Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1904-01-08
ODD SECRET SOCIETY.
Indiana Women Have q Secret and
Won't Tell II.
Men Of the Town Have ncen TryinO
for Twenty-Five Years TO Learn
the Meaning of =. r. J. NJ,
hut in Vain.

A peculiar society. which for 20 years
has been standing contradiction Of the
old libel that woman cannot keep Z
secret. exists at Westfield, Hamilton
county, and bids fair to prosper for an
other 20 years, despite the sAafts Of ridi-
,ule which from time to time have been
hurled against 1t. reports the New York
Sun.
Twenty-Five years ago number OF
the men of the village formed literary
society. Just for fun they decreed that
no woman should ever become mem
ber. A clubhouse was built, meetings
were regularly held and the leading
periodicals were read and discussed.
The organization limited Its 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 II took .
unanimous vote to elect new member.
and that there was just one dissent ting
voice" when the name OF the woman APP
pllcaul was pfeBeEtSu
Two years later a company OF ladies
met and formed the 8. T. J. NJ. and they
decreed that the meaning OF these let
,crs should never become public. Each
member was solemnly pledged not to
reveal the secret. and for 20 years the
8. T. J. M. has been in existence. and
here is not a man In Westfield who has
any idea what the four lett q mean.
From time to time the membership
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.
has revealed the meaning of the mystic
symbols.
When Mrs Sarah Jackson applied for
a divorce. charging neglect and the hus-
hand 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 tho society, II was thought
that the mystery would certainly be
solved at the trial But Mrs Jackson
refused 10 state what the letters stood
for and the court ruled that the name Of
the society was not material to the tes-
timony.
Mrs. Jackson got divorce and all
mony, and her ex-husbapd declared that
the letters stood for the Society Of Tat
Ting, Jabbering Mntrons." But this
definition was not accepted by any but
the soreheads Of the community.
Several years ago a young man nanfd
Crawford went to Westield and was en-
ployed In one Of the stores He invested
his earnings in horse and brfgy ard
was the envy OF many OF the other young
men because they could not afford such
a luxury and the newcomer could CONF
mand the company OF any young lady
or a Sur day afternoon drive. But when
Myrtle Taylor turned away from him
and married John W'irgafe, a farmland
near the village. the other boys taunted
him by astire him how he liked the So
cietv OF Thankless. Jilting Maidens.
For years this was the accepted rame
of the society among the younger class.
Ever, initial In the name has been tor
turnd- into somothi~r dero~aiory to the
socieiy, according TO individual taste.
-" has hon- mad 20 stfrd fer 'crlcus.
igunty, iilH~g. tatbcrirr inurdced;
1T" for trcncherous. tattlirF. ter ing.
trouh'esome. tiresone, ard IN" for
mothers. nafrons. maidens, m'ean-
thropes. maleshifts, martyrs, match
makers ard the like.
But the name Is still secret. and no
amount Of coaxing or threatening has
sui7lced to induce member TO reveal It. /