From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Nov. 2, 1911:

• “This morning the weather observatory at the University reported that the temperature was 16 degrees, showing that the mercury had dropped 20 degrees since yesterday morning. For once at least the cold wave predicted by the prophets arrived on time and when it came it took the mercury down with it. Last night and this morning wherever there was any exposed water it was frozen over with more than a thin coating of ice. The cold wave is supposed now to pass over to the more southern sections of the country but it remained most of the day.”
• “When William Jennings Bryan appeared in the Fraternal Aid Hall last night he was greeted by one of the largest crowds that has ever attended a meeting of any kind held in that hall…. Mr. Bryan was brought here by the Democrats to speak in the interests of Mr. Taggart, the Democratic nominee for Congress…. For an hour and a half he spoke to the people on some of the greatest political questions of the day, but he held his audience perfectly without tiring them in the least. Mr. Bryan has a remarkable voice for this work and he could be heard all over the big hall. His address was purely along political lines and yet it was filled with the deepest of thought and greatly enjoyed by all who heard it. About 2,500 people heard him speak here last night, it being one of the largest political gatherings that the town has known in years.”