Out of the past 8/1/05

25 years ago: Aug. 1, 1980

Three of the state's top four gubernatorial candidates were in Cape Girardeau yesterday; Lt. Gov. William C. Phelps, rated by most polls as an underdog to former Gov. Christopher "Kit" Bond in the Republican race for governor, was drumming up support in the last hours of his campaign.

A new system of garbage collection, involving yellow trash bags, will be instituted by Cape Girardeau's sanitation department Monday; the new system stipulates that each residence is entitled to free weekly pickup of no more than six trash bags or cans, three on each of the two pickup days during the week.

50 years ago: Aug. 1, 1955

The Republican county committee chairman, Rush H. Limbaugh Jr., is advised that the Civil Service Commission has certified an eligible list of three persons to fill the position of Cape Girardeau postmaster; those certified are Narvol A. Randol, mayor of Cape Girardeau; Kenneth Cruse, former chief of police and now assistant manager of the Industrial Loan Co., and U.G. Pettigrew, a city commissioner.

Having passed Cape Girardeau during the night, the Argentine swimmer, Antonio Abertondo is below Cairo, Ill., this afternoon as he continues his 300-mile Mississippi River endurance test.

75 years ago: Aug. 1, 1930

ALTON, Ill. -- Sixty passengers are taken off the packet Bald Eagle, when it runs aground in the Mississippi River near here due to the extremely low level of the waters; the passengers are transferred by motor boat from the Bald Eagle to its sister steamer, the Cape Girardeau.

The pajama fad is threatening to make its debut in Cape Girardeau; a young woman garbed in pajamas of the type seen often in larger cities and along beaches was one of the spectators at the Municipal League baseball game at Fairground Park yesterday.

100 years ago: Aug. 1, 1905

William Henry is appointed master mechanic of the third district of the Frisco Railroad, succeeding W.B. Gaskins, who resigned; Henry was formerly master mechanic in Cape Girardeau and was removed to Monett, Mo., where he has held a similar position.

Prepare to ride up the Broadway hill in 60 days; that bane of all Girardeans is at the point of being overcome; the contract for the construction of the new electric streetcar line is let in the afternoon, with M.E. Leming and A.R. Ponder winning the contract

-- Sharon K. Sanders