New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-10


horrid college SONGS
| The walter, to the cadets intense relief stepped
TO the paror door Before he could speak, tho girls
caught sight Of him and the card The plano stopped
I'm tricc, and out upon the piazza they all poured
| Tho cadet saw them coming and gave his white
| gloves a smoothing and caught tho little tails OF
his coat In each thumb and finger and drew them
| carefully down. Then he smiled gently and looked
tho other way with vast assumption OF Indifference.
| Nelly It's for you' cried the girls in chorus,
whether referring to the cadet the card, cannot
say.
Nelly stepped forward, blushng like pcony
and walked off to tho hedge. Neither she nor the
cadet looked at each other until they were both
| well away from the boundary line. Then no lifted
his hat and OF they won't while the orer girls trooped
back into the parlor and atuned their voices to that
| mellow lay:
saw three ships go rornd the bend.
Goodbye, my lover good.bye
And they filed with college men.
bye, my lover, goodbye.
West Point social life presents many curious and
interesting phases to a civilian. There about
fifty officers at the post engaged In the work OF IN
struction They naturally the cream Of the ser
vice Many are and look to be thoroughbrcds, sol
dicrs by instinct not less than by profession. The
butterfly officer Is not esteemed here Out OF the
fifty there at least score who carry In their
faces those unRstakabe signs of courage which
would make things hum around them Such men are
pleasure to look at. They are a conclusive answer
to much Of tho prejudice which exists against West
Point. Many Of the officers married and have
their own hUuses, where they entertain as much
as they choose. This always gives to the post a
certain amount OF social activity, even IN the winter
time, from which, however, the cadets for the
most part declared. They cannot call at the officers
houses except upon special invitation, and the poor
fellows have precious little fun. They manage to
extract little pleasure from the summer months,
when the hotel Is full Of girls but In tho winter they
lead rather cherries existence
have been much Interested In some statistics
furnished me by the adjutant, Lieutenant Brown, an
executive sofIlccr Of much ability, concerning the
comparative results Of the two methods by which
men enter the Academy Most Of them are the d
rect appointees of the Congressman 1t is conceded
that this might be the ideal method Of appointment
II those who accorded the right of selecting cadets
could be relied upon to exercise a proper care TO
choose persons who have the advantage OF a good
home llfc who well Bred intelligent, sudious and
sincere In their military spirit, this would unqucs-
tionably be the best way Of filling the Academy But
practical experience has shown that the Congressman
do not always act upon this principle. They send
men here in the discharge of political obligations,
and result to the advantage of the service
The competitive system, on the other hand, has It's
objections, too. II has admitted to the
Academy young fellows who exhibited
fair degree of scholarship, who were studious,
capable Of passing good examinations, but whose an
tecedents not such to commend them for the
task of commanding troops Many of those APP
pointed under the socalled reform system have been
found be fellows OF vulgar tastes and bad habits,
bright enough mentally but Of poor stuff morally.
For instance, recent graduate who Just barely
scraped through and whose career here brought him
under frequent suspicion OF dishonesty, stood at the
head of class Of twenty-six who entered into conf
pettve examination for the appointment.
But the question Is, since obvious objections exist
to both systems which of them, on the whole, has
proved to be the better, and must be acknowledged
that Mr. Browns figures almost conclusive Even
II they cannot be taken proving that the compet-
tive Is Of all possible systems tho best, they at least
show its superiority any yet devised conformaDe
with our present law. give these statistics because
they worth thinking about. Even II the methods
which are described reform are desirable as
tests OF qualifications for entrance into the civil Ser
vice. there are many objections to their application
to the military and naval service. Nor can the fig
ures quote below be construed as proofs that the
competitive cadets Will make the best soldiers IL
pot the experience Of tho war that the men who
graduated highest In their classes displayed the
greatest powers on tho battlefield. But still these
figures striking, and cannot DO ignored.
Lieutenant Browns statistics go back fifteen years.
They show that since 1879 cadets have been admitted
to the number of no. OF whom $50 have graduated
OF the admitted men, 502 appointed as the result
OF competitive examinations. Three hundred and SIX
OF these 81 per cent, graduated sixty resigned
and 125 were discharged. Those appointed directly
numbered $685. OF whom only ESQ., or Al per cent were
graduated. The designations numbered 143 and 2O4
were discharged. The first five men of every class
opcfIa tha hon mon No n N
engineer corps. Since 1873 at least three fourths of
these have been men appointed after compettol.
Those who resign men who, after coming here,
find the life of a cadet too irksome for endurance
Their ambition gives out They could graduate proba-
bly, they had the nerve, but they prefer to give up
The statistics show that greater percentage OF the
competitive men go through 10 the end, thus demon
stratlng that they knew what they wanted when they
came here, t,lin those appointed directly. These
facts. They may DO twisted and explained TO mean
several things and not to several things, but
they cannot be dlsregarded
The Cadet Hop is a scene of almost bewIlderIng
beauty 1t takes place in the mcss-room I'm Grant
Hail. about which hung the portraits of great com
mandes, thickly that IL looks like Picture gallery
The floor is Of hard wood and perfectly polished Upon
q little platform the band Is seated Its
leader possesses proud and naughty physique and is
evidently profoundly impressed with his import
ance. nave seen many eminent and powerful per-
sonages In whose hands rested the dcstncs of States
but how small they all look in the presence of a
really exalted bandmastcr. When he frowns harshy
at the bass fiddle when by twist of the wrist he
inspires the flute to renewed exertions when his fiery
eye lights on the unhappy man who bangs the Gym
balls but banged them at the wrong second, when he
becomes excited and throws himself around on all
sides at once, how IL does II tho music came
right out Of the end of his baton Now he shuts HIS
Urea nd blg hand Wly Ike fhe
swell the sea, while dreamy melody floats upon
the heavy air. Now he scarcely moves at ALL and
only the exquisite strain OF single violin touches
your Now his bosom hcavcs, his eyes glow,
his hands beat wildly, and tumultuous chorus breaks
forth like the roar Of angry battery the shout