From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for March 6, 1912:

• “The big spelling contest for Douglas county will take place Saturday afternoon at 1:30 at the Douglas County court house. For one hour all contestants will spell orally. Each word correctly spelled will count one point for the contestant spelling it. Following this, 100 words will be given the contestants to write. Again each word spelled correctly will count one point…. For first prize a fine dictionary will be given; for second $6 in cash; for third is a box of stationery; fourth, a year’s subscription to the Journal-World.”
• “Yesterday was election day but little interest was taken in the event of the day in Lawrence as there was little contesting for the offices to be filled and but a total of 601 votes were cast in the entire city…. The socialist and republican parties are the only ones who took an active part in the primary although a few scattering democratic votes were cast.”
• “A new system today was installed in the law school of the University whereby when a student fails in a study he will have to wait until the next term and take it over. Heretofore when a student failed he could make up the failure by passing an examination. This system is used in the college, but today was the first time that it was announced that it would be followed in the law school.”
• “Does the sparkle of diamonds hold any enchantment for you? Have you ever felt the fascination of the warm glow of rubies, the soothing influence of pearls or the beauty of all precious gems, stories of which even in this prosaic now-a-days can turn this matter of fact world into an Arabian Nights setting? If you have you should not miss the speaker here Friday evening when Dr. G. F. Kunz, the greatest authority in the world on gems, will speak in Fraser Hall. Dr. Kunz will give a popular talk on precious gems and will illustrate his talk with seventy beautiful lantern slides, the finest of their kind in the world. The public is cordially invited for the talk is free.”