Out of the past 11/25/10

25 years ago: Nov. 25, 1985

Cleanup efforts begin on spilled fuel oil that has polluted a 30-mile stretch of the Mississippi River south of Cape Girardeau; about 300,000 gallons of the oil spilled into the river yesterday when a barge tow struck a railroad bridge at Thebes, Ill.

Rising insurance costs combined with a decline in attendance forced the SEMO District Fair to operate in the red this year for the first time in many years; while about $375,000 had been budgeted for this year's fair, the actual cost of the event was about $386,000.

50 years ago: Nov. 25, 1960

Whether measured by automobile parking or foot traffic up and down the street and into stores, business is excellent in Cape Girardeau on this semiofficial opening day of the Christmas shopping season; crowds seem to be increasing as the day goes on.

The Cape Girardeau County automobile license bureau will move tomorrow from its current location at 320 S. Sprigg St. to quarters at the east entrance of the arcade in the Town Plaza Shopping Center.

75 years ago: Nov. 25, 1935

St. Louis sportsman Denver M. Wright and associates moved their base of wolf-hunting operations from the Neelys Landing community to Iron County yesterday; after eight days of hunting near Neelys Landing and near the mouth of Apple Creek, in Cape Girardeau and Perry counties, the hunters decided the pack that was giving trouble there last summer has gone elsewhere for the winter.

A contract has been made by the officials of the Yellow Cab Co. for the purchase of the Louis Hecht Building, 43 S. Main St., now occupied by the Winchester-Emerson Motor Sales, providing the building can be occupied by the purchasers by Dec. 15.

100 years ago: Nov. 25, 1910

Paul Williams came down from St. Louis to have turkey with his parents yesterday and returned on the afternoon train.

CAIRO, Ill. -- Saturday night should see the completion of the Cairo & Thebes Railroad ready for the operation of trains; work of ballasting the track and laying of side tracks between Cairo and Thebes, Ill., has been completed, and little remains to be done.

-- Sharon K. Sanders