Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-11-23
soloMoN,s TEMPLE SURPASSED.
MASONIC GRAND LODGE or ARIZONA
TO MET IN A FART CAVERN.

Ia the written lore Of masonry ID told
that the order bad tts birth 10 the cave
Quarries beneath Mount Lebanon, where
the workmen Of Solomon's temple gath
cred at night and bound themselves a
brotherhood, united In the triple cause
OF mutual protection, learning and truth.
In the earlier days of the guild. through
the persecution that Il ever allotted q
cult that 10 new, the caves Of Syria were
the lodge rooms. But the days when
Masonry Was deemed allied to the black
arts are past, and not for centuries have
the craftsmen Of the order been COM
PEELED to hide their lodges like the foxes.
In Arizona this month IL q return to
iirst principles, for the annual sessions
Of the grand lodges Of the territory will
be held 10 cavern. Not In . dismal
quarry rough strewn with the products
Of the chlsel and mallet, but In q temple
Of surprising beauty, direct gift from
the Supreme Master, unmarried by touch
Of human workman. Large Il Il a. the
largest lodge room, with fiuted and fires.
coed roof, with wondrous columns and
pillars, such as mortals could never hew,
the walls the spotless white Of purity,
with here and there stripe Of the blue
Of truth. At the masters right hand
nature has placed = pedestal Of creamy
white. that will ring like bell under
his gavel. On either side Of the dals are
snowy curtains OF purest lime, through
which the lights will shine, only mellow
ed by the barrier. Though the lodge
room Is 800 feet below the surface, Il
yet will be reached from below; and well
guarded may II be, for the approach for
rods IL by n narrow tunnel. Then the
way leads up short shaft and through
a portal broken Ia the cavern side.
At the back. beyond the masters sta.
ton, is another gateway, but one that
only AIDA TO the mystic influence Of the
place. Outlet II is. yet no mtn knoweth
whittier II leads. Though the cavern's
air IL sweet and pure, no draft comes
from the S,yglsn pit. No man has ever
been lowered into its mouth, snd lanterns
swung down show nothing beyond the
narrow slit, ak feet Ia width. OF un-
known length and depth. Stones throw
| within are never heard to strike the bot
tom. Such Is the rearward boundary OF
the lodge room.
The location is at Bisbee, one OF the
mos, unromsntic Of mining towns, set
Ia n gorge OF the Mule Mountains, la the
southeastern part OF Arizons. Down the
narrow valley the shanties straggie Ia
the usual nerve di.trsc'ing way. At the
head are the great smelling furnaces,
surrounded BY growing mountains OF
sisg. Below this lies the lodge room
down shaft, along n drift aud up an
"upraise," whore stolid Cornish miners
broke through the side OF the chamber.
The room IL, approximately, an acre Ia
area snd twenty feet 10 height Under
foot the white foor Ia almost level.
Overhead the dripping Of line water
long sgo has left the most curious trsc-
cry much as though, Il has been remark
ed, the cavern were In an iceberg aud
not la ccarser earth.
The management Of the Copper Queen
Ii not 10 the mining business for senti-
ment. That the cave has not been dis.
turbed Is probably owing to the fact that
the copper deposits cease In the sur
rounding lime rock. So work has been
prosecuted elsewhere In the sixty miles
OF drifts and shafts that honeycomb the
earth to the depth Of 500 feet. Yet the
manager Of the mine, the senior Of the
noted Williams brothers, Is not a man
devoid Of sensibi!ity or OF Ideas Of III.
ness. He Il, withsl, = Mason. He has
offered the cavern for the grand lodge
sessions, and perhaps the only modern
departure will be to brilliantly light !,
by electricity.-St. Louis Globe. Demo
crat.