New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-07-19
SECRET SOCIETIES.
THEIR HISTORY AT YALE
THEIR POWER WEALTH, AND INFLUENCE
MYSTERIES AND MUMMERIES,


tudcnt nowadays may he known by the little gold badge
-, ,,oriior shane stamped with some Greek or other
obaractors which announces his membership 10 some
ort society Ingenuity has been taxed TO It's utmost
in designing these badges and shields; Scrolls diamonds
and crosses serve various purposes with various mean
,rrs and while each society claims some aristocraue
nriviere their number has increased so much that
nearly every student desiring obtain the honor
Ube nearly every college the country supports some
nj these societies Yale, with her large and wealthy
classes has given rise to the most, and at Yale
they have reached the summit Of their power and miiu
ence The societies Of Yale differ from most OF those OF
other colleges being divided among the classes Glass
distinction here strong and the classes are so large
that il necessary TO allow each class TO support its own
societies In other colleges members chosen from
the Freshman Class to continue through the course
There are two Freshman societies at Hae-the Kappa
Sigma Epsilon, and the DctI Kappa. These Greek let
ters by which nearly all societies represented, are
always the arst letters Of Greek words which are the
motto OF the society, and which are numbered among
the college secrets. "A men are pledged to
these Freshman societies soon as their
Intention Of coming 20 college Is known, principle OF
selection be decided and the campaign becomes
mere scramble for numbers. third Freshman Society,
Gamma Va, is antsecrot. and wages war in the cam
pafgns against both the others, but generally not with
encouraging success These campaigns great events
I'm the lives Of incipiont Sophomore Electoneerng
Committees appointed in the Spring term, and all
the large schools are visited. Every conceivable argu-
ment brought forward 10 show the superiority OF one
Society another Lists Of all the prizes taken by
members Of societies from their foundation are made
ont celebrated names are paraded, and halls de-
serbed as furnished with all the magncence of royalty
While the candidates for examination are arriving,
committee men meet the trains in all directions, and,
0uestouinr every verdant youth TO his destination,
seize him as soon as Yale announced, and give him no
reace till he has promised to Join the Landed society.
ed nv
and has CHAPTERS in Dartmouth College and in the Troy
POLYTECHNIC school DCa Kappa is few years younger
There was originally one Sophomore Socety-the old
Sigma Phi. Age and monopoly. however, renderedit
corrupt and the suggestion of the Faculty, 1t was
broken up in 1906 Since then two Societies have
been forned-DcIta Beta Gi and Phi Theta Psi. Their
badges are quare-thc former Society being represented
by a pen and a book the latter by crow and rising
sun These Societies in fact but seppngstones to
those year, the first representing the Dettd
Kappa Epsilon element, the second the Psi Epsilon.
They receive about each, and are looked upon
as desirable but by means as honorary as the ones
above them.
The real power OF the Societies is not felt
tin the Junior year. Then first they become
really exclusive; in that year important offices
are TO be filed, for which the representatives OF
these societies will contend and in that year first honor
per itself to the pin. There three Junior
societies the Alpha Delta Phi the Psi Epsilon, and the
Delta Kappa Epsilon They from 81 to 25 years Old
and Of them confined TO Yale Chapters exist
III all the principal Colleges and convention Of the
whole fraternity Of each is held yearly The parent
chapter of Dcr Kappa Epsilon is at Yale and OF Psi
Epsilon at Union.
At Yale the "pledgng for these societies generally
begins the second term of Sophomore year at date
agreed upon by the several societies, and which they
bind themselves observe. pledge has never been
clearly Defined for while is supposed to insure the ac-
septauce Of an election by the person to whom it Of
a1,1 ig1p
election must be forthcoming and many elections in the
lower societies have carried by means of pledges
which have been designed to be carried out Some
times too, there understanding between the soce
ties the time Of ginning TO pledge and the FRESH
men are picked judgement best directs with the
idea of ettnc the future decide. 1t may seem strange
that students should be willing to bind themselves in this
one sided way, but 70 ndercassmen any hope OF adj
mission 10 these societies acceptable and they grasp
straw and trust 10 the future.
The three qualities looked to in choosing members are
scholarship. literary ability, and good fellowship
Students 10 unpcdgcd till late in Sophomore year some
times when prize in composition debate Will send
crowds Of pledcers their doors The two prominent
societies Of this year are the Delta Kappa Epsilon and
the Psi Epsilon While the alpha Deita Phi Is the Oldest
and in many other colleges Is powerful organization
at Yale she ranks third ana mas OF Ete DecOne 50 le
crep that members initiated in Sophomore year as
halls of their own. That OF Dcta kappa EpStO is on
Yoks and Is built Of brick, about 20 by 80 feet There
ronSlt IRON II was buit i'm 1863 The Psi Epsilon hail
is Just finished. 1t is on High-st, below Elm
much like the other in appearance. These so
clttes receive about twenty-five men each Inc pms OF
Of Alpha Deltl mi. Oblong These Societies decide all
the class lOuOrs, and rule IN college poHIc 10y Len
the editors of the Lit" nominated and the C0ckEt
reati who get up the Wooden Spoon exhibition There Is
always coalition between two OF the societies. whch
sun noS With the 1SISocety men Of neutrais" as they
AN lodi
exclusive ticket Is ever nominated, ana the htuIIs
nave NOT sufficient Organization nor umnimity 10 give
them strength Junior year the real secrecy OF the
Societies begins IN the two younger classes the secrets
are not well kept for upper cassuen loose in time the
memory Of their obligations; secrets often dis
closed, and the halls even visited by nonneHbeTs Inc
some Of the largest downtown buildings as is also that
of Alpha Delta P and most Of them are htied mp with
great eegauce Delta kappa Epsilon ana PS' CPSH0H
The societies Of Senior year have succeeded in building
mp name and reputation OF tler own at 1ale I4I tney
are purely local. and refuse ali applications for charters
Their peculiar badges and secret characters their known
wealth, ana tnclr poIloh as oI Ie eSllo
All cOnspre 10 make them treby revered III the eyes OF
underclas,meu. But two OF these societies now e&ist
SE,,H and Bones and Scroll amt Key. third, Spade
and GrdUe was 1864 and died with the class OF
ceve only from class, ii might DO supposed
that societies could easily be supported by CLASS
of 10 The third choice however does not keep up e
dignity and too many elections were refused 70 a0W tne
"a spade leaning graye-s members were mex
named Diggers, which perhaps as lhuch as anything
The skull and Bones Society a badge of plain gold
in the shape OF skull and crossbones with the figures
30 beneath Although the Society Is some so OF 30 years
old II was not incorporated till 1885, when charter was
granted it by the Legislature under the name OF te
Russell Trust Association" its incOrpOrators being Cen
WIN. H. Russell John > Beach Henry b. Harrison, Prof..
ID G. Gilman Henry T. Blake and Henry White. Soon
after this the hall on Hgh-st built 1t is of brown
stone about 20 feet by Co. and about feet high Like
the other society halls il has side windows and rs
entered through heavy iron door In front. with aIi
these precautions however, the hall has been entered
more Than once In 1865 IL enteredby three students
through the sy-lchts its documents were ransaeked
and many Of them carried Of and the few secrets winch
II really possessed disclosed. The memory OF such thngs
however becomes traditional in cOeg. after rev years