Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-03
KANSAS CREETS WARRIORS
Famous Fighting Twentieth" Given Royal
Welcome at Topeka,
THoUSAND-DoLLAR SWORD FOR FUNSTON
Little Hero of Manila" Literally
Taken on His Feet by Admirers
in EnRerncss to Display
Regnrd for Him.

| TOPEKA, Kan, Nov 2-Returning war
riors never received a more royal welcome
home than that accorded today to the soldiers
! of kansas Famous Fighting Twentieth
on It's arrival from San Francisco. General
! Frederick Funston came in for the lions
share of attention shown the officers and the
Little Hero of Manila" was literally taken
off his feet by his admirers in their eager
ness to display their regard for him.
At every station in Kansas after the Colo
| rado line was crossed early this morning
cheering crowds met the soldiers and greeted
them in unstinted fashion. Schools and col
| leges along the line were closed, business
was practically suspended and the people
! focked to the trains by the thousands.
| Snow in the mountains had delayed the
trains and it was 255 this afternoon before
the first section reached Topeka. The three
other sections followed closely, the last
squad of soldiers being landed shortly before
| 4 o'clock
So many thousands of people were on the
| platform and the railroad tracks that the
train had to fairly crawl into the station.
Whistles screeched, cannon doomed dozens
| of bands played and the cheers were almost
deafening. From every car window leaned
soldiers waving hats and yelling and whoop-
ing shrill hurrahs. They leaped from the
car steps before the train stopped and fell
into the arms Of friends. who grasped and
Rugged them and passed them on to the eager
relatives and sweethearts. Fathers and
mothers pushed through the crowd in fran
tic endeavor to find their boy" Many af-
fecting scenes were enacted.
General and Mrs. Funston we're in the rear
Pullman Of the first section. When the train
came to stop there was a rush to get to
them and 1t took half dozen strong men to
keep the people off the car platform. A
woman sped Mrs. Funston at window and
pushed her baby up to be kissed by the gen.
erals wife. Mrs. Funston complied promptly
and Immediately dozens of mothers reached
forward with their babies to be kissed.
General Funston was hardly off the cars
before he was half f-dragged, half carried up
stairs into the dining room.
Sixty Thousand Guests.
Solid blocks OF people filled every street
leading to the station and the city was
taxed to its utmost to care for its guests.
1t seemed as if the whole state of Kansas
had come to town and it is estimated that
fully 10000 outsiders were here. Tons OF
bunting had been used in decorating the
buildings and electrical and other decora-
tions We're used with lavish hand. The
weather was glorious.
With the exasperating and unavoidable
delay in the arrival of the trains bringing
the soldiers it was after 4 o'clock when
the parade to the city began.
A guard of honor for the boys of the
Twentieth was the civil war veterans, the
members of the national guard and many
civic organizations. There were thirty-twC
bands in the parade, the performers num-
bering nearly 1000 musicians. The entire
parade line. over two miles, was a mass
, of cheering humanity.
General Funston, with his wife rode ir
the carriage Of honor, while Colonel Met.
r calf, on white charger. and Lieutenan
5 Colonel Little on a prancing black tool
their appointed stations at the head of the
regiment. All received ovatons at ever,
point the line.
At the state house the military order!
were drawn up in line at the south steps
, Chief Justice Doster, in a brief speech, in
troduced General j. X. Hudson, who on be
half OF the people OF Kansas presented th
beautiful $1,000 sword to General Funston
In short speech of acceptance Genera
Funston said he predicted that in one year
time the island of LuZon would be as quie
as Massachusetts,.
Il return to Manila, said he, land unles
1 get sick or disabled, will not return un
til the war is over
Colonel Metcalf followed General Funs
ton in a brief speech.
l. Later in the evening an elaborate ban
: quet was served in the new state librar
rooms to the soldiers and officers of tn
Twentieth.
g The day closed with the most magniicen
: display OF fireworks in the evening eve
= given in the states history.