Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-10-28
Ali5eellaneuus 8eadins.
ORIGIN OF FAMOUS SILENCE.
First Hazing In This Manner Took
Place Thirty Years Ago.

Captain Rufus E. Longan, ELEVENTH
United States Infantry, of the tactical
department of the United States Mill
tary Academy at West Point, is said
by his superiors to be one of the most
capable officers of his rank in the
army, yet so long as he lives he will be
remembered by the corps of cadets OF
| 191O-1911 as the "tac" to whom was
administered a silence" during the
supper hour in Grant Memorial hall on
the evening of September "a.
Thousands of people read recently
| about the now famous Longan 'si-
lence," and have wondered where on
earth such a custom had its origin.
They have wondered why 500 intelli-
gent young men were able to make
themselves believe that by starving
themselves and sitting rigid in their
chairs like so many statues they were
administering a well deserved rebuke
to a superior officer for some real or
fancied wrong.
officer of the army or navy is said to
have occurred perhaps thirty odd years
ago. The date and the name of the
victim have been forgotten, at least by
civilians. Certain it is that the officers
who as cadets may have taken part in
the silence" won't tell who the officer
was. He may now be a general officer
or a flag officer of the service afloat,
and there are scores Of officers who
know all about this first victim Of the
queerest rebuke ever invented, yet
none among them was found last week
who would admit remembering the
name of the original victim.
A few days ago at West Point an eff
fort was made to learn more about
this peculiar rebuke that is known as
silence" One of West Points most
distinguished men, who was graduated
there somewhere in the early seven
ties, was asked what he knew about
administering a silence"
They never did such thing in my
day." he answered, and although am
of West Point, and a part of it, like
several hundred thousand civilians,
have been wondering these last few
days where this foolish practice origi-
mated. 1t cannot be more than a gen.
Grafton old at the most. You must not
forget, however, that it is not West
Point monopoly, by any means, for at
least as many, and believe more, ma
val officers have suffered silence at
Annapolis than have army officers at
West Point
Now, l agree with those persons in
civil life who say this business is no.
only extremely boyish but also foolish
as well. To save me, l cannot figure
where the effectiveness of the rebuke
comes in. If they ate while admins
tering it that would be different, but
they don't. They simply fold their arms
and gaze, many of them, with longing
eyes, 1 am sure, on the good food in
front of them, but not one among them
would eat one bite while a silence Is
going on. Just imagine, if you will,
going to bed supperless and sometimes
starving yourself for two or three
meals, and then deluding yourself into
the belief that you have severely re-
buked an officer that the government
of the United States has designated as
one capable of making a good soldier
of you"
rs it true that silence is never ad-
ministered to any but tactical off,
cers?" the officer was asked
Yes, that is true, because only tao
tical officers are ever officers in charge,
and as a silence can only be admins
tered during a meal, they are the only
officers eligible for the distinction"
You have been here now many
years? Do you remember any other
instance of a silence being admins
tered by the corps of cadets?"
Yes, l remember very well that
about ten years ago there was young
tactical officer who incurred the dis
pleasure of the cadets through a too
strict enforcement, as they thought,
of the regulations. he was fine Off
Ger, Just as Longan is, and in due time
it came his turn to be officer in charge.
THE officer. it appears. had seen to
it that a few cadets who were popular
among their fellows did their extra
tour duty, as they should, and in this
he incurred the displeasure Of those
who, as soldiers of the United States
for cadets are soldiers-had sworn to
obey the orders of their superiors.
Il remember the night of the 'si-
lence' WE'LL and, if l mistake not, the
food was unusually good. But the ca
diets had decided that that was the
time for the Silence and a banquet
set for king would not have tempted
them. The ringleaders escaped with
reprimand on that occasion, and until
Saturday there had been no repetition
of the foolish practice at West Point"
Another army officer on duty at
West Point remembered still another
Silence" one of the first ever admin
istered at West Point. In that instance
it was administered as a joke and the
Joke struck four beautiful women as
not a bit funny.
The officer who got it on that occa-
sion" said the officer who as a cadet
helped make the silence" effective,
was what you might term a very
pompous individual. He was good
looking, has broad shoulders and walk
ed as if he owned the whole world.
won't tell YOU what the cadets called
him, for if l did you might recognize
the appropriateness of the nickname
and identify him. He has improved
and is not so pompOus now, and that is
why l would rather not give him away
at this late day.
1T was a Sunday afternoon and the
cadets were at supper. We were eat
ing and laughing, when suddenly into
the room there walked the pOmpous
officer and four Of the prettiest girls l
have ever seen. The officer knew they