The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1873-02-28
Ilfrom the New York Sun.l
THE NEGRO AT WEST POINT.
Another coIorcd Cadets Exit from the
Academy.

~N~<eNNe
Academy.
WEST PofNT, January 20.-Cadet
Samuel Gibbs ceased to exist to-day.
but plain Samuel Gibbs took the 1906
train from Garrison's for New York,
en- route TO San Auguslin, Fla, where
his august papa resides. Mr.. Gibbs
is the son OF Samuel Gibbs, Secretary
OF State OF Florida. He is about five
feet. three inches high, slim built, and
exceedingly angular in his proper
tions. His feet and hands are out of
all proportion to his form. Evidently
he has not drop of. white blood in
him. His hair, although not precisely
woolly, has moro than the mulatto
kink, while his nose, broad at the nos
tril, and his thick and protrnding lips,
show nothing but negro blood. His
color is something between dark
chocolate aud black.
Samuel Gibbs was appointed ca.
Diet IN May last by colorcd Congress.
maa of Florida, and having satisiacto-
rily passed the preliminary examina.
tion, came 10 the Academy as a plebc
IN June. The cadets had previously
had so much trouble on account of
colored cadets, Smith and Napier,
that by the time Cadet Gibbs arrived
they had determined TO
HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ufN
outside of positive duty, leaving him
to The companionship OF Cadc, Smith.
the only colored cadet then remain
ing. Tbus Gibbs entry into the
Academy was rendered less disagree
able than that of any of the white
plebcs or freshmen. who had TO I'M
dergo any quantity o: hazing, rs the
cadets call it, While the whltesplebcs
were pulled out OF their warm beds
NJ unconsciouable hours, tossed in
blankets, ridden on crossed muskets,
aud forced 10 undergo all the other
vexations devised 10y the ingenious
Youngsters and handed down by ira
dltiou from generation 10, generation
OF cadets, Gibbs was allowed TO hoe
his own row, and 20 his way in peace.
He was never inieriered with by the
cadets, and on the part of the prufcs-
sors received exactly the same treat
ment AS did the white students
When he went away lie wore the ca
det uniform.
The January examinations. which
closed about week ago, and which
proved death 10 the military aspira.
tions of Cadet Gibbs. are represented
io have been unusually severe and
searching, and about twenty OF the
backward young men were found"
which implies that they were deficient
III marks aud failed 10 pass an exam.
inalion. In other words, when 4 ca.
Diet is found he is lost TO the Acad.
eniy and
RETURNS TO CIVIL LIFE.
Your correspondent went 10 the
Academy TO ascertain any particulars
ia regard to The ease of Gibbs. lie
was forced 10 skirm;sh through the
barracks 10 gain the desired iniorma-
ton. At length he found stray ca.
det who had long known Gibbs, and
who is familiar with his career in the
Academy. From him was elected
the following narrative of the colorcd
gentleman career:
Gibbs came here in June last and
was put in Il Company, among the
smaller cadets. lie was one oil the
smallest men in the company. From
the first he did poorly. When hc
went into camp his musket was the
djriicst aud rustiest, and while he
should have been cleaning it lie vas
always reading or siouching around
his tent. lie was the ungainlicst
chap ever saw. We never had any
thing TO do with him, but left him Sc
vercly alone. He was with cadet
Smith most OF his time, but unlike
Smith he was quiet, peaceable fell
low, and tried to do his duty as well
as he knew how. lie seemed to be
siudious, too, but somehow he never
could hammer mathematics into his
head. observed, though, that he
had not much energy and he was
physically weak The cadet then ex.
planned the system of examination,
which is similar TO that pursued in
many colleges. The mark system is
peculiar TO West Point. The highest
mark is three, and each unit is divided
into zen parts. Thus if a cadet makes
a good reputation he is marked three.
while each deviation from excellence
is marked by fraction. If his reci-
tation is rated passabiy good he is ra-
ted two and eight-tenths, and SO on
down. AT the end of each week the
marks are averaged and list, show
ing the standing of each cadet, is
posted in the Adjutant's Office. AT
the end of each term grand average
is struck, and this establishes the ca
det's standing. When he goes'into ex-
animation, no matter how good an
examination he passes, if he has bad
mark he is found" He must have
the mark to pass.
"wHAT WAS GIBB's ssIARK?"
asked the correspondent.
Very low indeed" was the reply /;
"it was about one and cigh-tenths, i
believe"
"A mark renders a cadets expul-
sion certainty"
"Gibbs' examination in academic
studies was quite fair, l believe. He
was in the seventh, or lowest section
III mathematics, and in ihe sixth sec
tion in French. These are our princi.
pal academic studies. In mathemat.
les he passed good examination foi
a seventh section man. and in French
acquitted himself fairly. If he had
been kept be probably would have
remained fourth class man another
| term"