100 years ago: Local doctor exhibits new ‘lungmotor’

From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for May 24, 1914:

  • “The only lungmotor in the state of Kansas is now on exhibition at the office of Dr. G. W. Jones. The lungmotor is an improvement over the pulmotor. Dr. Jones saw it work last summer at St. Luke Hospital, Chicago and ordered one then, but it was only delivered a few days ago. Dr. Jones invited his fellow practitioners into his office yesterday afternoon to witness an exhibition of the machine that is designed to help in restoring life that has nearly gone out…. The lungmotor works much faster than the pulmotor [and] has been adopted by the United States government for use in the army. Dr. Jones has put the machine at the disposal of the people of Lawrence. He is anxious that the other doctors become familiar with it so that they will be able to use it whenever it can be of service.”
  • “A. R. Maxwell, local manager for the Wells Fargo Express company, has been having a lot of excitement lately while filling his large hay barn northwest of the city. Last Friday F. Peterson, who was helping him, climbed to the top of the barn to attach the tackle for pulling up the hay and after putting through the rope forgot to make it fast. Later he put his foot in a loop intending to let himself down and dropped twenty-one feet. There was nothing to break his fall and he was knocked unconscious for about half an hour. W. H. Davis saw the man fall and ran to his assistance and together with Mr. Maxwell and a pail of water they soon brought Mr. Peterson back to consciousness. No serious results whatever have followed, excepting that Maxwell’s hair is turning grey.”
  • “Haskell institute will hold its commencement exercises beginning with the sermon to graduates on Sunday, June 14 and ending with a round of school festivities on Thursday, June 18. Haskell has been doing good work all the years and the past year has been an exceptionally good one. The school has fared very well in appropriations and has made a number of improvements. There is a lot of work in such an institution that takes money but Haskell is economical and has done the best possible with the means at its disposal. But it is in the teaching work that Haskell shines brightest. It has a strong administrative organization and every department is well managed.”
  • “A mother ‘possum and six young ones are on display at the Farmers Home and Supply company’s office. The little ones have attracted considerable attention. They look very much like a rat except that they have the color of a ‘possum. The mother and little ones were found by Will Green on his farm northeast of Lawrence. The small ones are about two weeks old.”
  • “John Lawson brought to the Journal-World office yesterday some bunches of wheat taken from a bottom farm to show the damage that is being done by the Hessian fly. The bunches of wheat which were jointed and about eighteen inches high were surrounded at the roots by a bunch of dry, brown blades and altogether presented a very unhealthy appearance…. Anyone who has never seen the Hessian fly will have no trouble in finding it in the affected fields by simply examining the sickly looking straw near its roots. The rain will be of help to some fields, but it is feared that a good many fields will promise so little that farmers will plow them up…. F. D. Coburn, secretary of agriculture, reports the damage to wheat by the Hessian fly will be slight. He said the difficulty will be in finding room and cars for the crop.”