The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-12-20

whom we met Judge W. W. Upton,
Second Comptroller; Henry H. Gilfry,
clerk iii the Senate; ex-senator
Mitchell, who is practicing before the
Supreme Court, and others. The last
Of May We left the City for West
Point not stopping at New York city
| but taking the West Shore road di-
rectly to the Academy, and soon after
our arrival entered upon the duties
that calleAl us there
The Board of Visitors vas composed
as follows; appointed by the President
OF the United States: Gen. T. NJ. Pal
| fry, Mass lcEusetts; L. j. Mosher, Ore
gon; Col. Henry Raymond, West Vir-
yinia; George E. Wsring, Jr, Rhode
Island; Geo. W. Bouk, Ohio; Gen.
Daniel Rugsles, Virginia; and B. Gratz
Brown, Missouri Appointed by the
President of the Senate: Hon. Omar
ID. Conger, Michigan and Hon. Richard
Coke, Texas. Appointed bv the Speak
er of the House Of Representatives:
Hon. ". 5. Rosecrans, California;
Hon. Lewis Beach, New York and
Hon. Charles r. Skinner, n. Y. The
Board organized by the election Of Gen.
RosecrAns president and Geo E. Man
ming, Jr., secretary. Nearly three
weeks were occupied in making thor
ough examination into the actual con-
ditlon of the Academy and the resul.
embodied in report to the Secretary
of War which has been lately pub
lished. The Board found the general
condition of the Academy and it's be-
lonsings highly satisfactory and its
administration all that could be desired.
The examinations both in the Academy
and i'll the field were especially inter
estlng. In the Academy, by the dem
Onstrations of abstruse scientific prob.
lens and their Intelligent answers in
other branches, the cadets exLinlted "a
thorough knowledge Of the studies
through which they had passed, While
III the infantry, cavalry and light artil-
lery drill, practice with seige guns and
morta:s, pontooh and spal bridge build
ing and III every branch of the duty of
soldier they acquitted themselves
with the skill of veterans and the in
tellisence of educated men. Their skill
IN the riding school would astonish
even Pacific Coast man. Mounting
and dlsmuuntlng bare backed horse
at full sailop, taking tie saoer and re-
volrer from the ground while In motion
were some of The feats performed by
the whole class with apparent ease.
The moral education of the cadets is
not neg lected and the sllictcs. sense Of
honor and ndelity to trusts are always
inculcated. They are not allowed the
use OF liquor or tobacco and the yonng
men graduate healthy and vigorous
mentally, morally and physically. The
graduating exercises were conducted on
platform Iii front of the Academy
upon which we've seated President Ar
thur, the Secretary of War, Lincoln,
the General of the Army, Sheridan, the
| Board of Visitors, General Crook and
the graduating class. The address Of
the Board was delivered by Hon. G.
W. Houk, Gen. Crook the address to
the graduates, and the President of the
United States delivered the diplomas
with short speech containing much
good advice,
The Board were not SO much engaged
with their official duties AS to be unable
to accept the many courtesies extended
to them by the officers on .luty at the
Academy, Gle of the most pleasant of
which was the dinner of the Graduates
Association. 1t is the custom Of the
graduates, or as many as can conven-
iently do so, to meet ut the, annual ex
amlnatlons to renew their school-bov
days and their acquaintance with
each other. On this occasion Gen.
Hancock was present and manv
gray haired veterans, some of whom
had served from the Seminela war to
the ''late npleasantness. 1t was here
we met Prof Ii. l.. Kendrick for the
first time since serving with bin in
Puebla, Mexico, ia lS47.
The business at West Point being
completed we took the steamer Mary
Powell for New York city. The beau
tlful panorama of the classic Hudson
was never exhibited at better advant-
age than on this glorious June day and
Vas of itself d sight worth crossing the
continent to see Several days were
-, tb,