The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-11-07
Crowds Gathered in Front OF
Journal as by Magic.
Mothers and Girls Weep From
Joy at Great News.
EVERY WHISTLE IN CITY blew
More Than 5000 Shawnee Fam
lilies Know Boys Are Safe.
Prayers Go to Heaven From
Thousands of Lips.

1afdfy rhaa yIus words, tfie ewar. is
Over" given out by the United Press,
appeared on the State Journal
bulletin board at HAP O'Clock today
when the crowd began TO gather and
cheer. In spite of the rain and the
apparent scarcity of pedestrians. on the
streets. the news spread rapidly thru
the uptown district and in a very few
minutes the sidewalk and street in
front of the State journal office was
black with the rapidly growing crowd.
1t was the most sensational news of
the war TO Topeka and to Shawnee
county as we'll as to the rest of the
world.
To every mother in the city, to the
friends of the boys, to the fathers and
sweethearts and brothers and sisters it
means that some one, somewhere"
is coming home-safe and sound. THE
war is over" released many an unshed
tear and caused many mothers
heart to skip a beat or two and then
hurry faster in an unconscious paean
of joy.
Topeka and to ,wnee county
it means that more than 5000 sons of
the district are forever removed from
the menace of horrible mutilat ton and
death. 1t means that within a few
short months now that the streets of
Topeka and of the rural communities
near to Topeka will be filled with the
olive drab heroes who at the clarion
call of the bugles laid down the i'm
plements of peace and flew to arms in
defense OF the liberty and justice of
the world.
Blow Whistles Here
As soon as the word that the WAR
is Over" reached the Chamber of
commerce, every employe of the
Chamber and every man in the rooms
was Immediately drafted for telephone
service, and the word was rapidly
spread to the places where whistles
and bells were known to be.
Promptly on receipt of the word in
the various shops and factories, the
bells and the whistles bIared forth the
news to all the country side that some
thing of unusual importance had hap
pened in the war situation. The State
Journal extras on the streets were
fairly snatched from the hands of
painting newsboys.
News Spread Rapidly.
1.-THE War Is Overt" Those four
words came flashing over the wires
this noon. and hot on their heels came
all of the details of the breaking of
the Hum, The wires carried the words
first-but hardly had the extra edi-
tions of the State journal carried the
news to the street when the under
ground telegraph took the matter in
hand and faster than the wires could
carry the news the whole countryside,
the villages and hamlets, and cross
roads stores were buzzing with the
information.
In the State Journal office the tele-
phones kept up a continual buzz Not
for one single, solitary minute after
the first publication of the four fate
full, joyful words have the telephones
in the newspaper offices ceased to
ring And the question asked is al
ways the same. rs it true?" and the
answer has always been, "Undoubted-
ly. Too many details accompany the
declaration to even begin to doubt"
The first news of the war is over"
was given to Topeka on the State
Journal bulletin board at 11:42 o'clock
this morning. just one minute after
the words came in over the special
wires. Hardly were the first three
words in place on the board when the
crowds began to gather First. men
looked at each other askance, as much
as to say Can it be true?"
Many Weep With JOY
Next they looked at their elbow
neighbors. their eyes glistened and in
the manner characteristic of men they
sort of looked sheepish for the mist
that dimmed their eyes-for nearly
every man has in the fighting Yankee
ranks a son. brother. a close friend.
Continued on Page Two)