his rash associates, who seem willing to sacrifice the harmony and prosperity of the Blue Lodges to further the ends of Northern Jurisdiction Scottish Rite. That if it is unlawful for them to be Cerneaus he should prefer charges and proceed in the regular manner provided by Masonic law, and if he goes to the next annual meeting of the Grand Lodge plastered over with writs, it will not be the fault of the Cerneaus; and it will not be their fault if he is com pelled to report disorder and confusion among the Workmen, and that the Masonic edifice in Ohio has been shattered from turret to foundation. If all these things come upon Masonry it will be because the Grand Master has followed the jurisdiction leaders, instead of looking to the interests of Blue Lodge Masonry alone. similar petition has been filed in the case of of Ahimen Lodge, and an injunction allowed and served as in the other case.

CRAFT TIDINGS.

United States.

Death of the Oldest FreemASON.-Last week there died in Birmingham, Iowa, the oldest Mason in America. Moses Bickford was born in 1796, united with the Masonic fraternity when about 28 years of age, and ever thereafter was a noble living example of the principles of Freemasonry. He united with the Order March 17, 1824, and became a member of Nova Cæsa rea Harmony Lodge, No. 2, F. A. M., in the then young city of Cincinnati, Ohio. Since then he has filled with dignity all the offices in the Keosanqua and Winchester Lodges in Iowa, and was a representative in the first Grand Lodge of Iowa. The present Grand Secretary of Iowa, T. S. Parvin, is the only man now living in the State who was then present and a member of that body. At the date of Mr. Brickford's death he was 91 years 8 months and 8 days old, and had been a Mason for 63 years 8 months and 17 days, almost twice the average lifetime of man, and nearly three score and ten years, the alloted time of man on earth. When we consider his life in Masonry, almost sixty-four years, it would not be surprising if he was the oldest Mason that ever lived. [Topeka Commonwealth.

ST. LUKE COMMANDERY, No. 34, Knights Templar, installed officers for the following year: Thomas M. Jones, E.C.; W. W. Neal, Generalissimo Chas. Kibler, Jr., Captain General; D. C. Winegarner, Prelate; Wm. Shields, Jr., Senior Warden; Jonathan Rees, Junior Warden; J. V. Bumer, Treasurer; Chas. F. Burner, Recorder; E. S. Brown, Standard Bearer; John Guy, Sword Bearer; Walter F. Upson, Warden; F. H. Holloway, Third Guard;

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J. W. Jenkins, Second Guard; D. A. Williams, First Guard; W. A. Smith, Sentinel. A grand banquet was served.

HIGHLAND COMMANDERY, No. 31, Knights Templar, installed the following officers: Eminent Commander, J. R. Callahan; Generalissimo, Wm. Hoyt; Captain General, P. H. Work; Prelate, Wm. M. Meek; S. W., Geo. R. Conrad; J.W., Cotton Mather; Treasurer, Geo. W. Barrere; Recorder, Ed. T. McCoy; Standard Bearer, Wm. Hart; Sword Bearer, C. A. Hixon Warden, W. C. Cowman; Sentinel, J. B. Rowe.

COLONEL CLAY LODGE, of Covington, Ky., has elected the following officers: A. H. Bryant, W. M.; Senior Warden, C. S. Klein; Junior Warden, Max Herbert; Treasurer, John Hubert ; Secretary, R. H. Ramsey; S.D., W. B. Carpenter; J.D., T. B. McMillan; Tyler, John Harbeck.

EXCELSIOR LODGE, No. 369, F. & A. M., elected and duly installed the following officers: S. F. Hiskett, W.M.; G. W. Bonsall, S. W.; W. F. Chambers, J.W.; W. E. Crane, Treasurer; C. H. Kremier, Secretary; C. C. Rothier, S.D.; Jas. Boyle, J.D.; Samuel Barrett, Theo. Kraft, Stewards; Wm. M. Tugman, Tyler.

PLEASANT RIDGE Lodge, No. 282: Albert French, W. M.; Samuel Allsop, S.W.; Edward E. Lester, J. W.; Chas. A. Santmeyer, Treasurer; H. B. Turrill, Secretary; Chas. P. Losh, S.D.; Edwin Woolley, J.D.; Philip Casner, Tyler; Jas. A. McCash, Trustee. The officers will be installed by Past Mas ter G. A. Turril, January 27. Two candidates were initiated.

On Friday evening the following officers of Cedar Lodge, N. 430, Orville, were installed: S. Boydston, W.M.; W. A. Ault, S.W.; E. H. Milhon, J. W.; J. B. Heffleman, Secretary; J. A. Shank; Treasurer; W. A. Case, S.D.; P. E. Seas, J.D.; Samuel Porter, Tyler.

NEWPORT LODGE has elected the following officers: E. S. Runnels, W.M.; H. D. Shaw, S. W.; Ed. Brumbach, J. W.; Sid Pagan, S.D.; Charles Boggs, J. D.; D. G. Brumbach, Treasurer; W. S. Hammil, Secretary; A. F. Clark, Tyler; W. H. Harton, Trustee.

ROBERT BURNS Lodge, No. 163, of Newport, Ky.: Fred Stotzenberg, W. M.; John T. Brown, S. W.; C. D. Anderson, J. W.; Thos. B. Youtsey, Treasurer; H. F. Schrader, Secretary; W. R. Irwin, S.D.; C. H. Smith, J.D.; Robert Pye, Trustee.

EMERY LODGE, No. 258: W. M., J. M. Dyer; S. W., W. B. Galivan; J. W., M. T. Vandervort; Treasurer, A. Apgar; Secretary, G. W. McGinnis; S.D., L. W. Bishop; J.D., Ed Hurff; Tyler, W. R. Merrill.

"THE OHIO PLAN."

COLUMBUS, O., January 23.- Quite a sensation was created here to-night when it leaked out that at a meeting of Goodale Lodge F. & A. M., charges had been preferred against a number of prominent members and well-known citizens. It is said that the following named gentlemen are among the list: I. C. Aston, Ira H. Crum, E. E. Beach, C. D. Firestone, Joseph H. Outhwaite, W. A. Hershiser, F. C. Kelton, R. W. Linen, B. Maynard, Isaac B. Potts, Will C. Turner, O. M. Evans, J. W. McCord, John A. Pfeiffer. The charge is that they belong to what is known as the Cerneau Scottish Rite fraternity.[Commercial Gazette.

CONSIDERABLE comment has been caused in Masonic circles by the action of the Grand Master in ordering, through a special deputy, a postponement of installation of the officers of Yeatman Lodge, No. 162, because three of those elected were known to have affiliated with the "Cerneau" Scottish Rite. The regular installation was to have taken place a week from last Friday, but the prompt appearance of the Ambassador of the Grand Master put an end to the official proceedings. A new election was ordered, which will take place on the last Friday of this month. The officers "implicated" are the Master, Senior Warden and Secretary. A number of the members of Yeatman declare their intention of re-electing these same members, in spite of the decision of the Grand Master. If this happens, some interesting developments regarding the working of the "Ohio plan” may be expected.—[Commercial Gazette, January 8.

NEWARK, O., Jan 27.-The Masonic war continues with increased fury. At a meeting of Center Star Lodge, No. 11, F. and A. M., of the neighboring village of Granville, held last night, charges were preferred against three sup posed members of the Cerneau Scottish Rite, and they will be summoned to appear for trial at the next meeting. The charges were preferred by Grand Master S. S. Williams, who is a member of Center Star Lodge, also is a 33° of the Supreme Council of the Sovereign Grand Inspectors General of the 33° and last degree for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States of America, presided over by Henry L. Palmer, of Wisconsin. By his order the Senior Deacon was deposed and a new election ordered, when the deposed brother was re elected by but one dissenting vote. Resolutions sent out by Cynthia Lodge of Cincinnati and the Bucyrus Lodge were adopted by a unani mous vote, the feeling being that the war of the Rite should not enter the Blue Lodge.-Com. Gaz.

YEATMAN LODGE.-The annual election of officers of Yeatman Lodge was held according to the Constitution of the Lodge on the 25th day of Novem ber, 1887, at which William A. High was elected Worshipful Master, Albert C. Shattuck was elected Senior Warden, and Richard C. Yowell was chosen Secretary. These officers were chosen for one year. The meeting for the in

stallation of the above and other elected officers of the Lodge was held on the 30th day of December, 1887. The business of installation proceeded, and the Worshipful Master was duly inducted to his official chair and assumed the duties of his position.

While presiding, Levi C. Goodale, representing the Grand Master of Ohio, S. Stacker Williams, and claiming the authority of a special deputy from the Grand Lodge of Ohio, declared the election and installation of Wor. Master High null and void, and, as is claimed by the Lodge, through unlawful usurpation, ordered the setting aside of the election and installation and refusing to permit him to occupy the position, ordered a new election to take place on the 27th of January, 1888. The penalty of refusing to comply with this demand it was announced by the deputy, would be a suspension of the functions of the Lodge and an arrest of the charter until the meeting of the Grand Lodge in 1888. The Lodge acquiesced in the demand of the deputy to the extent of agreeing to a new election.

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It is claimed that no charges are made against the officers elect further than that they had affiliated with the Cerneau Rite." Yeatman Lodge also claims that the Grand Lodge of Ohio is transcending its authority in bringing the Scottish Rite controversy into a meeting of a Blue Lodge.

In order that there should be no further interference therefore, William High, Worshipful Master elect of Yeatman Lodge, filed a petition in the Common Pleas Court yesterday, which was presented by Goss & Cohen, to Judge Kumler, who granted a temporary restraining order enjoining the Grand Master or any representative claiming authority from attempting to enforce another election, or preventing the installation of the Senior Warden and Secretary elect.

The injunction was not served at Yeatman Lodge last night. David Dewar was elected Worshipful Master, A. C. Shattuck, Senior Warden, and Thomas Dewar, Secretary, and the officers elect were duly installed by Deputy Grand Master Wakefield. The proceedings were peaceful and harmonious.-Com. Gaz., Jan. 28.

BUCYRUS LODGE, No. 139, FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS. REGULAR COMMUNICATION, January 11, 1888.

On motion of Bro. E. B. Finley the following resolutions were adopted: Resolved, That the Secretary of this Lodge be directed to report to the Most Worshipful Grand Master that his circular bearing date November 27, 1887, was read to this Lodge pursuant to his request.

Resolved, That it is the sense of this Lodge that as Free and Accepted Masons we have no knowledge of any but the three degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Masons, and, therefore, we are not possessed of knowledge upon which to base an opinion as to the regularity of the Order alluded to in said circular of the Grand Master. Nor can we understand how the Grand Master, as a Master Mason, can know any more about it than we do.

Resolved, The individual members of Bucyrus Lodge, 139, have heard it rumored that there are two organizations in Ohio each claiming to be the regular and legal order of Scottish Rites, and each claiming the other to be bogus, and that we have heard it rumored that the Worshipful Grand Master is a member of one of said Orders. Conceding to him the right to be a member of either of said organization if he so desires, and disclaiming all right to question the legitimacy of said organization to which he may belong, or of any other organization outside of Blue Lodge Masonry, we protest against his interference in matters not pertaining to the duties of his office, and outside of the purview of Blue Lodge Masonry, and protest against his bringing the quarrel between said bodies into our Order.

Resolved, That, as heretofore, we will still continue to observe, and in every respect conform to, and abide by the rules, laws and regulations of Ancient Craft Masonry, together with the code of rules and laws laid down for the government of Masons by the Grand Lodge of Ohio, but that the regularity or irregularity of the orders of Scottish Rite Masonry in our opinion does not concern the Worshipful Grand Master, nor this or any other Lodge of Master Masons, and we do not recognize the right of the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, as such, to express an official opinion on the subject. Nor do we recognize his right to dictate to the members of this or any other Lodge of Master Masons as to what religious denomination, politi cal party, or fraternal order they shall or shall not belong to.

Resolved, That the Secretary be directed to transmit, under the seal of this Lodge, a copy of these resolutions lo the Worshipful Grand Master and a copy to each of the Subordinate Lodges of Free and Accepted Masons in Ohio. J. W. CRISTEE, W.M. LEWIS STREMMEL, Secretary.

OFFICIALS REFUSED INSTALLATION BECAUSE OF THEIR CONNECTION WITH THE CERNEAU SCOTTISH RITE.—Zanesville, O., December 30.—The officers of Amity Lodge were to have been installed to-night. Two of the officers elect were Cerneau Scottish Rite Masons, and when Worshipful Master Stonesipher called the Lodge to order to-night there was scarcely a Mason in the city but what was in attendance, as there have been whisperings of trouble. Master Stonesipher proceeded to read a communication from Grand Master Stacker S. Williams, directing him to refuse installation to Senior Warden-elect William M. Bateman, and Treasurer-elect William M. Shinnick, S.R., who were members of the Cerneau Scottish Rite.

He also quoted from Masonic law in an endeavor to show that the Grand Master was supreme, and it was the duty of every Mason to obey his orders, no matter what the consequences. Past Master J. Hope Sutor, attempted to correct some of the statements, but was not allowed to speak. Treasurer-elect Shinnick has filled that office for thirteen years, and had been Master nineteen years, but he was unable to be present on account of illness. Senior Warden elect Bateman announced that he had never been notified of any charges pending against him, and he considered the action of the Grand Master and the Worshipful Master, if sustained by the Lodge, as absolving