Out of the Past 8/9/08

25 years ago: Aug. 9, 1983

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- About 50 families are returning to their homes after they were forced to leave overnight when a valve on a 500-gallon liquid propane tank broke and the highly flammable gas began spewing into the atmosphere; no injuries are reported.

The fourth Cape Girardeau County grand jury in 13 months was convened yesterday by Presiding Circuit Judge A. Grimm; the jury will look into the slaying of 27-year-old Deborah I. Manning.

50 years ago: Aug. 9, 1958

Continued poor weather the past several weeks has prevented a crew at Trail of Tears State Park from completing construction of an access road along the southern boundary to Moccasin Springs; grading is continuing as weather permits.

A jug bearing the date 1879 is brought to The Missourian office by David Carlton; it was found in the cellar at the farm of his father-in-law, B.C. Schultz, near Jackson; the one-quart jug bears the inscription: "Old Governor... 1879... Sour Mash... Hoosier Bill... Cape Girardeau, Mo."

75 years ago: Aug. 9, 1933

Businessmen, ministers, bankers and lawyers came together at a dinner meeting last night at Hotel Marquette to pay tribute to the service Dr. Joseph A. Serena has rendered the community in his 12 years as president of the Cape Girardeau Teachers College; Serena will leave next Monday to assume the presidency of Bethany College at Bethany, W.Va.

President A.M. Spradling of the Cape Girardeau School Board has notified president Joseph A. Serena of Teachers College that Central High School won't use Houck Field House and stadium for basketball and football games during the coming school year.

100 years ago: Aug. 9, 1908

The Rev. J.O. Willett preaches his last sermons as pastor of the Baptist church in Cape Girardeau; after doing some good work here, he is moving to Poplar Bluff, Mo.

The Cape Girardeau Capahas travel to Perryville, Mo., for a baseball game, but are beaten to the tune of 9-1 by the fierce Jeff Tessreau; he baffles the Caps, fanning 12; earlier in the day, the Perryville boys trimmed the Jackson team 10-3.

-- Sharon K. Sanders