Out of the past 9/8/08

25 years ago: Sept. 8, 1983

The Cape Girardeau City Council last night approved an ordinance placing on the Nov. 8 ballot the question of whether a gross receipts tax should be levied on local motel/hotel and restaurant owners to fund a tourism and convention bureau and help retire the city's $5 million multipurpose building bond issue.

Gov. Kit S. Bond goes "back to school," sharing his insights with students in a class at Central High School; his visit is part of a statewide tour of schools.

50 years ago: Sept. 8, 1958

An unprecedented number of freshmen students, far more than past experience had indicated would arrive on campus, swarm into Academic Hall and cause officials to revise upward the probable enrollment for the fall term; officials had anticipated between 900 and 1,000 freshmen, while between 1,050 and 1,100 report for orientation.

The SEMO District Fair is set to begin tomorrow for its weeklong showing at Arena Park; this year's fair starts a day later than customary; normally, entry day has been on Monday; but this year directors decided to advance the opening one day to Tuesday and to lengthen the fair one day on the other end.

75 years ago: Sept. 8, 1933

Art L. Walhausen, until recently connected with The Sikeston Standard newspaper, is in Cape Girardeau; he has accepted a position with The American Republic of Poplar Bluff, Mo., and plans to go there today to begin his new work.

Walter and Milburn Metje, brothers and backs on the Central High Tigers team last season, are undecided as to what they will do this season; they are considering entering the college and taking one or two subjects in College High School to finish out their courses; in this way they may become eligible to play for the college team.

100 years ago: Sept. 8, 1908

A large crowd of St. Vincent's Young Ladies Academy alumnae, local and visiting clergymen, educators and friends gather at Cape Girardeau to honor Mother Placide, the head of the academy, on her golden jubilee.

A.R. Ponder of Cape Girardeau receives from Missouri Gov. Joseph W. Folk a commission to act as representative of the Fourteenth Congressional District at the deep waters convention to be held in Chicago Oct. 7 to 9.

— Sharon K. Sanders