The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-08-03
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O WHAT AN ELK REALLY IS. Q
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The following. written bg a "Phil-
iistine." contains a great deal Of di-
gested logic. It will find an echo In
the hearts Of a great many in this
town In which Elkdom seems to have
broken loose recently. II is an out
side and an accepted opinion Of what
an Elk really Is
! am not a jiner, but II ever iine
the liners ! will begin with the Elks
land probably end there
Without any special written code or
creed the Elks stand for a certain
standard of intellect and ethics.
The man with an elk's tooth on his
watch chain, or the antlers in his but
tonhole, has no quarrel with God He
accepts life, and finds # good He
may not be so very wise or 50 very
good. but since he knows he Is not
wise. and is ready to admit he Is not
30 very good, he is wiser than be
klows and better than he will &C.
knowledge
The true Elk does not condemn. dis
parage nor rip regulations mp the
back Realizing mis- own limitations.
be is lenlent in his judgments to-
ward those who have been tempted
by Gate beyond their power to resist
inis quality Of mercy. I have noticed,
Is strongly implanted in the ELK ma
ture. Your Elk never weeps over his
own troubles. but for the stricken
souls OF earth his tears Of pity are
near the surface,
The Elk loves children, respects old
age. and 50 far as have seen doesn't
incline especially toward indifference
to feminine charms. In many instan-
ces ! have imagined the Elk revealed
just appreciation Of The elevated
spheroid Yet in all your life you
never saw one Of these horny sons Of
Elkdom going off alone and cutting
into the grape-hls .srigation Is all
in the line Of good fellowship. And
his worst fault lies right herein
this matter Of convivality, he some
times slightly overdoes IT,
But ! believe this will hold; no little
pismire apology for a man ever Joined
the Eks-he would not feel at home
ar~ng them To be an Elk you must
have faith in other men, faith "a your
self. and faith in the universe.
The Elks all look alike. and are all
OF one age Just what that age is.
l have not yet made out, but It lies
somewhere between thirty and fifty
No Elk ever is over fifty no matter
bow long he has lived. and none weigh
over two hundred pounds. They all
have the Joyous. boyish. bubbling
heart Of youth and no whiskers.
Lilacs are out Of their line. and Gal
ways are tabooed
never saw an Elk who was very
rich, excepting in kindness and good
chcer nor did ever zoe one circum-
navigating on his - y"
have all the mons. ytnes aee,., w. !.
not all they want ahey make money,
and they spend IT, ans the more they
spend the more they seem to make.
TKeep the change" is a remark the
Elk always has in electrotype
have been occasionally palned by
bearing Elks relate stories that were
slightly gambore-tintsd on the edges
-but although these tales of persi-
fage had aeufchatel flavor, YET
there was always enough Attic salt
supplied TO redeem the mass from
mortifying microbes,
inc elk is not troubled about saw
ing his soul-in fact he Is not troubled
aheut anything Perhaps that is his
one distinguishing feature-be does
not worry, nor shake the red rag Of
wordy theological warfare. He he
lieves that everything is all right
or nearly so-and that bis task Is 10
do his work. and not bother Other
folks more than he has 10, When All
Baba said. blessed is that man who
does not helyake," he had sixteen
pronged aptlered elk IN mind
An Elk takes his tSediclne- some.
times with rye f,oe--but ne always
takes his medicine often he over
comes temptation by suecumbing to
IT.. and If he trips and s,lls he Is up
and Joins IN the laugh of the hystand-
ers
You cannot down man who can
laugn at himself The Elk stays right
in the same; | never heard OF one re-
firing from busiDess; when death calls
for an Elk the Elk is apt nrst 10 sell
him a bin Of goods and then they
shake the dice 20 see who shall pay
cha7on's toll