Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-06-19
HE TOOK 233 DEGREES. "
A Wife Learns Some Masonic Facts
AS to Which She Had Been Mis-
informed.
Her Husband Had Deceived Her Badly,
But His Netarious Confidence
Game is up Forever.


a chair,
She wiped her nose and the PRECIPITATION
from her face on 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 and told her he was a Mason,
but not the highest in the land
She hesitated moment, fingered the
corner of her apron, and curled it up like
a boy speaking piece in school, and
asked:
Have you taken the whole 233 degrees
of Masonry"
The man laughed and told her there
were thirty three degrees, and that he had
only taken thirty-two The other degree
could only be taken by 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 minute, unpinned the
safety-pin that held her shawl together and
put 1t 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 hada degree factory. He said he didn't
understand the lady.
''poes my hus band have to sit up with a
corpse three nights week?' she asked,
her eyes flashing fire. 'Do you keep
lot of sick Masons on tap for my husband
to sit up with?"
The prominent Mason said he was thank
full that few Masons died, and only occas-
ionally was one sick enough to call for
Masonic assistance When a Mason was
sick, and away from home, or when his
family desired it, the brethren were only
too glad to sit up with him, but there were
so many Masons and so few sick that it
was only once in two or three months that
a brother was called upon to sit up with
anybody.
''But why do you ask these questions
madam said the prominent Mason.
The woman picked the fringe Of her
shawl, hung her head down and said:
''Wel my husband began to join the
MasOns about two years ago, and he has
been taking degrees or sitting up with the
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 going to
the morgue to help carry brother Masons
home after they had been found in the
river
81 have kept little track of it, and
| figured that he has taken 233 degrees
including the grand Skyfugle degree,
which he took the night with his lip cut
and his ear hanging 10y piece of skin "
"Oh, madam SAID the prominent Moson,
There is no Skyfugle degree in Masonry,
Your husband has lied to you
That what think said she, as Il
baleful light appeared in her eye. HE
said he was taking the skyfugle degree
and fell through the skylight. had him
sewed up, and he was ready for more de-
grees.
after he bad taken, | think, about
$50 degrees, told him | should think he
would let up on it and put some potatoes
in the cellar for the winter but he said
when a man "once got started on the de-
grees he had to take them all or he didn't
amount to anything.
lone time | wanted hat to wear to
church with feather on, and he said
feathers were all nonsense; and the next
day he brought home a leather case with
felt coalschuttle in it, and feather on it
that couldn't have cost less than $40, the
way figure millinery. And when he put
it on and | laughed at his ridiculous APP
pearence he began to throw his arms
and | asked him what was the matter,
and he said it was the grand hailing sign
of Distress and if | didn't look out an
avenger would appear from dark closet
and run toadsticker through me for
scoffer
He must have spent fortune on the
last $50 degrees. One morning he came
home with his coat-tail split right up the
back and his pants torn just as though a
dog had chewed him, and one eye closed
up, and wad of hair pulled right out of
his head, and said he had been taking the
20Oth degree, but he wouldn't tell me how
it happened, because it was dead secret.
Sometimes a brother Mason comes
home with him along in the morning, and
they CAB about "a full flush, and they both
act full as they stand on the steps and CAB
about their pat hands, and raising ,em
out, and calling, and 'bobtail flush
One night when he was asleep heard him
whisper, y raise you S10,' and when |
wanted to be told what it meant he said
they had been raising purse for poor
widow. Another time he raised up in
bed after he mad been asleep and shouted,
i stand pat, and when | wanted to know
what that meant, he said he'd be ruined if
| told of it. He said he had mentioned
the password and if the brethren heard of
it they would put him out of the way.
Mister. is l stand pat your pass
word?'
The Mason told her it was not; that the
words she had spoken were an expression
used by men playing drawpoker and he
added that he didn't believe her husband
was a Mason at ALL but that he had been
lying to her all these years.
She sighed and said: That's what
thought when he came home with lot of
ivory chips in his pocket
g He said they ased them at the lodge
to vote on candidates, and that a white
chip elects and a blue chip rejects candi-
date.
If you will look the matter up and see
if he has joined the Masons, I will be
obliged to you. He say 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.
III tell what | will do. The next time
he says anything about Skyfugle degrees
and Consistory nonsense | will use wash
board and cause him to believe there is
one degree in Missionary he has missed;
and now good by. You have comforted
me greatly, and | will awake tonight till
my husband comes from the lodge with
his pat hand and | will make him think
he has forgotten to ante.
The lady went out to grocery to buy
some bar soap, and the prominent Mason
resumed his business with a feeling that
we are not all truly good and there is
chaa tinu C,inp on all around