The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-01
CITY'SLAST NOTE
TO KAISER IS OFF
lNFINAL TRAINING
Battery A, Headquarters, Band
and Medics Leave City.
Last Unit of Topeka's Many
Volunteers to TT. Sill, Okla.
PARADE Down KANSAS AVENUE
Behind Official Air, "Old Gray
Mare," They Go to Train.
Thousands at Station To Bid
the Boys Goodbye.
Thousands at Station To Bid
the Boys Goodbye.
roPEkA.s FIGHTING UNITS.


N"nrly 1000 men are in the Topeka volun-
tner military units Sixteen organizations
of che Kansas National Guard carry Topeka
n,cn in their ranks. \ dozen men-esti-
ammunition train--bring the capitol city's
voirntecr enllstments to $40
amcuc the first national guard units on
the western front in France. Three big
A. field artillery. the ambulance corps
from WGshburn college and the engineering
corps. These units carry total Of 1S1 men.
slightly more than one-hah of the Topeka
volunteer eHlistments. Two military bands.
hospital corps, headquarters and supply
companies and signal corps bring the re-
maining Topeka enlistments to nearly the
900 mark, Because of the local showing,
Topeka was not called upon for men under
the first selective draft
orders. crisp like the crack of rifles,
were shouted; a band blared forth.
Three hundred men moved forward
and Topeka's last state troop contri-
button to the allied armies OF the
world swung thru the arched gates of
the fair grounds and on to Topeka
avenue Battery A, the headquarters
company, the medical corps and the
band of the First Kansas Field ar
tillery were making their first lap of
their long trip to France by way of
Fort Sill, where intensive training will
be undergone before departing from
the shores of America.
The units broke camp in the purple
haze of dawn. By the time the sun
was up every man was in line waiting
orders to march to the station. As
they marched from the fair grounds.
a long train OF flat cars carrying the
grim three-inch guns and other equip
ment of the battery swung out of the
grounds on its way to the station to
meet the marching men.
Paraded to Train.
The men paraded farewell to the
air of THE Old Gray Mare The
, First Artillery band, led by DIR.
Thomas S. Morrison, an ex-brigadier
general played the regimental tune as
it had never played it before. Along
Topeka avenue, early pedestrians stop
ped to wave and shout a last farewell
Windows along the street went up and
almost as if by magic waving flags
appeared.
At Tenth street the men swung east
to Kansas avenue, and with the color
sergeant holding the battery co1ors
high over the marching men, the units
marched down the historic old street
amid the blare of claXons cheers and
handclappings-
railway company lost another of its
safety zone signs. A corporal, seeing
IL standing loose in its socket. yielded
to temptation and the remainder of
the trip to the depot was made with
the sign caffleu peSlue 'he pttterS
c9lors. - - vh;s,,,,o
During the trip down the avenue
the band blared forth THE Old Gray
Mare AS soon as the selection was
finished it was played over again. The
men took up the tune, whistled it,
h1Immed it, shouted it and sung it
without regard for time or notes. The
avenue was crowded all the way to
Fifth street. and at every block dozens
of motor cars, carrying friends and
relatives. fell in behind. mob
marched along beside the men in the
streets
By the time the station was reached
a crowd of at least five thousand had
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