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

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a gglxlll' Li ' P . . E? gi ., llillti sgggllilll , Wt.. , , .... , W' . ku -,-',,-: ,.,r'.'.:..,.-:f-- ,,,,., ,,,. - E D .-,-, -- 1--'f:j1. --.,- ,A.. -.. ..,A ll ..-- - -l '--- -'------ - f ' K ' :Elf .. I- ' at the other. Those not taking part in the German danced in Schofield Hall, where a second orchestra provided music. Usually a printed sheet containing a diagram showing the seating arrangement, the names of dancers and a description of the figures was distributed before the German. The Mess Hall was also used for all large gatherings of cadets. There, occa- sional lectures were given. During one that is remembered, the lecturer-exhibited a phonograph-then a novelty-the vibrating pin making its record on sheets of tin foil wound around a cylinder. The late Samuel L. Clemens CMark Twainj lectured there almost annually, and on the Sunday afternoon following was sure to be smuggled into one of the tower rooms in barracks, where he seemed to enjoy giving further entertainment to a select party of First Class rnen. There also was held the Hun- dredth Night Entertainment, usually preceded by a German in the afternoon. Com- pared with the extravaganza at present presented on such occasions, the program seems very simple, and yet it was generally received with the greatest apparent appreciation. The Howitzer was read, and its local grinds and references seemed to be gems of wit and humor. lt was generally given later publication in pamphlet form and disposed of by subscription. The Mess Hall was annually the scene of another incident that has now dropped into desuetude. On Commencement Day, the graduates, after the close of -the exer- cises held under the oaks in front of the Library, hastily completed their packing. donned their cits and joined the battalion at dinner for their hnal meal. VVhen, as they finished, they departed singly or in groups of two or three, they paused at the door, -called out Battalion ATTENTION-Good-bye, Boys! and then vanished. More thanione voice broke in the effort, and the response of hand clapping, by its quality, measured the popularity of the departing graduate. At hrst, the cadets were seated at long tables, seating twenty cadets, with a carver at each end. Later, among the many improvements introduced by General'l Spurgin, was the change to smaller tables. Before his incumbency, on two days in each week there was no butter served, and the quantity and quality of the food left much to be desired. Cadet Limits were much more contracted than at present, as the reservation has been enlarged by the inclusion of land that then was owned privately. The old South Gate marking the southern limit was situated about where the pathway from the road to Highland Falls begins to climb the hill to give access to the Officers, Quarters located there. The occasions when the Corps or its mem- bers were allowed to leave the post were very few. Furloughs and short Christmas leaves, taken at the holiday season or deferred until the following summer, were the only indulgences to individuals: and during the years covered by this article, the Corps left the post only once, and then was taken across the river to Garrison, and lined up along the railroad track to present arms as the train bearing the body of General Grant was whirled by. ' . There were no inter-collegiate athletics of any kind. On Memorial Day-a half- holiday-there was usually held a baseball game between two of the classes, football, basketball and field days were unknown and the only fencing contests were between memlbers of the Fourth Class in the annual exhibition of gymnastics before the Board of Visitors. The examinations were generally oral and held before the Academic Board, di- vided into two sections, one sitting in the Library and one in Number Gne Academic Building. They commenced on january second and June hrst, and no cadet was excused from them on account of excellent term work. The only days, except when examina- tions were in progress, when recitations were not held, were Thanksgiving Day, Christ- Q8

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11153 all N Q R gang l A , r Vg: li ,IZ in- if N-.s , N. E LE 3152 QZYEYEM 1522 tgsslill , . . X 25- pq f-1 sf . .. - , ,f ex: h 4 fa ,f .,.,.,7, ,, 54 . ...P f if - 211 nf. Gr r 2 M rif . ' , - aria: -: . Ee 2 :r i , --? ,tc:.' i :I pg ' -54 ' I 1 ,T E - 1- ta v' . - i' :. si Q15 ip 1, 111' , i s25LA.:4'.:91,psf' i 3 -. 'N Llsglzmlgv i , f y '- '- ,I I - -H ,glQ5i.',:AUU ' ' ,Q Fmiim ' nt- ' ' 'Cigna -u.:.. 1 I - ..., ...... ..L.'-'iw' ' ac: .arm ' : -. its l j T T nga. , 1 . i f .1 X H -'5 - lkr I - mas and New Years. Those holidays ended at evening call to quarters, when prepara- tion began for the recitations of the following day. The demerit system was different from the more just one lnow in force. A system of credits was in force, by which a cadet receiving less than eight demerits in any month was allowed, as a credit, to remove any demerits previously acquired, the difference between the number received and eight. And those cadets only, who,on De- cember lifteenth had no demerits were allowed Christmas leaves of three or four days. Those entitled to Christmas leaves who feared the approaching examinations too much to take advantage of them, were permitted leaves of absence during the following encampment. l ' Furlough for the third class began at reveille on the second day after Commence- ment, and terminated at 3.00 P. M, on August 28th. It was the custom for several years, for the furlough class to arrive together on the Day Boat-the West Shore Railroad was then in course of construction-and march in a body up the road to the library, where line was formed facing camp. The cadets in camp formed a similar line facing- south: at a given signal both lines moved out at a run, meeting in the middle of the cavalry plain, which surrounded camp on three sides and ex- tended from the hotel to the library. Hats and grips were thrown into the air, em- braces and greetings were exchanged and the Wanderers for the summer were escorted back to camp by the stay-at-homes. Before the end of the period referred to herein, this had, however, become a tradition, for, with the increasing ,size of' the classes, the scene was deemed too boisterous for the custom to be continued, and it was stopped by the authorities. ' . I . The writer has endeavored to describe for the cadets of the present day some of the things connected with the Academy of the preceding generation, that through development and change are not to be found in the Academy of to-day. Butiin one thing it is unchanged, and that is in the devoted endeavoron the part of those in authority to 'produce young men of high character, fearless courage, line physique, cultured as gentlemen and in every way fit to begin their service as officers of our Army. ' . 1 -'-A . . I 1 0, K 'G9'7.-ee 4 1-.JV L., - THE oLD RIDING HALL 29 x