The Topeka state journal., 1919-05-06
DAY OF PARADES
Topeka VIII Long Remember
[ Monday, May ).
There Was Something Doing
Almost All the Time.
STREETS CROWDED OFTEN
March After March Brought
Spectators to Sidewalks.
Shriners Helped Soldiers To
Make 1t a Great Day.
STREETS CROWDED OFTEN
Boy howdy. What a dayy

Boy howdy! What a dayv
With the exception of the two days
when the news concerning the signing
of the armistice was received in To-
peka, there never was SO much do
ing on Kansas avenue as Monday
Never before, perhaps. were there so
many parades, SO many soldiers, so
many bands, and such a crowd. From
early morning until late in the after
noon the streets and shops were
crowded. From nearly every window
fluttered a flag; on every trolley pole
sign bore some snappy or humorous
word for the returning soldiers;
across the front of scores of business
houses streamers shouted a welcome
to the returning heroes that was too
sincere for utterance in the throats
of the crowd.
All day Sunday Topeka waited i'm
patiently for the coming of the 139th
infantry and early Monday morning
the throngs began to gather on Kan
SaS avenue. Scores of residents of
surrounding towns swelled the crowd
to welcome home the flower of Kan
sas manhood. The Santa Fe shop
men, always patriotic, dropped their
tools and paraded to the avenue to
lend enthusiasm to the reception. The
Santa Fe offices. catching the spirit
of the hours, turned out in force. For
once Kansas avenue was gay.
CrOW0S everywhere.
The streets, the roofs of buildings
and windows we're crowded. When
the word that the parade had started
from the Union Pacific depot was re-
ceived uptown, clerks in the store left
their counters and rushed to the
street.
Scarcely. had the 139th and the
10th field signal battalion marched
up the avenue to the state house
when the sound of music again
echoed along the street. The crowd
concentrated along the avenue north
of Sixth street to see the grand po-
tentate, his divan and band of Abdal-
Ian temple. at Leavenworth, being es-
corted to the Masonic temple by the
LOCAL shrine club in preparation for
the Shriner 'ceremonials in the after
noon. Their gay Oriental costumes and
glltter1ng accouterments were in
strong contrast to the long line of
olive drab that had preceded them
an hour before.
The shrinerS were barely out of
sight when again the sound of martial
music and the tread of marching feet
re-echoed along the street. Again the
crowd surged north and then parted,
cheering and yelling, to make way for
the soldiers on their way back to the
depot to entrain for Camp Funston.
For an hour business was resumed
and the excitement relaxed. Then, for
the fourth time, about 1880 o'clock,
the roll of drums was heard and this
time the gayest spectacle of the day
was witnessed. 1t was the parade of
the Shrihers-the biggest, best and
funniest parade ever stage by them in
Topeka-and the band was unani-
mously pronounced some band"
Still Another Parade.
After this parade was over, Kansas
avenue settled down to something like
its normal self. 1t was believed that
the parades and music we're over for
the day. The crowd dispersed and the
people went to their several homes
The shops resumed business. Mar
shalfs band and the Ninth battalion
band, being told that their work was
over, left the scene. The street be-
came as quiet as on any Monday~aft-
ernoon.
But suddenly, far down the avenue.
was heard band music again. Persons
rushing to the streets caught a glimpse
of moving line of khaki on lower
Kansas avenue and in "a few minutes
what was left of the crowd two hours
before was again in line. This was
the 10th sanitary train. and they
missed out on the rousing welcome
that should have been theirs, for there
were a large number of Topekans in
the ranks. But Topeka had shouted
Itself hoarse earlier in the day; most
of the noise makers had gone home;
the bands had dispersed and it re-
manned for the members of the. Shrin-
ers' band to leave their own duties
and play a ma rching step for the boys
to the state house.
Here All Evening.
And. altho the welcome to the sani-
tary train was not SO great and noisy
as that accorded the 139th, Topeka
was just as glad to see them and re-
spects and loves them just as much
for their heroism and noble self-sacri-
flee as any of her sons who faced the
Hun in France. In just one respect
did the 10th have it "on' their COM
rades in arms who arrived earlier fin
the day. They were permitted to stay
in town until 10 o'clock Monday night,
which allowed the Topeka men time to
see the homes for the first time in
nearly two years and experience the
joy of a meal at home, with their
feet under a table,
1t was a big day. after all