Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-07-09
LIFE AT WEST POINT.
The Mental and Physical Discipline
Through Which a Cadet Must Pass.
Hartford Times.


actual life of a West Point cadet. It
is anything but life of pleasure and
ease, but four years of hard, earnest
work snch as few lads have the
physical endurance to undergo. In
the first place boy mast pass an ex-
animation to get in, fully as hard as
the examin atoms for admission to the
Hartford Hi h 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
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
plains; but they are confined to pre-
scribed limits, 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
his post on an eight-weeks'.a 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 showa 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
ality 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
of the academy. 1t 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 we'll prepared under the COM
mon school system of t0>day as they
were in the private schools of 25 years
ago. One of the oldest and most ex-
perienced members of the Academic
Board (now retireO admitted in con-
versation the other day that he had
found this to be the fact, ''an3," he
added, 'the much boosted schools in a
large part OF New England form no
exception to the rule" But even if an
applicant possesses all the mental &C
mplishments he must be strong
An experienced surgical
board will find the unsound spots ia
him. if he has any, and send him home
by the first boat. 1t is really painful
to see the disappointment and despair
every day only to have their dearest
hopes ruthlessly broken, and the
gates barred at the entrance of a long
road, but the only one leading to their
highest ambition. Besides those who
fail at the outset, there ara many who
start with a fair prospect of success,
and at the first or second semi an
nual examinations are found" as
the cadets say (meaning found de-
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 now who will re-
young Gus Brandegee, son of
the former Connecticut Congressman
from New London. He did not study,
was found" and had TO 60. 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 once they have pass.
ed the necessary examination and don
the cadet uniform. His antecedents
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 in a twinkling. Prompt obed-
fence is one of the first things required.
Commands are given in quick, sharp
tones, which the cadets soon grow
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 a frank COM
fession of a fault if he is guilty. IF
he does not do SO, ne knows that his
comrades are in duty bound to tell on
him if questioned, and will surely do
SO. no matter how disagreeable to the
ties of companionship. a lie is an al
most objectionable offense. The