The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-01-12

III WuIIc ITOm Hcdu W lOOG, Will upIilttu
hands and upturned eyes, muttering lips
from which no sounds issue, and nothing
of the face visible but the eyes and mouth.
At one end of the room sits the Chief
blazing in red and gold colors, but
motionless-at the other end sits skel-
eton 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-a
either side of the room sits the Grand
Chancellor and Recorder. Each and all
as motionless as the coffin or the skele-
ton.
Around the coffin the candidates
march in an oblong ring, passing far
therest from the coffin and nearest to the
members and officers-thus leaving the
old man room to pass to and fro, up and
down the room. The Grand Conductor
marches with drawn sword at the head );
the Sergeant of the sappers and miners
marches also with drawn sword, at the
tail of the line of candidates for initiation.
Three times around the line marches
twice in painful silence, through which
nothing is heard but the clanking Of
sword scabbards as they strike, at each
step, the legs of the Conductor and Ser
geant-during the third round an organ
or melodeon strikes up low, wailng,
tremulous, wild, hollow tune, which is
echoed back by the members in low death
song, while the old man marches more
rapidly and mutters louder and louder,
until, as the candidates finish their last
round, the G.. G. (as the chief is called J
says in deep voice, Peace, venerable
father! Life is made up of fsorrow, and
the world is ripening for sorrow greater
than thine Peace Peace Be still
thou wounded heart" To which all the
members respond =" Peace Peace !!
Be still "-then the music stops and the
old man resumes his quiet march.
The candidates are now ranged around
the G. r. who questions them as to their
motive and intentions. If the answers
are satisfactory (as they always are the
candidates are conducted to the chair Of
the skeleton where a person, hidden be-
hind the grim figure, administers an OBJ
legation to each which binds him from
his cradle represented by the infant y
never to divulge what he may there see
or learn. After assuming the obligations
the candidates are conducted back to the
G. G. through the same scene of silence
and sorrow, who gives them some ad-
vice after which they are conducted out
TO the anteroom. And this ends the first
scene.
SCENE SECOND.
After the candidates go out and the
door is closed, the members in an in
stant spring to their feet, light up the
room, throw off their gowns. put away
the coffin, &C., and prepare for fun. In
the meantime the candidates are being
blndfolded so that they cannot see +; in
this condition they are conducted to the
door again by the same parties as before ;
the door is again raped upon. and this
time, the G. c. says in loud voice
"What is it makes the alarm ?''
To winch the sentinel replies
Friends /! Who will do you no
harm -
To which the g. G.. answers /:
Bid them Beware Beware
And welcome to enter here !"
To which all the members respond ::
/" Welcome TO enter here -
The candidates are then led in, in sim
gle Fl lie each holding to the coat tail of
the other. In total blindness they are
thus marched about the room several
times, while the room is lighted brilliant
ly. All is now silence and grins-except
on the part of the candidates, who are
sternly commanded to indulge in !" No
Levity." They are brought to the chair
Of the Grand Commander, where they
are asked all manner of questions touch
ing their fitness to bear arms, to swim,
to march, as 10 the condition of their
health, their teeth, de-, &c.,-as to their
moral character-whether they have been
or are intemperate-wh whether they have
overstepped the bounds of chastity, and
SO on. In order to get this information
one of the previously initiated heads the
line and stammers out an answer to the
questions, gradually and painfully ma
king himself out mighty bad fellow.-
The 9th ers, who are blinded and cannot
see. of C curse hold themselves in honor
bound to speak out the whole truth in such
solemn place as they imagine this
still to be-as they cannot see how the
scene has changed. AT each answer the
G. G. says " let it be recorded" and the
recorder sings out in low hollow tone,
as he writes it down in great book /: "lt
has been recorded !" NoTE.-The re-
cords in the book must be interesting
During these questions the candidates
are tried, to test their ability to swim, to
play the drum or instruments-and il
must be amusing to see staid, sober ci-
;izens lying down face foremost on the
floor. and striking OUT as if swim
ming for dear life from Florida to Cuba
as we'll as going through other tests OF a
similar ridiculous character. But then
each man thinks, we suppose, that he
must do as all good " Sons of Malta
have done before him, and therefore he
goes the whole figure.
After enough of the above questions
are asked and answered, the candidate:
take another solemn obligation having