The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-24
CHURCH RELICS
IN CORNER STONE
Box Sealed by St. James i'll 1883
Cncarthed for Second Ma
sonic Ceremony
COINS AS BRIGHT AS NEW
Historic Papers, Carefully In
spectcd, Reveal Much
Interesting Matter.

! '>4 >N''iiS, -'iHbbNi.
! unearthcd from beneath the masonry
] OF 81. James Episcopal Church, where
| it has lain for scvcnty-tour Years the
! little lead box, seven by seven inches
in length and breadth and six inches
! deep, placed III the corner tone in
iS$S, and taken out from under the
! northeast corner of the building last
| Thursday, to lie placed later along with
| modern data under the new building ut
tho corner OF Franklin and Birch Streets.
! opens volume OF history that brings
To mind hundreds OF happenings in
Richmond and the South preceding the
hrst thoughts Of the War Between the
States
The relics Of the old church which
were placed in the care of Dr. j. y.
Upshur until they should bc reinterr ID
/ under the new structure, We're exhibited
last night to reporter for The Times
i Dispatch. one could hardly tell from
the looks OF the papers and coins that
they had been placed in She boX
! seventy four years ago, SO perfect was
the print and the shine OF the coins.
Though the box was comparatively
small. it contained Il conplctc history
! of the day-.\pril :, iS3S-when it was
! buried.
There We're ooins-almost rs bright
as when they came from the mint
/ Il 81 piece OF 1I9S, "A 5O-ccnt piece of
the Year before. n 50 gold piece ana a
$3.50 gold piece of 1886. nIld several
J other minor coins one wear older
Then there were i've notes One Of
them was Il Revolutionary 25-shilline
/ piece. and the others notes on Rich
| mond banks tor sums from 1t cent
to - cents. dating from 1875 to 1881.
Engraving ON Pinto.
On q silVCc plate was engraved:
This corner-stonc Of 81. James
/ Church protestant i:riscopaD was
laid in due form 10y the Masonic fra
ternity of richmond, consisting Of
4: Lodges 10. II and u. No 10 presiding.
! on Monday. being the second day OF
! April, Anno Lucis 5S3S, Ammo pomini
/ iS3S. Most Worshiptui Lcv' l.. Steven
son being Grand Master OF Masons.
4 Right Reverend Richard Channn.
/ Moore, Bishop of the Diocese of N'r
J ginia; David Campbell, Governor OF
! Virginia: Martin Van Buren,. Prcs-
4 dent OF the United states; Rev Adam
! Empic pastor of ST. James Church
! William II. Lambert ana John VIII
! iiams. wardens: q. PcrsIco. John {.
! McCabc and James Beal. vcstrymcn Of
! said church; Most Worshipful David
! w Patteson, presiding as master of
: Bigger. master of No. 10. William y
Pattcson. master OF No. IL
There arc also copies OF Sword :
: Pocket Almanac ana church Calendar
] Cotton's Almanack, Churchman's Al
manack. current copies OF the South
/ orn Literary Messenger. the Masonic
] Olive Branch, the Richmond Compi-
or, the Southern Churchman. the South
! ern Religious Telegraph. the Virginia
! North Carolina Conference journal,
! the Religious Herald. the Richmond
! Wing and Public Advertiser, the Rich
! mon0 Enquirer and tho Waterman of
! the South. u circular letter signed by
members of tho Ves,ry stating the
! proposed location of the church. and
} Firth Streets, Street being then the
Marshall Street OF to-day. ana q post
CT of a grand oratorio 10 be held al
Monumental Church.: three copies of
/ Masonic odcs sung on the occasion
OF the laying of the cornerstone. ana
two copies OF the religious cercmo-
! MES In ono of which is a We'll pre-
served spG!s OF arhor vitae. the
Masonic emblem of Immortality.
Church Manuscript.
Last of all IS a manuscript on which
the following is Inscribed:
I'm the name OF God, amen This
foundation cornerstone OF ST. James
! church Is laid this second duv OF
April in the year OF our Lord eighteen
hundred ana thirty eight GS3S).
The Right Reverend Richard Chan
| ning Moore. d. D., officiating. the Rev.
Adam EmpIe being rector or ST. James
church, and William Lambert and
| John Williams being absent, being tho
John G. McCabc. the other vcstrymcn
{ of the church.
May Almighty God smile uDon the
| work mere begun ana crown il with
lis blessing: may the friends OF this
church soon have reason to rejoice in