The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1919-07-17
3AMERICANISM0 IS SLOGAN OF THE ELKS

bonds; they have given over three hun
dred thousand dollars to the Red Cross,
more than a hundred thousand to the
Y. NJ. c. A. and more than million dol
lars to various other war charities.
Humble Beginning of the Elks.
The Benevolent and Protective Or
der of Elks, with a membership today
of approximately $4,000. whose subor-
dinate lodges span the country from
coast to coast and reach from Skagway,
Alaska, to Honolulu and Manila, had a
very humble beginning in an attic of Il
cheap boarding house in New York City
about the close of the year 1857. The
moving spirit of the gathering Of h9f
dozen actors who got together on a
few Sunday afternoons for purely So
rial purposes, was young English
music hall singer named VIVIAN
Charles Algernon Sidney Vivian, as he
was christened. He landed in this
country on Friday, November Is. 1857,
coming on an English trading vessel
from Southampton.
Being of convlvial habits, Vivian
soon was the center of group OF
seven or eight fellow spirits with musi-
cal and theatrical connections who
sought relief from the rather strict ex-
else laws of the day in New York. At
these attic gatherings an outsider was
occasionally invited in. with the re-
quest that he bring with him cork,
each one present being similarly pro-
vided. simple cork trick would be
proposed, the loser to provide the re-
freshments. The newcomer was in
varably the loser and his payment for
the refreshments constituted his initia-
tion fee into the club, which became
known as the Jolly Corks."
Selection Of the Name 'Elks..
Before leaving England Vivian was
identified with the Royal and Antede-
and illustrious history and the names
Of kings and queens on its roster. In
1856 he had listened to Charles Dickens
deliver lecture on the subject of a
benevolent and Provident Charity
Fund" which he afterwards confessed
ndu ttll us lillpi Oli lliIIs lHlS
have had something to do with an early
practice of the Jolly Corks' of raising
IS or $40 by assessment, to be sent to
some Ill or needy associate. About this
time committee was appointed to
draw up constitution for "benevo-
lent order" and Vivian was its first
slFner.
Early in 1858 it was decided to give
the organization a new name A COM
mittee was appointed for this purpose,
consisting of George M. Mcdonald,
chairman. william Shenpard. Charlie
A. s. Vivian. Edgar N: Platt end Thos.
G. Riggs. This committee followed up
IT'S Investigations In books on natural
history by visit to Barnum's Museum
near Broadway and Ann streets. 1t Is
Of record that Vivian stood for the
name buffalo" hut voted to make
unanimous the selection of the name
"Flks" when it was shown that the
Elk Is distinguished for feetness and
for timidity at wrong doing, and that
tine animal avoids all combat save in
the defense of its weak and Young and
helpless, and the female of its snecies.
IT was the aptness of this simile with
the Ideals of the development Of the
order that nut the final conformation
and approval on the word ELK"
Vivian Recognized FounGer of Order.
Vivian was the son of clergyman
of the Church of England and was born
in Exeter, Devonshne, october %, 1872.
He died in Leadville, Colol ado, March
30, 1880, of pneumonia, after short
life time of many theatrical viclSsi-
tudes. ranging from touring with his
own company to being stranded in
Denver, penniless. HIS grave, un-
marked save for message scratched
with some hard instrument in a pine
board at its head, rested undisturbed
until on April rs, 1889, the order ex-
humed the lemains and placed them in
Elks Rest, Mt. Hope cemetery, Boston.
There, on massive, irregular boulder
in whose face there is a large bronze
stands out this inscription:
Charles Algernon Sidney Vivian,
Founder of the Order of Glks. Died
March 20, 1880, aged 81 years. A liver
of his kind who founded a great order
and in doing so wrought much good"
16, 1868. This Is the date of the first
charter issued, as well as the date on
the original old first banne Of New
York Lodge No. /, still preserved.
AS constituted today. howeve the
order of Elks dates from 1871, on Janu-
reported founding the grand lodge.
This was ratified In New York on Janu-
ary 20 and on March 10 the Legislature
OF New York granted the newly formed
grand lodge, Benevolent and Protective
Order of Elks, power to grant charters
to subordinate lodges throughout the
country. That year the grand lodge
held three regular communications, or
conventions and New York Lodge, No.
|, was rejoicing in its great prosperity,
with $538.S1 in its treasury.
Charity n Cardinal Principle.
As illustrating spirit that has al
ways actuated the Elks, on October 26,
1871, a great benefit was staged by New
York Lodge No. /, to aid the suffer ers
from the great Chicago fire. And in
1906 at the time of the San Francisco
disaster Grand Exalted Ruler Bob"
Brown rushed out to the Pacific Coast
metropolis where the banks were closed
and money was needed, and planked
down five thousand dollars in cash as a
starter on what the Elks proposed to
do. Afterwards Brown had so much
Elks money at San Farncisco that he
could not spend 1t all and the Elks in
addition sent out 400 car loads of food
to the stricken city.
The foregoing are incidents of pub
lie character, but the favorite method
Of the Elks in disbursing thousands Of
dollars annually In charity Is not to
invite any publicity whatever in regard
to 1t. 1t Is known, however that no
poor children are allowed to miss 4
proper Christmas celebration where
there Is an Elks lodge located, and
Thousands Of poor families are care
hy 70 nt TOOL oh a ri r.