The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-07-13
HAZING AT WEST POINT.
A wouLD-BE CADET REcITEs HIS
EXPERIENCE.

Examined by the Doctors at the Military
Acndemy--PranksP Played by the Older Cn-
diets on "P. ctc ,"--An Invitation to Fight.
"Through political influence l OBJ
tanned an appointment to West Point
cadetship, and after | received the
necessary papers from Washington L
packed my little gripsack and started
for the academy. got there at about
dark and reported to the commandant.
He told me to report again in the
morning At daybreak l arose and
went to the Office. The commandant
gave me letter to the board of sur
geons, who were to examine me as to
my physical paraphernalia.
"'Take off your clothesP command
ed a man full Of brass from his boots
to his bangs.
"An of them?' I asked, shaking
with fear, until felt like bag of
marbles.
"Ye', and be quick about it.
"I disrobed, and was then ushered
into room where sat three men in
uniform, and looking as stern as the
rudder of a canal boat.
"They made me hop around the room
on one foot, then on the other; then
they opened my mouth and looked all
around it as if they were hunting for
something that / had stolen. Then
they held up pieces of g'ass and asked
me conundrums about the colors, and
then they made me read fine and large
type at different distances. Finally,
one got in front of me and pounded on
my chest while the other listened at
my back to hear if there were any
stolen goods inside, I suppose.
"Put on your Clothes
"Am 1 all rieht?' I asked. I
hoped and prayed that I wasn't. 1
would have given $40 If 1 had been
found guilty of the mumps. measles,
whooping-cough and all the other dis
eases in the dictionary.
"Yes,' answered the chief ex-
aminer; pat on your clothes
81 put my clothes on, and then was
given in charge of regular, who led
me across the yard to the cadets
quarters.
81 was dressed to kill, and had on a
light overcoat and a plug hat. That
hat proved my ruin. Heads were
poked out of every window and I was
greeted with such comforting yells as
sShoot it = Come from under that
hat and look at it = etc, etc. I was
perspiring so that left a trail behind
me.
81 was led to the second floor of the
main building and the regular knocked
ut the door. 1t was opened and the
regular left me there all alone and Sc
coded. 1 was grabbed by one of the
six cadets in the room, my hat was
knocked off, my hands were pressed to
my sides, and I was told to place my
nose against a tack driven in the wall.
Then 1 was piled with such questions
rs these:
"Where is your trunk?'
"At home
What's in it?'
"I d-don't know
"sIs there regiment of artillery in
tt?'
Il laughed.
Fatal laugh In doing it I took
my hands from my sides and forgot all
about the tack in the wall. I was
grabbed, plac ed in position and told
that if dared to move even an eye
lash again 1 would be locked up fol
the rest of the term and be fed on
bread, or bread and water, minus the
bread.
"Then I was piled with all sorts of
ludicrous questions-very laughable
but di MT dare to even shudder. !
was instructed al to my duties. was
told that my hands must always APP
pear in public soldered to the seams of
my pants that my chin must always
De nailed to my chest; that my head
must always be erect, with my eyes
straight to the front. and that / must
always salute my superiors. Then l
was sent upstairs to my quarters.
"There were nine other Pebs in the
room with me, and tie daily routine
was about as follows
cat 6 o'clock we were compelled to
be up and dressed roll-call at $50
then back to the quarters. where ouI
Le1s had to be arranged against the
walls. If the edges of the mattresses
pillows, sheets and Quilts varied q
nair s. breadth from the perpendicular
they were kicked down by the officer
Of the day and had to be rebuilt
Breakfast at the mess-hall at o'clock
study until noon dinner more study
supper at 6; more study until9 o'clock
when the gun was fired. Then al
light had to be eXtinguished and all
hands in bel.
cadets bent On hazing would bring
us up all standing hundred times
h day, and then would stand in groups
and laugh at us. Then they would
make us hop around the room, and we
had one fellow who was always com
pella ID to hop from the char to the
mantelpiece and then to the trunk
Once in while they were extra funny
and then we were compelled to per
,onate animals One would be mon
key. another an alligator, another an
Eagle, another canary, and so on; and