- 1920s - (Part 8 of 14) -
“In April of 1924 the local trackmen of Eureka High School learned why the team from Bendena, Kansas, a small town in Atchison County, is called the champion track team of northeastern Kansas. The Bendena boys, eight in number, stopped here on a tour of the state and took the locals into camp in a hotly contested meet by a score of 74 points to 57.
The 1924 Eureka Oilers professional baseball team, a members of the Class D Southwestern League finished the first half of the season with a record of 24 wins and 34 losses. Other teams in the league were Newton, Independence, Salina, Coffeyville, Enid, Arkansas City and Emporia.
In August 1924, one of the largest and most through robberies of its kind in Greenwood County was reported after the owner of a garage at Neal, Kansas, had opened his place for business and found it practically deserted of accessories.
Sheriff Ronen drove to Neal at once to make an investigation and found that the loss would total several hundred dollars. Among the missing articles were: 20 cord tires, mostly Ford sizes, 60 inner tubes, one storage battery, one 3230 Colt rifle and shells, 18 Ford pistons, 150 headlight bulbs, several Ford carburetors and numerous other articles. It is the opinion of local officers that the thieves hauled away their loot on a truck, as tracks were found at the front door.
Neighboring towns in all directions were notified at once. The owner of the garage has offered $75.00 in rewards: $50.00 for the return of the accessories and $25.00 for the arrest of the thieves.
In August 1924, eighteen violators of the laws and ordinances relating to the manipulating of dice for gain were rounded up by local guardians of the law, some of them have turned in fines, while others are yet to be deprived of a portion of their finances.
Law enforcement descended on ten of the gambling fraternity who were very much interested in the progress of a friendly little crap game just west of Riverside Park on Fall River. ( This would have been west of the swimming pool in Eureka) There was no show of resistance or trouble of any kind; the bunch trailing meekly along with the minions of the law. About forty dollars in money was on a plank around which the gamesters were gathered. High weeds and intense absorption on the part of the players made the capture easy. Under-sheriff Hart stepping into the center of the ring and picking up the money. One of the men picked up the dice, but when Hart held out his hand, he seemed to feel quite strongly the personality of the officer; at least he forked over the ivories without any debating.
In late August of 1924, over 500 women registered at the new S.&H. Bakery, which threw open its doors in a formal opening to show the public its new equipment and its baking methods. Home Bakery had been in this building until it was bought by S.&H. Baking Company, of El Dorado. (NAPA Auto Parts is in the building today, on east Fourth Street in Eureka) In August 1924, an interview was conducted with a voter who first voted in 1848 for general Zachary Taylor, hero of the Mexican War. Mr. Rizer, 97-year-old resident of Eureka, voted Whig in the early days, and now votes Republican. He has voted in nineteen presidential elections and plans to vote in his twentieth this year. As he is troubled a little with asthma, he does not go up town on extremely hot days, but when it is cool, he is often to be found on the court house lawn, talking to his friends. He lives at 321 East First Street in the house he built in 1883. (This brick house is still there, on the southwest corner of Mulberry and First Streets). Kansas has given him back his health, according to his daughter, for at the time of the Civil War he was unable to get into the Union army on account of tuberculosis. Since coming to Kansas, he has been completely cured.
In September of 1924 one of the biggest oil deals ever made in Greenwood County was made when approximately 800 acres of valuable oil leases and production in the Agard, Sallyards, and Burkett pools were sold to a New York syndicate for a sum reported to be $1,400,000. The sale included the leases, equipment and producing wells. Property names follows: Cartwright, Bratton, Olson, Agard, Holverson, Allen, Burkett, Gregg-Stanhope-Coulter, and Dunlap.
In September of 1924, there was an announcement in the Herald that the remodeling and addition to the Congregational church was almost completed. The total cost was $35,000. This money was for the new addition on the west end of the church, and for remodeling the old structure, also additional equipment.
The walls are composed of native white limestone. In the work of modification of the old structure, the tower, which was of Gothic design, was torn down to make the whole building harmonize.
Contrary to the usual custom of fitting up church basements for use as banquet halls, the basement in this building will be unused, save for the heating system. A kitchen and dining room are located in the southwest corner. The location of the pulpit has been changed from the west end to the east end of the building.
Immediately behind the main auditorium is space for a banquet hall, Sunday School room, or overflow meeting. Seating capacity of the whole building is estimated to be about 600. In the way of equipment, it should be mentioned that a new $7,000 electric pneumatic pipe organ is to be built in directly behind the pulpit. The organ contains twenty-one speaking stops, and one thousand pipes.
In September of 1924, a contract had been let to the Hammond Construction Co. for a new Methodist parsonage costing $7,398. The new parsonage is to be a frame building and it will be located on Oak and Sixth street on the spot where the old Crebo house formerly stood.
Repair work on the church is practically completed. A new steel ceiling was put in over the main auditorium, and repairs were made to the heating system.
September of 1924 saw prosperity shinning upon the grain farmer as it had not done in many years. Memory of any crop in the county which might have been grown in the past, equal to the present one is lost in the haze of antiquity. A few of the hardy old pioneers are still alive to talk about it, but the younger generation knows about more bountiful years, only through the stories their fathers and grandfathers tell.
Current reports of heavy yields in the corn crop, are heard every day. Among reports coming in, is one from the farm operated by Harrison Brookover, who said he had land which will average sixty and seventy bushels per acre. He plans to buy a large corn sheller and place his corn, shelled, up on the market.
Wayne Cox is a farmer who raised a large corn crop on his farm east of Eureka. Instead of husking and shipping it, or feeding it to livestock, he has devised another scheme whereby he can make an early sale, with good profit, and without the usual trouble of getting it upon the market. His plan is to sell it as it stands, to some feeder. There have been offers of from thirty to forty dollars to the acre on standing corn.
In November of 1924 a bowling alley was opened on the basement floor beneath the farmers Union store and was called Eureka Bowling alley. It had two alleys and lunch was also to be served. ( this building is on the southwest corner of Main and Second Streets and was also known as the White building) In November of 1924 representatives of the Eureka Oilers baseball club met in Ponca City, Oklahoma to hear a proposal to form a new league, called the Mid-Continent League. At the conference were the cities of Ponca City, Blackwell, Arkansas City, Enid, Cushing, Winfield, Wellington and Eureka. Eureka played in the Southwestern League in 1923, which was a Class D minor league professional league.
Officials of the Eureka Oilers said the new league would be more beneficial to the Oilers. They say it would cut down the cost of transportation, as the long jumps would be eliminated. Any trip in the new league would be less than 175 miles.
The strain on the players is another consideration which is causing Eureka fans to look with favor on the new league. It is a big one too, as was found last year. For instance, on one trip last year the team was forced to travel in its bus from Eureka to Emporia, to Enid, to Salina, and back to Eureka again, a trip of several hundred miles which would have been exhausting without the added effort of playing games at these towns.
Another meeting was scheduled in mid-December for completion of the league. The sentiment is for a baseball season next year. Eureka fans shudder when they look forward and speculate over what a dead old town it would be without any baseball games. But whatever league Eureka plays with it is the belief of the wise ones in baseball that some sort of action should begun at once. If delays occur in getting started it is predicted that Eureka baseball will be in a worse dilemma than last year. The best material for the making of a team will be picked up, and the limited time before the start of the season will find not enough money raised to finance the club. As a provision for short funds, Mr. Shambaugh, of Eureka, suggests that the local organization begin now staging shows, exhibitions, etc., and turn the proceeds to the benefit of the baseball club.
In December 1924 robbers entered the Climax State Bank at night by drilling a hole through the rear door and prying the lock off from the inside. They entered the vault and took 220 pennies and a sawed off shot gun. The currency and securities of the bank were locked in a small steel vault in the front of the building sitting in a window and is in full view of the street, this no doubt saved the bulk of the money from being taken.
In December of 1924 a new standpipe of 180,000 gallons capacity was purchased by the City of Eureka to supplement the present one of 90,000 gallons that supplies the city. The new pipe will be placed on the hill at the north end of Eureka. (Still there north of the hospital) With the installation of the new stand pipe, it is computed that the new pipe should make available enough to furnish the city for fifteen hours without pumping. With the old pipe it is figured that only a fivehour supply can be kept in reserve.”
