The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-13
She and Pa Jimkins and Other
JimkinseS at Capital.
Hundreds of Officers of ''Wash-
ingtOn Division" There.
TOOK RIDE WITH THE GAPPERS
Discovers That John and Ma
Tidy Are Right HOmesick.
Ma Has Talk With Yank Who
Lost His Leg.
BY MA JIMKINs

Well. here I be in Washington,
along with Pa Jimkins and daughter
and the littlest Jimlins boy, and
million other "rubes" Leastways.
folks that don't do nothin' but just
ride in automobiles, say we're all
rubes, because we Jay walk in crossing
the streets, and makes it awful wearin'
on them as rides, because they's a law
in Washington which says you mustn't
muss up the streets, and the law is
broke and liable to get them in trouble
every time they run over anybody.
But when town Is cut on the bias
Ike that Washington Is, how's a body
to cross the street straight when the
place you're aiming at is always cater
corner from where you are?
And II you don't walk a bee line for
your destination, oncet you've sighted
IL, you're apt to wake up and find
you're off on another street entirely,
and have to go back and start over.
Daughters right smart, her having
graduated from high school and about
to enter college, and first thing she
done when we lit here, was to study
q map of Washington. So now she
most allus has got some notion about
where We be, and she's skeered to
have me outen her sight, for fear III
get lost.
Don't sou worry none about me-"
allus tell her For whites may be
green, and I acknowledge that 1 amt
got no sense Of direction. amt BASH
full. and 1 amt afraid of no blue coat
ed policeman, no matter how big and
high brow he be, sence amt broke
no law as 1 know Of, and won't hes
itate to ask one of EN- TO direct me to
Pennsylvania avenue. Then III Just
follow the car tracks till 1 get home"
The first day the children and me
got here, 1 asks Pa Jenkins what was
the excitement.
like, for him having been in WASH
ington quite a spell, he's got sort OF
used to things.
Washington Division.
why. all the people" I says, "hur-
rying every which way They must
be goin' to be a parade. and they're
hunting good places to see it. They
do seem to be a lot Of soldiers, mostly
majors. I reckon some division has
just landed" ,,
Pa Jimkins bust right out laughing.
That's the Washington division" he
says.
nothin' p" I asks him. thinkin' that
tbev amt so many people out on the
streets back home on Saturday nights,
and this was a Friday morning, ana
sweeping day at that!
no, this is just the usual" he says,
'Onlyr tney re more VI d SAS" ~
noon, and five o'clock in the after
II beat me how all them women
could be out on Friday. But la. I've
seen 'em out since then, just as thick
on Mondays, which all self respecting
housekeepers knows Is wash day!
We seen Senator and Mrs. Capper
since we been here. Mis- Capper
come over to our rooms and set and
visited Just as informal like she used
10 do back in Topeky, not bein az all
set up lover hob-nobbing with great
And they come and took US out rid
ing. and pointed out all the places
where the celebrities live.
but Ia, most OF them mansions
looked too stately. and cold like to be
renI homes. I seen some rambling
old farm houses afterwards down Vir-
y.inia way with roses clambering I'M
needed over everything, and big trees
and wards that had meek cows a
grain, that appealed to me more'n
any OF them grand show places. that
rents for several thousand dollars a
month or week, I forget which, not
bein' good at figgers.
Cappers Arc Homcslck.
speakln' OF the Cappers. the only
fly in the ointment. as you might say
IS that John and Matildy is right
homesick for Kansas.
John Is the Capper chauffeur as mas
been brinEin' them up by hand for
quite some considerable years, and
Matlldy is his wife, who cooks for
them.
John has allus took the Capper's
under his protecting wing. so TO speak,
but they amt minded much being
bossed by him, because they know he
was dom II for their own good. and
that both hin and Matildy would lie
down and die for them.
We went out to the Walter Reed
hospital one night. Daughter and me.
And II was there that I felt like step
ping softly, for I was on holy ground.
/ was face to face with boys that had
give themselves TO their country.
They was lots of privates among them,
too. Didn't all of them have embiems
on their shoulders. but the emblems
was in their hearts, and the outward
signs in their eyes.
I talked with boys that had only
one leg.-lots of them.-and some as
hadn't nary leg, and some as had give
an arm, but they wasn't one of them
that wasn't cheerful.
I told one OF them. who'd Just had
his leg amDutatpd a feU dave hafOra