From the Lawrence Journal-World for May 31, 1915:

• “Crops in Douglas [County] have been greatly damaged by the recent heavy rains especially along the smaller streams which have been far out over their banks and over a great deal of the low land. Possibly the hay has suffered worse than any of the other crops but they have been damaged by the excess of moisture and have not had a sufficient amount of sunshine in the past weeks to do the best. In many places the farmers have cut alfalfa and the rain caught them with a great deal of the hay on the ground…. The railroads were badly damaged in many places by the wash taking the ballast from the track. The rain fell in such torrents that places which were only ditches became torrents and the water rushed over the tracks making it necessary for the grade to be replaced.”
• “Decoration Day is being observed by the Lawrence people today. Many made the decorations of the graves yesterday but the Memorial Day services and the decoration of the graves of the soldiers will be held today…. A large number of Lawrence people visited the Cemetery and many of them experienced difficulty in reaching there. The new concrete road that has recently been built is too narrow to allow two big machines to pass and in an attempt to get past several got stuck in the mud at the side of the concrete.”
• “Whoever has employment for a man 54 years of age, who is intelligent, patient, industrious, and especially good at gardening and nursery work, including the general care of trees and lawns, apply to Miss Neiswanger, the visiting nurse, at Social Service League Hall, Sixth and Vermont. This man needs employment badly for the sake of a dependent family in which is one bedridden child.”
• “Saturday was one of the biggest business days the Lawrence merchants have had for some time. All of the farmers from the surrounding country were in town many of them for the first time in days. The excessive rain has prohibited the farmers from working in the fields and for the most part has kept them from town and they made good their opportunities Saturday. Massachusetts street was crowded most of the day with farmers rigs. This was the first big day for the farmers since late in the spring for they have been busy with their crops and have not taken time to come to town only in a case of absolute necessity and they have put off the trips long enough to make the trip to town worth while both for themselves and the merchants.”
• “Maxim silencers for guns are no longer used by Topeka sportsmen, according to the local sellers of sporting goods. The mechanism that makes a shot noiseless has been omitted from the stock of goods of many of the stores for the last year. But since it lost its vogue for use on guns, the maxim silencer is being put to a more commercial purpose. Many automobile owners have equipped their cars with the device. Loud gasoline and steam engines are also being made ‘noiseless’ by the mechanism. The reason for the silencer losing its popularity with the huntsmen is accredited by the dealers in sporting goods to the fact that it really helps but little in getting more game.”
• “With the end in view of centralizing and unifying the musical interests of Topeka, Washburn college is contemplating the erection of a $75,000 building near the down-town business section in which to conduct the Washburn musical conservatory. The plan is still in its infancy…. The building is expected to perform a double function — furnishing studios and practice rooms for faculty members and students and a concert hall where the best musical offerings can be presented.”