Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-10-27
CORNER stone LAYING.
Wheeling Masons Participated in Ex-
ercises in Wellsburg.
THE CORNER STONE OF THE NEW
PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING
PLACED IN POSITION WITH M
PRESSIvE EXERCISES - A
STREET PARADE-ADDRE BY
COL. SOBERT WHITE-VISITING
MAsONS RENDERED A BAN
QUIET.

MASONO IENDERED a DAN
QUIET.
Business was completely suspended
in Wellsbury and Lezearyille yesterday
afternoon, during the exercises Of lay
ing the corner stone of the new school
building in the Third ward. All the
stores were closed and the entire popu-
lation turned out to witness the cere-
monies and lend eclat to the very i'm
portant and impressive occasion. The
estimate fixes 1000 persons present,
while over 800 children carrying flags,
marched and sang and formed part of
the grand chorus.
Many of the Masons arrived from
Wheeling in the forenoon, but the
lodges who came in body and the
Knights arrifed about 2 O'Clock. They
were met at the depot by an escort and
band. and escorted to the Masons' lodge
room on Water street. Large crowds
came from Wheeling, Steubenville and
New Cumberland, while Bethany, West
Liberty, Mingo and other surrounding
towns all sent their share to make it
an occasion not soon to be forgotten.
The site of the new school building is
on beautiful eminence n Charles
street, the property known as the old
Fair ground, and near the proposed new
public square. The exercises started
with a parade from the Masonic lodge
room in the Haney building. This was
headed by company G, National Guard
Then came citizens, public school chill
dren and the Board of Education,
Wellsburg Opera House band, knights
Templar, Royal Arch Masons, Master
iMasons, knights Templar escort OF
Grand LODGE, chief magistrate and civil
officers of the city. In all there were
nearlu 1900 in the parade. They
moved over tn route as mentioned be-
fore in the Register, to the site Of the
school building, where the following
named officers Of the Grand Lodge took
charge of the ceremonies: M. w, Jos.
Hall, Grand Master; R. W., R. NJ
Baird, Deputy Grand Master; R. W., j..
NV. Ewing, Grand Senior Warden; R..
W., T. NJ Hudson, Junior Grand War
den: w. G. B. Crawford, Grand Treas
urer; W., Thomas NJ. Darrah, Grand
Secretary; w. Grand Chaplain, Rev.
Jos. Speers; Grand Orator, Robert
White, Past Grand Master; Grand Pur-
suivant. c. R. Oldham, District Deputy
Grand Master; Grand Steward, Abram
McCulloch and ]. H. McCombs; Master
of the Oldest lodge, J. M. Galloway;
Grand Tyler, w. r. Miller; Grand Mar
shall, J. H. Dehmel; Assistant Grand
Marshal, ]. 3. Walkinshaw.
Grand Master Joseph Hall called the
meeting to order. Prayer was then Of
fered by the grand chaplain, after which
"a choir composed of fifty persons from
the various churches sang How Firm
Foundation" Then Grand Master
Hall proceeded with his Masonic ritual
and the stone was laid. Placed under
and within the stone was zinc box
filled with many aitrcles manufactured
in the town; copies Of the papers print
ed here and in Wheeling; reports of
schools, and statement showing cost of
such building, and hundreds of other
articles and printed matter. The band
played America and the entire audi
ence caught up this patriotic air and
sang as never before.
Grand Orator Robert White followed
with an address that commanded the
attention of the vast asSemblage, who
punctuated it with frequent applause.
To say it was mastery, eloquent and
we'll suited to the occasion is putting it
in mild form.
At the close of the address the choir
sang Coronation, and the grand chap
lain pronounced the benediction, when
they returned to the place Of starting,
and the parade dispersed. Visiting Ma
sons were then escorted to City Hall,
where a light banquet had been pre-
pare dat $50 p. m, after which the
following after dinner talks concluded
the days programme:
Grand Lodge of West Virginia" Jos,
Hall.
Wheeling Commandery No. 1, w. w.
Irwin.
Cyrene Commandery No. Z, G. B. Nc
Lain.
1.-The Foundation on Which We
To-ovy,