The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-05-12
The NAVAL ACADEMY.
HOW TIMES ARE MAD= LIVELY FOR
THE FOURTH CLASS CADETS.
Why the " Piebs" DO Not Report Misde-
meanors Some of the Different Forms
of Having -Pranks Played
on the Cruise.
Icor. New York Mail and Espresso

It'or. New York Mail and ESpressl
"AEadt half Of the fourth Glass; said my
nforlnant, n cadet of the United States
naval academy, "enter the academy in May
and go on the summer cruisa The other
| half eater in September just before the
stu lies begin The May portion Of the class
receive. may say, almost all Of the hazing,
for after the studies begin, on Oct. l, the
upper class mon have no time to spare for
such amusemsntS"
wv hat age are the fourth class caietss'
FROM 10 to %, the majority being con.
siderabiy under the latter aga The cruise,
however, gives the great opportunity for
hazins, inasmuch rs there are no stu lies ex-
cept OF practical nature, and the upper
class men have ampls time and opportunity
To annoy the poor 'plebs a the fourth
class men are generally called"
And how Old are their perseeutorS.'
They are big, strong fellows of 81 AMI
upward. Now, although the punishment
Tor hazing is dismis al, aud the suparintsn l.
emit honestly tries every means t. stop it,
the upper class mon can always find time
AMI place beyonl the eye OF AN officer to
laze all they please
AGAINST THE TRADITIONS.
"But why do not the plobs report their
parSecutlrs"
'because, for one reason, it is against the
traditions of the AGA lemy. Besides, many
vi the weaker ones ara mtimiiatod by tho
fact thst the first AMI many Of the second
class are cadet officers, and as such have
tho power to report all misdemeanors com
initial hy lower class ian, and the hazers
threaten that if the pleb tells they will get
him reported at every turn by the cadet
oii'er, 50 that, at last, he would in this
way get SO many dement's that he would
lose all standing in his class This is, of
II ell, enoagh t. brighten any little fellow
unaecnetomsi to the ways of the academy"
Il suppoe you have had some oppor,
tGaty of observing the different form, OF
haGns"
More than like for my own comfort
The mildest form Is called running that
Is exercising unauthorized authority over
The fourth class; making them address tho
upper class men as sir after nearly every
word they use; giving them to understand
that fourth class ca lets are no better than
dogs; not allowing them any privileges
which are theirs by right; not letting them
drink milk, a beverage which is fuinis he'd
to all cadets In Unlimited quantity; not al
lowing them to attend any of the Satur.
day night hops; nor permitting them to uss
| Lhe gymnasium, except of course when
unGer instruction"
Ara these the worst forms of persecu.
tion~.'
mo, they are the mildest Basides those
have mentioned they torce the fourth class
radets to do all the hardest ami dirtest work
Oh the cruise; using them as errani boys; bor-
rowing nearly every thing they possess in the
way Of cl,thng and trities; constantly ehaff-
ing them; not allowing them to smile in the
presence OF upper class men; prohibiting
them from walking on the prettiast rect of
the academy grounds and forcing them to
stand up to attention during the Tina it
plea e. them tn remain in their rooms.
This all COMES under tine head of running
But the hazing on the cruise was far worse
aud to many a little follow who was too
weak an small to protect himself, literal
he'll upon earth