The Washington times., 1901-10-24
PIKE MONUMENT UNVEILED
Scottish Rite Masons Present tie
Statue to the City.

Commissioner MacfarInnd's Speech
of Acceptance - Centennial Ad-
dress of Grand Commander Rich
ardson-Bnnquet Mt the Willard.
Yesterday was the centennial annlver-
sary Of the Supreme Council o. the South
ern Jurisdiction of Scottish Rite Nasons.
The most notable feature of the day
celebration was the unveiling of the AL
bert Pike monument, erected by the Su-
preme Council in the triangular plot at
Third Street and Indiana Avenue. Next
in Importance were Grand Commander
Richardson's centennial address at the
Congregational Church. Tenth and G
Streets, beginning at 7:30 p. m, and the
| banquet. at the new Willard Hotel, which
| lasted from o'clock last night until after
u. The forenoon was spent in executive
session.
At p. m. all the Masonic bodies Of the
District of Columbia formed at the Ma
sonic Temple. Ninth and f Streets north
west, under the direction of the Most
Worshipful Harry Standiford, Grand Mas
ter of Masons in the District of Colum-
bia, and the Orient Commandery, No. O.
X t. Francis J. Woodman, Eminent
/
the House of the Temple. 1872 Third street
northwest thence to the monument.
The ceremonial of unveiling the statue
was preceded and followed by music. At
the pulling of the cords at few minutes
| past 3 o'clock by the three Grand Com
manders, James Daniel Richardson, Hen
! ry L. Palmer, and Josiah II. Drummond.
| the blanket of Stars and Stripes that had
concealed the statue from public view fell
to the ground and the beautiful work
manship of the sculptor towering high
above the granite pedestal, was exposed
to the eager gaze of the hundreds of up
! turned faces
Prayer by the Grand Chaplain of the
Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia
was followed by the address of Frederick
Weber, the Secretary General. who in
| appropriate and eloquent language pre-
sented the statue to the District of Co.
| lumh!a.
Henry b. f. Macfarland, President Of
the District Board of Commissioners, Off
cially accepted the monument on behalf
| of the District OF Columbia He said:
1t is certainly appropriate for you to
| place here in sight of the scene of his
labors and honors this statue of Albert
| Pike. As the official home of the highest
| officer in your order, the District of Co
lumbia was for many years his place of
residence, and we can see from this place
| the building where he lived and died in
the execution OF his great Office. He rep
| resented all the high ideals and bencf-
cent purposes of your order and did so
with dignity and honor Standing here
in bronze, facing the east, ne will con-
| tinue in another way TO do the same ser
vice to the cause which was so dear to
him, in all time to come.
Although Albert Pike was a soldier in
the civil war, this statue will commemor-
ate him rather as victor in the honor
able rivalries of peace. 1t is well that
you thus add to the comparatively small
number of statues in the city of Wash
ington which honor the victories Of peace
rather than of war.
In the name of the Government of the
District of Columbia, and In full appre-
citation of the significance of the trust, /
accept this statue of Albert Pike. late
Grand Commander of the Supreme Coun-
Gil, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite
Masons, for the Southern jurisdiction. -
The Pike monument was ordered to be
erected by the Supreme Council of the
Southern Jurisdiction of Scottish Rite
Masons at the session four years ago. In
his allocution Monday Grand Commander
Richardson referring to the monument,
said il was completed within the time fix
ed in the contract with the artist, Prof.
C. Trentanove. The committee could find
no objection to it, and accordingly it was
accepted by them. 1T has been pro-
nounced," said the Grand Commander,
by many persons who have examined it
a marvel of beauty. and by all it is re-
4T.a1 arti QTln
many competent judges ii is easily given
the first place among the handsome stat
ues of the Capital City. The contract
price for it, Sl5,O00, has been paid in full
and vouchers therefor are in the hands
of the Secretary General.
1t Is true that Grand Commander Pike
did not ask that any monument, such as
we have prepared, should be erected any
where to commemorate or to preserve the
memories of his deeds and eXcellences.
However, he did not forbid this loving
work but when he doubtless realized that
the shadow of death was closing around
When [ am dead I wish my monu-
ment to be builded only In the hearts and
memories of my brethren OF the Ancient
and Accepted Rite. and my name to be
remembered by them in every country.
no matter what language men may speak
there, where the light Of the Ancient and
Accepted Scottish Rite shall shine and
its oracles of truth and wisdom be rev.
crently listened to-,
Long after our statue of granite and
bronze shall have crumbled and nodded
into dust his monument. builded I'm the
hearts. memories and intelects of the de-
vOtees of Scottish Rite Masonry, will
stand unimpaired. Time will more fully
Develop It, and the rolling years viii see
II encircled. as with lovely halo. by the
suns hine OF eternity.
Already the hand of the souvenir gath
orer. or the idle treSpasser, is being laid
on the monument We have erected. even
before it is unveiled. and we have been
called upon to repair it because OF these
petty depredatiOns. But not so with the
monument he coveted That monument
is away beyond the hand of despoiation
and robbery. for every piece taken from
1t. either by the hand of the profauc the
iilegitimate or his loving friend builds
1t higher and Vet higher, and the better
serves to perpetuate his memory and
glory. Brass and marble will perish from
the earth. hut his monument will survive
through all coming years while truth re
mains for # is builded In the hearts and
affections of his brethren"
Prominent among those attending the
unveiling and who were seated on the
grandstaud were Yvon Pike and Mrs,
William oscar Roome, son and daughter
of the late Grand Commander, and three
gra nddaughters the Misses Mary and
Annie Pike and younger sister.
Grand Commander Richardson's re
marks addressed to the public proved an
interesting and instructive historical
sketch Of the Ancient and Accepted
Scottish Rite and the SuDry mo Council
from the year i'Z down to the present
time He referred to the two great orders
Of Freemasonry. known as the York
and the Scottish Rite"
Scottish Masonry, he said, was intro
duced in America by Eticnne or Stephen
Marin. who held patent from the Rite
OF Perfection. Paris, bearing date August
q 1851 Th" Sup~"'''a Council was found
ed by John Mitchell and Fredericl
DulChu. with the authority OF the grand
constitution Of l7S6. Mitchell was the
first sovereign grand commander He
held the office from 1901 until his death
in lSIG md ,Nn4 smcnnnlEI III LuIcLn