The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1897-07-30
KANSAS ITEMS OFi.NTEREsT.

Jhe new pfactlce In Kansas ana IL IL
how safe to be mans friend.
Kansas people should stay away
from Alaskan gold fields. There Ii
more money in Kansas wheat fields
than there is in all Colorado's mineral.
A bathing club has been organized
BIT Chanute. The members take an
awful oath to battle every year wheth-
er they need it or not
The annua. reunion of the ex- Union
koldiers of Butler county will be held
this year at FL Dorado, September 81
10 23. Extensive preparations for a
Big time are being made.
There has been an unusual amount
Of heavy freight traffic through New
ton during the past week. Much stock
is being sent east, and extras have
been running in all directions. All
the empty cars possible arc being sent
west and south.
The safe in the postoffice at Melvern,
Usage county, was blown open Thurs
day, and SO heavy was the charge of
dynamite that the safe was a total
wreck. Ten dollars in stamps and an
equal amount in money was secured.
The robbers escaped.
The regents and faculty of the Kan
tas state normal school were much
elated on the 10th on receipt of the fol-
lowing message from the University of
Chicago: "Some time ago the Univer-
sity of Chicago sent out members of its
faculty to investigate the work in the
various state normal schools, for the
purpose of giving recognition to grad
yates of such as might be found main
tanning satisfactory standards. Action
upon these reports has just been taken
and of only four state normal schools
approved, the Kansas state normal is
one"
The indications are that q large
number of the cities of Kansas will at
tempt to break the contracts they have
with the book companies for the sup
ply of school books for periods ranging
from two TO five years. Within the
past week the attorney general has
rendered opinions in six different cases.
In each instance he has held that the
board of education of city of the first
or second.class has no right to make
contracts for longer period than a
year. and that if proper steps are TAX
en- any five-year contract can be annul-
ed One of the first duties likely to
attack the validity of the contract is
Topeka. The board of education made
tive-year contract for certain books,
and the contract has four years yet to
run. Now it happens that the state
text book commission adopted about
half the books that Topeka is using
under the contract, the patrons of the
schools will be required TO pay twice as
much for each book as they would 9th
erwise. At the sane time, the books
now furnished are not as good as those
adopted by the commission. The local
board of education is not inclined to
violate the contract, but some of the
patrons of the schools are beginning
TO complain and threaten to bring pro-
ceedings to en- Join the enforcement of
1t. Crane e Co. have the contract.
Mr. Crane said that he did not care
voluntarily to cancel the contract, as
it would be poor business ethics, but
that if any legal steps were taken he
would willing compromise by agreeing
TO cancel the contract at the eXpira-
ton of two years. The contract has
already run one year.
Through western Kansas in cover
ed wagon the other day passed "The
Boston Dramatic Company"
The county commissioners of Harper
county have made an order that delin-
quent taxes may be paid by the mort
gagees or owners of property without
addition of penalty of Is per cent in
terest if cost of advertising, etc, will
he paid. This is to make it an object
to pay the taxes and get the county's
finances cleared up Other counties
are contemplating the same move
ment.
A. j. Hoisington is building big
irrigating ditch between Pawnee Rock
and Larned. 1t commences four miles
east OF Larned, following the bluff.
Water from the Pawnee will be used in
this ditch.
1t does not take very close observer
TO note that successful business man
counts a permanent place in paper
for his advertisement as of as much
value as permanent place of busi-
ness. Frequent changes of an adver-
tisement's position are as bad as fire.
ouent removals of place of business.
Hans Anderson. an eighteen-year old
lad, was struck and instantly killed