The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-05
STUDIES AT WEST POINT
CADET CAMP STRUCK AND WINTERS
HARD, STEADY GRIND BEGINS.
Classes Graded Into Sections, Where
Each Students Standing Is Rig
idly NOted--NO PIay-Time.
West Point Letter in Chicago Post.

West Point Letter in Chicago Post.
The camp of cadets at West Point was
struck. the second class, which alone of the
four classes there has enjoyed vacation,
returned, and to-day our future command
ers begin the winters course of study.
This differs materially from what is un-
derstood by the term in college life. The
classes at West Point are divided into from
seven to ten sections in each study, ac-
cording to the strength of the class.
Everybody has to study the same subjects
whether he has been over them elsewhere
or not Only the West Point seal OF
passed" will pass. Each section has grad
ing Of it's own. If you are No. l in the
first section of engineering you are the
head of your class in engineering, yet you
NAV not be at the head of your class.
That will depend on how you
stand in other subjects. II you
were the worst behaved cadet in the class
and stood about medium in your other
studies your class standing would be about
the middle Of the class. That is to say
conduct counts for as much as mathemat-
les at West Point, and mathematics
counts for more than any other one study
The professors at the military academy
are nearly all drawn from the army, and
They have been transferred from the en-
gineer corps or the line to profeSsorshlps AT
the military academy on account OF uIs.
tlngushed excellence and ability IN some
subject. They act as the heads OF tnelr
departments and retain their positions for
life. 100000 500
ten or fifteen young officers as instructors.
These are selected and given term OF TINS
great aptitude for their respective subjects
while cadets themselves. Each instructor
is in charge of a section In some depart
ment and keeps a strict account OF the
performance of each member OF It, The
professor visits the section two or three
times a week, personally oversees the work
and notes the records the members make.
When q cadet makes a low mark lOr a
week he gets a transfer to the next lower
section in that subject. The attention or
the professor is fixed upon him now, and
if his mark for the subsequent week is not
above the average of marks in that section
down he goes another section. ana no
matter how good his work is ii is usually
two or three weeks before he can regain
his original section. This downward pres
sure on the part of the academic board re-
sults in keeping the lower section or the
class very full. while the higher ones con-
tain fewer cadets Now when an examlna-
ton comes along the chances are that
some of these lower sections will be
found completely. and when any cadet
is found deficient in any one study at any
cogent reasons for his deficiency in the
opinion of the academic board that cadet
hopes of a commission and his dreams of
military glory.
STANDING OF SECTIONS.
Consequently the chief excitement Of the
long winter months consists in watching for
the weekly standing of the various sections
and comparing the loss or gain in files. To
the lower classes this means whether they
are to stay at West Point or be sent home;
to the upper ones the class mark hints the
order in which they will be graduated, and
consequently what branch of the service
they will be recommended for when they be-
come second Heutenants in the RAINY.
The course of study at West Point is
wholly scientific What attention is paid to
the modern languages there is merely suttl-
cient to give the cadet an aplilty 70 read ana
write French and Spanish. There is no study
of German and no attempt was made TO ac-
ol1ire conversational ability in French. But
in mathematics and IN the sciences reStIng
upon mathematical foundation are placed
the tests of the aptitude OF the cadet. Where
one man is discharged for failure in English
or French probably four go owing to failure
in mathematics Unless the cadet has re-
markable and unusual grit and perseverance
or else what may be termed naturally
mathematical mind. he is pretty sure to be
found struggling with the goats before the
first two years are passed. The goats are
those unfortunate cadets who comprise the
last section in any class. They are also
known as the "immortals." A professor, IL
is said having once dubbed the last section
in the subject Of French as lazy mortais.
was understood to have made use of that
tongue in so doing, lazy mortals' being as
close as that section could get in pronuncia-
ton to les immortelles.
Every perfect recitation is marked three,
but an examination of the record viii sho v
but few "threes" or makes, as they are
called. Perhaps this is not so much the
fault OF the cadet as 1t is of the system.
28 and 80 are marks frequently found in
the first two sections, but rarely lower in
the class. Cadets say that every smile your