Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-07-09

~ S-.z7s-' "a ~ s@<s<ss<y+Sl
hand to get pointers on the variety
and spiee;that may be added to q par
ade. A thousand lodges may be rep
resented, and no two Of them have the
same uniform.
Their badges take on a variety that
is the admiration and despair Of every
collector in The land. One lodge mayl
have q little wooden coffin for a |
badge, and no parade is complete IN
less Boston is there with its little J
bean-pot emblem. And the EXPENSE
to which they 60! At recent an
nual convention the Ell Paso lodge
spent $4,000 in order that they
come the visiting Elk and assure him
that the place is his.
The II O'Clock toast is one of the
most beautiful things about Elkdom.
In 1868 at one of the meetings Of the
New York lodge, just as adjournment
was in order, George Mcdonald, who
had presided at the birth of the or
ganization, suggested toast to the
"absent ones" 1t was drunk with a
will, and from that day to this, at
the hour of II at night, all Elks
spend a few moments thinking Of
their brethren, whoever and wherever
they may be.
Another beautiful thing about the
Elk ritual is the "lodge of sorrow"
| On the first Sunday Of each December
every lodge of the order holds meet
ing in commemoration of those whose
lives have been merged into the great
beyond. No matter how many years
may have passed since death ended
the career of fellow member Of 9
lodge, his name is called off, and some
appropriate word spoken to keep biz
memory green. In many orders it ii
, only the names of those who hav,
died within a year that are callet
off, but with the Elks every dealt
, from the organization of the club j
: recalled at these annual lodges o
E sorrow.
The world has heard much abou
!. "Hello, Bill" especially since vii
r liam H. Taft has been president
r "Hello Bill" is not a salutation tina
: is ritualistic, but is one that follow
e the Elks wherever they 60. 1t is th
might have genuine bull fighters an
v Mexican senoritas in line, and a Der
q yer lodge appeared as band Of COW
$ boys. They surprised the populat
t by shooting up the mayors reviewin
. stand in approved Wild West styl
n The story of their stunts" migl
4 be continued indefinitely, for thel
~ have been 10000 surprises of tn
E kind since the Elks first began
.. foregather.
a The humanitarianism of the Ell
~ was never questioned but once.
N was when the charge was made tn
~ the demand for elks' teeth was lea
h ing to the extinction of the specie
II Immediately an investigation was S
oI on foo and every Elk laid his ell
10 tooth badge aside. There will new
10 be another elk killed for his tee
bo through any demand by lodge mel
Of bers. The Elks are not like the moi
or women whose hearts go out in pi
" for the little birds and in scorn t
If the bad boys who rob their nests,
+ spite of the fact that at that We
od moment they may be wearing brea'
~ on their hats that once warmed ne
. lings which starved in motherl
nests.
St. The Elks are the most famous
1u' all orders in the matter Of hospital
ne and open house. In a recent ann
ny parade Manila lodge bore a BAN
ut announcing that it was at home
ny though 1000 miles away. That
ing characteristic. A New Yorker is
..n,,g much at home in a San Francs
III club as he is in his own lodge. TIL
Is is always a secretary on hand to "
na- open sesame that leads to intim
ug friendship and good fellowship.
arp one seems to know who is response
on, for originating the phrase.
cal The national home Of the Elks
located in Virginia, just outside
no Bedford City. 1t is an ideal 81
ur- and no private home could be fit
fun up more comfortable. There
leir some fifteen inmates, and they
big ceive the best of care as is shown
ure the fact that it costs $4,000 a y
eed to maintain the place. The Elks
are upon these inmates as their GU
mp and declare that nothing is too g
nall for them. Although the order
lin 100000 members, there are less t
ten twenty of them that are so unable
j is fight the battle of life for themse
.lks as to give up and 60 to the he
ION. However, not all Elks who are un
The IN oct along in the world 90 to thi!