Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-06-10

The nervous quick boy, with his southern
complexion and dialect, rubs his shoulders
against those of the stalwart. determined
westerner and the light spirited and deli
cately framed Californian sits side by side
with the reserved and formal New Eng
lander.
The only conditions which appointees
have to fulfill before entering the academy
are that they must he healthy, have good
morals and the necessary scholarly train
ing, as required by the law. During the
time the pupils or cadets, as they are
called, stay mt the academy they are well
paid, housed. fed, instructed, or in one
word they are well prepared for their
future position in life as officers of the
United States army. In exchange for all
these advantages the nation requires the
cadet to work hard for four years and be
come brave and faithful soldier. | know
of nothing more liberal, more just. In
Europe young men have to pay for their
training. and there is no more disappont-
ing existence than the one which poor
officer leads abroad.
To he successful at West Point two
things are needed, namely: Application
and brains. THIS being so, the number of
those who drop ont of the course during
no loss either to the institution or the
army 1t must he a matter Of PRIDE not
only to the cadets but to all Americans. to
look at the long list Of distinguished men
who have been graduated from West Point.
Think of the silent, patient, invincible
Grant; the fierce and meteoric Sheridan.
ever ready fighter that he was the quick
nervous and brilliant Sherman: the skill
full, chvalric Lee: the gallant, prayerful
Jackson: the stately and superb Hancock;
the loyal Meade; Stuart, the pucky rider,
and ever so many more ! could name
The first thing that strikes forcibly a
visitor to West Point is the quiet. academic
atmosphere that seems to have invaded
the whole place Were it not for the few
sentincls, who gravely and silently pace u :.
and down here and there, one would hardly
imagine that he was within the boundaries
of a military institution. 1t has often been
asserted that too much academic and too
little military learning is pumped into the
heads of the cadets. Barry Lyndon might
have said. if he had visited West Point.
that the boys in gray had more head for
books than fighting"
This is not So Year after wear history
proves that there is just as much fighting
spirit in the American army as among the
soldiers of any army in the world West
Point Is one of the best, if not the very
best, military school of its kind on the
globe, especially with regard to infantry
drill. This, however, is not astonishing. con.
sidering that the cadets always march dur
ing the four years of their soiourn at the
school They never walk: they march out
of their beds in the early dawn, they march
to breakfast exercise, duty, dinner, sup
per, and after their days work is done and
the stars begin to shine they march to bed
( Each cadet j. expected to do five hours
work every day, but rs a matter of fact
they do much more, including gymnasium
exercise. In the classroom they spend only
one hour and a half in the forenoon and
one hour in the afternoon.
| Beside the professional and physical in
struction they are taught fencing. riding
and dancing. Graduates from West Point
are well trained mathematicians, chemist,
and engineers. They are also masters in
/ the various branches of their profession
they know how forts should be made, gun;
built, bridges constructed and they are
also fairly we'll acquainted with the litera
ture of their profession. The only short
coming in the military instruction know
of is that it IS carried on with obsolete ma
terial. The rifles are old and the gun,
older, consequently the cadets have no op
portunity to become practically acquainted
with modern arms. There are few new
magazine rifles and rapid firing guns al
West Point, hut they are carefully PLACED
in the museum instead Of in the hands o
the soldier hoys As for marching. no body
of troops can rival the cadets, not even tht
First regiment Of the Prussiau Footguards