United States Military Academy West Point - Howitzer Yearbook (West Point, NY)

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 The time lias come,” the Walrus said, to talk of many things. Of shoes, and ships, and sealing wax, and cabbages, and kings. AYING completed the justly fume:l course in Natural und Experimental (principally experimental) Philosophy we can now gaze with contempt on the limited variety of the Walrus’ knowledge. We have proved to our eternal satisfaction that “the sun do move,” by trying to find him in a dish of mercury with a sextant. We have followed the much abused molecule through its various and sundry gyrations. And wlmt a world of experience we gained during those Mav evenings on the plain! ('ould there be a better example of the painstaking and careful researches of science than the sight of our dignified instructor stretched out flat on a poncho with his chin whiskers tangled in the dewy grass, trying to find Venus for some goat, who had carefully measured the altitude of the lamplight in front of the Stipe’s quarters. It. is possible that there are some sceptics among us who doubt the practical value of being able to calculate the Mean Solar time in London to the thousandth of a second, knowing that it is two hundred days till June at West Point. Those we must ignore as no true followers of Galileo. Ilerschel and “Swatsie C’asud.” The majority of us are proud in the possession of knowledge that may some day guide us out of a howling wilderness, if we are so fortunate as to find in our pocket a sextant, an Kphemeris, an artificial horizon, and the other trifles necessary to locate ourselves. If we had acquired nothing else during the course, would we not he amply repaid by having been provided with a rule of action that applies to any time, any place, any dilemma, i. e„ “Send for Winkleman?” It may In true, as Shakespeare sings, that there are still “things undreamed of in our philosophy,” but on that score “we have to he shown.” To lay aside, for a moment, the spirit of jest, we should like to express our appreciation of the consideration shown us in this Department. Our relations with the instructors were of the most cordial kind. The spirit of all with whom we came into contact seemed to be to treat us with gentlemanly courtesy and to allow us the greatest possible freedom.

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Department of Natural and Experimental Philosophy PROFESSOR Likctkxaxt-Colonki. Wiumm It. Gordon, Cadet I'.S. M. A.. 1873-1877; appointed from Pennsyl-viiiiin; graduated 6; Second Lieutenant, tth Artillery, 1877; First Lieutenant, Ordnance Department, 1881; Captain, 1891; Inventor of L S. 12-ineh .Mortar Carriage, Model 1890; Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy, L S. M. A., 1901. ASSISTANT PROFESSOR Captain John B. Christian, 9th Cavalry; elass ’96; graduated 13. INSTRUCTORS First Lieitrxant Wii.i.iam F. Morrison. 2d Field Artillery; class ’02; graduated 24. First Likitkxant Qcinx Gray, Coast Artillery Corps; class ’03; graduated 39. Second Likctknant Frederick E. Shnyder. 2d Cavalry; class ’0 3; graduated 20. Second Likctknant Jay I.. Benedict, 14th Infantry; class 04; graduated 26. trrrrrr — 24 —

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wasiv ifrafrfaft ( • ui i ji « iJtal PROFESSOR Coionk.i Samcki. K. Tii i max, M. A., Cadet, U. S. M. A., IWI5-lS(i9; appointed at large; graduated 3; Second Lieutenant, tth Artillery, 1869; First Lieutenant of Engineers, 1875; Professor of Chemistry, .Mineralogy and Geology, l S. M. A., 1888. ASS 1ST A NT PROFESSOR Major Wikt Roiiinson, Coast Artillery Corps; class ‘87; graduated 9. INSTRUCTORS Captain Thomas W. Darraii, 27th Infantry; class 93; graduated -I. Captain Wmmam F. Nrsnirr, 4th Infantry; class ’98; graduated 24. Captain Chari-ES B. Ci.AHK, llth Infantry; class ‘99; graduated 18. Captain Henry C. Jewett, Corps of Engineers; class 01; graduated 9. First Lieitenant Julias A. Benjamin, 3 l Cavalry; class ‘00; graduated 33. Second Lieutenant Samuel M. Parker, 59th Infantry; class ‘03; graduated 41. Department of Chemistry, Mineralogy and Geology ' flRt-fMST, AND A PLANET A CRYSTAL,AND A CELL. ' — 26 —