Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-20

around the mines IN BannaCk. 1t was the
death of Bro. William H. Bell of st.
Louis, Nov. II, 1862. 1t vas the first nat
ural death that had occurred in camp.
AS he a expressed the wish to be bur
led with Masonic services If possible
some who knew him to be a Mason in
good standing, circulated notice through
the camp requesting a meeting at the
cabin of c.. j. Miller on Yankee Flat TIC
the surprise of all. there was a response
from more than the cabin could hold and
adjournment was had to a still larger one
where a genuine examination was held
and most of the night spent in becoming
acquainted with each others record. Bro
Langford conducted the funeral services
the next day and says hat no less than
seventy-tive dropped the evergreen spris
on the brothers. grave.
Out of this event sprung a movement
to secure the formation of a lodge, in
which Bro. Langford was foremost. APP
plication was made to Nebraska as being
most accessible.
In the printed proceedings of Nebras-
ka. of date June 16, 1863. CIR. Master Arm
strong says his only official act a been
the granting of a dispensation to form a
lodge at Bannack City, Idaho Territory.
which bore date April q. 1868, in which
Bro. Langford was named as the first
Worshipful Master, James Dyke. Senior
Warden, and John W.. Morrison, Junior
W l. ~ A>o ASlulA VI AhS y
having been received by June following
the Nebraska record says that the CIR.
Lodge voted to renew the dispensation.
In the record of the same CIR. Lodge Of
the following year, Jue %, 1864, Or. Mas
ter Daniel H. Wheeler in his address,
ton in Tune "a, 1858. with the same Off
GERS, and adds, that he had heard that
the lodge had convened and was work.
ing. But Bro. Langford says before the
dispensation was received, the new mines
discovered at Alder Gulch had so scatter
ed the petitioners for a lodge that they
never We're congregated or the lodge or
ganiZed to work
The Nebraska record Of 1864 says that
no report had been received and the CIR.
Master was requested to issue a new dis
~pensation. Bro. Langford in his address
referred to the fact of having the dispen-
sation in his possession and his purpose
to deposit it in the archives of the CIR.
Lodge of Montana.
The present Bannack lodge, Number 16,
was not organized until 1870 when the
writer was CIR. Master and its charter
was granted Oct. 3, 1871.
Though the first attempt to organize
a lodge in Montana proved a failure, the
attempt bore rich fruit. The members
thus brought together round the lonely
grave of Bro. Bell, became not only in
Bannack, but later in Virginia City, and
still later in Helena. h nucleus around
which rallied the friends of law and order
who with a strong hand ended the reign
Of crime and violence, and instead Sc
curely established justice, peace and
On Nov. II, 1868, a d~ispensation was
granted to Bros. Mark A. Moore as w.
M, Samuel w. Stanley, s.. W., and Levi j.
Russell, ]. W., and thirteen others to
hold a lodge named Idaho, at Nevada
City, idaho Territory. by OR. Master
Wheeler of Nebraska. Under this dispen-
sation a lodge was organized and n
the late Jerre G.. Smith Of
Boulder received all the degrees.
We find from the Nebraska record Of
1865, that on Jun %, of that year a
harter was granted said lodge as Num-
10, naming besides those in the dis
p%ensation, Bros. Robert Hereford, Jo-
seph G. Steele, John F.. Cowan, Geo. w.
T. H. Clewell. w. H.. Patton,
John NJ. Wood, Dan. Elliot, Freeman H.
Shaw, Julius Hewes, William r. Wheeler,
J.. L.. Damon and Cornelius Griswold.
The receipt of $65 is acknowledged, OF
which $25 was to pay for the charter and
the balance to pay for a Masonic chart,
lexicon and to print their bylaws. The
Secretary was instructed to notify the
lodge to mak returns and pay dues. At
the same time the record speak OF the
of the dispensation of Bannack
lodge, without any request for a charter.
We have been informed by some of the
members of Idaho lodge that their char
ter and other things sent for We're never
received. 1t is supposed that the coach,
with charter, ETC., was captured by In
dams, and the charter went to some In
dian lodge, This was the end of Idaho
lodge No. 10, the second attempt to estab-
lish a lodge in the territory now Montana.
The third attempt was more success
c,1 A. %1o n -, - ~ %1o Nv
of Kansas held at Tope-
"a Dec. 20, 1864, Grand Master Jacob
Saquin reports having granted to Paris
Pfouts and a requisite number of Ma
a dispensation to open and form
a lodge at Virginia City, Montana Terri
tory; and on the same date the CIR. Lodge
Of Nebraska voted it a charter as Vir-
ginia City lodge No. 43, with P. S. Pfouts,
w. NJ: ]. NJ. Fox, S. W.; Henry Mittnact,
W.; job j. Hull, Senior Deacon,
James Kiskadden Junior Deacon, J.. F.
Treasurer. and Alex Davis Sec
Among the ffty-eight members were
Geo. w. Stapleton, P. Rodney Poceck,
w. F. Sanders, r. r. Kennon, N. ]. Da-
Wis. NJ. D.. Leadbeater, Ira B. Maupin,
Louis Benin, O. A. Sedman, M. L. Stras-
Elijah Dunphy n John Potter.
The lodge reported having initiated TWEEN
ty-nine passed and raised twenty-five,
twenty-three, dismissed two n
expelled one. The lodge made no report
in 1865 and in 1866, the CIR. Secretary re-
ported still no returns, but $3.50 paid in
advance on the dues of 1865, and further
the lodge had become constituent of
the Grand Lodge of Montana organized
Jan "a. 1866.
So here we nave the first permanent
lodge in Montana a lands Number
One on our roll.
In the spring Of 1865 at Helena oc-
Cured the death of Brother Pocock, a
member of Virginia City lodge. The oc-
casion brought together many Masons in
the city and vicinity. Brother Mark A.
Moore conducted the funeral services
and a burial place was started on what
are now the High School grounds. Hav-
ing thus been brought together, occas-
ional informal meetings We're held and it
was finally decided to join in a petition
for a lodge. Virginia City lodge recon-
mended III petition.
1t so happened that about the same
time there was a movement on foot in
Virginia City to organize a second lodge
and one of the prime movers was Brother