The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-10-30
Twentieth Kansas Has Begun
the Return Journey
Across Mountain and Desert
In Three Special Trains.
SERVICE is ENDED.
The Boys Have Their Dis
charges In Their Pockets.
Three We're Left Behind Owing
to Sickness.

San Francisco. Oct. 3O.-The Twen-
tieth Kansas volunteers left their camp
at the Presidio early yesterday morn
ing and gathered at the ferry, where
they took the ferryboat to the Oakland
mole and embarked on the several sec
tions of the special train provided for
them by the people of the SunfioWer
state The first train got away about
2:3O O'Clock amid cheering from a large
crowd of friends of the men who had so
conspicuousIy distinguished themselves
on the firing line in the Philippines.
General Funston. Henry J. Allen, pri-
vate secretary to Governor Stanley, and
the First battalion left on the first sec
ton, the other two leaving at hourly
intervals They expect to reach TOpeka
on Thursday morning
Gen. Funston. Capt. Watson and
Lieut. Mitchell said they Will return to
San Francisco in ten days on their way
to the Philippines, where Gen Funston
will command a brigade The men were
mustered out and received their last
pay from Paymasters Major Ray, Mon
aghan and Curry, at o'clock Saturday
afternoon. Capt. Morton and Lieut.
Purdy handed the men their final dis
charge papers. Just a year and three
days ago the regiment left San Fran
cisco for Manila, with 1921 men. Before
the train pulled out from the Oakland
mole, Gen. Funston and Col Metealt
spoke enthusiastically of the reception
and farewell given the regiment by San
Francisco Lieutenant Colonel Little
said: The stay of the Kansas men in
this city has been remarkably enJoya-
BILE and nothing has been left undOne
to make US comfortable. The regiment
is going home well satisfied with the
work it has done and 1 think it Will be
granted that the Kansas men were
never backward when duty called
them"
FAREWELL TO THE SERVICE
The Kansas regiment said farewell to
the service Saturday. and the famous
aggregation of fighters exists now only
in history.
In front of each tent was piled the
personal baggage of the soldiers, the
boxes corded and ready for the long
ride to their Kansas homes. The trans
fer companies made small fortune in
transporting the baggage to the Oak
land pier. The soldiers had nothing to
do except prepare for departure and
say farewell to the many visitors to the
camp and wait for the paymasters.
At 1 o'clock the various companies
were assembled in the company streets.
AS the rolls were called the mastering
officers gave to each man his final
statements. which certified the amount
of money due the soldier from the gov
ernment
Following the distribution of the final
statements the companies were march
ed by battalion to a pay table where
the officers and men drew their last
payment from Uncle Sam. There were
three paymasters and the work of pay
ing off the regiment was accomplished
in three hours At half past o'clock
Col. Metcalf was mustered out and
drew his travel pay He was the last
of the famous fighting Twentieth to
leave the service.
There was a jubilee in the camp fol-
lowing the discharge of the men from
the service. Companies that had re-
ceived their pay and discharges called
the waiting comrades tin soldiers"
Discharged men slapped officers famil-
iarly on the shoulders and introduced
themselves with the Unmilitary prefix
Mister" It was a merry gathering.
BY o'clock the camp was deserted
The majority of the officers spent the
night in San Francisco at the Grand
hotel, while the enlisted men were scat
tered from East Oakland to PalO Alto.
The disbursement OF so large a sum
to the men OF the Kansas regiment in
less than three hours is a striking COM
mentary on the efficiency of Uncle
Sans pay department. The average
enlisted man drew between $17O and
$500, while the officers averaged, be-
sides the three months pay drawn,
travel pay ranging from $500 for sec
Ond lieutenant, to 1870 for Colonel
Metcalf- Major Whitman drew no pay
beyond the three months pay. his con-
nection with the regular army depriv-
ing him of travel pay, but he was made
happy by the receipt of an order per
mitting him sixty days leave of alb
sence. he Will spend a week or two in
Kansas and win then visit the east
reporting for duty with the Second
United States infantry at Fort Thomas
Ky, in sixty days.
Companies A. B. F and l. headuuar-
terS, staff and band, with Lieutenant
Colonel Little and the line officers. ride
in the first section. General and Mrs
Funston and Mrs. Stanley, wife of Gov
ernor Stanley; M and Mrs. Henry J.
Allen, P. F. Rocket. the official Kansas
photographer, and wife, also ride in the
first section.
The second section carries Major
Whitman and the line officers of
the second battalion, with Mrs Whit
man Mrs. Krause and Mrs. Parker
r. NJ and G. Major and Mrs Martin
ana the line officers of the third bat
talon ride on the third section The
wives Of Captains Clarke and Flanders
are on the train. The enlisted men
from Companies H. c, D and 1 con-
CIuue the fuIl list of passengers on the
seStioh and the train.
Dr. Huffman ACCOMPANIES the sec
OLlu battalion and DR.. Smith is on the
thlru section, and there is a hosDitaI
seward ana two privates from the hos
plJal corps on each section
Because of illness two roarobars Of
the regiment We're unable to return to
lne pains OF Kansas WAGNER Row e.
OeVer OF Company D underwent an on
SIaIon friday for appendicitis. Private
1nad q Alderman of Company K was
1etL pehlnd, as he is in the bOspi+aI
with typhoid fever When tbasg y,c,l -
recover they viii be given free trans
pOrtation to Kansas. y Il ans
FEET ON THE CUSHIONS
Fresno, Cal, Oct. 3O.-The Twentieth
Kansas regiment is homeward bound:
that Is. seo gallant young Americans