Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-06-25
THE MAS0NS' PICNIC.
A GRAND SUCCESS WITH TWO THOU
SAND PARTICIPANTS.
Speech Making, Dinner, Dancing anu
Other Amusements at The
Home.
Nearly 1000 pic-nickers!

fraternity.
But the occasion was worthy OF the at
tendance, being nothing less than the
opening Of the Home for the widows and
orphans of Virginia Masons.
st. John the Baptist is the patron OF
Masonry, and it was meet that such
benevolent institution should be opened
on the day set apart in the calendar 70
him.
THE PARADE.
The ten blue lodges of Richmond, and
one Of Manchester as ssembled at st: Alhans
Hall yesterday morning about half-past
o'clock preparatory TO parading.
Colonel A. L. Phillips was chief marshal,
with an assistant from each lodge.
About 10 o'clock the procession started,
with the Blues hand at its head; next
came the Richmond Light Infantry Blues,
acting as escort TO the Masons; then Rich
mond Commandery, No. 2, knights lem
plars, ana after them the eleven Masonic
lodges.
The line of march was down Main to
Eighteenth. thence 10 Franklin, and thence
10 the Old Masonic Hall, where refresh
ments were furnished by Richmond Ran
dolph Lodge.
Notwithstanding the almost unbearable
heat. there was u remarkably good turn
out. Strange TO say, Henrlco Union Lodge,
No 1870, of Church Hill. which had the
longest distance TO march, had out the
most men.
TO THH HOME.
The line was dismissed at the Masonic
! Hall, and the MasOns and guests made
their way to the Home either by electric
and Seven-Pines cars or by private convey
ance a. they saw fit.
The Richmond and Seven-Pines railroad
rendered good service, running trains
every few minutes. In addition TO this
there were numerous wagons and buses
engaged in carrying people.
/ As early as 10 O'Clock the pic-nickerslbe
gan TO arrive but the largest crowds came
out between the hours If II and !.
I OWING to the contIguity Of the grounds
TO the city zone and half miles from the
corporate limits) hundreds of persons came
and went mt every hour of the day. ana al
though not one fourth of that number were
on the grounds at any one time IT is safe to
/ say that, all told, there were at least 1000
/ visitors to the Home yesterday. Indeed. 1t
seems to be the universal declsion that IN
future the annual Masonic picnic at tao
Home is to be a fixed affair.
TIE HOUSE AND GROUNDS.
| The entire property comprising the
/ Home. including the Improvements on It,
was the gift of Captain A. &; Babcock;
/ The house is located III small grove and
/ IS about TWO UODOrtO anu ullN OdlhS iiNlA
| the Seven Pines road. The approach Is
entirely devoid of shade.
| The building is of wood, two stories IN
/ height, with brick foundations and glass
| cupOla Ii has a frontage of 40 and depth
Of 40 feet. and contains eleven commo-
dious rooms. The grounds given with the
/ building have an area Of Az acres. lhere
is a large barn and the usual out-houses.,
/ The premises are supplied with water by
! hydraulic ram fed from spring branch,
lnsurlng plentiful supply.
MANAGEMENT.
The Home is under the control Of
board of Governors appointed by the
| Grand Master of the State.
The present body consists of Captain A.
| G. Babcock (president), Major Alfred Ii.
/ Courtney. !. S. Tower. j. Thompson
| Brown, William Loyenstein, Rev. DR.. Ray,
/ ID. A. Weisiger, Judge Wexford, and John
! s. Elicit. Mr.. William b. Isaacs Is secre-
| tary of the board.
Widows and orphans of Masons, not
/ onlv from Richmond but from the entire
/ State, are to be cared for.
! MAINTENANCE.
There are three classes of members TO
/ the Home Society: Life members, VINO
/ make one payment of 500; active men,
| bers. who pay 50 per year and honorary
members mot necessarily Masons), VINO
make donation of 500.
/ Nearly all the blue lodges have expressed
/ the intention of making annual cont1bu-
! tions to the home, and a number OF them
/ have already done so. Some of these have
| raised their dues q per year and moro Tor
| this purpose.
An ardent supporter Of the Home re-
marked Yesterday that he had no doubt
| that in a short time the institution would
have an endowment fund of SlOO, 600, tor II
/ the Masons could spend Sl5O,OOO III the
erection of a temple, 10000 of them could
certainly put two-thirds of that amount
/ in such noble and practical charity as thls'
Yesterdays Programme.
Upon the arrival of the bulk of the Ma
sons at the Home about noon yesterday
/ Mr.. J. Aston Cabell, chairman OF the IN
vitation Committee. at the request OF Mr.;
William Ryan. chairman of the General
/ Committee. called the assemblageto order
and introduced Rev. DIR. Ray, of Ashland,
| Grand Junior Deacon of the Grand Lodge
of Virginia, who offered an appropriate
Major ]. P. Fitzgerald, of Farmyille, the
orator of the day, was then presented, anu
made splendid address upon the Work or
the order in general, and especially as re-
lating TO the new institution,
Major A. Il. Courtney, of this city, then
presented the Home, on behalf OF the
donor and sculptor, Mr.. Edward V. Nalen-
tine. beautiful bust of the venerable Ma
sonic patriarch, the late DR.. Dove, OF Rich
mOnd. u
Farrar' of Amelia Lodge. No. l, who re-
piled in his usual inimltable and pleasing
strain. It'll.
informal.
POST PRANDIAL.
Shortly after 1880 dinner was served on
the long tables TO the right of the house
This was under the direction OF Dr. Z. a.
/ Mercer, chairman of the Dinner Commit
tee. who was ably assisted oy captain W.
| II. Stratton and others. ,,.
After dinner Miss Richardson, daughter
of Mr.. ID. NJ. Richardson, recited The
Jiners." in a superb manner.
Judce Farrar related one of his humor-
ous stories about jenkins and His WIFE
in New York" ANY one who knows
Johnny Reb" docs not need to be told
that it was good and highly appreciated oy
his audience.
REFRESHMENTS.
Worshipful f. Bottigheimer, chairman
of the Refreshment Committee, superiE-
tended the dispensing of the lce-cream.
| cake, lemonade. and other material, All OF
which was sold for the benefit OF the
| Home.
Between the not weather anu .hC 1hAiV'H
Of the pic-nickers TO do a charitable deed
the cooling food and drink disappeared
rapidly.
Mrs. W. Lynham. Miss Lynham, and
Miss Rogers rendered valuable aid IN this
department.
AMUsEMESTs.
The Committee on Grounds-Worshlp-
full +. p. Hulce, chairman bad erected for
dancing a nice, smooth platform To the
left of the house. Numerous, votaries OF
the light fantastic braved the heat, but as
matter of tact it was entirely too not fof
such fun.
Worshipful julius Straus, chairman OF
the Amusement Committee. did his work
well. There was base and football; not
air balloon. and in the afternoon sacK-races
4 and Scottish games
| All of the subcommittee performed
their work WELL and it Is owing 10 IhiS tna1
the whole affair was such success.
THEY WERE THERE.
All the men present were Masons. except
in some few cases. where they were specially
invited guests.
Among those in attendance were pr. =.
W. p. Brock Preston Belyin, julius straus,
Captain G: II. Epps, Shirley King sergeant
J. A. Crosby, Captain E. 7. Hulee, Sergeant W
| ID Qrl 4. 7. -.