The Globe-republican., 1890-01-22

merry metal; nearer anu HcSrcI IL CoAAC.
The terrible voice whispered: Brand
| him on the neck A horrible bolt OF
pain flashed down my spinal column, &C.
companied by the sound and actual
smell of sizzling flesh.
with yell that no stole could have
| depressed, leaped from the plank and
stood in the full glare of many lighted
lamps, with the society members dane
ing around me in hilarious glee. The
| branding? Well, they used q piece of
ice, which gives much the same sensa-
| ton as hot iron, while fine beefsteak
was actually branded, furnishing my
sensations of sound and smell"
Another case was that of a pleasanter
| nature. The neophyte was carried
blindfolded through a great number Of
Boston's crazy streets until he was thor
oughly mystified. Then he was taken
to the highest gallery of brilliantly
lighted theater, and made to lean over
the rail, when the blindfold was sudden
" whisked off. The sensation of that
moment. the student afterward said,
finding himself in the glare of the
abyss of human beings, was something
indescribab
With the gradual undermining of
things at Harvard has come the new
system of inflicting torment upon candi-
dates who apply for admission into the
secret societies-or into the secret So
clety. to be more accurate, for the d. K.
E., or ''Dickey," is the only one that
makes it's new members suffer to any
extent. Instead of terrorism in semi
privacy has come exposure to ridicule in
full publicity-a much worse thing for
the thin-skinned student to bear.
The favOrite mode of torment seems
to be to make man go out and sell
something, or perform some manual
labor in the street. Not long ago stu
dent, who was much in love with pretty
Cambridge girl, was compelled to go to
the house of her parents with He
brew peddler's pack on his shoulders and
endeavor to sell the members Of the
family the cheap handkerchiefs and afro
cious brass jewelry with which he was
loaded down.
there was great GOODNESS in that house
until the point of the visit was explain
ed. Another nich and dudish young fell
low was ordered into ditch that some
Italians were digging in the main
street of Cambridge, and into it he went
with pick and shovel, and clad in dress
suit which was made part of the COM
mand. Rubber boots. an ulster and
fur cap are frequently ordered on a
victim, in the hottest days of term time,
and must be seen on him whenever he
appears outside his room. But very fire.
quently Boston is made the
exploiting place of some brill
liant piece of tomfoolery. and
then the initiate is bound to make a
sensation. whether he will or no. Not
many weeks ago an aristocratic-looking
fellow dressed in the height of fashion.
was seen on Washington street. indus
triously grinding out white Wings"
from big hand organ. while discon-
tented monkey was Juggling at the chain
which bound him to his new and unloved
master. Each looked as miserable as the
other.
All Amherst society rigs up a very
realistic Hades for the entertainment of
the candidates, and if his nerves are not
pretty strong his hair is apt to rise. His
Satanic majesty is remarkably true to
tradition, the society having gone to the
expense of buying costume of the
brightest red. including the cloven
hoof and very well-developed forked
tail.
In one society at Union College the
neophyte is led through small brook,
but as he is allowed to change his shoes
after the ceremony it doesn't hurt him
any. At one of the large colleges few
years ago the guides lost their way.
walked the freshman off precipice. and
he was kill by the fall.
In one of the societies at another col
lege the victim is led into the big hall
blindfolded. and goes through the mo-
lions of not being afraid. The room is
perfectly dark, SO that he could not see
any thing even if the bandages were re-
moved. Here he is taken by two strong ..
men and put into regulation graveyard
coffin, with holes bored in the lid SO he |
will not suftocate, and the lid is screwed |
down tight. The building has shaft |
to the cellar, and the coffin, with the |
victim in it, is slowly lowered. 1t is a
truly horrible experience and several
young men with rather shaky nerves |
have tainted during the ceremony In |
the cellar. which is fitted up with all |
sorts of ghostly appliances, the coffin is
put on an altar Of logs such as is sup
posed to have been built in olden times |
for Isaac's benefit.
The cover is removed. and the bandage |
loosened, SO that it can be easily re-
There is horrible groaning
and clanking of chains, and suddenly
the altar, which has been saturated
with harmless chemicals. blazes up. and
the bandage is removed from the neo-
phyte's eyes. As he raises himself in
his coffin-provided he has nerve enough
left-he sees about the room two or
three skeletons. which have been rub
bed with phosphorus and glow wildly
in the darkness. They are rugged with
rulleys and ropes, and slowly they raise
their bony fingers and point at him.
while sepulchral voice bids him get out