The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-11-28
81 Grip 60 West POINT.
~~~~

are not repeated either, the cadets have
to hear the first time. s
At four O'Clock came dress parade
This ceremony is one of the most im-
posing pagesnts offered by our army in
time of peace. Those young cadets,
in perfectly fitting uniforms set on
perfectly carried bodies moved asif by
machinery, made an impression upon
me that nothing can efface. l heard a
sergeant with over twenty years SER
vice to his credit say, "that alone was
worth coming all the way from Reno |
to see," later the same man remarked,
that "thers is only = little difference
between the.way they do the rifle drill
and the way we do it, they do it all
right and we do it all wrong" After
evening parade there was al equally
wonderful guard mount; then, properly
chastened, we went to another meal in
the mess hall, and after that to bed.
Taps came at ten o'clock, and every
| OOOy was SldU W SIoep.
We were up and ready early the
next morning, our uniform consisting
of brown canvas suits, campaign hats,
flannel shirts sand leggins. After
breakfast, we made shoulder rolls of
our shelter tents, tent pins and poles
and rubber ponchos. After receiving
our ammunition, which consisted of
one hundred blank cartridges, we
donned our haversacks and canteens
and were ready to start. An imagin-
ary war began as soon as we were fer
ried over the river to Garrison. We
were the rear guard of defeated army
which was retreating up certain road.
1t was our business to see that it did
so undisturbed by the advance of an
other army, the front body of which
could be distinguished by white bands
around their hats. This was fine, for
it looked to "the buck private Of the
rear rank" like rambling along good
road between beautiful estates and
then lying behind tree while some of
the artillery fired blank cartridges over
his head. At last a line Of blues, as
the cadets were called, sneaked near
enough so that the umpire said they
had captured two of the guns; the rest
were driven away and we followed
them. We got a chance once or twice
. to pop blanks at "blues" by the road
: side, thereby capturing them or put
ting them out of commission.
At last, recall sounded, the battle
). was over, and we headed for camp
} Our. first camp was pretty place OF
y sloping hillside. 1t was grassy OF
top, but rocky underneath; know
J. for had to dig pit in it to hold TIT
kitchen refuse. Camp was located
u when we arrived, so after having tool
shelter tent intervals we prepared t
d pitch. A shelter tent is Of heavy can
81 vas, and is in shape Of triangle, witt
= triangular extension on one end. l
u measures about four feet by six, an,
i is provided on all sides except the long
est with row of buttoL -holes, abou
er three inches inside Of which is 70,
of white buttons. On the long sid
o. are four loops to Hold pegs; at eac
end of the shorter length are two cyl
lets, one to hold the top of the jointe
y three-foot pole, which goes with eac
9o tent, and one for the front or rear Gu
es. rope. At the command "pitch tents
IL. each rear-rank man stepped forwar
no and took the right hand Of the man
no front of him; he then joined hanc
VI with the man on his left, and the lin
Is is stretched out as far aud as straigl
IL as may be. Next, every front-ran
m- man marks the place where his hee
come together with peg which
'ot carries for the purpose, unwraps b
81 tent, and buttons it top and rear
~. that Of the man at his right. tt
%, poles are then set up and the fror
cd rear and corners are guyed. The resu
he Is tent three feet high, six feet del
%. and wide enough for two men.
ew The ease with which these tents q
20. pitched gave seversl Of the cadets
%. good time during the month. tn
lid liked to 20 down town; so did we, b
do there were more reasons, Official orde
We Why cadet shouldn't than Why any
,ds our company ehepldn't' But when