Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-02-23
THRONCS aid
RIO RANDEM
CELEBRATION
Story of Early Days
Related In Program
Observing Birthday
OF Masonic Lodge

ara Hshbronyille, gathered here
Wednesday TO join Hope Lodge NO.
All in a George Washington pro-
gram in celebration of the fiftieth
Anniversary Of the lodge.
Approximately 500 visitors were
present. many Of them having ar
rived during the morning by automo-
bile. At 8 D. m. the MasoEs attended
a communication held in the lodge
rooms and the ladies were received
in the home, of Mrs. Lawrence
Brooks. The Twelfth cavalry band
from Fort Brown furnished music
during the afternoon and evening.
An old-fashioned barbecue wa
served az 6 o'clock followed by a
parade to the Dreamland theater,
where the evening program was
held.
With Lawrence r. Brooks, master
Of ceremonies, John T. Lomax, San
Benito grand p~otentate, Alzafar
Shrine, was introduced and spoke on
the object and aim Of Shrine work,
and stressed the Importance of cree
item and maintenance of hospitals
all over the United States for Grip
pied children.
Masonry as Applied to Citizen
ship" was the subject chosen by
Robert r. Green, Brownsville, dis
trict deputy grand master Fortieth
Masonic district. Ed Couch. Wesla-
CO. gave an address on "Washing-
ton, the Man and the Mason" Harry
Merits Donna, chairman of the Rio
GFsnde Valley certificate team; J. T.
Harris. La Feria, and Rev. Tommy,
Sen Antonio, were other speakers in
the evening.
Of the early history Of the Browns
vile lodge and stated that in the
original dispensation for Hope lodge
ten Of the fifteen signers were from
Rio Grande lodge No. 81. at Browns
VILE Calixto Vale, Oldest living
member now in Hope lodge, gave an
Interesting and graphic RECITAL of the
early days Of the organization.
Visitors from Brownsville includ-
ed Nj. and Mrs. j. j. Closner. Mrs.
]. II. Davis, Or. c. s. Thorne, Mr.. and
Mrs. Robert Laekner.
The story told by Mr.. Vale
brought to his hearers a picture of
early days along the border and of
some of the h~ardships of the first
A P@- % nHs stofy 1oi-
He'd and Lead to Comet II
Hope Lodge has its first lodge
room or meeting place in what is
new the second floor of the Plaza
hotsi and the building was erected
for the purpose of affording a suit
aba home by the late John Decker,
. pioneer of this city and Camargo,
Mexico.
During the early years from 1877
20 f5s4, the border country was an
outlying frontier but despite this
fact, . Masonic lodge to maintain its
charter was required to hold reg
ulsr meetings with q certain num-
Der Of members present. Many OBJ
stacles had TO be overcome by the
lodges on the border and particular
ly At Rio Grande City. a number
Of the charter members resided in
old Hidalgo, forty-five miles down
the Rio Grande. When the beat
schedule did not coincide with the
lodge meeting dates, the members
from the adjoining country made
the trip overland by horse and
buggy, and If q solitary member
made the trip overland it was often
times by horseback.
Garrison Helped
Among the charter and life mem
bers of the Hope Lodge were John
N. Franz, and r. A. Marsh, Hidalgo;
"A. billiard, Ocho de Aqua; all of
whom are dead; A. Z. Chavez Of Ed
inburg and j. j. Closner of Browns
VILE, both Of whom formerly lived
at Hidalgo and are living. OF these
charter members, r. A. Marsh is
the only M whose son is a mem
Der al the local lodge. George B.
Narsh 10 . member and pact master
Of Hope Lodge.
The United States army garrison
at Fort Ringeold has furnished a
great number Of loyal members and
the present membership roll con
tains the names of officers and en-
listed men scattered all over the
United States and in foreign coun-
tries, - well rs many Of the off
GERS and soldiers of the 18th cavalry,
now stationed at Fort Ringgold.
II IL Of interest 70 note that mill
aary men have played n large part
in the history Of Masonry in the
Valley. There are records to show
that General Taylor. prior to the
tins Of the American army's inva-
pion into Mexico organized a Ma
sonic lodge at Point Isabel, and even
though IL was short lived, there
were q number Of employees attached
70 the government service who re-
tanned their membership in the
mother lodge no matter where their
travels and duty have taken them.
when Fort Ringgold was abandon.
ed in 1906 by the War department
IL took away practically all of the
resident members of Hope Lodge
and st this time its very existence
became endangered as there weT~
only three resident members left
These were Judge ]. r. Monroe, w
w. Shelley and Calixto Vale. Judge
Monroe was an ardent and active
member and enthusiast Of Masonry
and much credit In due him for hold
ing the local organization together
during the days Of many vieissi-
n the early days II was eusto-
mary for visiting Masons from
across the Rio Grande to meet with
the Hope Lodge and these visitors
Furnished strength and interest "a
the work and assisted in comforting
degrees. Many residents Of Cam
srso, Mier, and other points in
northern Mexico have been guests
a. Hope Lodge.
Charter Burned
In 1914 the lodge rooms were
transferred TO . building on Main
street above what il now the Vale
Hardware company. On the night
Of December Is, 1915, q fire broke
out In an adjoining lumber yard
which consumed almost an entire
block, including the lodge rooms.
This fire destroyed all Of the rec
ords Of the lodge and q quantity Of
new property which had just been