Out of the past: April 12

1998

Easter Sunday. Youngsters jammed a field next to Schnucks Market yesterday morning for the store's annual Easter egg hunt; about 25,000 prizes from candy to Beanie Babies were snatched up during the three sessions.

Dr. Sarah Mort Cron, head of access services at the University of Northern Iowa's Rod Library, has been named director of Kent Library and dean of academic information services at the school; Cron will start her new job at Southeast Missouri State University on July 13; she replaces Dr. James Zink, who recently retired.

1973

With the Mississippi River steadily receding, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sector office in Cape Girardeau has returned to Phase I flood fighting operations everywhere except Kaskaskia Island, Illinois; the Phase I operation means the corps will continue patrolling water-soaked levees and offer advice, but will discontinue around-the-clock mobilization of forces; meanwhile, at Big Island south of Commerce, Missouri, the Memphis district corps has stepped up flood-fighting operations; strong winds earlier this week caused a considerable amount of wavewash damage to the main-line levee of Scott County Levee District No. 2.

A charter for a fourth Cape Girardeau bank -- Mark Twain Cape Girardeau Bank -- is approved by William R. Kostman, Missouri finance commissioner; five prominent Girardeans and a St. Louis holding company -- Mark Twain Bancshares Association Inc. -- are shareholders in the new bank; the local businessmen include Martin Hecht, Ralph L. Edwards, Vernon H. Landgraf, B.W. Birk and James A. Bauerle.

1948

Police are investigating two burglaries, one by a polite individual who left a note of apology at Hirsch Bros. store at Sprigg and Good Hope streets, and the other at Trinity Lutheran School, where an office was thoroughly ransacked; between $125 and $130 was taken; the note at Hirsch's read, "I'm sorry I had to get it this way. Hope you don't mind?"

A part of the Wagner Machine & Welding Co. will be moved this week to the Absogood Packing Co. building on West Main Street in Jackson; to be moved are the machines necessary in the making of electric welding rod holders, connectors and heavy duty electrical ground clamps for welding machines; an increase in sales has required more adequate facilities in manufacturing of these products; the equipment will be housed in space formerly used by the Sugar Creek Creamery.

1923

President Joseph A. Serena of the State College has called a meeting tonight of all property owners who have made sewer connections with what is commonly known as the "Normal tank"; the condition of the sewer has become so serious that something must be done before warm weather sets in; the septic tank was built in 1912 by the company that erected the two college dormitories and was intended only for those two buildings; from time to time, other property owners made connections with it until, finally, the tank failed to work, and since that time it has been an open sewer.

Louis Keller, 64, a prominent farmer living on West Independence Street, is instantly killed at 2:15 p.m. when he becomes entangled in a circular saw at a small mill on the Keller farm near Dutchtown.

-- Sharon K. Sanders