The Brunswick news., 1909-10-15
A WEST POINT HAzING
1t Knocked All the Egotism Out
of the New Cadet.
SINGING HIS OWN PRAISES.
He Was Kept at 1t to His Own Morti-
fication and the Delight of the Upper
Class Men-A Clipping From His
Home Paper Started the Trouble.

Hazing at the United States Military
academy. West Point. has in the past
ten years been so frequently followed
by punishment and otherwise discoun
tenanced that it has practically become
a thing of the past. A third of a cen
tury ago the modes of hazing were
varied and many of them unique. y
certain graduate who hailed from
south of Mason and Dixon's line and
from west of the Allegheny noun
tains told this story of his own expe-
rience:
He was tall. rawboned fellow
when he entered the academy as a
'plebe" and had been assigned to Il
room with a bright little chap, with
whom he soon became Nery friendly
and confidential Several weeks after
he had entered the academy be receiv-
ed letter from his good mother, in
which she had inclosed clipping from
their county newspaper
The article mentioned the fact that
young Mr.. had received an ap-
pointment to West Point aud had left
for that place several days before; that,
whereas they extended congratulations
to the Young man. the United States
government was TO be much more
+ greatly congratulated upon obtaining
as one of its embryo soldiers a man
from their community, the son of such
noble sire. whose sire and gfeat-sres
had been equally noble, a young man
above reproach of great intellect and
bound to make his mark in any call
ing he might elect, etc.
This article inspired its recipient
with pride and pleasure. He found it
impossible TO refrain from showing it
to his roommate and an hour after
having done so was accosted while
going downstairs by an upper class
man who had been drilling him and
had been very severe. AT this meeting
| the upper class man, who was about
| half his size, looked at him sOlemnly,
removed his cap and said: "Mr. -,
humbly beg your pardon for having
been so stern with you. l did not
J know until few moments ago what a
ulStlHSulSutQ diu lnlcliSCtudi gOunS
man you were You honor us by be
coming one of us"
The pleased "plebe," never for a
moment scenting mischief, grinningly
replied: "That's all right, MFR. IL.
forgive you"
That evening while the "plebe"sand
his roommate, We're engaged in Study
there was a knock at their door, and
there entered the upper class man who
had accosted and apoiogized to the
| ''plebe" on the stairs, he being accom-
! panied by a dozen other upper class
! men. He thus addressed the "plebe:'
| ''Mr. -, here are a number of your
brother cadets who are desirous of
knowing what particularly distin-
guished man they have among them.
You will therefore kindly read what
| your newspaper says of you"
The ''plebe" was inclined to demur,
| but the determined manner and steely
eye of the little upper class man com
| PEELED obedience. Embarrassed. he
stumblingly read the whole article, at
the conclusion of which the little upper
class man stated that the reader had
mumbled in parts, had failed to enun-
ciate distinctly and required the poor
'plebe" to read it again. This having
been done. all shook hands with him
in an apparently most deferential man
Z ser, after which the little upper class
man stated that they would call the
+ next evening augmented by other ca.
diets and that in the meantime the
/ "piebe' would commit the article to
memory and be in readiness to repeat
i it when they called
/ His manner brooked no disobedience
The call was made the next evening.
the number of cadets being nearly
double that Of the previous evening,
and he repeated the article, being
prompted by the little upper class
/ man. Before the departure of his Wis
! itors he was informed that he would
| be visited the next evening by a still
| greater number Of cadets, and he was
/ ordered to be prepared to declaim the
| article depicting his virtues.
/ The visit was made and the declama.
tA'SI lNA14-lt w. liz WAS lHEit iHlDIult't'
that be would be again visited the fol
Loving evening and would prepare
himself so as to be able to render the
/ article in song. This visit was made.
the room being fairly packed with ca
diets. and the poor "plebe" was re-
quired to stand on a table and howl
the article from start to finish, for he
bad not the faintest understanding Of
how to. sing or turn a tune In after
years he said that if he had ever had
any egotism in his composition it was
completely Knocked out Of him by hav-
ing to handle that article as he had to
handle it,. W. Duncan in Lippin-
colts.
The Black Hand Rusinas@