Out of the Past 4/2/09

25 years ago: April 2, 1984

Only about 12 percent of Cape Girardeau County's registered voters, or 3,720 residents, are expected to go to the polls tomorrow despite a crowded field of candidates in both the Cape Girardeau city and school board elections.

Win Bruhl, associate professor of art, has been named new chairman of the Southeast Missouri State University's Department of Art; Bruhl, who specializes in drawing and printmaking, joined the university faculty as a teaching assistant in 1969; he succeeds Bill Needle, who is returning to full-time teaching.

50 years ago: April 2, 1959

A large caterpillar tractor with scraper and bucket is working on a 20-acre tract north of Jackson to remove the surface dirt deposited above a bed of limestone, which will be quarried by Gibbar Bros. Co. of Perry County.

Thad Bullock of the Bullock Piano Salon has been awarded the contract to supply four new pianos for the State College music department; he will supply one Baldwin grand and three Baldwin-made Hamilton Studio uprights; the cost is $3,980; they are the first pianos to be purchased at the college in 20 years.

75 years ago: April 2, 1934

Thirty-four youths are eligible for service at the Sam A. Baker Civilian Conservation Corps camp as Cape Girardeau County's quota; they will be trucked to the camp Wednesday.

The board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce is organized in the evening; H.I. Himmelberger is elected president and W.F.D. Batjer is re-elected secretary; Himmelberger succeeds J.A. Rigdon.

100 years ago: April 2, 1909

C.C. Hawley and Tom Williams were the highest bidders for the old jail building and market house in courthouse park, sold yesterday at public auction; they are also the owners of a lot of miscellaneous junk stored therein, including old fire engines; they paid $15 for the two buildings and $29 for the junk.

A.R. Ponder, who has been working for several weeks in relocating a new railroad line for St. Louis capitalists, will become one of the three owners of the road and will manage it; he will remove his family to their new home in Texas in about a month.

-- Sharon K. Sanders