From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for April 25, 1916:

• “George Miller, sexton of the Catholic cemetery east of Lawrence, and resident on R. F. D. No. 2, is no more. Yesterday Mr. Miller bade himself goodbye and introduced himself to Mr. George Kunkel, who immediately became a citizen of Douglas county. And Mr. Kunkel, if you please, is perfectly sane. Moreover he has the sanction of the United States government in his action. ‘I was tired of being George Miller,’ said Mr. Kunkel yesterday. ‘Other George Millers continually got my mail. I sent my watch to a jewelry firm to be repaired. It was sent back to me but I never received it. Some of my letters were opened before I got them. My wife suggested that I change my name.’… It cost Mr. Kunkel a total of $35 in fees to secure the change. The most trouble connected with the formula was the selection of a name. ‘First I was going to make my name Brown, but I found there were almost as many Browns as Millers. Then I thought of Williams. Finally, in desperation,’ said Mr. Kunkel, ‘I took a directory of Lawrence and found that only one person in it had the name Kunkel. I had remembered the name when a young woman by that name had won a buggy in a newspaper contest. My wife and I liked the sound of Kunkel, so we chose it…. Yes, I know Kunkel is a German name and I am almost a thorough-bred Irishman,’ continued Mr. Kunkel. ‘That doesn’t make any difference to me. I’m neutral. And the name Kunkel pleases my wife, who is German and whose name before I married her ten years ago was Mary Sealing.’… Two years ago as one of the preliminary steps of making the shift of names, Mr. and Mrs. Kunkel (then Mr. and Mrs. Miller) were re-married in Kansas City under the name of Kunkel. ‘I have my new name by rights now and I want everyone to know it,’ said Mr. Kunkel as he walked joyfully down Massachusetts street.”
• “Complaints have reached the city commission that some of the white way posts have been used as hitching posts. The result has been that the filaments of several lights have been broken. As each lamp costs the city $2, the practice is likely to prove expensive to the city if continued. The commission is considering the advisability of passing an ordinance providing a fine for hitching to the white way posts. Such an ordinance is in effect in Topeka. Complaint has also been made that one post near a livery barn has been damaged by vehicles being run out of the barn and against it. The commissioners are uncertain as to whether the ordinance can cover this case.”
• “North Side residents met at the Methodist church last night and perfected an organization to look after the interests of that part of the city. There were twenty-five present and much optimism was expressed over the developments of North Lawrence. Some requests for action from the School Board and City Commission are to be formulated at future meetings…. Like other parts of town, the north side is getting organized in a neighborly way to look after the things that most concern it and to discuss civic affairs generally. Their slogan is, ‘North Lawrence, a good place to live in,’ and good results will doubtless come from the organization.”