Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-22
WITH MASONIC RITUAL
Laying Corner Stone of Repre-
sentatiyes' Building.
LIKE CAPITOL CEREMONY
Notable Example Of Washington to
Be Followed.
WILL TAKE PLACE ON APRIL z
Three Thousand Invitations to Be Is
sued to Prominent Men Through
out the Country.


President Roosevelt will take part in the
laying of the corner stone of the new Office
building for members of the House of
Representatives on Saturday. April T. at
2:3o in the afternoon. . which time the
ceremony will be almost identical with the
laying OF the corner stone of the United
States Capitol .by President Washington
nearly one hundred and thirteen years ago.
The Federal Masonic Lodge, which had
charge of the ceremony over a century ago,
will have the honor of directing the swing
ing of the corner stone of the House annex
into place. Walter A. Brown. the grand
master OF the Masonic Lodge of the District
of Columbia, will superntend the exercises
and addresses will he made by the Presi-
dent and Speaker Cannon.
To Follow Washington's Example.
When the Capitol corner stone was laid
President Washington acting grand
master for the Masonic Lodge in Virginia,
and by virtue of that office he was In
charge of the ceremony At that time the
Federal Lodge was under the jurisdiction of
the Grand Lodge of Virginia, but a few
years later the District of Columbia Masons
were organized into separate jurisdiction
and consequently the District organization
will have charge of the ceremony.
Three thousand invitations will be issued
to prominent men throughout the United
States The cabinet diplomatic corps, SEN
atofS, members of the House, the l nlteo
States Supreme Court, governors or tho
various states, prominent army ana naVai
officers and other government officials Will
attend the ceremony. The Marine Band
will escort Federal Lodge to the site of the
new building Immediately south of the Cap
itol grounds. and will play during the lay
ing of he corner stone. III
In accordance with tradition, the stone Is
at the northeast corner of the building ana
its location corresponds with that OF the
Capitol corner stone. Since the original
Capitol was built wings have been added at
the north and south ends. SO the keystone
Of the building is now well toward the CEN
ter of that great structure.
The foundat ton of the magniffcert new Of
fee building is completed and the Moor
beams for the first story are now III place
Upon these temporary floor VIII be lad
and seats provided for the guests who Will
view the ceremony. The nigh wooden fence
which surrounds the foundation VIII be
partly torn away, SO that a Vle% or inc
ceremony may be had by persons who can
not be provided with seats.
Details of Arrangements.
In accordance with Masonic traditions,
the ceremony will be in the open air, and
the persons who participate In 1t will have
no protection from the weather, regardless
| of what conditions may be- Simplicity Will
mark the event, and all pretension will be
| avoided. In every detail IL will correspond
| as nearly as possible with the ceremony In
| which President Washington participated.
/ The articles placed in the corner stone, as
| far as practicable, will lie Identical with
| those deposited in the Capitol stone by'Fed-
| eral Lodge, and, both President Roose-
| welt and Speaker Cannon are members OF
| the Masonic order, the occasion vii in
| every way harmoniZe with tile spirI; of the
| ceremony directed by tie Virginia Jurisdic-
| ton
| The Senate Office building, which is IN
| course of construction Immediately north
| of the Capitol grounds, is not far adj
vanced as the House building, and its cor
| ner stone cannot be laid at the present ses-
| sion of Congress.
| These two buildings, when completed, Will
| take the place of additions originally pro-
posed to the Capitol building, but which
were objected to on the ground that they
| would mar the architectural scheme of
! that structure Each of the new buildings
| will occupy complete square of ground,
| and they will be magnificent white struc-
| trues of classic design to harmonic with
| the Capitol and Library of Congress.
| September 1S 1888, was the exact date of
| the laying of the corner stone of the main
| Capitol building by President Washington
| Excepting the central portion, 1t was COM
| pleted in 1911, and burned by the British In
| 1914 The entire building was finished in
| 1877. The corner stones for the extensions
| at the north and south ends of the main
| building were laid by President Fillmore
! July d, 1851, when Daniel Webster was the
| orator The extensions, which contain the
| present Senate and House chambers were
| first occupied In 1857 and 1859.