Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1905-03-18


25-cent Gas For WinfeId.-The gas
company and a committee from the
Winfield council, who have been
wrangling over natural gas service
for the city for several days, reached
an agreement. but when the mayor
called a meeting of the council to rati-
fly the work of the committee, he
could not get a quorum. The agree
ment provides for gas to be furnish
ed to the citizens at maximum rate
of % cents a thousand cubic feet,
with 2 cents rebate to the city for
each LOCO feet of gas, the company
to file bond to protect the city from
loss should any result from the in
sufhciency of the old gas mains. The
city is to have gas for its own use at
cents a thousand cubic feet.
Assessment Raised.-Property own
ers in Lyon county will pay more
taxes this year than last. The board
of appraisers raised the valuation on
horses and cattle from 81 to $40.
Hogs, sheep and mules were left at
their former valuation. Wheat was
raised 80 cents a bushel. oats 80
cents, corn 20 cents. kafir corn 20
cents, alfalfa 10 and blue grass 20
cents. Automobiles were the only
private article added to the list. They
were appraised at from $500 to $500.
The assessors gave as their reason
for the raise that indications pointed
to good year, and that farm pro-
ducts will be higher than in former
years.
In Box Car Four Days. = David
Bradley, 10 years old, who lives in
Salina, was found locked in freight
car in the st. Louis & San Francisco
yards at Wichita, after an enforced
Imprisonment of four days. While at
play with other boys in Salina Satur-
day, young Bradley hid in a carload
of machinery. The car was locked and
taken out of town before he realized
the situation He was without food
and water four days
To Put the Lid On. = Attorneys
Levitt and Millikin, employed by the
State Temperance Union, have noti-
fed all jointkeepers in Salina that
they must close their places of bust
ness or action will be brought against
them. All the jointists have signif1ed
their willingness to do so. and Satur-
day night closing time has been set
for the date the lid - is to be put
on.
Once Lived in Atchison. - Miss
Bertha Bruner. private secretary to
Mrs. Leland ]. Stanford, and who
was with her at the death of the lat
ter, is an Atchison woman. Miss
Bruner was formerly a stenographer
for the Pomeroy Coal Company here.
She left Atchison for California sew
eral years ago and has been in the
employ of Mrs Stanford. to whose in
terests she was devoted.
On Serious Charge.-Will S. Kess-
Ter, Harry Isenhart and Jesse Tin
ker, all Salina men, were arrested
charged with statutory rape. Kess-
Ter is more than 60 years old. Tinker
is a barber and Isenhart is book
keeper All the men gave bond. The
girls mentioned in the case range
from Is to 16 years of age.
Horses Burn With Barn. - Five
horses and a large quantity of hay,
vehicles and tools were destroyed in
a fire which burned a large barn be-
longing to Contractor Michael Station
at Leavenworth. For a time the ST.
Johns hospital was in danger, but
prompt work on the part of the fire.
men saved the hospital.
Spent 20 years in Army.-William
H. Ryerson, a member of the United
States army twenty years, died in the
hospital in Fort Leavenworth of
pneumonia. Ryerson was a sergeant
of Company D, engineers. The body
will be sent to New York for inter
ment. He leaves a widow and sew
eral children.
Kind Hearted People. = The good
people of Arkansas City started pro-
ceedings against a citizen for whip
ping a mule half to death. When they
discovered that the mule was balky
they dropped the proceedings and
helped make business pick up for the
mule.
Gifts For His chiIdren.-Nels Han
sen, one of the wealthiest farmers in
Brown county, celebrated his Goth
birthday recently and all his children
were invited home for the occasion.
After a big. family dinner Mr.. Han
sen was given some fine presents. He
in turn gave three of the children
checks for $500 each, another fine
piano, another $1,000 in. cash, and
still another 160 acres of land. Mr..
Hansen came to Kansas from Den
mark when a young man, without a
cent. He now owns 1000 acres of the
best land in Brown county, together
with immense herds of cattle.
The First Grasshoppers. - Pratt
county hasn't brought in any oil or
gas wells. hasn't a man in Congress
and can't boast of very many in the
penitentiary. but it does claim to have
produced the first grasshoppers of the
spring.
Which Is It?-Ottawa is consider
ably worked up over bunch of old
clothes found on the river bank.
Tracks lead from the clothes to the
water but the closest scrutiny fails
TO reveal any leading back. The ones