Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15
HISTORY OF ELKs
POPULAR FRATERNAL ORGANIZE.
TON WAS FOUNDED IN 1867
BY CHARLES VIVIAN.
Origin Of "HeHo Bill" Said to Rest
With Cincinnati Elks-Reasons For
the Selection Of the Name for the
Organization.

The present week is a notable one
among the Elks because Of their great
national gathering at Buffalo, N Y.
A. denwalder is the. delegate from
OttumWa lodge No. 347 and several
other members Of the lodge are attend
ing the convention.
The Elks lodge is one Of the most
popular fraternal organizations in the
world and has made rapid progress in
the past few years The Ottumwa
lodge was organized in June, 1896, J.
P. Schaying being one of the prime
movers and the first exalted ruler,
position which he resigned on account
of removing from the city. F., B..
Clark was chosen to fill the unexpired
term. Other exalted rulers in their
order Of service were DR.. III: Baker;
G.. M. Myers, True M Giltner, H. B.
Mynard, ]. N. Weidenfeller, r. A. MIN
ocls, A. odenwalder.
History of Order.
In the year 1867 Charles Algernon
Sidney Vivian, the son of an English
clergyman, arrived In New York City.
He was a ballad singer" and two days
aftllr landing obtained an engagement
at Buffers American theatre, No. 472
broadway. Vivian boarded at Mrs.
GidBman's, No. 1873 Elm street. At the
sa1le house were number of actors
anil musicians. and in the winter of
13d7-1868 the male boarders Of Mrs.
Giesman's met Sunday afternoons and
npdnt the time in social intercourse
At one ofthese convivial gatherings
Vivian proposed that permanent So
oiall organization be formed The sug-
aestion was favorably acted upon, and
carly in the winter of the same year
Che organization was formed and called
the Gully Corks." Vivian was the first
Imperial Cork" as the presiding Off
Ger was officially designated.
Order Was Popular.
The new order was very popular. It
grew, and finally it was re-organized.
A new name was to be selected, and
members of the committee having the
matter in charge were favorably struck
by the appearance of fine elk's head.
IN looking up the history of the elk he
became deeply impressed by the de-
acription Of the animal, in Goldsmith's
Animated Nature" and Buttons
Natural History, where it is described
as fleet Of foot and timorous Of doing
wrong, avoiding all combat, except in
lighting for the. female, and in defense
Of the young and helpless and weak"
His researches and report confirmed
the committee In their choice of the
Kane of "Elks" for the organization.
Vivian died Of pneumonia at the age
OF "a at Leadville, Colo March 20,
1880, when 1t was the center of the
gold excitemen The funeral took
place on the following Sunday, the
knights of Pythias taking charge of
the ceremonies. The funeral was a
splendid affair for that region, and
no expense was spared. The whole
population of the new town turned out
with band of music and accompanied
the remains to the cemetery.
On March II, 1889, it was brought
to the attention of Boston lodge that
lahe founder of the order was buried at
Leadville and that his grave was neg
lected and unmarked, save by slab
of wood; on which his name was
scratched with nail. Arrangements
were Immediately made to have the
body removed to a more appropriate
resting place, and through the efforts
of brothers of the order the remains of
Charles Vivian were removed to Bos-
ton and re-interred in the beautiful
Elks' Rest of Boston lodge in Mount