Out of the past 2/4/08

25 years ago: Feb. 4, 1983

The dean of Cape Girardeau lawyers takes listeners on a verbal journey back to the early years of this century; Rush H. Limbaugh, who came to Cape Girardeau as a Normal School student in 1907 and who has been practicing law here for 67 years, is the speaker at the monthly Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee.

Thieves made off with an undetermined amount of cash from the Jackson junior high school yesterday after first dining on an entire box of Dutch-N-Such cookies in the school office; the telltale evidence left behind was the empty cookie box.

50 years ago: Feb. 4, 1958

Law enforcement officers continue to search the Melber, Ky., area for the escaped gunman who abducted Missouri State Trooper William R. Little and led a wild chase into Kentucky Saturday night; his partner is in a Paducah hospital in critical condition from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Carlston A. Bohnsack of Cape Girardeau announces he will seek the Republican party nomination for Cape Girardeau county clerk; at the same time, it is announced by clerk Edwin J. Sander that he will not seek re-election.

75 years ago: Feb. 4, 1933

Business at the Salvation Army cafe is picking up; since the arrival of Capt. Ernest Orchard, a new system has been adopted, and patrons are said to be much better satisfied; apparently "burned out" on the almost steady diet of vegetable stew, Orchard switched to a more varied menu that includes ribs, sauerkraut, potatoes and vegetables.

All assets of the Sturdivant Bank are in complete charge of the liquidating officers, following payment of $27,359.55 to the First National Bank of St. Louis, the balance due on a $150,000 loan the local bank floated before its closing.

100 years ago: Feb. 4, 1908

The formal opening of the manual training school at the Normal School last night was the greatest event from a local standpoint ever held at the school; it is estimated that about 5,000 people attended and were shown the entire building.

A.R. Ponder leaves in the morning for lower Texas, where he will look over a railroad proposition for J.E. Franklin and other St. Louis financiers; he will be away about a month.

-- Sharon K. Sanders