The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-10-24
CADETS AS CHARMERS.
Observations on the Ways They Havs
in West Point,
Each Girl Has Her Cadet for a Ger.
tain Limited Period-Noth.
Ing at West Point
Changes.
fCor, New York Sun-l

1t was one of Sidney Smiths notions that
girls ought to have military dolls to play
with, just as they have hobby horses to ride,
to inure them TO the sight of the live article
without becoming demoralizsd. But the ap-
petite for the military grows by what it
feeds on, and a girl who has once taken a
turn at a Irritation with West Point cadet
is like tiger who has got a taste of blood.
They are past help then. The infection Is
deadly and ineradicable: they seldom stop
short OF marrying second lieutenant and
going out to Puget sound to live on love and
second lieutenant's pay for fifteen or
twenty years. But, meanwhile, the girls
swarm around West Point like flies
around a keg of molasses-the cadets couldn't
fight them off with a stick if they were so
alinded-they are all pretty, all gay, and all
happy in the possession of just as much
cadet as they can capture. That isn't very
much, as at tie last hop at the
post there were forty cadets and pro-
cisely l20 girls.
They observe the rule that prevailed ut
old-fnshioned Dutch tea parties when a lump
Of sugar hung from string I'm the ceiling
md the guests dipI ed it into their cups turn
about. Each girl has her cadet for n certain
limited Ieriod, when she is expected to hand
him over to the next one, who is always wait
ing for him on time. 1t so happens that only
two of ths four classes of cadets are availa-
bic at "ne tirne one class being away each
y ar ON lurlOugh, and the fourth class, the
plebes, Icing forbidden on the pain OF death
to show themselves on any occasion what
ever. except at parede. Thus girl can
lave but two really successful SEASONS here.
at the end OF that time the two classes that
She knows being sup rseded by newcomers.
Sic muy pick up occasional stragglers from
the main lody after her second year, but she
Las no regular and authorized Standing as q
teEe. The girls who Iersist in coming here
after their second season are called turn
backs
Those who are in COOL and regular standing
as in their first or second season are called
rats There is no open war between the rats
and the turnbacks h0stiities being mostly car
ried on in guerilla fashion The fact Is, they
are remarkably afrectionate In their man
ners, and entwine their arms around one an
other and kiss violently but there is as much
bushwhacking as kissing among them. An
old cynic who hangs around here summers
says that when women Kiss the devil laughs.
The cadets are as trim, as well behaved.
and as clean as ever. Inc eed, one of their
chief charms is their Gle anliness A cadet
goes through with such series OF scrub
bings that several skins are peeled off and
grow out again during his four years course.
The first thing they are plunged
au naturel into a tub of boiling water;
there they are parboiled Then taken
out they are sandpapered and hung out
to dry. Then they are polished up, especially
their faces, which on hop nights shine like
Moses in the burning bush. Once every day
tI,nxr, nt,.xt,. ...sl.s 4
after which they are strapped up in their uni
forms, which bind the upper part Of their
Ladies' like the ancient Egyptian mummy
cloths.
The young ladies can never see the cadets
unless they 60 to see them, except those who
are ut the West Point hotel, the only hotel
allowed ON the reservation, and which does
not accommodate n large crowd. The
omnibuses and carriages which run from
neighboring points carry the young ladies
from the surrounding hotels. lt is estimated
that a girl travels several thousands miles
going to and from West Point during the
season.
Sunday afternoon parade Is always at
tended by great crowd. Promptly at half
last the parade is formed. The adiutant.
young gentleman wearing tall shake and
dazzling pair Of white trousers is the
cynosure Of all eyes. The long line Of cadets
go through the drill as one man. The word
Of command sounds something like this.
"C-a-r-r-y--hunksl"
Shoulder--hunksn
"Pre-sent - hunksIp etc. Carry
hunks means carry arms shoulder hunks n
shoulder arms-hunks being the pronuncis-
tion Of arms commonly used by adjutants in
the army on parade.
The hops go on with the same regularity,
the same waltzes are played, the same corpn-
raj stands at the door with his drum sticks |
firmly graspcd ready to beat the tattoo at 10 |
O'Clock for the young ladies to go home and
leave the cadets in peace. The same grim |
sentry marches up and down TO keep the
girls from seeing the boys home and hanging
on the gate afterward The band continues
to play Take BACK the Heart that Thou
Gayest" rs the innocent young tadpoles of
both sexes disperse Nothing at West Point
the faces Of the cadets re-
main always young. Apparently they are
the same fellows that drilled and danced and
fnl nln ala