When Mark Twain Met Carrie Nation

The bar was a magnificent stream of mahogany extending the width of the room. Behind it, a gold-embossed mirror reflected a piano player. He thrashed around the keys, pumping out a new ragtime tune — not so loud as to drown out the constant din and not so well as to make it recognizable. To his right, six men played poker at a table beneath a picture of a reclining, half naked, painted woman imagined to be of dubious moral character. Other women, more fully clothed, no less painted and of moral character unknown, circulated through the room encouraging men to order another drink.

There were a few Freemasons in the crowd, even in this obscure saloon in western Missouri... or maybe it was eastern Kansas. Most in the crowded room hadn't given that much thought and most weren't sober enough to care. Drunk or sober, however, the Masons, along with everyone else in the crowd, were certainly aware of the presence of a very famous Brother that evening.

In the back of the room, Samuel Clemens — better known as Mark Twain — held court surrounded by several amused patrons. It was long before the 18^th Amendment ushered in prohibition in the U.S., but even at the turn of the century, the battle lines were drawn and the debate was heated. Given the setting, Twain had selected that as his topic for the evening.

"I don't think prohibition is practical," he began. "The Germans, you see, prevent it. Look at them. I am sorry to learn that they have just invented a method of making brandy out of Sawdust. Now, what chance will prohibition have when a man can take a rip saw and go out and get drunk with a fence rail? What is the good of prohibition if a man is able to make brandy smashed out of the shingles of his roof, or if he can get delirium tremens by drinking the legs off his kitchen table?"

As the crowd roared, Twain stoked the fire, "Temperate temperance is best. Intemperate temperance injures the cause of temperance, while temperate temperance helps it in its fight against intemperate intemperance. Fanatics will never learn that, though it be written in letters of gold across the sky. What marriage is to morality, a properly conducted licensed liquor traffic is to sobriety. In fact, the more things are forbidden, the more popular they become. It is the prohibition that makes anything precious..."

The mirror behind the bar suddenly shattered as if someone had thrown a bomb at it. The piano playing stopped and the hushed crowd watched in horror as an angry woman smashed bottles, tables and chairs with a small menacing ax. Ranting about the evils of demon rum, she turned the mahogany bar into splinters.

Furious, Twain stomped to the bar. The two glared at each other, nearly breathing fire. For a few seconds each said nothing; they just stood, meeting for the first and only time in their lives, face to face — Mark Twain and Carrie Nation.

"Madam," hissed Twain, "This is insanity."

She shot back, "Drinking is insanity."

"Women like you drive men to drink as the only way to be sane," he sneered.

"I married a fine man... a doctor," she wailed, "He was a pillar of the community, until he started drinking. It ruined him and led him to an early grave."

Twain asked, "A doctor married you?"

"Yes," she replied.

"He must have been looking for a cadaver."

Their meeting was short, but auspicious. As usually happened during Carrie Nation's escapades, the authorities came and took her away, screaming about the alcohol-flooded road to ruination.

"And exhibiting," thought Twain, "exactly the same ugly behavior you might expect from some poor sot who was falling down drunk."

Disclaimer: Accounts of Brother Twain's encounter with famed teetotaler Carrie Nation are, at best, sketchy. All reports of the incident appear to have the same source, making corroboration difficult. It is likely a meeting of this nature took place. While Twain's words about prohibition are his own, the remaining details above are... enhanced... under the authority of liberal use of the doctrine of licentia poetica.

Benedict Arnold

The name Benedict Arnold (1741-1801) has become synonymous with the word "traitor." Arnold was an active member of Hiram Lodge 1, New Haven, Connecticut and is known to have visited other lodges as well. Having been a commander in the American Revolution Arnold became disgruntled when, in 1777, the military promoted several lower ranking officers ahead of him. During the next few years, Arnold fell on hard times financially, and came to need a substantial amount of money to pay debts he had incurred. Although finally promoted and given command of West Point, the American fort on New York's Hudson River (and also the future site of the Armed Forces military academy), Arnold's resentment and debts continued to grow.

Now in charge of West Point, Arnold contacted the British with an offer to surrender the fort in exchange for the enormous sum of £20,000 and a significant position in the British military. He sealed the pact with British Major John Andre but the plot was foiled when Andre was captured and executed. This turn of events exposed Arnold, who fled to the British side, where he commanded a few battles, and then returned to England. In return for his actions, the British made Arnold a Brigadier General, gave him a pension and an additional sum of £6,315 (They did not pay the full amount since the plot failed). He died in relative obscurity some twenty years later.

After the West Point incident Arnold became a despised figure among colonists and remains known today as a vile traitor to his country. Even his own Masonic Lodge and other Lodges he had visited had his name stricken from the records.

Prior to the events leading to his act of sedition, however, Benedict Arnold had been an inspiring soldier. At the very outset of the war, he helped Ethan Allen capture Fort Ticonderoga. He then led an unsuccessful campaign to capture Quebec but rebounded and commanded troops that stopped another British invasion. He also stopped the British in the Mohawk Valley, and forced British General John Burgoyne's surrender.

Arnold was severely wounded in his effort to seize Quebec and again at the Battle of Saratoga. His left leg was shattered in both instances. He was wounded a third time in the same leg at the second battle of Saratoga in October, 1777. The third wound was so severe it nearly killed him, Arnold himself saying it would have been better if he had been hit in the chest. After the third injury Arnold refused to have his leg amputated and the crude repairs to his wound left the leg two inches shorter than the other. Seven months later in May, 1778, Arnold went back to service at Valley Forge and made a heroic entrance to the wild cheers of the troops who had served under him at Saratoga.

It was only after Benedict Arnold's battlefield successes, heroic actions and severe wounds at Saratoga that his financial and military troubles started. Without question, had that final leg wound he received at Saratoga been fatal, he would today be remembered as one of America’s greatest revolutionary heroes instead of its most notorious traitor.

Masons at Sight

On December 3, 2011, Most Worshipful Brother Terry L. Seward, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Illinois, exercised an authority unique to Grand Masters and made Brother Clifton Truman Daniel a Mason at sight. Brother Daniel is the oldest grandson of Most Worshipful Brother Harry S. Truman. It has happened many times before to dozens of men who have become "true and faithful" Brothers among us. Milton Eisenhower, Charles W. Fairbanks, Andrew Mellon, Booker T. Washington, William Howard Taft... all were made Masons at sight. A couple of years ago basketball standout Shaquille O'Neal and Oscar-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss became Masons at sight. It might be said a full list of Masons at sight reads like a Who's-Who of Masonry. Yet many Masons have reservations about the practice, feeling it dilutes the experience of becoming a Freemason and somehow indicates the Mason at sight Brother somehow lacks enthusiasm for or knowledge about the fraternity.

The conventions for making a Mason at sight, as most everything else in the Craft, vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In some jurisdictions, including mine — Missouri, the making of a Mason at sight is prohibited. In general, however, the procedure employs some form of ritual and obligation and has guidelines for how many Brothers must be present. According to Mackey, "The mode of exercising the prerogative is this: The Grand Master summons to his assistance not less than six other Freemasons, convenes a Lodge, and without any previous probation, but on sight of the candidates confers the Degrees upon him, after which he dissolves the Lodge and dismisses the Brethren."

Of course, not everyone does things according to Mackey. Still, some Brothers hold the general conception that the process of making a Mason at sight is almost literal: The Grand Master snaps his fingers and, voilà! A new Mason. It doesn't work that way. "In this case," said MWB Seward, "it means there was no petition, no investigation and the ceremony was slightly shorter. I made every effort to ensure Brother Daniel was comfortable doing things this way because I didn't want him to miss anything and didn't want him to feel he wasn't getting the full experience."

And so it was. Brother Clifton was obligated in the Entered Apprentice and Fellowcraft degrees and received an impressive and full Master Mason degree. Whatever he missed he could easily pick up by viewing the first two degrees. The entire ceremony was solemn, well-orchestrated and beautifully conducted — far more than a snap of the fingers.

The group of Brothers who witnessed Brother Daniel's raising were virtually unanimous in complimenting the ceremony after it was over. They overwhelmingly congratulated the Grand Lodges of Illinois and Missouri for the work. And Brother Clifton expressed the same sentiments.

To look at it from another point of view, every one of those fortunate to be in attendance in that packed Lodge room in Joliet can now say something very few can claim, "I saw the making of a Mason at sight."

The Great Philadelphia Confligration

There is a parking lot at 713 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia at an address which has been the home of two grand Masonic temples as well as the home of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.  The second of those buildings was built from the shell of the first after it burned and eventually served as storefronts and a location for civic events.

Legendary architect William Strickland designed the first building, an ornate structure with a marble and stone exterior and a distinctive three-story steeple-shaped tower rising from its center.  Construction began in 1809 and took two years  when it became the home of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania as well as serving as a Masonic Lodge.

A magnificent building for its time, the Philadelphia Masonic Hall was one of that city's landmarks until March 9, 1819.  On that evening, as Washington Lodge 59 was meeting there, a chimney fire swept through the building, completely destroying it.  No one was hurt, and Lodge members saved some property by carrying it out of the building, but much was lost as the fire erupted into what was described as "a great conflagration."  Reports say the inferno became so intense it was visible in New Castle, Delaware, 32 miles away.  A letter from Rebecca Gratz, a well-known 38-year old Philadelphia socialite who lived next door, describes the incident in detail.  In it, she makes it clear the building might have been saved but for the fact that the volunteer firemen who came to fight the fire were drunk!  As the evening progressed and it became clear the Masonic Hall was lost and Ms. Gratz' house was safe, the event became almost festive as Ms. Gratz added fuel to the fire — pun intended — by serving alcoholic beverages to the fire fighters.

David Rice Atchison: President of the United States for One Day

Riding along the winding backroads of northwest Missouri, about a half-hour form my home, I sometimes stop at an old cemetery just outside Plattsburg. Right inside the entrance is a series of arrows pointing to a specific grave. That grave has a compelling brass marker which proclaims the man buried there was "President of the United States for one day ~ Mar. 4, 1849." After stopping at the cemetery I sometimes roll into Plattsburg where the townsfolk have erected a towering statue to the man, also proclaiming his presidency. On occasion, I've even gone on up the road, across the Missouri river and visited "The World's Smallest Presidential Library," which was built in his honor. The library is located in Atchison, Kansas, which was named after the man, David Rice Atchison.

Senator David Rice Atchison, a member of Platte Lodge #56 in Missouri, was President pro tempore of the United States Senate when Zachary Taylor was elected president. Inauguration day in 1849 fell on a Sunday and the devout Taylor refused to attend his swearing in on the sabbath, rescheduling it for the following day. Taylor's Vice President, Millard Fillmore, followed suit and James K. Polk's term had expired the previous day, technically leaving the presidency vacant. Constitutionally, Atchison was next in line for the office.

Hearing this quirky bit of news, Atchison's friend, Judge Willie Magnum, and a group of others descended on Atchison's house and tramped up to his bedroom in the middle of the night. There, with the confused Atchison in his nightgown, Judge Magnum administered the oath of office. Brother Atchison went back to sleep and spent the bulk of his "presidency" resting and reading in his home. He later said this about his auspicious day:

"It was in this way; Polk went out of office on the third of March 1849, on Saturday at twelve noon. The next day, the fourth, occurring on Sunday, General Taylor was not inaugurated. He was not inaugurated until Monday the fifth, at twelve noon. It was then canvassed among senators whether there was an interregnum (which means a time during which a country lacks a government). It was plain that there was either an interregnum or I was the President of the United States, being chairman of the Senate, having succeeded Judge Magnum of North Carolina. The judge waked me up at three o'clock in the morning and said jocularly that I was President of the United States and he wanted me to appoint him as Secretary of State. I made no pretense to the office, but if I was entitled in it I had one boast to make, that not a woman or child shed a tear on account of my removing anyone from office during my incumbency of the place."

Historians almost universally agree that Atchison was not officially the president. It is also true, however, that neither the outgoing president James K. Polk, nor Taylor were president on March 4. Duly inaugurated, who better than Brother Atchison to fill the gap? If you're not willing to agree that he was at least ex-officio President, just don't mention it around Atchison, Kansas or Plattsburg, Missouri.

John "Blackjack" Pershing — An Outlandish Urban Legend

For the past several years an outlandish urban legend has circulated on the Internet regarding Pershing's handling of the Islamic Moro population during the early 20th century war in the Philippines.

 

There is more than one version of the legend, but the gist of the story, completely untrue, claims Pershing rounded up 50 Muslim terrorists, executed 49 of them with bullets soaked in pigs' blood, had them buried in a mass grave and covered the bodies with pig entrails, barring them by an erroneous perception of Islamic law from entry into heaven.  The yarn goes on to claim Pershing released the 50th terrorist so he could pass the word about what happens to scoundrels who mess with the United States.

While Pershing indeed had skirmishes with the Moros while he was in the Philippines, there is no evidence he ever had anyone executed.  To the contrary he said many times he wanted to avoid any Moro casualties. 

When asked about this tale, Dr. Frank E. Vandiver, professor of history at Texas A&M University and author of Black Jack: The Life and Times of John J. Pershing, said, "I never found any indication that it was true in extensive research on his Moro experiences.  This kind of thing would have run completely against his character."

In addition, according to the American Muslim Association in North America, "The notion that a Muslim would be denied entrance to heaven for touching a pig is ridiculous."

Legitimate historians today agree this story is nothing more than a wild legend possibly originating or gaining momentum in the aftermath of the attacks on September 11, 2001.

Pershing was certainly a strict disciplinarian, but he was neither impulsive nor cruel.  As a whole, the Moros revered him and voluntarily bestowed their highest honors upon him.  Pershing, by his actions, showed he respected the Moro population and, when asked about his mission in the Philippines said, "I am here to wage peace."

Scottie Pippen and the Illuminati

Forever Blowing Bubbles — The Story of the Shriner's Hospitals

The Night Brother Harry Dropped In

One evening in 1948, MWB Harry Truman, President of the United States, evaded his entourage, the press and some of his Secret Service agents to attend the raising of a brother.  These two videos tell the story:

The Great Moon Hoax of 1835

Long before Percival Lowell claimed to have discovered evidence of civilization on Mars, or before Orson Wells frightened the country with a mock Martian invasion, legitimate scientists in the 1830s were concocting extravigant claims of the possibility of a civilization on the moon.  In response to what he felt were the ridiculous claims, Brother Richard A. Locke (Benevolent Lodge 28, New York) fabricated a story about the discovery of lunar inhabitants so plausable many scientists of the day endorsed it.  Using the name "Sir John Herschel," Locke published the "discovery" in a series of articles in the New York Sun (where he was a reporter) in 1835, causing a national sensation.  He let the story linger for six weeks before revealing it was a satiric way of ridiculing the outlandish "scientific" claims of his day, amidst charges he had only written the series of articles to increase circulation.

The Artistry of Frank Land

J.C. Penney's Offhand Remark

The Chicago Masonic Temple

In its day, many considered the Chicago Masonic Temple the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Hiram 40 — The Lodge That Was Open 50 Years

It's All About Me

From The Masonic Roundtable, June 2, 2015.  The question was "who initiated Memorial Day, and from what organization did he issue the proclamation?"

Sam Hornish, Jr.

Omar Bradley — The General Who Never Smiled

Kit Carson

Davy Crockett

My New Book — Freemasons at Oak Island

Kindle Pre-Sale at http://amzn.to/1Ex8LCb

I've been studying the relationship between the legend (and possible treasure) on Oak Island for years — well before the History Channel got there.  I wrote a couple of magazine articles about it and then, sometime in 2013, I started giving a presentation* about it.  I've given it in everything from small Lodges to large auditoriums.  It has been well received and I keep getting invitations to give it at various events. 

I'm grateful for the attention it has gotten, but I'm also my own worst critic. I keep tweaking the thing but there is one big change I really have to make. It's too long.  There is too much material, too many connections and too much history, but it's all important for the overall understanding of the legend and its Masonic connections. 

My goal is to get the time down to 40 minutes (from an hour).  So I'm very carefully performing some major surgery on the presentation in an effort to get the time down while keeping as much material in it as possible.  There are, however, a few places I have to make some tough decisions and leave out some of the material.  It's just unavoidable since I'm trying to cut it by a third. 

While going through this process I have also gone back to my previous articles and notes, added to them significantly and put the entire story together in book form, with none of the history or pertinent information left out.

As books go, it's pretty small — about 60 pages.  This has a great advantage: a low price.  The Kindle version is 99 cents.  I hope to keep the paperback version very low also.  My goal is that when you're reading the book at Starbucks, the coffee will cost more than the book.  We'll see.

There are countless theories about Oak Island.  Anything you see will allude to Masonic involvement but most articles, books and shows don't go into it in depth or they just flat out get it wrong.  This small book lays out every connection to the Freemasons, including parallels to Scottish Rite and York Rite degrees that are uncanny.  As the book puts it, "For over two centuries a small patch of land on an obscure island has baffled treasure hunters and scientists alike.  Tantalizing clues indicate it may be the site of the world's greatest treasure, or it might be history's most elaborate hoax.  Speculation about who is responsible for its puzzling origin runs the gamut from pirates to space aliens; but when the facts are laid out the evidence on mysterious and enigmatic Oak Island points to one group... the Freemasons."  No other book that I know of has looked at this baffling place strictly from the viewpoint of the Freemasons.  If you are a member of the Fraternity or have any interest in Oak Island, it's worth a look.

Both the Kindle and paperback versions will be available by mid-June.  You can pre-order that expensive 99¢ kindle version at this site: http://amzn.to/1Ex8LCb

*If you are interested in having my presentation in your Lodge or other event, please contact me at oneminutemason@gmail.com

Will The Real Thomas Hart Benton Please Stand Up?

From top, left to right: Senator Benton, General Benton,
Benton the artist and a section of his infamous mural.

Lodge Operative 150

Chartered May 7, 1781, Lodge Operative 150 of Aberdeen, Scotland consisted only of Brothers who were or had been operative Masons.  For years, many of its members traveled to build stone structures worldwide, especially in the USA.  Although today the Lodge no longer consists exclusively of operative Masons, it honors its heritage. Each year it installs its incoming Master with an apron given to a traveling Brother coming back from the US in the early 20th century.  The apron bears the insignia of a US Master and is used to honor Lodge Operative's role in the "American trade."  The Brothers of the Lodge have left its legacy throughout the world.  According to its documentation, Lodge Brothers have played a significant role in erecting the following stone edifices: The Paris Opera House, the London Bridge, the Sydney Harbor Bridge, the State Capital Building in Texas, the foundations and lower level of Freemasons Hall in Edinburgh, the Marischal College (the second largest granite building in the world) and many others.

Brothers Across The Span Of Time

From the Whence Came You Podcast (http://bit.ly/1vFT48W):

Oak Island Presentation, Freeport, Illinois

Event: Dinner & Presentation - Open to the public

Mystery of Oak Island - Masonic Connections to a Real National Treasure Site
When: February 28th, 2015 - 5:30 p.m.
Where: Valley of Freeport / 305 W. Stephenson, Freeport, IL
Cost: $15 per person or $29 per couple
Dress Code: Business Casual
R.S.V.P. by phone, mail or online at www.freeportmasonictemple.org

Preface

For over two centuries a small patch of land on an obscure island has baffled treasure
hunters and scientists alike.  Tantalizing clues indicate it may be the site of the world's
greatest treasure, or it might be history's most elaborate hoax.  Speculation about who is
responsible for its puzzling origin runs the gamut from pirates to space aliens; but when
the facts are laid out the evidence on mysterious and enigmatic Oak Island points to one
group... the Freemasons.

Guest Speaker

Steve Harrison, 33°, FMLR  Speaker, Author, Editor, Researcher and Fellow

Itinerary

Cocktails & Book Signing 5:30 p.m.
Dinner 6:00 p.m.
Featured Presentation 7:00 p.m.

Dinner

Roast Beef or Pork Loin
Roasted Potatoes
Steamed Vegetable Medley
Salad with dressings
Assorted Rolls
Cheesecake with fruit topping & Coffee

Brother Martin Luther King?

In 1999, Most Worshipful Brother, Benjamin P. Barksdale, Grand Master of Prince Hall Freemasonry in Georgia, posthumously made Dr. Martin Luther King a Mason at sight.

The action was not without controversy, since it is one of the few instances (if not the only one) of declaring a man a Mason after his death. Dr. King's widow, Coretta Scott King, accepted the honor on behalf of her late husband. Prince Hall documentation indicates Grand Master X. L. Neal had arranged for Dr. King to become a Freemason upon his return from Atlanta in 1968, an act which was prevented by Dr. King's assassination, 44 years ago today.