The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-21

an informal reception. Mrs. Wood
poured. tea, and also gave a short adj
dress of greeting to the other guests.
Another guest at the reception was
Miss Wood. the daughter of Major
General and Mrs. Wood. She is at the
camp. having come from east. She is
student in an eastern college. Miss
Wood is invited to be one of the guests
at the matinee dance which is to be a
social event of Importance in Topeka
There is, perhaps. no family in Kan
sas in which public interest centers
more than in the Wood family. The
mem bers of the family come of Amer
lean pioneer stock. One son of the
family is now with the army in France.
and a younger son entered the army in
the ranks at Camp Funston, and has
worked his way up from the ranks and
expects soon to receive commission.
The first days session at the speak
erS' institute was taken up with in
struction on the history of women's
work in the war. and on the second
day, addresses were made by some of
the women who are leaders in the
work in Kansas. including Mrs Paul
Walker. Mrs. T. r. Johns, of Chanute;
Mrs. Noble Prentis, Mrs. E. E. Yaggy,
of Hutchinson, and others. The
course of instruction was conducted
by Miss Anna Rice of New York, one
of the general secretaries of the Y.
w. c. A.
A luncheon was given for the dele
| gates in the Y. w. c. A. hostess house
at Army City, where the girls in
charge, in the absence of the cook,
| prepared and served the meal. The
/ tables were decorated with purple and
white asters, the gift of Junction City
women.
Among the guests at the reception
| at the close of the sessions of the in
| stitute were a number of prominent
| women of Junction City and Manhat-
tan, besides the women who attended
| the institute.
Among the Topeka women who at
tended were Mrs. Paul Walker, Mrs,
Charles Huffman, Mrs. ]. C. Nc
| Marburg. Mrs. Charles Mitchell, Mrs
Hal Hazlett, Miss Effie Graham. Mrs
| David Palmer. Miss Gladys West and
Mrs. H. O.. Garvey, Miss Allena Graf
/ ton.
Mrs. D. c.. Tillotson- has received
some interesting letters from her son,
Lieut.. Luther r. Tillotson, who is with
| the 10 Engineers in France. Lieuten-
ant Tillotson has been recommended
for the commission of captain. Fol-
lowing are extracts from few of his
Letters: $50 -
"Our location is a pretty little viii
| lage in the Vosges mountains. The
mountains are really good big hills all
| covered with forest. Each little val
| ley has its cotton cloth mill; I guess
| the cotton must come from the United
| States. The Inhabitants speak French
or German equally well Living is re-
markably reasonable. I'm billeted in
hotel which has some modern con-
veniences any way. The country is
very old and very thickly populated.
! We are in the prettiest hills, remind
| ing me of the coast range. The eli
! mate is nearly ideal.
| 10 Of
| the retaking of this region by the
| French and the natives celebrated.
music and the parades.. The little
tune, a red skirt. trimmed in gold
braid, wooden shoes. white knit stock
ings, white apron, white waist and a
| black velvet bodice laced up the front,
and big black bows on their heads.
| There was much enthusiasm. Our
chaplain took part and handed the
rewards to many of the school kids"
In a letter written August 8. Lieu
| tenant Tillotson says: II see by the
newspapers that our former position
around Am'ens is now cleared of
boche. We occupied the fourth line
there. In those days there were
many air battles and lots of bombs
| fell and big twelve-inch gun doomed
away at positions not far off. Three
big balloons were always in evidence.
| Now the newspapers report 1t as quiet
as the former countryside always was.
The British must have had a big vic
tory up there.
This region has many interesting