From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for July 31, 1912:

• “Farmers between Lawrence and Ottawa may soon see a motor truck making regular rounds of the country districts, delivering goods sent out from the cities and in turn loading products on the truck for the markets. A plan has been proposed for such a route and is now in the hands of the Commercial Club of this city. The plan is proposed by Charles Robinson of Chicago, Illinois, who explains that it is being carried out successfully in other localities and that he believes it would be equally successful if tried here.”
• “William Jennings Bryan was in Lawrence this morning, that is for a few minutes. The Commoner came in from Western Kansas, where he has been making Chautauqua speeches, and stopped here to take the Ottawa train for that city where he is to speak this afternoon. Between trains Mr. Bryan rested in a room at the Hotel Eldridge. He has been leading the strenuous life since coming into Kansas and is tired from his speech making and rapid dashes from one Chautauqua platform to another.”
• “The Y.M.C.A. playground at Learnard lots is now in use almost every day. Most of the boys come out in the morning, as the weather is too hot for much playing in the afternoon. Three squads were out this morning playing baseball.”
• “The annual picnic of the Douglas County Farmers Institute will be held this year in the Poor Farm Grove on August 8. The program for the day has been completed and it promises to be one of the biggest country gatherings of the year…. The speakers for the afternoon are to be P. A. Barnam of the Kansas Farmer of Topeka and Mr. Wilson of the Lawrence Creamery. In addition to these speakers some lady speaker is to be secured to talk on home economics. There will be the big basket dinner at noon that is always one of the big events of the farmers’ picnic. In the afternoon the Blue Mound ball team will cross bats with some other fast country team that has not yet been selected. Those desiring transportation to the picnic should call Fred Harvey, Bell phone 7842.”
• “Does anyone in Lawrence know of E. W. Johnson who was a member of the twenty-sixth regiment of Connecticut Volunteers? His comrades are looking for him and would be pleased to receive any information regarding his whereabouts. Mr. Johnson is supposed to have been a resident of Lawrence some time ago. Anyone who has any information regarding this man will do a favor by informing Benjamin F. Gates, New London, Conn.”