Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-08-03
The United Mates Cadetship.
House OF REPRESENTATIVES, U. S.,
WASHINGTON, August l., 1886.

HOUSE OF hEPRESENTATlNES v. D, I
WASHINGTON, August |, 1886.
To the Editor of the Dispatch:
The competitive examination for the
election Of a candidate to represent the
Third congressional district Of Virginia
as cadet of the United States Military
Academy rice Writ Robinson, who is
to graduate in June, 1887. will be held
at the Circuit Courtroom in the city Of
Richmond on Wednesday the 4th day
of August, 1886.
The Examining Board will consist Of
DR.. Isaiah White, Mr.. E. X. Murray,
and Professor j. b. Crenshaw.
TIE candidate selected will have TO
appear at West Point, n. Y, early in
June, 1887, and must then be between
seventeen and twenty-five years Of age,
unmarried, at least five feet in height,
free from any infectious or immoral dis
order, and generally from any de-
formity, disease, or infirmity which
may render him unfit for military
service. lie must DO we'll yersed in
reading, in writing, including orthO.
graphy, in arithmetic, and have a
knowledge Of the elements Of English
grammar, of descriptive geography
particularly of our own country, and
Of the history Of the United States.
All the candidates must be examined
by DR.. White with reference to the
physical requirements and disqualified
tons set forth above. lie will reject
such as are manifestly disqualified, and
give the public service the benefit of all
material doubts.
As 10 the mental examination, the
candidates must be exercised in read
ing and writing. In reading they must
be able to read understandingly with
proper accent and emphasis. In writing
and orthography they must be able from
CictatiCn to write sentences from stand
ard pieces of English literature, both
prose and poetry, sufficient to test their
qualifications both in handwriting and
oIthography.
In arithmetic, they must be able
first, to explail, accurately and clear
)y, its objects and the manner of
writing and reading numbers, entire,
fractional, compound or denominate
second, to perform with facility and &C
curacy the various operations OF addi-
lion, subtraction, multiplication, and
diyi.ion Of whole numbers - abstract
and compound or notwithstanding
the rule for each operation, with It's
reasons, and also for the different me-
thods Of proving the accuracy of the
work. They must possess such COM
plete knowledge Of srithmetic as will
enable them to take up at once
the higher branches Of mathe.
mates without its further study.
Candidates must pass also q sa!isfac-
tory examination in geography, history,
and English grammar. These eXami.
nations may be oral or written, or both,
and they may be made individually or
collectively, as the Board may deter
mine. The examination being COM
pleted, the Board will proceed to make
a choice from among those believed to
be mentally and physically qualified.
The conditions Of body and mind,
considered together, should enter into
the deliberations OF the Board, as well
as the general proficiency in the studies
as a whole. | will nominate for the ap-
pointment the choice of the Board. The
present representative from my district
at West Point stands in the front rink,
and | am anxious that his successor
shall be an honor to Virginia, as he is.
If the Board, after assembling on We'd
nesday the 18th instant, shall determine
that it is well to adjourn to a future
day because this notice has not been
sufficiently long, then they can do
so. The examination must be as
soon as possible, so IS to give the
Young gentleman selected ample time
for preparation. DR.. Puryear, OF
Richmond College, has been requested
to be member OF the Board, and |
hope that he can and will act. His
name is not announced positively, be-
! cause be has not yet been heard from.
The examination is open to all the
youre gentlemen who have written me
upon the subject, and a list Of their
names will be furnished the Board. Re.
spcctfully, GEORGE D. WISE.