Out of the past 9/24/06

25 years ago: Sept. 24, 1981

It's official -- there once again is a record enrollment at Southeast Missouri State University this fall; the school's official census shows there are 9,165 students enrolled at the university, 63 more than last fall's head count.

CAIRO, Ill. -- Because of continued sluggishness in the Illinois coal market and time-consuming paperwork, it will be at least early next year before work begins on a multimillion-dollar coal-loading terminal here; when the project was originally announced in February, officials of Ohio River Co., a division of Midland Affiliated Co. of Cincinnati, indicated preliminary groundwork would begin this fall.

50 years ago: Sept. 24, 1956

Five huge fabricated steel bins to be used for storage of raw materials at the new plant of the Marquette Cement Mfg. Co. are expected to arrive tomorrow on a barge pushed by the company's towboat, Nicholas Duncan; the bins, each having a capacity of 170 tons, were too large to be shipped by rail.

A request for rezoning of a residence on College Hill Place and a protest from property owners in the section meet head-on at the Cape Girardeau City Council meeting; the property owners present a petition signed by 17 people which sets out their objections to changing the zoning code to allow a fraternity house to locate at 916 College Hill Place.

75 years ago: Sept. 24, 1931

Operation of the new Missouri Utilities Co. water plant at Cape Rock will begin about Nov. 10, if present progress on construction continues; placing of the heavy red tile roof on the main building of the new plant is completed today, and all building construction has been finished.

River improvements in the Cape Girardeau area have brought employment to several hundred men; among the activities connected with this work is the operation of stone quarries along the shores of the Mississippi River in this county.

100 years ago: Sept. 24, 1906

The Terminal Bar, at the foot of Broadway at the riverfront, has been decorated in the colors of the Centennial celebration; William P. Etling, the proprietor, has started the ball rolling, and everybody should follow.

The opening of Ellen Madden and her sister's millinery is one of the brilliant events for women of Cape Girardeau of the fall season; it is doubtful if ever a finer line of hats was brought to the city than that shown.

-- Sharon K. Sanders