The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-13
House Party for
Soldiers q Real Success.
ROta Club EntertainS s. Men in
Drab and Blue.
PLENTY or GIRLS and FOOD
Soldiers Had To Be Reminded
That 1t Was Train Time.
And They Promised That They
Would All Come Again.


at community house entertainment
for soldiers and sailors Sunday was
pronounced success. L.
The affair opened at o'clock Sum
day afternoon to a room bare of all
soldiers, sailors or even the semblance
of uniform-except one well known
Topeka lieutenant who had slipped up
the back stairway to the kitchen to
beg something to eat. But by $3.50
o'clock. thanks to the boy scouts and
one or two enterprising members of
the club who invaded the cigar stores
with the announcement that there
were good looking girls and lots of
fine grub at the Chamber of Com
merce, the olive drab clad boys from
Funston were coming in in crowds
and gangs, singly and in pairs There
was no longer any doubt of the sue
cess of the party, and the joy of the
ladies was complete when two blue
clad sailors put in an early appear
aHce.
And not one of the ninety-five SOL
diers and sailors who registered at the
party even so much as looked like
leaving until it was all over. 1t was
necessary for most of them to be re-
minded twice that the eight o'clock
Union Pacific train for Funston was
on time before they broke away-all
of being here for the dance Saturday
night if their top sergeants could pos
sibly be blarneyed out of pass.
incidentally the Rota club party for
the soldiers performed a great service
for the headquarters company of the
a14 engineerS-it discovered hitherto
hidden musician. Carmen Sesti,
guitar player extraordinary was the
discovery. Sesti is an Italian and at
one time was an inhabitant of Con-
stantinople, and he is Familiarity
known to his comrades as 1.-THE Wop."
1t appears that SeSti was bugler for
his company but was unable to ac-
quire a sufficient knowledge of sig
Mailing to retain the position, so was
retired to the job of company me-
chanic. explained as the imam who
takes the pigeons out for their morn
ting exercise This man Sesti fell
under the battery of eyes brought into
play by Miss Ida Hardy, finally adj
u1itted that he could play guitar a
little and then proceeded to play it
much. Sesti's comrades declared that
4sCy Guthrie is going to get a~requisi-
ton for one guitar from the head
quarters of the 314th tomorrow sure
Soldiers Enter Program.
\. No set program was inflicted on
the boys at this party. Miss Mar
garet Gohlke and Miss Constance Fer
let sang for the boys and Miss Esther
Freeman gave a reading more as ice
breakers than anything else. After
that the amusement was spontaneous.
Different girls occupied place at the
piano and the soldiers themselves
took an enthusiastic part in the mu-
steal efforts.
At the supper tables the invited
girls were sandwiched in between the
selves called on for all manner of
conversational entertainment. Dur
ing the eat-time Miss Helen Phipps
furnished violin music and at times
the fair diners were the objects of
soulful song by their soldier compan-
ions
The history of the whole affair
dates back some weeks The Cham
Ter of Commerce was prevailed upon
to- provide the necessary quarters for
the entertainment and the ladies
themselves cooked and provided the
dinner.
The New York Plan.
The week before the entertainment
at the Topeka community house was
scheduled to come off Frank P Mac
Lehman, just recently returned. from
New York, was drafted by the Rota
club to explain the way they did it
in New York"
While in New York Mr.. MacLennan
had attended a soldier and sailor
dance given in one of the big New
York community houses and he
brought back with him unbounded
enthusiasm for the project and scores
of ideas on just how it should be han
died. In a speech to the Rota club,
Mr.. MacLennan told how the New
York women were giving entertain
ments and dances for, the soldiers
where none but men in uniform would
be admitted and where the girls who
attended the affair could not gain en-
trance without written invitation.
Mr.. MacLennan told how the girls
were made to understand that a mere
invitation to the community soldier
and sailor dance was to be sufficient
Introduction to any other present; he
explained that the girls were forbid
dent to wear evening gowns and how
nothing short of battle, murder or
sudden death could keep the invited
ones away from the New York af-
fairs.
Dance Saturday Night.
1t was announced here Sunday, and
every soldier made written note of
the fact. that there would be a big
community dance at the Chamber of
Commerce next Saturday night, and
that next Sunday afternoon 1.-The COM
nunity dinner would be repeated. 1t
was also made clear as the afternoon
wore on that officers as we'll as pri-
Yates and non-commissioned officers
were welcome at the Topeka commun-
ity house affairs. But shoulder straps
or chevrons are allowed to call forth
no extra consideration and the veriest
private is as certain of the best of the
fun as a full general.
Ain NORWAY TRADE