San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-08-23
THE NAVAL ACADEMY.
THE EARLY EXPERIENCE OF A
"pLESE" AT ANNAPOLIS.
Razing Said to Be Abolished - But
jumping" and 'Running'' Arc Still
Practiced by the Classmen-A Cadets
Trials and Tribulations.

fraCt1CeO Dy tho ClAsSucu-A Sducts
Trials and Tribulations.
This is an attempt to detail the early expe-
rience of an Annapolis 'plebe." Naval Off
GERS who write magazine articles all agree
that hazing has been abolished 1t has, in
name only. One never hears Of hazing now;
but no one who has ever been "plebe" can
truthfully deny that jumping" and run
ming" have not yet fallen into decrepit old
age.
Let us first imagine the "plebe" who ar
rives in September at the Naval academy
He is a green looking chap Men from all
quarters of the country come tumbling into
town, in all sorts of clothing, and with all
sorts of airs. The new man is Immediately
sent on board the Santee. His first struggle
is with his hammock. He doesn't sleep in
the hammock the first night. Most of his
time is spent in learning how to get into it,
and after he gets in, how to stay in.
The next morning, at bugle call, the cadet
tumbles out and gets down in some shape to
inspection. This is a fearful ordeal. There
he stands, with thumbs turned out and toes
turned in, trying to look a veteran, when
the inspector hurries along, glares at him,
and pointing at his cap, shouts, Haul
little on the starboard lift" The cadet opens
his mouth, and says, "Eh-h," and then opens
his eyes and says, "How." and finally learns
that his cap has not been set squarely on his
head He has been spotted" AS he grows
older he learns that there are many things
for which man may be spotted. cap not
properly squared" Trousers not brushed"
"Shoestrings hanging" Button off blouse"
Not properly shaved" 1t is marvellous
what little things catch the eagle eye of the
inspector
Somehow the cadet manages to get to
breakfast, and fops in the first seat. Per-
haps grace has been usually said at home to
slow and measured tones. Anyway he waits
a moment, and soon finds that everybody
has made dive at the food and that there is
none left for him. Then some more comes
on, and he dives, too. The scene that follows
is indescribable.
But it is not always so. When the upper
class men return from their cruise no man
dares reach half an inch over his side of the
table for fool, or he will be terribly jumped.
And, by the way, the jumping soon begins
for our plebe. As he wanders down for
breakfast crowd of about fifteen men ap-
proach him, their caps cooked at an angle of
forty-five degrees over their left eyes, and
they demand: What's your name" in fierce
tones Where do you come fromr' al
bany. n. Y" "Eh, what stated" New
York" ANY more like you therem "Ye-s-s"
Great guns" "Yes-s" Say, SIR" yes
s-sir" Stand on your head" And the
poor plebe gets on and off his head till he is
dizzy
Then all fifteen men demand at once:
Who's the 'savez' man herer' who's the
handsomcstr who's the wooden manm
And whichever way he answers the plebe
offends fourteen of the fifteen and stands the
consequences. Then one man orders him to
do something and another orders him not to.
''If you don't I'll jump YOU" says one. "If
you do I'll run you," shouts the other. The
plebe obeys the first and is Jumped" by the
second, and then to his utter disgust the first
man says; Guess I'll jump you anyway just
for the fun of it." And again he stands on
his bead
Perhaps the plebe has now flagrantly vio-
lated some of the rights of the upper class
men, and if so he is made to "eat soap or
fight" If he fights and gets whipped he eats
soap. If he fights and wins he eats double
dose. So it does no particular good to fight.
By Oct. the cadet leaves the Santee and
goes to quarters There his first experience
is at bugle call He flies out of bed, jumps
into his clothes and goes down four steps at
time to formation, and one can imagine
what a task he has in getting his proper place
among the three hundred cadets present He
finally gets among his green companions, and