Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-10-24

ability integrity and sagacity in the
territory who were undaunted by this
formidable array of political influence
and they promptly appealed to the bar
of public intelligence for its decision.
They were T. S. Parvin, Enoch w.
Eastmen and Major Frederick D.Mills.
These young men stumped the terri
tory and by their eloquence and logic
defeated it's ratification.
Upon the breaking out of the Civil
war, Mr.. Parvin being unable to en-
list as a soldier on account of his
lameness rendered his services in any
capacity whatever to Governor Kirk
wood. Iowa's great war governor re-
piled, "Parvin | would not dare send
you to the front. If you would whip
the enemy they would escape because
you could not pursue them, they
would out-run you; and if you got
whipped you are too brave to run and
they would capture you and we would
loose your services. | will find some
thing for you to do at home" And
he did, for when the enlistments be-
gan to fall short and draft was i'm
pending he sent him throughout his
district to rouse the citizens to sense
of their duty. In this way he served
his country faithfully and well, being
successful wherever he went, in
arousing the people from their leth-
argy and tanning the latent, shoulder
ing spark of patriotism into lurid
! fame.
Brother Parvin was made a Mason
at Cincinnati, Ohio, as soon as he be-
Nfo IL ;,+o
ganization of the first lodge in the
territory which was located at Bur
| lington. He also helped to organize
the second lodge at Bloomington, now
Muscatine. He was a delegate to the
convention that organized the grand
lodge of Iowa in 1914. He was elect
led its first secretary and served in
that capacity until 1852, when he was
elected grand master. After filling
this Office most satisfactory for one
year he was again elected grand sec
Irerary. He continued to fill this office
and that of librarian up to the time
of his death. on June %, 1901. His
| services as secretary and librarian
were invaluable to the grand lodge of
Iowa and Iowa Masons. His work is
imperishable and will exert an i'm
measurable influence for good upon
the fraternity in the future. No man
in Iowa has done more for Masonry
or for humanity than Bro. T. S. Par
win. Lovers of Masonry, of Iowa his
tory and of humanity VIII never per-
nit the mould to grow upon his mem
DRY for wherever they may turn in
search of truth and historical data
they will find unmistakable evidence
of his handiwork and the fertility of
his mind
He was richly endowed with human
kindness and sympathy; consequently
his friendship was sublimated and
strengthened by the growth of time
until it became as pure as crystal and
firmer and stronger than the Gordan
Knot Yet on no occasion was friend
, ship ever known to have blinded his
sense of duty, warped his Judgment OF
caused him to conceal crime or com
: NIT wrong. Men soon learned that
J he stood for principles and that he
would defend them with a courage and
vigor that always crowned his efforts
with success. During the wears of
) our acquaintance and friendship,
: have never; known him, upon any occa
sion to arise to speak upon an unim.
r portant subject But the moment any
one attacked principle he was on his
: feet ready to defend it. Few men
were better or even as we'll know
among Masons drought the world o.
more deeply enshrined in their heart,
and affections than Brother Theodore
Sutton Parvin. He was "a friend to
humanity" brother to Mankind, a
ure the influence of his life? A lif,
| like May morning in freshness and
| beauty. May the world drop a. tea
5 to his memory, weave his kindliness
J into winding sheet OF immortelles
l Mould his noble. acts into laure
: wreaths Of rarest beauty and place
} them upon his cold and silent face, a
S trophy of Victory! Victory"
+ Mr.. Morcombe's Address,
t Mr.. Morcombes address follows:
: Into your lodge room, though the ty
/ Ter stands beside the door, armed an
watchful, there has come again an
!. again one who gives no word and
e vouched for by no mortal lips. H
touches a brother here and there an
5 beckons him away. Men shrink fror
# this unbidden messenger, but let u
+ rather believe that could we but kno,
!. he comes as true and trusty friene
i. who leads our brothers through tn
o preparation room of Death into tn
i full light of the grand lodge above
;. where all mysteries are revealed an
$ where all the hidden things of time
:. are made manifest in the presence {
e the Supreme Grand Master.
e 1t is well that we should sometime
stand beside the open grave and r,
a member that we too, are mortal Int
q this narrow breadth Of being which W
a call life we come from darkness, an
n after little while we pass out upo
,r path whose end no mortal eyes ha
# ever seen.
d In the ancient cities, when the nigI
s. had fallen, sentinels paced about til
e walls and told the solemn hours viii
id they watched. And in the streets
S the city weary ones, shut in and lon
It ing for the morrow cried: What
D. the nigh, Waterman. what of tt
j. night?" And finally there came fro
If some high tower whence Wakeful eve