Milford chronicle., 1895-03-29
ErlouEl1e Il MEsT eoINr
singular Anomalies Found Among the
Rules Of the military Academy.


SINGULAR Anomalies Found Among the
Rules Of the military Academy
rhs etiauetre or West Point Is 9 thing
sui poneris and IS cefiainly curious q.
stitction Il has been evolved os't ol me
peculiar conditions which exist 40 the
Military academy. and only tsoso VINO
bave been thora can fully appreciate how
harmless and proper it seems in its sur
roundfnns For Instance when cadet
has obtained permission 20 mike out
oirIs hop card 10 signs nor name, with
his own oDuosite. IN book provided by
the hop managers for that purpose Then
anv other youth who wishes dances On
that GIRLS card knows 20 whom he must
amply for them Many are the complica
tions arising from this system snd i be
hooves him who wishes to dance with
belle to apply early less be find her card
full Often when there are few girls visit
ing on the post a man who has been Tor
tunate enough to secure one and Whe
wishes to dance good deal himself viii
refuse to give dances except 70 such az
can give them in exchange
A story is told Of one astute youth who
wished for more than his allotted four
dances, yet feared it would look strange
for his name to appear six or eight times
IL
down the names Of tho guard detail that
dav They. of course, could not be pres
emit so when the time came for their
dances with profuse apologies be appeared
before his charmer and explained that Mr.
Dumjohn was unavoldably detained and
might ho offer himself insteadg At gradu
alton bop however, there is usually such
q multitude Of girls that many men make
out more than one card, and rumor hath
Il that once a spoony" youngster was
nearly driven frantic in vain attempt TO
keep 13 cards from being tangled up
But, then, cadets viii exaggerata
There are other reasons why this hop Is
an important event at West Point Not
only does it mark the departure OF the
dedging ieutenants from their hitherto
we'll guarded nest. but it also brings so
cially 10 light the erst undeveloped re
sources of tho plehe or lowest class
Throughout the first year at West Point
regulations and custom do everything to
suppress that exuberance which freshmen
at other colleges feel. and the pie0e is
taught to consider himself so small IN ev
cry way as to be totally unfit TO shine in
society Gill the training Of his first year
has licked him into shape. And in the
long run this view Is about correct II
maiden comes to West Point without
friends at the academy she can have her
hop card made out just the samo by send
ing her name to the hop managers They
will provide partners for her and intro
duce them at the proper time. And this is
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
oinity are filed with cadets and their part
ners, cooling of and enjoying the moon
light, II there be any. If not, they enjoy
the darkness equally Naturally the com
ing ia and ont of so many does not i'm
provo the floor, but there is one advantage
about it--as a rule, it is so bad 80 cannot I
be injured. Just as soon as supper is over /
the tables are piled up in one corner Of the /
hall, the floor is tenderly rubbed over and /
the pretense Of cleaning Is so poor thai it /
would deceive no one, even If the dancers
skirts did not betray the truth This seems |
TO be unavoidable, since supper is at 4
and the smaller hops begin at 8. All the l
hops which begin later, however are 4
marked by somewhat better conditions 4
The tables arc removed from the hall and I
some real cleaning is done But the result /
Is that the cadets gowithout thoir evening
meal and are asked TO stay hearty appe
tltes on formidable sandwiches. .-Illustrat
ed American