VISIT OF AMERICAN FREEMASONS TO ENGLAND.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3000, 26 September 1878, Page 2

VISIT OF AMERICAN FREEMASONS TO ENGLAND.

I have been having rather a good time of it this last month, having been doing a g nd tour in company with a party of American Masonic "Pilgrims," who have been visiting this tight little island. Certainly they will return to the land of the setting sun with most: enlarged ideas of the practical hospitality of English Fi.emasons for I never saw anything like the way in which they were received. In fact they have been making an almost regal progress, and nothing seemed to be too good for them. When they landed at Moville they were met by a deputation of Masons from Londonderry, and were ' feted and feasted by the Provincial Grand Lodge. In Dublin the Grand Lodge of Ireland met to do them honour, and in Edinburgh the Grand Lodge of Scotland did the same thing. The leader of the party'was a personal friend of my own, and as X was with Mm I had every opportunity of witnessing the heartiness of feeling everywhere evinced. York, however, put the climax upon the whole tour, and the circumstance was especially gratifying to the Yankees, who regard York as the birthplace of Freemasonry, and until quite lately maintained the idea of " Ancient York Maionry." The York Brethren sent a deputation to receive us at Leeds, one of them being, I found, an old Aucklander, 'Bro.. Whytehead, formerly connected with the New Zealand Herald, whom I detected by the greenstone on his watch-guard—a great;old;badge amongst returned colonists. We travelled to York in special saloon carriages, sent for us by the brethren of that city, and on arrival were greeted on the platform of York station by a perfect regiment* of jolly fellows. -By the way, York station is of itself quite a sight. lam not perfectly sure, but believe it is the biggest "depot", in the country; at all events it is a splendid structure, quite a crystal palace, and the Station Hotel, to which we were conducted, is a splendid house. The next, morning we were taken, all over the city, and saw the glorious old Cathedral, and so on, and at 2 p.m. were landed at the rooms, of the Eboraeum Lodge, where we lunched. -Yorkshire has always enjoyed a reputation for good living.and hospitality, but when we saw what we s were expected to do at lunch, we could not help audibly Wondering what dinner woiild be like. My ex-colonial friend presided as .the; master of the Lodge, but there was very little speaking. In the afternoon there was a meeting of the Masonic Knight Templars, about a score of the Yankees ■ belonging to that order. A very splendid affair it was too, and the ceremonies were beautifully performed again by our ex-: colonial, who seemed to be the lock, stock, I and barrel of the whole concern. Then in the evening there was a banquet, and I \ never sat down to anything better served i or with more handsome decorations. The Lord Mayor ;of York attended with "all the glories of a sword and mace and the Cap of Maintenance, presented to the city by Eichard II.; and the Lady Mayoress and a great many ladies, were present.; The band of a Cavalry Regiment, stationed at York, did the musical part of the affa'r, which went off well. I know that bed did not see me until 2.35 a.m., and there were some pale gills at break-, fast. On the platform in the morning I there was a regular gathering of brethren to see us off, and several of them accompanied us to Sheffield, where we had another Masonic reception, but nothing like York. When we got up to town, Bro Kenning, the Masonic Jeweller, and owner : of the "Freemason," gave a banquet at his own expense to the American visitors, and invited a number of leading Masons thereto. It was very successful, but one of; the Americans Came behind my chair when, it was over, and said: "I guess this is | pumpkins, but still York lies right across; the deck." What with the distance! traversed, the excitement, the good cheer, and what not,-1 don't know when I have; had such a time as I had with our friends! /from the other side. However,' it has 'kept me, a good deal out of the way of; town gossip, and I hardly know what news there is to tell you.—Greenstone in Auckland Star. , i