The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-05
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instructor vouchsafes you costs you one
tenth in your mark that day.. hint hYs,
tenths and an out-and-out explanation VIII
cut away unit. This may be all very
we'll from one point of view, as IL certainly
throws each cadet upon his own RESPONSE
biity in getting up the points In ms SUD
ject, but it is rough on the struggling boys
at the foot of the class, who. doing their
level best, can scarcely get two Tor
When the dreaded January or June ex-
aminationS draw near the cadets may De
found busily averaging up their marks Tor
the term, because they well know that on
this average a great deal depends II they
have made an average of two or above
their stay at the academy is probably as
should be slightly below the standard. But
If they find they have come out barely
proficient or a little under the requisite two,
passing a brilliant test. AS for the goats"
with their little footings of 3 or l.3, scarce
ly anything but simply phenomenal show
ing on the examination can pull them
through.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION.
The requirements for admission to West
Point are simple so far as the subjects are
concerned. Reading, writing, spelling,
arithmetic, English grammar, geography
and United States history are not very ad-
vanced subjects. Any boy with a commol
school education should be able to pass.
But subtle element enters just here that
is not always recognized. The entrance ex-
animation is a test not so much of what the
candidate has learned as it is of his capac-
ity for learning. Many a boy appointed
from primitive country districts has had
little or no educational advantages, perhaps
even Of the common school, yet his mind
may be receptive and his mathematical IN
Stincts strong, though latent. This Kind OF
candidate stands a better chance of pass
ing the 'prelim" than many another the
gins in September, when the classes are
called from their camp on the plain ana
the battle of mind against matter is daily
fought i'll the section room before the in
structor, who, as an impartial referee, as
signs the victory in terms of three.
Here the steady hard-Witted, hard-Work-
ing youth of meager advantages gradually
but certainly forces his way upward
through hosts of his classmates gifted with
apparently more brilliant but in reality SUI
perficial attachments. Starting out in Sep
TENDER. arranged in alphabetical order, the
most important month in the whole year;
perhaps in the whole four years, is passed
by the ''plebe" in hard study; then comes
Oct. l and d general transfer: What a
shaking up. Mr.. A, who by virtue of his
name has been masquerading in the first
section, suddenly changes places with Mr..
a. The Yale graduate who thought he
knew algebra well enough and consequent
ly has been taking things pretty easy dis
covers himself passed and ranked by the
country boy from Indiana who never mad
an algebra in his hands till he wore the
gray. Each succeeding week sees more
Changes: the lower sections become crowd
ed, the hopelessly stupid and the absolute
ly lazy regardless of their opportunities,
percolate to the very foot. You see them
failing along at the end of the gray line
that daily winds into the academic build
ing. and their rooms are dark at the first
others honest and Woodworking, even
brilliant perhaps in languages or philoso-
ply, bend over their books and strive in
desperation to grasp the elusive facts OF
Horner's Method of Sturm's Theorem only
to show more plainly to Professor Bass the
next day their lack or natural mdIhemal-
ical comprehension.
In the fourth class there are but two sub
iects studied at the same time. That is,
cadet has algebra in the morning and Eng
lish in the afternoon during the nrst -FOUR
months of his cadet life. 1t is not TO be
supposed however. that for this reason his
work is easier. On the contrary, great thor
oughness is exacted and long lessons are
set. A ''plebe' looks with dismay on from
eighteen to twenty-five pages of algebra for
his lesson, but he must get accustomed TO
this for on review and general review he
will be expected to master as much again;
The morning RECITATION lasts one hour and
a half: that IF the afternoon one hour He
has an hours drill and forty-fve minutes in
the gymnasium during the day. the remain
der of his time he is expected TO study.
There are no diversions outside TO attract
his attention; he is confined 10 his room
during study hours, consequently a closer
approach to perfection may be legitimately
demanded of him than if he were living the
free career of a college student.
corum and military bearing is observed, es-
pecially in the lower classes. Immediately
after the section marches in and the sec
ton marcher'' has reported, with military
salute "All are present. sir 10 the in
structor. the next days lesson is assigned
and a pause follows when cadets who have
any questions to ask regarding the lesson
are privileged to ask them.
WITH MILITARY PRECISION.
Then the instructor calls a cadets name,
the youngster springs to attention"
listens to the enunciation of his subject
faces about and proceeds to the black
board. Here he writes his name and places
what he knows about his subject on the
board. takes a pointer. and, facing about
when ready to recite stands motionless I'M
I'll called upon. The other members of the
section are similarly put to work and the
last one called up is "qulzzed" on the re-
view lesson. Each days lesson includes
that of the day before. When topic is
finished IL is reviewed and before examina-
ton a general review of the entire book
takes place. Thus a subject is practically
covered three times. No "crlbbing or
copying can be done, for the officer. who
has his wits sharpened By contact witt