The herald., 1895-05-27
WISE MASTER, BRETHREN, FRIENDS
The Practice Founded Upon the Finest
Instincts OF Humanity
tlonors Which Piety and Affection Dictate
Men Shall Do
To Those Who Have Passed Out OF the Life
and Sunshine of This World and to I'm
press Upon the Surviving Members
the Lessons Death Teaches

The Lodge of Sorrow is an occasion IN
Freemasonry held yearly. at which time
those of the order who have died within
the twelve months or so are remembe bered
by the survivors. In paying tribute to
the deceased the latter strive to point les
sons to the living, and the service is ten
der and beautiful.
A Lodge of Sorrow was quite recently
held in this city at which the mayor,
Hon, Frank RAIDER, made an address al
luding to several who had passed away
and who, most Of them. in life were
prominent citizens and who had left the
impress of their lives upon the growth
OF the CITY and the section. The gentle
man said:
Wise Master, Brethren and Friends =
We have come together here this evening
as friends and brethren to do :honor to
the memory Of Masons whose souls have
departed to the regions of eternal rest
and ,,eace. AS we honor and respect a
man while living for his integrity, vir-
tue and morality, and for his zeal and
devotion to the great cause of humanity.
as taught by our order, so we revere and
commemorate his memory when dead by
gathering together as we do here on this
occasion, and with fitting words make
honorable mention of his name and ten
der merited tribute to his moral and in
telectual worth.
This practice is founded upon the finest
instincts of humanity, ana accord S with
the habits and customs of nations at all
times and in every part of the world.
We read OF it in the days of Moses and
the prophets. The burial grounds of
Egypt, the mausoleums of India, Turkey,
Greece and Rome, and the mounds OF a
prehistoric people incur own country. all
testify to. thelhonors that have been paid
to the dead in years gone by. On these
grounds .and on the grounds that the An
cient and Accepted Scottish rite of Free
masonry is based upon the grandest prin-
ciples of liberty, equality and fraternity
it is that we annually gather together. lay
aside for a few hours the cares and duties
of life. and assemble in Lodge OF Sorrow
to pay the honors which piety and affec'
tion dictate.t to those OF our brethren who
have passed out of the life and sunshine
of this world. and to impress upon the
surviving members the lessons which
death daily repeats to us.
Following these preliminary remarks, |
desire to say few words about the lives
and earthly careers of our deceased frater-
nal brothers. +. F. Spence, John W.
Green, Charles ii. Rowland. William NJ
Friesner and George Il. Tincher, all of
whom had reached the 32d degree of our
beloved order. except Brother Rowland,
who was 30th degree member of our
rite.
Dear friends. how very uncertain is
human life! The morning may promise
time of Joy, but the evening may en-
compass us with sorrow. We may close
our eyes in sleep ana they may never
open to earthly scenes again. While we
think thought we die. Even now, while
l am talking, the angel of death may in
wade our sanctuary and strike us down
with his icy hand. l am led to these re.
fiectons by the sad and sudden death of
our friend and brother, George F.Tincber,
who died in this city September %, 1894.
Away from home and kindred, in the
pine of live and in tile vigor of man
hood, the mandate of death came with
out warning, ard poor Tincher was dead.
He was a member of the northern juris-
diction, and his remains were sent to his
home in Danville, ILL.,, where kind friends
and sorrowing mother laid him gently
to sleep beneath the green sod of his
early home. Peace to his ashes.
\ In the death of William NJ. Friesner the
order of Masonry lost beloved brother
earnest and successful teacher. Brother
Fr,esner was valued member OF both
the York and Scottish rite bodies, and
was esteemed by all who knew him for
his quiet and pleasant demeanor. He
was faithful, sincere and loyal. and in
his DTOIcSSlOu Hc Was always KIM ana
considerate OF the rights and feelings of
others. Prior to his residence in This
city he was superintendent of schools in
in his native town of Portsmouth, Ohio,
and later held the same position in Cedar
Rapids, Iowa. He came to Los Angeles
in 1885 to assume charge of the school sys-
tenn here. as superintendent. and con-
him to lay aside the working tools of his
office. Bravely he fought the disease
that was slowly and perceptibly sapping
his life blood. but those who We're ac-
quainted with him were rot slow in
divining that the coming OF the day when
his name would be stricken from the
rolls OF the living was cnly question of
and unfaltering honor. His heart was
always open to friend. and his purse
was ever ready to assist the needy. Dear,
kind and faithful friend and brother,
fsrewell.
Brother Chas. H. Rowland bid his
everlasting farewell to this wiangling and
wearying world August 10, 1894. He died
in the autumn OF life after battling
bravely the allotted three score years and
ten with the worries and Weiss itudes IN
cident 10 human life. Quiet and unob.
trusive in his manner, he was withal
firm as the everlasting hills in his con-
vIctions when he thought he was in the
OF purpose and whatever he undertook to
do he aid in the most earnest manner.
During his lifetime. he occupied various
positions OF trust and honor, both state
and national. He enlisted in the defense
of his country in 1861 at st. Louis, Mo-,
was elected to the state legislature of Mis-
souri, and later was appointed one of the
commissioners of the Atlantic and Pacific
railway by President Grant.
Brother Rowland was man of brains
and energy ana was the first to introduce
electricity for lighting and as motive
power for street cars in this city He or
ganzed company to build the Pico
Street and Maple avenue electric lines
during the boom days of 1886, and the
real estate speculations carried on in this
venture brought u fortune to the pockets
OF its promoters.
1t is sad and melancholy fact, how
ever, that in the shifting wnims of
fortune. the most active and well directed
tolls of life are often frutless and termi-
nate in the possession Of but little more
than the narrow house beneath the sod
With hut sprig of acacia TO mark the
tpot. This seems to have been especially
b lie of our deceased brother. The profits