The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-07-29
haxlng.

ties for indulging in the pastime that
are possessed by third-class men at West
Point and Annapolis. The third class
is above the newcomer, the ''pleb" or
"youngster," and exercises certain sort
of supervision over him. He is made
superintendent of the fourth class floor.
AS he has just come into little au-
thority, he delights to exercise it. The
"pleb" is Spotted" or reported for
everything He is not spoken to like a
gentleman, but more like a dog. He
has to pnt ''sir" after every answer to
an upper classman. He must stand up
and take off his cap when one Of these
august and important individuals enters
his room. He must stand and have his
locks, figure, and his name made fun of
by perhaps young STRIPPING a foot
shorter than himself. The language
used is often insulting, but it is seldom
that the pleb dares to resent it. The
hazer generally tries to be very funny.
If he happens to get something off that
approaches wit, and the yourgster
smiles, he is then pitched into for daring
to laugh at an upper classmate. This is
the milder form of "hazing y it is called
running" To most young men it is
more calling than "hazing' proper.
The latter affects the body, while the
former consists in slurs and personal
abuse On drill the youngster is yelled
at upon every opportunity by the cadet
officers, and sneering remarks are made
aloud at the manner in which he con-
ducts himself
AS general thing more but the third
class are supposed to haze but all three
of the upper classes combine to make
the new cadet as uncomfortable as pos
sible There are different forms Of haz-
ing. One that is always practiced more
or less every year Is the "shirt-tail pa
rade" After taps, when everybody is
supposed to be in bed, few choice
spirits of the third class so to tho floor
wtere the plebs are in bed. They turn
them out and make each one arm him.
self with broom. Nightclothes are
all that are worn. The plebs are organ
izeG into companies, and under the dim
light in the corridor are drilled in all
their phantom-like picturesqueness. The
wardrobes in the cadets rooms are very
narrow the youngsters are made to
climb them very quickly. Often the
wardrobe falls on them.
At Annapolis a sheet is stretched
across the wardrobes, and the two room
mates are made to 60 through the
evolutions of loosing, reeting and furling
sail. They get dusty, and, what is
worse, are often kept in their cramped
positions on tip of the wardrobe until
their limbs ache; they are made to get
on the table, dance and sing no matter
whether they can dance or sing, they
have to go through the motions.
A favorite pastiine for the festive hazer
is to make one youngster get in the
wardrobe to sing, while another acts as
if he was turning the crank of hand
organ. Whenever new tune is wanted,
the outside man taps on the wardrobe
and the singer sings him another lay.
The mattresses are taken from the beds
in several rooms and piled up around
few selections of the genus pleb, until
the hollow column reaches near the cell
ing Into the top of this water is poured
upon the recumbent youngsters until the
hazers get tired. Sometimes, but not
often, a particularly cheeky young man
is made to eat soap. Frequently he is
shaved with blunt piece of tin, COM
mon soap being used for lather, and
whisk broom for brush.
If youngster gets to exhibiting too
much 'gall," and evinces a determine
ton not to submit to his many persecu-
tons, he is taken into dark room,
where some twenty or thirty upper class
men are assembled. The operation of
"passlng around" is then carried out.
This consists in one man giving the re-
bellious pleb punch in the ribs, knock
ing him to the next man on the right.
lie is carried around the CIRCLE until he
either gives in or becouD exhausted.
This treatment is known to bring even
the most cheeky youngster to proper
sense of what is due by him to the upper
classman.
Frequently twenty or thirty plebs are
gotten into room and seated in chairs.
The most religious one that can be
found is made to take the desk and
preach q sermon from . text in the
Bible His audience at proper intervals
savs UAmep" He then calls IN a