"A Bunch Of Onions."

Unique Title of a Club Formed by Amateur Journalists. 

MEMBERSHIP LIMITED TO TEN. 

When an "Onionite" meets an "Onionite" He is to Take a Bite or Draw a Tear, Says the Club's Constitution — Onions of Every Variety to be Cultivated in Gardens of the Members

Undoubtedly the "strongest" and strangest club ever organized is the one formed in Chicago recently under the unique title of "A Bunch of Onions," and it is not composed of truck gardeners either, says the Chicago Chronicle. 

It was born under very happy circumstances at a well known downtown restaurant during the annual national convention of the Amateur Press association. There are just ten members in the organization and each one holds an office. 

There are seven states represented In the club and the members are all enthusiastic writers for amateur publications. The object of this unique organization, as has been announced, is to bring "tears to the eyes of amateur writers." 

The membership is limited to ten, and the only way to resign from the club is to die or get married. There is but one meeting each year, and at that session vacancies are filled. Each year one of the members must marry In order to create a vacancy in the club. 

The onion is the favorite flower of the organization. The motto is, "In onion there is strength." The officers are as follows: 

Chief odor, Louis St. Elmo, Ohio; sliced onion, Edwin Hadley Smith, New York; collector of tears, Miss Maisie McLoughlin, Illinois; gatherer of scents, Miss A. Eunice Frees, Illinois; official editor, Miss J. Irene Maloney, Illinois; executive board, scullion, Albert Gillespie, Indiana; fertilizers George A. Alderman, North Carolina; sprouts, Foster Gilroy, Pennsylvania; proxy committee or guardians of the scents, Miss B. Merle Hegert, Illinois; Miss Alemdia Thomas, Missouri. 

The election takes place annually, and all proxies are thrown out by the proxy committee. The members of the club may nominate, second their own nominations and vote for themselves. 

The official organ of the club is to be called the Onion Skin. The publication will be in the form of an onion and printed on onion paper. What is more, the meetings of the club are to be called "reonions." The club has one "onionary" member, and that is Charles R. Burger of Colorado. He, it is said, has brought more tears to the eyes of amateur writers during the past year than any other one person. One "onionary" member is elected each year, and "onionary" mention is made of any member where such mention is due. 

One of the strange laws of this stranger club is that when a member of the "bunch" visits a town wherein resides another member the visitor must invite the resident member to dinner at his or her expense. The annual dinners, which are very elaborate affairs, must be held on the last night of the annual convention of the National Amateur Press association, and members of the bunch only are allowed to attend. If only one member attends the convention he must eat his dinner with the vacant chair of his comrades surrounding the table. 

The badge of the club is an onion, and it must be worn conspicuously during a convention of amateur journalists. The constitution of the club is the shortest on record and is as follows:

"When an onionite meets an onionite he is to take a bite or draw a tear." 

When the chief odor makes a decision it is perfectly in order for any member to take a-peal. The executive office is called the onion patch. Membership In the organization is eagerly sought, and there is already a campaign on for the first vacancy. Carl Hegert of Chicago thinks the politics In the bunch is "odoriferous," and he has started an antionion crusade. He is also running for the place of onionary member in 1904. 

The members announce that the club is in its salad days. All members are asked to become vegetarians and live as much as possible on the succulent onion. One of the aims of the society will be to make fried onions popular, and onions in every variety will be cultivated in the gardens of the members. Instead of confetti the members will use onion seed in time of carnival. After eating a hearty dinner recently in which onions figured extensively one member dreamed the following bill of fare: 

"Onions; young onions; old onions; onion sets; fried onions; boiled onions; Stewed onions; pickled onions; preserved onions." 

This member is trying now to have this menu adopted as the official bill of fare. No member may, upon pain of a heavy fine, eat anything to remove the scent of onions from his or her breath.