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skirt on a pole emblazoned with: "The Banner Under
Which We Fight." Post-parade was the local saloon.
So - Pot Belly Slough, Henroost Camp, Lousy
Story Of E Clampas Vitus Ravine, One-Eye Diggin's, Petticoat Gulch, Whiskey Hill
and Whiskey Flats, Shirtail Bend and Skunk's Misery -
among many - all heard the call of the Hewgag (a
unique horn that called all Clampers from far and wide,
no matter the time, to meet at the nearest saloon).
The members of the society of E-Clampus With the dwindling of the gold, so with the Order at the
From there the Order spread like wildfire through the
Vitus - the Clampers, as they are known - turn of the century. A chapter in Marysville incorporated
diggin's. It is said no one could do business anywhere
bring the spirit of Gold Rush days to the Lang in 1915, thus preserving the name.
unless he was a Clamper.
station ceremony by appearing in full regalia to
In most of the diggin's were the fraternal orders of the
affix a commemorative plaque in honor of the
Oddfellows, Knights T emplar and the like. They often
occasion. To those who are not familiar with
.held parades in full r"egalia and were followed by the
the ancient order, Clamper Mac Linton hereby
Clampers - red shirts, black hats - and carrying a hoop
explains its origins.
In the 1920's, Carl I. Wheat, a California History buff
- recipient of the Wagner Medal from the California
The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus Historical Society - was researching old gold rush
i!; coeval with the human race, having been founded in newspapers in the Sacramento library, and kept running
the year 4005 B. C. , one year before the Creation. It is across accounts of E C V, and remarked to a reporter of
now in its 5,981st year of directing man - and shaping the Sacramento Bee that it was too bad that this colorful
women - into the Dawn of Civilization. part of California History was no more.
The Order's motto is Per Caritate Viduaribus y The reporter published a story, and as was - and is
Orphanibusque, sed Prime Viduaribus (For the - customary, it was reprinted throughout the diggin's,
Protection of Widows and Orphans, but Primarily the including Sierra City, where Adam Lee Moore read it.
Widows). Moore was the last living Noble Grand Humbug of the
The seeds of the order came to the colonies. Some Order and keeper of the secrets and records. He got in The Order has two by-laws: (1) All members are
chapters may have existed in West Virginia and touch with Wheat and as a result, the Order was revived officers, and, (2) All officers serve with equal indignity.
elsewhere, spreading to the Midwest in the early part of in about 1932 in Verba Buena (San Francisco) and There are no excuses for non-attendance at
the 19th century. Platrix (Los Angeles) . clampfunctions. A true Clamper never has wider trouble
It is recorded that Joseph Zumwalt, born July 15, 1800 The revival grew slowly with a few chapters in - neither his wife's birthday, his daughter's wedding nor
in Boone County, Kentucky, responded to the call of the Hangtown, Nevada City, Sonora, etc., but since 1950 any debility prevents his answering the call of the
California gold rush, and in 1849, with wife and most of the Order has again spread like wildfire. There are now Hewgag.
his 14 children, began his trek by ox-cart to the Mother 28 chapters in every part of California and two in The principal officers in each chapter are the Noble
Lode. Nevada. . Grand Humbug, a Grand Noble Recorder, a Gold Dust
Stopping for directions in Bowling Green, Missouri, he Receiver, the Damnfool Doorkeeper and other
entered a newspaper office and picked up a manuscript functionaries.
and read it. It was the ritual of E C V. He kept a copy. The Order is governed by a Grand Council which
The Zumwalts arrived in New Helvetia (now consists of the Sublime Noble Grand Humbug, a
Sacramento) on September 5, 1849. From there From Platrix alone, which once included all of Vice-Sublime NGH, the Sublime Recorder and 15
Zumwalt proceeded toHangtown (now Placerville), and Southern California, three chapters have split off - Peter Clamprocters. The Grand Council meets annually at
established the settlement of Zumwalt (now Grimminger' s Lebec, Bakersfield; John P. Squibob, San Diego, and Murphy's Camp, California, a beautiful village and
Cold Springs) nearby. From there he traveled all over the Billy Holcomb, San Bernardino. Platrix now includes Los former gold camp near Angels Camp in the Mother
diggin's. Angeles, Orange, Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, Lode.
Wherever he went, he attempted to initiate PBC's with a toe-hold in San Luis Obispo. . In the words of .Michener: "It is so beautiful one could
(Poor Blind Candidates) into Clamperdom. The first All chapters hold treks of one kind or another and never exhaust its variety, so provocative and evocative
chapter of E C V to be established is in dispute - an Clampers may join more than one chapter, or, without that it can never be fully understood - a masterpiece of
early effort in Hangtown was unsuccessful. Claims are joining, attend most functions. All chapters install concept and execution."
still made by Downieville and nearby Sierra City, and historical landmarks, many of which are registered with Credo quia absurdum.
even by Tuleberg (now Stockton), but there is no doubt the state.
that a chapter was begun in September, 1851, in the jail
at Mokelumne Hill.