The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-25
ROMANCE AND DISCIPLINE.
Some of the Trials of West Point
Cadets.
From the New York Tribune.

From the Net0 York Tribune.
There is popular fiction that West Point
is possessed every year by bevy OF beauti
full girls, whose tender glances thrill anc
fascinate the cadet till his dreams OF future
glory make way for the ecstacy of immedi-
ate love. True it is that girls are here,
full battalion of them. Every cottage pi-
azza is crowded with them. Every hotel
corridor rings with their musical voices.
You come upon them ensconced in shady
hooks, wandering along tine river sides un-
der canopies of tiuttering green, sitting IN
merry or in tender humor on the moss
grown rocks, and often, too, upon the
mighty engines of brutal war-those hnge
black canuons that point their menaclns
fronts over enbankment and promontory
up and down the river-Sitting there eli
needless of the horrid mission for which
those grim monsters are intended. There is
no lack of girls, pretty girls, too, some OF
them airy girls, with eyes that sparkle and
cheeks that glow; girls with smiling lips
and looks wherein modesty and curiosity
are waging a most fascinating warfare for
the mastery of their eyes.
Aud there are cadets, three hundred OF
them, with buttons all over their breasts,
with spotless white trousers and smart gray
OOdUo, III WV phllEiC AlSOAS N"~ANf
that one young, ardent miss declared yes
terday to be the ''cunningest coat-tails" she
ever saw Nothing ails the cadets either.
True they are young and there is regula-
ton of the government, to say nothing OIL
law of nature that fortids their wearing
boards; but still they have a splendid shape
ly figure, stout arms and legs and warm n
of temperament unparalleled in any young
ladys experience. But despite this situa-
ton, the girls and cadets do not have fair
chance.
The trouble is discipline. Discipline at
West Point is something terrible to think
of. A professor engaged in examining the
seniors on Tuesday detected, or thought he
detected, 3 surly tone in one of the respond
ing pupils. He said nothing at the time,
but when the officer of the day read out his
orders after parade that afternoon, he
thundered forth direction that the offender
should place himself under arrest. The
poor fellow did so and remained in hi 5
room until he was graduated five days later.
1t is not generally believed that he was
really surly, though the rumors are con-
flcting as to whether he had a fsh-bone in
his throat or was short of wind by reason
of the iightness of his cunning little jacket. j
1t is stated on good authority, however,
that he was II years old.
The cadets wear rolling collar, which
they must roll themselves and which has to
be rolled in three different ways before it is
rolled right The other day one of the
cadets committed the objectionable offence
of only rolling his collar twice. The sharp,
practised military eye of some superior de
tected him and called him TO account A
heavy musket was put i'll his hands and he
was directed to pace up and down a given
gravel walk right in the broiliug sun, look
ing neither to the right or left, his rigid
arms glued TO his body, his head borne un-
der a heavy helmet. Thus he walked and
perspired and perspired and walked.
shudder to think of what might have hap
pened to him had he InopDed his brow OF
winked his eyes. Shortly afterward free
American citizen, who had presumably
come up on an excursion, and had become
happy as to his soul and shaky as to his
legs, Glanced to pass by. His eyes lit on
the culprit cadet and he stopped, leaned up
against a tree and contemplated him.
Buttons" he said, "wha'sh mazzsrm
The cadet neither looked nor answered.
lies have zhrink" the free American
citizen continued Il gotter bottle-hic-
right ere"
The parched cadet just blinked, but that
was all. He walked OF, followed by the
amiable mans eyes, and when he returned
JudJ way uuc lllhil OhU3 41dlbs
He didn't halt.
"Bout fashein
"Shouller armsh!"
LIEF w'eein
To none of these commands was the slight
est attention paid, and then the man
ambled unsteadily along at the culpritt
side
Gully" he said, IVY doncher give fellel
shivil anshwerl Who'sh usin bein' or prig
got some er besht whiskey >ye'ver sawr
Got err right ere ii my pokt. Lesh go an
sit down N have or good time
Still there was no reply, nothing but a
steady tramp, tramp, tramp.
"P'raps yer walkin' off er bet! Hev
P'raps yer gotter walk for er-hic! living
P'raps yer nawthin' but dern dummy
Well, Eats all right Wotcher s'pose l care
# yer doan' wantter shrink, zall right.
| kin zhrink by m'self f l gotter." and in the
very face of that hot, thirsty, -begon,
| cadet, he lifted his bottle and took a long
| long pull.
'Ah-h!" he said, smiling gloriously and
smacking his lips. "Zhat's or daisy tipple
| Yer won't take er tastes Not even 6
schmell! Well, all-hic! right, yer needn't
'Rah fer or 'Merican eagleI So long, But
TONS"