The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-05-26
SECRETS ARE TOLD
H. e. journalism Students Pan
Press Club Members.
Much Home Grown Humor In
jected in Entertainment.

Journalism students from the state
university and Washburn college
/ spilled" the inside secrets of the state
house newspaper game, burlesqued the
features of Topeka daily newspapers
and paraded their vanities and hobbies
at the Topeka Press club show Wed
nesday night. For more than hour
Press club members were roasted and
! toasted on their own gridiron without
a word in. defense and a general and
growing tendency to find the victims
guilty.
Dinner guests of the club and the
club membership received copies of
burlesque editions of The State Jour
4 nal and Daily Capital during the feed
ing hour. There wasn't a feature of
the two Topeka dailies that wasn't
trampled under foot by the rah rah
cubs. They pushed the parlor secrets
TO the front and heralded news items
/ that wouldn't meet postal requirements
even under Trotsky and Lenin CEN
! sorship. The publications were issued
by journalism students at Washburn
college who presented the questionable
/ literary gems and character assaults
as a humble peace offering of the
evening.
Much Home Grown Humor.
The after dinner party started as
tho it was on the track for solemn and
serious consideration of the big prob
aems of the newspaper game, with just
enough home grown humor and wit to
give the affair spice and snap. Frank
p. MacLennan, publisher of the State
journal, Toronto E. E. Kelley, Ew-
ing Herbert of st. Joseph, and Charles
+. Scott, publisher of the lola Regis
!, ter, made speeches. There were evil
dences OF enthusiasm behind the re-
ception of their remarks. In some re-
spects the meeting began to assume
the aspect of holding something which
tended to mental uplift.
Then the Kansas university gang
turned loose. Thru Prof. F. L. Flint,
, head of the journalism school; Alfred
C. Hill. secretary of the Alumni asso-
citation; and grass root sources and
development of a picturesque imagi-
nation, the rah rahs did things to the
Press. club gang. Their particular
center of attack was that meek eyed,
humble and bashful crew which gath
ers state house and political news.
The show started with a session of the
news chasers who grumbled and
growled because there was a shortage
of the "as follows" stuff. 1t ended in
a blaze of glory with Dwight Thatcher
Harris of the Daily Capital-ten years
hence-holding the office of governor
and all of the present day POLITICAL
news hounds in soft jobs with big sal
AIRY checks. The dream was made
perfect with the portrayal of the hui
man tendency of newspaper men to
lose their news sense-when they get
to public position.
A Clever Cast.
There was a fine assortment of
clever-sometimes quite sharp and
rather biting-dialogue on the cigaret
the eighteenth amendment. dress fads
and above all the fads and fancies of
those who come to high public station.
II was a clever cast. Just as Angelus
Burch had directed his Washburn
students in the burlesque of the writ
ing style of Press club members so
Flint and Hill had helped put a kick
IN the lines of the k U. playlet. The
show was presented under the caption
Riding the Underwood Into Office"
Merton Akers of Lawrence, starred
as Dwight Thatcher Harris. Walter
iieren of Sabetha. was a big hit as
Nv G. Clugston, United Press CORE
spondent; Jack Kistlcr of Alta Vista.
was a. l.. (Dutch) Shultz of the State
Journal; Ben Hibbs of Kingman,
played the role of Kenneth Clark of
the Associated Press; while Fred W.
Ellsworth of Burlington, was cast as
Cecil Howes of the Kansas City Star
Arthur Garvin of Erie, appeared as
the newspaper cub. Paul Flagg of
Perry, was Frank FARRELL, president
of the Press club; Ray Runion of Null
berry was Charley Mitchell and
Camille Nohe of Douglas. Ariz., played
as Bill kercher. Joe Boyle of Ben
nington, served as the Judge Clyde
. an. Reed of the Utilities comm ssion,
and Herbert Little of Lawrence, did
the role of Herbert Cavancss of Cha
mute, president of the editorial associa-
tion golf club.
There were a number of attempts
to make talks following the K. u.
show. None of them were really sue
cessful.
Deane Malott of Abilene was the
I dancing hero of the evening, while
Henry McCurGy of Lawrence worked
successfully at the piano. Then came
/ the boys from the State Industrial