The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-04-21
THE NEW LAW HELPS ROADS
Eighty Miles of Hard-Surfaced High
way Under Petition Within Month
After Its Passage.

The practicability of the road laws
enacted by the Kansas legislature last
winter is illustrated by comparison
of what was done under the old road
laws and what has been accomplished
in the few weeks the new legislation
has been in force. For more than
eight years under the old road regime
less than fifty miles of hard-surfaced
highways were constructed in the
state.
Under the new laws, only one month
old, more than eighty miles OF road
along the National Old Trails alone
are under petition
At the annual convention of the Ma
tional Old Trails Road Association in
Harrington last September, Judge J. NJ.
Lowe, national president, named a
commission to take charge of the work
of hard-surfacing the Old Trails across
Kansas. On the commission were C.
w. Black, chairman; W. W. Ray, ]. A.
Kesler, E. W. Hoke and A. c. Blair,
all Kansas road boosters.
After the passage Of the hard"
| road laws this committee, assisted by
Frank A. Davis, national secretary,
outlined campaign to first hard-sur-
face the Trail across seven counties:
Usage, Lyon, Morris, Dickinson, Mar
ion, Mcpherson and Rice, covering
! about two hundred miles of the trans
continental highway.
Work was begun in Dickinson and
Morris counties, and already petitions
calling for building the road have
dir lot -:rr
natures obtained in all but one dis
trict in the two counties Petitions
are in circulation for all of the mile
age across Marion county; in all,
about eighty miles under petition,
either completed or in circulation. All
of the petitions are for either brick or
concrete.
Big Fire at cardner.-Fire, famed
by southwest wind, destroyed
Hodges Brothers lumber yards, a Iv-
cry barn and several residences at
Gardner, the other day. The present
loss is about $4,000. Firemen from
Olathe helped fight the flames.
x * X
Student SaIuted Flag After Beating.
L
dent of Concordia, was severely
beaten by group of fellow students
when he refused to salute the Amer
lean flag and said that if he could
find a German flag he would parade
up and down the halls of the school
building, just to show just what he
thought of the United States and its
flag. Ten of his classmates beat him
until he consented to salute the flag
and declare that he was for the United
States above all. His father upheld
him in his action and tried to demand
protection from the school authorities
Take German as Spy-David Ne
lensky, who has been a shoemaker Il
Baldwin for the last six months, wa:
arrested by United States secret ser
vice men and taken to Kansas City.
!, Midland College, to DriII.-Militar,
! training will be started at MIDLAND
: College, in compliance with orders is
sued by DR.. R. B. Peery, president o
the college.
Chemists to Aid GoVernment-Pro
lessor W. A. Whitaker, president O
t the Kansas City section of the Amer
: lean Chemical society, has asked tn
4 president of the national society t,
E call special meeting at Kansas City
$ in order that chemists may conside
I plans of aiding the government in tn
present crisis.
x
a Sehooiboys Ask DrilI.-One hundrel
3 and four high school boys have sfgnel
s q petition to the school board in Atch
b son to install military training.
/ government drillmaster probably VII
+ be provided.
K 4
Town Founder Dead.-Ceorgs +
: woodward, 80 years old, a resident q
a Geary County since 1856. is dead s
e his home in Junction City. He founC
!. sd the town of Ashland, once pro.
e porous frontier village near Manhaf
: tan. but long since passed from 3.
istence.