Evening star., 1924-11-09
Navy Secretary Wilbur Was Annapolis Honor Man and Star Ahet
omFM

Annapolis way, were as prone to
pranks and fun as any of their sue
| cessors who have worn the Navy blue
The hazing activities of those days
| were known as running" and con-
| sisted Of simple trials and punish
ments to take the freshness out OF
the freshmen or pIebes. The new
| students had to run errands-real and
| nctitlous. They were debarred from
sitting on the campus seats or
| benches. There were certain walks,
including Lovers Lane" which they
could not traverse.
Real punishment was meted out to
cadets who violated the academy
| rules and regulations. The old frig-
| ate Santee was the brig or prison
| ship. Students who violated the rules
were sentenced to confinement on the
| Santee
With their hammocks and bedding
rolls, they marched to the frigate.
Armed guards would escort them TO
| and from classes. They had to spend
all their spare time aboard, under
conditions approximating those that
| then existed in the average naval
| brig. Fear of the naval law and the
| Santee minimized rule infractions
and disorders at the Naval Academy.
| Ihere was certain Lieut.. Danen-
| mower on the academy faculty whom
the cadets were never able to outwit.
Thls officer had been a, member OF
| the Jeanette Arctic expedition. By
accident, in the snowbound North
| land. he lost the sight of one eve.
| Dlsabied for active service, he was
! stationed subsequently at the Naval
| Academy as a professor.
| The student body admitted that al,
| though Lieut. Dancnhower was blind
IN one eye, he could see more than
| tney could. The class of 1887, in par
tlcu!ar, tried repeatedly to play joke
| on the clever teacher-but he ALWAYS
| outtricked the boys.
| New quarters" was the name of
ohe OF the dormitories during the
! days when Curtis Wilbur attended
| the academy. The cadets were housed
on three different floors of this struc-
| ture. Instead of a system of teIe-
phones, a snrill-noted whistle and
speaking tubes were used by the Off
| GERS who supervised discipline in that
building. In many respects the tin
whistle was to new quarters" what
the dinner bell Is to the general farm
an almost Indispensable piece @:
equipment
One fine day the whistle was miss
ing. Painstaking search failed TO
find 1t. There was on substitute
whistle available. Temporarily. the
even tenor of the dormitory was all
a. SiAeS anu ScNenS- Ihe mystery OF
the lost whistle was paramount for
several days. And then unexpectedly,
one day, the shrill call of the whistle
reVerberated through student halls.
Curtis Wilbur. who was acting as
officer of the day. dashed to the
speaking tube. Again the whistle
piped its shrill note. Then a voice
from nobody knew where came
through the tube saying Il have
| come back The campus mystery Of
where the whistle went and how Il
returned was never solved.
WILBUR was reputed to lie
member of a secret socie;y
known as the I. i. T. For many
months this organization was pu2-
zling enigma to the students. All the
boys were curious to know the why's"
and "wherefores" of the curious club
Some wag dubbed the members
| the Thirteenth Third Division
Idiots. Really. there was nothing
secret about the club. In fact, the
club such was a myth. Like
Jacks marvellous beanstalk, the
rumor grew and grew until story
builded secret society where such
an association never existed.
During June week the board of Wis
! itors en- masse came and lived At the
academy. The cadets drilled and
/ drilled, paraded and paraded. The
| school functioned at peak speed
while the board members studied and
inspected the activities. Recommen-
dations Were made and improvements
! were fostered as a result of their
| surveys. The compensations in which
| the students delighted were the
nightly dances and promenade con-
certs. which were outstanding on the
weeks program. The June ball
topped off the social activities. Then
the cadets departed for their Summer
cruise.
In the late SOS the full course at the
Naval Academy covered six years work.
The cadets spent four years at An
napoiis. Then they went to sea in ac-
tive service for two years. At the
| termination of service trials they re-
turned to the institution and took their
final examinations. However, thare
| were always more graduates than
there were available positions in the
Eaited States Navy. Hence it was.
at-ays customary to give honorable
discharge and one years advance pay
to any of the cadets who wished to
l return to civilian life at the end Of
their four years schooling. Curtis
| Wilbur wished to study law. and
elected to abandon seafaring life
in our national naval service for
rapid and remarkable.
In 1888 young Wilbur settled in
Riverside. Calf, where his parents
then lived. He secured position teach
ing school and studied law at night.
After two years Of earnest work he
passed the State bar examination, re-
moved to Los Angeles and began the
active practice OF law. His s"ccess was
rapid and remarkable
Ultimately he was elevated ~ &l
bench in Los Angeles, and finally was
elected to the California Supreme Court.
He was chief justice of the California
Supreme Court at the time when Presi-
dent Calvin Coolidge honored him with
appointment to a cabinet office.
For many years Judge Wilbur was
interested keenly in Juvenile cases. In
| fact, he has specialized in that work.
He was associated with Ben Lindsey.
A Summer camp which he maintains in
the mountains near Los Angeles has
long been a delight to California boys.
Judge Wilbur made a practice of enter
| tanning the boys at the camp every
Summer. He lived the life of an active
Yacationer while in the mountains, cut
ting wood for the fires taking long
hikes and enjoying the sports of the
skyland districts.
If you chance t. pass that way drop
| in at the Y. NJ. c. A bowling alleys
early one of these fine Autumnal eve
nings and you may see Secretary Will
bur at play. Several times a week the
Secretary stops after the duties of the
official day are over, in order to gain
exercise and diversion from the pastime
| which the mythical Rip Van Wrinkle
once enjoyed. Secretary Wilbur plays
tenpips. Usually a certain admiral or
his son accompanies the Secretary on
y, ,fG t,waru frn~ - Inc