From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Dec. 16, 1914:

• “For the general protection of Lawrence people from fire and explosion the City Commissioners have had an ordinance drawn up that will control the use of gasoline and other dangerous materials that are used in the cleaning and pressing establishments. This ordinance is aimed primarily at the cleaning establishments but indirectly controls all use of gasoline and kerosene. The ordinance will be taken up at the next meeting of the commissioners. Insurance rates on certain buildings have been raised so much that there has been considerable complaint of the cleaning shops which are given as the cause for the exceptional rates. In many places gasoline is used in such a manner that it endangers the lives of many people to say nothing of the loss of property should an accident occur…. It is possible that after this stringent ordinance is passed that there will be an inspection made of all of the cleaning houses and the methods employed by them in cleaning clothes.”
• “Owing to the cold weather the Telegraph and Telephone companies report that they are having considerable wire trouble during the present cold weather. The cold causes the wires to contract and break. Owing to this fact there is some delay in delivering messages.”
• “Hiatt Arnold, the freshman Kansas University student who was the only freshman to receive a letter from the University, has left the school. He has been in school but one semester and secured his letter by breaking the school record in the discus throw last fall in the class meet. Arnold is the first man to take a letter from Kansas University who has been here but a single semester. Arnold got discouraged in his work was the reason he gave for leaving school.”
• “Perhaps the best collection of German books in Kansas public libraries is in the Lawrence Carnegie library. Some years ago the Theodore Poehler gift of several hundred volumes in German among them the 164-volume set of ‘National German Literature’ greatly enriched the Lawrence collection…. The State Traveling library at Topeka has 200 volumes in four or five traveling sets available to any community on the usual terms of two dollars for six months. As yet however the Traveling library has been unable to provide special collections for several Kansas communities of Bohemians, French, Italians, Moravians and Scandinavians.”
• “This is an unusually long spell of cold weather for December. The thermometer is the lowest it has been this year. Live stock suffers if not properly cared for but wheat is in high glee.”
• “The last session of the public schools for the present year will be on Friday the 18th at 2:00 o’clock when programs will be given in all the schools. Special attention has been given to these programs. The rooms will be decorated for the occasion and the public invited. George Innes will give his usual treat of an orange and candy to all of the children in the first three grades in the city. School will convene after the holidays on the 4th of January.”
• “Keep the young folks at home with a Victrola or Grafonola and the finest dance music in the world. They don’t have to go elsewhere for amusement. Victrolas and Grafonolas priced from $15.00 to $200.00. Bell Bros. Music Co.”