The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-08
BIGGEST PARADE
LARGEST CROWD
FINEST WELCOME
Topeka Goes the Limit in DEM
OnstratiOn for Yanks.
Two Thousand Heroes in Fri
urphal Avenue Review.
STREETS IAMMED FOR BLOCKS
City Declares Holiday for Re-
ceptiGn "HOme Made" Boys.
130th Artillery and 18th In
fantry in the March.
Topeka Goes the Limit in Dem.
OnStratiOn for YankS.
STREETS IAMMED FOR BLOCKS
City Declares Holiday for Re-
cepticn "Home Made" Boys.
130th Artillery and 18th In.
fantry in the March.

Thru streets filled from curb to curb
with cheering thousands of welcome
mad cit zens. two thousand and more
heroes of the great war-olive drab
clad sons of Kansas-stepped joyous
way down the tTiumphal trail in To-
pekH today.
FFor the first time Topekans had an
Opportunity to see the boys as they
appeared in France Each man carried
his heavy pack which included all his
personal equipment, including blankets
and tent shelter half, tent pole and
pins However. in France they had
four and five blankets and trench
knives and spades and dozen other
articles of equipment which were
turned into the quartermaster upon
their arrival in America. The parade
started at 2:1O O'Clock.
The 13Oth field artillery was led by
the reGimental band and accorded the
place of honor in the procession. But
close on the heels of the art.llerymen n
more than two hundred of whom
were Topeka's own sons-marched the
1.20O men of the 18TH infantry. the
fighting all-Kansas regiment of
doughboys who helped make the Ar
gonne forest the Slough of Despond-
ency for the Hun hordes.
Doughboy and artilleryman marched
together in the great triumph accord
ed the men of Kansas by the city and
the citizens OF Topeka.
&. A. II. Heroes in March.
From the Union Pacific depot where
the column formed to the corner of
Fifth and Kansas avenue. the heroes
OF this war held the pace At Fifth
and the avenue the heroes of the Civil
war which made the United States
united, took the lead headed by their
own f-fe and drum corps The olive
drab warriors of 191S-19 shortened
step and slowed their springing stride
to accommodate the marching time of
the old time veterans of years ago.
From Fifth to Tenth street the G.. A.
r. led the parade followed by the new
est heroes of the nation.
oh, il was great day in Topeka. a
great day in Shawnee county a great
er day for Kansas
stores and offices and shops de-
clared holiday at noon. The parade
started to move at O'clock Rut
within fifteen minutes after the -
O'Clock hour had sounded the clerks
the statesmen and salesladies the man
ayers and the sub-mana gers. chief ex-
ecutives and owners of businesses. NOT
even forgetting the ubiquitous office
- boy, were on the streets. Ebbing and
flowing in the burning excitement of
the day the stream of huma nitv
flowed and swayed in a steady tide
thruout the length of Kansas avenue
from the depot to Tenth street on
Tenth street west to Jackson street
and on Jackson street to Ninth street.
Noise on Every Side.
Dust arose in clouds from under the
trampling feet of the multitude, but
dust filled Threats proved no barrier tn
the emission of joyous sound. Every
man who lined the avenue every Wo-
man and every child emitted sound
The air was filled with noise until the
reVerberations must have convinced
even the high gods that something out
of the ordinary was doing on earth
olympus was outdOne. Thor's thun-
der no longer is the ultimate in noise
But as the line of marching. iovous
faced men came swinging down the
thororare in step to the martial music
OF half dozen bands even the crowd
gave place 20 itself. For a moment
the noise was dead. The reverbera-
tons died away. Only the tramD OF
marching feet could be heard.
The city had paid its highest trfbute
to the men who offered themselves
on the altar of the nation. The cfti-
zens had paid homage to men. men
proven in the fire of greatest self
sacrifice.
And then the tumult of cheering AL
most swept the column from its feet
The bands could not be heard. The
crowd was wild with JOY and their
enthusiasm would not he confined. II
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