The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-03-20
A ROUGH PLACE.
Why Young Man Does Not Care 20
Serve Uncle Sam by Taking
Course at West Point.

~ don't care to see West Point
again. said a young man who, having
just returned from the great institution,
was asked how he liked the place.
"Oh, yes, the discipline is good, and
they take the stoop from fellows
shoulder, still they do not observe
those little niceties of politeness which
I like to see practiced among gentle
men. | went in with young fellow
named Adams, youth of good man
ners, who I thought, could not fail TO
make good impression. We were
shown into an Office, where was
pleased to meet lieutenant with whom
was acquainted. He shook hands
with me cordially and asked about my
relatives. l introduced him to Adams.
and he seemed glad to meet him and
profoundly acknowledged his gratitude.
'Ah, young gentlemen, said he, so you
contemplate joining us. Glad of it.
You'll find everything pleasant here.
Just sign this, please, showing out
something that looked like cut-throat
mortgage, Just as we had signed the
thing, the lieutenant, turning to a pug
nosed thing who stood near with gun,
said: Take these fellows down to the
commissary department" Adams and
looked at each other and smiled. Get
out of here demanded the lieutenant,
Corporal, take 'em away We did not
like the change in his manner, but
thinking that such freaks might be
among his peculiarities, we said moth
to the commissary department, where
we were each furnished with fifteen
pairs of shoes, fifteen pairs of boots and
about four hundred pairs of socks.
Then, loaded down with our spoils, we
were conducted into an upper room.
Elk these things said the corporal.
How fix 'em? asked. He stormed
at US and told US that if we had not
stacked 'em up in shape by the time he
got back he would report us.
He went away, and we went to work
to arrange our goods. thought that
my socks were especially well arranged,
but when the corporal came back, he
gave them kick and said: Fix these
things I felt like knocking him down,
but thinking that had not got the hang
of the place, restrained my feelings.
Come on here, now said the corporal.
We were then shown into long hall
The corporal left us, and having given
no instructions, we knew not what to
do After awhile Adams remarked,
81 see a lot of tracks leading to that
door. Believe I'll go and ask Tor direc-
TONS He went into the room but
moment afterwards, came out like
man falling down stairs. Pretty soon
after this, we saw, posted on the wall, a
couple of sheets of paper. They refer
red TO US, giving US everything but
fatherlY advice. Well, concluded to
go in When l entered, bluff officer
looked up and asked
What's your name?'
Jackson
"'Get out of heren
81 went back to my bill constructions
and learned that my name was Jack
again, and went back.
"'What's your name2'
jackson, L. D.
"'Get out of heTer
went back to my bill again and
found that i had left off the sir.
1.-The next time l succeeded, but
Adams, l think must have been fired
out four times, at least. We soon
learned that for the first three months
we were to be known as beasts and
that no cadet would speak to US, and
that we were not even allowed to look
at one of them. One day happened
to look up at fellow Swelling like
toad. he exclaimed: Take your Shiny
eyes off ne!'
Il wanted to knock him down, but
by this time l had learned to endure
Insults. There may be places more
uncomfortable for beginners, but 1
wouldn't know where to look for them.
They say that the penitentiary is rough,
and l suppose it is, but warrant you
that if a West Point beast were to
awaken some morning and find himself