The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 4, 1904, Page 5

THE SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL. N the 14th day of February, 1881, R. E. Commander Bruce B. Lee granted a dispensation to estab- lish another commandery Francisco. A very appro- and expressive name had been he unusual number of hree fraters joined in petition to mmander of the State to tion. As Minerva veloped from the fore- so Golden Gate came ed to enter upon a nd successful ¢ 1 by Cali- The nts William r, Henry H Tristam The com to work conferred 1ished Mason$ as a past er of the and Lodge of Theodore F. Tracy was a lissimo of the Grand of ornia, and Tristam Burges, afterward grand commander of the Grand Commandery of Califor- 1e other charter members were ¥ Bloke, James M. McDonald Champion I. Hutchinson, Carmi W Beach, Fred X . Bechtel, John Yates, Will . son, John B. Cur- tis, S Myers, Charles L. Benton, Frederick D. Stadtmuller, Justin Gates, muel Granyille Pul- len, William C. Theodore H. F. Robertson, i M. Mouser, Herman J. Sadle: Charles L. Bigelow, Justus F. Edwards, Smith, Kirkpatrick John F. M , Henr lumbus Waterhouse, John G. Bloomer, George W. Deitzler, Robert N. Graves, James H. Helm, Charles L. Thomas, Charles H. Abbott, Peter F. Oakley, and John Skae. Many of these were men of high business and social stand- ing, who have had marked influence upon the social, business and eivic in- ‘terests of the city and of the State. The first candidate permitted to pass the threshold of the commandery was Frank William Sumner, after- ward grand commander of the State and the author of the excellent work on Templar tactics, a work that has had a most potent influence not only on the condition of his own com- mandery, but also upon that of every commandery in the State and even of many beyond the confines of. the State. Golden Gate has been honored by the Grand Commandery of the State by the election of Sir Knights F. W. Sumner and John F. Merrill to the highest place in the gift of that body, and it has honored fitself and the following by selecting them to pre- eide as eminent commanders over its own interests: William O. Gould, 1881-82; Tristam Burgess, 1883; Colum- bus Waterhouse, 1884; Frank W. Sum- ny‘ 1885; James H. Hatch, 1886; Franklin Dalton, 1887; Frank J. F'rench, 1888; Andrew G. Booth, 1889; Carlos G. Young, 1890; William Ed- ‘vards, 1891; Alex B. von Weffels- burg, 1892; Charles L. Field, 1893; Joseph K. Firth, 1894; Clark, 1885; Charles 1896-97; Jonathan M. Charles L. Patton, 1899; pbell, 1900; Robert McMillan, Harvey D. Loveland, the present chairman of the executive commit- tee of the twen > clave of the and Encampment, unique design and its beautiful uni- form are evidence of the latter. Tt has always displayed a most knightly and commendable courtesy in recep- tions given to the grand and subordi- - é'hé Annals éf ; Golden Gate Commandery,, sl e | By Eminent Sir Philip D. Code Robert B. More. 303; Robert mpbell, 1904, and the present ander, Philip D. Code, whose n 1 of the rkable success of ributable to th ~alous @ icient services of these le and e perienced officers; much so resulted from the care and fidel ex iced by {nights muel Swift, arles L. v T. Fenda and the incumbent, Frolich sition of recorder. I there is no p on of greater respon- lity or fraught with more import- nt duties than that of recorder, nor is there any more influential for gaod. Golden Gate seems to have fully ree- cgnized this fact in the selection of 1ese officers. Starting with forty nembe 1881, the total now increase of abou thirty. This is a most flattering show ing and speaks well for the gene character of the commandery. Deduct- ing the names of those who, by death or other causes, have ceased to be members, there remain. about 500 names upon the roll of the com- mande; 2 Expansion in memb: Its quarter ing no I er such as a ot needed acccmmodation and ccnveniences, in 1891, but ten years > her organization, her en- tell busin: men fraters under k and carried ipletion the erection ¢ more spacious anrd be commodate its grow , was erected at a cost of approximately $140,000—a mon to the energy and zeal of the n sh:p and a testimonial to the love of the fraters for the institution of which they now formed an integral and im- portant part. Spacious as this buiid- ing is, the commandery, at the lapse of a little over another decade, found it too small to afford the necessary conveniences. It, tnerefore, posed of the property and is now contemplating the erection, either by iteell or conjoint with cther Masonic bodies, of a still more spacious edifice. The commandery coniinue: however, to occupy Golden Gate Hall and with continuous zeal, 4 day, it is lengthening and stren ening the cords of an influence already potential. Good judgment in business affeire and excellent taste in artistic ideas appear to be characteristics of Golder Gate; no better proof of the former is needed than that manifested in the system adopted for the keeping of its records and books of accoun by the recorder, and its excellent plan of life-membership; its coat-of-arms, its commandery Jjewel, its button of nate commanderies. It rightly claims the credit of having virtually introduced on the Pacific Coast the of fraternal visits among the t the order, and its pligrim- er commanderies t feat in its hi Golden Gate Ccmmandery participated in the conclave of ncampment held in this cit d added greatly to the r success of that occaslon. work of providing the needed finances and of receiving and entertaining the many visitors to this city at that time wag an arduous one and devolved the two ccmmanderies of ke those of her sister com- ery the members of Golden Gate entered with zeal upen the herculean task, striving to be among the firs in extending hospitality to the pil- v will recall the scenes at Hall and the friendships med lden Gate, in all matters preparation, escort duty, entertain- t and money did its part nobiy and left pleasant recollections ug the minds of own and visit- ing Sir Knights. d In 1886 the command enthused by the recollections of 1883, determined upon a pilgrimage to the conclave of 1886, at . On this pilgrimage the commandery met with most gener- g tions at various places and great popularity for generous hos- pitality at L s. In 1889 the com- : in_the conclave >., and there elicited of the assembled 1ing by its hospitality t parades a national The commandery has been represented at all the triennial laves of the order since its or- ation, except that held at the of Pittsburg in 1889, and at aM has fully maintained its status as one of the foremost commanderies of the land. It is justly proud of its standing; it has had honor for itself; honored the order in the State. h of the good repute of Golden next to that arising from the cter of its membership, springs from the excellence of its drill corps. To those unacquainted with. the im- portant influences of a drill corps upon the condition of a commandery, such a body might appear to be an appen- dage more ornamental than useful. uch, however, is not the case. In all branches of the Masonic order much of the excellence and interest depend upon the impressions of the work in performing the several ceremonies. Nothing in a commandery adds more to this impressiveness than the assist- ance rendered by a well-drilled corps, specially selected for the purpose, Golden Gate early realized this; hence in 1883, it granted a petition presented by its captain general, Sir Knight Frank W. Sumner, signed by twenty- Y SENNETZ four others, asking permission to form a drill corps, to serve in connection with the cammandery in importing Templar and military knowledge. The knowledge gained through this instru- mentality soon made itself felt, not alone in the commandery work, but also in the outside influence upon the order. Under the able instruction of Sir Knight Sumn er the drill corps of Golden Gate in a short time won tro- phies for excellence. The corps is still one of the features of this command- ery. It is now under the captaincy o Sir Knight Colonel William Edwar a very competent drillmaster, and it is always ready to give good account of its work. The financial condition of Golden Gate is just what it might be expected to be under the guidance of so many able business men. After disposing of Golden Gate Hall the commandery purchased a valuable lot in the West- ern Addition in contemplation of erect- ing thereon a temple. This however, is for the present in ab a until it may be finally determined whether or not the several Maso bodies will unite in erecting a M Temple comporting with e cha and greatness of the city. The present Mascnic Temple no longer suitabl to accommodate the growing needs of Masonry. It is hoped that by a union of the Masonic bodies, San Francisco may, in the near future, have a temple superior to any i land. It is cer- tain that Golden Gate will do its in this as she has in all ing to tk commandery is t active part in the prep entertainment of visitors proaching conclave 1 to add greatly won. Not o half the honor accorded to Zerubbabel that is orded by the and booted Knights of Gate to their Zerubbabel in an honored line. And, Ii babel of o!d, it seems his predestined fate to be a sharer, too, of exile, even as his six predecessors of glorious memory, for never has Zerubbabel brought home yet to his asylum the chaplets of laurel bestowed upon him by worshipers at conclaves far afield. For it is a custom so old that the memory of man runneth not to the contrary that Zerubbabel must be left behind when the retyrning cavalcades: thro forth their beauseants to the Western breeze. Thus it was that the reign of Zerub- babel I over Golden Gate Commandery terminated in St. Louis after the con- clave of 188 Zerubbabel II in Wash- ington in 1889; Zerubbabel III, ver; Zerubbabel IV, Boston rubbabel V, Pittsburg, and babel VI, in Louisville, and is un to Zerubbabel VII to the dignity and pomp of his exalted station when in the grand parade he heads the knightly host. t Zerubbabel I, it is rumored, died of a broken heart, for he never smiled again after his California friends left him in the effete East. He moped and, pined and touched not food, neither would he drink, and died even so. beautiful black skin, stuffed, all that is left of him save memory, now graces the banquet hall of the vlum. Ze- rubbabel II was the lion of the Wash-; ington conclave. An unfailing appe- tite for champagne and chocolate bon- bons nearly ended his reign, but he lived to become the especial pet of Mrs. John A. Logan, who expressed a wish for him wheg the conclave was over. Her wish had but to be intimated to the gallant California knights and his bearship straightway became domi- ciled within the Logan demesne, where he passed his davs in plenteousness and cheer until, essaying one day to embrace a colored servant in the wholesouled, hearty manner of the ‘West, he absentmindedly cracked him a rib or two in the servitor and was sorrowfully dispatched to the happy hunting ground of well meaning but absent minded little bears. He hugged not wisely, but too well. Fittingly stuffed, in an upright position, he now hands a silver card salver to visitors at the Logan home. Zerubbabel IV, after the Boston conclave, became the pet of the Bay State Commandery of Brockton. With him as the nucleus, a 200 wus formed there which is now the pride of the Brockton people, so that Zerubbabel IV may in truth be said to have builded a second temple. And now cometh Zerubbabel VII. who, a tiny cub, fell prey in the wilds of Siskiyou to Sir Knight A. W. Mc-| Kenzie, and who, a five months old cub, will occupy the place of honor be- fore the plumed ranks of Golden Gate in the grand parade of September 8. ' It is possible Zerubbabel may have company, for J. E. Doolittle of Coop4 erstown, who has supplied the six pre+ vious Zerubbabels, has informed Gold+ en Gate that he has a grizzly on hand; and it is probable that two bears wil} appear in the parade. Sessom