Initiatory Ceremonies at the Den of Ak-Sar-Ben
Tests of Valor Imposed on the
Applicants for Knighthood
and Rewards for Their Un
flinching Zeal
hero is Inu iiiic opinion of tin
Initiation at the kn of Ak-Sar-H"ti
this year ami Unit is Hint the
secret work, which after the street
carnival will ho no longer secret.
!s Hie lust tlint has ever been put on by
I hi' society The object of tln society Is
In Hie i ml in draw wealth to N'ebraska in
general ami Omaha In particular, su it was
eiiiinently lilting that lor tlielr theme tin;
knights should go to tin- new northern land
of riches.
The land in which the scene was laid
the awful area of mystcrv. the hahltat nf
the polar hear the reulon of the aurora
. m r.
SOUTH HUN TKlt.MIM S OK
liorenlls ami the alleged location of the
north pole li-m.x nsclf ailtnlralily to the
purpose of the artist, for with electricity
the tiioilern genii of (he lamp the llrnia
ttiental pliciiomeiia of a polar night couhl he
perfectly reprniliieeil- ami there was
enough possibility of danger in such a trip
h that couteliiilateil to make the neophyte
iremlile as with pleasant anticipation he
pro-culcil hlmsilf for the ordeals whl It
were to picceile his eutratici
into the i viler of N'o lira ska
knighthood.
The ilratna of the Initiation
for the present year Is the
work of (Jt'in kc West, whi
suggested the scene ami the
properties the execution of
the hitter the work of (ins
Itenze ami City KIci t rlclan
Kchiirlg. who have ccrtamh
ilemoustiMti'il their ability in
this Held.
When the candidate was
elected to ineiuhcrshlp in tin
orilcr he was given a aril t
the keeper if the oulir lin r.
showing that he was cnllthd
to pass lieynml (lie harries
(ietierally he entercil in i inn
pany with many nmre of hi
Kind ami with lock-step in
single tile, prcccileil liy a band
alleged to have come from
the outer coullties of the Land
of the Midnight Sun playiiu
tunes recognized as music mil.,
hy residents ot that clime
he proceeded through .1 route
ohsetire and lonely to a spot
where (he northwest wlmls
are made. Hero he was
halted by the presiding genius
of the place ami after receiv
ing counsel ami encnurnge
nicnt was placed in (he hands
of a guide, whom thev later
learuiil to know as the Hy.
Ing Dutchinaii. With this his
toiie personage (hey pioeceiled (o the
.southern lernilnus of (he Chllcnot l'ass mil
road a toad noted for the number It would
accommodate and the excessively high tariff
charged. Along (his lotid (hey were car
ried having eyes ei seeing not for fear of
snow-hi liidncss - until they arrived at a
point where railroads could nut run and
p.ople could nr.t walk. Tinier close guid
ance they crawled along the brink of a
precipice, cautiously at llrst. then with
greater nsmiramc until the ci unibllir;
walls gave way and they found themselves
lloilliilerlng in the net of a IHiepic"! whbh
THIS OUTII I'OI.K UAILKOAD.
i h.itin'il to he at the place where It wi
most needed.
Then entile rest before the oilier trial.
S"atei in an aubcrge on the verge of (hi
cliffs the weary ttmoleis were liispcctel
by a surgeon -had sulllcletit "hot air
pumped into t hem and then (hey were pel
mtttnl to advance lleie one of (he mini
her fell before (he glance of woman the
onh one seen upon (he trip I'or his trea
sin to his fellows In refusing to continue
the journey he was tried ami senteu 1 to
death
At this point the business of (he Initia
tion approached the gruesome, for hy means
of an optical illusion the head of the vie
tiiu was seen to roll fiom his stumbles
from the base of n' guillotine.
lleiiiKllnl l.lulilliii; KIIVctM.
Then came
tho King of
suzerainty of
the march to tin
t ho N'orth, who
King Ak-Sar-llen
home of
owns tnc
VII. Here
tho greatest eleclrlcal and mechanical de
vices for Improvising n scenic display ever
attempted In Omalin wero brought inti
i perallen. With the shimmer of the nun ra
horealls falling upon everv crag and cape,
Me roar of rushing cataract, the crash on I
crackle of Irebergs falling Into ruins, the
duller rumble of the disintegrating glacier,
combined with the lalnbou ioIoih of the
nuvi r molting et. to mak a spectaclo novor
to ho forgotten. A.s the innphytcs tip
proaehcil this brilliant hi cue a feeling ir
it wo. real ami nsiiring, struck i very hean
Sllemm then gave way to applause, a.s fro n
out of the billowy waves, Hounding against
the Icy shores arose the (irand Mufti.
king of the north he ndmlnlHtcicd the sc
crot work of the order and (hen show d
in the anxious gae of the iravelcrs tin
north pole, the ohjiel of their sarin
Krnm (ho parly a selected baud was chi bc i
to bring tho pole to their follows. Ac
coinpanleil by hear, wi.lf ami fox, with tho
keepers of tho polo, hoary-hoailod mm
from folklore and story, I hoy rtnnn 1
and the polo wns placed In the iuldt i f
hn multitude
Thon caiiie the surprise of the ovuuilig
i 'H(H
Miitrn
No mail has been able to sec unmoved the
(winih i nil t ransfiii unit Ion whl h look place
III the pole and few could keep llie Kneeling
posture in which the neophyte, titsi beheld
he ol'Ji l of their ipicst.
Tills ended the I l ip and then i aiue te
rnshnietiis those inei ry linn lie. which
have made I lie eulerlaiuim ul of h
knights fatuous slncee die liiccpi imi of
'be order and have been as mm li ,i patt of
tin sulci work in anything else
The sticit pageant and the lammil ui'iv
in tin crowning glory of At. S r llm"
el a memher of (he older hum Iowa.
lull, bid'eve me. IhiiM' lull i.iliotix, the
gi ml fellowship dlspla.M'd and the llc illv
handclasp given the neophytes, especially
those from out of town docs mine towutd
inaMug Omalni popular with its neighbors
than the ciilmluallug acts I hctiisi hes "
llil ill this he Milled tile Setnimeut of
a inajorlly of the Knight of l Sar-llen.
Tasting of Liquors
Stories about the delicate "taste" of
those who claim to he wine experts are
always interesting. Iteeenlly one appealed
III which (ioethe llgures. reports the Hulfalo
Coinmeielal. At a small party of the court
of Wcimai' the marshal asked permission
to submit a nameless sample of wine. Ac
cordingly a red wine was clii ulated, tasted
ami much commended. Several of the com
pany pronounced It Burgundy, hut could not
agree na to the special vintage or the year.
(Incllin alone lasted and tasted ngaln, shook
his head and, with n meditative air, set
his glass on tho tnhle,
"Your excellency appears to bo of a
different opinion." said the court marshal
"May I ask what name you give the wine?"
"The wine," said the poet, "Is quite un
known to me, but I do not think that It Is
a llurguitily. I should rather consider It
a good Jena wine that has been kept for
some while In a Madeira cask."
"Ami ho. In fact, It Is," said the court
marshal.
There Is a groat deal of humbug In (his
wine lasting and "expert palate" In Illinois.
We have seen several men smacking their
Hps over some "real old" whisky from n
bottle labeled ISC! and discussing what
the effect of the aging had been, when tho
real facts were that It was very ordinary
whisky put Into a bottle labeled as above
the night belore by sunn one who wauled
to lest the "experts. "
Br'er William's Troubles
Atlanta ('oii.stituilou: "He wiijh er provl
deuci ." said llrother Dhkiv. "Is past tlmlin'
out. Take llr'er William, fcr instance
I'Vr six days en dal numb i or nights lie
constant praynl fcr r.un i w en de rain
come hit drowned dc nnh mill he had m
washnl his house siilcuiu ' Den he i m
fir tcr pray fer dn mil di -1 1 it shim ho
hot dat his co nlli I wiu burnt ti r a fra.l-
i-:v(Unh nmj tMtiiw ok
l'oi.h: nM
en de Ui w mule what he IuimiI ,m a end)
whz slIUHtroked, en what wu let i r hi
house keliheil Die. en cm e dc will don.
dried Up he didn't have no water ler pn
It out! Men he got so mad he gone uf in a
corner ti r swear In private. . n di picai her
i "in II
nil up
liu out
i in In
li'iiis i
I !.' '
dat mil In am mi uiarin i n had
liefe a HpcHhul innimi'lec en turned
dc him h' i:n dc las' time I seen
wu set tin in do pla. i whar his
ii i bi .i readin i ib book ' r
' (oka m
run south ro uailuoad.