From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Jan. 1, 1916:

• “The year 1916 pulled into Lawrence on schedule time last night in the midst of a rainstorm and the ringing of bells, firing of guns and other outbursts of welcome. As the New Year is commonly pictured to be a small, rather ill-clad personage, the weather man showed his kindness by arranging a spring day for the new year to arrive on. The arrival of the new year was celebrated in Lawrence without the custom, prevalent in many cities, of increasing the noise of the bells and cannon by adding the popping of corks. Not a single inebriated citizen, or stranger within the gates, found his way into the city lockup on account of the influence of the season…. Most of the business houses of Lawrence are closed today in order to give the hard-worked employes a day of rest. In the public buildings of the city and county the officials are for the most part absent. Those who are catching up lagging work are performing behind closed doors. Holiday conditions were observed at the post office.”
• “The rain which arrived as the advance agent of the new year, while washing the remainder of ice from the side walks, has rendered the streets so slippery that several near accidents have occurred on account of cars skidding…. Experienced automobile drivers are preaching the wearing of chains this morning.”
• “The Lawrence women who will meet Monday afternoon at the Unitarian church to do their first actual work in the supplying hospital materials for use in Europe are daily finding indications of the greatest need of all the material they will be able to supply…. Thirty thousand wounded soldiers have just been brought to the hospital of one city, where one towel was the allotment of fifty soldiers and no surgical dressings were available…. Is it any wonder that women are roused to action, even if only a little can be done right here and now? Every little will help and this little added to work being done in every public-spirited town in the United states will make a creditable assistance…. The relief committee finds a good deal of warm clothing stored in drawers or hung in closets here in town. Those who prefer to give them to the social service work in Lawrence are urged to do so. The poor of our own town must be cared for, but every one is asked to give something to war relief work – if not clothing, then one or two afternoons a week for making hospital supplies, or a small check to help buy materials.”
• “E. E. Plank of 701 Ohio street, has bought the Clayton Citizen, the leading newspaper of Clayton, New Mexico, and left last night to take charge. Clayton is a town of about 1000 inhabitants on the Colorado and Southern railway…. The paper has been a Democratic weekly published on Fridays. Mr. Plank has lived in Lawrence for a number of years, during which time he has been engaged in several lines of business.”
• “A new mimeograph machine has been installed in the court house in the room of C. R. Hawley, county superintendent. The machine is here to replace the old machine which was worn out. The use of this machine is a great help in the superintendent’s office on account of the number of examination papers and notices sent out to the teachers of the county.”