Out of the past 10/30/05

25 years ago: Oct. 30, 1980

Cape Girardeau County Court judges announce they are offering a $250 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of any individual or individuals who damaged the newly erected county road signs.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Missouri officials ask the federal court at Little Rock to prohibit U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Charles Baker from authorizing the sale of disputed grain in five elevators until ownership of the grain is determined; some of the grain in the James family elevators was placed there by Missouri farmers.

50 years ago: Oct. 30, 1955

The Rev. Elmer Arndt, professor of historical theology and Christian ethics at Eden Seminar in Webster Groves, Mo., and a professor at Washington University in St. Louis, is guest speaker at the Reformation Day service at Centenary Methodist Church.

Lt Col. Chester M. Conrad, 38, an outstanding football star at State College in the late 1930s and holder of a distinguished war and postwar record with the Air Force, died unexpectedly yesterday of a heart attack as he prepared to board a plane in Tokyo; word of his death came to an aunt, Mrs. Henry Dalton of Cape Girardeau.

75 years ago: Oct. 30, 1930

Cape Girardeau County has 9,523 children enrolled in its public schools, according to County Clerk Henry Puls; of this number, 4,522 are in the public schools of Cape Girardeau; Jackson's enrollment is 723; of the total county enrollment, there are 4,527 white boys, 4,629 white girls, 183 black boys and 184 black girls.

A block signal system, designed to prevent accidents on the Frisco Railroad between St. Louis and Cape Girardeau, is nearing completion and should be ready for use within 10 days or two weeks; the system, electrically operated, provides for a series of warning lights and bracket arms at regular intervals.

100 years ago: Oct. 30, 1905

President A.J. Davidson of the Frisco Railroad came down last night in his private car, and this morning goes down to Chaffee, Mo., with Superintendent J.H. Elliott; they are inspecting the new yards being constructed there for the Frisco.

A Halloween party is given in the basement of the Presbyterian Church in the evening, and is probably the finest affair of the kind ever given in Cape Girardeau; the church building can scarcely hold the crowds that attend.

-- Sharon K. Sanders