Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-03-27
ETIQUETTE AT WEST POINT.
singular Anomalies Found Among ths
Rules OF the Military Academy.


The etiquette Of West Point is thing
sui goncris and Ia certainly curious In
stltution. II has been evolved out OF the
peculiar conditions which exist at the
Military academy, and only those who
hive been there can fully appreciate how
harmless and proper 1t seems In its sur
roundings. For instance, whom cadet
has obtained permission TO mako out
girls hop card ho signs her name, with
his own opposite, In book provided by
the hop managers for that purpose, Then
any other youth who wishes dances on
that girls card knows to whom he must
apply for thcm, Many are tho compiled.
lions arising fAn this system and it be-
hooves him who wishes to dance with n
belle to apply early lost he find her card
full Often when there arc few girls visit
ing on the post n man who has been for
tunate enough TO secure one, and who
wishes to dance good deal himself, will
refuse to give dances except to such as
can give them In exchange.
a story Is told Of one astute youth who
wished for moro than his allotted four
dances, yet feared It would look strange
for his namo to appear six or eight times,
In order to overcome this difficulty he put
down tho names Of the guard detail that
day. They, Of course, could not be pres.
ent, so when the time came for their
dances with profuse apologies he appeared
before his charmor and explained that Mr.,
Dumjohn was unavodably detained, and
might he offer himself instead At grndu.
alton hop, however, there is usually such
o multitude Of girls that many men mako
out more than one card, and rumor hath
1t that once "spoony" youngster was
nearly driven frantic In vain attempt to
keep 10 cards from bong tangled up.
But then, cadets will oxaggerate
There arc other reasons why this hop is
an important event Mt West Point, Not
only does it mark the departure OF tho
Hedging leutennnts from their hitherto
well guarded nest, but it also brings SO.
oially to light tho nrst undevoloped re.
sources Of the plohe or lowest class.
Throughout the first year at West Point
regulations and custom do everything to
suppress that exuherance which freshmen
ut other colleges feel, and tho plobe ia
taught to consider himself SO small In ev-
cry way as to DO totally unfit to shine In
society till tho training of his first year
has licked him into shape" And in tho
long run this view is about correct. II a
maiden comes to West Point without
friends at the academy, she can have her
hop card made out just the same by send.
ing her name to the hop managers. They
will provide partners for her and intro.
duce them nt tho proper time. And this IA
another of those anomalies which West
Point etiquette gives rise to.
The hops are held at the mess hall, and
between each dance the walks in its vi.
cinity are illcd with cadets and their part
ners, cooling of and enjoying the moon.
light, II there DO any, II not, they enjoy
the darkness equally, Naturally the COM
ing in and out Of SO many does not i'm
provo the floor hut there is ono advantage
about it--ns a rulc, It is so bad 1t cannot
DO injured just MS soon as supper IL over
the tables arc piled up In one corner Of tho
hall, tho floor is tond, y rubbed over, and
the pretense Of cleaning is so poor that 1t
would deceive no one, oven IL tho dancers
skirts did not betrny the truth. This scoms
to BIO unavoidable, since supper is at z,
and tho smaller hops begin at 8, All the
hops which begin later, however, arc
marked by somewhat better conditions.
Tho tables are removed from tho hall and
some real cleaning Is done, But the result
is that the cadets go without their evening
meal and are asked to stay hearty appe
titles on formidable sandwiches. --Illustrat-
ed American.