Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-07
IT DID NOT WORK.
Remarkable Temperance lecture In an
Initiatorv Ordeal as


title borne by beneficiary organization,
numbering about 10000 members. The
leading camp at the present time is under
stood to be "Camp Theatrical, No. TO-" of
this city, which has some two hundred
members, among whom ara, as might
be inferred from its name, large proper.
ton of actors, scenic artists, and stage
machinists. On the third Sunday of every
month this camp meets in the Lawrence
building, corner of Second avenue and
First street. Seine months ago this par.
ticular camp determined to have a new
ritual, worthy of its name and member.
ship, one which would give the widest
possible scope to the inventive ingenuity
and histrionic talent of its members, and
Chief Ranger Sullivan appointed a com.
mittee to prepare such work" The
Chairman of the Committee of Construc-
ton was Grand Marshal Henry Fl. Hadley,
the modera.ionist, who is also one of the
Rangers State Directors. With him in
the task were associated Captain William
Fowler of the Thirteen Club, and q
score of secret societies John F. Collins,
Master of Howard Lodge, f. and A. NJ
Tim Pixton, who wrote most of the Men,
phian rite DIR. Walter NJ. Fleming. Illus.
trious Grand Potentate of the Mobiles of
the Mystic Shrine; Captain Joe Aiken and
Daniel Sickels, of the Masonic Guild, all
high Masons and noted ritualists, each
of whom belongs to at least dozen
different orders. The result of their
labors is said by the initiated to be
something astounding, overwhelming, for
beyond the widest endeavor of the Sons of
Malta, Egyptian Mons, or the famous
clan of Guinea Witches. 1t includes not
only masks, costumes, collins, real corpses,
gsllows-tree, headsman's block, elaborate
mechanical tricks, and scenic effects of the
most startling character, but great deal
of theatrical work, in ornate and high
flown language for the Chief Ranger, Vice.
Chief Ranger, Grand Marshal, heralds,
warders, guides, and cohorts. After the
committee had planned fully how the can
didates should be obligated, killed, buried
and resurrected, and how by the sharpest
tests his secrecy, fortitude. fidelity and
staying powers generally should be tried,
Captain Fowler exclaimed "There, there,
boys, let's stop. If a candidate lives to
get thus far consider him in, for to put him
through more would kill him." 'Yes, or
leave him pensioner on the Order for life, F"
said Sickles, with a laugh. swell, at any
rate, he would be pretty dry" suggested
Pixton, and upon that hint the committee
called off from labor to refreshment for a
brief time. The exercises in which they
then INDUCED suggested to Moderationist
Hadley the happy thought OF laying out
for the candidate one more agoniZiug ordeal
in the shape of a brief temperance lecture,
with trimmings. 1t was accepted, and,
with the rest Of the ritual, put in practice.
Up to the last meeting of Camp Theat.
rical" it was worked regularly, to the
infinite dismay of the candidate and
amusement Of his tormenters, but they do
not intend to play it on anybody any more.
Their last experience gave them such set
back that they promptly excised it from
the ritual.
After the weary candidate had gone
through al the ordeals, the Grand Mar
shal-an awful being attired in flowing
robes of fiery red, with maroon whiskers,
turban, battle ak, dirk and sword-acting
as his conductor, would say to him
My brother, | congratulate you upon
having passed the tests of endurance,
secresy, bravery. the inspection of the sur.
geons, ana that you have given satisfactory
evidences of confidence, fortitude and hero
Order rests upon your brow. Before being
Instructed, however, in the grips and pass.
words, let us turn aside for refreshment. ~
Here the Grand Marshal would tax 9
from behind an altar and hand to the can
didate a glass filled apparently with port
wine, but really with horrible and fiend-
ish compound Of gall, bitter alloes, brine,
and other abominable things, one teaspoon
F,,l 8 T.,
didste SILVER, turn pale, and swear that
he wonld rather die than take any more Of
it. TIE refusal would be reported to the
Chief Ranger, who would appear to taste
the contests of the glass, report the bever-
age correct, and order imperatively that
the candidate must drink whether he
would or not. Often force would have to
be employed TO get another drop into the
victims mouth, but when that was accom-
plisGed smile of qualification would play
upon his face, aud without any more diff
Guilty he would empty the glass. which was
really now one filed with good port wine,
deity substituted for the other containing
the awful mixture. Then the Grand Mar
shall would get in his little moral work,
exclaiming
"Ah you appear 70 relish it. And
yet the adder's tooth in this last is sharper
than in the first The first you could
easily resist, because it was offensive, but
this with subtle power to charm, is often
mans strongest foe. :"
That all worked very well in practice
up to recent meeting, but an incident
occurring then knocked the moral Lesson
higher than Gilderoy's kite. A scene.
painter, Familiarity known among his friends
as Windy" Murray, was being initial
ed. The success with which he had
passed through all the preceding ordeals
had given him an ill-advised confidence,
and when the seductive-lookIng beverage
was offered him, he, being very tired, hot
and thirsty, eagerly seized the glass, and
with one gulp swallowed its contents
Not until they were in his stomach did
the flavor reach his palate. Then he
shuddered, paled, and sstonishment, hor.
ror, disgust and indignation were wildly
depicted in his countenance, while he
gasped, struggled, and tore his laurel
crown to shreds, clutching at his hair.
The Grand Marshal stood before him
speechIess with amsze ment and completely
non plussed, while howl of laughter from
the brethren-sounding unearthly as it
came from beneath their masks-fairly
shook the building.
But the camp physician doctor of
high standing, under whose supervision
the treachecons mixture had been pre-
pared-did not laugh. Springing to his
feet, he shouted to the senior Herald:
IS Run to my office for stomach pump
as hard as you can go. The man has
swallowed enough to kill horse. Mer-
riment instantly gave place to panic.
Poor Murray's fright may be imagined.
He could hardly breathe, but he could
hear, and gave hinseif up for lost. Masks
and robes were hastily thrown off, fool
ing abandoned, the campfire extinguished,
aud all busted themselves doing what
they could to relieve the sufferer. Be.
fore the man sent for the stomach pump
could return with it, strong emetic
was procured and administered with good
results. An hour later Murray was sent
home in carriage in a wretched plight,
aud the doctor had TO remain with him
nearly all night. He has sufficiently re.
covered to be up and about, but unless
his appreciation of the Independent Order
of Rangers is greatly increased from what
it was at last accounts, it is hardly prob
able that he will ever go back to get the
passwords, grips and signs, which there
was no time to give him that night. But
Camp Theatrical has given up trying to
impress temperance lessons on its candi-
dates New York Times.
San Francisco stock sales.