BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE ORDER OF ELKS    65.

education. He married Katherine Blake in May, 1857, ^^ Belfast, Ireland, and
soon afterward came to America, locating in the city of New York. They had
five children, four sons and one daughter: John B. Ash, born June i, 1858;
William B., born June 24, i860; Mattie Vivian Ash (named after his close
friend, "Charles Vivian"), born January 27, 1862, and married, now Mrs. David
Graham, and living at Ridgewood, N. J.; Frank Langhorne Ash, born February
13, 1864 (died 1880); and Charles F. Ash, born January 2, 1870. Mr. Ash was
a photographer and had a studio at No. i Chatham Square, New York city. On
November 24, 1870, he went to Havana, Cuba, to take a position with a branch
house of "Frederick's Studio," of New York. While employed there he gave a
banquet to his friends on April 28, 1871, and the next morning Ije was stricken
with the yellow fever and in a few days died, on May 5, 1871, aged thirty-five
years. Being a Protestant in faith, he was not permitted a coffin by the authori¬
ties, but his body was wrapped in sheets and carried outside of the city and
"buried with quicklime in an unmarked grave, the government not allowing the
shipment of the body under any circumstances. Mrs. Ash is still living, aged
seventy-two, with her married daughter, at Ridgewood, N. J. Ash was one of
the original fifteen "Jolly Corks" who formed that gathering in November, 1867,
and who continued therein until the name thereof was changed to the Elks on
February 16, 1868, when he shortly afterwards dropped out. Vivian, Steirly and
Langhorne were frequent visitors at the home of Ash in the early days of the
^'Corks," and so warm were the friendly relations that Ash named two of his
children after Vivian and Langhorne, respectively.

THOMAS GRATTAN RIGGS was born on Main street, in Buffalo, N. Y.,
•circa, 1835. He first entered the theatrical profession by doing utility at the
Metropolitan Theatre, Buffalo, N. Y., then going South he played with various
companies until 1861. He next appeared at the National Theatre, in New York
city, as Bill Staggers in the "Willow Copse," as Gypsy Joe in the "Gypsy
Farmer," and Paddy Ryan in "Ragged Pat." He married when quite a young
man, and his wife having died, in 1865, he married Miss Lizzie Cade. He
appeared for some two years at Bob Butler's, 444 Broadway. He then was
•engaged for three years as a stock comedian at Tony Pastor's Opera House, 201
Bowery, New York. On April 12, 1871, Riggs signed a contract with John F.
Poole to write and construct for Riggs a drama, "the title of which shall be
'Shin Fane,' or 'Where the Grass Grows Green,'" and the contract provided for
fulfillment by August i, 1871. Riggs then produced and appeared in said play,
"but just where it received its premier is not easily traced. In the latter part of
1867, Riggs, with George W. Thompson, opened a dramatic agency at 189
^Bowery (not in Military Hall, as some state it), which they ran for some months,
later removing to 512 Broadway. An old play bill of the Bowery Theatre, under
management of William B. Freligh, shows Riggs billed to appear in "Shin Fane''
at that house week beginning August 26, 1872. On June 30, 1873, Riggs began
an engagement at Wood's Museum, New York, in "Shin Fane," and he continued
to play this Irish drama steadily thereafter until December, 1874, when at the
same house he brought out, first time on any stage, "The Irish Detective."

On March 11, 1876, Riggs played a return engagement at Wood's Museum,
in "Shin Fane," also producing at that time two other pieces, "Votes" and