The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-06

young man came to her and asked
her for favor and she said she would
grant it: The young soldier. surprised;
said: why did you believe in me?"
She said: II believed you because you
wear the uniform" The young soldier
said: Gee. I'm glad 1 told you the
truth"
There were Two regimental bands
there, one of forty pieces from the
Coast Artillery corps at Fort Hamil-
ton; the other, of twenty eight pieces.
was from Brooklyn, and was known as
the old Ninth Regiment New York
band They played excellent music.
One band would play a while. then the
other. The intermissions between the
dances were short. The young men
and the young women seemed to be
having = time.
1 was il oduced to one of the band
leaders tbsrs and he said: II will
play number for you," and he did.
/ II was splendid music, 1 thought.
Since November this organization
has entertained 10000 soldiers and
sailors and there has never been any
trouble of any kind. If there should
be any irregularity the chaperons
would be responsible for it. but they
told me there never had been any
irreguiarity of any sort Last Satur-
day evening they told me two young
ladies came in evening dress. They
probably came back later; if they
didn't they missed a good time.
In that gathering there were prob
| ably half a dozen gentlemen assisting
the LADIES' in the way of floor COM
mittee. l was introduced to one men,
Der of the floor committee who when
hi found 1 was from Topeka said:
why. / am from Topeka myself. My
name is Underwood and 1 used to
work for the Santa Fe in Topeka,
when Mr.. Gillette was auditor. l now
am engaged in valuation work here in
New York on the New York Central
railroad" We talk about times in
Topeka and 1 asked him questions
about this work. He was just as in
| terested as were the women: his wife
was one of-the hostesses.
There were light refreshments.
came in on this part of the program.
altho I didn't dance. Orange juice
and war ginger bread cookies were
served in ample quantities.
The ladies have an arrangement
with one of the good hotels of New
York City to provide any of the soldier
boys with rooms at 20 cents per night
| rooms that ordinarily cost from 81 to
| $3.50. Their whole work is practical,
happily conceived and we'll executed
Shortly before IL o'clock they be-
gan to dispense; that is the closing
hour. l stood near Mrs. Bass and
tried to get in a word edgewise She
spoke to everyone of those 900 SOL
diers and sailors as they filed out
the door and to most of the young
women. She said: THE next dance
Will be on next Saturday night at the
Twelfth street armory and I want
you all to come" After they passed
Mrs. Bass there were two young men
stationed just outside of the entrance
giving out tickets to the soldiers that
| provided for free admission to re-
citals, band concerts and entertain
ments on the following day
the hostesses are requested, practi-
cally required, not to bring their
knitting, for the reason that they
are expected to give their whole time
to entertain the soldiers and sailors
and see that they are introduced to
the young ladies' These young women
who are available for these dances
| are society women, home women, col
lege women and business women
| The whole evening suggested to me
that we ought to do something SINH
l'lar in Topeka for our week end SOL
| der visitors. If the floor of the
| auditorium is too large, we could get
to think that the floor of the audi
| torium would not be too large The
Chamber of Commerce would be fine.
1t would require the cooperation of
the various clubs in the city, probably
the Y. W. c. A, the Native Daughters
and the many women's clubs that are
here in Topeka and they are anxious
to do something of this kind if there
| is some leadership available, and the
Rota club might constitute a sort of
steering committee or executive COM
mittee and work in harmony with the
entertainment committee of the
Chamber of Commerce and other
clubs to do something for the boys
who come to Topeka Saturday and
Sunday. 1t is not only Saturday eve
ming that these boys have time on
their hands, but they have afternoons
and some days for entertainment, and
the pleasures that could be given
| these boys in a wholesome manner are
endless 1t would undoubtedly be of
the greatest good here, as it is in New
York.
A young man who was leaving for
the front told Mrs. Bass that he
hoped to come back and said, IF 1
do, 1 will surely see you. If 1 do not
come back, / will remember always
| that you made me very happy here
while 1 was in camp nearby"
1 found the camps near New York
City in excellent condition. 1 visited
| Camp Mills with Col. John S. Dean of
Topeka, about fifteen miles out on
Long Island / expected to see there
| four or five former State Journal boys
| in the Thirty-fifth division, command
| ed by our own Gen. Charles 1. Martin,
but I did not. The only two Topeka
| boys 1 saw there were Marshall Hite
and Hugh Crawford.
| The next day we went in automobile
to Camp Merritt, about fifteen miles
| in the other direction in New Jersey
| in the beautiful district near the pal
isades With Colonel Dean, his wife
/ T y, I'll %
| 191st street, across the Hudson river
ferry and up a wonderful road to the
top of the palisades. The surround
! ing country is beautiful. At Camp
Merritt, charming spot, saw fifteen
| or twenty Topeka boys. Among them
were John Elliott, Charley Elliott's
son; two boys named Thomas and
Charley Bruce, who were State Jour-