Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1922-02-15

amid almost polar ice and snow. Elk
I lodges rise at Brownsville, Texas. and
Key West, Florida farthest southern
points of the continental United
/ States. Our Canal Zone has its lodge
at Balboa Heights. Our island pos
/ essions are starred with Elk lodges
at Manila in the Philippines, at Hon
! olulu and Hilo in Hawaii, at Guam.
and al San Juan in Porto Rico. And
the Elks of America are working to
initiate their millionth member 10y
July, 1922, when the Grand Lodge
meets at Atlantic City.
: The founder OF this organization
that is today Americas greatest fra
ternal order? He was strolling
English actor, He never lived 10
know how well he and his little group
Of brother-actors had builded.
! His body rests today in Mount Hope
Cemetery, Boston, Massachusetts, be
meath great granite boulder bear
ing bronze plate with the inscrip-
ton
Charles Algernon Sidney Vivian.
Founder of the Order of Elks Died
March 20. 1880 Aged 81 years. 4
lover of his kind, who founded a great
Order and in so doing wrought much
good"
Vivian, who was the presiding
Jolly Cork" at the momentous meet
ing i'm 1868 when the fourteen men
voted to organize under the name of
"Elks," died in Leadville. Colorado.
after life of theatrical vicissitudes
that ranged from touring In aauance
at the head of his own company. 10
being stranded penniless in Denver.
There in Leadville his body rested.
his grave marked only by a weather
stained pine hoard on which an in
scription was scratched with some
sharp instrument. until on April IS.
1889. Boston Lodge No. /, B. p. O.
Elks. exhumed the lody. took it TO
Boston. and buried it there with
splendid ceremonial.
Only in Elkdom's archives and the
memories of the few surviving old
timers is the history of the Jolly
Corks held intact. And only one
charter member of Elkdom still sur
wives. He is Joe" Norcross of New
York
The Jolly Corks," actor-folk all
met in those days of the COS in cafes
and bar-rooms of New Yorks theatre
cal district. The cork trick" was
their initiation ceremony. A group OF
Corks would bring in candidate. who
was assessed fifty cents. This was
taken by Charles Vivian. and entered
in pocket memorandum book. Each
Jolly Cork" produced champagne
cork from his pocket.
The bar-keeper supplied the candi-
date with new cork. The men lined
lp in front OF the now-extinct Ameri-
can bar, Each man, placed his cork
IN front OF him on the bar. To the
candidate ii was explained that at the
signal Three" of the Conceive
three!' called by the ruling Cork. the
last man to lift his cork from the bar
was stuck for the drinks"
The signal would be called The
Jolly Corks. all initiates. would simply
cup their hands over their corks and
leave the corks on the bar. The can
didate, with swift swoop, always
would be the first man to lift his cork.
He would also be the last man TO lift
his cork. For he would be the only
man to lift his cork He bought the
drinks
One other law the COrks obeyed
Any jolly Cork, meeting another jolly
Cork, was at liberty to challenge his
brother by producing his own cork
from his pocket If the challenged
man could not also produce a cork. he
must pay for the drinks. The cham
payne cork became the insignia of the
Order.
Stuart Robson, noted American ac-
tor of that period, was Jolly Cork
and the target of a deep-laid plot. 1t
was al Robson's wedding. AS the ac-
or entered the church. he found the
isle solidly lined with a double rank
VI Jolly Corks. At the altar awaited
he minister. The organ was playing
be Wedding March As Robson start
ed down the aisle with the future Mrs.
Robson on his arm. every Jolly Cork.
With the precision of an army officer
drawing sword and saluting. held aloft
4 new and shining champagne cork in
salute.
But Stuart Robson was ready In
stantly he reached into the tail-pocket
of his dress-coat, produced a cham
payne cork equally new and shining.
and marched down the aisle. his bride
on his left arm. his cork held aloft in
his right hand History does nob tell
who bought those drinks. But it
wasn't Stuart Robson,
New YOrk's Excise Laws" rigor-
ousyl enforced in 1867 and 1868. /
closed all places of public entertain