Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1904-02-20


portant cases. which have been pend
ing in the supreme court for several
months, viii not be decided until the
next term of court. which will be in
March. One of these cases involves
the validity of the .-old soldier" law.
which was enacted by the legislature
of 1901. and provides that veterans of
the civil war shall he given preference
by municipal, county and state officers
with appointive power, The other
was the coal trust case which was in
stituted in Shawnee county last year.
when an alleged investigation into the
alleged combine among the Usage
county mine operators was commenced.
ALIEN LAND LAw.-It is now discOv-
cred that the Kansas alien land law
passed in 1891 is null and void. as the
senate and the house each passed a
bill and they were not alike; both
houses never having taken final action
upon either bin The bill passed by
! the senate was signed by Governor
Humphrey and has since been consid-
cred law. a number of suits are
pending involving this law; among
! them the contest for the Odd Fellows
home in Franklin county.
! WINFIELD HosPIrAI.-Plans have
been drawn and the money raised for
extensive additions and improvements
! to the Winfield hospital, which recently
! came into the possession of the CathO-
| lie Sisters. The work of construction
| will commence early in the spring.
| The hospital now has only twenty
! beds When the additions now pro-
| vided for are completed it will have
! fifty beds, besides increased facilities
in every part of the buildings.
! For KAw RIvER.-The Stickney re-
! port is known to recommend the widen
| ing of the mouth of the kaw and the
removing of all kinds of obstruction,
the piles and debris of the old bridges
and compelling the building of new
bridges with only two piers in the
river. An important feature of the re-
port is the question raised by the en-
! gineers whether these duties are with
in the province of the state or the gen
eral government.
VOTED AGAINST MILEAGE.-An of
the members of the Kansas delegation
in congress voted against the propo-
sition to give members of the house
double mileage. 1t was proposed to
| give them mileage for both the extra
and regular sessions of congress, al
though there was no distinction be-
tween them. and none of the members
were entitled to it.
TAX FERRETs. are now maxi
ing life miserable for the tax jumpers
in several counties in Kansas. The
| ferrets get % per cent of all taxes
which they make the tax dodgers pay
up.
COYOTES ATTACK DoG--Fred Church.
of Alta Vista, started out with his dog
for wolf chase. Two coyotes attacked
attacked the dog and Church had to
drive them off with a stick of stove
! wood.
ATLANTA COMING oN.-This town, on
the Frisco road in the north part of
Cowley county is booming some. 1t
now has a telephone line and a news
paper.
ANOTHER Cur ON GRAIN-The Santa
Fe has issued notice of further cut of
two cents on grain frym interior Kan
sas points to Galveston for export.
SYNDICATE BANKs.-It is published
at Wellington that syndicate is ac-
quiring large number of Southern
Kansas banks.
A SCHOOL CLosED.-At Abbeyville,
Reno county, the schools are closed on
account of the prevalence of scarlet
fever.
COOPERATIVE COMPANY. = Mound
Ridge people have orgonized a cooper
alive telephone company.
A HORSE SHow.-Cowley county will
have a horse show on March 26.
GRAND LODGE FILES SUIT.-The Kan
sas grand lodge of Odd Fellows filed
suit in the district court at Ottawa
against Troutman & Stone, of Topeka,
and n. T. Slime, of Ottawa, admins
traitor of the estate of V. De Boissiere.
Judgment is asked for S47, 900 for money
advanced by the Odd Fellows at the
time the property was decided to the
grand lodgeotrustees.
On. AND GAS LEAsEs.-The agent of
an oil and gas company of Chanute
has secured leases on 2,20O acres of
land six miles west of Wichita.
KANSAS EDIrORs.-The Kansas Ed
itorial association held two days ses-
sion at Lawrence. Twenty-four new
names were added to the rolls. Among
subjects discussed were: Do Piano
Contests Pay; The Editorial Page;
Should a Country Newspaper Man Be
Practical Printer. and a general dis
cussion of the newspaper business.
RAILROAD AssEssoRs.-The state
/ board of railroad assessors will begin
, the work of fixing valuations for the
/ several Kansas lines for 1904, on March
20.