The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-09-19

IehllItu the necessary Tor thorough
knowledge Of mathematics and have com,
prepared TO answer such questions upon
this subject az this board will proponud
sir"
Mr. Jones mumbled 0omethlng about
trying 10 do his best.
your statement seems neither satls.
factory nor clear. Mr.. Jones. but we will
proceed with your examination. A man
started In business with seven clerks and
Chinese poodle. His profits the first
month were minus - and bale Of hay,
after which his wife died and he became
possessed OF a devil wnat per cent all
mony DID his wife receive and what dld
he die of"
Mr. Jones looked surprised and began
to smile.
Wipe of that smile, Mr.. Jones'" came
In stern tones from the other examiners.
you have evidently failed to grasp
the gravity Of the situation" continued
his lnterlocutor. That Will do. Mr.
Jones. Mr.. Cook. we will proceed with
your examination"
Mr.. Cook took the floor.
"Mr. Cook. by what symbol in mathe.
matlcs Is your ignorance OF geography
expressed? What? Not understand the
question sir wel. sir. we are not here
to answer for you. SIR. or We should say
plus lnhnIty. We Will give you one more
opportunity. Where is Ksjccjka, and who
IL the postmistress there? What. can't
answer that? That will do, Mr.. Cook,
you have failed 10 pass"
Just at this moment the door opened and
a head was hurriedly poked In:
Look out fellows, the TAGS coming"
Immediately the examining officers in
terrupted the examination with an un-
warranted degree Of haste.
Examinations over for today Get out
Of here you men. and be quick about IT,"
They disappeared themselves In most
undignified fashion. Scarcely had they
closed the door behind them when. with
sharp knock. In walked the cavalry lieu
tenant. who was the officer IN charge.
Close questioning OF the plebes present
failed. however, 10 elicit anything that
could give clue 10 the identity Of the
cadets who had played this daring prank.
These little jokes are nothing. and the
real fun begins for the old cadet when
the plebe is sent to camp after three or
four weeks stay in BARRACKS.
When he arrives. loaded with his blank
cts. his broom. pail. dipper. and bedding
he is very likely told where his tent is by
some kindly disposed old cadet, and when
with a mighty sigh Of relief he throws
his accumulated household goods with a
crash on the tent floor he is horrihed to
see wrathful cadet officer jump out Of
pile Of bedding and demand what he
means by taking possession OF his cap
tain's tent in this manner.
Elected, bog and baggage. amid fierce
Inyectiye from his captain and the ill-con-
cealed delight Of the rest OF the company.
be learns not to rely too implicitly on
what others tell him
Part Of the hazing that falls to the lot
of every cadet when he begins his career
is a species OF tagging.
He IS usually selected by an upper
class man a the Iatter's "special-duty"
man. His duties are to pile the upper
classman's bedding at reveille, bring his
water clean his rifle or sabre and gem
orally make himself useful He must do
all these things without allowing any
officer to suspect it, for the rules against
using pIebes in this way are very strict
and breach Of them would be likely to
result in Dismissal
This special duty service is not always
a one-sided affair. II the old cadet is
good fellow he will give his servitor much
valuable advice, put him up to cadet Gus
toms and instruct him in the many ira
ditions Of the place that would otherwise
have TO be learned by hard experience.
Aside from this no other cadet lower in
rank than the upper classman can inter-
fere with or haze the latter's special
duty man. Class distinctions are very
marked al the academy and this fact
serves the plebe good turn.
There is never any bodily violence Of
fered. nor even a hand laid on the plebe.
All the hazing at the Military Academy
consists OF keeping the plebe at work.
bracing him up and ordering him to do
extra drill, between tent and in out-of-
the way places. for carelessness or laXity
in his bearing. Sometimes he has TO
drink ink or eat a sandwich Of hard tack
and axle grease, but so strict watch is
kept by the authorities that these occa-
sions are very few. Only last year two
cadets were dismissed from service for
SO slight thing requiring plebe to
raise his arms and execute a simple eX-
ercise Of the drill regulations,
When camp is over and the cadets re-
turn to barracks for their long winters
work in the classroom hazing almost
dies out. The plebes are severely let
alone. They are addressed as Mister
and have to add sir to their replies to
the old cadets until June comes and
brings a new lot OF fourth-class men,
with their trouble all before them. Then
and not until then can the others assume
the dignity and delight of old cadets.