The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-10
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ByDax II

A charming visitor in Topeka yestel-
day was Mrs. Fletcher Sharp, wife of
Colonel Fletcher Sharp who is in over
seas service. Mrs. Sharp is canteen
field director of the Red Cross, sent
out from st. Louis. She spoke to the
captains and Ieutenants of the local
canteen service yesterday afternoon at
three o'clock in the assembly rooms of
the National hotel. She is a very at
tractive looking woman and an inter-
esting talker. She is enthusiastic over
the canteen work and uses excellent
Judgment in the edvice which she gives
and much tact in the way she gives it,
She paid the local committee, of which
Mrs. A. NJ. Fuller is head, some very
nice connplim entS. In fact about the
only criticism she made of the Topeka
chapter was that she feared that they
might call upon a few of their best
workers to do most of the work, but
she gave a little advice which was
probably needed here. She said the
members should not wear their wells
to and from the trains and that no n
formation concerning the number OF
trains served, the time they came, or
on what road or from which direction
they were travelling, should be given
to any one not a member of the COM
mittee.
Mrs Sharp said that those who
think that the canteen work is the
easiest thing about the Red Cross.
soon discover their mistakes and that
those who have chosen that branch of
the service because they think there
is no hard work connected with it sooI,
tire of the organization. She said,
1.-The canteen and home service are
the most. important organiza tons in
the Red Cross, because they support
the morale of the army. The work
done II these committees is really not
to n.s.ch as the spirit back of the
service"
Mrs Sharp considers that one of the
most important services connected
with the work is talking with the SOL
diers after they have been served for
that helps more than the stick of
candy they are given. The work of
the canteen committee is not over
when the war ends but must continue
until the men are all home. The
committee works with the home serv-
ice committee in caring for injured or
ill soldiers who may be in town. Mrs.
Sharp says she considers that Topeka
has very we'll organized unit. She
was the guest of Mrs. A. NJ. Fuller
while in town.
Miss Genevieve Mcmillan has asked
guests for luncheon Friday in compli-
ment to Miss Gertrude Gray, whose
marriage to Mr.. Leland kennedy
Thompson will take place September
80. Those asked are close friends of
Miss Gray.
Miss Marie Witwer, in charge of the
art exhibit at the state fair for several
years, feels that she has been reward
ed for her hard work. She said her
friends have been coming to her and
asking, why she wanted to come out
there every year and work SO hard3"
until she was beginning to think that
perhaps she should listen to them and
probably the work was not appre-
ciated;Sbut yesterday she received a
letter from Mr.. Burger Sandzen, IA
nous artist of Bethany college at
Lindsborg, who has had his pictures
in all the large exhibits in the coun-
try, telling her to take her choice of
the large number of autographs which
he was sending to exhibit.
Mr.. Sandzen has painted, travelled
and studied in England, Germany,
Italy, Spain, France and Mexico. He
has won fame at exhibitions in this
country and abroad. His canvasses
hang in many of the public and pri-
vate collections of this country and
Europe. He has a very good collec-
ton of his work on exhibition in To-
peka this week, among them some
seventy-five Autographs
The picture chosen by Miss Witwer
is of trees and water in which the
reflection is wonderfully portrayed. II
was not an easy matter, however. to
decide which one would like the best
of the many beautiful ones.
X x
Hostesses for the week in canteer
committee tent are the captains, one
of whom is in charge each day, as
sisted by other members of her com
mittee. The captains are: Mrs. B
F. Akers, Mrs. ]. r. Koontz, Mrs