The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-02-11

upon the complexion Oh Ine TlIudl,
the committee met at the office Of
Messrs. Thompson and Riggs, about
/ February 20, to read it over. 1t con-
/ tanned considerable part of the
ritual of the Buffa .oes, which Mr..
! Vivian had written into the proposed
! Elks' ritual, but Mr.. Mcdonald sug-
gested that the manuscript be sub
mitted to Henry p. O'Neill. a teacher
/ in the New York public schools, who
was identified with the proposed new
/ Elks organization.
Ritual Rewritten
Mr.. McDonald's suggestion having
met with the approval of the others,
J the ritual manuscript was taken by
him to Mr. O'Neill, who was request
ed to rewrite it, and he and his broth
er, Hugo O'Neill, did so. Henry P.
wrote the general ritual, and Hugo
wrote the ritual for the initiatory
ceremonies. This was the ritual ap-
proved by the committee and for
mally adopted at a meeting held by
the prospective members about March
10. Thus the ritual written by the
| O'Neill brothers became the first
ritual used by the Benevolent and
Protective Order of Elks.
Everything was satisfactory and
harmonious within the new organiza
ton, and Vivian was selected to be
the first presiding officer Of the newly
named order, the title of the presid-
! ing officer then being Right Honor
able Primo. In the meantime Mr.. vi
Wan had signed contract through
the theatrical agency of Thompson &
Riggs, and this took him to Philadel-
phia to fill an engagement of several
weeks.
Receive No Response
Mr.. Vivian was notified of the time
for the next proposed meeting of the
Elks, at which it was intended to OBJ
ligate the members in accordance
with the ritual requirements and
elect and install the officers, but it is
said no response was received from
him to any of the many notifications
sent him CT the meeting.
The meeting was held without Mr..
Vivian being present. At this meet
ing William Lloyd Bowron first OBJ
ligated himself under the provisions
of the ritual, and then in turn obi
gated George w. Thompson and all
of the others present. Mr.. Thompson
was then elected as Right Honorable
Primo instead of Mr.. Vivian, and was
indicted into office as the first pre-
siding officer of the Benevolent ard
Protective Order of Elks. This was
in May, 1868.
On hearing of the election of Mr..
Thompson instead of himself as the
head of the lodge, Mr.. Vivian became
greatly incensed and severely criti-
cised the members for their action in
completing the organization during
his absence and electing another in
stead of himself as the Right Honor
able Primo.
Application Rejected
However, at a meeting held about
three weeks later, on June IA, 1868.
Mr.. Vivian made application for mem
bership in the lodge, but was rejected
and so far as any available records
disclose. he never took the obligation
as an Elk, and was never formally
received into the Order after its ac-
ltual organization and the adoption OF
the ritual. A statement to the effect
has been signed by William Lloyd
/ Bowron, w. H. Smith, Thomas F. Gay
nor, Joseph M. Norcross, William Car
ter, George w. Thompson, Hugh
Dougherty, Charles Shattuck and
George Guy, Sr.
All of the foregoing statements and
data are from records that appear to
be authentic.
Leader Dies
Mr.. Vivian died of pneumonia In
Leadville, Col, March 20, 1880. He
had lived a short life, in years, but
one covering a varied career of thea
trical experiences, having at one time
headed his own company and at
another time being stranded and
one. The latter experience was in
Denver.
The only mark to designate his
grave at Leadville was a brief mes
sage scratched on a rough board
lstuck in the ground above the rest
ing place of his body, where 1t re-
manned for several years.
However, his character and calling.
and especially his instituting of tho
Corks, which organization disbanded
for the purpose of being merged into
1.-The Elks, produced arsort Of fraternal