The Globe-republican., 1890-01-22
FRIGHTENING FRESHMEN
What They Endure at Secret So.
ciety limitations.
Some Of the Unique and Narrowing Ex-
Periences of Students-Wild College
Franks That Make Life Lively
for NeOphytes.

The college secret society has become
\ great and powerful factor in American
society. The writer has seen old men
who, at the most, had but few years to
live, come back to the annual college
society reunions, and with tears in their
eyes and voices trembling, tell that they
owed their success in life to the infiu-
-ences and training of their college So
ciety life, and that the truest friends
were those first met within the charmed
circle of the college club. They were
men whose mark in life had been made;
whose word was truth itself 1t must
have been a great power that would
drag them back, year after year to
testify to the worth of college secret So
,cieties.
A boys society life begins as soon as
he has declared his intention to enter
any particular college. If his head is
level he will make the best of that hap
Ply time. He is the object of the con-
<centrated attention of all the various
fraternities in that college. 1t is dead
struggle between them as to which will
capture the prize. They flatter him, in
.geniously feed his vanity. and make
him think that he is about the biggest
and best fellow alive. Suppers, with
perhaps little wicked bottles of WINE
flood in upon him faster than he can
handle them. Nothing is too good for
him. If he has sister she comes in
for her share of the fun, too. She goes
to the theater more times in a week
than she usually gets opportunity to in
~
as the society men who engineer this
little game are called, show the large
ness of their heads.
About this time we take it for granted
that the youth has been pledged" If
he is particularly observing he will per-
haps notice that, although the men of
the society of which he is to be star
green continue to be very pleasant and
polite. they do not tumble over each
other in their neck-breaking efforts to
afford him entertainment as before.
They are sure of him now. He is left to
entertain himself for many hours that
before were filled with engagements for
suppers and theater parties.
From this period on till his initiation
his mind is skillfully played upon by his
future compatriots till he is about ready
to 60 home. Hints of the darkest type
are dropped in his hearing. reckless
disregard of human life is gloomily ex-
pressed in stage aside" the condi-
ton of the rack and the thum bscrews is
casually commented upon, SO that to a
retiring and uncombative freshman the
whole atmosphere of anticipation seems
tinged with terrible red.
And what of realization?
Here is "Reminiscences of a gray
haired old Bostonian. graduate of Har-
ward, and a man who has some reputa-
ton in the world of letters. and perhaps
more for his geniality and fine powers of
This is his story.
good sample of all:
On the night of my initiation into my
society," can not name it in this con-
nection, for that l would consider
breach of loyalty-I went to the mystic
hall with heavy heart and heavy legs
This PARTICULAR band of brothers had
special reputation for ferocity, and 1
knew well enough that it was more than
idle talk, too. But 1 was pledged and for
ward was the word.
Il finally found myself mounting a
pair of stairs in utter darkness. This
was something of feat, for at intervals
board would turn under nv foot. and
one leg would descend into some un-
known abyss, to the great of
my best trousers and my shins. At the
very top l carefully pushed open the
door and sprang a sort Of water-trap,
from which about three gallons of the |
fluid, descending in big baptism,
and soaked me completely.
Having passed the water ordeal.
entered ana was violently seized by sew
e-al shadowy forms, who appeared as . |
SORT of luminous grinniug skulls, which |
effect is produced by pulling . shirt |
sleeve tightly over the face and rubbing |
it with phosphorus just try shirt
sleeve mask, and see If it isn't horri- |
bls sight, even in the daytime. Well.
Was soon rid OF my clothing and
stretched out on . plank, on which were