The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-06-13
WEST POINT.


~>>,,~~~>~~~~~>~~~~~~
General Grant Among His Old Characteristic
Weather, the Whkse Pants and the Ladies'
| The First Class DGemente-The Second Class
Rxaminasion-Time Killins.
| WEST POINT, June II, 1868.
General Grant, since hts arrival last evening, has
been allowed to pun his cigar in undsturbed quie
tude. The novelty of his being Of the guests at
the hotel, which was fresh last year, seems to be
threadbare now. To be almost everybody takes
sly glance at him as he passes by In the Railways
on the piazzas, but then he Is not as Of DID, fol-
lowed about at every step by crowd of fretful hero
worshippers. The General rather appears to like the
new state OF things than otherwise. Last evening
he called ON the Board Of Visitors at their
rooms and spent q very pleasant time
in conversing about "Auld Lang syne." Ma
lOr General Franklin, the chairman Of the
| Coppee and Peck-and General Pitcher, Superin-
tendent OF the Post, and Colonel Black, command
ant of the cadet corps, were cadets with Grant so
you can imagine what an exceedingly agreeable re-
union party these gentlemen made together, as they
al a. e q snrt M hs
sion quite jovally, and many laugh was had about
| the days when they were all "yearlngs" or gradu-
do, and how Grant was once made sergeant OF the
company in the corps and got his chevrons taken on
word was said about politics. good or
during the evening, nor do think that the General
If he had desired to canvass" among his old COM
rades would have gained much for his pains. The
reunion broke up at late hour, when he left the
| room, leaving on the tobacco stand as mementO
OF his visit pile OF ashes and cigar stump-a mis-
| erably short one at that.
THE GRADUATING CLASS "AT EAsE.n
Last evening the dining room was again cleared lei re
members Of the graduating class and the young
ladies who are stopping here just for the occac
happen to relieve them Of the tediun
| Of single blessedness. number OF select
music during the dancing and the bullet buttons and
fOunces enjoyed themselves to their hearts content
Tonight the graduates are to give grand surprise
to some OF their lady friends not hundred miles
away from here. Stages have been cushioned newly,
instruments Of music put IN tune and voices tested
to meet the requirements Of the occasion. Some of
| the ladies have heard about this serenadIng expe-
dition and each is living in the hope that she is to
be an honored one 80 that she may tel al her friends
their knees and vowed each and every one eternal
| fealty.
Colonel Black looked very much like his name in
| the face this morning when clouds from over the
tops creP sr over H pHss anu pSla me
| showers. For didn't he order white pants yester-
day, and didn't it rain the first day he ordered them,
just as it has done every white pant day for years
past and why should 1t go beyond traditional limits
today That's what everybody here wants to know.
| This afternoon the first class went where they
! pleased without their white pants. OF course they
| wore their gray ones instead. The ladies mean-
while are doing their best to ontv!e each other
| some cadet who doesn't know how to keep his
| weather eye open for dangers ahead" You see as
much whether it rains or shines. The graduate to
| them is the cork in the wine bottle. They are the
force FORGET that draws him. The drawing must be done
quickly else it may fail; 80 there's no time to wait
| THE FIRST CLASS MEMENTo.
It has been the habit OF every graduating class for
| years past to get up some kind ola memento by
which each graduate will in after days have
something
mind Of his old associates and the days
they may have passed together. The class
| cup, artistcally designed, made as prize to be
given to that member OF the class who would first
become father. IL was called the "baby cup" To
tell the truth, that arrangement didn't work WELL for
| there were so many applicants, some time after
minute data to- decide who was the father to whom
the cup should be awarded that other classes which
came in succeeding years concluded to adopt some
other kind OF q souvenir The present graduating
class has selected very appropriate mementO. 1t
consists Of class ring and an album. The ring s
Of solid gold, with seal stone, supported on the
one side by a figure Of Mars and on the other by
that OF the goddess Ceres. Engraven on the seal
is the class motto "Cor ununs Zig vtG dtUersg y
the centre. Each OF the five points represents one
of the five divisions of the army-engineers, ord
nance artillery, cavalry and infantry-and each
point is formed by eleven rayOns, which thus give
the exact number OF the members of the class The
album Is superbly bound in morocco and the cover
stamped in gold with the five pointed star the
same device that Is inscribed on the ring. 1t con-
tallS the pnOtogfaplSO al tne AcaueHlc bOaru ana
military STAFF, all the members OF the class and the
views OF the most picturesque scenes in and about
West Point. The ring was manufactured in New
York city and the album was made and the views in
it taken by Boston photographer.
THE SECOND CLASS EXAMINATION.
The second class examination was commenced to-
day, the subjects being natural and experimental
philosophy and mathematics. The philosophical
part consisted of the general OF the phys
cal Sciences general constitution and physical prop
critics OF bodies; measurement OF the masses; denstes
and weights OF bodies definitions and descriptions OF
under the respective heads OF mechanics OF Solids
! mechanics of fuids mechanics OF molecules To-day
optics formed the principal subject with its details
OF nature OF light laws OF deviation, laws Of vision
optical instruments, chr0matics achromatlsm, po-
larlzaton, interference and chromatcs OF poarized
light.
| TINE KILLING.
The operation OF time killing goes bravey on In
| the Railways ana parlors. The cadets are having
everything their way and the officers are, In the
language OF our future southern senators, nowharn
| The ladies, as they always do monopolizing the
talking part Of the operation. In fact II would
prise New York girl, well used TO the thing, TO
| know how very much the dear creatures can talk
| here without saying anything. And the cadets are
enraptured with ali they say aud evidently think that
! the professors are very small potatoes compared
with their charmerS-in one respect at least. An in
cessant catter Of tongues Is heard wherever in
| the building, and groups OF girls, with u cadet de-
ghtfully situated In their midst meet the eye all
Sides And this has been the status Qto since yester
| day. Perhaps dance tonight will somewhat break
| this monotOny, which, be IL so pleasant now,
Will become wearisome IL II lasts too long. Should
| the sun degn to shine tomorrow and the moon to
| follow him tomorrow evening, and the graduates
| made the witness OF engaging scenes, and to hear
the whsperngs Of secrets too sacred for unbOsoming
in any but that hallowed grove made holy by the
| confessions OF SO many, many hearts.
Colonel Jerome Patterson Bonapartc, aid TO the
| French Emperor arrived here this evening He is a
tall, Tine looking man, and attracts much attention.