From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Dec. 28, 1915:

• “Because of the nature of the bottom of the Kansas river a radical change in the construction of the north fill for the new bridge has been made necessary. Instead of the dredging method formerly employed, it has been deemed best by the engineers to haul earth for the fill. The river bottom was found to be composed of a hard gumbo-like soil where the dredger was at work and as it was necessary to blast continually as well as to employ the use of a ‘clam shell’ to break up this stratum of earth, the method was voted too expensive as well as a waste of time in this case. The cold weather is not hindering or delaying the construction of the bridge as a larger force is being worked in order that the same amount of work might be accomplished as if it were being carried on under ideal climatic conditions…. The company building the bridge is doing all possible for the safety and the comfort of the men employed. The rafts now resemble Noah’s Arks with the hoods which have been constructed upon their decks for the protection of the firemen and engineers against the cold and disagreeable weather.”
• “The plans for the celebration to be held on New Year’s day in recognition of the opening of the interurban road to Kansas City are moving along satisfactorily…. Besides the members of the First Regiment band, about seventy men will make the trip from Lawrence. Two cars will be required to carry them. T. J. Sweeney, secretary of the local committee, will see that the cars are suitably decorated inside and out, and that the interurban road and Lawrence as its terminal are suitably advertised to all persons along the route.”
• “The first burst of cold weather of the real winter standard weighed the gas supply in the balance and found it sadly wanting. Many of the public buildings where the furnaces are fired with gas are cold and in some of the homes, especially on the west side of town, the residents were scarcely able to get breakfast.”
• “On account of the bad weather prevailing the workmen have been unable to repair the Douglas county clock. The clock is to be cleaned, repainted and any necessary repairs made. It is hoped that the new year will see a renewed clock. The clock is now acting as a thermometer: as long as it is 3:20 by the clock it is less than 32 degrees above zero.”
• “Police Judge Henry Albach returned this morning from Chanute where he spent Christmas, and found a big police court docket waiting for him. Conditions in Lawrence are not so quiet as in Chanute, Kansas, Judge Albach says. He found that in the latter town there had not been a police court case since early in December. Ten or a dozen cases were on the docket here waiting for trial. All were set for 4 o’clock this afternoon.”
• “The increase of the price of natural gas in the city of Lawrence to 28 cents a thousand feet, notice of which has been given by the local company, occupied most of the time at the weekly meeting of the city commission today. The notice filed by the local company of its intention to discontinue supplying free gas to the city building and public library was read to the commission.”