The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-08-09
TESTS @ 3 IA CAS-.
STRICT MILITARY TRAINING oF5Tt He
ANCIENT PERUvIAMS. ss

Feats of Strength and Endurance
That the cadets Were Called Upon
to Perform During Graduation
Exercises Which Lasted a Month
Long before Columbus discovered the
western continent many interesting
peoples lived here, having their pecul-
lar customs and training their children
carefu1lySein the way they considered
best calculated to make them brave
and wise men.
Not only the red Indians of the north.
| but the people OF Mexico and Peru.
who had certain sort of civiliza ton
Of their own, trained their children
carefully and made them pass through
a series Of trials which the American
boy Of today may be thankful he does
not have toundergo.
Men of today In digging in the ruins
Of the splendid cities of the Peruvians
have found almost complete3record of
some of their educational systems.
In Peru the king of the country was
called the inca, and his eldest son. who
was always brought up to succeed him.
received a training especially elaborate
and trying. The prince was sent to
one of the big boarding schools where
young noblemen were educated almost
as soon as he could talk There he
was treated in all respects as if he
were not the heir to the throne. but
just common. ordinary boy, who
would some day have to work for. 4
living.
The school at which the prince was
educated was military school. which.
according to records, was the Peru
Wan West Point. There, although
-
chief stress was laid upon the art OF
war
All the princes relatives, boys of
about his own age and called the Inca
mobiles. were at the school with him
and had their final examinations at
the same time.
The literary part of theft education
was inquired into in private by the
wise men" which correspondent to
the academic board of West Point.
but these examinations were followed
by public exercises.
The public exercises were conducted
by q board consisting of the most
prominent of the old Inca mobiles. and
it correspondent to ithe board of VS.
itors appointed by the president each
year to preside over the gradua tons
at West Point The graduating exer-
ClSoS at the royal tIeIuFlau ullllI.ES
academy lasted for month.
The graduates were required to IL
lustrate by drills what they knew c:
military tactics. Then they had 70
give exhibitions of boxing and wres
Ting. Running was also regarded as
Il necessary accomplishment. for tho
Peruvians had no horses. and the me-;
who were destined to lead their armies
had to prove that they could l,iGV"
swiftly on fssot over long distances :.I:2
not tire. Therefore long courses Were
laid out for the boys to run over. which
taxed their endurance and strength to
the utmost
Then for several days together TIC
boys we"e compelled to fast. being |
carefully examined during the time 70
see how they bore going without foot, |
for the Inca sail that { soldier and !
gentleman should always be w:.l;::-
and able to go without food and 10:
grumDle when such abstinence was
necessary.
The cadets We're also matched :Sa:-;s.
each other III mimic battles. in which,
though the weapons were b!uatel.
many We're wounded and so1c5e killed.
When this sort of thing lad gone o.!
for 4 month those boys who had Wen
the best marks in their eXanliila tia-ls
and had best stood theftest Of the-puo
lie exercises We're selected for grad::a
ton. while the others We're dropped o.
turned back into the next class.
The king was always present at these
exercises and delivered CT
address to the graduates.
Garcilasso. Il descendant of tie I1ccs
has left us an account of these ad-
dresses from which we know that they
were almost exact counterparts Of tie
addresses delivered today by proni
nent men at high school grad;lat!ols
and college commandments. Otl:GT
things change, but the graduate ton AZ
lress seems to have been the same
thing in all ages.
After the address something tool:
place which does not happen at modern
American graduating exercises. The
King pierced the ears Of each graduate
with a golden bodkin. or large pin.
which was allowed to remain there IN
il the wounds healed, leaving Il to:e
nto which round ornament was III
serted.
The size of this ornament was grid
lally increased until in the case OF the :
prince it was as large as an orange .
sandals We're now bound on the foe,