The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-02-26
rup From, the ". 2. POST

tn me LAST oF THE SONS OF MALTA.
, Inc ancient and honorable order of the Sons of
Malta" which is represented as BENZ .tanc;anI he
e"ess tne memory OF man knoweth not its origin
anu honorable because the great and wise of every
age nave been numbered with its firm friends and
steau'ast supporters, came to complete if not in
glorious end, this forenoon The furniture of Pro
Fdtrad Lodge, the largest, most thoroughly eopin
ped ana most famous in the United States was sold
at auction, under mortgage, together with all the
| regaha and warlike implements which seem to have
entered largely into the initatory services o this
mystic brotherhood
The sale occurred in the lodge-room, spacious
hali at oi4 broadway, the first floor from the roof
ana the nth from the EARTH The hall was fitted
up IN peculiar style of elegance The floor was
rlchiy carneted, and the room was surrounded by
| long sofas, while the walls were decorated with
tWehty-iour knights in armor, with tapestry, and
with the red cross of st. John, which appears to
have been the symbol of the ORDER
The articles sold were classified as follows: lst
| the useful; ID the instrumental Sd, the ornamen
tai and mystical. Under the first head were sold
the sofas, chairs, carpets &C., one of the carpets
! containing three hundred yards, and selling for
seyenty-hve cents the yard, half what it cost Un-
der the second head were sold an Alexandra organ
which was started at $50 and said at 800 Also, a
Chinese gong, which, the 'brothers" assert, was
formerly owned by the Emperor Chow-Chow, and
which brought Sll. An immense tin trumpet and
| quantity OF horns were also sold, for trife
| Under the third head were sold five "bloodless
swords" When the auctioneer reached these arti-
e!es, oue vi Tue initiated called out at the top of
MS voice: "N ow let the stranger feel the heighh
OF the sword Now, stranger be strong and brave
aud leap with all your might for this will put your
| courage to the testP'-whereupon those who an
peared to understand it, laughed heartily and out
siders concluded that this must hive been part of
| the initiation ceremonies.
According to the handbl, these swords were
made OF Damascus Steel and used in the terrible
wars of the Knights of Malta, with roast beef and
plum-puddlng, eighteen hundred wears before the
| deluge;" and "were presented to ProPatria Lodge
! by Alexander the Great" Among them was said
to be the celebrated sword which was suspended by
single thread. The purchasers, however, did not
| seem to be impressed with their great value, for
the five swords only brought five dollars.
Then there were five terrible tin spears, which
were sold liz a lot for four shillings. Then seven
helmets, said to have descended from the Crusade
| under Peter the Hermit, with vizors complete
were also sold IN lot for the same amount. Then
came the mail and armor, which went on like easy
! terms, five or six shillings paying for the whole
| Next were sold eight rusty muskets, with fixed
| bayonets, for four shings EACH Several hundred
dominoes, with cowls, black and white, were sold
| at twelve and fifteen cents apiece. "The Rugged
PATH was not sod but Judging from its appear
ance, the strangers" who passed over it must have
| had rough journey over the rollers.
After the furniture and other articles named had
been sold, the auctioneer withdrew to the back
room and proceeded to sell regalia, which he said
must not be exposed to the gaze of the unintiated
| The mystic volume said to be large illustrated
| octave work, was sold unseen.
| The 'sacred bath,' however, was displayed to
the crowd. 1t sold for Sl.50. and appeared to be
nothing more nor less than a large punch bowl.
| In conclusion, the "brothers' joined in a song,
to the tune of "AuId Lang Syne," beginning
"When old Maltesia first born"
The crowd dispersed; and thus ends the mystic