The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1908-09-10
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ed him with such "reminiscences that
the boy was finally compelled to send
in his resignation as cadet. He said
that his son told him. in addition to
the tabasco treatment, that one of the
things they did to him at West Point
was to pull the bedclothes OFF OF him
at night and then pour melted WAX on
his bare body. His mother testified
that her son wrote her that the cadets
at West Point were "brutes and bull
| lies"
But the boards that investigated had
their hands full getting the cadets 10
talk, as Is shown on every page Of the
records of the proceedings, Cadet after
cadet would admit having been sub
jected to the melted wax treatment
and other innocent tortures, but they
were loath TO tell the name OF the
young man who melted the wax and
did the pouring.
Il put my finger in the sauce said
one cadet witness, land was told to
lick It. made an awful face, and
licked the wrong finger"
II ofiiciated at rat funeral" said
J another cadet.
J What Is a rat funeralf" asked
member of the investigating board
"A rather simple little AFFAIR an
swered the cadet with a smile, "and II
, didn't do anybody any harm. The rat
was caught and killed, and we were
, ordered to give him funeral. The
) rodent was placed In little box that
, looked like coffin, and this box was
placed on table and surrounded by
: four lighted candles. Then white
Y towel arranged to look like shroud
I was placed over the box, and the fu.
1 neral ceremonies began. We read
8 few extracts from the black book
:, (the cadet name of the book Of regula-
d tions). Then we placed flowers on the
}. casket. There was song OF two. and
l. then the rat was taken away to be
n buried"
IT The cadets admitted that they were
l. compelled to crow like roosters: that
p they had to climb the ridge pole,
', brace, exercise, one fellow admitting
that he stood on his head In bath
g tub full of water, and adding that II
d did not hurt him. The investigation
8 also made public for the first time
l. what a cadet has to do to qualify, as
lie the cadets put 1t, for the mess hall.
n Here is how a cadet explained dining
IS room qualifying:
ID First we were given large dish
Of full of prunes, the exact number OF
lie which was S. and we were required
IS, to eat all of them at one sitting Then
ly we we're given bowl OF molasses and
told to swallow that after which We
th tried to eat six slices of dry bread
I'd The molasses test sometimes took two
ne or three trials before we could accom-
al plish it
of Young Phil Sheridan had to rid'
,e, around the campus on broomstick
er the exercise being intended to remin'
is those that saw him that he was 30,
,ir of the commander made famous 4
as "Sheridan's Ride" Ulysses s. Grant
m. Sd, used to get up and shout: Il vii
ng fight 1t out along these lines II 1t take
in all summer" while J. M. Hobson, Jr.,
brother of the naval commander, ha
rd to tel over and over again the stor
en- of bis brothers exploit at Santiago
mt, or course there were singing. speal
Of ing, bracing, and exercising galore. b'
ed sides all this
zen or the officers who have grown II
aid since the civil war, all tell OF the
Ter experiences as plebes, but 1t is int
nd estjng to note that almost to ma
Idi- they have forgotten about the rel
ee, strenuous things they had 10 do.