The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-10-15
THE ORDER OF ELKS.
ST. LOUIS LODGE NUMBER NINE DEDI.
GATES A MONUMENT TO ITS DEAD.
Col. John a. Cockrsll of New York, the Gen.
erous Donator, Presents the Monu-
mept in Most Eloquent
Address.

ST. LOUIS, No., Oct. IA monu-
ment was dedicated today in Belle
tontaine cemetery to mark the last
resting place of all worthy members
of the st. Louis Lodge No. 8, Benevo-
lent and Protective Order OF Elks,
who desire to sleep their last sleep
there. A more beautiful day for the
ceremonies could not have been de-
sired. A gentle breeze swept over
the city of the dead. Softly it swayed
the red and white and blue colors
which for brief time hid from view
the graceful outlines Of the shining
bronze statute, symbolic of the order.
The statue is the gift of Col. John A.
Cockrell of the New York Advertiser.
1t stands in a circular plot of ground,
situated about the center of the ceme-
terry. The pedestal, which stands
about the middle of the plot, is of
granite. The dimensions are as fol-
lows: Base 10 by 10, second stone s by
6, third stone by and die 3 by 4.
Surmounting and facing the south,
stands u beautiful elk, which measures
8 feet from it's feet to the tip of it's
antlers, making the whole IS feet in
height.
Assisting in the ceremonies were
delegations from many cities in the
country. There were delegates from
Chicago, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Sc
dalia, Hannibal, Hot Springs, Dal-
las, Springfield, o., Brooklyn, N. Y,
Reading, Birmingham, Ala, New
Orleans and indianapolis.
The services commenced with music
by Gilmore's band, after which came
the introduction address, which was
delivered by Judge Thomas J. Ports,
who officiated in the absence of Gov
ernor Francis, who was unable TO be
present, owing to Ills train being de-
lay9d. Judge Portis said he felt hon.
ored in being selected, not only be-
cause he represented the governor of
the state Of Missouri, but because he
was assisting in the unveiling of the
monument to a grand and benevo-
lent order Of which he was member.
He trusted that the dedication of the
monument would increase in the
hearts of all assembled feelings OF
charity, justice, brotherly love and
fidelity, the four cardinal principles
upon which the order rested.
"How Sleep the Brave' was rem
dered by q local quartette, and then
the presentation of the monument to
the st. Louis lodge was made by Col.
John A, Cockrell in the following ad-
dress:
"An organization based upon the i'm
penetrable principles Of charity, JUS
tice, brotherly love and fidelity must
endure. Such an organization is the
Benevolent and Protective Order of
Elks. A few years ago, in the city of
New York, q little group of men,
members of profession which for
more than 1000 years has amused, in
structed, entertained and uplifted
humanity, met, and in spirit, half
convivial and half serious, laid the
foundation Of this society.
They had in their precarious lives
felt the need of comradship, helpful
ness and close fraternity. They
builded better than they knew
for what prophetic eye could
have toreseen the grand structure
which would rise upon this slender
foundation, and which today has sup
porting pillars in more than half the
states in the Union.
In the eye of the cold and austere,
our founders were perhaps of class
sometimes stigmatized as vagabonds,
those children of genius who have
done so much to beatty and enrich
the world.
Blot from our annals the works of
vagabonds and how little is left to adj
mire. What an aching void is left in
literature and science. We wipe from
thousands of canvasses the glorious
tints of artists whose names will live
to the end of time; we obliteyate
much of song and poesy and romance,
and consign to the impenetrable re-
gions of darkness the shining names
of Shakespeare and Byron, Goldsmith
and Keats, Shelley and Poe and
countless numbers of the children of
men who with pen and brush and
chisel have peopled the world with
beings of fiction which we cherish as
we do our loved ones, and have filled
it with inspiring thoughts which
make our lives nobler and better.
We revere our founders. 1t has
been claimed by those who are op-
posed to secret societies that they be-
long to the era of barbarism and are
no part of our civilization. AS in
that olden day, before Magma Charta
made men free, secret organization
was made necessary to those who
would resist tyranny or rescue JUS
tice and the cOmmOnest rights. So
today brotherhood is necessary, i'm
that it brings men of kindred par
poses into closer communion, broad
ems them, makes them helpful, and,
better still, smoothens the asperities
engendered in the selfish struggle for
existence. Our order maintains q
code Of morals as rigid as the golden
rules of Pythagoras, grated on the
noble teachings Of the New Testa
ment.