The Bachelor’s Secret Society of Black Diamond
In the coal-mining town of Black Diamond, a secret society of men sought to preserve their solitude—until one member was caught walking a beautiful woman home from church.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The bachelors of Black Diamond have organized a society for mutual protection against the wiles of the other sex, named 'The Honored Society of Bachelors of the United States.' It being leap year, the society is exercising extra vigilance, and has visited its displeasure on William Prosser, one of its members, who is accused of violating his obligation by escorting a beautiful young lady home from church. Sentence was passed, and notice of it, with the great seal of the society, was sent to the guilty party. It read as follows:
'The Honored Society of Bachelorism of the United States of America: Woe for them if they abide even as I. —Our motto.
We, the undersigned honored members of the newly named honored society, do hereby, this 20th day of February, 1892, disapprove of the actions of Mr. William Prosser, which actions reflect dishonor on said society. We, the undersigned, therefore, having sufficient proof, strengthened by eye-witnesses, that said William Prosser has disobeyed the rules and regulations of the articles of said society, do deprive the said William Prosser of all the rights and privileges of our honored order.'
Conditions: Owing to the faithfulness, for the last thirty years, of said disapproved member, as well as his usefulness in the order, we are authorized by the grand master of the Union Grand Lodge of Bachelors' City to offer to said William Prosser a pardon upon receiving a written apology within twenty-four hours, otherwise he will be considered anathematized. Mr. Prosser was guilty of violating the first principle of the society: 'Courtship Prohibited,' which is conspicuously posted on the wall in its place of meeting.
“We, the undersigned honored members... do hereby... disapprove of the actions of Mr. William Prosser, which actions reflect dishonor on said society.”
While this was framed as a humorous local oddity during the 1892 leap year, it captures a common frontier-era anxieties about community life, masculinity, and the shift from bachelor-dominated mining camps toward more settled, family-oriented towns. Today, the story feels like a bizarre, gender-reversed precursor to the social pressure and group-think found in modern 'incel' or digital-era subcultures.
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