STRICTLY BUSINESS: METRO NEWS CLOSING THE BOOK ON BUSINESS

For 39 years, Myron "Whitey" and Jackie Anderson have been surrounded by books in their small downtown store.

That's long enough, they say, and they're ready to turn to a new page in their lives.

The Andersons are retiring from their Metro News Bookstore. A liquidation of inventory started today at the store.

Although books make up the majority of the inventory, Metro News also handled greeting cards, smoking supplies, office and school supplies, and role-playing games.

A book store and news agency has been located at 415 Broadway for more than 60 years.

It was in 1925 that Cape Girardeau businessman C. J. Strom purchased the business from Frank T. Neal. At that time, Strom's News Agency was located inside the Idan-ha Hotel, at 405 Broadway. Strom moved his business up the block seven years later, in 1932.

When Strom sold the business in 1958, to E. T. Baker of Cairo, it actually consisted of three businesses -- a newspaper distributorship, a magazine distributorship and the book store.

Baker operated all three businesses until October of 1959, said Jackie Anderson, who had been working at the store seven years. "At that time, he offered to sell the book sales business to us. We took him up on it."

"I was a bus driver," "Whitey" Anderson said. "This was going to be different. But, Jacksie had experience in managing the business."

The Andersons started their new bookstore, with three spinner racks of books.

The Andersons added to their inventory, including a number of books sought after by college instructors and students.

"This was a big part of our business during the early years," said Anderson.

Now the store is a well-stocked one with all types of books, from adventure and romantic novels to computer manuals, cookbooks, children's books and magazines of all kinds.

The Andersons have watched changing markets in books. Then they first opened their store, there only two other bookstores in town -- Campus Books, at 1031 Broadway and Osterloh's on Main St.

The list didn't grow much over the next decade. Almar opened in Town Plaza at 2108 William, and the Book Bug opened a used paper-back book store.

The first chain book store came into Cape Girardeau when West park Mall opened, with Waldenbooks.

"Now the competition is fierce," said Anderson.

"Two new giant discount booksellers -- Barnes & Noble Booksellers and Hastings Books -- have opened here, and other large discounters include Wal-Mart, Sam's and Kmart.

"There's a lot of books in town," said Anderson.

The Anderson have weathered the competition.

"We have some great customers here," said Whitey Anderson. "We have people who have been buying here for years."

The Andersons have also put in many hours at 415 Broadway.

"When we first started, I opened the doors at 6 a.m.," said Anderson. "We were open seven days a week.

"During weekdays, we would remain open until about 8 p.m. three days a week."

In recent years, the Andersons have had some help in the store's operation.

"And, we have had some better hours," said Anderson. "We open about 9 a.m., and close about 6 p.m."

Metro Book gave up Sunday hours a number of years ago.

"We've managed to get some time on the golf courses," said Anderson. "Jackie and I both play."

The Andersons hope to have more hours on the golf course and the dance floor in the future.

On a New Year' Eve in the mid-1980s, "Whitey" Anderson sat around a table, watching couples on the dance floor.

He told his wife, Jackie, that he wanted to learn to dance.

That was about a dozen years ago.

A shocked Jackie, who had never been able to get her husband on the dance floor, signed up the next day for dance lessons.

"Now, I can't keep him off the dance floor," she said.

The Andersons agree that bookselling through the years has been good.

"Even after we close, I'll probably get up some morning and head for the store," said Anderson.

B. Ray Owen is business editor at the Southeast Missourian.