E Clampus Vitus History

For the past several years, it has been the intention of the board of Directors of Chap. 10 to provide some printed Primer of sorts to present to newly initiated Brothers. Some publications are available from various Chapters and some are advertised for sale in The Clamper, (Ed. Note: The Clamper has not been published for many years now, and the chapter then provided a subscription to The Flatlander Nugget, instead.) which the chapter provides to new initiates, in the form of a free year’s subscription. (Sadly, even the Flatlander has now gone out of business.) Many of the names on our mailing list have been members for a short time so we present here a short and incomplete history of the Order so new members may know just what the hell they have gotten themselves into. Information here has been gleaned from work by Duff Chapman XSNGH, Carl Briggs XSNGH, and newspaper stories by Bob Wyckoff XNGH Chap. 10. Chapter 10 is a direct descendant of the re-forming of E Clampu...

In our last issue, we covered the beginning of E Clampus Vitus. We now continue with the series, focusing this time on the Chapter functions of the old days. Keep in mind, Brothers, the working conditions of the old times. Many hours spent in cold water, physically hard, and for many, dangerous and isolated labor. Free time, what there was of it, was spent obtaining the barest of necessities for life. Food was high priced; liquor was of poor quality and expensive. Homes were cold and drafty, clothes were wet and ill-fitting. (As an example, right and left boots were not readily available, only generic boots for either foot.) As for other necessities, women were few and far between and in some cases, expensive also. Besides, who would really like to have much to do with a “girl” named “Big-nosed Kate” who was probably 20 or so years older than you, and was known to carry obnoxious little bugs to share with her “friends?” For a somewhat glamorized account of life in the min...

This edition of the short history of E Clampus Vitus concerns itself with the rebirth of the order after a general decline which corresponded with the decrease in gold mining activities and the settling down of the sometimes raucous lifestyle of the early mining camps as they became towns and cities. The time was the late 1920s. Some of the old 49ers were still alive and their families were scattered all over California. Almost all had turned to other occupations, although gold would be mined in places through the 1940s on a commercial basis. An appreciation for the life and times of the Gold Rush was still held by many and history books were being prepared, using the diaries and memories of those who had “seen the elephant.” Somewhere along this time, it occurred to Carl I. Wheat and Leon O. Whitsell, Bay area residents and men of high C.Q. (Californiosity Quotient), that the fine old institution of E Clampus Vitus had fallen upon evil days. While traveling in the old mining cam...

Last time, this short history of ECV went back to the early 30s to describe the refounding of the Order. Most Clampers think that the Order had died and was buried by that time, and not much had taken place, E Clampus Vitus-wise, since the late 1880s or 90s. Attempts of modern historians to follow the Clampers on their journey in California history seem to be frustrated by a paucity of information, save the occasional reference in the old newspapers of Lodge Meetings. Clamper Dave Dunlop, of Yuba City, has done considerable research along these lines and has recently presented to the Editor of your very own Hewgag-Monitor the manuscript of a paper he delivered to the Sutter County Historical Society. Clamper Dunlop has graciously given permission for us to use this material freely for this series of articles. Briefly, E Clampus Vitus was very much alive and kicking, having been officially incorporated by a group of businessmen in Marysville in 1915, even to the extent of issu...

Our history of E Clampus Vitus continues this time with the story of the revival of interest around the turn of the Century. All of this material comes from the work of Dave Dunlop, Chapter 10 member, who has given freely his permission to use it here. Thanks, Dave! “The Noble Wheeze,” as E Clampus Vitus is known by California historians, was and is known for its irreverent spoofs and satire of other, more well known, fraternal organizations. The aims of Brotherhoods of this type were to provide mutual aid and protection in tough times and fun and diversion in good times. E Clampus Vitus, from its earliest times, achieved these aims in a most admirable way. While providing protection and solace to members and their families unobtainable elsewhere, the Clampers were often treated to riotous entertainment on those occasions when a new “sucker” showed up. We covered the initiation of Lord Sholto Douglas earlier in this series, and mentioned that of Ned Buntline, as told by Grand Cla...