The evening times., 1900-09-29
FRANKS AT WEST POINT
Traditions Connected With the Old
Military Academy.
Days When New Conner Had No
Rights That an Upper Glass Man
PIebe sentineI-A Billiard Table
Episode.

Is bO pidCS al tnS OAttON
States where traditions and precedents
have so much weight as they have at West
Point. These traditions are carefully pre-
served and handed down from one class to
another, and 1t is of the rarest occurrence
for cadet to do anything that is contrary
to them. If he does violate an important
one the cadet in question is made to feel
the displeasure Of the corps in an unmis-
taxable manner
Such tradition is that "pIebe.'' as
members Of the fourth class are called, is
never regarded on an equal footing with
an upper class man until he has completed
his first year at the academy. He is inva-
riably addressed as Mr.. So-and-So, or just
plain Mister, and must always address up
per class men in the same formal manner,
and, il addition, he must be prolific in his
use oE the word sir, afixing it TO the
end Of every sentence.
If piebe is asked by an upper class
man what his name is he must reply Mr.
Brown, sir or whatever his name may
be, and if he fails 10 do so he is certain to
be told 10 put sir ON that, Mister" in
a way that viii usually cause him TO re-
member it. OF course, plebe soon learns
THIS, ana llSES IS no AOuSST any lEoUblS
with him on that score.
An amusing anecdote is told of raw
country lad who reported at West Point
a few years ago concerning this use OF the
word. sir" When the new cadets re-
port at the Academy they first visit the
adjutants office, where they deposit their
credentials and give information concern
ing their parents or guardians and their
former careers, Next they visit the treas
urer's office and deposit what money they
may have with them, and then they go to
the barracks, where they report to the
cadet officer IN charge of their instFuc-
tion. It is here that they receive their
first taste Of military discipline. Well.
this young man passed through the pre-
liminaries, finally reaching the barracks.
and, after several attempts to enter the
office in a military manner and TO the
satisfaction of the austere lieutenant il
| charge he was asked by that functionary
what his name was.
John Smith," answered the lad
Suppose you put sir on that" cried
| the cadet officer, forgetting fer the mo-
/ ment in his assumed wrath the equally
| heinous omission of the MI"
| Sir John Smith" innocently piled
/ the plebe, and supposed he had obeyed to
! the letter his superiOT's injunction. For
| the next few minutes that poor plePe's life
| was a burden to him, for all the cadets
/ about the room at once began crawling
him for his supposed attempt at facesious-
t ness. The name Sir John stuck to him
| throughout his entire career at the Acad-
| emy, and even followed him into the
/ army.
| II has been the custom in the corps from
| time immeaorial to "devil'' plebes during
! their first encampment. A great many Of
! the practices INDUCED in are perfectly in
1 nocent, and so long as the upper class
men confine themselves TO them there IS
/ little or 10 opposition from the authorities.
| An incident illustrative of this is
/ told by al officer who was walking II the
! rear Of Company DIS tents one afternoon in
! one of the recent encampments OF the
! cadets at West Point He heard a voice
! from the body of the enCampment shouting
| in stentoriau tones, y N madi / n mad!
| know I'm madI" Wondering what the
| trouble was, he walked short distance
! farther and looked between the tents.
| There he saw in d tent across the company
street q great, strapping plebe, over SID
| feet tall and weighing more than ZOe
| pounds creeping on his hands and knees
| about the tent. like a Gagged lion, and every
| minute or two giving vent to the cry that
| he was mad. Stopping for a moment TO
| take in the situation fully the officer heard
| a mild and persuasive voice from nearby
| tent say, Put more feeling in 1t, mister,
say it as if you meant it,
! The officer. perceiving that the whole
| thing was only an innocent form of devil
ment contrived by some ingenious ysaTilng,
| made no report of il, but went on his way.
| Another amusing incident OF this kind
occurred one quiet Sunday afternoon, wren
most of the cadets were asleep in their
tents and the visitors seats in front OF
| the camp parade were nearly deserted A
tall. slender cadet, wearing shake and
| plume armed with sabre, and riding
| between his legs little tin horse scarcely
- af9z r7TaSy
| company street brandishing his sabre and
| shouting Turn. boys, turn: we're going
| back!" Back and forth through the differ
ent company streets he ran, dragging his
horse with him, until finally he ran into
| the officer in charge, who promptly con-
fined him in the guard tent. But all the
camp had been awakened, and the cadets
and a few visitors had a good laugh. The
plebe was released tie next morning, none
the worse for his night in confinement.
A plebe's first night on guard is gener-
ally al unpleasant experience for him; for,
besides the official visits of the various
officers and commissioned officers
charged with his instruction, to see that
he understands all the fine points of his
duties as a sentinel he is sure to be Wis
tied by legion of spooks. hobgoblins, and
various other unauthorized individuals.
An incident of this kind is related where
a yearling wrapped in sheet, appeared
on the post of a plebe sentinel at night
Halt shouted the plebe. Who is there?"
/ Moses and the Ten Commandments, "
came the response.
The poor pIebe thought there was some
thing irregular, but he remembered his in
| structions about never allowing more than
one to advance at time at night, so he
promptly shouted:
Advance, one commandment. to be re-
eognized.'
| fayorite pastiTne among cadets foI
| generations past has been TO capture 6
| land tortoise, and after taps at night te
start him across the parade with light
ed candle on his back. AS a consequence
| many plebe has been severely Jumped
for permitting light TO approach ol
cross his post.
| An amusing anecdote is related Of Gen
era1 Sherman, who, as comman ling gen
era1 of the army, visited West Point on
June for the graduation exercises Ht
| accompanied the ccolmaniant CT MS Sun
day morning tour of inspection of bar
racks and on entering a certain room h
walked over to the n&ntel piece. Stoop
ing down he pried up a brick from th'
middle of the hearth with his sword seab
bard, and revealed a hollow space about ;
foot square in which was nicely packet
a considerable quantity of tobacco ant
other contraband articles. Meanwhile tn
cadets occupying the room stood by mute
ly watching and wondering what sort o
man the general was to have been abl
| to discover the only cellar" Il its kin
in barracks Turning 10 the cOlnfaandan MT