The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-02-06
ORIGIN OF MASONRY.
The Evidence of the opelisk Supplying the
Most Important Link in the Chain OF
Masonic History.
rNew York World. 1sth.l


Amorg the Masonic fraternity in this
citv are men who have made the origin of
the der a study of their lives, and among
TIL men are several theories as to when
am y ere Masonry was born. One promi-
ntut / .son, who has visited aver y country
WHERE a Masonry is practiced, said yester-
dav from his researches he was salts
& j at the Masonic order original | in
an - d of the Grecian Archipelago, and
wa . forwards employ in Egypt by the
p. .-..
tse.r Il Charles Roome, Grand Mas ,r of
M }. in this State, SAID: "This discovery
W. great thing for Masonry. That
Copmander Gorringe il light when he says
he found Masonic emblems cannot for
.rnent be douDto d, and now savanf' will
: III NJ 70 trace the order back until they
FL a> believe, that it began in the East,
tbou auds of years before the Chl ,stian
e., ...... ....
{. les T. McClenacha a thirty 1ird-
de. u son of the Ancient and Ac pied
: Rite, and we'll known as q b, adent
OF g. &c antiquities, had consider the
nc well before the reporter saw him.
al ao.s not surprise me" said he land
il nader Gorringe has not II gde
NJ @ he will help to solve one Of the
mt q icult problems that has bothered
4 Ines after the origin of MasonI,. In
al ny researches | have never been able TO
Il , ne legend of the life and death Of
H." m Abiff beyond the fourteenth century,
al ugh from such books as FORTS An
tiquIties of Freemasonry' and Hughan's
p. rs on the subject there is All ipference
th, the legend is OF older dat. The
E i wore the arc of three . cret socie-
ii. among the Jews, TO which tylonged
John the Baptist, and it Is suppos that
Cbrist also was brought up within their
my ,tic rules. Their manner Of crp ferring
their degrees was not unlike GUS. Ihey
r. / similar tools aud wore aprons. Many
Masons claim their origin from this society.
Ii it should turn out that there is some
papyrus inside the pedestal of the rbelisk
or any hieroglyphics on the emble.ns that
" i sociate them with the Essences, then
the d.. 'overy will, indeed, be valuable.
For as the Essences, according to history,
III been organized for l 600 years before
Christ. we shall have proof conclusive that
King Solomon was one of the first Masters
OF the order, and that space betwt N the
building of the Temple and the thirteenth
century will be completely filed"
81 have found that many men who enter
the order do not understand it," said the
r v. f.. G. Ever, ID. D.; it take what
might call a Catholic man to fully know
W. Il there is in Masonry. The embleEas
disc overed by Commander Gorringe are
not sufficiently explained. If they are
t'als they may be the mark of men who
b. IL the cornerstone without any Masonic
fist began in the dark ages of persecution,
IL ha nkg nt;a n ha Ebnrch Eanta-
Seal history reads that when persecu-
ton began, many converts returned to
tlair first faith rather than suffer. This
made it necessary for the Christians to
form secret societies. Members were trif d
for ye ars before they were admitted, and it
was only after years Of probation that the
chosen were told of the Trinity, Incarna-
ton, Real Presence and Bap:ismal Regsn-
GRAFTON. The Lords Prayer was also a
.CCiet. 1t was custom to have certain
Sc wees, called Pro- Aoaphora, for the pub
lie, a,ur which the church was cleared,
guards put at the door and only the chosen,
the illuminate, allowed to enter. But after
the conversion of St. Augustine, A. ID. 1896,
there was no more necessity for secrecy aud
the vigor of tho Church subsidized. But
from this first secret body there sprung
another band Of chosen people who, to my
mind. were the founders of Freemasonry."
Elwood E. Thorne, Past Grand Master of
Masans, said that he had no doubt that the
discovery was another important addition
to the history Of the antiquity Of Masonry.
For years he has studied this matter, but
like most Masonic antiquarians he has been
balked after searching back to the thir-
t nth century. There were many secret
bodies," he said, Sat the time of Christ
ara before his advent from which Masonry
may have emanated but all Swans have
L. { The thread, and if the emblems can be
proven beyond a doubt to be Masonic, the
mystery is solvt d, and the discov, 2 that
Ma, cry was one of the first reli. ons of
tbs world will follow. There is no doubt
o' ia a1tiquiLy-the ceremonies ase much
like tbase used in the ancient mysteries.
An rat is wanted is the conn citing link,
al the cornerstone of the American
oh-l'sk may supply 1T" ..s...e.
John w. Simons, Past Grand Master Of
ths State, said that the news was not yet
taied enough for full discussion. The
4 every of Masonic emblems in such a
( i'ion would be of the very highe st i'm
portance to the craft, and having that date
AZ 4 landmark, the antiquarian could search
farther back with better hops Of definite
results. When the drawings arriv 4 the
mater would be fully discussed by the
Masonic bodies.