Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-08-05
HIS sHoEsTRING NECKTIE
Funny Franks of Harvard Boys When En-
tering Secret Societies.

A young man was seen entering one
of our hotels few days ago clad in a
most eccentric costume, saws the Boston
Journal. He wore upon his head an
old-fashioned ''stoye-pipe' hat with
square brim and of rather dilapidated
form, upon his back full-dress coat,
covering waisteoat of red and white
jersey-in fact a rowing jaoket-while
in Lieu of necktie he wore . leather
shoestring carefully tied in an elaborate
bow in front. A green umbrella in ono
hand and a riding spur upon one shoe
completed the accoutrement of this
youth.
He was alone in his glory. for no one
else around wore a similar luxurious
costume; but he was not alone so far
rs company was concerned. Some half
dozen young men followed him as he
walked up the marble steps of tho en-
trance-the observed of all Observers
and advanced with slow and measured
tread into the waiting-room. There was
long-faced. yellow-haired stranger
from the rural districts seated at the
table struggling hard with blunt pen
Gil to indite a few words on postal
card, evidently note home announcing
his safe arrival in the city Tho new
conner marched solemnly up to the
writer and gently scratched the back
of his neck. Tho countryman turned
around and viewed with astonishment
the creature before him. 1t opened
its mouth and began 10 speak.
You. | believe. the man who eats
peanuts are?'' were the words uttered.
''What?" calculated the man at the
desk
"Hic, haec, hoe, Mumm's extra dry,
soc ct tum," responded the inhabitani
of the dress-coat and rowing Jacket in
a deep. sepulchral voice. while he
emphasized each word by n punch
with his green umbrella upon the
floor
The man from the backwoods started
up in unaffected terror. Visions of es-
capped lunatics flashed through his head,
and he evidently expected to have some
act of violence Immediately attempted.
But at this moment roar of laughter
from the door attractedYhis attention,
and looking in that direction he saw a
half-dozen faces extending into the
broadcast possible grins. The eccentric
invader, too, heard the laughter, and,
apparently recognizing in that signal
that his duty was accomplished, turned
about and stalked solemnly from the
hotel, followed at a respectable distance
by his six laughing companions. They
proceeded to Bowdoin square, aud there
boarded the car for Cambridge, leaving
it at the Harvard college grounds In
fact, the young man was not crazy
person, not an eccentric being, not an
oyerdudish dude, but bright young
student of nearly two years standing.
sophomore candidate for the .'Insti-
tute of 1770.n
Every year this scene occurs in one
form or another. sometimes enacted in
Cambridge, sometimes in the suburbs,
sometimes with one youthful aspirant as
the single victim, sometimes with two
or three together, and this is almost the
only evidence given to outsiders of the
existence of the institute. Everything
else connected with the sophomore So
ciety is kept as rigidly secret as are the
affairs of older societies in later life,
but the humorous exhibitions of the
open-air initiation ceremonies are as
greatly enjoyed by outsiders as BY
uleH1OeTS Oh the Institute.
Whenever one of the queerly dressed
noyitates appear on the college green
score of windows 90 up and as many
heads are stretched out TO see the fun
sure to follow. Some old member of
the institute whistles. The "about-to-
be" member Immediately responds to
the call and in obedience to commands
now essays to scramble ND tree, now
hops on one foot, back and forth over
the walk, now carefully picks up every
stone that is 10 be seen and deposits
them at some proctor's door, now war
bles musical (?) ditty or plays the
bass VOL using souio other unfortunate
as the viol and his own arm rs the bow,
and SO carrying on the most ridiculous
and Imaginable maneuycrs which one
could imagine. He dances clog or
walks bow-legged across the ground;
he marches gravely mp North avenue,
clothed in whatever fantastic dress his
tormentors can devise; he enters con-
dictionary store and asks for one cents
worth of bonnet, orSorders yard of
mutton from the astonished clerk in 81
dry-goods store; he mounts a horse car
and informs the conductor that the
wheels of his car are loose and rolling
round. or does anything else which
fate in the shape Of one or more senior
members, shall declare.