The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-04-26
CADET LIFE AT ANNAPOLIS.
The Work and Play Of the 81 oung Men Who
Are to Officer the Navy.
: -New York Press.

is with feeling Of regret that
the officer returning to Annapolis sees
the new buildings which replace the
old cadet quarters. But, even danger
.i,l sous. as are some Of the old ramshaekle
S structures, nothing can destroy the
love which all graduates Of the naval
academy have for their school, and
there hangs q hallowed sentiment
about those old buildings which have
housed SO many Of the great heroes Of
our our land. Everything about the acad-
envy teens with sentiment and ro-
nance; and the situation alone, with
grounds stretching to the beautiful
Severn, would inspire this feeling.
even, without the glamor that brass
buttons throw over us all. It's small
wonder that the lad from the South or
West is completely carried away,
when either through competitive ex7
;s. animation OF the influence Of 9 con-
.gressman, he gets an appointment TO
the naval academy. 70 him the soOO
q year which the government provides
dor its cadets seems a fortune, and
with the. predict ions Of greatness from
his family and friends, he leaves his
home full Of hope, longing with .
hungry eagerness 70 begin his career
there.
The opening p m Of the fall term brings
each "a. year 8 great many Of these boys,
scallow youths, who find that upon
til their Il very r entrance they are men, con-
.sidered so, and must act 80. They are are
'iill lati ease, and the newness Of their
uniforms is 4 aconstant Irritation to
the. fesh, 8 and they long with heavy
heart 1 to . acquire the assurance Of the
6 off6cerSof The day. During the first
:few M weeks these new arrivals present
arid ulons appearance, TOO, which.
!does not add to their comfort. They.
|are seen 3 going ia q to and from Che govern.
;ment stores carrying a mattresses, slop
buckets and al the aphernalia Of Q.
cadet, S bedroom, dressed in mongrel
costumes, part uniform and part
Is clothes, and this, added to
their general desp pondency, makes
them anything but martial sights.
Time, however, works 9 marvellous
change. The regular, simple life en-
forced bysU Uncle Sam, and the military
s1aiisciplin which constitutes the whole
Eezsiistenceso sof q cadet, soon mold these
rawass1ecruits as into fne men, and they.
forget tkatstheir life Was eyer lived in.
.sspy otther way than BY military rule.
so they are reused with discor-
'dant. fife and drum, which Is called
;r,:eYeille, and is sounded by the Marine
drum corps as they march up and
down the hall. Before the call the
:master-at-arms takes pains to open
each bedroom door SO that none OF. the
sunWelcome sound may escape the
weary sleepers. At Z Il E bugle sounds
jSforI breakfast formation, and here IKE
cadets must undergo the ordeal OF
hearing read the delinquency report
for the previous day. a first class
man, : i who, from merit and ability, has
been selected as! cadet lieutenant-com-
$mander reads this report: Cadet
Smith button OFF coat; Cadet Jones,
throwing bread attable Cadet Miller,
5inattention at drill. /" These are 9
few samples Of along daily list. This
cadet Lieutenant nt-commandey, by the
way, occupies in the cadets mind a
more lo exalted position than does Samp-
son Or Dewey, and At, his graduation it
as a great blow when he finds himself
With the rank Of ensign only, and at
the foot Of the navy.
At 8. O'clock thescadets form BY
classes and march to. their recitation
rooms, and now begins the real work
sof the day. Recitation over, the call
sounds at clock, and variety Of
drills now occupy the time for the
next two hours. These drills vary
one day the entire battalion at infan-
try drill, another at artillery drill and
another day at great gun drill aboard
ship. On many days, toe, these drills
are subdivided in order that a cadet
may learn more minute details of a
drill that is impossible in drilling the
entire battalion. A few cadets will
take instruction in pistol drill, others
in fencing, while others practice
broadswords OF 'knotting and splic-
ing or target practice.
Now comes supper formation, fol-
lowed by study and bed; and the day
ends with inspection by the ':officer