Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-27
THE MAKING or A MILDLY.
PAGE OF REAL LIFE OF UNITED
STATES CADET AT ANNAPOLIS.
Work That Must Be Done-Studies
Which It Is Necessary to Pursue
The HazinE That the
s.PIebe" Must d
From the New York Herald.

from nj z IOIk atId4u.
Middies are made at Annapolis. An
American boy who wants to be a MILDLY
usually draws ships on, his slate when he
ought to be studying, writes letters to his
unfortunate congressman, who knows no
more about Annapolis than he does, or
writes to the secretary Of the navy and gets
IN reply an official pamphlet on the adj
mission Of candidates to the United States
Naval academy. I wish, before speaking
of the academy, to tell such a boy just
how he can get there.
Regularly. there are only two possibilities.
One is to get ar appointment at large from
the president. The other is to get an ap-
pointment from the congressman Of ones
own district. There are ten of these APP
pointments at large-ten altogether, usually
one or two each year. If a boy is the SON
of an admiral, or if his father carried a
state for the party in power. there may
be a chance for the appointment at large.
Summer Cruising.
Though he may enter in either May or
September. he will be wise to choose the
earliest examination. as in this way he
will gain a lead over the later members
OF his class. May plebs' always rate more
than Sep. plebs. May plebs go on the
Join the rest of their class in September
are tough. sunburned and nautical. Though
this 'pleb cruise" Is not a yachting excur-
AAC CdSA(h "a
sick pleb. shivering in his white working
clothes, wandering about in the vain
search for a friendly face. is oppressed by
the -strangeness and the discomfort Of ship
life, he gains, during this summer Of volun-
tary suffering, a running start that helps
him wonderfully all through his course.
BY September he knows what a reef-earing
Is and can find the port mizzen topsail
Not only the fourth class. but also the
third and first classes go on this summer
cruise Its DurpOSA is TO teach cadets the
ship routine and to give them practice in
the handling Of sail-for since some yes
must understand reeting and furiing.
Though the new practice ship is to be fit
TED with modern guns and appliances, it
Much Of the summer CRUISING has been
done In Long Island sound. though of late
years there have been several deep sea
There are pleasant features to the SUMNER
cruises. About once a week, when cruising
an the sound. the ship goes into port
usually New London or Newport-and the
eailsick voyagers have a chance to attend
hops and beach parties. The hotels usually
give a standing invitation to their hops
Nifhanf ,f siIis siy ser 2 ,bs gT rae BUS w welcome 6s 2 s
INTRODUCTION. On ono occasion, not long
ago, when two cadets entered a hotel ball
room filed with strangers, one of the Of
dcers introduced them by saying, Ladies
and gentlmen. this is Mr.. P. and Mr.. c."
Mr.. P. and Mr.. c. had no difficulty in Sc
curing partners.
The work on the cruise varies for diff
ferent classes. Third and fourth class men
haul on ropes and lay aloft to loose, furl
and reef sails. They have some drill at the
gums, occasional practice in rowing and
sailing and lessons in seamanship. First
class men act as officers part of the time
and have several hours of daily work in
theoretical Observation-Disclosures tides,
finding latitude and longitude. after shoot
ing the sun" with the se~xtant-and so on.
A first attempt at placing the ship often
results in landing her somewhere in Central
New York.
When the ship sails home about the last
of August the two upper classes go on
leave, while the fourth class, which by
this time has all its members. remains
at Annapolis drilling. boating. tying knots
and learning seamanshrip.
HaxinE at Annapolis.
About the LIST Of October the serious work
of the academic year begins. Though the
fourth class work at only three subjects
English, French and mathematics-they
are kept very busy. Ten or fifteen are
usually dropped before the end Of the year.
About this time they begin to meet the
upper classmen-not in the way they would
like, however. for plebdom is a dogs life.
Plebs are expected to obey all orders: to
answer all questions. however foolish; never
to leave off the respectful sir" to rise