The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-09-21
MASONIC MEETING
in 81 RECALLED
LAYING OF CORNERSTONE AT
BUTTE REEVES MENTION
OF FIRST LODGE

|, of officers of the grand lodge of Mon
tana and large crowd of spectators
that lined the streets, the cornerstone
to the new 100000 Masonic temple
in Butte, now in the course of con
struction, has been laid with cere-
monies befitting the occasion.
Preceded by the ritual of the grand
lodge, the services were Masonic in
their entirety. Wearing their en-
blematic white aprons, the Masons,
led by their acting grand marshal,
filed from the old temple, escorted
by members of Montana command
cry, No. 8, Knights Templar.
The services were conducted by G..
S. Bell of Billings, worshipful grand
master. He was assisted by other
members of the grand lodge. l.. A..
Smith, president of the temple board
of trustees, and under whose super
vision the temple is being erected, de-
livered the address.
Bearing the Masonic emblem, the
square and compass, the corner stone
faces both Park and Washington
streets. IL also bears the inscription
1923" When completed, the new
building will dovetail with the old
structure, which was erected in 1901.
The walls of the old building will also
be made to harmonic with those of
the new temple.
First Meeting in State
The small metal container in which
had been packed collection of me-
mentos was placed inside the corner
stone by President Smith during the
course of the ceremonies. 1t had been
packed earlier in the day in the
presence of officers of the grand
lodge.
Mr. Smith, whose address was elo-
quent, traced the origin of Masonry |
from the days of King Solomon to the |
present day. 1.-THE origin of Masonry |
is at this day uncertain, seemingly |
lost in the mist of time, but it is adj
mittedly the most ancient of orders. |
1t has been asserted that the history |
of the race was the history of Ma
sonry," he said
Relative to Masonry and its de-
yelopment in Montana, Mr.. Smith
read the words of NJ P. Langford.
The latter wrote:
f'It was a clear September twi-
light when we camped on the western
where they crossed by the
Mullen road. The labors of the day
over, three of our number, brother
named Charlton, another, whose
name / have forgotten, and myself,
the only three Master Masons in the
impressed with the gran
1eur of the mountain scenery and
he mild beauty of the evening, as
,ended the mountain to its summit,
and there in imitation of our an
In informal lodge of Master Masons.
had listened to the solemn ritual
If Masonry a hundred times, but
lever when it impressed me so Sc
iously as upon this occasion; such
Llso was the experience of my com
'anions. Our long journey and its
round of daily employ
nents, had, until this occasion, been
Wholly unalleviated by any circum-
tances calculated to soften or mel
DIV the feelings subjected to such dis
ipline We felt it relief to know
ach other in the light of Masonry.
lever was the fraternal clasp more
ordial than when in the glory of
hat beautiful autumn evening, we
pened and closed the first lodge
yer assembled in Montana"
Lodge at Nevada City
The first effort to organize Ma
onic lodge in what Is nov Montana Il
as occasioned by the death of a
rother Mason, William II. Bell of St. 4
ouis, who died at Pannack, then n
1aho territory, Nov. -. 1862. He y
aying requested burial with Ma
,nic rites, the word vas passed q
round and rs Master Masons assem- d
led to take part in the funeral rites, &
hich were conducted BY Brother n. a
/. Langford. AS q result OF this gath
ing of Masons. it was decided to 81
'ganize lodge and application was
ade to the grand master of the
and lodge of Nebraska. A dispense
on was granted by the grand master
Nebraska on April 81, 1853, but
e lodge never met under this au-
ority, as new gold discoveries had
used these brothers to dispense to