THE PHILALETHES

June - July, 1949

Contents

MORE ABOUT THE GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZEH Biographical Sketch of Berryman Jennings

EUREKA THE TWO SAINTS JOHN

YOUR MENTAL BUILDING BLOCKS THE BROTHER ON THE COVER

THE PHILALETHES SOCIETY NEWS In Memoriam

Masonic Relief Among War Victims Overseas GOD AND LIFE

MORE ABOUT THE GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZEH

By Percy P. Barbour, M.P.S., Georgetown, Colorado

(Introductory Note. - It was upon the instance of Brother Robert H. Nisbet, M.P.S., of South Kent, Connecticut, that I prepared the article on "The Great Pyramid of Gizeh." Upon submitting it to him, he suggested that it might have been tied in with Freemasonry, but as the text was already lengthy, no additions were made. After its publication, in the August-September, 1948, issue of "The Philalethes,'' Brother F. Gibson Butler, M.P.S., of East Lansing, Michigan, brought up the question of using the inch, a British standard, the decimal system, and, as a side-light, the calculus and the atomic theory. It is my hope to approach these details in the following article. - P.P.B.)

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WE ARE CONFRONTED with the questions "how the conclusions were drawn using inches as the standard of measurement . . . an English standard . . . unknown to the ancient architects," and, as a side-light, the "calculus" and "atomic theory."

So far as I am aware the inch was never adopted as a standard of measurement of the Great Pyramid; it has, however, proven to be a convenient unit in which to express its dimensions.

Certainly, no one knows what standard length was used in designing the Pyramid; yet, regardless of the unit employed, the ratio, which is of prime importance, still remains. But let us speculate upon the matter.

It is true that the British established a Standard Inch; but it is highly improbable that they invented it.

Those who wrote the Bible were neither architects nor builders; they mentioned cubits but fail to tell how the cubit was divided, as it must have been.

The word "inch" comes to us from the Latin word, uncia, meaning one twelfth; our inch is one-twelfth of one foot. In the four fingers of one hand (another unit of measure), there are twelve falanges and each of these are roughly one of our inches in length. It may well be that somewhere in prehistoric times some builder chose the length of one of these falanges as a convenient small unit of measurement.

Among the ancient philosophers this number twelve was considered sacred. Let us consider one instance: there were, to them, four elements: Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. Each of these had an invisible counterpart and also spiritual counterpart making twelve, like man, with his physical body, his shadow (mind) and soul (spirit). Each of these four elements culminated in a point, as the intersection of the diagonals of a square, or the apex of a square based pyramid. We may liken this point to the Divine, in the physical, the invisible and spiritual; thus we get fifteen points, in which there is also a mystical meaning.

Going back to the consideration of the inch; since there is no linguistic writing of any kind in or upon the Pyramid, whatever the designer had to tell is accomplished by means of form, lengths, ratios, sums, and differences, and possibly a philosophy of numbers.

As an argument for the use of the inch we may consider that peculiarly shaped and placed stone (really two stones) in what is called the Ante Chamber. This stone has been called the "Granite Leaf"; it is a granite block fitted into grooves in the wainscoting on east and west sides of the chamber which the Granite Leaf crosses and it rests upon the bottom of the grooves. One of the peculiarities of this stone is that it has a lug or boss which projects about an inch from the flat side of the stone, facing a person entering the chamber and at just about the height of his face. Smyth states that this lug, which he calls a boss, is offset one inch from center, which can only be a means of telling something of considerable moment, and possibly a unit of measure.

Also, Smyth states that the so-called "nitch" in the east wall of the Queen's Chamber is offset 25 inches from center. Now 25, the square of 5, is a good pyramid number; the Pyramid has 5 faces, 5 corners, 5 rooms, 5 independent angles and a major, distinct marking of one-fifth of the altitude.

Now, if we can take this measure and discover something that we can recognize we may conclude that we are on the right track. The 'boss' is 5 inches wide; in the Ante Chamber the west wainscot is 111.8 inches high; this happens to be fifty times the square root of five. In the entrance passageway, the first vertical "line" encountered upon entering the Pyramid is reported as at floor distance from the lower (north) end of the Grand Gallery of 2,238 inches, which is too near 1000 times the square root of five to be overlooked; and the length of the upward passageway together with the floor length of the Grand Gallery, or from the junction of the passageways to the foot of the so-called "step" is, according to Smyth, 3355.5 inches; but 1500 times the square root of five is 3354.

Again, the sum of the base sides of the Great Pyramid, in inches, is nearly the number of days in one hundred years, and it is also nearly 10,000 times the sum of the square roots of five and two, perhaps near enough for that period. So, the inch seems to be a convenient unit to use.

Here we should bear in mind that there were probably compromises in design, inaccuracy in construction, as well as errors in the measurement of the structure. Because some of the joints were paperthin does not mean that the same precision was attained in the entire building.

Whether or not the designer of the Pyramid used the decimal system, so far as I can see, is of minor importance; some say he did, and, if he used an abacus in his computations, the decimal system may have been an unconscious concomitant.

Although mathematicians of, say, 6,000 years ago may have had a poor system of symbols, or none at all, they were certainly not deficient in reasoning ability and their deductions and methods were closely guarded secrets. Aside from an analytical and synthetical way of reasoning the "calculus" in no way enters into the Pyramid design or investigation.

Our times have been fortunate in adopting a simple system of signs (symbols) to express a multiplicity of words, and they have been favorable to discoveries along certain lines, yet little if any progress has been made along moral or spiritual lines, so that, human nature has not improved for a long, long time and few, if any, do anything about it but talk.

Considering the "atomic theory," we may liken the apex of the Pyramid to what was once held to be the ultimate or indivisible constituent of matter, or the atom

Physicists have now "smashed" the atom into invisible components and what have we? Four elements again: an empty space; a positive and a negative electrical charge, and a neutral particle. There may be a fifth. What any or all of these are or why we know nothing about. This so-called empty space must be packed full of waves of one kind or another, but what and why are waves ?

This analogy points to something deeper, something beyond the comprehension of the human mind. So, the discerning eye may find our kind of Freemasonry in that greatest pile of stones ever erected, the Great Pyramid of Gizeh!

Cun grano salis.

----o----

Biographical Sketch of Berryman Jennings

FIRST GRAND MASTER OF MASONS IN OREGON

By Frank Knoll, P.M. and Historian,

Multnomah Lodge No. 1, A.F. & A.M., Oregon

BERRYMAN JENNINGS was born in Jassamine County, Kentucky, June 16, 1807.

The beginning of the 19th century in America was analogous to our present time in that it was a time of great changes. The Revolution had been fought and won; the Constitution had been adopted and we, as a people, were committed to the greatest experiment in human governments that the history of man has ever known. Washington had laid down his high office a short eleven years before and closed his earthly career (December 14, 1799), only seventeen days before the new century was born. The frontier was on the banks of the Mississippi, much territory beyond being held from settlement by treaty with the Indians. The economic condition was deplorable; transportation was almost nonexistent; jobs were scarce; industry struggling for existence, and commerce almost wholly disrupted. In fact they were experiencing a real depression, only their term for it was "Hard Times," caused by the great sacrifices necessary to winning the war and establishing the Peace.

Such times as these provide the incentive to independent men to better their conditions at any cost. The urge to move, to build, to find a place where they can live their lives in greater security is irresistable and the Jennings family were no exception.

The first official notice that we have of Berryman Jennings is at the age of twenty, when he, together with the other members of his family, arrived at Commerce, Illinois, on the banks of the Mississippi. That no information is obtainable concerning his parents is regrettable, but not unusual as our Pioneer families paid scant attention to family records and men were judged by what they were rather than whence they came. That they and he rated rather highly in the estimation of their contemporaries is evidenced by the choice of young Jennings to teach the first school in Iowa, which was built in 1830 on the west side of the Mississippi.

Prior to the opening of the treaty lands to settlement, many hardy souls had "squatted" on locations in the reserved territory, among them a Doctor Isaac Galland who had known Jennings in Commerce, Illinois. When the need for a school became imperative, Dr. Galland sought out young Berryman and induced him to come across the river and teach. We have no record of any remuneration, but assume that his board and lodging together with the privilege of reading medical books from the Doctor's library was sufficient inducement.

The school house, about 10 x 12 feet in size, built of logs in the frontier manner, was equipped with benches and tables hewn out by the broad axe. After completing one term in this frontier school, Jennings continued in Dr. Galland's home and used his medical library to good purpose, as we find him referred to as Dr. Jennings in historical works of the locality.

In 1832, the land being opened for settlement, Jennings in company with five or six others took up claims which were sold in 1835 to form the townsite of what is now Fort Madison. Little is known of his activities for the next few years except that he was married about 1833. He probably practiced medicine for a time, then changed his plans and went in for merchandising, to effect which he moved to Burlington, Iowa.

It is here that he first saw the Light of Masonry as in Burlington was the first Lodge in Iowa. In the formation of the Grand Lodge of Iowa this Lodge was designated Des Moines Lodge No. 1. Here, on August 18, 1845, he was initiated as an Entered Apprentice with Oliver Cock, lowa's first Grand Master, acting as the Worshipful Master. The records of this old Lodge show that he was raised a Master Mason on November 8, 1845, and that in January, 1846, he was the Senior Steward. On October 12, 1846, he was made a Royal Arch Mason in Iowa Chapter No. 1, at Burlington. In 1856 he transferred this membership to Multnomah Chapter No. 1, at Salem, Oregon, becoming a Charter Member of that body. In 1855 he received the Order of the Temple in Sacramento Commandery No. 2, K. T., at Sacramento, California, completing the list of his Masonic degrees.

It was in 1846 that Brother Jennings turned his eyes westward to the Pacific Coast. The "Mountain Men," traders and trappers, whose adventurous spirit had driven them far beyond the then frontier of Illinois and Missouri brought back wonderful stories of a land farther West where the grass grew green the year around, where broad lands could be had for the taking, and where freeze-outs and drouths were unknown. Politics, national and international, had their influence, for England wanted this great land where their Hudson Bay Company had already taken millions in furs. The boundary controversy became so tense that in 1844 Polk was elected on a platform slogan of "54-40 or fight." When, in 1846, the agreement with Great Britain fixing the forty-ninth parallel as the boundary of Canada and the United States to the Pacific, the migrations which had started in about 1842 reached stupendous proportions. Huge wagon trains streamed across the plains from Spring to Fall of each year. It is hard for us today to comprehend the magnitude of this westward trek. It was no gradual infiltration of adjacent territory but civilization on the march, a great people fired by the determination to better their condition, packing their few belongings and starting for this new land, Oregon.

The journey was long, 2,500 miles from the Mississippi. across the plain, desert and mountains, it took between five and six months of the most primitive travel. The hardships were severe; suffering and death were frequent, and poverty was the portion of each family that made the long migration. In the eighteenth annual migration between 1842 and 1859 there were not less than 30,000 deaths on the Oregon Trail, west of the Missouri River. Hardship and discouragement did not deter these pioneers and they continued to come in increasing numbers. The high tide of migration was reached in about 1848 to 1852; however, the streams of emigrants continued to roll in for another ten or twelve years.

The year 1846 was a memorable one for the settlers already in the Oregon Country. The population was less than ten thousand, most of whom were Americans. The boundary dispute was felt at close range. Both the United States and Great Britain had sent warships to represent their claims and agents to investigate conditions. Meanwhile, the opposing nationals were uneasy lest active hostilities should break out. The Provincial Government formed in 1843 was becoming an active force under the leadership of men who were familiar with and knew the use of the symbolic tools of Freemasonry.

Oregon City, population ca. four-hundred, the only incorporated city on the Pacific Coast and situated at the Falls of the Willamette, became the natural commercial center of this great Territory; and Champoeg, located in the fertile valley to the south, the agricultural center. Portland was yet to be. Astoria was a fur trading post. San Francisco was still a Spanish village (Yerba Buena), which was later to file her townsite plat in Oregon City, as the then nearest United States Court was located there.

It was on February 5, 1846, in Oregon City that the initial issue of the first newspaper published in the Oregon Country, the "Oregon Spectator," carried the following:

Masonic Notice

The members of the Masonic Fraternity, in Oregon Territory, are respectfully requested to meet at the City Hotel, in Oregon City, on the 21st inst., to adopt some measures to obtain a charter for a lodge.

Joseph Hull

P. G. Stewart

Wm. P. Dougherty

This call, the first called meeting of Freemasons on the Pacific Coast, resulted in a petition for a charter for a Masonic Lodge at Oregon City, Oregon Territory, to be known as Multnomah Lodge. The request was sent to Missouri in the care of one of the guides who was going back to bring out another train of emigrants. The Grand Lodge of Missouri granted this charter for Multnomah Lodge and assigned the number 84 of that jurisdiction on October 19, 1846.

Berryman Jennings came to the Northwest with the migration of 1847. The time of his departure from Iowa is marked by the fact that he took his demit from Des Moines Lodge No. 1 on May 1, 1847. Misfortune came to him on the way in the loss of his wife, who died near what is now Boise, Idaho, leaving a small son in the father's care. No knowledge is had of his activities for the next few months, but he can be assumed to have settled in Oregon City, for he was present and assisted in the first meeting held under Charter by Multnomah Lodge. Two years had elapsed before the charter for Multnomah Lodge, which was granted by the Grand Lodge of Missouri in October 1846, was delivered to the brethren at Oregon City on September 11, 1848. This is a memorable date for the Masonic Fraternity as this was the first Lodge to open under charter West of the Missouri River. Its jurisdiction extended then from the summit of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific ocean and from Canada to Mexico.

Immediately upon the receipt of the charter, Joseph Hull called the brethren together and at noon of that same day began the work of organization. The meeting was held on the second floor of a log store building owned by Brother Dougherty, which was located near the south end of Main street in Oregon City. All of the Lodge furnishings were improvised . . . a rough packing box, with one side open, served as the Altar; the Master's pedestal was a barrel of flour; the Senior Warden's station a barrel of whiskey, and the Junior Warden's station a barrel of salt pork, the three needing little imagination to represent the Corn, Wine and Oil of Masonic tradition. Brother Berryman Jennings installed the officers and probably performed the ceremonies of constituting the Lodge.

One can imagine what a great inspiration this first meeting of a Masonic Lodge on the Pacific Coast must have been to our pioneer Brothers. It convened at noon on September 11, 1848, and lasted for sixteen hours. Not only were the officers installed and the Lodge constituted and dedicated to the service of God and humanity, but there being several applications for membership on hand, these were acted upon. The ballot was spread for Christopher Taylor; Amos L. Lovejoy, and Albert E. Wilson, and they were duly elected. Taylor and Lovejoy were initiated, passed and raised, and Wilson received the first two degrees. Christopher Taylor, being the first obligated, is credited with being the first Master Mason made in this great country West of the Rocky Mountains.

This beginning would indicate a quick growth of the new Lodge, but such was not to be. Gold had been discovered in California on February 23, and the news had spread over the country. A few days after the September 11 meeting, fifty covered wagons bearing one hundred and fifty gold seekers left Oregon City for the gold fields. Many of the members, including the Master, Joseph Hull, and, we feel sure, Berryman Jennings were among this group, for the next we hear of Jennings he was in California.

Thomas Young with several others from New Jersey had secured a dispensation from the Grand Master of New Jersey, before leaving for California, to form a Lodge U. D. Under this authority, New Jersey Lodge U. D. was opened at Sacramento City on December 4, 1849. Brother Jennings affiliated with it and advanced several thousand dollars to aid in the relief work of the Lodge. Probably some of this money was used for Lodge affairs as among the Masonic papers left by Brother Jennings this writer has seen the bills for lumber, windows, furniture, ornaments, lights and jewels. Even the candles and sawdust for the floor were included.

At the formation of the Grand Lodge of California, at Sacramento City on April 17, 1850, New Jersey Lodge was unable to take a primary part as it was still under dispensation. Berryman Jennings as the Senior Warden of this Lodge, however, was given the privilege of acting as Senior Grand Deacon in the ceremonies of formation. After the constitution was adopted, New Jersey Lodge U. D. was granted a charter under the name of Berryman Lodge No. 4. In the following election of Grand Lodge at this session Brother Jennings was elected Grand Treasurer, making him the first Grand Treasurer of the Grand Lodge of California. However, he resigned this office after about three weeks and did not attend the first annual meeting of the Grand Lodge on May 8, 1850. At this meeting the name of Berryman Lodge No. 4 was changed to Jennings Lodge No. 4. His absence from the session of 1850 is explained by his appearance in Portland, Oregon, at a meeting on June 24, 1850, for the purpose of forming a Lodge. On that day fifteen Masons met and petitioned the Grand Lodge of California for a dispensation, but Jennings was not one of the petitioners. This petition resulted in the forming of the second Lodge in Oregon, the present Willamette Lodge No. 2, of Portland.

In the spring of 1851 we find Brother Jennings as Worshipful Master of Jennings. Lodge No. 4, in California. He attended the annual session in May of that year taking active part in committee work.

It is possible that some friction developed when he pressed his claim for payment on the notes which he held against the Jersey Lodge. This Lodge, now Jennings No. 4, when pressed for settlement surrendered its charter and, though for some years Brother Jennings tried to make collection on the debts through the Grand Lodge, he was unsuccessful.

Before midsummer of 1851 Berryman Jennings decided that Oregon was to be his future home. He took his demit from Jennings Lodge No. 4, of California, and returned to Oregon City, where he affiliated with Multnomah Lodge. Here he established his home, was married to a Mrs. Pope and, for 3 time, practiced medicine.

By 1851 Oregon was beginning to go ahead rapidly as a business and agricultural territory. Unlike California, with its gold fever, Oregon drew the home-makers, the solid citizens whose ambition was to build homes and form a stable commonwealth for their posterity. The start was slow but when the mines to the south began to need supplies of food stuffs and lumber, Oregon had a surplus to offer in exchange for the gold from California. This called for transportation and gave birth to a ship building industry to furnish bottoms for river and coastwise trade. The leading character in this boom was Captain John C. Ainsworth, who had received his training on the Mississippi. He came first to San Francisco but turned to Oregon, where Berryman Jennings and Lot Whitcomb offered him the mastership of the steamer "Lot Whitcomb," which was built at the town of Milwaukee on the Willamette river. This boat has been named by some authorities as the first steamboat built in Oregon. The steamer "Columbia," however, was built at Astoria in 1850, while the 'Lot Whitcomb' was not in service until March 1851. So great was the need that several other steamers were built in 1851 as well as sailing vessels for coastwise trade. Captain Ainsworth, with Jennings and others, formed a company which took over the ownership of the 'Lot Whitcomb,' in 1853, making it the first of a fleet of steamers whose owners controlled the water transportation of the entire Northwest from Canada to California.

The rise of Jennings in the business world was meteoric. Renorts say he became a millionaire but business reverses later inflicted such losses that he died a poor man. During this time Brother Jennings chose for his home a beautiful site on the Willamette river, just below Oregon City, where now is the suburban area and postoffice of Jennings Lodge. named in his honor. Here he remained until his death .

Few details are available concerning his business and public life. He was elected to the Oregon Legislature in 1860 and was appointed as Registrar of the United States Land Office for the District of Oregon by President James Buchanan.

It is fortunate that the records of Jennings' Masonic activities are more complete. Three months after the second annual Communications of the Grand Lodge of California, which he attended as a delegate, we find him as a member of Multnomah Lodge serving as chairman of a committee which met at the Masonic Hall in Oregon City and invited the Lodges of the Territory to meet at that place on September 13, 1851, for the purpose of forming a Grand Lodge. Representatives of Multnomah, Willamette, and Lafayette Lodges responded to this invitation and met on the day appointed.

Jennings was not actually a delegate to this convention, but was admitted a member by special motion. He served on the committee appointed to draft a constitution. On September 15, 1851, the constitution was adopted and on motion "a Lodge of Master Masons was opened in due and ancient form" and an election of officers for the Grand Lodge was held. Berryman Jennings was chosen as Most Worshipful Grand Master.

At the installation ceremonies, which followed immediately, Brother John Elliott, a Past Master and Deputy Grand Master-elect, installed Berryman Jennings who then installed the officers elective and appointive of the Grand Lodge.

In the afternoon of September 15, 1851, at 2 o'clock, the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Oregon was opened on the Master Mason Degree in ample form. Among other business incident to the forming of this new Grand Lodge, whose jurisdiction extended from the summit of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, and from Canada to California, Most Worshipful Brother Jennings was instructed by resolution to preside over a committee to provide a Seal for the Grand Lodge. He also presided over a committee, named by resolution, to prepare a code of by-laws to supplement the constitution.

A new Grand Lodge was at work which was destined to be the Mother of the Grand Lodges of the great states of Washington and Idaho. In this great Northwest Territory, in 1851, there were only three Lodges with 116 constituent members. Today, in 1949, there are in these three Grand Lodges 531 Lodges with a constituent membership of 106,081 Master Masons. Berryman Jennings had added another first to the chain whose first link was forged in the little log school house in Iowa.

Grand Master Jennings presided at the first Annual Communication on June 14, 1852. In addition to his annual address, required by the constitution, he delivered an oral address in which he placed special emphasis on the need of giving attention to the promotion of education. At this Communication he was reselected Grand Master. At the Grand Lodge Session on June 13, 1853, his address was short and congratulatory, expressing his satisfaction regarding the condition of the Craft. At the close he expressed appreciation of the honors conferred upon him and concluded with the declaration that "it is now my unaffected wish to retire." The delegates, however, thought differently and he was reselected Grand Master. Jennings, however, was firm in his resolve and declined to accept, whereupon John Elliott was elected to succeed him. Grand Master Elliott, however, died during the term of office and the duties of office were taken over by Deputy Grand Master J. C. Ainsworth, who was Jennings' business partner. It was during the administration of Brother Ainsworth, in 1854, that the educational recommendation of Brother Jennings bore fruit when the Grand Lodge appropriated $150. - for this purpose and adopted a plan of contributions by members of the Order. This humble start has grown steadily until now the Grand Lodge of Oregon has available for educational assistance the income from a fund of $450,000. - , as a living monument to those far-seeing pioneers who brought Freemasonry to the West. Berryman Jennings was a member of the first committee to which was assigned the charge and control of this fund and seems to have held that position until 1860.

Jennings continued very active in Grand Lodge affairs for many years. He served on the committee of Jurisprudence and on the Grievance Committee. In fact, the records show that he attended nineteen Annual Communications between 1853 and the time of his death.

On June 11, 1884, the Freemasons of Oregon presented him with a gold headed cane, suitably engraved, in token of the high esteem which they held for him. The presentation ceremony was held on the floor of Grand Lodge and must have been a scene of rare emotional value, as Brother Jennings was so overcome he could not reply and asked the Grand Chaplain to respond for him.

In 1885, and again in 1886, he was unable to attend the Grand Lodge session; age, with its infirmities making it necessary for him to remain at his home on the Willamette. This time a special committee consisting of Past Grand Masters chartered a steamer and made the trip up the Willimette river from Portland to visit him and, in the words of the resolution, "convey to Brother Jennings our fraternal greetings and regrets that he is not with us today."

In 1887 Past Grand Master Jennings managed for the last time to attend his Grand Lodge in Annual Communication to, as he expressed it, return the visit made to him by the representatives of the Grand Lodge.

On December 22, 1888, he answered the summons to the Grand Lodge Above and, in compliance with his expressed wish, his funeral was conducted by the Past Grand Masters with the ceremonies of the Order on December 26, following. He rests in Greenwood Cemetery on the hills which border the Willamette river south of Portland. The Grand Lodge, each year on the 30th day of May, reverently places a wreath upon his grave in fraternal remembrance.

This concludes the story of a man and a Freemason, but in a larger sense the story of an era, the story of the conquest of an empire, the story of over eighty years of the nineteenth century, which saw the spread of the Light of Freemasonry, and the American 'Way of Life' over half the continent.

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EUREKA

By Edward Emanuel Hedblom, F.P.S., Denver, Colorado

(lntroductory Note. - Editor of "Tejon Topics," from 1930 to 1946, and the "Square and Compass," since October 1945, our new Fellow is a 32nd Degree, K.C.C.H. Mason, and has a long record of Masonic service. He saw the Light of Masonry during 1919 in Tejon Lodge No. 104, A.F. & A.M., Colorado Springs, Colorado, and served as its Worshipful Master in 1926. Active in Colorado Springs Chapter No. 6, R.A.M.; Zabud Council No. 8, R. & S. M.; Pikes Peak Commandery No. 6, K. T.; Glen Eyrie Chapter No. 8, O.E.S.; Pikes Peak Priory No. 21 Knights of York Cross of Honour; Mount of the Holy Cross Conclave No. 28, Red Cross of Constantine, and El Jebel Temple, A.A.O.N.M.S., he now serves as Secretary of Rocky Mountain Consistory, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Valley of Denver, Orient of Colorado. In 1940 he became chairman of the Grand Council Committee on Masonic Memorials. Since 1939 he served as the chairman of the Grand Lodge of Colorado Committee on Masonic Education. The readers of "The Philalethes" have been enjoying the product of his prolific pen and will no doubt be delighted with his "masterpiece," submitted upon the passing from the ranks of the members to a chair among the Active Fellows of the Philalethes Society. Brother Hedblom's address is: 1770 Sherman Street; Denver 5, Colorado. - The Editors) .

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ACCORDING to our Masonic tradition, the above "I have found it" exclamation is attributed to our friend and Brother, the great Pythagoras, joyfully uttered when he discovered the 47th Problem of Euclid. According to Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, this exclamation is attributed to Archimedes on finding a method of determining the purity of gold in Hiero's crown. Columbus probably did not utter that word when he discovered America, but he doubtless experienced a similar feeling of joy and elation. Although we are not informed that Brigham Young spoke that particular word when he and his followers arrived at the spot overlooking the site of the future Mormon city and Temple, what he did say had the same implication. And it would not be hard to guess why the gold-seeking Californians of a century ago adopted that worn as their State motto. Doubtless many other explorers and inventors have exclaimed "EUREKA!" on successfully arriving at some greatly desired destination or solution.

Whatever the true origin of the word, its Grecian significance or meaning might well be descriptive of a candidate's feeling when he seeks and discovers the Light inherent and obtainable in Freemasonry. If ever a Masonic motto or slogan were to be adopted as indicative of a candidate's climatic reaction to a series of moral and ethical teachings, that word would assuredly be most fitting and appropriate.

In his search for Light, what may a Mason find?

There exists among men of every race and creed and nationality a universal and inherent craving for the very things which Freemasonry and its organization stands for and provides so abundantly to its votaries. A Freemason who truly values and reveres the lessons taught in the Masonic degrees, and who takes to heart and conscientiously practices its beautiful tenets, may here find a sense of joy and gratitude and inspiration for which he has long been searching. He finds a genuine and universal Brotherhood, and needs never again feel himself to be a stranger if among or with Masonic Brethren. He is privileged to "travel in foreign countries, work, and receive a Master's wages." He finds a mystic tie, an intangible but a most real and satisfying "something" that he knows is his forever, and that no one can take away from him. Here he finds an unfailing source of consolation in his grief, of compassion in his miseries, and of timely advice and assistance in times of trouble. And he finds hope and encouragement in his endeavors, and strength and courage, cooperation and companionship in the performance of both his vocational and avocational duties.

A loyal Masonic Brother surely finds much satisfaction and justifiable pride in realizing that he is a member of the oldest, largest, most universally distributed and most highly regarded and respected Fraternity in existence. His heritage is rich beyond compare! He finds it a source of pleasurable pride to know that the founders of our country and the defenders of our rights and liberties were Freemasons; that a goodly percentage of our Presidents, statesmen, governors and legislators have been or are now members of our Craft; that the most outstanding and influential leaders in every walk of life, in almost every community of our land, have taken the same vows and obligations to which he has subscribed.

In the daily practice of his business, vocation or profession a Freemason has ample opportunities to experience most pleasing reactions and feelings of keen satisfaction in his dealings with customers, clients, associates and friends. He finds that he enjoys a greater measure of confidence, trust and respect of a greater number of individuals than before he became a member of this great and honorable Fraternity. Acting "on the level" and being "on the square" pays big dividends. Freemasonry affords him frequent opportunities to cultivate and develop most pleasant and profitable social contacts. He finds that he has become more tolerant of the opinions, ideas and creeds of others; that his philosophy of life has broadened and deepened to the extent that he can win and develop more and richer friendships. His perspective of life and its true meanings and values have been greatly extended. He finds himself less critical of the faults of others, more cognizant of his own failings, and he is more willing to forgive and forget if and when he has been wronged. He is a stronger believer in and a better observer of the Golden Rule. He is kinder, more thoughtful and considerate, more ready and willing to assume his share of the responsibilities and activities of civic, religious and philanthropic organizations, and a more reverent and loyal and effective worker in his Church. He has a stronger faith in the ultimate victory of truth, right and justice; he has a firmer belief in immortality. He finds service to others is a great privilege and joy, and whether that service be on some minor committee or as a leader or officer in or outside of his Lodge, by putting into practice the teachings of our Craft he has become a more valuable and a more efficient citizen and member of society.

Furthermore, a Freemason who has truly found the Light finds that he becomes increasingly imbued with the desire of ever seeking and attaining more, and further, and still further Light. He finds that Freemasonry is really a progressive Science, and that its pleasures and benefits are truly inexhaustible. He will, therefore, often become the most interested, the most valuable and active member and worker in these bodies which will gladly provide, in their beautiful and inspiring manner, that greater enlightenment and understanding of Masonic philosophy. Whether these bodies be of the York or Scottish Rite, ample and frequent opportunities will present themselves, both in and out of the Fraternity, for our true-blue Masonic devotee to exclaim, with an even greater joy of the heart than was experienced by Pythagoras or Archimedes: "Eureka ! Eureka !"

Whereas our ancient Brother is said to have celebrated his joy of discovery by "sacrificing a hecatomb" (a hundred oxen), modern Freemasons may best show their joy and gratitude by even more devotedly and conscientiously sacrificing of themselves. their time and their talents to the observance and practice of the principles and tenets of our great and beloved Fraternity.

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THE TWO SAINTS JOHN

AN OLD LATIN DOCUMENT of our Order, said to be deposited with a Lodge at Namur, and purporting to be a proclamation of the Masons of Europe, assembled at Cologne in 1535, declares that Masons are called "Brethren dedicated to St. John," first among the martyr stars of the morning. It tells us, further, that prior to 1440, the Fraternity was called the Joannite Brethren, but that about that time it began to be known by the name of Freemasons. No doubt it is largely fiction, but it may serve as a text for an inquiry as to the relation of the two Saints John, and especially of St. John the Baptist, to our Order.

There is no proof that either of these holy men were ever patrons of our Fraternity, but it is a fact that Masonry has patronized them for ages. The reason for this may be obscure so far as history is concerned, but it is obvious enough if we have a care for spiritual suggestion and the fitness of things. One was a prophet bearing witness to the Light, the other an evangelist of Love; and since the object of Masonry is the attainment of Light, and its first principle is Brotherly Love, it is not to be wondered at that these two great figures became its patron Saints, one the leader of those who are seeking the Light, the other the teacher of those who have found it. For the same reason they are honored on the festal days of the old, beautiful Light-religion of humanity - St. John the Baptist amid the splendor of summer, St. John the Divine at the winter solstice when the mighty orb of Light is most remote from us.

St. John the Baptist was a prophet, "a son of the Voice of God," in the old Hebrew phrase; "yea, and more than a prophet," said the Teacher whose advent he foretold. "There hath not arisen among them that are born of women a greater than John the Baptist." No man ever won higher eulogy; no one ever more richly deserved it. What is prophecy? It is two things - forth-telling and fore-telling. The prophets have been for the most part forth-tellers, the great burden of their messages being the exposition and application of moral truths. Yet ever and again they have seen the clouds clear from the sky of the future, and have caught glimpses of a light upon the far away hills of Time. They have seen, as men see in dreams, places, cities, august figures, vast upheavals impending, and felt the incommunicable thrill of advancing destinies. It is therefore that they speak in words cryptic and vague, foreshadowing in dim and awful form the fashion of things to be.

Such was St. John the Baptist; a rebuker of kings, a scorner of sham, a denouncer of iniquity, whose speech was swift, startling, eruptive, turgid, tearing away every thin veil of pretense and bringing men face to face with eternal realities. Austere, aloof, uncompromising, he saw clearly, felt deeply, spoke plainly; and if he lacked those great fertilizing ideas out of which new religions grow, he had a vast capacity for moral indignation. Mere formalism evoked his withering satire. Profession without performance provoked his blistering scorn. Hypocrisy he flayed with whips of fire. Terrible in speech, he was yet tender of heart, and when the storm of his eloquence has passed by the qualities that stand out in his life are his exalter purity of soul, his passion for righteousness, his courage, his sincerity, his self-effacing humility, his grand magnanimity, his rugged nobility of character and his heroism in death.

Truly, Masonry makes profession of high ideals when it invokes John the Baptist as its patron Saint! Were he to appear at one of our festivals on his day, what would be his message to the men of to-day who dedicate their Lodges in his honor? Would his old indignation flash out upon us, rebuking us for our snug contentment, our smug self-satisfaction, our worship of the past, and our ritualism without reality ? Would he not say to us today, as he did to the men of old, that we must repent in our hearts and show by our deeds the sincerity of our professions and the sanctity of our vows made at the altar of righteousness ? These are things to think about on St. John Day, and if we are worthy to meet in his name they will make us pause and ponder, the while we search our hearts.

Has Masonry, so eager to honor a great Prophet, no prophetic element in it today? Has it no vision no dream, no forward-looking program, no creative purpose for the times to be ? Has its altar light faded into the poor flicker of a painted fire? Or will it become an inspired teacher of righteousness as the sovereign reality of the universe, the solitary hope of humanity, and the secure foundation of personal and social life! Will it put a new dignity into its degrees, a new fire into its philosophy, and tell the young men who throng its temple gates that they must prove their faith by their deeds, and keep their vows in the home, in the marts of trade, in the state, and thus fortell the coming of a nobler social order, a juster state, and a more humane civilization! Size does not signify. Numbers do not count. But righteous manhood is everything! ("The Builder"; June, 1916).

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I firmly believe that there is nothing which will in self-approval, comfort and consolation, so well renumerate a man, when the days of his life are shortening to the winter solstice, as faithful service in the true interest of Freemasonry. If in those darkening days, when past successes and acquisitions no longer dazzle the judgement, and their glamour no longer glosses over failures and faults and errors, one can be sure that he has done all that circumstances and necessities and other exigencies have permitted, to purify and strengthen, to exalt and magnify Freemasonry, he will hardly regret the Past or lack content and peace of mind in the Present.

- Albert Pike

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The power of Masonry is like sunlight, quiet, unobtrusive, unhasting and unresting. It does its work without bells or blares of trumpets. Too often, in our impatience for results, we forget the silent force of a great fellowship by which men are brought together at an altar of light and friendship, and what such an altar means, in ways too many and hidden to trace. in the life of a community.

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Never was the VSL held in such veneration as it is now, for never as now did men learn to read by the Spirit and break away from the tutelage of the mere letter. - J. George Gibson.

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YOUR MENTAL BUILDING BLOCKS

By V. M. Burrows, M.P.S., Long Beach, California

THE TRUE OBJECT of your studies in Freemasonry is to add to your estate of wisdom.

To know the meaning of the symbols is but little, unless that adds to our wisdom, and also to our charity.

The mental appreciation of the secrets of Freemasonry come as a result of diligent search for the true meaning. The degree of that mental satisfaction is measured by the value placed upon it by the one who receives it. The Freemason who meditates in a spirit of appreciation will be rewarded by new and pleasing interpretations of our symbolism. This is illustrated especially by consideration of the Perfect Ashlar.

The rough ashlar is a stone as taken from the quarries in its crude and imperfect state by nature. The common gavel is a heavy instrument made use of to knock off the superfluous sharp corners and to bring the irregular stone to approximate proportions. Then the chisel is used, by aid of hammers or malls, to square the corners and bring the block to closer proportions. In this state it is more properly called a rough-hewn ashlar. The more experienced fellow-craft dresses this rough-hewn stone down to exact measurements by the guage, with angles square and with surfaces that approach perfection in their smoothness. The proportion of length to width and thickness is not stated as being a standard measurement. There is evidence, however, that several ashlars would be made of the same size, with length greater than width, and with thickness much less than the width. In the work of ashlaring. these perfect ashlars are set on edge to furnish a facing for the stone wall, an act of beautifying the appearance. Hence our interpretation of symbolism to remind us that we should fit our hearts and consciences as living stones in our spiritual building.

The common gavel is sometimes represented as an emblem of force. Likewise, the perfect ashlar is sometimes represented as a perfect cube, emblematic of the state, the rulers deriving their power from the consent of the governed. But these belong more properly to the degrees of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite.

Among the ancient nations there was one faith and one idea of deity for the enlightened, and another for the common people.

There have been many periods in history when the advance of civilization was heralded with glowing terms, yet the civilization of the particular age in each instance was confined to a relatively small percentage of the people.

The difference between each of these periods of the distant past and the present is that we in the United States enjoy a standard of living for millions of people which was unknown even to the kings of other days.

In America men and women have been free to follow the dictates of their own consciences. They have had freedom of worship, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of political convictions and freedom for the fullest exercise of their own personal initiative in any calling of their choice. They have been protected by a form of government which assured them of the fruits of their labors. For these blessings we owe an obligation to improve ourselves as citizens. Freemasonry advocates the promotion of personal improvement by strict observance of a severe morality.

In order to preserve the state, as symbolized by the perfect cube, we must give attention to development of good individuals who are to compose the nation of our next generation. It is now time that all good Americans, Freemasons in particular, do some serious thinking about the most important work we have to do - the education of our children.

We can not leave education to the school alone. There ought to be a serious and conscientious home influence. If we are unfaithful parents we are wandering a great distance from the true Masonic Light.

Recently I watched the unloading of several blocks of stone, which were raised from the deck of a cargo ship and lowered to the railroad flat-car on the dock. These were the stones as taken from the quarry in their crude and imperfect state by nature. I considered the probability that they would be finished as monuments or made into perfectly shaped building stones. There came suddenly the idea that "thoughts are building blocks."

The thought which comes to the individual mind under ordinary circumstances is crude and imperfect. We can shape this thought to a degree of perfection which can make it a valuable possession. It can be made to have power and importance. The interesting fact is, that only a few good thoughts are required to furnish the basis of a good letter, an intelligent conversation, an excellent short speech. A few well-considered thoughts, at a critical time, will enhance the character, control the future activity of the voice of conscience, and direct the individual through a well-spent life. It is the impressive lesson which we seek to teach by the symbolism of the perfect ashlar.

Let us promote the idea of going to Lodge with a definite intention. If a Freemason starts from home with the basic idea that he will look for some new interpretation and gain a new significance of some previously hidden meaning, he will be most sure to find it. His thoughts are his Masonic building blocks. Let his attendance be the means of inspiration for constructive thinking. Let his contacts with the experienced Brethren be agreeable; let his contacts with newer Brethren be helpful and encouraging.

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Fame is a vapor, popularity an accident; riches take wings; those who cheer us today will curse us tomorrow; only one thing endures - character.

- Horace Greenery

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THE BROTHER ON THE COVER

We are pleased to present Brother I. S. Galindo, of Silver City, New Mexico, born November 1, 1898, at Saltillo (Coahuila), Mexico. His father, Manuel C. Galindo, was a Methodist Minister in Mexico and the Southwestern United States. His mother, brought up in a covered wagon, was a pioneer in cattle lands of Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

Educated in Mexico up to the time of the revolution, he had to flee in 1913 with his parents to the United States. He worked at odd jobs for some two years, then finished High School and two years of College. Like many others, the lack of funds handicapped his further education. After acquiring American citizenship he became associated, in 1923, with the stationery business. In 1940 he entered business for himself, becoming the owner of the Silver Office Supplies, at Silver City. He married Miss Isis Limon Molina, daughter of Dr. Rafael L. Molina, a 33rd Degree Mason of Northern Mexico. He has one daughter, Yolanda, now studying music in Hollywood, California.

Our Brother saw the Light of Freemasonry in Silver City Lodge No. 8, A.F. & A.M., during 1942, and served it as Worshipful Master in 1946; as Marshal in 1947, and Chaplain in 1948. Too, he is active in the Royal Arch, serving as Scribe for two years, and in the A.A. Scottish Rite, being a 32nd Degree, K.C.C.H. Mason, and Almoner (for life) in the Grant County Scottish Rite Club. His literary labors in Masonry include contributions to "The New Age"; the "New Mexico Freemason," and translations from the Spanish for the Philalethes Society. Brother Galindo is a member of the Silver City Methodist Church where he teaches an adult class.

L. E. W.

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THE PHILALETHES SOCIETY NEWS

New Fellow

To fill the vacancy caused by the death of Brother Sam B. Cantey, Jr., the Philalethes Society deems it a pleasure to bestow the honor of FELLOW upon:

James Raymond Malott; Globe, Arizona.

New Members

Ray F. Akin; Tucson, Arizona.