Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1904-07-23

Tear Out Embankments-An order
ly mob Of about twenty-five reputable
citizens of North Topeka took a
Union Pacific work train, vent four
miles west of town and with picks
and shovels dug a ditch three feet
wide and seventy-five feet long
through the railroad embankment.
This was done to allow the stored
food water to escape to the river in
stead Of running through town. The
mob" then returned quietly to their
homes. Another expedition was made
in similar manner against the Santa
Fee tracks east of town. A gang of
section men were working there, but
they made no opposition to the tear
ing out Of a section of the embank-
ment
No Payment on Taxes.-It has
been discovered by the state audi
tors books that seven counties are
not credited with having made any
payments on their 1903 state taxes.
These counties are Bourbon, Geary,
Johnson, Labette, Lyon Miami and
Smith. The law states that remit
lance must be made in January and
July, but these counties made none
last January. The county treasurer
of Lyon county says he RENTED 73
per cent of Lyon county's state taxes
in January, but it does not show on
the auditors books. The state &C
countant is investigating the mat
ter.
Insane Through Fear of Flood
Mrs. Will Hartman of st. Joseph was
placed in the Wells asylum at Atchi-
son, insane, as a result of fear of
the flood in Kansas City year ago.
She lived in the flooded districts
of Kansas City at the time, and was
sick during the flood. The fear that
she would be drowned in her bed
when the water came around her
house, caused an excessive nervous
ness, which she has been unable to
overcome, and which has finally de-
veloped into insanity.
Struck a Handcar.-A freight train
ran down a handcar near Emporia,
on which four persons were return
ing from the country. John Owens
was killed and Arthur Denham and
Mae and Pearl Miller were fatally
hurt. The freight train, after strik-
ing the handcar, passed on without
stopping, and Owens body and the
injured were not found until two
hours later. Owens and Denham
were round house employees.
10 Years County Commissioner.-B.
F. Hosknson, for thirteen years
member of the board of county com
missioners, of Douglas county, re-
,io~ Of
the board at once appointed Gus H.
Bruno to fill the vacancy.
Local Market GIutted.-The crop of
early apples, peaches and plums in
the vicinity of Sterling is very large
and the market is glutted. 1t is es-
timated that thousands of bushels of
these fruits will go to waste unless
handled quickly.
Should Use 1t In coops.-A Butler
county poultry raiser followed the ad-
vice of a farm journal which told
him kerosene would kill vermin on
poultry. 1t did SO and incidentally
killed seventy-two turkeys at the
same time.
Mail Clerks Plant Wheat.-Six mail
clerks on the central branch of the
Missouri Pacific have formed a pool
and will rent 600 acres of wheat land
near the western end of the road in
western Kansas, and plant it in wheat
this fall
Honored Requlsitlon. - Governor
Bailey has honored a requisition is
sued by the governor of Nebraska
for the return of Page ]. Bowman and
John J. Oliver. wanted at Hastings,
Neb., for obtaining money under false
pretenses.
Shoot First Gas WeII.-The local
prospecting company at Ottawa
touched off it's first gas well with al
most the entire town present to
view the sight. The well shot a
blaze more than forty feet into the
air.
Oldest Woman in county.-Mrs.
Elizabeth Lupton, the oldest person
in Sumner county, is dead at the
home of her son, R. w. Lupton, near
RiverdaIe, Kan, aged 81 years.
Nine Wells on One Farm.-The
Wyandotte Oil and Gas company, of
Kansas City, brought in La Rue oil
well No. I, two and One-half miles
west of Toronto. 1t gives promise of
being one of the best wells in the dis
trict, and extends the local oil field
more than a mile south. A contract
calls for nine wells on the same
| farm Pumps we're put on Stone
! siphe's No. for the first time, and
pumped more than thirty barrels in
five hours.
Prosperity EVident.-There are s.
G22 pianos in NeOsho county.
New Volume Out.-The sixty
seventh volume of Kansas SUI
preme court reports has been
delivered to the state librarian by
the state printer. The volume is
interesting, there being a large num-
Der of important opinions printed
therein. The opinion in the Jessie
Morrison case is one of the most i'm
| portant.
Just ReccVering-The state of Kan
sas is just beginning to recover from
the severest food since 1877. In
some instances it even rivaled that
food.