The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1909-04-23
ADDRESS Of HON. WILEY \. NASH.
Member of Albert Lodge No. 80, Free
and Accepted Mason, of Starkville,
Miss. in Behalf Of this Lodge,
by Invitation Spoke Along
the Following Lines:

Yer, 0fhcerS ana MEMBERS OF Abert
lodge No. 50, Staryille, Mississippi;
Officers and Students Of the Univer-
sity Of Mississippi; and OF the Missis-
sippi Agricultural and Mechanical
College; Mr.. President, Officers and
Students OF of tha Mississippi Indus
trial Institute and College, an Institu-
,tian the pride OF our People, Missis-
sippi's hearts true Queen, the apple
orchard OF her eye, dearly beloved
throughout our borders; and you La
dies and Gentlemen; all;
There seems just at this time to be
little confusion, caused doubtless, in
part at least, by the coming in and seat
iag OF the Grand and Local Masonic
Lodges. The people of these United
States are a great and mighty people,
two Of whose chief characteristics are
Organization and order. We are told
that a great battle was once fought by
an American Army largely organized on
IT'S march to the field OF battle. Only
remain quiet, respected auditors, and we
promise YOU, that under the guidance of
amaster hand, our own beloved Grand
Master, all will yet be we'll, and the Corn
erStone of the Stephen D. Lee Memorial
Chapel will be properly laid in due and
Aapie Masonic form. One of the strong
est arguments for the necessity of this
new chapel is the fact that hardly half
OF the people present can be seated in
this building, such great overtiows will
be guarded against in the future. As
representative of Albert Lodge No. 80
FIRE. and-Accepted Mason, of Starkvile,
Mississippi, we start out with the state
ment, that you need not expect, in this
effort of your humble speaker to be led
by the magic wand of e!oquence to view
the glorious scenes of long ago, or be
carried in imagination to contemplate
the progress Of human greatness, or to
be RECALLED by disqusition on the mys-
teries, or the hoary old age of the Mas
enic Craft
This Lodge, Albert Lodge No. 50, was
named, we are told, for Captain Albert,
of the Mexican war, an honored citizen
of our sister county, Lowndes, a war in
hood aud the encouraging smiles of
Southern womanhood made the war
with Mexico most popular in this sec
tion, ard which gained for the. boys II
the South the hard earned and dearly
bought honor of having born the brunt
of the fray. as the battles of Beuna Wis
ia, Monterey, Cero Gordo and that of
the Capitol City of Mexico will tell.
Albert Lodge No. 80 Free and Accept
ed Masons. of Starkville, Mississippi,
was chartered February %, 1S4S, over
half century ago. At the very mention
of the date, February %, who does not
think Of the name of Washington, 1.-The
Father OF His Country: a man first in
peace, first in war and first in the hearts
or his countrymen. 1t is characteristic of
the Mas onc Order, thus to cOmmemor-
ate the name and the fame of our good
and great. and this is especially so in
this instance. as George Washington was
one of the leading Masons of his day
and time: his picture, clothed in proper
Masonic Regalia, is to be seen in every
Masonic Hall in these United States,
at least; Almost appropriate way of fore
yer perpetnating his name and fame,
both as a Mason and as warrior, pat
riot and statesman, as well as his love
and his reverence for the only living
and true God.
t'Though shrined in dust great Washington
now lies,
The memory of his deeds shall ever live,
Tiuged with dye that ne'er shall fade
The proud olive shall rise
And wave anfadfng ore his honored tomb
Not long anterior to the charter of
this Lodge this section belonged to and
was ruled by the Indians, the Choctaws.
Starkville, and vicinity. Oktibbeha
County. were not known. This partic-
ular locality was called by the Indians
Hic-ah Sha bahia, Sweet Gum Grove).
1t was great gathering point for the
Choctaws, ruled over by many petty
chiefs, and Pushmattaha, the Big Head
Chief of the Choctaw Nation. Push
Mattaha, the friend of the white man,
preventing many times blood shed, be-
tween the indians and the whites, by
his conservative course and conduct, for
IL is a tradition in this section that no
white mans blood, in war at least, was
ever shed by Chocta@ Indian. Push
mattaha, in days of yore. tread these
very hills, aud taught his people
peace. 1t is hoped some day monu-
ment will be erected to his memory in
In this section, by the voluntary contrib
uiions OF grateful people. In the
great uprising of the hostile indians In
A1abama and Missississppi Pushmattaha
was made Brigadier General in the
United States Army. He lies buried
ct Washington, where ne died, while
visiting the Capitol In the interest of his
.people. He was buried with military
inoness;l lslax theFsais carved upon his
tomb the dying request, the last words
OF this noble old Indian Brave, 'sWhen I
am dad IRE the bigskuns over my head. .
Hick-ab shs-b1.hs fSwsetl Gum Grove),
this wary locpllty. where the Mississippi
Agrtspitural4pd Mechanical College b.
iocats4s where Starkyille now stands,
tsOur Little Home City. where Albert
Ledge. has built her beautiful Masonic
- 31sES. l.sa-x IL !.