Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-04

June q, 1876, the Imperial Grand Coun-
Gil OF the United States was organized,
whose officers, as in Arabia, are
elected for a term of three years. The
regulations of the Imperial Council, for
the United states, as in Europe Except
England J, Asia and Africa, have estab-
lshed as prerequisites for membership
that each candidate must be either
thlrty-second degree A.'.A.'.S.'. Rite or
a Knight Templar in good standing. In
England the eighteenth degree is sufh-
clent. The generous proposition TO make
the Order of Mobiles an organization tor
the exercise of charity, the improvement
OF the mind, and ally OF the fraternity of
Freemasonry in the United States was
primarily adopted by the Imperial Grand
Council"
The following extracts from a letter
from Hon. John Worthington, United
States Consul to the Isle of Malta, and a
member of the order, to James II. Thomp-
son, Grand POtentate of Medina Temple,
Chicago, will give additional information
as to the
NATURE AND GROWTH OF THE ORDER.
you will be gratitied to know that our
order is flourlshing here in the East.
throughout the Orient new shrines have
everywhere sprung up, rivaling often IN
their effective ceremonies and brilliant
appointments the more ancient and more
richly endowed shrnes whose lineages
were hoary with age centuries before
America was discovered. In Constantine
and Algiers and Bona and Tenes and
Gran, and other towns of Algeria, there
are shrines, each and every one in pros
porous condition. In Tuuis, Hamamem-
met and Susa, in the regency of Tunis,
the shrlnes are doing well and increasing
annually in membership and wealth The
great shrine in the city OF Tunis is, next
to one in Alexandria, and one in Cairo,
Egypt, the finest | have ever visited.
Each individual egalia, every altar, every
sceptre, urn, mallet, spear, etc, are in
laid, or incrusted, with precious stones or
jewels, and often such stones and Jewels
have historic or classic associations that
make them of value beyond the reach of
cold figures. But above the wealth of this
temple in appointments and jewels, and
large real estate investments, | count the
order and enthusiasm OF its noble mem
beTs OF higher value to the true spirit and
intent of our order. The next grand pO-
tentate of the Tunis temple will probably
be
HIS EX-HIGHNESS MUSTAPHA HAMZEH,
late Prime Minister to the old Bey.
the shrine in smyrna is again at high
tide and works smoothly and willingly
under the constitutional authority of the
temple at Rhodes. 1t is a pleasure to see
brothers dwelling together in such unity
as they do In Eastern Asia Minor. There
is no clashing, no jealousy; nothing but
a healthy rivalry as TO who shall build the
best ana work the hardest.
"a successful shrine has been planted
at Aleppo, Syria, and one equally prom
Using at Larnaka, in the Island Of Cy-
prus.
The Coco shrine has increased its
membership from $40 to nearly 400 during
the past fifteen months. The purple velvet
domino worn by the grand potentaGe is one
that was once worn by Grand Master
WtgnacOurt OF the Knights st. John on a
carnival occasion in Malta in 1908. You
can fancy the value the MOBILES of Coco
set upon such a robe as that. The first
ceremonial master wears turban that
he himself plucked from the head of a re-
belliOus Dervish whom he had
SLAIN AT THE BATTLE OF TEL-EL-KEBIR.
THE headman of the Athens shrine
showed me the curved blade battle-axe he
used in the ceremonies. Its handle was
fashioned from an elephants tusk, with a
huge, glazing cat's-eye stone let into the
end, while along the length of one side
ran the legend in Arabic formed of letters
in diamonds, Nemesis the blade was
the finest steel and shone like a plate
glass mirror. It's value, or rather its cost,
was said to be $3.50 sterling.
THAT the mystic shrine ls living and
powerful force IN the economy OF human
| Lille ana social existence liz scores of places
east OF the pillars of Hercules, you may
rest assured. 1t is fact. No noble has
ever recanted or weakened IN his allie
! glance who has ever entered the mystic
! circle. No noble ever will. Only an en-
trance into the unseen temple can loosen
the golden tie that binus him in happy
bondage TO our mundane shrine, and, even
| then, the sacred cord is not broken; 1t is
simply stretched in its faith elastic until
its ends touch at and reach from an earth
ly Medinah to a heavenly Mecca"
MOOLAH TEMPLE OF ST. LOUIS,
of which E. j. Crsndall is scherit sultani
and William II. Mayo scherif al kalib,
has issued the following call:
''Sbareef al Masthi, attend: On the 23d
day of the last month, Zoal Hajjch, Anna
Hejeera 1903, commonly known to those
whose eyes have not opened to the true
faith as Wednesday, Sept. 90, A. ID. 1886,
at O'Clock p. M, will be holden at the
goodly city of st. Louis, State of Missouri,
a special session OF Moolah temple, No.
| bIlty of the Mystic Shrine, on which oc-
casion will be celebrated with more than
Oriental magnihcence the last feast Of the
old year; the day OF Arafat at Mecca;
also the Koorban Bayram; symbolic H.
lustration of the sacrifice of sheep in honor
of lbraheem: the end of the Nights of
Sawad wa Abyad.
"A special invitation is extended to
every noble in the United States. The in
itiatOry ceremonies will be conducted un-
der the auspices of Medlnah temple of
Chicago, assisted by the Imperial Grand
POtentate aud other members of the I'M
perial council. The burning sands have
been heating all summer-they are st.
Louis sands-the costumes, properties
and jewels belong to Medinah temple OF
Chicago, and Will be brought to this oasis
by special caravan across the great Illi-
nois desert. Traditional st. Louis diafat
at third hour. Allah il allah hu! We
have said"