Obituary.

Obituary .

B R 0 . DR . W . G . FORBES , P . M ., P . P . G . S . B ., & c . \\ Te are sorry to record the death , after a few days ' illness , of Bro . William Guthrie Forbes , P . M . 543 , in 187 6 , and P . P . G . S . B . of East and North Yorkshire , in 1 SS 8 . Bro . Forbes vvas a native of Scotland , where he studied for the medical profession , taking the degrees 0 f M . B . and C . N ., in 1868 , at the University of

Edinburg h , when he at once went to reside at Stokesley , at first in conjunction with Bro . Handyside , " the Father 0 f Freemasonry in Cleveland , " whose practice he took many years ago , and by his skill , attention , and kindness won for himself the love as well as esteem of thousands . He leaves a widow and two children , with whom much real sympathy is universally felt by the

inhabitants of the town and vicinity , over which it is not too much to say that the death of our gifted brother has cast a general gloom . Many are the men and women who , like the writer of this brief , but truthful , notice , assert that to his skill and assiduous attention they owe their lives , and his 21 years of useful labour will long be remembered by people of all classes .

BRO . ADLEY H . CUMMINS . Masonry in San Francisco has sustained a severe loss in the death of Bro . Adley H . Cummins , a man of great learning and a distinguished Mason . Bro . Cummins was born in Chester County , Pennsylvania , of an old English family settled there . He engaged most successfully in the practice of the law at San Francisco .

He was , however , best known there as a distinguished scholar . Devoting himself to the study of languages , he became master of 60 languages and dialects . The chief work he had yet produced was the Friesic Grammar ( Trubner ) , and , though the Friesians is that language most nearly allied to English , there is no other

grammar than this learned work in our language . It was dedicated to Bro . Hyde Clarke . He had been severely attacked by enteritis , and was recovering , when he succumbed to the effects of an earthquake shock , at the premature age of 39 . He was interred , after a Masonic service , performed by Bro . G . S . Grimes , with choral accompaniments , in King Solomon ' s Hall , under

the auspices of the California Lodge . Bro . Rev . Horatio Stebbins delivered a laudatory address . The funeral partook of a public character . Bro . Cummins left a widow , the companion of his studies , a daughter of the Rev . D . H . Haskell , for whom the competent position he has left for her and his daughter affords no solace for their loss .

Freemasonry In The Diamond Fields.

FREEMASONRY IN THE DIAMOND FIELDS .

The following is the address which we allude to in our article elsewhere as having been presented to Bro George Richards , P . M ., P . Z ., at the close of the ceremony of dedicating the new Masonic Hall in

Kimberley , and the reply of that brother . The latter is certainl y what the Diamond Fields Advertiser describes it , one of the most eloquent and telling orations ever delivered at any Masonic gathering , whether in Griqualand West or any other country : To Worshi pful Brother George Richards , P . M ., P . Z P . M . W . S ., P . P ., & c .

Dear Sir and Brother , Having learned with profound regret that it is your intention shortly to take your departure from Kimberley , we deem this important occasion in the history of Freemasonry on the Diamond Fields a fitting opportunity of expressing our high appreciation of your qualities as a citizen , friend , and brother , and our deep sense of the manifold services you have rendered ' 0 our beloved Craft .

During your residence here , now extending over a period of 17 years , you have been intimately associated w 'th many public bodies and institutions ; and to your brethren it is a source of supreme satisfaction that the Princi ples of Freemasonry have never failed to claim y ° ' . jealous and enthusiastic services . I his edifice in which we are now assembled for the ' t time , almost wholly owes its inception to your busy r j i . and from first to last you have been active and attentive in the performance of your duties as a mem-De j- of the Building Committee .

IN ot onl y has our Order gained immeasurabl y by y ° r efforts to advance and perfect its general opera-° "s , but in particular the noble princi ple of benevo-In " , has always found in you a faithful all y . With •>gnanimit y , yet with generous secrecy , vou have on

occasions been eager to aid the brethren in the dut y inv ' Ki ' distress i while the Educational Fund has ariabl y found in you a generous and enlightened Ln ' « Yipioi .. fromr d L d ' as wel 1 as y ° ur , ocal brethren , have you 1 time con £ erred well-merited honours upon as ' ' doubtless , in the future , these will be increased nv , lrs ro " > and your services in the cause of Freely ... , .... * . _ , «« . j ^ ... ^^ o ... i _ . iv . tiiuac ui

rice-Wu y are multi plied . labo distant £ rom this fruitful field of your Masonic th 0 ., u ; do not doubt that you will have kindl y P' " iv f ° f the bretnren you leave behind ; whose be th-t ° w Great Architect o £ the Universe will ever pr •. wi " P reserve you in health , strength , and laboi , t ' , untiI the hour of even cometh , when the ni ( . n" ° ls life shaI 1 be at an end . the refresh"" -ty c a " eterna ! happiness shall be your reward , remain , Dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally .

Freemasonry In The Diamond Fields.

To this Bro . RICHARDS replied as follows : Worshipful Masters , Past Masters , and brethren , —I had hoped to adopt for my motto this evening the words , " Rest , and be thankful , " for I am like the traveller across the desert who , wearied with the heat and toil of the clay , welcomes with intense thankfulness , as evening

shadows fall , the quiet rest and shade of the palms by the wayside . With equal thankfulness , however , do I welcome the opportunity now afforded me of saying a few words to you this evening , partly on account of my connection as a member of the Temple Committee , with the work we have met to consummate , and partly

because this is the last time , for a considerable period , that I shall have the privilege of addressing an assemblage of the brethren in Griqualand West . The term of my residence amongst you is rapidly drawing to a close , and those of my brethren with whom in close Masonic communion I have laboured for the past few

years will readily understand that the keenest regret I experience in leaving Kimberley is the severance of my active Masonic work amongst you . Twelve years ago , in Kimberley , I first received the light of Masonry ; within this province has nearly all my Masonic work been carried on and here ¦

have all my Masonic honours been won . Brethren , the word farewell is at all times a sad one , and to-night you have intensified the deep regret with which I utter it , for this spontaneous and unexpected tribute of your fraternal regard and esteem , as expressed in such eloquence of imagery in the beautiful

address presented to me on your behalf , and with such kindly words , by my esteemed and worshipful Bro . Lawrence , has shown me how close and strong is the mystic tie which binds us together in Masonic Brotherhood , and with what fraternal affection and charity you have so kindly overlooked the many shortcomings of

my Masonic life , and remembered me only for good . It has proved also , what to me is the bri ghtest and most valued of my Masonic honours , that I have been privileged to win the gratifying testimony of your approval of my work , and can count , amongst the ranks of my brethren many true and trusty friends ,

whose God-speed will go with me at my departure , and whose good wishes will attend me in my future career . And I need hardly add , that wherever my lot may be cast , my thoughts will ever turn with grateful pride to the home of my Masonic . birth , and with feelings of strong fraternal affection towards the brethren

who have so * cordially and earnestly laboured with me in the Craft we love so well , and to which I esteem it so hi gh a privilege to belong . You have heard from our Worshi pful Brother , the Chairman of the Temple Committee , a full and eloquent account of the work which has been entrusted to

our care ; it is unnecessary , therefore , for me to weary you with any recapitulation of the ori gin and progress of our temple building , or of the labours of the Committee of which I am proud to be a member . Suffice it to say , our work is almost ended , and if the ultimate result proves satisfactory to those who have aided the

good cause , we shall have earned our reward . Kindl y mention has been made to-ni ght of the services I have been able to render , but I disclaim all personal credit ; the labour of each member of the Committee has been given freely and ungrudgingly for the good of the Craft , and to the Committee , as a whole , let the credit

be given . And now , as , with solemn dedication ceremony , we have prepared our lodge and set out our jewels , a word as to the future of our Masonic work may not be out of place . We laid the foundation of our temple on the fundamental principles of our Order , and we have dedicated it according to grand Masonic

line and rule . Be it a solemn charge , therefore , upon every brother who finds shelter within its portals to uphold and maintain , in act as well as in word , the honour and dignity of the Craft . Brethren , there are higher aims to attain in Masonry than the mere acquirement of a perfect ritual , or the correct performance of

our rites and ceremonies ; greater rewards to win than even the proud position of the Master ' s chair , for the Mason who , with fraternal hand outstretched , has reclaimed an erring brother , who , with kindly words and kindlier deeds , has relieved the distressed , comforted the afflicted , and through life ' s stormy passage has

endeavoured to walk justly and uprightly before God and man , has won for himself a jewel , whose lustre age cannot tarnish or adversit y dim . A jewel stamped with the approving mark of the Great Overseer of the Universe . There is one subject I wish briefly to touch upon this evening , a subject that I know will find a ready echo in

the hearts of the Past Masters by whom I am surrounded . Brethren , we cannot put back the hands upon the dial of time , and thus , as year after year rolls by , the Past Masters of our lodges pass , one by one , away . It may be that , when the anniversary of this day comes round , some of us , whose voices have been

heard within these walls to-ni ght , will have answered and obeyed the final summons , and I feel it , therefore , a duty incumbent upon me to remind you that to you the Craft looks to carry on the work and promote the honour and prosperity of bur ancient Institution . On you will devolve the task , as the column of our strength

declines , and the gavel falls from the nerveless hand , of gathering up the reins of government , and guarding , pure and unsullied , the charter and prestige of your lodge . To this end I would counsel you to increase your store of Masonic knowledge , and to search more

deeply into the hidden mysteries of our ancient science . Believe me , the work will win upon you as you proceed , for , as the mountains of the Bible well repay the climber , so will the Masonic student be richly rewarded for his researches in and about the mystic columns of our ancient Temple . A readier understanding of the

Freemasonry In The Diamond Fields.

grand truths , which we now veil in allegory and illustrate by symbols , cannot but tend to the advancement of our mora ! character , for , although Masonry is not a religion of itself , its precepts and teachings are so closely allied to and interwoven with all that is good and pure and noble , that if we but practised in our

daily lives and intercourse the principles we inculcate within our lodges , our influence for good would be bounded only by the close of our existence . The dedication of our temple to-day marks another white stone in the history of Freemasonry in Griqualand West , and as the beautiful tesselated border of our lodge

is curiously interwoven into one harmonious blend of colour , like the perfect harmony which flows from full pure notes of melody , bringing rest and peace to the troubled heart , so may the principles and tenets of our Order , absorbing and hushing all the discords of life , render harmonious in communion and perfect in purity ,

the whole structure of our Masonic brotherhood . Brethren , in saying farewell to you to-ni ght , I would once more thank you , one and all , heartil y and sincerely , for the very handsome and valued gift you have made me , and which , till falls the shadow of that eventide so beautifully pictured in your address , will remain with

me as one of the brightest memorials of my Masonic life in Kimberley , for it expresses the long continued cordiality of feeling which has always existed between us in our Masonic labours , and consolidates the many kindly and fraternal tokens and expressions of esteem and regard which you have from time to time accorded

me . I thank , you also for the kindly attention you have given to the few words I have spoken this evening . I have endeavoured , feebly , I know , yet , in all earnestness , to set before you the advantages and benefits to be derived from a closer study of our ancient art , and a wider diffusion of the grand truths it contains ,

carefully guarded by the landmarks and traditions of the Order ; for by these means shall Freemasonry advance and prosper ; thus shall the influence of our Craft , a power mighty for good , extend in ever-widening circle , until the day shall dawn , when all the doubts and mists and shadows of this mortal life shall roll

away , and we pass into that light , which never shone on sea or shore , which floods with radiance the nobler temple not made with hands , that Grand Lodge beyond the mystic veil , where the world ' s Great Architect lives and reigns for ever .

District Grand Lodge Of Queensland.

DISTRICT GRAND LODGE OF QUEENSLAND .

The district quarterly communication and annual meeting of _ , the Scottish Grand Lodge took place in the Masonic Hall , Alice-street , Brisbane , on the 26 th July . In the absence of Bro . the Hon . John Douglas , C . M . G ., Bro . John G . W . Barnes , acting D . Grand Master , presided .

The by-laws of the Mount Morgan Lodge , No . 7 6 3 , were submitted and approved , with sli ght alteration . Those of the Mylne Lodge , U . D ., were reserved for consideration until after receipt of charter . Bro . BARNES reported that he had officially visited since the last quarterly meeting the Caledonian Lodge ,

No . 456 , Ipswich , and the St . John ' s Biarra Lodge , No . 758 , Esk , and installed the newly-elected officers therein , and also those in the four Metropolitan lodges . The commissioned officers were then appointed and installed by Bro . Barnes as follows : Bro . James Spiers , P . M . 6 77 , 76 3 D . Sub . G . Master „ Alderman Leftwich , P . M . 504 D . S . G . W .

„ R . Potts , P . M . 435 D . J . G . W . „ H . J . Kessels , P . M . 455 ... D . G . Sec . „ Rev . D . Ruddock , 455 , 677 ... ") „ „ „ , „ Rev . P . Robertson , W . M . 456 j - ^ - Cha P ' „ Rev . J . F . Leig hton , W . M . 758 D . A . G . Chap . And the elective officers were installed as follows : Bro . W . Trimble , P . M . 680 ... D . G . Treas .

„ W . H , Johns , P . M . 456 ... D . S . G . D . „ W . J . Robinson , W . M . 680 ... D . J . G . D . „ V . Larsen , P . M . 680 ... D . G . Architect . „ W . Kash , P . M . 6 77 D . G . Jeweller . „ D . Munro , P . M . 456 ... D . G . Bible Br . „ W . Mitchell , W . M . 504 ... D . G . D . C . „ H . Stewart , P . M . 504 ... D . G . S . B . „ T . A . D . Maillard , S . W . 455 D . G . Dir . of M . „ W . M'Millan , P . M . 456 ... " ] „ T . G . Cornes , W . M . 7 6 3 ... „ John Marsland f- D . G . Marshals . „ S . H . Ineson ... ,, R . Cunningham , W . M . 752 „ S . Dennison , W . M . 455 ... D . G . Std . Br . Bro . G . T . Nicol , 680 D . G . Purst . „ C . Heicke D . G . actingTyler . Bros . A . M'Master , G . R . Ogg , E . K . Ogg , W . M .

677 ; W . Roberts , W . R . Goeldner , 455 ; A . M'Gregor , P . M . 456 ; J . Robson , P . M . 655 ; J . Mackenzie , 504 ; A . R . M'Gregor , P . M . 737 ; J . 1 . Hogg , 435 ; R . Dunsmure , 730 ; G . C . Taylor , J . W . 758 ; R . C . Lethbridge , 730 ; R . Kirkbridge , 655 ; H . Selig , 655 ; D . M'Lean , 730 ; J . S . Reid , 737 ; W . J . Shearer , 655 ;

A . Jarvie , 752 ; J . Robertson , 730 ; and H . Scott , 758 , D . G . Stewards . The District Grand Committee annual election resulted as follows : Bros . G . J . Skiller , P . M . 455 ; D . M'Gregor , P . M . 504 ; J . K . Donald , P . M . 456 ; J . J .

Hogg , R . W . M . 436 ; and W . J . Robinson , R . W . M . 680 , in addition to those who are members ex officio , and as Auditors Bros . F . W . Faithfull , P . M . 6 S 0 , and Davidson Sharp , J . W . 455 . The communication having been adjourned , the usual loyal and Masonic toasts were duly honoured .