Out of the past 9/6/05

25 years ago: Sept. 6, 1980

U.S. Rep. Bill D. Burlison, in Cape Girardeau yesterday with his new campaign manager, Ronald B. Patterson, acknowledged that he is in a tough race with Republican Bill Emerson, who Burlison contends has the greater financial resources in the contest; Burlison said the current contest is his most difficult since 1970, when he defeated Cape Girardeau Republican Gary Rust by a slim margin.

Jackson Alderman Robert L. Adams has withdrawn from the race for Cape Girardeau County assessor, citing "personal and business responsibilities" as the reason for the decision; Adams is a real estate appraiser.

50 years ago: Sept. 6, 1955

Two picnics yesterday drew hundreds to Cape Girardeau in observance of Labor Day; weather was pleasant for the two-day Knights of Columbus picnic and the annual picnic held at Capaha Park.

All five members of a Cape Girardeau family are in varying stages of recovery at St. Francis Hospital from a siege of pneumonia that swept rapidly through their ranks last week.

75 years ago: Sept. 6, 1930

A survey of the needs of drought-stricken farm families in Cape Girardeau County will be made during the coming week by County Agent E.T. Mallinckrodt and Louis Matthews of Randles, Mo.; all members of the county drought relief committee were present for a meeting yesterday at Jackson; it was the opinion of the committee members that conditions in this county aren't as bad as in other counties of the district.

F.W. Keller, Cape Girardeau contractor, is awarded the contract by the city council for paving Bellevue Street near Houck Field and constructing a sidewalk along the north line of the street; the width of Bellevue will be doubled to facilitate the movement of traffic in the vicinity of the new football stadium.

100 years ago: Sept. 6, 1905

The large gangs of men working on the track of the new city street railway bring the track downtown; the old engine has been plowing the streets and ripping out the ties of the defunct system; following close behind, workers lay rails and spike them halfway down Broadway hill.

Christian Kassel, a well-known farmer who has long lived near Neely's Landing, is moving to Cape Girardeau; he sold his farm and will dispose of his farming equipment at public auction Sept. 16; Kassel has secured a house in the Painter Addition.

-- Sharon K. Sanders