Page 46 - Cornelius Hedges Story

33 The Cornelius Hedges Story

About a month later another very important event of his life
occurred. On November 2, at the 6th Annual Communication of
Montana Grand Lodge, he was elected Most Worshipful Grand
Master of Masons in Montana, and the next day he was installed and
received the gavel from N. P. Langford, retiring Grand Master.97 and
a year later, after serving a very admirable term as Grand Master,
near the end of his Grand Master’s Address, he said the following,
again completely in harmony with his benevolent nature:

“The hour has arrived when I may devolve upon you the heavy
responsibilities that you entrusted to my keeping one year ago.
They have been in my hands a sacred trust, which I believe I
can restore to you unimpaired. The honor of the high position
to which your unsought suffrages exalted me, in my estimation
results only from the credit and success attending the discharge
of its duties and trusts. I have sought with single purpose to
serve Masonry and you, and thus to deserve your approbation
and the resulting honor. With this end attained my highest
ambition is satisfied, and I lay aside the emblems of power with
more pleasure than I assumed them.”98
In yielding the gavel of authority to James R. Weston on October
5, 1871, Cornelius Hedges retired to the ranks of the Past Grand
Masters,99 not yet having reached his 40th birthday. Upon reaching
his 40th birthday on October 28, 1871, the self-critical Hedges
commented:
“My 40th birthday -Truly I have become a man if ever I am
going to be - Have felt very irritable & cross, unworthy of my
character --Must I always be so weak in this respect.100

In 1871, while he was serving as Grand Master, he was
reappointed U. S. District Attorney by President Grant.”101

While attending a session of the Supreme Court at Virginia
City in the capacity of U. S. Attorney, Cornelius noted “Governor
tendered me the appointment of Superintendent of Public
Schools.”102 Governor Benjamin F. Potts gave him the commission
as Superintendent of Public Instruction on January 17, 1872.103

In the ensuing six years, until he was replaced by Clark Wright
on January 14, 1878, and the two years he served from February 22,
1883, to March 18, 1885,104 he did much to improve promote and
strengthen Montana’s public schools.