USA > Indiana > A history of freemasonry in Indiana from 1806 to 1898 > Part 29
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His first appearance in the Grand Lodge was in 1847, when he was honored by being placed on the Committee on Foreign Correspondence, and, as chairman, made the first systematic and full report on that subject ever made up to that time. During his six years as Grand Master he pre- sided over the Craft with dignity and decorum and entire acceptability, and retired from the honorable position he had so long held with the respect and good will of every member of the Fraternity in this Grand Jurisdiction.
HENRY C. LAWRENCE, of Lafayette, was born in Bain- bridge, Chenango county, New York, August 5, 1820. Hc received the degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry in Perry Lodge, Lafayette, in September, 1845. He received the Chapter and Council degrees in Chicago in 1847, and was knighted in Apollo Commandery No. 1, Knights Templar, Chicago, the same year.
He was elected Deputy Grand Master of Indiana in 1851, Grand Lecturer in 1852, and Grand Master in 1853 and 1854.
HIe was elected Grand Commander of the Grand En- campment, Knights Templar of Indiana, at its organization in 1854, and re-elected in 1855. He also had the honor of being elected Grand Senior Warden of the Grand Encamp- ment of the United States, and, had he lived long enough, would undoubtedly have attained to the highest office in that body.
In 1843 he removed to Lafayette, where he engaged in the drug business with his father. In 1849 he caught the gold fever, and, with a commission as Deputy for two "traveling lodges" which had been commissioned by Grand Master Deming, he started overland to California, reaching there in safety after a perilous journey of over six months. On his arrival there, among the numerous letters awaiting him he found one from his mother announcing that his-
SOLOMON D. BAYLESS.
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THOMAS R. AUSTIN.
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father had been stricken with paralysis and was entirely helpless. He decided at once that duty demanded that he return home, and, learning that a steamer was to leave the next day, he applied for passage, which was refused, as all accommodations were engaged. Happily, he was a Mason, and gave the Masonic sign to the captain, who was also a Mason. The captain thereupon said he would find a place for him, and, taking passage on the ship, in due time reached home, where he took charge of his father and his business, remaining with him until he died.
When quite young, a playmate shot an arrow into one of his eyes and put it out. Not long afterwards he was struck by lightning and very nearly killed.
From a biographical sketch from which these facts are gleaned it is stated that on December 9, 1862, he was in unusually good health, and proposed to go out with a skat- ing party on the valley road leading from Lafayette, that afternoon, but was unexpectedly detained by a summons to attend court. He, however, hastened away in time for the Chicago train, which would carry him near the pond. Various incidents occurred to prevent his getting off, but his tenacity of purpose was shown here, as elsewhere. He appears to have jumped from the train while in motion. The shock must have been terrible. The blow on the fore- head rendered him insensible, and from this stupor he never fully recovered. He lingered until Saturday morning, De- cember 20, 1862, when he breathed his last. His remains were conveyed by the Masons of Lafayette to Knowlesville. N. Y., where they were laid to rest with the honors of Masonry.
He was a man of extensive reading and varied acquire- ments, a careful and methodical business man, a very sensi- tive nature, an affectionate husband, a kind father, and a true friend.
SOLOMON D. BAYLESS, of Fort Wayne, was elected Grand Master in 1857, and re-elected in 1858. He was born in Butler county, Ohio, December 5, 1814, and died May 30, 1875, being at the time of his death 61 years of age. In
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1849 he became a resident of Fort Wayne, and was at one period postmaster of that city. He was also for a short time one of the editors of the "Fort Wayne Times." In 1858-9 he edited the "Indiana Freemason," published in Fort Wayne, and after its discontinuance was connected with the editorial staff of the "Mystic Star." His last pub- lic duties were those of United State pension agent, which position he filled for a period of about eight years. He was an enthusiastic member of the Protestant Episcopal Church, having been confirmed in that faith by Bishop Mc- Ilvain in 1843.
He was made a Mason when 27 years old in Franklin Lodge No. 14, at Troy, O., receiving all the degrees during the month of June, 1841. He filled several offices in the lodge and was elected Master in 1845. He soon became proficient in the work, and his fame as a Masonic ritualist became known both far and wide. In 1849 he affiliated with Wayne Lodge No. 25, and soon after was elected Master, which position he held for a number of years. In 1851 he became a member of the Grand Lodge, and with rare exceptions was a constant attendant on the annual meetings until disease rendered him helpless and death be- gan to knock at his door.
As Grand Master he served the Craft with zeal and fidel- ity, and in an entirely acceptable manner throughout. In the other departments of Masonry he reached the highest official positions, having been elected and served as Grand High Priest of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter, Illustrious Grand Master of the Grand Council Royal and Select Mas- ters, Grand Commander Knights Templar of Indiana, and was also chosen Junior Warden of the Grand Encampment of the United States at its triennial conclave in 1863.
In build he was tall and slender, being six feet four in height, was slightly bald-headed, and wore mustache and goatee, nearly white at the time of his death.
He was cosmopolitan in his intercourse with mankind, and delighted in doing the greatest good to the greatest number. The funeral, conducted by Grand Master Mc- Donald, was the largest Masonic display which ever before
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honored the interment of any other Mason in the State, and was a fitting tribute of respect to the closing scenes of an intelligent and enthusiastic Mason, a congenial and social gentleman, an honorable and useful citizen.
THOMAS R. AUSTIN, of New Albany, was elected Grand Master in May, 1861, and within two months thereafter enlisted in the Union army as a surgeon and served until the close of the war, doing much to alleviate suffering by binding up the wounds of the afflicted.
He was born in London, England, June 16, 1810, and was 74 years old at the time of his death, which occurred at Vincennes, February 5, 1884. IIe graduated at Oxford, and afterwards came to America in 1833. After remain- ing here a short time he returned to Europe and attended a medical college on the continent, from which he graduated with honors, and again returned to America. Later in life he entered the Episcopal ministry, and was rector of the church at Jeffersonville and Terre Haute. While rector of the church at Terre Haute, broken health caused him to retire to his farm near Olney, Ill. While residing there his effects, including one of the finest Masonic libraries in the United States, valued at $15,000, were destroyed by fire. He then accepted the rectorship of St. John's Episco- pal Church at Vincennes, which he held until failing health caused him to resign.
The last years of his life were full of suffering from bodily infirmities, vet through it all he was the same genial, true-hearted Christian gentleman he had been all through life. He was distinguished as a man of ability and learn- ing, and as a Mason of superior skill and knowledge, and impressed upon the Masons of Indiana the peculiar influ- ence of his earnest devotion to the sublime principles of Masonry. He walked in accordance with his profession, and the beauties of Masonry and Masonic virtues shone in undiminished splendor in his words and works. As Grand Master he was dignified, able and just: as a man he was ever true to his convictions of duty. He left to his family and to Masonry a good name and an honorable record of noble deeds well done.
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JOHN B. FRAVEL, of LaPorte, was elected Grand Master in May, 1862, and served until the next annual meeting, in May following. He had been the acting Grand Master during the year 1861, in the absence of Grand Master Thomas R. Austin, who had enlisted as a surgeon in the Union army shortly after his election as Grand Master in May, 1861. Brother Fravel was stricken with paralysis on March 1, 1876, and after a few hours of bodily suffering expired at his home in the city of LaPorte.
He was a native of Chester county, South Carolina, hav- ing been born in that place January 18, 1814. In 1826, at the age of twelve years, he left his parental roof and pushed out into the world and entered upon the battle of life alone. Ten years later, in 1835, he became a resident of LaPorte, Ind., where he remained almost continuously until the day of his death.
During most of his life he was engaged in mercantile pursuits. His early educational advantages were limited, but by energy, industry and perseverance he became a well "self-educated" man, a correct and elegant writer, and a fluent and terse speaker. He was a public-spirited citizen, and in all enterprises of interest to the people among whont he resided he bore an active part. He was an active, con- sistent and useful member of the Methodist Church.
As a member of the Masonic Fraternity, as in everything else with which he was associated, he was zealous and en- thusiastic, always occupying a leading position. He was Master of LaPorte Lodge for a period of seven years be- tween 1856 and 1864. He received the Chapter degrees and the degrees of Royal and Select Master in 1851 at In- dianapolis, and was created a Knights Templar in 1866.
It was said of him that his intercourse with his neighbors was always marked by kindness and courtesy, and the earn- estness of his convictions secured the respect of those from whom he differed.
Ile was buried in the cemetery at LaPorte with Masonic honors, Dr. Dakin, a life-long personal friend, performing the ceremonies.
WILLIAM HACKER, of Shelbyville, was elected Grand Mas-
JOHN B. FRAVEL.
WILLIAM HACKER.
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ter in 1863 and 1864. He was also Grand Secretary for two years, 1861-2; but it was as a ritualist, especially in the Chapter, Council, Commandery and the Order of High Priesthood, that he more fully left the impress of his faith- ful labors in Masonry than in any other department. As a worker he was modest and unassuming, and dignified to a marked degree in all his speech and action. He was not a brilliant, but a careful, painstaking and impressive worker. A few years prior to his death he was almost totally deaf. and was compelled to use an ear-trumpet, through which only could he hear anything whatever. He was tall and slender, being six feet four in height, with full beard that reached to his breast, and which was at the time of his deatlı as white as snow.
He was born near the town of Urbana, O., in 1810. IIe early learned the trade of a master mechanic, and as soon as he became of age joined St. John's Lodge at Dayton, O., and was raised to the degree of Master Mason in February, 1833. He received the degrees of the Chapter and Coun- cil in Indianapolis in 1846, and was made a Knights Tem- plar in Cincinnati Commandery in May, 1848. He re- ceived the degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite by communication on their first introduction into In- diana. He filled the highest offices in the Grand Lodge, Grand Chapter, Grand Council and Grand Commandery.
His most important work, and that which will live long- est in the memory of the Fraternity, was the collection of the records from the first meeting of the Grand Lodge to and including 1845. When he began the work some of the records were lost and others were on detached slips of paper, without order or system in their arrangement. He went at the work determined to bring order out of confu- sion, and after many months of constant labor the task was performed, the record was complete, and in due time was put in type and published in book form, making a volume of 500 pages. To those who have not had experience in such matters, the labor and anxiety connected with a work of this kind, and its great importance to the Craft, cannot be comprehended.
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During fourteen years as chairman of the Committee on Masonic Jurisprudence of the Grand Lodge he left the im- press of his knowledge of Masonic law in our rules and reg- ulations to a greater extent than did anyone who preceded him.
Prior to the adoption of the Webb-Preston work, in 1860-1, he devoted much time to the systematizing of the work and lectures, which at that time were made up of odds and ends, and exemplified in the several lodges accord- ing to the fancy of the Master and other workers of the de- grees. For want of system in introducing them, he did not succeed in securing the adoption of his ideas to any con- siderable extent. He had spent so much time in arranging the work on the lines he had marked out that he had come to believe that he had the only pure and unadulterated rit- ual in existence, and, so believing, he did not take kindly to the Webb-Preston work as arranged by Rob Morris and adopted by the Grand Lodge in 1860-1. He did not openly rebel against the work, but he felt keenly the slight he im . agined had been offered him by the Grand Lodge in not adopting his system and making him "Custodian of the Work," as he had succeeded in having done in most, if not all, of the higher bodies. Gradually, however, he yielded to the inevitable, and abandoned any further attempt to se- cure the adoption of his compilation of the work.
For many years he was Custodian of the Council and Chapter Work, and the ritual of those orders in their "fill- ing in" showed plainly Brother Hacker's handiwork. He also remodeled, polished and dressed up the Super Excel- lent degree as an appendage to the Order of Royal and Select Master, and also remodeled and introduced in this State the Order of High Priesthood. The order at once became popular in Indiana, and since then has been adopted and is worked in most of the States of the Union.
He took an active interest in the Order of Knights Tem- plar, having been a participant in the organization of the Grand Commandery, in the arrangement of its ritual, and in the framing of its Constitution, laws and general regu- lations.
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He was a great admirer of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, and united with Indianapolis Consistory on its organization and took a lively interest in the work, being a regular attendant on the semi-annual meetings until the time of his death.
During his life he collected one of the finest Masonic libraries in the country, which, three or four years before his death, he presented to the Masonic Fraternity of the State, intrusting it to Indianapolis Consistory, where it was placed in the reading and reception rooms, with the under- standing that it was to be open and free for all, day and evening. The building caught fire one evening in Novem- ber, 1894, and the structure, together with the contents, in- cluding this most valuable Masonic collection, were en- tirely destroyed.
He was not a polished scholar, and in the literature of the Ancient Craft was only partially successful. In his writ. ings and extemporaneous addresses he confined himself to the subject and the points he wished to make in a plain, unassuming way, without any embellishments or rhetorical flourish whatever.
In noticing his death, Grand Master Ruckle (1892) faithfully portrayed the salient features of his character when he said: "During the forty-six years of his connec- tion with the Grand Lodge, extending from the days of his youthful vigor through mature manhood to a venerable old age, he carried with him the unwavering respect and con- fidence of his brethren, and maintained his steadfast at- tachment to the Masonic Institution to the last. With him Masonry was not a stepping-stone to preferment, but an end for which all other purposes must be put away. For it personal interests were sacrificed and public ambition laid aside. In Masonry, and out of it, he was a man of sturdy principles, but withal moderate, conservative and forbear- ing. Without pretense, plain and sincere, but not wanting in dignity and impressiveness; perhaps lacking in enthusi- asm, but making it up in conscious persistence."
HARVEY G. HAZELRIGG, of Lebanon, was elected and served as Grand Master in 1865-6-7. He was born in Bath
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county, Kentucky, September 30, 1807. His early youth and manhood were spent in his native State, where his worth and manliness were held in such high estimation that at the age of 34 he was chosen to represent his district in the Kentucky Legislature, which position he filled honor- ably to himself and with credit to his constituents. Soon after his removal to Indiana he was appointed auditor and paymaster of the Indianapolis & Lafayette railroad, a posi- tion requiring great financial skill and a high degree of ex- ecutive ability. This position he held for many years, per- forming the varied duties incumbent upon him with scrupu- lous exactness, with the utmost integrity, and to the entire satisfaction of the management of the road.
He received the Ancient Craft degrees in Flat Rock Lodge, Kentucky, in 1841, and the Chapter, Council and Commandery degrees in Lafayette, Ind., in 1855-7. He was Grand Master in 1865-6-7, Grand High Priest 1867-S, Grand Commander Knights Templar 1866-7. He was a constant attendant on the Grand Lodge for more than thirty years, and during the time did much to mold the jurispru- dence of this jurisdiction. He was a close, careful student of Masonic literature, and emphatically a working Mason. Whether he was in the committee room or upon the official dais, he advocated the right as it was given him to see it in a firm and manly way, as the occasion seemed to require. During the time he was Grand Master, at the opening of each session he delivered a lengthy address, covering from twenty to thirty closely printed pages. He was prolific in the use of words, and embellished his sentences with much of the flower of rhetoric. In debate he was short, sharp and decisive, using ironical symbolisms that went straight to the mark.
Ile was chairman of the rebuilding or "remodeling" committee for the erection of the present Masonic Hall, and he managed it with consummate skill and ability.
He died at his residence in Boone county, December 15, 1577. The funeral was attended by a large concourse of neighbors and friends and Masons from many parts of the
HARVEY G. HAZELRIGG.
Martin A Rice
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State, and his remains were laid to rest with the honors of Masonry.
MARTIN H. RICE, then of Plymouth, now of Indianapo- lis, was elected Grand Master in 1868, 1869, 1870 and 1871. He was born in the town of Jamaica, Windham county, Vermont, October 4, 1829, of Revolutionary ances- try. His early life was spent at home working with his father on the farm and at his trade during the summer months, and attending school during the winter. He also took a course of study in the Leland Seminary at Townsend, \'t., and taught in the "deestrick" school. In 1848 he went to Woodstock and was bookkeeper in a large dry goods house until 1853, when he came West and engaged in civil engineering, first at Piqua, O., and in the fall of the same year he came to Indiana and was engaged in the first sur- vey of the Cincinnati, Peru & Chicago railroad, extending from Peru to LaPorte, and now a part of the Lake Erie & Western system, and was chief engineer at its completion.
In the spring of 1855 he went to Indianapolis with Col. John C. Walker and took charge of the "Sentinel" printing office for one year. While living in Indianapolis he mar- ried Miss Regina C. Smith in April, 1856. He and his estimable wife are the parents of three grown children- two sons, both of whom are Masons, and one daughter, Mrs. A. A. Vaughn, living at Logansport, Ind.
In 1856 he went to LaPorte and took a position as con- ductor on the railroad from that point to Plymouth. In November following he located in Plymouth as local agent of the road. This position he resigned in July, 1857, to engage in the mercantile business in Plymouth. In 1866 he accepted the position of chief engineer of the Chicago, Cincinnati & Louisville railroad, a position he held until the completion of the road. He continued in the mercantile business until 1869, when he sold out and went to Indian- apolis to take charge of the "Masonic Advocate," in which business he is still engaged.
His interesting and highly honorable Masonic career dates from the spring of 1859, when he was made a Mason
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in Plymouth Lodge No. 149, this State, having been in- itiated April 29th, passed May 29th and raised June 17th of that year. At the first election after he was made a Mason he was elected Senior Warden, and the year follow- ing, and for three successive years, was elected Master. He was made a Royal Arch Mason in Warsaw Chapter in 1863, a Royal and Select Master in Indianapolis Council in 1864, and a Knights Templar in Warsaw Commandery in 1866. HIe received the degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scot- tish Rite, including the 32d, in 1866, and the 33d in 1879. He received the order of High Priesthood in 1865. He was High Priest of Plymouth Chapter, Illustrious Master of Plymouth Council Royal and Select Masters, Eminent Commander of Raper Commandery No. 1, at Indianapolis. He was Grand High Priest of the State, Illustrious Grand Master of Indiana, Grand Treasurer of the Grand Lodge, Chapter and Council, and held various other positions in the various bodies too numerous to mention. His first ap- pearance in the Grand Lodge was in 1862. In 1865 he was elected Junior Grand Warden, and advanced regu- larly to the various positions until 1868, when he was elected Grand Master, and three times thereafter re-elected. As Grand Master, Grand High Priest and Illustrious Grand Master he presided with dignity, intelligence and great ac- ceptability. His addresses were models in diction and ar- rangement, and his rulings and decisions always correct, clear cut and to the point.
But however honorable and distinguished his career in the active work of the Craft may have been, he will best be known and remembered in the years to come as the editor of the "Masonic Advocate." For a quarter of a century he has acquitted himself nobly in spreading "true Masonic light and knowledge to his uninformed brethren," and is entitled to the applaudit, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
CHRISTIAN FETTA, of Richmond, was born in the province of Hanover, Germany, June 15, 1831. He came with his parents in 1845 to America and settled in Richmond, where he has ever since resided. Before leaving his native coun-
Fraternally yours Christian Fitta
Increro A Sorte
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try he had acquired a good primary education. On arriv- ing in this country he continued his educational researches, and by dint of perseverance he learned the English lan- guage and acquired a fair English education. At the age of seventeen he began to learn the miller's trade, but, find- ing it injurious to his health, he abandoned it and took up the manufacture of brick, which he continued for thirty- five years with success. In 1870 he purchased a large tract of land in Randolph county and engaged in the lumber business, which also proved a profitable venture. These successes, however, were met by heavy losses. In 1876, suffering a general decline in health, he spent the winter in Florida. Returning home from there, he found that a trusted friend for whom he had endorsed paper to the amount of $36,000 had gone into bankruptcy, and he was compelled to pay the entire amount. Another investment of $6,000 in the stock of a manufacturing company proved a total loss, and thus a large portion of his hard-earned money was swept away. But industrious habits and per- severance remained, while an undaunted spirit and indom- itable will made a capital stock to regain a competency in some new enterprise, which has been accomplished in the real estate business.
He was made a Mason in Webb Lodge at Richmond, August 24, 1858, and served in all nine years as its Master. He was elected Grand Master of Indiana in 1872, and re- elected in 1873, being the last one up to the present time honored with a re-election .. During his two years as Grand Master he presided over the Grand Lodge with mildness, moderation and decorum, and left the Craft in a healthy and prosperous condition on his retirement in 1874.
HIe received the Chapter degrees in his home Chapter in 1859, was High Priest thereof, and was elected Grand High Priest of the State in 1886, serving with distinction one term. He received the degrees of Royal and Select Master in Richmond Council in 1869, and served as Illustrious Master of his Council. He was made a Knights Templar in Richmond Commandery in 1865. Ile received the degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite at Richmond in
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