Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-06
GRANDL0DGE BP. 0.E.
Preparations for a Big Occasion at
Cleveland This Week.
FIRST MEETING OUT OF NEW YORK.
Growth Of the Order From the First Gather.
ing at the Corn Cob.
GOSSIP OF OTHER SECRET ORDERS
npHc,AL rELrenAM TO THE prspArcz


| ESPECIAL TELEeRAM TO THE ptsPArcH1
CLEVELAND, July 5.-During the CON-
! ing week this city will be the scene of the
largest and most important gathering of
Elks ever known in this country. Although
the order is scarcely out of its teens its
growth and development have been phenom-
email. Nearly every city of any prominence
in the land has an Elk's lodge, composed
mostly of business and pro oiessional men,
who, bv precept and example, have devel-
oped system of beneyolence and mutual
protection that has no parallsl in the history
of secret orders.
The reunion which will be held to-mor-
row and the session Of the Grand Lodge,
which will be formally opened on Tuesday,
will be sort of jubilee celebration; for this
will be the first great annual gathering of
the order outside the city Of New York.
Although this change in the place of meet
ing of the Grand Lodge has not been
secured without a struggle, its benefits to
the order are already being felt The COM
mendable rivalry among the cities of the
| West to secure these annual reunions of the
among the members and lodges that could
not otherwise be obtained Every city can
now expect to see in its streets, at no dis
tant day, great procession of the legiti-
mate successors to the "Jolly Corks," and
this may serve as the cue to an interesting
bit of history connected with the order.
BIRTH OF THE ORDER.
Many of those who were residents of
Gotham in 1868 may remember a little tav-
ern on the Bowery, nearly opposite Spring
street, that was known to the boys about
town as the "Corn Cob" The nationality
of the proprietor was often matter of dis
pute among the patrons Some said he was
Irish and others insisted he was Dutch, but
there could be no question as to the nationality
OF his ponderous wife, especially If any ques-
tion was raised about charges for refresh
ments;" taste of her rich Galway brogue al
ways settled the dispute in short order.
Here number of the choice and master
spirits of the dramatic profession used to meet
nightly and discuss the triumphs or failures of
the evening over a bottle OF stout relate their
experiences and work out practical jokes, in
manner that would have made Sothern stare
and blush. Dan Bryant, Nelse Seymour,
Charley White, Tony Pastor and dozen other
kindred spirits might, at that time be found
there any evening in the week making merry
with song, story and repartee. These meetings
became so regular and a source of so much en-
joyment to those that participated that it was
finally arranged to form organization for
mutual entertainment and protection, to be
called the Jolly Corks," and under that name
the organization continued for some time.
WHERE THE ELKs CAME IN.
1t was at first semi-secret society," composed
exclusively OF members of the dramatic pro-
fession, and any good fellow who was con-
nected with the boards was eligible for men,
bership. Early in 1853 Charles Vivian. the
brilliant London comedian, who was at that
time playing an engagement at the old Min
strel Hall on Broadway. was introduced at
meeting of the Jolly Corks" and after be-
coming acquainted with the purpose of the or
gam cation, he proposed to change the order to
one similar to the Buffaloes of London. The
proposition did not at the time meet with much
favor, as something dstinctively American
was wanted. After considerable discussion
and the consumption of numerous tobys of ale.
it was decided that the order should be known
as the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.
This eemed to have been too American for |
Vivian, for although practically the founder of
he never became an Elk. Before the formal |
organization was completed, his professional |
engagements conpeled him to go westward.
There he died in 1879, and his remains reposed
IN neglected and unlettered grave at Lead |
vile till the early spring of 1889, when they
were exhumed and removed to the EIks' Rest
at Boston, where all that was mortal of the |
genial actor now lies. under the shadow of a |
marble shaft that tells of his many virtues and
his services to the order.
THE CHARTER MEMBERS.
On February 16, 1858, the order was formally
instituted and the charter list of the first lodge
New York No. y is embellished with the au-
tographs of many of those who were at that |
time popular favorites on the variety and |
minstrel stage. Among them find George ]. |
Green, Elmer j. Post, Claude ]. Connor Gen
eral j. G. Pinckney, Tony Pastor John Hodges |
Thomas J. Riggs; William Kortf, Hugh o'NeiII, |
Sandy Spencer, A. II. >Mulligan, William Cof- |
fh, E. 6. Brown, George p. Dalton, George w. |
Cumberland. George F. Mcdonald, W. H. |
Brown, William Sheppard. G. W. Rockefeller, |
w. Hellern Brown, harles 7. White, John H. |
Korff, Thomas g. Gaynof Henry p. O'Neill, |
George w. Thomson and Ferd1nando Pastor.
The habitues of the old theaters and halls |
that were strung along the lower part of Broad
way 20 years ago will readily recall many of !
these names, that were wont to set the house
in a roar. Tony Pastor is still with u.s. appar-
emily as young and frisky as he was then
Charley White retired from the San Francisco
Minstrels many years ago with well-lined
purse, and Today he takes his ease and cracks
Jokes with the old stagers around the Hoffman
House and in the popular resorts along upper
Broadway.
For several years after the organization of
the order its doors were closed against all but
legitimate members of the dramatic profession
The rules were subsequently somewhat relaxed
and few fayorite journalists admitted but
the order was little else than a social society
till 1871. In the early part of that year Phila-
delphia Lodge No. was organized, and there
were probably less than 100 members in the or
der at that time, all told.
IN ITS PRESENT FORM.
In March, 1871, the order was duly incorpo-
rated under the laws of the State of New York,
and from that time Its existence as a fraternal
benevolent organization dates. San Francisco
Lodge No. 8 was organized in 1874, and Chicago
Lodge No was not instituted till 1876 The
restricted character of the membership had SO
far retarded the growth of the order that only
four lodges had been organized in eight years,
and they could hardly be considered in
healthy and prosperous condition. In the
meantime the revolution going on in the thea
ter management tended to deplete the lodges
of active working members. The good old
stock company plan, which presented the IA
mliar faces and favortes at the old stand sea-
after season, was gr dually giving place to
the star" and Combination system, thai has
turned host of excellent stock actors and ac-
tresses into wandering tribes of transformers.
New blood was, therefore, in demand in all
the lodges, and any hallfellow-well-met was
suIe to be admitted. But even the Indifference
10 the quality of the membership did not serve
to keep the lodges in financial condition to
enable them to carry out the benevolent aims
of the order. Besides the lodge meetings were
generally held on Sunday, which prevented
many who were in sympathy with the purposes
of the order from entering. This objection
able feature of the meetings has been changed
in many places with excellent results. The
standard and qualifications for membership
during the past ten years have been elevated
to such q degree that only the best men in the
professional and commerelal community are
row admitted to membership in most of the
lodges
PERIOD OF PROGRESS.
The real growth and progress of the order
therefore dates from about 1882 During the
preyious IA years of its existence only 20 lodges
were organized, but from that time onward its
.,oe haan remarkable