Of light
So wildly spiritually bright"
Exposure aud desease rapidly peopled the king
dom of DEATH Aguntamiento had not yet set
apart any ground for burial purposes. The
consequence was that many were rudely buried
in the suburbs. and were afterwards removed
to Yerba Buena Cemetry, where the remains of
eight hundred lie huddled together in one i'm
mense dismal grave. There is not even CON-
mon board to mark out the remarkable pit, in
which sleep so many of the unfortunate pio-
neers of Upper California.
In those eventful times men we're found dead
and no one could tell from whence they came.
They passed away to their graves unhonored
and unknown. The Fraternity Of "the mystic
tie" had not organized There was not a lodge
in the State. They only knew each other by
the legal Information, which craftsmen only know
and properly understand. A wonderful instance
of Masonic identity occurred in the month of
August. l849. much respected citizen and
Mason, who is still living. was quietly vending
his way to Happy Valley very early in the
morning, when he beheld the corpse of man
stretched upon the beach. All was soft and still
The strangely mingled population of the tented
city was wrapped in deep repose. The mists
still fingered on the hills, and the morning star
shone clearly in the sky. The waters of the bay
were very smooth and calm. aud gently laved
the feet of the dead stranger, 'who slept the
sleep that knows no waking" The Great Dis
penser of human events, in his inscrutabe prov
idence. seemingly had determined that the tide
should bear his lifeless body to the shore, where
discovered by passing brother, it would be as
suredly carried TO the grave in becoming SOL
emnty, and deposited therein with all the hon
ors and ceremonial rites of the ancient Frater-
nifty of Free and Accepted Masons:
"Theres Divirty that shapes our ends,
Roughhew them as you will"
Some of the inmates of the neighboring tents
were reused from their slumbers, and speedily
repaired to the spot Thc Alcalde was immedi-
ately sent for He promptly attended and act
ed as Coroner. The body was removed TO
tent, where it was carefully scrutnized. No
indications of violence were visible. The man
had evidently been drowned. His face was
manly and Intellectual, and his hair was long
and curly, and of dark auburn hue. He was
neatly dressed. aud had superior look of re-
epectability. The jacket and pantaloons on his
person were blue pilot cloth, and black silk
handkerchief was tied in sailors knot around
his neck. There was nothing found in his pook-
cts that could possibly lead to his identity.
However, in removing the flannel from his ho-
son. a silver mark of a Mark Master was discov-
cred. upon which we're engraved the initials of
his name. little further investigation reveal
ed to the beholders the most o,are exhibition of
Masonic emblems that were ever drawn by
the ingenuity of man on the human skin. TIL, re
is nothing in the history Free Masonry equal to
Il. Beautifully dotted on his left arm, in red
and blue ink. which time could not efiace. ap-
peared all the emblems of the Entered Appren-
tice There was the Holy Bible, the square aud
compass, the twenty-iour inch guage, and the
common gavel. There were also the Masonic
pavement representing the ground floor of
King Solomon's Temple the indented tessel
which surrounds it, and the blazing star in the
centre. On his right arm, and artistcally exc
cuted in the same indelible liquids, were the en-
blcms appertaining to the fellow craft degree,
viz the plumb, the square and the level.
There were also hve columns, representing the
five orders of architecture-the Tuscan, Doric,
Ionic, Cornthian and Composite.
In removing the garments from his body, the
Trowel presented ITSELF with all the other work
ing tools made use of in operative Masonry. be-
sides all the emblems peculiar to the degree of
Master Mason. Conspicuously on his breast
were the three Great Lights ofMasonry. Over
his heart was the Pot of Incense. On other
parts of his person were the Bee Hive; the Book
of Constitutions, guarded by the Tyler's Sword;
the sword pointing to naked heart; the All
Seeing Eye, the Anchor and Ark, the Hour
Glass, the Scythe, and the forty-seventh problem
Of Euclid; The Suo, Moon, Stars and Comet;
the Three Steps emblematical of Youth, Man
hood and Age Admirably executed was the
Weeping Virgin, reclining on broken column,
lpon which lay the Book of Constitutions In
Ter left hand she held the Pot of Incense, the
Masonic emblem Of pure heart, and in her up