Evening star., 1937-09-12
By John ClageH Proctor.

ot't s1cefSts i n "A. pl.s "
Il the District of Columbia il
connection With the Sesquicentennia
OF the Signing of the Constitution O
the United States, when 5000 or NOR,
of the 20,500 Washington Blue Lodg,
members will march from the Masoni,
Temple to Constitution Hall, will b.
an outstanding day in local Free.
masonry. Indeed, a number of the
grand masters of other Jurisdiction.
and distinguished visitors will also bt
in line as guests of the District Granc
Lodge and of Grand Master Paul B
Cromelin. who will be in supreme COM
n1and with Past Grand Master Reuben
A. Bogley, chairman of the Committee
or Arrangements. assisting, and all
other branches of masonry in the city
with their ranking officials, will parti-
cipate.
In numbers, it will, no doubt. exceed
any parade heretofore held by this
body in the District of Columbia
though, perhaps, not quite so impor-
tant as some others, for it will be re-
called that the corner stone of the
District was masonically laid, at
Jones Point, now Alexandria. Va, on
April Is, 1871, and that formidable
parade-considering the time and the
country's population-was then held.
At this time the Ten Miles Square,
ceded to the United States by Mary
land and Virginia short while before,
was still being governed by the laws of
these States, and Masonry hereabout
was under the jurisdiction of Mary
land and Virginia. respectively.
Therefore, as Jones Point was in
that part of Virginia ceded to the
United States, the exercises OF laying
the Districts corner stone were con-
Quoted under the auspices of Lodge No.
% of Alexandria, chartered under
the jurisdiction of Virginia, April %,
1888, and of which Gen. Washington
was the first worshipful master, and
a year later, on April 80. 1889, he
also became the first President of the
United States under the Constitution.
The lodge he was then master of is
now known as Alexandria, Washing
ton Lodge, No. %.
THERE is not an abundance of lit
erature extant regarding the lay
ing of the Districts corner stone, and
Just what sort Of a day it was can only
be assumed. Evidently it was clear
and pleasant April day, such as We are
= al f1 hou fv,t sol.
otherwise the chronicler would likely
have mentioned it, for such is the
attitude of our visitors even today
since if they should encounter, upon
coming here, one bad day in a month,
they usually return home and speak
Of the weather in Washington, where,
as matter of Weather Bureau sta
tistics, it is one of the finest and most
dependable climates in the world
DR.. Elish Cullen Dick, who was then
worshipful master of the lodge and
who officiated as such at the corner
stone laying, was close friend of
President Washington, attending him
in his last illness, making arrange
ments for his funeral and even finally
performing the interesting ceremonies
of the Masonic order at his funeral
Accompanying DR.. Dick to Jones
Point upon this memorable occasion
were, In addition to the officers of the
lodge, the Mayor and Common Coun-
Gil of Alexandria and large number
of citizens and strangers.
"A ppTNrNC AZ fLx ,,1zi,,f De,r Yor,1r
Muir, D. D., chaplain of the lodge,
delivered an address. A thoughtful
writer who happened to be present
contributed to a Philadelphia paper
the following interesting, though brief,
account of the event:
Alexandria, April 81, 1891
'On Friday the 18th instant, the
Hon. Daniel Carroll and Hon. David
Steuart arrived in this town to super
intend the fixing of the first corner
stone of the Federal District.
THE Mayor and Commonalty, to-
Eether with the members of the differ
snt lodges of the town, at 3 o'clock
waited on the commissioners at Mr..
Wise's, where they dined, and, after
drinking a glass of wine TO the follow
ing sentiment, viz:
May the stone which We are about
10 place in the ground remain an i'm
movable monument of the wisdom
and unanimity of North America the
company proceeded to Jones Point in
the following order:
eTirst Tho t0ur1 seroea NJ
Second. Hon. Daniel Carroll and
the Mayor
Third. Mr. Elliott and the recorder.
Fourth. Such of the Common
Council and Aldermen as were not
Freemasons.
Fifth. Strangers.
sixth. The master OF Lodge No. %,
with DR.. David Steuart on his right
and the Rev. James Muir on his left,
followed by the rest of the fraternity
in their usual form of procession.
Lastly. The citizens, two by two
WHEN Mr.. Elliott had ascertained
A'' the precise point from which the
hrst line Of the District was TO pro-
ceeC, the master OF lIle lOOee ana LII
Steuart. assisted by others of their
brethren, placed the stone, after which
q deposit of corn. wine and oil was
placed upon it and the following OBJ
servations were made by the Rev
James Muir:
"'Of America it may be said, as Of
Judea of old, that 1t is a good land
and large-a land of brooks. Of waters
Of fountains and depths that spring
out Of the valleys and hills-a land
of wheat and barley and vines and
fig trees and pomegranates-a land
of oil, olives and honey-a land where
In we eat bread without scarceness
and have lack of nothing-a land
whose stones are iron and out of whose
hill thou mayst dig brass-a lano
which the Lord thy God careth for
the eyes of the Lord thy God are al
ways upon it; from the beginning o1
the year even unto the end of ths
year.
May Americans be grateful anc