The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-05
A PAST SECRET ORDER
Sons Of Temperance in the Dis
tricfs Early Days.
An Institution in which Grips,
Passwords, and Mystical Initin-
Men Who Were Among Its Lead
ers - Incidents in Its Career.

ders which flourished in the District OF Co
lumbia half century ago. are still alive
and active. Some, sindeed, date from be-
fore the opening ofsthe alneteenth century
and are still active,- The Free and Accept
ed Masons, the INDEPENDENT Order Of
Odd Fellows, the Improved Order of Red
Men, the Sons Of Temperance, the Recha-
bites, etc, still exist, and to them have
been added a score of other secret organi-
zations Many of them, are based on life
insurance ard include. what in those
days would have been considered impossi-
BILE, two or three secret orders made UP
of Catholics. In one case only has an ex-
tensive order permeating all portions OF
the District, gone out Of existence and be-
come as extinct as the Dodo.
The extinct order was in its day, the lat
ter 40's and earlier SOS, known as The
United Brothers of Temperance" and num-
bered many hundred members in this city.
Association No. / met at what was King S
Gallery, on Twelfth Street, near F Street.
Association No met at the Odd Fellows
Hall on the Navy Yard Association No. 8
met at the hall over the Western Market,
| which then stood on Pennsylvania Avenue
/ and Twentieth Street. Association No. 4
met at Brooke Lodge on St. Asaph Street,
! Alexandria, and Association No. at Mar
ket Hall in Georgetown. Many of 'she
| leading citizens of the District were me.a-
/ bers Of the Brothers OF Temperance.
/ Councilman Little, George Savage, Selby
| Parker. Lambert S. Beck, C. Columbus,
William H. Tanning, John Morsell, Ulys-
ses Ward, and the Rev. ]. 7. Ward were
prominent on the rolls.
| The United Brothers had been originated
in New York by George Philip Parker, who
had had difficulties with the Sons of Tenn
1 perance. Of which he had been a leading
Temperance. upon a simpler basis than
that on which the Sons of Temperance, or,
indeed. any other of the then existing Sc
eret orders were based. All oaths or in
vocations OF the Almighty were omitted.
The ritual was of the simplest character.
The officers took the usual names of presi-
dent. vice president. marshal, etc. The re-
gala was reduced to a simple rosette of
ribbon worn on the left breast. The alb
sence of oaths Of secrecy drew many Ro-
was most esteemed because of its SIM
plicity by many who did not care for the
mysticism of ritual and ornate furnishings
and regalia of other secret orders. In 1916
the membership of the now extinct order
was numbered by thousands in the District
of Columbia. 1t took also considerable
! foothold in New York. but did not spread
to the other States.
In this order. as in all the others which
exist, laughable incidents occurred on the
most solemn occasions. and ceremoni ais
which were intended to border on the trag-
ic, suddenly became comic. and proved the
statement of the naturalist, that man is
the laughing animal" Most of these
breaks" are buried in the closet OF Sc
crecy where resides that time honored goat
that has done so much work in the halls
Of the secret societies of Washington. As
the Brothers Of Temperance have been
now extinct for more than a generation.
it may be presumed that whatever of his
fun" has not lapsed from memory may
be considered public property.
The initiatory ceremonial OF the United
Brothers was extremely simple Its ritual
was in the plural number and this fact
on one winter night in Association No l.
at Kings Gallery, occasioned a ludicrous
series Of mistakes. 1t was customary for
the marshal to repair to the ante-room
and then return and report the attend nee
of the candidates. On this occasion the
marshal come in and reported: Brother
President. / find in waiting Messrs. Martin,
Luther. Bernadotte, Josetti, who desires,
etc, etc.
The mafshal win bring in the candi-
dates
Thereupon the marshal repaired TO the
ante-room and appeared leading one candi-
date. He had not gotten far into the hall
when the President cried out, Brother
Marshal, you will return with the candi-
date TO the ante-room and bring all out.
The marshal somewhat new In his duties
went back to the ante-room and again en-
tering reported the four names and was
again told to bring in the candidates He
again appeared with single candidate and
was again stopped by the peremptory order
Of the President: Brother Marshal. Won
will again retire to the ante-room and
bring in all the candidates" Another re-
turn with one candidate and another mis-
take induced the President to direct the
marshal to bring in everybody in the ante
room, including the assistant deputy mar
shall who kept the outer door This time
the start was made again. Four names
were again reported and this time the
dazed marshal brought in two men. one OF
whom was the doorkeeper
Brother Marshal" cried the President
stop where you are. What is the name of
this candidate?"
Mr. Josetti.''
Where are the other three?"
There is only one, Brother President"
what has become of Messrs. Luther
Bernadotte. and Martini"
It's all him. sir responded the amazed
marshal.
Just then 1t dawned on the President
that between himself and the marshal
there was fool somewhere, and that one
citizen had a right to a four-fold name.
The Initiation of "Messrs. Martin Luther
BernadOtte Josetti" was conducted amid
laughter which showed that visibility was
a marked feature of the Brotherhood.
Two other amusing incidents were told
by junior brother. Il came" he said
from Alexandria to Washington on the
goth of April, 1916. when somewhat less
than the fourteen years old prescribed by
the law OF the order for initiation into
Junior Association No. l. U. Jr b T., hav-
ing been exempted by dlspensation from
the age rule because it was expected I
would be able to get up an association in
Alexandria. Junior Association No. / met
at the Northern Liberty engine house.
which was located on Eighth Street at the
crossing of New York and Massachusetts
Avenues. now Mount Vernon Park l was
carried there about twilight by gentle
man and left with several boys a few wears
older than myself. The German Band oe-
cupied the engine hall once or twice a
week and they had the key. One boy was
despatched for the key, and, after waiting
while, the other boys took a ladder out
of the engine house and all of us entered
the hall through the window. By the time
II III 4.