The weekly echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1868-1876, 1869-04-22
Free lIasOnry Exposed.
RYA YrCTTlg.

!
Ihaye ioined the Masonic Fra
ternity, Mr.. Editor. I'm a free
and accepted son or brother, or
whatever it is, Of that ancient and
mysterious organization. I have
belonged to many secret societies
| in my time. I have been an Or
angeman, and a Son of Temper
ance, and a Fenian, and if I re-
member right, / once belonged to
a gang of coiners !; but this Ma
sonic arrangement, this institution
of the square and compass, distan-
ces them all. I had often wonder
ed what sort of a thing a Mason
was-in what respect he differed
from an ordinary human being,
Time and again / have pumped
persons who I thought knew what
was what, with q view of finding
out something regarding these re-
markable people but it was no go.
Mum was the word. Those who
could tell wouldn't, and those who
would couldn't; for further infOr-
nation, / was advised to go and
find out. I had a vague idea of
nv own, that q Mason was a sort
of supernatural being, regular
ringtail rOarer, with horns and
hoofs to match, who could come
down the chimney or get in the
key hole, and disappear like fash
of ightning-a chap that could
knock blazes out of a fellow In the
wink of an eye, and of whom the
very devil himself was afraid
There is one singular thing con-
neoted with Masonry of which per-
haps you are not aware, and that
is this A Mason never dies. Oc-
oasionaIly it is given out that a
brother has departed this life and
the fraternity is respectfully sum-
mOned to do honor TO his remains,
but it is all a sham-a big swindle
got up to throw dust in the eyes
Of the uninitiated. The coffin is
stuffed full Of bricks, and deposi-
ted with due solemnity in the GEM
etery while the brothers and
friends are blubbering their eyes
over the grave of the dear depart
ed, the dear departed is costly en-
ioying himself In a back room
somewhere. It is fact, Mr.. Edi-
tor, Masons never die. They may
change their outward appearance,
and move off to other spheres, but
as for dying they don't do it, It
is supposed by some, after they
hayetransacted enough wiokedness
ON this earth, they are transformed
into comets and meteors, and so
wandering through space, kicking
up shindies and raising the devil
generally, and a great many peo-
ple suppose that the last meteorio
was nothing more than q
free fight between some rival lodg-
es that had crossed each others
path the different colored lights
betokening the different degrees
they had acquired while In the
flesh.
Free Masonry is of ancient date,
as proven by the fact that during
The wet season Noah used to hold
lodge meetings in a corner of the
Ark. He was obliged TO give itnp,
however, owing to the curiosity of
Mrs. Noah, who, Notwithstanding
the fact that her husband placed .
couple of lions and a big crocodile
1t the door as outside guard, came
pretty near finding out the secret
md starting q female lodge on her
own hook. u must tell You of the
9erils and trials ! had to undergo
. become a Mason. On the even
ng in question, / presented my
,elf at the door Of lodge room No. |
4, 1866, sign Of the skull and cross
zones. / was conducted to an an
q room, where five or six melan-
holy looking chaps IN sashes and
napkins were waiting