New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-11
TROUBLESOME FUNERALS.
AN OLD MAID AND AN UPRroHT. FEARLESS
BROTHER.

AN OLD MAID AND AN UPRTGHT FEARLESS
BROTHER
Death ,s called the King OF Terrors. Funerals.
., -h, ,o,,,aI ,c1v"ncc % death ere tne ;-rrors
of Masters and secretaries: especially IL TINS the
case with The secretary. This overworKed ana
u;.derpa!d and never fully appreciated junction
ary is often suddenly called upon 10 issue TWO
hundred or more notices calling the brethren to-
gether to attend ne funeral Of our late Prother
So-and- So and II ,erchance he l: secretary OF
more than one body AZ the time. 10 ] have
| -en. and the late lamented belonged - t"J OF
three Of them aad then have Master who has
80 muc,, confidence his secretary that he allows
him kindly to make all the arrangements and 10
al the work the combination Of all these cir
cunstanCes will explain 20 YOU then, why funerals
IRE the terroTs u all good secretaries. II every
thing is all right and straight, and the presiding
officers Of the various bodies are men endowed
with common sense and have some experience in
these matters. then things are not quite 50 bad
but H. say for instance the chapter and the lodge
Ar the lodge md the commandery dOn
hitch" the High Priest or I'm. Commander
thinks lie should nave the management Of anairS
generally, things DO not go smoothly Iheh
suppose the family of the brothe: interpose some
objections to date time. or some medding
relative wants this that way. and is eager TO
order everybody around and make them DO as he
Tie mrddng rela I've. desires, the poor secretary
has his hands full 10 suit everybody and make
things sal along smoothly and with proper de-
corum.
Companion John y Finnley an active mem
Der OF Our Chapter. | think he was Captain Of the
Host At the time OF his des,h, and was a steady
and regular attendant at all our meetings lie
dressed well. and appeared TO ne an educated man;
horn IN New-York and was well iked by thg
boys He was unmarried but lived with his aged
mother who kept house for him, his brother ald
came through the secretary Of his Lodge VINO al
the time apPrised me o. the date fixed for ihe
Ts,n. nv l nd
or our High Priest to call before any, inal a..
TsnEeHsntt were maze 10 S abc o sec our bnYn
him Historically, This thought was AL Eight ana
objections OF the family 90 Masonic funeral Then
] remembered bits of conversation which COOK place
cdicts OF the Church-about the differences ana
difficulties he nad In hie own family circle regard
ing Masonry; and II began TO GAVIN upon me that
perhaps my work Of getting ell these notices ready
for mailing might prove 20 be loves labor lost
or worse, as IT would only INCONVENIENCE - go.
many 10 come to the Chapter rooms and md that
they had been cooled, and that there was TO be no
funeral notices ready. and had them stamped am
addre:ssd Tecdy for Ming ImH s"cre,srv Of
Lodge. whore Brother Flnnlcy was u member la
At the house OF this brother | found also the
Master and one or two other prominent members
seems the " Master haa called at n, house Of
mourning to make Inquiries when II would sun
were al very willing 10 nave him take charge or
everything until he spoke of the lodge ana Of he
buked the vs.. Master for daring TO pro'ane ne
presence of the dead, and said that Will on earth
9{her eVll spritS ~ 1.l.,uoi = 1 mut ny , con-,
Grated ground The Wo~shipfui replied 20 this that
fyoeraf contr9ry 10 ne wishes Of the family ONLY
ne desired DO his duty to tho deceased brother,
VINO. he thought. desired TO H. hu-'cd WITH Ma
the ancient maiden entered he room and said that
he had been o-king FOR the Master 10 tel him 20
last breath D. carried his last resting
place by his brethrs Of lodge and chapter. and. as
far he concerned, ne had promised bro'ari
20 the dead man. 10 matter what any body thought
This was about the eist OF the report made oy
the "; ilaster and s'oreii.ry We ,@1 ,Hl',d n,
doubt tina, tie farrily were opposed to Masons ard
brother, with dying breath. declared mis- wish 10 n1
laid 10 rest by his Masonic nrothers, not caring
should accompany ,he Master and secretary - the
old mother. This we did. pnd the foHo%ing facts
came out at this second visit: ,.. -. ,.,,.. md
mother nor her ancient daughter mad any % TAT
and positively refused give single silver 70 the
CHURCH anybody else. for buryng hi7 dead
man and died one: nov LET the Masons bury him
He wanted II So and his brethren stand ready 10
~ an os Ina ilD ~ sb5s.Sr "a !. wa ~
swT b nn sS 5dGy w d nSsg ST sr S 1s 70 5 @S
mother. too. very sorry. At first they tried
TO raise sufficient funds among friends; but the
brother put stop 10 this. and would have no
charity begging going on, 60 finally they re-
luctanty save US permission 10 10 AZ We pleased
You have hls Soul" spitefuny said the old
maid, and you may now take away his body.
And so both secretaries sent out their notices
10 iodge and chapter that evening and due prepare
cent and respectable funeral The brother had
lived in little narrow .aAe on the BoUery, and
very classic ncghborhN1d, ana somehow II
had leaked out that here was some trouble with
the Masons that they those Masons" are going
10 take Fnnlcy 5 body away against The wishes Of
his mother. etc. These ru.nors were circulated
among the friends OF the family, and offers Of pro
lection made by several Young rOwdies ~
tie class whose motto IL Wherever you see a
head NJ II and who would as readily stnal h the
when the time for the obseques came and the
,is efrnet W. found /, chcx.d I'm NTH rloul. o.
the vicinity who looked -ather threatenirgiy at US
as II We were then engaged in some highway ron
berry some ieering remarks were made By some
kird OF collision: but no notice whatever Was taken
held In CHE X ~ the deceased members brother.
VINO came down Iolo%lng 'h' cor pse. ana NAM
~ shook hands with the Master and several breth-
zen and slowly marched with rs until we were ont
DOrhood and We had nearly reached catharin"
ferry when nc too. got into a coach and We all
went out to Greenwood where the Solemn rites
Of the craft over the dead were performed over our
brother Some Of our members confessed to me
alterward that they expected to have some trouble
with those inps. and that they were ready 10 stand
The subject Of funerals Is almost inexhaustiblc.
and when began this number intended % follow
a ar rent line Of thought bi.t n ppenod TO think
Of poor FINLEY death an - rcat i t, = episode
connected with hiU shall !owovcr. ro:rr So This
subject again about the expectations some people
have when the Masons take charge % funeral
AN OLD SECRETARY.
HARD WORKER HONORED
D,gbt IvoreNinf,l yIerhort ycdr,ck Grand