tility, and abounds with good buildings and finely cultivated farms, we are erecting this, our new court house, which, though elegant in appearance, solid and firm in structure, is not out of keeping with the steady current of our advancement. And while we are glad in our prosperity, while we are justly proud of our present strength, and are strongly confident of future growth and progress, while we are to-day looking forward to a future that bids fair to be golden, let us not fail to stop, reverently uncover our heads, look back and remember with gratitude, those who were here before us-those who struggled to transmit our present blessings to us.

And it is but fit and proper that I should read to you from the history written forty years ago, and kept, until recently, in the safe and solid confines of the corner stone of the court house of 1840. Kept by a solid custodian that, after having been itself a support for forty years of the second court house, to-day is placed in this, the chief corner of our third court house, and forms a part of its solid masonry, and unites the age of 1840 with that of 1880.

6

The record says that the court house was built May 12, 1840; that the contractor was T. P. Castle; the mason, William Phelps. That the village of Mt. Clemens was first settled by Judge Clemens, in the year of our Lord 1805. The first plat was made by Mayor Gen. Macomb, in the year 1818. At that time Lewis Cass was Governor of the Territory of Michigan. Gen. Macomb selected this spot as the location of the court house for this county. Christian Clemens was the first Judge appointed for the county of Macomb, and presided as such Judge for fourteen years. He was a native of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, and is now the greatest land-owner of the village. His age is seventy years, and he is now present at the laying of the corner-stone of this building.' A business directory, deposited at that time, tells us that the following were the business men of that day:

Attorneys--R. P. Eldredge, Richard Butler, A. C. Smith, H. D. Terry, P. B. Thurston, and J. J. Leonard; blacksmiths-D. Chandler, George Dixon, J. & S. Parks; tailors -William Roy, and J. & C. Williams; cabinet makers-C. Spaulding, William G. Page; physicians Henry Taylor, George Lee, Jr., Philo Tillson, Ebenezer Hall; merchantsH. M. Dodge, John Stevens, Porter Kibbe, Eastman & Gallup, Hall & Grovier, Green & Freeman; grocers-John Conner, M. Stapleton, V. Maynard; inn-keepers-Joseph Hub- bard, Alfred Ashley, Jabez Hammond, Silas Holsey; glass manufacturers-Hall & Grovier; shoemakers-William Lewis, J. & S. Dixon, E. L. Atkinson; wagon-makers-C. N. Mather, Crittenden; printers T. M. Perry, J. Ingersoll; Treasurer-H. M. Dodge; Coroner William Lewis; Postmaster-A. C. Smith; Justices-John Stockton, P. B. Thurston; Presbyterian pastor-Rev. C. Dudley; Churches-Presbyterian, Methodist, one Baptist Society.

My friends, since that record was made, Time, the change-maker, has not been idle. Christian Clemens, who was more closely and prominently allied with the interests of Macomb County than any man of his time, whose generous heart swelled with gratitude and emotion as he witnessed the laying of the corner-stone of the building that marked another

epoch in the prosperity of the community—a prosperity that he labored so hard to secure -has gone from you. He has long since solved the grand question. Where are the lawyers mentioned in that record? The voices of the versatile and eloquent Terry and the rugged John J. Leonard are hushed in death. All of the others are dead except R. P. Eldredge and Richard Butler, who are not in practice to-day. Where are the physicians of that day? They are all dead except Philo Tillson, who is now a venerable resident of Romeo. None of the merchants mentioned in that record are in business here; most of them are dead, and those that are alive live elsewhere.

And in fact, most of the business men mentioned in that directory have crossed the dark and silent river. A majority of those who are now living with us have retired from the strife of active life, and are now sitting in easy places, the cradle of reposing age being rocked by hands that then were baby hands. Only two of the men now living with us whose names are upon that record are to-day pursuing the same avocations they were pursuing forty years ago. The one is our neighbor, D. C. Williams, a tailor, who still plies the needle and handles the shears. The other is William Phelps, then recorded as mason of that building, and to-day the ring of his trowel may be heard upon this building. keeping perfect time with the trowels of those who are his juniors by at least forty years. My friends, while we pause and realize that our county has greatly changed, and that a new lot of men have by the force of crowding events come to the front, and now carry on and administer the business duties of life, let us not lose sight of the fact that soon we all will, by a new, young and ever onward pressing life and by the ravages of time, be forced into oblivion, and that these places that now know us so well shall know us no more forever. The action of Mt. Clemens and her near neighbors in building this court house is no new thing. This duty seems to have been linked with the blessings today enjoyed, and to have been transmitted to us by the regular line of descent. It is asserted by those who were here forty years ago, and the assertion I have not heard seriously denied, that the second court house was built by Mt. Clemens and vicinity, and that the building, like this, was but a monument upon the old spot telling to the world the unanimity of feeling between Mt. Clemens and her neighbors, telling of the sacrifices which Mt. Clemens and her friends had made and are still making to keep the Hall of Justice upon the old, time honored spot.

It is not my purpose to enter into the details of the struggle in relation to that building. Those things are of the past. But I can say for the people of Mt. Clemens that they do not cherish any feelings of animosity toward their neighboring sister for endeavoring to get this building located there. We recognize that in doing that Romeo did nothing but to make an honest endeavor to protect her own interests. We do not forget that Romeo is our sister, and we rejoice in her solidity and prosperity. We remember the fact that we are all but parts of one common and prosperous county, and we never can forget the kindly and generous treatment that we received at the hands of the Supervisor who lives within the limits of Romeo; and I know I but faintly echo the feeling of the people when I say that we hope and trust the most amicable and friendly relations

may ever exist between the two towns.

And to you, the members of the Board of Supervisors, I desire to publicly say that the city thanks you for the straightforward, upright and courteous line of conduct you have displayed toward us, and we particularly thank you for your generosity in assuming the responsibility of paying the architect and superintendent of this building.

To the friends and neighbors of Mt. Clemens, who have come to our assistance, who donated $5,000 to be used in the construction of this building, I desire to here publicly on the part of Mt. Clemens, thank you for your generosity. We have caused every name you have signed to be copied, and propose to have this list deposited in this stone, so that in the far-off future, when a surging progress shall force this stone from its bed of mortar, and this list shall come to light again, your descendants can see and read the names of the persons who recognized that we were all united by one common interest, that the prosperity of one was the prosperity of another, and that the lines of our incorporation were but imaginary. And now to you, the Grand Master of the Masonic Fraternity of the State of Michigan, the chief executor of a brotherhood that is almost as ancient as the ceremony of laying corner stones, I renew the request heretofore made on the part of the city, "That you will lay this corner stone according to the customs and usages of your ancient order."

Following came a prayer by the Grand Chaplain, and then a list of the articles placed in the stone was read. It ran as follows:

1.

thereon.

3.

4.

the city.

Proposition of city of Mt. Clemens to build court house, and vote of Council

Resolution and vote of Board of Supervisors accepting proposition of Mt. Clemens.
Vote upon the proposition by the city electors April 5, 1880.

Memorandum of bonds issued by the city for the payment of the $20,000 voted by

5. Vote of Council and Board of Supervisors accepting plans and specifications of N. J. Gibbs, architect, and date of contract with builders.

6. List of names of persons who subscribed money toward the $5,000 raised over and above the $20,000 voted by the city.

7. List of the business men and firms now doing business in the city.

Names of the present Board of Aldermen and officers of the city.
Names of present members of Board of Supervisors.

8.

9.

10.

One copy of Detroit Daily Post and Tribune.

11.

One copy of Detroit Daily Free Press.

16.

17.

List of officers and members of Ladies' Literary Society.

List of officers and members of Mt. Clemens Lodge, F. & A. M.

18. List of officers and members of Grand Lodge.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

26.

List of officers and members of the German Working Men's Society.

Programme of day's proceedings.

Proceedings of Grand Lodge F. & A. M. of Michigan, and Grand Chapter, 1880.
Memorial of the Juvenile Templars.

One copy of Romeo Democrat.

One copy of Detroit Evening News.

Old coin taken from corner stone of old court house, dated 1731.

The striking ceremony proceeded in regular form until its close. The acts of the Grand Officers, with the responses of the craft, the music and surroundings served to constitute an interesting and impressive service. It was entirely new to many of the audience Upon its conclusion came an address by the Grand Master. This, a brief history of Masonry, its accomplishments and aims, was an eloquent and masterly effort.

The crowd

Here they

Fully 200

A Masonic ode followed, and then the benediction, which signaled the end. dispersed. The Masons with their guests again assembled in the Opera House. formed, and took up the march to the Avery House, where dinner was served. took seats in the splendid dining room of the hotel, and a fine collation awaited them. The banquet occupied more than an hour, and consisted of six courses. Many of the visitors were in the house for the first time, and were surprised by its size and beauty. The dance at the Opera House the same evening was a great success. It was, with one exception, the largest party of its kind held in Mt. Clemens.

The Committee on Appropriations reported in favor of allowing the architect of the court house $1,000 for his plans, and for superintending the work, of which amount $750 should be paid at once. The total cost of the building and furniture cannot be much be

low the sum of $52,000. The work has been performed well, and another beautiful addition to the public buildings of the State was formally opened in November, 1881. The members of the Court House Building Committee were Charles Ulrich, John Otto and E. W. Lewis, representing the Common Council of Mt. Clemens City, and James Ayres, L. H. Canfield and Thomas Dawson, representing the Supervisors' Board. The Committee organized by appointing James Ayres, Chairman, and John Otto, Clerk, June 18, 1880. The Clerk was excused from acting on Committee July 7, 1880, and Thomas Dawson was appointed Secretary. This Committee continues to act at date of writing, and will report when the building and furnishing are reported complete.

THE COUNTY JAIL.

Reference has been made, in Mayor Crocker's address, to the old county jail. This relic is in existence yet; and, as described in the following letter, must be a terrible place for habitation: "As we entered the vault (it deserves no better name), a damp, sickening smell weighed down the atmosphere, and the chilly air fairly penetrated one to the marrow. The main apartment of the jail runs the entire length of the building, and even then it is hardly large enough to dance a French four in. This room, in which the prisoners are