Out of the past 1/24/09

25 years ago: Jan. 24, 1984

Pope John Paul II names the Rev. Bernard F. Law, bishop of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese, head of the Boston Archdiocese; Law will succeed the late Cardinal Humberto Medeiros as leader of the nation's third-largest archdiocese; he has been bishop of the Catholic Church in southern Missouri since 1973.

Fred Jones has filed for a fifth term on the Jackson Board of Aldermen; Jones, 39, was first elected to the city board in 1976.

50 years ago: Jan. 24, 1959

The city of Cape Girardeau and County Court have started advertising for bids for construction of a two-story annex to the Common Pleas Courthouse; the addition will provide more housing space for Common Pleas Court, the Cape Girardeau City Council and will furnish a modern vault for protection of vital records; John L.E. Boardman is architect for the annex.

Charles L. Harrison Jr., of Ladue, Mo., was appointed yesterday by Gov. James T. Blair as a member of the State College Board of Regents.

75 years ago: Jan. 24, 1934

Cape Girardeau City Commissioner Louis Wittmor is still thinking about his pet project, one which has never gone beyond the planning stage; now, with the possibility of Civil Works Administration funding, may be the time to build a storm-water sewer in the downtown business district.

Committees were appointed at a meeting last night to see if it is possible to acquire ground for an amusement park in Cape Girardeau; some men attending urged acquisition of a site for an annual fair, others asked for a horse show, while some wanted a public golf course.

100 years ago: Jan. 24, 1909

Dr. C.W. Woodward of St. Louis gave a free lecture in the Normal School auditorium last night on bridge construction; he illustrated his talk by the use of a "magic lantern"; Woodward is perhaps one of the ablest engineers in America, having written the history of and largely aiding James Eads in the construction of the great St. Louis bridge.

The Eclipse Laundry, more lately known as the Custom, is closed down and has been for a week; the proprietors left Cape Girardeau abruptly a week ago.

-- Sharon K. Sanders