Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1901-11-01
Elks Badge and Elks Tooth

The Benevolent and Protective Or
der of Elks throughout the United
States is to be petitioned by its own
members to abolish the custom Of
wearing elks' teeth as emblems. AL
ready the Elks OF Colorado Springs
and Chicago haye taken the Initiative
IN the matter. and the Elks of Denver
and other cities will follow in their
footsteps. The action was decided
upon after mature consideration, and
while there has been some opposition
II is generally meeting with hearty
approval
At a meeting OF Colorado Springs
Lodge. No. 309. d. y. o. f., held re-
Gently. resolutions praying for the
abandonment of the custom Of wearing
elks teeth were unanimously adopted.
The resolutions asked for hearty CO.
operation Of all Elks. and the members
of the Colorado Springs lodge pledged
themselves not to purchase or In any
way traffic in elk teeth.
The passage Of these resolutions by
the Colorado Springs lodge was direct
~ the result of a startling condition Of
affairs which confronted members of
the lodge who visited the northwestern
portion of Colorado. That section IL
the rendezvous and feeding ground of
the greater number of the splendid
animals that have not fallen afoul of
the hunters gun.
The members reported to the lodge
nineteen elk In one herd ruthlessly
destroyed and their carcasses left be
hind to decay after the teeth had been
extracted. That report showed how
serious the situation really was, and
the result was that immediate steps
were taken to acquaint Elks generally
with the exact condition Of affairs.
The Denver Elks have been charged
, with being directly though uninten-
tionally responsible for the wanton de.
struction Of the splendid animals. and
as the charges have been Z ade by Elks
1t is now anticipated that prompt nc.
ton will be taken to stop the slaughtei
as far as 1t lies in the power of tho
Elks.
| A stranger case has rarely been call
ed to the attention of the public. r.
| II all 1t is pointed out that the mem
! bers Of the order can properly be
charged with nothing more thar
thOughtlessness. Their enthusiasm fol
their order has led them unwittingly
| to put such high premium on tn,
killing OF elks that there Is serious
danger OF the animals becoming ex
tinct in u few years unless something il
done to stop the slaughter.
That the Denver Elks are in the flrs
place innocently responsible for tn,
slaughter Of elks appears from thu
beers Of Denver lodge, being full Of en-
thusiasm for the order. began wearin,
! elks' teeth mounted In gold. as watcl
charms and pins. Gradually the Gus
tom spread until Elks all over TN
country were wearing the teeth no
only as watch charms and pins, bl
cum buttons, lapel buttons and In vari
Gus ways. Later the custom becam
universal in the order. and today 1t
estimated that $1,000 Elks, or NOR
than two-thirds Of the members of tn
order. have at least one or two elks
teeth numbered among their trinketf
Therefore, II would be safe to say tina
among Elks alone 100000 teeth ar
mounted in gold and used as emblem
OF the order In addition. jewellers. fol
lowing the example of the secret SO
ciety men, use elks' teeth in manufac
turing trinkets for sale to the publ
generally, with the result that jewelr
In which the. tooth of an elk is chic
factor is greatly in demand.
In Chicago an elk's tooth of goo
size and In good condition Is wort
Il ON 81 to $40. The teeth from a bi
stag might be readily sold for fror
$50 to 800.
The real elk, however, Is found Onl
In Europe and Asia. 1t Is the larges
deer found in either continent stand
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