Arizona republican., 1914-05-12
ATLANTA HA[S | SONS 0F DESERT
Fortieth Annual Session of Nobles of Mystic Shrine
 Opens in Southern Me- tropOlis This Morning withThousands Present.
Especial to The Republican,

Especial to The Republican,
 ATLANTA, May 11.-With the fla cades of buildings hidden beneath lavish decorations of the brightest colors, with tae sclmltar and cres- cent and other emblems of the east encountering the eye at every turn with camels stalking through the streets and sidewalks thronged with men wearing the red fez, the down. town section of Atlanta today might reasonably be mistaken for a portion of some Oriental city. The decora- tions are in honor of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine and the befezzed visitors are the delegates to the an nual national conclave of that well known order.
 The big conclave. for the enter tainment of which Atlanta has been preparing for many months, will be formally opened tomorrow. For four days the city will be given over to the visitors, who with their families and friends are expected to number 100000 The regular business ses- sions will be held Tuesday and Wed nesday. Little business is to come before the session beyond the cleo I tion of a tier of officers, the grant l ing of new temple charters and the selection of place for next years meeting.
 Exhibition drills and a mammoth street parade will be leading features of the program. Dinners, receptions, automobile rides, an old time barbe- cue and grand ball will be includ- ed in the entertainment
 The first of the patrols reached the city today. Beginning tomorrow morning all regular and many special l trains will bring throngs of visitors from every section of the country Large delegations are reported on their way from Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Toledo, Gin cinnati, Detroit, Chicago, san Fran cisco, St. Louis, Dallas, Fl Paso, San Francisco, Portland and many other cities.
 The Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine of which the present gather ing is the fortieth annual session of the imperial council is an organiza- ton for the exercise of charity, the improvement of the mind, and an ally of the fraternity of Freemason- ry. While the order is not a regular Masonic body, its membership is composed strictly of Masons who have reached the thirty de- gree, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite f k mi pl fay,are in, T !. ing.
 There are now 139 temples of the order of the Mystic Shrine in tn, United States, with an aggregate membership of nearly 100000 The present officers are: Imperial Po- tentate, w. Irwin, Wheeling, w. Va. Imperial Chief Rabban. J. P. Stevens Portland, Me; Imperial High Pries and Prophet, c. F. Overshire. Mime apolis; Imperial Treasurer, William S. Brown, Pittsburg; Imperial Re ;corder, Benjamin w. Powell, Boston
 The order is of oriental origin an( very ancient. It is said to have beer first instituted by the Mohammedar kalif Alec, son-in-law of the pro- phet Mohammed, in the year of tn, Hegira p GA. D. 656). in the city O Mecca. as an inquisition or vigilanc. committee to dispense justice am executive punishment upon criminals who escape their just deserts througl the tardiness of the courts, and alst to promote religious toleration amonl cultured men of all nations
 The order is yet one of the mos highly favored among the many SC cret societies that abound in orienta countries and gathers around it shrines a select few of the best edu cated and cultured classes It's mem bership in all countries includes Christians, Israelites, Moslems anc men in high positions of learnin. and power.
 Among the modern promoters O the principles of the order in Europe one of the most noted was Herr Ad am Weishaupt, professor of law il the university of Ingolstadt in Bava ria, who revived the order in tha country in 1776. Its membership ex ercised a strong influence before an, during the French Revolution, whel they were known as the Iiiumanati From the central society at Ingol stadt branches spread out througl all Europe during the early part o the nineteenth century Among th members there are recorded tn, names of Frederick the Great, Mira beau, a duke of Orleans, many mem bers of royal families, literary, sci entific and professional men, in Icluding the illustrious Goethe, Spi Inoza, Kant, Lord Bacon and lon. list of others, whose works hav tended to enlarge and free the min, from the influence of dogma an, prejudice.
 The ritual now in use is a trans Ilation from the original Arabic found preserved in the archives o the order at Aleppo, Syria, whenc it was taken, in 1860, to England, b.
 Rizk Allah Hassoon Effendee,
 celebrated Arabian scholar, poet an