The record-union., 1898-05-04

eagerly looked forward to than al
West Point. The 300 cadets of the
United States Military Academy hope
soon to be in the active service of Uncle
Sam, and a conflict that required the
services of a large number of troops
would be welcomed as offering chances
for experience and promotion that are
Slow in coming to the young soldier in
time of peace.
If the United States had to raise a
volunteer army to fight against Spain
or any other country it would be Off
cered chiefly by recent graduates of the
West Point institution. Some persons
affect to believe that these youngsters,
fresh from their studies, would not be
fitted for the serious work of war. But
those who are familiar with the work
required of the army boys at West
Point and with the record of the old
school in past years, have no such
fears.
The same thing was said at the be-
ginning of the Civil War, but when
that desperate struggle had been fought
and finished the men on both sides who
had won rank and fame were those who
had been trained at West Point. Grant,
Sherman, Sheridan, Lee, Johnston,
'StonewalP' Jackson, Mcclellan, Hook
er, Meade, were all West Point men.
Among those in the highest ranks were
some who went directly from their
books to the battlefield
MAKING A SOLDIER.
There is a reason why West Point
men are likely to be the leaders in any
war that may come to the United
States. Discipline, sound health, and
scientific knowledge are the things that
make good soldiers, and these are the
things that are drilled into the cadet
every hour Of the day during his four
years stay at the military academy.
From the time of his admission until
he graduates he must submit to a daily
round of work and discipline more rig
orous than is required of any other
schoolboy in the country. West Point
men become fit to command because
they first learn how to obey.
In West Point every action of the day
moves with martial step, to the COM
mand of the bugle. At $50 in the
morning its shrill notes echo through
the silent halls of barracks in the
reveille with its familiar refrain:
Il can't get 'em up, can't get 'em up,
1 can't get em up in the morning"
simultaneously 300 boys tumble out
of bed, hastily thrust themselves into
shoes, trousers, coat, and cap and then
tumble down stairs into ranks for
morning roll-call No matter how
sleepy the cadet may be, or how cold
his barren room, there must be no de-
lay, for if he is an instant behind at
roll-call his name will be posted on
the demerit list, and his tardiness must
be made up for by wearisome tramping
along the halls with a gun across his
shoulder
As soon as the line is formed the
lordly First Sergeant steps before the
company and calls the roll. He rattles
over the seventy or eighty names as
fast as his tongue can wag. He never
uses his roll-book, the names are firm
ly fixed in his mind by many repeti-
tions, and he gets through the list in
an incredibly short time. Then back
go the boys to wash, dress, and tidy
up their rooms in the half-hour that
intervenes before breakfast. The tidy
ing up process does not take long, for
the rooms are bare of all except the
necessities.
Each room is shared by two boys and
contains two sturdy tables, three un-
comfortable wooden chairs, a wash
bowl and stand, two iron cots sepa-
rated by a low wooden partition.
Against the walls are shelves for books
and clothes and a row of iron hooks.
That is all. No rugs on the floor, no
easy chairs or comfortable pillows or
pretty pictures Everything is ruled
by martial simplicity, and every room
is the same whether it is occupied by
the son of a millionaire or a wash
woman's boy.
The two boys who occupy a room
take turns, in serving as room orderly,
each acting for week at a time. The
room Orderly must sweep and dust and
care for the room, and each man must
keep his personal belongings in order.
On rising he must carefully fold the
bedclothing and mattress at the head
of his cot, range his shoes in regu-
lar line on the floor at the foot and
hang each article of attire on its spe-
cial hook before the inspection officer
makes his rounds. When that person
age appears at the door the two cadets
stnad at attention while he carefully
notes the condition of the room If
there is a speck of dust on the floor
a shoe out of line, or a scrap of soiled
linen in sight it means demerits for
the offender. Personal friendship with
the inspection officer will not help the
cadet. The officer is ION honor to
make an accurate report, and to put
q cadet on his honor is better than TO
have his oath. Lying is a vice that
has no place at West Point
WEST POINT ROUTINE.
After inspection comes breakfast. and
then there is half an hour for study
before recitations begin, at o'clock
From to l are recitation and study
hours. Each cadet has usually three
recitations a day, and the classes are
all called and dismissed by bugle. The
boys line up and march to the lecture
halls in a body and are inspected by
the officer of the day before they are
dismissed. Between s and l the cadet
cannot leave his room except to go to
recitations, and the academic building
is as silent as a country churchyard,
save when the classes march to or
from their rooms.
One O'Clock is the dinner hour The
cadets form in line and march down
the street to the long. low mess hall,
where they take their places at some
thirty tables and fall upon the roast
beef and other viands with as much
vigor as though they were attacking
an enemy Thirty minutes is all the
time allowed for eating, and then they
march back to barracks for more study
and recitations from , until 4.
At 4 o'clock mental labor ends for a
time. and fifteen minutes later the roll
of the drum calls the cadets to arms
and to the field. The next hour is spent
on the drill ground if the weather is