El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-11-13
TEMPLE SURPASSED.
Masonic Grand Lodge of Arizona to
Hold Sessions in Fairy Cavern.


In tt written lore of Me sonry is
tod til at the order had it's hi tn in the
cave-uuArries beneath Mount Lebanon,
where the wOrkme II of 5 IomOn's
Temple cath, red al night and bound
I'll en- selves g. brotherhood, united in
the triple cause of mutual protectiO E,
learning and truth. In the ear. ier
I avs of the guild, through the persecu-
ion that eve i allotted cult that is
new, the caves of Syria were the lodge
rooms. But the days when Masonry
VAS deemt d allied 20 the black arts are
past, ard not for cantur es have the
craftsmen of the order been compelled
to hide their led yes like the foxes.
In Arizona this month is a return to
frs principles, for the a4nua' sessions
of the grand lodges OF the territory
will be held u a cavern. Not il
Gi~mal QUE rry, rough st ewn with the
roduc,s of tne chisel aud mallet, but
in t mple Of surprising beauty, a
cire1t gift from the supreme master,
unmarr, d by touch OF human work
II az. Large It is Us the largest lodg,
roc m, w tn Hated and fire coed roof,
with wCndrou5 columns and pillars,
such q NOR al could never hew, the
walls the spotless white of purity. with
ere and there a st~ipe of the blue Of
truth. At the masters right hand
nature has placed a pedestal OF creamy
W b te, that will ring like bell under
his gavel On either side the dgis are
snowy curtains of purest lime, through
which the lights will shine, only mel
lowed by the barrier Though the
lodge room is 800 feet below the sur
face, it yet will be reache from below:
and well guarded may it be, for the
ar roaeh for RODS is by narrow tunnel:
Then the way leads up q short ST. tt
al nd T.
cavern's SIDE.
At the back, beyond the masters
station, is arother getcFay. but one
t. at only adds to the my.tic infiuer ce
of ihe place. Outlet it is, yet 10 min
know h whittier it iead5. Though the
cavern's a r is sweet ID pure, 10 draft
comes from e Styeian piF. No mao
has ever p en- lowered into its mouth,
ard lanterns swung down show nc
thing beg ond the narrow slit, feet in
width, of unknown length and depth.
Stones thrown within al e Deve" heard
to strike the bottom. Such Is the rear
ward boundary of the lodge rom.
The location is at Bisbee, ore of the
most unrom antic of N MIN )wns, set
in a gorge OF the Niue mountains, in
tae southeast IN part OF Arlz ma.
Down the narrow valley the shan ties
struggle 10 the usual Notwithstanding
wey. AT the head are the great smelt-
ing furna ces surrounded by growing
mCunta Ms of Stag. Below this lies the
lodge room: down a shaft, along ift
ard up an ''upraise," where stoid
Corri=h IL. nt IS uruae thytue b he side
of the CHI N Der. The room is approx
mately au acre in area ana 20 feet in
heie hit. UrderfOot tie white floor is
almost level. Overhead the dripping
of lime water long ago drained has left
the most curious tracery, much as
though, it has been rema rked, the cav
ern were in IN iceberg and not in
coarser earth.
Tie Management of the Copper
Queen is rot in the mining business
for sentiment. That the cave has not
been disturbed is probably owing to
the fact that the copper deposits cease
in the surrounding ! me rock. So work
has been prose uted elsewhere in the
xty miles of drifts ana shafts t" a
hone Y omb the earth % the depth of
500 feet. Yet the manager If the
mine, the sen or of the noted Wi ljams
broth rs, j. Lot a man devoid { f sensi
bi,ity or of idea of fitness He is,
witbal, q Mason. He has offered the
cavern for the gra d ledge sessions,
ard. perhaps, the only modern depart
ur,, viii BE- 20 brilliantly light it by
electricity. Pres, Mt on the 10th will
be the fullest attendance ever known
by a MI some governing body in the
sOuthwe st Gov. Nj, G ,rd, CT Arizona,
potentate of the Shriners. will at en3,
as vel as the Mason ic majority of the
officials Of Arizona, New Mexico and
Sonora