Out of the past 12/23/04

25 years ago: Dec. 23, 1979

The Union of Concerned Christians of Evangelical United Church of Christ sponsors a live nativity pageant in the evening in the church yard at 37 S. Ellis St.; animals for the pageant are supplied by 5-H Ranch.

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- The annual Christmas Concert of Trinity Choral Society of Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg is held in the evening; the program is under the direction of Vernon R. Meyr, organist and choir director.

50 years ago: Dec. 23, 1954

Pupils from Catholic High School and Central High School, totaling 681, had free chest X-rays on the Cape Girardeau County mobile unit's first stop in Cape Girardeau yesterday; during the morning 137 students from the Catholic school and 544 students and teachers from Central were X-rayed.

The Jackson school board foresees increasing school enrollment through the coming six years, along with overcrowded conditions; overcrowding will be felt particularly within two years.

75 years ago: Dec. 23, 1929

The Christmas mailing rush strikes the Cape Girardeau post office and almost delivers a knockout; groggy from the crush, postal employees stagger under the load of what postmaster H.H. Haas calls the heaviest mailing in history; with Christmas packages piling up, Haas issues an emergency call, and the entire night crew is placed at work to aid in relieving the situation.

The Salvation Army is making final preparations for distributing 125 baskets to the needy of Cape Girardeau and Jackson; each basket contains about $4 worth of food.

100 years ago: Dec. 23, 1904

George Lefler wins the prize for the best letter to Santa Claus; he will collect a football at Jones & Co.'s Racket store on Broadway; the girl writing the best letter is Ramona Duckworth, and she receives a fine doll from Peironnet's store; Dan Stanfill was the littlest boy and Pearl Stone the littlest girl to write letters; he will be awarded a toy steam engine and she a box of candy.

The New Terminal Hotel on Water Street is set to open Jan. 1; it was hoped to open the hostelry's doors for Christmas, but too much had to be done to get it ready by that date.

-- Sharon K. Sanders