Out of the past 10/2/05

25 years ago: Oct. 2, 1980

Jack Carter, the 33-year-old son of President Jimmy Carter, campaigned in the Bootheel yesterday before stopping at the county Democratic headquarters in Cape Girardeau today; aware that he is in an agricultural area of the state, Carter keys a brief talk on what his father has done for the American farmer and particularly defends his father's grain embargo against Russia.

Citing a conflict with Police Chief Henry H. Gerecke, detective Donna Coombs resigns her position with the Cape Girardeau Police Department; she is the third officer who has resigned within the last month.

50 years ago: Oct. 2, 1955

The Rev. C. Raymond Bugg is the new pastor for the Bible Baptist Church; Bugg, a 1954 graduate of the Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Mo., replaces the Rev. Gilbert H. Watson as pastor.

The Rev. John J. McWilliams, C.M., 76, a past president of St. Vincent's College and its spiritual director in recent years, dies at Saint Francis Hospital after a prolonged illness; he had served St. Vincent's as president from 1926 to 1932; seven years later, after other duties, he returned to the campus to become spiritual director; the native of Scotland is survived by one sister.

75 years ago: Oct. 2, 1930

Louis B. Harmon of Nevada, Mo., president of the Missouri Rural Mail Carriers Association, has been transferred to Cape Girardeau to take over Rural Route 3, from which W.B. McKendree recently retired after 25 years of service; Route 3 leaves the city by way of North Sprigg Street Road and returns over the Perryville Road after making a route of 25 miles.

Chief of Police Jesse Crafton and other city officials make final preparations for handling traffic in and around Houck Field Stadium, which will be dedicated tomorrow.

100 years ago: Oct. 2, 1905

Another new industry opens in Cape Girardeau; the Eclipse Laundry, owned by T.J. Haddock and R.M. Masterson, begins operations in the morning; the business is managed by H.A. Morris, who operated Home Laundry in St. Louis for 15 years.

The busiest man in town these days is August Shivelbine; he is manager of the grounds for the Fair Association, and it keeps him hustling from morning until night; Shivelbine is having a time locating the many attractions that will be coming, and most of the stalls have been engaged for fast horses; the fair opens next week for five days.

-- Sharon K. Sanders