The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-09-05

conducted yesterday morning at ll;3O |
b, the local lodge OF Masons. assisted |
bv state Grand Master Alexis Eddie
man OF Marietta and Past Grand Mas
ter Henry NJ. Furman of Oklahoma
City
The hour of laying the stone had
been set at . o'clock. but on account
OF the rain that came early in the
morning it was announced that the
ceremonies would be postponed until |
a later date. but after the rain ceased |
il was again announced that the pro-
gram would be carried out at 1880
and despite the fact that a great many
people had gone to Lorena park
where the picnic was being held there
was one of the largest crowds ever
gathered here to witness the laying
of the stone
Before the program began the
county officials and their assistants
gathered on the platform.
The Masons marched from the Ma
sonic Temple to the court house led
by the Knight Templars in full re-
gala After reaching the court house
Grand Master Eddleman delivered a
brief talk after which the impressive
ceremony of laying the cornerstone
was conducted. Mr.. Eddleman talked
OF Masonry. its origin and purposes;
he told of the beginning of Masonry
more than seven hundred years be-
fore the birth of Christ and gave its
history in brief until the present
time He made forceful talk and
one in which there is much food for
thought.
Past Grand Master Henry VI. Fur
man delivered his address. The Sym
bolism of the Cornerstone. Mr.. Fur
man has been in poor health for some
time and stated to the audience that
he was not able TO talk to them. He
looks little of his former self, and
while his talk was brief. it was we'll
received. He told of how ancient was
the practice of the laying of a corner
stone, and compared the records en-
| closed in the stone to the records OF
the heart that are held until the other
/ parts of the body are decayed and
/ gone, and are then opened and in
/ spected, and the good and bad deeds
! CHARGED TO you. He paid tribute to
| the commissioners of Carter county
| for their work in the building of the
/ court house and said that he hoped
| that it would indeed he a temple of
/ Justice.
District Judge Stllwel II. Russell
made a brief talk in which he paid a
glowing tribute to the present county
commissioners and to the late Allen
/ w. Speake, who was a member of the
first board Of commissioners. Judge
Russell stated that he had taken no
! part whatever in the building of the
/ court house, his only duty being to
/ watch and admire the work as it pro
/ gressed, but that he was proud of the
/ " ork of the commissioners, one of
| almost day and night He also paid a
/ tribute to the architects and to every
workman who contributed in any way
10 the erecting of the building
He then introduced Robert F. Sciv-
ally, chairman of the board of com
missionerS Mr. SCivally stated that
the board Of commissioners had erect.
ed as they thought one OF the best
court houses in the southwest. that
every piece of material in the build
ing was the best that could be had,
and that the building would stand for
ages as a monument to the thrift and
industry OF the citizenship of Carter
county
Mr. O. X. Darden. a member of the
board of commissioners. then made
few remarks. He told Of their
work for the court house from the
time when the subject Of voting the
bonds for the building We're first men
toned until now when the buildinG is
completed He said that he believed
that the people Of Carter county were
pleased with their work in the build
ing OF the court house and that he
was grateful to them, that he had al
all times done his duty as it appeared
to him. and had at all times done his
best.
Commissioner kirkpatrick then
made one of his characteristic speech
e. IN which the Irish Wit would oc-
casionally crop ont and cause laugh
in the audience. He told Of their work
i'm building the court house, and COM
pared Il with the work OF solomon in F..
erecting mis- temple. He told OF the
number Of years that they We're gath .