Arizona republican., 1892-07-13
SECRET SOCIETIES..
SOMETHING ABOUT THE FAMOUS
 ORGANIZATIONS OF YALE.

Strange Proceedings on the Campus of the
 New Haven University-Peculiag Rites
 and Ceremonies of Skull and Bones,
 Scroll and Key and woIrs Head.
 The election ceremonies to the Skull and Bones, Scroll and Key, and Wolf's 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 tho scholars as sleeping rooms. The win dows of every other building which commands view of the cxpectant stu dents on the campus below are crowded with other scholars and their friends,
 Suddenly solemn looking young man comes around a corner of one of the dor mitories. 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 a circle. All hold their breath. The people in the windows on every side lean little farther out and watch with increased interest. It is moment of intense suspense! All of a sudden the quiet man, on whom every body's eyes are fastened, slaps fellow student right between the shoulders aud almost knocks him over.
 Then a great shout goes up! 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 to the terrible uproar. Meanwhile the student who was slapped on the back is the happiest man in the immense crowd, for he has been elected a member of Skull and Bones, the fa- nous secret society of the university.
 The first thing the fortunate student does when he realizes that he has been slapped is to go straight to his room. with out word to his most intimate chum, or even to the man who has so rudely struck him. He is followed by the inan who did the skipping, and who all this time has not even so much as smiled or said "Hallo" to any one-in fact has not recognized the man he is following except by the slap.
 Nobody knows, except these two. what takes place in the room, and the men are not seen again that day, for the in. terest of the people outside is centered on another man who has come from the same direction as the first one, and who is going through exactly the same per formances that the first fellow executed. When he finally slaps a 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-five men have been slapped, for that is the num- Der composing the three societies. Each society is made up of fifteen men, no more and no less, and each member is said to choose one student.
 When the forty-fve have been selected the elections are over and the people go home feeling that they have witnessed an event more interesting and more ex- citing than the graduating exercises which take place when whole class are about to leave the school Nothing more is done to the students who have been slapped until the next Tuesday. What occurs then is seen by nobody except a 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 Bones, Scroll and Key, and Wolf's Head, because each member wears a little gold pin, with one or another of these objects on it as the case may be.
 The Skull and Bones pin is horrid bit of gold in the shape of human skull and crossbones. The Scroll and Key, as the name implies, is made up of small sheet of gold, like an ancient piece of paper. On the scroll is key, above the key are the letters "C. s. P" and below the key are the letters "C. c. J." What they stand for only the wearers of the pins know.
 The other society has for its pin lit- tie gold head of a 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 it down even for second. Of course they have to bathe, and how do you so suppose they do then? 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 mouthsl
 Bones" is the oldest of the three so- cieties. Tradition has it that the pins first appeared in 1882 About ten years later men who had expected an election to 'Bones" and were disappointed or ganized the Scroll and Key. Wolf's 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.