The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-02-22
FOR MASONIC
MEMORIAL TO
WASHINGTON
A Nationwide Movement to
Commemorate His Connec-
tion With Fraternity
WILL Be ERECTED N ALEXANDRIA
AND COST 4 MILLION DOLLARS


sonic Apron and TrOwel Used in
Laying Cornerstone of Capitol.
Alexandria, Va, Feb. %. - The
movement to erect permanent ma
sonic memorial to George Washington
took its first definite form today when
General J. NJ. Dickinson, secretary of
war and the grand masters of many
Masonic grand lodges met here with
other distinguished ilen of the fra
ternity to form a National Masonic
Memorial association. Perhaps no
Masonic celebration ever held any,
where In America has been more
elaborate.
In this quaint old town of ivy cuv-
cred walls and rumbling gardens, up
on a street laid out by the young sur
veyor. near the spot where in 1854
Braddock's young colonel quartered
his troops before the fateful march
to the Ohio; near the historic old
lodge where he was a master and in
the midst of field rich in the events
of his life and memory, it will be
eAS PNt POoC VI tulo dSSUCldIlOu W
erect temple to George Washington,
Mason. Set apart in the structure
will be hall of fame in which space
will be allotted to all the grand juris-
dictions in the country to place tab
lets to the memories of their distin-
guished sons.
The memorial would stand on
Washington street. Close by is the
old Christ church where, in his ma
ture years, Washington served as q
vestryman. On field not far off he
held his last military review. Across
a shaded green in the stately old
court house he cast his last vote, and
there his will is filed.
alexandria,. by undisputed consent,
is the natural site for the memorial,
Washington moved to Mount Vernon
when he was. sixteen. with his. half
brother Lawrence, and until the chill,
raw day of his death it was his home
and Alexandria was his home town.
He became a member of its council.
represented 1t in the house of burgess.
sos, endowed its schools. established
Its fire department and was master of
its lodge.
The men who will form the asso-
citation met today in the same Alex
andria Washington lodge room where
Washington occupied the masters
chair While no fixed plan could be
announced prior to the assembly of
all the grand masters, it is in short
the purpose of the lodge to raise ST.
C00,O00 to build and endow the me-
mortal. The institution will be unique
among the memorials of the world
and will permit every grand iurisdic-
tion to honor every mason it esteems
to be deserving with leaf in its hall
of fame, a photograph and a biogra-
ply.
The Old Lodge.
The gathering of such men of prom
mence in the old lodge was impress
sive. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Lodge
No. % made Washington it's Worship
full grand master in 17SS. At his re-
quest in 1871 it laid the corner stone
of the District of Columbia and two
years later assisted in laying the cor
ner stone of the national capitol. In
1893 it performed the masonic cere-
monies at his funeral.
In its halls. crowded with precious
momentoes, his memorial was orga-
nized today. There hangs the old
character granted by Edmund Ran
dolph, grand master of masons in Vir-
ginia in 1883. Close by, its pendulum
cord cut and its hands pointing to
twenty minutes after ten in the ev-
ening-the hour and minute of his
death--stands the old bed chamber
clock. No money could buy this ST.
lent old tale bearer. Nearby in a
case is the little trowel he used at
laying the capitol corner stone. In
another are his wedding gloves. his
pocket compasses. farm spurs, a
piece of his tent used at Yorktown.
his old fashioned medicine scales and
an eloquent token of his reverence
for his mother-a little knife she
gave him as reward for his obedi-
ence and which he treasured for fifty
six years.
The Williams picture, as painted
from life 1894, hangs on another wall.
1t cannot escape the eye, for it is
much unlike the accepted likeness of
Washington. 1t shows the man in
his extreme old age and is the only
original life picture extant, in ma
sonic regalia. His masonic apron
embroidered in gold with French and
American flags entwined, presented to
the lodge in 1917 by his nephew Law
renee Lewis, hangs near by. The
only original painting of Lord Fair
fax, Washington's early patron and
friend, IL also there.
The masters chair, occupied by
General Washington in presiding over
the lodge, stands in a glass case, from
which it is removed only on extra
ordinary occasions. is 122 years old
and was in constant use for III years.
Scores of other things Of his day. the
old chairs and benches of the lodge
still In use. the front door kew nf the