Page 276 - PGM Compendium

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.”

Brother Ziegler goes on to describe the decisions that he made as Grand Master. He describes his

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