The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-09-27
COLLEGE FRATERNITY PINS.


Way to the Pawnbrokers.
The proprietor of secondhand shop on
the Bowery whose fad it is to buy all the
college fraternity pins the pawnbrokers
offer for sale, after showing a reporter a
number of curious ones, took up badge
with peculiar inscriptions and held it up.
On the back were the initials "P. r. v"
and the date A. ID. 1900. This is earlier
than any recognized college fraternity was
organized. He knitted his brows, looked
at it curiously and said
''There's one that pleases me. I've
heard of very secret society in some of
the southern colleges. No one even knows
the name of it, and the members wear
their pins in sight only one day of the
year. They say it's very old, and every
thing about it is on the dead q. t. Wheth-
er it's goin now don't know. I've heard
it died out, and then again heard there
was chapter at Princeton and another
in a Virginia college. Some time when
get richer III go down to the University
of Virginia and see if can't get line on
it. Most likely III get my face broke for
poking my nose into other peoples bust
ness. Fly the way, that pin amt there to
sell as much as it is for bait. want
somebody to come after it, and then may
be l can find out things. Only one fellow
ever came for it yet in the two years I've
had it. He was mug. He came in and
poked his face round for awhile Then he
says:
What dy' want fer tn pin with tn
dinky drinks on it?'
"'Twenty-tive dollars said to phase
him, and it did the trick.
"'Hully gee' he said. His nibbs would
stand thai, don It t'ink.
Who're you gettin it for?' | asked
him, but he said it was none of my id
business and did a sneak. followed him
around the corner and saw him talkin to
military lookin old man. When they
spotted me, they slid. That's the last
offer l had for it. One of these days I'll
get there, though.
''Here's a couple of pins I'm keepin,"
he continued, opening drawer and tax
ing out a Delta Epsilon badge and Chi
Psi badge. "That means the lowest step
in the life of two pretty smart men. One
of 'em was Hamilton college man and
the other, l think, went to Williams They
got up against the horses and pawned ev-
erything to get the stuff to bet. These
badges were the last things they pawned,
and with that they hit winner That
gave 'em enough for a start, and they put
up a faro bank for the Bowery, not far
from here, and were pilin up the rocks
when they got a tip and flew the coop just
in time to escape police raid / got hold
of the badges, and Pm freezin to them as
an investment. One day those fellows
will make their pile, and then they'll come
back and pay anything l ask 'em for them
pins.n
"Have you got any more curiosities in
this line besides the southern badger" in
quired the reporter.
81 did have one that l wouldn't have
taken 500 for, but lost it. never could
understand what became of it, but sus-
pected two nice lookin young chaps, who
came in here one day to look at badges, of
liftin it, for missed it little after they
went. Anyway it was corker. 1t was
a combined Psi U and Alpha Delt pin,
made very small, and set with emeralds
and rubies. The Alpha Delt star and cres-
cent cut right into the Psi U diamond,
the star setting in the diamond. 1t was
very small, and beautiful piece of work.
My theory of it was that probably two col
lege boys, a Psi U and an Alpha Delt, got
stuck on the same girl, and she wouldn't
wear the pin of either of EN-, not wantin
to show favor, so they had Il ombination
pin made. That's the only theory l can
think of. Anyway l wouldn't have lost
it for good deal, for I'll bet it is the only
combination fraternity pin ever made -
New York Sun.