100 years ago: Hot weather and picnics continue; KC group starts walking to California for 1915 World’s Fair

From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for July 17, 1913:

  • “IT’S SOME COOLER TODAY, ONLY 101 — But the Weather Man Says There Is No Danger of Frost Tonight — COATS STILL OUT OF STYLE — And the Ice Man Is Still On the Job in Lawrence. — It was some cooler today. But no records for low mercury were recorded. Yes, and the heat record established on Tuesday of this week still stands. It was only 101 above today — such a coolness. But perhaps you didn’t appreciate the fact that it was so much cooler today. Well, the weather man didn’t know about it until he looked at his indicator and he took a second look before he was certain about it. However, a few degrees didn’t make much difference when you reach the 100 mark and to all intents and purposes it was just about as hot today as it has been any time this summer. Old Sol did his duty like a man all day, just as he has been doing all week, and the populace here below sweltered and roasted just as much as two days previous when the record was established…. And there seems but little hope of relief. The soda fountain continues to do double duty and extra fizz-dispensers have been put on duty in an effort to relieve the suffering humanity. Swimming places continue to be very popular and the supply of electric fans in the city has been exhausted several times already this week. But the weather man is relentless and promises nothing but more of the some kind for several days to come…. The country people are facing a heavy loss in the cornfield if the heat wave continues much longer. It is feared that much of the corn which has already tasseled out has been lost, but there is still hope for the later crop if rain is forthcoming in the near future.”
  • “The picnic fever is catching. The summer session students of the University of Kansas are going to have one tomorrow evening at Woodland Park…. The students will bring baskets with them and a big supper will be served on the grass of the park. The picnickers will break up into little parties and fall upon the fried chicken, sandwiches, eggs, salads and potato chips and similar eats. Then in the evening there will be a dancing party at the dance hall. There will be plenty of music and all of the other attractions at the park to make it a big occasion for the boys and girls who study in the summer time.”
  • “This is the day when everyone wishes he was either a butcher or a grocer-man. For the Butchers and Grocers have closed up their shops and stores this afternoon, forgotten about ‘T-bone’ steaks and vegetables and flour, et al. and have gone out to Woodland park to enjoy themselves. They have suspended all business and taken their clerks and delivery boys along with them and are simply enjoying themselves. Store doors were locked at noon and you can’t buy a link of sausage or a cucumber until tomorrow morning when the grocer-men and the meat cleavers get back to work.”
  • “A party of eight people arrived in Lawrence this morning about nine o’clock on foot, enroute to San Francisco where they expect to arrive on or before the fair opens in 1915…. The party started from Kansas City last Tuesday and went south intending to follow the old Santa Fe trail but changed their minds and decided to take up the Golden Belt Road. They have a wagon and team with them to carry their cooking utensils, tentage, bedding and other useful articles. They sleep in the open each night unless it rains and they never ride. Their course lies through Colorado and they intend to spend a month or so there before continuing their journey on southwest. A booth will be erected for them at the world’s fair and they will conduct it throughout the exposition. They left Lawrence this afternoon at four o’clock, and will camp a few miles outside of the city.”