Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1869-06-11
Joining the Masons.

to undergo to become q Mason. oh '"o w
oning in question, 1 presented myself at inc
door Of tho Lodge room No. 36,666, sign OF
the skull and cross bones. l was conducted
to an antc-roon, where 6vo or six melancholy
chaps. in sashcs and embroidered napklnsp
were waiting to receive me. On my entrance
they all got up and turned back somersa9lts
aud then resumed their seats. A big fat
fellow who sat in the middle, and who scey-,
to be the proprietor, then said: I%na
from the other world, advance " I"".,
"Will you give up cvcrytb ;a;m ~a7
NO. Il ! KNOW ~ lad "thicro arc my
VIZ NV On fine ~" Another party
wv say eyes" as it was merely a mat,
thing"
Sno fellows in the towels then groancd and
said "TTipwcll. Do you swear never to re-
veal anything you geo or hear this evening to
any human being, or to your wife ?" I said
"Pon mJ word, I will not" They then cx-
examined my teeth and felt my tongue, then
groancd again. I said, eff you don't feel
veil, l have got a bottle here" The fat man
here took tho bottle from mo and told me to
shut up. lie thon, in a voice of thunder,
said, "Bring forth the goat" An other
fellow, then up with a cloth to blind
me- ,sMNo you don'ttf. you please, L don't
believe in playing blindsman's Buff with a
goat-Ill ride the devil if you like, but l
don't go it blind. Stand back or I'll knock
you into smitherccns." They were to much
for me, however, 50 I had to submit to being
blindfoldcd. The goat was then led in, and
1 could hear him making an awful racket
among the furniture. began to feel that I
was urgently wanted at home, but I was in
for it and could not help myself.
Three or four fellows then seized me, and
with a demoniacal laugh pitched Inc on the
animals back, telling nc at the same time to
look for squalls. I have been in many
scrapes, Mr.. Editor; I've been pitched out a
four story window; I have gone down ina
railway collision but this little goat cxcur.
sion was ahead Of e'@ all. The copfoundcd
thing must be all wings and horns. It bump.
cd me against chairs and tables, and the cell
ing, but I hung on like q Trojan. | turned
front somorsaults and rolled over. T thought
it was over with me. I was on the point Of
giving up, when tho bandago fell from my
eyes, and the goat bounded through tho win.
dow with a yell like a wild Indian giving up
tho ghost. / was in lodge of Masons.-
They were dancing a war danoo around q big
skull, and playing leap-frog and turning hand
springs, and tho big fat follow Of the ante
room was standing on his head in tho corner.
THE SUCCESSFUL FARMER.-A man must
know something about farming before he can
become successful. Flo may desire to be a
farmer or gardener but before lie becomes
ono ho has something to learn. We are con-
stantly meeting men, both old and young,
who say that they would like to become farm
ors. They like fresh milk, butter and eggs,
the country dir, and fresh strawberries. Oh,
yes, they like all those good things, and many
of them think they can be had for the asking,
no skill being required in their production.
"I would like" says another, "to be q doctor
or lawyer" Well, do they become rich with.
out studyf No; nor does any one think of
such a thing. Yet it would be just as foolish
to think of becoming q scientific and success
full farmer without study as to become a law
yer or doctor. A love for the country is not
enough in itself to prepare one for boing q
farmer. There is no business which requires
a moro thorough observance or clearer per-
coption of the laws of nature than farmers,
except perhaps that Of being a physician
and the two professions arc very much alike,
for we must study the laws which control life
in both. We trim our trees and care for
them, as though they were patients UNDER
treatment, and our knowledge Of natural laws
and principles must be our guide. Perhaps
this will account for tho success Of most of the
doctors who havo become farmers and gar
deners.-Dr. f. NJ. Heramer.
A COOP HIT.-That somewhat notorious
sheet, "The Impcrialist," sometimes makes q
good shot, as will be seen by reading tho fol-
lowing:
"That intensely Red Republican sheet,
"Wilkos' Spirit Of the Times" scouts at tho
theory that all mon arc not born equal. Nov.
orthcless it devotos whole pages to the podi-