Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-06-02
GIRLS CAN KEEP sEcnzrs.

GIRLS CAN KEEP SECRETS.
Oath-Bound Greek-Letter Societies That
Exist in Colleges for Women.
In the coeducational colleges the
girls are not dependent upon the ca
price of the young men for entertain
ment by any means. They have quite
as good time in their petticoat mines
and secret societies as In any gather
ing in which the young men partici-
pate. The invitations of the Greek
letter fraternities are strange and
mysterious to the last degree and are
all that student ingenuity and origi-
nality can devise. One of the chief
charms to the uninitiated is the spell
OF mystery that enshrines all the cere-
monies, says the Chicago Herald.
Every chapter has its room or hall.
where are kept the sacred emblems
the white goat upon which all initiates
must ride to full membership
and the precious documents
which are never touched by
strange HANDS. In this room only
are told the significance of the badge
the motto. and the real name of the
fraternity. and all the secrets that
never penetrate those silent
walls. OF course the limitations
are duly imposing and all sorts of
tricks are played to test the nerve of
the candidate. One chapter con-
ducts the bewildered initiate through
all the mazes and labyrinths OF the in
ferno as eXpounded by Dante with due
impressiveness. Generally the whole
proceedings wind up with feast
The girls limitations do not partake of
that roughness or brutality which Of
ten characterizes such ceremonies in
the mems fraternities such as strap
ping the delighted victim to derrick
and raising him twenty or thirty feet
to dangle in midair while he reflects
upon the novelty OF the situation and
makes mental note of his impress
sions. or lowering him in coffin that
he may contemplate the divine mys-
teries of the new order to the tune
full cadence OF Down TO Hades.
Down" Sometimes even the
location OF the chapter hall is
not known outside the fraternity. In
one OF the Western colleges where
considerable antagonism sprang up
against fraternities the authorities de-
termined to abolish the chapters al
ready in existence and took every
means to discourage their growth A
rule was made for6idding the estab-
lishment Of women's chapters. Now,
if there is anything in the world that
a coed wishes to do. it is just what
she is forbidden to do and. what is
more she will generally contrive to
do it, too. After while the faculty
began to suspect that their prohibit
ton had not bad just the effect it was
intended to have. A committee o:
severa. goods among the model stu
dents was appointed by the authori-
ties to act as detectives and report the
result OF their Investigations.
The girls reported that they had
found no clue whatever to follow out
and that having made careful in
vestigatlon had found no evidences OF
infringement OF the rule. OF course,
murder Will out, ana IL was SuDSe-
quently learned that three OF the FIVE
on the committee belonged to fra
ternity which had enjoyed flourish
ing existence for a long time The
young women met in storeroom in
the upper part OF a business block in
the town. The only means of access
was through Il dark room. several dim
passages, and up ladder-like flight
OF stairs The chapter met here once
a week for over year and enjoyed
the most delightful seclusion lmagin-
able.
1t was in this same college that sew
eral of the girls played a prank upon
one OF the professors, and afterwards
slid down a rope from the third-story
window TO avoid detection in the halls.
The more dangerous the proceeding
and the more serious the consequences
if the offender is found out the more
the Western college girl enjoys the
risk. She wants nothing mild, and.
if she is in for a prank goes into it
with all her might
Hereditary Knowledge.