April 28, 1971 (8 pages)

eee —— It is a matter of historical interest that this amazing exposition of organized buffoonery came into existence, arose, reached its zenith, and declined coincident with the roaring industry of hydraulic mining, each covering a period of four to five de:ades, Its activities extended for a distance of at jeast three hundred miles up and down the hundred mile width of the gold mining country. High state, county and city officials were among its members, the influence which it exerted upon business was all but prohibitive against those who flouted its precepts, and its political implications were not to be ignored, As-to. its benevolences, the evidence is less conclusive, although there exist references to the giving of mass assistance’ ° to stricken members and their families, But the greatest emphasis is placed upon helping widows and orphans with the . added admonition, “especially widows.” It was a man's order exclusively, but its social activities (ances) at times involved the general public. Moreover, in the smaller towns the sounding of the ominous hewgag was an alert to the entire community. : E Clampus Vitus has been described as an order whichexisted only for the amusement (and fees) which it could wring from applicants for membership. Was it originally intended as a travesty upon all lodges and fraternities? Such theory might account for the extremes to which it carried its ritualistic (more often improvised) rites, The Downieville lodge is cited by Ritchie as typical: _ There an abandoned church was converted into a lodge room and its carefully guarded interior was rigged up with _ paraphernalia of genteel torture until it resembled a gymnasium or a crypt of the Inquisition: block and tackle for hoisting, tank for dousing, spiked racks whereof the spikes were slivers of rubber, a hair-raising jungle for the neophyte to travel. : Victims of the lodge were the casual stranger, the newcomer to town, chiefly drummers, A new salesman would get off the stage and start making his orders to take rounds. Someone would pass him on.the sidewalk with a swift and mysterious. gesture of hailing which he did not understand, The first merchant on whom he called would repeat the mystic high-sign. Failing of a response the store keeper would ""low he didn't need nothing." Same procedure at the next business house. Finally in desperation the drummer would burst out with the query: "Say, what's the matter with me, anyway?" The merchant might then assume a confidential attitude and whisper: "You're not a Clamper!" Whereupon, the startled drummer, discerning the light, would start inquiries as to the possibility of his joining up. His assumed friend would attempt to discourage such expedient, asserting that he would not advise joining. But the drummer, remembering his unfilled order book and the cool reception which would await him back at his firm's office if he returned a failure, would insist. Thus his doom was sealed. Things moved rapidly from thence on, A committee on inquiry appeared to pass on his qualifications, particularly financial, The initiation fee was fixed at what they thought the aspirant could stand. This amount, invariably in advance, was destined to be liquidated in terms of refreshments, always bottled. ' The net result was that as night drew on a leather-lunged Clamper would stand on the steps of the lodge room and sound three mighty blasts on an eight-foot tin horn, the fabled hewgag. Immediately every Clamper for miles around would drop whatever his task and hurry to the Inquisition Chamber. There for the moment, the curtain is best drawn, Relative to the initiation rites of the exotic order of E =— Clampus Vitus, the rituals, past and present, which I have SS ceen ‘iliac Raita ~ Nevada County. examined, give but scant inkling, Apparently the details were left to the ingenuity and daring of the initiators in any specific case. In general the prominence and temperament of the candidate were the gauge of the mildness or severity of the ordeal, Any show of resentment or hostility was sure to invite greater excesses, As symbolic of many, the case of Lord Sholto Douglas may’ be considered, Of that I have two first-hand versions, one by the late Dr. J. W. Barr of Yuba City, who helped to engineer the inquisition, and. another by Frank W. Hooper, ‘an Oakland resident, who as a youth, viewed the scene from ‘the sidelines, The place was Marysville and the time in the middle period of the tempestuous reign of ECV. _ Lord Sholto Douglas, an Englishman, perhaps a remittance man, being enamored of a variety actress, entered upon the hazardous venture of forming a theatrical company of which she was to be the star, As an impresario, Lord Sholto met with difficulties, but in time his company was ready for the road and Marysville was its first billing. With available funds , very ‘low, everything depended upon that first performance, Unfortunately the interest. of the public was negligible and the seats of the opera house were but fringely occupied. In desperation, Lord Sholto increased his press appeals, distributed circulars, personally appealed to all he met to attend. The oe performance was a failure even more dismal than the irst. At that juncture appeared, out of nowhere, an individual to give the amateur showman the tip that he should join the Clampers, ‘What bally thing is that?" asked the scion of nobility. Explanations followed and the value of the expedient enlarged upon. But Douglas demurred. As an Englishman, he was not without his pride and his caution, But his love for the actress and the ‘certaihty that nothing short of heroic measures.could avert the stranding of his company won the day. Lord Sholto Douglas became a Poor Blind Candidate. From the various versions I have condensed this account of the harrowing initiation: “Lord Sholto was stripped, ~ placedin an iron cylinder which was rolled the length of the hall while his tormentors playfully beat upon the iron with hammers; he was placed upon a square of carpet underlaid withstrong canvas, and upon the victim's assent that he believed in the “elevation of mankind" he was rudely tossed to the ceiling several times in succession; blindfolded, he was ensconced in a coffin, which, with appropriate funereal rites, was slowly swung over a tank of water, a spring finally released the bottom of the coffin and precipitating the would-be histrionic gentleman into a tank of cold water, At this, the dy of Lord Sholto gave way and he shouted lustily, "My wor ee z There were other features, but enough has been told. Lord Sholto Douglas was rubbed dry, reclothed and the full membership filed past to extend the hand of brotherhood. The next scene was the expending of the fifty dollar initiation fee for round after round of drinks, But Lord Sholto was only partly mollified. His peevish comment was: "Fawncy me traveling all over the world tobe made asilly ass of in this beggarly town!" But there were compensations, at least for the time being. The next night the Sholto show had afull house and the incredibly poor performance was vociferously applauded. Two attempts have been made to revive the Ancient and Cabalistic Order of E Clampus Vitus, The first, undertaken . about 1915, was along the old lines and short-lived, The second was inaugurated about twelve years ago by a group of writers authors, educators and public officials as a vehicle for the preservation of California history. In an apparent effort to ne tone down its garishness, the revived order introduced the Nugge . qualifying word "redivivus’ “members in all parts of tt and the redivivus version fraternity. I became a member . three glorified exemplificat ter's Fort, another at Sonor the inadvertence of my sa "no" I missed being initiate to the stern question, "Have The revived order reta and many of the earlier pra a lack of public confidenc in pious mood, attempts t case in point was the reco of brass" after it had been of centuries. To this day Clampérs' hoax. The officers of ‘he rev of the Halls of Comparati recovered rituals, records list of lodge officers is com. Noble Grand Humbug, ‘ Platrix, Clamps Mitrix, Gr Musician, Damn Fool Door! ' Grand Hangman, Noble Gran (1) The Hellroaring Fo JOHN ROSE The Isthmus of Pana two decades a sort of g found it necessary to tra vived the ordeal, others : Theodore Judah died there ‘achievement incident to Pacific Railroad. A lesse in Panama of the repres Francisco who was on t establish title to what was of Yuba and Nevada Cow documents which he carr Rose, a long pre-gold ¢ veritable principality. It acres of land. The tradition is that Nevada County. His Rose House and Bridgeport", ' guecession of writers as county. Although Rose was ¢ years prior to the gold published concerning him lowed the pattern of sai What he did during the surviving son, Frank R years continues to operat SON'S Sk _ John Rose was born age of nine years, the de he apprenticed himself to he had mastered his tr shipped for Valparaiso i eee

eee —— It is a matter of historical interest that this amazing exposition of organized buffoonery came into existence, arose, reached its zenith, and declined coincident with the roaring industry of hydraulic mining, each covering a period of four to five de:ades, Its activities extended for a distance of at jeast three hundred miles up and down the hundred mile width of the gold mining country. High state, county and city officials were among its members, the influence which it exerted upon business was all but prohibitive against those who flouted its precepts, and its political implications were not to be ignored, As-to. its benevolences, the evidence is less conclusive, although there exist references to the giving of mass assistance’ ° to stricken members and their families, But the greatest emphasis is placed upon helping widows and orphans with the . added admonition, “especially widows.” It was a man's order exclusively, but its social activities (ances) at times involved the general public. Moreover, in the smaller towns the sounding of the ominous hewgag was an alert to the entire community. : E Clampus Vitus has been described as an order whichexisted only for the amusement (and fees) which it could wring from applicants for membership. Was it originally intended as a travesty upon all lodges and fraternities? Such theory might account for the extremes to which it carried its ritualistic (more often improvised) rites, The Downieville lodge is cited by Ritchie as typical: _ There an abandoned church was converted into a lodge room and its carefully guarded interior was rigged up with _ paraphernalia of genteel torture until it resembled a gymnasium or a crypt of the Inquisition: block and tackle for hoisting, tank for dousing, spiked racks whereof the spikes were slivers of rubber, a hair-raising jungle for the neophyte to travel. : Victims of the lodge were the casual stranger, the newcomer to town, chiefly drummers, A new salesman would get off the stage and start making his orders to take rounds. Someone would pass him on.the sidewalk with a swift and mysterious. gesture of hailing which he did not understand, The first merchant on whom he called would repeat the mystic high-sign. Failing of a response the store keeper would ""low he didn't need nothing." Same procedure at the next business house. Finally in desperation the drummer would burst out with the query: "Say, what's the matter with me, anyway?" The merchant might then assume a confidential attitude and whisper: "You're not a Clamper!" Whereupon, the startled drummer, discerning the light, would start inquiries as to the possibility of his joining up. His assumed friend would attempt to discourage such expedient, asserting that he would not advise joining. But the drummer, remembering his unfilled order book and the cool reception which would await him back at his firm's office if he returned a failure, would insist. Thus his doom was sealed. Things moved rapidly from thence on, A committee on inquiry appeared to pass on his qualifications, particularly financial, The initiation fee was fixed at what they thought the aspirant could stand. This amount, invariably in advance, was destined to be liquidated in terms of refreshments, always bottled. ' The net result was that as night drew on a leather-lunged Clamper would stand on the steps of the lodge room and sound three mighty blasts on an eight-foot tin horn, the fabled hewgag. Immediately every Clamper for miles around would drop whatever his task and hurry to the Inquisition Chamber. There for the moment, the curtain is best drawn, Relative to the initiation rites of the exotic order of E =— Clampus Vitus, the rituals, past and present, which I have SS ceen ‘iliac Raita ~ Nevada County. examined, give but scant inkling, Apparently the details were left to the ingenuity and daring of the initiators in any specific case. In general the prominence and temperament of the candidate were the gauge of the mildness or severity of the ordeal, Any show of resentment or hostility was sure to invite greater excesses, As symbolic of many, the case of Lord Sholto Douglas may’ be considered, Of that I have two first-hand versions, one by the late Dr. J. W. Barr of Yuba City, who helped to engineer the inquisition, and. another by Frank W. Hooper, ‘an Oakland resident, who as a youth, viewed the scene from ‘the sidelines, The place was Marysville and the time in the middle period of the tempestuous reign of ECV. _ Lord Sholto Douglas, an Englishman, perhaps a remittance man, being enamored of a variety actress, entered upon the hazardous venture of forming a theatrical company of which she was to be the star, As an impresario, Lord Sholto met with difficulties, but in time his company was ready for the road and Marysville was its first billing. With available funds , very ‘low, everything depended upon that first performance, Unfortunately the interest. of the public was negligible and the seats of the opera house were but fringely occupied. In desperation, Lord Sholto increased his press appeals, distributed circulars, personally appealed to all he met to attend. The oe performance was a failure even more dismal than the irst. At that juncture appeared, out of nowhere, an individual to give the amateur showman the tip that he should join the Clampers, ‘What bally thing is that?" asked the scion of nobility. Explanations followed and the value of the expedient enlarged upon. But Douglas demurred. As an Englishman, he was not without his pride and his caution, But his love for the actress and the ‘certaihty that nothing short of heroic measures.could avert the stranding of his company won the day. Lord Sholto Douglas became a Poor Blind Candidate. From the various versions I have condensed this account of the harrowing initiation: “Lord Sholto was stripped, ~ placedin an iron cylinder which was rolled the length of the

hall while his tormentors playfully beat upon the iron with hammers; he was placed upon a square of carpet underlaid withstrong canvas, and upon the victim's assent that he believed in the “elevation of mankind" he was rudely tossed to the ceiling several times in succession; blindfolded, he was ensconced in a coffin, which, with appropriate funereal rites, was slowly swung over a tank of water, a spring finally released the bottom of the coffin and precipitating the would-be histrionic gentleman into a tank of cold water, At this, the dy of Lord Sholto gave way and he shouted lustily, "My wor ee z There were other features, but enough has been told. Lord Sholto Douglas was rubbed dry, reclothed and the full membership filed past to extend the hand of brotherhood. The next scene was the expending of the fifty dollar initiation fee for round after round of drinks, But Lord Sholto was only partly mollified. His peevish comment was: "Fawncy me traveling all over the world tobe made asilly ass of in this beggarly town!" But there were compensations, at least for the time being. The next night the Sholto show had afull house and the incredibly poor performance was vociferously applauded. Two attempts have been made to revive the Ancient and Cabalistic Order of E Clampus Vitus, The first, undertaken . about 1915, was along the old lines and short-lived, The second was inaugurated about twelve years ago by a group of writers authors, educators and public officials as a vehicle for the preservation of California history. In an apparent effort to ne tone down its garishness, the revived order introduced the Nugge . qualifying word "redivivus’ “members in all parts of tt and the redivivus version fraternity. I became a member . three glorified exemplificat ter's Fort, another at Sonor the inadvertence of my sa "no" I missed being initiate to the stern question, "Have The revived order reta and many of the earlier pra a lack of public confidenc in pious mood, attempts t case in point was the reco of brass" after it had been of centuries. To this day Clampérs' hoax. The officers of ‘he rev of the Halls of Comparati recovered rituals, records list of lodge officers is com. Noble Grand Humbug, ‘ Platrix, Clamps Mitrix, Gr Musician, Damn Fool Door! ' Grand Hangman, Noble Gran (1) The Hellroaring Fo JOHN ROSE The Isthmus of Pana two decades a sort of g found it necessary to tra vived the ordeal, others : Theodore Judah died there ‘achievement incident to Pacific Railroad. A lesse in Panama of the repres Francisco who was on t establish title to what was of Yuba and Nevada Cow documents which he carr Rose, a long pre-gold ¢ veritable principality. It acres of land. The tradition is that Nevada County. His Rose House and Bridgeport", ' guecession of writers as county. Although Rose was ¢ years prior to the gold published concerning him lowed the pattern of sai What he did during the surviving son, Frank R years continues to operat SON'S Sk _ John Rose was born age of nine years, the de he apprenticed himself to he had mastered his tr shipped for Valparaiso i eee