1IAGAZIXE SECTION. NEW BERN, NORTH CAROLINA, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1906. PAGES 1 TO 4. THE KEW WEST POINT. A STRENUOUS ' LIFE hdOVlDED xFOR THE YOUNG CADETS if' AND FUTURE OFFICERS. Kkm Is vo Make Men Quick 'and Self-Reliant-Extensive Additions Being " Madeta InstitutlonSodal Life . Feature . ' , . .- v y ' The United States Military Academy at West Point baa long enjoyed an in ternational reputation aa the finest training Institution In the world, and thla prestige wlE be considerably en hanced upon t'e completion of the 'large scheme of Improvements ' now under way and upon which' Congress will expend, more than seven million 1 GUARD MOUNl' AT WEST POINT.- - dollars ere they are fully completed In the year 1912. Already the creation ' of the "new West Point", has pro gressed far. enough to prove how bene ficial will, be the undertaking. , V While the primary purpose of Un"le 'Sam's unique institution on the bauds - of the Hudson Elver Is, of course, to ""educate young men for positions aa officers of the United States Army, the . superiority which has won for It " world-wide fame is due to the marvel v cms efficiency of the mental and physi- - cal training without regard to the use to which the knowledge Is to be put - -It la m the Interest of thla ambition to graduate perfect specimens of Ameri can manhood that the costly improve- . nents are being carried forward. ' Nearly Trebles Present Capacity. ' For one thing the sew buildings will - , provide accommodations for 1,200 ca ' -, dets, Instead of for 400 as at present, ' and these new structures will also ln ' chide a new gymnasium, riding hall, .- academic building, cadet headquarters, - etc, aa well aa a handsome hotel for TAf Cadets Bicom Ex pert Polo . Player t mnd lSrdtme. the accommodation of the numerous visitors, including many, members of the fair sex, who come to the Point for the various social functions which axe scattered through the school year. The new West Point will place some added comforts within re--a of the cadets in gray but It will result in no lessening-of the strenuous activity of their every day life. The West Point er is roused at six o'clock every morn . lag, alter eight hours sleep. He must be on the Jump from the moment be opens his eyes, for only twenty minut es is allowed him to wash, dress, fold ip 'ma bedding and set In order his room and its contents. At 6.30 o'clock the young men form in companies and march to the mess hall for breakfast Almost immediately after breakfast begins a routine of study that includes such branches as mathematics, draw In, modern languages, geography, chemistry, geology, etc. Interspersed between the study and recitation hours are intervals of drill, and what lu any other school would be given over to recreation periods are devoted to ath letics In accordance with" a definite program. ' v jo Make Physically Perfect. Tbe cadets at West Tolnt go In for a!.i t every known muscle-building iiprr'o. Larly In the mornin they go t mi , h the well known "wtllcj to" '-l and time is alwo devoted par t "r la summer to tennis, golf, j i, hurdle riulr". baseball, foot ball aii.i awl-nming. mo gymnasium iut- r li i: " vf I' Tr'.-.e, e'.c, rt col, , u a-r-e to li i two la -yi. a-1 fx The social aide of life at West Point has unquestionably proven one of the greatest attractions of this unique school, admission to which is so eager ly sought by young men In all parts of the country. .Ordinarily the West Pointer has cv' half an hour dally, the Interval following auppei-that he can call his own. On Saturday after noon however, the lads are "free" from two o clock until 6.30 o'clock, the sup per hour, and on Wednesdays there is similar freedom from 4 o'clock in the afternoon until 6.30 o'clock. At such times the famous Flirtation Walk, where so many romances have had their beginning la a mecca for a con siderable portion of the young men. On Saturday evenings from 8.30 to 10.30 o'clock there is dancing., v - " ' Whin They Camp Out. v In the eyes of most of the cadets the happiest portion of the-year at West Folnt is the summer interval when the whole battalion goes into camp in the wooded area on the north side of the Academy grounds, remaining under canvas from June until September. During this season visitors are espec ially, numerous, and the social life at the Point la seen at Its best The cadets at West Point are in very truth picked men, fur not only is ad mission gained : by passing a very severe entrance examination, but there are'examlnatlons scattered all through the four year course and If a cadet fails to come np to the mark at any of these periodical tests he is al most certain to be dropped from the rolls. :' Indeed, so severe is thla weed- lng-out process that only about one- half of the young men who enter West Point succeed In graduating. - .K A Democratic Institution. One phase of conditions at . West Point which, is calculated to make every American proud of the Institu tion is the splendid democracy which prevails. - Special privileges are un known at the Point The boy whose father is a multi-millionaire wears the same grade of clothing, sleeps In the same kind of a bed and eats food that Is precisely on a par with that fur nished to the cadet who started in life as a bootblack. Each student at the Military Academy receives from Un cle Sam the sum of five hundred dol lars a year and out of this he must purchase all his necessities at the "store." If he spends more than the allowance such excess is a debt which is duly charged against him and must be liquidated from his future pay. ' He Broke up the Meeting. A temperance ' lecturer, speaking in Keene. N. Hn reminded his hearers of the story of Dives and Lazarus. He pointed out how; when Dives was in Hades, he did not ask for beer or wine or whisky; but for one drop of water. DANCING IB CONSIDERED A NECESSARY ADJUNCT TO THK "POI.TT," "Now, my friends," (aid the lecturer, "what does that show us?" A voice from the back of the hall instant'y re plied : "It shows us where you ten "r aiice pec; !s ga to," , PAI1CE FIT FOU TITANIA. MOST BEAUTIFUL PAbACE IS ENGLAND RESIDENCE OF - AMERICAN WOMAN. y,f Is Now LoolcinsT for an Irish Castle. Canada wants a Local Premier- Native American Night Hold Such a Position. The Duchess of Roxburgh, nee Oos- let ox New York, after many Irulueaa attempts to find a suitable residence in Ireland, has Intrusted the, matter to Lord Barrymore, who married, aa his second wife, the widow of Arthur Post of New York, and thereby, quite natu rally, greatly improved his financial position. . That is one reason he is par tial to American women and willing to do all in his power to assist them. Pew men know Ireland better than he does. ' At one time he was one of the best hated men in the country, and diligent students of Irish history with- THE DUCHESS OF u the last quarter of a century would i say that it is a wonder he is still liv ing. He is looking out tor a nouse tor the Duchess in picturesque Galway. a, fine manaion, constructed of Irish granite and situated between Tuam and Claremorris on the Midland and Great Western Railway, has been in spected in this connection. It is known as Grove Castle, and was erected about forty years ago by an eccentric bach elor millionaire named Cannon. The estate attached to the house is of little value, but the house and grounds are beautiful. There is plenty of fishing and shooting in the neighborhood, and In the hunting season it attracu many aristocratic folk. - Floors Castle is the English resi dence of the Roxburghes. It stands on a terrace overlooking extensive mead ow landa soreading down to the Tweed at its Junction with the Teviot. it is like a veritable fairyland of cupolas and minarets, of turrets and embras ured parapets. The castle was built In 1713 by Sir John Vanbrugh, in the conception of some happy moment Si Walter Scott described "tv- mansion of Floors" as "a kingdom for Oberon and Titania to dwell In, whose majesty and beauty Impresses' the mind with ' sense of awe mingled with pleasure Vanbrugh might well be dubbed the "architect to first dukes," from his close association with Blenheim for the first Duke of Marlborough, Klmbolton for the first Duke of Manchester, and now Floors for the first Duke of Rox burgh, who had just received this fur ther title. The third duke was so en grossed with the lifelong task of get' ting together his priceless collection of old Tr'! h literature that he bad no time fur the domentio life, and, fl In? unmarried, left no son. The dis tJ t kinsman ho s'iccded died also .3ut a soa. M Uis ts for a whUs was dormant pending a dispute be tween three claimants, until this time the family surname bad been Ker alone, being th ancient family of the Kers of Cesaford; it now became Innes- Ker, as.lt remains for the settlement of this three-cornered dispute awarded the title to Sir James Innes, as heir by right of a maternal ancestress. It is a very pretty little bit of character istic history thai Duncan Forbes, the historian, records in reference to this succession , of James Innes as fifth duke that "his pedigree of thirty de scents proceeds regularly from 1153, and that in all their long line the in heritance never went to a woman, that none of them ever married an ill wife, and that no one ever suffered for their debta.; . .-. - ' Americans returning from Europe complain that Invit ations to the Italian court under, the present king, Victor Emmanuel, are a good deal more diffi cult to obtain, and are more sparingly distributed than was the case when Humbert occupied the throne of united Italy in the Qulrlnal at Rome. The EOXBURQHR, , foreign "envoys are required nowadays iq personally youcn lor tne social standing of those of their countrymen wnp are admitted Into the presence of tne King, it is well-nigh- an Impossi bility for our Ambassador to vouch for the social standing of every American tourist who happens to be "doing" Rome and takes it into his head to go and "call" on the king. .. In the Dominion of Canada there Is a sentiment growing more or less lately favoring the appointment of a Cana dian to the exalted post of Governor General. 'The country has always been ruled by some member of the nobility sent out irom jcngiana by the Crown. It is possible, therefore, if the Crown looks with favor on the petitions, that some day a man bora in the United States may become Governor-General ofsCanada. There la nothing but the sentiment of the people to prevent this There is no native-born clause, as is the case with the Presidency of the united eta tea. One who becomes a British subject by naturalization Is Just as good a Britisher as one born under the British flag. - BiBgalsed as a Tramp. . ; rhat a man moving, amongst the re spectable classes should disguise him self as a beggar, and go in search of adventure, is not a new idea. A young man with a taste for such experiments, however, introduced a novel feature, when masquerading as a tramp, by visiting, amongst others, some of his friends. . . ". He had a Splendid opportunity of testing their benevolence, for none of them recognized him with his seedy garments and general air of wretch? edness. j .- - His pilgrimage lasted five days, and during that period (he started In an appropriate state of pennllessness) he begged er earned Just about sufficient to live in a rough fashion. He received innumerable Insults (many from unsuspecting acaualn- tances), and only one kind word (from a stranger). Even when he entered a shop or lodging-house with money to pay for bis needs his ragged garments procured him much contemptuous treatment and he learned a - severe lesson on the Importance of clothes. Indeed, his cynical conclusion Is that a man who seeks charity should, before all things, be well dressed! A Happy Family. ; A so-called "happy family" P. T. Bar num used to exhibit consisted of a lion, a tiger, a bear, a wolf, and a lamb,, all penned together In one cage, "Remark abler a visitor said to Mr. Barnura; "re markable, impressive, Instructive I And how lot ! ve these animals dwelt to gether ia tliis way?" "Seven months," Barnum answered, "but the lamb bat occasionuTjc to be renewci VAST PETIRFIED FORESTS. ANCIENT VOLCANIC UPHEAVALS IN ARIZONA DISCLOSE HUGE ; STONE LOGS. V Yari-Hued Adamantine Forma Nil lions of Years Old-Prcesrvf1 by the Government Against SpaMa ttva-fukuiral Wonders. Once they were a forest of stately pines .grown to a height far beyond that attained by the trees of today. Ages passed, and through -some unex plainable act of nature they were up rooted, prostrated to the ground, probably buried beneath the earth by volcanic ashes and the snows of many winters, Next came the waters of floods, leaving over the prone giants an inland sea, and ail traces of the green forest were swept away. Vast periods of time passed: the seas van ished; volcanoes sent their ashes high In the air, and the explosions from the interior of the earth swept up ward the debris, among which were the wrecks of the pined, - Following mis period the waters hurried toward lower levels, gnawing the masses and endeavoring to eat Into the very cell structure of the logs. Erosion was at -work, ' and after- centuries. .through the probable action of acids and alkalies, the logs of the ancient rorest are revealed to numan, eyes. ? ' Preserved For Future Ages. This Is the history of the wonder fur petrified forest of Arizona which Congress, at its last session, set aside as a Government reserve. There are in all about 5,000 acres of land in this reserve.land valueless for commercial or agricultural pursuits, but the hand of nature has created of this vast ex panse a garden of monuments to the vegetation ol long ago, farming an attraction for people from all parts of the world. . Trunks of trees, some a hundred feet long, and huge logs, lie In a con fusion In the same position as when nature: in . the resurrection of the an cient forest broke out in explosion due to the eruption of volcanic crat ers. In every direction are to be seen pieces' of petrified wood, some only as large as a toy marble, otners in blocks and loss from eight to ten feet in diameter; others are buried partly beneath the shale, and occa sionally there projects from the side, near the top ol tne mesa, tne ena or a uge log. . These mesas are In themselves wonderful structures. They are com posed of shale, clay and sandstone of many . colors, andi the ravages of storm and wind Have eroded their sides so that here and there : they stand but like the playthings of a pre-historic giant child. By ponder ing ' upon this sight a faint idea is given or the countless number or rears that have rolled br since this erostve process commenced. Wbile there are to be round vari ous localities in Arizona, New Mexico , n' Af V sV'l NATURAL WONDERS and Utah, where petrified wood oc curs in great quantities, yet the re gion known as the "Petrffled Forest of Arizona" la most notable, and is properly classed among the natural wonders of America. In the first place, it Is much more ancient than the petrified forests 01 the Xel low stone National Park, and of certain ports of Wyoming and California, ths difference in their antiquity as geolo gists count being millions of years, and secondly, there Is ne ether petri fied forest in which the wood assumes so many vax! and wondrous forms and colors, The solidified weed in this mineral state places, the logs and blocks among the gems of precious stone. The mineral wood is converted into shalcedony, opals and agates, and many of the pieces closely approach the condition o'-Jaspar and onyx. The degree of 'hardness attained by them is such that they make an exel tent quality of emery. Among the color seen are every conceivable shade of black, red, white PETRIFIED SENTINEL OF THE rfKSA, yellow, blue-purple and lavender; and each piece has every- natural appear ance of wood, though all are as hard as steel. Here and there sections show signs of decay arrested by the peculiar progress which converted the wood into mineral The traveler sees small chips upon the ground, and on picking them up, finds them as heavy as so much lead and as dense sa flint The Government while allow ing visitors to carry off little pieces of this character, prohibits the removal of any large blocks. Huge Stone Loc Bridge. But after all, the climax of all this scenic beauty is the "Natural Bridge," consisting of a great petrified trunk lying across a canyon 20 feet deep. and iormlng a natural loot-bridge on which men may easily cross. At the point where the bridge crosses, the canyon is about 80 feet wide, but the trunk lies diagonally, and- measures 44 feet between the points at which It rests on the sides of the canyon. The . total length of the tree exposed is 111 feet and measures where it crosses the center of the canyon, 10 feet in circumference. In the past few years the log has begun to shew signs of yielding to that peculiar inclination of all petri fied trees to crack up into immense pieces; in fact, in several places trav erse cracks have already appeared. .The Government, in order to preserve " Of TES 80TJTHWISR this natural curiosity, hat caused two stone abutments to be erected be neath it making of it a bridge of three spans. In the hopes of preserv ing It for many years to come. N ' 9 4 -U4 MM. 1 V .!. ' fmtn i'o I . ' - : - , ! -' ( i . , -, tr . jl I I .'". .. 8i i ,JT' I in -it f ' ir V IK'1 il I ...