From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Feb. 9, 1916:

• “Although the present automobile show at Kansas City eclipses all other shows of like nature ever shown there, there is one day of the week that outshines all the others – Society Day. It is on this day that everything takes on its brightest hue and all make merry…. When the shows were shown in Convention Hall it held as much interest from a society standpoint as the horse show and similar society events…. Local people have attended the show every day it has been in session…. Persons who have gone from here say the show is truly a revelation even to people who consider themselves familiar with most of the recent developments in motor car building. There are more new things to be seen and more new ideas to be learned than the average person would consider possible. Lawrence motor car dealers have been greatly pleased with the attendance from Lawrence at Kansas City this week. This means a renewed and extending interest in the motor car, as they figure it, and is the promise that business in their line this year is going to be good…. During the last four years a number of people have been saying the market could not continue to absorb the constantly increasing output. Up to the present time these people each year have seen the miracle of the demand which seems to know no satisfaction – yet they continue to predict dire things for the automobile business. They forget that out of the 703,000 people who bought automobiles last year there are 300,000 who are merely practicing. Every one of these 300,000 is getting the motor car habit, and a large portion will buy larger, more comfortable cars this year – in addition to the hundreds of thousand who decide first hand on a quality car.”
• “A representative of the Journal-World was talking this morning with Mr. D. W. Hazen regarding the water question, when Mr. Hazen remarked: ‘While I believe in municipal ownership, how is the city going to get pure water after buying the plant?’ and when told that the water as it came from the wells was absolutely pure and wholesome and desirable excepting for the iron it contained, Mr. Hazen was somewhat surprised and stated that he thought it would be a good idea to dwell upon this point as many persons were of the belief that the water was impure as it came from the wells and that a new source of supply would be necessary. While the Journal-World had heard many times that the city water was pure as it came from the wells, it wished to be absolutely certain before printing the statement and therefore called up the department of water analysis at the state university…. According to the university chemists the strata of sand in the Kaw Valley protects the ground supply of water from surface impurities and even the farm wells are all pure unless the impurities come in from the top of the well. This condition is not true of the wells in town where there are rock formations, and where nearly all of the wells show contamination.”
• “Geo. B. Strother, a member of the Kansas University football team last year, was injured last night by the accidental discharge of a shotgun. Mr. Strother was taken to the University hospital. It is believed the wound is not dangerous. The charge of shot struck Mr. Strother in the leg above the knee. The accident happened at the home of Prof. H. W. Humble on University Heights, where Mr. and Mrs. Strother are staying. Strother had seen a rabbit near the house and had taken the gun out to shoot it. He leaned the gun against the wall. A door was slammed and the gun fell to the floor and was discharged.”
• “Mrs. J. Gulley, who lives near Bismarck Grove in North Lawrence, was dangerously burned this morning when a lamp she was carrying exploded, throwing burning oil over her clothing. Mrs. Gulley ran nearly half a block to the home of a neighbor. When she arrived her clothing was nearly burned from her body. The burns may prove fatal. Dr. W. C. McConnell was called and dressed the burns. Mrs. Gulley was taken to her home.”
• “The condition of Gen. W. S. Metcalf, who suffered a badly twisted knee when the sleigh in which he was riding was overturned Sunday, is somewhat improved but still has a good deal of difficulty in getting about.”