Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1909-10-13
Why A WOMAN
CAN'T BECOME A
FREE MASON

There has always been a mystery
as to the refusal of women as mem
bers of Masonic lodges. Many at
tempts have been made to learn the
origin of the refusal
Without betraying any confidence
the following explanation couched
in such terms the ladies may he
satisfied as to the reasons they are
debarred.
/ We learn that before the G. A. o.
/ T. U. had finished His work, He
was in some doubt about creating
Eve; the creation of every living
and creeping thing had been accom-
/ plished, and the G. A. o. T. u had
made Adam (who was the first Ma
SOM and created for him the fin
est lodge in the world, and called
| it Paradise No. /. He then called
all beasts of the field, all the fowls
of the air, to pass before Adam for
him to name them, which piece of
work he had to do alone, so that
no confusion might hereafter arise
from Eve, who He knew would
make thouble if she were allowed
to participate, and if He created her
beforehand. Adam, being very
much fatigued with his labors, fell
asleep, and when he awoke he
found Eve in the lodge with him
Adam being the S. w, placed Eve
as the pillar of beauty in the S.,
and they received their instructions
from the w. NJ. in the b., which,
when finished, she Immediately
called the Craft from labor to re-
freshments. Instead of attending to
the duties Of her office as she ought,
she left her station, violating her
obligations, and let in an expelled
Mason, who had no business there,
and went around with him, leaving
Adam, the S. w, to look after the
jewels. The fellow had been ex-
PEELED from the G. L., with several
Others, some time before, but hear
ing the footsteps of the w. NJ, he
suddenly took his leave, telling Eve
to make aprons, as she and Adam
were not in proper regalia She
went and told Adam, and when the
w. NJ. returned to the lodge, lie
found his gaFel had been stolen. !
,.
who had neglected to guard the |
door and found them absent. After |
searching for some time, He came
to where they were hid, and de-
manded of. the S. w. (Adam) what
he was doing there instead of occu- |
pying his official position. Adam re-
piled that he was waiting for Eve
to call the Craft from refreshment |
to labor again, and that the Craft |
was not properly clothed, which |
they were making provisions for |
Turning to Eve He asked her what !
she had to offer for her unofficial |
and un-Masonic conduct She re-
piled that fellow passing himself |
off as a Grand Lecturer had been i
giving her instructions, and she
thought it would be no harm to |
learn them The w. M then asked
her what had become of his gavel. |
She said she did not know, unless
the fellow had taken it away.
Finding that Eve was no longer
trustworthy, and that she had been
the cause of Adam neglecting his
duty and letting in one who had
been expelled, the w. M. closed the
lodge, and, turning them out, set
faithful Tyler to guard the door
with a flaming sword. Adam re-
pented his folly, went to work like
man, and a good Mason, in order
to get reinstated again. Not SO
with Eve; she got angry about it,
and commenced raising Cain.
Adam, on account of his reforma-
tlon was permitted to establish
lodges, and work in lower degrees,
and while Eve was allowed to Join
MIN i'll the work of charity outside,
she was never again to be permitted
to assist in the regular work of the
Craft. Hence the reason why a
woman cannot be a Mason.