The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-01-21
TIE AGE or MAsoNnY.
Discoveries Under the Pedestal of cleo
nntrn,s Needle,

patra's Needle.
Great interest has been excited in
Masonic circles by reports from Egypt
that Masonic emblems have been found
under the pedestal OF Cleopatra's Needle,
which is to be brought to this city. A
despatch from Lieutenant Commander
Gorriuge Of the United States Navy to the
New York World says:
Immediately under the pedestal Of the
obelisk and in the east angle formed by
the steps found block Of hewn syenite
granite, forty inches in the cube, repre-
senting perfect Masonic altar. Under
this and Immediately below ] found
white marble slab, representing the apron.
extending across tho foundation Of polish;
ed syenfte granite, one hundred and
two inches long and illty.one inches
broad and twenty-five and hall
inches thick, the upper half hewn
into a perfect square. At the same
level and touching the short section OF the
sonare and In the west angle OF the foun'
dation found another block OF syenitc
granite markedly regularin form, the sur
face OF which represented rough altar
stems and the foundation OF which was
composed OF white granite. Beside these
four pieces found other less noticeable
and important but equally significant cm'
blems."
Many Masons accept this as proving the
great age of the Masonic society. Ex-
Speaker Hustled, OF New York, q Mason
Of high rank, is somewhat skeptical, say.
ing:
lam free to say that I do not believe
the emblems have any direct connection
with operative Masonry rs 1t is pfacticed
at the present day. That the discoveries
are wonderful and valuable is certain.
They will start up all the archie0l0gist and
give new impetus to fraternity writers.
ANYTHING that concerns cryptology is in-
teresting to me, but have not yet been
able 10 discover any connection between
Egyptian cryptology and the modern
craft. became Mason at the age Of
twenty.one, have reached the thirty.
third degree and have been Grand
Master Of the State. ! have
made Masonic history study, but have
never been able to trace Masonry more
than four hundred years back-not step
beyond the Crusades. As near as can
Judge, it had its origin on the continent OF
Europe, with the builders OF the great
European cathedrals, and was organized
for the protection OF the women from the
bosses and the feudal leaders. 1t was
purely operative Masonry then, and it
naturally adopted the tools OF the craft as
emblema,ic OF theirtrade union, and grips
and pass words which were also intended
to guard from intrusion. Everything in
that day partook OF the religious element,
and consequently religion entered largely
into the organization OF the guild. The
belief in God was insisted upon-one God
which was broad enough to admit the
Jew as well as the Christian. But fail to
find anything OF the religious element
which necessarily betokens great antiqui-
ty. King Solomon is recognized because
the temple at Jerusalem was the oldest
building of which We have any certain &C.
count. This is natural. The Bible gives
many interesting details OF the temple,
and those who felt an interest in the or
der incorporated these details with the
working history OF the order"