The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-08-23
q SECRETS OF MASONRY y
TRUTH ABOUT ALL THE MYSTERIES AND MUM
MKRIEs.

TRUTH ABOUT ALL THE MYSTERIES AND NUM-
MKRIEs.
rL0ndon TRUTH
Perhaps says an article in the Times.
" il Freemasons disclosed their secrets they
would lose little worth Keeping, and the
world would acquire little worth acquiring
This Is all the more true as the Freemasons
have no secrets. Accounts of their childish
mummeries have been frequently published.
am not myself Freemason, but / have
often amused myself BY passing for one.
An ordinary lodge is formed as follows It
must consist of not less than six entered APP
prentices and one past master The room in
which the meeting takes place ought to be
ohlong In the middle there is stool or ia.
bic hat is called the altar, and on the altar
there is bible, carpenters sQuare, and a
compass. Round the altar are three lighted
candles. The +" Master" sits at one end OF
The room, hich is termed the east; on one
side of him is the " Secretary" on the other
the s Treasurer AMI little before him is
the Senior Deacon" At the other end of
the room (called the wes.) the !" Senior Ward
en- . is seated, with the Junior Deacon
little in advance of him. Half way down the
room. on the left of the " Master" The :. jan.
ior Warden" is seated, and this place is
termed the south. II there are nine Mas0ns
present there is an "0uter Guard called
the Tiler.'' and an Inner Guard !" If only
seven are present the " Junior Deacon acts
as 'rier," and the Senior Deacon as
"Inner Guard. The proceedings commence
by the " Master" giving one rap with his
gavel. The Tier is then stationed outside
the door with drawn sword. He gives three
knocks outside. which are answered by three
knocks Inside, then one knock inside is given,
which is answered by one outside
The lodge is now tiled" and the Masons
put on their aprons, etc. A dialogue ensues
between the master" and the different off,
GERS, in which each states why he is in the
position that he has taken. Then, with more
knocks. the lodge is opened, each present
giving signs of the degree of Entered APP
prentice These signs are called right an
| giles, horizontals, and perpendiculars. The
| first is made by placing the hands at right
angles, one foot in front of the center of the
body, the palms together, and the left hand
| under; tie second by raising the right hand
| to the neck and drawing 1t across the throat,
| the elbow being as high as the hand; the
| third by letting the hand drop perpeAdicu-
| larry by the side, the hand turned back
| After this the ordinary business of the lodge
] commences-this consists in settling accounts
and voting sums of money in charity, with
| occasional "calls from labor to refreshment :"
| then comes the initiation of any new mem
| Der whose name has been mentioned at q
previous meeting.
The candidate has to submit to ballot,
and If successful the "deacons are sent out
to prepare him. This is done by taking from
him anything metallic. slipping his left arm
out of his shirt-seeve and through the bosom
of the shirt so as to leave the arm and the left
breast bare, and making him roll the left leg
of his trousers above the knee. blindfoiding
him, and tying rope around his neck called
| cable tow" The senior deacon" now
returns, and the candidate is led by the
Junior deacon to the closed door, on
which he is instructed to give three raps ;
these are answered by three raps inside, then
one rap is exchanged. and the door is opened
about two inches. After conversation be-
tween the two "deacons be is let in, and
point of compass is pressed against the
left breast. He is then led to the
middle of the room. and told to kneel,
when a prayer is offered up. This over, the
master takes him by the hand and says:
Arise follow your leader and fear no dan
ger.n He is led three times around the lodge.
and finally halted before the senior warden"
in the west" who teaches him to approach
the ''east." his feet forming the right angle
of an oblong square. At length he finds him.
self close to the altar where he kneels,
forming q square. His left hand is now
placed under the bible. square and compass,
and his right hand over them. In this posi-
tion he repeats the oath, in which he engages
to keep inviolate the secrets of the order ''un.
der no less penalty than 10 have my throat
cut across from ear to ear, my tongue torn
out by the roots, and my body buried in the
rough sand of the sea, cable tow's length
from the shore st low-water mark, where the
tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-foul
. hours
After the oath the baudage is taken from,
his eyes, and the master" approaches him
with rectangular steps, and making the signs
The '.signs" are then explained to him, as
also the grip and the password. The grip
consists in each person, on joining hands
pressing the thumb on the first joint of the
| Eref Grky af tha nth Tha ,ord Is -
One Mason says "Bo," the other 'tazn The
candidate is now an entered apprentice he
is given an apron of sheepskin, aud the rest
of the ceremony consists in sort of explain.
alton ofthe mystic nature of the performance
and in endless repetitions.
The second degree is called the fellows
craft" The initiatory ceremonies are mostly
the same. The sign is made by pressing the
| right hand against the left breast with the
fingers partly clinchej. and then dropping il
down by the side. while at the same time the
left arm is stretched out horizontally from the
shoulder to the elbow, and perpendicularly
from the elbow to the wrist The grip con.
sists in putting the thumb between the frs
Joints of the fore and second fingers. There
are two passwords, "Jachin and "Shib
boeth."
The. third degree is the Master Mason's
, The candidate is prepared by being strip
ped naked above the waist and below his
knees. and rope is put three times round
his body. The sign is made by putting the
right hand to the left side of the stomach
the hand open. the palm down, and aftei
drawing it across from left to right
letting II fall by the side. There is, too
J another called the "hailing sign,'' which is
J made by raising both hands and arms. The
word is Tubalcain, and the grip is given by
pressing the thumb between the first joint Of
the second and third finger Then fol.
lows representation of the death of Hiram
Abiff
The candidate is pushed down and covered
with chairs, etc This represents death and
burial. Out of his grave the new Master Ma
son is hauled by the lions grip" which
consists of taking hold of his wrist, after the
apprentice grip and the craftsman's grip have
failed to save him. Then knee to knee, foo
to foot and breast to breast, the most sacred
word in the Masonic vocabulary is whispered
to him. This word is Nah. hah-bone.