The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-05-23
The Cornerstone Laid Yesterday With I'm
pressive Ceremonies.
GENERAL CARR'S FINE GRAFTON
The Mason's Made a Fine Display in Parading St. Johns Hall to the
New Du1diug-Splendid Music and Interesting Proceedings of
the Masonic Grand Lodge-A Great Crowd Witnesses the
Ceremonies..Additional Articles for the Corner.
stone-.Work in the Master Mason's De-
gre Last Night.
gree Last Night.

| And light from chaos broke,
we here Thy aid invoke.
Guide all u ways.
Bend from Thy Heavenly throne,
And on this cornerstone
Which here We lay.
Grant that a structure lair,
By Level. Plumb and Square,
May rise in beauty rare
| To grace the day.
After the hymn had been grandly
sung, the Grand Lodge conducted the
impressive ceremony of testing the
cornerstone by the square, level and
plumb. The officers reported that the
stone was square, that it was level ana
that it was plumb, and 1.-The craftsmen
had done their duty" The stone, which
was suspended, was then lowered into
it's position. The elements of consecra-
ton, corn wine and oil, were presented,
and with a band accompaniment, the
conservation hymn to the tune OF "Old
Hundred" was sung The hymn was as
follows:
When once of old in Israel
Onr ancient Brethren wrought with toll
Jehovah's blessing on them fell
In showers of Corn and Wine and Oil.
When there a shrine to Him alone
They built, with worship sin to foul
On threshold and on cornerstone
They poured out Corn and Wine and
Oil.
And we nave come, fraternal bands,
With joy and pride and prosperous
spoil
With stream. of Corn and Wine and
The stone was then conSecrated, the
corn, wine and OIL being poured over
the stone from silver chalices. The
Grand Lodge then executed h Grand
Honors, clapping hands, right and left.
The implements of architecture were
then delivered to the architect, Mr..
! Charles McMilien, followed by the
Grand Masters making a proclamation
that the stone was laid in proper form.
After a selection by Cecilia Quar-
tette, Mayor Waddell introduced as the
orator Of the occasion General Julian
S.. Carr, of Durham. Colonel Waddell
sale it was his pleasant privilege five
years ago to deliver the address of well
come to the Grand Lodge, which met
here to celebrate the hundredth ami
versary Of ST. Johns Lodge No. 1.
This was the first time since 1874 the
Grand Lodge had met outside Of Raj
eigh, and today we had met to conSe-
crate the first Masonic Temple to be
erected in North Carolina. He then
announced that the pleasant duty had
been assigned to him to introduce as
the orator of this occasion a brother
craftsman, a man who in early life had
/ been his next door neighbor and alwav
his friend-who had fought in the same
regiment with him during the civil
war and who only last week at Charles
ton had been elected Major General OF
all the Confederates of North Carolina
He introduced General Carr as a mar
whose career had been one of honOr and
success, a man whose name was the
of princely benefactiOnS and
just deeds, a man in that respect, with
out a peer in our state. It was very
appropriate for him to introduce such
a. one-a bright Mason, a great bust
ness man, and a bi~g-hearted, true
loyal North Carolinian-Julian s. Carr
There was immense applause as
Mayor Waddell concluded his remarks
and as General Carr came to the front
of the platform he was given an ova.
ton by the assemblage.
GENERAL CARR'S ADDRESS.
When the applause which had greet.
! ed General Carr ceased, he delivered
the following address:
Fellow Craftsmen, Ladies and Gentle
To be honored with the privilege O.
addressing my brethren of the mystic
tie, as represented in the Masonic
bodies here today is an evidence Of es
TEEN for which any man might be pro.
foundry grateful; but when the occa
SlOn - Tic tdyiAS u liz CoI ACI SIOlIs
for a temple of Masonry, in which t.
teach the truths and practice the vir
tues, that for more han a century
have made the Cape Fear illustriou:
in the annals Of the craft and wher
the scene of the memorable event Of
this day is the beautiful metropolis o.
the state, the birthplace and the tom
of revolutionary patriots, of scholar!
and divines, Of soldiers and statesmen
without number, n Of beauty an(
wit, grace and devotion, in the fail
women, who add the splendor of theil
loneliness and purity, to the halo O.
their ancestral heritage-then humili'
ty overcomes pride, I am as a pilgrim
with staff and scallop-shell, amid thu
hallowed memories that cluster here
on the classic ground rich with Masonic
deeds of love, fain would / remove my
sandals, and rather than lift my voice
would listen to the counsel of the faith.
ers!
This day, linked with the future OF
the temple whose founding we cele.
brate, will be historic, and as such
brings to mind the men who have made
history on the Cape Fear This wa:
the home of the Ashes and Moores
Hoopers, HarnettS and Lillingtons. Her,
the first committee of safety in TIA
now a century and a quarter ago, will
such patriots as Ounce, Clayton, Hogg
Ancrum, Walker and the like, dared t.
tell a royal governor that he could no
have free passage for his council t.
meet on the decks Of a British ship o
war; aye, although their homes lay il
peril of her hostile guns.
Here a free people, in open daylight
tore off the grasp Of oppression, TO
which others were lauded who ventur
ed to do the same thing at night, an,
in disguise. From these sands, How
j. ] led the Second North Carolina an,
l drove Dunmore and his naval allie
from Norfolk. Here lived the gallan
, minute-men who with Ellington an
Ashe won under Caswell, immorta
glory at Moore's Creek. William Hoop
. er, Of the fifty-six signers of the Dec
iaration, sleeps under the shadow of 81
; James. Harnett went hence to die i
captivity.
Culture n refinement made thei
affairs here. A British governor declar
ed it 1.-The religion of politeness an
hospitality" Tradition preserves tn
voopnnrv af Tho oloros, ~oot De-