Out of the past 10/1/01

10 years ago: Oct. 1, 1991

Motorists who shun seat belts and have no medical insurance account for roughly more than $320,000 in uncompensated trauma care at St. Francis Medical Center; figure covers hospital's fiscal year that ran from July 1, 1990, to June 30, 1991; Southeast Missouri Hospital keeps no similar figures.

Former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese and Village Voice writer Nat Hentoff agree on one thing: They have right to publicly disagree; during debate at Southeast Missouri State University, two clash on numerous issues regarding freedom of speech; one of most heated issues is regulation of sexually explicit materials.

25 years ago: Oct. 1, 1976

Workers represented by different unions strike two Cape Girardeau business firms, placing about 75 people on picket lines; wages are at heart of both disputes; about 30 members of Teamsters Local 574 strike Cape Ready Mix installations here, in Jackson and Scott City after their contract expired at midnight Thursday; around 45 workers at Davis Electric Co., represented by International Brotherhood of Electric Workers, are walking picket line at company at 230 N. Spring.

Commerce - National Guard unit from Charleston is making plans to clean Commerce Cemetery Hill in mid-October; cleaning and restoring cemetery is countywide Bicentennial project; old graveyard dates back to 1790s.

50 years ago: Oct. 1, 1951

Windy Bar, 560-acre tract in Mississippi River about four miles north of Cape Girardeau, will be converted into hunting club under plans of E.L. Holliday of Thebes, Ill., contractor, who negotiated its purchase from County Court; Holliday, widely known Southern Illinois sportsman, says tract will be used for goose hunting.

Sikeston - Nineteen gambling devices have been seized in Southeast Missouri by federal agents acting under new law; Federal Bureau of Investigations estimates value of machines at $100,000; raids were made on carnivals in Sikeston and Kennett Saturday night under law barring interstate transportation of gambling devices; machines, known as "diggers," came from Illinois.

75 years ago: Oct. 1, 1926

Major Giboney Houck is in Houston, Texas, this week participating in hearing before members of Interstate Commerce Commission in which L.F. Loree is asking permission to consolidate three great railway systems into one, three being Kansas City Southern, of which Loree is head; Missouri, Kansas & Texas, and Cotton Belt; Houck would like Cape Girardeau Northern Railroad included in Loree's plan.

Large crowd attends Cape County Fair, and more are expected for this evening's Night Horse Show; parade formally opens day's events, which include feature racing program, judging of dairy cattle show, swine and kennel shows, and Baby Beef Show.

- Sharon K. Sanders