The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-10-05

a
| brick. was laid in due Masonic form On Wed
nesday last, 9th inst. The Grand Lodge
was opened in honor of the occasion, with
the following as
GRAND OFFICERS:
Geo. r Fearn. NJ. W. Grand Master.
Jno. G. McArthur. as Dep. Grand Master.
j. C-POrter as Sen. Grand Warden.
e.. NJ. Kelly. as Junior Grand Warden.
Rev. j. l.. Cooper, as Grand Orator.
Rev. VS.. Webb. as Grand Chaplain.
Al. Herrod. as Grand Architect.
R.Towler as Grand Treasurer.
j. l.. Power, Grand Secretary
J. NJ. Wood, as Grand Senior Deacon.
j. J.. Simmons. az Grand Junior Deacon
I Jas. Watts, as Grand Marshal.
q. j. Former, as Grand Steward.
Il. c. Gathright, as Grand Personivaut.
w. Henderson, as Grand Tyler.
Geo. Bancroft carrying the Holy Writings
and Duncan Kelly the Book of Constitutions.
The ceremonies of laying the stone were
not only we'll conducted, but were very i'm
posing. The Masons in the vicinity, TO the
number Of about sixty, marched in process
sion TO the northeast corner of the founda-
ton wall, preceded by the children and Off
GERS of the Home. The children formed
circle on arriving at the corner stone, and
were surrounded by the craft and large
concourse of visitors. While the stone was
being lowered, beautiful anthem was sung
by the children, to the air of '.Old Hundred
the words of which were printed at the
Orphans Banner office only an hour pre-
vious.
The ceremonies of laying the stone having
been concluded, the audience were comfort
ably seated, and entertained for about an
hour with music, speeches aud dialogues by
the children.
Rev. j. /. Cooper was then invited, with
out previous notice, to address the audience
which he did in most appropriate and elO-
quent manner. He was followed by Grand
Master Fearn, during whose remarks the
children adopted as wards by Subordinate
Lodges were called to the platform, when
the Grand Master took each child by the
hand, receiving them in behalf of the
Lodges. The scene was well calculated to
moisten the eye and TO start the sympathet-
ic tear. Could it have been witnessed by
the twelve thousand Masons in Mississippi,
there would not be an orphan at Lauder
dale to-day who would not be registered and
provided for as the child of Lodge. Pho
tographs of the children thus adopted are
sent to the Lodge, and duplicate copy to
the Grand Secretary.
The ceremonies of the morning were fol-
lowed by bouutful feast for the children,
provided mainly by the visitors who came
with baskets and trunks filed with good
things for the orphans.
The boys at the Home have not only made
all the brick for the building now in course
of erection, but have made about two thous-
and dollars worth beside, which are being
sold at the market price, and the proceeds
applied to the pay ment of wOrknnen, and the
purchase of subsistence.
The Home, for the last eighteen months,
has been supported mainly by the efforts of
Rev. a. ID. Trimble, and his orphan concert 1
troupe, and as they have not been very sue
cesstul during the past few months, the
Home Treasury is almost empty. Under
these circumstances the Secretary o.. the
Board of Trustees was directed to commits |
sion suitable agents to at once enter the |
field and gather up supplies, so that our
ch ldren of the Lost Cause may not be per- |
mitted 30 suffer for bread and for suitable |
shelter for the coming winter.