At The Sign Of The Perfect Ashlar

We congratulate Bro . Lieutenant John Norwood , of the 5 th Dragoon Guards , on being the recipient of the Victoria Cross for his conspicuous bravery at Ladysmith . Bro . Norwood is twenty-four years of agehaving been

, born on September 8 th , 1876 , and received his commission in the 5 th Dragoon Guards on February 8 th , 1889 . He was initiated in Apollo University Lodge , No . 357 , Oxford , April 28 th , 18 9 6 , and joined Anchor Lodge , No . 1704 , and Beckenham Lodge , No . 204 7 ; he is also a member of Oxford University Rose Croix Chapter .

The following is the official extract from the "Gazette " : — " On October 30 th , 18 99 , Second-Lieutenant Norwood went out from Ladysmith in charge of a small patrol of the 5 th Dragoon Guards . They came under a heavy fire from the enemy , who were posted on a ridge in great force . The

patrol , which had arrived within about 600 yards of the ridge , then retired at full speed . One man dropped , and Second-Lieutenant Norwood galloped back about 300 yards through heavy fire , dismounted , and , picking up the fallen trooper , carried him out of fire on his back , at the same time leading his horse with one hand . The enemy kept up an incessant fire during the whole time that Second-Lieutenant Norwood was carrying the man until he was quite out of range . "

HRO . LIEUTKXAXT JOIIX NORWOOD , V . C .

Now that the South African War is being concluded , and our lodges there will be graduall y settling clown again to work in peace and harmony , the losses from their ranks can hardly fail to be many and grievous . It was reported a few months after fighting had

commenced that in one case the Worshipful Master and all the officers—it is believed indeed every member of the lodge had been killed in action or died of his wounds . The name and number of the lodge has not been fixed—except that it met at Ermelo . Many incidents of the working of the Craft under

difficulties must still remain to be chronicled . It may be interesting to note here that the District Grand Lodge of Natal was held in Ladysmith while that town was actuall y being beseiged , and the first stone of a new hall laid there . Then we had the exciting lodge meetings at Mafeking , and a scratch lodge at Bloemfontein shortly after its occupation

by the British troops . The following of our Generals who are or have been engaged at the front are Freemasons : —Field-Marshal Lord Roberts , V . C , G . C . B ., Past Grand Warden ; Lord Kitchener of Khartoum , G . C . B . District Grand Master of Egypt and

, the Soudan , and a Past Grand Warden ; Major-General Rundle , Past Grand Warden , and Lieuteiiant-General Sir Charles Warren , Past District Grand Master of the Eastern Archipelago .

It is said that a commissariat officer , a Freemason , who was taken prisoner , ascertained that both Mr . Kruger and the late General Joubert were also Freemasons . Warat the bestis one of those deplorable catastrophes

, , which are presumed to be unavoidable ; but it is given to Masonry to provide some of the brighter aspects of it . There have been many fine incidents of the sort in South Africa and , among others , we note that the Australian papers to hand by the last mail state that Sergeant Mowbray , of the New South Wales Mounted Rifles , and a well-known Sy dney

merchant , has written to his lodge from the front giving numerous and well-authenticated instances of how Masonrv softened the hardships and horrors of war . Sergeant Mowbray gives a personal experience . One evening " , " weak , starving , and in distress , " after a sixteen miles' march , he found himself at a Boer farm . The owner and his womenfolk were outside ,,

and he asked them to give him , or to sell him something to eat . They said they couldn't or wouldn't , he couldn ' t say which . Then he caught sight of a Masonic trinket on the old Boer ' s watch chain , and determined to " try " him , so he gave the proper Masonic signs , which the farmer returned in regular order , and then invited him inside , and gave him what he describes as " the best square meal he had since he left Sidney . "

One of the results of the South African War has been the granting of warrants for " the Lord Kitchener of Khartoum" and the "Lord Roberts" Lodges—Nos . 2767 and 2728 on the roll of the Grand Lodge of England , the latter of which will , we believe , shortly be consecrated , the firstnamed being already in working order . These lodges may be regarded as further testimonies of the popularity of our Brethren , the Commander-in-Chief in the field and his Chief of the Staff .

" THE AMERICAN ; TYLER " has an interesting story of how the United States Minister to China , Bro . E . H . Conger , became a Mason . It is said that when he was serving his first year in the Federal Army ,, he was taken sick and the regiment was obliged to leave him behind . A comrade volunteered toremain with him , and they were set down by the roadside

with some hard tack and a can of water . As soon as the regiment were out of sight the comrade made his way into the town hard by and having proved himself a Mason , obtained from the richest Mason in the city S 50 , in spite of his Federal Arm }* Uniform . This enabled him to secure care and nourishment , and both were saved . Conger , seeing that

Masonic influence was so potent , resolved to join the Craft at the earliest opportunity , and , when on furlough to recover from his illness , was received into the order . Bro . Conger ' s career is sketched in the "Tyler" from the time of his entering the Army as a private at the age of 19 , during the Civil War , until his appointment as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to China .

The chair of the Himalayan Brotherhood Lodge , 459 , at Simla , is at present filled by a brother from the United States , and the " Keystone , " an organ of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania , states that Bro . Anderson ' s election to that office is one of the most popular ever made in the Punjaub . We can well believe it , if we may judge from the enthusiastic

proceedings which took place at the installation banquet , when the Worshipful Master declared that the greatest honor his new position conferred upon him was that of proposing the health of Her Majesty the Queen , whom he described as a model of perfection in the truthful earnestness , and pious simplicity of her brave lifewho had borne her many trials

, with a resignation which , like the other and manifold traits in her beautiful character , have been a model and an example to her subjects , rich and poor . We could not wish for a more appreciative and generous expression of devotion from the most loyal of British born Masons .

Bro . Anderson ' s loyalty to his Grand Master was no less strong—and he thought that as Masons we should be especially grateful to the Prince for accepting the position of Grand Master . He had , he said , imparted dignity to the Fraternity that he had ruled for a quarter of a century , a proof that the principles of Freemasonry were worthy of being adopted and practised b y the highest and noblest in the land .