The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-05-13

| especially for US to-day, 80 That we should
not be troubled with dust, though, to be
frank, | rather think he over did that.
But, Sir Knights, am delighted to meet
30 many of An order which we all love 80
much. Members Of ar order, which, If we
treasure up it's teachings in our hearts, can
develope in US, oil those noble qualities
that will fit us for every duty that may lie
| before us in life. Our institution is calcu-
lated to draw out the noblest impulses of
| the human heart | believe that there is
no organization that draws man to man, US
does the order OF masonry. 1t brings men
| together, and in our organization, we can
feel that when we meet Sir Knight or a
| Brother Mason, that we meet one who has
something in common with rs; one that
| believes what we believe, and one that
loves what we love. Our institution teaches
US to reverence the deity. 1t teaches us
to reverence that which is good. 1t
prompts US to do that which will be help
| full to our fellow man, and which will de
velope in US, all those noble qualities, that
will not only fit US better for this life
but will fit US for the life which we all be-
lieve is to come. am pleased hero this
evening to meet Sir Knights from other
jurisdictlons-fro across the river, and l
have had the pleasure of talking this even
ing, with Que of the Oldest Masons | have
ever met. He hasI been Mason longer
than l have been on the earth, and | have
been here good while. General Smith,
the other evening, said in some remarks,
that he had known mo for seventy-tive
years, but doubt it; but have passed the
half century post. l feel that | have
passed the brow of the hill and am now
on the down grade, but l feel all the de
light that comes from love of this order,
and I believe that good men everywhere
ought to be happy. believe that they
ought to enjoy all that there is in life, and
enjoy that to their fill. A man to enjoy a
thing, should take it its happiest way, and
I do not believe that vicious man ever
enjoys half that a man does that is full of
noble impulses, the man who takes delight
in associating with the pure and the good,
and laboring with, and for, those who are
striving to bless their fellowmen. Our in
| stitution is calculated to bless mankind; it
addresses itself to his better nature, be-
cause we never enter any OF our Masonic
| orders, but there are lessons which are cal.
culatcd for our good. Eminent command
er, there are so many distinguished gentle
men and Sir Knights present, who are gift
ed with silver tongues, and who can speak
to your delight, that give way. | thank
you for your kindness in listening to me for
| these few moments.
Accompanying the Jackson Commandery,
OF Jackson, Tenn, was Col. Robt. Chester,
| Sir Knight eighty.nine years of age, the
oldest Mason that ever visited Cairo, and
probably the Oldest Mason in this part OF
| the country The colonel is still hale and
his visit was appreciated highly by the
Knights assembled, but more especially by
the Cairo Commandary who had the honor
of entertaining him. Col. Chester being
some distance from the reporters table,
which made it difficult to get verbatim
report, spoke in substance as follows:
81 am very much gratifed at the honor
you have conferred upon me, but am
afraid it is more due to my age than to any
service have rendered our organization.
1t very true that have been a "frater" q
long time, but | feel that have not done
as much as | might have done. My life
has been a varied one. feel like it had
been harp OF thousand strings, anc that
| was the last string, but it is strange that
| q harp of thousand strings should last 30
long. could say something about Mason
airy, and as | see the brothers and Sir
Knights looking up this way, I feel good
deal like the Methodist preacher who was
called on to preach. He looked over the
congregation and saw they were very
much interested in him, and he said to
them that they probably wanted to know
who he was, and to satisfy their curiosity,
he would say that he was "tail end of the
Methodist Conference and by the grace OF
God had come to preach to his equals"
Sir knight Chester stated that his life,
while il had been varied, had been pleasant
and happy. lie was born in Pennsylvania,
came to Tennessee when three years, where
he grew to manhood; was in the war OF
| 1912, and, at the close, vas in Mobile, Ala,
that he descended the Mississippi river as
far back in 1917 on Broad Horn" lie
made the comparison between the shrill
| whistles of the many eteamers now heard