Out of the past 8/12/08

25 years ago: Aug. 12, 1983

Missouri's Lt. Gov. Kenneth Rothman, sounding what may be the theme of his campaign for governor in 1984, deplores the "government by crises" he claims is operating in the state; Rothman, a Democrat, is in Cape Girardeau for one of a series of meetings he is holding around the state with potential political supporters.

Site preparation has begun and construction will immediately follow on an office building for the law firm of Finch, Bradshaw, Strom and Steele at 3109 Independence St. in Cape Girardeau.

50 years ago: Aug. 12, 1958

School vandalism, confined almost entirely to broken windows, is costing Cape Girardeau taxpayers from $50 to $60 a month, and all efforts to apprehend the juveniles responsible have proven fruitless; window breakage has been so bad this summer that it has taken two men working full time simply to make the rounds of schools replacing them.

Jim Lohr, 23-year-old former Cape Girardeau State football star from Sikeston, Mo., has been appointed assistant football and track coach at Central High School; he fills the vacancy left by Everett Aubuchon.

75 years ago: Aug. 12, 1933

Due largely to the shipment of watermelons to market from Southeast Missouri, Frisco trains through Cape Girardeau have been added until the freight service is twice as heavy as it was a month ago.

School board president A.M. Spradling says no definite arrangements have been made about a place for playing athletic games of Central High School during the coming years; the board has turned down Dr. Joseph A. Serena's offer to play at college facilities on the same terms as last year, saying the high school can't afford the terms.

100 years ago: Aug. 12, 1908

Another spread rail threw the southbound Houck train off the track yesterday afternoon about three miles out of Cape Girardeau; several cars were derailed.

J.F. Lawler, the butcher, has just installed an electric meat grinder; he is now able to turn out, if necessary, 2,000 pounds of sausage in 10 hours; Cape Girardeau at the present time doesn't use quite this amount, but the day is coming.

— Sharon K. Sanders