New-York tribune., 1903-03-08
HARVARD INVITATIONS.
Some of the Public g Stunts " Socfet8
Members Haze to Undergo.


THAT week was the longest and most abso-
luteIy wretched Of my life, I think, although
now that it is over I wouldn't give up the
memory Of 1t for almost anything" In this
quotation from Flandrau's "Diary Of a Fresh
man" is summed up the collegian's side OF the
question Of public limitations at Harvard Uni
versity. The opposite side, that of the Cam
bridge public and the world at large, crops out
at regular intervals Of time in the form Of a
protest Of this nature which recently appeared
in The Harvard Crimson" the daily newspaper
Of that miniature State:
To the Editors Of The Crimson:
Five or six boys who afterward learned were
Harvard undergraduates, though their manners
belied that description boarded an outward
bound HurOn-ave. at Harvard Square on
Wednesday evening Of this week at about
O'Clock, and proceeded to put two of their num-
Der through a set Of vulgar performances
utterly unrelieved even by the originality or wit
which is sometimes supposed to atone for such
tnfringenents of the ordinary rules Of good
breeding. 1 do not know to what club or fra
terity these men oeiong; put II better aTgu-
uent were lacking for doing away with public
limitations by those clubs to which age or other
virtues may have given a certain prestige, such
limitations Of their ways as l saw last night
ought to make Us give up the whole silly busi-
ness. GRADUATE.
In the same issue OF ''The Crimson" the edI-
tors do not agree with Graduate when he ad-
vises that all forms Of public limitations be
given up, but decidedly do believe that no initi-
ations should be allowed which will cause an
noyance to outsiders and concludes with the
mild warning to students to observe the line
between humor and vuIgarity" For years the
matter has not varied from this status
The student readers Of THE Crimson" wonder
Just what form the vulgar performance took,
and who the old grad" is-for they invariably
think Of him 2 nervous, decrepit old gentle
man, with gout and corns; then they laugh
softly to themselves at the memory Of some lit
tie incident. 'unreIieved" perhaps by originality
and wit and the matter is dismissed. For it is
too ordinary occurrence that some think him
juvenile TO make a great deal of difference to
the sophomore; on the other hand, that machine,
the board of overseers and the faculty of arts
and sciences Of Harvard College distantly over
looks these puerile practices Of the young ideas
shooting under lis tutelage. Unless a student
fatty outrages public decency, commits crime
formal protest is made by outsider, no
Official action is taken. For all the complaints
and protests the chant Of the ''Dickey," its
way 10 pull out Of their beds the lucky First
Ten or Tenth Ten" is still heard late at night
by staid, dignihed senior, and trembling, ambi-
tIous freshman and sophomore; even at this
mcdern date, fantastic, dishevelIed creatures in
fest Harvard Square streetcars and Huyler's
store in Boston, perhaps making speech in the
former politely requesting a cents worth Of
c11dy TO Cat on the floor Of the latter; to-day,
stro- :, well dressed, well fed young men wear
unique pins on their waistcoats, and with an air
OF proprietorship mount the steps of quaint,
fCrbidding buildings on Holyoke, Mount Auburn
and the other streets near the square.
What the public sees Of these limitations,
which, by the way, are more familiarly termed
s'horsepIay' Is undoubtedly the humorous SIDE
although, as many a Harvard senior will tell
you, there is often little real wit or humor
involved. II is something OF a novelty, at
least q novelty more or less pleasing to the
townspeople, to encounter gorgeous, un-
washed, unshaved, but highly decorated Knight
of the Cross. his shield large clothes basket,
his lance a broom, his helmet a coal scUttle,
with q gay red and black cloth 10 set off his
figure. If the outsider happen to be a girl, q
RadcIiffer perchance, waiting for her Sub
way 20 Park-st.'' in front OF the Harvard
SQUARE waiting room, IT may be a trihe
f,srrassing TO receive a sudden fervent pro-
posaI Of marriage from the gaudy crusader
and TO be obliged to decline with thanks)
the honor OF his grin1y hand. Or If the out
slider happen 70 be an elderly. exclusive woman
returning TO her Revolutionary mansion in
Nassachusetts-sy from her woman's club in
Eeacon-st in town, it is disccncerting TO hear
ope's ueiRhbor on the seat of the car grOan
heavily at frequent intervals and then sud
derIy throw q most realistic Mt. The disturbed
T1afrOn usually gets on the car al once, HnelHeE
- r1of a transfer station be near, and the neO-
Dhyte promptly RECEIVERS from his ht' moves up
beside some other old woman and repeats the
y,rocess The case Of the epileptic who was
thrown into a genuine At out OF pure SYM
rathy for an unfortunate neophyte who hal
been throwing. fits IN streetcRrs at com
Senior's orders during the greater part of the
dsy is perhaps rivaIIed in dramatic possibility
o1iv by the experience Of the students dressed
49, TrdfsnE at one Of their recent football
qgrnes with Harvard on Soldiers Field. The
indians through their manager, rather resented
Tire fiattery OF the imitation.
yoSf Of the public limitations, as they are
y,opularly called, have less serious consequence
~ ans at all The most favored places for the
Seers+ soctetIes of Harvard to break in their
choaer friends seem TO be the streetcsrs.
travellers 20 Cambridge take IL as a matter
of course 20 receive paper dolls Witn q lew
- 10-19sfs rernarfs from some brawny young