Out of the past: Oct. 15

1999

​Missouri Secretary of State Bekki Cook unveiled the new state manual — commonly referred to as “The Blue Book” — in the Capitol rotunda yesterday; the new book is the first state manual to be entirely produced electronically; along with the usual state government information, the book also features 41 of more than 900 photographs submitted by Missouri residents for the Official Manual Photo Contest; longtime Southeast Missourian photographer Fred Lynch’s image of the state flag mural on the Cape Girardeau floodwall shot through water droplets won second runner-up honors in the best of show category.

The Ronald McDonald statue, stolen more than a week ago from the McDonald’s restaurant at 3419 William St. in Cape Girardeau, was found lying on its back almost a quarter mile from the nearest road in Southern Illinois’ Shawnee National Forest, beer cans scattered about it; the fiberglass statue is scuffed and chipped, and its right hand is missing.

1974

​Thirty churches in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois have returned 1,846 names in response to a request of First Presbyterian Church here regarding a survey to find needs and desires of persons 62 years of age or older for a retirement center in the area; about 4,000 people should be surveyed to make a valid study; the retirement community proposed by the church would be a lifetime care facility, operated on a not-for-profit and nondenominational basis.

A delegation of parents whose children attend Franklin School asked the school board last night to provide folding doors to separate groups in the classroom in an effort to reduce noise that, they said, disrupts studies; they expressed general concern for the children’s education under the team-teaching, open-classroom policy put into effect last year after Franklin was renovated.

1949

​The Kirksville College Bulldogs continued their supremacy over the State College Indians with a 12-7 victory last night at Houck Field Stadium before a Homecoming crowd of 5,000, which included Boy Scouts of the district and alumni of the college; it was the third straight year for the Bulldogs to subdue the Indians.

Only one change in the ministerial personnel of Methodist churches in Cape Girardeau is made when the pastoral appointments are made at the close of the annual St. Louis Conference in St. Louis; the Rev. M.A. Garrison, pastor of Third Street Church and Hobbs Chapel, is transferred to the Bernie-Parma charge and will be succeeded by the Rev. T.W. Hinchee; the Rev. R.C. Holliday is returned to Centenary, the Rev. P.A. Kasey to Grace and the Rev. Ames M. Overby to Maple Avenue.

1924

​The shortage in the Farmers Bank at Daisy, closed Sept. 22 after the mysterious disappearance of the bank cashier, amounts to $31,329.99, in addition to what Liberty Bonds may have been entrusted to the cashier; that’s what the first report of the financial condition of the bank, filed by state bank examiner H.G. Harrison in the recorder’s office at Jackson, shows; in addition, another liability of $10,351.23 marked as “contingent deposits” may be added to the shortage, if these “continent deposits” are found legitimate.

The courtroom of Common Pleas Courthouse was crowded to capacity by Democrats from Cape Girardeau and adjoining towns last night to hear talks by Democratic nominees for state offices.

Southeast Missourian librarian Sharon Sanders compiles the information for the daily Out of the Past column. She also writes a weekend column called “From the Morgue” that showcases interesting historical stories from the newspaper.