Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-06-13
LAY HOME CORNER
Ceremonies at Site OF
CoIored Masons' Prince
Hall
CARE FOR WIDOWS AND ORPHANS
Grand Master Burris Tells Of Efforts
to Raise Money-AdVance
of Race.

Amid pretty ceremonies and Il good
sized crowd the cornerstone of the
colored Masons' Prince hall. situated
near Rock river. was laid Yesterday
afternoon by Grand Master Henry +.
Burris. Appropriate songs were sung
intcrmittently during the prescribed
forms at the laying of the stone. On
the stone is inscribed the insignia of
the order. and the figures 1904. Fol-
lowing the ceremonies addresses were
made by Grand Master Burris. Mayor
William McCOnOchie, City Attorney j.
X. Scott, and Rev. w. y. Searcy. of
Moline. after which Il few remarks
were made by different members of
the order.
In his opening remarks Grand Mas
ter Burris stated that the purpose of
the founding of the home was to take
care of the widows and orphans of
the deceased members of the Masons
of Illinois. He cited statistics of the
order, and showed its rapid increase
in numbers. He said that he was
proud of the Masons and the respon-
sibility vested in him in overseeing
the great order in the state of Illinois.
The Spartan-like tenacity of the MEM
hers and their determination OF hav-
ing such an institution in the borders
of their domain were shown when the
speaker said that the members had
their "cheek" i'm undertaking the
founding of Il home, and when the
idea was first conceived. about three
years ago, there was not a cent in
h. r., Il
not To he dauntcd by such a minor
matter. the order went to work. and
made their wants known throughout
the state of Illinois, notifying the
grand lodge among others. The grand
lodge responded with donation of
$500.
Expense VIII he $1,000.
The ground on which the home is to
be built cost 81 400, and after diligCnt-
~ working that sum was raised, and
the ground paid for. The building will
cost $500, and the grand master said
that there was almost enough ready
cash to cover that expenditure. Mr..
Burris stated that he was instrument
tai in having the building site located
in South Rock Island, and that he
thought he had acted wisely in choos-
ing such pretty place out in the
heart of nature where there is every
thing conducive to health. He said
the members of the white Masonic
order had built an elegant home in
Chicago. but that while they had "a
much more pretentious home than the
colOred people, vet the inmates of the
L, y
up like prisoners almost, while the
colored people would have nice large
playground.
Mayor Lauds Undertaking.
After Mr.. BurriS had spoken Mayor
McConochie was introduced He said
that he, too, thought that the cOlored
Masons had their CHECK in under
taking the founding of home with
out any money with which to start.
He praised the members for such no.
bile intentions as the founding Of a
home for the widows and orphans of
deceased members, and Landed the
race on its progress in civilization and
its wonderful development mentally
and morally since the civil war. He
said that 100 years ago almost
the entire population of the colored
race were illitCrate, and that at the
present time nearly all of them could
read and write and do other things
i'm the educational line as well as the
white people. He spoke of the color
ed race as being as intelligent and rs
capable a. the white people, and told
of his respect for the race. He said
that he had been down south before,
during and after the civil war. and
spoke of the old time "auntics" and
''uucles." and said that they. in those
days, had pcculiaritieS that have now
been lost And they were honest,
too" the speaker said. "They would
not steal. Of course they would lift
chicken now and then, but that did
not count" \ ripple of mirth went
through the crowd. and the mayor
soon finished his speech. saying that
he always took City Attorney Scott
along with him to do the talking.
Predicts Race Crisis.
Mr. Scott congratulated the mem
bers on their thrift. and went into
historical facts to show how the col
ored race had progressed in educa-
tional lines. saying that the whites
have the advantage over them by
decade upon decade. as the colored
pc opIe were in bondage for a long
time before their emancipation
through the results of the civil war.
The speaker said that the colOred peo-
pie were as capable. as loyal. and as
patriotic as the white people. and he
predicted in time to come that they
would show that they were equal TO
the white people in every particular
He stated that the colored race had
forged out from barbarous state to
the present advanced state through
their own mental ability. He paid
tribute to the Masons. and said that
they were an example of what the
colored populace is. He said that in
the future there was going TO be a
crisis reached between the white and
the colored people upon which hinges