, 1876-06-23
ROCKFORD,
4 Great Celebration in tho Chief City
Of tho Winnobagos.
Successful Laying or tlln Cornerstone
OF tho NnW Courthouse.
An Immense Day For ,Genera}a
lssin1os and Small Boys.

fprcfa. pts,a.ch 10 ne 7risnne
RocKroRp, ILL.,, June 14.-Ttc Masonic ce1e-
l,rations In i,pnor Ut 1nying tho cornerstone Of
The Conrt-Iiouac took place llcrc t.,-lay. Rock.
fnrd mover haforc put OH sucll II holiday uttlre,
Tho city was literally tlrape' from nna end to
thu other with bunting The supply Of t'ags
seemed lfmlt1cas. Every tleycc In evererccns,
from wreath to tho Masonic square and COM
r'as, wns used In decorate The stores, nrtl, In
decd, wlio'o business blocks wcro beautifully
n'ornca with wrcaths, garlansls. An1 fcstoons,
ny tic rnlshg nf con,lun fund by tic tenants,
Rprkford lid fts hest to make the event MEM
orahlo one, md Il succeeded.
Tho day was favorable, Though very hot, and
several persons were t1ltl-strrck. The feature
Of tho t}ay wns tic Goycrnor's Guards, from
Springfield. who arrived hero nt II :lU II. H., Ill.,
'lcr the command III Capt. T.. 8. johnson. 1t ID
cou'posc'l Of alxty uuskcts n drum corps Ut
twenty, and d brass band OF sixteen pieces.
The following Crusader Communicates wcro
Invited anl were ln attendance: Frccport Com
tnandery No. T; Sycamore Cotn,nnntlery No,
Is; Chicago Connlnndery No. 10; st. Rcrnnrl
conlsnandcry No. q; Springfield Commanlcry.
Each Comma1ulcry was escorted with f1no
brass band. Tic oflfcera Of tho Grand Lut!gc of
tic State Of Illinois were present. The Lodges
Lodgc; White 1tock I.ollgc No. 59;
l}rlvltlerc, No. 90; Capron Lodge No, 575:
Dyror, Lodge; Duraml I.olgc No. 2o3; Rock
ton Lodge M. II; Roscoe Lolgo No Is; Lena
Lodge No. 174; Frccport Lodge; Thompson
Lodge, Frccport; Evergreen Lodge, Frceport
Besides this thcrc must hure been bctwccu forty
and fifty lodges represented By O fey members.
FROM Information obtained from tic Rcccption
Committee, not lcss than 5000 Ainsous uni
knights Icmplar were In this city te,4lay, with
out our own A1asons, who number 500.
Special tra1ns from all directions brought the
crowd here by 10 O'Clock.
Tic Mayor md Common Council mot tic
Governors Guards, and they wero lA1ulso.nc]y
entertained ut Holland House, at the clty'a cx.
pcnso. All the Crusader Communicates, nun-
herring ncarly Goo persons, were marched to IIas-
kcll's large seed establishment, anil entertained
III right rnyal style with good dinner and l,at,-
9lct In the evening. The wants of the Master
Masons wcrc attended to by tl1cIr respective
lo1gcs
At 2 o'clock the procession commenced to
form. null at 3 o'clock The order WIS given to
march. The streets were lined With thousands
of spectators through the en tire line Of ma,vll.
Tlle procession took half an hour to pasa
given no!nt. Tho march completed, nil wus
te' "p Ie'e'"o''''h' my jan
round t'o cohrt1loase Was terrific. To
thousands tho extra ceremonies were 40 many
dumb Motions, mid the speech Of Past GrunIl
Master De Witt Csefgicr hut gesticulationa. 70
those who managed to get near enough, tho
speech was az l., eloluent mud enlnently appro-
rtlate, onc. The usual documents, etr., were
deposited In tho cayity--anong other things
complete history of tho Masonic Lodges Of
Win,ehago County, with the names Of Present
Perry; history Of Rockford and WHINE.
bngo County from IT. carltcst settlement
to tho present duy, written expressly by r. T.
Iorter; history o1 AZ the flre-companics, aud
ott,sr matters q o. local interest
many generations. Inc eFGnt OF tltc day then
1noA R,ascIa Esaha @ nananet SivGn inc knight
icnaplaes py thclr ofother Knights OF Rock.
s ford: At least boo persons pnrtook Of this
ieMst. E, IT,, -,.
rcspone to wdse vst1;s xe coo a teG'e,
or o., , eatts tG our BONES to or festvlcs to
eArry a%ay with tl!eln none other t'an thy most
aeteeanie e Impressions OF our town, o,ir citzGns,
1tu te y n MaSHc ,E 1rntefnI1y," ny Judge T. Na!-
icy; Inc Muc lo.iGe: .1i;s ING nhsai stone-york
sSeT Exit sr o o. tat genuine @ natsral w
supesstt,r1gsturem t,1' hy Dnnston; Nv. D; Richard.
fnn: Mhllc 6lllulne the new Court liousc fnr
,MinnooaRo ", @ county whlci', Whcn hn1shed, wlll
bo 60 great IN honor 10 the county, ant 50
ttrgh.t an ofnamena 70 our Gity, no Is earning
ior ntasoll tepu.a.son I9f hohest WORK. Ee!'
etosty, dna eonrlfsy whsh aer snail ontiiyo tieso
atohes,' ny nceloy tcLty "IAe trcss; A!M1shty
mooney IN Ing ennplnts ana directing OF pnblIe
oMpinloni or may lte ntcd ain 20 70 insucatc bue
tle lrueSs FatrlutlHrl Aa LUG nlEheat moral seH'