The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1903-11-13
WOMEN WHO HAVE A SECRET.
Anti-Male Society In Indiana That
Has Kept the Men Guessing for
TWENTY-FIVE Years.

A peculiar society, which for 20 years
has been standing contradiction of the
old libel that a woman cannot keep a
secret, exists at Westfeld, Hamilton
county, and bids fair to prosper for an
other 20 years, despite the shafts of ridi-
:ule which from time to time have been
hurled against it, reports the New York
sum
twenty-five years ago a number of
the men of the village formed literary
society. Just for fun they decreed that
no woman should ever become a mem
Der. A clubhouse was built, meetings
were regularly held and the leading
periodicals were read and discussed.
The organization limited it's member
ship to the intelligent class and soon be-
gan to exercise decided influence.
After the first year some of the wom-
en- in the community applied for MEM
bership, but none was ever admitted. 1t
was always explained that it took a
unanimous vote to elect a new member,
and that there was just one dissenting
voice" when the name of the woman ap-
plicant was presented.
Two years later a company of ladies
met and formed the S. T. ]. NJ, and they
decreed that the meaning of these let
ters should never become public. Each
member was solemnly pledged not to
reveal the secret, and for 20 years the
S. T. J. NJ. has been in existence, and
here is not man in Westfield who has
any idea what the four letters mean.
IN hn hor r,
has changed as the women married and
moved away and other members have
been added. but no one yet found, be she
mother, wife, daughter or sweetheart,
his revealed the meaning of the mystic
symbols.
When Mrs. Sarah Jackson applied for
divorce, charging neglect, and the hus-
band contested the suit, alleging among
other things that she had concealed from
him the meaning Of the letters S. T. J. NJ,
and had spent too much time at the
meetings of the society, it was thought
that the mystery would certainly be
solved at the trial. But Mrs. Jackson
refused to state what the letters stood
,or and the court ruled that the name of
the society was not material to the tes-
'imony.
Mrs. Jackson got a divorce and ALI
nony, and her ex-husband declared that
the letters stood for the Society of Tat
Ting, Jabbering Matrons." But this
definition YVES not accepted by any but
the sorehea6s of the community.
Several years ago young man named
Crawford went to Westfeld and was en-
ployed in one of the stores. He invested
his earnings in horse end buggy and
was the envy of many of the other young
men because they could rot afford such
luxury and the newcomer could COM
mand the company of any young lady
Or Sunday afternoon drive. But when
Myrtle Taylor turned away from him
and married John Wingate. farmland
near the village, the other boys taunted
him by asking him how he liked the So
ciety of Thankless, Jilting Maidens
For years this was the accepted name
Of the society among the younger class
Every initial in the name has been tor
tured into something derogatory to the
| lociety, according to individual taste.
W has been made to stand for jealous,
iaunty, fitting, jabbering. iaundiced;
''T' for treacherous, tattling, teasing,
Troublesome. tiresome, and M for
mothers, matrons, maidens, misan-
thropes, makeshifts, martyrs, match
makers and the like.
But the name is still secret, and no
amount Of coaxing or threatening has
sufficed to induce a member to reveal it.