Life in the California mining towns was harsh and often violent, as men from every corner of the world labored and fought for their share of gold. She arranged for the eunuchs guarding the other girls to be drugged, and once free, the former slave women took control of the vessel, throwing any who resisted them to the sharks. What does E Clampus Vitus mean? There was red stuff all over the kitchen and even in the hot tub. A NON CLAMPER'S GUIDE TO CLAMPERDOM. Most ECV chapters hold what they call a Widders Ball once a year. Ephraim Bee II played his greatest joke on his local West Virginian neighbors. Afterward everyone toasts the new member with drink. Oxley, a fellow member of the Las Plumas Del Oro Chapter, sat by the bars memorabilia-filled corkboard called the Wall of Comparative Humbugery. The epigraph is from Alexander Stilles The Future of the Past: The past is only the memory or residue of things that now exist in the present moment, a mental construction thatcleaned up or embellishedoften serves the needs of the current moment instead of corresponding to any historic truth.. People remember the Clampers Drill Team from years ago and wanted us to ask. The Frollicking Friars did much to spread their order, for its said they expanded on the notion of widowhood, applying the Staff of Relief even to women who they said had been widowed by their husbands neglect, and therefore they frequently were obliged to flee from one place to the next. Koen has been a Clamper for 17 years and has served as the Chapter 5978 Humbug. There are chapters in California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana and Wyoming. A miner named Cornish Bob was victorious. What Say The Brethren? From his perch at the Plumas Club, a dive bar that serves as his chapters de facto headquarters, Ron Right-On Oxley swirled a vodka and cranberry juice and tried to sum up his often misunderstood group. We ran out of tomato juice for Bloody Marys, so I blended up Italian-style stewed tomatoes and tomato soup to make them. They were contacted by Adam Lee Moore, one of the surviving leaders of the original ECV, who passed on all that he could remember of the organization's rites and legends. Christmas Party and White Elephant Gift Exchange, Five Things You May Not Know About Clampers. Those groups had come to the mining country prior to ECV, and when ECV appeared, the older, more established groups looked down upon the more rowdy nature of E Clampsus Vitus. He was initiated into ECV in Turner Hall on January 21, 1896. By tradition, a person could join E Clampus Vitus by invitation only and then was expected to endure an elaborate, humorous and sometimes grueling initiation ceremony. We would Love to have you folks in our parade ! Do You think the Clampers #1846 Montery Viejo would want a spot in the Aromas Day parade ? There is some evidence to support that Grant was a member. I thought E Clampus Vitus was a tennis player, at first. Allen, always feeling it his duty to look out for ladies, possibly because he grew up with a single mom, had no problem with my plan. Considering Benicia's position as the major inland Army post and transport hub to the valley, both Grant's and the Brotherhood's affinity for strong drink and the early spread of the Brotherhood through Northern California, it is entirely possible that Grant was inducted into the Organization. Only two others survived the journey, Stomachus, and Bellicosus, whereupon they gained an audience with Chinese emperor Hee Sing Li. What was the last thing your held in Everyone pitched in from the bands that played, to the kitchen help, and many donated cash to cover the costs of food or just kick in towards the cause. Sunday Bar-B-Que 1 pm, Bar: The prime requisites to becoming a Clamper are a good sense of humor, an interest in Western history, an open mind, and a cast iron stomach. This past Sunday a bunch of great Clampers (and Widders, the mighty force behind many a Clamper) got together to help out their brother David Warner. Here are 22 essential L.A. spots for every tourist, Column: We cant afford another writers strike. Shaw came across a Chinese manuscript that, astoundingly, indicates a Chinese navigator by the name of Hee Li discovered America, and more specifically California, as early as 435 CE, making the Chinese claim of discovery even earlier than the claims of Pre-Columbian transoceanic contact by Vikings. VIII: The California-Oregon Stage Route (ECV 7-11), E Clampus Vitus, now & then: The replete history of ECV, Ritual and ceremony of initiation of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus 1959 [Leather Bound], Adam was a Clamper: An abridged history of Clamperdom from the Garden of Eden to Hangtown and the founding of Platrix Chapter No. A move to greater seriousness was shown during the Civil War, when the Order changed its parade day from the first Sunday after the snows to the Fourth of July.[3]. C $13.35 + C $19.15 shipping. We had buckets of fun too. One among these women, Lo-Hung-Whangs own concubine, Hop Mee, proved to be stronger and more clever than the men anticipated, though. It was revitalized in 1931 by Wheat and his friends G. Ezra Dane and Leon O. Whitsell. Thank you all for your camaraderie. Your email address will not be published. New chapters sprang up in Los Angeles (Platrix Chapter #2) and other major cities in California, and were numbered sequentially. I had read that too. After many years of being dormant, it was revived in the early 1930's, and has chapters throughout the West. Were actually a nonprofit historical organization.. As a "historical society" as well as a mirth making club, ECV members have been placing historical plaques throughout the West for about 90 years. John Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, "Promoting Offbeat History Between the Drinks", "The Nevada journal. The three men are members of the mens fraternal organization E Clampus Vitus. The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus (ECV) is a fraternal organization dedicated to the preservation of the heritage of the American West, especially the history of the Mother Lode and gold mining regions of the area. ECV also claims Ulysses S. Grant, Lord Sholto Douglas,[A] J. Pierpont Morgan, Horace Greeley, and Horatio Alger as members, but claims have also been made to Adam (the first "Clampatriarch"), Solomon, Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar, Henry VIII of England, Sir Francis Drake, George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Ronald Reagan, and His Imperial Majesty Joshua A. Norton, "Emperor of these United States and Protector of Mexico". Steve "Iggy" Myers Though they wrapped their robes about their loins like diapers to better facilitate their flight, the Frollicking Friars could not escape their awful fate. One happy hour while visiting with our mayor, Seth Irishwho later became Tommys best friendTommy discovered that Seth was a Clamper. One night, the Empress relieved herself into a chamberpot and fell in. In his letter, Heliodoricus describes a long and arduous journey of four years that he took with nine fellow Vituscan missionaries all the way to the Far East. We ate, laughed, danced, and drank until we were thrown out at midnight. At the ECV's peak, around 1870, so many miners were members that mining camps might shut down during ECV celebrations (some mining towns had two chapters). [citation needed], The original E Clampus Vitus faded in some regions after the Civil War, while in other areas it thrived until 1918. Across the bar, someone heard them talking about the group and hollered. E Clampus Vitus, or ECV as it is also known, succeeded and flourished where other orders failed for it was Bee's belief that any man of upstanding character who was of age could join, unencumbered by the restrictions of other fraternal organizations. This fraternal organization, reborn in the 1930s, today boasts that their members number in the tens of thousands in more than 40 chapters scattered across the Western United States, but by far their numbers are highest in my home state of California, where much of the orders history takes place. As I pass through this life, may I always be humble, may I never take myself serious-"a stuffed shirt", This site is also dedicated to all ECV members and is Some of our Presidents were rumored to be Clampers starting with George Washington. In fact, there is something of an origin story for E Clampus Vitus to which we might give more credence. Heliodoricus describes the great success they had at converting the Chinese, introducing the customs of their order halfway around the world. your hand? In 1936 a plaque appeared in Northern California purporting to have been made by Sir Francis Drake during his voyage of discovery in which it was stated that he had claimed all of California for England, and that he had the authority of the claim by having been ceded the land by the local Miwok Indians. Official Web Site of Joaquin Murrieta Chapter 13 E Clampus Vitus. The truth of this is attested in another historic discovery, made by one Rev. When a member of his crew pointed out the sight of the rising sun to prove they were headed the wrong direction, Hee Li threw the mutineer overboard. [6] The company's performances of "Confusion" (an 1883 "Splendid Comedy in Three Full Acts of Fun" by Joseph Derrick) began at Santa Rosa Athenaeum Christmas week, but performances had some very slim attendances; so the troupe were [financially] up against it when they came to Marysville. well EnjoyedAwsome.Keep up the Good Work!!!!!!! Of course, it may have been a combination of both. My son, Allen, who was brought in to the Clampers by his step daddy Tommy in 1999, put the gala event together. St. VItus is known to have exorcised a demon from Emperor Diocletians son, or as the more scientific might suggest today, somehow cured the boy of some neurological or psychological condition. Tommy was initiated into the ECV in 1985, and had neglected his lifelong membership for quite some time. What do ya think? This is the Facebook site for ECV Chapter No. Bee had political aspirations and fancied himself something of a folksy storyteller. Okay, for anyone interested in an educated guess at why the name E Clampus Vitus came to be, here is my 2 cents: Clampers (or what was to be named the Clampers), were no doubt hard drinkers. But in the secret order that flourished among miners in the 19th century, called E Clampus Vitus, Carl Wheat saw something more than an organization for the elite. The men headed out of town at three in the afternoon on Friday, and our party started before their vehicles left the parking lot. Sponsored. may I always appreciate a little bit of the "ridiculous"; may I always be a two-fisted Clamper when the bottle pass's my way, There were chapters in British Columbia and Hawaii, but they no longer exist. Chapter presidents hold the ceremonial title of Noble Grand Humbug. In addition, nativism was rising in the United States, as evidenced by such political organizations as the Know-Nothing Party. The Clampers paid tribute to the areas skiing history and the Alturas Snowshoe Club that organized the tournament with a monument that read, Dope is King! a reference to the homemade wax that skiers applied to their 12-foot-long wooden skis. 2, E Clampus Vitus Plaques A Compilation of Historical Plaques Dedicated by the Several Chapters of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus During the First Fifty Years of the Revived Organization 1930-1980, S.E.A.R.C.H. WEBMASTER, VIGILANTE #183 If they are Californian historians, than they should receive some E pluribus unum to erect markers, and build/restore what ever has to do with the history of Ca. Travelling salesmen entering the mining camps could find no patrons, and entertainment troupes could not fill their audiences, until they agreed to join the ranks of the society, to be taken in, as it were, which meant the miners would be able to drink on their dime for the night. Whether you bought a plate or served one, played the music, or danced to it, you were all a part of a really good thing. The early history of the organization is unclear. The fraternity is not sure if it is a historical drinking society or a drinking historical society. There are chapters in California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Outposts in other western states, including us in Wyoming. The next day we all went to brunch together, and any one of the attendees will surely tell you that it was one of the most fun weekends of his or her life. Winos daughter Terrie Dawn with Snowman in front of the newly unveiled monument. Posts: 24,418. : the smooth sloping surface on the upper posterior part of the body of the sphenoid bone supporting the pons and the basilar artery. Box 12842 Fresno, Ca. Asked how he got the name Chainsaw, he explained that a fellow Clamper years ago somehow got it in his head that Koen had cut off his own kneecap with a chainsaw. Once he has been asked to answer several questions, the Scales of Darkness (the blindfold) are removed, the new member "sees the light", is handed the Staff of Relief, is presented the Stone of Enigma, and appointed Chairman of the Most Important Committee. Thanks for the comment. Satisfactory! In a kind of running theme, the Clampers seem to celebrate a fair number of places overtaken, biblical-like, by water. Clampers nowadays wear red shirts, in memory of the red woolen union suits of yore, and vests bedecked with pins, patches, and medals made of tin can lids. During an ECV meeting, he revoked the cession of land to England, and ceded it all to the United States government. The other secret societies all seemed to take themselves and their rituals far too seriously, and they were full of stuffed shirts, so Ephraim Bee founded a kind of parody of them, with nonsensical rituals, and a name that sounded Latin but was not thats right, E Clampus Vitus means nothing. It is the Chinese, he says, who in mispronouncing their motto Ecce Lampas Vitae coined the modern name E Clampus Vitus, a revelation that caused much stir among the aforementioned theologians who had developed so many theories about the phrase and its implications for the origins of the order. Dr. Shaw of New York City, in 1890 during his own mission to China. Or you could call Terry at 831-206-1174. In return, since St. VItus refused to attribute the miracle to pagan gods, Diocletian tortured him to death. 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