The suburban citizen., 1902-08-09
urE oE A wEsr poINr CADET.
IL IL Not Made Up of Leisure and Frolio
as Popularly Supposed.

hn LOHhA1lAy PhRRWHU0f
In describing the daily life of a cadet
It is unfortunately necessary, at the
outset, to refute the idea that this life
Is made up largely Of leisure and frolic.
Nothing could be further from the
truth. No college in the country man.
ages to crowd into course OF four
years so extensive curriculum. Yet
In addition to all the long hours spent
In study and recitation, every cadet is
obliged to master thoroughly all the
intricacles Of drill, minor tactics, the
outdoor application of academic studies
and, in general, the essentials of
sound technical and military training,
A young man there is obliged to rise
at six o'clock every morning, except
Sunday, when he may stay abed until
seven. Just enough time is allowed
him in which to dress properly, and to
"police" the room which he shares with
cne other cadet. Policing" consists in
what would be called chamber work
in civil life, but in no hotel in the coun'
try is this work so Systematically and
tidily performed as by cadets, for In
the army neatness is insisted on as one
of the first duties Of soldier. BY the
time the police work is over, the bat.
talon forms and marches to breakfast
in the Cadet Mess Hall. After the
meal, forty minutes arc allowed for
rest and recreation.
Punctually at eight o'clock, the sec.
tions file to the various recitation rooms
for the first recitations, an hour and a
half in length. Sections alternate in
hours. After eleven o'clock, recitatlons
are an hour long. For two and half
hours in the morning, cadets are sub
jected to a long series of mental or
deals, the intervening hours being used
for study. There is no chance for a
cadet, even If he is so disposed, to
shirk his recitations. He cannot offer
the excuse of mot prepared He must
be ready. There is no hope for him to
escape unnoticed in the recitation room
for each class is divided into sections,
these sections consisting usually Of
eight men, and never of more than
twelve. The professors and instructors
have abundant time to draw out Of
each man just what he knows Of the
subject under discussion. Nor is there
any hope Of hiding ignorance by ask
ing the instructor what he means by a
question. All the professors and in
structors are conversant with these
little artl6ces Of the class room, and
such an attempt on the part of cadet
would be sure to rebound upon the
offenders head. The motto for aca.
demic work is, every cadet every
day." and the standard, every cadet
proficient in everything"
From this strain Of five hours mental
work in the morning, the only cadet
who can expect to escape is the one
who answers the 'sick cali' at 7.10
a. M, and is excused from duty. If he
is i'll, the young man is taken into the
Cadet Hospital; but, If his illness is
slight he is ordered to keep to his
quarters, and is excused from all work
until his name is stricken from the
''sick report" Each cadet is supposed
to make up the time lost when he be.
comes i'll. If he cannot do this, he is
either turned back TO the class next
below, or else is summarily dismissed
from the academy for deficiency
Captain w. c. Rivers, U. S. A., in
Success