The Portland daily press., 1899-04-22
CADET LIFE AT ANNAPOLIS.
The Work and Play of the Young Mcn
who are TO Officer the Navy.
lFrom tbolNrw Work prsss.)


new buildings which replace TIE old cadet
quarters. Bad, even dangerous. as are
some of the old ramshackle structures,
nothing can destroy the love which al
graduates of the naval academy have for
their school 4, and there hangs haliowed
sentiment about those old buildings
which have housed $, many of the great
heroes of our land. Everything about
the academy teens with sentiment and
romance, and the situation alone. with
grounds stretching retDCrthe beautiful
Severn, would inspire this feeling even
without the glamor that brass buttons
throw over us all. 1t is small wonder
that the lad from the South or West Is
completely. carried. away, when either
through competitive examination or the
influence of a congressman, he gets an
appointment to the naval academy. 10
him the $500 year which the government
provides for its cadets seems fortune,
and with the predictions of greatness
from his family and friends, he leaves
his home full of hope. longing with a
hungry eagerness to begin his career
there.
The opening OF the fall term brings
each year q great many of these boys,
callow yolths, who find that upon their
very entrance they are men, considered so,
and must act SO. They are i'll at ease,
and the pewness of their uniforms is u
constant Irritation to the flesh, and
they long with O heavy heart to acquire
the assurance of the "ofiicer OF the day.
During the first few weeks these new ar
rivals present ridiculous appearance,
too. which does not add to their comfort.
They are seen going to and from the gov
eminent store carrying mattresses, slop
buckets and all the paraphernalia OF a
cadets bedroom dressed in mongrel cos
tum es, part uniform and part civilian S
clothes, and this, added to their general
dependency, makes them anything but
martial sights.
Time, however, works marvellous
change. The regular, simple life en-
forcsd by Uncle Sam, and the military
discipline which constitutes the whole
existence of a cadet. soon mold these raw
repcruits into fine men, and they forget
that their life was ever lived in any other
way than by military rule. At 6 30 they
are reused with discordant fife and drum,
which is called reveil,e, and is sounded
by the Marine drum corps as they march
up and down tine halls. Bsfore the call
the master-at-arms takes pains to open
each bedroom door, SO that none of the
unwelcome sound may escape the weary
sleepers, At the buGle sounds for break
fast formation, and here the cadets must
undergo the ordeal OF hearing read the
deliauency report for the previous day
A first cassman, who from merit anu
ability has been selected as cadet lieuten-
ant-commander, reads this report:
Cadet Smith, button off coat; Cadet
Jcnes throwing bread AT table; Cadet
Miller, inattention ut drill. " These are u
few samples of u long daily list. This
cadet ant-coEpiandec, by the way,
occupies in the cadets miIda more ex-
allied position than does Sampson or
Dewey, aud at his graduation 1t is great
blow when he finds himself with the rank
of ensign only, and at the foot OF the
navy
Al O'Clock the cadets form by classes
and march to their recitation roons, ana
now begins the real work of the day.
Recitation over, the call sounds mt
O'Clock, and a variety of drills now occupy
the time for the next two hours These
drills yary-one day the entire battalion
at infantry drills another at artillery
and another.day at great gun drill abroad
ship. On many days, too, these drills
are sub-divided in order that a cadet may
learn more minute details of "a drill that
is impossible in drilling the entire bat.
TALON. A few cadets VIII take instruc'
ton in pistol drill, others in fencing.
while others practice broadswords or
"knotting and splicing" or target prac-
tice.
Now comes supper formation, followed
by study hour and bed; and the day ends
with inspection by the "ofnoer in
charge" accompanied by the officer of
the day. who make room-to-room in
spection to see that the occupants are in
bed and the lights out. This ali seems a
horrible grind to the cadet, who considers
himself the most abused person in tho
world, bus at 40 the weather-worn, bat
tered lieutenant swallows sigh at the
memory of these old academy days. How
strong grip they keep on the Annapolis
graduate may be- instanced by Admiral
Sands. No one who was at the academy
during the '70's can forget the dear old
hero of the Mexican and civil wars. lie
spent his last years at Annapolis, bask-
ing in the sun of youthful sen timent
Each day mt the "sundown call OF eolors'
his trembling, emaciated figure tottered
toward the flag pole, and as the bugle
sounded he raised his hat, and, lifting his
rugged face to the flag, watched the stars
and stripes come fluttering to the ground.
The pathetic dignity of this daily recur-
renee made an impression not easily
erased, though only in after years. when
their own memories chung fondly to the
academy, did the light hearted cadets
realize its full significance.
OF course the life of cadet is not all
work and no play. for there is half -hoh
day on Wednesday and Saturday, and on
that last named night the young sailors
have their hops, which make A nnapolis
the epitoms of all that is bright ami gay
to the southern girl, whose ambition in
life is to become cadet belle. AT these
hops the cadets swarm, ana with the
beautiful music of military band, the
spring flowers and the decorations of flags
and military elm blems. it is small wonder
that the girls from Baltimore and Wash
ington strive for Invitations to the naval
academy. and even the New York society
girl finds a novel interest in attending
these hops. which are uniq ue from every
point of view. Even the method of get
ting there is old-fashioned, as are most
-,