Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-07-29


hitting ii down the corridors of time
till all shall blend in the sea of eter-
nifty"
Thus does the historian of the or
der describe the Elks. Its mission is
never barren ideality. Its II
O'Clock toast is a remembrance of
the absent brother. Its every senti-
ment breathes' inspiring thought.
The grand lodge of the order will
meet in Salt Lake three days during
the second week in August Its ses-
sions will be attended by thousands
of the best people on earth from
every state in the union, Hawaii and
Alaska.
While much has been written CON
corning the elaborate preparations
for the reception and entertainment
of the Ell<s, what the lodges all over
the country are doing preparatory to
coming TO Zion. and brief outlines of
some of the most important work
mapped out for that august body of
men. nothing has been said concern
ing the history of the order of Elks.
Although its membership numbers
about 100000 of the most public
United States. it was less than thirty
five years ago-the winter of 1867
that the foundation for that order
was laid in an obscure boarding
house in Elm street. New York. The
founder was Charles Algernon Sidney
Vivian, an Englishman, the son of an
Episcopal clergyman. On Septem-
Der 4, 1867. he arrived in New York:
Two days later he received an en-
gagement at Bob Buffers American
theatre, 472 Broadway. as a ballad
singer" He secured lodgings at Mrs.
Geisman's. 1SS Elm street. In those
DAYS the Puritanical laws of Gotham
were very strict. The result was that
on Sunday afternoons other actors
and musicians who boarded with Mrs.
Geisman met in her parlor for a
convivial time.
At one of these gatherings Mr..
Vivian suggested permanent or
ganization for social purposes be
formed. The idea struck Il respon-
sive chord in the hearts of his assoc
ciatcs, and a few days later the
Jolly Corks'' was given birth. The
presiding officer was called the I'M
pcrial Cork. to which Mr.. Vivian was
duly elected. Its constitution and
bylaws was patterned after the
"Bu1faloes." an English organization
of which Mr.. Vivian was Il member.
The charter members of the Jolly
Corks'' numbered thirteen, as fol
lows: c. y. <. Vivian. Richard Il.
Steirly. William Carelton, Henry Van
denmark. William Sheppard. Edgar NJ.
Platt, William l.. Bowron, Harry
Rosworth. VI. G. Ashe. John T. Kent,
j. &, Wilton. Frank Langhorn and
John II. Blume. tt
The new order grew very rapidly
until the parlors of Mrs. Geisman
were inadequate as Il meeting place.
and the lodge moved to Paul Sum
mer's Ia Delaney street. 1t was at
this place that a reorganizatio was
made necessary by the rapid growth
of the Jolly Corks" and new name
was selected-The Benevolent and
Protective Order of Ell<s-on Sunday.
February 10. 1865. The choosing of n
new name was left to committee of
five. Vivian and Nandermark being
two of them. The former favored
"Buffaloes." to which Nandermarll
objected, on the ground that the or
der's name should be distinctively
American. He suggested "Camels."
| One evening a number of the mem
bers of the committee accidentally
met at ''Barnum's Old Theatre"
where they were favorably impressed
with a very fine elk head conspicuous
ly displayed in the entrance. When
the chairman of the committee look
/ 81 \, ,l.f. .,f hot NJ a
! found il described in several works
on zoology as fleet of foot and tim
orous of doing wrong. avoiding all
combat, except when fighting for the
female. and in defense of young. the
helpless and weak"
The characteristics of that noble
animal so fitted the purposes and
aims of the order that its name was
Immediately adopted as the name of
the recently recognized society.
At first it had but one degree. which
was later increased to two. the lee
ture being the latter. Some years
later the two were combined into
one:
At that time the initiation fee was
So. which was later increased to 50.
| The lodge continued to grow so rap
idly that Paul Summers place was
not large enough for the meetings
and fhe upper floor at Military hall
1913 Bowery. was hired. The latter
part of 1869 saw the order housed in
the Masonic temple on Thirteenth
street when the Initiation fee was
raised to SO.
On June Is. 1868, the lodge gave
its first benefit at the Academy OF
Music Mr.. Vivian volunteered to ap-
pear. An engagement called him to
Philadelphia, and while he was gone
the posters were gotten out and the
program printed. When Vivian re.
turned to New York and found that
his name did not appear upon either
I, me DID his