Arizona republican., 1896-03-12
PREHISTORIC MASONRY Significant Relics From
 Ancient Ruins.
Did Masonry Exist Among the
 AZteCS?
Relics That Have Been Unearthed Engraved With Masonic
 EmbiemS.

That masonry is of ancient origin there can be no doubt; but history does not state that masonry existed among the Actecs or Toltecs, the prehistoric tribes that thousands of years in the dim past fourished in Arizona. It is true that scientists have been able to collect but little knowledge of these extinct tribes, fer the only reliable evidence of the prehistoric existence of the races buried in the oblivion of ages are the relics that from time to time have been unearshed in the mounds strewn over the valley and territory. These ruins in themselves are indis- putable in proving that at one time tribe of fair degree of intelligence in habited the country, but the reason of the total destruction of the tribes is purely guess work, although many plausible conjectures have been ad vanced. The length of time that the race inhabited the country, of course, is unknown, and it can only be sup position at the most that the people always lived here or were a nomadic tribe that settled here-the latter be- ing, though, very improbable. At any rate there are evidences that masonry existed and it is a matter for scientists to worry over.
 Seventeen years ago Bud Cummings of Tempe and another gentleman made a partial excavation of one of the numerous mounds near that city and were greatly surprised when they un- , earthed a sea shell on which was vo1f fof compass. The shield had evidently been worn as a charm around the neck as a tole was through the shell. The relic was subsequently presented to Dr. Thibodo, formerly of this city, wifo prizes it very highly.
 John Tait, superintendent of the orange orchard, is greatly interested in prehistoric relics and is always seeking to add to his collection. About year ago ha wSs in the Indian yil- I lage east of the ity for the purpose or collecting relics from the Indians. He met a squaw ard after hard work made her understand what he was seeking, She entered her habitatio I and from the ground dug up an o.ia filled with ornaments both prehisto- lc and the handiWork of their tribe. The ornaments were attached lo a string and i'll looking them over MT. Tait's attention was riVited on a small charm i of red sandstone, on which was plainly engraved the square and compass. He purchased the relic and it is the most valued of his collection A prominent Mason a short while ago offered him a l fabulous price for the emblem, but he would rot part with it.
 MT. Tait also has in his possession d masonic keystone which he bought ! culiarity of the latter relic is that no one has ever been able to tell from what it is made, though of undoubted masonic significance.
 c. J. Dyer of this city at one time had a valuable collection of prehis- toric relics which he disposed of. ! Among the collection was an accurate masonic plumb, which is now in the possession of MT. Tait.
 Masonry, beyond a doubt, existed in the early ages and some writers main 1 tain that it derived its origin from the ''Dionysiac Fraternity" an assoc.a- tion which was formed in Asia Minor by the architects and builders engaged in the constructi2n Of temples at a time when the Greeks migrated from Athens
 The association is supposed to have been in existence in Tyre when Sol- omon undertook the building of the i temple and the story runs that the fraternity sent 8 band of workmen from Tyre ito assist in that work Free Masonry, according to this account, is said to have been originally organized by the leader of the band; and in this way is explained the great prominence which is given to Solomon's temple in 1 the rituals and symbols of the order 1 Writers, however, differ as to the origin of Masonry, but well informed Masons content themselves with SUD- posing that the order originated in the associations which were formed during the middle ages by masons and builders.
 On the other hand, some writers aver that modern Free Masonry never had any connection whatever with the Free Masonry of other ages, but was originally founded by Ashmole and some of his friends as a piece of mysti- fication, it's symbols and signs having been borrowed partly from the Knights
 Templars and partly from the Rosi- crucians
 The square and compass may be o1
 comparative modern origin as an em
 blem of the order-certain it is tha
 they are tools used in the present age
 but the finding of these prehistoric
 relics in the ancient Aztec ruins have
 significance.
 ] It is not presumed. however tha