Page 329 - Cornelius Hedges Story

For This And Succeeding Generations Gardiner 316

the previous session. Butte City was selected as the next place
of meeting. The year ending with the Thirty-second Annual Com-
munication, held at Butte, September 16-17, covers the adminis-
tration of Brother James H. Mills. It was a very quiet and fair-
ly prosperous year, with only one special communication to lay
the corner-stone of the State Normal School at Dillon. Three new
Lodges began existence U. D., one at Whitehall in Jefferson Coun-
ty, named Mystic Tie, another (the third) at Butte named Silver
Bow, and The third at Bonner in Missoula County named Temple.
These all received charters and with their membership carried the
increase of the member-ship for the year to 135, and the total to
2,626.
The Grand Master’s address, with all his official acts and deci-
sions, met with hearty approval. There was less legislation than
at any former Annual Communication. To adjust expenditures to
our diminished revenue, the amount set aside for the Grand Char-
ity Fund was reduced to 5 per cent of the revenue. The Monitor
prepared by Brother F. D. Jones was approved by the committee
and adopted as the standard for the jurisdiction, but for financial
considerations, Grand Lodge declined to be at the expense of pub-
lication and that was undertaken by Brother E. D. Neill.
The work of the jurisdiction was exemplified the first evening
by Silver Bow Lodge U. D., and on the second evening the same
Lodge was consecrated under the charter granted that day. An am-
biguity in the Constitution was removed by declaring that a pres-
ent W. M. could not also vote as a Past Master. And mileage was
hereafter to be reckoned from the Lodge. Brother Chas. H. Gould
was elected Grand Master, and Helena designated at the next place
of meeting. We believe this was the first meeting of Grand Lodge
without a banquet and was generally enjoyed.
During the administration of Grand Master Chas. H. Gould, which
culminated with the Thirty-third Annual Communication held at
Helena, September 15 - 16, 1897, there were three specials called,
two for laying cornerstones, one of the Agricultural College at
Bozeman, another of the High School at Butte.
The third was to bury with Grand Honors Brother John Stedman,
our fifteenth Grand Master, and whose sudden death occurred
March 28th, 1897, without warning while enjoying an outing with
his wife alone. Deputy Grand Master E. C. Day presided on two
of these occasions in the absence of the Grand Master from the