Arizona republican., 1919-05-05


 pie as their train drew into Phoe
 nix and the station, two officers
 and "A men of the 158th Infantry
 arrived home last nisht-home, and
 to the most hearty welcome Phoe-
 nix could give them. Swarmed up-
 on as they left the cars by hun
 dreds of relatives and friends and
 fellow citizens, they came home in
 blaze of enthusiasm they will
 never forget
 All Phoenix turned out to well
 come home her sturdy sons back
 from the war, and nearly all Phoe-
 nix was waiting for them on the
 platform as they came in. Never
 before on Sunday night, and on
 few other nights, had the down.
 town districts been so packed with
 enthusiastic citizens. And as the
 boys came home and up the street
 the night was filled with cheers for
 the 158th, Arizona's Own, and her
 returning heroes.
 And if Phoenix was overjoyed to
 welcome home her sons, the boys
 themselves were overjoyed to get
 home. Home hungry as they had
 been for weeks, it was hard to say
 which were the happier, the boys
 who came home or the thousands
 that were there to greet them.
 The Crowd Out Early
 Hours before the train was scheduled to arrive, the downtown streets of the city were thronged, and as 10:45 drew nearer, the crowd swelled. By 10 o'clock the station platform was filled and South Center street was mass of motor cars and pedestrians, the mass growing thicker and thicker. By train time' the station grounds were packed and Center street was a living wall all the way up town.
 The crowd waited patiently. Now and then the city band, on the Hotel Adams buss by the station, played a patriotic air and the crowd took up the words of the song. People walked back and forth and men looked at their watches.
 Presently someone perched on box lear saw the light of the train afar down the track and gave voice. The light drew nearer, as the crowd swarmed as close as it could. Then the train be- gan to pull into the station and the l throng burst into cheers. The band be- gan to play "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" The boys were home.
 Welcomed With Open Arms l As the boys came off the cars It seemed the entire city was there to welcome them with open arms. Eager arms by the hundred were stretched out to greet them, and shrieks and shouts of joy pierced the air as some soldier lad was sighted by his loved ones. Those who had no loved ones to clasp their hands found scores of wait | ing Phoenicians who had no soldier boy to welcome waiting for them. The station platform became the scene ot probably the most happy celebration Phoenix had ever seen.
 Hello, Jim, glad to see you back" A man would push up and seize a soldier his son, maybe. "Jim!" a feminine voice would gasp and the lads mother would throw herself on his neck, into his eager arms.
 Many of the soldiers, however, had no one waiting for them at the sta ton. They were the men in the lo who are strangers here. But they too found a warm reception.
 Center Street Swarms After the first burst of enthusiasti, and tender greeting was over, tn crowd began to break up. The soldier were carried off by relatives ant friends-friends newly found, in som cases-and Center street witnessed on of the queerest parades in its history People marched up the street and side walks in hundreds, the soldiers in thei midst. Scores of motor cars honke their way along through the tremen dous traffic.
 } It was not until midnight that tn l crowd. sightseers and enthusiasts an ] all, had thinned away, well satisfied : But it was long after midnight in man : homes the homes that welcome again some member of the family hom ? from France,-that the lights wer dimmed.
 The boys were home again. The Boys Anxious for Home \ While thousands were anxiousl . waiting in Phoenix for the train 2 arrive. on the Southern Pacific trai z speeding homeward, the boys then , selves were just as anxious and jul as impatient In two special cars, the
 counted the miles roll by. almost, an
 tried not to show how wildly glad the - were to be nearly home. AS the trai 4 neared Phoenix they became more ar z more enthusiastic.
 Home again
 e "Oh, Boy, ain't it great an gloriol r feelin'?"
 < "There's Twentieth street; we'll < there in minute!"
 "Oh, Boy."
 Yes. they were home again, tho
 boys from the 15Sth. and a bett
 pleased bunch of boys never came in
 town.
 ;, A Republican representative we - down to Maricopa to meet the trai n and took with him copy of the Sul q day Republican for eyer- man. g The Republican Like Home IS Were they pleased? They fairly f' l. over each other to get them. Gee, tn o looks the most like home of anythil j. I've seen in a year." said one. "The go' d old Republican" exclaimed anotht
 this is like kissing your best girl.' n The train pulled out vf Maricopa f ss Phoenix a little late, but everyone w n immersed in his reading and did n e mind. They were in two coaches a s. tached to No. 1, and were put on t n end of the Phoenix train. As they l. under way, representatives of t le Great War Veterans association we le among them and arranged for all w Te were not to be met by friends or rel ir tives, to go to the Commercial cafe
 dinner, and to stay at the Adams, Je of ferson and Commercial hotels for | d night at the expense of the War W o1 and the citizens committee. of Tempe Out En Masse le As the train approached Tempe
 roar of welcome could De heard abo at the noise of the brakes, and on leani h out of the windows, the boys saw WI
 seemed to be about five rlmes 1