Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1871-01-17
Masonic Mutual ga .Asaooiation.
TFrOm the vvIDehss,er Iimes.l

; burg some sixty delegates from ten Lodges
ia Maryland, Virginia aud West Virginia, on
Thursday, the 5th of January. On motion of
Il. f. Harrison, Eco ,Ons Of the delegates from
Hiram Lodge No, Il, Rev. james b. Avirett
was elected chairman of the convention, and
Res. John A. Scott Of the Lodge at Duf6elds
Depot. was made Secretary. On motion. q
committee composed of Que from each lodge
represented was appointed by the chairman,
whose duty it was TO report business at the
evening session of the convention. The chair,
before naming the committee, fully explained
the object Of Ibe convention. He said that
il was in the power OF Masonry to disprove
the cavillicgs Of the many who are in the
! habit of saying that i. was of no practical
! value to society that We had met in conyeu-
tiOn to devise sOne plan by which We could
III sale aUd systematic manner aid each other
aud our own widows and orphans after we
were dead. There WeIe but few while COM
PaFatively young aud in active business who
could not spare such amount in small assess,
ments as would virtually secure to our families
all the advantages Of Life Insurance with none
Of the drawbacks of taking the money out of
our communities aud Investing il remote from
our inspection and watchfulDess. That this
plan for years had worked with Engineers,
Conductors aud Telegraph Operators. If it
had been made to work among those bound to.
getheT by none other than ordinary ties what
ought not MasOns to be able to do with the
same principle, among themselves bound to-
gether as no other men On earth are. lie
hoped the convention would go to work in ear
I nest and see what could be done. Before np-
pointing the committee, he hoped the Breth>
rem present from different parts of the cOun-
| try would give the cUufTeution and especially
! the committee. about TO be raised. the benefit
of their views on the subject. There we're
then delivered some half dozen speeches pre-
senting different phases of the question, all
looking 70 prompt aud vigorous action. The
committee was then announced, and tho con-
vention adjourned until a o'clock, in order
TO give the necessary time 10 mature business,
&c. AT the hour appointed. tile convention
met aud the committee, through their chair
man made full aud elaborate report, which
was adopted without dissenting voice. except
such opposition as emanated from Life Iu-
surance.
The result Of their action was this, in nut.
shell: Nome but Master Masons in good
standing. in regular occupation, trade or pro-
iessi0n. with the certificate OF the Master of
the Lodge under seal accompanied by $500,
could become members. The membership
was not limited as To The age of the membcr,
aud as vet US 10 the number Of the Associa>
ton. When u brother died there went out at
once al assessment of $lUO on each member,
aud the 800 from each member, say $4,000
from mcmber-hiPbf 5000 members, was in
sixty days paid by the Treasurer of the Homo
office To the widow Of the deceased brother,
aud il he IcGt no family then to his legal rep.
rcsentItivcs, aud dfcn tho iaiure of these, after
payment of tho expenses of funeral aud last
illness, the residue went TO the sinking fund.
The PrOtcction.of all Investments belonging
| to the Association was made ample by requir-
ing tire Directors 20 require from the Treas.
urcr good and Sufficient bond in sum fully
large enough TO provide against any trouble
in this Quarter. Shcpherdstown being the
nearest Nrgnin town to Maryland. with bank
ing facilities, the Home office was located
there. The Board of Directors is composed
Of 2l prominent Masons, some of whom are
required to live in Jefferson county, in order
to facilitate the pracrieh working Of the AS
sociation as local or homc board.
There were good macy more than enough
of the delegates who at once paid their $500
to secure the charter, and prominent lawyer
! present, an eaTnesr, active and we'll posted
| Mason, was charged with the duty of securing
! it IRON the Secretary oi State. It's proposed
then that the charter members at once meet
4 in ChaTlcstown and proceed to organize by
electinga President vice. President. Secretary
/ and TTsa,uTer, with Board of Directors
! This in hricf is the work performed By the
convention. At 10 o'clock it adjourned TO
4 meet in Winchester on the Z2d of February
| next, when with such brothers as Parker, NeiIl
! Travers, Love. GranthaIn. Brent, Harrison,
| Denny. NadenbOusch, aud long list which
\ might be given of earnest, active, thoughtful
I, prudent MasOns, fully and energeticaIIv at
{. work, We may hope tha, when Mason dies in
] L Al.
/! cared for by this systematiEed scheme of Be.
nevolence, the Master DIasons, Mutual Aid
| Association aud not LETT to the colder and
more stiD;ed charity Of mere gratVitous con-
4 tributions among Masons. It is . reproach
| upon the Order that chill January, with its
! concomitant wars, should almost freeze the
! Orphanage of Masons in many cases. That
! the Great Master of the Celestial Lodge may
I put it in the hearts Of Us all to labor and so
/ TO plan rhat,his project Of BenevoIeuce shall be
| a complete success ought 20 be the ferveut de-
sire of every Mason whose heart is under the
! iufueace OF the cardinal principles of tho
! order. -.I... 1..v 80
I DoGs-The mcilOwcst Of the Latin poets
( did not disdain to sing the virtues and idiosyn-
/ cracies ofthc dog-thereIore shall we not des>
1 pise the narration Of a canine epic from the
!. land Of gold. In Sacramento, William Cotter,
man after Mr. Berghs own heart. IN one Of
! his daily walks. rescued a mangy curr from
/ the panGs ofstarvStion, and by various plea
| sing process transformed him into the sleek
semblanee of an arisrocratic coach uuderrun-
/ ner. Between the man aud the brute strong
i affection sprung Up-a friendship 50 marked
/ and demonstra;ive on the part of the brute
| that the whole neighborhood became interest
/ ed In the state Of Affairs, another canine
outcast was adopted by Cotter, and upon the
appearance of himself and this latter protege.
! the first dog displayed al the symptoms Of a