old time lodge no. 629, a. f. and a. m. Chartered 1869, August 27. Organized 1869, September 1st. Charter members, 20. Original officers were-L. M. Hillyer, W. M.; E. Snyder, S. W.; G. A. Blanchard, J. W.; J. F. Coppel, Treas.; C. W. Emmet, Sec'y.; W. S. Dray, S. D.; Anson Low, J. D.; J. B. Jimerson, Tyler; W. H. Webb, J. W. Lyke, Stewards. PRESENT OFFICERS. C. C. Fager, W. M.; E. A. Wallace, S. W.; G. A. Sanford, J. W.; C. W. Emmet, Treas.; J. C. Yates, Sec'y.; E. Snyder, S. D.; G. H. Holgrafe, J. D.; Wm. Prettyman, Tyler. No. members since organization, 52. No. members at present time, 39. HAVANA CHAPTER NO. 86, r. a. m. Date of dispensation, August 3, 1865. Date of charter, October, 1865. Original officers-L. M. Hillyer, H. P.; G. R. Wilson, E. K.; A. Biggs, E. S.; C. W. Emmet, C. H.; J. F. Coppel, P. S.; E. Snyder, R. A. C.; G. A. Blanchard, Jas. Kelly, S. H. Ingersoll, Masters of Veils; A. Krebaum, Sentinel. PRESENT OFFICERS. W. S. Dray, H. P.; E. Snyder, E. K.; W. H. Hamlin, E. S.; O. H. Harpham, C. H.; A. T. Beck, P. S.; N. Scibenaler, R. A. C.; L. R. Haack, Charles Schill, H. H. Hanrath, Masters of Veils; C. W. Emmet, Treas.; H. W. Lindly, Sec'y.; E. A. Wallace, Sentinel. Total membership, 60. COUNCIL NO. 40, R. AND S. M. Date of dispensation-December 29, 1867. Date of charter-October, 1868. Charter members:-C. W. Emmet, J. F. Coppel, J, W. Kelly, J. W. Lyke, E. B. Laughton, W. H. Webb, H. R. Cleaver, H. W. Lindly, J. L. Irwin. PRESENT OFFICERS. L. M. Hillyer, G. M.; J. F. Coppel, Deputy G. M.; C. W. Emmett, P. C.; W. S. Dray, Captain of G.; E. Snyder, Treasurer; O. H. Harpham, Recorder; J. B. Paul, Conductor of C.; Isaac Tinkum, Sentinel. Number of members, thirty-two. DAMASCUS COMMANDERY, NO. 112. Sir L. M. Hillyer, E. C.; Sir O. H. Shearer, General; Sir C. W. Emmett, Capt. General; Sir E. Snyder, Prelate; Sir W. S. Dray, S. W.; Sir O. H. Harpham, I. W.; Sir E. A. Wallace, Warden; Sir I. N. Mitchell, Recorder; Sir N. Siebenaler, Treasurer; Sir C. C. Fager, S. Bearer; Sir W. H. Webb, Standard Bearer; Sirs W. H. Hamlin, Anson Low, J. L. Waller, Guards; Sir H. A. Fager, Capt. Guard. The Odd Fellows organizations in Havana, and the Masonic and Odd Fellows, in Bath, we have been unable to reach, though frequently applied for. ORDER OF DRUIDS. Havana Grove No. 40, V. A. O. D.-Hall corner of Main and Plum streets. Organized May 13, 1874. ORIGINAL OFFICERS. J. H. Knobbe, N. A.; Wm. Dargel, V. A.; J. G. Reichel, Sec.; R. Hackman, Treas.; H. Stockert, J. G. PRESENT OFFICERS. R. Hackman, N. A.; A. Marquardt, V. A.; A. Lope, Sec.; J. Lebeck, Treas.; H. H. Hackman, J. G. Meets every Wednesday evening. MANITO LODGE 476, a. f. and A. M. Charter dated October, 1866. Charter members were:-H. A. Sweet, A. G. H. Conover, P. W. Gay, A. A. Griffin, P. W. Thomas, Z. Miller, R. S. Eakin, John Thomas, B. Ruthenburgh, Smith Mosier, H. Latham, W. W. Pierce. ORIGINAL OFFICERS. H. A. Sweet, W. M.; R. S. Eakin, S. W.; A. G. H. Conover J. W. PRESENT OFFICERS. R. S. Eakin, W. M.; F. Schoeneman, S. W.; J. A. McComas J. W.; Peter Fox, Sec.; Joel Cowen, Treas.; J. A. Rodgers, S. D.; W. B. Robison, J. D.; R. Sauters, Tyler. Total membership at present, thirty-three. MASON CITY LODGE no. 403, A. F. AND A. M. Regular communications on the second and fourth Tuesday evenings of every month. S. M. Badger, W. M.; J. F. Culp, Secretary. MASON CITY LODGE NO. 337, I. O. O. F. Regular meetings every Thursday evening, in their Hall, LaForge Block. G. W. Ellsberry, N. G.; P. Mundt, Secretary. NEWSPAPERS OF MASON COUNTY. To give a sketch, historically, of the different newspapers published at various times in Mason county is at this time an impossibility. Perpetuity has not been a characteristic of that important industry, "that art preservative of all arts" that is so much the pride, and so very justly the boast of our age and country. The art of printing is second to no other. Of its first origin, histories differ, but enough is known to place beyond a doubt that it was practiced in Asia before its discovery in Europe. But it has fallen to the lot of our own country to render it a popular institution, and so cheaply executed that the poorest of the people of this country are abundantly supplied with reading matter of the latest date at a mere nominal rate. The mechanic and laborer, as well as the man ΠΟΙΕΣ Com S.D of leisure and the professional man, can this morning read in his daily, the yesterday's proceedings of our congress, the British Parliament, the French Congress, the doings of the city of Rome and Constantinople, and in Egypt. To the printing press of our country, and largely to the local press, is due that general diffusion of intelligence so characteristic of the American people. This enterprise and intelligence has carried the press and the English language and the newspaper to every country on the globe. Our American-English language is thus diffused, American enterprise made notorious, till Americans officer the armies of Egypt, and hold high positions in its government. Americans are the civil engineers of Russia and Turkey, and many es in China are teaching our language and arts, while Japan has a Chead to her department of agriculture from our neighboring county, and a postmaster general from a neighboring State. Nor is this all: China looks out from all "Her mystic past, And opens wide the fast Barred doors which once her And an American built railroad has invaded her long-secluded domain. The railroad engineers of the United States have overrun South America in all her fastnesses, probed the Andes, and traversed the plains of Columbia and Brazil, "And where the Amazon's deep tide Full-hearted glides through banks of green." The American engineer, stimulated by his characteristic enterprise, and guided by, that intelligence that ever in human history has followed in the wake of the printing press, is marking his lines of railroad, and directing the nominally-priced labor of the country in its construction. Eight years only were allowed to elapse after the organization of Mason county before the local newspaper was established in our midst. In 1849 Messrs. McKenzie & Roberts established the first newspaper in Mason county, called the "Mason County Herald." In 1851 we find O. H. Wright, Esq., of Havana, editor and proprietor. He was succeeded by E. L. Grubb, who also published a paper under the same title. Then Stout & Wheaden published a county paper under the same title. This was in 1853. Stout & Wheaden were succeeded by W. W. Stout; Wheaden retiring, and under his management the "Herald" became a paper of much influence and ability. From this time on we are unable to give dates of the "Arrivals and Departures" of the local papers, that in most cases were very short lived, but the following are their names and their editors. We cannot even give them ad seriatim-so ephemeral were the existence of some: The Squatter Sovereign, by James M. Davidson. The True Unionist, by S. Wheadon. The Havana Gazette, by Robert L. Durdy. The Havana Voter, by D. G. Swan. The Revielle, by D. G. Swan. The Havana Ledger, by William Humphreyville. This was removed from Havana to Mason City, and sold to W. S. Walker, and there published by him, and is now the Mason City Fournal, so ably and efficiently conducted by Mr. Wells of that city. The True Unionist and the Havana Ledger were consolidated by their editors, Messrs. Wheadon and Humphreyville, and formed the Democratic Clarion, of Havana, now ably conducted by Mr. Wheadon. The Havana Gazette, by D. G. Swan. The Bath Journal, of Bath, by W. W. Stout. The Bath Journal, by Stafford & Servass. The Mason City Times, by Haughey & Co., the first number of which issued Dec. 25, 1866, lies on our table. The Mason City News, by Haughey & Walker. If there are others we have been unable to get data of them, and can only use such material as is within our reach. We will in the following pages give brief extracts from some of the earliest publi |