Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-09-02

their hrst and generally their best friend
ehipa But there are other benefits Of Till
early admission. AZ the outset OF thei
college career they enter upon course o
literary exercises that are highly bene
acial 10 them. Each society holds two lit
erary meetings a week, the seniors ans
sophomorcs meeting one night and TIT
\ juniors and freshmen another. At thesl
| meetings debates, oratorical contests and ex'
temperaneous speeches are praoticed. Els
| says are read. and all OF these are freely
criticised. Sometimes the critics are calleg
upou; sometimes they rise Voluntarily. II
| addition to these a business meeting OF eacf
society is held every Friday afternoon, at
| tended by all members Parliamentary
rules are strictly enforced at these meetings
Frequent contests in oratory. debate and es'
saws are held and prizes OF medals, money
or books are presented to the winners,
But the greatest Incentive TO good hall
work is the yearly contest between the
two societies for the more valuable Iyndg
debate prize, the Junior orator medal
and the Baird prize. The contestants
for these honors of commencement week
are selected By earlier contests In each
hall. the judges being members o. tho So
clsty. chosen, as a general rule, from the
faculty.
II was in 1855 the Greek letter fraternil
ties were abolished at Princeton. None exl
let there now. unless. perhaps. sub rosa
Some fraternity men like to tell Princeton
graduates that certain fraterDitles haH
secret chapters at Princeton. But In viey
OF the nolemn pledge every student mutt
mako before he is admitted as a member
OF Princeton College. It would not be n
keeping with the fra.ernltles' claims 81
rectitude, morality and high honor to REG
ognlZe a chapter at Princeton. Since then
Clio and Wing have aourished. They have
now two OF the finest society buildings
Ill ka 40
are exactly alike.
These societies we're founded in those
stirring times when this country was strog
Cling to throw on the shackles OF British
bondage. so that their birth was contem-
poraneOus with the dawn Of American free
dom. Not only that, but they claim a part
In the formation OF the American Union.
Their founders were the founders Of this
Republic. Clio and Whlg are the SUCCESS
ors OF two old clubs known as the WELL
Meaning and the Plain-Deallng Societies.
These two clubs had existed for many
years. but for some reason they dwlnned
almost out OF existence some time alput
1864. In 1865 the Well Meaning Society
was reorganized as the American Glio-
sophie Society, and in 1863 the American
Whlg Society supplanted the Plain-Dealing
Club. These are. therefore. tho Oldest
college literary societies in this county.
That these societies are closely identified
with lne history Oh tut uulttu Statet re-
qulres no further proof than the fact that
tho founder OF Clio Hall was the author OF
the famous Virginia Plan" for the for
nation OF the Union, while the New Jersey
Plan" presented to the same conyeitlon,
emanated from the founder Of the Whlg
Hall. Students OF history need not bi told
that these illustrious men were Judge Will
lam Paterson Of the United States Supreme
Court and James Madison, afterward Pres
ldent Of the United States Associated In
the founding OF Clio with Judge Paterson,
who was later Attorney General Of the
United States, United States Senator and
Governor Of New Jersey. were Oliver Ellis
worth. delegate to the Continental Con-
gress, Chief Justice Of Connecticut SENATOR
In the first Congress under the new Constl-
tuition and Envoy Extraordinary and Min
istor Plenipotentary to France; Tapping
Reave. founder Of Americas first law
school, Judge OF the Superior Court and a
Chief Justice; Luther Martin, Attorney
General Of the State Of Maryland; Robert
ogden. who took an active part in the War
OF the Revolution and was United States