Mohave County miner., 1899-05-13
Those Lodges.
WHITE HILLS, MAY STH, 1899.

we promised 10 say something about
the proceedings Of two certain lodges or
ganized in tins camp, but find it utterly
impossible to report anything reliable of
their inside affairs, as we spoke OF doing
We had not reckoned on some OF the
torces with which We find 1t necessary to
cope in order to ell OF the doings OF these
secret bodies However, Fate kindly
threw in our way copy Of the obligation
that the candidate for admission to the
lodge Of the Thirteen Exaggerators is
supposed to take on the night Of inltiarion.
de or she-the said candidate in ones
tion--is reqIesred to swear as follows:
Il, candidates name), DO hereby SOL
emnly swear upon this sacred book OF
Baron Munchaussen, and py all things
false in the universe, that never, hence
forth, from this night, will knowingly
or wlfully tell the truth if by any posi-,
blity | can substitute lie in its stead,
unless, in telling said lie, have good
reason to believe and ieel verify afraid
in my heart that | am end dirgsring tha
safety OF my life or limb; in which case
shall be at liberty to tell the truth at that
one time, provided | tell az many lies
as possible about it afterward And
never, when questions are asked me con.
cerning this organization, its time or place
OF meeting, It's membership OF off ;ers,
will give truthful answer concerning
the same and TO my last moment, and
with my las, breath will ever deny that
am member OF this body
Furthermore, | agree to make it m,
espec a business to mannfscture, gather
and circulate all manner OF false reports
concerning all people, companies, organ
iza'ions, syndicates, etc, whom happen
to knew or hear Of, provided said parties
be not 10 an 1ers OF this p n icul4r .ociety
To which | now belong Never will
KNOWN CIV tell the truth concerning them
except II be possible TO gain some knowl
edge OF their inmost secrets or private
aft airs, which 1t would do them more
run to circulate than would lie, in
which case it will be more honorable
among rs to tell the truth.
BIT more especially will we tell these
lies and all kinds Of lies to the Seven
Fools society, which ,lways has a lodge
near rs and helps circula'e our reports
"ln witness whereof hereunto set my
hand and seal The day and year first
above written"
The other organization, the Seven
Fools, is even more diff .uIt to gain
knowledge Of han the Exsggerators, but
We happened to pick up piece of paper
out on the desert the other day which the
wind must have gathered up in The lodge
room and whisktd away. This is what |
found on It:
SEVEN FOOLS -
The ohjec's OF this society shall be TO
improve our minds carefully, so thai
others may deceive aud fl ece us TO dill.
gently compress our brains 30 that We
shall ever be ready to believe all false
and disbelieve all true reports told us
and more especially with reference to the
Thirteen Exaggerators shall this be the
case. All false things circulated by them
shall be accepted ny us as true and we
will make haste v b gIeat diligence to
spread the same over all the village and
county so far AS possible wherever We
may happen to be
"We 1lll ever take great pains to die
and search for gold and silver where no
such things can be fonud. We will dig
great holes and spend our money on bar.
rem spots which can never ieId US
cenr and, when buying, We will always |
SEEK out the greatest sharper in the
country, 80 AS to get the worst possible
place at rhe highest price.
I'VE will believe all reports of rich !
strikes aud make hss'e % get there from
that place in which we happen to be al
the time so as to give the sharpers there
a better chan ~ to ID } rs" in trre style.
III ldC', ~ SUN " up III nut5Dtl, |
our object is to act the fool As much as
We know how in all possible and lmpos
sIbe things, including politics and re.
lRion."
The balance OF the sheet was torn eff
here so tina: could not see It's further
However, thought it quite
enough, as | Was too dun bounded for
comment, and so le I'VE the matter wi.h
you for your own consideration.