Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-29
MASONS At BANQUET
Merry Time Under Auspices of
Harmony Lodge.
GENEROUS GUEST PRESENT
Andrew Carnegie (?) Makes Dona-
ton of 100000.
PLEASING FICTION DISCLOSED
Responses to Toasts by Prominent
Members Of the Fraternity-Dr.
Simon's Address.
PLEASING FICTION DISCLOSED

More than six hundred Masons of the
District had good time that will not be
soon forgotten at National Rifles Armory
last night. Harmony Lodge, No. Il. was
responsible for it, and the occasion was a
banquet-or. more appropriately. "jolli-
fcation.''
In a very prominent place on the pro-
gram appeared the name of Andrew Car
negie. Nearly everybody present had
heard on the quiet that Mr.. Carnegie
would be there and would probably pre-
sent the lodge with a check for 500, 900
out of the generosity of his heart and
his fondness for Harmony Lodge. Sure
enough, before things had been under way
very long in walked the Laird of Skibo,'
leaning on the arm of Chairman w Ham
ilton Smith Of the banquet committee He
was greeted with tumultuous applause
The distinguished guest spoke at some
length of the great work of Masonry In
Scotland. Then, when he had finished,
he turned to Roe Fulkerson. worshipful
master of the lodge. and smilingly pre-
sented him check for 100000. The out
burst of applause at this act was even
greater than that which first greeted him.
Mr.. Fulkerson was SO overcome with ex-
element at receiving so much money all
at once that as he was stammering out
something about the sincerity of the
Scotch people his hand accidentally
struck Mr.. Carnegie's beard.
Transformation Scene.
And then something strange happened.
The beard dropped off onto the floor. and
there stood Robert Young, known by
Masons all over the District Mr. Young's
face fairly bealned with good-nature as
he turned and hurriedly left the hall.
closely holding on to that one-hundred-
thousand-dollar check. 1t was mighty
well done, and the trick was enjoyed
almost as much as would have been the
actual presentation of so much money to
the lodge.
Grand Master Harry X. Simpson of the
District was at the banquet, together with
all of the officers OF the Grand Lodge and
the worshipful masters and a majority of
the officers of most of the District lodges
The visiting MasOns were cordially well
coined by Mr.. Fulkerson. Then Mr.. Simp-
son spoke of the District Lodge in the
following terms:
Responses to Toasts.
THE District Grand Lodge is the peer
Of any grand lodge In American Masonry
She stands before you tonight proud Of
her accomp lishments."
Harmony Lodge" was the subject Of a
toast responded to by Luther r. CHM,
past grand master. He interested his
hearers at once by telling Of the impOr-
tant question now before the Grand Lodge
of acquiring q controlling interest in the
stock of the new Masonic Temple. 1t was
absolutely necessary for the Grand Lodge
to own the temple, he asserted. Messages
of faith were brought to Harmony from
other lodges by Victor II. Wallace, who
responded to the toast, THE sister lodges
of this jurisdiction
Rabbi Abram Simon Of the Eighth
Street Hebrew Temple delivered the prin-
cipal address of the evening. The Re-
ligion Of Masonry was his theme.
Life as Banquet Hall.
I'VE should consider life as banquet
hail." said DR.. Simon. when men can
sit together in a banquet hall and eat and
drink unmolested side by side this fact
can be more readily relied, for it has
taken thousands of years for man to
learn this art
You possibly never have considered
how many thousands of years are behind
this gathering, nor the number of wars,
nor the number of lives necessary, nor
the innumerable rivers that have flowed
crimson before men of different creedS
could seat themselves at the same table
and peacefully eat and drink together.
The time has been when man sat with
man, but each hand was on pocket
which contained deadly weapon; the
time was when each hand was in pocket
to keep out intruders. But tonight men
of different creeds sit side by side and
demonstrate the great principles OF evo-
luton. We are tonight considerable of
those brothers of ours who are absent and
for those who are late in the banquet hall
of life. At times these late ones are han
dicapped: they are diseased and crippled.
1--WE must bear with them and assist
them. This thought-the practical side
of entering into the feelings with these
late ones-is the practical thought Of
Masonic religion.
Religion Without Disagreements.
THE time is near at hand when all
men must know a religion of some kin l.
Certain religions some of us will have,
because we have been taught to believe
in that wise. But there is religion
that has no disagreements, but which
harmonizes and intensifles these feel
ings. l call that the religion of Ma
sorry. Religion of Masonry calls life a
banquet hall because it fills it's confines
with optimism and mirth; because it
believes in holding out help and good
cheer and hope to the less fortunate
brothers. Such religion each of us
can accept. is expected to live up to, is
asked to lead.
The man who is Mason only in his
| lodge and not in the outside world is
not at heart Mason; the man who en-
lows sitting next to brother in the
lodgeroom, but who scorns that brother
on the street is not worthy to be called
a Mason.
Several comedy sketches were pre-
scented by T. Brooke Amiss and w. A.