The herald., 1895-09-01
THE OLDEST
LIVING MASON RESIDES AT SAN
BERNARDINO

If he lives four years more, George
Lord. ST., or ''Unole George Lord, as he
is familiarly known, will be 100 years old.
be having first seen the light of day in
New York City on the. 9th of June, 1900.
When he was quite yonng he was thrown
npon his own resources, as his father,
who was well-known sea captain, died
of yellow fever at quarantine in New
York harbor.
At the age of % years Mr.. Lord left the
Empire state and went south to build up
his health, which he had impaired by too
close application to mercantile pursuits.
On his journey south he stopped over
at Louisville, Ky, ana while there he
Joined the Independent Order of Odd Fell
lows. being initiated into the order by
| Past Master Widuy, who was sent speci-
| ally from England to establish Odd Eel
| lowship in the United States. The lodge
| formed at Louisville was known as Boone
lodge, No. 1, and Mr.. Lord became a
mem ber of it IN January, 1888, and is one
of the oldest living mem bers of the order
| in the United States.
| Up to tie year 1s4S he engaged in bust.
ness in various middle and southern
states, but as the gold fever came on at
| that time he could not resist coming to
the Goden West. He purchased four yoke
of oxen and fitted out load OF supplies,
| including eight pairs of moccasins seven
| pairs OF which he wore out coming across
the plains. He left his Iowa home in
! April 1894, for the El Dorado, viaythe
Green river and Fort Hall route. His
trip across the plains was fraught with
many haidships. They struck one camp
while en- route to California where a
woman had not been seen for months.
| The inhabitants got glimpse of woman
in the party and had the men of the train
| put her bonnet upon pole SO that they
might get glimpse of 1t. He also saw
| several bands of Indians belonging TO the
various tribes. but he says he thought
| the Sioux warriors were the finest body
OF men physically that he ever saw.
On September 8, 1s49, be reached Bear
valley, California. and did his first min
ing in Sleepy Hollow. He was more sue
cessful than his colleagues at mining,
| taking out over an ounce day. He
says the price of provisions was very
high. He paid $l6 gallon for vinegar,
So per pound for potatoes. onions and
butter, the latter coming via Cape Horn.
He also paid 81 for newspaper, and
would have paio more If asked. SO glad
| was he TO get paper. While prospecting
on the Yuba river, near where Downie-
vile now stands, he and his partner took
out $4,000 each from pocket in q week s
| time.
| In 1851 Mr.. Lord left San Francisco
with $4,000 in gold dust, and started for
his eastern home, taking the Nicaragua
route. When he got back to the Buckeye
state the old place had no charms for
him. so he sold out all his interests and
prepared to return to the land of gold,
not. however, until be had selected his
partner for life in the person of Miss
Arabella Singleton. Mr.. and Mrs. Lord
arrived in San Bernardino valley in
the summer of 1852, which has ever since
been thu cir home.
Mr.. Lord also claims to be the Oldest
living Mason in the VI nited States, hav-
ing joined the order in February, 1928.
in New York city, and has oeen an active
member ever since. Up to the time of
the civil war Mr.. Lord was stanch
| Democrat but when the old flag was fired
upon at Sumter and the life of the nation