The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-11-07
Nearly Every State and Nation
Often Represented There.
Blonde Tall Swedes Walk by
Short Dark Mexicans.
EAST AND WEST SIDE BY SIDE
Wedding and Funeral Parties
e Within Only q Few Feet.
Discuss War, Peace, Tariff and
Trusts While Waiting.

Did you ever realize that right here
In Topeka Is a place where nearly
every state in the Union, nearly every
nationality in the world. is represent
ed at some time nearly every day in
the year? 1t Is the Santa Fe depot.
where eight through trains daily take
and bring people from the four quar-
tiers of the globe.
From early morning until late at
night, all types, all classes and con-
make the depot a motion picture of
humanity. The tall blonde Swede
~joost ban from Sweden or maybe
"Meneesota." towers above the short.
swafthy Mexican. German "neins"
are heard with the soft French "oui. !"
And occasionally slant eyed Jap.
or Chinaman, expressionless as a tea
chest sits by a mobile-faced Italian,
alive with grimaces and gestures.
The extreme phases OF experience
can be often seen-a wedding party
only q few feet from a red eyed group
near a long box on a truck. Styles
are as varied as the country is wide.
The plug hat of the New Yorker
brushes the SLOUGH and Stetson of the
Coloradoan and Californian.
And on Sundays. especially when
the vaude e people are making a
ssjump",to Wichita or Oklahoma City,
these children Of fortune may be seen.
OF course there is always a pet dog
alternately fondled and scolded by the
women of the bunch" For a vaude-
Vile troup without pet dog is as
rare as a stenographer without a
powder-puff.
Early in Morning.
Early in the morning, before day
light, the waiting room is filled with
sleepy people. The stiffness is brok-
en- only by the "ratch, r. tch, ratch" of
q switch-engine, and the intermittent
s'clackity, clackity' of the telegraph.
Through the doors as they are
opened by new arrivals on the plat
form outside comes a scuffle Of feet
and a subdued voice, speaking in the
throaty tones peculiar to the cramped
lodg hours at a depot.
Everything Seems Lifeless.
Then some one in the waiting
rooms cranes his neck. He rises,
stretching.
That's her." he observes to a COM
panion. The faint "Ooo-oo-oo" OF a
train from the south is heard. Half
asleep, several rush out in the cool
morning air and look southwark
along the track where, the front of
the engines comes into view, a black
knob shape and point of light in the
starlight. Then it swells like filling
balloon. surmounted by a giant ruby
as the engine slides to stop and
waits painting like tired horse.
Sleepy greetings are exchanged.
Shivering friends meet and hurry to
the cabs or street car line, where the
first street cars of the day rumble
through the quiet of the early morn
ing. Way OFF some place a shutter
bangs and q milk car rattleS. The
city is Weakening.
Awakening of Shops.
In the north two shadowy pencils
resolve themselves into the smoke
stacks of the shops. The stars pale.
The Santa Fee sign begins to loom up
on the grey of the shop walls. Then
from that direction comes a steady
tramp. Look toward the ghostly grey
buildings and you will see glints of
light. the reflection from the tin buck
cts of the shOpmen on their way to
work. Day has begun.
One or two women Saunter up to
the post card stand. finger the cards.
the books, toy-novelties, take several
cards from the rack. put them back
again, ask prices and then tell how
much cheaper rds are in Chicago or
up town here. Maybe they buy some
thing and maybe they don't.
Anyway the clerks in charge are
just as polite.
The Kansas City train is about due.
For while business is rushing at the
ticket office.
A through train hurries into the
station (if this be ambiguous make
the most of it) to the changing of the
eating house gong. In the dining
room pretty girls rush about taking
orders as if life depended on quick
service.
On the platform passengers pace
away the time. A girl. Enthusiastically
as eastern as "Bostin's'' mans
''idear." daintily let's herself be es-
corted to the mail box at the south
end Of the platform by a typical Opie
Reed southerner. He hopes the let
tab you-all an mailing will find the
folks right WE'LL"
The Show Troupe.
A man in checked suit, en-
blazoned by diamond as big as a
footlight and as false as stage viii
1ainn's heart, is deploring the war.
''It has certainly played - with
the show business. Prices up. Biz
il bum. An where the are we
goin' to git our musicians IL It-tal-lee
goes to war;"
A German woman stands near and
IL also talking about the war to a
"Yah. 1t is derrible. hat gou-
xin in
Then the check suit makes a CEN
ter rush for the Pullman's steps and
the German woman puffs in the same
direction. ITO oily-faced, sabre
mustached Greeks who have been
carrying on a conversation in the al
legretto-staccatto of modern Greek,
rush for the smoker. From the Obser-
walton car two or three women. as
exquisite and well-kept as American
beauty roses. Ianguidly watch the
scene and maybe forget themselves
enough to smile.
The through train pulls out. A lull
i. follows. You take a look in the
waiting room again.
Perhaps you will see a unique sight
4 a short dark man in Catholic priests
Dress 5horter and likelier darker
woman in white and pink and with
her a self-conscious man. also dark
and short and awkward in his best