The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-27
THE WEST POINT CADETsHIP.
Another Public Seho0lboy Gains the
Coveted Prize-school No. 30 Again the
Winner.

Another Public Seho0lboy Gains the
Coveted Prize-Scho0l No. 30 Again the
Winner. ..E-
Yesterday, at the rooms OF the Board OF Educa-
ton, in Grand street. the examination Of the
public school boys for the muchcoveted prize Of
the cadetship at West Point took place. This
cadetship was rendered by Mr.. Robert B. Roose-
welt, M. Co. to the boys in his district, rather to
the best boy In his district At first Mr.. Roose
welt rendered the nomination to the boys Of the
Eighth ward, but Mr. Duffy, the Principal of school
No. 20 Of the First ward, thereupon wrote to Mr..
Roosevelt, in Washington. that seeing the ward
had given him the largest majority Of the district
1t would be no more than fair to allow his boys to
compete also. Mr.. Roosevelt thereupon wrote
back opening the competition to all the schools
Of his Congressional district. This course
was very wise, as it has since turned out,
for 1t soon became patent that there
were no boys In any OF the public schools OF the
candidates for the West Point cadetshp. The rules
are very strict IN this particular that each cand
the ages OF seventeen and twenty-one This rule
confined the number OF applicants to five, very few
OF the pupils AZ the public schools being so old as
Thomas FL. Barry, 125 Greenwich street, seventeen
and half years; Grammar School. No. 49,
jeremiah Mccarthy No. West street. seventeen
and half years; Grammar School, No. 20.
Henry McGucken, "a Morris street, seventeen
years ana ten months; Grammar School, No. 20.
William Ryan, S2 City Han place. eighteen and
half years; Grammar School, No. 23.
Octave Devere Potter, SO Beech street. seventeen
and three-quarter years; Evening High School.
The members OF the examining committee were
DR.. Thomas G. Tinnell j. Elias Whitehead, Austin
Leake and Luke G. Grimes
AT ten O'Clock THESE gentlemen assembled in one
OF the rooms OF the Board OF Education building,
the i've competing candidates being present.
They all had determined, interested air which
spoke much for the probability OF a good examln-
alton Mr. Thomas Harrson Deputy Superintend.
ent Of Pubic Schools, acted as examiner and did
his work with calm impartial clearness which
showed evidently that there was to be no favorit-
ism shown, and that whoever was to be successful
should be the best. The plan proceeded upon was
to put the questions IN arithmetic on the black
board and each boy worked them cut singly put
ting the method OF doing the sums on the paper
which was handed TO the Examining COMMITTEE.
The arithmetlca calculations comprised sums in
proportion, fractions, interest and decimals and
did not extend to algebra or the higher mathe-
mates. The questions In history consisted OF one
as to tse date, causes and results OF the Mexi.
can war. and the manner in which the
accounts were written were taken as specimens
down twelve words of the English language in or
binary use. and taeir perfection in these were
taken as specimens OF their readiness in spelling
and their aptitude in handwriting. The reading
was Of course pica uoce, while In geography twelve
questions were put to each candidate Uipa roce by
each case, but being OF fair average difficulty, and
comprising not only questions as TO the situations
auctions, inhabitants, &c In this branch the
examination was certainly the most searching and
the most difficult. In grammar the phrase "Give
him whatever he ASK was given to parse. 1t was
evident throughout the examination that none OF
the competitors could be called ignorant while two
or three were educated to a remarkable degree OF
proficiency, which does credit to the school in
which, and the Principal under whom, they studied.
The following is a table OF the whole examination,
it being of course understood that the number 100
denoted perfection in each branch OF study
THE EXAMINATION TABLE,