The San Francisco call., 1896-10-15
THE CORNERSTONE OF THE MASONIC HOME LAID

Masonic Home for Widows and Orphans,
which took place at Decoto yesterday, was
an event of much importance in the his
tory of Freemasonry in California.
The significant act of placing the stone
was accompanied by pageant, by oratory
and music, and was observed by thou
sands of Freemasons of all ranks and by
members of the Order OF the Eastern Star,
gathered from all the counties, nearly all
the communities and representing about
all the ladies and all the grand bodies OF
Freemasonry in California.
The events were fourfold. The first was
an impressive parade from the Masonic
Temple down Market street and in their
parade there were between 1000 and 1000
persons, bands of music, waving banners
and flags, glittering swords, nodding
plumes, costly and elegant regalia,
thousands of wearers of the ''lambskin"
apron, in short all the paraphernalia,
equipment and outward glory of the great
order of Masonic brotherhood.
The second event was the parade at
Decoto, which was not repetition albeit
the organizations taking part were the
same. But the surroundings were so diff
ferent and characteristic as to endow this
second parade with characteristic and
unique interest.
The third event was the actual laying of
the cornerstone, which was viewed by
thousands who had not seen the parade in
San Francisco, but who had come in from
all over Alameda and Santa Clara counties
in special trains, in carriages, on horse
back and on bicycles taking any and all
available means of conveyance to reach
the scene of such widespread interest.
Then came the fourth event. when the
members of the craft being called from
rest to refreshment devoted their atten-
ton solely to barb ecue, which had been
prepared and served by Alameda Lodge.
Swords ratified under the greenwood tree
in grove surrounding the Decoto public
school. Spoons and forks jingled and
barbecued steers smoked on long tables,
the generous length of which was calcu-
lated to accommodate 1000 Masons and
friends at one sitting.
AT $50 the procession began to move
down Market street en- route for the Pied
mont. which was waiting to move the
Masons on the first stage of their eastward
Journey. At the head of the line marched
E. Peabody, the grand marshal, and I'M
mediately behind him were his aids-C. L.
Field, representing Golden Gate Com
mandery No. 16, K. T.; W. II. f. Titus,
1, K. T.; II. a. Cline, representing the
Grand Consistory; Charles W. Conlisk,
representing San Jose Commandery, K. T.;
Webb n. Pearce, representing Oakland
Commandery, K. T., and Henry Bruner,
P. NJ. Occidental No. %.
The First Regiment band, playing lus-
tily and gayly, headed the officers of the
Grand Commandery, to which California
and Golden Gate communicates, the Grand
Council R. and S. NJ, the Grand Chapter
r. A. M. and the Grand Consistory acted
as escort. These bodies might be termed
the first division of the procession, and
they formed that portion which, with its
swords, regalia and paraphernalia, was
the most snowy and was representative of
the higher orders of the craft. There
were tylers with drawn swords, stewards
with rods and other officials of less rank.
The sun Furnished their glittering gar
ments. They marched handsomely and
proudly.
Next came the working Masons,'' the
members of the blue lodges, the represen-
tatives of the great merciful and fraternaI
army of Free and Accepted Masons, to
whom, in the personality of the officers of
the Grand Lodge of California, was con-
signed the consecration of the corner
stone. So impressive spectacle has sell
dom been seen on the streets of San
Francisco. Rank after rank, hundreds
after hundreds, reaching thousands of Free
and Accepted Masons in the aggregate,
moved steadily forward in pursuance of
their mission of mercy and benevolence.
The long line stretched away block after
block, nearly half mile in length. The
white-aproned Masons marched in fours
First came the officers of the Grand
Lodge-Grand Master E. NJ. Preston,
Deputy Grand Master William T. Lucas,
Senior Warden Thomas Flint Jr, Junior
n
w. NJ. Petrie, Junior Deacon Ralph
Lowe, Grand Secretary George Johnson,
Grand Treasurer Edward Coleman, Grand
Orator Voorsanger, Grand Chaplain E.
Walk, Grand Marshal Edward F. West,
Grand Standard bearer II. A. Powell,
Grand Lecturer w E. Sloan, Grand
Sword bearer Keys. Grand Fursuivant J.
B. Cooke, Grand Organist Sam D. Mayer,
Grand Tyler ]. Oglesbv, Grand Bible
bearer ]. b. Richardson and the lesser
officers, all being invested with the due
insignia of rank.
The delegates to the Grand Lodge, f.
and A. NJ. of California, and the large
membership of the lodges of this iurisdic-
tion followed. Bands played, flags and
banners waved and the gathering crowd
on Market street, which had been at
tracted by the music and the great out
pouring of Freemasons, became a dense
mass OF spectators at several points along
the line OF march. 1t is creditable to the
craft that hundreds whose business would
not permit them to visit Decoto neverthe-
less donned the liam bskin" apron and
swelled the demonstration by marching to
the foot of Market street. Many members
of the consistory, chapter, council and
commandery marched with the lodges.
The steamer Piedmont, when she pulled
out of the slip at the foot of Market street,
was simply packed with the Free Masons,
members of the order of the Eastern Star
and their friends. There was little room
to move about. There was comparatively
little delay in starting the trains when
the boat reached the Oakland mole, but as
usual, the number of passenger coaches
supplied was inadequate and many
Masons were compelled to stand all the
way to Decoto. California Commandery,
Z. T., had string of Pullman cars which
had been secured in advance. The first
train whirIed through Oakland and by
other stations without stop, leaving Oak
land Free Masons to come on train which
followed soon after.
San Jose Commandery, K. T., was found
to be drawn up in line at Decoto TO re-
ceive the visitors, making a fine appear
ance. Some delay occurred at Decoto be-
fore the procession was fully reformed, it
being necessary to await the arrival of the
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