The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-07-19
UNDER THE DOME
Adjutant General Allen is Be-
sieged For Tents
For Use of G. A. r. Reunion
This Fall.
NOT A TENT is LEFT
Situation May Interfere With
Topeka Reunion.
Neodesha to Acquire Its Own
WaterWOrks.
NOT A TENT is LEFT

The G. A. r. reunions this fall in
Kansas will have to be held without
tents unless they can be secured from
private sources. Adjutant General
Allen said to-day that the state has not
a single tent left for old soldiers, new
soldiers or any one else.
It has been the custom for years for
the state to furnish tents for all the
reunions in the state Old soldiers
would bring their families and live for
a week in the old fashioned way under
tent. During the reunions held in To-
peka for the past two years 500 tents
were secured from the state and over
300 direct from the government. making
almost 1000 tents in all in use on the
grounds. Two years ago every tent
was taken and there were calls for
more.
There is every indication that the
coming state reunion viii be the larg-
est ever held in the state and the tent
problem becomes at once most impor-
tant one. What will Topeka do with
the hundreds of old soldiers who come
to the city expecting to occupy tents on
the camp ground? What will be done
Tor the old soldiers from the Ohio,
Pennsylvania and Kansas regiments
who come to Topeka expecting to camp
with their comrades in tents pitched
side by side? 1t has been the custom to
devote individual rows of tents to the
veterans from different states and this
afforded an opportunity for cIassifica-
ton that facilitated the work of the re-
union greatly.
Now all this is at an end. Adjutant
General Allen says that he expects to
have the tents taken from the state by
the soldiers replaced by the government
but there is no hope that they can be
secured in time for use this year.
Topeka authorities or the people who
manage other reunions in the state
this year can not hope to secure any
hn
because they are utilized by the troops
just as the Kansas tents have been.
1t is no easy matter at any time to
secure 1000 tents and it will be eS-
pecially difficult if not an entire i'm
possibility this year. There is grave
danger that the reunions this year may
be fiat failures on that account. If the
OLD soldiers can not have tents they will
not care to meet to talk over the war.
There are a, large number of building
on the Topeka fair grounds where the
soldiers may be housed, but the build
ings are old, leaky, and in a wretched
condition
The state had 500 G. A. r. tents and
300 National Guard tents, and all have
been taken by the Kansas soldiers.
Department Commander Eastman is
receiving inquiries from local commit
tees for tents. He does not know what
will be done. From now until Novem-
be RI there is an average of TWO. re-
unions a week in Kansas.
Riddle Returns.
Taylor Riddle has returned from
Chickamauga where he visited his son
Wayne, who is bugler of the Marion
company.
Mr. Riddle is enthusiastic over the
condition of the Twenty first regiment.
He said:
THE boys are in excellent condition.
can not imagine how they could be in
amy better shape. The Twenty first
Kansas is brigaded with the Twelfth
New York and Eighth Massachusetts,
which are old National Guard reai-
mentS, and they show up as well as
either of them. In fact there is not a
single point of comparison between the
Kansas and eastern soldiers in which
the Kansas boys are not equal or su-
per1Or to them The Kansas boys lie
down to sleep when taps sound. They
are from the farm and are ready to sleep
when ten o clOck comes, but I walked
through the camp of the Twelfth New
York after taps and there were muir
murS OF conversation coming from
nearly every tent. They do not care to
sleep before twelve o'clock. and that is
one reason why our boys excel them.
"A short time ago the brigade took
a forced march of eight miles in the
hot sun. They made the distance in
three hours and 10 Kansas boys
dropped out from fatigue while $50
dropped out of the two eastern regi-
ments- The trouble with the eastern
ers is that they patronize the canteen
too much. The Kansas boys are not
used to drinking, and while they have
just as much money as the other fell
lows they do not spend it for liquor
Early training counts in a soldiers life
as well as anywhere.
THE Kansas officers are giving good
satisfaction. Capt. Vaughn and Capt.
StackhOuse had to resign because they
could not stand the work, but the Off
GERS as whole are doing well. Major
Smith, who is a regular army officer. is
all that could be expected. Colonel
McCrum is one of the best posted mill
tary men in the state, and there is no
reason why they should not do we'll
What Major Brown does not know
about military tactics he makes - by
visiting the hospitals and making him
self generally useful.
THE Kansas boys hold the rife score
of the big camp for target practice.
They only beat the Nissourians two
points. but they beat the Vermonters
and some of the rest over 100. There is
no truth in the reports that they are
NOT properly equipped. They all have
uniforms except the 300 recruits who
have not yet received their trousers
But they are distributed among the
other troops so that you would not
notice them
Texas Fever.
John Dryden of the live stock sani-
tary board has returned to Topeka
Mr.. Dryden reports the prevalence of
Texas fever in Greenwood Butler and
Barber counties. He says that Up to
Greenwood, Is in Butler and none in
Barber. He says that all the herds
which are affected have been quaran-
tined and the board hopes to be able to