The Jersey City news., 1901-10-19
SO MOTE II BE. :
Bergen Lodge No. AZ T. q
A. NJ. Adds New Lustre
to Its Fame.
DISTINGUISHED GATHERING
Splendid Lodge Rooms Open
cd BY Raising Of Mr.. Fred
Tilden to Third
Degree.
GATHERING

An event of unusual interest to Masons
took place last night In the rooms Of Ber-
gen Lodge No. Az, r. & A. M, on Mont
gomery street. 1t was the largest gather
ing Of the craft ever held in this city;
there being nearly 400 persons present
during the ceremony of raising to the
master mason's degree Fred Tflden, son
of Police Commissioner Thomas w. Til
den, himself a mason of high degree. It
was sort of double barreled affair, pc
cause it was the first ceremony held in
the new lodge rooms, now the most COM
or any adjoining State.
The distinguished masons taking part in
the ceremonies included ~ oseph r..
Moore, M. w. G. NJ; Holt Apgar, p. G..
NJ; j. H.Wilkins, Sr.,: CIV; b. +. Wake
field. il. G. NJ, 4. H. Redway, g. Sec;
Austin McGregor, Sr. @. Deacon; Walter
Chandler, Jr. 6. d.. q. g. Smith, Sr.
Master OF Ceremonies; A. H. Sherman, Jr.
M. of c.; George G. Wadham, marshal /,
William F. Burke, Of the Third district;
H. f. Lydecker, of the Eighth District;
Marcus Higginbotham, Fourth district; /;
Mayor Edward Hoos, Ernest Interman, of
the 2Sth Masonic district Of New York.
ai4s charles Belcher. P. G. NJ of Newark.
The first proceedings were those Of the
lodge, conducted by DIR. George Wilkin-
son, w. M. These officers of the lodge
were present. r. Pierson, S. W.; A..
M. Glover, j. W.; Thomas p Rocket,
secretary; John A. White, senior deacon;
w. E. Mallalieu, Junior deacon; Walter
Hudson, senior M. of c.; Edward john
son, junior NJ of c.; Henry Wiencke,
marshal; George A. Haynes. P. NJ, chap
lain; ]. K. Sealey, organists r M. Packer,
p. M, and S. D. Kennard, tyler; trustee
George 3. Edwards, P. M.
The ceremony being concluded, the local
officers gave way to the officers of the
Grand Lodge, who assumed the different
stations, with Past Grand Master Thomas
w. Tilden acting as master. The work
was performed by the several Grand Oni-
GERS. At the close of the proceedings a
collation. was served.
For months past the lodge rooms OF
Bergen No. Al have been undergoing
very thorough course of transformation
and now that the apartments are finished
there is no wonder the members are
proud of their handsome home. 1t Is
UNIQUE in that the several rooms are EN-
s,1ite. There are retiring rooms, gem
eral reception room, banqueting hail.
cloak rooms, kitchen all equipped and
furnished in the most sunptuous manner
The lighting of the rooms Is perfect The
brethren of the lodge have made hano-
some donations of furniture.
The altar in the main chamber IS an
extremely artistic piece Of work and a
reproduction of the tomb Of the ancient
Hairam. 1t and the elegant altar cloth
were presented to the lodge as a "me-
mortal gift by the widow of Charles B.
Thurston, master of the lodge some years
ago.
An extremely interesting feature OF the
ceremonies was the Bible used and the
most valuable possession Of the lodge.
1t was printed in 147S in Nuremberg by
Antony Crowenberger, and there's not g
lodge in the county which possesses such
4 volume It Is in Latin and in black
letter with every capital throughout the
sacred book shaded in red, the laborious
work of some monk in scloistered abbey.
This immensely valuable book was the
gift of the trustee of the lodge.
The apartments are used by three Ma
sonic lodges, two local Chapters of the
ROYAL Arch Masons, onex Commandery OF
knights Templar, and several bodies OF
the Ancient and Accepted Order of Scot
tish Rite Thirty-second Degree Masons.