Out of the past 4/27/12

25 years ago: April 27, 1987

Good weather has allowed work to progress on the paving of New Madrid Street near the Show Me Center; university officials say the first phase of street construction could be completed in about 10 days.

Missouri State Auditor Margaret Kelly tells a crowd of about 100 people her audit of the city of Scott City didn't turn up evidence of any misappropriation, misuse or theft of funds by any city official from a $1.5 million bond issue.

50 years ago: April 27, 1962

Beginning Sunday, the Trinity Lutheran congregation will hold services in the school auditorium while the sanctuary building is being remodeled; the project, which will include new carpets, lectern, pulpit, communion rail, frontals on the pews and altar platform, is expected to continue for the next four weeks.

The old river sternwheeler Avalon is scheduled to go on the auction block some time after May 18; the boat, which at one time was in the excursion trade on the Mississippi River, is ordered sold in federal bankruptcy proceedings in Ohio.

75 years ago: April 27, 1937

Even the weather favors the Southeast Missourian's 11th annual cooking school, which begins in the afternoon at the Broadway Theater; guest lecturer is Mrs. Bertha M. Harris.

The city council has contracted with William Lincoln of Cape Girardeau to dispose of the town's garbage; the city will pay Lincoln $125 monthly to collect the garbage; he will supply his own trucks, gasoline and men, while the city will lend him four garbage truck beds, the metal tanks to be attached to Lincoln's trucks.

100 years ago: April 27, 1912

Emil Thilenius and Al Dittlinger catch a house floating down the Mississippi River and pull it ashore; they catch the floating building near the mouth of Big Flora Creek, a few miles north of Cape Girardeau, and tow it with their gasoline launch to the river bank below the levee here.

At a recent school election in the district just west of New Wells, the high school class work was voted out by a small majority; those favoring the high school work, however, didn't give up; they made up a subscription list to re-employ Professor Stevenson at an even higher salary; so Shawneetown will again have its high school.

-- Sharon K. Sanders