From the Lawrence Journal-World for May 24, 1915:

• “One of the heaviest rains that has fallen in this part of the state this season came early yesterday morning. Almost an inch of water fell in half an hour. The rain was accompanied by a driving wind which did a great deal of damage to some of the trees. Larger limbs were blown from many of the trees. The storm was general over this part of the state and extended to the western part of the state. For a few minutes small hail stones fell thick and fast, but the hail did not continue long enough to do much damage except to knock some of the leaves and small branches from the trees. The storm came from the southwest and was moving rapidly when it hit Lawrence. The rain continued to fall for more than an hour after the heaviest downpour, but later in the day the clouds disappeared and the day turned out to be one of the most beautiful of the spring. The weather man says that the subsoil which has been sapped by the dry weather of the past two years is thoroughly soaked now. The precipitation of the last five years has been far below normal, but the heavy rains of the spring have filled it up again and the prospects for the bumper crop are better now than they have ever been.”
• “Five prisoners were taken from the county jail to Limekiln hill west of Lawrence this morning and will be given an opportunity to work out their fines that stand against them on the records and at the same time they will be assisting the motorists of the county who have to drive over the hill. This is the plan of County Attorney Amick. He has had one gang on the roads west of Lawrence since early this spring and they have been doing good work. The plan of E. O. Perkins is to take the men from the jail every morning to the scene of their work and to bring them back again in the afternoon.”
• “Chris Schaake, uncle of Henry W. Schaake, recently deceased, is in charge of the latter’s hardware business at 912 Massachusetts. It will be continued according to the lines mapped out by the original proprietor.”
• “The annual report of the Lawrence Young Men’s Christian Association has just been made. It shows an exceedingly large volume of work accomplished during the past year…. The Lawrence report shows several permanent improvements costing several hundred dollars, and which have added greatly to the efficiency of the work. These include the providing of a boys’ department, general office improvement, filter for the swimming pool, and other building equipment.”
• “Frank C. Beyer was brought to Lawrence from Kansas City on Saturday night charged with wife desertion. His wife has been living in Lawrence for some time. He will be arraigned before a justice late this afternoon.”
• “The season’s Band Concerts will begin on Thursday evening of this week the weather permitting. It was the intention of the management of the band to begin the concerts last Thursday evening, but the rain spoiled the plans. The band is now composed of 25 pieces. The concerts are to be given in South Park.”
• “The Marais des Cygnes river has been out of its banks and is doing a great deal of damage in the river bottom. Part of Ottawa is under water but the indications are that the river will not come up higher. At one place south of Ottawa it was necessary for a number of farmers to move out on account of the water. One man is keeping 28 hogs on top of a straw stack and is going to them each day in a boat to feed them. He is hoping that the water will recede before the straw stack is worked down too low by the hogs.”
• “As a special feature for the Suburban Day next week, Phil Billard, the fearless amateur aviator of Topeka, will fly from Topeka to Lawrence on Wednesday afternoon and will give an exhibition flight upon his arrival at Lawrence about 4 o’clock. Mr. Billard is a son of ex-Mayor Billard of Topeka and has been interested in aviation for some time. He has one of the best machines ever constructed and it has the fastest motor that can be procured. He has made a number of flights in Topeka and has shown his skill in handling the machine on different occasions…. This is an especial treat for the people of Lawrence for there has been but one successful flight in Lawrence and that was last fall.”