Out of the past 11/16/09

25 years ago: Nov. 16, 1984

The investigation into the discovery of dioxin at an Army camp in Virginia is drawing interest from a number of local parents; 36 Boy Scouts from Southeast Missouri, including 13 from Cape Girardeau, were at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia when it was the site of the 1981 national Boy Scout Jamboree.

Contralto Judith Farris of New York, a Cape Girardeau native and an alumna of Southeast Missouri State University, will perform here Dec. 2 in Academic Hall auditorium.

50 years ago: Nov. 16, 1959

ORAN, Mo. -- Two bandits, one described as very short, hold up the State Bank of Oran at 10:40 a.m. and escape with some of the bank money; the sum stolen is reported to be between $7,000 and $8,000; they don't take time to have the bank vault opened.

An estimated 1,200 persons from a wide radius around Cape Girardeau passed through the doors of The Missourian building Saturday and Sunday to see the 13th annual Missourian Art Exhibition; braving the cold weather, the crowds view about 150 paintings, including 15 oil paintings exhibited by guest artist Wallace H. Smith.

75 years ago: Nov. 16, 1934

Will Hirsch and Henry A. Nussbaum leave for Florida on a fishing expedition; they will angle on the Gulf of Mexico and will be gone about two weeks; the pair plans to visit various cities, possibly including Miami.

Construction of Hillcrest Golf Club links, a new public golf course to be situated on the Brown Owl property three miles northwest of Cape Girardeau on U.S. 61, has begun with the clearing of woods and underbrush and removal of fences.

100 years ago: Nov. 16, 1909

A team of big black horses belonging to the Dempsey food store was pulling through the deep mud of Spanish Street last evening, after having delivered hay at Kimmel's, and just after passing Themis Street was struck by a trolley car running north; the horses were thrown down, but suffered no serious injuries; since street paving work has started, the mud on Spanish gets very deep and sticky after a rain.

Cape Girardeau's harbor has five boats in at one time in the morning; the Grey Eagle, the ferry boat, the King and two smaller boats are tied up or are steaming about.

-- Sharon K. Sanders