Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-08-08
TROUSERS BY THE DOZEN.
West PoiRt Cadets Keep tho W:,shwoman
Busy.-12O Pairs of White Trousers.

TROUSERS BY THE DOZEN,
West Point Cadets Keep t:sc Washwoman
Busy.-12O Pairs of White TROUSERS.
The light battery drill this evening,
says a West Point dispatch to the Ncsu
York Times, was an effective display of
motion and noise. The exhibition is
one of the few among those usually ar
ranged for the graduating ceremonies
that afford the participants equal en-
joyment with the spectators. The ca
diets were brimful of enthusiasm as
they rolled rapidly over the plain on
jolting gun-wagons, running, jumping,
charging, wheeling, and firing volley
after volley until their forms were lost
to view i'll the smoke and their shouts
Neutrality-suspicious. in the cchoing roar of
cannon. Gen. Sheridan remarked,
when he watched the same drill a year
ago, that the cadets were at a great
disadvantage in having to use cavalry
horses for artillery drill. Three months
practice a year, all that a be spared
for this drill, does not take enough
freshness out of the animals to prevent
them from doing a great many stupid
and annoying things that trained ar
tillery horses would never dream of,
The third class men acted as cannon
GERS and the first class men rs mounted
officers, the whole under the general
ship of Lieut.. Price. A little rain ut
midday was an excellent thing for the
visitors, but made the roads ruinous to
the cadets white duck trousers.
1t is a constant source of wonder to
civilians here how the cadets manage
to keep their starched leggear SO spot
lessly clean. Acadct comes out to guard
mount, runs around tho barracks for
an hour OF two. sits on dusty benches,
and then walks into tho recitation
room with his white trousers as free
from dirt and crcases as though they
had just come from the ironing-board.
"Why," said one lady to-day, as she saw
the cadets marching to dinner, "my
boy wouldn't be lit to be seen after he
had worn such trousers five minutes"
As it is a punishable otlcnsc to wear
dirty trousers the cadets are somewhat
careful, and each one changes four or
five times a day if necessary. Three
pairs day is considered economical.
Every cadet has anywhere from thirty
to fifty pairs of white trousers, and he
is allowed fourteen pairs in each weeks
wash. The cadet adj utant, who is called
upon at times to make a little more
display of himself than his comrades in
the ranks, is permitted to send eigh-
teen pairs to the washwoman .
week, and he doesn't have to WORRY
about the wash-bill, either.
ThoVo ia q or.iouu of;r,,otAo ---
the cadets as to the disposal of their
trousers when they leave the academy.
If u young man is at all popular some
Of his comrades bequeath him their
trousers as u token of respect and re.
membrancc. The shortest cadet in the
graduating class has an accumulation
of 120 pairs which have come to him in
this way, and he has to hang them all
up in his room. AS the trousers sell
dom wear out, except at the bottom of
the legs, they arc sent to the commits
sary's department to be treated
after a fashion customary in families
where growing boys o%verbalance a
limited income. The littlest fellow in
the corps at present is Jose Victor
Zavala, from Guatemala, who is very
popular for his patience and his pecu-
liarities. As a mark of their regard
the entire first class are talking of
giving him their white trousers next
week. Should they really do so the
little So.ith American will have to find
pegs tor nearly 1000 pairs OF trousers.
Gen. Merritt visited the official board
at its regular sitting this morning, and,
as ne knows what improvements he
wants about the post much better than
anyone can tell him, he offered one or
two suggestions, which tho members
in their report may give the prominence
of a recommendation. After the meet
ing Gen. Merritt and Commandment
Hasbrouch walked with the visitors
around the post. The members of the
board made a somewhat superficial in
spection which will guide them in the
more thorough committee work to fol-
low. One suggestion made by Gen.
Merritt was that q new separate build
ing be put up for the chemical and ply
steal laboratories. These departments
are now jammcd into one corner of the
academic building, which is taxed to
its limit by several recitation rooms,
a museum, and a gymnasium. The
laboratories arc too small for the needs
of the school, and us there seems to be
no practicable way of charging the
academic bui!ding-one of the oldest
on the post-it is thought better to
ask congress to appropriate money
enough to put" up II new building. Gen.
Merritt also dropped a hint as to the
insuiliciency of apparatus in tho gymna-
SUM, mentioned that more room was
required in the laundry, and called at
tention to the fact that the married SOL
diers among the enlisted troops sta
toned here wanted seventeen moro
small houses to live in. In their sub
sequent ramblings when they have
more leisure tho three congressman
will have more time to thoroughly d.
gest the generals hints and determine
how large a demand ii any, it will be
advisable to make upon tho public
purse.