The Newtown bee., 1894-09-14

Jul Opub lCdlS HUN uO"h uPoh Or no we'll informed Mason can doubt loor of Ornan the Jebusite, or even ear fer that it had it's beginning, and that our first Grand Master, King Solomon, either originated or seized upon the order IS an instrument in the erection of that most mysterious and magnificent temple, which was the crowning glory of Israel, and the wonder of the world, erected without the sound of axe, hammer, or any other tool of iron, it's several parts | we are told, went together and fitted with such perfect exactness, that when com | plete it bears more the appearance of be- ing the handiwork of the 5. A. o. Y. U., | than of human hands, and so dazzling in appearance that when the Queen of the South viewed the magnificent structure she was forced to shield her eyes from the reflected brightness of it's furnished pinnacles. Even the clements were sub- serVient to the work, and the evil pas sions of men ceased for that period to add fresh pages to the worlds blood stained history.
 Rut this great temple, so costly and m, gnicent was not the equal of the liv- ing structure of which they and we are portions. How analalogous
 TO ITS SILENT, STEADY GROWTH,
 has been the growth of our own order; how quiet has been the process, yet how constant. Who heard the noise of it, who sees or knows outside the Craft when the sound timbers, and approved stones, are brought together, fitted, and lifted to their place amid the roar and turmoil of the world. The Temple, save in history, has ceased to be monument to it's build
 rl tR k,,,l ie ll
 not enlarge itself, it could not restore it's
 own decay, much less resist the ravages
 of barbarOus foes, as the living cedars
 repair their wastes, and renew their leaves. But our conscious Temple does \ all this and noiselessly. It fills all it's l losses, it enlarges it's sweep and sway,
 through men of all conditions, classes
 and races, and still it stands in it's old | proportions, though in greater amplitude, | symmetrical, mysterious and sublime. 1 And after the renowned Temple has
 crumbled into dust, our order stands d | living monument to earths wisest son,
 more enduring than the gold of Ophir, | or the marble of Leradatha. We delight
 to feel, brethren, that the past measured
 by ages is under us, but not beneath us
 in broken symmetry or dead grandeur as under Jerusalem, but beneath us as the roots are beneath the tree and as the cen tral rings are hidden in the trunk, giving pth and power to our structure. they
 are parts of it's proud majesty, sources Ot
 it's living vigor, and prophecies of it's fu-
 ture strength, may we not take satistac- tion, nay noble pride in the conscious
 ness of the age and vastness of our or
 der. And shall we not feel that there is dignity, that there is privilege, in being living flores of an organization which has | oSSn6 from nf tho wnrl6
 other, older than the oldest empire since
 Solomon's ,andwhich has on it's roll names
 which sparkle in the worlds history like
 sovereign stars. And is it not most fit
 ting, my visiting brethren, that as eact
 individual lodge holds it's centennial an
 niversary of joy and thanksgiving tha
 all members of the vast Masonic family should rejoice with it. What matters i
 whether it be King SolOmOn's, St Paul's Montgomery, or Rising Sun Lodges, fo we are all one family, aud what is an oc
 casion of joy to one should be equally st to all.
 The Rising Sun lodge was chartered a the May session of the Grand Lodge, A P L., 579I. But it was not until the Stl
 day of September following that we tin any record of it's institution. Who tn charter members were is unknown, bu
 the treasurer's book, which from it's sim pie style containing for some years al
 expenditures and receipts in detail, meL , tions the names of Brother A bner Mitch ell as treasurer, Brothers Eaton and Pei l CTS as stewards, and Brother Peter Shel man. These four men must have bee z charter members. September 8, l79+ 7. THE LODGE WAS CHARGED WITH
 "Paying for Charter f4; Secretary fees
 I1,.As | q n fA U the same date the lodge was credite ' with the initiation fees of Cornelius Han n lin. Daniel N. Brinsmade, John Tal mage and John Platt G3 3 e,-Ch with tn z exception of Brother Hamlin, who wa ,. only charged E0.6, whether as being tn T first initiate, or because he had perform n ed some service for the lodge a reductio s was made in his favor the account doe r not state. On October ?, 1794, the treas v urer has an entry against the lodge fO $ payment of the officers jewels amountin e to E3 and to Brother Sherman E6.7.9 an 5 to sherman and Marshall the sum ( h El217.S. On the same date was credte l, initiation fees of five brothers and 0 e November II three more, making tots F of l2 K. A. before passing a candidate |. No more were initiated until January l; 5, l795, the intermediate time being occl fl pied in passing and raising the befor IS mentioned k. As. After that date tn }. three degrees were conferred as Mason 5, o material presented itself. The fees fe ,f the F.. A. were E3 3, c. f0.7, M. M !, E0.l2. On the 27th of December, 179 II the lodge celebrated it's first festival ( Y St John, with an oration from Brothe o Logan. On June 24, l797, they observe n the festival of St John the Baptist, O which Rev Mir Backus of BethleheI
 l l. ing this celebration, with the exceptio
 of few minor items being 92S.6.9, wit II the credit of receiving from 67 visitin o brethren, who seem on this occasion t V have paid their own expenses, fl5.1.'
 On September of the same year tt It lodge pun chased carpet for their lods if room at cost of $20. On June 24, lS0 l. they celebrated St Johns day with Re Brother Birion as preacher. The lodge t. bills for refreshment were constant all l. large, and from the bills paid by tt # treasurer to Brothers Sherman, Leavi 8 and Marshall and an occasional entertain s ment furnished by Peter Powell it is ev q dent that every lodge held had it's hou, r of refreshment as well as of labor, and { - many of the communications, which wer d held monthly, find on the credit side e the book the entry "Rec'd of the Brett u ren," which on the occasion of the lodg u held December 27, 1795, amounted [ |. f5.12.1l, and at December 2, 1796, 0 was received from the same source. Wh e were the w. Ms of the lodge there is n e mention made until June 24, 1924, froi - which time forward about five years til 0 only record of the lodge is preserved. 4
 that time the lodge again celebrated 2 Johns day with D. B. Brinsmade as W a M., at which 56 brethren were presen
 the sermon being by Rev Brother Boar6 man. The records for many years sho,
 little more than the routine business of I lodge. Once there was appointed