The History and Records of the Elephant Club — John Shaqi
The History and Records of the Elephant ClubDoesticks, Q. K. Philander
General
The History and Records of the Elephant Club
Doesticks, Q. K. Philander
American wit and humor
2. A profound study of the Metropolitan Elephant, by surveying him in
all his majesty of proportion, by tracing him to his secret haunts, and
observing his habits, both in his wild and domestic state.
OFFICER.
The only officer of the club shall be a Higholdboy, whose
DUTY
It shall be to sit in a big chair, at the end of the table, and to see
that the members conform to the following
RULES OF CONDUCT:
1. In the meetings of the club, every member shall do exactly as he
pleases.
2. Each member shall speak when he pleases, what he pleases, and as long
as he pleases.
N.B.--If the remarks of any member are particularly stupid or tedious,
the other members are under no obligations to remain and hear them.
N. particular B. Should the speaker, at the conclusion of his remarks,
find himself in the presence of only a part of his original audience,
and some of those asleep; he is at full liberty, for his private
satisfaction, to conclude that his eloquence, like that of the
traditional parsons, is not only moving and soothing, as evidenced by
the absence of some and the somnolence of others, but so satisfactory
that those who were awake will never care to hear him again.
3. No member shall be permitted to bring spirituous or fermented
liquors, wine, beer, or cider, whether imported or domestic, into any of
the meetings of the club, under the penalty of passing them around for
general use; unless the member prefers to keep them to himself, from
motives of economy--the economy in such case to be regarded as an
offence, to be punished with a severe letting alone.
4. The third rule shall apply to cigars, cheroots, and cigaretts.
5. Ditto--ditto--sardines, Bologna sausages, crackers and cheese.
6. Members are prohibited from sitting with their feet on the table,
unless in that position they sit with more comfort, or they have other
reasons satisfactory to themselves.
N.B.--The Higholdboy, in consideration of his onerous duties, is
exempted from the action of this rule.
7. The Higholdboy is empowered to reprimand any member, when he
considers it necessary to preserve the dignity of the club.
N. special and particular B. In order that this rule shall not operate
prejudicially to the sovereign rights of individuals, the members of the
club are at liberty to treat the reprimand of the Higholdboy as a good
joke.
8. Any member who shall be absent from any meeting of the club, shall be
liable to stand a half-dozen on the half shell for each of his
fellow-members, unless he gives _no_ previous notice to the club, or any
member thereof, of his prospective absence. Such notice, which he fails
to give, to be either verbal or written, at his own option.
9. These foregoing rules shall in all cases be construed strictly, they
shall never be repealed or amended; and shall be of binding force,
except as hereinafter provided in the
ORDER OF BUSINESS.
1. The Higholdboy shall announce the suspension of all rules for three
months.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account