Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1869-02-22
MASONRY.
The Decd nnMaenccs which 10
Gxeraes ever Depraved Anns
maa1ty.

DAYS Of last week, when the rain poured
down 10 torrents, whom heavy. dull clouds
hung overhead, when the streets were des
serted Of pedestrians and teams, and when
everything wore that dreary look which
one always sees on rainy day, that We
strolled into Lsnglcis 4 Romans billiard
store, more to get out Of the rain than in
the hope Of finding any items. though We
were sadly in need Of something OF the
kind. The store wore look that CORES.
pended with tho weather; it was dark and
end sieent. and although the afternoon Was
but half spent. the gas jets twinkled where
the senior member Vas industriously ct
work over bis volumes Of accounts. There
vas % one 10 70 boy, and The clerks we're
lesegsng about In the most comfortable a.
titudss possible upon the softsst bales Of
canvas, while the unfortunate but classical
Hsysr (hsving been best cut Of his seat By
acusto0se calIing), leaned psssissly against
. barrel Of oehrs. Near the stove we're
seated few outsiders. among them two OF
three lake captains Az is customary on
such occasions. the conversation embraced
an topics, ranging from grave TO gay, from
lively 10 severe. and ct last-now We can
not tell how-ths subject Of Masonry was
brought up. and its influence upon the
world and its good in . general sense. was
discussed, when Capt p gentle
man well-known in this city, interrupted
the speaker with the remark that whatever
good or evil Masonry NAV do 10 the world
or eve. has done. IL was the means Of saw
ing his life once.
There are, ss everybody knows, thaus-
snds Of instances related where men have
been saved from death, even among the
rude and savage tribes, where civilization
had no existence; but Ne venture to cay
that this was the frst instance which any
Of US had ever heard related BY . party
particularly interested. Without much
urging, the captain WAS prevailed upon to
/ IN substance 10 IS follows:
Many years ago. the frat voyage ever
made by tive way, ! shipped - cabin. boy
IN the old brig ieps, commanded By Capt.
Robe,ts-ws sailed from Liverpool, bound
Tor ths port OF Rio JAnsiro. There wal
nothing 70 mark tho outward bound pas
| sage, and nothing Of intsrest TRANSFERRED
while We we're In Rio, save that intsres
that everything had 70 me, . yeungs,sr in
= strange land, will not attempt to dss
cribs my astonishment a the sights
Ii sAw-sf the quaint houses, TIL
thsengs from oil nations, tho dres
and The dislsct Of the people
Captain Roberts vas very kind to me, and
often took me ashore with him, and seemed
% take pleasure in answering my snany
questions, which certainly was condescsn
sion on his part; sailing was not in thos,
days what it 10 nav. I doticcd that very
often, as We walked along the streets, hs
would salute people, sometimes even stop
ping 70 shake hands with them they wsr,
irem oil nations, and l wondered ct HE ex-
,ensivs Acquaintance. aud boy like asked
him about it, "Why," said he, IL do no
koow one Of them never saw them before
and probably shall never see them again
they are Nelson's l started back viii
somsthiog Of herror, suppose. - I asked
him "Why, you ere not Mason" Ant
never shall forget the feeling that cam,
over me - he answered in the affirmative
Had no acknowledged that he belonged to
band Of pirates and assassins, could mol
have boon more shocked; for from earliest
| youth, had been irainei up to the idss
that Masonry was an evil principle--shs
| fatal tcmpter Of fallen mankind-that be-
meath The mantle Of mystery that surround
Ell il was practioed Pagan rites Of idolatry
that il abjursd the Christion religion, and
tina. its members were joined together in
unholy alliance by the most frigh,ful Oaths
/ and ceremonies 70 defend ono another
against eli assaults, add to wage an infsrna
war upon virtue. DO you wonder that
was shocked?
| "Wc were not long In getting in our load
1 and than 9TH M n a T,,,d farawalI n m
hearts, We babe adieu to Rio and turnss
again towards home. There was nothing
worthy Of note transpired, until We arrived
near the equator, when dead calm fol. ant
for days We lay idle, with not brsez,
enough TO I'LL the sails that hung Asppinl
against the mast. About the fourth day Z
slight breeze sprang up. the sails filed and
once more We heard the ripple Of the water
under the bows Of the Hope.
"BrcakfAst was Just over, whom tho cry
of.Sail hor from the masthead attracted
the attention Of all. Some ran up the rig.
sing to catch glimpse ofths stranger, ans
in the course OF an hour she was plainly Il
be seen from the deck. And then no
controversy sprang up N to who and wha
she was-so hot that but for the interior
encc Of the Captain there would have beer
fight between the parties. | have offer
| noticed that men are rcadicst to d cht about
that Of which they know the least. Sill
the Hope held on, and IS tho hours went
by the stranger steadily gained upon Us.
The Hope was but n slow sailer at the best
and by the middle OF the afternoon she was
within but few miles Of Is. NsArer she
came, and still steadily gaining. And nov
We could see that her decks were crowded
with men; and then suddenly there fcatcd
| up from tho deck to the masthead the black
flag. and from her portfolios grinned the
muzxes Of cannon.
Mover snail forget. t. the longest day
Of nv life. the CONSERVATION the sight Of
the flag produced among the crew. Some
cried, some sworc, others prayed, while
some-l among tho numbsr-stoOd % il
transfxed with horror at the eight Of that
emblem Of death Captain Roberts WAS the
only man who vas calm. Calling tho men
together, he told US. as ~ al knew, that
snce we're alike impossible, and that all
and thus defeat the helhounds Of the
pleasure Of seeing 10 terror stricken.
81 heard oil he said, and vet did not.
/ suOu8uS tuou u NY uOWo, ouO u0or0 o&ot0
the voice Of ny mother and there, On that
| foreign sec, could have sworn heard the
| Old church bell, aud II seemed to be tolling
for the desd.I
by this time the boat was within mus
kseshsst, when voice hailed us, ordering
Ne 10 hsavs to. which was obeyed, and then
from the side OF the pirate craft . boat Was
lowered, filled With armed men, aud start
cd toward ~. l watched that boat With
the feelings that . doomed man watchs %
the approach 70 The scaffcld. Nearer and
nearer il cane. There were no prayers
now, no ssbs. On our ship al vas still and
silent. aud every ere was fixed upon the
apDreaching boat. when suddsnly Captain
Roberta, whe ~ standing apart from the
mon, gave shout. and then burst into .
hystsrical laugh. thought, a. did the men,
that HE mind he'd len him, and there was
rush toward him. But mol Raising him.
cell. he spoks with voice aud look shall
never forget:
| 1--we are savedi We are savedi That
Capitals 10 the boat 10 Mason
"And % Il PrsYed true. The boat came
| alongsids; emily DIE mantle pirate Cap.
tsin-eams on deck. aud hs unarmed He
shook hands With Captain Roberts, spoke
. few wosas in Spanish T. him. and 10.
gsthsr they went into the cabin. What
pasSed between those men I MAYER knev