From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Dec. 14, 1914:

• “Six degrees below zero at eight o’clock this morning was the official announcement from the weather department at the University. This was the first reading taken from the official thermometer…. This is the coldest temperature that has been experienced in Lawrence this year and is as cold as it has been for several years. This weather has been coming on gradually for about ten days and has given the people a chance to get used to it. It is not the disagreeable cold for the air is dry…. Lawrence people like other towns are not exceptionally well prepared to contend with the cold weather for the gas pressure is not as good as could be wished. At may places in the outlying districts this morning it was difficult for people to get sufficient gas to heat their houses. A general scarcity of gas is reported over the state so Lawrence is as well favored as many of the other towns. It only means that some other method of heating will be employed when gas gives out. ‘Necessity is the mother of invention,’ the old saying goes, and the people will find a way to keep warm.”
• “In making a fire at the residence of G. A. Aldrich caused by a defective fire place last night the Hose Wagon was badly damaged when it skidded, not so badly damaged but was taken on to the fire. The slick street was accountable for the skidding of the wagon and people who were standing on the curbing watching the department pass narrowly escaped injury. The fire originated under the fireplace which was on the second floor of the house. It was in the joist and very hard to reach. It was necessary to tear out the tiling and a part of the floor. The estimated damage to the house is $100.”
• “Forgetfulness was the cause of a fire which originated from a hot iron being left on the ironing board at the Chi Omega house Saturday night. The girls were all down stairs when they found the upstairs full of smoke…. Nothing was seriously damaged except the ironing board. The entire upper story was badly smoked and the girls experienced a big scare.”
• “I. J. Meade received by express from his friend G. A. Alkire, Glendale, Arizona, a Chicken Ostrich weighing about 120 pounds and is now on full feed and doing fine. The Ostrich business has completely flattened out since change of styles of ladies hats. It is said there are stored in New York $80,000 worth of feathers at old prices that can not be sold. Old ostriches that sold for $250 each can now be bought for $5 to $10, old ones of course are worth nothing except for the features, but the young ones are said to be just as tender as fine as quail when property roasted. Mr. Meade expects to have ostrich meat for Christmas dinner instead of turkey.”
• “Fred Albro who has been arrested a number of times by the police for drunkenness returned to Lawrence yesterday with a basket of lunch on his arm and was immediately taken in by the police. Albro left town a short time after being released by the police on an agreement to come to the station to pay his fine. He never showed up to pay the fine and the police thought he had gone for good but he returned and was immediately taken in. He was in an intoxicated condition when he got off the train and the lunch basket contained four quarts of liquor. Albro was unable to pay his fine and he was committed to the city jail.”
• “Floyd Lutz arrived in Lawrence this morning, he was sent home from the state penitentiary with the tuberculosis. He was pronounced incurable by the physicians there. ‘Razor’ was sent up for violating the prohibitory laws. He was sentenced for two years.”
• “In preparation for the two expositions which will open on the coast next month, a new schedule was considered at a meeting of the operating and passenger officials of the Santa Fe system last week. Heavy travel is expected, and to accommodate it some changes will have to be made in the schedule now in operation.”