Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-12-19
REVEREW ASHINGTON|
ottumwa Masonic lodges IBID
Appropriate Service.
r. l. TILTON'S BRILLIANT ADDRESS
Euiogizes tho "Father of His Country,
aud Tells nn Old Story In New
Way-Washtngton u Mason
OF High Degree.

of High Degree. /
From Mondays Daily.
: Masonic lodges all over the country !
have held services commemorative of
the centennial anniversary of the death
OF George Washington, the principal /
one having been held at Mt. Vernon
last Thursday, by the grand lodge of
Virginia. The program as carried out
there, was five years in preparation by
the grand lodges of the various states
and territories Of the Union, and at the
request of these lodges it's execution
was given to the grand lodge at Virgin
la, Master Masons from everywhere
throughout the United States, as we'll
as greater lights of the craft gathered
at Mt. Vernon for the purpose of pay
ing tribute in proper manner and with
lifting ceremonies to the memory of
I their great brother Mason. Yesteday ,,
& afternoon the two local lodges, Empire
No. $780, and Ottumwa lodge, No. 16,
+ held services to which the interested
public We're invited. A program had
been arranged, the principal feature Of
which was an address by Past Wor-
shipful Master r, L. Tilton. The choir,
consisting of Prof. j. II. Rheem, organ
list; Mrs. r. S. Field, Mrs. Nellie Brown
Hughes, Mrs. Coolidge, of Givin,
Messrs. Ed. Dye and George List, rem
dered several appropriate selections
and added not little to the interest of
the program.
The lodge room was simply decoraJ-
ed. A picture of Washington hung in
! the front of the hall, draped with the
national emblem. selection by the
choir was first given after which
George Phillips, Master of Ottumwa
lodge No. 16, announced the purpose OF
the gathering las Masons and friends
to pay tribute to the memory of
Washington, and introduced Hon. II.
! L. Tilton, who paid glowing tribute
= to the Father of his country and pre-
scented connected historical data rela-
9 tive to the life and works of the great
man, that are matters of history. In
addition, Mr.. Tilson brought forth the
fact that Washington was Mason of
high degree, he having been. admitted.
to the order before attaining his ma
Jority. There was to have been Great
ed new position among Masons which
It was intended that Washington
should have filled, and the idea was
only abandoned at his earnest solicita-
Z sA0AAs = LIS oiouS, Oul lue uuwIlLlGuI
history of the esteem in which Wash
ington was held by the fraternity and
showed that his lodge record in so far
as it concerned Masons was paramount
to the esteem il WHICH, he, is held by
the people for his public services and
+ lrreproachable private conduct.
Referring to Washington's unselish-
ness as characterized by his actions on
! his death bed, from the word picture
produced by the speaker one could al
most see the Father of his country ly-
ing upon the couch breathing his last
and importuning the physicians to not
bother with him any more because he.
felt that the end was near and all eff
forts were useless. His death was due
to what we now call larangytis and
need not necessarily have resulted fa-
tally had the physicians of that day
understood the science of medicine as
1T is now practiced. The news was
carried to congress then assembled in
Philadelphia. Appropriate resolutions
were passed in which was embodied
the famous declaration that he "was
hrst in war, first in peace and first in
the hearts of his countrymen." The
nation mourned, and woe in Masonic
circles was not less marked than
among the people. Washington, at the
time of his death, was commander-in-
chief of the provisional army that had
been raised in expectation of trouble
with France, and consequently was
buried with military honors. Masonic
orders had a place in the funeral cor
tege and rendered their tribute to the
departed brother.
The name of Washington is synono-
81 Al.
loving people almost everywhere joined
with the people of this country in eu-
logizing our dead. England, however,
did not notice it. The official organ of
the kingdom printed not line about
it. Our minister to the Court of St.
james, draped himself in mourning
and appeared at state functions but
both the king and queen studiously
avoided any mention Of the national
sorrow. Here the speaker paused to
inquire when first it was that England
began to show an affection for us. SIT
was when Sampson whipped Cervera
in Santiago harbor," said the speaker.
ut was when the great Dewey sunk
the Spanish feet in Manila bay. When
England found out that we had navy
and the best men in the world behind
/. the guns--that is when England first
loved us. Following up this line more
/, recent events were spoken of. The war
Of the Beers with England the speaker
s said was waged by the latter solely
for selfish purposes. This latter asser-
tion was made to lend force to the ar