The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-01
CONCERNING FRATS.
Tbe Letter of an Old College Gradu-
ate to a Younger Brother.
BY Harle Oren Cummins.

ate to a Younger Brother.
BY Harle Oren Cummins.
Dear Kid learn from mothers last
that you are scheduled for the KS next
month and are plugging hard. That's
right, sonny; get the best fit you can
and the rest will come fairly easy.
There's nothing like starting in with
two or three conditions to keep man
down for the whole of his course.
I'm not going to give you a sermon
on behavior or anything of that kind.
so don't get scared, but I do want you,
Billy, to make d good frat. There's
more depends on the secret society
YOU Join than you have any idea of,
for the brothers you get in with there
are going to be your closest friends
during four years.
There are almost as many different
traits as there are combinations of the
p different Greek letters, and, of
course, each fellow will tell you that
the one he belongs to is the best. But
between YOU and me, Billy. there's only
three or four that really amount to
much as national organizations.
During the first few weeks you'll
probably be rushed pretty hard, and
you'll have great opportunity to save
money, for your coin won't be good
when you're out with any of the bid
ders. BY the way it won't do a bit of
harm TO salt that money, for when you
come to initiation fees. jeweled frat
pins and dues you'll need every cent.
There are lots of good men who go
TO college every year and aren't frat
men, some because they can't afford it,
others because the pater objects, and
q still larger crowd that the rushers
never realize are good men. The fellows
who will be bid first, and. mark my
words, Billy, for I've been through the
whole thing from A to u, and have
been the chairman on three commit
tees for bidding new men. the fellows
who are asked first are the ones who
are the best dressed and act as if
they'd seen high buildings before.
don't mean by this that a man must
be dude or have his clothes made in
the limit of style, but as a. little bit
OF preliminary advice. I'd tell you to
have the bags pressed out of your
trousers, shine your shoes and don't
try to get more than two-weeks wear
out of your linen. You know from per-
sonal experience that first impressions
count for a good deal, and no one is
very strongly attracted to a fellow
who comes down out of the woods with
the hair hanging in his eyes, chewing
toothpick and shying at every cable
car that goes by.
Don't think you're up against a bun
ko game. either, if a fellow you've new
er seen before comes up and wants to
Know if you're not John Brown from
Oskaloosa or some such place. He
hasn't any gold bricks in his pockets,
II S only a sort of crude way the rush
ers have of getting acquainted with
new men that they like the looks Of
j YOU don't queer yourself in the next
hve minutes conversation, it will
probably end in you're getting a bid
Gut TO his frat house to dinner.
But when you are once out there,
thens when your real troubles begin.
JUS a mighty hard position TO be in,
Tor every man there viii be sizing you
up, taking mental notes of your gem
efal appearance and anything you say,
and it's sure thing that some of the
crowd won't like you at first. l sup
pose II the truth were known It takes
rs much log-rolling and wirepulling TO
get man into a frat by some Of the
IeloWs votes as it does in senate
maj election. If you don't talk much.
some one will say you're a stick and
oopey" while 81 you try to appear
bright and sociable, some other chap
you're not going to find any easy thing.
hut don't fall all over yourself trying
To- be nice, if you do strike a fellow
whose crowd YOU like. There's many
a man been thrown down just because
ne was too Wiling"
they'll get you in a corner and some
Fellow will come and sit down beside
you for a little talk 1t won't amount
To much, what he says. only, he wants
am opportunity to size you up. He'll
ask you where you live, what prep you
went to. and how you like college.
lheEre all stock questions, but when
.ndt chap gets up and makes way for
ue next man to inspect you, he'll have
settled in his own mind how he'll vote
D. ever comes to voting on you.
Above all things Kid, don't be in a
.Hty. Get into al the different houses
you can, and don't bite like a sucker
lne first bid Tell them you'll have
40 Write home first TO find out, and I'm
'' meantime do a little sizing NJ on
''. own account among the fellows
Dit heir crowd.
here are usually three frlia ~
NIN college that YOU want TO steer
wear OF, these are the sporty frat, the