Metropolitan.

G . Bushell J . W ., G . Spice P . M . Preceptor , J . K . Pitt P . M . P . G . S . B . Surrey Sec , E . H . Lough S . D ., G . F . Carr J . D ., T . T . Scones I . G ., Simeons P . M ., Davey P . M ., J . A . Hobday P . M ., T . J . Goodchild , G . 'T . Baker , A . E . Green , W . Chittock , and others .

The ceremony of initiation was rehearsed , Bro . Goodchild acting as candidate . After the charge Bro . Baker answered the questions leading to the second degree and was entrusted , that ceremony being rehearsed , and the W . M . giving the lecture on the tracing board in a highly instructive manner .

We congratulate Bro . Carr on his going up as Steward for the Boys and Girls Institutions again .

Old Masonians.

OLD MASONIANS .

ON Saturday evening , at the Clarence Hotel , Piccadilly , Manchester , the Old Masonians of Manchester and district held their annual dinner . Bro . Thos . Taylor P . P . G . S . W . P . M . Gordon Lodge , Hanley , who takes a deep interest'in the Masonic Charities , had been

asked to preside at the dinner , and out of respect for Bro . Taylor several local Brethren accompanied him to Manchester to take part in the function , including the following Old Masonians from the Hanley district : —Messrs . W . K . H . Bervon , A . W . Giblett , and J . N . McMillan .

Bro . J . Morrison McLeod P . G . S . B . Secretary of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys journeyed from London to attend the gathering , and , joining the Hanley party at Stoke , travelled to Manchester with them . Bro . McLeod attended by invitation of Brother Taylor , whose guest he was at the Brampton , Newcastle , during the week-end .

Amongst the Old Masonians ( and their Provinces ) who attended the dinner were the following : —Messrs . J . G . Whyatt ( West Lancashire ) , R . A . Sykes ( West Lancashire ) , A . Crompton ( West Lancashire ) , C . Leeming ( West Yorkshire ) , R . S . Bird ( East Lancashire ) , G . Rushworth ( West Yorkshire ) , C . S . Buckley ( East Lancashire ) , R . G . Head ( North Wales ) , L . Taylor ( West Yorkshire ) , Troop ( East

Lancashire ) , C . S . Dawson ( Surrey ) , Bro . R . Duff ( Cumberland ) , Rangeley ( Derbyshire ) , H . Newton ( East Lancashire ) , L . Shorrock ( East Lancashire ) , Midgley ( West Yorkshire ) , Bro . J . Bowen ( West Lancashire ) , Bro . Jones ( West Lancashire ) , etc . The arrangements w & re excellently carried out by Mr . A . D . Crompton , and a most enjoyable evening was spent .

The toasts of the King and Royal Family and the Grand Lodge were given by the chlaiirman , and Bros . Kent and McLeod responded for Grand Lodge . Mr . J . G . Whyatt proposed prosperity to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , and Bro . McLeod responded . Many instances were given of the progress of the School , and of the success of the boys who had p ' assed through it .

Bro . Lewis Taylor proposed the Chairman , which was honoured with marked enthusiasm . 1 ¦ : ; cThe other toasts were the Old Masonians , Old Boys , and the Visitors . A programme of songs , recitations , etc ., was given , and the function was in every way a complete success , the visitors being delighted to find the Old Masonians showing such evident signs of prosperity . "

Entertainment Notes.

ENTERTAINMENT NOTES .

Wyndham . — . "Mrs . Dane ' s Defence , " at Bro . Wyndham ' s Theatre , still continues its successful career , and this evening reaches its 161 st performance . Miss Lena Ashwell has happily recovered

from her . recent attack of influenza , and has resumed her capital rendering of Mrs . Dane . Miss Alice de Winton now plays Miss Mary Moore ' s character—that lady having gone to the Cape , to attend her son , Irving J . Albery , of the Imperial Yeomanry Hospital Staff , who is dangerously ill at Maitland .

Vaudeville . — "Alice in Wonderland" has now passed its century performance , and is still attracting large audiences . It is given at matinees only , except on Saturdays , when it is played both morning and evening . The concluding representations are now announced , as the Theatre will soon be required for Capt . Basil Hood's new comedy , which is in rehearsal .

Masonic Impostors.

MASONIC IMPOSTORS .

Ax Ashton-under-Lyne Police Court on the 25 th ult ., Geo . Taylor , an . elderly man , was committed , to prison for two months on a charge of collecting alms by false pretences . He called on Bro . Pownell Almoner and Treasurer of'Masonic Lodges of the district , and applied for relief . He said his name was George Taylor , that he came from Esham , near Fleetwood , and was a member of the Forest Lodge ,

Mansfield . Bro . Pownell relieved him with 5 s , and upon making inquiries of the Forest Lodge he found that prisoner was not known . On finding prisoner he charged him with false representation , and he then admitted his real name was George Taylor Whiteman , and that he was a member of the Union Waterloo Lodge , at Woolwich , in which-he was initiated in 18 ^ 7 . Inquiry had been made of the Officers of the Lodge , but no reply had been received . Prisoner pleaded that he was hard up .

AT Huddersfield , on , ' 'the 6 th inst ., James Lomas Bulloch , a middleaged man , described as a clerk , of no fixed residence , was charged with having ' attempted to obtain by false and fraudulent pretences a charitable contribution from Bro . John Morton , chief constable . On the previous day prisoner called on Bro . Morton , and represented himself as Harry Russell , a purser in the employ of the Cunard Company ; that he had got stranded temporarily in Huddersfield , and was without means . He stated that he had been at Harrogate on

Masonic Impostors.

leave , and it expired on the following clay . Bro . Morton asked the prisoner to produce his . Grand Lodge certificate , but the prisoner said it was on the Umbria , which had sailed the day before . Bro . Morton remembered that about two years ago a man had been convicted at

Ashton-under-Lyne under similar circumstances , and he challenged the prisoner , who confessed that his name was not Russell , but Bulloch , and that he was convicted at Ashton , and he produced his Grand Lodge certificate showing that his name was Joseph Lomas Bulloch , and not Russell . —Prisoner was sent to gaol for two months .

The Widow's Son.

The Widow's Son .

Sacred kept you in your breast Secrets that you loved so well ; Sinking , Sun-like , in the West Rather than the Password tell .

Knowing that you could not say , Craftsmen from you could not wring . All they wished you to betray—Unto them you'd nought to bring . So you died and would not speak—Died a Death that was Divine ; Died—O list ye who are

weak—Died and gave nor Word nor Sign . ***** Kept inviolate—thought sublime—Yielding not with dying breath ; And for all forthcoming time We'll be Faithful unto Death .

Solemn mandate too is ours , We shall keep it firm and fast ; E'en though Death above us towers- ^ Threatening with his awful blast . For our breasts safe-tiled

are—None but Brethren have the key , They alone remove the bar Sealed by Fidelity . One there was did not reveal ,

And he did not shrink to die ; So we Hele and still conceal—Fearing not Mortality .

***** Moral this of Brotherhood—Solemn Moral—grand and great ; By Freemasons understood , Which they e'er will emulate . Bro . Chas .,-F . Forshaw , LL . D . .. . Bradford . - ¦ , , ' r . , ¦

West African Shares.

WEST AFRICAN SHARES .

A LARGE amount of business is taking place in the West African Market . This is not to be wondered at , when men like Sir J . Blundell Maple , Mr . Frederick Gordon , and Mr . A . L . Jones , of Liverpool—men who have a great reputation to lose , as well as

capital—put large sums of money into West African mining ventures . It is certain that they would not invest , as they have done , without first taking every-possible means of getting at the facts , judging the position from a calm business point of view , and believing there are substantial reasons for expecting success . Considerable interest

is being taken in the shares of Wassau Gold Concessions , Limited , which are dealt in on the London Stock Exchange at about 10 s per 5 s share fully paid . According to the reports on the Concessions owned by this Company , they are in the famous Wassau District of the Gold Coast , West Africa ; they also state that a rich banket

formation exists on the property , which comprises an area of about twenty-four square miles . The Concessions have been transferred and registered in the Company ' s name at Cape Coast . The capital of the Company is only ^ 150 , 000 , of which ^ 50 , 000 is for working capital . Altogether , the future of Wassau Gold Concessions , Limited , looks decidedly promising .

The Critical Brother.

THE CRITICAL BROTHER .

THE critical Brother who never attends Lodge , but who is always finding" fault with the way things are done in his absence deserves special mention . His disease may exist at first in a very mild form , but after a time it becomes chronic .

He now stays a \ yay because things are not conducted according to his ideas , and it is not long until he imagines that he is a" very much abused Brother , and that his fellows are imposing upon him . What an erroneous idea ! We hear a good deal about rings and cliques in the Lodge , but a careful investigation usually shows this so-called ring to be

made up of a few zealous Masons who are doing their utmost to advance the cause of Freemasonry , while their companions are staying away and finding fault . Such drones ought to be severely chastised and given to understand that their place is in the Lodge , bearing their share of the heat and burden of the day . Let us have less criticism and more personal endeavour . — " Illinois Freemason . "

Ar01201

BOOKBINDING in all its branches . Prices on application Morgan , Freemason's Chronicle Office , New Barnet ,