Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-09-24
LIFE AT WEST POINT.
The Discipline Through Which n
Cadet Must Pass.

Very Jew people who have never visited
the. United States Military Academy have
q correct idea of the actual life OF West
Point cadet. 1t is anything out life OF
ease and pleasure, but four years OF hard,
earnest work such as few lads have the
physical endurance to undergo. In the
first place boy must pass an examina-
ton to get in fully as hard rs the ex-
animation for admission to the Hartford
High School, and once in he is ruled with
an iron rod of discipline. The greater
part OF the winter his barracks are little
less combining than prison, and his sole
recreations are the daily drills. In the
summer time books are thrown aside for
two months and the cadets 60 into camp
on the plain, but they are confined to
prescribed limits, always under the eyes
OF watehful officers. Midway in the
course, at the end of the first two years,
the. cadet is permitted to leave the post on
an eight weeks furlough.
There has always been more or less
carping criticism at the manner OF con-
Quoting entrance examinations some peo-
pie claiming that boys from the country
towns did not have a fair chance, and
that army officers sons were shown
favoritism. There certainly are great
many boys rejected in proportion to the
passes on an applicants papers as des-
ignated by a certain number; his name
and personality are known only to the
adjutant, who has no casting vote. A
professor might reject his own nephew
and not know it. Most applicants fail
through not knowing what special studies
to perfect themselves in. The law on the
subject is simple enough, but it is elastic,
and its severity greatly increased by the
regulations of the academy. 1t is sheer
waste OF time for boy to come here
who has not thoroughly mastered the ele-
ments of the three Rs, and who does not
know something about the history and
geography of his own country.
Apropos of the number of failures the
critical gentlemen who sit in judgment
here find that boys are not so we'll pre-
pared under the common school system
OF to-day as they were in the private
schools Of twenty-five years ago. One OF
the Oldest and most experienced MEM
beers of the academic board (now retired)
admitted in conversation the other day
that he had found this to be the fact,
"and." he added, the much-boasted
schools in a large part of New England
form no exception to the rule" But even
If an applicant possesses all the mental
accomplishments he must be strong
physically. An experienced surgical
board will find the unsound spots in him,
if he has any, and send him home by the
first boat. It is really painful to see the
disappointment and despair on the faces
of some of the lads who come here every
day only to have their dearest hopes ruth
lessly broken, and the gates barred at the
entrance Of long road, but the only one
leading to their highest ambition: Besides
those who fall at the outset, there are
many who start with fair prospect OF
success, and at the first or second semi
annual examinations are found" as the
cadets say (meaning found deficient, and
are compelled to pack up their trunks and
leave. Some lads don't mind it, but
others never get over the disappoint-
ment. -,
Probably no school or college in TIE
country is so fair an example OF Demo
cratic representation as the West Point
Military Academy. Out OF nearly 300
cadets the majority are the sons OF COM
paratively poor parents; but whether
rich or poor, educated or uncultured, in
fluential or obscure, the boys get pre-
cisely the same impartial treatment when
once they have passed the necessary OK
animation and don the cadet uniform.
Their antecedents are lost sight OF. All
share the same privileges, the same hard,
ships, the same restrictions. Pride ana
conceit, intensified by the coddllng OF
| fond parents, are knocked out of a lad III
! a twinkling. Prompt obedience is one OF
the first things required. Commands are
given in quick, sharp tones, which the
| cadets soon grow accustomed TO, Du'
which would sound harsh enough to bring
+aars Ia the ewes of Hartford High
! School boy.
The moral training that the boys gel
cannot be too highly estimated. truth
telling is an inherent quality in a cadet
at least SO far as his soldierly duties ara
Concerned. Somuch confidence IS placed
in the word OF cadet by a commandan
that mere denial OF an alleged offenst
) IS sufficient. The boy must and doe'
4 speak the truth, making u frank comics
sion OF fault if he is guilty; II ne ace
not do so, he knows that his comraoe'
are in duty bound to tell on him II CUES
tIoned and will surely do go, no matte