From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for July 28, 1914:

• “The water situation today is in a more critical condition than it has been for several days. It seems impossible to get the new motor at the water plant working right and it will not do the work it is supposed to do. It was put in order this morning and pumped for a while but it got so hot it was necessary to stop it…. People who live on the hill complained this morning that there was no water in the mains last night from 5 o’clock until about 6:30 this morning and then the flow was weak…. The lawns that have been kept in the very best of condition during the hot weather by sprinkling have already faded, as the city ordinance forbids the use of the water for sprinkling purposes, and the people who were so proud of their lawns can no more brag of the beautiful lawns of Lawrence. The cooling influence of the city fountains in the parks is also missed. The situation of Lawrence is growing more tense as the hottest and driest month is coming.”
• “A well dressed young man, who gave his name as Brown, and posing as a college student soliciting subscriptions for a magazine went to the home of Mrs. H. M. Cotton late yesterday afternoon and took a subscription from her. She paid him and then he asked for a drink of water. While she was gone for the water she left her purse lying on a stand in the same room in which Brown was. She gave him a drink and he went his way but almost immediately she missed the money out of her purse and looked to see if he could be seen, but he had suddenly disappeared. She telephoned to the police and they searched the town for him but he could not be found.”
• “South Lawrence was favored with a rain this afternoon at about 2:45 o’clock. A heavy cloud came over and shut off the hot sun for a short time and the rain came down in earnest for a while. It was a great relief from the heat that had prevailed since early morning.”
• “The announcement of the declaration of war by Austria-Hungary on Servia came almost immediately after Germany and Austria notified Sir Edward Grey, the British Foreign Minister, of their refusal to join in a mediation conference. It is assumed the efforts of European nations now will be directed toward localizing the area of hostilities…. Reports from the Austrian border state that the transportation of the eighth and ninth Austrian army corps from Bohemia toward the Servian frontier has begun, and there is no traffic on Bohemia railroads except that of troop trains…. Bullish excitement was rampant in Kansas City following the declaration of war. At noon close wheat was 5 3-8c higher than last night. September wheat jumped the most when it rose to 5 5-8c to 5 3-4c higher than yesterday.”