Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-08-01
HAZLNG.
Hosc L. Is Dome at Vest Point and Ann
10

ties for INDUCING 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
authority, his delights to exercise it.
The "pleb" is "spotted" or reported
for everything. He is not spoken to
Like gentleman, but more Like q dog.
He has to put "sir" after every an
swer to an upper classman. He must
stand up and take off his cap when one
of these august and important individrl-
ais enters his room. He must stand and
have his looks, figure, and his name
made fun of by perhaps a young strip
ling 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. II he happens to get something
off that approaches wit, and the young
ster smiles, he is then pitched into for
daring to laugh at an upper classmate.
This is the milder form of "hazing;"
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 conducts himself.
As a general thing none but the third
class are supposed to haze but all three
of the upper classes combine to make
the new cadet as uncomfortable as posi-
BILE. 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 go to the floor
where the plebs are in bed. They turn
them out, and make each one arm him
self with a broom. Night-clothes are
all that are worn. The plebs are Or
ganized into companies, and under the
dim light in the corridor are drilled in
all their phantom-like pictrresqueness.
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 sheet is stretched
across the wardrobes, and the two room
mates are made to go through the
evolutions of loosing, reefng and furl-
ing sail. They get dusty, and, what is
worse, are often kept in their cramped
positions on top Of the wardrobe until
their limbs ache; they are made to get
on the table, dance and sing; no matter
whether @ey can dance or sing, they
have to go through the motions.
Afavorite pastime for the festive hazer
is to make one youngster get in the ward
robe 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 q
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, common
soap being used for. lather, and whisk
broom for a brush.
II a youngster gets to exhibiting too
much "gall," and evinces a determi-
nation not to submit to his many perse-
cutions, he is taken into dark room,
where some twenty OF thirty upper class
men are assembled. The operation of
"passing around" is then carried out.
This consists in one man giving the re-
beilious pleb punch in the ribs, knock
ing him to the next man on the right.
He is carried around the circle until he
either gives in or becomes exhausted.
This treatment is known to bring even
the most cheeky youngster to a proper
sense of what is due by him to the upper
classman.
Frequently twenty OF thirty plebs are
gotten into q room, and seated in chairs.
The most religious one that can be
found is made to take the desk and
preach a sermon from o text In the
Bible. His audience at proper intervals
says .sAmen." He then calls on a
brother for "prayer." The prayer has
to be forthcoming. Young men are
made to sit on their beds and with a
broom pretend to row until exhausted.
Tying plebs up in sheets and hanging
them out of the windows is not as COM
mon now as it used to be. Cases are