The San Francisco call., 1904-09-04

"a y the 14th day Of February. 1881,
4 r. z. Commander Bruce B. Lee
granted a dispensation to estab-
lish another commandery in the
city Of san Francisco. A very appro-
pirate and expressive name bad been
selected. and the unusual number of
forty-three fraters joined in petition TO
the grand commander of the State to
grant the dispensation. AS Minerva
sprang fully developed from the fore
head Of Jove, so Golden Gate came
forth fully equipped to enter upon
career Of active and successful endeav-
or The first meeting for the purpose
of organizing the commandery was held
on the 18th day of January, 1881, and
the granting of the petition for a dis
pensation was recommended by Cali
fornia Commandery No. 1. The dis
pensation named Sir Knights William
O. Gould as commander. Henry H.
Blake as generalissimo and Tristan
Burgess as captain general The COM
mandery at once proceeded to work
under the dispensation and conferred
dates prior TO the annual conclaye OF
the Grand Commandery in 1881. At
this conclave the commandery exempi-
fed the Order Of the Red Cross, and
the work under the dispensation being
approved that document was surren-
dered and a charter Of perpetuauon
was granted on the 18th day OF April,
1881 No time was lost, and on the 2lst
day Of April the commandery was duly
constituted by the past grand com
mander. the late Hiram 7. Graves, act
ing by appointment for the grand COM
uander Bruce 3. Lee. Thus in the
brief space of little more than two
months Golden Gate Commandery was
enrolled upon the register Of the Grand
Commandery, being the sixteenth COM
mandery in the State. The assemblies
Of the commandery were at first held
in the Masonic Temple, on Post street,
and until the completion and dedication
OF an asylum OF its own, at l3l Post
street, on the 29th day of September,
1881 At the dedication OF this asy-
,um California CommandeTy No. and
Oakland No. II, with a brilliant COM
pany Of ladies and Sir knights, were
present, and with elaborate, dignified
and impressive services Golden Gate
set Up housekeeping" in its own home.
1t is not surprising that the success
Of Golden Gate Commandery has
been so phenohaenal: 1t had started
out under the most favorable auspices.
having for its guidance both intelli-
gence and experience. It's first COM
mander. Sir knight Gould, had been
grand commander of Kansas; its pre-
late. the late Hezekiah L. Hosmer, af-
terWard grand prelate of the Grand
Commandery of California. had been
one Of the most distinguished MasonS
of Ohio; DR.. Isaac S. Titus was past
grand master Of the Grand Lodge of
California; Theodore +. Tracy was
past grand generalissino of the Grand
Lodge of California, and Tristan
Burgess. afterward grand commander
of the Grand Commandery of Califor-
MIA. The other charter members were
Henry s. Bloke, James NJ. Mcdonald,
Champion l. Hutchinson, Carmi ".
Beach, Frederick K. Bechtel, John c.
Yates, William s. Mason. John B. Cur
tbs, Samuel Myers, Charles l. Benton.
Frederick D Stadtmuller Justin
Gates, Samuel Swift. Granville Pull
len, William G. Stroud, Theodore H.
F. Robertson, DR.. Silas NJ. Mouser,
Herman J. Sadler, John B. Owens,
Charles L. Bigelow, Frank A. Bettis,
Justus F. Edwards, Burr Noble, VIII
liam Henry Smith, Francis Smith.
John kirkpatrick, Jacob Z. Davis,
John F. Merrill Henry s. Crocker, Co
lumbus Waterhouse, John G. Bloomer.
George W. Deitzler. Robert n. Graves,
James II. Helm, Charles L. Thomas.
Charles H. Abbott, Peter F. Oakley,
and John Skae. Many of these were
men of high business and social stand
ing, who have had marked influence
upon the social, business and civic in
terests of the city and of the State.
The first candidate permitted to
pass the threshold of the commandery
was Frank William Sumner, after
ward grand commander Of the State
and the author of the excellent work
on Templar tactics a work that has
on the condition of his own COM
nandery, but also upon that Of every
commandery in the State and even OF
many beyond the confines of the
State.
Golden Gate has been honored by
the Grand 'Commandery of the State
by the election of Sir Knights F. W.
Sumner and John F. Merrill to the
highest place in the gift of that body,
and il has honored itself and the
following by selecting them to pre-
side as eminent commanders over its
own interests: William o. Gould,
1882; Tristan Burgess. 1888; Colum-
bus waterhouse. 1884; Frank w. Sum-
ner, 1885; James H. Hatch, 1885;
Franklin Dalton, 1887; Frank ].
French, 1888; Andrew G.. Booth. 1889;
Carlos G. Young. 1890; William Ed
burg, 1892; Charles L. Field, 1898:
Joseph K. Firth. 1894; George D.
Clark, 1895; Charles H. Murphy.
1861; Jonathan NJ. Peel, 1898;
Charles L. Patton, 1899; Joseph C.