The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-02-20

Carried the Day-The Defeated Ones
Laid Down Gracefully and Tom Ander-
son made a Home Slide That Would DO
Credit To the Famous Baseball Kelly
Complete List of DeIegates-Notes and
Personals of the Grand Lodge.
This Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and
Accepted Afasons Of the state of Kansas
commenced its annual session here yes
terdsy morning.
Nearly every lodge in the state was
represented and the meeting was as
( fire a body Of men as one could ex-
pect to see anywhere, or gathered to-
geIher for any purpose.
The great feature of the days meeting
was the discussion of the question of
the Masonic home.
As this was a subject Of great i1npor-
tanca it developed the big brainy men
of the grand lodge and speeches pro
and con we're made that were as fine
as could have been heard in any con-
vertlon representa- the citizens Of the
state.
II b. brief there is a fund of someth-
ing like 5000 raised for a Masonic
home and that fund is now in the treas
Try. 1t has been a question of dispute
for some two or three years whether
+ would BE- wise to secure and main
tain a home ct the present time, or not.
Some thought It would and some
thought otherwise. The fact was be-
fore the grand lodge, however, that
this vast sum Of money had been raised
ard something had to be done with il.
Il it WAS not used for home there was
2 strong feeling 10 have it returned to
the lodges that gave il and It was on
this issue that the fight" of yesterday
came up. It lasted il the grand lodge
for about three solid hours and Grand
Master Mccall gave every speaker am
PIE latitude to present his views. AS
The speeches increased in number the
reqresen tatives saw more light and it
could lie seen easily that the grand
lodge would be for keeping the money
and Is establishing a home with it. That
their action was wise conclusion there
IS TO doubt. a home is a grand thing
In any lodge and especially appropriate
81 a. state where there are so many Ma
sons as there are in Kansas. 1t also
Juslifies the reputation the Masonic fra
tsrnity has for benevOlence. They are
recognized universally as the friends of
the orphan and their action yesterday
sustains the recognition.
1t is not known of course where the
home will be located, but there is no
Doubt but what the general feeling Of
the representatives. of the grand lodge
was in favor of Wichita. This feeling
was not exclusively based on the fact
that there IS no spot on earth that has
a finer and more healthful climate than
Wichita. Its central location, east and
west, in the state makes it the proper
place 70 say nothing of the fine railroad
facilities, the general friendship the
people would have for an institution of
that kind and all the other advantages
too numerous to enumerate here.
The fight" over the home was in
. every respect friendly and all the repre-
sentatives who spoke on the subject
were undoubtedly sincere in their atti-
tuGe towards it. They tried, in the
aggregate, to do the best thing possible
and that is exactly what they did.
The discussion Of the home was the
main business Of the day. In the morn
ing Grand Master Mccall read his an
nual address, most of which IS printed
n another page of this paper. The
other officers also made their reports
which show the Masonic fraternity OF
Kansas TO be in splendid shape not
withstanding the general depression
that has prevailed throughout the state.
The grand treasurer showed a neat
lattle sum of $47,0S6.64 taken in during
he year and an outlay Of the same
amount less S17,129.05.
The grand secretary submitted a very
exhaustive report containing great
deal of information relative TO the grand
.oag'a and subordinate lodges Of the
StaLe.
Last night q session of the grand
I,.1| 70 Ali
at which a candidate was taken through
the sublime degree of a master Mason
Today the session of the grand lodge
vi be resumed and officers elected and
au adjournment sine die will probaly
be taken this evening.
ore Of the splendid and most enter
tanning features of yesterdays session
Of the grand hodge was the GRAFTON de-
livered 10y Judge Gleason of Hutchinson
VINO had been selected as the grand
Iedge orator Judge Gleason is a very
eloquent gentleman and his remarks
We're listened 10 with the most profound
attention.
WCALL GETS A GAVEL
One Of the most pleasant features
Of the opening session of the grand
lodge yesterday morning was the pre-
senUation Of an ivory gavel to the Most
Wcrshipful Grand Master James H
Mccall. The presentation was made
oy the r W Grand Chaplain Rev. s
Z. RIsser in the following words, which
were well received by the members OF
the grand lodge,
Reference was made to the grand
chaplain in the NJ. w. Grand Masters
address. and l rise TO endorse and
cl;uch the sublime truths, which he ha:
SO antly and eioquently uttered. lie
me paint three pictures. Masonry is like
q tree. its roots go down into the sol
drawing nourishment from bidder
sources; these forces come together IL
TIE trunk. aad in the leaves and branch
Is spread themselves out in the upper
air and larger life. In all the lodge:
of this grand Jurisdiction the roots Of
Masonry are drawing their life.
IN this grand lodge, as the trunk
these forces come together, and the!
spread themselves out into the largel
thought and sublimeness of the spirit
usI universe. Because we are Ma
sons we are raised from the perisha
bic material, on the five points of fel
lowshiD. into the higher spiritual life
Let me paint another picture. A
We look at the common Smyrna rug
We observe the under threads all II
confuSion, running this way and that
bat on the upper side, these threads
al are combined in beautiful harmony
ana lovely emhlems and figures arr
wrought out So il our life, the fabric
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