The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-09-22
leehunt, Near independence.
Will Soon be Nothing But
\ a Memory.
ONCE HAD 1900 POPULATION
City Grew Around Big Cement Plant
Which Has Been Dismantled
and Moved Away.

was at the east end of Table Mound
and its chief industry was the manu-
facture of cement, one of the largest
cement mills in the state being To-
Gated there.
Leehunt is five miles northwest of
Independence and regular trains were
run back and forth at intervals A
number of fine homes were built there,
a postoffice was established, the peo-
pie voted bonds for a $4,000 school
building which was built and is thor
oughly modern. One of the principal
buildings is a large stone hotel which
did a thriving business. The cement
plant itself is said to have cost more
than a million dollars. A drop in the
cement market a few months ago
closed the mill temporarily and it be-
came impossible for the company to
meet it's obligations. Creditors be-
came anxious and the plant was sold
at sheriff's sale. The purchaser in
turn sold the plant to syndicate that
owned several other large mills and
they closed it permanently and began
to remove the machinery.
The inhabitants of the town were
forced to hunt other employment and
they naturally came to independence.
Many of them owned their homes at
I4eehunt and were compelled to leave
them behind, a total loss, as there
was no one to rent them. and the cost
of making the trip back and forth be-
tween the two towns night and morn
ing was prohibitive. Finally one of
the men bought lot in independence
and moved his house from Leehunt
to it. Then another workman did the
same thing, and for several weeks this
summer there has been what might
be termed a procession of dwelling
houses between the two towns, until
now there are few houses left there,
and Leehunt is practically depopu-
lated The cement mill is partly
wrecked, the hotel is without guests
and the school building without stu
dents.
Two Die at crossing.-Two we're
killed and three seriously injured
when a Santa Fe express train struck
a motor driven by Will Fox, a farm
er, on a grade crossing fifteen miles
his wife and three daughters were in
the machine. Mrs. Fox and daughter,
Gertrude, 9, were almost instantly
killed Mr.. Fox, Gladys, 6, and Goldie,
4, were picked up badly injured.
x X x
Injury Fatal to Bcy.-Wilbur Moore,
11-year-old son of the Rev. and Mrs.
w E. Moore Of Arkansas City, is dead
as the result of injuries received
while playing N the Newman build
ing. He endeavored to jump on a
moving elevator His left leg Yas
crushed and had to be amputated.
The boy died from the shock.
x X x
Kansas Repudiates Pickets.-Mrs.
c. H. Brooks, president of the Kansas
Equal Suffrage Association, has is
sued a statement in conjunction with
a declaration from the national organ
ization, regulating and condemning
the action of the Woman's party in
picketing the White House.
x X x
Winona to Fight for Road.-At a
meeting in Winona, attended by near
ly every taxpayer of the town, meas
ures were taken to employ the best
legal talent available to contest the
effort of the Colorado, Kansas & Ok
lahoma Railroad to obtain permission
from the state utilities board to tear
up its tracks between Russell Springs
the county seat of Logan county, and
Winona.
x X
Jay H. Bracken of Beloit, commits
stoned first lieutenant at Riley, is now
in the ordnance department and is sta
toned at Frankfort Arsenal, Phila
delphia.
Fell F-om Hospital Window.-A fall
from the second story of the Simmons
hospital in Lawrence brought death
to Mrs. w. Bergman of that city HeI
neck was broken in the fall and she
died within three hours.
x x
First Greeley Settler Desd.-Mrs
Kate Sutton, 80 years old, is dead al
Greeley. She came here in 1854 anG
was tie first settler in the county.
x
well causes Iypnoio.-One well II
Atchison is blamed for seven cases o.
typhoid fever. four Of which include
an entire family. The parents anC
two children were taken to a loca
hospital. The we'll was condemned b.
the local health officer.
Burned to Death by Gasoline
James Sutton, a farmer, near Smith
Center was burned to death, folIowin,
the ignition of gasoline as he was fill
ing his motor car tank. AS he tough
the flames storage tank nearby ex
ploded. covering him with burning oil
4 X
K. u Professor Resigns.-J. Vain
wright Evans. associate professor il
the department of journalism at thu
University of Kansas, has resigned t.
accept position on the staff OF Tn,
Nations Business. the publication o
the United States Chamber of Com
merce at Washington
X K
x. y. Enrolment Laree.-With tn,