Page 333 - Cornelius Hedges Story

For This And Succeeding Generations Gardiner 320

bodily ailments. Our Deputy Grand Master, though himself a skillful
physician, was the victim of that dread disease, consumption, with
which he waged battle for many months, going at last to Arizona in
hope of relief, dying almost as soon as he reached his destination.
His devoted wife who had accompanied him, retraced her sorrowful
steps with his lifeless body, and Grand Lodge was assembled January
16, 1900, to consign it to the grave, Past Grand Master Logan acting
Grand Master. Brother Brantly, our Senior Grand Warden, was busy
with his official duties as Chief Justice, and Brother Slack, our Junior
Grand Warden, who lived nearly 400 miles away, was compelled for
a time to be the active head of the craft. Still no interest of the craft
seemed to suffer. The gain of membership was 144, almost equal to
the best previous year. The Grand Master recovered and returned in
time to do more than usual visitation and was able to preside at the
Annual Communication, September 19, 1900.
The Senior Grand Warden Brantly, while Acting Grand Master,
rendered many important decisions, most of which were approved,
but the Jurisprudence Committee and Grand Lodge differed in
holding that the Lodge was under no obligation to return to a rejected
petitioner the arrears of dues that he had paid as a prerequisite to
petitioning. The most important and interesting transaction of the
Thirty-sixth Annual Communication was the creation of the Masonic
Home Fund, and the transfer to it of $6,000 from the Grand Charity
Fund, and $2,000 from the General Fund. Further, this fund was
increased by the sum of $1,303.16 from Chapters of the Eastern
Star. Enthusiasm reached its culmination when Grand Lodge voted
to raise the dues of members to $2.00 and devote 50 cents per capita
to the annual increase of the Home Fund. The outlines of a future
Masonic Home began to be discernable.
Brother Theodore Brantly was elected Grand Master, and Helena
was again selected as the next meeting place. The citizens as well
as craftsmen of Great Falls exerted themselves most successfully to
provide entertainment for their guests.
With the Proceedings of 1900 appeared the picture of our second
Past Grand Master, Leander W. Frary, and now living at Pasadena,
California. He was the only one of our Past Grand Masters whose
picture had not been published.