The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-11
An Old Landmark at Fort Riley
Torn Down.
Quartermaster's StOrehOuse the
Last of Wooden Structures.
MODERN GUARDHOUSE.
Demolished Building Erected
in 1858.
Was a Theater and Ball Room
for Soldiers Amusement.

Junction City, Kan, Jan. 1.-THE
work of wrecking and clearing away
the old quartermaster's storehouse, one
of the last of Fort Rileys old wooden
buildings to be torn down to make
room for a modern stone structure, has
Just been completed and the building
that will be erected on its site will be
the largest and most modern guard
house that the United States has ever
built at any of its army posts.
The old quarterTnaster's storehouse
has been one of Fort Riley's landmarks
Tor many years. 1t was built in the lat
ter SOS. when Fort Riley was one of
the frontier army posts, and when it
was only large enough to accommodate
six troops of cavalry. Today Fort
Riley is a magnificent establishment of
stone Its administration buildings,
club houses, quarters for the Officers,
the barracks, chapel, stables, gun sheds,
depots and storehouses are all stone
now, and the post presents very diff
4erent appearance from what 1t did
thirty and thirty-five years ago when
all of the buildings were of wood.
In the COS and '70s the troops winter
ed at Fort Riley, while the summer
Environments were made at Fort Hays
and expeditions from there against the
Indians as far as the Colorado border
or across the Indian Territory into
Texas and New Mexico. When these
soldiers would return to Fort Riley for
the winter they kept things going at a
lively rate until spring. However, there
was very little rowdyism during those
times. not even on pay days.
During the winters of II to '73 the
Sixth United States cavalry. under the
command Of Col James Cakes, was
stationed at Fort Rilev. and number
of these soldiers appropriated to their
use the quartermaster'S storehouSe,
which has recently been wrecked for
the purpose of giving entertainments
there. They turned the storehouse into
an amusement hall and equipped it Tor
a theater. y fine set of scenery and a
drop curtain were painted. The cur
tain was painted by young officers, and
the design painted on it was the bal
cony scene from Romeo and Juliet.
The gorgeousness of that curtain is
still remembered by the old timers, and
It was declared by the theatrical peo-
pie who saw it to be the handsomest
curtain west of Kansas City at that
time.
The soldiers organized theatrical
association after fixing up their the
alter and pressed the string band of
The Sixth cavalry band into service as
an orchestra. The first attractions that
were put on at the imDrOvised theater
were minstrelS, and were popular from
the start Even the Junction City peo-
pie attended the shows in large crowds.
The business became so good that the
soldiers decided to try something in the
drama line. They found that they were
long on actors but short on actresses
so they sent to Kansas City and St
Louis and engaged female talent
Among those who came out to play the
leading lady and the soubrette parts
were Fannie Tannehill Louise SvlVes-
ter, Annie Ward-Tiffany and Mollie
watson, all of whom afterwards be-
came more or less famous on the stage
The acquisition of real actresses
made the show business better than
ever, and the soldiers played to packed
houses at every performance. The first
performance after the arrival of the
actresses was 'Lorle," and it was fol-
lowed by 1.-TWO Orphans" Don Caesar
de Gazan." and a dozen others, includ-
ing Uncle Toms Cabin" Some of the
plays were really good, and at that
time Fort Riley was the only place in
the state west of Topeka that was en-
5oying anything in the theatrical pro-
ductions-
As long as the shows were given in
the old storehouse at Fort Riley every
thing went along smoothly, but the sol
diers' ambitions got the best of their
and nothing would do but that they &c
on the road with their shows. SO they
decided to present 1.-The Idiot Witness
at Junction City. There was no theatel
here at that time, so a little hall was
rigged up for the occasion. The soldier
troupe had a packed house, and there