The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-12-06
1Hs WEST ronr CODE O, xoxoa

TIE WEST POINT CODE or Hoxon
New sAs c.Ase. sets,eA ps~er,..,s -
wnpeA Out Hssslts Dire.
| o3rs2 1891. y q q ssos-~
In all my association with West fotna I
never knew summer and camp when tAs
plebes were so mercilessly "dsviled " - thsA Of
81 Toward the end Of tho camp there came
to the Point the wife Of Union General the
mother Of one Of our clasa Her son could no>
visit her at the hotel the afternoon Of her ar.
rival Had an important engagement
Fort Clinton" was the brief explanstion.
"what on earth docs that mean r she asksd
Of one Of the officers on duty at the academy.
an old comrade OF her husbands "Looks
like a fight" was the COOL reply. THE bog
has the right stun In him" -" 49,.
But thought fighting was contrary -
regulations. and that you officers had to stop
everything Of the kind"
"Ye-es Il certainly 10 contrary 10 rseuia-
tions. 30 It was In your husband's time whsa
he had six or eight nstieuffs . yesr. Boys
have to fight my dear madam. especially hsrA
There's no other way Of settling their din.
culties."
but II caught they're oourt martiallsd
Don't you have 10 report themT
II certainly do-if catch them. but that's
one thing I never try to catch. II I hAppen to
hear among you dear ladies MP here 1t the
hotel that cadets so-and-so have had falling
out and that a settlement was impending.
keep away from old Fort Clinton until the re-
port is received from the post surgeon that
cadets so-and-so are In the hospital for . day
or Two on account OF 'contusionA' In sacks
make 1t point to keep away from that historic
battle-ground entirely for fear Of intsrrupttpe
some affair Of honor. or course. U there
n lad ~ Pnv,1 IL -
but they regulate all these things themselves,
and their fights are as fairly managed ana e
pluckily fought out a. any ever seen" q
Now. tho officer took just exactly the view e
Thomas Hughes In that healthiest and best q
boy classics. tom Browns School Days ~
Rugby" and do not propose to argue the
question at all Let me simply tell how the
affairs were handled in war days.
To begin with. bullying was out Of the ques-
ton. A big. burly fellow who attempted to
hector some youngster mot his match"
would bring down upon himself the censure Of
the whole corps. and II he persisted would
surely be sent to Coventry" cut dead b.
every cadet whose acquaintance was worth
having. By the unwritten law OF the bat
TALON there were always four or i've
members Of the senior class who were
the arbiters Of all vexed questions; who
prohibited unequal matches. prevented
fights over trivial Standardization. but
" umpired" each and every combat when IL
did take place. The etiquette Of the boys ON
matters Of this kind was precise as that Of
the Heidelberg student but the appeal to
arms was entitled to as much respect In the
one case as to r!dicule In the other. West
saSS ss Ia
s|iiIashinE Il one snothsSs cheeks ana noses
hs g x:n e1.
There were no drawn battles, no indecisive
SxGs had their
comical side. NJ man could be known as oyer
to a sssaa9s Under
the stigma Of cowardice. Never seek-never
shirk" was the motto, and therefore, an un:
not Constitute essss osH was in e1isteno s. and
some Of its tenets were peculiar, A plebe, for
tsa Sens hs nt wsios
Of
though hs Would Snaussaonstbl]y,e 81
s%oted o osaf asSde O.
on @ dh pg9fR Els bsntss
II ss R 81. sSE Ss sass aeS
s 81 Ssas 50 much ss dippslsai p sissE sd
{ GOLD water in this instance was the eauivs.
sR and st 81 s. ss sna
roWd would gsther az once, classmates of the
ssssr %Ssss %ss s ssrss az
ss 81 SSs ses - am
81 r.! Or sss! .n Got a.4lssss
aiety action on qua pstr eaei TouId
uIckly be despatched, from the guard tent
srs ass bay
Had e sasd ed bsss
ardiy have accSmpished less. s and She Sau At
ais TsSSaf have wRsfsd
wa <, and n9thing, REMAINED but small as
es xs 81 Ssrsks
latch between two comrades whose Damon
TsoIsds t6s possiSitS q sHss b sSa sshss
I. But t. when In the thousand and one d,f,s,.
~ y. class isIt that some other fellow, cisss.
after was smpe snoash %r an Browny fas
IS zee would g e Smith. Ills elassmass
ass benS as Ssa %
erglson OF the third class referred to me as
hat damned fellow Brown a moment ago.
" see ne through =" NOW. Smith Knows we'll veil
,at challenging q cadet to fight is o Dismissal
fence. and that all promoters. seconds. DO.
lall be regarded as principals but cadet
hics form = higher code Of laws than the Re-
,ademy. All he needs to Know Is that his
man.. to use the vernacular
the codeIis physically Of about the same
,es to Ferguson.
;. MI: Ferguson. my friend. Mr. Brown. feels
lronted at your language. You referred to
m as that damned fellow May We look for
Now. Il may have been a slip for which Fer.