Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-06-30
The colored Masons' Picnic.
By THOMAS CALLAHAN.

,
BY THOMAS CALLAHAN.
n On last Friday the Eastern Star Lodge o
colored Masons, No. 60, gave picnic at Iron
ton. Quite . number of other lodges ha.
been invited to assist, but only the Good VIII
Lodge, No. 90, of Pennington, calne. A
II 20 A. M. the procession MAS formed at Ret
Ribhon-H4....,,s- and led by the Lone Star Corne
, Band, of Potosi, marched to GouldinK's Grove
The CorDet Band IL composed OF the follow
ing colored gentlemen: 2. B. Landlord, Bant
Master, A. Jenkins, Lewis Gardner, Nathan
Innis, John Whitley. Frank Fleming, Valen
tine Innis, John Hinkston, and Peter Casey
The uniform of the band 10 deep blue faced
with orange.
The Good Will Lodge wore blue RECALLS
heavily adorned with silver. The Eastern
Star Lodge wore white aprons neatly trimmed
with blue. The former lodge carried very
beautiful silk standard, emblazoned In gold
with the name and the number of the lodge
and the Masonic emblems.
/ At 12 NJ. about 200 persons-a large majority
being colored women-were gathered into that
many pillared temple.
| Croquet parties formed here and there on
there on the sward. Old friends in knots re-
vived old antilles. and talked over old scenes
and memories, which had been too often. for
| them, full of sorrow, degradation, and suffer
ing; but they spoke of them with malics
toward none and charity toward all. There
were many others sitting apart in couples
and everything in their manners showed that
their thoughts were more busy with the
future than the past.
The good order was all that the most exact
ing could possibly desire.
The dresses of the women were good always,
often rich In fabric, neat in style, a1d, without
exception. scrupulously clean in condition.
And the same was true, with scarcely an ex-
ception, in regard to the men.
Certain it is, there was not in that grove on
that day one colored woman that was loud
either in her dress or manners. 81
A barbecue involving one beef and four
sheep was cooked to turn, and an abundance
of other provisions Of the very best quality
was on the ground.
There had not been any marsh Il OF the day
appointed; but Mr.. j. w. jackson, the very
efficient teacher of the Ironton colored school,
had charge of matters, aud proved to bo good
organizer and manager.
There was some music on the violin, and
some very quiet ana orderly dancing we'll done.
Probably four hundred and twenty different
people were ON the ground during the day,
the number at any one time most likely did
not exceed three hundred and ssventy-fve.
The number of white people on the ground
did not at any one time exceed twenty, all be- !
ing of the most orderly class.
The writer spent very few pleasant minutes |
in the company of Mrs. DIR. May, of Annapolis, |
and OF her two brothers, the M, ssrs. Hunt, one
OF whom is recently from Connecticut.
Judging from the pose of the head and |
shoulders, the step and stroke of John Hink- |
sten, snare drummer of the band, that he had |
smelt burnt powder. on inquiry. the writer
learned that he had been snare drummer OF
Company D., cd Regiment United States
Colored Infantry, being in the same company
with our ellow-citizen, Mr.. Moses Lacks.
Ascertaining that there would not be any
speeches, and being very tired, the writer left
the grove about four O'Clock.
To sum up the whole: The day was all that
could be desired as regarded the weather.
The grove was in splendid condition. The
crowd was very orderly, and had evidently |
met for pleasant social reunion, general
good time-and had it. The music furnished i
by the Cornet Band was abundant and excel |
lent, and the members of the band will leave |
behind them none but pleasant memories Of |
them, both as musicians and gentlemen.
Our colored citizens did themselves great |
honor by this turn out.
At a meeting Of Eastern Star Lodge, No. 62, |
on Friday night, the following persons we're |
installed as officers for the following year: |
j. w. jackson, Secretary; ]. w. Arms. w. NJ. /;
James johnson, j. W.. Moses Hawkins, 8. W..
Henry Speers, j. D.; James P. Martin, Treas
urer; Joseph Sides, Tyler; George Carter, |
Chaplain. |
The above is a cold blooded statement of |
facts, as the writer DID not receive even the |
slightest courtesy from the fraternity.
The Light Running Domestic-The Leader |