Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-07-09
LIFE AT WEST POINT.
The Mental and Physical Discipline
Through which a Cadet Must Pass
Hartford Times

Very few people who have never
visited the United States Military
Academy have a" correct idea of the
actual life of a West Point cadet. 1t
is anything but life of pleasure and
ease, out four years of hard, earnest
work such as a few lads have the
physical endurance to undergo. In
the first place a boy mast pass an ex-
animation to get in, fully as hard as
the examinations for admission to the
Hartford He III School, and once IN he
is ruled with an iron rod of discipline.
The greater part of the winter his bar
racks are little less combining than a
prison, and his sole recreations are the
daily drills. In the summer time
books are thrown aside for two months
and the cadets go into camp on the
plains; but they are confined to pre-
scribed limits, always under the ewes
of watchful officers. Midway in the
course, at the end of the irst two
years, the cadet is permitted to leave
his post on an eight weeks. furlough.
There has always been more or less
carping criticism at the manner of
conducting entrance examinations,
some people claiming that boys from
the country towns did not have fair
chance and that army officers sons
were shown favoritism. There Ger
tainly are great many boys rejected
IN proportion to the number admitted
but the academic board passes on an
applicants papers as designated by a
certain mum Der; his name and person
atty are known only to the adjutant,
who has no casting vote.
A professor might reject his own
nephew and not know 1t. Most APP
plicants fail through not knowing
what special studies to perfect them~
selves in. The law on the subject is
simple enough, but it is elastic, and
its severity greatly increased by the
regulations of the academy. It is
sheer waste of time for boy to come
here who has not thoroughly master
ed the elements of the three Rs, and
who knows something about the his
tory and geography Of his own coun-
try, Apropos of the number Of
failures the critical gentleman who sit
in judgment here find that boys are
not so well prepared under the com
mon school system of to-day as they
were in the private schools of 25 years
ago. One of the oldest and most ex-
perieneed members of the Academic
Board (now retired) admitted in con-
the other day that he had
found thi to be The fact, land" he
added, 'the much boosted schools in a
large part OF New England form no
exception 10 the rule" But even if an
applicant possesses all the mental &C
comphshments he must be strong
An experienced surgical
board will find the unsound spots ia
him. il he has any, and send him home
by the first boat. 1t is really painful
TO see the disappointment and despair
on the faces of the lads who come here
every day only to have their dearest
hopes ruthlessly broken, and the
gates barred at the entrances of long
road, but the only one leading to their
highest ambition. Besides those who
fail at the outset, there are many who
start with far prospect of success,
and at the first or second semi an
nual examinations are "found," as
the cadets say (meaning found de-
icienO, and are compelled to pack up
their trunks and leave. Some lads
don't mind it, but others never get
over the disappointment. There are
officers on the post DOW who will re-
member young Gas Brandegee, son of
the former Connecticut Congressman
from New London. He did not study,
was found" and had to go. Appeals
and promises were in vain. The young
man was never the same afterward.
After leading a rambling and some
what reckless career he died of a pistol
shot wound somewhere in Texas not
very long ago.
Probably no school or college in the
country is so fair an example of DEM
ocratic representation as the West
Point Military Academy. Out of
nearly 800 cadets the majority are the
sons of comparatively poor parents;
but whether rich or poor, educated or
influential or obscure, the
boys get precisely the same impartial
treatment when oncs they have pass
ed the necessary examination and don
Lne Cduel uu1lcIIu. Illo nnhCSOOCnto
are lost sight of. All share the
same privileges, the same hard
ships, the same restrictions. Pride
and conceit, intensified by the cod
ding OF fond purents, are knocked out
of lad Ia a twinkling. Prompt obed
fence is one of the first things required.
Commands are given in quick, sharp
tones, which the cadets soon grow
accustomed to, but which would
sound harsh enough to bring tears to
the eyes Of a Hartford High School
boy. The moral training that the
boys get can not be too highly esti-
mated. Truth.telling is an inherent
quality in a cadet, at least so far as his
soldierly duties are concerned. So
mach confidence is placed IN the word
of cadet by the commandant that a
mere denial of an alleged offense is
sufficient. The boy must and does
speak the truth, making frank con,
fsssion of q fault II he is guilty. IL