CHAPTER I.
 

OFFICIAL ELKS' HISTORY OF CHICAGO
LODGE No. 4.

THE  "JOLLY COEKS" IN CHICAGO.

Early in the year 1872, an Irish song and dance
team, John and Maggie Fielding, were working at
the old Bohemian Turner Hall on the West Side of
Chicago, near the corner of Bunker and Canal streets.
This place was used for "variety shows," and Field¬
ing and his wife were engaged there for a number
of weeks,'' putting on the shows.'' Fielding organized
some of the performers playing at this house together
with the musicians in the orchestra there, and formed
a lodge of "Jolly Corks," Fielding having been one
of the '' Corks'' in New York and Philadelphia. This
lodge had a membership of twenty-two. They paid
annual dues of $4 a year, and at first had no benefits
attached to the organization, but after running some
little time established a system of paying weekly
benefits to their members in sickness or distress. The
organization lived for several years, but owing to the
migratory nature of the. vocation of the members it
finally went to pieces. They held weekly meetings in
a small lodge room above the hall, in the front part
of the building, and used a crude form of initiation
in^their work. The titles of the officers the present
survivors are unable to recall. Three of these old
members are still living in Chicago: Prof. Louis
Kretlow, has a dancing academy at 401 Webster avenue; John Pfeiffer, a bass-viol player, at,
184 Fremont street; and Christ. Neurenberger, a musician, at 518 Wells street. They had a
printed Constitution and By-Laws and conducted their'lodge similar to other organizations of
its kind. This old Turner Hall was the only place available on the West Side oi the city
where a show of any kind could be given in Chicago at that time, as it was about- the only
place left standing after the great fire of 1871.                                            .-
 

JOHN  FIELDING.
 

The first recorded item of any movement towards establishing an Elks' Lodge in Chicago
is found in, the annual address of the E. G. E., Bro. Henry P. O'Neil, p. 139 of the G. L.
Journal of the June session, 1875, of the Grand Body in New York City. It states in sub¬
stance that during that term a number of letters had passed between the E. G. E. and Brother
Joseph Mackin, of Philadelphia Lodge No. 2, "who is now doing a permanent business in
Chicago, and possesses there, it is understood, a large circle of friends and acquaintances, who
are eager to join a branch lodge of Elks, if at any time instituted there." The matter fell
through despite the best efforts of both these brothers, mainly on account of the severe restric¬
tions of the Constitution and Statutes (at that time), and more particularly the clause
requiring that seven Devout Elders in good standing should make an application, and perform
the necessary duties, in forming and opening a lodge under dispensation.

The Grand Lodge, realizing that their laws were so strict as to preclude any material
spread of th'e Order, at the June session, 1875, these severe laws wore materially modified and

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