Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1934-07-27
Lights Of New York
byL. |, STEVENSON

Standing at Wall and Nassau streets.
my imagination went back to las years
ago. The stone structure, once the
United States subtreasury, now the
passport office, changed to a much diff
ferent building-the city hall Of Col
onial times, which was also the cap
itol Of the province of New York. The
hurrying crowds OF bankers, brokers,
panhandlers, messengers, runners. tele.
graph operators, typists, filing clerks
traders, millionaires and down and
cutters changed to those who had wit
messed the birth of liberty. The hur.
rying ceased and Colonials massed in
front of the city hall. Then the
Ward statue of George Washington
changed from bronze to flesh and
blood. On platform were the mem
bers of the first congress of the United
State of America With them were
generals who had for-,it under Wash
lngton. Beside Washington stood Rob.
ert H. Livingston. chancellor - the
state of New York and grand master
Of the Masons. Heads were barred and
there was great stiffness. Chancellor
Livingston was about to administer
the inaugural oath to the first Presi-
dent Of the United States.
Instead OF administering the oath,
Chancellor Livingston turned to Gen.
Jacob Morton, marshal OF the day.
There was a whispered conference al
the conclusion of which General Nor
ton hurried away while the crowd won
dered. From the platform, General
Morton sped to the Old Coffee house at
Wall and Water streets, the meeting
place Of st. Johns lodge Of Masons Of
which he was master. He was gone
only 4 few moments. When he re-
turned, he was carrying a large Bible
resting on a cushion of crimson vel
vet. He had taken that Bible from
the altar Of St Johns lodge. Then It
became known to those on the plat
form at least that while other details
had been attended to carefully the
matter Of Bible for administering
the oath had been overlooked.
Washington. according to Ossian
Lang's History of Free Masonry in
the state of New York" placed his
hand upon the page containing the
forty chapter OF Genesis from
verse IS until the end, more particu-
larry Jacobs blessing of Joseph, "the
prince among the brethren" Follow
ing the administration Of the oath,
Washington kissed the book reverently.
There was another moment of silence.
"it 10 done" cried out Chancellor Liv-
ingston. Then waving his hand. he ex-
claimed with a joyous shout, Long
Live George Washington" great
cheer arose The Republic was at its
beginning. Move on" said voice
In my ear, you're blocking traffic"
And l smiled at the statue looking
down benignly on the passing throngs
What a difference 145 years have
madel
The Bible on which the hand OF
Washington rested and which he kissed
on that historic day is still In exist
ence and is still the property Of the
lodge that owned 1t at the time. With
the spell of the past still on me, I'd
have liked to see it. But that was i'm.
possible. So precious is the relic
that it is kept under lock and key ex-
cept when used in lodge work, and is
permitted to leave the lodge only on
unanimous vote of the members. Then
1t must be accompanied by a commit
tee of five, three of which must be past
masters of the lodge The historic
pages are covered with transparent
silk. The Bible was presented to the
lodge by Jonathan Hampton. Novem-
Der IS, 1775, the night on which he
was installed as master.
Skipping over 145 years, there is
that old four-story brick house at %
Cherry street. Recently it was con
demned as a fire trap and is to be
razed In the Revolution, 1t was used
as billet by some Of George Wash
ington's officers.