The Republican journal., 1892-03-10

lnc1uDtIS.
Asa Edmunds was school teacher and
came here in 1904 from Connecticut He
had house and store near where the
Maine Central passenger depot now stands.
Brother Edwards participated in the
Revolution, and was one of the picked
men Who under Major Barton in July
177,. captured Gen. Prescott of the Brit
ish army. He was chairman of the board
of selectmen of Belfast when the British
invaded the town during the war of 1872.
Bro. Edmunds was the first treasurer of
Belfast Lodge and framed the first code of
by-laws. He died May ,, 1888, aged 81
years.
Thomas Whittier ID came from Winth-
rop. He was farmer and carpenter
Samuel Jones was Il farmer and resided
in Brooks. He died about the year 1858.
Elijah Torrey came here from Thomas
ton between the years 1910 and 1915. He
was blacksmith by trade. He died July
y, 1s25, aged 10 years. His was the first
Masonic burial in Belfast.
Manasseh Sleeper was the first Worship
full Master. After his installation pro-
cession was formed and marched to the
Academy building where the Rev. John
II. ln@ralam, Of Thomaston, delivered an
address before a large audience. At the
first meeting OF the lodge Ebenezer Will
hanson. ESD. John Jones and Nathan
Swan were proposed for initiation.
The lodge did not long hold its meetings
IN thu Iluse building. form January 1878,
the communications were held in the old
Babel building, on Main street. which
stood on the site OF the present Marshall
Block. In 1924 the OLD Babel was so much
out of repair that the lodge occupied tenn
porarily room in the William O. Alden
house on Bridge street. but soon after
wards returned to the Babel, that building
having been renovated. The same year the
Town house was built and the Masons OBJ
tanned a hall in it. which was the home of
the fraternity until 1862, when the old
Court House was converted into the High
school building. Phoenix Lodge and Cor
inthian Royal Arch Chapter put on the
French roof, fitted up a good hall and
leased it from the Central School district
for term of ninety-nine years. Phoenix
Lodge still owns the premises, although
it is not used for Masonic purposes. All
the Masonic bodies met over the High
school room until the erection of the mag
niticent Temple in 1877, at the corner Of
Maine and High streets.
Early in the year 1878, before the lodge
was one year old, there came to Belfast
from Charlton, Mass, a Mason, who was
destined to exert great influence IN Ma
sonry, not only in Belfast, but through
out the state of Maine. Affiliating with
the young lodge he soon became the mas
ter spirit. rising rapidly until 1854 when
he was elected Grand Master of the Grand
Lodge OF Maine. | refer to the late limo
thy Chase. The imprint of Major Chase
was SO indelibly stamped upon Masonry
in Belfast. that its influence is felt even
to this day. He remained an honored
member until 1864 when he Omitted to
become charter member OF a new lodge
which now bears his name Timothy
Chase Lodge. No 126. Past Grand Master
Chase died March 6. lS51. full of honors,
at the age of s. years and six months.
1t is a remarkable coincidence that Bro
Hiram Chase, another member of Phoenix
Lodge, and a son of Timothy Chase. was
ais" Grand Master OF the Grand Lodge
having been elected in 1857, ust three
years after his father had been elected to
the same position. Its parallel cannot be
found in the history of Freemasonary in
Maine, where a father and son both held
the exalted position of Grand Master Of
Masons. Past Grand Master Hiram Chase
is still an honored member OF our lodge,
and is present with us this evening.
The first representative sent to the
Grand Lodge was Bro. Joseph Williamson.
the father of Judge Williamson. who was
elected in lS23
1t is pleasing to note that the early
members of the Lodge We're earnest sup
porterS of temperance-in fact prohibition
lists. This was many years before the in
PRODUCTION of the prohibitory league law,
when liquor was freely sold in nearly
every store in town. and when distillery
that stood just below the house of the late
y, X. 7. Moore was manufacturing New
England rum by the hundreds Of gallons
weekly. Liquor was drank freely by all
classes. This was in 1924 Belfast num-
beled about 900 inhabitants, yet there
Were ttty-to,tr licensed retail liquor deal
ers in town. This was before there We're
any active measures used for the suppress
sion OF the vice. On the 9th of February
1924. Phmnx Lodge placed itself on rec
ord by passing the following vote;
THAT this lodge dispense with all kinds
OF sprituous liquors as being brought
within the limits of the lodge for refresh
ments on any occasion except at cur an
nual annivt rSary. all former acts on this
9ttJJNNl tNllIS CoIlSltitIttl HUI dlltt Noltl.
OF twenty seven members present, tweL-
ty-four voted for the proposition. Here.
lndee0, was an entering wedge against the
monster OF lntemperance. When liquor
was prohibited from the annual anniver-
saries is not chroncled, but the defiler has
been driven out of the Temple, let us hope
for evermore.
February -, 1S2G, the officers of the
lodge were publicly installed, Bro. Hiram
O. Alden delivering an address.
Belfast Lodge had prosperous exist
ence up to 1926, when it began to decline
in common with Masonry all over the
country. The depression was caused by
which. beginning in 1926 swept over the
United States, ending about 1892 1t may
appear strange to many hele present who
know Masonry to be one of the leading
moral societies of the world, supported by
the best minds in every community, its
lodges occupying the best buildings in
every village, that there was a time in the
history Of this country when it was re-
proach to be known as a Mason. When
members of lodges, even in Belfast, held
meetings in the afternoon. not daring to
repair to their lodge rooms in the evening"
The causes which led up to this anti-Ma-
sonic movement, was owing to the diSap-
pearance of man named William Morgan
who it was said had been killed for re-
vealing the secrets of Freemasonry Will
liam Morgan lived at Batavia, New York.