The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-20
HIS LECTURE HERE
George W. Wagner Tells of
FunstOn's First Appearance.
His Charity Talk Before ElkS
Was Only a Failure.

Among the interesting incidents of
General Funston's civil life was that
of his first and only appearance as a
lecturer in Topeka" said George W.
Wagner, veteran salesman of To-
peka, today.
His failure as a lecturer was not
the cause of his becoming a soldierd,
for he was a fighter before that, but
the Topeka incident finally led to an
opportunity for him to enter the
Spanish American war as a colonel of
Kansas volunteers instead of as
staff officer of the regular army.
In March, 1898, the entertainment
committee of the Elks' lodge worried
over the question of their annual
show, which was the lodges custom
airy method of increasing the charity
fund. Theatrical and musical per-
formanceS such as had been given in
past years, had required a great deal
OF work on the part of the members.
and the question was whether to find
an entertainment that could be given
with less trouble, or go out of the
show business for that year"
The secretary of the lodge, Geo. w.
| Wagner, suggested the way out. The
papers had recently contained an item
to the effect that Fred Funston was
preparing lecture on the Cuban war.
and was ready to make dates Now
/, the Cuban war, while 1t was not much
OF war as wars go these days, had
| occupied a good deal of newspaper
space, and Fred Funston, being
| Kansas boy, had had his share of the
| space in Kansas papers. He had been
! colonel of Cuban rag-tag regiment
| had been wounded and captured by
the spanish and after long imprison-
ment, had been paroled on condition
/ that he stay out of the Cuban army
| AS he had not recovered from his
wounds. the terms of the parole didn't
bother Funston as much as his
wounds did," Mr.. Wagner continued
| But he couldn't be idle. so he decided
that the people of America ought to
| hear some of his personal experience
as Cuban soldier.
Made the Booking.
The Elks took kindly to the sus-
gestion and the secretary was directed
to write and learn about terms and /
date. In a few days the arrangements
were made with Funston's booking
agent, and l think ours was the sec
ond date, the first being lola or some
town near his old home.
THE Elks proceeded in their usual
way OF getting the money. by sending
out ticket selling committees, and woe
to the man who refused to buy. They
soon had enough sold to take all the
seats in Hamilton hall, that being the
largest auditorium the city had. The
lodge was not stingy with its ar
engagements. The hall was decorated
, nicely inside and out, Cuban and
American flags being a large part of
the decoration. A nice little banquet
was arranged for after the lecture, at
| the Elks club, with the doughty colo
mel Governor Leedy and several other
|, prominent guests.
1t was Failure.
:, Those who attended that lecture
} will remember what a dismal failure
it was as an entertainment. 1t was a
matter of fact statement of a lot 81
uninteresting things that had occur
red in Cuba, and read from a manu-
! script which Funston read like q
school boy. The audience was con-
2 siderably smaller when the lecture
/ ended than when it began. The sup
/ per was better, but the public didn't
1 get any consolation from that.
2 After the supper the governor
. and the little colonel had long con-
versation together. l remember wei
what the Governor said still later
= Funston is much more entertaining
E in conversation than he is on the
= platform, and I'll bet he is a damsitt
: If he ever gets chance, he'll make
a great soldier
"a few weeks later the Maine was
sunk in Havana harbor, war was de
Il clared and the president called foi
volunteers The Twentieth Kansa,
was raised and the governor appoint
|. ed Funston, colonel This part il
d open history, but what is not so gen
!. orally known is that Funston seriously
contemplated rejecting the coloneIcN
and taking an appointment as staff
officer in the regular army. / heare
him say SO at the time he was consid.
c ering it, Had he decided the other
way he never would have swan tbs
Bagbag and he never would have
n had a chance to capture Aguinaldo
j He probably would still be a stat
s officer"