100 years ago: City cracks down on unleashed dogs

From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for May 16, 1913:

  • “Now they’re after Fido again. And also Fido’s relatives are threatened by the stern discipline of the law, who has been armed with a double-barreled rapid fire shotgun. The police force of Lawrence is to be turned loose on the canine contingent of the city’s population. Mayor E. U. Bond this morning issued a proclamation in which he ordered that all dogs in the city of Lawrence must be tied up by their owners and they must be kept so or the wrath of the law would descend and exterminate that portion of the canine race which is running about at large. The doggies have fallen into such a gross disfavor because of a case of rabies which has developed in this city and because many other dogs have been exposed to the disease and it is feared that an epidemic of rabies will develop unless strict precautions are taken at once.”
  • “A. L. Griggs, cigar dealer of Lawrence, this morning in police court admitted that he had sold cigarettes at his store in violation of the state law and of the city ordinance. When Griggs was arraigned this morning he pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against him and paid a fine of $5 and costs amounting in all to $10.50.”
  • Billie Bob has not been found. Although he has been missing since Tuesday evening there has been no information obtained as yet to indicate what became of the little fellow. Every clue that has been found has failed to produce any tangible sort of evidence of the boy’s whereabouts.”
  • “The annual clean-up in April each year which heretofore has been conducted by the Civil League of the city aided by the street commissioner and other city officials will be compulsory in the future. The City Fathers last night sitting in an adjourned session of the city council passed the most stringent sanitary ordinance that this city has ever known and if properly enforced will mean that the streets and alleys will rival those of Spotless Town. Under the terms of this ordinance no ashes, refuse, filth, sweepings, trash or any other waste can be thrown into any of the alleys or streets of the city. The owners of the property are held liable for any such violations…. The ordinance also provides that one each year, during the month of April, all such rubbish and trash as may have accumulated on any property shall be cleaned up and hauled out of the city and either buried or burned.”
  • “Councilman James Owens of the Second Ward and Chairman of the Parks Committee has added a beautiful bed of flowers to South Park. C. A. Hicks of North Lawrence has given 300 pansy plants and Whitman and Son have contributed 100 geranium plants. As a result the city has one of the most beautiful flower beds in the city in South Park.”