Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1904-04-08
ODD SECRET SOCIETY.
Indiana Women Have a Secret and
Won't Tell It.
Men of the Town Have neen Trying
for Twenty-Five Years to LEARN
the Meaning OF $. r. J. M,
Hut In Vain.

A peculiar society, which for 20 years
has been standing contradiction OF the
old libel that woman cannot keep q
secret. exists at Westliold 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 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
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 IL
was always explained that It took a
unanimous vote to elect new member,
and that there was just one dissenting
voice" when the name OF the woman ap-
plicant was presented
Two years later company OF Indies
met ard formed the 8, T ]. M. 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 tho
s. r. j NJ has been In existence, and
here lie not man In Westfleld who has
any Idea what the four letters mean.
From time to time the membership
has charged ms 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-
band contested the suit, alleging among
other thines that she had concealed from
him the meaning OF the letters s. T ] M,
and had spent too much time at the
meetings OF the society II was thought
that the mystery would certainly be
solved nt 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 a divorce and ALI
mony and her ex-hutband declared that
the letters stood for the Society of Tat
Ting, Jabhering Matrons" But this
definition was not accepted by any but
the soreheads of the community.
Several years aao a young man named
Crawford went to Weatneld and was em-
ployed In one Of the storar. He invested
his enrnlngs in horse and buggy and
was the envy Of many Of the other young
men because they could not afford such
q luxury and the newcomer could COM
mand the company OF any young lady
or a sunday afternoon drive. But when
Myrtle Taylor turned away from him
and married John Wlngete, a farmland
near the villnve, the other boys taunted
him by asking him how he liked the So
ciety of Thantless. Jilting Madens.
For years this WAS the accepted name
~ TIE fccitt ty among the younger class.
Every initial IN the name has beer ter
turcd into something derogstory to the
society. according to ludiy'dual taste.
~ har teor mad 70 etard for e; lous.
jnuuty, Hiding, jobbcrng jauntlced;
"T" for treacherous, tattilnR, tfns'nR.
troulleeome. tiresome, ard IN" for
mothers, matrons. maiGers, nsan-
thropea. mekeshifts, martyrs. match
ma ers and the like.
But the name is still secret, and no
amount Of cosying or threatening has
sufiiced to induce a member to reveal 1t.