The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-06-04
IT'S A SURE THING
LAWRENCE HOME WILL GO TO
kASONS NEXT WEEK.

Big Plans Being Made for the Dedication
Which viii be One of the Great Masonic
Events of Ransas-It VIII Take Place
Soon-aIxny Cottages to be Built for Old
CoupIes-No Warden has Been Ap-
pointed Yet-Committee VIII be here
Next Week TO Take Formal Charge Of
the Property.
George L. Pratt, who did such elegant
work for the Masonic Home, returned
from Topeka yesterday where he at
tended the meeting OF the directory that
Foted the home TO Wichita
A reporter for the Eagle met him last
night and he said: 81 don't know what
I can say that you have not had al
,eadv. The report IN the Eagle this
morning covered the ground thorough
""
rs there any chance now of losing the
aome2"
Not the least The action Of the d.
rectors operates as a complete closing
up Of the purchase and all that IS 10 be
done now Is TO have the title of the
property transferred The committee
viii be here next Wednesday 10 take
formal charge Of the property and ar
range for the operation OF the home
Who will be warden OF the homer"
That is matter that is not yet set
tied. There viii be committees on the
home that viii arrange all the details
OF the mana cement
In further conversation with Mr..
Pratt and other Masons the reporter for
the Eagle learned a great many things.
One great event in connection with the
purchase will be the dedication. The
home Will be dedicated as II IL was an
entirely new building. The grand bodies
Of the state viii send represen tatives
here for that purpose and distinguished
Masons from all over viii be invited to
be present It will be one Of the grand
est Masonic events in the history Of the
state and viii be greater than the dedi-
cation OF the Masonic temple recently
held at Salina for the reason that the
home IS Of general interest while the
Salina temple is only local institution.
There was not a Mason IN the city
who knew anything about the location
Of the home in Wichita until the Eagle
carried the news to their breakfast ia
bles and during all the forenoon promi-
nent Masons poured into the Eagle Of
fee to have the news verified. II was
thu talk of the city all day and ii was
very encouraging 10 everybody. 1t so
inspired Masons that a movement was
at once inaugurated 10 have a shrine
located here also. The shriners OF the
United States win meet soon at Cincin-
natl at which time a committee of
Wichita shriners viii go there and pre-
sent 2 petition 70 have one located here.
There Is such good argument for one az
Wichita that the petition cannot be de-
MED
Wichita the world over, is considered
the Masonic center of Kansas. It has
the most wealthy and strongest bodies
In the state and the prosperity Of its
consistory is the admiration of Scottish
Rite Masons all over the country.
The plans for the new home are very
elaborate. There are s4S. 900 already in
the Masonic home fund. When the
present building is filled the entire If
teen acre park viii be dotted with two
and three room Gotta ges. The plans are
10 make the main building the home for
the warden and children and the cen
trail dining hall. Pie cottages viii be
for old people and peoPieNYho are mar
ried- II is not necessary for a man to
b. A widower or bachelor 10 be admitted
70 the home. II he is aged he can take
HIS wife along with him. Their cot
tages viii be nicely furnished FOR them,
they viii be clothed and Fed in the COM
mon dining hall for all the home.
The endowment fund will be about
$50 900 and will grow year by year. Each
Mason in the state viii contribute a per
capita tax 10 the inclued in the regular
annual lodge dues. TO be collected by
the local lodges and turned over 10 the
fund.
The vote stood as follows on the first
ballot: Wichita %. Salina 3, and Leav-
enworth /. The Topeka proposition did
not get a single vote.