From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for April 19, 1916:

• “A. B. Cavaness, well known pioneer of this state, died at his home in Baldwin at 11 o’clock Tuesday morning…. He came to Lawrence from Indiana in the year of 1856. Lawrence was a struggling prairie town of not more than two hundred inhabitants. He was here during the border war trouble and enlisted with the Free State men serving under Colonel Harvey. The next year he came to Baldwin and has lived here ever since. He was attending Baker University when the Civil War broke out, and he answered the first call for volunteers…. He came back to Baldwin, and was here during the grasshopper year. It was that year that Baker University reached its lowest ebb. Hard times came, students were forced to quit school, the faculty all quit, for there was no money to pay them, and Baker seemed doomed. It was then that Mr. Cavaness came to the rescue. He helped President Weatherby teach the college classes, and the school was kept going until the close of the semester…. He was postmaster of Baldwin for five years under the administration of President McKinley. He has gained a large reputation for himself as a writer, and has had a number of poems printed…. The athletic field of Baker University is due to the generosity of Mr. Cavaness. He gave a large tract of land to the school for this purpose, and the present athletic field of Baker bears his name.”
• “A refutation of the much asserted claim that Latin has little relation to practical life will be presented to the public Thursday, April 20, by overwhelming testimony gathered in the form of an exhibit by the pupils of the Latin department of the Lawrence high school under the direction of the teachers…. In addition to the exhibit probably the first play ever given in the Latin language in Lawrence will be presented Thursday afternoon.”
• “President Wilson told congress, assembled in joint session this evening, that he had given Germany irrevocable notification that the United States will break off diplomatic relations if her illegal submarine campaign is continued. America’s last word, practically an ultimatum and demanding an immediate reply presumably was in the Berlin foreign office as the president was speaking. It was dispatched last night in accordance with the President’s plan to have it before the German government at the same time he was addressing the American congress…. The President began his address speaking slowly. His voice was heard throughout the chamber. As the President began reviewing the German submarine campaign there was no demonstration. Not a sound was heard about the President’s voice as he spoke the name ‘Lusitania.’ Every head bowed forward as the President indicated that he was approaching the keynote of his message…. When he pronounced the words of the ultimatum declaring that unless Germany should immediately declare and effect an abandonment of submarine warfare, this government would have no choice but to sever diplomatic relations, there was still no demonstration, only a tense silence and a reflection of the gravity of his words.”