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Show AMERICAN MILITARY ACADEMIES. The Stnto Artjutnnt-C3encrnl hns learned that several mllltnrj academies I have been In tho hihlt of distinguishing H their officers from tho rank nnd nio of H the cadets by using tho mo InslgnH of H lank that nto In use In the regular nrmy H nnd the Nntloml (lunrd As this Is ox-BE ox-BE prcsslj foi bidden by laws covering the H subject, the Adjunnt-Oonernl has no-D no-D tilled ovcrj military nc ulomy III tho IH State that no such Insignia. mnj bo worn b uny of the radets. The first of H this jfiur saw ft time of bitter regret IB among tho soldier boys who were H obliged to discard llu-lr shoulder straps. Xm The growth of pilvato military acade-IK acade-IK mlcs In tho United btntrs during the IB last few yeirs lias been prodigious, both iaS In the number of Inotltullona nnd In tho attendance Imrlng theJust threo years B the colics i I" he country which teach H military ticllcs and havo drills by mil JaH formed cadets hive Increased In num-Hl num-Hl her more than 10 per cent, and In the mm miMIc hlRh schools throughout tho mmirj upward of 20 000 jnung men now devote more or less attention to saS mlllfiry drills, and In many c'ases nro mM provided with handsome uniforms und aH modern weapons In certain Slntos nearly ono-clghth of the total number I nf public hlEh schools hive Introduced I the military drill as a regular fcatuie B Nnlurallj. however, It Is c tho prl H vate mllltnrj ncndemles that the mill tant spirit In Anu-ilcnn j-oifth s fos-U fos-U tered on the most extensive scale fn I the e Institutions cotno hundreds of I joung men who hope to ultimately Rain admls'lon to West Point, whereas nth era ate attracted bj the opportunities anorded for alhlellis and phjslcal ox- Ctrl e generullj Although tho prlv.ita mlllurj acad inks aio most numerous In New rk, New Joisoj and ndjnlnlng I Mates thev are by no means ronflned H to that territory. Indeed, Institutions of thin Chirac tet have sprung up In all H sections nf tho countrj nnd some of the mo t pretentious military schools aro Ion I il hcjond tho Mississippi. BE Theic ale glell posslbllltlrl In tho M proposed extensive Introduction of mil-M mil-M ltirj training In tho publlo Krnmmir M s hooli of the country, where at prcs- ent upward nf 8 000 000 bojs are regu H ' larlv i nrolled Tho cxicrlment of at fnrdlti this class of Instruction for pit-a pit-a plli In the Kruminar grades has nlready H been tried, and with considerable suo-j suo-j cei In Colorado Cltj, Colo ; Newport, hy and Ilutte, Mont , mllltnrj instruc. Bfl tlon Is paid for out of the regular school funds und Indeed, for (he hojs In these MR grades military Instruction Is compnl-rm compnl-rm sors. The icsult of tho adoption of this gM plan In tho cities mentioned has been ftl most gratifying rcnrxvns expressed at HH the outset tint the attention of tho pu-pja pu-pja plls might be detracted from their los-flX los-flX sons, but Instead of this proving to ho W the rase. It was round Hint tho boys JM nctuilly look greater Interest In their HJ other studies In addition, better dls-M dls-M clpllne was maintained anil with less ef-fl ef-fl fort and the pupils have shown u I marked Impiovement phjslrnllj. B In quite a number of cities tho pupils n who ilc'lri; to rccelvo Instruction In mil-a) mil-a) ltirj drill are accommodated This Is BS the cape In the grammar schools of New ff AorK clt), Cicnova, Vonlcera and ltoch-BC ltoch-BC c iter N V. As practiced In some plnccs, n linrr this plan ban objei tlons In DD that I lie pupils who desire to hn enrolled Pfl nmoint the cade tM nro under the neces-P.M neces-P.M It of fuinlshliiK their own uniforms. M and In some Install cs must nlc i su ply Ml their own weapons nnd nininunltloii, a BBj slite of affairs which Is contributory to undesirable distinctions between tho a roor bos and thoso whoso paroulB aro aj pos('od of somo means The osslbllltlcs or military drill, with Incidental eiinii life and campaigning, In developing innnliond aro strikingly llluMiitpil by some of tho recent achievements of the moro Important MB private military ncademles In this cnun a to The War department now details .onie of the ablest otllccrs In the army ml to act as drill masters nt theso lnstltu tlons, nnd In the complement of pui Us f It Is nothing unusual o Unci a number Ml of filing men who Invo been outrl issed (J b onlv tho scantiest margin In tho Mj c mipetlllve exvmluatlnns for mlnils-HB mlnils-HB slnns to West 1'idnt. Wl At the prnmlnint private ncademles ma the cadets partlelpito In an encamp-M encamp-M ment, where Ihej socuro it tnste of act-Wg act-Wg jnl campaigning When In camp there I is an average of thiee cadets assigned to each regulation nnn tc nt. The snung men are not allnweil rois or mattresses, Ml but tho tenln nro provided Willi llnors, VH and eirh cadet Is allowed a plllnw and JH two pairs of blinktts Ilarh tint Is KW provided with n camp stool for each nc-l3 nc-l3 eupant and nna pill nd dipper, to-3B to-3B gether with one basin m .n"rlnK. tm" ","''" "f Hfe In tho open m the cade s recelvo liislrin tlons In pitch-m pitch-m Ing and In caking camp, nnd aro tnught 1 to ralso or lower tents simultaneously at the sound of the trumpet. Tho corps rem-ilns In ennui for about ten dass. usually In Juno at tho close of tho regular reg-ular school ear. A guard Is mounted dnllv, about tvventj strong Ilnrh roller ro-ller is on dulj for two hours, nnd then has nn Interim nf four hours nrt duly beforo again taking up the routine. The guard beltm maintained nil day and all night, visiters arc not permitted In tho Companj stieits except nn one gnla night, w hen there Is a band concert and the camp Is Illuminated During nn cmnnipmcnt the radets pirtloliMto In bultlo exert Ises, n lino of nctlvlty which Is generally regarded ns ft genuine diversion particularly If tho citdets are provided with plenty of blank cartridges. Uurlnf thise exercises em-binkments em-binkments nnd formications of vnrlous kinds nre thrown up, scouting nnd signalling sig-nalling operations ,iro conducted, nnd there Is some bridge building As a rule, the bridges constructed nre of tho single lock type, nnd are ronstructed with lopes nnd spars Trior to every engagement en-gagement certain cideta nre designated to fall, In order that "transportation or the wounded" drill nnd hospital corps work muy bo Indulged In at their expense. ex-pense. A mnrked tendency which has recently re-cently been noticeable In the private million academies Is found In tho great popularity of tho cavalry Instruction. In most nf the Institutions this Is a. com-paratlvely com-paratlvely new feilure. having been Introduced In-troduced only during tho Inst few jears. In some of tho schools former members of tho rough riders are acting ns ln structors. while In others vetenn officers offi-cers of tho I'lilled btates cavalry nro serving In a. slmllir cap icily. Tho natural na-tural fondness of young men for hoi so-back so-back riding has been made manifest by tho nvnlincho of nppllrntions ror admission ad-mission In those schools which hnvo Introduced tho env nil y adjunct nnd tho overcrowded condition or tho classes In this brnnch or tho nervlcc. fine or tho leading ncademles has a, "Ulack Horsn Troop," the members of which nro mounted on tho Kentucky-bred Kentucky-bred horses which were ridden In tho In nugurntlnn p-irado nt Washington by tho tioopeis who ncled as n personnl escort es-cort to tho late I'rcildcnt SIiKlnley. In nil the schools fjovcrnnient saddles, bridles, bri-dles, cabers and accoutrements nro used. The bojs becomo familiar with all the Intricacies of rough riding ns prnetlced In tho cavalry scrvlco or tho United Mates A very Interesting collection or stnte-ments stnte-ments bearing mion the nlue of military mili-tary drill In school work has recently been obtained by tho Interior depnrt-ment depnrt-ment nt Wnshlngton. The 1 lure mi of IMueatlon, In the course pr nn investigation investi-gation or this subject which hns recently re-cently been In progress, asked each principal or a school or private high school In the Stnte or New York to glvo nn opinion ns to tho results, beneficial or otherwise, nttcndlng military Instruc. tlon In schools It Is significant that tha replies wero almost unanimous In the, contention Hint this form of exercise la or gcntilno benefit In tho ptoslcnl cul-turo cul-turo or the student and also contributes to his Intelligent nnd mnrnl weirare. |