The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-27
HUMANE ACTION
BY ELKS OF OGDEN
Practice of Wearing EIks Tusks
as Emblem Will Be
Abolished.
THIS IS TO PREVENT
DIFFERENTIATION OF ANIMALS
Grand Exalted Ruler Issues
Order on Suggestion of
President Roosevelt.
Special to The Tribune

Special TO The Tribune.
OGDEN, May 25.-The Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks, and espe
cially those Of Ogden, have taken de-
cided and revolutionary action In re-
gard 10 the wearing of even the trophies
they possess in the form Of elks teeth.
The choice insignia will be abolished
hereafter, in order that the elk may
not he exterminated.
The practice Of the members OF the
Order of wearing elks tusks as emble-
matte of their order, which was abso-
lutely innocent IN It's Inception, mas
come to mean the destruction IN TINS
country Of the noblcst members OF the
deer family, Of those apImas from
which the order derives its name. In
spite Of the laws which have been en-
acted for the protection Of game IN
those localities where the elk still ex-
ist, and particularly IN northern Nyom'
ing and western Washington, the high
price which is paid for the tusks OF
these animals and the great demand
there is for them on account of every
member of the Order of Elks desiring
TO possess one or more, temptS tne
hunters to disobcy these laws and to Kill
the noble creatures simply for their
tusks. Killing elk for their tusks has
indeed become trade and most des-
plcable trade. because the value of the
fusks is so great that these unscrupu-
lous hunters have not even considered
II worth their while TO make use Of the
meat Of the animals and have LETT the
cnrcasses To rot after the teeth have
been extracted.
The Benevolent and Protective Order
of Elks is dedicated to the ameliora
ton Of humanity and the practice of
pentleness and kindness to all the
world and it's members have viewed for
some time with serious alarm the re.
suit Of their custom Of wearing elk
tusks as emblems of the order, Finally,
so outraged have they become OF the
results that the Grand Exalted Ruler,
Judge Melvin, acting upon the sugges-
ton Of President Roosevelt, has re-
duested the members of the order
throughout the United States hence
forth to refrain from purchasing these
tusks. which are procured by the wan
ton destruction Of these animals, whose
name the members of the order con
slider ii an honor TO adopt.
The F,lks Of Ogden have readily &C
ceded TO the request of their Grand Ey-
allied Ruler and have even gone step
further, for at the last meeting mo.
tion was passed that the members OF
the ldoge not only refrain IN the future
from purchasing the tusks of the elk
but that they 6enceforth refrain from
wearing any elks tusks which they
already own as emblems of the order
It is expected that the Grand Lodge
at its next session will follow the ex-
ample set by Ogden, and thus members
Of the order will seek to prove to the
world that they are not only willing
and ready, even at sacrifice TO them.
selves. TO help their fellow men, but
that they are willing to sacrifice their
priced trophies. which they have always
considered it an honor to wear, in order
that they may not encourage the des'
truction of The noble wild animals
which produce them,