The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-26


in the day, and as early came the droves
of ragamuffins who sleep with the spar
rows, stunted, dwarfed and decrepit lit
tie chaps, whose keen eyes glowed in
anticipation of the treat in store for
them. It was the motliest assemblage
ever congregated under the blue dome
of heaven, and they were as inquisitive
and just as numerous as ants. They
peeked in the flaps of the tent and look
ed at the ~ big tubs already filed with
pure, sparkling water. Then they swarm
ed over everything.
The active warfare against dirt did
not commence until near noon, but all
the morning there was string of boys
anxious to have hair cut. They bobbed
in one door of the tent, and in about 80
seconds they were shot out the other as
ba d as the day they were born. The
three BARRIERS shouted, ''Next gent!" and
the kids, with grin like man who
had taken laughing gas, planked them
selves in wooden chairs, and the opera
ton commenced. It was not a fancy
cut 1t was simply a serviceable one. A
few slashes from the back of the neck
to the eyebrows, and the negro, Bohe-
milan or Arab came out sans hair.
Then the real work commenced. Such
dirty childreni It did not seem possible
that human body would carry such &C.
cumulations of dirt as the dropping Of
a few rags exposed. Crime in concen-
trio rings, like the growth Of trees, en-
veloped many Of the applicants. Clean
apparel was given to those who got
through the finishing up process, and
they were turned out clothed and in
their right minds.
The Thursday following this memo
rable washday was the time of the an
nual picnic. The organization of a cele-
bration like Poor Children's day entails
much work and planning
There is nothing in "What 's-his-
names Lightning Calculator" or
'tRay's Third Part'' that would shed
any light upon the amount of food nee
essary to expand the vests of 10, 900
hungry youngsters, not one of whom
had enjoyed square meal since the
time of the Mission Christmas feast,
and one who has never witnessed the
storing of waits larder can never ar
rive at an exact idea of the hercul lean
proportions of the task. Superintendent
Daniels of the Waits mission, when
questioned as to the quantity required,
said that his many years experience of
Poor Children's days had taught him
that it took all he could get, and he in
struoted his coworkers to labor to that
end. A few weeks before the picnic sew
eral thousand straw board boxes were
manufactured and each box made to
hold enough lunch for one half starved
urchin. These boxes were nestled in
skies, incased in larger boxes and load
ed on express wagons. Each wagon was
equipped with driver and crew and
allotted certain streets on which to
work. A house to house canvass was
made, and it was seldom that family
refused to fill at least one nest Of boxes.
Now, hydrant water may do to wash
down an ordinary lunch, but it takes
lemonade, with lemons in it. and sugar,
to mellow up the picnic cake and pie.
This requires innumerable empty bar
rels, hundreds of tin cups, small noun
tains of sugar and lemons, to say moth
ing of the ice to cool the decoction.
1t takes one person several days to
visit the ice cream establishments and
see what they will do for the waits.
They generally respond literally. Then
there are the games and prizes to look