The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-10
May Day Festival an Interest
ing Feature.
RECEIVE THEKANSANS
Suggestions Which Are Now
Being Carried Out.
Interview With an Escaped
Spanish officer.

According to newspaper reports, the
people Of Kansas are preparing a grand
reception for the gallant Twentieth
Kansas when they shall return from
their hard campaigning in the Philip
pines. Permit me, as a loyal Kansan
and warm admirer of Colonel Fun
ston and his men, to offer a few sug-
gestions which may be of value to those
who have the monster reception in
hand.
Evidently it is the wish Of a majority
of the Kansas people that their regi-
ment be mustered out in Topeka, after
a grand review. I do not believe that
ten men in the entire regiment can be
found who want this arrangement
made. According to a special order
from the war department, all volun-
teer regiments may select by popular
vote, the place at which they are to be
mustered out of the United States ser
vice would suggest that they be
mustered out in San Francisco. at
which place they could be met by a re-
CeptiOn commi ttee with a special train
with which tine boys could be trans
ported to Topeka where the reception
and review could occur as previously
arranged.
The reason for this is that by being
mustered out at San Francisco, every
private in the regiment would receive
about $40 in travel allowances from
place of discharge to place of enlist
ment-and the officers in proportion to
their salaries.
In view of the fact that the mem
bers of the regiment have had to be
content for more than a year on
meaSre $3.50 per month, 1t is plausible
to presume that they viii want a little
money with which to fit themselves out
in civilian dress and to last until they
have obtained employment. Certainly
the people of the state will gladly do
nate the amount required for a special
train from Fri SEQ to Topeka, which, I
conjecture Will not exceed SIS or SIS
per man
I am glad indeed that Kansas people
are contemplating this hearty acknowl-
edgement of their appreciation of the
patriotic sacrifices of the Twentieth.
The boys have done more than any
other one factor to raise the credit of
the state and they deserve recognition
for their services A medal for every
Kansas volunteer should be procured
and presented with the welI-Wishes Of
the commonweal tn, as a token Of graft
tude.
I am satisfied that the reception of
the JayhaWk warriors will be magniI-
icent affair; Kansas people never do
things by halvesA
The reception, however, will be an oc-
casion for tears as well as great re-
jOicing. Twelve hundred men left To-
pelSa over a year ago to go to the Span
ish war. Many of these are sleeping
their last long sleep beneath the blood
slabs to mark tn cir last resting places.
Such is the fortune of war.
Associations have discovered to them
many friends here among the other
boys in blue who have so often fought
shoulder to shoulder with them. The
parting will be neart-rending, but mem
DRY will lend mach to lessen the pain
of separation. COmrade John T. Will
lOughby writes:
Never shall our souls forget
Our comrades true and loyal hearted,
Dear shall be the day we meet,
And remem bered be the day we parted.
o, if regrets, however sweet
Must with the lapse of time decay,
Yet still whenever in nirth we meet,
Fill high to them that are far away.
Long be the flame Of memory found
Alive within your social glass,
May that be ever the magic round
Ger which oblivion dare not pass
Now that it has been conclusiveIy
proven that Gen. Lucas is dead. we
may safely assert that the Filipino in
surrectiOn will not last a great while
longer which fact will be decidedly
gratifying to American people in gen
eraI and the soldiery in particular.
As predicted, hard fighting occurred
! in Cavite province, but it will not be of
/ long duration. Paranaque, BacOor and
| several other places of more or less i'm
| pOrtance have already fallen into the
IrOODS, are
] advancing rapidly. Our losses in that
| territory have been large but happily
/ not as great as were expected before
! the campaign became a reality. The
/ navy did splendid work throughout the
! entire advance westward, lessening
| our casualties by Smelling Qualifications,
| churches and jungles within several
miles of the coast, from Paranaque to
| Las Pinas.
| For months. the rebels had been US
! ing the church at Paranaque, a man.
moth structure over 100 years old, as a
! fort and arsenal. The monitor Monter-
| ey nearly completely destroyed it with
! eight and twelve inch shells
] Just outside Of BacOOr the FilipinOs
| had constructed line Of trenches from
| behind which dozen smooth bore can
] mons, ten inches in diameter, poured
| solid shot and shrapnel into our ranks
/ and at our ships. A heavy lombard
| ment by the NOnadnock. Manila and
| Princeton and several pieces of field
! artillery and brilliant charge by Gen.
| Halls brigade and the Anticipated guns
| and several hundred prisoners were
| ours.
! The brave Yankees who fell in that
| fight are peacefully sleeping in trench
| just outside the old Spanish cemetery,
| a short distance beyond Fort San An
| tonic Abad- Almost every day some of
| their comrades go there to put fresh
| flowers on their graves, and perchance
| to drop a tear on the clay that wraps
/ the inanimate forms
| Sherman spoke well when he Hkened
| war to the dark, fathomless depths of
| Hades. War is but a grim, horrible
( tale Of wreck and ruin; of patriotic
| blood poured out on the country's altar:
| of blighted lives and broken hearts; of
| invasion, pillage and determination.
say with TennysOn:
| Ring out the thousand wars OF old.
Ring In the thousand years Of peace.
During the concerts on the Luneta,
every evening one could scarcely be-