Out of the past 1/15/09

25 years ago: Jan. 15, 1984

Cape Bible Chapel ordains four new elders during its Family Bible Hour: Bill Sweatman, Dan Greene, Randy Black and Roger Call; during the same service, six new deacons are installed: Harold Tilley, Darrell Gallaher, Wes Wade, Dan Price, Denny Roth and Bill Cobb.

At a ceremony in Jackson, Capt. Gilbert Wright of Cape Girardeau relinquishes command of the Missouri Army National Guard's Company A of the 1140th Engineer Battalion to Capt. Chris Owen of Jackson.

50 years ago: Jan. 15, 1959

The Masonic Lodges of Cape Girardeau are considering constructing a new building, but it will likely be some time in the future; the temple now is housed in the old brick building at Broadway and Spanish Street.

In order to prevent loss of life or serious injury to invalids in case of fire at places of residence, the Cape Girardeau Fire Department is compiling a list of all such people in the city; the list will be kept at each fire station and in each firetruck.

75 years ago: Jan. 15, 1934

A 20 percent increase in wages, effective tomorrow, for employees of the Cape Girardeau plant of the Marquette Cement Mfg. Co. is announced; the increase will add about $3,000 weekly to the local payroll.

W.O. Kelley moves his grocery store and household goods from 1101 N. Main St. into the building formerly occupied by George Raybourn, 306 Broadway; Kelley moved his family to Cape Girardeau in October 1933.

100 years ago: Jan. 15, 1909

Cape Girardeau is without water, following the shutting off by the water company of the valve that permits the flow of water from the reservoirs on Normal hill into the pipes supplying the city; ice, a shrinking river and a growing sandbar have left the company's intake pipe high and dry; the water in the reservoirs is being held in reserve in case of fire.

Basketball players among the public school children are tickled to death these days over the fact they have an indoor court; the chapel in Lorimier School, which is unused from the beginning to the end of school except on rare occasions, has been cleared of its seats and equipped for basketball.

-- Sharon K. Sanders