Then come breakfast, guard mounting,
and camp and general police duty, which consume the
time until 8.30 A.M., from which hour those who are not
on guard have the freedom of the Centennial grounds. At
5 P.M. they must fall in for dress parade; at 9 they
answer to 'tattoo' roll-call, and a few minutes later
'taps' or 'lights out' consigns them to darkness and
quiet.
"West Point Aristocracy.--Small as is this corps, it
is still patent that the distinction of caste is very
strong. A first-classman--cadet officers are selected
from this class--looks down upon lower grade men, while
second-class cadets view their juniors with something
nearly allied to contempt, and third-class men are
amusingly patronizing in their treatment of 'plebes'
or new-comers. For the first year of their Academy
life the 'plebes' have rather a hard time of it; but
no sooner do they emerge from their chrysalis state
than they are as hard upon their unfortunate successors
as the third-class men of the year before were upon
them.
"The cadets are delighted with their reception and
kind treatment in Philadelphia, and look upon their
ten days' visit to the Centennial as a most pleasant
break in the monotony of Academy life. That they
maintain the reputation of the Academy for gallantry
and devotion to the fair sex is evidenced by the
presence of numbers of beautiful young ladies in
their camp after dress parade every evening.
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