The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1883-01-02
INITIATED IN MASONRY.
The had boy Olives His Father th
ROYAL Bumper Degree,

The had BOY Olives Hts Father the
Royal Bumper Degree.
wish me and my chum had muzzled
our goat with pillow. Pa would have
enjoyed his becoming a member of our
lodge better. You see, pa had been tell.
ing us how much good the Masons and
Odd Fellows did, and said we ought d
try and grow up good so we could jine
the lodges when we got big, and asked
ia if il would do any hurt for us to have
8 play lodge in my room and pertend to
nishiste, and pa said il wouldn't do any
hurt He said it would improve our
minds and learn us to be men. so my
cham and me borried goat that lives in
livery stable, and carried him up TO my
room when pa and ma was out riding,
but the goat blatted 80 we had to tie
handkerchief around his nose, and has feet
made such a noise on the floor that We
put some baby's socks on his feet. Well,
sir, my ehum and me practiced with that
goat until he could but picture Of a
goat every time. We borried buck
beer sign from a saloon man and hung it
on the back of chair, and the goat would
hi II every time. That night pa wanted
10 know what we were doing up in IN =
room, and told him we were playing
lodge, and improving our minds, and pa
said that was right. There was nothing
that did boys of our age half so much
good as TO initiate men, and store bv use
full nollidge. Then my chum asked pa if
he didn't want TO come up and take grand
bumper degree, and pa LATED and said he
didn't care if he did, just to encourage us
boys in innocent pastime, that was so i'm
proving to our intellect. We had shut
the goat up in closet in my room, aud
he had got over his batting, so we took
of the handkerchief, and he was eating
some Of my paper collars and skate straps.
We went up stairs and told pa to
come mp pretty soon and give three dis
tinct raps, and when we asked him who
comes there be must say a pilgarim who
wants TO Join your ancient order and ride
the goat Ma wanted to come up, TOO,
but we told her if she come in it would
break up the lodge, cause woman
couldn't keep a secret, and we didn't have
any side saddle for the goat. Say, eff
you never tried it, the next time you
initiate a man in your Masof's lodge, you
sprinkle little Ryan pepper on the goats
beard Just before you turn him loose
You can get three times as much to the
square inch Of goat You wouldn't think
II was the same goat. Well, we got all
fixed and pa raped, and we let him in
and told him be must be blindfolded. and
be got on bis knees lafing, and l tied u
towel around his eyes, and then ! turned
him around, and made him get down on
bis hands also, and then his back was
night toward the closet door, and put
the buck beer sign right against pas
clothes. He was lafing all tie time,
and said We boys were as full of fun as
they made EN-, and we told him it was a
solemn occasion, but we wouldn't permit
no leEity, and if he didn't stop lafing we
couldn't give him the grand bumper de-
gree. Then everything was ready, and
my cbum had his hand on the closet door,
and some kyan pepper in his other hand,
and asked pa, in low bass tones, if he
felt as though be wanted to turn back,
or If he had nerve enough to 60 ahead
and take the degree. / warned him that
II was full of dangers, as the goat was
= loaded for beer, and told him he yet had
time 10 retraee his steps if be wanted to.
He said he wanted the whole business
and We could go ahead with the mehag.
ere Then / said to pa that if he had
decided to 90 ahead, and not blame It's
Tor the consequences, to repeat after me
the following: Bring forth the Roya
Rnmper and LET him Bumpr' Pa repeat
Cd the words, and my chum sprinkled the
kyan pepper on the goats moustache, and
he sneezed once and looked sassy, and
then he see the lager beer goat raring up
and he started for it just like COW
catcher and blatted. Pa is real fat, but
he knew be had got hit, and he grunted
ana said: Hell fire! what you boys
DOM and then the goat gave him an.
oiher degree, and pa pulled off the towel
and got up and started for the stairs. and
90 did the goat, and ma was at the bot
.om OF the stairs listening, and when
looked over the banisters pa and ma and
1he goat were all in heap, and pa was
geAlng murder, and ma was screaming
nre' and the goat was blatting, and sneez.
ing, and bunting, and the hired girl came
INTO the hall and the goat took after her,
ana abe crossed herself just as the goat
struck her, and said: 'Howly mo.her,
protect mel and went down stairs the
way We boys slide down bill, with both
hands on herself, and the goat rared up
.no olatted, and pa and ma went into
Inelr rooms and shut the door, and then
ny chum and me opened the front door
1so drove the goat out. The minister
sno comes TO see ma three times week,
e Just ringing the bell, and the goat
Ioonght he wanted to be nishated, too,
ma gave him one for luck, and then went
aOsn the sidewalk batting and sneezing,
-.o The minister came in the parlor. and
a1la be was stabbed, and when pa came
caI o. his room with bis suspenders hang
ng down, and rs he didn't know the
minister was there, he said cuss words,
1no ma cried and told pa he would go to
neil sure, and pa said he didn't care, he
.oa,d Kill that kussid goat afore he went,
Iao told pa the minister was in the par.
and ne and ma went down and said
ne weather was propitious for q revival,
~ u seemed as though an outpoufing
me spirit was about TO be vouchssfed
me people, and none of them sot down
A \ "a q 4.