Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-08-04
4" Clipping" an Eagle.

tiiah Il holeu rdncner of this county
VINO Is sad to he in persona! appear
ancc III" exact counterpart OF Con.
gresham Lewis, waS put through his
iir>t flight from an mrie on the Olvm
pan Heights. The gentleman re.
tcrrcd {" very naturally feels proud 81
the marked similitudc between him.
self and the distinguished gentleman
al Chc>teriicldian graceS, and it is said
has read with profit the story of Gin.
clnnatus who IN peculiar exigency in
public affairs lett his pillow in the fur
row to fly to the defense OF his country
at its first call.
These conditions made 81. Hamil-
ton No. >, rs he is Familiarity dubbed
by his hi"hi!v;ay friends, a desirable
acI".~!iloh; to lit on the higher peaks
ut times, to direct the sunward flights
at Others and be the Affair OF the con
stcllation Aquila on all occasions when
star of superior magnitude is needed
to adoin the zenith-thc lodge-room
OF this ambitious order. So time
and date was fixed to "put wings" on
the gentleman, and with bell and blud-
geon conduct him through the intrica.
cies of the mystic way.
All went well until it became neces-
sary, by direction of the great bald ea =
gle to clip the feathers" of the candi-
date to conform to the established
custom of all Eagles of the first order.
Now if there is any one personal
adornment that this candidate prided
himself upon over all Others, it was his
hirsute appendage of vermillion hue,
which he had cultivated and trained
to grow in exact similitude with that
of the ex-Congressman-in fact their
possessor had been led to believe that
these whiskers were his mascot, as it
were, or his horseshoe on the door
jam, to institute strikingly appro-
pirate smile, under the facts and con-
ditions presented. In fact, this was
deemed by him to be the connecting.
link between one already famous and
his budding aspirations for a niche
near the freze-line OH the walls of the
temple of Fame. To lose it by the
ruthless knife would be to rob him of
his chief distinction and most mani
fest glory.
All went we'll with the expectant
candidate until the supulchral words:
"Let the Lodge Barber now appear !"
fell with apprehensive, Belshazzar-
like force upon his anxious ear. Then
a pause interviewed, that was empha-
sized by the persistent "clip-clip" of
the lodge shears and the rasping noise
of honing OF the lodge razor. A GEN.
fury seemed to pass in the moment
which interviewed. What was to be
done? How could this calamity be
averted? How make known to his
friends the priceless virtues which
might be entwined in a "tiny lock of
hair? All he would appeal to their
sense OF justice and honor! Happy
thought! To think, with him, is to
act.
"Let the candidate be placed in po-
sition to receive the Lodges royal
signet" was the next imperious com.
mand of the old bald-headed eagle who
acted as master OF ceremonies. Then,
indeed, had come the time for action,
and the candidate hesitated no longer.
Placing himself in an attitude of sup
plication, he threw his whole soul in
the fervent petition:
"Please friends, spare my whiskers |"
Such an unusual request, to say
nothing of interruption of ceremonies,
of course threw the lodge into the ut
most dismay. The Golden-eagle who
sat in the corner seemed to be over
come by the fervency of the appeal
and moved that the Bald-eagle at once
grant a dispensation emitting that
part of the ritual. This was opposed
by the Karpy-eagle, who himself hav-
ing his feathers shorne, had no charity
for others more favorably situated.
Then innumerable eaglets had their
say, and, by the way, were largely in
the majority, but this is an order in
which might and not numbers rule,
and bald-head and golden.crest had
their way and a pronunciamento was
made, somewhat as follows!
"Let silence reign! Give heed to
the will of the chief Of the falcon
flock. The candidates appeal is not
in vain. Well be it, that it falls upon
sympathetic heart. It moves to
pity enough of responsive nature to
ensure that clemeney which is vested
in, and confided to, those who can
grasp existing conditions and forecast
probable results. The eagle of royal
birth can be both just and magnani-
nous. The Lodge Barber will sheath
his implements and retire."
And that is the reason why one
eaglet appears whose wings are un.
clipped and his whiskers unshorn.
AND now it appears that the whole
disgusting details of the Botkin trial