Out of the past 10/18/04

25 years ago: Oct. 18, 1979

After years of urging, the city council last night voted to purchase a citywide disaster warning system at a cost of $109,800; purchase of the system from Alert Systems, Inc., of Paducah, Ky., came on a 3-to-1 vote.

Cape Girardeau's 4-year-old Voluntary Action Center, designed to coordinate skills of volunteers with the needs of not-for-profit organizations, is closing, says director Clarence Finley.

50 years ago: Oct. 18, 1954

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Four Sikeston residents narrowly escaped death yesterday morning when the Stinson 140 Voyager plane in which they were flying crashed on the P.N. Bucholz farm a quarter-mile from the airport; the plane was owned and piloted by Melvin Weiser, 42.

MORLEY, Mo. -- The first step toward desegregation in public schools here begins when blacks are admitted to the high school; two boys and a girl are admitted as school resumes after a cotton-picking vacation.

75 years ago: Oct. 18, 1929

Because of adverse weather conditions causing three near crop failures in Southeast Missouri during the years of 1926, 1927 and 1928, the Little River Drainage District was unable to meet its interest and principal payments maturing Oct. 1; negotiations are in progress among the Bondholders' Protective Committee, the board of supervisors of the district, mortgage loan companies, and large landowners looking toward a refunding agreement.

The golden jubilee of the invention of the electric light next week has locals wondering what business establishments or residences were the first in Cape Girardeau to be supplied with electricity; W.A. Trickey, a druggist at Oak Ridge, says he had the first electric lights in Cape Girardeau at his City Drug Store in 1890.

100 years ago: Oct. 18, 1904

M.E. Leming, president of the Commercial Club, receives a letter from Russell Gardner, who has been contemplating moving his large buggy factory to Cape Girardeau; the letter declares, "We are all pleased with Cape Girardeau as a location."

While digging trenches for the foundation of the building being erected by L.F. Klostermann, adjoining the Bee Store on Spanish Street, vaults of a former tan yard are discovered, and the trenches fill with water; the foundation will have to be put down much deeper than was intended, and great difficulty is being experienced in keeping the water out.

-- Sharon K. Sanders