The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-06-24
st. Johns Day.
Why and How the Masons Observe It.

The ancient fraternity of Freemasons have
two patron Saints, John the Baptist and John
the Evangelist Some Masonic iconoclasts
mainly Jewish Masons who wish to eliminate
the Christian element from the ritual have ar
gued that this was not the ancient custom be-
cause certain lodges were dedicated to other
saints; but the fact that the Freemasons who
were engaged in building the Strasburg Cathe-
dral in 1440 were called "Johannisbruder" or
the brotherhood of St. john is a sufficient
answer to any one who is not incorrigibly an
Gent The festivals of these two saints fall on
the twenty-fourth of June and the twenty
seventh of December. 1t is rather significant
that these days are the summer and winter SOL
stices, Tor were meant so to fall when instituted
and were doubtless Masonic festal DAYS before
Christianity came in. They were great Pagan
festivals in honor of the sun, and were gath
cred in by the wise Christian fathers among
the other spoil of heathendom which was worth
preserving for better purposes and impossible
to destroy
This present day of midsummer is celebrated
as the natal day of John the Baptist, and from
time lmmemorial the Craftsmen have observed
it. Even in Portland it has been the custom
for ITO years, for in 1863 Portland Lodge cele-
brated the day by dinner at Daniel Ilslevs
tavern Tin Deering where DIR. Tewksbury's
house now stands.) In 1771 the dinner was at
Shattuck's tavern on the northeast corner of
Exchange street, and the lodge marched in
procession to st. Paul's church on Middle street
where the Episcopal rector Mr. WisweIl,
preached sermon. In 1774 it was at Daniel
Ilsleys again, and in 1775 at Shattuck's In
1875, after the war, it was at Motley's tavern,
the Masons' Arms, kept by Thomas Motley,
the grandfather of the historian, on the spot
where Neal Dow's new block is now building.
In 1895 it was at the Assembly Rooms on India
street, and again at the same place in 1886,
when an Grafton was delivered by William
Symmes at DR.. Deane's church. In 1897 and
1898 the dinnar waso+ Ge1,.1..g ia1aa Hall
Market square. In 1893, 1900 and 1901; it was
at Union Hall. In 1902 there was famous
celebration at Washington Hall on India street,
the old Assembly Rooms having been fitted up
anew. On that occasion the hall was thrown
open to the public the next day to allow the
elegant decorations to be SEEM
In Deane's journal is found occasional men,
ton of the. Masons on these occasions In 1899
he notes that Capt. Stoddard, who was the
United States army officer in command here,
delivered the Grafton. The Captain also de-
llvered the Grafton on the Fourth of july fol-
lowing. In 1906 the Parson listened to LAWYER
Bray's grafton. But perhaps the most inter-
esting OF all was on June oath, 1862, when the
Grand Lodge of Massachusetts came down with
several communicates of Knights Templar,
and procession of $500 men marched through
our streets, and at City Hall celebrated the
centennial anniversary of Portland Lodge. On
that occasion the dinner was given in Yale's
mammoth tent on Munjoy Hill. Since that
time the day has generally been left to the
Templars, but the present year has been again
taken by the lodges and will be observed some
what in the oldtime manner by procession of
white-aproned craftsmen. But time has made
some changes, and instead of procession of
nifty we may expect to see to-day three thous-
and OF the brotherhood in line, and many
bands will enliven the march. The elegant
dinner" which the old records describe in the
upper chamber of the old Columbian tavern
must give way to modern clambake at the
Islands, and the after-dinner toasts and speeches
at which William Symmes presided so grace
fully eigty-five years ago. must fade away into
the past in the presence of so great company.
We cannot but feel lively interest in the
prosperity of society which has maintained so
nigh character for so long period and whose
history is that OF SO many eminent citizens
among whom we may mention, Alexander
Ross, VIM. Tying, Gen. Jedediah Preble, Com
modore Edward Preble Capt Enoch
Preble, Gen. John K Smith, Dr. Nathaniel
Coffin, joseph Coffin Boyd, Woodbury.
Storer, Samuel Stephenson, Samuel d.
Stevens, Gov. Albion X. Paris, Gen. Samuel
Fessenden, Simon Greenleaf, William Swan.
James d. Hopkins, Charles Fox, Rev. James
Pratt, Matthew Cobb, Henry Jackson,
John P. Boyd, Freeman Bradford, Henry Fl.
Body, James c. Churchill, Joseph M. Ger
-rish.-S Seth ~Glarlr.-~Edward Howe,@ A lnl,nns~
Shaw, j. B. Cahoon, with great number of
others, whose names are seen with pride in the
chronicles of our fair city.
Although the greatest names in our national
history, from those Of Washington and Frank
lin downward, have adorned the rolls of the
fraternity, it seems to be standing yet higher
In the present than in the past, and it now
numbers over 100000 in North America In
Europe it stands equally high The Prince of
Wales and his brothers are presiding officers in
England, the King of Sweden in that country,
the Emperor William and the Crown Prince
in Germany, and throughout that continent
the leading men are connected with the BROTH
erhood.
One great merit of this society is that it
knows when to keep silent. While it acts
promptly and nobly in the presence of fire,
flood or pestilence, the great civil war was not
powerful enough to break the fraternal chain,
and prisoners on either side promptly called on.
their brethren, and freely received the means
to procure such comforts as their condition re-
quired. This harmony is maintained by the
absolute exclusion of politics and sectarianism
from lodges, SO that an Orthodox and Uniyer-
sallst minister may be found cordially COM
muning, or Democratic leader joking with
Republican politician, with the perfect convic-
ton that no guile can enter there. 1t is true
that in France at present they are running to
defamation, like those Guilds of Rhetoric in
Flanders in the fifteenth century, which used
to harangue their rulers on festal occasions.
and sometimes talk them blind But Anglo
Saxon masons have never shown any such
idiosyncrasies.
There is very pleasant element of equality
about the ORDER too, for it is we'll established
fact that Capt. Moses Greenleaf of New
Gloucester, often presided in an army lodge
where Washington sat as a private member;
and although we can cordially join in the wish
that perfect Christian fellowship might make
all plighted brotherhood useless, yet in the
meantime we shall cordially wish good health
and prosperity to the "Antient and Honorable
Society of Free and Accepted Masons'' until
such time as
THAT man to man, the world DER
Shall brithers be for a. that
"REMINISCENCES OF MASONRY AND
ANTI-MASONRY.