St. Landry democrat., 1885-08-15
LIFE AT WEST POINT.

Very few people who have never vis-
tied the Military Academy have cor
rect idea of the actual life of a West
Point cadet. 1t is anything but life
of ease and pleasure, but four years of
hard, earnest work such as a 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 go 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 Through 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 a great many boys
rejected in proportion to the number
admitted, but the Academic Board
passes on an applicants papers as des-
ignated by a certain number: his name
and personality are known only to the
adiutant, who has gno 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 it's severity greatly
increased by the regulations of the
Academy. 1t is sheer waste of time for
boy to come here who has not thor
oughly mastered the elements of the
three Rs, and who knows something
about che 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
s'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 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 a
fair prospect of success, and at the first
or second semi-annuali determination are
found as the cadets say (meaning
found deficient, and are compelled to
pack up their trunk and leave. Some
lads don't mind it, but Others never get
over the disappointment. There are Of
fcers ON the post now who will remem-
Der young Gus Bandegee, 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 afterwards. After
leading rambling and somewhat reck-
less 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 demo-
cratic representation as the West Point |
Military Academy. Out of nearly 800
cadets the majority are the sons of COM
paratiyely poor parents; but whether
rich or poor, educated or uncultured, in
fiuential or obscure, their boys get pre-
cisely the same impartial treatment |
when once they have passed the neces-
sary examination and don the cadet uni |
form. His antecedents are lost sight of. |
All share the same privileges, the same
hardships, the same restrictions Pride |
and conceit, intensified by the eoddling |
of fond parents, are knocked out of a |
lad in twinkling. Prompt obedience
is one of the first things required. |
Commands are given in quick, sharp |
tones, which the cadets soon grow ac-
customed to, but which would sound |
harsh enough to bring tears to the eyes
of q Hartford High School boy. The
moral training that the boys get cannot |
be too highly estimated. Truth-telling |
is an inherent quality in cadet, atleast |
so far as his soldierly duties are con-
cerned. So much confidence is placed |
in the word of a cadet by the command
ant that mere denial of an alleged of
Tense is sufficient. The boy must and