100 Year Old Weblog: Fortieth street

Showing posts with label Fortieth street. Show all posts

May 21, 2025 ~ SEES "SPUDS" WITH CANTALOUPE FLAVOR.

May 21, 2025

SEES "SPUDS" WITH CANTALOUPE FLAVOR.

Speaker Before Horticultural Society Predicts Other "Wonders.".

The day is coming soon when potatoes dug from the ground will taste like cantaloupes; grapefruit will be plucked from trees like cherries and the Sahara desert will bloom like a rose garden. Such at least was the prediction made by Howard Dean, professor of chemistry at Park college, Parkville, Mo., speaking before the Missouri Valley Horticultural society yesterday on the lawn of the home of L. A. Goodman, Fortieth street and Warwick avenue.

Professor Dean said he already had succeeded in reducing the starch of a potato to sugar through chemical treatment. He asserted that be feeding certain plants on formaldehyde they can be made to develop sugar and starch.

He said that investigations now being made by chemists show that plants manufacture compounds that are not normal to them. These investigations, he said, are being continued and chemists are diligently searching the leaves of plants in an attempt to find the agent which converts the carbon dioxide in the air and the moisture into plant products.

when that secret is discovered -- and of its early discovery he is confident -- he said we would possess an unlimited source of energy. The point he brought out was that the possession of that secret would enable man to convert the sun's energy to his own use in any way he desires.

Then it would be possible, he asserted, to fill the Sahara desert with plant life; to grow any plant so that it would taste exactly as its grower wished. He also said, in answer to a question, that it would be possible to raise grapefruit with the bitterness removed. Fruits, he added, could be raised so they would taste just as the grower desired.

Dr. J. C. Whitten of the State university at Columbia, Mo., spoke on the spraying of trees. He declared that spraying is absolutely essential to successful orcharding and explained the best methods of spraying.

Other speakers were Miss Florence H. Russell of Kansas City who told of a visit to Luther Burbank, and Arthur H. Helder, a landscape architect of Kansas City. Prior to the meeting a luncheon was served on Mr.r Goodman's lawn

FOUR GIRLS HURT IN A HALLOWE'EN FIRE. ~ JACK O' LANTERN CANDLE IGNITES THEIR COSTUMES.

October 30, 2025

FOUR GIRLS HURT IN

A HALLOWE'EN FIRE.

JACK O' LANTERN CANDLE IG-

NITES THEIR COSTUMES.

Fleecy Cotton Used by Esquimaux at

Loretto Academy North Pole

Night Flashes Into

Flame.

Three girls seriously burned and a third slightly is the result of the overturning of a jack o'lantern last night during a Halloween celebration at the academy of the Sisters of Loretto, West Prospect and Thirty-ninth street, which set the costumes of the girls on fire.

The most seriously burned are:

Mimie Tiernan, 3525 Broadway.
Mary Maley, 1200 West Fortieth.
Virginia Owen, 3633 Prospect.

Slightly burned:

Ruth Mahoney, a niece of Alderman C. J. Conin.

It was stated early this morning that three of the girls were possibly fatally burned. There are little hopes of Misses Owen and Tiernan recovering. Miss Maley is reported to be in danger, though not as seriously burned as the other two. All the victims were conscious and suffering greatly. All but Miss Mahoney were burned over their bodies, and on the arms and legs.

The girls were giving a Hallowe'en entertainment in the corridor on the first floor. The stage at the end of the hall was decorated with jack o'lanterns and bunting.

They planned a "North Pole" entertainment, and were dressed as Esquimaux. They wore white trousers, covered with cotton to represent snow. Their waists also were covered with cotton. No boys had been invited.

It was 8:20 o'clock when Maley walked across the stage. She was laughing gaily and chatting with a crowd of girls walking at her side. They were all talking of the beautiful decorations and the novel decorations.

Miss Maley stumbled on a jack o'lantern. From the candle the cotton on her Esquimaux dress was ignited. The flame spread over her entire body. Misses Teirnan, Owen and Mahoney, walking at her side, rushed to their friend's help. There were screams and cries for help. Some of the girls fainted, others grew hysterical.

The flames spread from Miss Maley's costume to the three girls who had rushed to her aid. In a moment the four were a mass of flames. The clothing was burned entirely from Miss Maley's body. The cotton burned as if it were saturated in oil. The three girls, who came to her assistance, were burned from head to foot. The fire spread to the clothing of the four.

It was 8:26 o'clock when the fire department at station No. 19, Westport, received the call. Before the firemen arrived the flames were put out. The fire did not ignite the other decorations nor the building.

INFORMATION DENIED.

Captain Flahive of No. 5 police station, and Officer Wood went to the academy. Considerable persuasion was required to gain an entrance. When the mother superior was asked for the names of the injured this information was denied.

Drs. B. H. Wheeler and Horrigan were summoned. All the cotton bandages in the drug store at Thirty-ninth and Genessee were bought outright. It was necessary later to send to Westport for more medicine and bandages. The physicians remained at the bedsides of the injured girls through the night.

The school authorities refused to make any details of the accident public. To all questions as to names and the extent of the injuries, those in authority replied that there was absolutely nothing to give out.

"We have the story," the reporters told them.

"Well, if you publish anything about this, we will sue your paper for libel."

The girls at the academy had planned for a Hallowe'en dance this evening at Little's hall in Westport but because of the occurrence last night, the party has been cancelled.

FAMOUS SONS UNITE CHILDHOOD CHUMS. ~ BOY SINGERS' MOTHERS LEARN THEY ARE OLD FRIENDS.

October 18, 2025

FAMOUS SONS UNITE

CHILDHOOD CHUMS.

BOY SINGERS' MOTHERS LEARN

THEY ARE OLD FRIENDS.

Strange Coincidence Revealed at

Convention Hall Banquet Table.

Three Youths Earn Fame

With Remarkable Voices.

Those persons who have followed closely the remarkable careers of Maxwell Kennedy, Frank Vrooman and Laurence Smith, boy singers, are pointing to a remarkable coincidence in the life history of the three boys.

Although reared in widely separated sections of the country, these boys have attained almost international reputations because of the remarkable qualities of their voices. Two of these singers, Laurence Powars Smith and Frank Ellsworth Vrooman, met for the first time at Convention hall in Kansas City, Mo., where they appeared on the programme and held spellbound the great assembly which had gathered to honor the postal clerks of the country.

MEET AT BANQUET.

Sitting opposite each other at the banquet table and sharing equally the congratulations of hundreds of persons who had been thrilled by the remarkable carrying power of their young voices were the boy singers and their parents. For a long time Mrs. Clarence J. Voorman, the mother of Frankie, gazed at the smiling countenance of Mrs. C. G. Smith, the mother of Laurence, seeing there something that carried her back in memory to her girlhood days in Junction City, Kas., when her dearest friend and playmate had been Laura Patterson, a girl her own age.

"I am sure you must be my old schoolmate, Laura Patterson," said Mrs. Vrooman, reaching her hand across the table. "Don't you remember me? Lottie Wood."

The two friends who had not met for thirty years quickly reverted to by-gone days and spoke with wonder of the coincidence that the mothers of the two greatest boy singers should have been playmates in their childhood days. The wonder of Mrs. Vrooman was increased, however, when Mrs. Smith spoke of little Frankie Kennedy, who "turned ropes," "spun tops" and did many other wonderful things for their edification while attending the public school in Junction City. Mrs. Vrooman then learned for the first time that this same little Frank Kennedy is the father of Maxwell Kennedy, the wonderful boy singer.

VOICES GAIN FAME.

Laurence Powars Smith is now 17 years old and was born in Ottawa, Kas. His former rich soprano voice combines a wonderful interpretation with great carrying power and has now developed into a tenor of the highest quality. He is the son of C. G. Smith, president of the People's National bank, Kansas City, Kas. His services are much in demand throughout the country, especially at Chautauquas. He is now engaged as soloist at the Linwood Boulevard Presbyterian church, Kansas City, Mo.

Frankie Vrooman is 13 years old. He is a son of Clarance J. Vrooman, 3114 Washington street, Kansas City, Mo. Frankie is a slight, manly little chap, unaffected; and a typical American school boy. His voice is a rich soprano, and every word is enunciated perfectly, so that the carrying power is remarkable. he has been singing in public three years and has met with much success. On June 13 he sung in the Westminster Presbyterian church of Minneapolis. He is a protege of Walton Holmes, and a brilliant future is predicted. At present he is soloist at St. Paul's Episcopal church, Fortieth and Main streets, Kansas City, Mo.

TURNS A SOMERSAULT AT 80. ~ Grandpa Brenckmann's July 4th Antics Amused the Children.

July 6, 2025

TURNS A SOMERSAULT AT 80.

Grandpa Brueckmann's July 4th

Antics Amused the Children.

The German Baptist Sunday school, Seventeenth and Tracy, held its annual basket picnic at Budd park yesterday. A crowd of children, with hands joined, danced in a ring, while a man stood in the center and sang a German holiday song. At the end of each verse he would do something and each one in the circle had to imitate him.

With the children, and apparently enjoying himself as much as they, was Henry Brueckmann, 80 years old. He made faces, clapped his hands, pulled his neighbor's hair and did everything suggested by the leader, until the latter turned a somersault. The children all went over in a hurry, and then besieged "grandpa" to turn one. And Grandpa Breuckmann, 80 years old, did turn a somersault -- a good one, too -- much to the delight of the children. There were 140 at this picnic.

The Swedish Methodist church Sunday school, 1664 Madison street, headed by O. J. Lundberg, pastor, and the Swedish mission at Fortieth and Genessee streets, held a big basket dinner in the east end of Budd park. About 150 enjoyed themselves.

Not far from them the Swedish Baptist church Sunday school, 416 West Fourteenth street, with Rev. P. Schwartz and a delegation from a Swedish church in Kansas City, Kas., headed by Rev. Carl Sugrstrom, was holding forth about 300 strong.

There were many family and neighborhood picnics in the park.

MICHAEL MULLANE IS DEAD. ~ Heroic Patrolman Succumbs to the Wounds Received in the City Hall Riot Tuesday.

December 11, 2025

MICHAEL MULLANE IS DEAD.

Heroic Patrolman Succumbs to the

Wounds Received in the City

Hall Riot Tuesday.

MICHAEL MULLANE,
Police Patrolman Who Lost His Life in the Line of Duty.

Michael Mullane, patrolman, died at 1:10 p. m. yesterday at St. Joseph's hospital from his wound received in the riot Tuesday afternoon. Funeral services will be held at 9 o'clock Saturday morning at Sacred Heart church, Twenty-sixth and Madison. Solemn high mass will be conducted by Father Hogan. Burial will be in Mount St. Mary's cemetery.

Mr. Mullane was 34 years of age. He was born in Athea, County Limerick, Ireland. He came to America in July, 1897, coming directly to Kansas City. He obtained employment with the Western Grocery Company and remained with that company till November 16, 1905, when he was appointed as a probationary officer. On December 31, of the next year, he was put on as a regular member of the force. Mr. Mullane was one of the best men on the force, as well as one of the largest. Standing six feet two inches and weighing 260 pounds, he was a powerful man. He was not corpulent, but was a man of big bone, muscle and sinew. Strict attention to duty in the worst part of the city, with total abstinence from liquor and not a black mark against him, had won for him the high regard of his superior officers and the friendship of everyone.

A widow and two children, a girl baby of 3 months and a boy of 8, constitute his family. One child, a little girl, had preceded him to the great beyond. She took sick about a year ago this week and died on December 16. Besides his immediate family, he has two brothers and a sister residing in the city, John P. Mullane, an insurance agent of 1102 West Fortieth street; Patrick P. Mullane of 2542 Belleview and Mrs. Mary Dalton of the same address. His father is dead, while his mother and older brothers live in Ireland. He has many cousins who are residents of Kansas City.

The body was removed from the hospital to O'Donnell's undertaking rooms yesterday evening and later to his late home, 921 West Twenty-fourth street.

Mr. Mullane leaves life insurance amounting to about $5,000. Besides he owned a residence at 2631 Belleview.

RED HAIR AND A DIAMOND. ~ By These Lillian Shepard, Supposed to Have Eloped, May Be Known.

October 9, 2025

RED HAIR AND A DIAMOND.

By These Lillian Shepard, Supposed

to Have Eloped, May Be Known.

Lillian May Shepard, a 16-year-old girl who disappeared from her home, 1407 East Fortieth street, Monday, is supposed by her father, William Shephard, to have eloped with a boy friend, James Albin, who lives at 1125 Pacific street. The police were asked yesterday to search for her. The girl's skirts reach only to her shoe tops. She wears a diamond ring and has heavy red hair.