Out of the past 4/20/06

25 years ago: April 20, 1981

Cape Girardeau Mayor Howard C. Tooke has been to Washington numerous times to attend various legislative meetings and conferences in his role as a municipal leader, but Wednesday will be a first for him: He has received an invitation from President Ronald Reagan to attend a daylong conference at the White House.

The acting executive director of the Missouri Municipal League, Gary Markenson, addresses the 13-member Cape Girardeau Charter Commission at the first of many commission meetings expected to continue through 1982; Markenson is considered knowledgeable about the constitutional home-rule charter concept.

50 years ago: April 20, 1956

Any relocation of North Main Street to eliminate a traffic hazard at First Street in the area of the flood-control work will be entirely up to the city of Cape Girardeau, says Col. George E. White Jr., St. Louis district engineer; area residents have suggested that the street be relocated, starting at its Mason Street intersection and crossing diagonally across to connect with Main again at First Street; this would eliminate a 90-degree curve at the Brune and Eaker filing station.

WASHINGTON -- The Daughters of the American Revolution will vote again today in a hot, three-way contest for president general and seven other top positions; the count from yesterday's first ballot shows Mrs. Frederic Groves of Cape Girardeau 35 votes short of the majority needed for election as president general.

75 years ago: April 20, 1931

The municipal government of Cape Girardeau, at the close of business March 31, had $17,748.69 more money in the treasury than it had at the corresponding date in 1930, the semiannual statement of city clerk W.C. Kaempfer shows; the balance on hand, beginning April 1, was $63,749.57.

Allowing attorneys only brief comments, Judge C.B. Faris in federal court records settlements in 22 of the Southeast Missouri floodway cases, holds brief trials of four cases, and passes 15 others to a future session of the court; in the 26 cases ended by compromise settlement or trial, 215.57 acres were involved, this being right-of-way land for the inland levee.

100 years ago: April 20, 1906

At the Cape Girardeau Commercial club meeting last night, L.J. Albert suggested that action be taken immediately to aid the sufferers in the terrible earthquake calamity in California.

As only a small amount of the club's revenue could be used for such purposes, a subscription was started; this afternoon $200 is wired to California.

In response to The Daily Republican's call for power for its electric motor, which replaced the old gasoline engine, Thomas Fox, manager of the electric light company, has the whistle blown at 1 p.m. to announce that day electrical service has started; in the past years, day power was furnished only in the summer when fans were needed.

- Sharon K. Sanders