The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-01-13

cost of the degrees were so excessively high
that they were almost prohihitive, and
the lodge had taken in but few me M bers
comparatively, SO he suggested that the
fees be reduced to the minimum fixed by
the Supreme Council. 1t was argued that
such a step meant ruin, for to adopt his
suggestion WAS to reduce the fees from
S125 to $25, and he was asked not to press
the matter. He did, however, press his
proposition, assuring those who opposed
him that there would be no loss, but on
the contrary gain. The soundEess of his
iudg ment in this, as in other matters con-
nected with the order, was made mani
fest. for from the time the fees were re-
duced the mem bership increased rapidly
and III q marked degree.
1t was not all smooth sailing In the
early stages of propagating the rite on
this coast as it appears from the language
OF the orator already quoted. He said:
The spurious clandestine invasion of the At
wood Supreme Council of New York, which
has found Judgment here, was promptly sup
pressed; those brethren who had become con-
nec,ed with it here at that time, finding it TO
be fraudulent, at once withdrew IRON il, and
some of them applied for and received the de-
grees OF our rite from competent authority
and the field was cleared and prepared Tor the
sower; and within three years, with the aid of
III. =. Brother Thomas H. Caswell, thirty-third
degree (now grand commander), no less than
members, had been constituted in this Sta te
besides four others in the State OF Nevada, by
the same authority.
Printed and written rituals of Freemasonry
were compar atively unknown excepting on
the continent of Europe and South America.
They were of course startling surprise and
novelty TO our members, while to learn and
memorize them was apparently mountain OF
labor to those who belonged TO the higher
bodies of the rite, and too great to be under
taken by many who were old Masons, who
al, af fTcH
ma sonry as the study of lifetime and be-
yond their capacity to master 1t, and requir-
ing so much valuable time to become ac-
quainted with II, which they were unable to
spare or disposed 20 give.
This Grand Consistnry was organized by the
demand of the brethren to give the rite gov
erning body III this state, the wisest measure
that was ever put into action by Scottish Free
masonry, even although it is but the deputy
of the Supreme Council. to govern the subor.
dinate bodies only ard confer the thirty-first
and thirty-second degrees
Thomas H. Caswell, thirty-third degree,
of this City. is the sovereign grand COM
mander of the Supreme Council, Southern
Jurisdiction of the United States, includ-
all the States south of Mason and Dixon
line and all the States west of the Mssis-
sippi; Frederick Weber, thirty third de-
gree. of Washington, ID. c., is the secre-
tary- general; Frank w. Pierce, thirty
third degree, of Oakland. is the inspector
general for California; Charles l.. ]. w.
Pierce, thirty-third degree, of Oakland, is
the grand commander of the Grand Con-
sistory of California, and George J. Hobe,
thirty third degree, OF this City, is the
grand registrar.
Grand Registrar Hobe, who has the repu-
tation of being one of the most learned
men in Masonry in California, was ap.
pointed to the Office he now holds on the
21st of March, 1872; in January following
he was elected to the Office and has held il
ever since 10 the entire satisfaction of all.
AS grand registrar he succeeded Z. A.
Sherman. Mr.. Hob4 is also the secretary
of all the subordinate bodies of the Scot
fish Rite that meet in San Francisco.
The subordinate bodies of the Grand
Consistory of California are the following
Occidental Particular Consistory, Los An
geles, $40 mem hers; Godfrey de st. Omar
Council No. l. Knights Kadosh, San Fran
cisco, 128; De Molay Council, No. 2,
Knights Kadosh, Oakland, 101; Hughes
de Payens Council No 3, Knights Kadosh,
Los Angeles, 85; Temple Council No. 4,
knights Kadosh, 81, Pasadena; Yerba
Buena Chapter No. l, Knights Rose Croix,
San Francisco, 1856: Gethsemane Chapte
No. 2. Knights Rose Croix, Oakland, 107
Robert Bruce Chapter No. 3, knights Rose
Croix, Los Angeles. Oil; Temple Chapter
No. 4. Pasadena, 80; Yerba Buena Lodge
of Perfection No. l, San Francisco, 1874
Oakland Lodge of Perfection No. 2. OAK
land, 107; King Solomon Lodge of Perfec-
ton No. 3 of Los Angeles, 107; Isaac Davis
Lodge of Perfection No. 4, Sacramento, %
Pacific Lodge of Perfection No. 5. Marys-
vile. i6; Delta Lodge OF Perfection No. 6,
Redlands, II; Temple Lodge OF Perfection