Arizona republican., 1907-10-23
Fund. pronounced Phoenician charac-

Fund, pronounced Phoenician charac-
 ters, instructions probably from the great artificer and master mason, the
 widows son, Hiram, to the workmen. 1 In corroboration of this we have the | singular fact of the Bible statement that King Solomon fetched Hiram out
 of Tyre, a Phoenician city, to superin- tend the building of the temple. | The temple was a magnificent edi-
 flee It was supported by 1453 columns
 and 2900 pilasters. all hewn from the finest Parian marble.
 | There were employed in its building 3 masters, 330O foreman or overseers
 and 10000 mechanics and laborers. | Our attention is called to the Apocry- phal history of Masonry which recites 1 that Masonry was introduced into Eng land by Prince Edwin A. D. 624, and lodges were chartered or warranted at York by King Athelstan A. D. 926. The Legend of the Guild'-history Y of the order. and other traditional story is based on manuscript or "Old Charges of British Freemasons" bear ing date as early as A. D. 1890. | The order had botten into a condition | of decadence when in June. A D. 1llI, it was revived by the organization of ! the Grand Lodge of England, regarded | as the mother of all regular Masonic
 lodges of the three craft degrees. the | American rite being her princely | daughter.
 It is we'll authenticated that early in the settlement of North America.
 Masons. both operative and specula- | tive, met in lodges without much re- gard to warrant or charter. and these | organizations continued until long ar ter the revival of TIT.
 These assemblies of the craft grad
 ualIy moulded together and from these beginnings grand lodges composed of English. Irish, Scottish and Army reg | ister were formed in America until ] regular governing Masonic bodies eX- | listed in every state and territory, and the thoroughness of this organization
 is measured by the present member ship of 100000 in the United states and Canada in 13Go0 constituent lodges
 There are 50 grand lodges in the United States with a membership of 1,15O,oOO. The territorial government of Ari- zona was formed in 1863. and pracu- cally at the same time, early in lS64. Brothers John x. Goodwin. Governor
 John T. Alsop, Hezekiah Brooks, Her
 bert Bowers, Joseph Ehle. Captain A l.. Anderson, commandant at Fort Whipple; C. A. Curtis. Lieutenant
 Fifth L. s. Infantry. and James Gar win. held an informal meeting at the office of the governor in the guberna-
 torial mansion, a rough log house sit uated among the towering pines in what is now West Prescott, having for its purpose the formation of a lodge of Masons
 As a result a petition was signed by several Master Masons to the most
 worshipful grand master of Masons in the state of California, asking for ldispensation authorizing the forming of a Masonic lodge at Prescott, the
 first lodge in the new territory. Mounted upon a sturdy mule with a strong mounted soldier escort fur njshed by Captain Anderson. Brother Joseph Lennon rode out from Fort whipple into long span of noun tainous country infested with hostile Apaches, carrying the petition to
 Santa Fe, New Mexico, 500 miles away to obtain from the nearest lodge, Montezuma Lodge, No. 109, in the jurisdiction of the grand lodge of Missouri. a recommendation for the dispensation.
 In due time he returned with the recommendation, which, with the peti- tion, was taken by Governor Goodwin to San Francisco. And on the 22d day of April, 1865. the dispensation was issued by Grand Master Wm. Caldwell Be1cher, authorizing the forming of Aztlan lodge at Prescott, Arizona, and naming therein Brothers John T. AL sap to be worshipful master; Hezekiah senior warden, and Herbert Bowers, junior warden.
 The dispensation was received at Prescott on the 23d day of July, 1865. and on the 27th day of the same month the lodge was fully organized, Brother James Garvin being appoint ed treasurer: C. A. Curtis, secretary; U. B. Sutherland, senior deacon; Will liam Smith junior deason. and s. Z- Pierce, tyler.
 On the 11th day of October. 1866. the dispensation having been returned to it, the grand lodge of California au- thorized the issuance of a charter or warrant under which. on the 18th day of January, 1867, AZtlan Lodge. No. IT., was duly constituted at Prescott by Past Master John Martin. The Arizona, and being in the Jurisdiction of the grand lodge of California.
 The growth of Masonry in the ter ritory was so abundant that an inde- pendent sovereign Jurisdiction was de- sired by the local lodges. whereupon the grand lodge of Arizona was or ganized November 13, 1882.
 On the 18th day of November, 1889, the grand lodge of Arizona granted a charter to the Prescott lodge under the name of Aztlan Lodge. No. 1, in honor of having been the first lodge in Arizona.
 The present enrolment of member ship of Aztlan Lodge, No. l, is 3s5, the active membership being 140.
 There are in Arizona nineteen char tered and subordinate lodges. with an active membership of 1894 Master Ma sons, as shown by the october state ment of 1906.
 The Masonic jurisdiction in Ari- zona is comprised of the grand lodge, F. and A. NJ, with a present member ship of 1900.
 Royal Arch Mason. with eight chap ters. and membership of 600.