At The Sign Of The Perfect Ashlar

To " see ourselves as others see us" is not always llattering to one ' s personal vanity , but " Mallet " of the Glasgow Evening Xews , who provides its readers with an interesting Masonic ¦ column from time to time , is so distinctly complimentary that we may perhaps be pardoned for reproducing the following paragraph .

"THE MASONIC ILLUSTRATED" has completed its first volume with the issue of the September number ( 12 ) just to hand . That the publishers , Messrs . Spencer and Co ., London , and the editor have faithfully carried out the prefatory note in the first number is conceeded without reservation . There has been no falling off . Each succeeding number seemed to

exceed in excellence its predecessor . It is gratifying to read in the closing number of the first volume that the success which has been attained " will but stimulate us to renewed efforts . "

We take the following extract from The Fire mason ot the 1 st of May , 1875 . " In the Installation of our Royal Grand Master we have the one good and sufficient reply to the allocution of Pi Nino , the excommunication of Cardinal Dechamps , the animadversions of Cardinal Manning , the disapproval of worthy but mistaken Monsigneur Dupanloup ,

and above all to the childish bombast of the Church Herald , ¦ or the rowdy vulgarity of the Westminster Gazelle . " All this and more may be true of the view taken by the Roman Catholic Church of the present day , except the reference to the Westminster Gazette , whose modern prototype in name

provides its readers each day with the very antithesis of rowdyism and vulgarity . » s > & ©

It will , perhaps , be remembered that Bro . the Rev . J . T ' Lawrence , of Madras , formerly editor of the Indian Masonic Jtcviciv , preached a sermon at a Masonic service , held in June last , at Accrington , in which he claimed for Freemasonry that it is a religion , a theory which he tenaciously held in India . His successor in the editorial chair of that journal

thus deals with the subject : " We have the greatest respect for any section of the Order who conscientiously harness religious impressions to Masonic principles , only there is just the fear of the leaven of bigotry and intolerance falsifying the leading principles of the Order . Several eminent American

divines , past and present leaders of the Order , have deprecated the idea of Freemasonry claiming to be classed as a religion on the ground that it could not thoroughly fulfil such a mission , and there was a fear , therefore , that some of its votaries would fall into condemnation by accepting it in this

light and neglecting , thereby , those spiritual yearnings which pure and undelilecl religion could alone satisfy . We have lieard on several occasions , perhaps , a Mason say , in a moment of nonchalant carelessness , that ' Masonry was a _ good enough religion for him , ' and , in one or two such cases we can only say they had fixed upon a most happy-go-lucky

religion from their own point of view . We have no fear , nor do we think any such idea is current , that Freemasonry ¦ could effectually usurp the place of religion . There , is perhaps , no harm in holding a superficial idea that Freemasonry , as our Rev . Brother says , is " more than anything

xlse a religions bodv . ' Perhaps the latter watchword would have a tendency to bring into our ranks a more seriousminded class of intrants and check an influx in other directions . But would such a restricting influence add to the more practical and useful features of the Craft ? "

It is difficult to realise that the wilderness , which was only quite recently the scene of sanguinary contests with the Mahdi and his savage followers , has now a Masonic District Grand Master , and that Khartoum itself will within the next few weeks possess a Masonic lodge , which is probably the

precursor of many others in that now peaceful land . A ¦ warrant has been granted for a lodge to be called the Khartoum Lodge to meet in that city , and it is to be consecrated by the Sirdar , W . Bro . Sir R . Wingate , sometime in November . The first Master will be the Sirdar ' s private secretary , ] Captain Bailey .

After listening to claims for assistance from all parts of the country , the executors of the will of the late Bro . Bowerman West , of Streatham Hall , Exeter , who died last autumn , leaving £ 50 , 000 to charity , have at last announced which are the lucky institutions . With the exception of a sum of / . ~ 3 , ooo , the whole of the money has been distributed among

twenty-three institutions of Devon and Somerset , and fiftyeight having their headquarters in London and elsewhere . Among the former institutions the Fortescue Masonic Annuity Fund , which is controlled by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Devon , received £ , OOO , and the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , in London , £ 500 .

General Sir Dairy Lowe unveiled in Filleigh churchyard North Devon , recently , a cross which had been erected in memory of Major the Hon . Lionel H . D . Fortescue , 17 th Lancers , and others from the parish , who have fallen in the South African War . Major Fortescue , who was the third son of the present Earl Fortescue , was killed in the battle of

Diamond Hill , on June nth , 1900 . Among others present at the ceremony were Lord Fortescue , Viscount Ebrington , the Hon . John Fortescue , and Lady Susan Fortescue . After a dedicatory service , in which Archdeacon Seymour and the Rev . E . G . Beckwith took part , Sir Dairy Lowe , in unveiling ;

the cross , remarked that there was none there to whom Major Fortescue was more dear than to himself . He was a man with a high sense of duty , a loving and devoted son , a staunch friend and comrade , and a gallant soldier .

-s » The Grand Lodge Alpina , of Switzerland , is initiating a movement for the establishment of what it describes as an "International Office for the furtherance of Masonic Relations . " It is somewhat difficult to understand precisely the objects aimed at , but seeing that the mission undertaken

by the Grand Lodge Alpina was at the instance of the " Assembled Masonic Bodies in Paris , " we have grave doubts as to the purely Masonic nature of the proposed organisation , and it may be safely asserted that neither the English speaking Grand Lodges , nor those of Northern Europe , will respond to the invitation contained in the circular just issued by the Alpina Grand Lodge .

The new Masonic Hall which has been erected in the quiet little Devonshire town of Okehampton is very creditable to the brethren comprising the Lodge of Obedience , which is the sole representative of the Masonry of the district . The building , which is excellently situated , is of stone construction , and the style is renaissance . There is

rather an imposing elevation in Station Road , and the appointments generally are of a character well adapted to the requirements of a lodge . The dedication ceremony was performed by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master , W . Bro . Major G . C . Davie , P . G . D ., assisted by Bro . F . B . Westlake , P . D . G . D . C ., and other brethren of the province .

Bro . Samuel E . Adams , the present Deputy Grand Master of the State of Minnesota , and Inspector General , 33 ° , of that State , gives the following account of the birth of his son in a Alasonic lodge . " The facts are simply as follows : —In 1856 I built in Monticello , in this State , a store and warehouse attached . The rooms over the store were our residence ,

and the room over the warehouse was furnished and occupied by the brethren of Monticello Lodge . Just prior to the confinement of my wife , the brethren urged that I consult my wife and obtain her consent to occupy the lodge room , which had just been carpeted , and would not be used during

the warm weather . Wife , on account of the retirement and quietude , approved the plan and accepted the offer . On the 15 th day of September , 1861 , the boy drew the first breath of life and beheld the first light of day in the room of Monticello Lodge , No . 16 , A . F . and A . M . And further , the

Junior Warden of the lodge , Dr . James W . Mulvey , was the attending physician . P . S . —I might add that the hov in due time was initiated , passed , and raised in the same abovementioned lodge . "