The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-07-24
NEWS ITEMS FROM
ALL OVER KANSAS
Happenings of More or Less
Interest Gathered From
Many Sources.
FOUND STILL NEAR HANOVER
Internal Revenue Agents AIIeee Farm
ers Operated Plant With capac-
ity of 20 Gallons Daily.

What is said to be the largest illicit
s'stilI ever found in the Middle West,
recently was discovered near Hanover
by w. N. Larabee and J. L. McCor-
mick, internal revenue agents working
out of the Kansas City, Kas., office.
Frank J. Hatka and W. E. Langley,
farmers, and w B. Guilbert of Bea-
trice, Neb., owner of the two farms
occupied by Hatka and Langley, were
charged with operating the still in a
complaint issued by o. Q. Claflin,
United States commissioner.
Hatka and Langley have been ar
rested and according to Larabee and
Mccormick have confessed to opera
ting the still More than twenty gal
Ions of "moonshine' was made each
time the still was operated, Larabee
stated, the business assuming such
proportions that Langley sold his por-
ton Of the liquor to wholesale" deal
ers in Nebraska.
The still was homemade, and first
operated on the farm occupied by
Langley, the revenue agents said.
Langley is a Kentuckian, whose father
had been in the distilIing business and
had taught him the trade. So expert
had he become, the agents said, that
he attempted to double distill" the
illicit liquor, feat considered difficult
in well equipped distil1ery.
r. + +
Ten-year-old Leo Empson, son of
Dan Empson, living near Concordia,
is doing his bit in the harvest. He
arises at 4:3O and works until 10 at
night, carrying on shocking with his
mother and elder brother, while his
father runs the binder. He has been
at it for two weeks. Ralph Pae, 13
years old, and Marvin Nelson, u, of
Hollis are other youngsters holding
down mems jobs in the harvest in
Cloud County.
r r r
Although it was laid over to the July
meeting from the June meeting, the
board Of Saline County commissioners
has adjourned for July without taking
any action in the matter of extending
aid to the state for prosecution of H.
d. Lefferdink, cashier of the Kansas
State Bank, now closed; Felix Broker,
his associate, and other persons re-
sponsible for wrecking the bank. The
matter was not even brought up for
consideration. 81
+ r r
Richard J. Hopkins, attorney gen.
eral, has received some important in
formation regarding the cost of ce-
ment- Special accountants of the at
torney general were put to work ex-
aiming the books of the Monarch Ce-
ment Company from Tie beginning Of
the year to June 1. Their report shows
the actual cost of the cement TO the
company, through all the processes
from the raw stone to the finished
product, to be in that period S1.42 a
barrel. The attorney general has been
gathering evidence relative to an al
legged trust of the cement companies
to control prices and sales of cement.
The lowest price thus far quoted for
cement was the base price of S1.85 a
barrel at lola, which all the companies
quote, regardless of the location. The
delivered price is this cost plus the
freight from lola, regardless of the
fact that the cement may be delivered
In the town where it is made.
+
The public utilities commission has
granted authority for a refunding bond
issue to the Missouri and Kansas In
terurban, otherwise known as the
Strang Line, for 100000, to be used
In improving the. service between Kan
sas City and Olathe.
+ r +
Eldorado will become the home of
the largest creamery in that section
of the state, if plans of a number of
local capitalists in Eldorado and farm
fers in the vicinity materialize. The
farmers and dairymen favor such
plant and are willing to subscribe for
large amount of stock. The towns
of Leon and Haverhill, south of there,
also favor the proposition.
+ + +
The Kansas coal fields are to have
something new in the way of a mining
camp. Town planning experts and
landscape gardeners have been en-
ployed and instead of unsightly skacks
of two or three rooms; the new camp
which is being built by the r.. Grove
Coal and Mining Company at Grove
angles and houses that will be real
homes instead Of places to stay.
+ i. r
A Ford car driven by Miss GLADYS
Noakes ran away into a crowd at an
ice cream social at the Frost School
house. near Americas, the other night.
severely injurnig Hans Nelson and
Frank Maxwell, farmers.
r + r
Cloud County will give 1000 med
ais for meritorious service to Cloud
County men who saw service in the
great war. The presentation will be
in September, in homecoming week.
when the road races, street carnival,
street dances and agricultural exhibits
will be held.
+ + +
The Cloud County commissioners
have voted to return the county to a
pre-war status as soon as possible
They appropriated $500 for a farm
bureau and farm agent will be en-
ployed at once.
+ r +