Notes March and Two-Step
Written for the Panama-Pacific Exposition of 1915 in San Francisco marking the opening of the Panama Canal, perhaps to encourage Shriners from across the country to come and celebrate with their fellow Masons in California.
"Zem zem water" is a reference to the well of Zam Zam in Mecca where Muslim pilgrims remember Hagar’s search for water in the desert with her son Ishmael.
There are photos of the officers of Islam Shrine in costume inside the front cover and photos of the Islam Patrol in Turkish garb with scimitars and the Islam Band dressed as European Hussars and holding western instruments on the back cover. The face of Potentate George Filmer is inserted on the front cover.
Lyrics San Francisco, nineteen fifteen,
Come and see the Fair,
All the Shriners will be welcome,
Islam will be there,
We will wine you,
We will dine you,
By the Golden Gate;
Come and drink our zem-zem water
In our grand old state.
