Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-06-28
THE CORNER Stone
OF the New MOundSvillG School Build
ing Laid Yesterday
BY the Masonic Grand Lodge OF
the State "A Large Number Of
Wheeling Masons Present The
Address of the Grand Master.
Contents of the Stone.

cinity had a gala time in their old town
yesterday, when the corner stone of the
handsome new school building, which
when completed will cost thirty thou
sand dollars, was laid by the Grand
Lodge of West Virginia in ample form.
The day was beautiful, the turnout OF
the populace large, and the part the
fraternity took in the ceremonies IN
large numbers was fine. The following
brethren on this occasion composed
the offic ers of the Grand Lodge: Right
Worshipful Joseph Hall, Junior Grand
Warden, as Grand Master; Most Wor-
shipful Robert White Past Grand Mas
ter, as Deputy Grand Master; Past Mas
ter c. r. Oldham, as Senior Grand
Warden; Past Master j. n. earle, of
Powhatan, as Junior Grand Warden;
Bro. o. L. Holiday, as Grand Treasu-
rer: Past Master L. G. Brock, as Grand
Secretary; Most Worshipful George w.
Atkinson, Past Grand Master, as Grand
Orator; Rev. Bro e. A. Clarke, as
Grand Chaplain; Bro. E. S. Olsen, Wor-
shipful Master, and Fred T. Bourne,
Senior Warden, as Grand Stewards;
Past Master j. B. McPeek, as Grand
Persuivant; Bro. S. c. Cans. Grand Sen
Tor Deacon; Past Master G. A.
Showacre as Grand Junior Deacon;
Past Master d. A. Logan, as Grand Mu-
nicipal Architect; Bro T. f. Burley, as
Grand Lecturer; Past Master J. b.
Hicks, as Grand Marshal; Bro. T. w.
Bliss, Grand Tyler. The officers OF
the Grand Lodge and the many breth-
rem present. formed in procession and
headed by the Cornet band, went to the
site of the new school building. where
the Grand Master began the exercises
with the following address:
Ladies, Citizens and Brethren of the
Mystic tie of Masonry, | am present
to-day as the representative of the
Most WOrshipful Grand Master of
Masons of West Virginia, ard in that
capacity will now inform you that 1t
has been the custom among the frater-
nifty Of Ancient, Free and Accepted
MaSons, fro milne immem0rial, on III
vitation, to assemble the craft and
with time honored and appropriate
ceremonies to lay corner-stones of pub
lie buildings-not only those to be de-
voted TO educa tional and benevolent
purposes, but also those to be dedi-
cateG to God. and the performances Of
these duties by Masons, attendant on
laying cornt f-stOnes OF edifices to be
used for 9th 1r than Masonic purposes,
has ever been done by them with the
greatest of pleasure and the duty as
signed the craft to-day, ii is one of the
delightful privileges they enjoy, to be
present and to assist in placing the
chief stone of this public school build
ing, which is to be erected upon the
firm foundation That now surrounds
us, for when the noble structure shall
have been finished, within its walls
are to be moulded the minds and
character of the youths Of this COM
munity, through the teachings and in
fluence of the American public school
system of education, which, if its prin-
cipleS and lessons are thoroughly i'm
bued into the heart and consciences Of
the pupils, they will not be fitted to be
come inmates Of that gloomy prison
house that stands within the borders
of your town; nor prepared to spend
lives of melancholy within one Of the
asylums for insanity, found in other
sections of our little Iaountaln State,
but rather>to educate them for brighter
paths in life. and higher planes among
the community of our great common
wealth. Aye. to blossom into
pure womanhood-perfect manhood
true citizenship-intelectu states
honor Of a GovernOr-possibly to fit
them for the office of the chief magis-
trate of our nation.
our nation.
Free Masonry and the American pub
lie school system of education are syn
onomous. for their intentions are pure
and simple, aiming only TO make hui
mainly better, purer moral and in
tellectual, thereby to eXalt them to seek
for and walk upward in the higher
plane through life, using only such
means and Observation-Disclosures as Sas
been found to be the best fitted and
most applicable, from experience and
practical knowledge, attained by the re-
search and study Of the lives and eX-
amples of the wisest and most intelli-
gent men and women that have lived in
all ages, from the beginning Of time
down to our day, that are calculated to
produce the greatest good in the short
est possible time, and to the ultimate
end. which, briefly stated, is "the re-
union of the creature to the Creator
and to the perfection of character,
Like unto that in which it was Gre
ated." But this God-like change can
not be accomplished so long as human
ity shall remain in ignorance Of the
means necessary to produce the effect,
which only moral and Intellectual ed
ucation can assist them to attain.
Many classes of people there be in the
old world. where unbelief and supersti-
ton prevails. who, being led by sell
fish motives and the evil spirits, are US
ing their force and influence to pervert
the minds of associates to anarchism
and socialism, thereby leading them
into paths of immortality, and who are
also using forcible measures to prevent
them from becoming enlightened
through the means of education. But
in those darkened lands of error, that
state of affairs does not surprise US, be-
cause the forms of government, and the
civil and religious laws in many cases,
uphold them in their unjust and unhOly
acts. But when we remember that
there are many imitators OF those clesses
among us in our own land of freedom
and liberty, who are attempting to do
the same dastardly acts, not only for
the destruction OF our government, not
only to break down the American pub
lie school system of education, but espe-
cially to haxe excluded from the public
schools the best of books. the Holy
Bible. which is the revealed word of
God TO the human family, we, as citi-