A committee, previously appointed, of which Sir Ellery I. Garfield was chairman, reported a manual of drill and the same was adopted as the authorized tactics of this jurisdiction. Sir Garfield was authorized to copyright and publish the same, which was done and the Commanderies supplied therewith. The officers elected June 8, 1870, were, Sir JOHN L. MITCHELL, Jackson, Sir D. BOVEE, Coldwater, Sir L. C. STARKEY, Kalamazoo, Sir E. I. GARFIELD, Detroit, Sir ISRAEL COGSHALL, Kalamazoo, Sir IRVING M. SMITH, East Saginaw, Sir WM. BARCLAY, Detroit, Sir O. BOURKE, Detroit, Sir E. M. STEVENS, Fenton, R. E. Grand Commander. V. E. Deputy Grand Commander. E. Grand Generalissimo. E. Grand Captain General. E. Grand Prelate. E. Grand Senior Warden. E. Grand Junior Warden. E. Grand Recorder. E. Grand Standard Bearer. E. Grand Sword Bearer. E. Grand Warder. E. Grand Captain of Guards. DR. JOHN L. MITCHELL. On the 13th day of February, 1823, in the town of Southbury, New Haven County, Conn., was born to William and Eunice Lewis Mitchell the subject of this sketch. The first years of his life were spent at the common district school. Syracuse, State of New York. In 1834 the family removed to For the next two years he was employed as clerk and errand boy in a wholesale and retail grocery store. Leaving here he entered the Syracuse Acadamy, under the charge of Prof. Root, from which he graduated four years later. He had chosen for his life work and study, the profession of medicine and surgery. He entered the office of James C. Stewart as a student. Pursuing his studies in the Medical Department at Yale College, he graduated in the spring of 1845, receiving his degree from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of the City of New York. For two years he practiced his profession in the office with Dr. Stewart. In 1847 he went to Madison County, removing later to Jackson, Mich., where he arrived the 22nd day of May, 1850, where he has since re sided, engaged for most of the time, in the active practice of his profession. His masonic life began in 1851 when he sent his petition for the degrees of Masonry to Michigan Lodge, No. 50, F. and A. M. He was soon made a Master Mason, and at the succeeding election was elected Secretary, following which he filled the offices of Senior Deacon, Senior Warden and Master, to which latter position he was elected ten different times. In 1852, he was elected to receive the degrees of Royal Arch Masonry in Jackson Chapter, No. 3, where, after having held most of the subordinate offices he was elected High Priest and was re-elected for the three succeeding years. In 1857, he received by communication the Degrees of Royal and Select Master; subsequently under the administration of Gen. Oliver L. Spaulding, Most Illustrious Grand Master of the Grand Council, a dispensation was granted to a constitutional number of Companions to form and open Jackson Council, No. 32, R. and S. M., and Dr. Mitchell was elected Thrice Illustrious and was re-elected for the six following years. He received the orders of Templar Masonry in Jackson Commandery, No. 9, K. T. After filling the offices of Senior Warden, Captain General, and Generalissimo, he was elected Commander and re-elected the succeeding year. After filling a number of subordinate offices, he was, at the convocation in 1870, elected Grand Commander of the Grand Commandery of Michigan, presiding at the conclave of 1871. In 1874, Companion Mitchell was elected Grand King, of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masonry of the State of Michigan. The following year he was elected Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter, presiding in 1876. During his active masonic life, of over forty years, Brother Mitchell has made his influence felt for good in the different Grand and Subordinate bodies of which it has been his privilege to be a member. And now at the age of seventy-four, but for a partial loss of sight, would be as earnest and active a worker as ever in pushing forward the benefits flowing into every life from masonic affiliation. |