The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-20
THE MYSTIC SHRINE.
The Order Was Founded by Billy Flor
a Jole.

The Order Was Founded by Billy Flor
ence : Joke.
The Order of the Mystic Shrine, which is
a near neighbor to Freemasonry, comprises
many thousands of members in the United
States, and very small percentage of those
members are aware, says a Philadelphia
special to the Globe-Democrat that a
branch was started as joke many years
ago. the perpetratOr of the joke being the
late William J. Florence The joke did not
originate with Florence. but rather with Dr.
Walter Flemming of New York, a we'll
known prince of good fellows and a high
degree Mason, but it was Florence who en-
gineered the affair to successful conclu-
sion. An idea of the success of the hoax
can be had from the fact that the Lulu
Temple Of this city is one Of the branches
OF the parent organization. There are teu-
pies nearly as great as the Lulu in nearly
every large city, not only in this coun-
try, but in Great Britain, and all owe
their existence to the love of a joke
had by Billy Florence, DIR. Flemming and
the rest of that pioneer band in the organ
iZation of the Mystic Shrine. One night
early in 1870 a small party of Masons were
gathered at the house of DR.. Flemming, in
New York. The conversation turned upon
the organization of different secret societies
and DR.. Flemming proposed that those
present form an adjunct of some kind OF
took hearty interest in the affair from the
start but it was not long before the matter
mad assumed practical shape. Just about
thai time the khedive of Egypt was Great
ing great Juror in Paris. He was the
guest of Emperor Napoleon and the SPLEEN
dor of their entertainments was the talk OF
the civilized world. Actor Florence was In
Paris at that time, and in a long letter to
his friend, DR.. Fiemming. described an i'm
aginary meeting, at which Napoleon. the
X ha1iVp and Aptpr ElOranan tnnE In
winding ND his letter Mr.. Florence declared
that the khedlye was almost good enough
to belong to the Masons.
Immediately it occurred to DR.. FlemminQ
and his friends that it would be a good idea
TO spread the report broadcast that the
Khedive had met Billy Florence, the we'll
known actor, in Paris, and had become SO
favorably impressed with the witty Ameri-
can that he had conferred upon him the de-
gree of the Mystic Shrine, to which only
members of the uniform rank could aspire
He had also, according to the report, en-
powered Mr.. Florence to come back to
America, establish lodges of the Mystic
Shrine and confer the degree. This report
surprised Actor Florence very much when
he returned to his own country, but he read
lily fell into the scheme, and in this manner
the Mystic Shrine was organized. About
five years later DR.. Daniel L. Hughes,
now resident physician in charge of the
Philadelphia Hospital, went on a visit to
ms friend, DIR. Flemming, in New York
While there DR.. Hughes was induced to
join the Order Of the Mystic Shrine and re-
turned to Philadelphia with firm determine
ton to organize lodge in this city. There
was no delay, and i'll less than month
the Lulu Temple was we'll under way.
Until about five years ago DIR. Hughes was
tie important factor in the lodge in this city,
and during the time of his active member
ship Lulu Temple grew to wonderful pro-
portions, and its fame is now as wide as the
domain OF Uncle Sam.