The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-04-08
KNIGHTS or THE ROAD.
A Drummer Relates His Experience in
Grand Rapids, Michigan.

4 Drummer Relates HIS Experience III
Grand Rapids, Michigan.
What l like about these knights
of the Road" is that they are great
fellows for secret societies. Most all
the drummcrs belong to everything
that is going from tina: of tie Grand
Knights OF Diamond Garter" down
to 'Sons of Intemperance" l am
quite a hand for all such mysterious
things myself, 50 I get solid with all
the boys. My old friend Crookston
called on me the other day to see if I
needed any drugs and to have q visit.
We had a jolly old time. While We
were sitting in the Office chap came
in and wanted to borrow s. on ac-
count of a remittance not coming to
him as he expected. I told lin my
81 I kept to lend was in now, being
sent in the day before by Johnny Nc
Intyre, but l never lent it except to
drummers. He said "That's me-" [
gave him the grand hailing sign of an
Odd Fellow, which he tumbled to.
Then l came to the great chair in the
SCOT" grip of a Pythonic. He tum-
bled. Then Crook gave him G. B. Of
the Sons of Malta. He was onto it.
Then I tripped him the hair-poking
signal of a Good Tippler. He smiled
and said "H. o." This is chemical
term, meaning ':waters." Then Crook
stuck out his hand and gave him the
noted P. D. @. sign of the Royal Arch
Brick Mason. He "got thar on that
Then Crookston examined him as fol-
lows, to make sure be was a drum
mer:
'From whence comest thou, pard ?"
"From the Lodge of the Holy St.
Johns, Michigan %
"What seek ye here to do?"
s'To take few orders and collect a
bill of Billsou."
'Then you are drummer
Il am so taken and accepted by the
boys"
How may I know you to be a
drummer
'sBy my cheek and my fifty. pound
sample case. Try me-"
"How will you be tried q
"By the squar'."
"Why by the squar' ?"
Because the squar' is magistrate
and an emblem OF stupidity"
"yyhere were yo2 first led to be a
drummer ,"
''In my mind"
"Mhere next?"
"In printing Office, adjoining a
regular post of dlummers.
'sHow were you prepared ?"
"By being divested of my last cent,
my cheek rubbed down with a brick,
bunion plaster over each eye, and Il
heavy sample case in each hand. In
this fix I was conducted to the door
of the post
Chow dia you know it was door,
being blind -
"By first stepping in coal scuttle
and afterward humping my head
against the door knob"
Chow gained YOU admission"
'sBy benefit OF my cheek"
clad you the required cheek ?"
Il had not, but Steve Sears lad it
forme
Chow were you received %
con the sharp toe Of boot, ap-
piled to my natural trousers.
"What did this teach you?"
ssNot to fool around too much
''What happened next?"
Il was set down on cake of ice
and asked if [ put my trust in mer-
camille reports
"Your answer"
"Not if | know myself, I don't"
GLOW We're you next handled?"
81 was put straddle of goat made
ont of PA, and trotted nine times
around the room by our worthy
brothers, and then trotted in front of
the Lett Bower tor further lnstruc-
ton
'How did lie Instruct you?''
':Io approach a customer il three
upright regular steps with Ay bust
ness card extended at risll: angles,
my arms torminga perfec: square.
';How were you then disposed OFF,
q was again seated on the-cakc Of
ice in front OF a dry goods store, and
made to take the following horrible
and binding OATH
q, Charles S. Robinson, do hereby
aud herein most everlsstingiy and di-
abolically swear by the Great Bob
Tail Flush, that will never reveal and
! a]Ways steal all the trade secrets T can