The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-18
.SHRINERS STORM CITY AND PARADE STREETS IN TRIUMPH Birmingham Warmly Greets Atlanta Mobiles On Their
 Inspection Trip CLASS OF CANDIDATES
 TORTURED LAST NIGHT Big Banquet At HiIman Last Night Following Which Visitors
 Boarded Special Train
 for Home.

Water. pure and unadulterated water beverage, as is known, which members of the mystic shrine are permitted to drink, flowed freely last night at a banquet al the Hillman, following the Forrest Adair session. of the Zamora temple, A. A o. N. M. S., or words to that effect.
 Yesterday afternoon at o'clock the Shriners captured Birmingham and cee- brated its equalization by a parade and with much rejoicing. Fully 200 local mem- bers of the mystic shrine, in dress suits capped with the customary fez, received the Atlanta delegation yesterday after noon at the Terminal station, and im- mediately afterward 450 nobles, with graceful step and chattering mouth, walked through the streets of Birming- ham. A local band headed the parade, it's march being to the tune of "Therell Be Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight" while the fife and drum corps of Atlanta, following, added to the merrment with Tt Looks Like to Me It's Big Night Tonight"
 During the parade. which continued for
 
 pie, curious people, who, while knowing little of the purposes of the gathering" showed deepest interest. Occasionally a cheer rose from the ranks, and at more than one corner of the parade an Atlanta noble, possibly swept from his pedestal by the anticipated flow in this, the rich. green oasis of Birmingham just out of the warm, sandy desert of Atlanta, pitched a tune to which hundreds of voices were joined:
 Tt looks like to me it's a big night tonight, Big night tonight big night tonight Sent my family to sea
 And you all will agree
 It looks like big night tonight
 Took the City Bodily.
 Birmingham entered heartily into the spirit of the hour, and cheering, and sing ing and occasionally a clog dance fea- tured the parade. The Shriners took the town bodily, swept all before them, and accomplished the feat unaided, and with out the firing of a single gun. Potentate Forrest Adair of Yaarab tenn pie had been deputized by Ilustrious Po- tentate Alderman to inspect Zamora lodge of Birmingham, and Potentate Forrest Adair called to his assistance 250 of the most fearless Atlanta nobles This vast horde, increased by shriners from An niston, and other cities along the route, arrived in Birmingham yesterday after noon over the Southern, nine sleeping cars trailing to the special having been neces- sary to perform the difficult task. While the nobles told no tales on themselves the members of the train crew testified to all who inquired, that the trip was a merry and noisy one, that there was no serious discussion as to whether or not Taft would reform the tariff, Harri- man acquire the Seaboard, or Conner call an extra session of the legislature, as to whether or not the election of Taft was "a benediction from God Almighty him. self" or just the result of the republicans polling more votes, was not given a moments consideration, and the nobles were not in the slightest degree interested in the claim that Brooks Lawrence had performed miracles in Birmingham. But the farmer along the route stopped short in the task of raking the hay, and with
 
 tremity, watched in wonder and heard in- credulously; Maud Muller dropped a period in her latest bit of gossip whis- pered into the ear of the rejuvenated judge, and coyly dropped her skirts around her bare ankles; the speckled hen, with wings uplifted, and feathers ruffled, ran cackling under the farm house without having performed her daily duty of laying an egg, and the gray mare, with neck out stretched watched silently though criti- cally from the stable.
 Marvel At Great City.
 So in a state of sobriety the Atlanta nobles arrived in the fiourishing metropo- lis of the south, saw with amazement the new Terminal station, marvelled at the tall buildings which decorate every cor ner of the city, marveled at the cars winding without the assistance of an en- zine and positively declined to ascend to their chambers through the tunnel of an elevators route.
 The jollification was opened as soon as the visitors touched the ground and there followed a round of hand shakes, a volley of yells. and moments silence in which each man bowed his head thrice swayed his body in every direction. looked upward at an angle of 40 degrees, an- nounced solemnly that all was we'll and began to march to the city.
 The parade, as stated, was long drawn out, but merry withal. As the hands of the timepiece in the pocket of Dave Fox indicated that the hour of 6 had ar rived, the mysterious gentlemen from the desert of Atlanta, where the peas groan in futile attempts to grow, and the nys- terious gentlemen of Birmingham. where all is sunshine, peace and plenty. where the birds throughout the day warble to their mates in unbroken melody. and where, when things go wrong no man raises his voice in stern protest or criti- cism, fell upon the Hillman with such force that Proprietor Nabb was elevated from his position three times in succession before the strength of the shock was ex- hausted. With merry chatter and calls for refreshments, the noBles occupied the corridors, and the laymen, in utter rout, | were temporarily forced to abandon their stronghold. Then spake the brave Sir | Bedivere: ''Welcome to zamora, ye who hunger | and thirst! Enter the City Prosperity. to | where the revered Christian, of Bunyan l fame bent his march in search of para Jieo ox.an xriIl l.