USA > Pennsylvania > Allegheny County > The history of the Masonic fund society for the county of Allegheny from the year 1847 to 1923; with biographical sketches of deceased members of the Board of trustees By Hiram Schock. > Part 8
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CIRCULAR.
The Masonic Hall, the corner stone of which was laid in the city of Pittsburg, on the 4th of July, 1850, is now completed, and the 9th day of October next fixed upon for its dedication to "Universal Be- nevolence," according to the ancient usages of the fraternity. We cordially and fraternally invite you to be present and participate with us in the ceremonies of the occasion.
The procession will form at 10 O'clock, A. M., and after the cer- emonies of dedication, an oration will be delivered by a distinguished brother.
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We shall be happy to greet you on that day.
Fraternally, James W. Hailman, S. Mckinley, James Shidle,
Committee.
Pittsburg, Aug. 5, 1851.
The invitations brought many visiting brethren to Pittsburgh, and the Grand Lodge was well represented. The R. W. Grand Master William Whitney, who had officiated at the laying of the corner stone in July, arrived in the city on October 7 with quite a retinue of Grand Lodge officers and other brethren from Philadelphia. A local newspaper of date of October 8, 1851, has this paragraph :
A number of Grand Lodge Officers of the Grand Masonic Lodge of Philadelphia have arrived in this city and are stopping at the St. Clair hotel. They came for the purpose of participating in the cere- mony of dedicating the Masonic Hall. A set of Masonic regalia will be presented to the Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge this evening at the Allegheny City Lodge room.
Further official notice of the ceremony of dedication was given by the publication in the newspapers of this an- nouncement :
Lodges' Notice: The different Lodges meeting in the Cities of Pittsburgh and Allegheny and any sojourning Brethren in both cities, are respectfully requested to meet at the Masonic Hall, on Fifth street above Wood, for the purpose of dedicating the same, at 9 o'clock in the morning. Immediately after the ceremony of dedica- tion is over, the procession will form and proceed over the route as laid down in the programme; returning to the Hall, where an oration will be delivered by Mr. King. To the Oration the public is invited. By Order of the Grand Master.
S. Mckinley, D. D. G. M.
The "Mr. King" mentioned in this notice was Brother Dr. James King, a member and later Master of St. John's Lodge, No. 219. He had removed from Westmoreland county to Pittsburgh, and was in 1855 the orator at the ded- ication of the new Masonic Hall in Philadelphia and later served in the Civil War as a Surgeon-General, in the armies of the North.
An artistically printed programme had been prepared, giving the line of march and other details. Unfortunately no copy of this paper seems to be extant. Now again the
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columns of Mr. Leckey Harper's newspaper furnish the ma- terial to fill up this gap in our narrative, for he published a facsimile of the programme, which was embellished at the top of the first leaflet with an elaborate symbolic design, comprising a large circle of expanding sun rays, inclosing the working tools of the Craft, with the following "Order of Procession :
DEDICATION OF MASONIC HALL. ORDER OF PROCESSION. On Thursday, Oct. 9th, '51
Two Tylers with Drawn Swords Music Tyler of the Oldest Lodge Two Stewards of Oldest Lodge, with White Rods Entered Apprentices Fellow Craft Master Masons.
Tylers Stewards Junior Deacons Senior Deacons Secretaries Treasurers Junior Wardens Senior Wardens Past Masters Masters.
Trustees of Masonic Fund Society Orator of the Day Bearers of Corn, Wine and Oil Grand Secretary and Treasurer Master of a Lodge, Bearing the Holy Writings, Supported by Two Stewards with White Rods. Grand Chaplain.
Past Grand Wardens Past Deputy Grand Masters Past Grand Masters Grand Wardens Deputy Grand Masters Master of a Lodge Bearing the Book of Constitutions.
Asst. Grand Marshal George Lamb.
Marshal Asst. Grand Calvin Adams.
Marshal Asst. Grand John P. Glass.
Grand Marshal James B. Boggs
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Grand Junior
(on a line)
Grand Senior
Deacon on the
(five feet apart.)
Deacons on
Left with a
Black Rod.
the Right with a Black Rod.
Grand Master
Grand Sword Bearer with a Drawn Sword Two Stewards with White Rods.
The Procession will form about 11 o'clock, A. M., in the following order: From the Masonic Hall up 5th street to Smithfield-down Smithfield to Water-down Water to Wood-up Wood to Third-down Third to Market-along Market to St. Clair and Penn-up Penn to Hand-along Hand to Liberty-down Liberty to the Hall, where the address will be delivered in the Lodge Room.
The Citizens of Pittsburgh and vicinity are respectfully invited to attend.
By Order of the Committee of Arrangements.
J. W. Hailman, S. McKinley, James Shidle.
None of the minutes of the Masonic Fund Society's Board of Trustees give any information regarding the inter- esting ceremonies of the day; and therefore once more we revert to the columns of the "Morning Post," where is to . be found this appreciative description, printed the day after the dedication :
Yesterday the Ancient and Honorable Craft of Free and Ac- cepted Ancient York Masons met for the purpose of dedicating the spacious Hall that has recently been erected in this City. At about 12 o'clock, the members to the number of almost 350, accompanied by the G. L., formed a procession on Fifth street, the left resting on Smithfield, and proceeded upon the line of march laid down in the printed programme. The streets through which the procession passed were crowded to excess with curious spectators-for there never has been witnessed a finer array of the Ancient Brotherhood than were assembled yesterday. The clothing of the members of the Grand Lodge (while all was chaste and beautiful) elicited the highest admi- ration from all; and the manly bearing of the members generally was one of the best pledges that could be offered that they are indeed most worthy members of the community.
The Dedicatory address (which was delivered by Dr. King, late of Westmoreland county), was a production reflecting high credit upon the refined feelings, truly religious principles and cultivated mind of its author. The brief time allotted for its preparation was more than sufficient excuse for anything that may have seemed de- ficient in it. It was highly satisfactory to the Craft in general; and
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we heard no expression among the audience that was not favorable to the spirit of the address.
After night came, the Brotherhood partook of a bountiful and sumptuous repast, provided by Mr. Bennet, of the St. Clair hotel; whose reputation as a caterer for fastidious appetites is well known; and who lost none of his former fame by the splendid supper which he spread.
There is another interesting and appreciative account of the dedication to be found in the November, 1851, num- ber of "The Temple," a Masonic magazine, published at that time at Carlisle, Pa. This account was sent from Pittsburgh and is signed with the initials "T. S." We copy the follow- ing from that communication :
The splendid furniture of the Hall was executed by the various cabinet manufacturers of the city; while the magnificent draperies and cushions which decorate the rooms, with the general upholstery, are from the establishment of Mr. Wm. Noble, on Third street. The elegant papering and bordering of the various rooms were put up by Mr. James Shidle, No. 50 Smithfield street, whose taste and skill in that line was never more fully displayed.
The ceremony of dedicating the Hall to the purposes of Masonry took place agreeably to the previous announcement, on Thursday morning, at 10 o'clock. The officers and members of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania-of whom there were quite a number in at- tendance-took the lead in conducting the dedicatory exercises, which were performed with the solemnities appropriate to the occasion.
At the conclusion of the dedication ceremonies the brethren formed into a line on Fifth and Smithfield streets, and accompanied by White's band, passed through several of the principal streets. The day was remarkably fine and beautiful-the sun shining with great warmth and brilliancy throughout the entire day. The brethren were all clothed in the plain lamb skin and sash of the Blue Lodge, pre- senting an exceedingly neat and handsome appearance, greatly in keeping with the simplicity of dress and manner which characterized the Craft of the olden time. In the evening at 6 o'clock, about three hundred of the fraternity sat down to a magnificent and bountifully spread table, set out in the grand concert room of the Hall. The supper was provided by C. W. Bennet, of the St. Clair hotel, who certainly surpassed himself on this occasion, by the variety, excellence and splendor of the repast with which his board was furnished.
After the removal of the cloth, toasts, speeches, songs and brilli- ant conversation engrossed all around the tables until a late hour, when the company separated to their homes. The visiting members will long remember the agreeable day and evening spent with their Pittsburg brethren.
And so, in the month of October, of the year 1851, one
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of the high ambitions of the Masonic brethren in Pittsburgh was realized. Wisdom and Faith had guided their minds and held them steadfast to their purpose. They trans- formed their hopes into action, and their action into a no- ble reality. They had builded their own Masonic home, wherein the brethren of all the Bodies could labor in hearty unison for the advancement of Masonry as one of the glories of our civilization. It stood amidst the fast growing activi- ties of a city which was to become a renowned center of modern progress. It was indeed a fine achievement and a visible realization of a splendid purpose. Our vast and im- posing Masonic Temple of today, a beautiful ornament to the city of Pittsburgh, calls forth deserved tributes to the progress and the devotion of the Masons who brought about the erection of that edifice. Yet we may turn our grateful gaze back through the illuminating vista to the times of Hailman, of Mckinley, of Layng, of Hoon, of Shaler, of Shi- dle, and of those other Masonic pioneers, and remembering the meagerness of their means, the numerical weakness of their Lodges, the ugly antagonism which bigotry still kept alive-remembering all these things, we can send our heart- felt thanks and gratitude back to the old days when those courageous Masons, supported by a loyal and enthusiastic brotherhood, provided, if not a Temple, at least a Hall, which was for the Masonic Bodies not only a home, but also an edifice emblematic of the strength, the stability and the pure aspirations which have brought the Craft in Pitts- burgh to the prominence it so justly merits and to the influ- ence it so graciously exerts.
CHAPTER III.
FINANCING AND FURNISHING NEW MASONIC HALL.
Various Loans Made During 1850-51-James Hailman's Greetings to Members of Board of Trustees-Manner of Obtaining First Sub- scriptions of Stock-Subscribers in Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Other Places-Brother McKinley's Financial Successes-Difficul- ties Overcome-James W. Hailman on the Board Secures Needed Money-Takes Mortgage of Masonic Property-Bills Paid and Dividend Declared-"Concert Hall" Becomes Noted Place of Entertainment-New Ruling as to Voting in Stockholders' Meet- ings-Grand Lodge Invests in Freemason Hall Stock and is later Paid Back in Full-Jenny Lind's Celebrated Concert in New Masonic Hall.
A T the conclusion of the interesting ceremonies of the laying of the corner stone of the new Masonic Hall on the Fourth of July, 1850, Brother James W. Hailman, then President of the Board of Trustees of the Masonic Fund Society for Allegheny County, delivered an address, richly expressive of the joy and the gratitude that filled the hearts of the local fraternity. Directly addressing the brethren, he said:
Brethren of the Masonic Fund Society: Permit me to congratu- late you upon the event which has just been consummated. The cor- ner stone has been laid of a building which, when erected, will be dedicated to Truth, to Brotherly Love and to Charity. Well may you rejoice, my brethren, upon this occasion; well may you indulge in bright anticipations of the happy success of your undertaking. The Craft here and abroad have "strengthened your hands" in this good work, and ere long this great city will behold in its very midst a beautiful Temple, devoted to Masonry and Masonic love, in which is taught "Truth, unbroken and entire;" wherein is imparted a beautiful and wonderful system of instruction in the best principles of moral and social virtue. Brethren, you have come up here today to witness and to participate in the ceremonies of this occasion, and you have seen the implements of our Craft applied to this Corner Stone, to test its capability to receive the superstructure. You have beheld the symbols of Plenty, of Joy and of Consolation poured out upon it, and you have derived a lesson of wisdom and virtue therefrom.
Brethren of the Masonic Fraternity: I cannot let this occasion pass without calling to your remembrance by-gone days and the prog- ress of Masonry in our city and District. But a few years ago many of you were witnesses of the trials and troubles and persecutions to
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which the fraternity was exposed; when the cloud of adversity, dark with anger and scorn, hung gloomily over our beautiful Order, and when the pulpit and the press joined in their anathemas, and de- nounced the Order. Then indeed did the light grow dim, and shed but a feeble ray to illumine the darkness and gloom which lay around our brethren. Then did solitude and silence reign in our halls and set upon our altars. Yet, Masonry could not die. By the faithful energies of a few, who with hearts warmed by Masonic love still pursued the peaceful labors of the lodge, was this light rekindled, and its cheerful influences began to spread again from heart to heart, bringing into active exercise all the characteristic virtues of our Order.
That was a fine and just tribute to the Masons whose courage had never wavered and who had performed great labor without faltering. And when on a bright day in Octo- ber, 1850, their new Hall was solemnly dedicated to its high uses, their satisfaction and joy were supreme. It is a fine thing to note, too, that nowhere in the records of the Board of Trustees do we find the faintest glimmer of doubt as to the ultimate success of their efforts. So that we find, as we resume here the thread of this narrative, following the min- utes of the meetings, that all subsequent records show the same spirit of progress and persistency.
We shall here first revert to two sessions held just prior to the date of the dedication services. One of these was a meeting of stockholders held July 23, 1850, to fill two vacancies on the Board of Trustees, caused by the demise of Brother George W. Layng, whose death from cholera has been noted, and the resignation of Brother William Noble. By this election there came into the circle of the Board one of its most distinguished members, Brother Charles Shaler, eminent as a citizen and notable as a Mason. Twice he had already served as judge on the Bench of the Allegheny County Courts, and twice he had resigned therefrom after years of signal service. At the time of his election as a trustee he was back at the practice of law, having formed, in 1849, a partnership with Edwin M. Stanton, later the fa- mous Secretary of War under President Lincoln. Brother Shaler was a past master of Lodge 45 and had been D. D. Grand Master of the Fifth Masonic District. The other new trustee chosen with him was Brother John D. Stewart, who however, served only until the following December.
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The Board of Trustees being now again complete in numbers, attention was given to financial problems. , It would be an unexpected and indeed a surprising thing, to find that the trustees had experienced no difficulty at all in securing prompt payments of all subscriptions of stock made prior to the date of the dedication of the Hall; and it was natural that they should have need of funds as the construction work went on. In fact, there were a good many delinquents, and the Trustees sent collectors after these tardy share holders. But the results of that action were not satisfactory, and the Board decided to borrow money, whenever they did not have enough and needed it the most. This was a contingency which they had foreseen from the start; and it may be properly noted here that at no time when they deemed it necessary to borrow funds did they encounter delay in securing the loans they required. Their first proceeding in the matter of these financial transactions is mentioned in the minutes of a meeting of the trustees held August 6, 1851, two months prior to the dedication of the building. The record reads:
On motion made and seconded, resolved that the President and Brother Shidle be authorized to negotiate with Bros. Hoon & Sargent for a sufficient sum of money to pay the 1st installment on the Hall, due on the 8th inst.
At this meeting it was also decided that "20 per cent. of the capital stock, being the 5th installment, be called in immediately". Then at a session of October 3, six days be- fore the dedication, the President, Brother Hailman, was "authorized to borrow the sum of three thousand dollars, on the bond or note given in the corporate name, at such time as may suit the parties." There are no records to show ex- actly what had been the aggregate of cash and subscriptions which had thus far come into the hands of the trustees. But it is to be kept in mind that considerable sums were received by the trustees as pure donations towards the expense of constructing the Hall; and naturally none of these voluntary contributions was carried along on the books as actual sub- scriptions. But the seven trustees who were guiding this Masonic enterprise were men conversant with business af- fairs, and they well knew that while gifts would be made,
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the best and only way to raise the funds was to go out and look for them. This work of getting subscriptions had been, in fact, started with a vim even before the Masonic Fund Society was fully established. At a Convocation of the Pittsburgh brethren held January 1, 1848, of which men- tion has been made in a former chapter, plans for a sub- scription campaign were formed and put into operation. We have before us as we write the first Subscription Book of the Masonic Fund Society. It is nothing more than a little pocket note book, with leather back and twelve lines to a page. It contains a record of subscriptions received from Pittsburgh citizens, all Masons, secured during the months of January and February, 1848. The total number of sub- scribers noted therein is 496; and as the "shares of stock," as they were then designated, were held at a par value of $5.00, the total of the subscriptions was $2,480. It can be said that practically all these subscriptions were finally paid in. It was characteristic of the fairness and thoroughness of the men who had this matter in charge that they should put down in plain words the object and purposes of the subscriptions. Hence we find in this little volume this state- ment:
We, the subscribers within named, hereby agree and promise to pay the several sums affixed to our names respectively, in order to raise a fund for the purchase of a lot of ground and the erection thereon of a Masonic Hall in the City of Pittsburgh in accordance with the Constitution adopted by a Convocation of Masons held at the lodge room January 1, 1848.
Pittsburgh, Jan'y 1, 1848.
Nearly all the names of these first subscribers are rep- resentatives of the leading business, manufacturing and professional interests of that day. Running over the list in the order they are set down, we find the names, among others, of William B. English, John Birmingham, George W. Kuhn, Horatio N. Spear, Samuel Mckinley, Samuel Eakin, James Shidle, J. R. Weldon, Joseph W. Spencer, William D. Wood, J. A. Blackmore, R. Biddle Roberts, Charles Shaler, A. L. Reed, John M. Scott, James Kerr, Jr., James Rhoads and George Armor.
When word got around to distant communities that the
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Masons were about to erect a costly Masonic structure at Pittsburgh, great interest was aroused in the project. As a result, many subscriptions, and not a few donations, came from time to time from Brownsville, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and places throughout Western Pennsylvania. We have, for instance, an original letter of date of October 25, 1850, in the handwriting of Brother Samuel Mckinley, who as Secre- tary of the Board of Trustees of the Masonic Fund Society had written it to Brother Jacob Ernest, Esq., a resident of Cincinnati, Ohio. The Trustees had previously sent Brother Robert A. Bauseman, a member of Lodge 45, to that city to solicit subscriptions, and evidently he had been quite suc- cessful. However, not all the Cincinnati subscribers to the "Masonic Hall Fund" had been prompt in their payments of the amounts pledged, and Brother Mckinley, by direction of the trustees, took action for the collection of the money. In his letter to Brother Ernest he expresses the hope that the latter will look after the matter in Cincinnati or else "em- ploy a trusty brother to collect" the unpaid balances. In this letter there is a list of 23 names, the various amounts owed by them aggregating $852.70. With the letter were inclosed receipts to be given to those who might pay. The letter reads :
At the instance of R. A. Bauseman who visited your city and obtained the subscriptions some months ago, we take the liberty of forwarding to you the above list, and trust you will devote a portion of your time to their collection. As they are paid, please deposit the amounts, (less a reasonable percentage for your trouble) with P. Outcult & Co., for the credit and advice of Hoon & Sargent, of this city.
N. B. Or employ a trusty brother to collect, if you have not time to spare.
These subscriptions had been obtained in pursuance of a plan adopted by the trustees to gather funds wherever available, as set forth in the minutes of a meeting held April 13, 1850, as follows:
Resolved, that a person be employed to solicit subscriptions for stock and collect moneys due already subscribed, which solicitor shall be authorized to visit Cincinnati, Brownsville and other places, as may be deemed advisable.
At a subsequent session, May 7, 1850, the President of the Board of Trustees was empowered to employ a "solici-
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tor," and he was also authorized "to draw his warrant for a sufficient amount on the Treasurer to defray traveling ex- penses." Aside from the name of Richard Bauseman, who was sent, as we have seen, to Cincinnati, the records do not show who else were employed as solicitors. But in the year 1851 Brother Mckinley himself journeyed to Cincinnati, and seems also to have gone to Brownsville and other Western Pennsylvania places for the same purpose. It was in Phila- delphia, however, that was harvested the first big crop of subscriptions, outside of Allegheny county. One reason for the success there was that journeys were being frequently made to that city by Pittsburg Masons, who seized each op- portunity to labor zealously in behalf of their Pittsburgh enterprise. On various occasions Brothers Hailman, McKin- ley, Hoon and others were particularly successful in that work in the city on the Delaware. In the minutes of a ses- sion of the Trustees, held January 7, 1851, we find this en- couraging report made by the secretary, Brother Mckinley : The Secretary's report of stock sold in Philadelphia: Amt., Eighteen hundred & fifteen dollars, paid into hands of treasurer, ac- cepted, and requested to place the fact of the same on the Minutes.
Another and later record shows that the treasurer was directed to pay the travelling expenses of the secretary "to the city of Philadelphia, amounting to $66.25".
The year 1851 proved to be a period of important devel- opments and labors for the Board of Trustees of the Ma- sonic Fund Society. Not only had they achieved the great triumph of practically completing and dedicating their Hall, but they had to evolve plans for tiding over coming financial contingencies and give elaborate attention to the manage- ment of the new building. The narrative of the twelve months of 1851 is given additional interest by the various changes in the membership of the Board. Brother William B. English, of Franklin Lodge, No. 221, had been elected in December, 1850, to succeed Brother John D. Stewart, and the membership at the beginning of 1851 was as follows: Hailman, President ; Hoon, Treasurer ; Mckinley, Secretary ; and Shaler, Shidle, McCammon and English. They found financial conditions not any too promising at the beginning of 1851. Payments of subscriptions were not being made
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