Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-10-20
iIoWA's MASONIC LIBRARY TO
CONTAIN HISTORIC PIECE OF
FURNITURE.
TABLE BEING CONSTRUCTED
CONTAINING 10000 PIECES
Secretary N. R. Parvin Engaged for
Months in Gathering Woods From
Far of countries-various Countries
Represented in Remarkable Work
Of Art.
Special to Times-Republican

Special to Times-Republican.
Cedar Rapids, Oct. 20.-The Iowa
Masonic library. located in this city,
boasts of a varied collection of curios,
and an article of furniture is to be add
ed that will attract interest beyond
anything else to be found in the liz
tary N. r. Parvin, librarian of the
local Masonic library, and Mr.. p. J.
Sargent, the latter being the architect
and designer who is making it the eff
fort Of his life.
The article is nothing more than a
piece Of furniture in the nature of a
center table, but its composition and
construction is novel in the extreme.
These men have been employed for
the past several months in securing
material and prosecuting the work and
at present it is hardly more than three
fourths completed Mr.. Parvin is se-
curing the wood with which it is be-
ing made, and when it is considered
that it will contain over 10000 pieces,
nc two being from the same piece of
wood and collected from all over the
world, each piece either representing
some state or nation, or else being at
tached to something historical, either
ne tional or Masonic, it can be imagined
what a task 1T is as we'll as what will
be it's value when completed
Mr.. Sargent has charge of it's con-
CT at o,l
city that is being displayed in placing
these little pieces of wood together,
with its historical contents, promises
for it first place at the library.
The Idea Outlined.
The table is triangular in form both
at base and top, the top being equipped
with three leaves that raise, making it
circular in form. The three legs are
S shaped and rest on triangular base
that is supported with feet represent
ing the lions claws, and at the con-
nection is decoration that gives to
1T an attractive appearance
The feet, legs and base are of black
walnut inlaid with maple in decora-
tive style, the inlay for the legs being
in diamond form, while the support on
which the top Of the table rests is in
stripe.
In the very center of the table is a
little piece of wood from the garden OF
Gethsemane, which appears to be very
appropriate from the fact that the Leg
end of Masonry is derived from the
scenes and events around Jerusalem
and in the very center of this little
piece of wood will be piece of stone
~ orrin IN, hA of Co1o
mon and used in the construction O.
the temple of Jerusalem.
| Inserted in the top of the table is
also a gavel, the head of which is con.
structed of wood from the old Wash
ington elm tree that stood on the com.
mons at Cambridge, while the handle
is of wood used in the construction Of
Washington's home at Springfield, Ill.
1t will also contain a camel on the
sands Of the great desert at the heat
of which is his master in prayer, anG
also soldier on horseback with his
saber pointing at the cross, which is
another decoration the table contains.
Various Countries Represented.
| Not only are historical emblems o:
the United States represented, but be.
sides those already mentioned are
woods from Ireland, Scotland Eng.
land, Canada, Cuba, Siam and Ger.
many. There is wood from the battle
ship Maine and from the Olympia
Dewey's flagship at Manila, as we'll a:
q piece of the old battleship Constitu-
ton. There is piece from the Sa'
moan islands and a piece from Klon'
dixie; a piece from the old home il
which Jesse James was born and {
piece from the old coach in which
Abraham Lincoln rode to his Inaugural
in 1861.
There is piece of wood from {
bridge across Bever creek at Mercer
O., built by General Anthony Wayne il
his march from Fort Recovery to For
Defiance in the year 174s. unearthet
by I. N. Hannah in 1887. There is {
piece from the old home of DAME
Webster in Franklin, N. H., and alst
a piece from the home Of Mr.. SARGENT
great grandmother at Elmston, n. H.
and a piece from an old tree that hi
great grandfather planted and shovele,
the dirt around in the year It'll Thi
old tree is now "a feet in circumference
and the limbs now spread to distanc
of 100 feet.
There is also piece of an old oal
tree under which Rev. Mr.. Elliot
preached to the Indians at Wellesley
Mass, probably in the seventeenth
centure.
| A piece of historic interest that i
much priced is from the old lbert
pole raised at Bow, N. H., on what wa
called Wood Hill, the highest point O
land in that vicinity and which wa
kept standing under great difficulty
many attempts being made to tear
down.
There Is also contained piece G
railroad tie from the Isthmus of Pana
ma which was claimed to be put i
by the French when they were at wor
on the canal.
Another of its decorations is a squar
containing wood from the states 8
Florida, Washington, Louisiana an
also from South America Three othe
interesting woods represented are th
paradice wodo. papa wood and persim
mon.
CORNER STONE LI.lD.