The National tribune., 1901-05-09
TO and THROUGH WEST POINf'
from first pare.1

| IS ut the nearest military post and ths
time March l. The year will pass all too
quickly, and when March l comes ron
VIII report at the HEADQUARTERS of tbs
Military Post and the Post Adiutapt VIII
direct you to tho Board of Examiners.
which consists OF five officers. two OF
whom are Surgeons
The candidates having assembled ths
presiding officer explains to them that anv
reference to any paper, any attempt to
communicate with each other, or to even
look at the work of another, will result
IN their instant expulsion from the exam.
nation. To each candidate ia given a
number, which he places at the head OF
all his papers. These papers are sent to
the board at West Point; the name and
number are sent to the Adjutant-General
washington, ID. @. The Board at Yves.
Point know nothing OF the personality of
the applicants. and they send notice to
the authorities at Washington that such
numbers or such post have passed or
failed. as the case may be, and the Adju-
tant-General notifies the candidate.
Now let MS see what will be required
or the candidate. A percentage OF 6S 80
IN every study required The exam
ination IN grammar tegins; time al
lowed, two and a-half hours. There will
be about - questions, with all answers
to be written out in full and as many
sentences to be corrected Here is a SAM
pie question; The three principal parts
OF the verb see are see, saw, seen; give
the principal parts of the verbs bid. break,
NY, fall, loose, ride, mean. wear. win.
shrink, set, steal, lay, freeze. sing"
In history 20 questions; time allowed,
three hours In arithmetic, eight exam
pies, whose credits aggregate 100. Hero
are two: See il you can solve them: "a
vessel contains bu., 8 PIX, qt, l pt.;
how many quarts beer measure will ID
contain?"
THE grass of 20 acres grows contin-
ualIy; l33 oxen can eat all of the grass
in 13 days THAT is, the original grass and
that which grows in L. days.; % oxen
could eat . acres of the grass in 16 days
Cthat is, the original grass and that which
grows in 10 days.. How many oxen could
eat acres Of the grass in IA days that
IS, acres of grass and that which grows
on acres in IA days)?"
For solving the first example eight cred
its are allowed; for the last one, 16 cred-
its.
II you cannot solve them by arithmetic,
you can use algebra, and credit will bs
given if You use both methods.
Geography. reading and spelling are all
on the same lines, and three days are en-
ployed.
On the last day comes the physi-
cal examination, and it is a scorcher 4
Hospital Steward places the candidate in
nude, he Is ushered into the presence Of
the Surgeons, and every part, from his
scalp to the end of his toes, is critically
inspected. The doctors find defects in
eyes and ears that were never even sus.
pected; "cigaret heart" is common cause
Of rejection. No confirmed cigaret-
smoker ever passes the physical examina-
ion. 1t is surprising how many fail from
this cause alone.
The officers Of the Examining Board
will give no intimation whatever regard.
ng the success or failure Of the applicant.
The candidates papers go through the
regular channels, and in due time he
earns his fate. Let US hope that his no.
ice from the Adjutant- General reads like
his:
''Sir: I am directed by the Secretary
" War to inform you that you have
passed successfully the required examina-
ion for admission to the United States
Military Academy, and that you will be
egularly admitted to that Institution as
sadet upon reporting in person to the
on the 10Th day OF June,
9O3, between the hours of 8 a. m. and
= m. 1t Is to be understood that this no.
ification confers upon you no right to en-
er the Academy unless you report for
omission on the date specified. Please
acknowledge receipt"