Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-06-07
Laying the Corner Stone of the Masonic
Temple.

Laying the Corner Stone Of the Masonic
Temple.
The corner stone of the new Masonic
Temple was laid yesterday Afternoon
at O'Clock, by Staunton Lodge No. 13, A
T. & y. Masons. WOrshipful w. j. b
Cox, acting Grand Master. presiding.
The Grand officers were represented as
follows:
Wor. W. J. E. Cox, Grand Master.
Bro. w. A. Burke, Deputy Grand Master
Wor. H. M. Bell, Grand Senior Warden.
Wor. w. B. McChesney, Grand Junior
Warden.
Bro. W. Q. Hulllhen, Grand Chaplain.
Bro. z. Fl. Trout, Grand Treasurer.
Bro. A. A. Eskridge, Grand Secretary.
Bro. ]. I. Wayman, Grand Senior Deacon
Bro. G. G. Berry, Grand Junior Deacon.
Bro. Edward Hall, Grand Tiler.
Wor. b. M. Gushing, Grand Marshal.
Bro. r. r. Webb, Musical Director.
The exercises were opened with music
by the Stonewall Brigade Band, followed
by the hymn ''Praise God from whom al
blessings flow," by the Masonic choir.
After the Proclamation which was made
by Grand Marshal E. M. Gushing, prayer
was offered by the Grand Chaplain, Rev.
w. G. Hullihen.
After the singing of a hymn, the Grand
Master with the Deputy Grand Master and
Grand Senior and Junior Wardens pro-
ceeded to the corner and laid the cap
stone, the box having previously been de-
posted in the corner stone by the Grand
Treasurer and Grand Secretary. Corn.
wine and oil were then poured on the
stone.
The Grand Master then made this proc
lamatiOn
Know all We who hear me. We
are assembled in the broad light of day,
and proclaim ourselves Free and Accepted
Masons, true to the laws of our country,
protesting to fear God and to confer ben
eiits on mankind. We have secrets con-
cealed from the eyes of the world; secrets
that have never been found out, but secrets
that are lawful and honorable, and not
repugnant to the laws of God OIL man.
They were entrusted in peace and honor to
N1asons of accent times, and have been safe
ly and faithfully transmitted to us, and it
is our duty to convey them unimpaired to
the latest posterity. The tenets of our
profession are brotherly Love, Relief and
Truth. We inclucate the four cardinal
virtues Temperance, Fortitude, Pru-
dence, and Justice. If we had not practiced
those tenets and inculcated those virtues,
our institution would not have decended
to us through generations, nor would it
have numbered among it's members SO
many pure and illustrious personages who
were and are always ready to participate
in it's work and to promote its welfare.
AS Grand Master of Masons in the State
of Virginia, pronounce the Cornerstone
of this Temple true, trusty, and well laid.
May the Corn of nourishment, the wine Of
refreshment, and the Oil Of joy and glad
ness, and all the other necessities of life,
abound among all the people. May the
blessing Of God rest upon this work. May
the Temple here to be erected be preserved
through all ages.
This, followed by the benediction by Rev.
J. H. Boyd, D. D., ended the ceremonies.
DEPOSITS IN THE CORNER STONE.
There were not very far from hundred
different articles deposited in the corner
stone box. They were mostly of the usual
style, queer coins, Confederate notes and
the like, but a few were real curiosities,
| either in thanoc aIuoc NJ tbronrb tbo ,,orcon
who contributed them. Of these, one was
''widow's mite" from Jerusalem, put in
by Rev. W. }. E. Cox. 1t is small coin
| of iron, very black and about the size Of an
ordinary button. The others were bible
that VIM. Skeen carried through the Mex
lean war; d 25-cent Canadian coin put in
| by Master Mason r. W. Stevenson, the
Oldest living person born in this city-aged
81 years; 500 Confederate note put i'll by
Christian Miller; a Masonic pin worn by
the late r. r. Andrews; a S. Virginia
State Treasury note of war times, put in
by I. J. Hoover: a 500 Confederate note
contributed by Mary Fuller. widow of
Geo. w. Fuller the Oldest member of
Staunton Lodge No. 10, at the time Of his
death; a Knights Templar badge Of the
conclave to be held in Boston next August:
the printed proceedings of all the high
Masonic bodies of Virginia; roster OF the
present county and district officers of Au-
gusta county written on a roll of leather by
Harry Burnett; the address Of R. T. w.
Duke of Charlottesville, delivered at the
centennial of Staunton Lodge No. 10. in
1886; lists of the officers of the Staunton
city government and rolls of the member
ship of the lodges of Knights Of Pythias.
Odd Fellows and Red Men in Stanton; a
Russian passport granted f. w. Hager at
Moscow in 1868; a piece of stone from
Jacobs Well in Palestine, put in by Capt.
| Z. G, Morton, and so forth.