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Show ' H TKe Story of Salt Lake Lodge, B. P. O. E No. 85. i? I -- --- t .. W. P. Lynn. From the shores of the Atlantic. From the golden sunset sea, With their martial hanners waving, Comes the grand B. P. O. B. Never in the history of Utah has a convention of any fraternal organization excited the wide-, spread enthusiasm and hearty co-operation equaling equal-ing that of the coming Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, which is to he held in Salt Lake City on August 18th next. To nine Elks of this city is due the tull credit of becuring the present reunion of the Grand Lodge for Salt Lake. The local memhers who were instrumental in securing the convention for Salt Lake consisted of Secretary A. W. Rayhould, Distrct Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler; Joseph En-zensperger, En-zensperger, Lester D. Freed, C. D. Pike, L. G. Ransonoff. A. E. Lyon, Otto Stalmann, Thomas Homer and' H. Jules Mailloux. These gentlemen, who attended the reunion held last year at Milwaukee, Mil-waukee, found that they had an almost impossible impossi-ble proposition to meet and overcome, as the lodges of Saratoga Springs, Charleston, S. C, and Baltimore had laid their wires for securing the 1902 convention at one of the cities, the Zionites broke the triple blockade and, in the face of seemingly insurmountahle obstacles, obsta-cles, routed the Eastern hosts and, in spite of the wealth and pull of their friendly opponents, aided by the silver-tongued Past Exalted Ruler of the Las Vegas Elks, Hon. Charles G. Cavin of Ratoon, N. M., who made the nominating speech for Salt Lake, captured the prong- horns in the Cream City and landed Salt Lake winner in the B. P. 0. E. Derby for 1902. Salt Lake lodge No. 85, B. P. 0. Elks, was organized in June, 1894r with Don H. Porter as Exalted Ruler and A. W. Rayhould Secretary. Mr. Rayhould has wielded the Secretary's pen continuously since the first organization of the lodjre, and is assured of a lasting position as its Secretary until the Grand Exalted Ruler of the I niverse calls him up higher, for to his efforts in the face of great difficulties is due tli present rank of the local lodge, if, in-d in-d od, not its very existence. At its inception the lo ige had hut forty membei s, and during the first tl i ee years of its life it was a continuous strug-s1 strug-s1 for existence; the demonetization of silver, h rd times and contingent unfortunate influences JUirly wiped out the Salt Lake lodge, and for n irly three years Secretary Rayhould, with a few p nest adherents, carried the whole burden of tl lodge, paying the dues and keeping it in good st uding with the Grand Lodge, so that when into in-to st in its existence was renewed the members to nd, to the astonishment of a majority of its d iter members, that their worthy Secretary had h ught the lodge through without a demerit m ik and retained its proud position as the el hty-fifth lodge in the United States, so that in Anil, 1899, the Salt Lake lodge found itself able to 'fflllate with the Grand Lodge with forty-six K ubers, all in "good standing." The increase fr- a that date is phenomenal. In two meetings ot he Grand Lodge special mention hns been made tester D. Freed. of Salt Lake lodge No. 85 as being the fifth lodge in the United States in gain of membership. It now has over 600 members. The Exalted Ruler, at the date of its reorganization, reorgan-ization, was M. E. Mulvey of the Kenyon hotel, who served one and a half years, retiring before his term expired to give place to Joseph Enzen-tberger, Enzen-tberger, who held his rank from 1901 to 1902, being succeeded by Lester Freed of the Freed Furniture Company, who served in that office until 1902, when the present Exalted Ruler, H. E. Deardorff, was elected. All of the past Exalted Rulers of Salt Lake lodge are members of the Grand Lodge, as is also Secretary Rayhould, he having become eligible for membership to the Grand Lodge under a now obsolete rule which made any Secretary who had served for three consecutive terms a member of that body. The first meetings of the lodge in Salt Lake were held in the Gladstone building, whence they moved to the Odd Fellows hall on Market street, where they continued until the magnificent new B. P. O. E. building on State street was completed. com-pleted. The building with its magnificent furnishings, furnish-ings, cost close to $85,000, and is one of the finest Elks' buildings in the country. The original charter to the Salt Lake Elks was issued in 1888, but its members did not take interest enough in its success to make any per-cepitble per-cepitble increase in membership until its reorganization reor-ganization in 1894. To no one man is due more credit than to Secretary Rayhould, who, in the face of the most discouraging circumstances, has held the wheel steady and steered the struggling bark through tempest and fog to its present luxurious harbor of prosperity. Among the many pleasant episodes which have marked the tortuous windings of the local lodge, none stand forth more brightly than the one furnished fur-nished by that prince of actors, Frederick "Ward, who was playing at the Salt Lake theater on the evening of the reorganization meeting held in 1894. Mr. Ward, also a member of the B. P. O. E., learned frjm some friend of the meeting to be held in the Gladstone block, and, after the close of his performance, dropped in to see how things wore going with the boys. Exalted Ruler Mulvey called upon the eminent actor for a few words, and the response which was made by the eloquent elo-quent brother was really the most brilliant milestone mile-stone marking the pathway of the Salt Lake lodge of Elks. Heart-stirring pathos and sparkling wit, grand flights of matchless eloquence and ludicrous reminiscences wove themselves into a woof and web alternating in lights and shades, which will never be forgotten by any of the thirty-odd members mem-bers who were gathered that night in the dreary old hall, almost discouraged and about ready to give up the flght to maintain tne position and j .; H E. D. R Thompson. ! f '$ I iT ' I iff r 'nfl standing of their struggling lodge. As many of ij&l 4 those present afterward said, new life was in- fjto&tvPH fused into the drooping spirits and from that day ri$ flfl to this the name of Frederick Ward is one re- '! l!f vered by the Salt Lake B. P. O. E. .j tfl A little infusion of "ginger" was just what they f; ff'HW needed and the prnce of actors handed It to them . ($W In full measure on that memorable night. j If fl The Salt Lake B. P. O. E. has conducted several , & i , delightful and successful outings, the first occur- 1 '! "' ring at Saltalr on August 21, 1897, and another ' t July 18, 1900. to which Is added the magnificent j, J :,M street fair, which netted the local lodge the com- ( if. I fortable sum of ?&700. 4 h 1 M Past Exalted Ruler Enzensperger was among jp i ii the mourners at the furneral of the original or- Jp flifpfl ganizer of the order of Elks, Charles Algernon Sid- "m "l fifl ney Vivian, which occurred at Leadville, Colo., j sfi'i Ifl March 20, 1880, and was a member of the First lliyi Brigade band of Leadville, who were engaged by J irff fjf the K. of P., who had charge of the funeral ser- !Tlft. vices of the noted Elk, there being no lodge of iliJiftlt Elks in Lea'dville at that date. The body of the j jjHf deceased was afterwards removed to Mt. Oak cem- I Sjjjf mrj etery, Boston, and laid to rest by the Elks of that EiH-fi city. j Vf Among the active members of the Salt Lake mwA lodge there is one name which should bo recorded W w near the top of the roll of honor for "good deeds $ f $g done in the flesh," and there can be no dissenting j ma tmt voico to the universal expression of esteem in i aajr which L. B. Freed is held by his fellow Elks. His j f jjfy hand has ever been open in response to every ap- B ifir peal for aid, backed by a clear brain and warm t w heart, which have won for this estimable young j flij member a hearty welcome in the lodge circle, as I V fjjjH well as among his business friends. His personnel I JBjJmwj in lodge association has done much to advance s 'Vfflcil and foster the good work and well being of the 3jHi Salt Lake lodge of E ,cs. i ifflfillfl There is probably no one man in the State of , FrlBfj Utah who has been instrumental In bringing more j islidlli people to Utah and more particularly to Salt Lake l!!lf City than has Jules H. Mailloux, traveling repre- j mm .1K1 sentativo of the Salt Lake B. P. O. E. He has vis- 1 ! ited over two-thirds of the lodges of the United Ifftfm;! States, and everywhere drops telling words in ff8(l favor of his adopted city and its advantages. Mr. j JI iJjPI Mailloux is working under the direction of Thomas ' Jg jJwl Homer, chairman of the Bureau of Information, ; VJPhI and has done yoeman service for the State and j f!flli city, as well as for the local lodge of Salt Lake j f$$ii Elks. fib fill Secretary Rayhould is working like a beaver 'ftiUlliai with his corps of helpers preparing for the influx i.imm of visiting Elks from all parts of the United States, 118iHWI and is being ably assisted in this labor by W. WUIMg D. Van Blarcom, Jr., press representative of the fflH Elks. HH The charity of the order of Elks is too well SHH known to need comment. The cry of distress from H a brother or his loved ones is the signal for a score of hands outstretched in rescue, The Elks !HH split no hairs at sects or creeds, nativity or spir- lHHi itual belief. They simply do whatever their nanda .HERB find to do, and do it well, HHB |
