The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1899-12-22
flasOns Observe tooth AM
niversary Of His Death.
THE SERVICES IMPRESSIVE
Great ThrOng at Mt. Yernon--PreSiten I
Mckinley Takes Part and De-
IiYerS an Grafton.

hppAopIlubbi IN inc pIeb6uCo u ulb-
tinguished assemblage the centennial
Of the death Of George Washington
was commemoratod Thursday at Mt
Vernon.
That Mt. Vernon should have been
selected as tn 9 scene of the exercises
was peculiarly fitting. There it was
that the happiest of Washington's life
occurred. In other parts he endured
his trials, on other fields he won his
triumphs; but there, surrounded by
those whom best he loved, were spent
the restful, quiet, studious hours Of
his life. There it was, too, that he
sickened and died; and there all that
was mortal of him Nas laid to eternal
rest in q mausoleum overlooking q
broad sweep of the picturesque POta-
mac
The days ceremonies were elabor-
ately planned and successfully carried
to fruition. They were conducted by
the Masonic bodies and by the Red
Men of the United States. The move
ment for the days observance origi-
mated il 1898, with the grand lodge Of
Masons of the state of Colorado.
Charge of the ceremonies was placed
in the hands of the Masons of Vir~
ginia, it being in the Old Dominion
that Washington was obligated as a
Master Mason and there that he par
ticipated enthusiastically in Masonic
work and observance.
Thousands of Masons were in atten-
dance from oil parts of the country
and almost every jurisdiction in the
United States, and few from foreign
countries were represented by some Of
their grand officers and members.
Later in the day, when the Masonic
ceremonies had been concluded, the
Independent order of Red Men sue
ceeded them in honoring the memory
of Washington with the rites of their
order.
President Mckinley, himself an en-
ihnsiastic Mason, was accompanied to
Mount Vernon by Secretary of State
Hay, Secretary Of the Treasury Gage,
Secretary of the Navy Long, Secretary
of the Interior Hitchcock, Secretary of
Agriculture Wilson and Postmaster
General Smith, of the cabinet; Assist
ant Secretary of the Navy Allen, Ma
ior General Miles, Adiutant General
Corbin, Major John A. Johnson and
Senator w. A. Clark, of Montana,
past grand master of his state. The
presidential party was greeted by
Grand Master Duke, of Virginia, and
by him was escorted to the mansion.
After the president and his cabinet
had received the Masonic bodies from
a platform on the east front of the
mansion, procession was formed and
moved, as on the day of General
Washington's funeral, December 18th,
1779, to the old vault where the re.
: mains were first deposited. There, in
the immediate presence Of the grand
: officers of the various states and the
assembled Masons, solemn funeral
rites were conducted.
A. solemn dirge by the Third cavalry
8 band was followed by the invocation
$ pronounced by the Rt Rev. A. M
s Randolph, bishop Of the southern
: Episcopal diocese Of Virginia. Grand
Master A. A. Burnand of Colorado
/ delivered and grafton on. the life anG
Q work of Washington. The procession
reformed and moved then to9the toni
where the remains Of Washington anC
those of his family now lie. The tomb
Q was magnifcently decorated with fagI
!, and festOons of evergreens and flow
. ers. Prayer was offered by the Rev
j g. H. Ray, d. D., grand chaplain o
). the grand lodge of Virginia
k The grand master of Virginia called
IS upon each of the jurisdictions Of th,
thirteen original states, the iurisdic
ton of the western states and those o
Canada, Belgium and Nova Scotia, 70
Ia messages and tributes sent by then
and all responded.
r Then the grand master of the dis
. trict of Columbia deposited within tn
/. tomb the lambsl1in apron as tokel
a of innocence; the grand master o
Missouri deposited the white glove a
W q token of friendship, and the gran,
. master of California deposited th
"a evergreen as an emblem OF the Masoni
4 faith in the resurrection of the bod
:. and the immortality Of the soul.
The procession returned to the cas-
4 front of the mansion, where Presiden
n Mckinley, introduced by Grand Mas
rs ter Duke, delivered an Grafton as hi
tribute to Washington.