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RILEY COUNTY RAMBLINGS – 100 YEARS AGO

 
From the Manhattan Republic  
January 10, 1908:

The Speech Breese Made.

     C.M. Breese and R.J. Kinzer were before the State Board of Agriculture yesterday to invite the members to come here to see a good location for a state fair.  They talked with a large number of members and all favored it.  Mr. Breese, during the dinner hour, asked the chairman, a Hutchinson man, if he might speak to the meeting about it, but got no reply.  During the afternoon George Hanna of Clay Center, brought up the subject and made an opening for Breese.  He rose and addressed the chair a couple of times, the chair pointed at the Crowley (sic) County man sitting off in a corner, and said: “You have the floor.”  After which he called for a motion to adjourn.  Breese still has his speech if anyone wishes to hear it.

    (Note:  There was continued discussion during this time about locating the state fair in Manhattan, in cooperation with Kansas State Agriculture College (known today as Kansas State University.)  The state fair was eventually located in Hutchinson.  The above article may hint at how that came about.)

 

From the Manhattan Republic  
January 14, 1908:

College Notes of Interest.

     The board of regents at their last meeting gave the athletic association permission to play games outside of the state.  Three games of football and six games of baseball are allowed to be played outside of the state.

 

From the Manhattan Republic  
January 14, 1908:

Bala.

     On Saturday the annual meeting of the Bala Telephone Co. was held at Bala City at 4 p.m., President J.M. Thomas presiding.  In the absence of the regular secretary J.H. Jenkins fulfilled his duties.  The following officers were elected for the coming year:  J.H. Jenkins, president; J.M. Thomas, secretary; John Lewis, treasurer.  It was decided to procure a legal charter for this company, and the following directors were elected for the first year:   J.W.. Thomas,, J.H. Jenkins,  Frank Williams, Vaughn Llewellin, Elias Morgan.   There are twenty five members in the association.

 
From the Manhattan Republic  
January 28, 1908:

Hear Sermon Through Telephone.

    The people of the Congregational Church have introduced a telephone system by means of which those in the congregation who are hard of hearing can easily hear every word of the sermon.  A large transmitter is placed on the rostrum and wires lead from this to the different individuals who require the use of the system, each one having his own receiver.  The cost of the device is very small, and for those who are unfortunate in not having the best of hearing it solves the problem of not being able to hear the sermon.

(Note:  The Congregational Church (First Congregational UCC) is located on the northwest corner ofPoyntz and Juliette.  It is the oldest active church, in its original building and original location, in Manhattan and reputedly the oldest in Kansas.  An active member of the Congregational Church, Mrs. Elizabeth Harling was a leader in organizing services for the deaf in Manhattan.  Mrs. Harling lived at what is today the Wolf House Museum at 6:30 Fremont.)  

From the Manhattan Republic  
January 31, 1908:

    Mrs. Laura E. Newell of Tabor Valley is the author of a Kansas Day song published in Wednesday’s issue of the Topeka Capital.

(Note:  Laura Pixley Newell was born February 5, 1854 at New Marlborough, Massachusetts.  Her mother died soon after her birth so she was reared by her Aunt, Mrs. Emeline Mabie Emerson, and moved with her family to where Wamego was later located in 1857.  Laura attended school at Zeandaleand Topeka and in 1871 married Mr. Lauren Newell.  The Newells had four sons and two daughters.  Mrs. Newell wrote thousands of poems, songs and cantatas.  Many of her songs and poems were published in Youth’s Companion, Arthur’s Magazine and other publications.  One article about Mrs. Newell asserted that in 1890 alone over 800 productions of her pen were published.  She also served as the Tabor Valley correspondent to a number of Manhattan and Wamego newspapers for many years.  Laura Pixley Newell died October 13, 1916.)