From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Dec. 26, 1915:

• “The anticipations of the committee in charge of the municipal Christmas Tree exercises in South park were agreeably realized by the attendance and interest, and by the success of the exercises around the municipal tree. The exercises were held in the frosty dusk of a winter day, but the number of people who braved the weather and stood about in the snow for a little more than half an hour while the program was on has been estimated at from 2,500 to 3,000…. A few minutes after 6 o’clock the lights of the tree were flashed on. Alfred Lawrence took a flashlight photograph of the tree and the crowd immediately afterward. The presence of the Haskell and First Regiment bands was a decided help to the exercises. The weather was so cold that most of the people in the crowd preferred not to sing. The selections given by the grade school children and high school girls were well sung and interesting features of the open air service. The program came to a close in a little more than a half hour and the crowd was then as anxious to get home as it had been to get to the park. A half hour of standing about in the snow made every one more appreciative of the warm firesides.”
• “Figuring that twelve quarts of whisky constituted rather too large a shipment for personal use, the city police arrested a young man Saturday night, who was bringing in that amount from Kansas City…. The young man’s father attempted to assure the officers today that it was all a mistake that as much as twelve quarts were brought in. He said he told his boy to bring home a gallon from Kansas City for family use, but he thinks the skillful salesman at the wholesale house talked the boy into getting three gallons.”
• “William Barnaby, age 17, died last night at Haskell Institute where he was a student. The cause of death was heart failure resulting from tuberculosis. The body was taken to Arlee, Mont., for interment.”
• “Rev. E. E. Stauffer, pastor of Trinity Lutheran church, will start his fourteenth year as pastor of the Lawrence church next Sunday. The members of the church, to show their appreciation of the long and efficient service, presented their pastor with a purse of gold as a Christmas present. Naturally Mr. Stauffer was much pleased with the substantial mark of appreciation.”
• “The new seats for the school buildings of Lawrence which were ordered several weeks ago have arrived and are being installed during the Christmas holidays. The seats have already been placed in the New York and Quincy and the carpenters are at work in the other buildings. New blackboards are also being placed in several of the buildings.”
• “Suit for divorce was filed yesterday in district court by Neal J. Perkins against his wife, Frances Perkins. Mr. Perkins alleges that although he treated her with kindness and consideration and amply provided for her needs, Mrs. Perkins abandoned him in August, 1914, and has since that time refused to live with him. He further alleges that when sent money to return to him she used the money for other purposes.”