Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-06-21
The Masonic Fraternity.

] The past few years have been marked with the
rapid growth Of Masonry in the United States. The
number of members within the jurisdiction of the
Grand Lodges of the several States is not reported
but learn from the statistics of the Grand Lodge
of the United States, that there were IN 1859 up
wards of 4,6OO Lodges and counting the number
of members for each Lodge at forty-ive which is
twenty-five less than the general average for the
State Of New York. and thirty-ve less than that of
Pennsylvania, we have the number of Masons con-
nected with Lodges in the Union as nearly two
hundred and seven thousand while there are large
number of Masons in every State not connected with
any Lodge. 1t is safe, therefore, to put down the
number of Mssons at the present time within the
United States at a quarter of a million.
The Annual Communication Of the Grand Lodge
of New York was held in the city of New York
few days ago, and from the address of the Grand
Master JOIN L. LEWIS Jr., we learn the following
facts:
At the commencement of the present century there
were 81 lodges with a membership of about 50OG
in a population of 588,603 In 1910 the lodges had
increased to liz with membership Of $500, in
population of g6l SSS. In 1920 there were 2g5
lodges numbered to 1881 and a membership Of
Is 600. in a population of l,372,8l2. This decade
witnessed the tornado which swept the States,
so that IN 1880 The number of lodges which in 1925
had run up 70 4S9, with membership Of over
20 OOO was but 49, and reliable membership scare
" exceeding 3000 in population Of 1913 l3l. In
1910 the institution began to exhibit symptoms of
reSusctatOn and brethren awakened from the blight
and persecution of the ten preceding years from
a terrible dream The number of Lodges then
1872 in New York and 81 in IA counties west of
the Hudson river, with but about 5000 members,
IN population Of 2,42S 92l, The increase was slow
but steady, TO the year 1850, when there were lI2
Lodges, In the three Grand Lodges then existing,
with about 1900 members and the population Of
the state then was 3 1897 1884 At the present time
llSbo) there are 432 working Lodges Numbered to
49, and membership of over 10000, and the pop
ulauon Is computed at about 100000.
1t viii thus be seen that the ratio was in 1900 one
to every Ia inhabitants in 1910 one to III; in
1920, one to 81; 1925, one to so: 1880 one to 637
1910, one to 49,; 1850 to 25S and in 1860 one
to l33-and 1t should be borne in mind that there
are computed to be in the State 900 unafiliated
Masons. who are recognized as such making the
ratio now to be one in every l4nhabitants-a state
OF prosperity fully equaing that of the best DAYS of
the fraternity. The speaker proceeded to state that
IN the past ten years the fraternity had doubled that
noble charity. the Hall and Asylum Fund had mar
ucipated IN the successful operations Of the several
Boards Of Relief, and laid the foundation of libra
~ had undertaken the project of a Masonic His
cory Of jurisdiction (of which the Grand Master
proposes to lay plan before the Grand LodgeO
We have, continued the speaker, gained a world
wide fame for our admirable reports on foreign cor
respOTdence; we have fOstered a taste for masonic
literature and we have conducted our financial and
business affairs with such system and success that
year by year, we have added to our strength.