The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1894-11-23
Secret Orders-A Boys idea.

ing their clothes on their persons by
the heat of the sun. They had been
out an the pond upon raft, gather
ing pond lilies, and the frail structure
had come apart, letting them all into
water, which luckily was not over
their heads. They were respectively
about eight, ten and eleven years old,
and had the usual boys love of mys-
terry.
Sam, the oldest of the three, began
the conversation: "I see Pete Jack
son Yesterday, an he says that Rial
Johnson's widder has got two thousand
dollars from the Woodmen, an the
first thing she did was to right off an
git her new six dollar bunnit"
"What's the WO0dmen?" asked
Jimmie, the youngest.
"They're society what pays folks
money when they dies" broke it ten
year-old Johnny.
"Pays the widders money, not the
corpses," corrected Sam. "Shrouds
hain't got no pockets"
"Ma says Mis- Johnson has sold
eggs an paid the 'sessments ever since
Rial was took SICK" slid Johnny. "If
it hadn't been for that t wO thousand
dollars, she wouldn't had nothin'
1t looks like pickin' up money; don't
it?"
"My pa is A. O. U W and a
knights of something" said Jimmy.
Sometimes he goes to lodge and don't
come home until decent folks ought
to be in bed an rogues on their way
| there-ma says"
Johnny had been pondering serious
ly; 81 wonder if nobody don't ever
kill themselves to cheat the 'ciety."
"Thund Grafton mop said Sam. 81
wouldn't kill myself for two million,
billion, trillion dollars. You bet!
What's the hull world to man when
his wife's widder?"
II ain't ever goin' to belong to no
sekert sOcierties," said Jimmy.
"Grandpa says they blindfolds 'em,
and rides 'en on a goat and makes 'em
set on a red hot grdiron-anyhow
that's what they does with the Masons.
And grandpa says he'd just as soon
be baby and wear long dresses an
di'pers as to rig up like an old woman
an wear a apron"
81 don't believe that gridiron story"
said Sam. "Bill Reeds Mason and
/ went in swimmin' with him last
Sunday, and he hain't got no gridiron
scars nowhere Them stories is just
for stuffin women an kids. Men
folks laugh at 'em."
':'I expect" said Johnnie, "that it's
awful to join the Masons. They make
We get down on yer knees on coffin,
with rope around your neck. IF
they don't swear the frightfullest, ter
riblest oaths, which it's wonder the
Lord does not strike 'em dead for. I
don't see how man what's a Mason
can sleep nights. And then they just
murder man, like they did somebody
by the name of Morgan, if he ever
tells word"
That's all bosh-that old chestnut
about Morgan" said Sam. "I read in
detective book about man that
went all the way around the world
and ketched murderer and got fif-
teen thousand dollars reward. And
every place he wentto, in South Ame-
rica, Africa and India, and everywhere
all he had to do was to make the
Masonic sign, and give 'em the grip,
and they took care of him, and didn't
charge him nothing and helped him
information, and treated him like they
was brothers. / think it's a bully
thing to he Mason, and you will,
too, when you get old enough to
understand such things"
Just then another boy came in sight
with a boat, and the conversation
came to an end.-Co-Operation.
that was anticipated. Whatever the
administration may or may not do
before congress assemblies. the bond
question is likely to be live one
during the session of Congress.
When the sweeping nature OF the
republican victory is considered, the
republicans have teen very modest in
their demonstration of JOY. For the
most part they have confined them |
selves to quiet congratulations over
the prospect which that victory gives
of permanent revival of prosperity
throughout the country, now that
business men have something solid
upon which to base their future calcu-
lations, something which they have
lacked for two years, and without
which no country can enjoy a real
and permanent prosperity. 1t is re-
garded as really more of a business
than political victory, and republi-
cans are all the more proud of it on
that account.