The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-08
Enthusiasm of Welcome Crowds
Could Not Be Controlled.
Guards and Ropes Ignored
When the Trains Came In.
CLAIMED BY The WHOLE CITY
Relatives Not Allowed To b
Selfish With Their Heroes.
Excess of Enthusiasm Caused
Many To Miss Boys.

1t was a mad mob that surged and
battered at the guard lines drawn
about the Union Pacific depot before
the arrival of the 130th field artillery
troop trains Wednesday night.
Relatives of men in the units and
their rights were utterly disregarded
when the first section of the trooper
pulled into the station. The line of
guards was swept aside as if they were
not there and the platform of the de-
pot from far east of the Red Cross
canteen to the center of Kansas ave-
nue. was y bowling, surging mob of
welcome mad enthusiasts.
Topeka citizens had decided they. as
we'll as the blood relatives. had
claim on the men. They intended to
enforce the claim, and did. AS a re-
suit many of the men lost precious
minutes before they were able to To-
cate "the ones" in the seething crowd.
Some Never Successful.
One o. two cases were reported
where the location was not accom-
pSshed at the depot at all. Boys
searched for relatives. and relatives
searched for boys, but both were un-
successful. So the boys went to the
longed for home, and the relatives
went there also. But when the con-
| tact was made it was not broken. nor
was it disturbed by pushing onlookers.
The first section of the trooper ar
rived in Topeka at 9:17 o'clock. As
the blazing headlight on the big en-
gine lit up the buildings where the
| Union Pacific track curves to the
north just east of the depot, the crowd
went wild. Nothing would do but that
Battery A must be on this train. An
| nouncement after announcement was
made that Battery A was the
| second section. But the crowd did not
| believe.
Battery e the First In.
The first section to arrive carries
| Battery E. the headquarters company
| and the band. Topeka had men in
the headquarters company and in the
| band. From the way the citizens
| charged the train one would have
| thought that the whole heart and soul
of the city was bound up in just the
| one train. This train was given a
| right royal welcome.
But the crowd was somewhat dis
appointed in that the famous Topeka
| battery did not come in on the first
section. The crowd was just begin
| ming to show it's disappointment in
| strained faces and quivering lips, when
the headlight of the second section
| heaved itself around the bend. Bat
! terry A and the second section got a
royal welcome-they got more than
| that, they got an imperial welcome
| and even more yet they got a Topeka
| kansas-made welcome,
| 1t was thought that the crowd had
done it's best bit of surging on the ar
| rival of the first train. The thought
was quite wrong. The first surge was
| merely a practice surge. The second
| section was all but moved from the
| track in the rush of the crowds and
| the relatives to the windows.
Eager faces and straining eyes
| searched the gloomy, darkened win
! dows of the train for sight of loved
| faces. Some were successful in the
| first rush, but most were not. And
| the tragedy of the first train was re-
| peated. 1t became necessary to have
| the state guards on duty at the depot
| clear a space in front of the canteen
| hut. big Bing Bang BilP' Biby, with
| megaphone in hand, took his place in
| the center of the ring, and name after
| name of soldiers was called.
Greetings sin Camp"
And as the names were called the
| men came into camp-camp being in
| the cleared space. And in camp many
| a joyful, fearful, clinging greeting
| was enacted.
| One outstanding feature of this part
of the reception was the singing
| tongue flashing Big Bill Biby gave
the curiosity seekers and just sight
| seers who, thru their presence at the
| depot, were delaying the reunion of
| families. Finally proceedings were
| stopped until hundreds of the sight
| seer class and persons who were at
! the depot "just to see the trains come
in had taken their departure.
| Altogether the reception at the de-
| pot Wednesday night was a saturnalia
of sound and struggle. 1t was a Kan
| sas greeting to her bows from overseas.