Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1897-12-30

Monday evening. the goth, there
was assembled al Reeds opera house
one Of the finest gatherings ever con
vened in Lancaster. 1t was the occa-
sion Of the semi-centennial of Lancas-
ter lodge No 20. F. and A. NJ. of Wis
eonsin. For this extensive prepare
tions had been made and not only
were the mem bers Of the local frater-
nifty with their families, present, but
the craft was largely represented
from Potosi, Beetown, Bloomington.
Sitter and Fennimore and regions
far beyond. Even Platteville was
largely represented. and true to the
ancient traditions of the order not
vestige of Lancaster latteville base
ball unpleasantness was traceable.
Some three hundred all told were in
attendance.
From half past seven for an hour
there was great confusion in the
temple" This was not because there
were mo designs on the trestle
board, for all day long the fingers Of
wives and daughters had been busy in
"traeing" these in ample and beauti-
full form on either side to .senlighten
the craft but from the constant COM
ing Of the ''brothering." the isis
term > and the groups Of happy
"childrenin'," the happy greetings
and hearty handshakes without a
seeming fear OF the insidious '.pathy-
lococci. /" Indeed it was scene upon
which the wise Master solomon in the
palmiest days of his marital exhuber-
ance the mighty Hiram from among
the ''cedars of Lebanon might have
looked with unbounded satisfaction.
At $50 O'Clock Hiram A-Biif.n in
the person of acting "Worshipful
Master c. r. Showalter, called the
craft from refreshment TO labor"
and the Grand Master Of the Uni
verse" was invoked By Rev d. M.
Sinclair. The Invocation was follow
ed by the Master in an address of
welcome. Briefly ne reterrea to the
change Of fifty years. n5t only in Lam
caster and the lodge, but in scientific
and other improvements and in the
increase of comforts of every kind.
The period is the most momentous
and interesting in the annals OF time.
1t is but a moment in the history of
Masonry, and present but 1.-THE of
its beneficent fruits. A thing of hui
man origin, the great good it has ac
complished in the elevation of man
kind, eternity alone can reveal
If this effort was fair sample of
what "Clyde"can do, Lancaster should
hasten to make him Universal Wei
conner"
After the Welcome" came well
rendered solo by Miss Marjorie Me-
Cawley. which was received by hearty
applause by the audience. as were
those that followed
The Welcome" was responded to
by J. II. Evans, Esq, OF Platteyille in
a happy manner by reference TO his
first visit to the lodge forty-one years
ago when it met in a small, meagerly
furnished hall, and there were present
such lights" as Judges Golfer ana
McGonigal, and Gen. Calls. and 9TH
ers long since gathered under the
"sprig OF acacia
The response was followed by Mrs
Lena Goodsell in a spirited solo
The address OF the evening was by
Hon. Aldro Jencks Of Dodgeville. Past
Grand Master OF the order in Wiscon-
sin. Tho Of but thirty minutes dura-
ton, il was a masterpiece IN its way
and should tie secured in full bv the
lodge and preserved among its ar
chives. 1t presented Masonry as an
order Of '.Brotherly love, Relief and
Truth, as an Institution dealing with
man-the highest type Of manhood"
and having to do only with his great
est good. Would men seek for the
oldest temperance organization. they
would find it here; for justice, it is a
cardinal principal Of the order. con-
fined not to the brotherhood but to
embrace the race. 1t seeks and recog-
nizes only ne highest type OF man
hood physically, socially, intellectu-
ally, morally and spiritually, and to
this end purposes to make all greater
and wiser; "to pay to each one the
wages" Of honor and trust and to be-
deck with the Jewels" Of consistency