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duties, as well as were several other officers, so the Master remains of a representation of the starry canopy. The
called for volunteers from the brethren present to assist walls were decorated with pillars of the different classes
in the work. Seven different states were represented by of architecture. At one side, we discovered the winding
the brothers taking part, several by Past Masters, and stairs with the proper number of steps, each bearing its
owing to the difference in the work of the seven different appropriate symbol and terminating in a small chamber
jurisdictions, the Master was kept extremely busy whose walls were decorated with various signs and
maintaining continuity during the evening. symbols familiar to Masons.

Early in the spring of 1918, the regiment was moved The front of the cave, which evidently had been of
to Montrichard, and several meetings were held at that masonry, was gone, and the place was crowded with
place, one of the most interesting of which was held in a articles of machinery and a rabbit hutch. The small
cave of a single room, without seats of any kind, at which chamber at the head of the winding stairs was fitted up
were raised two brothers whose orders took them to the as a bed chamber, and at the time of our visit, quite late
front lines the following day. The altar at this meeting was in the evening, contained a sleeping peasant whom we
an empty “Corn Willie” box; the officers and brethren disturbed, but who accepted our apologies with a smile
sat, tailor fashion, upon the stone floor; the preparation and resumed his slumbers. We held a meeting of our
room was all of France, roofed by the starry sky. But the lodge in this old lodge room, which our guide informed
spirit of the brotherhood of Masonry was present, and us had been first prepared for Masonic purposes nearly
the impressiveness of the degree was enhanced by the three centuries before, but owing to the impossibility of
thought that on the morrow the two brothers being bound properly closing the front, we were unable to do so.
to us by unbreakable ties, were to take their places in the
firing line; that they were going from us, fresh from our The French Lodge which originally used the cave as a
altar with their newly assumed vows upon them, possibly meeting place is still in existence, having moved from
to attend their next meeting in that Celestial Lodge on Montrichard to Tours some thirty or forty years ago.
High. However, I am glad to record that both brothers
returned, and today are honored members of the Craft. Another meeting was held at Montrichard in a
mushroom canning factory which the American Forces
were using as a warehouse, the lodge room and preparation
room being constructed in the center of the large room by
erecting walls of boxes and bales of army supplies.

After the Armistice the Army Lodge met twice more in
the Officers Mess Hall at St. Aignan. At the last meeting
held, an investigating committee made its report on an
applicant. When the ballot box was called for, it was
missing. This ballot box consisted of a cigar box divided
into two compartments, with the lid in two parts, and the
ballots were red and white army beans.

However, the absence of such an article could not long
Francis R. Welles, Choteau Salle a Bourree deter the functioning of Montana Army Lodge, and two
Bourree Loir-et-Cher, France tin dishes were promptly produced, into one of which were
placed a number of silver and copper French coins. The
Near Montrichard lives an American, a Mr. Francis R. whole was then covered with a cloth, and the candidate
Welles (retired head of Bell Telephone Manufacturing duly elected with silver French 50 centime pieces.
Company), the owner of a fine large chateau. This
gentleman, learning of the existence of the lodge, although Among the Montana Masons serving in the A.E.F.
not a member of the Craft, tendered the lodge the use of was the Right Worshipful R. J. Hathaway, Senior Grand
a fine large room in his chateau, and two meetings were Warden Elect of the Grand Lodge of Montana. Early
held there by the Senior Warden while the Master was in the spring of 1919, the mails brought to the writer a
performing military duty at the front. proxy issued by the Most Worshipful Grand Master of
Montana, Bro. E. M. Hutchinson, empowering him to
An incident occurring at Montrichard seems worthy of convene a special communication of the Grand Lodge of
mention. A French Mason, having made himself known Montana for the purpose of installing Brother Hathaway
to a number of American Masons, informed us that there as Right Worshipful Senior Grand Warden. Brother
was an interesting place in the village and led us to a cave Hathaway, who was then in Paris, was communicated
in the rocks. Entering, we discovered a large room of with, and on March 29, 1919, he arrived at St. Aignan,
probably twenty by thirty feet in size, cut out of the solid where, in compliance with the authority granted, a
rock. At the east end of the room were three steps of stone Special Communication of the Grand Lodge of Montana
and carved in the rock wall were the Sun, Moon, and All- was convened, and he was duly installed in his office.
seeing Eye. The ceiling was curved and still retained the
Montana Freemason Page 28 April/May 2020 Volume 96 No. 3