Out of the past 12/22/08

25 years ago: Dec. 22, 1983

Officials at the Procter & Gamble paper products plant in Cape Girardeau County, concerned about delays in improving roads surrounding the plant, are going directly to state officials seeking the long-promised improvements; a letter to the state highway and transportation department and to Gov. Kit Bond asks for the improvement of Highway 177 and Route J.

Braving the ice and bitter cold, teams of Jaycee Santas make the rounds in the evening to deliver Toybox presents to more than 1,500 needy children.

50 years ago: Dec. 22, 1958

In a seventh attempt, the Oak Ridge School District approves the issuance of bonds to provide a new high school; on all other occasions, with a majority usually obtained, the district voters failed to give the necessary two-thirds majority of the votes cast for formal approval.

Even without an organized effort, Cape Girardeans have been contributing clothing and cash to a fund which will aid city children after the Christmas season; for the holiday, the Salvation Army is preparing to distribute 300 food baskets to the needy.

75 years ago: Dec. 22, 1933

An additional squad of 535 men is to be put to work immediately under the Civil Works Administration plan in 10 Southeast Missouri counties, says P.W. Porter, U.S. health service representative; they will be employed cleaning out drainage canals in the counties.

A storeroom on the south side of Broadway is being remodeled and will soon be occupied by a restaurant owned by Pete George; the old store front has been torn away and a new one installed.

100 years ago: Dec. 22, 1908

Complaints are coming in from Illinois farmers living opposite Cape Girardeau of the presence of flocks of wild geese, which are making a feeding ground of their fields of growing wheat.

Apparently to prevent a crossing of the new Houck railroad over the Frisco's Gulf line, about three miles south of Cape Girardeau, two track spurs were built by Frisco yesterday and filled with cars at that point where the new crossing was to have been placed; the cars were, in some cases, left derailed so that they cannot be moved easily.

— Sharon K. Sanders