The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-11-13
Major Sharp Says Troops VIII
Return to Mexico.
Topeka Officer in Interview
Sees More Trouble.
BOYS ARE GLAD TO Be HOME
Raw Troops in June Trained
z for Active Service Now.
Texas Deer Among Trophies
Brought by the TOpekans.

Despite the fact that Company B
was on guard duty in the cold lasl
night, the boys on the soldiers speclai
we're feeling frisl<y. They shouId
have been sleepy. Instead, they were
polxing each other in the ribs, pulling
ears, and cracking jokes, just as tho
they'd never had to do all that tramp
ing on a meager portion of hard tack
pork and coffee.
The Second regiment Kansas mt
Iitfa left Fort Riley this morning IN
four sections. Companies * and l.
left at o'clock for Emporia and In
dependence. Companies A, Z, +, +,
HI. HEADQUARTERS, machine gun
company. and supply c.mpany en-
baFked for Newton, Abilene, vienna
Hutchinson. Larned and Winfield at
O'clock The third division contain
ing the First Regiment band, sanl-
faTv division, and Company B is the
one which came to Topeka. 1t started
from the fort at 1910, ten minutes
later than planned. Companies u, "
ana NJ went to Mcpherson, Mlnneap-
Olls and Salina.
left Fort Riley Tor the border, ana
flakes of snow were in the air when
they started away for their homes TO-
day. after having been at the post
since October IS.
but they were happy. They were
going home! Tanned skins, muscular
development, and grins from ear TO
eat testified that they had been to
scare off the greasers and were getting
back after an arduous summer of it
They Carry Trophies
other evidences of their work were
to be seen in the numerous trophies
which they have carried back Ihey
have hung on to various things MeX-
can or Texan ranging from Mexican
whip to a Texas deer, captured by an
OUTPOST one night at Eagle Pass and
this morning requiring considerable
effort on the part OF his proud owner
to put into a baggage ear. This klno
of deer strongly resembles certain
kinds of billy goats, hence the trouble
Alex. A Sharp, major of the First
battalion, thinks his men are better
lot of soldiers than when they started
for the border July 1. I'VE accom-
plished a good deal in training, he
declares. II remember that the first
day on the tramp from San Antonio TO
Austin it took them 33 minutes TO
pass a given point That was on sep
TENDER Is. -.
ct the end of an l 8 mile march, II
reduired no more than 18 minutes 10
pass a given place.
lathe remarkable thing to me is that
of all the men who went down in the
regiment-over 2,200-aH but one
cAme back He'1ost his life thru dis
obeying orders-he went in swimming
in the Rio Grande and was drowned
One of the big benefits of the trip was
in drilling into the men the import
ance of taking proper sanitary meas
ures for the prevention of disease
These men now will scatter all over
the state and if they will just practice
what they've learned in camp, 1t VIII
be a big thing
1.-The regiment took part in the first
Overland trip ever made by a large
body of troops with motor trucks. One
hundred and thirty-two motor trucks
-~-thirty-four trucks to a company
carried the troops the 17S miles from
Eagle Pass to San Antonio. In 100
miles of the trip We never met a
vehicle going in the opposite direction.
1t also took part in a march from San
Antonio to Austin, Tex, in which 49,
600 men and 5000 horses partici-
pated."
Major Sharpe says he got close
enough to the border ito spit across
the international boundary into the
Rio Grande. He thinks the trouble
with the Mexicans is that they are ig-
norant. They have a 10-year-old
child's conception of the resources of
the United States. The troops, he
says, came to Eagle Pass barely in
time to scare off a sacking of the town
on July 4. On September labor
day-the Mexicans stood by wide eyed
and open mouthed while ten regi-
nents of infantry. two of cavalry and
two of artillery paraded past the col
onel.
Eyes, we're glad to get back but
we're bound to go again-there's a
bad situation down there" Major
Sharp asserted