The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-27
XSS)N4)nnkin,



First division. with General Pershing
like we seen him in the movies. is
over. It was the most historical par
ade that ever took place in Washing
ton-a sight that amt nobody ever a.
goin' to forget. $1,000 men in khaki,
five miles of "Serried ranks of men,"
to say nothin' of the machine guns,
caissons, tanks. engineering things.
cook kitchens, ammunition trains and
ambulanceS-all the grim equipment
of war that put the Hun out of bust
ness-marching right up Pennsyl-
vania Avenue, with the flags flynn, the
bands plGyin' lover There" and folks
shouting themselves hoarse. 1t was
fine-inspiring. I amt denying that
IFS tho most impressive parade 1 ever
seen, and that I honored every man
that marched in it.
But la. might as well out with the
truth. 1 want thrilled to the very
core of my being like what I was when
the Jimkins boys and all the lads I'd
knowed since they was babies,
marched up Kansas Avenue in Topeky
last spring, with Doc. Morrison's band
playin' THE Old Gray Mare'-just
marched away through silent crowds
that couldn't cheer for the tears they
was holdin' back.
But anyway, this yere parade here
in Washington was the biggest one 1
ever seen. They want no one calm,
why, there's Willie. Hello Willie"
and IF it amt Douglas. How you've
growed, boy!," and, Hello, you Frank
and Fred and Marion; why, Char
lie you've got fat over there" Hello.
Mike, you fellers sure put the kibosh
on the Huns" which friendly hollerin'
do he 10 ha 81 .
seem more informal like.
But at that, folks here was right
cordial TO the soldiers, even If they
didn't call 'em by their first names.
1t were a perfect day, and viewed
from a window that took in several
| blocks plum down to the triumphal
arch by the treasury building. was a
wonderful sight, for Pennsylvania
Avenue, besides bein' the twistinest
street, I reckon, in America, is the
most beautiful. with its rows of huge
trees and stately buildings
! From Pa Jimkins's office window we
| could look down the avenue and see
the line curve there; we could see the
White House grounds. and, most
touching sight of all, we could see the
wounded boys from Walter Reed hos
| pitaI, in their wheel chairs, with
nurses standin' beside 'em. I noticed
! that General Pershing saluted them
in the reviewing stand.
There was nurses and Y. NJ. G. A.
women workers marching with each
/ outfit, and looked like they was puff
| fng out their chests and sayin', These
are OUR boys that we kept pace with
over There, whites they was fighting
! that Liberty might not perish from
the EARTH" and la, you couldn't feel
! it in your heart to blame 'em mite
If they did feel set up.
All the whites they was marching,
the airy planes was circline around
overhead Mebbe fifteen or twenty
| didn't seem much to get excited about
to feilers that had seen flocks of them
! in Francois many as $50 or more
to oncet, goin' out to meet the foe. or
comm back after defeating him. But
| to us folks that cranes our necks
when one flies overhead, it was sure
| a pretty sight. And amt none of us
| ever seen a diriSible balloon before.
1t hung like a great caterpillar in the
air, and didn't seem human nohow,
! which OF course it amt.
All them pictures that's goin' to be
showed now in the movies, 1 saw TAX
| en-men runnin' along winGin their
cameras, and perched on roofs of
| houses and, most exciting of all, up
| in the airy planes. They circled so
| low over the buildings that we could
winding away at his camera with the
! airy plane tippin' SOS he could get a
view. as onconcerned like. apparently
| as If there amt no kingdom come
! waitin' down below f he fell over
board.
1t was sure gratifying to see 356
men all marching together that had
won D. S. c. I reckon folks cheered
little louder for them even than for
| the other soldiers.
We see the gun that fired the first
shot for America in the war-October
| %, 1917. and we see the company that
/ captured Chateau Buzaney at Sois-
sons. and the one that captured Berry
/ lie See.
After the last line of men had
passed. and the last gun and wagon
and tank, and the crowds was moving
along behind, we give a great sigh and
said. '~Yes, it sure was a sight worth
/ comm all the way from Kansas to see.
/ Now that it's over, wish't We could go