Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-11-17

caps OF the Masonic order became
conspicuous throughout the city, and
BIZ noon the whole town seemed full
of them. Wherever one turned, the
red cap marked the presence of a
noble of the mystic shrine, and
wherever one was met it was good to
be there, for the Shriners are mighty
good fellows. The keys of the city
Everything but the keys to the city
II tleasury-were turned over to them,
the town was theirs, and they COM
ported themselves as they liked.
The occasion, as is well known by
all newspaper readers, by all Shrin-
crs, and especially by the novices in
attendance. was the ceremonial ses-
sion given by Sahara temple. Life is
too short to follow up the footsteps OF
the novice as he traverses the burn
ing sands Of tfhe desert and perhaps
too, the Shriners themselves would
object to giving detailed account of
he journey. The work of the cere-
monial session had thus best be left
alone.
AT night, the temple gave it's ira
ditional banquet, and it is needless
to add that nothing in history or ira
dition ever surpassed it in magnifi-
cence and grandeur. Potentate w.
l.. Toney of Sahara temple presided
with all the dignity he commands
when on official duty on the bench as
Eolice Judge. True, at times the shad-
ow of change would pass over the
handsome judges countenance, but
whether he was about to laugh or
weep no one, not even his dearest
1!iend. could tell. Tradition has il
that on one occasionn in the days
some by Judge Toney attempted to
Laugh at one of these banquets. and
cried. But this is all rumor.
Judge Toney proposed a toast to
ARKANSAS next governor" and il
vas drunk heartily. and Bob Rogers
vas cheered noisily when he respond.
ed. Mr.. Rogers denied the charge
that he is a public speaker, notwith-
standing the press accounts of his
'olubility, and modestly begged to be
permitted to make only a "few ram.
bling remarks" His rambling re.
arks were received with something
akin to vociferousness on the part Of
his auditors. Mr.. Rogers paid his
compliments to the ladies, but begged
to be excused from the task of tell
lhf: them why they can not become
Shriners.' He assured them with al!
written upon his counten-
anct that this reason was one of the
secrets of the lodge room, and he
couldn't under any circumstances r
late to them the particulars. He was
given a most hearty ovation.
Potentate Toney then proposed
toast to Imperial Potentate Harry II.
Collins of North America. 1t was
drunk with enthusiasm by the Shrin.
ers.
Ed H. Westbrook was called upon
to respond to another toast, in which
he, hike Mr.. Rogers, paid his compli-
f"ents to the ladies. He said they
were all sweet, but the flower of wo-
the sweetest, the purest, the
best, the noblest creature in all the
world was the woman of Pine Bluff,
Arkansas. He knew. he said, because
ne married one of them Everybody
present corroborated him several
ines before he drained his glass.
MI. Toney of Lake Village respond.
"a to another toast on behalf of the
novices present at the ceremonial
session. Mr.. Toney was himself one
u the novices, and as may be i'm
lglned his talk was pathetic in the OK
rene. But sadder than all was the
moment when, after referring as he |
night to the tribulations through !
which he and his companions had
'assed while traversing the desert. he
'ointed an accusing finger at the /;
oastnaster and said with tears in his
oice: And MY brother did it,"
Potentate Toney then proposed
toast to our mothers" 1t is unnec-
ssarv to state that it was given
earthly
After he banquet, at which every
hing in the world good to eat and
ri"k WAS served. the cigars were
assed among the gentlemen, who en-
oyod an hour Of recreation from the
rduous duties of the banqueting ta-
le. Late in the evening. dancing was
sdulged in by number of those pres.