The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-31
Methods by which the Boys DiscI-
pline Each Other-Outline of
Duties and Customs.
Washington Letter in Boston Transcript.

Rate is word which the new arrival
at Annapolis learns has special and i'm
portant meaning in the Naval Academy.
1t is used s a transitive and intransitive
verb, and its object where used instransi-
lively, in reference to a new midshipman, is
nothing" 1t might be defined as "hav-
Ing right to- and the new boy finds that
he has no rights outside the bare neces-
stiles of his labors, He rates nothing The
senior class rates 1.-The Lovers Lane"
WhIch Is one Of the walks through the
campus; the "plebe" is forbidden TO tread
TINS sacred ground under penalties most
are. What those penalties are he will
learn from some visiting upper classmen
curing the midnight hours if he wishes TO
human testimony this point.
Inc plebe" does not rate the benches
on the campus; he does not rate" any
girl except relatives; there are certain
bricks in the walk which he does not
rate and the prohibition extends to the
amusement craft on the bay. and even to
But the humiliation of the ''plebe'' goes
still further. He may not look at any up
per ciassman. A cat has a traditional right
10 look at king, but ''plebe" may not
Take your eye off me,'' is what he may
near III he chances TO allow his glance to
rest upon passing upper classman. He is
supposed to look at the wall. IL there is
one handy. Also the ''plebe'' is compelled
10 stand Mt attention when an upper class
man comes within reasonable distance. 1t
be doing, or with whom he may be, his
mother, his sister, or his cousin he must
stnen mmself into ramrod and stand
with hands at sides and eyes directly ahead
until his superior has passed
Reg" and "Hon-reg' are also words
which are added to his vocabulary His
shoes must be reg that is regular. or
he will be called TO account Everything
on and about him is prescribed aud any
thing non-reg is likely to get him into
trouble. All tobacco or liquors are contra
..plebe; no furniture bric-a-brac is
reg In his room. except that which is
provided by the academy. But the most
unusual inclusion in this official classifica-
ton is that of the girls whom the midship-
man may take to the dances which are
given every two or three weeks I'm the acad-
envy envy arm, a;rmory; The academy authorities
have lists including. in addition TO officers
households some twenty families living In
the little town of Annapolis. and these girls
the midshipmen may take TO the dances;
all otner townspeople are excluded. But
sometimes love strays outside these lines
The academy hid romance a year or two
ago In which midshipman and tailors
daughter inquired. After graduation, he
married the ''non-reg' girl and both died
within the year.
THEIR NAME FOR HAzING.
Hazing is called running" at Annapolis.
1t is general, but never severe. 1t is the
means by which the students enforce the
unwritten laws which they have made for
themselves, and which passed down
from class TO class. The running" Is cal
culated also to put the boys to the test,
individually, and to bring out to their fell
lows their true characters. 1t consists
largely in setting the underclassman to
undignified and embarrassing tasks For
example, the ''plebe is surprised by an
unannounced visitor who commands him
to stand at attention. Then he is ordered
not satisfactory he is made to hunt for
the point which he does literally all
about the room, like dog after rats
Then he is made to stand on his head. or
to hang from his locker or to raise and
lower the weights of his body sixteen times
by using one leg. He generally topples
over before accomplishing this. The
heading" is sometimes varied by having
the victim put his head into his washbowl
or he may sit in his washbowl and row
with toothpicks. Sometimes he must sing
the letters of his name to the tune OF "Old
Hundred
A good story is told of suffering
'piebe who was accosted by an upper
classman and ordered to tell him a story
and TO tell it quick. He started in SIS
rapidly his excited state of mind would
permit, about as follows: 'I-I-I-I-I-was
w-w-walking down the road a-a-l--l-Ettle
while ago-n-n-nn he w-w-was dandy f-fel-
low, n-n-n-n he slapped me on the b-b-back
n said, Hello, old man" n-n-n-n I was
s-s-s-so xited and happy-1-I-I-I-I fell
| dead"
One hears much Of "Frenching' at the
academy. 1T is an abbreviation of taking
French leave: or being out of bounds with
out permission. Discipline comes in the
| form of extra guard duty, carrying a gun
uselessly up and down a prescribed path
form for many ny hours day. or confinement on
an old brig which dates from the year of
sailing vessels. On the brig pleasures are
| few, and few weeks of its dull routine is
| enough 10 put the midshipman on his good
behavior. There are also records of de-
| merits which result in lessening the extra
privileges.
| would seem that the Established Church in
1 America, judging from the services at the
\ chapel, are a mild form of Low-Church
| Episcopalianism. The general spirit OF the
| academy seem to be ali that any parent
| or citizen could desire. The boys have a
1 high standard of personal honor. and are
| thoroughly manly, healthy and soldieriy In
| The largest class that ever entered the
academy is just beginning it's first year s
| work. There are 800 "middies." ranging
| in age from fifteen TO twenty years All
| but one are from the United States as
| bounded by its historic limits; one is a
| native Hawaiian. The noncontiguous
| territories of Porto Rico and the Philip
pines have no representation There are
| 10 negroes in the class. Two coiored APP
| plicants attempted the examinations bat
| lalled 10 attain the required grade. The
| last negro who succeeded I'm passing the
! entrance tests WAS taken from bed in the
| night by his classmates and deposited on a
red iron buoy far out in the bay, where he
| remained until morning. The following
/ day he took the hint and resigned.
| AN ERA OF EXPANSION
| With this class the academy is entering
| upon a new era in its history. IL is dis
| tinctly an era OF expansion. President
! Roosevelt believes in a greater navy. and
| an enlarged navy necessitatos more officers
| 10 command Il: hence the capacity OF the
| governments training school for naval
officers has been tripled And. in passing.
it should be remarked that even in the
present strength OF the navy the scarcity
| of officers is almost painful. number Of
| the best ships i'm the service are not ade-
quately manned. and some are actually tied
| up and rusting at the docks for lack 81
| officers. With this fact in mind the Presi-
dent recommended the passage by Congress
| last winter OF new appropriations for the
academy. His recommendations were adopt
| ed, and the number OF appointments al
lowed to each member of Congress was
| doubled.
Some idea of the expansion in progress
may be had from the statement that there
is $1,000 600 appropriation now being ex-
| pended On new buildings. huge armory
| more than four hundred feet In length and
| without an obstructive pillar has already
| been finished. well as g 100000 boat
| house. Contracts have been let for house
for the superintendent which viii cost al
| -