And now we’ve done our level best, I’ve sung this song by request. If you don’t like it ’tis not a sin, To say you think it rather thin. NOTE 1. The Howitzer, started by the late Colonel Arthur L. Wagner, Class of ’75, as a small paper, read on the hundredth night, has grown into a large beautifully illustrated book, published annually, that now takes the place of Class Albums. [Illustration: ’73 FROM ’74. THE PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY IS REQUESTED AT THE FAREWELL HOP GIVEN TO THE GRADUATING CLASS BY THE CLASS OF ’74. FLOOR MANAGERS J HANSELL FRENCH LUTHER R. HARE WILLIS WITTICH. Committee. J. HANSELL FRENCH Wm. H. WHEELER LOUIS A CRAIG C. E. SCOTT WOOD EDGAR B. ROBERTSON LOTUS NILES WILLIS WITTICH. JAS. L. WILSON. LUTHER R. HARE. WEST POINT] As our days to wear cadet gray could now be counted by two figures, for the second and last time at the Academy, we selected clothes for “Cit” suits, and as we had all decided to enter the army as “Second Lieutenants,” we also selected uniforms and accoutrements for ourselves as officers of that high rank. Military goods dealers and tailors were frequent visitors at the Point on Saturday afternoons, each claiming to give the most for the least money. We had great trouble about the stripes on the pants, the color of the cloth in the shoulder knots and straps, the head gear, etc., because all did not know for certain what arm of service they would be assigned to, and those things are different for each arm. The result was that some gave conditional orders, while others guessed at it and ordered all or a part of their outfits. On the first of June our new clothes began to arrive, and we were permitted to have trunks in our rooms and from that day we began to feel that our cadet days were gone. And it was practically so, too, for even the ladies who came up in June began to show preferences for the coming first classmen, except, of course, where friendships were strong. Occasionally cadets were invited to dine at some of the professor’s quarters, but even then we were required to get a permit before we could accept invitations. General U⸺n, the Commandant, made it a rule to invite all of the members of the first class (a few at a time) to dine at his quarters, as may be seen from the following invitation, to-wit: “The Comd’t of Cadets will be pleased to see Cadets London, O’Connor, Paddock and Reed, H. T., at tea this evening after parade till 8:30 p. m. “June—, 18—.” As every cadet who graduates at the Military Academy may at his option enter the army as a Second Lieutenant, he can choose his corps or arm of the service in accordance with his class standing, and after the first of June he makes application substantially as follows: “United States Military Academy, West Point, N. Y. June —, 1873.