The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-11-06
Fifty Years
of Masonry
By JOE E. HEREFORD, P. M.
Chapter 8.

Chapter 8.
Only three lodges, Rome No. 25,
Pritchard No. AZ and Graham No "a,
existed in Kansas City when the fif-
teenth annual communication of the
M. w. Grand Lodge was held in this
city, beginning Aug. 16, 1881, at 10
a. m.
Grand Master Willis N. Brent was
presiding and around him were such
strong men as A. R. Chinn, Robert
o. Smith, Moses Dickson, J. G. G.
Owens, George w. Dupee, c. P. Gov
ington, Joseph H. Pelham and R. w.
Foster, the latter two just making
their bow to long line of future use
fulness as men and Masons. Unless
the records are at fault the young Mat
thew o. Ricketts, as well as the ven
cradle Alexander Clark were absent
from this meeting. The latter was at
the time in Europe, and doubtless
very close to his beloved Grand Orient
of France.
The opening ceremonies went along
quite smoothly and the Grand Master
read his annual address on the after
noon of the first day. No stronger
Masonic paper has ever been present
ed to any body of Masons anywhere.
There was the same ripe scholarship,
remarkable in it's employment of the
most choice English and well rounded
sentences. There was, moreover, that
wide knowledge of Masonry in most
comprehensive sense as we'll as q
very marked degree of devotion to
its literal truths and teachings.
If any criticisms are due to Grand
Master Brent it might be said that
he was not always as aggressive in
act as he was learned and fearless in
doctrine. Apparently he did not seek
to impress his personality upon the
work of the Grand Lodge to the ex-
tent of vigorously following up the
work he would have the brethren do.
Having told them of the necessities
which confronted them and having
pointed out the urgent needs of the
institution, he apparently felt that his
duty was discharged and left the work
ing out of his plans to the desultory
consideration of the craft.
Being great student and an ardent
lover of books, he kept steadfastly
after the Grand Lodge to establish a
library, and in the present instance
outlined plan of establishment and
custody which was naturally quite
visionary under the then conditions
indeed under any conditions wherein
a body is not permanently located.
The constitutional amendment in
creasing the grand dues so as to meet
the increased expenses of the organic
alton was placed before the body for
its first passage and was successfully
tided through even in the face of vio-
lent opposition from the stingy con-
tingent which had opposed it all these
years.
In the year 1880, just after the close
of the Grand Lodge there occurred
very serious civil disturbance in Kan
sas City amounting almost to a riot,
and it was heralded abroad by the To-
cal newspapers that the trouble had
been started by one of the local
lodges. This brought the fraternity
into serious disrepute for the time be-
ing and was the source of much con-
cern by the members of the jurisdic-
tion An investigation, however,
proved that the whole unfortunate af
fair was the work of profanes and
the fair name of the local brother
hood was completely vindicated.
The Grand Master called attention
to the fact that several other frater-
mites had adopted form of insur-
ance for their members and strongly
urged the Masons to do likewise. The
matter had already been under con-
sideration by a committee of the
Grand Lodge, and at this session a
crude beginning Of the Masonic Re-
lief Association was made, which
form has from time to time been modi-
fled down to our present system of re-
lieving the widows and orphans of de-
ceased brethren.
The impatient spirit which had al
ways attended the elections of grand
officers had not abated even to that
late date, and though by motion the
hour for election had been set for
O'Clock of the second day, the breth-
ren just could not wait, and during
the forenoon session the motion was
reconsidered and the election of Grand
Master Brent to succeed himself was