Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-01-01

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says the actors were clothed in blankets
with their heads muffied, and with cop.
per-colored countsnances, each being
armed with hatchet or axe and pail
of pistols, the affair being over before
nine in the evening. The leaders fire.
quently met in the room over Edes and
Gill's printing office to consult; and it
was here, perhaps, that the plan was ar
ranged.-From Old and Ne,o.
A WOMAN'S CURIOSITY.
How a Scrub-Woman Took
Her First Degree in Odd Eel
lowship.
A certain lodge of the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, determined to
heave their lodge room done up clean
and nice. 1t was resolved unanimously
that Mrs. X. should be employed to do
the job. After the meeting adjourned
the guardian, who knew the inquisitive
character of Mrs. X. procured a billy
goat and placed him in the closet that
was kept rs a reservoir for the secret
things. He then informed the lady OF
the wishes of the lodge, and, requested
her to come early the next morning, as
he would then show her what was not
to be done. Morning came, and with it
Madame h. with her broom, brushes,
pals, tubs, etc., and found the guardian
waited for her.
"Now madam" said he "Here is what
we want done, land how we came to en-
ploy you. The brothers said it was diff
ficulG 20 get anybody to do the job, and
not be meddling with the secrets of the
closet; we have lost the key, and can
not find it to lock the door. l assured
them,y you could be depended upon if any
one can"
depended onl L guess 1 can. My
poor and dead and gone husband, he
belonged to the Free Masons,or anti Ma
sons, l don't know which. He used to
tell me all the secrets of the concern,
and when he showed me all the marks
the gridiron made when he was initia-
ted, and told me how they fixed poor
Morgan, never told living soul to
this day; if nobody troubles your closet
to find out secrets till do, they will be
there till they rot, they WILL"
81 thought so,' said the guardian
''and now want you to commence in
that corner and give the whole room a
thorough cleaning, and pledge my
word aud honor to the fidelity of your
promise ;nOw don't go into that closet;"
and he left the lady to herself.
No sooner had she heard the sound of
his feet on the last step then she eX-
claimed: "Don't get into that closet.
FIJI warent there's gridiron or some
nonsense, just like the anti-Masons for
all the world. I'll be bound, I'll take
one peep, and nobody will be the wiser,
as L can keep it to myself"
Suiting the action to the word she
stepped lightly to the forbidden closet,
and turned the button, which was no
sooner done than "bah !" went the billy
goat, with spring to regain his liberty
which came near upsetting her ladyship
Both started for the door, but it was fill
ed with implements for house-cleaning
and all were swept from their position
to the bottom of the stairs.
The noise and. confusion occasioned
by such unceremonious coming down
stairs, drew half the town to witness
Mrs. KS efforts to get from under the
pile of pals, tubs, brooms and brushes
in the street.
Who should be the first to the spot
but the rascally door keeper. After re-
leasing the goat,which was cripple for
life, and uplifting the rubbish that
bound the good woman to the earth and
anxiously inquired if she had been tax
ing the degrees.
"Taking the degreesr' exclaimed the
lady; "If yeu call tumbling from the
top to the bottom of the stairs with the
devil after ye taking things by degrees.
1 have them, and if We frightened folks
as ye have frightened me, and hurt to-
boot, I'll warrant they will make as
much noise as did,"
81 hope you did not open the closet,
madam" said the door-keeper.
"Open the closet? Eve ate the apple
she was forbidden. If you want wo-
man to do anything, tell her not to, and
she'll do it. 1 could not stand the
The secret was there. i
wanted to know it. l Iopened the door,
and out hoped the critter right into my
face. l thought the old boy had me,and
l broke for the stairs with the critter
butting me at every jump. 1 fell over
the tub and got down stairs as you found
us all in heap"
"But madam" said the door-keeper,
"Ysu are in possession of the great Sc
cret of our order, and you must go up
and be initiated, and then 60 in the reg
ular way"
Irregular way" exclaimed the lady,
sand do you suppose Pm going near
the tarnal place, and ride that tarnal
critter without bride or lady's sad
die? No, never! l don't want any
thing to do with q man that rides it. I'd
look nice perched upon a billy-goat
wouldn'tI? No, never! I'll never go
nigh it again, nor you shan't nuther-
if can prevent it, no lady shall ever
join the Odd Fellows. Why, I'd sooner
be Free Mason, and be broiled on a
gridiron as long as the fire could be
kept under, and pulled from garret to
cellar with halter in q pair of old
breeches and slippers, just as my poor
dead husband. And he lived over it,
but never could live over such anoth-
er ride as 1 took tod ay."
The Pittsburg Dispatch tells the his
tory of the rise and fall of Pithole City.
The Danforth house, which cost $2S,OOO
was sold the other day ter $40. Within
one month from the completion Of the
first honse she hnl an SSn0On hotel In