News Items from The Kansas City Journal ~ Old News That's New to You from Vintage Kansas City.com

August 7, 2025

DUCK DOCTOR AND PREACHER.

Dr. Mathias and Dr. McGurk Among

Indians at Indian Creek.

When Dr. E. L. Matthias, probation officer, and the Rev. Dan McGurk of the Grand Avenue M. E. church went out to the boys' camp on Indian creek Wednesday, they expected to have a pleasant time. They did until they went in swimming.

As soon as the two men had joined the fifty-five boys in the swimming pool there was a concerted rush and both Dr. Mathias and Dr. McGurk reeived the ducking of their lives. Both fought, but the odds were too great. Yesterday Dr. Mathias was exhibiting a few scars of the battle.

Judge H. L. McCune of the juvenile court also went to the camp. He had an intimation of what was coming and refused to don a bathing suit, to the great disappointment of the boys.

Labels: amusement, children, doctors, Dr Mathias, Indian creek, Judge McCune, ministers, swimming

July 29, 2025

HAZING AT INDIAN CREEK.

Treatment Is Good for Boys, the

Warden Thinks.

Since a cup of blood was taken from his head, Charles Whelpley says he feels better. Charles is at the boys' camp at Indian creek and is the victim of the first hazing stunt pulled off there this year. By the way, the blood was only red ink. This is the way it happened:

Charles, in order fully to enjoy his vacation, parted with his heavy crop of hair and went bareheaded. He got blisters on his head, for the sun was unkind. So George M. Holt, in charge at the camp, put Charles in a hammock and assigned several boys to see that he was well taken care of. As he did not improve, it was decided that an operation should be performed. A razor was secured and brandished above the boy's head while one of the party drew his finger across one of the larger blisters. At the same moment, another of the hazers produced a cup filled with what appeared to be blood, but which really was water with a copious mixture of red ink.

Then Edgar Warden, deputy probation officer, secured a flour sack into which he put a spoonful of sugar. This Charles dutifully sucked, "to bring down his fever." An afternoon of this treatment found him feeling fine and on the high road to recovery.

Labels: children, Indian creek, pranks

July 17, 2025

WILL FARMERS HELP CHILDREN?

Many Charges of Detention Home

Have No Vacation in Sight.

Since the outing to Clay Center, Kas., last year of a number of charges of the Detention home proved so successful, Dr. E. L. Matthias of that institution is planning to have something of the same kind this year, if he can get the proper support.

"We cannot take care of the smaller boys in our Indian creek camp," said he yesterday "If farmers of this region, or towns, would agree to care for a certain number of children, it would help us a great deal. The boys we would send range in age from 6 to 8 years.

"The work is charity, pure and simple, for we have no fund to pay for the support of such children while they are in summer homes. But a summer outing of several months could easily be given these little one to allow them to escape the heat of the city if charitably inclined people in the country would help us out.

"Last year Clay Center, Kas., came to the front in good style and if we could have a similar offer this year or a number of offers to care for a smaller number of children, the problem would be easy of solution."

Dr. Mathias plans to send out a detachment this month if accommodations are provided.

Labels: children, detention home, doctors, Dr Mathias, farmers, Indian creek