New-York tribune., 1902-05-18

as well as happy ones. Some men vybc, Co.
to be slapped, who had no idea that the, -. 7-
De passed by, do not get an election o.
men refuse an election to one SOCIETY -,
not get one to another. Mistakes ba,,o uo
n senior VIII mistake MS man. He will sI,r
fellow who has not been elected 49, sap
ie" years ago such a thing happened Tba
man who was slapped was worthy OF The -
but somehow he had not been elected nv b.
society. The senior who was to give that e1oo1
ton did not know his man very VOL -
slapped the wrong junior. There was a villa
yell from the crOwd-the man was y, n
He nearly tainted with surprise and ioy 7E
he started for his room almost on a run III.
way across the campus the senior caught H.
breath suddenly. He had not looked his w.
n the face He did not know him He bod
made mistake He called out shortly.
stop! He explained that he had made .
mistake and the junior, Inundated and broken
was left trembling and sobbing where he stoo1
Ihat was one Of the worst things that eve.
happened on the Yale campus.
hut lhere are occurrences just as drarnati,
that are more cheerful a few years ago tbera
was ahother man, since success in a metro-
pOlltan business world, who was considered -,
everybody TO have no chance at all He had
attended strictly to business when in COLLEGE
e had
time TO make himself one of the steadiest and
best men in his class. He was not brilliant br,
ne was from every point Of view a tvpicaI yaIo
man. He stood in the centre of the crowd :,
juniors till nearly d o'clock. watchine, his Friends
go 10 one or another Of the societies who,
something happened to him a man whom b
knew only slightly in the senior class and ,vbo
wore one of the magic pins. was next 10 the lac,
to come from his society hall He was sIapno5
for Homes The enthusiasm with which bis
election was greeted showed once and for all
that the Yale senior societies are stiu what thev
were once proud To boast they were-the reward
of merit and character
Personal feeling counts for little or notbtp,
in the makeup of the Yale senior elections nov
adays. There was time when family pun aD+
friendship counted Now something more i'm,
portant counts There are a few men elected
each year, of course, who have done nothing for
their class Or university, and little less for
themselves; but they are in the vast mjuortv
The great part of the senior society men now
adays are undergraduate who have earned
the honor by leading the college in one v.av or
another, or by showing that they arr worth II
by their character or attainments The senior
society men elect after the hardest kind NJ
work the men who seem from every point Of
view to be the best men in The class" OF
course JIllS Is q harder task each year the
classes grow and more avenues are opened for
men To distinguish themselves in There are.
therefore, more sins of omission scored against
the societies each year now than ever before.
But this is natural result and, while it leaves
a good many men unrecognized who have
earned society distinction it makes the corr
petition more worth while.
Skull and Bones still keeps its distinction
Of electing, the whole the most notable set
Of men. The crew captain generally goes there,
The Yale Literary Magazine" editor. and men
of weight generally. Scroll and Fey has late
ly broken the long succession of football cap
tains who formerly went to Bones" and an
nually now takes in the varsity captain. As
rule, Scroll and Key" men are more of the So
ciety type than Bones men. but perhaps this
is a survival Of the early elegance of the club.
VOLTS Head the latest Of the three senior
societies TO be organized. is now nearly on par