The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-29
GRAND MASTERS ADDRESSES MASONS Mallory and Jeffries Talk of
 Ancient Order
COUNCIL IN BUSY SESSION
Calhoun County Commissioners Con- tract With D. B. Lacy to Supervise
 Building of Good Roads-Will
 Utilize county's Machinery.

Anniston, August S.-(Special. 1.-The Calhoun county Masonic conference came to a close last night after im- promptu exercises in the room of An niston lodge No. 443, in which number of speeches were delivered and to which a time limit of three minutes was set These were followed by a banquet served by the host of the conference The guests of the evening were the delegates and visitors to the confer ence and the families of the members of the local lodge. The occasion was happy one, and furnished fitting close to the excellent session of the 18th annual conference of Calhoun county Masons. The conference will meet next year at Piedmont.
 Two magnificent addresses were de- livered yesterday afternoon by Grand and Thomas H. Jeffries of Georgia. MT. Mallory discoursed on good citizenship and the part Masonry had in making good citizens. He briefly reviewed the history of the Masonic order, tracing 1t back, to Solomon and the erection of the magnificent temple that bore his name. He said the career of the order was marked by melancholy ruins of great buildings, but it still lived to inculcate the original principles upon which it was founded.
 It's signs and symbols were powerful agencies, but were infinitely short of the great principles for which the or der stood. The order stood on the foundation of the fatherhood of God and the universal broth erh ood of man. If Masonry was anything, it was torchbearer of the principles of morali- ty. It sought to concentrate thought, purpose and effort in unified practice of all virtues; patience, prudence, jus tice, loyalty. No true Mason can ever take the law into his own hands or join a body to do unlawful acts.
 Masonry taught the restraint of pas- sion, and it's members should be build CTS of society. Good Masons are good citizens, good church members, good husbands and good fathers. He peddles
  peace and relief. The nations heroes, devoted to the true principles of Ma sorry had rightly had their names per- petuated in granite and marble statues, but the speaker would erect a monu ment to the plain, good citizen. No nation, he said, could perish except through a decadence of its citizens in the practice of morality.
 MT. Mallory's speech was most ex cellent and was loundly applauded by the appreciative audience.
 MT. Jeffries Speaks.
 Grand Master Jeffries of Georgia was then introduced and delivered speech never eXcelled in the court room. It was a gem from start to finish. Couched in language as smooth as oil, his words and thoughts flowed in a stream of eloquence as charming as it was vigor- ous. Tears came into the eyes of many listeners, who were held in rapt at tention by the steady flow of beautiful thoughts with which the address teemed from beginning to end.
 MT. Jeffries has little of the ap pearance of trained speaker. It is more that of a business man. Certain ly there Is nothing to suggest the elo- quence with which he electrified his audience yesterday afternoon.
 He told of the inception of the Ma sonic order, which began as an opera tive art and followed up it's history to the present. He said Masonry had readily attached itself to the Christian religion and had assisted in holding aloft it's banner to the world. As guild it had maintained its operative
 -t,I1 The last analysis of Masonry was duty-duty to God, to family, to coun- try.
 Positive assurance was given each candidate for memb ership that no VOW taken should interfere with his duty to God, to family or country. Masonry, however, was worth nothing only as each member makes it so to himself It's appeal was personal-every man must make of himself a Mason and no man was a full grown Mason unless he re- alized that he was a prince of royal birth-a son of God. No man was fit to be a Mason who did not rise to the greatest height in every virtue as citizen and as Christian it was pos sible to reach.
 He should be the best church mem- ber the best neigh bor, the best hus- band and father. The speakers perora- tion was quotation from Kipling and furnished a climax to an address equalled by few and excelled by none At it's close he was given many hand shakes by the appreciative audience.
 Council Meeting.
 The city council was a very busy body last night, with many matters of importance to the people. Complete ar engagements were made for holding the dual election for city officers and the Issuing of bonds for school purposes and for quarters for the Glen Addie Hose company, on September 21. Man agers and clerks were appointed for the election.
 Contracts for paving 4S blocks of side- walk were awarded to J. S. Coniff S. CO at STAG per square yard. Another bid at sS cents was submitted by the McGee Concrete and Construction company of Greenville, s. c.
 The council, at the request of Chair man Lewis of the water and lights com mittee, declined, at least for the present, to pay bills of the Anniston Water Sup ply company. because it had neglected to extend water main on Leighton avenue into the Fifth ward. H. B. Rudisull, man ager of the company being present. ex- cused the company's dereliction on the ground that it did not have the money. MT. Lewis said the citizens of the Fifth ward didn't have water, either, and were exposed to fire continually without pro- lection. &s
 Formal demand will again be made of the county commissioners for the citv's sharet of $4500 of the county road fund. Twice already has the city asked the county commissioners for the money and os oftop hoau refrsad