The evening times., 1898-03-02
FRANKS OF CADETS.
They Remove the Sunset Gun and
Are DISCIPLINED.

Are Disciplined.
West Point, March 2-After lying dor
mant for so long a time that the fac
ulty thought they would never wake up
again. the West Point cadets have brok-
en- out in somethingilike their old style,
and they are making 1t exceedingly live
ly for the grim guardians of the old for
tress on the Hudson The latest eX-
ploit of these boys in buttons came very
close to the best thing that has been
done in the academy. A bunch of un-
knowns, smarting under what they
thought was an unjust punishment, made
an attempt TO mount a gun in the tower
of the academic building, and rouse the
echoes of the Palisades with mid
night shot
There is a three-inch field piece at the
Point which is used as sunset gun. 1t
I is an old-fashioned muZzle-loader. and
is capable of good deal of noise when
IL is properly handled. Monday night,
as the sun dipped behind the hills. the
old piece gave forth its flash of fame
and its breath of smoke as it has been
doing every night for twenty years. Then
ii sat silent and august till the rising of
the sun Tuesday should call its roar
again. The gun is one of the familiar
things which the returning student sees.
1t has been friend TO so many of them.
After the piece had said ''go home and
to bed Monday night, and only the SEN
tinels were left on the parade ground.
a body of students stole out of their
quarters and assembled about the gun.
To their practiced hands il was but a
moments work TO take the piece from
the carriage and dismantle the carriage
itself. The gun stood on the ridge over
looking "Gallows Hollow and the aca-
demic building was across the way.
In some manner known only TO them
selves the cadets conveyed the gun and
carriage across the hollow and into the
building They managed to get the piece
In the elevator. leaving the wheels out
side for the second trip, when something
frightened them and they fed, leaving
the piece where il was. Up in the big
tower of the building IS great plat
form with a window opening out 10 the
river 1t was the purpose of the cadets
to mount the gun on this parapet. with
her nose through the window, and then
cut her loose with saluting charge
Something stopped the program at its
most interesting point.
Yesterday morning reveille was sounded
and the cadets came tumbling out of
quarters. They waited for the sunrise
gun. but no sound came from off the hill.
Gradually a grin spread itself over the
hned-up faces OF Company +. They knew
that the piece was lying safe In the ele-
vator and that the sun would come up
that morning without salute to greet
IT. A squad was detailed 10 search for
the missing gun. No trace has been left
by the marauders. wear ago some of
the old historic guns were stolen and
taken down the river. The faculty said
the sunset gun must have gone the same
Il Ell ,In
down at o'clock that the whereabouts
of the missing piece was discovered.
Then Company r, because il had smiled
so broadly, went back to Imprisonment in
quarters, and there is diigeNt effort TO
discover Just who trified with the dis
Cipline Of the Point. Not cadet in the
place would give pal away. and the
discounted officers sent al Of Company r
into retirement. insuring the punishment
Of the real offenders.
All this is the work of revenge. Ten days
ago the company planned coup, directed
at Lieut.. Pershing. the tactical officer.
He is very unpopular with the hill, doing
the martinez business In fashion 10 dis
gust the cadets who know what good dis
cipline is. on the day he was to make a
barrack inspection somebody hung a
bucket of water over the door of Com
pany E's quarters. The bucket was so
arranged that the opening of the door
would tip the bucket over.
Lieut.. PershinR was coming down the
hall when hired man accidentally open
ed the door and received the ducking
which was intended for the obnoxious Of
ficer. Company E got a week in bar
racks for that. and now they have thirty
days i'm retirement for the episode of the
sunset gun.
But il is quite like the old times at the
Point and the cadets are happy. They
may yet do something which will get half
a dozen Of them expelled, and then their
joy will be complete.