The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-05


casuals.
Topeka was not lacking in proper
spirit of reception. At the station
were many Topekans with motor cars
anxious 20 take the members of the
fighting units for trips thru the city.
The real Topeka welcome, tho, was to
the soldiers who were taken to pri-
vate homes for the night.
"Gosh!" exclaimed one Topekan.
Those boys can't sleep in those cars
all night. They ought to have real
beds" Then he found the command
ing officer of the unit. Five minutes
later three members of the 18TH in
fantry were riding west on Tenth ave-
nue. where honest to goodness soft,
honey beds were waiting.
High school students were dismissed
today to see the parade. r. r. COOK,
principal, notified them the minute
the soldiers started to march. The
students were told to return to school
when the parade had passed.
A boy was scheduled to arrive Sun
day night with the 18th infantry. His
mother was at the Red Cross rooms at
the station all day. For months She
had watched the accounts OF the l39th
thru the papers in their trials IN
France. For several weeks each day
she has read eagerly every line tell
ing of the progress the regiment, was
making on its way toward Kansas ana
home. From overseas, to Newport
News, and then across the states she
studied the routing and knew where
the regiment was at all times. When
the train came in she did not see her
son. Members of his company told
her he had been left in France IN
hospital Under the sudden blow to
an already high strung nervousness
she didn't say anything, just smiled
and an instant later sank unconscious
to the platform. But he will come
some day sure enough.
A group of pretty school girls stood
on the avenue this morning. They
met another girl. "What-aren't you
going to school this morning? ~ What
do you mean school I am just natur-
ally going to be AWOL this morning.
He's in the band.
In two years, and that is how long
most of these boys have been away
from home many things have chang
ed. Little brothers have shot up.
Many have made the jump into long
pants. Little sisters now have their
hair up and dresses clear to their
nifty little ankles. Some of the boys
will have to look twice before they
recognize some of the younger rela-
tives. But mothers and fathers, they
are just the same.
Has the old town changed in two
years? Perhaps not much in the
eyes of those who have remained in
the city. But to the boys who have
been in France it is different. A re-
mark is heard often from returning
Topeka soldiers: We'll, the old town
has certainly changed. The avenue
looks a lot different. And yet it feels
mighty good to get back and stand
around on the street and watch them
90 by"
In watching the passing show
boy, howdy. talk about going to
France to see good looking women. l
was most all over France and most
of England and part of Germany but
this town has the sweetest, best
dressed, best looking bunch of women
ever saw since 1 Joined this mans
army There certainly are 'bokoo'
lady-women in this fair city! Talk
about class-ooo-la-la la. And take it
from me. when l get back from Fun
ston l am going right down to a he
mans store and buy me a regular suit
of clothes and step right out on the
main stem and get me girl tout
sweet
One big husky soldier, a former
regular dandy of the town. who has
walked, as he says, most all over
France except places the officers for
got. looked thoughtfully at his feet
clad in the rough field shoe and
sighed: And just before I went to
the army l bought brand new pair
of low shoes. l know they are still
home. l had the biggest feet in the
family so no one could wear them un-
less sister had them cut up to make a
leather coat out Of But look at those
feet I don't suppose there is pair
of shoes in town big enough for me-
There was a snappy little doughboy
who didn't miss the glance of a single
pair of bright eyes as he came up the
avenue. Eyes right was the prevailing
order in his mind. He had a repe-
toire hard to beat He packed a rifle
almost as big as he was. zone rifle
in first class condition-ask the sen
geant, he said it was-for sale cheap
Got the bayonet a little soiled on a
German, but be never cared"
The bows have been gone so Ions
they have almost forgotten that Kan
sas had a climate. This is the hot.
test country 1 ever saw" said one sol.
der I'm France it was nice and COO
most of the time especially when We
were in the mountains. l wanted al
the clothes 1 could get then, but thi.
bloody place. sure is hot. When We
got off the boat they landed US on 6
paved street. The heat came up of
the bricks so thick you could hardly
breathe, anu lneTe we were ONercOatS
blanket roll, tin helmets, rifles anC
everything. You know in France they
don't have much pavement except ii
large cities. and they never take az
American division thru a large cit,
when they can help it. Too man,
AWOL's. The boys just can't keeI
away from the bright lights"
The Topeka Railway compan,
placed trailers on all North Topeka
cars today in order to accommodate,
the early morning crowds that flockeC
to the Union Pacific station to con
tinue visiting the boys until the bugl,
blew fall in" and they lined up 70
the big parade up Kansas avenue.
Liberty Bonds pough; and solo