The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1875-11-04
a Little Masonic Episode.

In the year OF our Lord 1865, it be
came the good fortune of the writer
to settle down in the beautiful city Of
New Berne, after having received an
honorable discharge from the United
States Army. In the month of June
while engaged in the multifarious
duties of editing and publishing the
New Berne Daily Times, be was pas
sing through Craven Street, when
his attention was attracted by tap
ping on the window of jewelry
store. We passed in and found a
hummer of Snerrnan's army trying
to put set of silver Lodge jewels
into our friend Charley. We started
for the door to call a guard for the
purpose of arresting the hummer, but
the fellow mistrusting ovr object,
picked up the jewels and began to
skedaddle with his booty. We found
that that game wouldn't work, and so
we invited him into the back room,
where we made bargain with hlm,
and for the sum Of $25, became the
possessor of a beautiful set of Lodge
jewels. We Immediately advertised
the Grand Lodge of North Carolina,
and by public advertisement in the
Daily Times, the public, of our treas
ure. Soon every paper in North and
South Carolina copied our advertise,
ment. Letters by the pouchful be,
gan to arrive, describing those Jewels.
We received some thirty letters from
as many different Lodges who had
lost similar articles.
AT last one came from Col. James
IL. Rion, of Winneboro, S. O., de-
scribing them to our satisfaction.
We packed them up, gavo them in
charge of the Southern Express
Company WHO kindly undcrt> ok their
charge free of oxpe:sc, and away
they went on their journey home.
lii the mean time we sickened, and
sought for health in New Jersey. In
the winter Of 1866, wo received let
ter from Col Rion, which had been
forwarded to us, stating that tho jew
els were not his, but that they be-
longed to Flint Hill Lodge, had been
Unidentified, but the Lodge had not
money to redeem them. We wrote
him to the effect that they did not
belong to us, but gave them to the
Lodge, and place the debt to the
credit of Masonry.
Time rolled on. In Nov. 1869
bro. Rion wrote to our worthy sucs
cessor in New Berne, (Col. Geo. w.
Mason, Jr.O having mislaid our letter
that the money was ready for u.s.
This letter was received by a clerk of
our successor during his absence, and
filed away, where it rested until Aug.
1875, when our successor, in looking
over his old letters, found it, and
mailed it to us from Rixtord, Florida.
We received the old letter about the
middle of September last. We inns
mediatcly notified bro. Rion, and six
days from the receipt of his letter,
(Which had been six years in rcach~
ing ue0 we received q check upon
New York, which was duly honor,
ed.
1t was but small matter of itself,
but the curious circumstances which
seemed to attend our efforts to place
these jewels in the hands of their
lawful owners, and the fidelity of our
southern brother, Col. James Ii. Rion
in nobly seconding our efforts, have
indclibly stamped that transactio
upon our minds. 1t proved pleas i,
ant duty to us. In our intercourse
with southern masons, we have ever
found them honorable and upright,
scorning little things, and endeavor.
ing to live up to their masonic pro-
fession. Though many of those with