CORRESPONDENCE. NEVADA GULCH, 40 MILES FROM Denver, K. T., EDITOR OF "THE ASHLAR": My Friend and Brother:-Remembering the promise I made to you, in company with Bro. Mitchell, before I left Chicago, that I should write you occasionally from this land of gold, I now sit down in my log cabin, opposite the rich Nevada mountain, to endeavor to fulfill it. Since I arrived in this region I have met many of the Craft from Chicago-and many more from Illinois-indeed, they say here that every second man in Nevada is from that State. Bro. Mason presided a few evenings ago at a meeting of the brethren in Mountain City. Bros. Langlands, Gest, Scoville, Geo. Ingersol, and many others from the city Lodges of Chicago, are here, all busy at the excavations, seeking for valuable discoveries. Passing by, for the present, as comparatively uninteresting to you or your readers, the respective advantages of the several starting points, I will commence on the long, tedious and weary journey across the plains; and here let me premise that we weary sojourners have been very significantly named along the road by the ranch-men and others, "Pilgrims," a title I had once already borne when surrounded by many who may read these lines. Every time they called me a "Pilgrim," my thoughts wandered away back to Apollo No. 1, and I wished for the privilege once more, in the language of Burns, with them "To tak a cup o' kindness yet, Well, it won't do to be telling long stories, as Father Tayler used to say, so we must start-say from St. Joseph-with a good strong wagon and a pair of mules. For several days' journey the road led through a beautiful country, lacking but one thing-wood. I had heard of the "green hills of Kansas," but never had seen them before. The expression conveys a very good idea of that part of it through which we passed. There are good places to stop all along the way, little creeks, where wood and water can be found. Grass, at the time we passed, was very light. There are little villages and towns all the way, until you reach Fort Kearney, where those who go through on horseback stop at nights-a good deal better plan, by the way, than dwelling in tents. Maryville, on the Big Blue river, about 100 miles from St. Joe, is a considerable place. Supplies can be got there at very fair prices. Fort Kearney is about half way. Here we strike the Platte, and we have no more lack of water. Here the road way from Omaha joins the Leavenworth, or Great Military Road, and from that point to Denver the road lies along the Platte river. At Fort Kearney we saw a large band of the Pawnees, about 600 in number, returning from a buffalo hunt. They were well armed, and all mounted on ponies. The Pawnees are reputed to be the most crafty tribe of Indians on the Western plains. Nearer Denver we met a band of 300 or 400 of the Sioux, all armed, on horseback, and on the "war path." They said the Pawnees had been up among their hunting grounds, killing off their buffalo and antelope, and carrying them away-that they had also stolen two squaws, besides a number of ponies, and they were then upon their for vengeance. I went into one of their lodges, where twenty warriors sat around, all accoutred for the fight. We passed the pipe of peace with them, and after awhile their prophet or medicine man threw himself upon the ground in a frenzy of excitement, in which condition he remained, apparently insensible, for some time, to all surrounding objects, all of which, as I subsequently learned, was for my especial benefit. He soon rose up, and interpreted his vision about me. I was going to the land of gold, I was to dig plenty of it, to become very rich, very powerful, a big chief; and, best of all, I suppose, to his Indian mind, was to marry an Indian woman, and be favored with numerous little blessings in the shape of "pappooses ;" when he concluded by whispering in my ear, that Scottish Shibboleth, "whisky." The vision fled, the illusion passed away, and I became satisfied it was a spirit of evil indeed. "Indians and buffalo," they say, are the two great curiosities of the plains. We had our share of the former, but we fell short of our supply of the latter; three old bulls were all we saw, and that was within 20 or 30 miles of Fort Kearney, on a regular trail leading to the river. though they were a great distance off, every man got out his gun, rifle, revolver or derringer, and fired, and I can compare it to nothing except a Fourth of July, or a Chicago rejoicing when Long John was elected. We got some Buffalo meat of a Chicago party-Dr. Pollock's-who had slain four, and we found it very good indeed, much more palatable than I expected. We journeyed along the Platte for over 350 miles, camping at night on the river bank. For 100 miles or more we could get no wood, and had to resort to buffalo chips, a very good substitute, too; we cooked very well with them. Storms, the most sudden and violent, are peculiar to the Platte bottom. Everything will appear beautiful at evening, and you anticipate a fine night; when suddenly the wind will change, and a tornado of unexampled fury burst upon you, accompanied by hail, rain or snow. It is well for you then if the tent-stakes are well driven down, and if the "institution remains above ground. Ours went down twice with the fury of the blast, leaving us in the most comfortless position imaginable. These storms are very dangerous. Many oxen perish in them, or else stampede and run off for miles; and we knew of four or five men losing their lives in the one which we encountered. About 100 miles from Denver, the Beaver Creek cut-off leaves the main road, which keeps along the Platte, and here we were at a stand, whether we should take the one or the other. Every returning emigrant had his own story to tell about them, and according to some, the "cut off" was a dreadful road-no grass, no wood, and nothing but alkali or poisonous water. Well, we deliberated in council about it, and it was the "opinion of the Common Council" we should take the "cut-off," upon the principle of a well-known Illinois Mason-" to take the road on which there were the most groceries." Denver City is beautifully situated at the junction of Cherry creek with the Platte river. Its population may be from 6,000 to 7,000, but if the transient population be added, it may reach 10,000. The most of the stores and dwellings are built of wood, but brick buildings are now rapidly taking their place. Log houses are the primitive types, and very cosy comfortable they are, too. Lumber is worth $60 per 1,000 feet, and brick $15 per 1,000, and every other article used in building as high in proportion. and Religious services are held regularly every Sunday in the Episcopal, Catholic and Methodist societies, and are all well attended. There is one Masonic Lodge in Denver, held under dispensation from the Grand Master of Kansas, composed of 30 or 40 brethren, who meet regularly every two weeks, in a neat little temple of their own. Col. Henry Allen, one of the early settlers, is Master, and Judge Wm. M. Slaughter, Secretary. The Lodge, as yet, has done comparatively little work, but the material is good, and will make a first-rate working Lodge. There is another Lodge organized under dispensation in the Territory, situated at Golden City, at the foot of the mountains, 15 miles from Denver, of which Dr. Hardy is W.M. This Lodge has only initiated one Apprentice since they started. I met a good many of the Brethren as I rode through on my way to the mountains, and they are of the right stamp. In Mountain City the Brethren have applied for a dispensation to organize a new Lodge among the mountains, of which J. H. Morton, President of this district, will be Master, a true Mason in word and deed. I have found a good many Royal Arch Masons and Knights Templar here, who are very anxious to have a Chapter and Commandery organized in the Territory, but as there is no suitable building yet provided, it will be some time before these undertakings are carried into effect. I have already prolonged my letter to such a length that I must not touch upon the gold diggings or the scenes in the mountains, but will leave them until another time, when I shall endeavor to give a picture of the miner's life in the diggings, accompany him to his cabin, to the church, to the miners' court, on a prospecting tour, to a miners' mass meeting, etc., etc. Letters cost us 25 cents each way. Papers we never see-they are probably stolen, and sold for 25 cents apiece. I wonder if THE ASHLAR, which is such a welcome visitor to so many Masons' homes, will ever find its way out here to the gulches of these Rocky Mountains? Your Friend and Brother, W. T. MUIR. 66 AN INSTANCE OF THE INFLUENCE OF THE MASONIC PRESS.-A concerted movement was recently made to bring into being, under the name of a General Masonic Congress," a new and supreme governing power, which would, in the course of time, absorb all the powers and functions of the separate sovereign Grand Lodges of this continent. The members and conductors of a large majority of the Masonic press of the country looked upon the movement with the greatest alarm, and expressed themselves in the strongest terms against the innovation. They foresaw, not alone the absorption of Grand Lodge powers by this new creation, but they deemed also that great danger existed that within a few years, only members of certain, so-called, higher degrees, would be declared to be eligible to seats and votes in the new sovereign Grand Lodge; thus making the dangerous experiment of increasing the distance between the rank and file and those who assumed the functions of their government; and thus destroying that just principle of the immediate representation of the Subordinate Lodges in the Grand Body, which now so happily and properly exists. All these things were fearlessly and fully spread before the Craft in the Masonic press, and when the question which touched the existence or nonexistence of this dangerous body was presented to the several Grand Lodges who have thus far passed upon it, every floor member was ready to vote understandingly on the subject. When the vote was taken in the Grand Lodge of this State, nearly a thousand representatives being then present, any lengthy discussion was unnecessary, and an overwhelmingly large majority voted to lay the report of the delegates on the table, which immediately followed its presentation. Of course, no amount of speculation can satisfactorily develop the quantity of good performed, or the aggregate of evils averted, by the Masonic press in this single instance alone; but we are not giving too much way to imagination when we declare that without this element of light, and without the means afforded by the press for open and free discussion, a fire-brand might have been thrown into the Craft, which could only be quenched by years of struggle, if quenched at all.-N. Y. Dispatch. PROCEEDINGS OF MASONIC BODIES. MAINE. pro GRAND LODGE. May, 1860.-A bulky pamphlet of nearly two hundred and fifty pages. A very full attendance of the Lodges is chronicled, representing a membership of 4,319. Local matters, mainly, were discussed, by Grand Master Chase; the only exception being the grievance between Maine and the Grand Lodge of England, to which we referred last month. Perhaps, also, we ought to except the reference to the posed N. A. Masonic Congress, but as this is now but a thing of the past, we need not delay to notice it. The Grand Master reports Masonry as in a highly prosperous condition within the jurisdiction; refers, in elegant terms, to the demise of P. G. M. Robert P. Dunlap, and of P. G. Chaplain Rev. Cyrus Cummings; and inculcates, in glowing language, the great teachings of the Order. The Report on F. C., by Bro. Cyrus Pearl, reviews, in a fraternal spirit, the proceedings of the several Grand Lodges of the country, and is a very valuable and able paper. Webb's Monitor (Edition of 1816) was adopted as the Text Book. year. Eight hundred and seventeen were initiated during the Masonic Officers for the ensuing year: M. W. Josiah H. Drummond, of Waterville, G. M.; R. W. Wm. P. Preble, Portland, D. G. M.; R. W. J. J. Bell, Carmel, S. G. W.; R. W. Joseph Covell, Jay, J. G. W.; R. W. Moses Dodge, Portland, G. T.; R. W. Ira Berry, Portland, G. S. CONNECTICUT. GRAND ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER. May, 1860.-There are twenty-one Chapters in this jurisdiction, of which nineteen reported. Exaltations during the year, 172. Membership in full, 1,531. |