The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-02-02

following facts: On November IA, 1S42, the
grand secretary having sent communica-
ton to Holland Lodge, No. |. addressed
to Holland Lodge No. SO, which Holland
Lodge, No. l. refused to receive and 1t
was returned to the Grand Lodge
with n singing protest, whereupon the
Grand Lodge. by resolution. ordered the
grand secretary to forward 1t to Holland
Lodge, No, !, properly directed. The
first official Masonic visitation ever made
in Texas was to Holland Lodge, No. /.
on the 18th of May, 1898. BY order OF
Grand Master Arson Jones the Grand
Lodge met in special communication for
the purpose of making the grand annual
visitation to Holland Lodge, No. J. The
Grand Lodge was opened ana after que
notice of Holland Lodge being prepared
to receive them, the Grand Lodge. pre-
ceded by the grand tier and directed
by the grand marshal, entered Holland
Lodge and was received with the grand
honors, according to ancient usages and
customs Of the craft. The grand officers
having taken their seats the most wor-
shipful grand master delivered most
eloquent and interesting address on the
progress of Masonry in Texas, which was
in n very prosperous condition, there be-
ing at this time about 200 Masons in the
Republic. This address was so highly Gp
prociated that the Grand Lodge ordered
that 300 copies he printed and circulated
| by the grand secretary to the foreign
| Grand Lodges and the subordinate lodges
, of the Grand Lodge of tho Republic. In
these days Holland Lodge contributed TO
the Grand Lodge by the following con-
tributions. For II warrant of dispensation,
| $50; charter, $40; for each degree con-
| ferred. so: each affiliation. %; and for
| each Master Mason. annually 81; and
paid with the money of the Republic at
| the rate OF to /. At that .ime Holland
| I ,t, comforting rho r., a
| deg gree 500, and for the f.. G. degree SIS,
| and the Masters degree SIS. In 1880 they
were reduced TO SO. The first report from
Holland Lodge. No. l. to the Grand Lodge,
| bearing date Of November, ISIS, showed
sixty Master Masons, and she had lost by
deaths five, by DENTS eleven, and cxDul-
sious l. making total that had been taken
! into the lodge at that date sovonty-seven.
In January 1912, a representative from
! Holland Lodge presented to the most E'or-
| shipful grand master potition from
| Holland Lodge, No, l. asking Grand NJ ter
j. A. Greer for n dispensation 20 allow
| them to adopt new bylaws Among
| other changes sought for In said now
bylaws was n change OF name OF holland
! Lodge No. l. to Houston Lodge, No. ],
| and for somi-annual elections of officers
| instead Of annual elections. But said Leti-
! ton was rejected by the Grand Lodge for
I various reasons. In those days II was
|
| dispensat to confer three degrees on
| one candidate on the same day or night.
| ON June % 1870, twenty-one Master Ma
sons Identified from Holland Lodge, No. l.
which resulted in the birth of Gray
| Lodge. No. $50, which you will all admit
IL healthy. vigorous offspring From
| these disionted incidents of the early
history OF Holland Lodge we find that
the first meeting of Masons ever held in
| Texas was by the men who organized
Holland Lodge, and Holland Lodge took
The first steps ever taken towards organ
iytnp the Grand Lodge of Texas, which to-
dav ranks eighth In numerical strength
omong the Grand Lodges In the United
states She not only furnished the first
Grand master, but nearly all the officers OF
- 6rst Grand Lodge were members OF
tJo,Iand Lodge. Past Grand Masters An
an Tones A. s. Ruthvcn, Peter w. Gray.
S,hsr,es stewart. y. A. Bolts and A. $.
,5ichardson were all members of Holland
rnd,,o SHE is also the mother of Gray
100 No 39o Her membership IN 1874
,birtv-seyen, in 1854 eighty-seven; In
lea TX, 1874. lis; 1884. lol. and June, 1884.
-, , was Installed master. i0i Since
~, time she has had the misfortune 20
,nnso seven by death and hve by demits,
ia she has now on the roll l3i, which
ahaus that hfty-nine have been added to
she lodge by raisipgs and Affiliations dur