Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-02-23
WILL. BUILD TEMPLE
AT COST OF i,000,0 900
Prominent Members OF the Order
From Several Different States
Gather on Historic oroune on
Birthday Of the Great Statesman
Able Speeches fer the Occasion.


movement To erect a permanent Ma
scnic memorial TO George Washing
ton took its first definite form to-
day when General J. NJ. Dickin-
son, secretary Of war aud tn i
grandnasters OF many Masonic
grand lodges met here with otner dis
tinguished men OF the fraternity to-
form a National Memorial Association.
Perhaps no masonic celebration ever
held anywhere in America has been
more elaborate.
Among the speakers at the oanquet1
were William Hodges Mann. governor
Of Virginia; J. NJ. Dickinson. secre-
tary of war: Representative Champ
Clark, OF Missouri: Supreme Grand
Commander James u. Richardson and
Rev. John Wesley Hill, OF New York.
| In this quaint old town OF UNCOVER
ed walls and rambling gardens. upon
= street laid out by the young sur
veyor, near the spot where In 1894
israddock's young colonel qaartered
his troops before the fateful march TO
! the Ohio: near the historic old lodge
where he was a master and In thea
midst of q field rich in the events OF
his life and memory. u will be the
| purpose OF this association to erect
teupie 10 George Washington. p
mason. Set apar; in the structure
! will be a hall OF fame in which VIII
be allotted TO all the grand jurisdic-
tions in the country to place tablets
| 10 the memories of their distinguished
sons. The temple will cost $1,000, 900
| The memorial viii stand on
Washington street. Close by Is the
cid Christ Church where. In his ma
ture years, Wasbingtn served as a
,vestryman. On. q field net far on
he held his last military review.
Across a shaded green In the state
Iy old court house he cast hiss last
vote, and there his will Is filed.
The Natural Site.
Alexandria, by undsputed consent,
+, is the natural site fer the memorial.
Washington moved to Mount Vernon
when he was sixteen with his half
brother Lawrence. and until the chill,
raw day CT his death il was BIS home,
and Alexandria was his home town.
He became a member OF its council,
! represented it in the house OF Bur-
gesses. endowed It's schools. estab-
Iished its fire department and was
master OF its lodge. =
| The men who VII form the asso-
cation met today In the same AlexaE-
idria 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. II Is In short
the purpose OF the lodge to raise
81 eco 900 TO build and endow the mem-
oTial The institution will be unique
smosg the memorials OF the world and
will permit every grand jurisdiction
20 honor every Mason II deems to be
deserving with a leaf In the Nall OF
fame. a photograph and biography
+, The gathering OF such men OF prom
Inence In the old lodge was impress
live. Alexandria Washington lodge,
No. % made Washington its worship
full master in I7ss At bis request in
1871 it laid the corner stone OF the
I District Of Columbia and two years
later assisted in laying the corner
stone Of the national capitol In 1888
u performed the masonic ceremonies
IL his funeral
Precious Merentoes-
In its halls crowded with precious
m-mentoes. his memorial was organ
ized today There hangs the old chsr-
ter granted by Edmund Randolph.
grand master Of masons IN Virginia.
| m 17sS. Close. by its pendulum cord
cut aud its hancs pointing TO twenty
minutes after two in the evensEg-the
hour sud the minute Of his death-
stands the old bed chamber clock
| No money could buy this Old lent
tale bearer. Nearby IN a case IN the
lHtie trcweI he useG at laying The
capitoi cornerstone. In another are
IBIS wedding gloves. his yOcget con-
passes. farn spurs. piece Of MS tent
used Al Yorktown. h's Old fashioned
medicine scales and an eloquent fok-
en C hts reverence for bis motheT--a
little knife she gave to HIM as : re-
ward for his obedience and which he
treasured Cor Sc years.
The Williams picture painted from
ife In 1913 hangs on another val
Ii cennct escape the eye. for u -
mucf~ unlike the ac-epted Ekenesscs
~ YAH. nrfrm II 1hCwu the nan IN