Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1890-08-29

working and business day was gradually
shortened from ten or twelve hours to
six-from q. m. TO p. m.-because
every labor saving invention, instead OF
serving to still further enrich the land
owners, went to tighten the burdens of
life for all mankind.
''St Cccile, as you all know, was once
an afternoon lodge. Now, the only off.
ference between this and other lodges
Is that we meet two hours lateral Q in
the evening instead Of att. Theatrical
and musical performances being now
given between the hours Of $50 and $50,
actors and rsusicians are able to attend
lodge in the evening and meet with
their brethren in other walks of life
The ladies are no longer obliged to wear
themselves out and spoil their beautiful
compilations over cooking-stoves and
wash-tuhs. or to roughen their fingers
with ashes, ciinkers and caustic soda,
washing powders, or to burn themselves
up with kerosene oil; for all laundering
is now done as II by magic at the public
laundries, hygienic knowledge has be-
come SO widespread and the race has so
gained in vigor that raw food has large
Iy taken the place Of cooked, and tea
and coffee are no longer daily neces-
sity; every house has its own electric
light plant and its own ice machine;
manufacturing and culinary operations
are now conducted by means of water
gas, which Is far cheaper than coal used
to be, and roaring fra Is now started
by simply turning q gas-ccck. which at
once turns on the gas and igtites it.
The whisky business has ceased TO be
profitable; the old Prohibition party
found out long ago that the chief cause
OF intemperance was poverty-that
men drank to forget their misery
but when poverty was abolished there
was comparatively few troubles left
to be drowned in the flowing
bowl. Drunkenness is now consid-
cred disgrace, because there is no
excuse for 1t. Inventions have not prov.
ed an unmixed blessing, however. for
us Masons, for since the wonderful i'm
provements In flying machines we are
obliged, during our meetings, to have a
tyler at every window.
THE beautiful and spacious parks
and commodious dwellings which dis
tinguish the east central quarter Of this
island occupy ground once the site of
wretched tenement houses, where
decency nor comfort was possible and
where children died like murrian-smi
ten sheep. The struggle for existence
is no longer the desperate battle it once
was, In which men grew prematurely
old and sank into the grave before their
time; business and professional jealousy
no longer array men against each
other; standing armies, so long a stand
ing menace to the peace of nations, have
been disbanded to engage in peaceful
pursuits, and the lesson of universal
brotherhood set for mankind one hun
dred and fifty years ago by Brother
Robert Burns has been so we'll learned
that, really, my brethren, do not see
that there is much further use for our or
der, except to preserve we'll loved tradi.
tions and to promote sociability."
Mr.. Govan then proceeded to recount
fanciful incidents in the past lives of
his fellow members, one of which, he
said, occurred, as nearly as he could re-
collect shortly after Henry George
had declined nomination for third
term as President of the United States"
He then concluded his portion of the en-
tertaiument by singing an old mans com
ic song, whf,h he said had been a favorite
of his fifty or sixty years ago, when ''he
little thought that he should live to see
the day when he could sing without the
necessity of acting" Though he and
the few friends who had been made
aware of the Interior purpose of his
address had been somewhat apprehen-
sive regarding its reception, they were
both surprised and gratified at the re-
suit. He was listened to with close at
tention throughout, and was congratu-
lated on all sides for his effort. What
amazed him especially was the
enthusiasm displayed by many of the
most conservative and well-to-do of his
fellow-craftsmen, who few years ago
had been outspokenly and inveterately
opposed to Henry George and all his
works.
To Freemasons, Odd-Fellows, Knights
OF Pythias and craftsmen generally:
Go thou and do likewise.