Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-06

Capt. Richard Whiting,
Washington Company, No 1, Uniform Rank. X. P.
to take place at Marshall Hall soon.
The prize is a cane voted by the Grand
Lodge, X. of 2. Capt. r. t. Whiting of
Washington Company was born in Virginia
July TO- 1916, and came to Washington in
the year 1861, at the breaking out of the
civil war. He served the government from
that time until 1855 in the quartermaster
department as messenger. In 1866 he went
at work at the trade of wood carver and
turner in which capacity he is now en-
ployed at the Wash ngton navy yard Capt.
Whiting joined Webster Lodge, No. Z, K.
OF P, August TO- 1869. He served through
the chairs of the lodge becoming a past
chancellor and has served his lodge as
grand representative for a number of
years. He became a charter member of
Washington Company, No. l, L. R., in 1883,
ard was elected its first lieutenant. He
served as such until 1899, and was then
elected captain In 1900 the Grand Lodge
offered prize for the best drill company
in this domain. He then got his men equip
ped to capture the prize, and was declared
the victor in 1901 and 1902. He is drilling
his men every night and has them in good
form, and says that if any company de-
feats Washington it will know 1t has been
in a hard contest. Captain Whiting is also
a member of Asacolon Temple, D. o. X. X,
and one of it's charter members. He is
well-drilled man and one of the most sue
cessful instructors in the tactics of the
Uniform Rank. The officers in the coming
drill of his company are as follows: Cap
tain. r. T. Whiting; first lieutenant, Chas
Sanford; second lieutenant. A. A. Rock;
first sergeant. Geo. N. Whiting; second SER
geant, Jas Holmes.
Tuesday evening last Naval Chapter r.
A. NJ, gave a reception in honor of Grand
High Priest George c. ODER. DR.. ODER is a
past high priest of Naval Cha pier. There
was a large attendance, including eight
past grand high priests.
There Is strong movement on in Knight
Templar circles in favor of the abolition
of wine and other liquors at all Templar
banquets. The grand commander of Ala
bama recommended at the last meeting
of that grand body that the commandery
entertaining the Grand Commandery be in
structed to avoid Incorporate drinks
which are growing so popular as an ad-
junct to the ante-room luncheon"
An interesting feature noticeable in the
Masonic fraternity this year has been the
entrance into the local lodges of large
number of newspaper WRITER'S. About forty
of this class of gentlemen have recently
been initiated or have affiliated At the
last regular meeting of George C. Whiting
Lodge. Georgetown. two members of the
local staff of a New York paper and a
representative of a Cincinnati paper were
duly raised to the degree of Master Mason
Grand Master George H. Walker himself
veteran newspaper man, was present and
participated in the work
The Union Soldiers Alliance has just is
sued a neat monograph on the late Capt.
William Gibson. 1t was prepared under the
direction of George c. Ross Howard l..
Prince and Henry A. Robbins, the Union
Soldiers Alliance committee on neurology.
That part of the monograph relating to Mr..
Gibson's connection with fraternal Organi-
cations is especially worthy of note in
view of his long utilization with Odd Eel
lowship and Free Masonry. He was a
member of the Union Soldiers Alliance
twenty years. its president in 1885, and it's
treasurer at the time of his death The
monograph says of his other fra ternal con-
nections: He Joined Post 1, G. A. R., De-
partment of Maryland. April g. 1867, and
Lincoln Post. Department of the Potomac
in 1869. and later Kit Carson Post. No. =
of which he was commander in 1875 He
was department commander of tie Depart
ment of the Potomac in 1881 He was also
member of the Loyal Legion. He was a
member of the Odd Fellows from the year
1S45 to the. date Of his DEATH and was treas
urer of Golden Rule Lodge. No 81 L. o. o.
F., from 1880 to 1902 In 1895 beautiful
gold badge, designed by the Sovereign
Grand Lodge for such as have attained a
continuous membership of fifty years was
given him. In 1851 he Joined Cassia lodge,
No. A. A. F. and A. M. at Baltimore In
1892 the lodge presented him with n hand
some past masters jewel. In Nay 1901.
they gave him a reception in the Baltimore
Masonic Temple. in honor of his fiftieth an
niversary as Mason. and presented him
with very large and beautiful Bible He
was also a member of the MARYLAND
Masonic Veterans Association and Wash
ington Royal Arch Chapter No. 2, of this
city and president of the Masonic Veteran
Association of the District of Columbia
when he died.
The memorial pays high tribute to the
character OF the deceased comrade and
adds: TT often happens that the Influence
of good wife saves the husband from the
snares of wickedness. In very rare in
stances the husbands devotion to wife and
children literally saves his life 1t so hap
pened to William Gibson in an actual oc-
currence during the war of the rebellion.
as evidenced by the following well-authen-
tcated incident recorded in a newspa Der
during the war. The article reads as feI-
lows: ON Sunday last, during the fierce en-
crate forces for the possession of the We'll
don railroad Capt. William Gibson of
Company A, Purnell Legion, was struck in
the right breast by a bullet, and would,
without doubt have been instantly killed
had not the bullet struck a daguerreotype
likeness Of his wife and two children The
bullet glanced from the picture and passed
through the fieshy part of the arm Of Cap
tain Gibson. The leaden messenger struck
the captain with such force as to render
him insensible for several moments. ! The
picture which saved his life was received
by his wife, and Its shattered appearance
will be more highly priced now than when
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