The Washington times., 1894-10-14
AMONG SECRET SOCIETIES
Matters Of Interest to Brethren Who
Meet on the Quiet.
VALUABLE MASONIC LIBRARY
Manuscripts which Are Priceless and Re-
CURED the Labor Of Years TO Translate
Rare and Costly Volumes eeourely
Guarded-Items from Behind Closed Doors.

The only collection Of books owned by a
Masonic body In the world that can be called
library is that found in 1.-The House OF the
Temple (the building OF the supreme coun-
cil). at the southeast corner Of Third and L
streets. The collection consists Of about 49,
900 volumes. whose estimated money value is
In the neighbornood Of 500, 900. Some OF the
manuscripts, however, are priceless and could
not be purchased for any sum. If the build
ing and its contents were destroyed some Of
the volumes could never be replaced.
The collection is kept in an addition 10 the
supreme council building. The length Of the
addition is thirty feet and the width twenty
four feet. 1t is divided into two rooms, a
lower, or basement, and an upper that is sub
divided by gallery, the whole being lighted
bv an octagonal window IN the roof and win
dows on the south and west fronts. The
building also contains a valuable collection Of
minerals, fossils, etc, with rare and valuable
curiosities from all parts Of the United States.
A handsome organ, once the property Of the
grand commander and donated by him TO the
supreme council, is also placed in the gallery.
The library is open to any Mason or his
family and is a place where a scholar would
feel at home. While there are many manu-
scripts and works OF great interest to Masons
in the collection. the library is made up Of
the costlest and rarest editions OF works of
travel history, literature, folk lore. etc. In
poetry and drama one of the rare books is a
COPY OF Moliere's works that belonged to
Nine. de Pampadour having her coat-of-
arms on both covers of each volume and her
name written on the title page. copy Of
'Yirgie.'' printed at Parma in 1888 by
Bodonianis, is in the collection. There were
only twenty-five copies printed. There are
also rare and costly works on North and
South American Indian languages. and col
lection Of works on the Babylonian and other
arrow-headed inscriptions.
But the rarest Of all are the manuscripts
lefr by Gen. Albert Pike. BE presented TO
the supreme council his library estimated TO
be worth $50 900. This was the first start OF
the present collection In this collection
were the translatiCns OF three OF the Oldest
manuscripts in the world For years Gen.
PikeY studied the earliest forms Of the san
Ecrit, in which they were written. and after
years Of labor translated them. They are the
Rig Keda and the Zeud-Avesta. and how he
secured the originals is known only 10 a few.
The Rig Eeda is the Oldest Brahiain mythOl-
ogy OF India. and the Zend-Ayesta consists Of
the old records Of the earliest Brahmins But
few TRANSACTIONS Of these two manuscripts
have been made and those IN this library are
considered among the best. II not the best IN
tue world. Gen. Pike also translated the
Veddic hymns. the oldest manuscripts Of THAI
kind in existence. IL shows the religion and
the earliest history OF the Aryan race. long be-
fore the first exodus OF Aryans from the birth
place o. humanity.
Gen. Pike also left in manuscript n book IN
several volumes on the symbolism ot the
Masonry of the blue degrees which - the
members of the craft is invaluable. These
books were all lefi 10 the supreme council,
with the request that they never be published.
This was simply d desire on the part of Gen.
Pike and mas been respected SO FAR, but it is q
question i some day the history contained Ia
these manuscripts VIII not be given 20 the
world. The manuscripts cover thousands of
pages which were written in the small hand
which was so peculiar 20 the writer.
The library Is under the charge Of Fred
erick Weber. thirty-third degree. secretary
general OF the council and eX officio Librarian.
In the care Of the library heretofore he had
been assisted by Thomas Edwards Hatch,
thirty-thlrd degree. OF New Hampshire. but
the latter died July 10. 1884. The position Of
assistant will probably remain vacant until
the next meeting Of the supreme council in
October 1895.