The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-03-25
LAWRENCE TO BUY
City Votes Bonds to Acquire
the Present Water Sup
ply Plant There.
PLAN MANY IMPROVEMENTS
Softening and Filtration Plants to Be
Installed and Mains Extended
Students Worked Hard.

Lawrence recently decided to pur-
chase the privately owned water sys-
TEN, which for three years has been
the center of attack by citizens in
terested in getting wholesome drink
ing water here. Two years ago the
proposition to buy the plant for $751;
600 was voted down, four to one. Last
year $3.50, 900 bond proposal to build
municipal plant was defeated, two to
one. Now the offer of the Lawrence
Water Company to sell its plant to
the city for $4,000 is accepted by
a vote of 1856 to 1,O83. The plan car
ried in all except two wards in North
Lawrence, where little city water is
used.
Students at the University of Kan
sas took an active part in the cleo
ton this year. Dozens of students in
political science did their first prac-
teal work in politics by checking up
the vote and bringing people to the
polls. The university faculty and stu
dents were unanimously in favor Of
the proposal.
Plans for improving the plant will
begin Immediately. Softening and fill
tration apparatus will be installed and
mains viii be extended in the resi-
dence districts. Lawrence has the
reputation throughout the state of
having the poorest water and many
have refused to come to the Univer-
sity of Kansas for that reason. This
objection will be eliminated by the
purchase of the water system.
x X
Women Building Town HaII-Gene-
va, a one-stOre town, is On the list of
live ones, for its citizens are starting
the work OF building a rock road to
lola, at their own expense, and have
subscribed the money to build a town
hall. The women were largely re-
sponsible for the hall movement and
one fifteen lumber wagons lined up
to go to Neosho Falls for lumber, and
every driver was a woman-not a man
in sight. The women have decided
that the men need some place to meet
that will be more uplifting than a
box car or hay loft assembly.
x x
Rain Stopped Prairie Fire-A pra-
RE fire that started recently in ELS
worth county burned over eight sec
lions of land extending into Saline
county and was only extinguished by
rain. Considerable hay and some small
buildings were burned. A sudden
shifting of the wind saved several
farmhOuses that were in the path of
the flames. A couple of hundred men
fought the fire more than twelve
hours.
Former Kansas Editor Dead-Henry
e. Ashbaugh, II years old a pioneer
Kansas newspaper man, is dead at the
home of his daughter. Mrs. S. L. Kern
of Lawrence. He was for many years
editor of the Newton Kansan.
His Tractor ExpIoded-Carey Gum,
a farmer Of Milan was killed there
the other day when his tractor engine
exploded
Buys Kansas Line-The Missouri
and Kansas Telephone Company has
closed a deal for the Butler County
Telephone Company for $4,000. The
Butler County company has lines con-
Meeting Eldorado, Augusta, Douglass,
Chelsea, Latham and other towns
4
Another Prairie Fire-A flame five
weeks old in a straw stack near Syl-
van Grove started prairie fire which
threatened all the country between
Sylvan Grove and Lucas. A heavy
northwest wind swept the flames rap
idly across the country A general
telephone alarm called out hundreds
of people and a general fight put the
flames under control in five hours
without material damage.
Boy Best Wheat Tester-Carl Con-
gIeton of Wichita won the silver low
ing cup for making the most accurate
test of wheat samples at the meeting
of the cooperative grain dealers of
the state n session at Salina
= X x
Teachers Body EIects-Jessie G.
Adee, county superintendent of Otta-
wa county, was elected president OF
the North Central Kansas Teachers
Association for 1917. The next annual
meeting will be held in Abilene.
4 x
Fire Damaged Light office-The of
flee Of the Atchison Railway, Light
and Power Company was damaged
$4,000 by fire the other day.
x x x
Stole $1,000 in cIothing-A dozen
suitcases filled with clothing were the
booty Of burglars VINO entered the
store of J. B. Lynn & Son at Win
field. The highest priced suits and
silk waists were taken to the number
Of sixty or seventy and the value Of
not less than $1,000.
II II
Wolf Hunt DraWs-The wolf hunt
covering four townships in the south
part of Saline county recently, drew
$500 people from several counties
Fourteen wolves were caught and
twenty escaped through the lines.
x
Coal Operator Dies-B. s. Abbott,
so years old, is dead at his home in
Pittsburg. Mr.. Abbott had been a coal
operator in Southeastern Kansas for