Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-03-24

q .............. Grand Change Keeper. {.
q Headquarters e
@ At Mcclure House. 9
Observation-Disclosures
Order of BuffalOes.
Millions of buffaloes once roamed the
prairies of the Great West, but the
herds have disappeared before the greed
of the American hide-butcher, leaving
only few remnants here and there to
tell the tale of slaughter. But now a
strange thing happens. The effacement
of the quadrupled is followed by amush-
room growth of biped herds, and the
common noun designation becomes
proper, the initial letter rising from
lower case to capital. The Order OF
Exalted Buffaloes was started in the
bar under the House of Representatives
in Washington by some newspaper cor
respondents who had visited the city OF
Buffalo in 1900 to look over the site
chosen for the Pan-American Exhibit
ton. Elliott Woods, superintendent OF
the National Capitol, claims the credit
o. having offered the suggestion, which
was taken up by the Gridironers, fed
watered, nursed and developed INTO the
Order, which has to-day no less than
100000 members
Buffaloes or BufYalOs.
The brightest men in the city Of
Buffalo soon laid claim to the Order
and spelled the plural without the "e'
thus, Buffalos. But the national
body clings to Buffaloes. Which is
ri OH mr.
formal meetings of this populous fra
ternal organization, and the accepted
ritual has variations which are sup
posed to adapt it to the conditions pre-
vailing in the particular communities
affected. The titles of officers differ in
toto. In Buffalo the head of the Or
der is Chief Hi XII" and the genera
secretary, Keeper of the Beans" In
Washington these titles are Supreme
Warden of the Great Horned Golden
Spoon" and Knight Razmataz of the
Skewdaddle." In Wheeling they are
big Bison" and Grand Change
Keeper"
Left-Hand Men.
The Order of Buffaloes is responsible
for the startling increase of the num-
Der of left-handed men. Whereas q
year ago nearly ali men lifted glass
to their lips with their right hands
to-day the great majority use their left
This is rule of the Order, and it's in
fraction is visited with severe penalties
Any Buffalo catching another drinking
from a glass held in the right hand is
privileged to exclaim Buffalo," where
upon the culprit is required to treat al
the bar every member of the herd who
happens to be within the sound of his
voice. In some herds a fine of II cents
is also imposed for each violation, the
money thus collected being devoted tC
charity.
Fees for Charity.
Wherever FIVE or more BuffaloeS are
gathered together meeting may be
held and resolutions passed for the ap-
preparation of funds to charity. The
Washington herd, for example, estab-
lished a bank in Shoomakers cafe
known to all the world, and in it were
deposited all initiation fees and fines
One evening poor woman entered the
place begging. Half dozen Butfaloes
were against the bar taking night-caps
and one, more inquisitive than his fell
lows, mdae inquiries of the unfortun-
ate creature concerning her past. She
said she was the widow of q former
government clerk, whose death had left
her and three little children in direst
poverty. Unable to find employment
of any kind, she had been forced tC
beg. Without hesitation she gave the
name of her husband, whereat another
Buffalo exclaimed: Her story must
be true. I knew her husband well
and he was worthy man. Buffaloes
come to ORDER" A meeting was held
at which resolutions were adopted vot-
ing the contents of the bank" to the
widow. The sum of $17.31 was found
on deposit, and the woman went hel
way blessing the Exalted Order of Buff
faloes.
The Initiation.
1t is hard to confess it, but truth is
mighty and will prevail. Some Buff
faloes, instead of depositing the initia.
ton fee received from novitiates in
the bank for charity, retain it for the
payment of their own fines. This prac-
tice is frowned on. The favored man,
ner of initiating new member is tc
escort MIN TO the par which happens
to be the official seat of any particular
herd and order him to close his fist
Then in the grave language of an i'm
promptu ritual he is reminded of the
resemblance between the closed fist ant
the head of a buffalo, and enjoined tt
bear this resemblance in mind anG
mediate upon its solemn lessons to bt
drawn from the similarity. The fee o.
IL cents is demanded, it being under.
stood that no change is to be returned
Some novitiates have been caught witt
nothing less than five-dollar bill ir
their pockets. In respectable herds al
this goes into the bank for charity
The victims meditation is shortly in.
terrupted by the Injunction that. the
doubled fist be knocked three times
upon the bar, at which signal the bar.
tender leaves all other business and
hurFies to the place Of initiation, Will
the remark: What will you have
gentlemen"
Reprehensfble Practice.
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