Out of the past 2/23/10

25 years ago: Feb. 23, 1985

Although heavy rain yesterday caused some minor flooding in parts of Cape Girardeau, it was a blessing in disguise on North Main Street, where a Union Electric natural gas line had ruptured; as the rainwater at Main and Mill streets reached the spot on the pavement over the broken gas line, the gas escaping through a crack in the pavement created a geyser shooting 10 to 15 feet in the air.

Eggimann Feed & Produce Co., owned and operated for many years by the late A.C. "Doc" Brase, has reopened for business under the management of Gladys Cain.

50 years ago: Feb. 23, 1960

An estimated 3,000 people visited the National Guard armory yesterday during an open house; visitors were able to inspect all the facilities in the building.

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education votes to submit to voters at the April election two proposals; one would provide for an 85-cent tax levy for one year only, with the proceeds to be assigned to the fund used to pay teachers; the other proposes a $1,650,000 bond issue to provide additional junior high school facilities.

75 years ago: Feb. 23, 1935

Those who have dreamed of converting part of Cape Girardeau County into a scenic park may yet get their wish; Dennis Scivally, engineer for the Cape Special Road District, was asked by the State Plan Commission to suggest six park projects in the county; Scivally will recommend the establishment of a scenic park in the extreme northeast corner of the county.

Rumor has it that another theater will be built in Cape Girardeau; one report has it that a site in the 900 block of Broadway will be its location, while another says Main Street.

100 years ago: Feb. 23, 1910

Since the loss of the ferryboat Warsaw in the early part of the winter, the only craft transferring teams between Cape Girardeau and Illinois has been E.M Hobbs' gasoline launch and a barge; Hobbs having sold his launch to a party in Caruthersville, Mo., the town is now without a ferry.

Mr. and Mrs. George H. Drew have returned from a two-week stay at Hot Springs, Ark., and report a bad snowstorm there; the thermometer was 10 degrees below zero.

-- Sharon K. Sanders