The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-15
Chamber of Commerce Gave
Merriam Touching SendOff.
He Goes to Washington To
Head Red Cross Department.
GIVEN TOKEN OF FRIENDSHIP
Well known TOpekan Highly
Praised by Speakers.
He's Proud To Do His Bit for
Nation and Kansas.

Three meetings were stopped off
short at the Chamber of Commerce
this noon to do honor to Carroll B.
Merriam, vice president of the
chamber and treasurer of the Mer-
Ram Mortgage company, who left for
Washington this afternoon to enter
the services of the American Red
Cross.
The Fair Food Price board which
sets prices Shawne ecounty merchants
shall charge for food cut its deliber-
ations to the minimum. The Monday
Lunch club of fire insurance men
whose meeting usually lasts until
1880 o'clock or after, Joined the
throng in the main dining room at
1890 o'clock. The Cooperative
club liberty loan luncheon disba nded
in short order and the Co-ops NJ lped
way w A. Billy, James A. Trout
man, and Walter johnson exhausted
the realm of superlatives in soaring
eulogies of Merriam, the man and the
friend. George P Early. of Pitts
burgh, Pa, special agent for. the
American Sheet & Tin Plate company,
dried the eyes of the finers with
fund of stories.
Given Friendship Token
AS fitting close to the farewell
ceremonies Charles L. Mitchell, mas
ter of the occasion, presented Merriam
with a solid silver photograph case in
scribed to Carroll B. Merriam
small remembrance from his many
friends back home"
In presenting the case to Merriam,
Mitchell said: Carroll, we did not
know just what to get you, SO we have
gotten you this small silver case,
photograph case in which you can
carry four photographs. We thought
that in your new work you might al
ways like to have with you the photo
graphs of your father and mother and
of your wife and child
After Merriam rose to make ac-
Acknowledgement of the gift AID of the
sentiments that had been expressed,
he was forced to stand for several mo-
ments without talking and when he
did finally start his voice shook with
emotion and his eyes were noticeably
damp.
Proud of New Work.
4 am more than proud to go to
Washington as the representative of
Topeka and Of Kansas on the head
quarters staff of the American Red
Cross" asserted Merriam. Il am
proud to be chosen as the representa-
tive of the state, for it shows that the
folks back east have not forgotten
that Kansas is on the map. And in
deed they could not forget. If / re-
member correctly, Kansas was called
on in 1917 for about million and a
half dollars for the Red Cross war
fund and went over the top with a
total subscription of more than three
millions. In December we were called
on for Red Cross memberships in
sreat numbers. The southwestern
division of The Red Cross led the ma
ton in this campaign, and Kansas led
The southwest DIVISION
And, boys, I appreciate what you
have just done for me and said about
me more than 1 can ever hope to
tell"
After shaking hands with his
friends, Merriam went down the stairs
of the Chamber of Commerce, and
his last look backward was from eyes
dimmed by unashamed tears.
Good Man for Place.
1t was the general opinion at the
Chamber of Commerce this noon and
for several days past since it became
known that Merriam was to go to
Washington that Topeka had lost for
the time being one of her finest men,
In fact, man after man among Mer-
RAMS acquaintance as well as among
his friends has been heard to say,
We'll Washington headquarters
chose the best we have to offer it,
a man who is man and real
A