Out of the past 9/19/09

25 years ago: Sept. 19, 1984

Former state Senator A.M. "Al" Spradling Jr., has been named chairman of the "Democrats for Reagan-Bush" group in Missouri; Spradling, currently in private law practice in Cape Girardeau, served 25 years in the Missouri Senate as a Democrat.

Lt. Gov. Ken Rothman, at a press conference at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport, announces he has gained the endorsement of Wayne Cryts, Puxico, Mo., farmer and farmers' rights advocate.

50 years ago: Sept. 19, 1959

The Trans-World Auto Daredevils will perform this evening before the grandstand at the SEMO District Fair; grandstand attendance the first four days of the fair has totaled 4,451; this is down 999 from last year.

Edwin L. Kies, regional director for the 1959 fall census, was in St. Louis Thursday and yesterday attending the directors' training school; Kies will recruit the crew leaders in a 19-county area, who will receive extensive training to carry out the census program.

75 years ago: Sept. 19, 1934

One of the federal construction projects on the Mississippi River near Cape Girardeau, a mile south of the traffic bridge, is designed largely to divert the channel of the Mississippi to the Missouri side of two sandy islands, instead of along the Illinois shore; two large pile dikes, supplementing existing ones, will be built by the W.P. McGeorge Construction Co.

A long-term lease on a room on the first floor of the building at 815 Broadway, owned by Harrison Securities Inc., is signed by Cherry, the Broadway florist; the building will be remodeled and a new front will be constructed; it will be occupied as a salesroom and office by the florist; J.T. Cherry and his son, C.W. Cherry, will be partners in the business.

100 years ago: Sept. 19, 1909

Two Cape Girardeau ministers are absent attending conference meetings; the Rev. H.W. Whitnell, pastor of Centenary Methodist Church, is at Fredericktown, Mo., at the annual meeting of the St. Louis conference, and the Rev. G.E. Heidel, pastor of the German Methodist Episcopal Church, is attending the annual German Methodist Episcopal conference at Burlington, Iowa.

Despite the hard hurling of Bill Barenkamp, who pitched successfully in the Texas League last summer, the Cape Girardeau Capahas fall to the Jackson team at the county seat, 2-1.

-- Sharon K. Sanders