The Prescott daily news., 1910-09-03
ROOSEVELT MEETS
 AN AMERICAN k|NG
He Is Initiated and K1iJhted by
 Ak-Sar-Ba1 of Omaha.
UNIQUE CEREMONY IN A DEN
Organization of Middle West Boost CTS" Give the Colonel a Lively EVenins-Automobi Ride
 With Wax Women.

Omana, Neb., Sept. 3-COl. Theodore Roosevelt, who spent yesterday and last night as the guest of Omaha, met an American S.ing in the evening, and his majesty gave the distinguished vis- ltor a livelier entertainment than any he received in the courts of Europe The mysterious ruler knighted the colonel, initiated him into a secret or der and permitted him to sit on his throne. All this took place in the den of Ak-sar-ben, and MT. Roosevelt will never forget the orGeals through which he passed there, and will not soon cease to laugh at the memory of them
 Ak-sar-ben is the mardi-gras of the north. It is the boosters organiza- tiOn of the middle west-the name be- ing formed by spelling Nebraska back wards. By delvlng into the language books it has been discovered that it means lot more. Ak" is said to be good Syrian for head of a household. '" "sar'' in the Arabic is household" and ben in the Hebraic is family" or brothers in a household" Thus Ak sar-ben consists of king, the board of governors and the brothers of the household" or all the business men in the middle west, who have bound themselves together in a great CO., operative movement to develop the trans-Mssouri country
 The festival has two seasons, one for initiation and the other carnival, the latter to be held later in the fall. The colonel got the full initiation last night and was told of the work of Ak sar-ben Sixteen years ago 1t was founded by business men of the west It has something besides romance for a soul. The foundation of the festival is business fraternalism and it has brought the people of the middle west together. Ak-sar-ben has been contin- uing growing more popular each year until this season the membership had to be limited. Some 5000 are initiated annually and 150,000 attend the fest- val and watch the parades. Last year President Taft was initiated
 Dragged Down Into the Den.
 The den" is huge building. cover ing an entire block Under 1t are nu- merous tunnels and mysterious cham bers. Running through this tunnel is a rope constantly in motion, drawing the candidates in.
 On entering, Colonel Roosevelt was requested by a court officer to hang on to the rope. Once a-ho:d of it, there was no turning back Hundreds in front Were pulling, scores and scores beh- nd pushing. Amid babblement of strange noises the colonel felt an emotion akin to tho he knew in the heat and dust of the great plains when in the midst of stamp ding cattle
 Down, down down, went the line under the great den, the candidates emerging in a chamber like the ante room of Roman theater Here the imperial keeper of the outer gate sep arated the wheat from the tares- many there are who are called, but few are chosen" The ex-presdent was one of those who were chosen last night. And it meant something
 Placed on the top of miniature
  been, Colonel Roosevelt felt the earth begin to revolve on its axis As it ap- preached the equatorial suns the force of gravitation was removed and the colonel shot of into space towards the milky way, picking himself up dozen yards off ready for the next ride.
 Joy-Ride With Wax Girls.
 This time 1t was in an automobile. Taking his place in the machine, Col. onel Roosevelt did not know just who his travelling companions were until he reached the light. He then discov. cred that instead of the distinguished men who had volunteered to accom-. pany him. he was riding about the great hall on spiral speedway with six wax figures of beautiful women ac. companying him. The crowd cheered and then the accidents began, as though the "scoot wagon" had been frightened. One by one the coloners beautiful companions were tossed mys. teriously from the automobile, the last one leaving just before an exolosiop