The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-03-16

IA rope yesterday
- when they were initiated
4 - into the mysterious order of
the Shriners. Wear your
old apparel was the command in the
4 invitation from the Imperial Potentate
i 10 the local novices in mysticism, and
4 they did so. They were a sorry spec
i tace as they paraded the streets in the
4 afternoon holding on to a ships hawser
which taxed their muscles to carry on
i the long march. While gorgeous mag
nifCence appeared in the apparel of the
visiting Shriners, and the Mobiles in
general wore their evening suits, these
! victims really looked shabby and upon
their cOuntenances could be seen moth
Ing but an expression of "I wonder
what's coming next?'
Had the local initiates then seen the
i scaffolding erected in Progress hall,
which had the appearance of "shoot
the ehutes," before they entered the
parade, there would have been a whole
sale desertion from the ranks and they
would not have obeyed the injunction
4 TO Hold on to the rope!" even for
minute. Had they also known that at
The bottom of that awe-inspiring plunge
i vas a tank of water-cold, Icy, chilling
aqua osts earnest novices'
would have hesitated before donnine
i anything heavier than a bathing suit.
1t was Shriner day in Honolulu.
Never has the city been visited by such
an aggregation of dazzling celebrities.
Had the Caliph of Bagdad himself
walked the streets, arrayed in the i'm
peral robes of his position, he would
j have been thrown into insignfficance by
the gittering, gorgeous raiment worn
BY Imperial Potentate Lou B. Winsor.
Mohammed is great and Winsor is his
prophet! The wondering populace al
most bolted from. him and the other
strange beings who paraded the streets
arrayed in the picturesque costume of
the sons of the desert and Of Syria.
The poor fellows holding on to the
rope so tenaciously looked like car fare
as they appeared In the procession at
the tag-end OF the parade. They were
ioked on the route and did not even
have the opportunity to have their
"picturs took" on the capitol building
steps with the real Shriners. Being
nOyitiates and not at that time
clothed with the glory of fezzes
and the crescent, they were not
entitled to take any conspicuous
part in the further proceedings.
They contented themselves by letting
Inc fellows who had reached the pin
hacle of Masonry as they had by max
ing threat of "Wait until you want
20 be initiated-we won't do a thing to
YOU"
Progress hall, which is the Temple OF
'ae visiting Shriners, was fitted up in
rue Masonic style. Great strips of
canvas covered the windows and COW
cred all the cracks and creyices which
might give an outsider an opportunity
% ascertain what was going on inside
me hall. The stage was elaborately
furnished with the trappings OF Mason
y and the ever-present camel of the
'nriners, covered with crescent-adorned
cloths, occupied a prominent position
near the Imperial Potentate's throne.
ooft carpets were arranged here and
mere, avidently intended to break the
Oump Just little bit'' OF the initiates.
On one side of the hall was a scene
presenting the interior of an alchem-
s's den. Glittering snakes were en-
%ined around the beams and pillars,
"nue ghosts, skeletons and every man
"g' OF hldeous being peered in upon
a. .. array Of the alchemist's utensils.
.m,'Sohic and Shriner emblems adorned
"e walls and made the interior pictur-
.'4ue' But the chief piece of Shriner
sI"llure. and that which caused more
eplaation among the Masons who
Ned on TO the rope" all day yesterday,
sN ,he huge scaffolding already re-
h,Fa to. 1t was nearly fifteen feet
ns" made as solidly as the carpenters
IA would allow. and there were hooks
'he top platform to which was at
euei the canvas chute. When the
"nitiated" viewed the thing" their
aus tailed them and several bolted
~ the door, but were stopped by the
p.a'n of the Guard and his twenty
W. aoS armed with spears. A reporter
W.. waited at the bottom of the stairs
nerday evening to see what the VIC
~. ~" looked like after going through
1 miIi pttied the poor fellows. They
unmistakable signs of having had
,,s nillct with the goat or the camel.
aoi path besides They shivered and
'u wistfully for hot sands.
,. ,nnortly after o'clock the Mobiles be-
nas assembling In the hall. The I'm
AoI Potentate and the Rabbans, the
tbe tenists, the Ceremonial Masters,
nigh Priest, the Marshal, the ORR