Out of the past 4/8/08

25 years ago: April 8, 1983

The crest prediction for the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau is revised upward from 41.5 feet Sunday to 42.4 feet by Monday night; residents on the north and south ends of the city continue to be forced from their homes by rising water.

A car driven by an on-duty Cape Girardeau policeman struck four pedestrians in an intersection yesterday, causing minor injuries to all four; the accident occurred at Broadway and Sprigg Street at 1:07 a.m.

50 years ago: April 8, 1958

Gov. James T. Blair Jr. has signed into law a bill that allows Cape Girardeau and other cities of its size to keep without change their present voter registration systems; it wipes out a provision of the 1957 registration law that would have required the city to discard all voters who registered between April 1, 1955, and July 1, 1955.

The possibility was raised Monday of one-way traffic on Broadway in blocks where Missouri Utilities Co. workers are laying new gas pipe line; merchants on Broadway are complaining that a no-parking regulation on the south side of the street is hurting business while work is underway.

75 years ago: April 8, 1933

Cheering crowds line Cape Girardeau's streets to pay tribute to International Shoe Co. as a long parade moves through the business section; adding to the excitement, the "Spirit of '76" float is momentarily threatened on Main Street when its motor catches fire; Albert Rueseler Jr., driving the machine carrying the float, is nearly overcome by fumes.

After a first bout of beer buying, Cape Girardeau finds itself nearly "dry," as the initial supply is virtually gone; more than 300 cases have been consumed here since the sale of beer became legal again at noon yesterday.

100 years ago: April 8, 1908

Voters balloted on two school issues yesterday in Cape Girardeau; the new high school tax was defeated nearly three to one; an increase of 20 cents in the regular school tax was also strongly opposed.

The "wets," or, as they styled themselves, the Citizens' Ticket, won a complete victory at Jackson yesterday; that's not the case at Whitewater, where anti-saloon forces came out on top.

— Sharon K. Sanders