Arizona republican., 1899-12-05
COLLEGE
 HORSEPLAY

'horseplay' in connection with initia- tions since Edward Fairchild Berkley of St. Louis was drowned near Geneva, N. Y. Undergraduates have met to pass resolutions of condolence and to advise against 'horseplay" in the fu- ture. Fraternity men say that the funny business" which resulted SO sadly in Berkley's case has nothing to do with the real initiation, and is done simply for the amusement of the men who are already members. Several of the Cornell fraternities have decided to do away with it altogether in the fu- ture. At least one local fraternity which has had it's swing" or spike" since the accident did nothing in the way of hazing.
 No attempt is made to keep frater nifty horseplay secret; in fact, many of the stunts" are done fin public, the whole matter is talked of freely after ward, and the victim usually enjoys the telling as much as any one. A Cor nell professor who has always been a strong fraternity man and who has had much experience with swings" and the fun that usually goes before, said in speaking of the matter:
 "A mistaken idea prevails that the play indulged in before a fraternity in itiation is a part of that interesting ceremony. It really has nothing to do with it, and could be left out as well as not. The fun is usually of a mild sort, and the prospective frat man seldom suffers more than temporary | annoyance. A few serious accidents due to carelessness and misunderstood ing have done fraternities a great deal of harm, but has this resulted in modi flying the character of the fun indulged in to a great extent?
 Tt is usually the desire of those in charge of the horseplay to make the victims foolish and uncomfortable There are many ways of doing this. A certain fraternity not long ago sent one of its new men to New York He was instructed to occupy front seat in a big theater, where a popular play was on the boards. According to instruc tions, just as the climax of the second act approached, he arose in his seat. yawned, and said in a voice loud enough to be heard all over the house: | This show is rotten. You'd better go 1 home! He walked out slowly, amid the misses of the crowd, was arrested paid his fine, and returned to college ! for his initiation.
 | Many of the Cornell fraternity houses are situated near tine Ithaca | cemetery, and the gravestones and vault doors have been used for years in connection with horseplay. I found q miserable, gloomy crowd of four pros pective frat men sitting on a lonely grave only a few nights ago. They said they had been waiting for several hours. They were expecting something | to happen every moment. but didn't l have the slightest idea what form tn ? cause of their fright would take. They were so sure they would be frightened l that when an ordinary ghost appeared l suddenly around the corner of a near by tomb they were really badly upset. They fled from the spot. with the ghost in pursuit. A rope stretched across the path ambushed them successfully into
 the arms of the waiting frat men. They were rolled up in blankets before they recovered from the fall and were carried away for the real initiation.
 Another fraternity has all its horse play in public, and the crowd adds to the victims discomfort. A man who ! year will never forget the experience he had in a small town near Ithaca. For two hours his tormentors kept him doing stunts of various sorts for the edification of the villagers. From the top of a high telegraph pole he was forced to sing:
 | Nearer my God, to Thee,
 1 Than ever I'll be again.
 I IJa faII hi of a by an elaborate attempt to sing the
 chorus of popular song in bass. ten or, soprano, and alto. He was lined up
 on a big box with several other candi- dates for the purpose of holding an inn lpromptu prayer meeting. At it's close cigarettes were purchased at 50 cents each. The quartette were finally or
 dered to fight crowd of town boys that had gathered around. Numbers
 were against them, and by the time the village marshal arrived the college men
 had received a severe beating.
 Mock athletic meets in the country
 at midnight are another form of horse play. The victim is blindfolde1, placed
 before a high bank, and told to jump.
 If he obeys with will he bunts into
 the bank with crash. The candidate
 may be led in front of ditch Of muddy
 water and told to run straight ahead.
 He goes into the ditch. and usually has
 to be helped out. Serious accidents
 have happened through directions be-
 ing misunderstood.
 "Thoughtlessness and carelessness
 are the dangers of this horseplay. The
 fact that one man can stan1 With
 safety what another cannot undergo is
 sometimes overlooked. This fact was
 painfully brought home to a Ca'iforn a
 chapter of a certain fraternity not long
 ago. They were initiating a fine young
 fellow. the son of a rich western DO l.
 tician. The ceremonies had been under
 way several hours, when the young
 man was locked up in a dark room
 while the fraternity went into council
 After spending an hour in solitary
 darkness the boy was led out. The
 spokesman informed him that they had T judged him unworthy of being admit
 ted to the brotherhood. They explain
 ed. however, that too many of the fra
 ternity secrets had been disclosed and