From the Lawrence Daily World for Oct. 18,1908: “Republicans are planning a whirlwind windup for the election campaign here and a number of top speakers are due in the county for three major meetings. : Officials have banned bonfires of any kind here until there is a good rain. The region is tinder-dry, they say, and fire hazards are huge. : It appears at least 50 are dead and 300 injured by fierce forest fires that have wiped out some small communities in the Alpena, Mich., area. : J.W. Holey has brought in several stalks of Australian rice corn with which he has been experimenting here. He says it produces excellent crops and he is hoping more will give it a try. The product makes good feed, good pop corn and can be cooked for rice. Holey thinks it has a bright future in Kansas. : Douglas County currently is experiencing one of the worst droughts in some time and more and more dust storms are being stirred up as winds whip and ground dries. Wheat has not been hit too hard but livestock people are worried and fields are parched and dry.”