The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-08
.WEARERS OF FEZzES
FACTS ABOUT AN ARABIC ORDER
AND IT'S AMERICAN
USES
KNOWN AS MYSTIC sHRINERs
Has Existed in Arabia Since A. ID.
664, and Was Instituted by
sOn-in-Law of Mo-
g.. ts manned.

1t is now nearly thirty-one years since
Dr. Walter M Fleming finished his
transcription of the ritual and the prn-
ciples of the Asiatic and European or
CARNATIONS which are now represented
here. thanks to him, by the Ancient
Arabic Order of the Mobiles of the Mys-
tic Shrine. Ordinary unprivileged NOR
| tails know them simply as Shriners and
distinguished them by their habit OF
wearing Turkish fezzes upon festal oc-
casions. Outsiders have. too, a. dim no
ton, says the New York Sun. that in
the life of the Shriner there is an unend-
Ing succession of festal occasions He
knows that the mobiles do not go abroad
leshouting self-advertisefnent and he sus-
poets that when from time to time he
| StumbleS upon their merrynakings he
mas merely happened upon one festivity
out of great number which are con-
I stantly going on without his knowledge.
Not very long ago the spectators at the
circus in Madison Square Garden were
not little puzzled by the entry of
| solemn party of substantial looking citi-
zens, who were met in the middle of the
great arena by two circus attendants
leading between them baby camel
which had been born a few days before
They saw one who was apparently the
| spokesman of the committee. make a
short address to the camel and saw him
| spill pint of champagne upon the ugly
/ little brute's head and then spread a
gloriously gold-embrotdered cloth over
| it's back
| The camel was led out and the specta-
| tors did not know until the next day that
| 1t had been consecrated in the course of
the proceedings in the arena for it's future
| duties in assisting in the limitations of
| the candidates for membership in the or
| der AS to what the duties of the camel
would be on those occasions no noble
| could be persuaded to say more than
mat no initiation was fully appreciated
i and properly contaminated until the can
didate had been carried over the hot
sands of the desert to the cool GASES.
| Ihere are not many camels in the United
| states and In come parts of the country
limitations of the Mystic Shrine are de-
ferred until the arrival of the circus. SO
that camels may be borrowed for the Ger
| emonies.
Again, folks who have found some diff
! Guilty in getting seats at some theatrical
performance have at last achieved their
| seats only to find themselves In the midst
Of a great befezzed audience which ap-
| parently has most thorough under
standing with itself and with some of the
actors on the stage. If the beWiIdered.
| stranger asks what has happened to the
! place he will be informed that It is Shrine
| Night 1t is useless for him to seek
i Iurther satisfaction, for he viii get none.
In general the Ancient Arabic Order Is
/ described by those who have not the priv
liege OF membership in 1t as an inner cir
Gle OF freenasonry which is devoted to-
the social enjoyment of it's members and
carries out It's object by treating the
women OF the famGfe Of the mobiles with
| the utmost courtesy, considerable and
good fellowship. It's habits are notorious
~ migratory. 1t IS common enough to
near of ones Shrine acquantances max
ing two and three trips year to the Far
southwest, the Pacific coast and the edge
| of Canada
Wnen there are not enough duties of
oilcla1 visitors to keep them prancing off
IN search Of fresh air and distant friends
Fthe Shrtners organize excursions which
travel by special trains and take in all
tnelr families. Not all of these involve
Sucn ambitious journeys as those to the
Iurthermost corners Of the country.
only the other day the members of Mecca
Temple, from which all the other temnles
IN TINS country sprang, received a man
GATE commanding them, in the name of
the Prophet to get out of the heat and go
down to Manhattan Beach with +hein
| Iezzes On their heads and their women
| folk on their arms on JULY 10 Nome
VINO was there that night had any doubts
| as to the. success of the mobiles in gather
Ing up all the elements of a good time
which are to be found at large on that
end of Coney Island.
! by special diSpensation from +ha
Prophet, the Sun is enabled to make
known at this time some of the things
! ABOUT the order which outsiders general
| ly nave not had called to their attention
| The Ancient. Arabic Order of the Mobiles
| or the Mystic Shrine, as it adorns rem
resentative American communities TODAY.
is d branch of an order that has existed
| n
tuted by All, cousin and son-in-law of
the Prophet Mohammed. 1t was founded
at Mecca. The object of its organization
was not essentially different from that
| OF the Vig1lantes in our own Northwest
| 10 quote from the history of the order
Wnlch mas been written by DR.. Fleming:
The intention was to form a band of
/ men of sterling worth, who would with.
| outfear or favor, upon a valid accusa-
ton, try, judge and execute, if need he
| within the hour, having taken precaution
as to secrecy and security. The Mobiles.
perfected their organization and did such
prompt and efficient work that they ex,
cited alarm and even CONSERVATION in
the hearts Of the eyildoers In all countries
| under the Star and Crescent"
The. order still exists in the East.
though 1t no longer poses as an active
tensible object at present is to increase
the faith of all believers in Allah. It
| Is stated by mobiles of the American order
| tnat TINS does not seem to them to be
4 inconsistent with their own purposes
since they say Mohammedans respect the
4 beliefs of Israelites and Christians
All Mohammedans,' says the history
respect one who has made a pilgrima ge
TO Mecca. and will repeat the formula of
the creed:S There is no deity but Allah. >
4 without reference to what his private
belief may be, for they have a maxim.
That which ds5 within belongs to God
4 alone
i In 1776 the order was revived In Europe
by Adam Weishaupt, a Rosicrucian. and
i professor of law in the, University Of
! Ingolstadt. Bavaria. It branched out
i from 1ngolstadt all over Europe and
i among its members are enrolled the
4 names of Frederick the Great. Goethe
i Spinoza, Kant and other eminent philos,
ophers. Dr.. Fleming and William s
Patterson, who had become through his
| devotion to the order an ACCOMPLISHED
Arabic scholar. were moved to inyesti
| gate the principles of the order in 1871
DR.. Fleming was very much attracted by
what he learned of it abroad, and deter
/ mined to organize a branch of It in this
country. He felt that he needed the
aid of someone who was more known
than himself in the country, and enlisted
the aid of Billy Florence.
By modestly putting Mr.. Florence for
ward as the real discoverer of the order
] DR.. FLEMING succeeded in causing the
II general impression that Florence had i'm
ported the secrets of the society from the
4 East and had turned to DR. Fleming for
help in applying. them here. The wisdom
OF Dr.. Flemings plan was soon made ap-
! parent. The popularity of Mr. Florence
! with the unFemitting diligence and in
genu1ty or the real founder, gave the
\ order an impetus which has spread it all
over this country with membership of
i approximately 100 900.
/ DR.. Fleming was thrty-third degree
I Mason at the time of the founding of
ha 0rdn