The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-08-15
LIFE, AT WEST POINT.

Joint cadet. 1t is anything but life
of ease and pleasure, but four years of
hard, earnest work such as few lads |
have the physical endurance to under
60 In the first place boy must pass
an examination to get in fully as hard
as the examination 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 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 90 into camp on the plain;
but they are confined to prescribed linn
its, always under the eyes of watchful
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 conducting entrance ex-
aminations, some people claiming that
boys from the country towns did not
have fair chance and that army of
ficers' sons were shown favoritism.
There certainly are great many boys
rejected in proportion to the number
admitted, but the Academic Board
passes on an applicants papers as des-
ignated by certain number; his name
and personality are known only to the
adjutant, who has lno 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
a boy to come here who has not thor
three Rs, and who knows 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 well prepared 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 eX-
perienced members of the Academic
Board (now retired) admitted in con-
versation the other day that he had found
this to be the fact, "and," he added
''the much-boasted schools in large
part of New England form no exception
to the rule" But even if an applicant
possesses all the mental accomplish
ments 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. 1t
is really painful to see the disappoint-
ment 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 the highest ambi
ton. Besides those who fail at the out
set, there are many who start with s
fair prospect of success, and at the frs
or second differentiation art
found" as the cadets say (meanins
found deficent,) and are compelled tt
pack up their trunk and leave. Some
lads don't mind it, but others never ge
over the disappointment. There are of
ficers on the post now who will remem
Der young Gus .Bandegee, son of tn,
former Connecticut Congressman from
New London. He did not study, wa
found and had to 90 Appeals an,
promises were in vain. The young maj
was never the same afterwards. Ate
leading rambling and somewhat reck
less career he died of a pistol sho
wound somewhere in Texas not very
long ago
Probably no school or college in tn
country is so fair an example of demo
cratic representation as the West Poin
Military Academy. Out of nearly 30
cadets the majority are the sons of CON
paratively poor parents; but whethe
rich or poor, educated or uncultured, in
fluential or obscure, their boys get pre-
cisely the same impartial treatmer
when once they have passed the neces
sary examination and don the cadet un
form. His antecedents are lost sight o
All share the same privileges, the sam
hardships, the same restrictions. Prid
and eonceit, intensified by the coddlin
of fond parents, are Knocked out of
lad in twinking. Prompt obedienC
is one of the first things required
Commands are given in quick, shar
tones, which the cadets soon grow a
customed to, but which would SCUM
harsh enough to bring tears to the ey,
of Hartford High School boy. tt
moral training that the boys get cannt
be too highly estimated. Truth-tellin
is an inherent quality in cadet, at lea
so far as his soldierly duties are col
cerned. So much confidence is place
in the word of cadet by the comman,
ant that mere denial of an alleged o
Tense is sufficient. The boy must an
does speak the truth, making a fran
confession of fault if he is guilty.
he does not do so, he knows that
comrades are in duty bound to tell {
hhm if questioned, and will surely do s
no matter how disagreeable to the ii
of companionship. A lie is an almo
objectionable offense, The duties