The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-05
SeVenty-Three Out of Seventy
Seven municipalities Have
Modern Streets.
OTHERS WILL IMPROVE SOON
Scarcity of Labor and War Expense
Have Not Been Able to Stop
the Good Work.

ing prices to the contrary, Kansas
towns continue to pull themselves out
Of the mud
Kansas now has seventy-three towns
with hard surfaced streets, a gain of
twelve over last year, the greatest
gain ever recorded in annual compila-
ton.
The twelve honor towns are Angus
ia, population, ATS; Pratt, 1853;
Hays, 1909; Baxter Springs, 1879;
Hoisington, 1852; Lindsborg, 2,2O7;
Osborne. 1869; Downs, 1866; Man
kato, 1.14S; Solomon, lob; Canton,
$50, and Gypsum, 653 population.
Augusta, which has trebIed in popu-
lation since the discovery of the But
Ter county oil field, paved nine, miles
of street with brick last year and has
three more under contract. Pratt,
which had been the largest town in
Kansas without paving, laid three
miles of brick last summer. Baxter
Springs, which has more than doubled
in size since the opening of the Pitcher
lead and zinc field, has awarded con-
tracts for paving three miles. Hays
spent $183,0O0 on brick paving this
year. Hoisington expended $4,000
and Lindsborg $15O,OOO on the same
material. Osborne laid fourteen blocks
at a cost of $4,000. Downs put five
blocks in its business district as an
experiment. Mankato laid fifteen
| blocks of brick and will lay more next
year. Solomon has let contracts
amounting to $4,000. Gypsum has
voted S35, 900 and Canton $4,000 for
concrete paving.
The two latter towns have fewer
than one thousand persons, and join
Tonganoxie, Glasco and Hope in the
select class of villages with improved
streets. Hope, with a population of
558, continues the smallest community
in the state with paving. Its example
had much to do with the decision of
Canton, Gypsum, Lindsborg and Solo
mon, its neighbors.
Adopts SO orphans.-As a Christ
mas greeting, I. A. Pribb1e of Salina
sent a cablegram to Marshal Joffre,
Paris, that Salina had adopted thirty
six war orphans of France. One is
taken for the duration of the war by
| Sunflower Council, U. G. T., the First
Methodist Episcopal Church Sunday
schools adopted ten and the rest were
taken by individuals and business
| houses.
Accident Fatal to SaIesman.-A E.
Nelson, a travelling salesman living at
Lyons, covering his territory in a mo-
| tor car, was killed six miles south of
Salina when he lost control of his car
and it turned over. The body was
taken to Salina.
A Neodtsha Pioneer Oead.-Clifford
Lesco, Is years old, who came to Will
son county in 1867, is dead at Neode-
sha Three brothers who came there
with him fifty years ago still survive
him. He was a Union veteran in the
Civil War.
Gives 153 to Army.-One hundred
and fifty-three students and graduates
of the Lawrence high school are now
in the military service of the govern
ment. The Budget, the school paper,
has prepared a list of all now in the
service and presented it to the school.
x X x
Pratt Has 100 Men in France. -
Pratt county leads Kansas in the num-
Der of men in France. There are one
hundred from that county including
! those who are with the ammunition
train.
Killed in Car Wreck.-John Klie-
dosty was killed the other night when
his motor car turned over a short dis
/
| discovered pinned under the car.
x x x
Oil Stock to SoIdier.-When Mrs.
II. B. Slaymaker of Peabody opened
her mail recently she found a certifi-
cate for five hundred shares of stock
in the Petroleum Producing and Re-
filming Company of Tulsa, non-assess-
able stock, with this letter inclosed /:
"a week ago, on train between Kan
sas City and Chicago, 1 met your hus-
band, Lieutenant Slaymaker, off for
the front AS 1 am too old to go and
your husband is helping to fight my
battles, 1 inclose this certificate of
stock to show in a measure at least
| my appreciation for this service -
The letter was signed by E. c. Rey-
noIds.
X x x
Move School to Get OiI.-At a spe-
ciaI election voters of School District
No 81, Butler county, voted to lease
| a tract of land which is believed to
| be one of the richest oil regions in
the county, but which has heretofore
been unavailable for development be
cause of a schooIhouse thereon.
| X
Kansas Walnut for RifIes.-A mum
Der of workmen have begun cutting
walnut trees on the Foraker farm
southeast of Wellington, for shipment
to an eastern gun factory, where they
will be made into rifle stocks
Pioneer Swede Dead.-Lars Jacob
son, 70 years old, resident of Atchi
son since 1873, died there recently
He was born and married in Sweden
His wife died twelve years ago. He
is survived by five children, all OF
whom live in Atchison