Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-07
THE NAVAL ACADEMY.
THE EARLY EXPERIENCE OF A
"pLE6E" AT ANNAPOLIS.

Hax1uSs said to Be Abolished - Eut
Jumping and Thinning" Are Still
Practiced by the Ciassmen-A Cadet
Trials and Tribuiations.
This is an attempt to detail the early expe.
rienee Of an Annapolis ''plebe.n Naval Off
GERS who write magazine articles ali agree
that hazing has been abolished Il has, in
name only. One never hears of hazing now;
but no one who has ever been ''pIeben can
truthfully deny that jumping" and run
ming" have not yet fallen into decrepit old
age.
Let Us first imagine the ''plebe" who az
rives in September at the Naval academy.
He is 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, ct bugle call, the cade.
tumbles out and gets down in some shape TO
inspection. This is q fearful ordeal There
he stands, with thumbs turned out and toes
turned in. trying 10 look veteran, when
the inspector hurries along, glares at him,
and pointing at his cap, shouts, Haul a
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 be grows
older be learns that there are many things
for which man may be spotted Gap not
properly squared" Trousers not brushed ~
"Shoestrings hanging" Button of blouse. n
'sNot properly shaved" IL 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 be waits
q 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 food, or he viii be terribly jumped
And, by the way, the jumping soon begins
for our plebe. As he wanders down for 4
breakfast crowd of about fifteen men APP
proach him, their caps cooked at an angle of
forty-five degrees over their left eyes, and
they demand: ''W hats your named" in fierce
tones. Where do you come fromf' al
bany. n x" 'Eh, what slater New
York" ANY more like you there9" .sYe-s-s."
Great guns 'Yes-s." Say, sir" Yes
poor plebe gets on and off his head TILL be is
dizzy.
Then all fifteen men demand at once:
'Who's the 'savez' man here's" Who's the
handsomestp who's the wooden manf'
And whichever way he answers the plebe
offends fourteen of the fifteen and stands the
consequences. Then one man orders him 70
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 head.
Perhaps the plebe has now flagrantly VIC
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 a double
dose. So it does no particular good to fight.
BY Oct. the cadet leaves the Santes 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 task he has in getting his proper place
among the three hundred cadets present He
finally gets among his green companions, and
a sorry looking lot they make.
That night he gets another dose OF hazing
The upper class men give ii 70 him between
6:30 when supper is over, and 7:30 when in
spection comes. He is made TO read page
after page Of French, though he never read
French in his life; he speaks the orations OF
his school days. He stands on his head A
small button Is put in basin Of water and
he fishes it cut with mis- nose. He eats candle
The funny man of the party fires fun at him,
and if he smiles he is sat upon. All through
the performance he must keep straight
face, and indeed, by the time be is out of it
bis straight face seems to have grown there
for good
Then taps come his tormentors hurry
away, and the officer Of the day comes around
door, and the cadet shouts hearty Come
in" Imagine the look he receives for hi.
pains; for the rule is for the officer to push
open the door, take hasty glance and shout:
"Good night" The cadet answers: GOOD
night, SIR and the inspection is over. I'm
mediately that If is, his torInentors are back
again; and they arrive In hockS He is or
dered to eat four dry soda crackers at a time,
perhaps, and when he has done is told 20
cock his feet on the table and 81. there TIL
told TO move. While there a high class man
comes In and shouts: Get up" lie mas re
ceived instructions and viii not move. 'HGet
up' Not move. And finally he is shouted
up and keeps getting up and sitting down in
obedience 70 orders until he can hardly
move.
Hazng Is now quite harmless, and the vic
tins themselves find it a laughing natter
more laughable, TO tell the truth, however,
after it is ali over.-Annapolis Cor. New
York Tribune.
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