The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-16
IN HONOR OF HIS BIRTHDAY
A Banquet Given Col. w. G. sflls of
S55 Infantry.
BY CORP. CARLISLE JONES.

BY CORP. CARLISLE JONES.
In honor of the birthday of the
commanding officer, Colonel w. g.
Stills, of the 355 infantry regiment, Of
ficers of the Nebraska unit surprised
him with banquet last week. Vhe
barracks building of Company ID,
commanded by Captain Brown were
arranged for the event and elaborate
preparations were made several days
ahead for the guest of honor, the COM
manding general of the division, COL
onel huffman of the 356, and a NUM-
Der of other distinguished guests
More than one hundred ana Iftty
officers of the regiment and guests
lined along the tables in honor of the
day and completely surprised Coionei
SiIIs who had left his office with Lieu
tenant Colonel Taylor, supposeoy
hurrying to dinner at the la,tel .
home At the far end of the hall OPP
nosite the guests of honor were dis
nlayed the two trophy cups won ny
the regiment; one for an athletic con-
test. and one for the Reglmentai oaiu
and singing contest. THESE cups too'
bad TO he taken from the office OF the
oeIo,, a, NV "a mouflage in order to keep
biro in ignorance of the party planned.
Cantain syrnes/ of E company acted
&c +oastmaster and led the procession
of gayety from the first course 10 me
last trail of blue smoke. me PAM
which in peace times might nave oeen
tucSaa away behind "a bank OF green
was on hand turnout the evening anu
u-i+b the chorus of officers Singing
made up a long musical progTahl as
varied as the life of a recruit En-
listed men in the nelghoori,oou ies
enough to hear must have discoNeIeo
80 yo,,ch better surprisingly peter,
nfF;cers they follow day after DAY can
80 Ave standard old marching song
ttan the men can sing them out on the
hills. .a 70 the first
70 tbe postmaster in his speech
csii Oaraciation. Confident that ne
~ had been surprised, the men OF ms
reeiment left, certain tnat ne
nIeased with the banquet ana Iscep-
t;nn General VIM spoke briefly on
- '.tionai army paying high com
nIiments to the men. the offlcers ana
~ morale of the entire cantonment:
CoIonel huffman, a collese irieho %
Colonel Stills told some past history oi
a more or less frivolous mature, IN
cI,idins Colonel Stills in the personnel.
Iater tho program was turned over TO
&c iunior officers, and Lieutenant
McCa rthy answered to sick call ana
Tjeutenant McPhee spoke.
| During the dinner pros a an ~, u
r,ucic and stunts was presented by en-
| listed men from various companies IN
the regiment. including Company +,
| the sanitary detachment and mead
quarters company, assisted always by
Aside from the program the officers
| had a real feed" that can be sworn
| TO bv any of the lucky bandsmen or
others taking part in the entertain
ment who managed to reach the
| kitchen of the barracks at the proper
and fortunate moment, as we'll as a
host of officers who emerged at the
| final moment seemingly quite content
with the world
| Nebraska men took as a good omen
for their orga MIA tie- that the Six
| teenth unit sta eks held uD in the Sat
urday windst orm while those 6a-each
| side of II gave up the struggle and col
| laDsed somewhat to the embarraSs-
ment of the men in the building and
any one who may have been nev- the
swath they cut when they fell. Out of
the windows the men between hours
of inside drill in the morning watched
| the sets of stacks that they could see
and held their breath every time the
| Sixteenth unit received its baptism of
| gusts Many of them perhaps
sneaked time enough to watch the
neighboring stacks topple and crash
| but their own held fast incidentally,
] that steam heat felt good the next day
| for a while. and the Sixteenth unit
basked in comfort in spite of the dam
age of the previous day.
Company E of this regiment, whose
j CanfaiD SvmRS tor