Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-02

NJ v
GEN. PIXIES CAREER.
The Famous Soldier, Poet and Mason Now
Lying At the Point OF Death.
Gen. Albert Pike, the venerable grand COM
mander Of the Scottish Rite Of Freemasonry
and the chief of the Royal Order Of Scotland
for this country, was a man Of striking per-
sonality, and ii is doubtful if there is another
Mason who can in every way fill the vacancy he
has left. He Is generally considered to have
done more toward raising the plane Of Masonry
than any man living and, with very few ex-
ceptions, than any Mason of the past.
Gen. Pike was born in Boston Dec. 20, 1909,
the same day that MIR. Gladstone was born.
Gen. Pike entered Harvard at the age Of six
teen, bnt soon afterward left there and went to
teaching school Later on, however. Harvard
conferred upon him the degree of master Of
arts in appreciation Of his deep scholarship.
In 1881 he went west and had an adventurous
career in Mexico and the southwest.
Mn March, 1881. he set out for the partially ex.
'plored regions of the west, travelling by stage
to Cincinnati, by steamer to Nashville, Tenn,
thence on foot to Paducah, Ky., then by keel
boat down the Ohio river and by steamer up the
Mississippi In August, 1881, he accompanied
forty men, under Capt. Charles Bent, from st.
Louis to santa Fe. He arrived at Taos, N. NJ,
on November 10, having walked 500 miles from
Cimarron river, where his horse ran Of in q
storm. After resting o few days he went on
foot from Taos to Santa Fe, and remained there
as clerk until September, 1892, then joining .
party Of forty-fve, with which he went down
the Pecos river and into the Staked plain, then
to the headquarters OF the Brazos, part Of the
time without food or water. Finally Gen. Pike,
with four Others, left the company and reached
Fort Smith, Ark, in December. The following
IN
In 1884 he became the proprietor
Of the Arkansas Advocate, studied law also and
two years later was admitted to the bar. He
served with distinction in the Mexican war and
in the civil war was. confederate brigadier
general in command Of the Cherokee Indians.
After the war Gen. Pike became the editor Of
the Memphis Appeal. but later he removed
from there to New Orleans, where he entered
upon the practice Of Law. In 1889 he con-
tributed to Blackwood's Magazine the unique
productions entitled Hymns to the Gods"
which he had writer several years before while
teaching in New England, and which at once
gave him an honored place among American
poets. AS lawyer he attained high reputation
in the southwest. though he still devoted part
Of his time to literary pursuits. During the
regiment OF Arkansas mounted volunteers in
1Si6-47, was at Buena Vista, and in 1S41 rode
with forty-one men from Salti,lo to chihuahua.
receiving the surrender Of the City of Mapimi
on the way. At the beginning of the civil war
he became confederate commissioner negotiat-
ing treaties of amity and alliance with several
Indian tribes. While thus engaged he was ap-
pointed brigadier general and organized bodies
of Cherokee Indians and fought with them on
the confederate side in the battles of Pea Ridge
and Elkhorn. In 1866 he engaged in the prac-
tice of law in Memphis, Tenn During 1867 he
became editor Of the Memphis Appeal, but in
1868 he sold hisinterest in the paper. About II
years ago he came to this city on business
and ever since then had made this city or Alex
andria his home. Soon after coming here to
ward devoted himself entirely to the interests
Of his beloved order The rituals Of the Scot
fish Rite today are almost entirely his work and
the results Of his labors and researches.
HIS HOME IN THIS CITY.
Gen. Pike first entered the Masonic order at
Little Rock, Ark. In this city he has made his
home for years at the most holy house of the
temple, the home of the Supreme Council, 4Ss
Sd street His private apartments were on the
third floor and his wine cellar and kitchen in
the basement. Gen. Pike was formerly
quite an an; egieure, but more re- re-
failing condition of his health induced him to
confine himself to the simplest kind OF q diet.
He was passionateiy devoted to flowers and
birds and Of these he had quite an extensive
collection in his apartments. After these his
rious and beautiful specimens from all portions
of the earth where the habit Of smoking prevails.
Gen. Pike was a splendid specimen Of man.
hood physically as well as intellectually. He
was man OF gigantic frame and his long wav-
ing white hair and silky beard gave him q de-
cidedly patriarchal appearance. His dress was
very simple and he wore no jewelry with the
exception of the obligatory three-banded ring
OF the SD degree Masons.
When he accepted the grand cornmandery of
the Scottish Rite he was not satisfied with the
degrees so he went to work to embellish them
and to recast them, and his success surpassed
even his own expectation, for he added i'm
mensely to the dignity and interest Of the en-
tire order. Gen. Pike was a scholar of great
erudition, and had he given to the world
the results of his labor he would undoubtedly
have taken position In the front ranks OF lit
erary men. He was at once a critic and phi
lologist and the shelves Of the Supreme Coun-
ellis library in the temple house contain
large number of magnificent manuscript trans
iations of works of Aryan literature long ante
cedent to the Christian epoch. he had rare
poetic power and many Of his compositions in
verse rank among the classics of American
literature. His literary works include Prose
Sketches and Poems" QS34). reports Of Gases
in the Supreme Court Of Arkansas Give vol
ume, ISf0-45), and 'Nuge," u collection of
poems including the "Hymns to the Coda"
IN THE BOOK OF GOLD.
In the temple house there is said to be a great
volume curiously bound, locked with gold key
and known as the book Of gold. The secret
and sacred records of the Supreme Council are
hidden away beneath its covers together with
the nominations of the grand commander and
his nomination for his own successor. The re-
cipient of this high honor is generally thought
to be either Surgeon General J. N. Browne Of
the navy or Thomas d. CasweL of
California, though the RI Rev. Thomas
N. Dudley of Kentucky has also been spoken
Of in connection with the grand commandery.
It is probable that Gen. Pike appointed Josiah
head OF the Royal Order Of Scotland in the
United States, as the Grand Lodge Of Edin-
burgh gave him the absolute right TO make the
appointment.