The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-01-03

mons Temple there were present three
Grand Masters, and as on this occasion
there were also present, besides the Grand
Master, two brethren belonging to one
Masonic Lodge who had filled the Office Of
Grand Master of Ancient Free Masons Of
South Carolina, he, with them and the
Chief Magistrate Of the City would now
receive the cement from the operative
Mason and spread it on the cornerstone,
thereby uniting the building into one
common mass.
The Grand Master, followed by the two
Past Grand Masters, Col. j. A. Hoyt and
Gen. W. w. Humphrey, and the Mayor,
Hon. j. L. Tribble, stepped down on tne
corner platform and met Mr.. John Mil
adv, the operative mason, dressed in his
working clothes and holding mass OF
cement on hawk. Then with beauh-
full silver trowel, bound with blue ribbon,
the Grand Master took the cement and
spread it on from one corner to another.
The Past Grand Masters and the Mayor
each took the trowel and did likew 80
until the stone was cemented all the way
round. When this was done, the super;
yisine architect, Mr.. w. B. Beacham
stepped forward snd presented the work
ing tools to the Grand Master, who, alter
applying them to the stone, said, IN q
loud voice II have tried and proved this
stone by Plumb, Square and Level, and
pronounce 1t to be well formed, true and
trusty."= The Deputy Grand Master then
presented the Grand Master with golden
vessel of corn, saying: "Most Worship:
full, I present you with the Corn OF
Nourishment." The Grand Master re-
ceived 1t and scattered the corn on the
stone. The Senior Grand Warden next
stepped forward and presented the silver
vessel of wine, saying: .Most Worship
full, present you with the Wine OF He-
freshment." This was poured on the
stone. The silver vessel Of oil was then
presented by the Junior Grand Warden,
who said: "Most Worshipfnl, I present
you with the Oil of JOY" This was also
poured on the stone. The Grand Master
then stretched forth his hand and offered
up the following invocation: MAY the
able, bounteous Author of nature bless
the Inhabitants of this place with all the
necessaries, c0nveniences and comforts OF
life, assiet in The erection and completion
of this building, protect the workmen
against any accident, long preserve the
structure from decay, and grant to us all
a supply of the corn Of nourishment, the
wine of refreshment and the oil of joy.
So mote It be, amen ~ at the conclusion
of this invocation, the Grand Master
struck the stone three times with bis
gavel and the brethren gave the public
grand honors by three times three. Then,
In q few appropriate words, he delivered
the working tools to the architect, and the
choir sang Masonic ode.
After delivering the usual Masonic ad.
dress to the craft, the Grand Master
introduced ReY. A.. A. Marshall, the ora
tor of the occasion, who delivered the fol-
lowing address on the subject of Masonry
in most impressive and eloquent man.
ner:
At the request of those interested, and
in accordance with the ancient usages OF
our. noble order, we have met to-day to
lay with trowol and plumb and level, the
cornerstone of what is intended to be the
most costly and elegant structure in this
growing and vigorous city, and at your re-,
Quest, I appear to join with you in this
exercise BY delivering short oration.
We're I to announce subject for this short
and imperfect lecture, 1t would be ma.
sonry and its Lessons can not, how
ever, hope to say anything new upon
subject which has been 80 e1haustively
studied by the brightest minds, and
whose Investigations have been given to
the world in burning eloquence and fervid
oratory. Men are mistaken who imagine
that Masonry is mere secret organization,
with signs and raps and grips. Masonry
is science, nay more: might say that
Masonry + the mother of science, for
under her fostering care the science Of
architecture, astronomy, mathematics and
others have grown to their present state of
perfection. Yea, Masonry is microcosm
"a little world, with Its philosophy, its
science. and its laws, to understand which
has required the efforts of the maturest
minds, and application for years. So that
time spent in the Lodge room is not time
wasted, but time improved.
The origin of Masonry has been the sub
iect Of much speculation, both in the
Lodge and out of it. It is claimed by
antiauarians that 1t Is possible for one
who has carefully studied the columns and
arches among tho ruins of.the East to tell
when the arch was rounded or the col
umn raised, and by this means important
dates have been fixed in the chronology of
the past. But no one yet has been able to
fix with certainty the date of the origin of
Masonry, The order stands forth the
wonder and the admiration of men, the
pattern after which all modern fraternities
have been modelled, while the secret of its
origin battles the keenest research of
thoughtful minds, "Who founded it, or
when 1t was founded. no man can tell I"
While many histories Of Masonry have
been written. they all reach point where
all certain record is lost, and no one
has penetrated that "hoar antiquity that
comedies its origin" We can only trace it
to the border.land of that vast unknown
and unwritten. into which no certain
thought can enter, and from which the
mind returns Wearied and baft1ed in its
frnitless search. But this we do know:
that when that sublime temple was being
erected under the direction of King Solo,
mon-that temple of which God himself
was architect--the timhers Of which were
cut from the tall cedars of Lebanon-the
adornments of which in gold and silver
and ivory and purple cloth was furnished
from the storehouse of the whole earth
then it was that Masonry. which had
existed in ruder forms for centuries before,
was brought to its present state of perfec-
ton. While from that day to this it has
continued without material change or
alteration.
It's object originally was the organiza-
ton of artisans and workmen for mutual
protection and advance
ment. The operative feature Of Masonry
was gradually supplanted by the specula.
tive OF philosophical, retaining its en-
blems and ritual and symbo', bat turning
them to nobler purposes and higher ends, |
30 that now, instead of building houses of
stone, We are engaged in build.
ing enduring character that is to outlast
the rock ribbed mountains. survive the
fall of cities, and continue when the
heavens have been rolled together as
scroll, and the angel of Jehovah shall pro.
claim that time is no more. So that Ma
sonry has become q school, not merely Of
handy.craft aud of the arts that perish,
but q school of philosophy, of science and
of morality. SO that Masonry has been
appropriately spoken of as ''a beautiful
system of morality, yelled in allegory aud
illustrated by symbols" AS to the method
Of teaching, it is like His who taught His
disciples in parallels. The schools gener-
slly are now taking up this method, and
have learned that !'for purposes of instruc-
ton one illustration is worth a thousand ]
distractions" The modern methods Of
and objectteaching have
been employed by the Masonic fraternity
for more than 1000 years. We are to be
concerned not only what Is taught, but
also ho,y it is taught. Tho perfection of