The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-11
HISTORY OF THE
ORDER OF ELKS.
Mr.. Venable's Address at the Acade
my On Memorial Sunday.
ORDER NOW EMBRACES $4,000.
Organized i'm 1896 10y Small Party OF
Actors In New York, IL Has
Grown To- Enormous
Proportions.
ORDER NOW EMBRACES $4,000

At the Fgks' memorial scvicos held at
the Academy of Music SUNDAY, beCein-
Der 8th. Mr. w H. Ncnahie or Norioik.
"a talented young law> en- dtliNeieu lne
principal address. liis remarks were az
tcutivelv listened Co by the large audi
cncc and 90 the conclusion or the SER
vices Air. Ncnablc was heartily con-
graduated. The splendid address Is here
So" " THE ADDRESS.
Exalfsd Ruler and Brother Elks OF
plcbmord-As the honorcd ambassador
~ the Elks of Norfolk, j have come TO
you 81 this sad hour commissioned by
ehcm 90 express TO you their most cor
dial ereetiug and sluccrest sympathy.
Ladies and conference.-the Elk3 Of
y0lr city have requested me, on this
.Our HOLY Day" TO tell YOU something
,Fthe earlv history. the development, and
The uraisewOrthy objects OF an order that
protects the virtue Of our homes. dis
pensos without ostcntatiOn charity TO the
living and h0nors the memory OF IT'S
ASH look out over this great audience
ami recognize upon many earnest faces
those unmistakable marks OF refinement
and kind attention that characteIlIt
every asscmblage where the true oo''
and faithful daughters OF Virginia meet
wou.d that my Gre tor had given me
some of those rare gifts ana eXalted tai-
pnts with which he so richly endowed
many of those statesmen ana paulv'S'
who iD tho dark hours preceding our nat
fionai irleDcudcnce. al "a time when your
progressive city. now adorned Win mas
piNccut holdings and stately mon 1iutilt0
.ras ID small town ana your lhilvus
Franklin street a country fodu Ni"0'"
rbes. oid hills around Richmond TO re-
sound with words of inspired tl.4. tlCc,
We're b. possible for me 40 TINS houI 10
summon 20 my aid these powers 1 o.
Ncve that / could use them TOT ITO HsI.l
purpose than 10 draw TOT you
pirfure pOrtraylng All me pttutllH .-t
-. i,resee.od hv The Benevolent ana
Protective order Of Elks and so 10 I'M
.lra.. 30 uuOu your minds ana ht'l
every man I'm the SOUND on my NO1i,,o 20
fore leaving this house ~ouid Ie9o''o ~
become member or thls uiutl. .no+ all
InoLine, 10 nature we perceive tia' nl
its begiLu.ngs are smaiL 1i "" W., ~ 60,
develoIu emit iu IT'S carry S,l-,a .-,l.c,,ti,fo
So 'rraaual as 10 be almost impercepllol"
E.r away ON the side OF lofty noun
t,fr .rarLfinr in the genial suh"k"|
ono may sec the silver iiacinSs on d VIZ
broolet threading its way between
rocks and b0uldtrs DOWN u" WV 49, -.
valley below. Drawing IN ne" TOT
,,ern every side gradually the piOohl,t
becomes the small stream ana lhth VIZ,
over Increasing rapidity us power anu
volume b. doubled and uehied. anu oelole
we realize how great ,he cnans' ,,rooj
we find ourselves looking Gown ID ulVru
majestic river. bearing ON rs BOSOM 'ic
corir,4rce of states and nations.
HISTORY OF THE ORDER.
In natures beautiful garden we nay may
watch from DAY 10 13l Lw 49, h~eek
Struggling long and fdithiuiy 10 pieaN
loose from thc strongly knllltu uu
r.f r0nnne 30 within narrow compass
and then as 81 hy magic 90 tnt '"lli1
i-. III au eve We may see the uoilu9
60 aud behold the bright colorcd
,..fs of the beautiful flower grauuaLs
.,rd themselves Go the balmy breeze.
r-.rring ioy and happiness To an 'N'
world. , a..-o,orr,ort
I. nature very fftingIy illustrate 'n, n'1
.r,, of tine growth and development vi
H. f.re several leading members or me
fr.afrioel profcssion-tna prov 49,
..uv and social class "i mo 49,
...-o over "a place ON Twenty-lnlIo sll,D1'
ID. thr cltv of New YORK. ana lUi ,.p"
.,,eI Climb where it's members couiu M. ~.
auo enjoy themselves. az ul'5 pr" 49,
,- the only day in the week tha1 80
ON Ia. IN tteir own. None but actors OF
.....f Standing perl0rming ON the AineI
Car etrco. were eligible for meulollsi.iS
i1 This exclusive ortalil1 -tloit Cor,-
called itself the Jolly N"Iha 1 t,,
nosed as 10 was. OF the pest VII ~" i0,.iro.
-, If fhe American stage, anu a. I..-
- name won calculated 10 calIh llT 49,
az the public az time Mhtn wv ~ tbe
80 the city were rightly ehlu4 ,n,S -,
messed bv the New Aoik 49, ss,tt,,,'',s..d
-. r,embership of the cruz M a.
-eridIv. Probably no class 1l i.o,,,c
a.. country follow ctllh-. 49, do
,r.un which is more uhctl l@tn As
-,,tors of the theatrical pIOlesSIYH. -"
% n,.,renfe of this. Applications l'l "a.
Itlnce from needy actors soon pebai ="
,rr,irnuiate ON the secIe'"t -.
theatrical performances ol a hl.n ~ w.,
l,s Given occasionally by ine mtHi"V
3D.. fr. rIfa
an. ll..-oands. As time passed on tNs
earnest appeals for heip s'e"eS cl,,h
creased ard the leading spirits on a. -
.~-,fd nurc1v for the social ENJOY "l''l
III ite members began 20 lhllh % "~''~'
things for their orsan1auo". ...,,tttoe
M Inc early spring of .lsoo "a COMM We
cf ave was appointed with OnatleS 49,.
NON vivian. the Right Honoranle IIln ne
~ fh- .Jolv COrks' as IT'S chalIiH""' 10
select "a suitable name. To pIepalS 80" ~
rttlufion and To- suggest rules ana IeSu a-
,ilr,s fnr society with "a broader S.OIe
and noD.er purpose. On 'ne --ott t.-
Nav. in thc Same year TINS comm 49,
r@.ls su elaborate report Whlch N"H
,-rariu,ously adopted and thus was D9II
- ms the Benevolent and Pro,tcute
~ 80 t..t..'t no our esteemed BROTH
ar and Past Exalted Ruler, De'isv
THOMPSON. the order Is indebted IoI ~
-.n,o and Cuslgnia. His knoWlelEe ol
81. habits and characteristics OF the no,
Me American Fla. described ny n@' ~, a.
historians as an amman atoLo va
~-d ee.et of foot. quick " perception anu
N,oorous OF DOING wrong. and aNolclIs
combat except in lighting for the ienAle
and iu defence OF its helpless young WIZ"
communicated To- this committee dotot-
i..ee suggested 90 their minds the cardlnai
n-inciplcs SO happily blended in the Tor
,nafian of our order. Two years later
an INC 12th OF March 1870. sixty members
~ he New York lodge went over 10
Philadelphia and organized "a prosperous
iode. in that city Like that OF The
"Jonv Corks" the fraternalism OF the
lew order was limited exclusively 20 the
theatrical profession and the great all
fruIty .of maintaining The requisite
amount o. interest ln permanent organ
zafIou many of whose officers and
,,emhere were compelled ON account OF
thrir orofes si0nal engagements 90 be alb
cent from IT'S meetings more than half OF
he wear was keeuly appreciated hy many
.eodfn.r Flks during the next Eve years
- ot,r hiefnlS. They saw with regret
md the membership OF the only two
01rae in existence was gradually drop
sing or that no new ones had been cs-
.ablshed and 10 seemed for time that
tnr order was doomed 90 the unhappy
ate 0f many similar organization.
THREW OPEN THE DOORS.
Happily for the Eil.s, and may say
Or humanity the only true solution ~
ne nr,blrm suggested itself 10 their
binds boz limo 10 save from an early ana
mmuinting grave one OF Americas no
lcet Orenrincs
Breaking the chains Of the narrow fra
crnaiism that had crampcd SIS growth
ma impclcd its progress they threw open
he doors Of the temple and permlttcf
,ood men of AN classes ana Nocatlons