The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1909-04-23

place to the Choctaw Nation. Here
they came to work, to bury their dead,
to dance, to frolic and play. An indian
ball play is as exciteing, almost at least,
as the base and foot ball OF today.
Here, with them, as with US, the mock
ing birds sang them to rest at night.
Here, i'm season. the wild flowers bloom
ed and blossomed. the wild rose, the
honey suckle, along with the haw, the
crabappIe, the sweet shrub, and the
wild plumb, all c, mmingling. made the
air ot this Sweet Gum Grove (nick-a
Sha- ba-ha) s'As soft and sweet as the
zephyrs that float through the ctron
groves of Cyracilla." P"
The indians left, crossed the fathers
of waters and took up their march to
their new land, lying towards the set
ting sun.
Soon is heard the sound of the wood
mans ak, the ox-whip of the pioneer;
then the Southern settlers come; here
is now heard the dulcet sound of the
yells and horn of Southern boys, soon
land is cleared and farming and plant
ing is begun, and now during the work
ing days ever and anon fall upon the
ear the soft negro melodies in field
on farm. Then came our County, Ok
tibbeha, Starkville, our churches, our
educational, benevolent, and charitable
institutions. our stock shows, our fairs,
our Oranges, all fit forerunners of this
noble institution, the master piece of all.
This town, this Lodge are fit fore
runners of this great Institution. AS
John the Baptist was a lit forerunner
of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.
"Our Ancient Brethren dedicated Cheir
Lodges to King Solomon. because he
was our first Most Excellent Grand
Master" We dedicate ours to St. John
the Baptist or st. John the Evange-
list, who were two eminent patrons of
Masonry. In this connection there are
two beautiful and cherished Masonic
traditions. One is that John the Bap-
tist teaching in the wilderness drew his
inspiration, largely at least, from his
Masonic teaching, for Masonry teaches
peace, purity, truth and virtue, friend
ship, morality and brotherly Low q;
the other is that John the Evangelist,
also great Mason, in his old age,
when Bishop of Ephesus, consented
to become the Grand Master of the
Masonic Lodge, then located d at
that place. The dedication of Masonic
Lodges as stated is perhaps confined
the York Rite, and is supposed to have
begun about the year 1717.
Turning back to matters more certain,
and referring again to forerunners. there
were other forerunners to this noble
Institution, the Mississippi Agricultural
and Mechanical College, besides Stark
Vile and Albert Lodge No. 80, Free and
Accepted Masons.. Every church,
every college, every school, every chiy-
alric, benevolent and charitable instl-
tuition, organization in Oktibbeh ha conn
ty, every Stock Show, Fair Association
were all lit forernnners of this noble
Institution. All helped to form. create
and build up and educate community,
to form soil, so as to speak, suitable
TO plant this great institution, locking
always to the gsneral welfare of Missis-
sippi as State. her people as people.
Coming now closer, yes, directly back
to the inside history of Albert Lodge No.
So Free and Accepted Masons, Stark
willie, Mississippi; 70 show that It was
properly chartered and fayorabiy
launched on Times great and mighty
river, rolling forever onward to- the