Dr. Conan Doyle And The Craft.

for many years a citizen of Edinburgh , and occupied a prominent position in the Office of Works , of which their W . M . was the present head , and that Dr . Doyle took his medical degree in Edinburgh University . It was not only as a novelist that Dr . Doyle had won his spurs . He had

written perhaps the most clear and unbiased history of the Boer war . Perhaps the next distinguished name to go OH the roll would be that of Dr . Doyle ' s commander-in-chief ,

who had promised to come to Edinburgh for the purpose , and had only that week sent a letter to the Secretary stating that he would communicate with Bro . Hawks , the Secretary , whenever he could fix a date . Whenever Lord Roberts

came he had allowed his presence to be utilised as a means of raising more money for the sufferers by the war , for which funds the Lodge had already been instrumental in raising £ g 4 . o . Dr . Conan Doyle thanked the members for conferring

on him the honorary membership of that old and distinguished Lodge , and said he thought it was only after being in a country like South Africa in recent days that one could understand the humanising influence of a cosmopolitan Institution like Freemasonry , which drew people together in one

Brotherhood , apart from race , and which was founded on Christian charity and goodwill to all men . When he was out there he heard a great deal of Freemasonry . He knew that whenever British troops came to any little place about the first thing they did was to open a Lodge ; and he believed the

ranks of the Boers also were filled with Masons . And he believed that many of our soldiers when confined among the Boers found personal benefit from the fact that they were Masons , and that our soldiers reciprocated that on our side . He was only too glad to go out to the war as a medical man .

In America a chairman , in proposing his health , said it was an extraordinary thing that though he was a medical man no living patient of his had ever yet been seen , but he thought he could truthfully say that when our army came back there would be some very robust patients of his visible then . He

spoke in praise of the rifle shooting movement , and then , touching the late lamented Sherlock Holmes , he said that if ever a man inflicted death in self-defence it was he , for if

he had not killed that gentleman he was sure Sherlock would have killed him , for one could not go on writing and thinking about the same thing for years without very much injuring one ' s nerve fibre , and he felt it was high time .

Treasurer Cranston and Councillor Wightman also welcomed the new honorary member .

Dr. Conan Doyle And The Craft.

the platform in a similar manner . Later there was a Masonic procession , headed by the Directors of Ceremonies , Past Masters , and other Brethren , followed by Bro . the Rev . A . W . Gross P . P . Grand Chaplain , Brother H . Manfield Grand Treasurer , and Lord Euston Provincial Grand Master . Bro .

T . IT . Vials played the National Anthem on the organ , and then Grace was sung . Mr . Luke Warner ' s String Band performed during the repast , and , after the singing of Grace at the conclusion , there was a short spell of speech-making . Lord Euston , who was warmly applauded , bade all the

guests a hearty welcome , nnd hoped that the gathering , which he could call , he hoped , a festival , would be thoroughly enjoyed by all . The object of the Masons was to provide a happy and jolly evening , and if they succeeded they would be very pleased ; for they were thus endeavouring to carry

out in practice the watchword of the Order , " Charity . " The gathering this year was rather late , owing to the lamentable death of their beloved Queen , a loss which was felt all over the world . They had now a King , a King who was striving to do all he could for the good and honour of his country ,

and to follow in the footsteps of his august mother . His Lordship had the pleasure the previous day of going with many Masons to present the King with an address , and he was singularly struck with the admirable way in which the whole Court was being held . Although the King was no longer

their Grand Master , he said that his interest and affection for the Craft would never cease . The past year had been important , for they had had a great war upon them , and the people of Northamptonshire had done remarkably well in the men they had sent out . The Northamptonshire

Regiment was picked out as the first to be sent to the front , and when the Volunteers were called upon in Northamptonshire they answered right royally . The county had sent from its battalion over 150 men , who had been through the whole of

the fighting , and had well and loyally borne the heat and burden of it . Two officers he had seen who had returned from South Africa told him that the Northampshire Company was the best Volunteer Company they saw in the whole lot that went out .

The Mayor , in a few brief remarks , said that he had seen many audiences in the Corn Exchange , from the Christmas Dinner children to' fashionable concerts , but he had never seen an audience which gave him greater pleasure to look at—they were all pleased and happy and contented ,

Lord Euston had told them that the watchword of the Order of Freemasons was " Charity , " and he was sure that such schemes as model villages and old-age pensions would have the warmest of advocates among Masonic Brethren . Fie

understood that anything in the nature of a vote of thanks to the Freemasons who had provided the tea and entertainment was prohibited , but he would ask all who wished to express their gratitude to do so together by acclamation .

The whole gathering loudly applauded , and the speech making ended . After the tea a wonderful series of biograph war pictures was given . The pictures gave the greatest possible pleasure ,

and were again and again applauded . Mr . Spencer Lorraine presided at the piano for this part of the proceedings Mr . W . A . Peterkin , also of the War Biograph Company sang some capital songs during the evening . The proceedings concluded with the National Anthem .

The arrangements for the gathering were ably carried out by the following Committee : —Pomfret Lodge , Bros . E . Archer , A . Cockerill , and S . B . Wilkinson ; Eleanor Cross Lodge , Bros . J . O . Bailey , W . F . Tipler , and H . Hodges ;

De la Pre Lodge , Bros . J . Eunson , W . G . Hobbs , and W . H . Turner ; Kingsley Lodge , Bros . G . W . Prickman , J . T . Hart , and G . Butcher . The Hon . Secretaries were again Bros . H . W . K . Markham , W . J . Hull , and G . S . Eunson .

The entertainment committee consisted of Bros . J . J . Hart , T . Phipps Dorman , C . E . Thorpe , J . O . Bailey , T . H . Vials , F . Tonsley , M . Warner , W . Arkell , J . J . Martin , and

G . Ellard . The superintendence of the arrangements for the commissariat was again in the able hands of Captain G . S . Eunson . The tables and seating were arranged by Bros . W . D . Gibbins and E . Archer . — " Northampton Mercury . "

Old Folks Treat.

OLD FOLKS TREAT .

THE annual tea given to the old people of Northampton by the Freemasons of the Borough took place in the Corn Exchange , Northampton , on Thursday evening , 21 st ult . The gathering was arranged by the Brethren of the four town

Lodges , the Pomfret , Eleanor Cross , De la Pre , and the Kingsley , and , like all its predecessors , was extremely enjoyed by the old folks from beginning to end . We understand the amount subscribed was hardly so large as in recent years , and in consequence the number of invitations issued was

slightly less than last year , being 710 against 760 of twelve months ago . The recipients of the invitations , with very few exceptions , were over sixty years of age . The tea tables and seats occupied the whole of the floor space of the Corn Exchange . The orchestra , from which the happy gathering

was watched by nearly 200 friends of the subscribing Brethren , was handsomel y decorated by Messrs . Jeffery , Sons , and Co . Limited . A feature of the decorations were some beautiful national flags , and the rich banners of the four Lodges . The twenty-eight tables were presided over by the ladies of the locality .

A large number of the Brethren assisted in waiting upon the guests , who had a bountiful tea of ham and tongue , bread and butter , and cake . Later in the evening beer and aerated waters were supplied ; the men were each given an

ounce of tobacco in a handy circular box adorned with the portrait of one of the war Generals , a clay pipe , and a box of matches ; and each woman was given a tin box of snuff . When the proceedings were over each woman was also given a quarter pound packet of tea as she left the hall .

Before the tea commenced the Mayoress ( Mrs . C . Adnitt ) was escorted to the platform by Bros . J . J . Hart and G . Ellard Directors of Ceremonies . ' The Mayor ( Councillor F , G . Adnitt , J . P . ) afterwards arrived , and was conducted to

Masonic Club Wanted.

MASONIC CLUB WANTED .

THE Fraternity in Douglas , Isle of Man , is relative l y an important one . Few places of the size can point to such a numerous and influential body of men connected with the Craft ; and the most absolute harmony and good-will prevails