The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-05-14
CITY READY TO GIVE
MASONS OF STATE
A ROYAL GREETING
Plans for Laying POstoffice
Corner Stone Are Com
pleted by Committee
SOLDIER MASONS TO
ATTEND CEREMONIES
Many Interesting Relics Will Be
Placed in Corner Stone-All
Masons in Parade to
Wear Aprons

When the thousands of Masons of Ala
bama arrive in Birmingham tomorrow
morning to attend the cornerstone lay
ing at the new million-dollar government
building they will find the city decorated
and ready to extend them royal greet
ing Merchants and residents along the
line of march have promised to decorate
their houses with flags and bunting and
banners.
The full Masonic ritual for corner
stone laying ceremonies requires much
special music, and the matter of arrang-
ing this part of the programme was DEL
egated to Prof Fred L. Grambs, choir
master at the Church of the Advent.
He has trained chorus of 40 voices to
sing the numbers required by the ritual.
This choir will occupy special stand
erected at the side of the main platform
surrounding the corner at Fifth avenue
and Nineteenth street, where the huge
corner stone will be placed in position,
MAIN PLATFORM
On the main platform will be officers
of the grand lodge, an escort of Knights
OAhiNSh@
blue lodge, the national representatives,
orator of the day, executive committee
and locally prominent Masons On an
other platform will be seated grand OIL
ficers and past grand officials of the
Order of Eastern Star, the sisterhood OF
Masonry.
1t is estimated that between eight
and ten thousand persons will be IN
the parade; 5000 or 1000 Blue Lodge
Masons. 500 Knights Templar, 600 No
bles of the Mystic Shrine, and about
1000 members of the Order of the East
ern Star The Shriners will not wear
their fez in the parade out of the re-
spect to the Blue Lodge contingent.
but Immediately after the ceremonies
are concluded they will be donned and
season of fun and frolc begun.
Reservations for 1900 Shriners have
been engaged at the Tutwiler for din
ner at o'clock tomorrow evening.
After dinner Zamora temple will ini-
tate over 200 candidates at the JEFF
ferson theatre the largest number Of
candidates ever initiated by any tenn
pie in the south at one time.
There will be a large contingent of
soldiers from Camp McClelland in the
parade. Chairman j. H. Edmondson
of the arrangements committee yes
terday received telegram from ii. +.
Williams of the Admission Masonic COM
mittee, stating. that all enlisted men
at Camp Mcclellan who are Masons
had been granted "a hours leave to
visit Birmingham Wednesday and take
part in the parade and ceremonies.
INTERESTING RELICS
When the corner stone is sealed up
it will contain a number of very in
teresting relies. Among these will be
a copy of the poem, "Grandpas House."
by Mrs Florence Earle Buck. grand
daughter of the late Judge w, S, Mudd;
roster of the Pioneers club, organized
June 13, 1914, with "a members and
"a alternates The officers Of the club
are Mrs. Annie Linn Henley, Mrs. Mag
gle Ketcham Ward and Mrs. Lizzie
Linn Motion, who hold office for life.
There will also be a photograph of
Mrs. Matte Owen McDavid, DIR. Joseph
Riley Smith, the first white person
born in jefferson county and one
time owner of the lot where the post
office was first located also of Gen.
| Andrew Jackson. who a past grand
master of Tennessee, and of his home.
the Hermitage; Miss Alma Rittenberry,
Miss Mary f. Rittenberry, over 20
years teacher at Paul Hayne school
and charter member of Pelham chap
ter United Daughters of the Confed-
eracy.
BY recent order Of the executive
committee, all Masons in the parade
must be properly clothed in white
aprons, and the several logde marshals
are requested to see that aprons are
worn by the members of their re-
| spective lodges.