Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-07-20

Sun Peeped Over the Hills.
The following true narrative Of til
first Masonic burial in Arizona, as re
: lated to me by my old friend, Colon,
w. NJ. Williams Of Cairo, Ills, will
doubtless interest your readers. | Civ
1t, as nearly as possible, in his owl
words:
In 1850 | was in Arizona as super
interdent of the st. Louis Mining com
pany, located on the San Pedro river. :
short distance west of what Is nov
known as Tombstone and 10 miles cas-
of Fort Buchanan.
On one occasion | made a visit to thu
Santa Iita mines, located in another
part Of the territory. These were man
aged by Cincinnati parties and were
known as the HeintZleman mines
When | 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 at the
mines.
One of these, Mr.. j. T. Mason, l
found seriously indisposed; the other |
sent to Fort Buchanan to bring DIR. J.
b. 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 be buried with Masonic honors.
had tried him and found him to
be a bright third degree Mason. |
| 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 We're not over
60 Americans in the territory outside
of the troops. the taking Of life by tEe
Indians was daily expected. In this
emergency 1t dcvolvcd upon me to ar
range for the burial Of our friend. I
sent Ieon messengers to Tuhac and
other places whore Americans were
known to be to come to my aid.
Daring the day | selected n beautiful
spot overshadowed by a large mesquite
tree and there had a very deep grave
dug. as in that country the coyote is a
kind of hyena. that will unearth any
corpse If not laid deep in the ground.
This work was done by poems. while T
stood guard to keep the Indians from
surprising us.
BY midnight the messengers | had
sent out commenced returning with
the ew 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 to |
guide us in fulfilling his last Tue |
The only thing we discovered was an
Episcopal ritual. The following per-,
composed the funeral cortege: DR.
b Hughes. J. Howard Wells. Will
liam S. Curry. II. c. Grosvenor. Colo
1el Titus. s. Warner and myself,
We had determined to bury the body
1T night. In the darkness, having no
1ght except a candle in one Of the old
perforated tin lanterns by which
could read the service.
After lowering the body into the
rave ! commenced to read the serv.
ce. | stood close to the bead of the
and MIR. Howard Wells held the
antern behind me. A rustling sound
Vas heard. 1t was supposed to come
rom lurking Indians. and every one
boxed out for himself. The man hold
ng the lantern dropped it into the
and | fell in after 1T.
There l. was with the corpse in a I
eep grave. Il had my pistols and
harp's carbine with me-. and | real
ed that If the Indians peered into the
ave | coul till it with dead bodies. |
stoned. Not a sound was heard. NV
)ihpanlons had. | suppose. secreted
lemselves and no doubt thought -
done the same. :,
After the lapse of about foul. hours "
~ began to dawn. and as | stood -
Dor the corpse (no collins were in use "
Arizona at the time Of this occur. -
nee. the dead being simply wrapped -
their blankets) and cautiously look. .
over tile brink of the grave to take -
the surroundings. "
soon saw my comrades. one by one. A.,
from behind rocks, where =.
ey had hastily secletpd themselves. ~
n knowing where the others were. -.
called aloud for help and was soon -.
sisted FROM the prison in which I ~.
beer confined for fully four hours. ~
as this is the first Masonic funeral ~
1t was ever held in Arizona think ,.I
a record. Wv
Ifter comparing notes we discovered p'
i the mesquite tree under which we ~,
re holding our solemn service was W
roosting place of a colony of crows. u.s. =
intrusion having disturbed them ~.
thereby causing us to stampede. -.
$ the sun rose above the monntoin ~
we returned to the grave ana Wv.
lpleted the reading of the ritual e'
covered our friend with the clod Wv,
the valley and laft b;,, 'S'