The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-04-16

commodious quarters at College
avenue and East Eleventh street,
which at that time was called
Christian avenue. There August
w. Buschmann, owner of the build
ing, had added a third story de-
signed for use of the lodge. The
first meeting in this location was
held Jan. 8, 1895, at the close of
the administration Of Charles A.
Nicoli as master. He was succeeded
by Edward A. Moore, present sec
rotary of the lodge, who served two
successive terms, the first begin
ming Jan. IS, 1895.
TITO accommodate its growing
l. membership Oriental finally
bought the ground at its present
location and built temple in which
the first meeting was held on Feb
10, 1916, while Warren S. Gibson
was worshipful master. Today the
temple still is considered one Of the
finest buildings in the United States
devoted exclusively to the use OF
one lodge.
The lodge room, which is luxuri-
ously equipped, has an appearance
appropriate to the name of its lodge,
suggestion of which, incidentally, is
credited to Charles r. Jacobs, Orien-
tails first master.
> Among the many prominent IN
dianapolis citizens who have been
Oriental members was Charles
Warren Fairbanks, who was raised
in 1904 while John T. Saulter was
worshipful master. Mr.. Fairbanks
was at that time Vice-PreSident of
the United States in the admins
tration of Theodore Roosevelt.
Mr.. Fairbanks received his first
degree at 10 on the morning of Dec.
81 and at 2 the same day had quail
fed for the second degree. At 8
that night he was raised as a mas
ter Mason in the presence of 300
Oriental members and 300 visitors,
So large was the attendance for the
event that the third degree was con-
ferred in the auditorium of the
Scottish Rite cathedral.
Il
1T is worthy of note that Mr.. Fair
Il banks was granted no special
dispensation by the grand lodge but
qualified fully as regular member,
learning and passing all the re-
quired work in the course of that
one day, and, what is more, very
creditably, according to the records.
The late Albert j. Beveridge,
United States senator and author of
the definitive life Of John Marshall
and an unfinished but hardly less
notable biography of Abraham
Lincoln, was a member of Oriental
where he received his master Mason
degree before more than 500 mem
bers and guests late in 1921, while
william F. Cleary was worshipful
master.
Another distinguished member is
Frank G.. Laird, present most wor-
shipful master of the grand lodge
of Indiana, who is serving his
second term which will expire
May % of this year. His is the
rare distinction of being one of the
very few men who has served two
terms as grand master. Mr.. Laird
also served in the line Offices for
Oriental and was worshipful master
in 1917.
Oldest living past master and
member in terms of years of affili-
alton with Oriental is Thomas L.
Sullivan. former mayor and father
of Mayor Reginald T. Sullivan, who
was raised in the lodge in 1876.
Next to Mr.. Sullivan comes
Charles R. Myers, president of
the board of safety, who has been
a member f1fty-four years. Samuel
H. Shearer ranks third with fifty
two years and Harry E. Weaver,
fourth, with fifty-one.
Among the many members who
have rendered distinguished service