Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-08-16

and Select Masons of Minnesota APP
pointed a committee TO solicit from the
various State Grand Councils historical
documents and other data relating to
the early history of Cryptic Masonry in
their respective jurisdictions, to be pre-
scented to the General Grand Council of
Royal and Select Masters Of the United
States at It's triennial assembly, to be
held at Topeka, Kan, in 1894. The
matter thus collected is then to be
placed ia suitable iron box or safe and
deposited in the Congressional Library
at Washington and not to be opened
until the centennial anniversary of the
General Grand Council, which will
occur in the year 1880.
Maryland's contribution to this col.
lection will be an octave volume, com
piled by George l.. McCahan, past grand
master Of the Grand Council of Mary
land, and Edward L. Schultz, Masonic
historian OF Maryland, containing all
the known facts relating to the history
of the royal and select degrees in Mary
land and other interesting data.
Among the contents of the volume
are: The Cryptic Degrees, their Origin
and Introduction into Maryland, 1T92
1916; the Royal Order of Heredom of
Killwinning or Rose Croix de Heredom
of killwinuing, 1903; Cryptic Masonry
In Maryland, lSi6-1S72, and Formation
of the Grand Council Of Royal and
Select Masters of Maryland, 1874; Pro-
ceedings of the Grand Council of Mary
land, 1874 1893; Portrait and Biography
of Philip p. Eckel, Thrice lllustriuus
and Grand Puissant, 1917. Portraits and
Biographies of the following named
Grand Masters from 1874 to date:
George l.. McCahan, james w. Bowers,
L. l.. Parker, .Ir., +. j. 5. Gorgas, Will
liam f. Cochran, George w. Sheive,
Thomas j. Shryock and Henry q. LARA
bee, also of q. q. lsaacs, deputy grand
master; William ii. Clark, u. Z. U. of
tine Work; John NJ. Carter, grand repre-
sentative of the Grand Council of Ohio,
and Edward Il. Schultz, Masonic his
toran of Maryland.
The volume is further embcllished
with illustrations of the old watchhouse
which stood at the corner of Bclvidere
(now North strcet) and Orange alley
and used for Masonic meetings in the
early part of the present century; the
old Masonic Hall (now occupied by the
city and circuit courts of Baltimore
city, on st. Paul street and the present
Masonic Temple on Charles street. In
addition there are interior views of the
Corintliian, Roman, oriental, grand
masters and library rooms of the pres
ent temple.
The book, which is handsomely bound
in leather, with gilt edges, will be sealed
in a metal case and placed in charge of
Henry G. Larrabee, Q. G. lsaacs and
William II. CLARK, representatives from
the Grand Council of Maryland, for de-
livery to the General Grand Council of
the United States al its triennial assem-
bly, at Topeka, Kan, on the 2lst Of the
present month.
Masonry, as an abstract science, can
only be transmitted by tradition, but its
dissemination, in keeping with the civi-
lization of the world, has confirmed the
propriety of adopting methods for the
preservation of tle records of marked
events in its history in more satisfac-
tory manner than was possible in the
early ages.
Much that would now be of in
estimable value has been irretrievably
lost, and whilst records unbrokcn are
established, to the satisfaction of the
Masonic student and antiquarian, from
time immemorlal, yet, like Egyptian
hieroglyphics and similar methods of
record practlced in ages past, their COM
prehension is too often beyond the COM
X mon ken, and their value, in conse.
quenco, circumscnbed. Cryptic Masonry,
the third division of the Masonic system
of to-day, nationally accounts for the
preservation of those essentials of the
craft which were brought to light at the
erection Of the second Temple OF Solo
mon, and which lay concealed from the
Masonic eye for 470 years." and upon
this tradition Is based its beautiful sym
bolism
Practically it teaches the Importance
of preserving records Of the craft, and
\ in this sense is the suggestion of de-
posit for near century to be made OF
practical value to those who, in the
\ future, should seek for indubitable evil
dence of events by which to verify
history.