Out of the past 9/1/05

25 years ago: Sept. 1, 1980

The director of University Schools, Dr. John E. Koenig, has been named public service division chairman for the 1980 to 1981 United Way campaign; Koenig will select workers to contact city and state employees, public and parochial schools, Southeast Missouri State University and employees of United Way agencies.

Former state senator A.M. Spradling Jr., a Democrat, and 10th District congressional candidate Bill Emerson, a Republican, have scheduled a news conference Wednesday, at which Spradling is expected to endorse Emerson for Congress.

50 years ago: Sept. 1, 1955

General rainfall over the Missouri and Illinois river watersheds in the two states on Monday has forestalled -- at least temporarily -- a logjam of Mississippi River traffic, which was beginning to have navigation difficulties as the stream dropped to its lowest stage in summer history earlier this week; the stage at Cape Girardeau is 9.7 feet.

C.E. Newhouse, 90-year-old Dexter, Mo., resident, in gratitude for medical treatment received in Cape Girardeau, is presenting an artificial kidney machine to Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois; the Newhouse Kidney Foundation is being established by local doctors, which will oversee the equitable use of the machine and make it available to as many people as necessary.

75 years ago: Sept. 1, 1930

More than 700 employees of the Missouri Pacific Lines come to Cape Girardeau to hold their annual reunion, joining the Centenary Methodist Church at the annual Labor Day picnic at Fairground Park.

Hugh Mitchell, proprietor of the Union Bus depot, suffers a fractured ankle when he falls from a ladder while working in a store building at 1 N. Spanish St.; he was helping his father-in-law, Barney Kraft, arrange the store building preparatory to opening a retail business.

100 years ago: Sept. 1, 1905

Clover hulling and stubble breaking is the order of the day in the Dutchtown vicinity; William Schlegel unloaded a fine huller from a rail car there, and it was hungry for clover; it has a self-feeder and requires six wagons to haul clover to it.

The quarantine is still in effect at Cape Girardeau, although few seem to know about it; two doctors meet the northbound trains every day at the yards and inspect the passengers for yellow fever, before the trains are allowed to travel to the union station.

-- Sharon K. Sanders