Out of the past 11/27/07

25 years ago: Nov. 27, 1982

Morley Swingle, who returned to his hometown two years ago as an associate at the Spradling & Spradling law firm, will join the Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney's law office Dec. 1; Swingle, 27, will join Jim Hahn as assistant prosecuting attorneys.

Consumer Santas are out in force, and there's hardly room in Cape Girardeau's shopping areas for an elf to park an elf-sized car; merchants here say they are looking forward to one of the biggest holiday shopping seasons ever.

50 years ago: Nov. 27, 1957

Charles A. Richards, 28, falls from a pontoon coal flat anchored off Cape Girardeau's cobblestone wharf and disappears downstream in the Mississippi River: Richards was an employee of Cecil LaBotte of Marion, Ill., coal trucker, and had just assisted LaBotte in unloading a truck trailer of coal on the coal flat.

Wayne B. Rust of Rust & Martin Co. has purchased the Bartels Mercantile Co. building at 430 Broadway; Rust says he will offer the building for rent after it is vacated around Jan. 1 by the Bartels store, which is closing out.

75 years ago: Nov. 27, 1932

The first steps toward the establishment of a cooperative relief program in Cape Girardeau are taken when representatives of more than 30 organizations meet at the Chamber of Commerce building and organize a central relief committee.

Resolutions commending the work of dry leaders in Cape Girardeau County, and asking for signatures to petitions demanding that the dry laws not be changed, are passed at a mass meeting sponsored by the United Dry Organization of Cape Girardeau County at the First Baptist Church.

100 years ago: Nov. 27, 1907

Dr. D.H. Hope, who is becoming known as an efficient football official, leaves for Decatur, Ill., where he will be referee the game there between James Millikin University and Knox College.

This morning, three ladies are trying on shoes at the Buckner-Ragsdale Store at one time and in less than 15 minutes each wins a turkey; 17 big birds are given away up to noon, and there is no telling how many quarts of oysters are carried away.

-- Sharon K. Sanders