PRIVATE DONORS CAN PRESERVE OLD BUILDINGS

There is no telling how many historical gems are hidden inside the walls of buildings throughout Cape Girardeau. Recently, a well-preserved log cabin dating from the 1820s or 1830s was found inside a 20th century frame house on South Frederick Street. Quite possibly the cabin is the oldest structure in the city -- at least older than any other known building.

As with any old building of historical or architectural interest, ideas already have started to flow concerning how to preserve this piece of history. The owner of the log cabin, Mandy McClure of Atlanta, is willing to donate it for the purpose of preservation. Current estimates run to several thousand dollars for moving the cabin to a site where it would be displayed and enjoyed by the public.

One suggestion is to move the log cabin to a city park. Councilman Tom Neumeyer has suggested the possibility of moving it to an area behind City Hall.

Meanwhile, two owners of other log structures, one in the Fruitland area and another in Perryville, have expressed an interest in donating their buildings to the city for preservation. Collected together, the buildings could provide a glimpse of history that otherwise might be lost to razing.

There is little doubt that a sizable number of folks interested in history and old buildings would like to see them preserved. For months there has been considerable discussion about ways to make sure the former St. Vincent's Seminary is preserved for posterity. No resolution has been found yet. Hundreds of willing donors have, over the years, contributed to the ongoing efforts to restore and preserve Old St. Vincent's Catholic Church, a downtown architectural jewel near the Mississippi River.

Several houses and other structures in Cape Girardeau enjoy the status of being listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a designation that indicates their historic value.

It is very possible that funds for preserving the old log cabin and other structures can be raised through private donations. One idea from Neumeyer is to see if schoolchildren might be interested in helping with these projects. Certainly other groups and individuals could be enlisted as well.

Good luck to these efforts to raise the funds privately. The city's participation, at least for now, should be limited to making space available for the structures and for continued cooperation in finding ways to see that old treasures remain for the enjoyment of future generations.

NO NEED TO TAX DOLLARS IN THIS CASE EITHER

It is interesting sometimes to see how good ideas get funded. Take the case of the current "Jaycees Against Youth Smoking" campaign. In Cape Girardeau, this program aims to enlist businesses that sell tobacco products to refrain from selling to youngsters. State law prohibits the sales of tobacco to anyone under the age of 18.

The Jaycees are approaching this campaign in a friendly and informative way. Members, along with police officers, are visiting businesses to remind them of the law and to encourage businesses to pledge to refrain from sales to underage customers.

The national campaign is funded by a grant from R.J. Reynolds Corp., one of the nation's large tobacco companies.

Meanwhile, on the very same day that Jaycees were going to businesses to talk about tobacco sales, a group of U.S. senators in Washington were trying to make headlines by calling for more federal spending -- to the tune of $30 million -- to enforce anti-teen smoking laws.

It is curious that one program, funded privately, is already in place, while elected officials push for tax dollars to be spent to do the same thing.

There is little doubt that the privately funded program, thanks to volunteers from organizations like the Jaycees, will be far more effective, and cost-efficient, than any government program that is cooked up.