Out of the past 10/16/08

25 years ago: Oct. 16, 1983

The Cape Girardeau County home mortgage bond program, which will make low-interest, fixed-rate loans available to first-time home buyers throughout Southeast Missouri, will take another step toward implementation Wednesday when the bond sale is closed in St. Louis; about $15.5 million will be available for loans in Southeast Missouri.

Southeast Missouri Hospital's newest addition, the $6.34 million Robert D. Harrison Annex, was dedicated yesterday.

50 years ago: Oct. 16, 1958

Harold C. Hunt, Eliot professor of education at Harvard University, delivers the principal address as the 83rd annual meeting of the Southeast Missouri Teachers Association at Houck Field House.

A report of an audit of the financial accounts of Cape Girardeau County offices has been submitted to the County Court by Byran Tout of Jefferson City, Mo., county audit supervisor from the office of the state auditor; every county office was covered by the audit.

75 years ago: Oct. 16, 1933

State senators from Southeast Missouri plan to introduce a bill at the special session of the legislature to be convened tomorrow that would place a sales tax on cigarettes; formulating the plan are Sens. J.C. McDowell of Charleston and Langdon R. Jones of Kennett.

Thrills provided yesterday by the Flying Aces air circus of Wichita, Kan., at the airport on Highway 74, south of Cape Girardeau, were witnessed by about 3,000 people; about $500 was taken in by the St. Vincent's Council, Knights of Columbus, which sponsored the event.

100 years ago: Oct. 16, 1908

Eighteen young men of Cape Girardeau and the neighboring country declare they are out on strike against the Roberts, Johnson and Rand shoe factory; the men -- all cutters -- want more money than the foreman proposes to pay them by the piece.

The annual conference of Lutheran ministers has brought perhaps the largest number of preachers to Cape Girardeau ever seen here at one time; the public services of the conference begins in the evening when the Rev. H.J. Frey of Palmyra, Mo., preaches on education at Trinity Lutheran Church.

-- Sharon K. Sanders