The Washington times., 1901-09-12
THE NEW RUPERT HOME.
The Cornerstone Laying TO he
Great Knights Templar Event.

Elaborate preparations are being made
| by the Grand Lodge. F. A. T. M District
OF Columbia, End the De MoIay Mounted
Commandery. No. 4. Knights Templars
Tor the laying of the cornerstone of the
Christian and Eleanora Rupert Home
the exercises of which are to take place
on Thursday, September 2e at 4 o'clock
p. M, at Good Hope Hill, Anacostia. liz
the immediate neighborhood and adjoin-
Ing the German Orphan Asylum This
home, which was founded by the late
Christian Rupert. is for the benefit OF
the aged and INDECENT irrespective OF re-
igion or nationality.
1t has been arranged that the process
Sion is to start Tor the place of the cor
nerstone laying from the Masonic Tenn
pie. corner of Ninth and f Streets north
west at O'Clock in the afternoon. The
Grand Lodge. of which Fl. Standiford is
the Most Worshipful Grand Master, will
be escorted by the De MoIay Command
cry on horseback. of which latter organi-
zation the testator during his lifetime was
a member. All the German societies, in
Guiding the Saengerbund, the Arion, and
the Germania Maennerchor. as well as
German fraternal organiza tions. have
been invited to attend the ceremony In
body. 1t is expected that the United
singers of this city will render an appro-
pirate musical programme. The general
public will receive invitation through the
press to participate at the ceremony.
which will be conducted entirely accord
Ing to Masonic customs and usages.
Simon Wolf, as president of the board
of directors, will make a statement Of the
history of the Home and deliver general
address on the character of the founder
and the causes which led up to making
provision for home of this sort, which
when completed will be the only one of its
kind in the city of Washington. and one
on which the GGerman-American citizens
especially can look with pride as the late
Mr.. Ruppert was a well-known business
man of this city. and affiliated with most
of the German societies.
The Home when completed will have
cost about SJe,0po. exclusive of cost of the
ground upon which the institution is built.
IL Is TO be erected on splendid site, a
beautiful hill adjoining the German Or
phan Asylum, at Anacostia, and overlook
Ing the city. Independent of the Home
there has been set aside for its mainten-
ance the sum of about $4,000, which, how
ever, is scarcely sufficient to keep the
Home in the condition desired by the
board of trustees. There would be more
available cash on hand for the support of
the Institution but for the heirs of the
isuppeFt estate having contested the WILL
thereby keeping it in the courts for the
last eight years. They finally thought it
best to abandon the case, leaving the es-
tate the loser by a considerable amount
The grounds for the contest We're the
usual causes of undue influence on the
testator and other reasons.
Ihe following are the members of the
board of trustees under the WILL who
have the privilege of electing successors
and transact all business concerning the
home: Simon Wolf, President; Meyer
Cohen, William G. johnson, Charles
Graft, Jacob ]. Appich. Fred Gieseking.
George H Plant, jr., and Louis Faber
ieorge Emmert, who was executor under
he provisions of the will, died about three
iears ago, and the board of trustees elect
cd in his place Christian Heurich The
chairman of the building committee is
Jacob A. Appich; William Henderson is
he builder, and John Smithmeyer the
'rchitect of the Home
The founder of the Home died in this
,ity in 1892 He had been a resident of
Washington for over forty years, and was
.ngaged on Seventh Street near D, in
ancy, embroidery. and toy business, and
~ steady application, thrift, and enter
rise soon amassed a good-sized fortune
rom which, after his death, came the
means for the establishment of the Home.