Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-20

The following true narrative OF TIT
| first Masonic burial in Arizona, as re
lated to me by my old friend, Colone
| W VI. Williams of Cairo, Ills, will
doubtless interest your readers. l give
| il, as nearly as possible, in his OWL
| words:
In 1850 l was in Arizona as super
| intendent Of the st. Louis Mining com
| pany, located on the San Pedro river, 6
| short distance west of what is now
| known as Tombstone and 40 miles east
of Fort Buchanan.
On one occasion 1 made a visit to the
Santa Rita mines, located in another
part of the territory. These were man.
aged by Cincinnati parties and were
known as the HeintZleman mines
When l arrived there and introduced
myself, as none OF us had ever met be-
fore, / was greeted with that cordial
hospitality known only to those who
have lived on the frontier or in mining
camps by Mr.. II. G. Grosvenor Of Gin
cinnati, the superintendent. with two
others who occupied positions Mt the
mines.
One of these, Mr.. j. T. Mason, 1
found seriously indispOsed; the other l
sent to Fort Buchanan to bring DIR. j.
r. d. Irwin, surgeon at the post. /
then devoted my time to the sick man,
who was growing more feeble each
hour. He told me If he died he wanted
to he buried with Masonic hOnOrs.
l had tried him and found him to
be a bright third degree Mason. 1
promised to do all could to carry out
his request. He died before morning,
and the messenger sent for the doctor
had not returned. and it was uncertain
as to when. if ever, he might return.
As in those days there were not over
65 Americans in the territory outside
Of the troops. the taking Of life by the
Indians was daily expected. In this
emergency 1t devOlved upon me 10 ar
range for the burial Of our friend. I
sent peon messengers TO Tubac and
other places where Americans were
known to be to come TO my aid.
During the day / selected Il beautiful
spot overshadowed by large mesquite
tree and there had a very deep grave
dug, a. in that country the coyote is
kind of hyena. that will unearth any
corpse If not laid deep in the ground.
This work was done by poems, while
stood guard 10 keep the Indians from
surprising us.
BY midnight the messengers l had
sent out commenced returning with
the few who could come with them.
found among those who arrived two
or three Masons, who. like myself.
were rusty" in the Masonic burial
ritual. We opened the trunk of the
deceased, hoping TO find something 10
IL 10
The only thing we discovered was an
Episcopal ritual. The following per-
sons composed the funeral cortege: DIR.
c. B. Hughes, ]. Howard Wells, Will
liam S. Curry. II. c. Grosvenor. Colo
mel Titus. S. Warner and myself.
We had determined to bury the body
at night, in the darkness. having no
light except n candle in one of the old
time perforated tin lanterns by which
1 could read the service.
After lowering the body into the
grave / commenced to read the Serv
ice. / stood close to the head of the
grave, and Mr.. Howard Wells held the
lantern behind me. y rustling sound
was heard. 1t was supposed TO come
from lurking Indians, and every one
looked out for himself. The man hold
ing the lantern dropped it into the
grave, and l fell in after it.
There l was with the corpse in n
deep grave. l had my pistols and
Sharp's carbinc with me, and l real
lied that if the Indians peered into the
grave / could fill it with dead bodies.
listened. Not a sound was heard. Ny
companions had. 1 suppose, secreted
-, flntrsrht I
had done the same.
After the lapse of about four hours
day began 10 dawn, and as l stood
upon the corpse mo collins were in use
in Arizona at the time of this occur |
renee. the dead being simply wrapped |
in their Blankets and cautiously look |
ed over the brink of the grave TO take |
in the surroundings.
l soon saw my comrades, one by one, !
from behind rocks, where |
they had hastily secreted themselves, |
no one knowing where the others were. |
l called aloud for help and was soon |
assisted from the prison in which !
had been confined for fully four hours, |
and as this is the first Masonic funeral |
that was ever held in Arizona l think |
it deserves a record.
After comparing notes we discovered |
that the mesquite tree under which we /
were holding our solemn service was |
the roosting place OF colony Of crows,
our intrusion having disturbed them |
and thereby causing us 10 stampede.
As the sun rose above the mountain
tops We returned to the grave and /
the reading Of the ritual
and covered our friend with the clodS
Of the valley and left him sleeping
where he Will rest until the resurrec-
ton mOrn.-Evelyn b. Baldwin in New
York Masonic Standard.