The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1908-07-11

the manager or the mercantile com
pany. of which he was a member, and
the store was closed out in 1898.
An event of great Importance in
the life of Mr.. Poe occurred at the
site where the Auditorium Rink now
stands, in an adobe building that was
the home of Captain Joseph C. Lea
after he had moved out of the house
in the same block as the Pioneer
building, now used as a boarding
house. In the Lea home the late
Judge E. P. Stone officiated at the
marriage of John w. Poe and Sophie
NJ. Alberding, union that has been
happy one.
The Poe home at the corner of
Kentucky and Seventh streets is one
of the handSomest and best appoint
ed in Roswell, and has been the
scene of many timely social functions.
This residence was erected by Mr..
Poe.
In July, 1892, Mr.. Poe sold his inter
eSts in the ranch, and accepted the
management and took charge of the
interests of ]. ]. Hagerman in lands,
pasture. farms, orchards, live stock,
canals, etc. At the end of 1894 he re-
signed and was succeeded by Captain
Jason w. James.
in banking and property to such an
extent that they needed his daily at
tention.
He was one of the original stock
holders in the first bank of Roswell
and owned nearly half the stock OF
the institution, which was known as
The Bank of Roswell and was organ
lied in 1890. He was president of the
bank from 1893 until 1899, when it
was nationalized as the First Nation
al Bank of Roswell. This year he
sold out his stock in the bank and the
building that this bank now occupies,
which was erected by Mr.. Poe in
1895.
The Citizens National Bank was or
ganized November Is, 1900, and was
a territorial institution known as the
Citizens Bank until April. 1908, when
it was nationalized as The Citizens
National Bank, and Mr.. Poe mas been
president of the bank since it was
organized. The bank on the start was
capitalized at $4,000 and still re-
mains at that figure.
Mr.. Poe is president of tho Bank
of Artesia, at Artesia, N. M, and has
of Clovis, n. NJ, and the Lakewood
National Bank of Lakewood, N. NJ.
He has always been active in the
educational and financial
of the city and territory.
He Is a chairman of the water works
He served one term in 1899 and
1900 on the Territorial Board OF
,z.-..-s. :
Served two terms rs member of
the Board of Town Trustees, and dur
ing one term was chairman of the
Board, which is equivalent to Mayor,
as Roswell Is now Incorporated as
a city.
A leading member of the Roswell
and Loan Association.
Mr.. Poe stands high in the Masonic
circles of New Mexico and the entire
being a 33rd degree Mason,
and there are only three Masons of
this high standing in New Mexico.
Past Master of Roswell Lodge No.
IS A. F. and A. M. Past High Priest
of Columbia Chapter No. Z, Royal
Arch Masons. Past Eminent Comman-
der of Rio Hondo Commandery No.
6 K. T.
Past Grand Master of the Grand
Lodge of New Mexico, A. F. and A.
NJ. Past Grand High Priest of the
Grand Royal Arch Chapter of New
Mexico. Member of Ballut Abyad
Temple, A. A. o. N. NJ. s.
Member of the Scottish Rite of
Free Masonry since 1895.
Was coroneted Honorary Inspector
General 33rd degree at Topeka, Kan
sas, December %, 1907. This is the
last and highest degree obtainable in
the order.
In the Southern jurisdiction of Ma
sonry in the United States, south OF
the Mason & Dixon line and west of
the Mississippi river, it is said there
are only about 25O 33rd degree Mas
ons, and only three in New Mexico,
Col. Max Frost, editor of the New
Mexican at Santa Fe, Cony G. Brown
of Socorro, and John w. Poe of Ros-
well.
Mr.. Poe Is enthusiastic and is nat
urally proud of his record as Ma
son, and he Is of the opinion that the
order exerts great influence for good
in any community where there is
we'll organized Masonic fraternity.
He Is also a member of Samaritan
Lodge No. IL l. o. o. F. of Roswell.
Last year Mr.. and Mrs. Poe took
a trip abroad and were gone nearly
six months. They left February %,
1907. and returned August 9th. They
visited Gibraltar, and then Tangier,
Spain, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Swift
erland, Germany, Holland. Belgium,
France, England, Scotland and Ire
land.