The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-12-02
LAKELAND ElKs
HELD IMPRESSIVE MEMORIAL
SERVICE YEsTERpA,
Continued from Page 81

I Continued from Page 81
his family thought, his name, fam'
and fortune. CHANGING one day t
go into the slums Of that great cit,
he saw such want, distress and sui
fering as he never before knew ex
listed. His great heart swelled will
human pity and human sympathy. H:
began to minister to the needs and
suffering Of the poor Of the slums
Finally his father and mother died;
his fortune was soon gone. hut he
continued to give his time, his talent
his all to the poor and suffering
Finally he rented a little dingy Office
on a ram-shackle wooden building on
the bowery and hung out his simple
sign, DR.. Jones--Office Upstairs and
thus he spent his life for the cause
Of humanity, and after he had spent
his days among the poor and suffer-
ing and passed to the great beyond
those destitute people to whom he had
been a ministering angel unable to
give him a decent burial, carried his
body out to the potters' field and care
fully laid 1t away. Too poor to buy a
stone to mark his grave, they went
back, took down the simple little sign
and put Il over his grave. and there
It stands in all It's beauty, simplicity
and truth-'Dr. Jones-Oflce Up
stairs"
The great war that has only recent
ly ceased, brought us face to face with
the realization that many brave
courageous and noble soldier, who
loved, cherished and practiced in his
daily life those virtues which make
men truly great, fell in battle clad in
only a private's uniform, and now
sleeps his final sleep under foreign
skies, on foreign soil, whose graves
are only sentineled by the peoples o.
Flanders field. There are no great
and towering monuments inscribed
with verse and story telling of theil
brave deeds. So, these ceremonies
are held as testimonial by the Twins
that an Elk, be he rich or poor, higf
or low, Is never forgotten, never for
saken; his faults we write upon thu
sands, his virtues upon the. tablets o.
love and memory. We come here up
on this occasion to fulfill our obliga
ton to the dead, to discharge our duty
to the living, and to show to thu
world that this order stands fol
something, and that something is {
closer relation with our fellow man
helping him when in need, and point
ing the way to higher and better
standard of manhood.
The Benevolent and Protective Or
der of Elks originated among thu
theatrical professions In New Yorl
City in the year 1867. 1t was born o.
! humble surroundings following thai
great conflict when the lannon's boon
told of the death, destruction ant
devastation being wrought by brother
arrayed against brother, father
against son; during those days when
sectionalism, bitterness and strife held
sway between the people of the north
and south.
i The honor Of originating the order
which was destined to grow into one
of the greatest fraternities of Amer
lea, belongs to Charles Vivian, and
the membership was at first limited
to the theatrical profession, and the
first name of the order was that of
Jolly Corks," but behind it all was
The background of good intentions, +"
deep down in the foundation was the
bedrock of "Brotherly Love-" running
Like silver thread through the fabric
of the organization was the virtue,
charity" and glowing like a beauti-
full star in the armament was the pre-
cept, Justice to our fellow-man." In
1869 committee having been appoint
ed to select name for the order, OH
visiting a museum, found that several
authors had referred to the American
Elk as being feet of foot, timorous of
doing wrong, avoiding conflicts except
in defense of the young and weak. :"
Mr.. Vivian was chosen as the pre-
siding officer of the order, and for
many years his sunny disposition and
cheerful nature contributed much to
the growth of the order. In 1886,
while in Leadville. Colorado, Mr.. vi
Wan died of pneumonia; far away in