Page 285 - PGM Compendium

years old and lost his older daughter Jennie Louise shortly after her marriage in 1886. This was
particularly difficult for him since it was during his first term as Grand Master.

Most Worshipful Brother Ziegler settled in Spokane Falls in August 1879. In 1880 he attended his
first Grand Lodge session in Olympia as the charter Master of Spokane Lodge #34. He was unable
to attend the 1881 session of Grand Lodge but he did attend the 1882 session in Walla Walla. In
addition to serving as Master of Spokane Lodge at the 1882 session, he also served as Chairman
of both the Special Committee on the Grand Master’s Address and the Committee of Finance and
Accounts. He was appointed to the office of Grand Orator as well as a member of the Committee
on Jurisprudence. At the Grand Lodge Communication in Seattle in 1883, Brother Ziegler
delivered an oration on the constitution, uses and teachings of Masonry. He was also appointed
and installed Grand Marshal. Brother Ziegler was elected Deputy Grand Master at the 1884 session
held in Spokane Falls and was elected to his first term as Grand Master at the 1885 session in
Tacoma.

In both his 1886 and 1887 messages as Grand Master, M⸫W⸫ Brother Ziegler begins with
passages that display both his deep love of the Pacific Northwest and his skills as an orator. In his
1886 message, he begins by paying tribute to Puget Sound which he describes as being, “a place
of exquisite beauty and delight and one of the most lovely inland seas upon the earth; teeming with
abundance of delicious fishes and all kinds of moluscan delicacies of the rarest flavor.”

Brother Ziegler goes on to describe the beauties of the Olympic Mountain Range. In that
description, he displays an extensive knowledge of Greek mythology and likens the Olympic
Range to Mount Olympus the home of the Greek Gods. From his illustration, he drew the lesson,
“that man must toil and labor to enjoy rest and peace, and that without labor and trouble no great
achievements are made; and to enjoy happiness, we must aid in making others happy also.” He
goes on to remind the brothers at the beginning of their labors, to “keep in view the fact that we
are laboring in the interest of a brotherhood, aged and honorable, tried and true, whose acts and
deeds have ever been a blessing to suffering humanity, and whose principles are as broad as the
universe; let us not forget the duties we owe each other, the grandest of which is charity for each
other’s foibles and shortcomings that our professions may be blessed and our teachings carried
into proper effect.”

Most Worshipful Brother Ziegler’s 1886 message describes the events of the Masonic year and is
worth reading in its entirety. There are several key topics contained in this message. The first issue
which Brother Ziegler addresses is that of making Masons too quickly. At the time, the fraternity
was undergoing an explosion of growth and during his year Brother Ziegler had been called upon
to grant several dispensations out of time to confer degrees. He refused all but one and makes the
following statement, “I regret sincerely to notice a growing disposition, not only in the Lodges of
our Jurisdiction, but everywhere, to make Mason’s with all modern haste, and to consider that true
prosperity consists in adding numbers on the Roll; more regard seems to be paid to quantity that to
quality, more to numbers than to kind. This my brethren is wrong and can bring no good to the
fraternity. Just pause and think and you will see that one good man is worth more than a dozen
poor ones, anywhere, but more especially in our Lodges.”