Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (July 11, 1912)
tiii: (l;i:coii i:.mlv jgu.;::al, i.o.aLAUi), tuulcdav JULY 11, lCi: ;0 AST GRAND EXALTED RULERS mm g S 1904 -"05 - FRATERNITY DEVELOPS FROM HUMBLE ORIGIN From Small Organization of Actors, the B. P. 0. Elks Has Grown Into Powerful Order That -I$.NationaLForce.for.GooL- DESIRE for power, for protection, or for social enjoyment, are the baslo elements that draw men into band In themselves Into parties or associa tions. Many organizations are Inspired only by the thirst for power; others solely for protection, and others still merely for social Intercourse. In many associations of menthese elements are combined: The Benevolent and Protective-Order of Elks, for Instance, has Incorporated two of these elements, protection and social Intercourse. It does not seek power, other than the power to do good. It 'rigidly evades participation in any political or sectarian movements, out side its own tone of endeavor, which is confined to lodge activities alone. From the first it has clung tena ciously to its ideals charity, justice, brotherly love, fidelity and for this reason has mounted higher and higher among similar organizations, until to day it is looked upon as one of the best of the standard fraternal lodges of the nation and the globe. But this enviable position was not reached without effort. In Us 48 years of existence the order has undergone the ordeals of schism, Doraenng almost on disruption, ana several times only the level heads of its then leaders saved it from strife that could have ended In nothing less than bitterness and division. The Elks have had civil war and triumphed as a unit The order has gone through the chaos of conspiracy and emerged unscathed. Above' all things banal, it has risen, and true to instincts of the elk, fled to the pastures of peace and harmony. There It has prospered, because its Ideals . were not forsaken even In the darkest hours of the fraternity's history. As an order, the B. P. O. E. really dates from March 10, 1871, when the New York legislature enacted a meas ure incorporating the grand lodge, under the laws of New York. Two days later, the first lodge outside of New York was granted a charter. It was Philadelphia lodge No. 2. The first charter was granted to New Tork lodge No. 1, the same day the grand lodge was incorporated. Heretorore the Order of Klks had existed only as a single or ganization in New York aity. The grand lodge was founded to enable its expansion to other cities. For three years previous to the insti tution Of the grand lodge, the B. P. O. . had existed as a lodge. It had evolved from a purely social society, that had gone by the name of Jolly Corks, and whose membership was made up exclusively of men in the theatrical profession, as Indeed was tSl B. P. O. K. during its formative perlodproper. Here then is found the real beginning! of the lodge. In passing, it may be fit ting to mention the fact that the lodge today owes much of its greatness and its estimable alms and objects to the enthusiastic devotion of the actor folk. who guided Its destinies when the lddge was a lone Elklet, trembling on untried legs. The Jolly Corks. Charles Vivian, an English actor, was the founder of the B. P. O. E., and its first exalted . ruler, or right honor able primo, as the head of the lodge was known in the early years. He was the son of an English clergyman and was born in Devonshire, England,, in 1842. A splendid entertainer, a man of magnetic personality, he soon won a place in the hearts of his coworkers in America and the theatre going public He arrived in New York In November, 18(7, and two weeks later the Jolly Corks came into being at a boarding house run by a Mrs. Giesman. The Jolly Corks were patterned after a simi lar organization in London. To become a full fledged "cock'.' one paid an initia tion fee, sufficient to cover the cost of the drinks for every cork present, The initiate was then presented with a cork, which he was to have with him always and was compelled to produce on demand of another cork under a pen alty of paying for the drinks. In short. it was simply an association or con genial, fun loving fellows. Vivian, the leader in all mirth pro voking stunts, was the imperial cork. Six other young theatrical men and Vivian decided that: they would organize aegularly and this was done. In a short time the Corks numbered 68. The idea of making the Organization protective as well as social soon crystalized anl on February IS, 1868, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks was es tabllshed. By a narrow 'margin of one vote the order at this time escaped being named the Benevolent and Pro tectlve Order of Buffalos after the Boyal Antldeluvlan Order of Buffalos of England, an ancient benevolent order of which Vivian was a member. Vivian himself was in favor of the name of Buffalos, and on the first ballot, when the vote stood 7 to 7, could have cast the deciding vote but . did not On the next ballot the vote was t for Buffalo, 8 for Elk, and Vivian then switched to "Elk," and the name was adopted. Op position to "Buffalo" was made because certain members felt that something Jndlgenoua to the Amerleancontinent "should be chosen. "Buffalo Is the" name of an African animal, although it is freely applied to the American bison According to ElU. in hla "History of the Elks," the members of the newly established order then paid a visit to the Cooper Institute, where it waa as certained that their selection had been a happy one. The Elk is an animal that will avoid fight except when the weak members or the females of the herd are endangered. This attribute of the elk therefore waa in direct Hn with Ideals of the order, Sltnal Is Chosen, Whole sections of the new lcvim'a ritual were taken Almost word for word rrom the ritual of the Buffalos by Vivian, "who practically wrote the first Elk ritual. Also the names of tha of. fleers were requisitioned. Vivian wm elected right honorable primo and pre- mlAA m, - 1 . iuu v.ci vww cooiuiio. men newas called from the city and Richard eieruy, next onicer in rank, took his place. On March 28 a constitution an h. laws, consisting of 16. articles and it ruies ana regulations were adopted. Although this constitution and laws have been chanced and amndi at vari ous times since, they still form the basis of the Elks' jurisprudence of to day. At that time tha aim of th M to extend proteotion' and financial as sistance to theatrical men who made up its membership exclusively. Before the first calendar year had ended, however, men engaged In other professions had been admitted. It was seen that the lodge could never grow strong unless this step was taken. A number of actors ODDOsed thin, havmr n1 ttii opposition led to dissensions that nearly wrecKea me toage a snort time arter ward. On May 24 a committee that had been appointed to draft a second degree ritual reported and conferred the de gree upon other brothers. Vivian re turned soon after this and took the second degree. He had been in New York only a few days when an attempt was made to expel him from the lodge, following a quarrel with several members because he and his friends had not been given an opportunity to participate at the first benefit performance. The men who led in this affair favored the proposition to Include only theatrical men in the fraternity. The attempt failed and Vivian never reentered the lodge which he bad founded. Later he and several of hip friends were illegally expelled by this faction which was in power. Their action In later years was par tially rectified by the reinstatement of several of the early Elks, In the lodge and thr official" recognition nor - Vivian as the founder of the order, by the grand lodge, Thus ended the first year's history of the Elks. The organization was estab lished, it had undergone severe strains, but continued to advance. Its member shlp then numbered 78. At the end of the second year this had increased to 149. irth of the Order. The date that the Elks as an order emblazon on their banners as the natal year is 1871. During the year one of the biggest steps in its history was taken. A band of "Jolly Corks" that had been organized in the Quaker City by Vivian, asked for the privilege of organizing an Elks' lodge there. They were told to "go ahead." It was then found that the proposed Philadelphia lodge could not be known as Elks, legally, unless a body governing both the Philadelphia and New York lodges was created. This led to the formation of the grand lodge in New York city, with a membership constituted of the New York lodge members. A prelimi nary organization waa established January 22, and on March 10 the state legislature pasBed an act Incorporating the grand lodge. The same, day the grand lodge granted New York a char ter, and on March 12 Philadelphia got onealsd. For the . next five years these two lodges comprised the order. Then in 1878, San Francisco lodge No. 8, Chi cago No. 4, and Cincinnati No. 6 joined the herd. Thereafter its expansion was rapid. In 1879 there were 18 lodges scat tered throughout the states, with a total of 889 members. Nothing of particular importance oc curred until 1886, when an organiza tion in England asked for a charter. The matter was tabled. So far the grand lodge sessions had been held in New York "city, with the exception of the convention of '77, whlch-was held at Philadelphia and which reconvened the day following In New York to ratify and legalize all actions taken In the neighboring state. But there were other lodges that favored making the grand lodge migratory. They wanted the honor of entertaining the order. This senti ment grew rapidly despite the opposi tion put up by the. New Yorkers who asserted that the convention could be held only in New York owing tothe fact that it waa Incorporated under the New York statutes. A semi-erisis was reached at the an nualfrand wJodgeconyentlon,p..;88, when a motion to make, the convention migratory was passed. At that time al most 100 lodges Belonged to the order. The step of '88 led direct! up to ' I0O4T-kOV open rebellion in 1890, when New York broke away, followed by several other lodges which sympathized with the stand No. 1 took. -The grand secretary, A. C. Moreland, had an injunction Issued prohibiting Himself rrom attending the convention that had been called at Cleveland, or forwarding the books of the grand lodge to Cleveland. Nevertheless the convention was called at Cleveland by the exalted grand ruler. Dr. Simon Quinlln, and Moreland was expelled from the order and the charter of the New York lodge was sus pended. Later a trial committee was appointed and No. l's cTihrter was de clared forfeited. . Meantime members of the New York lodge called a convention which met In New York, elected officers and declared the Cleveland convention "clandestine" and illegal. , Joined with them was lodges of Bos ton, Brooklyn, Newark, Hoboken, Cin cinnati, Philadelphia, Providence and Buffalo. But the fraternity was too strong. With 166 lodges and a list of members numbering more than 13,000, the seces sion did little harm. Qulmby was re elected and Louisville, Ky., was se Wted as the next site for the conven tion. ' Order Distinctly Americas. Another milestone was passed in 1890 when the grand lodge limited the order to the United States and , her posses sions. Petitions from Canada and Mex ico .for, charters wre a tabled. . on- the ground that the lodge should first strengthen itself In the United States before going afield. Eighteen hundred and ninety-one finds GRAND EXALTED RULER JOHN P. SULLIVAN -. f r' ff ''.' t, S,- it 1 ' " ( ' v - ' l 1 , ' ' , f " " f " -1 I tt i if I tV'-?'-?' j I 1 & '? -L. V S7&V. ; ; a , 4 wtftyi 4).v z'A -. " ! I r s- 'fV'f -' n " , pa r t I I . i f:4z0sKH ' ' 1 ' ' ' ' v j fi y( ,i J f'KsPMl A - 4 : JnMtW'invm.WZfrilftffo V f ii "Z.' ", 7. ' ' H W - --r TiTz?"'-r. t"- r7T -tT??T?"' t . r ' ' J- OFB. P. 0. i '"7" fx ''ri;'','' hi V V Brooklyn, Buffalo and Newark in al legiance once more with the order. At the annual grand lodge convention of '91 it was decided to hold reunions With the annual grand lodge session. The olive branch was extended, too, to the rebels, and it was allowed to become known that the return of No, 1 to the herd would be welcomed. The indirect invitation was accepted by New York in 1893, but the order had been taught something. It wanted the unquestion able right to meet wherever it pleased. This was accomplished by incorporat ing under the federal lawa as the B. P. O. E. of the United States of America. Moreland was reinstated and plain sail ing seemingly was in sight. Peace did not last , though, owing to a difference of opinion between the grand exalted sruler and the grand trus-M tees over the selection of the next con vention site. The trustees, as waa their right then, chose Atlantic City and toe grand exalted ruler, Jamestown, N. Y. As a result, two conventions were held in 1894, and the year following the war ring factions went to court to settle the matter, after two peace conventions, each unsuccessful, had) been held. On June 25, 1895, the New York Supremj court' decided In favor ' of the grand trustees, and ordered the exalted grand ruler, A. Apperly, to turn over all papers to his opponents. A dove of peace, badly flustered, de scended soon afterward and 1898 found the fraternity In full harmony for the flrstjUnw..8eyeral.,yearjuiA.t,J,that time the total membership of the Elks was 44,262 and there were 443 subordi nate lodges. Owing to the rapid spread of the ELKS FOR 1906 - "OS order its leaders fead that Its stand ard would deteriorate and to prevent this the grand lodge in 1899 passed a resolution to the effect that no sub ordinate lodge could be established in communities of less than 6000 inhabi tants. Rational some Established, Progress toward the protection of un fortunate members was taken in 1900, when the work of selecting a site for the Elks' National home was taken under consideration. This matter was settled in 1902, when the Hotel Bedford property, at Bedford City, Va., waa purchased for 112,060. The home was dedicated May 31, 19011, and a per capita tax for Its support was levied on the subordinate lodge members. An Idea of the rapid growth of the fraternity is seen Jn , the figures sub mitted in 1901, showing a membership of 73,000 in the 812 subordinate lodges which then constituted the fraternity. In 1901 the Elks performed their first big charity. Ten thousand dollars wag forwarded to the Galveston lodge to aid the victims of the destructive GalveS ton flood. The Baltimore fire of 1903 likewise found the pocketbook of the Elks wide open. That year $16,396 was sent to Baltimore for relief of those made homeless by the big fire, and $2000 to aid those who suffered from the typhoid fever epidemic, at Butler. Pa. The, grand lodge in this year took cognizance , of several so called Elks' organlzaUonaJacluding negra,, ."Klk", organizations, and declared them un varnished fakes. This was followed up In 1908 by the Institution of court pro ceedings against, the negro order, which LAST SEVEN FOUNDER'S CHARACTERS REFLECTED IN B. P. 0. E: Career of Charles A. S. Vivian, Early Curtailed by Death, Was Dedicated to the Happiness of Others-Story of uThe Jolly Corks" DESPITE its rapid growth, the schisms that threatened Its disrup tion soon after its organization, and the struggles undergone to gain a solid fotlng as an established institu tion, the Benevolent and Protective Or der of Elks has retained and reflects to day the snlrlt and character of its loved founder, 'Charles A. S. Vivian. Brilliant, overflowing with good will toward his fellow man, chivalrous, pop ular alike with men and women, he went through life spreading sunshine, and died, his passing wept by everybody who knew him. During his 38 years of life, 13 of them were spent in the United States, throughout the east and west. Actor and entertainer, he played in the leading theatres In New York, and in rough hewn log "opera houses" of western mining camps and army posts. And everywhere he was greeted as the leader at the social gatherings he at tended. He was a friend of every man and every man was his -friend. But there was a graver side to his nature. He believed In and carried out the principles on which Elkdom Is founded charity, justice, brotherly love, fidelity. These principles were incor porated In the tenets of the lodge which he founded, as the chief elements to bind members of the fraternity together. How well have thy succeeded Is seen today in the marvelous spread and growth of the order. Charles Vivian was born in Exeter, Devonshire county, EnKland,, in 184!. His father was a clergyman of the Church of England. Ills early years were r spent quietly. He r was gtven a good general education and even during his student days, showed a natural apt itude for music and the stage. He had reached his majority when his father died, leaving him and his brother George orphaned. The brother went into busi ness and Charles drifted Into the dra matic profession. Possessed of a splendid voice, com manding appearance, a genius for mim icry, and a long memory for witty tales, he soon gained an inevitable position In his chosen field. But wanderlust, the hunger for adven ture and experience in new Innds, caused him to turn his face toward America. In 1867 he arrived in New York. He was Just out of his teens. A . stranger, he happened into John Ireland's Star music hall at Ndf 60 Lis penard, street, one November night. Ire land's was one of the "free and easles," where liquor was Bold while paid and volunteer entertainers kept the people at the tables amused by ballads and dances. Vivian was attired in a pea jacket and someone noting his rough garb, thought it a good joke to call up on the young man for a song. Before the night was done, the stranger had been encored a dozen times and had so Impressed his auditors that Manager gaged him for a nightly turn at $60 weekly. This, In brief, was Charles Vivian's introduction to the United States. The "Jolly Corks" Organized. At Mrs. Gelsman's boarding house, No. 188 Elm street, he met six other kin dred souls, actors all, Ifhd on Novem ber 24, 1867, organized them into the "Jolly Corks" out of whlchsgrew the B. P. O. E. three months later, February 2, 1868. At that time only members of the theatrical profession were admitted to membership. Charles Vivian was elect ed "Right Honorable Primo," as the exalted ruler was then called. The other officers of the first lodge and the title of their chairs as known then, follow: Richard R. Steirley, first deputy. L. Bowron, second deputy. James W. Gleen, third deputy. William Carlton, recording secreta ry. William Sheppard, corresponding sec retary. Harry Vandermark, treasurer. William Sheppard, tiler. As Sheppard could not fill two po sitions, Albert Hall later was made tiler.) At that time no ritual was used. On May 17 of that year, however, a ritual, practically all of which was wrlteen by only recently ended in favor of the B. P. O. E. The year of the great fire and earth quake in San Francisco found the mem bership of the lodge standing at the 225,000 mark. The terrible holocaust which caused a great wave. of sympathy to encircle the world, likewise went to the big heart of the Elks, Membera of the order contributed generously and $72,000 was forwarded to stricken San Francisco, a gift from the B. P. O. E. From 1909 to the present year noth ing of an epochal nature has tran spired. In 1907, June 17. was officially adopted as Flag day, and In 1909 the membership passed 300,000. Today it la almost 400,000 and there are 1228 subordinate lodges in exist ence. The great majority of these are ihrlYlnclnsU&uUona la HbaxiUea.whtrs they are located, and the Order of Elks Is gigantic harmonious organisation for good and possessor of the good will of the nation at large. r 7 Alt jjrtr .iFi I9IO-IM Vivian, was adopted. Previous to th' the new order had been almost wrecked -by dissension between two factions, one ' of which favored the admission to membership of men la other professions, And a faction which Insisted on a mem , bership chosen exclusively from among the recognized performers of the the atrical profession. The former won, and by Its victory, placed the organization . on the path which led to success. About the same time Vivian was de clared ineligible for the office of right . honorable primo, owing to the fact that he was traveling almost continuously. On May 24, another election waa held and now officers elected. j ,' Ih.alQmdfltajKOilcliRd.beijwelL,. done, however. The Elks were firmly established in New York, the aims of the fraternity had been molded, and the seeds of benevolence and good will had . been sown In the hearts of the 100 men who then constituted Its membership. . Soon after Vivian became homesick for old England and sailed for London. There he remained a short time, play ing at various London variety halls. ' Then the call of the new world brought him back to the United States. He or ganlzed a theatrical company and toured the east and middle west, finally arriving at San Francisco. There he found himself in his element." His acting mostly comedy work ere- ' ated a sensation. He' was lionized. In speaking of this part of his Ufa, Mrs.. Imogen Holbrook Vivian, his widow, who still Urea, says that hats," collars, ties and other articles were named after him," so great was his popularity! , He toured the principal cities of the on his return- to San Francisco in 1875 he met Imogen Holbrook, of Oak land, who was then making a start as ' an actress. She played in his com? pany for a short time and they were married July 9, 1876, at the home of net sister. This was his second marriage. Little Is known of his first matrbnon)al venture, which was launched in Eng land. He secured a divorce from his first Wife.' -"r- -"-eiV For the next four year the couple traveled extensively, playing in every Important town In Canada and the Unit- ed States. Sometimes they would work together, giving what was termed "par-' lor entertainments," which Vivian would alternate by playing oomedy parts with theatrical companies in the bigger cities of the country. And all the time, the young ' aotor was making large sums of money. -which he distributed with a lavish hand. "Ha was too good a fellow," his friends , explained following his demise. No matter where he remained his i.'Tnagnetio personality made him friends. He counted tnem Dy ine nunareas, iney included Indians met on the frontier, army officers, clubmen, citizens of every class and creed. - - Eighteen and seventy-nine found him in Philadelphia, but not for long. He had learned to love the west, ita wide reaches of open country, Ita cosmopoli tan population, uncomfortable stage coaches and the hectlo pulse of a youth- ful civilization held him in its thrall He soon was back in Chicago, then St. Louis, next Denver, and then Leadvllle. Colo. There he and Mrs. Vivian organ ized a company and played a few nights. They were compelled to close their the atre, however, because they would not allow smoking and drinking during the performances something that the mln- . ere universally demanded at Leadvllle ; then. ' Soon after Vivian accepted 'his last position. He was engaged at the Woods' theatre for a song and dance turn. There he contracted a severe cold Seemingly realizing that the end was near, he told his wife that he would never live to leave Leadvllle. Three weeks later, the morning of March 20, 1880, he died of pneumonia. His funeral was held at the Taber opera house. The town turned out en- . masse to honor his memory. With muf fled drums, the bands marched behind the casket, playing dirges, while every available equipage In the town was pressed Into service to carry citizens to the cemetery. Thus ended the life of Charles Vivian, founder of the B. P. O. E. Hla body lies at Elks' Rest, at Mt Hope cmtry, Boston. The body was removed from Leadvllle by the grand lodge of. Elks, and relnterred at Elks' Rest, April 2$, 1899. In her biography of her husband, Mrs. Vivian sums up hla character in the words: "The greater part of Charles1 Vivian's life' was spent in endeavors to mak others happy. 'He' sacrificed himself pro fessidnally and financially upon the al tar of the cluh and social circle. In b Jng able to give others pleasure, he bt pleased himself; with all his brilliancy and his talent, in money matters ft was like a child and as fully irrespon lble. He- instinctively obeyed (he :r,h' tural injunction, Take no thought f c the morrow.' He was always a never a follower. Frigid caution, . calm, meosure&j'tcPJ'ft'l i '" 1 formula of this rare spit i, . warmth of feeling and r ' w those about him were iu , terlstlcs of his nature."