Sharp County record., 1890-08-28
He took S3S Degrees.

prominent Mason a few mornings
since, and took chair.
She wiped the persplratlon from
her face on a blue.checked apron,
and when the Mason looked at her
with an interested brotherly look, as
though she was in trouble, she said:
"Are you the boss Mason"
He blushed. told her he was a Ma
son, but not the highest in the land.
She heSitated a moment, fingered
the corner of her apron and curled it
up like boy speaking a piece in
school. and asked:
"Haye you taken the whole 233
degrees of Masonry"
The man laughed and told her
there were only thirty,three degrees
and that he had only taken thirty.
two, The other degree could only
be taken by a very few, who were
recommended by the Grand Lodge,
and they had to go to New York to
get the thirty-third degree. .
The lady studied a minute, un-
pinned the safety,pin that held her
shawl together and put it In her
mouth, took long breath and said:
"Where does my husband get the
other 200 degrees then?"
The prominent Mason said he
guessed her husband never got 200
degrees unless he had a degree fac>
tory. He said he didn't understand
the lady.
"Does my husband have to sit mp
with corpse three nights week."
she asked her eyes flashing fire.
"Do you keep a lot of sick Masons
on tap for my husband to SIT up
with?"
The prominent Mason said he was
thankful that few Masons died, and
only occasionally was one sick enough
to call for Masonic assistance. Why
did she ask?
"Well, my husband began to join
the Masons about two years ago,
and he has been taking degrees or
sitting up with people every night
since, and he comes home at all times
of the night smelling of beer and
cheese. | thought at first that the
cheese was the result of his 60,
ing to the Morgue to help carry
brother Masons home after they had
been found in the river. have kept
a little track of 1t, and l figure he
has taken 933 degrees, including the
grand skyfugle degree. which he
took the night he came home with
his lip cut and his ear hanging by a
piece of skln." i
"Oh, madam" said the prominent
Mason, "there is no skyfugle degree
in Masonry. Your husband has lied
to you."
"That's what / think" said she,
as a baleful light appeared in her
eye. "He said he was taking the
skyfugle degree and fell through the
skylght. l had him sewed up and
he was ready for more degrees"
"After he had taken, l think,
about $50 degrees l told him !
should think he would let up on it
and put some potatoes in the cellar
for winter, but he said when man
once got started on the degrees he
had to take them all or he didn't
amount to anything"
sometimes a brother Mason comes
home with him along in the morning
and they job about full flush, and
they both act full, as they stand on
the steps and CAB about their pat
hands and raising 'em out and 'call.
ing and 'bobtail flush Mister, is 4
stand pat your password"
The Mason told her it was not,
That the words she had spoken was
an expression used by men when
playing draw poker. And he added
that he didn't believe her husband
was q Mason at all but that he had
been lying to her oil these years.
She sighed and said; "That's what
| thought when he came home with
a lot of Ivory chips in his pocket"
ale said they used them at the
lodge to vote on candidates, and that
white chip elects and blue chip
rejects n candidate"
If you will look the matter up
and zee If he has joined the Masons
| will be obliged to you. lie says
he has taken all the 233 degrees, and
now the boys want him to join The
knights of Pythias. ! want to get
an injunction to prevent him from
joining anything else until we get
some underclothes for winter"
~'ll tell you what ] will do. The
next time he says anything about
skyfngle degree and consistory non.