Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-06-09
SESSIONS OF GRAND LODGE TO
OPEN TUESDAY At COUNCIL
sLuFFs.
TOTAL IOWA MEmsERsHlP
1,5se, GAIN OF 1,s4s
Between 100 and 1900 osIssatss Ex-
pseted to Attend First state Meeting
in Western iowa in Fourteen Years
Leading Choice For Grand Master
Dies on Eve Of Msstins.
,ecial to Times Republican.

Council Bluffs, June 9.-The sessions
Of the grand lodge Of Iowa Masons.
which formally convene here tomorrow
morning, are the first to be held in any
city in the western part Of the state
in many years and only the fourth
time in the history Of the seventy
years Of the existence Of the order in
the state. 1t is expected that between
200 and 1900 delegates will be here
to represent the $4,000 members Of the
order in the state.
An interesting feature Of the holding
of the grand lodge in Council Bluffs
this year and fourteen years ago, as
remarked by several who were priv
LEGGED to be present on both occasions,
is the interchange Of visits between
Iowa and Nebraska grand lodges, in
session at the same time on opposite
sides of the Missouri river
The opening session Of the grand
lodge tomorrow morning, which is open
! to the public. promises to be OF interest.
There will be addresses Of welcome
and responses. ]. NJ. Bromwell, Of
Marion, who is to deliver the response,
is u gifted orator and his appearances
are pleasingly anticipated. After the
formal opening the forenoon will be
devoted almost exclusively to the an
nual address of Grand Master Judge
William Hutchinson, of Alton. The aft
ernoon will be given to the reports OF
the grand secretary, N. r. Parvin, Of
Cedar Rapids, and other officers.
Best Year Of Order.
Grand Secretary Parvin will report
most successful year for the order.
There has been a net increase of 1,54S
in membership, leaving the net mem
bership on Jan. l last. when the last
returns were submitted. of 1855. The
expenditures of the grand lodge funds
during the year approximated $4,000.
During the year 1912. asia new
members were received into the order,
while 1872 were admitted from other
states, and PAS were reinstated. making
gross increase Of 1882. There has
been loss, however. from deaths, de-
missions, ETC., of 2,174. There are near
ly 600 active lodges of the order i'll
the jurisdiction of Iowa. and with three
delegates from each, there would be
accredited delegates of nearly 1900 at
this grand lodge meeting.
Grand Master Choice Dies.
A sad feature of the convention was
the receipts last night of telegram
announcing the death at the family
home in Burlington, Of H. w. Hughes
one OF the most prominent members OF
the order in the state and the one who,
in all probability would have been
chosen grand master of the order for
the coming year had he lived. He had
been planning to start for Councli
Bluffs today.
In sharp contrast to the sorrow
which the death of Mr.. Hughes caused.
is the delight which another member
of the grand lodge experienced yester-
day in finding a cousin, when Judge
William Hutchinson Of Alton. grand
master of the order. passed an excep-
tioEally happy afternoon in revieWins
memories Of the past. During the week
there was printed picture OF the
Judge in local paper. Mrs. Ann
chambers, an aged woman living at
1719 Fifth avenue, saw the picture ana
Thought she saw therein the likeness
of q cousin whom she had not seen
since he left Caschocton, O.. in 1856. al
most sixty years ago. Attracted oy
the similarity and the fact that the
grand master bears the name OF that
cousin she sent him card and asked
him to call. With Mrs. Hutchinson the
grand master left his hotel yesterday
and called upon the woman, VINO
nroved to be a cousin Of his father.
Robert Hutchinson. Though ne was
but babe at the time the judge re-
calls his farewell visit with his fatner
to Aunt Abbie Hutchinson just before
she left for the wilds Of Iowa. Iheir
own branch Of the family followed
within a year. in 1857. but settled IN
a different part Of the state and MRS.
Chambers and the judge had neither
seen nor heard from each other until
this eventful meeting here.