The San Francisco call., 1896-07-08

to be deposited in the cornerstone box.
The grand treasurer replied he had the
box, whereupon the grand secretary read
the following list of articles contained in
the box: Name of the President OF the
United States, names of the Secretaries of
State, the Navy and War DEPARTMENT. a
photograph of Sloat, roll of officers of the
Philadelphia and Monadnock, roll of vet
erans of the Mexican war, name of the
Governor of California, names of United
States Senators and Congressmen from
California, printed proceedings of the last
session of the Grand Lodge of f. and A.
NJ, list of Monterey County and city Off
Gals, copies of all newspapers printed in
Monterey County, piece of staff on which
Sloats flag was hoisted fifty years ago,
poem by Miss Eliza Pittsinger, constitu-
tion and bylaws of the Masonic Veterans
Association, list of members and officers of
the Sloat Monument Association.
Grand Treasurer Ed Coleman was direct
ed by the grand master to lay the box in
the cavity prepared for its reception, and
may ages pass till it is again seen of
men, concluded the speaker. The cere-
mony of depositing the casket was per-
formed while all present sang America. -
At the close of Il National anthem the
grand officers assumed their respective po-
sitions around the cornerstone. There
was temporary lull in the proceedings,
when the chains OF the derrick began TO
rattle and the great block of granite to de-
scend slowly to its permanent bed. The
Masons stood in silence, now and then
making signals in accordance with the
mystic ritual.
Presently a sound foateG up from the
bay. Ii was IL o'clock in, the morning
and the bells of the Monldnock and Phila-
delphia tolled the hour. Fifteen minutes
later the stone was laid in Its bed of ce-
ment. Three lusty cheers were given and
simultaneously the guns of the flagship
Philadelphia boomed a salute.
The grand officers, continuing the cere-
mony, placed corn, oil and wine upon the
stone as EN- blems of nourishment, re-
grand orator of the day, delivered an elo-
quent address.
To-day the roll of honor of California is
unrolled" he said, land thirty years after
his death the name OF John d. Sloat is
mentioned by the populace as that of the
man who opened the gates of California
and gave it rank among the States OF the
free Republic of the West.
1T is not often that the roll OF honor is
opened, and happy is the man who thirty
years after his death is thus honored
John Sloat stands to-day as one OF the
most distinguished officers of the United
States Navy. The lives of him and his
men were forever at his country's call. He
sailed his ship over the ocean in unknown
seas, blindly following his duty to his
country"
The reverend speaker said that there
were two ways of opening new country
One was by taking forcible possession, the
other by colonization. He gave a short
history of these methods. bringing his
subject down TO modern times, when the
Anglo-Saxon and Spaniard set the exam
pie of olonization. These two peoples
met here in the West, and the Anglo
Saxon stem proved 10 be the better: so
when the American flag was hoisted at
Monterey, it was sign that the country
gos or few churches, but on the contrary
10 new regime under which the citizen
owed no allegiance but 20 the glorious flag
above him. And so this gathering had not
been held TO lay the cornerstone and to
honor Sloats memory alone, but to cele-
braie the anniversary Of the birthday of
liberty on the Pacific Shores
The rabbi dwelt at some length on the
possibilities of the future and the destinies
OF America. In conclusion he prayed that
heaven might grant the boon that in
church and school the native sons and
daughters might be worthy to stand for
all time with their brothers and sisters of
all America. As the years pass so, too he
hoped the monument to John d. Sloat at
Monterey would. in the language OF gran
ite, salute and welcome ships from the
West as they came into the bay from for
eign lands.
The grand chaplain pronounced the
benediction, while the Masons and specta-
tors stood with heads bowed and uncov-