Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1860-01-18
FUN AND MORE FUN-GRAND SELL
from the GAINESVILLE Aurora.

! FROM the HaneSYllle aurora.
In almost every town and city in this coun-
T! try, there is a lodge of the Sons of Malta
/ This mysterious order took its rise in New
Orleans some three or four years ago There
are two accounts given of Its origin 1t is
] said, by one account, to have originated with
tie army Of Walker the Fiilihuzter." at the
! time that worthy was preparing to take Cuba.
/ An other account says it originated during
the ravages of the yellow fever. and was in
+, tended 20 divert the minds of the frightened
people, as well as to supply a fund Cor chari-
/ table purposes as burying the home
/ less dead, &C.
/ However it may have originated, it is not
the order that outsiders take it to be ; as We
shall presently show.
One of the brethren, who has been turned
out of the important and secret Office, the mi
tials of which are &c r. j. a ;" has taken
offence at the order, aud communicated to US
the whole proceedings-pass-words, grips,
signs, &c.
When about to become member of L. O.
S. NJ. Independent Order Sons Malta, the
candidate or candidates presents himself or
themselves III an outer room, where he meets
a committee of officers OF the lodge who come
to him out of the lodge-room, with drawen
swords in their hands, with a kind of
three-barred sheet-iron hats on, which hide
their faces these officers pat test questions
to each candidate /; aud any candidate who
hestates or -.falters, is allowed to depart in
peace /; those who remain pay five dollars each,
and the committee returns to the lodge-room
TO report on tho eases aud have them ballot
ed TO.
The funs thus raised pays the rent of the
room. and the balance is expended ia chari-
~ E,r
which win appear hereafter.
After the ca ldidates are balloted for and
elected, the Grand Conductor goes out
to the ante-room aud escorts the cand-
dates to the inside entrance door, where
be pounds on the door with the hilt of his
sword three times-the inside sentinel raises
a little slide in the door-peeps out and the
chief officer from tie inside asks in loud
voice:
''What is the cause ofthe hub bub?" The
sentinel answers Strangers coming into
camp p TO which the chief replies: s'Let
'em rip
Here the door is uubarred with great clan
king of chains and bolts, aud The candidates
arc admitted.
What sight breaks upon their vision =
The room is nearly dark, as it is only light
ed by lamp OF alchohol which sits upon a
C flu in the middle of the room and throws
Its blue, Pickering light around upon the
scene. And such scene! The members,
dressed as our citizens have seen them upon
the street, are ranged around the room thus:
one lies upon his back his knee beside him in
the attitude of a mourner An is still as a
tomb around the room, except in the centre,
where the coffin lies upon the bier and the
pale lamp fIckers upon the scene Beside
thato l. IL
black cloth, marches an old man who carries
a musket and bayonet upon his shoulder-ap
old man whose white locks of hair hang in
weird and tangled masses about his neck
with his left hand he snathes unmeaningly at
his hair, and then mutters to himself as he
turns upon his heel with military precision
and marches back and forth, passing and re-
passing the black palled coffin and iickering
light. At either end of the coffin stands
figure draped In white from head to foot,
with uplifted hands aad upturned eyes, NUT
tering from which no sounds issue, and moth
ing of the face visible but the eyes and
mouth. At one of the room sits the Chief
blazing red and gold colors, but motion
iess-at the other end sits a skeleton with |
gilded crown upon his head; with one bony
hand pointing upward, while with the other |
he clasps to his feshless ribs the figure of an |
infant--at either side OF the room sits the |
Grand Chancellor aud Recorder Each and |
all AS motioniess as the coffin or the skele- |
ton.
Around tue coffin the candidates march in |
an oblOng ring, passing farthest from the /
coffin and nearest to the members aud Off
cers-thus leaving the old man room to pace
to aud fro, up and down the room. The
Grand Conductor marches with drawen sword
1T the tail of the line Of candidates for initia-
ton. Three times round the line marches
twice IN painful silence, through which moth
ing is heard but the clanking of sword scab-
Dards as they strike, at each step. the legs of
The Conductor and Sargent--during the third
round an organ or nelodeon strikes up low,
wailing, tremulous, wild, hollow tune. which
S .echoed back by the members in low
ieath song, while the old man marches more
.apidly and mutters louder and louder until
IS the candidates finish the last round the G..
}. Gas the chief is called) says IN deep voice,
Peace, venerable father? Life is made up
# sorrow, and the world is ripening for
greater sorrow than thine! Peace Peace
Be still thou wounded heart % To which all
he members respond Peace ! Peace -
3e still t"-then the music stops and the old
nan resumes his quiet march.
The candidates are now arranged around
ne g. r., who questions them as to their in
ensions. If the answers are satisfactory Gas
hey always are) the candidates are conduc- {
ed to the skeletons chair, where person
idden behind the grim figure. administers an j
litigation to each which binds him from the 6