Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-04-01
a Mysterious Procession on Sat-
urday Night.

trumpet's notes until the attention OF
the listening people had so deepened
that they could no lonsef remain quiet.
Their curiosity TO know the cause of
| tae military musical commotlon was on
tip-toe aud hurried them to windows to
/ look out. One look was enough TO
start them from the house out on to the
pavement; for there, IL the middle OF
/ the street, we're marching long pro-
cession Of men, robed in white, tryisg
to keep step to the tap, tap, rap, tap,
tap, tap of the dfam, but ever and ancn
we're put cut Of step BY the discordant
bugle notes that were at certain inter
walls injected by the extreme rear end
man who blew the horn. What the
music at the rear end Of the lihe vas
embiems;ical or significant of thu un-
initiated could not even guess At.
Not word was spoken, not . step
was heard. They moved with ghost
I like stiffness oser the road, which had
/ been sottened by rain on the previuns
night, and thereby the sound OF their
: footsteps Was deadened.
The commander, deputy, captain or
chief sat on horse, also clad in white.
! lie, too, was silent, and moved devoted
ly along at the head of his command,
! like q Crusader of the "Mi3dle Ages
leading bis folloSers to the Holy Land
to rescue Palestine from the in6del
/ Turks. The men seemed we'll drilled,
ard they obeyed the aourishes of their
leaders sword, which seemed to be ) or
9 feet long, with the alasrl:y that sais
commanders obey the signals of the
admiral of the squadron or feet.
The procession moved in Indian file,
,iat is, one directly behind the sthCt.
la addition to the long gown that Sc
cureiy hid The form underneath it, a
white mask concealed the features
of the face, aud a recognition was
put ont of the question. There was
complete uniformity in gown and
mask shroughout the length of the line,
excepting ID one individual ca,c. 4
man rather short of stature, near the
front end of the procession, wore a
head covering ami mask that so nearly
reseu bled a colored mans head tba. it
became question whether it was or
wa. net Professor Craig or other repre-
sentative of the colored people, The
hats worn were of every imaginable
shape
People, young and old, poured into
the streets. and by the time the pro-
cessicn had marched around East Point
and down into the centre of the village,
the whole town vas in commotion, from
.scentre 20 circumference. The march
was continued to PattersOn-that place
of many good people but no churches
and thence back to Miifiin, on to
Main street. When between Bridge
and berry streets, very mysterious
marches and counter marches, move
menrs aud evolutions we're directed and
gone through. under the direction or
waves of the ponderous sword of the
chieftain on horseback.
( " What could all this systematic
movement mean ," was eagerly asked
by scores. \ stranger, who was not
acquainted with the religious denOui-
national character Dt this community,
said that it ";his had taken place be
fore the commencement Of the Lent
season he would set 1t down as Cath
Ollie farewell carnival to meat eating.
Those with no humor in their nature,
said that 1t was a party of rowdies, and
they we're shocked that men should put
on the ghostly apparel to march In.
They forgot That they sleep in white
garments every night, if they are for
tunate enough to have night gowns.
One pronounced them Grsngers,
and that the sword the chieftian WELD
ed was an emblem, that it was jus;
shaped like a moving seythe. -'Pll bet
they are GrsDgcrs sald by-stander for
they came by way sf the canal, by Su-
louffs' ware houses, and are doubtless
looking out route for cheap traDspor-
tatior. The thing Is clear enough.
They are Grangers, sure, their move
ment isn't more mysterious than in
Perry county where they are building
. railroad and no Que knows who is at
the hoaJ oeit." ssCorrect" said third.
They are Grangers, an as every
grange must aave certain number OF
women belonging to 1t, let Us look at
the feet of these people and see how
many Balmoral boots We can see. !"
Some thought them a band of queer
Odd Fellows. Others declared them
to be Knights of Pythias. Ku-KluI.
Knights of the Golden ircle, and wise
ones thought they saw in the evolutions
signes of the Mystic Chain. An indi-