The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-10-13
ROBERT MORRIS
Founder of the Eastern Scar
(By VIM. c. Lake. S2o)

October 1Oth.)
Robert Morris, the founder Of the
Order Of the Eastern Star was born
near Boston. Massachusetts,, August
21st, 1918, and died at La Granke,
KY, July 31st, 1888, at the age Of
20 years.
Brother Morris was made a Mason
ut Oxford, Mississippi, in 1S46. He
was later elected Grand Master of the
Grand Lodge of Masons of Kentucky
n 1858. lie visited the Holy Land in
1858 in the interest of Masonic re-
search. He was the author of "Free-
masonry in the Holy Land" and many
other books relating to Freemasonry.
For 40 years he devoted his life in the
interests of Freemasonry.
Our present system Of the Order
Of the Eastern Star was founded by
Robert Morris in 1850 and the de-
grees Were first communicated to his
wife, Miss Charlotte Mendenhall,
whom he married in his 23rd year
while teaching at Mt. Sylvan Acad-
emy, Oxford, Mississippi. 1t was he
who composed the lectures and pre-
pared the ritual and named it "The
Eastern Star" 1t is said that the de-
grees were first communicated in his
own parlor where he invited a neigh
boring Mason and his wife to join
with his own wife.
That eminent Freemason, Albert G..
Mackey, tells us that the Adaptive
Rite or Female Masonry which it is
commonly called was established in
England in the seventeenth century,
,nder the patronage of Queen Henri
eta Mara, daughter of King Henry
~ of France and wife of King
Charles I of England. After the ex-
ecution of her husband she escaped
70 France introducing the rite there
in 1880. And after many changes and
as late as 1888, this same adaptive rite
was known as "The Five Jewels of
the Orient" Therefore according to
cur distinguished Brother, Albert G.
Mackey, our present order is an off,
spring of tnat ancient Adaptive Rite.
Robert Macoy, an illustrious Free
mason Of tht State Of New York, who
revised and put into book form the
manuscripts containing the lectures
and degrees of the Eastern Star writ
ten by Brother Morris, tells us that
Adaptive F'recmasonry was introduced
into this country in 1778.
In paper entitled, "Rob Morris.
Elan and Mason," read by Hon. r. T.
Grove at the 103rd anniversary of
the birth Of Robert Morris, held at
Lagrange, Kentucky, August 31st,
1921, DR.. Morris was traveller, his
torian and antiquarian. He was q
profound scholar, and the most casual
readers Of his books cannot fail to
&c impressed with his intimacy with
the dead languages and the classics.
His interest in numismatics and an
tiques seem not to have been actu-
ated by vanity to call from storied
urn or animated bust back to its man.
sion the aceting breath, but from a
sincere desire to establish forever in
the minds of the craft the ancient
origin of Freemasonry. 1t was this
same laudable ambition that caused
him to visit the Holy Land in 1868.
Brother Morris composed 800 Ma
sonic lyrics and after the approval and
sanction cf 1000 distinguished Ma
sons in all parts Of the United States,
Canada and Great Britain was crown
ed poet laureate Of Freemasonry at
The Masonic. Temple in New York De-
cember 18th, 1884.
Writing in 1884 he said: "Being
1T that time an active traveller, nerv-
Gus, wiry, elastic, unwearying in work,
caring little for refreshment or sleep
l spread abroad the knowledge of the
Eastern Star wherever I went, equally
in border communities, where ladies
came in homespun;>as in cities where
ladies came in satins, the new de-
gree was conceived with ardor and
eulogiZed In strongest terms so that
every induction led to the call for
more. Ladies and gentlemen are still
iiNiiiS WIN iilSt tIldI lIlHlcHSe dSScnl-
blage at Newark, New Jersey, in 1858,
and the still greater one In New York
City a little later, where I stood up
for two hours or more before a breath
less and gratified audience, and
brought TO bear all that / could draw
from the Holy Scriptures the Talmud
and the writings of Josephus, concern
ing the five heroines of the Eastern
Star"
The order of the Eastern Star is, no
doubt, the greatest female organiza-
ton in the world. It's lectures and
five degrees appeal to the best in man.
kind. 1t IS believed to be the fifth
larges' fraternal organization and the
largest female order in the world In
1918 it had nearly 100000 members
and it's membership roll is increasing
at the rate of $4,000 a year. The
Eastern Star was the first to estab-
lish Masonic Home in the state Of
Kansas. The order is doing noble
and glorious work for humanity
throughout the United States of