- Eureka 1910-1919 - (Part 10 of 12) -
“In July 1919 a meeting was called for citizens of Eureka at the court house for the purpose of considering a municipally owned hospital. The purchasers of the old Academy building will begin razing the building next week if steps are not taken at once to preserve it. If the city and county or the city alone will undertake to turn this fine property into a hospital the present owners will sell the property at cost. It is thought this building can be put in shape for hospital purposes for a few thousand dollars. The location is ideal for a hospital, and the institution would become a blessing to the entire county and counties adjoining.
After thirty-four years, during thirty of which it was used as the home of a Christian school, the Southern Kansas Academy building is no more. It is being torn down and the stone will be crushed for use on the streets of Eureka. The corner stone which was laid October 14, 1885 was broken open. In it was a tin box placed there on the day of dedication and in this box, in as good as state of preservation as the day it was placed there, were a number of interesting things. There was a manuscript copy of the charter of the school signed by the trustees. There was a blank certificate of stock in the Academy bell, $21 in Confederate greenbacks, a silver dollar, half dollar, quarter, dime, nickel, penny, a trade half dollar, picture of old Ft. Montgomery which was the first home of the Herald, a St. Jacob’s Oil almanac with W.W. Morris’ drug store ad on the cover, a blank application for the purchase of intoxicating liquors of Dr. C. A. Wakefield for medical purposes. A map of Greenwood County, copies of the Herald, Democratic Messenger, and Greenwood County Republican all papers printed in 1885 in Eureka.
The presence of Hessian fly has been detected in many fields in Greenwood County in July 1919. The infestation appears to be slightly heavier in the northern part of the county. At this season of the year, Hessian fly may be found in the flaxseed stage in the wheat stubble about the surface of the soil. Not over a 5 per cent infestation has been found in any field but less than half this amount is sufficient to cause 100 per cent infestation next year if conditions are favorable. Present indications point to a worse outbreak over the state than has been experienced in the last 15 years. The necessary precautions should be observed before it is too late.
Every field of wheat stubble should be plowed by August 15, unless it has been sowed to alfalfa or sweet clover, as the flies begin to hatch out about that date and lay eggs on volunteer and early sowed wheat. Care should be taken in plowing to see that all stubble is turned completely under and not left with the ends exposed between the furrow slices. A rolling coulter (a cutting blade that precedes the plowshare) or jointer is almost an absolute necessity in turning under all trash. By thoroughly plowing the ground the flaxseeds will be buried and later when the flies hatch, they cannot get out of the ground.
Early plowing to control the Hessian fly is only one reason for early deep plowing. The results of experimental work for a period of years show that the yield is increased several bushels per acre by early deep plowing. Plow your ground as early as possible or if you can not get it plowed, double disc it and plow later, and you will be taking a smaller chance on a failure. W.W. Wright-County Farm Agent In late October of 1919 the bunk house and tool house near the Blankenship lease three miles west of Reece, was destroyed by fire. Three employees of the oil company were seriously burned. The bunk house was occupied by the men employed at the well. At an early hour, Earl Piersol arose and lighted the fire. Later Joe Ney, tool dresser, arose and to hurry up the fire, poured what he thought to be coal oil from a can on the blaze. The liquid proved to be gasoline and a terrific explosion followed, the burning fluid being thrown over the men and the building set on fire. Ney’s feet and hands were badly burned and he suffered severe burns on his arms and body. He was brought to Eureka for treatment and it is said his recovery is doubtful. George Richards was burned on the hands, and a man by the name of Stucky, another tool dresser, was badly burned on the hands. Earl Piersol jumped out of bed and fought the flames in his night clothes and bare footed. His clothing burned in the building and after the fire he had to borrow clothes from a neighbor. D.E. Barrott lost $3,000 in Liberty Bonds and all his clothes. About $100 in money in the pockets of the men, several good watches and other property were lost. The fire spread to the company tool house nearby and all the tools were destroyed, an estimated loss of $3,000, with no insurance.
November, 1919: Article in The Herald asking what have the people of Eureka and vicinity done to the Bell Telephone Company to deserve the ragged service given to subscribers of the Eureka exchange? A few years ago, this was considered one of the best and most satisfactory exchanges in the Missouri, Kansas territory. When the company wanted to get a franchise elsewhere in this part of the state members of city councils and chamber of commerce were brought to Eureka to test the service here, and be it said to the credit of the company, Eureka people were always willing to boost the company. In those days L.F. Duggan, who was district manager, with headquarters at Wichita, would drop in town frequently and he used to say it was a pleasure to stop in the stores along Main Street and ask about the telephone service, knowing in advance that he would get a favorable report. The Herald ventures the opinion that if Mr. Duggan were to come here now, he would hear a different story. The service on rural lines is about as bad as it can be and that in Eureka has become almost a necessary nuisance.
The Herald is not inclined to place the blame for this condition on the operators, although they may be responsible for some of it, and if they are it can be remedied easily. The great trouble seems to be in the plant itself and in the maintenance department. The plant has been allowed to run down until instead of being one of the best in the state it must be one of the poorest. The cable capacity is exhausted. Party lines inside the city are becoming the rule, instead of the exception as in former days. Cross talk on city lines is a great annoyance.
These conditions, added to the fact that it is hard to get central to hear a number called and harder still to disconnect from one party and call another, indicate that either the operators or the switchboard need attention.
This paper has refrained from criticizing the telephone company during the war period, but it does seem time that the company get busy and give the people service that in some measure justifies the increased charges it has been asking recently for lack of service.”
