Evening star., 1937-02-21

a number of priceless relics in the
Arts and Industries Building of the
National Museum. which include,
among various things. his uniform.
worn by him when he resigned his
commission before Congress as COM
mander in chief of the Continental
Army at Annapolis. Md. December %.
1888, and his camp equipment. Here
is also the famous Lewis collection,
in which is the robe used at the
christening of the first President. and
many other interesting things.
THE corner stone of the Washing
ton Monument, before referred to,
was laid with Masonic honors on July
4. 1848. when a brilliant Grafton was
delivered by Grand Master B. B.
French, the general address being
delivered by H. C. Winthrop. and
in the dedication of the Monu-
ment in 1885, freemasonry played
prominent part along with the WASH
ington Monument Society, under
whose management and control at
least 152 feet of the shaft were COM
pleted at cost of S230000.
OF this society, John Marshall, the
great expounder of the Constitution,
then the Chief Justice. was chosen
the first president, though he was at
that time 70 years of age.
In the Capitol and elsewhere
throughout the city are to be found
reminders of Gen. Washington, and
his Masonic lodge, at Alexandra, is
open to visitors. with many relics OF
its first worshipful master.
In the District of Columbia there
are today As active Masonic lodges,
with 20,500 members. The last lodge,
known as Benjamin Franklin. No. so,
was chartered on February II, just
passed. All of these, of course, are
under the Grand Lodge of the Dis
trict of Columbia, the officers Of
which are: Paul B. Cronlelin. grand
master; Leonard P. Steuart, deputy
grand master; Eugene E. Thompson,
senior grand warden; Needham c.
Turnage, Junior grand warden; j.
Claude KEEPER, grand secretary;
Charles E. Baldwin, grand treasurer;
Aubrey H. Clayton, grand lecturer;
John c. Palmer. grand chaplain;
Simpson B. Daugherty, assistant
grand chaplain; Ara NJ Daniels. sen.
ior grand deacon; Noble D. Larner,
junior grand deacon; Carl H. Claudy.
senior grand steward; Aubrey r.
Marrs, junior grand steward; Walter
L. Fowler, grand marshal; Robert E.
Kline, jr., grand sword bearer; Thom-
as R. Wilson. grand pursuivant, and
William P. Herbst. grand tiler.
Living past grand masters-Harry
Standiford. James A. Wetmore, Wal.
ter A. Brown, j. Claude KEEPER.
Charles E. Baldwin, William w. Jer.
name, James w. Witten, Joseph H.
Milans, ]. Harry Cunningham,
Charles c. Coombs, Charles F. Rob.
erts, Roe Fulkerson, Gratz E. Dun
KUN, Wisdom D. Brown. James A.
West, c. Fred Cook, Reuben A. Bog
ley, Harry G. Kimball, John H.
Cowles, Vernon c. Owen, Robert S.
Regar and Otto B. Roepke.
ONE of the things which the local
Grand Lodge points to with much
satisfaction is a charter it granted
November 9. 1848. for a lodge to be
known as California Lodge, No. 10,
to be held at San Francisco, Upper
California" This, as the date would
indicate, was during the famous gold
rush of that period. and led up to or
ganized Masonry in California. The
Pacific Coast was then only sparsely
settled, Multnomah Lodge, No. "a, Of
the Missouri jurisdiction. at Oregon
City, Greg, being the first on the
coast, and Western Star Lodge, No.
SO. also of the Missouri Jurisdiction.
and California Lodge. No. 13, being
the first lodges in California.
Today there are 582 lodges in Cali
fornia, with 1926 members. a very
fine growth. all things taken into
consideration.