Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-10-04
COMING OF NEPTUNE AT EQUATOR


70 B4i5.rs Assistant TIL Ha;h steward
Two i-Nerltioner~ Tho Boa,swain. Sailor
OCEAN Polio TWO Sailors. Two Passeng-
anbers Of
..-.....Thc Butcher. The second cook
This indicates the democracy of tho
OCCASION, the ships officers. crew and
passengers all standing on an equal
Footing. We candidates" having been
GUY warned. had taken precautions 10
appear IN appropriate costume-paia-
ms, athletic running dress shirt and
snort drawersl. or amy old clothes that
am handy. In the soft tropic sea air
fn"re was no fear of any chill as We
stood in waiting, however lightly clad.
Passengers for any reason diSinclined
u undergo the ordeal were permitted
I" purchase exemption on payment Of
one dollar. But seven of US We're ready
20 take the whole thing for the sake
OF the experience and the fun of ii.
however strenuous the prospect. The
captain presented his imperial majesty
with q list of passengers who had not
crossed the line. There was some
doubt as to whether Mr.. Iarrinasa
should be included.
.Policeman." cried the secretary.
one Of Neptune's finest" the mi
tials 20. P.' on the turned-up rim of
MS souwester. stepped forward. Go
fetch Mr.. L~arrinaga,' the secretary or
dered.
The delegate from Porto Rico came
forward. Closely oss-questioned bv
his majesty. he explained how he had
crossed the line in 1856. naming the
vessel. N0
Il do not nov tina, ship g-;mlv
remarked the monarch. ~
The prospect for Mr.. Larrinaga be-
sAn 70 look dark. But Captain Cado-
gan iaterceded: Il can vouch for Mr..
l.ariiilasa, he said. He must be all
Fl5At IL he says So
SO the honored Don Tulio was gra-
olous!y passed. Others We're success
si'e!y sent for. Some pleaded i'll health.
one had scraped his knee in the po-
,a'o race. The doctor gravely felt
ti'"hl over, pounded them. made them
snow their tongues. Exemption nenal-
ties having been duly imposed. the mi
ua'lon Proceedings b. gan. The first
Candidate was conducte,. to the steer
as, deck and was seated on the rim of
i olS tank-a sail held between two
spaIs ana flled with sea water. 4
large reflector with electric glow
lamps suspended above the t.,,s hri,-
ilaajly lit the scene for tho spcctators
LOOKING on from the deck above as
rom a iheater gallery. The doctor
nahded the victim II glass of some
,"ims pitler-qulnine in water, to pre-
.eAt m possible chill. Then tho bar
per appeared with his lather (1our-
piastep and asked a question: "a close
shave. sir?" ~
Inc opening of the candidates mouth
~ respond was the signal for a ,hri,s,
I'm q huge brushful of the stuff. fol-
io"ed by a generous latherinC nrelirni-
nary to Il shave of three or fo,,r ct roL,a.
l.o.i d Dig wooden razor in the hands
Oh the BARRIERS assistant. Then with
~ warhlng' came Il vigorous push
lrorn .he Two "executioners." The cam
@ 1fE1tp fnrnnd n
backward into the tepid sea v,atarNN
realll. a pleasant bath DESPITE the sud
zen immersion. Then came y daI,,o-
ing shower from the ships hose. II
vas IKE the bursting Of Il waterspout.
Amidst applause and lauchter fron,
above. the candidate emerged. n dujy
accredited subject of Neptune. Thc
others followed in quick succession:
the secretary OF the delegation. the d.
rector. the sun correspondept-tha
fieraid representative was an ey-
perlenced sea dog and n veteran of IN.
line-Master Jack HINT Ca plucl:v boy.
READY Tor everything going). the clerk
OF the delegation. and the Young ren-
resentative of n of the biggest ma
cninery trusts in the states. The reg
uiar CEREMONY over. the members OF
-Neptune'S suite. according TO invariahlo
custom. all proceeded to duck each
othcr-perhaps symbolizing the return
to their native clement No one VEN
tured to lay hands upon Neptune. Re
spcct for royalty's person was main
tanned. Moreover. the m-personation
vas "A particularly tall and husky
quartcrlnaster. The dye-stuff from the
costumes turned the water in the tank
turbid and inky. Then some of the
actors gathered on the promenade deck
and sang for the passengers. Mrs.
Neptune scored a hit with "Finne-
San's Wake and u particular ham
Der steward developed "A s:rikingly true
and sympathetic tenor. Commenting
on the democratic freedom of the oc-
casion, one of the passengers remarked:
Under the circumstances. a little lat
itude has to be given The humor
may have been unconscious But. con-
sidering that our latitude was zero, it
was a capital jest.
Did you note how the devil was on,
of the characters" remarked a philo.
sophie commentator. There was reall,
no motive for dragging him in. But hA
is invariably a character of the old
time mystery plays, also of the Span
ish 'pastariles.' and the like. Doesn't
that indicate Il very ancient deriva-
ton for this Neptune drama"
We afterwards learned that the
Charleston had had a most elaborate
Neptune day. ON of 400 odd there
were over 300 initiated. including not n
Few ensigns. ~lteutenants and other Of
ficers. Among the characters were two
"mcrmaids' enacted by comcly youths.
Managing a Boy.
From the New York Week!-.
Husband Ga literary MANI wish
you would stop watching little DjcL 70,