100 years ago: Statewide auto registration urged for prevention of theft

From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for July 11, 1916:

  • “Along with the automobile licenses being sent out from the office of the secretary of state, a letter is being enclosed directed to the automobile owners asking their aid and co-operation in checking the increasing number of automobiles being stolen each year in the state. J. D. Botkin, secretary of state, claims that a complete registration and description of every car in the state would enable the stolen cars to be traced quicker and that it would help to stop the crime. Heretofore, no record has been kept of the engine numbers of the cars or any description taken so that the cars can be identified aside from the license number. The law did not require this description so it was not taken. But after realizing that some steps should be taken to check the crime wave Secretary Botkin chose this method as a preliminary step in the effort to stop motor car theft in Kansas.”
  • “A tragedy was averted in Potter Lake yesterday afternoon when Broer Gustafson rescued a young lady who had gotten beyond her depth. The incident happened while the lake was quite crowded, but was over before many of the bathers knew what had happened. The young lady, Miss Irene Tihen, a student in the summer session, had apparently started toward the raft in the center, but after getting out a short distance from the shore she was unable to go any farther. Her calls for help were responded to by Mr. Gustafson, who reached her by the time she had gone under once. With the assistance of a young man who happened to be near, Miss Tihen was taken to shore and later removed to the University hospital. She was able to be removed to her room in a short time.”
  • “The roads of Douglas county are to be put in shape as soon after the next rain as possible. Since the tax money has been coming in since July 1 the county commissioners have notified the drag men in the county to get ready to drag the 250 miles of county roads directly after the next rain. Dragging before a rain with the roads in their present condition would be a waste of money, according to commissioners. It is estimated that the total cost of dragging all the roads in the county for one time is about $1,000. Each man working for the county averages about three miles of road.”
  • “The culvert at the corner of Twenty-third and Barker avenue is to be replaced with a new concrete one. Workmen started yesterday to remove the old stone structure to make way for the new one. The present culvert is inadequate and gets clogged up easily after a heavy rain. The work is under the supervision of the county commissioners.”
  • “The city commissioners today filed a request with the county commissioners asking the latter to grant the city the right to construct a water main on the new Kaw river bridge before the completion of the sidewalk on the structure. The request, which is one the county officials will doubtless comply with, is made at this time in order to have the work done before the completion of the sidewalk. In this way it will be installed at the minimum of expense…. County Attorney Amick discussed with the city officials the matter of rental for the Bell telephone company’s conduits on the new bridge. The county proposes to collect from the telephone company a rental of $100 a year, for the privilege of using the bridge and its approaches to carry the conduits. The Bell company’s work will also be done before the sidewalk on the bridge is constructed.”
  • “The question of extending the city limits to include the Breezedale addition was presented to the county commissioners yesterday…. The matter was discussed at some length by the commission after which it was taken under advisement for a few days. It is understood that some of the property owners in the district affected will fight the proposed annexation and the county authorities will grant them a hearing before make a decision.”
  • “Marine and animal life in the frozen south will be vividly displayed in Fraser hall tomorrow night when the Mawson pictures are shown. These picture deal with the hardships endured by the intrepid explorers in the Antarctic region on the recent trip of Sir Douglas Mawson. The pictures will be the last of a series of moving pictures put on for the entertainment of the summer session students…. The story is a take of dauntless heroism. The most graphic motion pictures are those depicting the terrible force of the wind on the great southern continent…. The comedy of the film is furnished by the sea elephants which have Charlie Chaplin, et al. backed off the map for comedy.”