The Mena weekly star., 1913-08-07
MARK p. OLNEY IS
 HONORED BY NASONS
Presented With Past Grand Masters Jewel by F. & \. NJ. of Arkansas Is Youngest of Nineteen
 Men So HOnOred

Saturday night Dallas Lodge No. I2S. F. X A. M., met in regular monthly session. This in itself was nothing out of the ordinary, for the lodge has met every month since it's charter was granted away back in the middle fifties, except for time during the Civil war, when the charter lay behind log in the woods near Dallas.
 But this meeting had special sig nificance-the presenting of beau tiful jewel to a Past Grand Master of the grand jurisdiction of Arkan- sas.
 It has been a custom of Arkansas Masons for years and years, when a man who had served the state as Grand Master died, to erect to his memory a monument. While this may be satisfactory and highly ap- preciated Dy mans descendants, it isn't appreciated so much by the man himself, as a monument IS nat urally the last thing any man eX- poets to have use for.
 Acting upon this, the last ses- sion of the Grand Lodge of F. X A. NJ. of Arkansas appropriated money to purchase jewels for all living Past Grand Masters, some nineteen to be presented to men now living and one a year hereafter. There were twenty Past Grand Masters living when the Grand Lodge took action on this. bu, ono man. Judge Stylus T. Rowe of Ft. Smith, met death before the jewels wore pre- pared. and the one intended for him was presented to his family. This leaves nineteen men now living.
 The Mena recipient of this honor was Mark P. Olney. who has been active in Masonic circles in Mena since 1897.
 ] After the regular business of Dal- las Lodge had been disposed of Sat urday night. the Rev. Francis N. Brewer. for sixteen years Grand . Chaplain of F. X A. M of Arkansas, l in well chosen words, made the presentation to Mr. Olney. The Rev. Mr. Brewer said, among other things. that Mr.. Olney, by being chosen Master of thirty thousand ! Arkansas Masons, had received an honor greater than the men who have become governors of the com monWcalth He said the men aSso- ciated with Mr. Olney in lodge work should feel honored, and the town itself should feel honOred that one of it's citizens out of thirty thou sand men should have been so hon orcd. The Rev. Brewer closed his address by paying an eloquent tri- bute to Freemasonry and handing
 to Mr. Olney the beautiful emblem.
 Mr. Olney, in accepting and eX- pressing his thanks. became remi- niscent He told of his introduction
 into Masonry just after the presi-
 dential campaign of 1896, when he
 Stumped Southern Illinois in the
 interest of William Jennings Bryan
 for president. He said many bitter
 Republicans were members of the
 lodge to which he made application,
 and he thought probably this diff ference in political belief would be held against him, but here he l paused and smiled. and said he . didn't know Freemasonry then. Mr. Olney told of coming tO Mena and ? aniliating with Dallas Lodge No. l28 in 1897, and has been in the harness" ever since until about two years ago, when he retired from active work in the Subordi- nate lodge. He stated that he , would hold the jewel which he had received as priceless that it would . be the most treasured heritage of his children; that he felt honored :, more than he could tell by having been Grand Master of the state of Arkansas.
 The jewel itself is a beautiful af-
 fair of solid gold. It bears the name , of the recipient and date of his in
 cumbency. IL is beautifully en- l graVed, and among other things
 bears a reproduction of the great l seal of the state of Arkansas. On
 the back of the jewel is this in
 scription: Brethren. be mindful
 with each passing day of the obli-
 cations you have voluntarily as ' sumed.
 Mr. Olneys talk was followed by
 short talks from others present, among them the Rev. w. J. Dun e man, who has been a Mason fifty = two years, longer than the average l man expects to live He told some y interesting experiences of the Civil y war in which Masonry played a T prominent part.
 An interesting fact about the dis - tribution of these jewels is that MT. T Olney is the youngest man to re- I ceive one. The oldest is George - Thornburgh of Little Rock, who !. has been active in Arkansas Ma s sonic circles for many years. An
 other well known man to be thus
 honOred is Harry H. Myers of Hot
 Springs, late Republican candidate l for governor.
 After lodge closed the honored 3 guest of the evening passed cigars z and all inspected and admired the jewel,