From the Lawrence Daily World for Jan. 3, 1911:

• “Skating is good now. The intense cold of the last few days has capped every pond, creek and lake in the vicinity of Lawrence with a smooth glistening sheet of ice. Even the river is frozen sufficiently in places to make skating permissible. With the usual inconsistency of fate, the ice and the opening of school arrived simultaneously. That is a mere handicap, however, which will simply give Young America five or six hours on the ice instead of eight or ten. Every kiddy who has them, is carrying his skates to school this afternoon, and when the dismissal bells sound at 4 o’clock he will race his mates to the nearest pond.”
• “The arrival of cold weather always inaugurates an outburst of petty thieving. The first of what will probably be a long list of petty robberies occurred last night. Two government blankets were taken from the Haskell bus which had been sent to the Santa Fe after some institute passengers. The blankets were the regulation red ones furnished the institute and have the monogram “U. S.” in the border. The blankets are of heavy wool and are worth $6 each.”
• “Was the vacant house at 616 Ill. belonging to Joseph Sullivan which burned this morning set afire by someone who took shelter there from the intense cold? That seems to be the only explanation for the blaze which practically destroyed the cottage this morning.”
• “There is a slight discrepancy in the federal and state census of Lawrence. Uncle Sam says Lawrence has 12,374 people, while the county assessor found 13,779. This is a difference of 1,305.”