- Eureka 1910-1919 - (Part 7 of 12) -
“The fine residence property belonging to W.S. Bales, at the corner southwest of Second and Mulberry Streets, and the East Side School building (Mulberry School) were completely destroyed by fire, as were two barns in February of 1917.
The fire started in the Bales barn and fanned by a brisk southwest wind, spread rapidly to the Penwell barn and the Bales residence. The firemen worked to check the flames but were handicapped by weak water pressure, damaged fire plugs and poor equipment, and the two barns and residence were soon reduced to ashes. Sparks carried across the street to the northeast set fire to the cupola on the East Side school building. It was impossible to throw water on top of the building and there was nothing to do but watch the flames do their work. Meanwhile the firemen and volunteers entered the building and carried out furniture and school books.
Sparks carried by the wind set fire to lawns and roofs several blocks away. The R.P. Kelley barn was at one time ablaze. High school boys were of great assistance in putting out the fires which started on lawns and in watching buildings that were in danger of catching on fire. It was little less than a miracle that the D.C. Johnson and W.L. Shively residences were saved. Both are near the Bales property and were partially in line with the wind-swept fire. A bucket brigade saved the barn at the rear of the Congregational parsonage.
There were five horses in the Bales barn and lot adjoining when the fire started. Those in the lot were driven out as was also one of the horses in the barn. The other two perished in the flames. The horses were owned by Owen Couchman, mail carrier, who occupied a small building between the Bales barn and house. This building was also burned and Mr. Couchman lost his furniture, bedding and clothes in addition to the contents of the barn.
Mr. Penwell’s loss was confined to his barn, his automobile and other contents of the barn being saved. Mr. Bales, with the aid of volunteers carried out most of his household goods. Mr. Bales was so overcome with the strain and heat that he collapsed and was carried into the home of W.L. Shively where he was given medical attention and soon recovered.
The damage caused by the fire is estimated at $35,000. Bales carried $4,000 on his residence property and the school building was insured for $9,000. The fire was the most destructive of any in the history of the town. The cause is unknown.
In March of 1917 a task of some magnitude confronted the City of Eureka. The burning of the East Side School building necessitates the erection of a new building. The school board decide to ask the city to vote bonds in the amount of $37,5000 for this purpose. This amount in addition to the $9,000 received from insurance on the old building will provide a fund of $46,500. The bond election will be held at the time of the regular city election. Fifty thousand dollars is a lot of money, but it can be spent to advantage in erecting a fine, big, modern school building-or a large part of it can be wasted by poor management in letting contracts for construction work and equipment. The school board will have charge of this work, but citizens of the town should not be backward in expressing their views on the proposition at this time.
March 22, 1917 article supporting the building a new school building: Granting the necessity of adequate school equipment there is nothing left for the school district to do but vote bonds for a new building. The man who believes the log school house of his boyhood ways good enough for his son will be expected to oppose the bonds on general principles, bit those who believe the boys and girls of today entitled to share in the progress of the past fifty years should support the bonds. The health and educational requirements of the children demand such a course. The amount of money to be spent is of importance but is in reality a secondary matter. The building should be as good as the district can afford.
The school board is asking for a bond issue of $37,500 to erect a fine, large ward building, one that will meet present requirements, with a margin for future needs. It is impossible to erect a good, cheap building. It may be good, or it may be cheap. It cannot well be both. Eureka would be ashamed of a cheap school house one year after its completion. The district will be proud of a good building for fifty years.
If by false economy a cheap school house could be erected for $30,000, It would pay to add $10,000 and build a good one. Should the bonds fail to carry at the April election, it means that another election, with its attendant delay and expense must be held. A new building is the only solution of the problem. As well vote the bonds now as next summer. The Herald did not support the bond issue at the election last fall for the reason that it seemed possible to get along temporarily with present equipment, and crops were short and money scarce. The situation now is entirely changed. The plea of economy will not suffice. The largest ward building in town has been completely destroyed by fire. The children of six grades are attending school in the churches and the public library, writing on lapboards, without desks or places to put their books. It is a serious condition and one that demands immediate attention.
The only question to consider is whether it is better to spend $25,000 on a makeshift building, or spend $40,000 on a fine, modern structure, one that will accommodate the school population and be a source of pride to the district. It will not pay to be cheap in dealing with the welfare of the future citizenship of the community. In April, 1917, the school bond passed 526 to 243.
City mail delivery service will begin in Eureka May 1, 1917. The post office department will insist that each householder provide some suitable box or receptable for mail. This may be a small box nailed to the house or porch, or a slit may be cut in the door. There will be 14 large boxes placed at convenient places throughout the city for the receipt of letter mail and 2 for packages. No mail will be delivered on streets where there are no sidewalks.
Bids for the new East Side School building: General Construction-$31,660, Heating Plant-$5,988, Plumbing-$4,686, Architect & Supt. Of Construction-$ 2,154. Total cost$44,488.
In 1918 there was a basketball league formed consisting of El Dorado, Eureka, Augusta, Douglas, Whitewater, Towanda and Pontiac. This league was formed that these towns would all pull together and advance athletics. These towns are all to play each other to determine who is champion of the league. The champion goes to the State tournament.
In January of 1918 the United States had entered WWI and there was talk of “trainless weeks” now that the government had taken control of the railroads. There already was “meatless Tuesdays” and “wheatless Wednesdays.” Before President Wilson took his drastic action the railroad executives had been quietly discussing among themselves the advisability of having one passenger-trainless week each month, except between a few of the larger eastern cities. The idea is extreme, but so is the necessity of having trains to move what the government needs, in addition to coal to keep the house warm, food to feed the people of the cities, and material to keep the industrial plants going. Trainless periods would release passenger engines for freight hauling and engineers and firemen could also be used in freight service. Another advantage would be to clear the tracks for which freight trains now often have to take sidings.
Following the long list of cattlemen’s conventions in the West and Southwest, many purchases of steers for summer grazing are being made. James Dobbs of Kansas City bought five thousand 3, 4 and 5-yearold steers for $65 a head. They will be brought to Butler County, Kansas early in the spring.
Grass leases are in active demand and higher in price than ever before. Contracts made for Kansas grass are at $10 to $14 a head for the season. Those prices were reported from Butler, Chase and Greenwood and are 30 to 40 per cent higher than last year.
Beginning late in January 1918 all cities of Kansas are on a uniform closing schedule. Fuel Administrator H. D. Tucker, of Eureka, put the order into effect here after a consultation with State Fuel Administrator Carey, of Hutchinson. The new order provides that all general stores shall open at 9 o’clock in the morning and close at 6 p.m. Following is a brief summary of the closing order: Grocery, department, hardware, sugar, tea, meat, electrical supply and all general merchandise stores together with newsstands and photograph studios: open 9 a.m., close 6 p.m., except Saturdays, close at 9 p.m.
Picture shows and theaters: open 2 p.m., close at 10 p.m. Barber shops: open 8 a.m., close 7 p.m., except Saturdays, close 9 p.m. Drug stores: Open 9 a.m., close 9 p.m. (All drug stores may fill emergency drug orders at any hour). Banks, building and loan associations and trust companies: open 10 a.m., close 3 p.m. Billiard and pool halls: open 12 o’clock, close at 10 p.m. Business and professional offices: open 9 a.m., close 5 p.m. Dance halls: closed until further notice.
“Do Your Two Bits” and send a tobacco kit to a soldier boy. Maybe he hasn’t a smoke for three days, except when some more fortunate comrade has shared a scanty supply with him. The quieting, soothing effect of a pipe has been denied him: and that seems like a very small thing to deny a man who is fighting your and our battle for us. It seems a shame that such a man can’t have every little thing he wants when he is accepting and enduring with cheerful courage, so many big and dangerous things, that he doesn’t want. A good smoke is one of the little things he ought not to be denied.
That’s why we’re carrying on our campaign for Smokes for Soldiers. It gives us all a chance to make the lot of our soldiers a little more comfortable; to bring to them a little good cheer, and the happy sense that somebody’s thinking of them with a kindly thought when all conditions around them are cheerless.
You can have a part in this work if you will; and you can send a “smokeskit” to some soldier in a very personal way, by subscribing 25 cents.
The personal element enters into it, because each 25 cents subscribed, we send one complete smoke-kit, and in it we put a stamped post card with the name of the subscriber, with a request to the soldier who gets it to write some message on the card and mail it. For a dollar we send four kits, and four post cards; for $10 we send forty, each with its card with your name and address.
The Red Cross transmits these packages; the French Government admits them duty free; the postal of Great Britain and France receive and transmit the one cent post cards to America and our own post office delivers them.
You may soon have the thrill of receiving one of those cards from the trenches, signed by some man who has received your little token of good will and good cheer; and you can have as many of them as you want to have, and keep them coming; all that you have to do is to subscribe 25 cents to the fund; and keep it up.
The Herald has arranged to buy smokes for our boys at the low price of 25 cents for 45 cents worth and passes the opportunity on to its readers.
This ad was in The Herald in February of 1918: Monday and Wednesday are Wheatless Days- Tuesday is Meatless Day- Saturday is Porkless Day-One Wheatless and One Meatless Meal Each Day.”
