The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-03-04
CNew York Herald.)

West Point, n. Y.-By the order of
the secretary of war, the class of 1901
will be graduated on Monday, Feb. is.
Uncle Sam will thus gain seventy
three new officers for his army.
This order TO graduate the first class
of cadets was not wholly unexpected by
the authorities at the academy, and
the cadets themselves had been look
ing forward anxiously to some legisla-
ton in congress on the new army re-
organization bill which would necessi-
tate their premature graduation This
is the third time in recent years that
the first class Of cadets has gone out
into the army world ahead of the reg
ular graduation month, June
The outbreak of the Spanish-Ameri-
can war in April, 1898, neceSsitated ad-
diitonal officers for. troops being re-
cruited throughout the country, and
West Point responded by turning out
fifty-nine clean cut, clear eyed young
officers, who did excellent service. in
the Cuban campaigns of that summer.
OF the fifty-nine, three-Lieutenants
Benchley, Churchman and Lafferty-
were killed at the head of their men
before San Juan and Santiago Many
others were wounded and several have
since died from wounds and disease.
BY February, 1899 the ravageS of the
hard campaigns in the tropics had so
reduced the number of army officers
fit for active service in the Aid &nat
the president and his advisers decided
that the military academy should again
furnish the necessary men to take their
places. Orders were accordingly issued
graduating the first class of seventy
two members on Feb. 10 of that year.
These were the first instances since
the outbreak of the civil war, in 1861,
of the graduation of the first class
ahead of the regular schedule time.
@ g g
The class of 1900 was graduated on
June IS of last year with fifty-four
members.
This present class, which is composed
of seventy three members, is the larg-
est class graduated from West Point
in several years. When the future
Grants of the service were admitted
in 1897, there were 129 of them, but the
hard routine of cadet life and the an
nual and intermediate examinations
proved stumbling blocks for nearly one
half of the military youngsters.
This years class is a particularly
bright one, as the individual records of
the members Show and is also noted
for its tall stature. Cadet johnson,
who graduates at~the head of his fell
lows, measures six feet three inches.
Johnson has the reputation Of being
a most remarkable student. and, in
deed, stands first in every subject. He
particularly excels in civil and military
engineering and science of war. law.
! history, practical military engineering.
natural and experimental philosophy,
chemistry, chemical physics, mineral
Ogy and geology, drawing, mathemat-
les, English, French and Spanish.
Immediately upon JOhnSon's entrance
as a 'plebe," four years ago, he forged
! TO the head of his class. and has
achieved the remarkable distinction of
never having been headed by any one
during the four years course. AS one
old professor on duty for the last
twenty-five years in the academic de-
partment remarked recently: There
is room for a dozen good men between
Johnson and his nearest clasSmate in
standing" His remarkable stature
and straight, soldierly bearing make
him an object of admiration wherever
he goes.
He, with the next four members
lower in the class-Sherrill, Poole. Peek
and Spalding-are entitled 10 a star in
! the official army register before their
names and special mention as distin-
guished cadets.
The tallest man in the class and, in
fact, in the whole corps, is Cadet Peek,
who certainly does not belle his name.
He is six feet four and one-half inches
tall. Cadet w. d. Smith was the cap
tain of the army football team last
year, and Cadet Lain was recently
elected captain of this years baseball
team, a position which viii become
necessarily vacant as a result of his
/ graduation.
Cadet w. r. Betrison of Kentucky is
president of the class and one of the
most popular men in West Point. He
was the most prominent member of the
| "scrapping committee" which ar
ranged the details of all class fights,
and was the man who gave the order
/ to Cadet Oscar L. BOOZ, the refusal 70
| execute which caused that unfortunate
| man so much trouble. Cadet Frank
I Keller of Missouri is the embryo officer
who administered that threshing to
J BooZ which later on so stirred the
! country and congress.
Cadet Allen c. Keyes of Minnesota
f., was dismissed last summer for breach
/ of discipline, but was afterward rein
! stated. He will graduate No. SIS.
Cadet Fred L. Deem of Texas is the
| 1901 goat" The goat is the term
| by which the last member of every
I West Point graduating class is known.
! Deem is very popular, and was the only
/ man who acknowledged having hazed
/ former Cadet BoOz in his examination
/ before the investigation committees.
| He gave as his reason that as the 9TH
I er cadets seemed to be letting Booz
! severely alone he had "hazed him to
/ make him (Booz) feel good having
| taken pity on him because he appeared
! to be ostracized by the corps.
I
| These budding army subalterns num-
bered seventy-twO men last August
but two have since fallen by the way
Cadet Herbert G. Higbee of Illinois
was dismissed during August for max
| ing false report while acting officer
of the guard Ca very serious Offense
/ in the eyes of military law The re-
| port was in regard to a disturbance IN
| camp. He was never reinstated.
| In accordance with the findings of a
| general court-martial which was con-
vened last month to try Cadet Albert
Hooker Mueller on the charge of hav-
: ing Intoxicating liquors concealed in
/ his room in the barracks, that young
man win be required to remain at the
academy and go on with his studies
until the first day of next June. When
Mueller's present classmates march &C
the memorial hall to receive their di-
/ plomas and commissions as officers II
/ the United States army, he will not be
! among them, and his name will not be-
| called when the presentation is made.
Mueller was tried and convicted Ot
the charges brought against him and
( was recommended for ulsmlsse.4 49,,
the academy. Great pressure was
i brought to bear on the president and
the war department in Washington
| when the matter was referred to them
| with the result that the cadets previ-
! Gus good behavior and his generally