The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-04-14
MASONS BREAK THE GROUND FOR TEMPLE Captain Smith Acts as Master
 of Ceremonies LIEUT.. GOVERNOR SPEAKS pr. Cunningham Pays High Tribute to Masonic order-Dr. Newfield and
 Others Also Make
 Addresses.
LIEUT.. GOVERNOR SPEAKS


 was broken yesterday afternoon on the site for the new Masonic Temple, which will be erected on the southeast corner of Nineteenth street and Sixth avenue. The building will be three stories with a basement and will front fifty feet on Ninteenth street. extending back along Sixth avenue one hundred feet. The contract price is $36,226.
 Capt. John G. Smith, the president Of
 the Masonic Temple association, acteG as master of ceremonies and he turned | the first earth on the site of the new l building with new spade, around the handle of which was wound blue ribboh' l and which bore the emblems of the order | Lieutenant Governor R. M Cunningham Rabbi M. Newfield and others made ad- dresses. The speaking was out in the open air and the large audience occupied seats on roughly constructed benches. There were number of ladies present The exercises were opened with lnvoca- l tion by the Rev. J. Lee Smith, pastor of the West End Baptist church.
 The opening address was then made by | Capt. John G. Smith who said: Captain Smiths Address. "Brethren-We have assembled here this beautiful April day to break ground | for the erection of a Masonic Temple ! that is to be dedicated to the Great Jeho- yah, and while we are not on Gods holy mountain, we feel that we are treading on sacred ground in the presence of the Most High God, and that our actions will be such as to commend us to the com munity and the generations that shall follow after us.
 We do not expect to have a building 1 to compare with Solomons Temple, yet we do expect to erect such building s will give great comfort and pleasure to the craft
 Let it be proclaimed to the world that out great effort is to build up and i'm prove the moral condition of man, that he may be better prepared for good citi- zenship, and thus make a good, whole some addition to the community in which he resides, and then our friends and our neighbors will give us the hearty sup port that we feel we so much deserve, in the work which we have so happily be- gun.
 Brethren, friends, neighbors, need tell you that this is happy moment for me, as it doubtless is for you all Speak ing for myself. it has been my desire AoA eAAC past HlIttH years lD Stt l1lS work begun, and now that the time has arrived, I want to congratulate each and every member of the order who has con tributed to our success Your efforts are to be commended. and your good work here will stand as a monument to you when all that is mortal of you shall occupy lonely space in the silent City of the Dead
 Brethren, forty-four years ago I was made Mason al wh ba ipaa seem long to the world at large, to me It is only a span-the time for our friend " and social intercourse has indeed been short, and II sometimes wish l could stop the pendulum of time and go over the ground again, but this can't be done, | for the mill will never grind again with water that is passed In the language of the widows son, my work is not complete, though l have labored long to complete it. My faith, however does not rest in the temple here below, but in that higher lodge above to which I am travelling; that temple not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
 "Breathren let us be earnest and zeal ous in our work. that the temple we are erecting her may become as beautiful as the temple of Solomon. as peaceful as the ark. and as sacred to the members as the most holy place. May our obligations of piety and praise be as grateful as the incense and our love for the brethren and companions as pure as the flame on the altar, while our charity is as diff fusiye as its fragrance. May our hearts be as pure as the altar. and our conduct as Masons an acceptable offering befo 'e God May the exercise of our charity be as broad as the blue canopy of heaven. and as constant as the returning wants of the destitute widow and helpless orphan.
 Finally when the silver cord is cut and the golden bowl is broken, may you find a safe passage to the city and and
 temple whose builder and makes is God
 Lieutenant Governor Cunningham.
 Lieutenant Governor Cunningham was the next speaker on the programme He paid a high tribute to the Masonic order. He said that Masonry has made great fight for human liberty, the speaker de- claring that tyrants have felt it's nfu- ences and have fallen under its feet. Never before in the worlds history was liberty accepted as a right of mankind as now, he said, and this is due to Ancient Free and Accepted Masonry.
 The influence. that will go out from the new temple will be potent, said Dr. Cum ningham. He declared that it would 90 out and touch more people than will influence from any other spot in the great city of Birmingham. Here the rich and the poor the business and the working man. the Jew and the Gentile the Cath olic and the Protestant, and the old and