At The Sign Of The Perfect Ashlar

Kansas City Lodge , of Kansas City , U . S . A ., is in the possession of Washington ' s Alasonic apron , which is said to be the only authentic one . The apron was presented to the lodge by the late Dr . Joshua Thorne . The written history of the apron was given to the lodge with it .

It was made in 1794 by a young woman of France , and presented to George Washington . It was worn by its owner on all Alasonic occasions , and by his wish at his death it went to George W . Park-Custis , one of the Custis' family , of which Washington ' s wife was a member .

It subsequently fell into the hands of Major Dripp , a pioneer of Kansas City , after whom Dripp Street was named . Dr . Thorne heard of the apron , and resolved to secure it , but the Custis family retained an interest in the relic , and Major Dripp could not part with it without their consent . Dr .

Thorne made a special trip to Washington , D . C , to gain this permission , which was finally granted on condition , that the apron should some time go to a Alasonic body .

* < g » « s » The emblem was in Dr . Thome ' s possession for thirty years . In 1872 he took it to London , where it was exhibited to the Grand Lodge of England and was said to have been worn by the Prince of Wales . Dr . Thorne presented the

apron to the Kansas City Lodge on condition that it should remain in the custody of each Alaster , and should be turned over by him to his successor . The apron is of beautiful design and finish . By the members of the Grand Lodge of England , it was said to be the

finest insignia of its kind ever made . It is made of the finest silk , is decorated with the emblems of the Order , and is hand painted . The silk is somewhat cracked , and the ribbons that adorn it are yellow with age , but it is still a beautiful piece of work . The apron is kept in a plush-lined

case with a plate-glass front , and is rarely removed from its resting place . The rare old relic is regarded as the lodge ' s most valuable possession , and is guarded as carefully as possible from the destroying effects of time . —American Tyler .

< S' « £ > # It is gratifying to note that the recent opening of the Alexandra Palace was in a great measure clue to the energy and influence of a prominent member of the Craft , Bro .

R . D . M . Littler , C . B ., K . C ., Past Deputy Grand Registrar . So long ago as 1891 Bro . Littler worked hard at a scheme for the acquisition of the Alexandra Palace and Park , but the difficulties then in the way were insurmountable . Thanks , however , to the co-operation of several public spirited men ,

and to the decision of the Local District Councils to contribute a sum of ^ £ 150 , 000 , Bro . Littler was able , a short time since , to declare the Alexandra Palace and Park open to the public for ever . The Queen sent the following message on the occasion : — " Queen Alexandra wishes the Alexandra Palace every success . "

<& - & * j Seeing how large a part decorations play in oiu ceremonies , the following anecdote related by "T . P ., " in M . A . P ., of our late Grand Alaster will be of interest : — " A friend of

mine was staying as fellow- guest with the King some time back at a country house for a week-end . The King had , as Prince , the custom of sending his equerry or servant to the guests , informing them what his wish was as to wearing decorations . On this evening my friend had received the

message : ¦— ' H . R . H . desires gentlemen to wear the ribbons and buttons only of their Orders . ' He is a careless man , and he stuck two English orders and one foreign decoration on the lapel of his dress-coat , and never heeded the exact positions . A few minutes to the dinner-hour he came out

info the passage , and was making his way to the stairs when he met the Prince , who was also about to descend . He stood aside , but the Prince motioned him to join him and they went down together .

"As they readied the first landing , the Prince , who bad been looking attentively at my friend's coat , stopped , and much to the latter ' s confusion , said , taking hold of the lapel , ' These ribbons should not be placed so . That one , ' pointing to the foreign one , ' has no place there at all on the present

occasion ; and of those two , ' pointing to the English ribbons , ' the order should be reversed . ' My friend murmured his apologies , and the Prince said , ' I know it is not always easy to understand , but I like care to be given to such matters . '" * > s » #

R . W . Bro . Charles Trevor Mold , District Grand Alaster for the Argentine Republic , who is now on a visit to this country , is probably the Alasonic ruler of a province larger in area than any district under the English Constitution , a country of some 1 , 200 , 000 square miles , but it is needless to say that the

number of his subjects does not at all correspond with the vastness of his Masonic kingdom . The English community in Buenos Ayres supplies the principal material for three out of the seven lodges which form the District Grand Lodge , and the other four lodges are located respectively in Cordoba ,

Lomas de Zamora , Quilmes , and Rosario de Santa Fe . There is also a native Grand Lodge in the Argentine Republic , between which and the English District Grand Lodge the most friendly relations exist .

BRO . CHARLES TREVOR HOLD . Bro . C . Trevor Alold was initiated in the Excelsior Lodge , No . 617 , in 18 75 , successively filling the offices of Secretary , Warden , Alaster , and Treasurer . He was also a member of the

Victoria Lodge , No . 2329 , of which he was for some time Treasurer , and is an honorary member of Lodges 1553 , 2517 , 2459 , 1025 and 2329 . Bro . Mold's first District appointment was that of District Grand Secretary , an office which he filled with much credit and ability for eighteen years ; and in 18 9 6

he was appointed District Grand Alaster in succession to R . W . Bro . John G . Ryan , AI . D ., an office which , from long residence and his intimate knowledge of the country and its people , he is eminently lilted to fill . Royal Arch Alasonry also claims Bro . Alold as a member . He was exalted in 1881 ,

and after filling various offices in the Alasefield Chapter , he was installed as First Principal in 1884 . He was also a founder of the Silver River Chapter , No . 2329 , of which he is still a member . Such services as Bro . Alold has rendered as an active and zealous member of the English

Constitution are of much value in a country where the observance of the ancient traditions and land-marks of the Craft , as understood in England , exercise an incalculable influence for good , both Masonically and socially .