Happily for the success of this undertaking, the regents were not accustomed to resist these appeals to their generosity, whenever there was the prospect of a donation to second the request. Eventually, Judge Temple concluded to bestow the necessary land, and to erect the required edifice chiefly at his own expense The skill of Mr., or, as he was now called, from the circumstance of his having received the commission of a justice of the peace, Squire Doolittle. was again put in requisition, and the science of Mr. Jones was once more restored to.
We shall not recount the different devices of these architects on the occasion; nor would it be decorous so to do, seeing that there was a convocation of the society of the ancient and honourable fraternity "of the free and accepted masons," at the head of whom was Richard, in the capacity of master, doubtless to approve or reject such of the plans as, in their wisdom, they deemed to be for the best. The knotty point was, however, soon decided; and, on the appointed day, the brotherhood marched, in great state, displaying sundry banners and mysterious symbols, each man with a little mimic apron before him, from a most cunningly contrived appartment in the garret of the "Bo'd Dragoon," an inn, kept by one Captain Hollister, to the site of the intended edifice. Here Richard laid the corner-stone, with great state, amidst an assemblage of more than half the men, and all the women, within ten miles of Templeton.
In the course of the succeeding week, there was another meeting of the people, not omitting swarms of the gentler sex, when the abilities of Hiram, at the "square rule," were put to the test
