Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-04

OLIVE BRANCH LODGE
OLD TIME CEREMONIES INCIDENT
TO INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS.
THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED.
John pnnR, the Grand oh"p'"'n' ana
His Predecessors An Israelitc
without Gui1e-Early History of
the Episcopal Church i'll Lccsbure.
THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED.
John Dunn, the Grand Chaplain, ana
HIS Predecessors = An Israeli

At the expiratio Of the authority Of
the letter of dispensation, under which
Olive Branch Lodge had hitherto been
working on the Sd Of December, 1878. a
charter was granted to the organiza-
ton under the sanction and seal of the
Grand Lodge of Virginia. at the cost
of So Inasmuch as the United Brethren
of Waterford participated jointly in
conducting III Leesburg the solemn serv-
ices attending the ceremonies of install
laton Of officers and conservation Of
lodges, J. would infer that they had re
ceived their charter at the same time.
CEREMONIES OF THE OCCASION.
For the benefit of Masons at large, /
will minutely describe the ceremonies of
this occasion, in order that they may
note the difference, if there be any, be-
tween the manner Of procedure in such
matters now and nearly one hundred
years ago. \ deputy Grand Lodge hav-
ing been formed and received with the
grand honors by Olive Branch in their
room, procession was arranged In
the following order: Tyler of Lodge No.
III, in advance of the column, followed
in double file by two stewards with white
rods, entered apprentices, fellow crafts
and Master Masons, then the secretary
with the records, the treasurer bearing
the charter and the senior and junior
wardens with columns. The line closed
with a Master Mason and two deacons
bearing black rods on the right and
left Lodge no 100 followed in the same
order. In the rear was the Grand Lodge
two grand tylers, two stewards with
white rods, Brother Lansdale bearing
the silver vessel with corn, Brothers
West and Fare bearing silver urns with
wine and oil, the grand secretary and
traa Ma hs1rinr~
a, taper, Henry Clagett, Nj. D., bearing
the great lights of Masonry on velvet
cushion, Rev. John Dunn, Grand Chap
lain, with a Master Mason on the right
and left bearing the tapers, the senior
junior grand wardens, Brother Fleet
Smith, D. 6. NJ, Grand Master w. ]. B.
Hammet, deacons with black rods to
the right and left of him. The process
sion, thus formed, proceeded at y
o'clock (nleridian) to the Episcopal
church, when the installing officers
lights being on a table fronting the
Grand Master and the lodge, being sur
rounded by three lesser lights and the
elements Of conservation.
The service of conservation having
been finished and the officers Of the new
lodges each having been installed by Of
ficers of like rank from the Grand Lodge.
the grand marshal made the customary
proclama tion-three times from the East,
South ana West in the name of the
Grand Lodge of Virginia and the cere-
monies were closed with solemn music
and prayer.
John Dunn. the Grand Chaplain, sue
ceeded in 1901 the Rev. Alexander NlcFar-
land, rector of the Protestant Episcopal
church, the latter having been successor
to the Rev. Alexander Jones, who had
served the church on a salary of fifty
pounds of tobacco per year. Mr.. Dunn's
term Of service as rector of the parish
was for a period of twenty-seven years,
and well may he be revered by people
Of to-day, the memory of the man of
whom Bishop Meade said, Behold an
Israelite. indeed. in whom there is no
guile" What more do want he once
said to Bishop Meade whilst visiting him
at the "Glebe";; Il have enough corn to
last me until Christmas, some hay and
no debts
j. B. Hammet moved from Boston,
Mass, to Alexandra In the year 1915, and
during his residence in Alexandria be-
came member and officer of the Grand
Lodge of the District of Columbia. Sub
seequent to 1880. having then returned
to Boston, where he died in 1864, he be-
came grand master of the Grand Lodge
presented a the Masonic banquet given
at Clagetts hotel in honor of Lafayette
THE SMITHS AND VESTS.
Whilst have no doubt that Mr.. Fleet
Smith. D. G. NJ. from the position which
he held, was man Of much conse-
.quence, yet the Smith family in Virginia
is rather too prolific for me to follow
any settled line of descent. concede,
however, that they may have ali de-
scended from The stalwart Captain John.
AS all recollection Of the family OF
William West, gentleman. one of tie
original trustees OF the Leesburg corpo-
ration in 1858. seems to have so complete
~ vanished. Il am constrained to believe
that this family must have moved at an
early date to Alexandria. where we
again find traces of 1t IN Roger West
over, whose father. in his will. had con-
signed him to the guardianship Of his
very good friend, = George Washing
TOR, r oyer w est " mem her the Vfr.