The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-11-18
CLOSING EXERCISES.

CLOSING EXERCISES.
Very Successful Scottish Rite Reunion Con-
clnded Last \ right With Banquet.
The Scottish Rite Masons concluded
their reunion last night, after three days
and nights sessions This branch of ma.
sonry was organized in our city in June,
1884, with twelve charter members, and
has now a membership of 220, and of this
number 2oo are thirtytwo degree. This
has been the most successful reunion ever
held in Wichita. The beautiful ritual OF
the several degrees was rendered in first
class style. Each and every officer &C.
quilted himself with great credit as to
proficiency and rendition.
The following named Masons received
the Thirty-second degree:
Frances E. Barnett. Chanute. Kan;
Louis D. Button, Neodesba: james A
Carey. Dodge City: Chas. r. Ewart. Lo-
gan; Chas A. Mills. Harrington: John w.
Creech, Harrington; George Z. Woodland.
Cherryyale: Justin Il. Soden, Emporia:
Thomas W. Conway, Arkansas City;
Simon G. Cary. Winfield, Joseph c. Miller,
Winfield, Owen S Gibson, Winfield; IVES
ley ]. Nevins, Winfield: Louis S. Troupe.
Wichita; Thomas. Gibbs. Wichita; James
A. Rummell, Wichita; Emmett j. Beatrie,
Wichita: Frank S Gould. Wichita; David
D. Herman, Wichita; Fred H. Stuckey.
Wichita: Professor F. H. Fritch. Wichita;
A NJ. Goldstandt, Wichita, Bennett B.
Cushman. Wichita.
The remaining twenty-five candidates
will be advanced with the class at the next
reunion.
This life is a probationary journey. from
the cradnle to the coffin, and is beset with
many dangers and pitfalls A guiding
light is at all times necessary. and it is in
cumbent upon each to think aud act
for himself. He is exposed to dangers and
perils, but if he wishes to proceed be will
reach the coveted goal. To hesitate, is to
become insane. True manhood requires
courage, true as the steel Of Damascus, in
order to reach the high mysteries of life;
although the way may have many veno-
nous reptiles of malice in our pathway.
We must proceed through the labyrinth,
and read aloud the great lessons, and sep
arate the false from the true. in order to
fully reach life's grandeurs in knowledge.
The summit and perfection Of the higher
degrees is reached only by the mysterious
of the sciences.
Free masonry IS cosmopolitan society.
Those who love truth and covet wisdom
and knowledge enter its portals. Many,
however, are attracted out of idle curios-
ity and others for its titles and decorations
Few appreciate and value its truths and
morality. The great questions of the
philosophy of the wise and great of past
ages have been, as to God and their i'm
mortal souls, too often the images and
statues of sages become objects of worship. |
The teachings Of the ancients were yelled |
in shadows and their proselytes became |
idolaters. True wisdom is the spirit and |
power of God, who, in the beginning was |
the word. The ancients regarded fire
light and heat the first trinity.
A representation of the camp of the pill |
grim reminds him of the great cause to |
which he devotes himself. The memory |
of the good and great is their richest in
heritance. The teachings Of the silent, |
yet eloquent symbols of Masonry. gather
rich inheritance transmitted by the
wise and great of past ages. The tree OF
liberty. equality and brotherhood has
been planned in fruitful soil. 1t will be |
impossible to rebuild the temple of liberty |
il once overthrown.
The ethics preached in the wilderness OF |
Judha by ST. John the Baptist, gave evil |
dence that the time was at hand when the |
hydra headed serpent of the past was to be
The ancient mysteries and !
doctrines are now explained it is found |
that close and long study, and profound |
thought are required to unravel their true
and teachings.
The forces OF ignorance and superstition |
are marshalled and ready for the warfare:
but the grand army of enlightened reason |
and rational liberty has unfurled its ban |
ner, its liberty: In hoe signo vinces. The |
symb olic encampment is ready for march |
ing orders under the co,nmandant of the |
and of the tents. The scene in |
the Turkish court with the Turkish |
imparts an important lesson and trial |
of faith, to the conviction OF |
truth, that truth that beareth |
the victory. The historical lecture, de- |
scriptive of the rendezvous OF the grand |
Masonic army is fruitful source Of in |,
and the student of history will |
here find fund of intellectual gems !
worthy of careful examination. The |
first rendezvous being Naples, in sunny |
Italy, the traveller instinctively pauses to |
feast his conception of the beautiful and |
bay Of Naples with its blue |
waters and on its shores the beautiful city |
itself with its domes, spires and minarets |
in its halo of glory, in the sun light under !
Italian skies. In the distance Vesuvius is |
belcbing forth its fire, smoke and lava in |
thunder tones; and at its base is the silent |
city Of Hercaneum. Leaving Naples we |
pass the island of Sicily and arrive at /
Malta, the Meiits of Scripture, around |
which cluster SO many historic events.
Here, il turn, the Ph9nician, Punic, |
Roman and Arab held the highway to the
Medilerrauean. Here the Knights of ST.
John under twsnty-eight successive grand |
masters, from 1850 to 179S, held the island; |
their mission, that of keeping the Medi
ierranean clear from Turkish and Moor
ish pirates, ard protecting christendom
against infidels.
We next arrive at the Island of Rhodes
in the Egean sea famed for its delightful /
and fertile soil. The city OF I
Rhodes is its capital, and has many fortifica-
tions, all of them the works of the knights
Of St. John. We can view the domes and
of the mosques towering above
its walls, Here, once stood the colossus
Of Rhodes at the entrance to its harbor
aud was then regarded as one OF tie seven
wonders of the work., but the sscriligious
hands of the Sarscens have lefs their
traces upon its walls, and former