From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Sept. 23, 1912:

• “The ladies of the W. R. C. of Lawrence are planning to erect a monument ‘To the Unknown Dead’ at the Oak Hill cemetery this fall and have a novel plan for raising money for this purpose which promises to net a sum almost large enough for the proposed work. They will sell sunflowers at the Douglas County Fair next week and the proceeds from these sales are to go into the memorial fund…. The new monument is to be a handsome granite one and is to replace the old one of wood that had been in the cemetery for over thirty years. They believe that those who fought and died for their country and whose whereabouts are unknown and unmarked should have a more appropriate monument in the Lawrence cemetery and to carry out this idea have decided upon the plan which they will put into operation next week. It is estimated that the monument will cost between $200 and $250. Baldwin is engaged in a similar work at present, the purpose being to erect a monument at Black Jack, near the city of Baldwin.”
• “The regular monthly meeting of the Merchants Association last evening was for the most part a social session. After the supper and regular routine work the question of fire protection came up and all sociability disappeared. The men were very much in earnest and W. F. March in reviewing the situation said that if we had twelve men in the council who paid not the slightest attention to the request of ninety-nine business men along the street, it was time to change the men or if need be, to go to the commission form of government. Councilman Wilder, who is a member of the Association, said that he had always been in favor of the fire truck, but that no headway was being made in the matter and he thought that a committee from the Association should wait on each member of the council in person and get his views on the subject and hear his objections if he were one who has opposed the truck…. Mr. Achning said that the chimneys of the town were in bad shape from gas fumes and said that the people of Lawrence would have a great number of fires that could be avoided if they would see to their chimneys in time.”
• “Tuesday is to be the big day at the Fair. So it was decided last night at the Merchants Association meeting. The business men of the city thought that it would be better to make the first day Lawrence Day and start the Fair off with a rush…. Lawrence people generally are urged to come out on that date and are assured that there will be no better programme all week than will be offered to them that first day.”