The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-06-06
obituary-John Edward Waltz

Greek five miles south of Collyer, on
his fathers ranch
He had started out to care for the
stock before going to the Decoration
Day services at Collyer, as he knew
there was high water on account Of
the heavy rains. On reaching the
stream he saw the turbulent waters
yet ventured to cross to bring back
the hired man who was cut off on
the other side by the high water. But
he with the horse he was riding be-
came engulfed IN the current and in
spite of heroic effort was unable to
reach the shore, the water proving
too deep, the current too strong.
There were many people on the bank
who had come to see the raging wa
ters and painfully watched his manly
struggle but powerless to render
aid
John was q farmer lad, busy at the
time of his death to help feed the
world and produce the crops his coun-
try needs He had the spirit of pro
gress and when he undertook any
thing he gave it the best there was In
him. Wide-awake from childhood,
he always caugh quickly the true
spirit of events He had the quail
ties of leadership and was always at
the front in the things requiring en-
terprise. A little incident occurred IN
his childhood which was characters
tic of his life. When but three years
of age, to the surprise of his parents,
he rode the old family horse to the
Station to meet Gov. Hoch and the
Governor used the incident in his
speech as an illustration.
Once he helped his father seper-
ate some I. W W.'s engaged in a
druken fight and saved the life of an
unfortunate man. He was not
afraid to face danger when neces-
sary.
John was a good boy, an honor to
his parents and devoted to his mother
He was a splendid worker, a youth of
promise and but nineteen years old
at his death. His life was brief, his
death honorable He lived to good
purpose, helping to build up the home
and to contribute something to his
country's welfare.
Those who mourn his death are a
large company, but the chief mourn
ers are his mother and father, one
sister and two brothers.
May God who comforteth all that
mourn help the bereaved ones to bear
their burden of grief. The love of
God is such a blessed fact and so ten
der toward all that we can believe
with confidence that John has gone TO
the heavenly home prepared by our
loving Lord for all His own
The body was found early Satur-
day morning, two days after the
tragedy within a short distance of
the spot that marks the dreadful
event.
The funeral services were conduct
ed by Rev. J. W. Snapp in the Meth
odist church on Sunday afternoon at
three o'clock, IN the presence of
large congregation of sympathizing
friends. The floral offerings were
many and beautiful. The palI-bearers
were six young men, students of the
Normal, where he attended school
for some time. The body was laid to
rest IN the Hays City cemetery.
The following are the names of the
boys, seven IN number, who were
called to the colors last week They
were sent to Fort Logan, Colo.
Leslie F. Wiruth,
Memo Behler,
Dale Seright,
Thomas D. Bieler,
Fred Higgins,
Jesse Earl Fisher,
Vernon Bice, Russell
Lester Poland, Minneapolis
Don't forget the eclipse of the sun
this coming Saturday afternoon,
June Sth. It will be plainly visable
here in Ellis County, commencing
about $50 in the afternoon and be
about and hour IN duration 1t viii
not be a total eclipse here in Ellis
county, as the direct line is through
the Garden City district, but it will
be plain enough to make you think it
is picture show time or Nget-up-in-
the-morning time. So when II begins
to darken Saturday afternoon don't
think it a cyclone or bedtime.
The heavy iron carts of the paving
gang were shipped last week to Mis-
souri,, and as soon as West Juniata
Street is finished, the street paving
will stop In Hays until after the war.
The city and property owners have
spent or been assessed over 100000
for the paving done, which they can
pay in ten annual installments when
paying their taxes. Other citizens
would like to have the pleasure of
paved streets but did not feel that
they could afford it now while con-
tributing to war measures and keeping
up expenses of the high cost Of living.
After the war no doubt many more
The United Telephone Company,
under the direction Of Manager Add
son, has published their Hays num-
Der of the UNITED Telephone Voice,
of eighteen pages of magazine, which
is very interesting, the frontispiece'
being view of the Fort Hays Normal
School, black on a pink background,
which is very attractive. Inside is an
interesting article on the State Nor
NAL and q two-page article by Mr..
Addison, entitled fHAYS, q Live
Town" While the whole magazine
is full of interesting reading TO the
telephone employees of the whole
system, who are furnished free copy
for their information and entertain
ment In the correspondence pages
from the different exchanges hrs. Ad-
olson gives some interesting Hays
notes and says: ''the HAYS exchange
telephone service viii be a big factor
IN carrying out the proposed arrange
ments for procuring and placing OF
transient and local help for the COM
ing harvest"
Crowds visited the cemetery Deco
raion Day and the flower display was