Show tfiF"05DER Old Timer Recalls When Order of Seminoles' Was Potent In Utah Politics ' Secret Order Helped In Policies Before State Entered Union By O A KENNEDY Forty-fiv- e years ago local political circles were all roused up pover c a disturbing but very mysterious force that had suddenly sprung into being It manifested itself for the most part in the councils of the Republican party but there- - were vague hints that Democrats had some hand in it Utah was still a territory The EdmundsrTucker Act had taken the vote away from the women of the territory So politics was a strictly man's game About 1892 the voters had given up the long fight between the Peoples' party or Mormon party and the Liberal or Gentile party They lined up on National lines as Democrats or Republicans There were a few Prohibitionists and Greenbackers or Populists Two men would meet on the street and the talk would run like this: "What was the matter with that caucus last night?" "Why that was the Osceolas putting over some of their rough stuff" "You mean the Seminoles don't you?" "Well they are One and the same thing" "No my wife has a cousin whose brother belongs and she says that the real name is the Order of Sem- inoles" "WTell I wish they would tend to their own business and keep out of politics" "That seems to be their busi- ness—Politics" "Do you think all those delegates we elected to the convention are a 5r GENERAL MILLWORK OGDEN FIXTURE GO 3560 Iliverdale Road PIONEER R EDITION" PAGE - TWENTY-THRE- E They Welcome You io Ogden's Pioneer Days Show mr-- f''rVXAvvA 1 n Flnaly a man came to- the door and this ime he said: "Both iof you please'' walk thiV way" He led us into the inner room and to a table where sat a prominent attorney He asked us a number of Questions aaTtb our 'politics names and ages which he noted on paper Then he made a little talk as to the ad vantage of becoming members of an order devoted to welfare of the Republican party Would we join? We agreed And we joined a wait ing group of about a dozenAt this staee another door ooened and a man dressed in Indian earb invited us to follow him We filed into the next room There we saw thirty or more men" some in In dian costume We were led to one corner of the room and our cuide introduced us as candidates for ad mission to the order He addressed his remarks to the "Grand Sa - "V t I 'V ' 4 i i' - chem'' That dignitary wore a gorgeous war bonnet and his voice sounded much like that of William Glas- mann editor of the Standard He eave us a lecture on the state of the Republican party in Utah and the need for a militant organiza tion like the "Order of the Semin oles" He called up the Chief Medicine Man who recited to us a Doem en- 1 e d "Osceola's Defiance" of which the first two lines were: "Blaze with your serried columns "I will not bend the knee" Another Medicine Man then ad ministered the Dledee of secrerv and of loyalty to the tribe Then the Grand Sachem said: "What say you Brother Seminoles Shall we admit them to our order?" A number of voices answered: 'Yes" But on the far side of the room a voice which sounded like that of Bob Moyes called out: "No They are all squaw men Thev can not stand the test" Then followed an uproar of conflicting voices The crv of "Squaw men" was drowned out by cries or vve Know them They are brave men They are worthy to join" The Grand Sachem rapped for order: Then he said: "We shall give them the test of fire steer and tit Seminoles?" "Sure thing You saw old Dr whispering there in the corner with Judge What's-his-nam- e They are the heads of the Wigwam They have a wigwam in each of the five wards They really named the delegates" "Well if that's Republicanism I water" don't know whether I am a ReThen followed an argument as to so on and or And whether not" each of the candidates publican so on should stand the test or whether It was late one hot afternoon in one man should be chosen to repre1895 that my good neighbor Rob- sent the group Finally the Grand ert A Moyes residing at No 2904 Sachem told us to choose one of Washington Avenue came over to our number to take the tests for the porch at 2910 Washington Ave- all of us nue and he said: "You are supWe chose as our reoresentalivp posed to be a good Republican a 200 pound truckdriver He had Are you satisfied with the present spent about five vears of his lifp management of the party in this shoveling coal into his truck and city and county?'' snovelmg it out again He was hard as nails I regret that his name has "Not altogether Why?" "Well I was just wondering if somehow escaped over the ' back you wouldn't like to drop in on a lence of memory s corral We were ushered into still an meeting tonight where we will discuss and maybe take action for the other room There we saw a kettle filled with live coals in which a good of the party" I would and I did At eight branding iron was beinsr heat o'clock that evening we were walk- The brand was a six inch letter The guards stripped of the ing up the hill from Washington S Avenue to the Peery building on truckdriver's coat vest and shirt the south side of 25th street oppoThe Grand Sachem said: "At site the courthouse The first and tend brothers while the candidate second floors of the building were is given the test of fire" A guard walked around behind occupied by the Ogden Standard then as I recall being published the truck driver with the hot as an evening paper brand The victim stood erect with In a room on the second floor folded arms From about the room we found about ten men seated came conflicting cries of: "Squaw and apparently waiting to see what man Squaw man" and "No no would happen next Robert brought A real man A brave man" me a chair and then excused himbehind the candidate self and went into an adjoining theStanding the hot iron to guard slipped room He was serving his first another and in reguard term as Ogden City treasurer and turn a similar brand received had that been knew his way around He did not in a bucket of water This cooling come back he shoved against the right shoul- Presently a man came to the door and called the narce of one of our group He was led into the adjoining room In a few minutes another man was called Out Then another None of them returned At last only two of us were left Said my companion: "They all go in at that door but none of them ever come out" It looked bad So-and-- So STaRDARD-EXAMINE- A ' : 4 ' ? I - " "Uti - flANDOUT Big smiles big haU and a big time is promised everybody wbe gets down to Ogden Utah July tl to ?4 during the ixtb anaoaj riooeef days eelebraUesw Redeo shows a boating re gatta Mardi Gras aquacade parades aerial thaws and pageants are features If yon have western or pioneer clothes don them That's the way everybody will dress daring the celebration A BIG derblade of the truckdriver who never flinched There was a burst of applause while the Grand Sachem announced: "He has stood the test of fire Now give him the test of steel" A guard entered carrying a six-fo- ot board which he leaned against the wall at the far side of the room Then he stepped back about ten feet and it was seen that he carried in liis right hand a vicious looking butcher knife He threw the knife and it landed neatly with the point sticking in the board The truckdriver was led over to stand in front of the board His shirt vest and coat were again placed on his back His shirt remained open in front exposing his The breastbone knife thrower the with toyed tip of the butcher knife and squinted at the truck-driver- 's bare chest From around the room came a chorus of cries "Squaw man He'll wilt this time" and other voices saying: "No He is a brave man" The knife thrower cast his weapon It struck fairly on the truck-driver- 's breastbone but bounced harmlessly away The knife that was thrown was made of rubber stained to resemble the real article There was another round of applause and the voice of the Grand Sachem: "He has stood the test of steel Now the test of water" As the truckdriver still stood at the far side of the room a guard advanced with a glass of water which he handed over with the request that the candidate should drink it As the truckdriver lifted the glass to his lips another guard standing behind him dropped a small chunk of ice down the back of his neck There was much enthusiasm as the truckdriver did some fancy sidestepping twisting and squirming And then the victim's patience suddenly ended He whirled and dashed the contents of the glass of water full into the face of the offending guard The applause was deafening while the guard ran into another room in search of a towel The Grand Sachem proclaimed: "The test of water has been successfully passed All the candidates may be received" We were again sworn and duly enrolled as members Everybody shook hands with everybody else Then we were divided into five groups according to city wards to receive instructions for action in the party caucuses Half an hour later Bob Moyes and the writer were walking south on Washington Avenue It had been a pleasant evening The year 1895 was a busy one for the politicians Utah was to be ad mitted as a state early in January 1896 There was an endless round of caucuses conventions and spe cial elections Much of the activities of the Seminoles centered around the candidacy of Frank J Cannon former editor of the Standard for the office of U S senator from the new state of Utah And yet for some reason he was not a member of the Seminoles But we helped to put him over and he was the first last and only Ogden man to repre-reseUtah in congress in more than 90 years of Utah's political history The writer recalls one Republican county convention held in 1895 in the new city hall Practically all the city delegates were Seminoles Proceedings were orderly precise and exact They had been carefully written out in advance The delegates from the county outside the city were at first surprised then amazed and finally furious as the program was unrolled They were not Seminoles The one unifying element was the candidacy of Frank J Cannon for senator We were all for him : When the convention took a recess to enable wards to consult over the next step it: was amusing to watch Cannon trying to contact the separate ward groups As he would come up to a group with their heads together they would stop whispering and mumbling and then scatter You would have thought he had the small pox The fact was that he did not belong But they were all in favor of him and helped to elect him nt - -- wife y In MUSIC 36 YEA1S— UNDER ONE MANAGEMENT 1S35 Fountain Bakery © Candy Cafe Newly Remodeled Air-Condition- ed Everything REAL WESTERN Musical" WELCOME FOR OGDEN PIONEER DAYS JULY 19-2- MUSIC Garage and Auto Salvage A 8640 B BROS GLEE 4 HADLEY Washington Blvd 2546 Wah Blvd rhone 181 1436 Washington Blvd In Fenney's Basement j" |