About 200 members of the Masonic and Easter Star lodges met last evening at their lots on Lincoln and 7th to break ground for their proposed Masonic Temple, work on which is largely to be a labor of love on the part of the Masons.

After a brief announcement of Worshipful Master Frank C Twaddle, and invocation by Brother Venables of St. Andrews, Brothers Steve Land and William Brumfield, both of who were Past Masters of the lodge in the early days and who have labored together for more than 30 years for the good of the order, turned over the first shovelfulls of earth.  Immediately after, some 30 men went to work with a will, setting an example that soon brought additional tools from neighboring homes until fully 100 were at work and before dart the foundation trench had been completed for the 4 sides of the large building.  During the week, Albert Draper will excavate for the heating plant and the Masons will get to work in earnest at their trade of laying the foundation walls.

Everyone who came admired the sightly location, the lot being perfectly level and some 4 feet above the sidewalk, and commanding a splendid view of the mountains.

Not all had been advised on the method of procedure and working clothes were very much in the minority last evening, professional men and merchants, as well as craftsmen, coming in their business suits as they left the dinner table; yet all took their turn in the ditches, even some of the women taking pride in doing their bit toward the new building.  Expert work on the part of a few, like Wes Woodwin, who claim to have broke 2 pick handles and burned up a shovel, gave evidence of early training that will go a long way in encouraging others to turn in and help on the work.

The new Temple with its auditorium providing a seating capacity of 1200, will fill a long felt need in Port Angeles, while the lodge, dining and auxiliary rooms on the 2nd floor will make possible a still more rapid growth of the lodge, which now has about 200 members, as well as for the Eastern Star.  The people of Port Angeles will watch the undertaking with a great deal of interest and take an almost equal degree of pride with the members in its completion by co-operative effort.