Arizona silver belt., 1892-09-24
SECRET SOCIETIES.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE FAMOUS
 ORGANIZATIONS OF YALE.

Grange Proceedings on the Campus of the
 New Haven University Peculiar Rites
 and Ceremonies of skull and Bones,
 Scroll and Key and wolrs Head.
 The election ceremonies 70 the Skull md Bones, Scroll and Key, and WolFs Head societies of Yale university are very impressive. The members of the junior class on the afternoon of this day gather in little knots in front of one of the big buildings which are used by the scholars as sleeping rooms The win dows of every other building which commands view of the expectant stu deats on the eampus below are crowded with other scholars and their friends.
 Suddenly solemn looking young man comes around corner of one of the dor mitor.es He goes straight toward the waiting crowd without a word to any one He walks in among the fellows, many of whom are his friends, without noticing anybody. Every other student stands perfectly still and without turn ing his head follows with his eyes the movements of the mysterious looking fellow who has recently appeared and who is going up and down, up and down, in and out, in and out among the crowd, looking at nobody. speaking to no one, apparently seeing nothing, Then he goes around in circle. All hold their breath The people in the windows oI 1sFf1n l watch with increased interest. It is q moment of intense suspensel All of C sudden the quiet man. on whom every boly'5 eyes are fastened, slaps a fellow student right between the shoulders and glmost knocks him over,
 Then a great shout goes upl The students on the campus are yelling them selves hoarSe The crowded windows are alive with frantic men and women who are waving handkerchiefs and hats, clapping hands and laughing, each add ing something 10 the terrible uproar Meanwhile the student who was slapped on the back is the hapyiest man in the innlt 4se crowd for be has been elected member of skull and Bones, the ia. mous secret sgciety of the university
 Tue first thing the fortunate student does when be realizes taat be has been slapped isto go atraiahtto his room, with out a word to his most intimate uhu,a, or even G. the man who has 50 rude'y struck aiu H. is followed by the iaan who cid the lamiug and who all this tine Ds ugl even 70 much s smiled or said "Il8ilJ' t0 any ore-jp jp faci has not recognized tie man he js following escgF, iy tae slap.
 Nobody knows, except tieag tyo. wlial takes place iu fine room. aud jae men are mol seen again that day. for the in- terest of the people outside is ceutered on another man who has come from the same direction as taa first one. and who is going through exactly inc suae Der. torulgaccs that the first fellow cxecutod When be finally slars man. another great shout goes up, and then these two students go away to the room of the one whose back has been slapped These scenes are repeated until forty-hye men have been slapped, for that is tue mum Der composing the three societies. Each society Is iaade up of fifteen men. no more and no less, and each member 5. said Co choose one student
 When the forty five have been selected the elections are over and the people go home feeling that they have witnessed au event more interesting and more eSs citing than the graduating exercises which take place whet1 whole class are about to leave the school. Nothing more Is done 10 the students who have been slapped until tbsueyt Tuesday What occurs then is seen by nobody except q few of the students who gather in front of the secret society houses.
 The names even of the societies are not known. They are called Skull and bonez Scroll and key, und W0lfs Head bseause each member wears q little gold pii, with oue or another Of these objeets,on 1t as the case may be
 The Skull .nl Bones pin is 0 horria bit of gold in the shape of d human skull and crossbones. The Scroll and Key. as the uaitte implies, is made up of a small sheet of gold, like an ancient piece of paper. On the scroll is key, above the key are the letters ''C ;. r. and below the key are the letters '.C c. .' What they stand for only the wearers of tEe pins know
 The other society has for its pin lit, tie gold head Of savage looking wolf Often the eyes are made of two brightly shining diamonds.
 Another wonderful thing about these pins is that the wearer never loses one He never lays il down even for a second or course they have to bathe, and how do you so suppose they do then2 You would think they would have to lay the pin aside at that time anyway, wouldn't you? But they don't: they hold the bit of gold in their mouths!
 "Bones" IS the oldest of the three so, ciefies. Tradition has it that the pins first appeared in lS32 About ten years later men who had expected an election to Bones and were disappointed or ganized the Scroll and Key. Wolfs Head was founded less than ten years ago, but today is almost as exclusive in its membership as either of the others In fact it generally represents as much wealth among its members as the two other societies combined. York Herald.