Out of the past 9/7/07

25 years ago: Sept. 7, 1982

A petition drive seeking to place on the November ballot a proposition to repeal the "Blue Law" Sunday sales ban in Cape Girardeau has already collected about 5,000 signatures, although election officials say some of them are invalid.

Although he calls it "one of the most useless things we've ever done," Cape Girardeau Mayor Howard C. Tooke casts the deciding vote to approve the first reading of a long-debated ordinance aimed at regulating abortions here.

50 years ago: Sept. 7, 1957

An enrollment of 1,700 students is estimated for the State College next week with the opening of the 84th annual session of the school.

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Judge Robert G. Brady of Cape Girardeau issues a writ of mandamus in circuit court, ordering the board of directors of the Sedgewickville, Mo., school district to turn over to the Patton, Mo., school district all its records, property and money; the dispute between the two districts had the effect of nullifying a reorganization plan that would have had pupils in the two-year high school at Sedgewickville attending the four-year school at Patton, while Patton's seventh- and eighth-grade pupils would have been transported to the school at Sedgewickville.

75 years ago: Sept. 7, 1932

The Cape Girardeau City Council is considering a petition presented by owners in the vicinity of North Main and First streets in the Red Star suburb, asking that Main Street be widened to permit safer traveling.

Forty-three candidates for the Central High School football team are working out daily under the direction of second-year coach Olaf Robinson; the seven lettermen returning to the squad are George Staley, Walter Metje, Milburn Metje, Donald Parrott, William Mabrey, Elliott Seabaugh and Morris Gaines.

100 years ago: Sept. 7, 1907

Between 2,000 and 3,000 people are singing the praises of Cape Girardeau's Chautauqua; fully this number attended last night's opening entertainment; impersonator Gilbert Eldredge was a hit, and he will perform again this evening, along with the Chicago Glee Club.

Henry Ulrich, a former Cape Girar­deau resident, died at the Lutheran hospital in St. Louis yesterday from the effects of a fall from a streetcar.

-- Sharon K. Sanders