In 1845,
Caleb Cushing, an American political leader,
traveled to the mysterious kingdom of China where he met
with the Emperor for diplomatic and trade relations.
Caleb Cushing had a close associate who was also an
American political leader in West Virginia. The
associate was known as
Ephriam Bee.
When Caleb spoke to the Emperor of China, he mentioned
great things about Ephriam Bee. The Emperor was so
impressed with the life of Ephriam; he told Caleb he was
going to give Ephriam a commission authorizing him to
extend the work and influence of the ancient and
honorable order of the E Clampus Vitus. The Emperor
summoned several servants who arrived with a golden
stretcher. The servants lowered the stretcher at the
feet of the Emperor and Caleb. On the stretcher laid a
small wooden box.
The
Emperor leaned down and carefully picked up the box,
gently opening it. In the box was a beautifully detailed
shot glass. The Emperor held up the shot glass and told
Caleb that this glass was passed down in his royal
family from generation to generation. Once a man from
the royal family is chosen as the Emperor of China, the
shot glass was used in a traditional toast acknowledging
him as the Emperor. The Emperor went on to tell Caleb
the commission he was giving to his friend Ephriam was
of extreme importance. Important enough to give the shot
glass over to Caleb to pass down to Ephriam. The Emperor
then filled the glass with his finest whiskey and drank
from it. The Emperor filled the glass once more and
handed it to Caleb. In honor, Caleb consumed the fine
whiskey from the crystal glass. The Emperor placed the
glass carefully back into the box and told Caleb the
next person to drink from this glass had to be Ephriam
in order to honor the word and commission of the E
Clampus Vitus.
On his
trip back, Caleb guarded the shot glass with his life.
Many people inquired as to what was in the box, but
Caleb did not speak a word. When he returned, he
explained to Ephriam in detail what had transpired while
he was in China. After hearing this, Ephriam stood up
proudly and told Caleb he would not dishonor the Emperor
of China or his new commission of the ancient and
honorable E Clampus Vitus. In honor, Ephriam then drank
his finest whiskey from this glass with pride.
As the
years passed, the E Clampus Vitus grew larger and
larger. Ephriam proudly displayed the shot glass to his
Clamper brothers. Several of the brothers with the E
Clampus Vitus toasted with this glass for great
accomplishments and celebrations. As Ephriam Bee grew
older, He became close friends with a brother Clamper
known as Joe Zumwalt. Eventually,
Joe Zumwalt had plans on bringing the ancient and
honorable order of the E Clampus Vitus commission to the
State of California. Ephriam Bee gave Joe the symbolic
glass to take with him to California. Joe then headed to
California with his good friend and brother Clamper W.
C. Wright on horseback.
On
their journey to California they stopped in many taverns
along the way. While they were in the taverns, Joe would
proudly display and tell the story of his symbolic shot
glass. During the travels, one man gave specific
attention to the glass. This thief, now known as
Nicholas Thiebalt waited for an opportunity to take
the glass away from Joe. One night, while in a tavern,
after proudly displaying the glass, Joe placed it on the
bar and looked away, losing sight of the glass. Thiebalt
seized this opportunity and he took the glass, quietly
slipping away into the night. When Joe turned and
noticed the glass missing, he searched the tavern and
its patrons for the glass, but nothing was found. He
then summoned assistance from the local sheriff
Henry Plummer. After Joe explained to Plummer the
story of the glass, and what it looked like, Plummer
organized a search party to find the thief and the shot
glass. While Plummer was on the road, he found the lone
cowboy, Thiebalt, riding on the outskirts of town. When
Plummer inquired of Thiebalt where he was going,
Thiebalt attempted to flee. Plummer drew out his gun and
shot Thiebalt dead. Plummer found the shot glass on
Thiebalt and left his body lying on the side of the
road. The following day, Plummer told Joe the thief and
the glass were never found. Joe felt the glass was lost
forever and determined it would never be found.
A few
years later, it was determined that Henry Plummer was a
crooked, murderous sheriff and was eventually strung up
by his citizens in 1864. Several years later, Henry
Plummer’s son, Joseph Bryan Plummer, became an owner of
a local tavern. While he was going through his father’s
belongings, he found the beautiful shot glass. J. B.
Plummer took the shot glass and displayed it in his bar
for many years. As the years passed, an elder W. C.
Wright came into the tavern to have a drink. As he was
enjoying his drink, he looked up and noticed the
familiar looking shot glass. Wright inquired to Plummer
about the shot glass. Plummer explained to Wright he had
found it in his deceased father’s belongings. Wright
then put two and two together and realized it was the
stolen shot glass. Wright explained to Plummer the true
history of the glass. Without hesitation, Plummer gave
the shot glass back to Wright and it was now back in the
hands of the ancient and honorable E Clampus Vitus.
Since
Joe Zumwalt had long since passed away, Wright took the
glass and hid it within his ranch home and did not brag
about it to any outsiders. The only time the glass was
shown was to trustworthy, good-standing brethren of the
E Clampus Vitus. Once Wright passed away, the shot glass
was passed down to his son, Jacob Wright, who was an
avid cowboy and Clamper, living on the ranch where he
was raised. During his time as a cowboy, a great
invention was made, the motorcycle. Jacob loved this
invention and felt the motorcycle was not as
temperamental as his horses. Jacob eventually purchased
several motorcycles for himself and his ranch hands for
errands on the ranch. Jacob called his crew the
“Longrider Cowboys.” Eventually, Jacob had a daughter by
the name of Gladys Wright. Once Jacob passed away, the
glass was handed down to Gladys who proudly displayed it
on her cupboard for many years.
When
she became old, she happened to be browsing through the
internet for Clamper websites. She happened upon a
“Longrider Cowboys Motorcycle Club” website. With great
interest, she looked it up and learned all about the new
“Longrider Cowboys.” With great eagerness, she contacted
the Clamper club and told them the story of the shot
glass. She explained the glass needed to get back into
the hands of the E Clampus Vitus. Gladys proudly gave
the glass back to the Longrider Cowboys where it is now
being used for traditional toasts to all new members of
the Longrider Cowboys Motorcycle club.
AND SO
RECORDED!
