Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-10-09
Council Bluffs
ShrinerS Take
Town by Storm
on Pilgrimage
Unique Parade Held and Strange
Stunts of Desert Inhabitants Sur
prise the Natives.


Council Bluffs was in possession Of the
Shriners yesterday afternoon and last even
ing, and the red fez and the sword and
crescent were in evidence on all sides. The
occasion was the visit OF Abou- Bekr tenn
pie Of Sioux City, whose members came
In a special train. and about eighty OF the
officers and members Of za-Ga-Zig temple
Of Des Moines. They were met here by
large number OF the local shriners and
"a Big delegation from Tangier temple.
Omaha. The gathering Of the mobiles was
to supervise the initiation Of forty local
candidates, and II required all of the room
provided by the wide area OF the Audi
forum building TO carry out the interest
ing ceremonial.
The public features Of the visit we're also
full Of interest, including a street parade
that was witnessed and heartily enjoyed
BY thousands. Street room for the cav
alcade was cleared by a platoon Of police
lead by Chief Froom, followed by the Ar
thur Smith band Of twenty-five pieces.
The Sioux City Shriners were given the
place Of honor at the head Of the pro-
cession, with the Abou-Bekr patrol lead
ing the temple mobiles who followed In car
riages. The eighty mobiles from za-Ga-Zig
temple, Des Moines, we're assigned second
place, preceded by their patrol. Next
came jean Brignant, the tiniest Mason in
the world and who bravely undertook to
make the pilgrimage across the heated
sands last night and earn the distinction
OF being the smallest shriner in the world.
He was seated near the apex of a tall
pyramid resting in the middle OF a Raily-
decorated float This was followed by a
float representing a huge cage containing
the 'novices who begged to be let off
easy" and who were compelled to twist
the tail c. a huge lion which was tearing
it's hair to get through the dividing bars
to rend them and which appeared TO fully
comprehend the meaning OF the placard
above its section OF the cage, I'm meet
them on the desert"
Suggesting still further trouble came a
float with horned red devils buslly at work
at a roaring forge, fashionins things to be
used on the forty novices who followed
attached to a rope and dragged along In
single file behind the sinister car. Then
followed the grand patriarch in charge of
the goat. a real monster with horns like
q Rocky mountain sheep.
Next came Frank True leading the
camel. Then came the members of Tan
gier temple, Omaha, and Des Moines,
Sioux City and Lincoln temples afoot
Preceded by a donkey, led by a clown,
came the water wagon, a huge sprinkler,
with Judge Wheeler, H. II. Van Brunt,
e. II. Doolittle, George Nicol and others
mounted upon IT, A clown band afoot and
a long string Of automobiles carrying
visiting mobiles completed the pageant.
A splendid banquet was spread in the
magnificent new dining hall in Masonic
temple, which il capable OF seating nearly
500. The mobiles gathered at the Audi
forum 1t o'clock to watch the pilgrimage
Of the forty candidates, nearly all of whom
are local men, and among whom were
DR.. o. o. Smith, Judge Wheeler, E.. II.
Doolittle. E. f. Everest and John BRIG
nant the nliputian, who has recently
risen to thirty-second degree Masonry.
After the work was over a number Of the
actors from the orpheum and American
Music hall, Omaha, entertained the mobiles
for half an hour