The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05

1t win be but a short time until the
cadets viii return to the military schools
and take with them their eagle eyes,
their military swagger. their leather
bands that tie up their mighty writs,
their flannel shirts and all.
Strange what one term at a military
school will do to the average boy. He
goes there to get discipline and conf
share and comes home with the airs of
a car. In one short year he not only
secures a copiouS amount of confidence
in himself, but he enlarges the size of
his hat band several degrees.
All those who accuse General Miles
of pomp and Imperialism can not find
as much in him with his years of SER
vice in an exalted position as they can
IND in military school cadet after nine
months at the barracks. 1t is good for
them, though. They get way up the lad
der in their own esteem and then some
one rudely breaks the rung they are
standing on and down they come.
There is one Topeka boy who came
down with a thud. 1t happened this
way. He was home for the Christmas
holidays He wore. his gray cadet uni
form and my, but he was a big gun in
the fighting world. He was sauntering
down the street one night displaying
that erect carriage, firm step, steady
eye, deep chest and all that cadet
schools give in nine months for the
consideration of $500 in tuition.
Suddenly Sir Cadet was rudely set
upon from behind. 1t was a policeman.
The military man was in the clutches
of the civil authorities. All that was
contrary to Hardees and Upton's tactics
and the United States drill regulations.
The cadet told the officer So The off,
Ger only laughed. That made the cadet
heap much angry. But what good did
it do? He was mighty bad looking
individual when left alone but when a
man with club got hold of him he was
cowed. He might fight in the front
line of the skirmishers and face a thous-
and rifles. He was trained for that,
but he was not trained to the club and
shillalah style of fighting.
Eye Gamma fool me- said the officer.
Eye are ez escape from the reform
school Oh, knows them gray clothes.
Cum wild me-
The cadet went, Inundated beyond
hope of recovery that his gray cadet
clothes should be taken for the uniform
worn at the Reform school. OF course,
later the officer was made to under
stand the true situation of the cadet,
but the officer had been looking for a boy
that had escaped from the Reform
cadet gray uniforms looked alike to the
blue coat.
When the late unpleasantness &C.
Cured. known in the annals of Kansas
politics the State House war. some
thirty-fve Kansas boys were attending
military school. They heard of the
war, and their hearts were Sired with
patriotism. and the chance of getting
away from the school and showing
their uniforms and brass buttons. They
Immediately decided that the thirty-five
of them would hold themselves in readi-
ness to go 20 1.-The front" The front
was to them wherever R. B. WEIGH
was.
The boys telegra pied to a certain Re-
publican politician that they were ready
to go to Topeka and fight, if their
TRANSFORMATION and expenses could be
paid. The politician wired back for the
boys to hold themselves in readiness.
They did.
For days they strutted about all
puffed UP over the importance in which
they held themselves while waiting.
One day telegram. or rather a sup
posed telegram came. but in reality it
was written by the joking operator at
the local telegraph Office. The tele-
gram commanded the thirty-five boys
to report for duty on the firing line at
Topeka at the earliest moment possible
The boys were to pay their railway
fares, capture a railway train or march
overland. just as they saw fit, but by
all means to reach Topeka at once. as
their services were needed.
1t wasn't twenty minutes until four
teen Of the thirty-five would be follow
ers of Napoleon were sick, twelve more
could not be found, and the other nine
were shaking like Arkansans with the
aEua.
When they found out how they had
been tricked by the bogus telegram,
they were the maddest lot of youths in
the country.