Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-14

representative VIM. P. Hepburn.
was presented by him to the grand master
to be retained by the Grand Lodge as a
memento of the day. Like the Washington
gavel which is priceless relic of the Ma
sonic fraternity of the District of Column
bla the trowei will undoubtedly play ne
small part In future ceremonies of like
character.
The Assemblage.
Seats had been provided for $500 persons
including the members of the Senate and
House OF Representatives. the Supreme
Court. the diplomatic corps and the grand
masters of Virginia, West Virginia, Mary
land. Pennsylvania and New Jersey. A
large reservation was also made for the
Masonic blue lodges and the several COM
n1anderies of the knights Templars. These
seats were nearly all occupied shortly after
: O'Clock, ard when. half an hour later, the
world famous Marine Band struck up the
inspiring strains of The Star Spangled
Banner" all the available space IN the
stands was occupied and a great crowd
thronged the streets around that corner OF
the building where the interest of the cere-
monies ceDtered.
Impressive Ceremonies.
Then came the laying of the cornerstone,
following the ritual of the Masonic frater-
nity.in all its impressive simplicity. Fol-
lowing vocal selections by an octet Grand
Master Walter a. Brown of the Grand
Lodge made the Introductory speech. He
said:
Grand Master Browns Address.
Walter A. Brown, grand master of the
Grand Lodge, F. A. A. NJ. of the District
of Columbia, spoke follows:
Ladies, Gentlemen and Brethren: Be 1t
known unto you that we be lawful Masons,
true and faithful to the laws of our coun-
r,NIf -
aid in the erection of public buildings by
placing In position the chief cornerstone
whenever called upon to do so by those
having charge of the same.
''rhese ceremonies which you have wit
messed have come down to us from time i'm
memorial, and are in themselves invaluable
to us as purely symbolic of that spiritual
building which each one of us Is engaged
in erecting during our natural life. And
as in this temporal building about to he
erected we have proved the chief corner
stone to be well formed, true and trusty,
let each one of US be sure that in the spir-
itual building our chief cornerstone be like
wise well formed. true and trusty.
This gaVel known as the Washington
gavel was made out of the marble used in
the construction of the United States Cap
itol, and for the specific purpose of and
used for the first time in laying the COR
ner-stone OF that edihce September -. 1893.
This ceremony was performed with full Ma
sonic rites by Gen. George Washington.
acting grand master, and upon the compile
scented by President Washington to Valen-
tine Rentzen. then master of Potomac
Lodge of this city, which lodge has ever
since possessed and guarded with jealous
care this historical relic.
Used by Six Presidents.
Five other observation-disclosures K. Polk
Willard Fillmore, James Buchanan, Will
liam Mckinley and Theodore Roosevelt
have also used this gavel on notable occa-
sions 1t is by the courtesy of Potomac
Lodge that am permitted to use it at this
time
The Congress new sitting viii be notable
not only for the efforts put forward by the
servants of the people to enact wise and
needfu legislation for better government.
but this Fifty-ninth Congress will be nota-
BILE for the laying of this cornerstone. and
upon 1t tie erection of q building made pos
slble by the marvellous growth ard devel-
opment of this magnificent republic.
THE American people having confidence
in the wisdom. the honesty and the loyalty
OF the representatives in the lower house
OF Congress viii gladly hail the erection Of
this building. which is already taking