Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1903-06-29
ORDER OF ElkS.
Some Interesting and Important Facts
About Its Origin.
BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE.

club of actors. newspaper men and
artists thu n 15,- hci- {. social ses.
slons at the boarding house of Mrs.
Geisman, No. 1SS Elm street, New
York. Charles Algernon Sidney vi
Wan. an accomplished and popular
English actor. originated and carried
into effect the idea of forming the
little club of brilliant and convivial
bohemians into a benevolent protect
i've order. originally styled the Jolly
Corks." The organization grew so rap
idly in popularity and membership
that it had to rent a large hall. On
Sunday. February 10, 1868. the order
was organized as the Benevolent and
Protective oder of Elks.
The selection of the new name was
left to a committee of five. Vivian
and Vandermark were members of
the committee. Vivian suggested the
name "Buffaloes." but three Americans
Oh the committee insisted that the
new order should be thoroughly Ameri-
can. A number of members of this
committee. happening to meet at
Barnum's old museum were favorably
struck by the appearance of a fine elk
head, which was suspended in a con
spicuous place. In looking up the his
tory of the elk. the chairman became
deeply impressed by the description
Of the animal in Goldsmith's Animal
ed Nature and Buttons Natural His.
tory" where it is described as Fleet
of foot and timorous of doing wrong,
avoiding all combat except in fighting
for the female and in defense of the
young and helpless and weak. His
researches and eport confirmed the
committee in their choice of the name
of "Elks'' for the organization.
The preamble of the constitution
recites that: THE undersigned, mem
bers of the theatrical, minstrel, must
cal. equestrian and literary profess
sions. and those who sympathize with
and approve of the object in view
thereafter stated in the constitution
do hereby organize an order to pro
mote, protect and enhance the wei
fare and happiness of each other"
The constitution contains fifteen ar
ticles and is brief, but is the founda'
ton of all subsequent ones. and its
principal features are still retained
1t provides fo- two degrees. and a con
didate can only be proposed by mem
bers who have taken the second de
gree.
Vivian a an actor, gifted with i
wonderful voice, of a cheerful, sunny
nature, and was one of the most yer
satile men in his profession He died
OF pneumonia at the age of "a years
at Leadville, Colo, March 20, 1880
when it was the center of the gold ex
citement. The funeral took place or
the following Sunday, the Knights O.
Pythias taking charge of the ceremo
MES. The funeral was a splendid af
fair for the region, and no expense
was spared. The casket containing
the remains was the most expensive
that could be obtained. and cost owe
5000. The whole population of the
town turned cut with a band of music
and accompanied the remains to the
cemetery. On March Il, 1889, it wa!
l~..uL. - A. ,,,o,;oo 50 ,lA DNeto,
Lodge by Brother w. C. vanderlip
chairman of the board of grand trust
ees, that Vivian, the founder of The
order, was buried at Leadville, AM
that his grave was neglected and un
marked saw by a slab of wood OF
which his name was scratched with
nail. Arrangements were immediatel,
made to have the body removed to
more appropriate resting place. an,
through the efforts of brothers of tn
order the remains of Charles Vivial
were removed to Boston and renter
red in the beautiful Elks' Rest of Bos
ton Lodge in Mount Hope cemetery
ADlAl 90 1907 NV SUN dliti a u
able was erected to hi
memory.
The fame Of the good work of tn
order, soon after its institution, bega
to spread, and our sister cities founC
ed branches from the parent stem. |
1874. there were but two lodges, wit
a combined membership of 200; !
1881. there were fourteen lodges. wit
a membership of l,S06; in 1892, the OF
der was composed of 222 lodges, wit
a membership Of IS, 424. In 1900, Their
were $50 lodges with a membershi
of $4,000. Now in 1903 the fraternf
chain has about 800 links, each repr'
senting a city or town of importance
and the chain extends from the Altar