The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

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Chapter 9 - Masonic and Anti-Masonic Literature
Catechism of a Railroad Man 1884 Catechism of a Freemason 1885
Q: Where did you come from?" Q: From whence came you?
A: From General Manager St. John, A: From a Lodge of the Sts. John
of the X.Y.Z.
of Jerusalem.
Q: What did you come here to do? Q: What came you here to do?
A: To learn to subdue my energies A: To learn to subdue my
and improve the railway passions and improve myself
service.
in Masonry.
Q: Then you are a railroad man, I Q: Then I presume you are a
infer?
Mason?
A: I am so taken to be by all A: I am so taken and accepted
officials who know their among all brothers and
business.
fellows. [...]
Q: How may I know you to be a Q: How shall I know you to be a
railroad man?
Mason?
A: By looking over my letters and A: By certain signs, a token, a
examining me in the signals. word, and the perfect points
Try me. [...]
of my entrance. [...]
Q: Where were you first prepared to Q: Where were you first prepared
be a railroad man?
to be made a Mason?
A: In my mind. A: In my heart.
Q: Where next? Q: Where
prepared?
were you next
A: Upon a farm adjoining the right- A: In a room adjacent to a
of-way of a regular railroad. regularly constituted Lodge
of Free and Accepted
Q: How were you prepared?
Masons.
Q: How were you prepared?
A: By breaking upon a threshing- A: By being divested of all
machine for six months, after metals, neither naked nor
which I went to town and clothed, barefoot nor shod,
sought admission to the train- hoodwinked, with a cablemaster's
office.
tow around my neck; in
which condition I was
Q: How gained you admission?
conducted to the door of a
Lodge [...]. [...]
Q: How gained you admission?
A: By three cigars placed in the
open hand of the train-master's
clerk.
A: By three distinct knocks. [...]
1884 Pettibone, p. 158-161.
1885 Duncan, p. 34 for obligation; p. 41-45; p. 42 for spelling and halving.