The Cambridge of eighteen hundred and ninety-six: a picture of the city and its industries fifty years after its incorporation
Arthur Gilman, Ed.

The anti-Masonic excitement, which began in New York State, reached Cambridge in full force about the year 1828. Looking back on those days, it is difficult to understand the extent of the disturbance, or to comprehend the causes which led to such bitter and unreasoning opposition. In Massachusetts, as elsewhere, the persecution was ‘carried into all the relations of social life; the ties of kinship and of friendship were rudely severed; the springs of sympathy were dried up; confidence between man and man was destroyed; members of the Masonic institution were broken up in their business, denied the lawful exercise of their civil franchise, driven with ignominy from public offices, from the jury box, and from the churches, subjected to insult, injury, and contumely in their daily walks.’ Thus wrote Charles W. More, the author of two celebrated documents addressed to the public, which are said to have proved the final deathblow to anti-Masonry in this State.

Amicable Lodge maintained its ground, though with some difficulty, for about ten years. In that time only a single candidate was initiated; many members naturally lost courage, and meetings were necessarily held less often and at irregular intervals. In 1838 it was decided to dispose of the funds and to dissolve the organization. It was the intention of the members to convey their property to the town for charitable purposes, insisting, however, that the name ‘Masonic Charity Fund’ should be perpetuated. In detail the conditions were as follows:—

1. That the town shall pay interest annually on the amount of the Fund at the rate of six per cent. per annum.

2. That the interest arising from the Fund shall be annually paid out upon application to such past or present members of Amicable Lodge, or their immediate families, as the Selectmen for the time being shall consider objects of charity.

3. That the interest unappropriated as above, at the end of each year, shall be added to and form a part of the permanent Fund.

4. That when the amount of the Permanent Fund shall have accumulated to the sum of five thousand dollars, the Selectmen for the time being shall annually distribute the interest, in such manner as they shall deem proper, to any residents of the