Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1911-05-24


The charter members were poor
and not able to pay for the charter,
the fee being one hundred dollars, so
they had to work under dispensation
until December 18th, 1876, when a
charter was granted to Bros. John r.
Steele, G.. w. Kay and G. G. Porter.
Bro. Porter informs me that he paid
$500, Bro. A. Zimmerman $500,
and the Lodge and other members
$4,000, making $4,000, the charter
fee paid to the Grand Lodge.
The first candidates initiated in
the Lodge were A. Zimmerman, r. e.
Smith and j. A. Cook, and right here
with the Lodge. The railroad was
now just completed and the road bed
not settled. They were having con-
siderable trouble with slides and
wash-outs. On Saturday night of the
first regular communication Of Stew
art Lodge, under dispensation, there
was a large landslide \in Harbin's
deep out, which delayed all trains.
There were several passenger trains
delayed at Westminster that night.
and when the Lodge horn was blown
there was quite a crowd Of Masons.
from the trains raped at the Lodge
door for admittance, and they proved
to be some of the brightest and most
distinguished Nasons connected with
the order. A Bro. Calhoun, OF New
York, an officer in the Grand Lodge
Of New York State, presided and, con-
ferred the first degree in Masonry,
and the first degree ever conferred in
this Lodge, r. e.. Smith and myself
being the candidates. | must say
from experience that the work was
well and ably done. There were
quite a number of other distinguished
Masons in the company, and they all
expressed themselves well pleased III
open Lodge and seemed not to con-
slider it derogatory to their dignity
to be placed on a level with West
minister Masons, meeting in a poor
hall with cheap Lodge furniture.
The first elective officers Of Stew
art Lodge, No. 200, were Bros. John
r. Steele, w. NJ; G. w. Kay, S. W.;
c.. G. Porter, j. W.; A. Zimmerman,
Secretary, and w. N. Cox, Treasurer.
These officers continued to serve the
Lodge for some years, and until Bro.
John r. Steele moved away from
Oconee county in the year 1885 to
Alfalfa county, Miss. He died in
1896 / think it would be a%ppropri-
ate for the Lodge, even at this late
date, to appoint a committee to draft
suitable resolutions Of esteem and re-
spect In honor of the founder and
first w. M. Of the Lodge, and that
the resolutions, with his portrait, to-
gether with those of Bros. G. w. Kay
and G. G. Porter, be enlarged, framed
and hung in the hall Of the Lodge in
honor Of its founders and charter
members.
Bro. G. w. Kay was elected w. NJ;
A. Zimmerman, s. W., and G. G. Por-
ter, j. w., in the year 1885, and
served the Lodge as such for one
year.. The e w. NJ. was Bro. A.
Zimmerman, who served as such for
q number Of years. / have not been
able to find correctly who the consec-
utive Wardens were for this period
OF years, except Bro. G. G. Porter,
who served as j. w. consecutively
for eleven years. Then it was that
the Lodge had it's worst and most
trying days. Bros. Steele, Sisk and
Cox moved away from Westminster,
Bros. Kay and Porter lived in the
country, and my recollection is that
I was the only %afhliating Mason liv-
ing in the town, a member of this
Lodge. 1t was with difficulty we
could live Masonically, at Lodge
meetings often not enough being
present to officer the Lodge, except
in the Masters Degree. The Lodge
drifted along in this condition for a
number Of years, no work doing, hall
rent due, Grand Lodge dues due, and
nothing to pay with. The brethren
were then just like they are w
would get behind with Lodge dues.
The Lodge could not afford to drop
any from the roll for non-payment
of dues, as they did not have any to
spare; and right here l venture the
assertion that it may be constitu-
tiOnal. but not Masonic Or militia 10