The times., 1899-12-10

Thursday next. December ii. viii mark
the centennial anniversary Of the
death Of George Washington. Amer
ica's first President and the Father
Of his Country One hundred years ago. he
died al his magnificent home in Mount Yer
non after brief illness. He had rounded
his sixty-eighth year and was to all ap-
pearances in perfect health. giving premise
Of many more years Of usefulness, although
leading a comparatively retired life on his
estate, when death sealed his lips and cast
pain over the nation he had been fore
most in building
The centennial anniversary Of Washing
tons demise is TO be observed with all ths
pomp and splendor Of the Masonic ritual
ar The tomb at Mount Vernon on Thursday
by high dignitaries Of the fraternity, not
alone from all parts OF the United States,
but from Quebec. Nova Scotia. and New
Zealand. in fact, The memorial celebration
mas developed from a national into an in
ternatiOnal event AS the day approaches
The interest not alone of the Masons, but
of the citizens generally, becomes more and
more pronounced. and il is safe TO predict
that a larger and more distinguished
throng has never been gathered together
under similar circumstances than the one
that viii assemble at Mount Vernon next
Thursday to do honor to the patriots name.
To the Grand Lodge Of the State OF
Colorado belongs the credit for inaugural
ing the movement for the Masonic COM
memoration Of the hundred anniversary Ct
Washington's death. In 1898 the Colorado
body appointed a committee composed of
Roger Williams Woodbury., William D.
Wright, and William David Todd, which
al once went industriously To work TO Sc
cure the cooperation of the grand lodges
Of the United States. The committee first
sent out a list Of eighteen questions, ask
ing for suggestions rs 10 the proper course
10 be taken in the matter. In addition 10
this, the question was asked, Which grand
lodge should AXE precedence IN the ar
raHgemeurs2.' answers came in rapidly,
and with one accord, that Of Virginia. the
home of Washington, and Of many ether
illustrious statesman, was named as the
State 10 have the place Of honor. The
Grand Lodge Of the Old Dominion willing
ly accepted the charge and appointed
committee Of arrangements composed of
KOsciusko Kemper. J. B. Sener Senator
John ". Daniel, Micajah Woods, and s. r
Courrenay. This committee issued invi-
tations for every grand lodge in the fra
teTnity 10 participate. and half a hundred
acceptances from lodges throughout the
United States, Quebec, New Zealand and
Nova Scotia, have been received.
A Distinguished Participant
The affair OF mex, Thursday will be Civ
en- a special national significance by the
presence Of the President While Mr.. Nc
Kinley has not taken the higher degrees
OF the fraternity. he has the first degree
and is thus identified with the order He
took his degree during the civil war while
he was stationed with the troops in Vir-
ginia. M Mckinley VIII deliver an ad-
dress at the tomb OF Washington ia con-
nCction with the commemorative exercises.
Additional significance viii be given the
occasion by The presence Of the Grand
Lodge OF Virginia which viii convene in
Alexandria, December IS, and remain three
days This VIII be the first time that the
Old Dominion Grand Lodge has ever met
outside Of the city OF Richmond When the
centennial anniversary was determined
upon, a special dispensation vas secured
FOR the body TO hold a session in AIeXan-
dria. From the number of lodges in the
State and the delegates from each. IL is
expected that fully 500 Virginia MasOns
viii attend the session The following
changes il The line Of promotion are eE-
pected TO take place the first day Of the
meeting: Grand Master R. T ". Duke viii
become past grand master and viii be
succeeded by Deputy Grand Master Right
Morshipful George W Wright II. O.
kerns grand senior warden. viii succeed
Mr. Wright, Edward y Eubank grand
junior deacon. viii be made grand senior
warden; Grand Senior Deacon Thomas y.
Davis viii rise TO grand junior warden, and
he VIII be succeeded by Right Worshipful
Kosciusko Kemper
Washiugtou's Masonic Lodge.
The city Of Alexandria, which recently
celebrated It's sesqui-centenniaI anniversary
plays an important part i'm the celebration
that Is to take place Thursday u Alex
andria is located the lodge Of which Wash
iugton was a member at the tine OF his
death. il was originally called Alexandria
Lodge. but some time after Washiugton's
demise the name was changed to Alexan-
Washington Lodge in his memory.
George Washington took his first degree
ia Fredericksburg. Va, Lodge, 40. g. prob
ably the night Of November 3. 1853. He
was made q Master Mason August q. 1853.
in April. 1888. whehu the Alexandria Lodge
received itE charter. be became q member
Of that lodge and remained so until the
close Of MS career. In 1TsS he was made
IT'S w0rshipful master Because or Its close
relation With the life OF Washington,
brief history of the Alexandria Lodge APP
pears appropriate al this time.
II was established about l7S3. Having
no regular hall. the Masous met in private
rooms IN various laverns. When The mar
ket house was built in 1902 a lodge room
was built above il. This was burned IN
lS7l but was almost Immediately replaced
by the handsome structure which is now
occupied by two branches Of the order,
Alexandria Washington Lodge and Andrew
Jackson Lodge. in the Alexandria WASH
ington Lodge rooms there are many rare
relics OF Washington. There is the chair
in which he SAT as Master, the knife that
his mother gave him when q bov speci-
mems OF his manuscript his Masonic rega-
Tia worn on all Masonic functions. and
the gloves he wore az his marriage. These
relics are shown with pride 10 the thou
SANDS Of strangers who visit the rooms an
uuaIly It was while he was Master Of
this lodge that Washington laid the corner
stone Of the National Capitol
Washington a. "a Fireman
Another institution with which Washing
ton was closely identified. is the Friend
ship Fire Company-stil in existence.
This company was organized August 3,