MASONIC STORIES

Extracted from The Official Site for the Free and Accepted Masons Buffalo River Lodge #252 in Mondovi Wisconsin: By W Bro Louis Ruehlmann

RUDYARD KIPLING AND THE CRAFT

Rudyard Kipling, the famous English author, was born in India of English parents. He was educated in England but returned to India in 1880. He was initiated in Hope and Perseverance Lodge No. 782, Lahore, Punjab, India in 1886.

A special dispensation was necessary as he was only twenty years and six months at the time. When he took the degrees, there were four Holy Books upon the alter representing the dominant religions in the area. Upon his rising he was immediately elected secretary; and he prepared the minutes of that meeting himself.

Many years later he wrote: “I was secretary for some years of Hope and Perseverance Lodge No. 782, E. C., Lahore, which included Brethren of at least four creeds. I was entered by a member of Brahmo Somaj, a Hindu; passed by a Mohammedan; and raised by an Englishman. Our Tyler was an Indian Jew. We met, of course on the level, and the only difference anyone would notice was that at the banquets, some of the Brethren, who were debarred by caste from eating food not ceremonially prepared, sat over empty plates.”

The Cup of Brotherly Love

On September 7, 1929, after rising his son Brother Norman B. Hickox, Master of Events Lodge No. 524, Illinois, formally presented a beautiful silver cup to the lodge. He also presented a book of travel and a specially prepared carrying case. The cup was to be sent on a journey, traveling always from West to East by land sea or air, and always in the custody of a Master Mason.

On November 19, 1929, the book and cup were taken to Ashlar Lodge No. 308 in Chicago to start the journey. The book recorded the places and circumstances of each visit of the cup.

On the journey the cup was received by more than 150 host lodges. It touched places all over the world. On May 24, 1958, a homecoming celebration was held at Evans Lodge to commemorate the return of the

cup to the lodge. The Cup of Brotherly Love, an illustrated account of this odyssey, was published by the Masonic Service Association in 1959.

LODGE IN TWO COUNTRIES

At one time Golden Rule Lodge No. 5 of Stanstead, Canada, occupied a lodge room which was bisected by the boundary between Canada and the United States. It had entrances from the Vermont and Canadian sides;

the membership of the lodge consisted of men from both sides of the border.

AN IRISH MESSAGE ON STONE

In 1860, at Limerick, Ireland, there was found in a small chapel a stone dated 1517 with the following inscription:

“I will serve to live with love and care, Upon the level, by the square.”

THE STATUE OF LIBERTY AND FREEMASONRY

The famous Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor was designed by a Frenchman, Frederick A. Bartholdi, a Freemason. The Grand Lodge of New York laid the cornerstone with masonic ceremonies on August 5, 1885.

THE SQUARE AND COMPASS BRAND

Montana‘s first livestock brand was the square and compass; it is still in use. No one knows when it was first used; but it was before May 25, 1872, when it became necessary to date and register brands then in use. It was first owned by Poindexter T. Orr of Beaverhead County, Montana Territory.

PRESIDENT RAISES TWO SONS ON THE SAME NIGHT

On November 7, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt attended the meeting of Architect Lodge No. 519 in New York and raised two of his sons, James and Franklin D., Jr. An honorary membership certificate was presented to the President by the Lodge.

Bishop Hiram Abiff Boaz Bro Hiram was an avid sports fan and even into his nineties attended SMU football games. In January of 1962 he died at the age of ninety five A FULL MASONIC NAME

Hiram Abiff Boaz was born on December 18, 1866, at Murray, Kentucky. He moved to Texas at an early age. In 1891 he was ordained a Methodist minister. In 1922 he was elected a Bishop of the church. He became a member of Granger Lodge No. 677 of Texas. When he received his third degree, a large attended because of the unusual name of the new member. He served as Grand Chaplain of Texas on 1953.

This brother had many interesting experiences connected with his name. He never tired of telling of the time he was traveling in the Holy Land and arrived at a Mosque in Hebron on the wrong day for visitors. When he told then his name was Boaz, it seemed as if he had given a magic password. Others were not admitted that day, but they opened the gates for him.

SHORTEST LIVED MASON

General Thomas A. Smyth of the Civil War was raised in Washington Lodge No. 1 of Delaware on March 6, 1864. He was killed by a sniper’s bullet on April 9 and was buried by his lodge on April 17, 1864.

FREDERICK THE GREAT HELPS A BROTHER’S WIDOW

Frederick the Great, a Mason without any doubt, while in a jewelry shop in Potsdam, Germany, observed a middle-aged woman exhibiting an article of silver having certain Masonic symbols, possibly a Past Master’s jewel. She was trying to borrow money on it. She said she had come to this particular shop to avoid the usurers and because the owner of the shop was a Mason. The jeweler told her that he was not in the pawn broking business and couldn’t make the loan.

The king joined the Freemasons in 1738 and stood close to the French Enlightenment, corresponding with some of its key figures such as Voltaire

Another person in the shop asked her many questions concerning the jewel, whose it was, how she had possession of it, etc. The man offered to buy the jewel and kept raining the price. When he decided to make her the loan, he discovered he had no money in his pocket. He then disclosed to the surprised woman that he was the King.

Fredrick shook his staff at the jeweler and told him that he was not fit to be a Mason and threatened to file charges against him. The following morning the woman went to see Fredrick and the palace and he instructed her to return whenever she was in need of help.