A LITTLE ELKS HISTORY
“ The Jolly Corks” ... ‚The prospective victim would be
asked would he like to join the Corks, and they being
such a ‘jolly’ set of fellows, the candidate for admission
to their circle readily assented. He would give his name
to Vivian, the Imperial Cork, and pay a fee of fifty cents,
which amount Vivian set down in a little book he carried
in his pocket for that purpose. Each one present then
produced a cork and placed it in front of him upon the
bar or table; a fresh cork (generally a champagne cork)
was given to the candidate, and to him was then
explained that the Imperial Cork would ‘count 3,’
whereupon each one present was to seize his cork, and
‘the last one to lift his cork’ was to pay for the drinks for
the rest of the party. At the count of ‘3’ the ones in the
secret would simply jump their open palms over their
corks, but allowing them to remain on the bar or table;
the candidate would eagerly seize his cork in haste,
resolved not to be ‘the last one to lift his cork,’ much to
his surprise to find he was the only one who had ‘lifted
his cork,’ hence the ‘last one.’ So he was ‘stuck for the
drinks.’ The ‘rules’ then were, now that he had become
‘one of us,’ that he must always carry his cork in his
pocket, and whenever he met another Cork, if he was
asked to produce his cork at any time or place, he must
do so, under the penalty of buying the challenger a
drink, should he not have his cork with him.