The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-07
Gossip at
the Capital

Special Correspondence of The Tribune.
Washington, May 6.
The Masons of the jurisdiction Of the
District of Columbia are determined to
have a new temple. The temple may be
of a national character, and if so, Wash
ingtou will become the recognized head
quarters OF the Masonry in the United
States. Several months ago a call was
sent to each of the forty-nine bodies IN
the jurisdiction of the District of Colum
bia, comprising of all the lodges, chap
ters. communicates, and Scottish Rites
hodges. The call requested the appoint
ment of a committee of five from each
body to meet and discuss the building of
a new temple On March 20 the commit
tees met and organized into a general com
mittee. Thirty-fcur bodies were repre-
sented by lO6 delegates. The only work
done was to elect a chairman and SeCre-
tary, and to instruct the chairman to APP
point the five following committees: law
and organization, site, plans, and superin-
tendence On Monday evening the gen.
eral committee met in this city. Nearly ev-
cry lodge In the district was represented.
There were fully 200 hundred delegates
present. The committee on law and or
ganization submitted report, which was
elaborate In detail. After suggesting a
preliminary organization of the Masonic
Temple association, the report outlined
plans by which the required money may
be raised. This is 10 be done by subscrip-
ton to stock ordinary subscriptions, or
by sales Of bonds. Each Masonic body in
the jurisdiction of the District of Colum-
bia which contributes $1,000 to the stock of
the association will be entitled to one
representative on the board OF directors.
Two-thirds of the stock is to be held al
ways by Masonic bodies There Is to be
icStt of nStn Int ha
mittee plan. and whatever additional
amount is needed is to be raised by the
sale of bonds. or by private subscription,
the title to vest in three trustees appoint
ed by the directors. The ways and means
committee recommended that 100000 be
invested in the enterprise, and that the
temple is built on lot al least 100 by $50
feet. 1t was also suggested that the tenn
pie be national in its character; thus al
lowing Masonic bodies all over the coun-
try to become holders of stock. The COM
mittee ON plans recommended that an ar
cEitect be employed to submit plans for
the building.
A motion was made that the enterprise
of building a Masonic temple be made ma
tional in it's character. After some discus
sion the general expression favoring that
idea, the reports of all the committee were
referred to the ways and means; acuon on
all suggested will be deferred until the
next meeting,
The recent order of the secretary of
war recently granting permission to the
Roman Catholics to build a new and larg-
er chapel at West Point for the accom-
mediation of the officers, cadets and en-
listed men Of that faith, is causing a deal
of comment In church circles. When he
issued the order Secretary Alger prom
ised that any other denomination should
have the same privilege under the same
conditions The interesting part of this
whole matter is that for nearly a half
century a Catholic chapel has stood with
out protest on the West Point reservation.
Speaking with gentleman who gradual
ed from West Point about thirty years
ago, your correspondent was told that in
that day it was the custom that where the
parents or guardians of a cadet requested
II the cadet was permitted to attend wor-
ship either at the Catholic chapel or at a
Methodist service also held at the Point
All the rest of the cadets and they were
the great majority, attended services at
the governmental chapel, which, at that
time, were conducted under the forms of
the Episcopalian church. Afterward the
president appointed a Methodist chap
lain at West Point, so that denomination
had control of the services of the govern
mental chapel. The only risk Secretary
Alger has taken is that so many of the
y
may demand ground on which to erect
Chapels that the entire reservation will be
taken up with them.
Tu Ting Pang. the new Chinese minis
ter to the United States who arrived in
Washington last week, comes from Hong
Kong, and belongs to the province of
| Kwonglung. He was born In Hong Kong
| and received his early education there,
| but took his collegiate course in Eng
| land, where he was made a barrister at
| law. He returned to China and soon made
a record for himself as lawyer, and was
| later made a member of the legislative
council in Hong Kong. He afterward re-
| ceived the appointment from the emperor
| of China of police magistrate for the dis
| trict OF Hong Kong, which Is a position OF
| great honor, and he filled It with such dis
| tinction that he was invited to become le-
| gal adviser to the government. In con-
| nection with this last position he has been
the director of the Imperial railway of
| North China. He figured prominently in
| the peace negotiations with Japan, and
| also in the making of the last commercial
| relations between that country and China.
| in recognition Of the valuable service he
| had given his government in this last
transaction he was appointed minister 10
| Washington.
| Rev. Miles Hyers, of Simpson county.
Miss, is in the city looking after the bill
| to pension the eX-slaves. The bill was in
troduced in the senate some years ago
| and created a great furore among the ex-
slaves in the southern states, particularly
| those in Mississippi and Louisiana, Be-
cause of the increduAty of the southern
| negroes, many sharpers and schemers took
| advantage of them and have worked all
sort of devices to eXtort money from them
| Rev. Myers brings with him the signatures
of over 5000 Mississippi ex-slaves, who
| have sent him here to investigate the mat
ter and see what can be done. He is in
dorsed by the colored people and the col
ored press of the south, and proposes to
state his business before congress in q
few day. He is q remarkable negro of tho
old slave class; is 70 years old. and was a
slave forty-seven years. He Is black, tall
eloquent, and full of "reminiscences.
Colonel Tom Oehiltree, the world fam
| Gus story steller and also noted for being