Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-14
L|KENS It TO HADES
West Point Cadet Outlines His
Experience at Academy.
WRITES LETTER TO FRIEND
Man Who Fails in Entrance Exam,
Regarded as the Really
Lucky One.

The practice Of "haxing' at the Military
Academy at West Point Is less brutal than
IN FORMER years. though some Of the
imposed on the "plebes" are
still In vogue. is the information contain
ed IN letter recently sent by one Of the
cadets to a friend here who
was appointed to the academy. but who
failed in his entrance examination re-
Gently because he was not as familiar
with the English authors as was expected
Of him
The young man who wrote the letter
that the raging Is one Of
the institutions Of life at the academy,
but says that the constant annoyance
by the senior cadets is unreason-
able and IS causing a number Of the new
men to resign in disgust.
blades Up Here"
Writing from West Point, after hav-
young man in describing his experiences
has this to say:
you don't realize how lucky you are.
old chap. because it is really hades up
here. Hardsxhy from the time we get up
we are absolutely dead from what we
have to endure. Reveille is at 500, but
we get up at about 80 or to fix our
beds. sweep and dust. We drill between
five and six hours per day. with rests In
between. During our rests we have to
shine our brasses and guns, or we will
be 'bawled out at the next formation.
They brace US My. how they do It.!
Our instructors are cadets first classmen)
and they make us stick in our chins until
nj 70 Ina <h4 tvNA h0x
catch us relaxing any time they make
us report to their rooms and stand us
on the edge of door for half an hour.
Wherever we go and whenever we move
we must run at double time. They brace
us at the table: they brace US every
where, and there Is little escape from the
practice, which soon becomes intolerable
Smile Only in Sleep.
eve are never supposed to smile, ex-
cept in our sleep, one chap condescended
to inform US. They ran us on double time
for an hour yesterday at our drill with
a nine-pound gun and tight cross-belts,
until every stitch Of clothing we had on
was dripping wet and then they inform
ed chap it was unmilitary to perspire.
IF you get into the awkward squad
you drill about two hours day In addi-
ton to the regular drills. Thank the
Lord 1 am not in it yet They all tell
in the class. B. T. and blaze mean the
same, the opposite Of meek and submits
sive.) OF course. a plebe Is supposed to
be submissive. that goes without saying
Whenever I write a letter I have to
take about three days to do it in.
write it in instalments, because We are
always being interrupted by drills, in
spections or something Of the sort. Yes
terday was a frightfully hot day, but
they took us out hour after hour to drill.
and most of the drilling was in double
and then gave UP in despair. These jack
cts of ours fit rather tight and are hot as
can be. That is all there is to it-hot
drills and 'bracing": our pleasure is a
zero quantity. The only time we have Of
fcially to write letters and visit each
other is Sunday afternoon.
Lucky, Old Chap.
IT really do not know but that you
known all the English authors perfectly
so essential to the work here If we are
the lucky ones our appreciation will not
begin to show for many moons. and per-
haps for years.
There have been about ten fellows
who have resigned. and several of the
boys were at Braden's with US. All that
happens to us from morning until night
and from week to week Is indignity heap
ed upon indignity, and it is getting to be
The worst features about
1t is that one has to submit to all this
'bracing' Or hazing, in many cases from
some little half-starved chap he could
do up With one hand. Yesterday. just
as l finished writing, we were called out
for drill.
I'm dressing to the right once. a self
important little red-headed officer said:
Back No. g. meaning me I was No. 2
so did not move. Then he bawled me out
before the crowd. I answered back.
which is considered grievous offense.
then. and incidentally earned my B. T.,
title. I stepped out and said my num-
Der was two and not three. You should
have seen the dear little red-headed boy
tear up the turf. He waved his hands
like a windmill. and made me move my
shoulders almost touch In the back.
was then ordered to report to the awk-
ward squad that afternoon for the extra
hour Of double time.
Again He Raved.
Later. the same self-conscious indi-
vidual asked me what I meant by looking
at the clock. 1 replied that I was not
ook'ng at the clock. He raved again, and
N a few seconds had four consequential
cadet officers around me all trying to
make me stick my chin in a different way.
The result was I kept 1t sticking out. and
would not move It at all, because my red
headed friends had told me II 1 did not
stick 1t In he would do 1t for me- wait
I'd for him to do It. but he must have
thought better of It.
II never was so mad in all my life and
was the nearest to throwing up my gun
hot Z IN will ha rtoA
20 do was to clean up that red-headed
chap. Finally. the senior cadet officer
asked me If I was going to brace or not.
Ind had to give the only and plebe an