The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-03-31
WEST POINT LIFE.
DUR YEARS OF RIGID DISCI-
PLINE FOR CADETS.
(The Pleb's Year Of Servitude and
Submission to Hazing-Pro-
gramme of Daily Life
and Study.

70 place exists in the United
States the name of which is so
v closely interviewer with the
history of the country as that
of West Point. It was conspicuous
place in the days of the Revolutionary
struggle, when it's Typographical situa-
tioE made it desira1le, and near and
about it wers eIacted some of the deeds
of heroism whioh will live to the credit
of the patriotic Continentals while the
annals of the Republic shall last. Its
situation on the Hudson, says the New
York Tribune, is one of the beauty
spots of the country, and, while great
changes have been made near it since
the days of the Revolution and the re-
lentless hand of nineteenth century
progress has transformed many dis
tricts near it into modern, prosaic
towns, West Point remains undefled
and majestic as it left the hand of the
great Architect, and even the modern
Buildings which have been erected on
heights which overlook the river
The proud monument which rece Us
names of departed heroes pale to
gnifcance before the picture Of
ural beauty which nothing can OBJ
rate while the Hudson winds BE-
:th the rocky cliffs and verdure and
blight add their colors to the scene.
But to the American West Point is
Btractive beyond it's association with
Ne days Ct old and its natural beauty,
because from the academy which the
Government maintains upon the reser-
vation came the men who wrote their
names in imperishable letters upon
the country's history and repaid in
many instances with their life's blood
tH benefits which they received there.
&The cadets come from all parts of
De country; they represent all
grades ard classes of the community,
and there is probably no educational
Pinstjtution on the continent in which
mans social, political or financial
standing would count for less than IN
West Point, and where his advance
ment and final graduation would de-
pend so thoroughly and exclusively
upon his own personal work. Cadets
are appointed by members of Congress
and by the President; and in recent
years il has been the custom to give
the places of principal and alternate
to the aspirants by competitive exam
ination. A candidate must be over
seventeen years old and under twen-
ty-two. If he is under five feet in
height he is ineligible. He must be
perfectly formed and must be of
a 'good moral character. He
must be able to read and write
the English language correctly and to
perform, with facility and accuracy,
the various operations of the ground
rules of arithmetic, of reduction, of
simple and compound proportion and
vulg Jar and decimal fractions, and
nave acknowledge of English grammar,
of descriptive geography, particularly
of the United States and of the coun-
.ts5's history. The regulations pro-
vide: "No married person shall be
admitted as candidate; and if any
candidate shall be married before
graduation such marriage shall be
considered as equivalent to resigna-
ton, and he shall leave the institution
accordingly. After boy has passed
the prescribed examination and has
been found qualified mentally, physi-
cally and morally to become a cadet,
he must report on or before June Is
following the examination to the
Superintendent of the academy and
sign an agreement for service in the
following form:
l., of the State of -, aged -
years, - months. do hereby engage, with
the consent Of my parents or guardian, that
from the date Of my admission as cadet OF
the United States Military Academy l will
serve In the Army of the United States Tor
eight years, unless sooner discharged by COM
petent authority.
The cadet also subscrlbes to an oath
"a support the Constitution of the
lifted States, and that he will bear
|de allegiance to the National Gov
ernment.
The number of men in West Point
is comparatively small, about 800 in
all, and the new student becomes con-
spicuous at once by the manner of his
carriage and his lack of military bear
ing. This is just as true of those who
had some experience in so.cslled mill
tary schools before they came to West
Point as of the boys who come fresh
from their mothers apron strings. The
1'setting.up" is done by upper class
men, whose apparent severity has
caused many young heart to beat
rapidly and whose shout of ''What do
you mean by standing that way?" or
, |'You, I mean. you there" or "Don't
you know what your right foot is?"
has caused a lump to rise in the throat
of many a new cadet who until that