Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-01-30
Alexandria Gazette
YOUNG AMERICA AND WEST PoINr.-The

YouNG AMERICA AND WEST PoINr-The
Army and Navy Journal publishes from the
ssWest Point Scrap Book" now in the pub
Gsher's hands, the following amusing extract
''Among the widest men in my class was was
Cadet c.. His propensities for deylltrry
were unparalleled, as was also his good luck 10
never getting caught in any scrape At the
same time he was very studiouS always IN the
first section in everything, and when We grad,
mated he received a command in the corps OF
engineers. One night, as usual, about twelve
o'clock, We were 'owling' around in drawers,
slippers and dressing gowns seriously medlta-
ting night assault on the cadet officer OF the
DAY, when u suddenly suggested that
we should break into the engine house, back OF
the euard-ro and hive one OF the nozzle5,
and then blow the church call in the sally-port-
C. thought that it might possibly inspire
some of the professors families with the idea
that the millennium had come, and that the
angel Gabriel was blowing his last trump. 1t
WASH long before we had picked the lock- and
found one of the nozzles belonging to the lire
engine. ,,, ,,
in body toward the s'lly-port; There was Va
quite Il little discussion rs to who knew the
church call best G- being ministers son
had the preference The nozzle was too heavy
for one man to hold and blow at the same time,
50 one of u.s. 81 forget who, rested the nozzle on
his shoulder and G- filled his lungs and be-
gun
'Great heavens what solemn sound !
and such an echo 1t was simply grand
G- tried it again. 1t would have filled old
Bentz' with envy, could he have heard those
mournful strains.
''On the principle that enough was as good
rs a feast, and furthermore with an eye to US
ing our mprovised bugle again ON the next
propitious night We refrained from any further
refrain and slowly retired, hiding the nozzle un-
der pile Of Goals in one OF the cellars,
The next morning there was the tallest kind
ola row. The man who had charge OF the en-
zine reported to the colnmandant that the ell
zine room had been broken into and one OF the
nozzles stolen 1t was Of no use to ask ques-
tions or to hunt for it. No one knew anything
about it. We kept low for two or three nights,
until the row had blown over, when we went
out, and G-blew the church-call again in
the sally-port, calmly and deliberately, Once
was enough for that night We did not dare try
it again The commandant the next morning
called upon some of the widest of the 'yearling
class and told them he suspected they were at
the bottom OF it, and that if he found out who
it was that was engaged in it, the severest pun
ishment would be the result but they all hon.
estly and stoutly denied it.
1T was very natural that the commandant
should have thought the 'yearling, class had
perpetrated the joke, for generally they are the
most reckless class but in this case it was the
digniied (?) second class, and he never once
dreamed that they were guilty of such boylsh
freak
"Sone few nights after this, G., with his
usual audacity, treated the residents OF the post
to another dose of church call at midnight, and
cleared out in time to save himself. This was
too much.
''rhe commandant the next morning pub
lshed an order that if he should find out
who it was that blew that nozzle in the sally
port, he would turn him over to the civil au-
thoritics in Cold Spring, and have him tried tor
house breaking. We all concluded that the
last CHAIR had broken the camers back, and
that repetition would certainly result in cap
turc and disgrace so one night, IN the we
small hours, two or three OF us suspended the
offending nozzle by string to the academic
staircase, where next morning it was found
slowly vibrating in the wind, with board coy
cred with white cloth nailed above it and the
aggravating words Ki-y-yi! ! printed on 1t
in large black letters.
''AIl attempts to find out the perpetrators
proved unavaing, and We have often had a
good laugh over this scrape,