The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-21
TO BECOME A CADET.
HOW PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS
ARE CONDUCTED.

The Ordeal That Is Open to Every Boy
Who Applies for Recommendation to His
Congressman How Many Candidates
Are Weeded Out of Many Applicants
Twenty-eight young men. between the
ages of 10 and %, gathered in the Second
district court one night lately and made
formal application for admission as cadets
TO the military academy at West Point
Each of these twenty-eight young men
was from the Seventh congress district of
the state, and all knew that only one of
them could get theappointment Yet they
all entered the lists with brave fronts and
smiling faces. as if each was sure that he
would easily distance all competitors.
Some of them weren't so sure about it by
the time the stiff physical examinations of
the night were over
The city examinations are only prelimi-
nary to the finals conducted at West Point
They are held in each congress district,
and determine who OF the candidates are
worthy Of admission 10 the final contests
to decide which is the particular young
man of the district most likely 20 become
a famous warrior. These preparatory ex-
aminations are mo snap however 10 use
a student phrase There are two Of them
the physical and the mental-and both
are severe
The physical examination is conducted
by three physiciau- selected from the dis
trict by the congressman, and the mental
examination is presided over by three pro
fessiOual teachers OF a. nigh rank a can
be found The apr licant, are required TO
know no Greek and little Latin. bur they
must be pretty thoroughly mp IN arithme
tic aud algebra, and mgs; be- able 70 pass
good examinations IN all the English
branches
THE BOARD.
The physical examinations on the night
In question were made B., DIS j I maggie.
of the board of health. j ketfe and VI
r Feeney Their Instructions were vague.
but they knew about tha sort Of men
wanted at West Point. and gave the ap9li
cants q pretty stiff overh1ulfug The court
room was crowded with boys and young
men from the time the doors were first
opened Nearly every applicant brought
at least one friend with him. aud many
brought three or four II the visitors ex-
pected 70 witness the examinations there /
must have been considerable dIsappoint-
ment The doctors retired % the judges /
private room and examiucd the candidates 1
individually
The first young man summoned into the !
private room was II year, old lie was /
nearly six feet tall ami well proportional. /
DR. Nagle sat at "A desk with "a formidable !
blank before him He entered the boys I
name. age ard address The boy removed I
his shoes and stood mp under a measuring I
machine while his height WAS recorded. I
Then DR. Keefe said
Now, in the very start. my friend, you .
had better tell Us all about your physical .
weaknesses We shall find them out ans.
way. You know, and il j. better % b. frank .
aboutit II you We ever had any disease.
other than those common % all young
folks, tell Us all about them. n your fam
lily mas any physical ailments peculiar 20
II, speak 1t out"
THE ORDEAL
The young man replied that he'd never
had nothing worse THAI measles. and 20 far
a. he knew MS ancestors were not su5jscs
70 consumption OF any other particular
disease. Then Dr. Kesfe said:
strip 70 your underc.cthes-
spec men when bis physique was 90 d.
closed. rather slender. Dut giving svsry
promise Of fine Tnauhood The doctors
te!t his muscles and nodded sppFoTiagly
Dr. Keefe got out a tape and took accurate
@ E!s chest, contracted aud
inflated These we're recorded Then
silver knife wa prodnesd 20 hold bis
tongue down. and AL three doctors made =
critical examination o. hss throat 4
,tet Bsscope vas applied 70 MS chest aud
hack. and rs hear and hung -0unds ~
.eDed 70 and discussed Il wa decided
hat both Of thess organs we're u excellent
5oudiuon. The doctors asaled and rnsaIe3
ne boy for quite \ while, sue - length
aid they were satisfied thai he was souEs
I'D hearty.
AZ q final tss. thev exam led h-s ere
dght- Dr. Fseney produced several cards
Win eoEored sDots and Bl4ck lines q vary
~ thickoesess- He stood TIE boy a: one
nd @ the rom. and made kirz read A. Ia
= De could from q card Ealsd With IsstsTs
4 Constantly decreAsiag aesght- Thsa
ron the same d3stsBc@ BE- wa required 70
FL which Ters the Fh-<er - certain
ines, And then wa 2sS-1 70 naue or ~
ga. describe. tbe siixEily v4ryfrsg shs1=.
Z cY,lor o. tbe card covered uTlr8 eci0f-d
pota. Tia boy passed. TIE tests suocs1e
NV ard WIS $50 cut Al tee b0ys Esrs
~ tuTu subiegts1 20 the sSnln exEnnina-
ioa Th=y we're an sz1sllszt ~. pssyz1czl-
y. al giving good DryxI.E.e - rcb- ssHn-
.ood- Mo- q thO-s ~bo failed % pzss I,
vsre fcaDd - hAss dsis-Tsv. vlssou. =
SHAT A. ErANgEEE sAYs
\ vlslfoT @skss1 Br0<5eF james. % y. Ia !.
ale I2szisuae. ~ho va o-s q "a. exam
.1Es 80 -Es l-te.lsSsGA- sl4.I4z4tlozs q 3