The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-24
Life at Cozzens' and at the
West Point Hotel.
Tho German Hotels, the Private Boarding
Houses, the Fishing, the New Drive
andthe 'sNinety- Minute' Hops.
PICTURE OF A TYPICAL ENGLISH SNOB.
Tribute to the Memory of Old
Benny Ravens.


Perhaps the chief recollection which posterity
VIII have In regard to West Point will be that there
was once o colored cadet there who caused great
deal OF trouble to the national government, and
was the subject OF various uncompumentary at!
tentions on the part or his blonde companions.
However that may be, 1t is certain that unless
the season picks up In August, the Summer term
of 1873 will not hold . conspicuous place in the
Ieconections Of posterity. 1t is unpleasant TO be
compelled to pen an unvary1ng chronicle Of half
empty hotels and apathetic guests. Thackeray,
An vanity FAIR speaks OF the injurious effect
which perpetual contemplation OF splendOr must
have upon the court reporter, how 1t must pre-
naturely blanch his hair and daze his eyes, living,
a. he does In the continual blaze and glare Of
august ceremonials and brilliant nobility. Possibly
the poor fellow does not live OUT hall his days, but
how much better his case Is than that of one
condemned to roam In search OF briliancy
and fashion, and forever incapable Of finding them
Think how much more agreeable to ones feel
ings 1t would be to say, Tne season at West Point
1s now AT Its height, and the hotels are Drumming
with the wealth. beauty and fashion OF America"
what an opening sentence that would be The
only drawback ia that 1t would not be true, and
would thus be without the chief claim which any
remark should have in order to recommend itself
70 responsible journal.
A WORD or two apropos Of the people and the enter
tainment on the way between New York and West
Point You have seen the English snob repre-
scented on the stage, and you know how wretched
and untrue the burlesque is. II any OF our drama
fists (how many there between Gayler and Bron-
son Howard y wishes to draw such q likeness in
lively colors why don't he make study on board
one OF the West Point boats He could hardly fail
70 come near the truth with the specimens that
would beset him. saw one yesterday the very
embodiment OF those unpleasant and ridicu-
1Ous qualities which we associate with the
word snob. He wore exceedingly wide
nankeen trousers which, when he sat with his
legs up, occupying two chairs, gave an ample view
Of the tops OF his CATERS and halEhose, to say
nothing of the muscular regions beyond. The rest
OF his dress was respectable enough, with the ex-
Ception OF an exceedingly wide-brimmed drsb
cloth hat and pair OF sOiled lavender cOored kid
gloves. His lace was fringcd from ear to ear with
whiskers which looked like OF hair. running
ND upon q Coney Island countenance, and his
pulpy and selfish lips wore that peculiar eX-
preston OF pseudo contempt and indifference
which are one OF the most exasperating exhibi-
lions for good nature to endure. He was reading
n French novel, whose leaves he cut from time to
time as he read with an immense knife, that might
have come within the category Of deadly weapons
Doubtless the man has right to dress as he
pleases and TO read French novels from
now until doonsday; but nobody but an
English sn0b s ana one of wo the worst s1a
had the e1rontery to occupy two camp stools in
she face OF a Doatul OF passengers, ana TO swear
that both were engaged whenever anybody more
enterprising than the rest attempted to appropri-
ate one Occasionally ne gave languid glance at
she scenery, and then l iancled he chuckled to
himself and exclaimed lnwardy, "But you 'avent
got no habbey and you 'ayen't get no tower" and
when any bell sounded which suggested lunch you
could see that the monster was thinking of pies OF
veal and lam, or, perhaps, rasher Of bacon.
'.nicely curled, nanked by pint OF all-and- alf
n hadp 100 fOr no m MT
could have endured HIM with equanimity. But
y0u know what delightful music they have on the
bcguile the journey. What with two harps. violin
and iute, given up to melody rom the moment
come in sight OF Cozzens' HOTEL any reasonable
tourist ought TO be contened. II may be objected
that the musicians play out Of time and out Of tune
Them ior playing At all It cannot be
camsd adSona , that they play out
are countenanced by any but those VINO care to
write about them and who think they are priv
legged to have a joke at their expense. For four
hours the little band worked hard. First 1t harped
and nuted ait, and then 1t harpcd and nuted abalt
u am told that my OF these terms is perfectly
legitimate, and therefore nope that no reader Of
the HERALD will be so bypercritcal as to cast a
Sur upon then) and then II went into the ladies',
cabin, and then into the main gangway. am Ger.
cain That this last phrase is beyond dispute, be-
cause everybody was always getting into the gang
O the crew. No sooner had we got seated, alter
moving than we found that we we're in the gang
u
bearing down upon us, and we In imminent
danger OF being mashed against the side OF the YES
sci or swept overheard. However, the trip passed
on without any disaster OF that kind. There
was no burial on board while was there.
WHO ARE AT WEST POINT.
To mention those VINO are not at West Point, but
who ought " be there, who are expected to be there
and VINO can furnish no good reason ior not being
there would make this letter much longer than
merely TO state who are there. Principal among
those spending the season at C0z2ens' Hotel (tne
only large and much 1requented hotel in the place,
with the exception OF the West Point, are Messrs
Peter and Robert Goelet and family Messrs
J. HsmSton Rob-. j. M. Brown and families 1 Gem,
eral Gibbon and family, and Mrs. Nathan and
family. Many OF the other regular visitors OF the
place nave not yet appeared, and IL IL hoped that
August VIII oil the vacuums. There Is music every
evening at Cozzens' and hop about once Tort
at the West Point Hotel. Besides these hops are
provided by the cadets in the academic building
there are plenty OF serenades on the plains by
the West POINT band The cadets are now
months OF camp life, and will return to barracks on
the 18th OF August. The third class Is absent, en-
be seen to give a lively sprnKhng Of white trow,
sers Meanwhile all the military discipline Is
retained, and such entertainments as are TO be
found at the hotels and private boarding houses
DO not more senslby affect the usual tenor OF cadet
life than comets TALL would afrect the motion OF
the earth. The reveille sounds at 1--WE; then fol-
lows the police OF camp then the drlll at ha-past
i've. lasting one hour. Breakfast comes at seven,
dress parade At eight, with guard-mounting imme-
Atstely after. Between nine and ten taxes place
the artillery drill. Dinner is had at one police of
camp follows at four; another drill ensues from
I'VE 70 six; then comes the sunset dress parade.
The tattoo rollcall sounds at hall-past nine, and
s1tapsn lights OUT at quarter TO ten, when ST.
hence falls upon the line OF tents and every cadet
fs supposed to be about to attack the forfeations
Of sleep.
The cadet hops nave been well attended, though
not SO wen, perhaps, as those OF last year. The
ladies call them "ninety minute hops,r though
their real duration Is ITO minutes. The above reg
ulations are observed every day excepting Satur-
day and Sunday, when greater latitude is
allowed.
Besides the two hotels menuoned-the terms at
which are 81 so per day-there are only three first
class private boarding houses at West Point, at
which the prices vary from SIC TO $22 per week.
There are three German boarding houses, advo-
Gated by Germans exclusively, and, in the adjon-
ing village TWO botels-highland Falls and krimm-
ing H0use-the terms at winch are AZ SO per day.