The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-15
TOPEKAN is THERE
Paul Parrish Lay Smiling on
His Pillows in Hospital.
Has Been in Hospital Since the
Great Drive in August.

New York, Feb (by mail. )-"Have
you any new men from Kansas this
week." 1 asked, pausing by the desk
in ward 5, floor 5, in the Debarkation
hospital No. 3.
Il have only two Kansas boys in
my entire ward" said the nurse in
ward 1, floor 4, land they are the
dearest things in the world. You will
find Paul Parrish over there in cot
Is, just go over to him and you'll say
am right about Kansas boys being
regular dears."
Il think yod're a dear yourself,
nurse, for saying that" 1t replied. 81
grew up with Kansas and Oklahoma
boys and il there is anything finer on
earth than they are, I've never dis
covered it."
Pvt Paul Parrish, of Topeka, lay
smiling on his pillows and when pres
emily he told me he had been a bed
patient since the early days of the
great August drive, and my unwilling
eyes strayed to the empty paJama leg.
it seemed to me that his cheerful smile
was one of the bravest things 1 had
ever encountered.
One Leg His Sacrifice.
81 would have been up and around
long ago." he said, but my leg wasn't
amputated until November for they
hoped to save it, but it had to come
off in the end. I don't mind that, but
honest, 1 am aWfully anxious to get
up and see New York. AS soon as 1
can use crutches, I am going to paddle
around some, believe me.r
Il enlisted in the Fourth division,
39th infantry, and We went across in
May In June we got into the fight
at scissors and that was pretty fierce,
too. Everything around that part of
the country was just ruin and desola-
ton, the villages battered down to the
ground, and the earth simply pitted
with enormous shell holes. On the
night of August 4, about 1880, we
were fighting around Forest-de- Ferret,
st. Thibaut, when 1 got mine-shrap-
mel in the leg from a bursting shell,
ana that put me out of business 1
did hate to leave. for all the big bat
ties came after that.
Tried to Save Limb.
was for time in base hospital
"a, Limoges. and from there was
transferred to the Red Cross hospita
at Neuilly, just outside of Paris. II
was fine there and they tried awfulIy
hard' to save my leg for me. You
know Mrs. Vanderbilt founded that
hospital, and she often came to see us
bringing us, all kinds of good things
she certainly is a wonderful woman
and when she would come and sit
doWn and talk to US, with that beau
| tiful white hair of hers, why, we inst
telt a lot better for she was so kind
and good
Later on" resumed Private Par
| IRISH. Il was moved to Bordeaux, and
We sailed for home on the Maui. We
mad the finest trip. coming by the
southern route, and stopping at the
Azores. That was might good of I'm
Gle Sam, for I wouldn't have missed
that trip for anything. This hospital
is fine, too, and everybody is awfulIy
| good to u.s."
Lived in Highland Park.
Private Parrish is the son of Mrs
| t. J. Parrish. 1880 Virginia avenue
Highland Park, Topeka. He was for
merly in the employ of the Santa Fe
but says now that when he is fitted
with an artificial limb at the Walter
Reed Institute, Washington, D. c., he
expects to take advantage of Uncle
Sans educational offer and become a
skilled draughtsman
The officer in charge was Lieut.
Mitchell NJ. Andrews of Beloit, a ma
tive Kansan, former student at K. S
| A. c. and the Medical college at Lin
coin, Neb. He then went to New
York, where he entered Harlem hos
/ pltal being assigned to the debarka-
| ton hospital No. 3 when it was Onened