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

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! tx gum: ,Q ee 5 All W U El the result. The upper classmen were always ready for further proceedings if the first encounter produced unsatisfactory results. Under such a system, there was nothing for a fourth classman to do but to submit to whatever was required in the way of llilli ssllslll :.. 'i'fTF: ' . ,, .. fa: 41 . 'iaia I 'rire 1 1 eae aree riaii 1 1 A llll ,a a , ,, . . ,, . . . . L, ...N . , , . . ., . ., . .3 . , fs. s e. mf- - .- - . ::P ' -.e rl 'ffl f X . 3- 5 3,1 sg 55 ,55 11 ., 1-3.5 Q' H. 31 ,, .. .., Y, N ig-, . 71:45 . , ff-. .0 . V- ref. .- , 1 ' 1? -f lf fggf-1. . 'X . ,: ? ':z?' - ex ' -'1, ...-.-. -. ..,.,,.. . .... .l ........ ,, ' l H55 1 1 hazing. WVith this unwritten law behind it, it was only a question of what limits might be tolerated by the general consent or the indifference of the upper classmen. The chief responsibility for controlling the hazing and keeping it within reasonable limits rested necessarily on the first classf About 1890 or shortly thereafter, there came a change in hazing due ,to the desire of certain upper classmen to establish reputations as cruel and unusual hazers, Their operations were kept within reasonable limits by public opinion in the Corps, and their reputations were founded more on noise and bluster, coupled with ceaseless activity, than anything else. Witln successive classes this idea grew, more objectionable forms of hazing came to be tolerated, and reputations as hazers rapidly came to rest upon a more substantial basis. It is noticeable that among those chiefly responsible for the development of hazing along such objectionable lines were a number who were later found dehcient in their studies and discharged. Hazing grew to such proportions that nothing would clarify the situation but to abolish it completely, in- cluding the less objectionable original forms. lt deserved the fate it met. Never better than a mild nuisance, it grew to be a serious menace to the welfare of the Academy. The only wonder is that the sentiment of the Corps permitted it to go as far as it did. ATHLETICS.-Wlith athletics such a prominent feature of cadet life as it is to-day, it is diflicult to go back in the imagination to the conditions as they existed in 1890, which marks the beginning of athletic intercourse with outside institutions. Three games of baseball in the summer of 1890, with the f'Merriamsl' of Philadelphia, the Sylvans of New York, and the 'fAtlantics' of Governors lsland, marked the beginning. Late in October, 1890, a challenge came from the Naval Academy to play a game of football. This challenge was accepted and a game arranged, which was played on November 28, 1890, on the old football held in the southeast corner of the parade ground. This was the hrst game of football with an outside team, and re- sulted in a defeat by a score of 24 to 0. The game was witnessed by a vast con- course, consisting of the cadets and officers of the post, and possibly as many as a hundred outside visitors. But the game in 1899 was played on Franklin Field, with all the change in conditions that that implies. The decade 1890-1900 therefore wit- nessed practically the whole change due to athletics. Both the baseball and football schedules rapidly developed to their present proportions. The hrst lnter-Class Field Day was held in 1893, and the lirst lndoor Meet in 1896. XfX7llIl'1 the introduction of athletics was born the necessity of organized yells. The class of 1889 comes near to the distinction of being the lirst class to have a yell. Their yell was, however, not formally adopted, and was used on but few occasions. In the spring of 1891 came the first real occasion for class yells, and the class of 1891 was the earliest class to formally adopt one. ln the fall of 1891, the Old Corps Yell Xvas adopted. lt has since been added to, and- now constitutes the first part of the Long Corps Yellf' The change from the days of lhfednesday drills, no corps yell, no class yells, no athletic games with outside teams, no Field Day, no Indoor Meet, nothing seemingly 32

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sn start: is Q' NS- A 1 Engl! Q W' I ' i 5 9 ' llalit tsillilll 4 .f . . . . . ,li i n -9 I f .. P lf?!'r:1f2 , ' -.-, fr ,. . .... , :V si x: .L . A l A i :E-5 .,- If , .. .- H, i- ,3 . .m i 13, Y-I -f f.:-. 2-:Q 9 Illf' 5 J'-Qi: - v , : -- - 5 , ' ,aria f, --? ' 'IV E ii ' I li' , jl 1' sis i Q fr ,' -'a f ,, 73 1. ,, ',fi . ' . is .2 af- . 5. s 1 tl! 1: 174- -f .i. 1- , yj,, . fef E-v q tg --. gf If ' 735-at , ' 'fi '?f.. . I-'bn ' C Q 1 96526-:f.i11,i1r if . il fy' -3 32643.11 Gi f ':- -ie3L':1:EW c3 we t - - - - ' l'- W an -- H nigga Emi. ' ::.:. ' 'ffib-.f'--.,,'. .. ..1-..'..-..-,L ,. N I r .,,, - ,. .... . .. ,:.-1162314 4 41.1 ' 1 wi s lb ' 1 L A lf' l . UNIFORM.-Cn Iune 15, 1899, the blouse Cnow called the dress coatj, was hrst issued, an addition to the uniform which contributed much to the comfort of the Corps, In 1893, the present riding breeches were adopted, worn at that time with brown canvas leggings. They replaced riding trousers. In 1891 the gray maclcintosh Craincoatb was hrst issued. In 1896, the old Spring- field cadet ,rifle gave way to the United States Caliber 30 Magazine Rifle' CKrag Iorgensenj. In 1899, the hrst effect of the war with Spain was felt in the issue of shelter half, haversaclc, and the remaining articles of field equipment. A held uniform was completed by adding the campaign hat. ' 1 The present full dress hat was adopted in 1899, and the service stripes were added to the dress and full dress coats. I-IAZING.-The decade 1890-1900 was peculiarly fruitful in fthe development of hazing. From a comparatively harmless incident of Cadet life, it developed into such a Hourishing institution as to invite investigation from the outside. It hrst received the attention of a military board of high-ranking officers, followed almost immediately by an investigation by a Congressional Committee. lafhat was produced in evidence in these two investigations did not present hazing in a very pleasing light, and was ample warrant forthe drastic legislation that was enacted as a result. ' , As matters stood about 1890, it was required by the authorities that fourth class- men in camp should depress the toes'while marching Ccadet slang dig in the toes D, 'fbrace, and carry the palms of the hands to the front C hn out j 'in ranks. The latter requirement applied only inside the limits of camp. In enthusiastic support of the object aimed at by the authorities, these same requirements were made by the upper classmen to apply to all fourth classmen in all movements' outside their own tents. As a consequence, double time became a very popular method of locomotion among members of the fourth class. ' Special duty was a well-organized institution, though not sanctioned by the authorities, as in fact were none of the hazing practices. It was a give and take arrangementpmostly give on the part of the fourth classmang but in return for certain personal services-with a hair-line division between menial services and non-menial,- the upper classman supposedly looked out to some extent for the interests of his special dutyman. This was more 'particularly true of the nrst classmen than of the third, and incidentally the hrst classmen were in a much better position to protect the fourth classmen against undue interference than we1'e the third classmen. At this stage of the development of hazing, a fourth classman who did not bring himself into undue prominence escaped with comparatively little molestation, and it is certain that cadet opinion would not have tolerated practices that developed in later years. - Even at this time, however, there was' back of hazing the unwritten law that any fourth classman who did not submit gracefully to whatever was required in the way of hazing would be called out, and the penalties were such that he had to respond. These flghts, ostensibly fair, were otherwise as a rule. The offending fourth classman must himself answer the call. His opponent was selected from the offended class. The selection was confined to close limits as to weight, but only-where a fourth class- man presumed upon his own pugilistic accomplishments was there much doubt as to 31

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sn aagrtii Ili ilililll 1 Ei nun f' it 19 .Q Bin an Q dl M Sl - 1 lit E .- V ' Q - rl. . , 1 . - ll wi ' ii' 'rl 5 . F ,. gg v ,- . 1' 7 tin 'h if i xii -ii l ' ' ' ' MU -f 55 -:M h I-. -:f ry l i-:' :5t:Y . . ix F ' L.: 3. 55 al. vi .. .S pi L, i?1'51QQ2LwiQ17 , - ., 'J j ' Ki t a -itiyffiifzzfi g i:f' .1.. .a 'ritz W... 1 14 -- ... 1 .... A ..., - . f ln, N l- 5 ' GN I ' , . J but a steady grind of study and drills, was a very violent one, but it was all accomp- lished in these ten years. ROUTINE.-The change of the daily routine of cadet life was mainly that due to the infiuence of athletics, One change not so accounted for was the change in Sunday routine. ln the decade 1890-1900 the morning inspection and chapelzwere the same as ,now. The afternoon, however, was punctuated with a.call to quarters with sentinels posted from 3 to 4 P. M. This at least had one advantage over the present arrangement,-it formed a reasonable excuse for not walking all afternoon with the same girl. It may account to some extent for the lesser matrimonial mor- tality of that time. ' THE HOWITZER.-The Howitzer was born in 1875, being, at that time a paper read at the 100th Night meeting of the Dialectic Society. At some uncertain time it emerged as a printed pamphlet in connection with the 100th Night4Entertainment. The earliest copy in the possession of the Library is dated 1884. That .issue and the succeeding years to include 1895, it was merely a paper-bound pamphlet of less than forty pages, illustrated for the first time in 1894. The hrst issue approximating to the present form of the Howitzer was brought out by my own class in 1896. It was a cloth-bound volume, comparable in size and style with the more recent issues. The ten years show many outward changes, and many another like period may also, but in spirit and at heart the Corps of Cadets remains the same., Every year there emerges from the four quarters of the country a grist 'to be ground at -the Mill on the Hudson. Sorted and screened.. ground and bolted, the product comes forth. Bagged in expensive bags made by Hatheld and others, with red, white, and yellow labels, it goes on the market. May the product ever be a credit to the'mill! f OLD ACADEMIC BUILDING 33