Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-05-06
Use Of EIkS' Teeth Without
Effect Upon Large Herds


L. r. Cavalier writes as follows in
Elks' Teeth of a lodge emblem:
Since the agitation against wearing
the elk tooth as an emblem of TIE
order, members of the Benevolent Pro
tective Order of Elks have been pur-
suing Investigations as to the supply
of these worries available for en-
blems.
THE contention is made that the
continued use of the elk tooth as an
emblem creates a demand and estab-
fishes a value for these teeth which
is sure to be followed by the annihi-
lation of all the small elk herds now
in existence.
THE result of the Investigations of
western elks reveals the fact that
there are now in existence enough bull
elk teeth to supply twelve times the
present number of members of the
order 1t would be easier and less
expensive to acquire 100 of these teeth
than to secure the carcass of one bull
elk, from which but two teeth would
be available.
1T is, or has been. assumed that
elk have been and are being Slaugh-
tered for their teeth alone. It may
be that this belief prevails in the
east, but any such assertion is false.
The writer ventures to say thaC no
elk ever was killed for its teeth alone.
The only teeth worth making into an
emblem are those from the bull elk.
The teeth of the COW elk are small
Of Da
order who wants a fine charm will
use one of these. The bull elk has
but two teeth which are used as en-
bems. There are probably $4,000 elk
now in existence in the United States.
OF this number probably 5000 are bull
elk These are nearly all in the Yell
lowstone national park or tributary
territory In the park they are pro-
tected by the government. The elk
range and breed in the park during
the summer, but in the winter they
go south for food. Food is scarce in
this section Settlers are taking up
the land and the elk fair badly. For
four or five years elk have died from
starvation by hundreds. a few are
killed by hunters, but these are
insignificant compared to the number
that die of cold and hunger.
Long before the b. p. Q. Z. came
into existence it was the custom of
the Crow Indians to gather the teeth
of the bull elk, and for half a century
before the order of Elks was organ
lied these teeth were used as me-
dunn of exchange with the Sioux, the
latter being as fond of eagle feathers.
Thirty or forty years ago there was a
brisk trade in these articles, the
Crows buying feathers of the Sioux
and paying therefor in elk teeth,
horses. hides, etc. Indian traders took
both feathers and teeth in exchange
for merchandise, but they had no
value with the traders except that he
exchanged them with the traders of
the opposite Indian nation.
I'm 1870 bull elk teeth could have
been bought at 80 cents per peck. The
eagle feather supply had become ex-
hausted. The Crows had all the elk
teeth they wanted Their women were
adorned from head to foot The neck
laces of the men were fully ornament
ed and there was no further demand
hence the value fell to almost moth
ing.
while the most of the elk from
which those teeth were taken were
shot by Indians, large percentage
of them were frozen to death and the
teeth taken from the heads from one
| to ten years after. With few eXcep-
tons the bull elk teeth now used as
| charms or emblems for members of
| the B. p. o. E. were taken from elk
| 25 to so years ago. The writer has
photographs of Crow Indian squaws
| showing $1,000 to $4,000 worth of bull
elk teeth used for ornaments, which
have been sold to dealer, through In
dian agents throughout the northwest
during the last 25 years, and in the
graves of Crows dead for half cen
fury are not less than 100000 of such
teeth, which will come to light when
the white man comes into possession
of their sacred ground, not many years
hence"