Out of the past: Oct. 28

1999

Early yesterday morning, Trinity Lutheran School principal William Unzicker gamely ascended a ladder while his student body watched and sang a special chorus of “Up on the Rooftop”; Unzicker was fulfilling a promise he made students last month to spend a day on the school’s roof if they reached a school-wide fund-raising goal.

The Vincentian religious order has some land for sale in Perry County, and it is contemplating selling it to the tigers; the idea of creating a national tiger sanctuary on more than 400 ares of western Perry County has only been taken seriously for about a month, says the Rev. Arthur Trapp, superior of St. Mary’s Seminary; the proposal centers on creating a habitat for as many as 100 tigers on the hilly, wooded land owned by the Vincentians along the Madison County border.

1974

A complete revision of signage and removal of a huge mound of earth at the hazardous Interstate 55-Highway 61 interchange between Cape Girardeau and Jackson is planned by the Missouri Highway Department; Lionel T. Murray, chief engineer of the department’s District 10 headquarters in Sikeston, says new signs will be installed at critical locations before the year is out, and a hill between the eastbound and westbound lanes of Highway 61 will be removed in an effort to provide better site distance.

Eleven new firemen learn firsthand the challenges of fire fighting as Fire Station No. 1 holds a mock fire call at an abandoned house on Pine Street in South Cape Girardeau; the house was specially arranged so that the new men are required to enter the burning structure with extinguishers, as water alone wouldn’t quench the flames.

1949

The City of Cape Girardeau – again declared owner of title to Courthouse Park in an affirming U.S. Court of Appeals action – apparently faces a decision; it will either continue in its stand that the trade of the park for the post office should be made, or it will take the $35,000 award allowed by condemnation commissioners; some are hoping a third alternative can be added: That the city, because of shifting sentiment, will ask that the proposed trade be canceled, and the government seek another site for a post office.

With Halloween only three days off, and with several minor cases of vandalism already reported, Cape Girardeau police issue a stern warning against destructive activities in connection with the holiday; 12 special officers will be on duty Halloween night, assisting the regular force; all persons caught damaging or destroying property will be arrested and made to answer in court.

1924

More than 150 women, representing various parent-teacher organizations in Missouri, are in Cape Girardeau at the opening session of the State Parent-Teacher Association’s annual convention; the opening session is held at Centenary Methodist Church; the afternoon session, also at the church, features a talk by Mrs. A.H. Reeve, national president of the organization.

Children of the Cape Girardeau schools will again cooperate in selling Red Cross seals to aid in the movement to stamp out tuberculosis in Missouri; Mrs. Edward L. Drum has been named county chairman for the drive and will have charge of the sale here, assisted by school nurse Martha Sander.

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.