The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-20

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| that and take rest on tho "stretcher-
The tents In capp are very small and TO accom-
| MEDIATE two and often three people space must DO
economical very carefully. The stretchers aid
| In this They shelves extended from tho ridge
poles OF the tents In each tent there arc two and
they are hung at right angles with each other.
On ono Of these tho plebo is told 10 rest" He
| 'rests' by grnsping the stretcher, ono hand on
| either side and suspending himself By his arma
Ihe stretcher being about six feet from the floor
| he must draw his feet woll under him TO insure
their FREQ swing. The weight Of the body soon
becomes too much for the arms which are bearing
| tho whole unaidcd.; the fingers become cramped
| and tho hold must be looscd Lest the pebe should
attempt TO "deadbcat -nnd no matter how we'll he
ever does anything he Is told he is dead beating
ho is warned that II he loosens his hold, he must
| drop 70 tho floor on his knees. Tho danger OF o
two-foot drop on board floor nerves the pebe 10
further efforts but at last usually in three or four
minutes down he drops with q thud ON the plank
floor. He is ordered back. II he cannot rise him
self the tcnt occupants arc ordered to put him
there minute passes, and again no falla
| And so IL COOS on, usually through six or eight
minutes OF agony, and embracing sometimes four,
| hvo and soven plunges 70 tho floor, each umo on
tho knees
In each tent aro two rectangular bo8es about
throo feet in length and eighteen inches In depth
and width These are The tent lockera They
take tho place OF drawers In which to stow artclea
Tho exhausted plebe Is now told TO sit down on ono
OF these and rest He Is told TO sit on tho extreme
edge OF tho locker, hold his legs out parallel with
the floor, and at tho time touch his toes with
his finger tpa There arc few positions moro
difficult or painful yet the time allowed for this
exercise" 10 usually from five 10 eight minutes
Having endured this till allowed 10 stop finally,
tho next thing he Is told 70 do Is 10 pick UP the tent
cleanngb box and hold II out In front OF him This
box Is a heavy wooden affair strongly bound with
metal and used 70 hold cleaning materials Of Diff
fercnt sorta Sometimes the Krag-Jorgensen rife
Is made uso OF In this exercise instead OF tho box.
Tho effect Is tho same, tho arms give out As in
oil tho rest Of these "amusensnts" Tho first signs
OF exhaustion do not suffice Tho box or rhe
must fall again and again from the weary arms
The exercise of Ginning" Is taken In this way:
The plebo lies faoe downward on the floor, and by
ucann OF his arms raises himself as high % poai-
ho his hands and feet only touching tho floor.
He then lowers himself ill he can touch tho floor
with his chin The movement Is repeated while
| the pebos strength lasta An athletic person
with well developed muscles may succeed in doing
this twenty or twenty-five times with difficulty.
Tho yearling secs IT. In all else TO force tho VIC
tim 70 do one moro than he can. In some cases.
tho required exhaustion has been resisted by
gritty plcbes till eighty have been DONE each one Of
the last forty being productive Of extreme pain
wooden willy brings into use tho krag Jor-
gensen riae The heavy gun Is grasped in tho
| two hands thrust out as far from tho shoulder
| possible and then drawn back 10 the position OF
| airing. When thirty or forty OF these operations
have been executed, tho arms ache painfully.
Yet from that stage the plebe Is driven till three
| hundred completed. and sometimes even q
| greater number The motion becomes, as time
Ito arly ~
act, will power carries ON tho exercise Tho breath
comes and goes in quick panta Tho sweat runs
from every pore, yet tho inquisitor. smiling with
delight at each new evidence of pain on the VIC
TINS part, urges him on without mercy.
Upon the order, "plebe restI" the man stands on
one leg and draws the other up far as possible
that tho knee forms resting place for the elbow
The head is rested on tho hand. A minutes trial
OF this will convince ono Of tho rest" TO be OBJ
| tanned. When four Eve and six minutes pass be-
fore relief is afforded the inhumanity Of Of tho
lightest hazing exercises given be Apr eciated
The Sweat bath" is extleme form Of hazng
and is we'll described by its pane On days when
| tho temperature is highest and tho atmosphere
closest Il is a form OF hazing in which exquisite
| torture is administered. The plebe In fatigue
uniform Is usually ordered 10 put on his rain coat
| first This is heavy and bot mackintoah. Then
| another plebe Is told to pin about him comfort
able, then another and on till all the bedding Of
| the tent Is used There arc as a rule four heavy
comfortables and four army blankets In a tent
Sometimes there is more, and never less. Wrapped
in bedding till his identity Is lost with tent walls
| bAttened down that no air may reach him. under
that dead weight Of clothing ever growing greater
the plebe stands and sweats In streams tho water
| pours down his face Over his whole body he
perspires freely. Rapidly. Undertaking. uni
form rain coat first layer Of bedding Is wet through
! The discomfort Of the awful heat 10 forgotten
| new agonies present themselves The weight Of
| clothing on the shoulders makes breathing diff
cult Painting ensuea Tho circulation almost
ceases in tho upper part Of tho body. Numbneas
| follows and soon the plcbe reels He Is checked
| from falling by threats from his future brother
army oficera So he holds on. In such circum-
| stances time passes slowly. and twenty, twenty
| fve and thirty MINUTES torture thus thrust on
| him seem agea At last he Is released In any
the loss Of weight Is from five TO eight poundR
Freed at last from the weight Of clothing the plebo
stands half dazed and semi conscious for while.
At last life returns TO his body and with II control
| OF the muscles The degree OF exhaustion which
results varies Of with tho length Of time tho
bath is prolonged. Anything twenty min
| utes win bring on all the symptoms OF pain men
| toned. When "soiree" has sweat bath" on Its
| programme tho bath usually comes first and but
| little exercise" IL given when 1t is over Some
times, however, even this mark Of humanity Is
| overstepped. and the box. tho "stretcheT and
eagle" arc ordered as soon the pebe again gets
control OF himself.
Another form Of annoyance is met in tho mess
| hall and Is known Qualifying. AT each
| table are seated men from all classes and hero
tho yearling carries on his amusement at the ex-
| pense of tho digestive organs OF the plebe In
| feeding 30 many, there must be OF course a same
ness in tho food served, and there are a number Of
dishes which piebc must qualify" on before no
is permitted to enjoy them in peace lie is 70
quircd to qualify" on oatmeal, sponge cake,
prunes pie and most disagreeable Of all dish
styed SAMMY. This is bread soaked IN mo-
lassesL After a mornings hard drill tho pebe.
hungry and tired sits down at table and Is ordered
| 10 qualify on sammy" II means that he is TO
| make his meal on bread and moassos alone, and
must eat eight huge slices OF bread soakedthorough-
ly in the sweet liquid II he is unable to do 1t the
| ~. haa ip ,tntl