The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-11-12
soLoMoN's TEMPLE SURPASSED.
Masonic Grand Lodge of Arizona to Meet
in Fairy Cavern.
(St. Louis Globe-Democrat }


Phoenix, Ariz., Nov. Elm the written
lore of Masonry is told that the order had
its birth in the cave-q uarries beneath
Mount Lebanon, where the workmen OF
Solomon's Temple gathered at night and
| bound themselves brotherhood, united
in the triple cause Of mutual protection,
| learning and truth. In the earlier days
of the guild, though the persecution that
ever is allotted cult that is new, the
caves of Syria were tho lodge rooms. But
the daysawhen Masonry was deemed allied
| to the black arts are past, and not fol
centuries have the craftsmen Of the order
been compelled to hide their lodges like
| the foxes.
| In Arizona this month is return to
first principles, for the annual sessions Of
the grand lodges of the territory will be
held in cavern. Not in dismal quarry
rough strewn with the products of The
| chisel and mallet, but in temple OF sur
passing beauty, direct gift from the
Supreme Master, unmarried by touch Of
human workman. Large it is as the
largest lodge room, with futed and fres
coed roof, with wondrous columns ano
pillars, such as mortal could never hew
the walls the spotless white OF purity
with here and there stripe of the blue Of
truth. At the master right hand nature
has placed a PEDESTAL of creamy white.
that will ring like bell under his gavei
On either side the dais are snowy curtains
| of purest lime, through which the lights
will shine, only mellowed by the bar rier.
| Though the lodge room is 300 feet below
the surface, it yet will be reached from
below; and well guarded may 1t be, for
| the approach for rods il by narrow tun.
mel. Then the way leads up a short shaft
and through portal broken in the cavern
side.
| At the back, beyond the masters
station, is another gateway, but one that
| only adds to the mystic influence OF thf
place. Outlet it is, YET no man knoWeth
| whittier it leads. Though the cavern $
air is sweet and pure, no draft comes
| from the Stygian pit. No man mas ever
| been lowered into its mouth, and Ian
terms swung down show nothing beyond
the narrow slit, fest in width, OF IN
known length and depth. Stones thrown
| within are never heard to strike tile DOT
tom: Such Is the rearward boundary Of
the lodge room.
The location is at Bisbee. one of the
| uosG unFoman1c OF mining towns, sel III
a gorge of the Mule Mountains, in the
southeastern part of Arizona. Down the
narrow valley the shanties straggle in tbs
usual nerve-distracting way. AT the head
are the great smelling furnaces, sur
rounded by growing mountains of Stag.
Below this lies the lodge room; down q
shat6, along drift and up an "upralse,
Where stoiid Cornish miners broke
through the side of the chamber. The
room IS, approximately, an acre in area
and ~ feet in height. Underfoot the
white floor is almost level Overhead the
dripping OF lime water long age
mas 1eit Inc most curious traoery much as
though, it has been remarked, the cavern
earth.
The management of the Copper Queen
is rot IN the mining business for senti-
ment. That the cave has not been dis
turped is probably owing to the fact that
| the copper deposits cease in the SUR olnd
ing ilme rock. So work has been p ose-
cuted elsewhere in the sixty miles OF
drifts and shafts that honeycomD the
earth to the depth of 5 20 feet. Yet the
manager OF the mine, the senior of the
noted Williams brothers, is not man
eVold OF sensibility or of ideas of fitness.
He Is, withal, a Mason. He has offered
the cavern for the grand lodge sessions,
and, perhaps, the only modern departure,
will besto brilliantly light it by electricity