The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-06-08
THIS CORNERSTONE
HOLDS MANY RELICS
RICHMOND, VA, Special

IL = n NJ ~ y ~, A, Special
In a few days workmen now en-
Der of Commerce building pre-
oaratory TO beginning the cree
ton of the new skyscraper, which
is to take the place of the present
siX-story building. will take from its
! bed the cornerstone. Wish was laid
| with Masonic hUADIs ~. August %,
! 1892, when the present building was
the most imposing in the State.
| The Grand Lodge of Masons of Vir-
ginia was in charge Of the ceremonies
struck. MasOns and Templars were
pouring into the wide open doors at
| the temple, on West Broad Street."
writes a Journalist of that time; 'all
preparing for the great event in the
commercial history of the city of
RichmOnd-the laying of the corner
stone of the new Chamber of Com
merce building, corner Of Main and
Ninth Streets.
Finest of Them AL"
"A capacious platform was erect
ed over the place where soon will rise
the wall of what will be one of the
| finest of all the late architectural ad-
| ditions TO Richmond, and seats in
| abundance were prepared for the
| Grand Lodge, the representatives of
the chamber and the choir who were
10 sing on the occasion.
| Sergeant j. A. Cosby, OF the Sec
| ond Station, had officers to help him
efficiently handle the crowd at the
| corner of Ninth and Main, always an
important point from the crossing of
| the two thoroughfares, and the ar
ranSements were all that could be
wished under his direction"
All Of this was written nearly TWEEN
/ ~ years ago. Look today at the build
ings that have far outclassed the once
finest Of all the late architectural
additions to Richmond"
| Most interesting is the account
given by the three Richmond papers
| OF that day-the Richmond Times,
the Richmond Dispatch and the Rich
mond State. The former were morn
! ing papers and the latter an after
noon newspaper.
! Perhaps the cornerstone carries the
, greatest interest in that il contained
many relics of history, and will be
all that will remain as a reminder OF
the building now fast disappearing.
A list of the contents OF the corner
stone may be found in the State Ii
! brary, by looking over the files of the
| papers of 1892. II also recalls the
| passing of the three newspapers on
! hle there. Neither of the three al
| ternoon papers OF today was then ex-
istent, nor was the morning paper OF
| today known under its present title.
This is the list of what the old cor
| nerstone contains:
List OF Contents.
Program of exercises, Autographed
| set OF plans for the Chamber of Com
! merce building. proceedings of the
! Grand Lodge of Masons of Virginia
1891. deposited by w. T. Allen; pro
! ceedinSs of the siXty-ninth assembly Of
the Grand Commandery, knights Tenn
| plar of Virginia, 1891; bylaws and
! list OF mem bers of the Richmond Com
mandery, No. 2, knights Templar; his
tory, roster and bylaws of the Com
mandery of st. Andrew. No. 10. 1892,
| by Joseph V. Bidgood; badge of Com
} mandery of st. Andrews, No l3
knights Templar, deposited by Sir Jo-
| seph I. English, Jr., of st. Andrews
| Commandery; fac simile seal of Rich
! mond Lodge, No. 10, Ancient, Free and
Accepted Masons; list of officers, di-
| rectorS and standing committees of
the Chamber of Commerce; list Of
members of the chamber; reports of
the chamber for 1882 to 1891. con-
stitution and bylaws of the cham Der,
state state Board of Trade. Richmond
! Wholesale GrOcerS' Association.
Wholesale Grocers' Association of Vir-
Sinia and North Carolina Tobacco
Trade of Richmond and the Richmond
| Growers and Cotton Exchange; re-
port by the Second Auditor of the pub
| nc debt Of Virginia, September 30.
1891; special message of the Cover
nor of Virginia on the public debt
January l, 1892; an act of February
"a, 1892, to provide for settlement OF
the public debt of Virginia; reports of
Richmond city for 1891, deposited 10y
| Ben T. August. clerk of Council; list
of members of Board of Aldermen and
Common COuncfl; "A Guide to Rich.
mond, 1861, presented by j. V. Bid.
good; "A Guide to Richmond" 1891
presented by w. d. Chesterman: War.
rocw- Richardson Almanac, 1892. pre-
sented by j. V. Bidgood; copy of New
York Herald, April Is, 1865; Owens
Minors Virginia and North Caroline
Almanac for 1892; THE Credit of tn,
South" by John S. Williams. May "a
1892; copies of the Richmond Times
the Richmond Dispatch, the Richmond
State, the Manchester Leader, the Re
ligious Herald, the Richmond Mercan
tile and Manufacturing Journal, thu
Richmond Trade Journal, the South
ern Tobacconist and Manufacturers
> | Record, Wallace's Weekly, of 1891
and Rough Ashlar," monthly Ma
sonic magazine; Confederate States O
America Army and Navy prayer book
| given by w. u. Isaacs, Jr.; 500 Con
federate note and four ten-cent postag
stamps. Confederate States of America
by II. l.. Staples; badge worn by pub
lie schools of New York in 1889 at tn,
one hundredth anniversary of tina
city; r. f. Lee Monument medal
Richmond Howitzers' Association
badge, Victoria Regina" with Ger
man coat of arms, given by Mato
Charles Harwood; memorandum O
banquet of Company G., Third Vir
ginia Battalion, Confederate State
Army, given at the unwilling of tn,
Lee statue, given by r. NJ. Hanson
nails made from the armor plate o
the Confederate ram Virginia" (Mer
rimac), presented by Arthur 3. Clarke
b president OF the Old Dominion IroI