The herald., 1896-02-23
THE BANQUET TABLE

incidental to the corner stone laying.
THE BANQUET TABLE
Officers of the Grand Lodge the fionofed
Guests Of the Craft
The scene in the banquet hall at Illich's
restaurant in the evening, when the Off
GERS Of the grand lodge were entertained
by about one hundred and fifty brethren
of the order, was brilliant and inspiring.
Little or no attempt at floral decoration
had been made, but down the center of
the hall were several stands of potted
plants, and a sinuating bank of smilax
ran the length of the table and formed
refreshing and dainty bed for the luscious
looking and appetizing viands that Tempt
ed those present.
Gen. C. F. A. Last acted as toastmaster,
and at his right hand sat the most wor-
shipful grand master, Edward Meyers
Preston, while other officers of the grand
lodge occupied seats closely adjacent.
After full and ample justice had been
done to the good things provided, cigars
were passed around preliminary to that
ssfeast Of reason and flow of soul' SO ap-
propriate to the occasion. and in the pro-
vidinR of which the toastmaster showed
nice discrimination and tact.
Gen. Last is q firm believer in the old
adage that "brevity Is the soul of wit, and
rising to propose the toast of the evening
that OF the Grand Lodge of the State Of
California, with which he linked the name
of the grand master-he confined himself
simply to the duty in hand in most felicit.
GUS manner.
In responding in behalf of the grand
lodge the most worshipful grand master
prefaced q most interesting address by re-
marking that upon his arrival in the city
he had been surprised to see announced in
the papers that the officers of the grand
lodge were to be entertained at a banquet
and that he was to make an oratiou He
professed too much consideration for
those present to impose such an affiiction
upon them, but none the less did he give
an address on the religious side of Masonry
that might, perhaps, without any exagger-
alton, have been termed an Grafton.
Attention was drawn to the fact that
Masonry is a school in which it's adherents
are educated into liberality of thought.
All members of the human race are re-
garded as in the care of the one Creator,
while q wide tolerance is inculcated stimuli
taneously with steady allegiance to the one
most worshipful grand master said: 1T is
religion without creed; faith without
heresy, and ever inspires devotion to home
and country"
In proposing the toast, The Masonic
Temple OF Los Angeles, General Last re-
dividual efforts of Hervey Lindley and J.
II. Martin. president and vice-president
respectively of the board having the mat
ter in hand, that the celebration in con-
nection with the laying of the corner stone
had been made possible. He called upon
Brother J. H. Martin to respond.
The latter paid handsome tribute
to the other nine members of the commit
tee. with whom he and Brother Lindley had
served, and acknowledged the courteous
cooperation extended by them at all
times. The committee was the fifth or
sixth that had started out with the same
object in view, but it had carried the plan
unanimity of purpose and kindly consid.
Grafton had enabled all to work har.
moniously together.
In response to repeated calls Brother
Hervey Lindley, after echoing the senti-
ments of Brother Martin, begged leave to
worked long and indefatigably for the
cause, and after leaving his home each
morning for almost a year, had
made point of calling in at his
Office to discuss the Temple project, Upon
mentioning the name of d. j. Peck that
gentleman was enthusiastically received
He briefly described how the association
came into existence and vicissitudes which
beset it before it's purpose was anything
like assured.
The toast of The Visiting Brethren was
acknowledged by the Right Worshipful
William Thomas Lucas. deputy grand
master. In mentioning that the present
has been his first visit to Los Angeles in a
Masonic capacity, he confessed to but one
regret and that was that he had not been
able to come before. What he denominated
the royal entertainment extended to the
officers of the grand lodge. ad been the
means of icplantipg precious memories.
both genial and refreshing and which each
one would carry away and cherish.
Formal toasts were at this point allowed
70 lapse by the toastmaster, and short i'm.
promptu speeches were delivered in res
ponse to the request of General Last.
Judge Smith was the first called upon. and
as he had passed the earlier part of the
evening at a reunion of the blue and the
gray, he was more than usually patriotic
in his utterance. His words provoked en-
thusiasm, and he was applauded to the
echo. ut is all very well," he remarked,
to lay the foundation stones of Masonic
temples; they are requisite and in every
way good. but today we are overshadowed
Dy spirit that is paramount to all others.
The memory of the greatest man that ever
existed since time began is celebrated to.
day. To his ability and his patriot
lam the great ones of the earth
Of Prussia in 1890 = the greatest
warrior of the time-sent his portrait
to the one whom he styled 1.-THE greatest
general the world had ever produced"
Napoleon conceded that when he was dead
and forgotten the name of George Wash
ington would be reverenced for the tran
scendent genius of the man. Judge
Smith cited other names from the pages of
history, and then added: ''In honor of
Of that great man we celebrate the 22d of
February. and no words can add to his
fame. The greatest orator this country
has ever produced pronounced George
Washington to be first in war, first ia
peace, and first in the hearts of men, and
this is the glory and the grandeur that sur
rounds the man,
Inis patriotic ebullition of feeling was
highly applauded, and other short adj
dresses were made by certain Of the bretb.
rem until the midnight hour gave warning
that new day was being ushered in.
Il MASONRY'S INTENT
~ Origin Lost in the Dim Past but Its Vital