Out of the past: April 26

1998

One hundred thirty five years ago today, Confederate and Union troops squared off in the Battle of Cape Girardeau; by most standards, it wasn't really much of a battle, says Dr. Frank Nickell, director of the Regional History Center at Southeast Missouri State University; Confederate troops commanded by Gen. John S. Marmaduke advanced from Jackson, while Union troops were dispatched from the forts in the city and from Brig. Gen. John H. McNeil's headquarters at Bloomfield, Missouri; they met Sunday, April 26, 1863, near what is now Broadway and Caruthers; by most accounts, the battle started at about 10 a.m. on the Jackson Road and ended at about 3 that afternoon, with the Confederates retreating in defeat.

Five Southeast Missouri State University graduates have been selected as recipients of the 1998 Young Alumni Merit Award; the awards will be presented at spring commencement May 16 in the Show Me Center; honorees are Tonya Schrader Buttry of Jackson, Cindy Gannon and Cord Polen of Cape Girardeau, Bonnie Rauls of St. Louis and Paula Hemminghaus Schwartz of St. Peters, Missouri.

1973

The fast-rising Mississippi River tops the record level at Cape Girardeau, as it continues to climb toward a predicted 45-foot flood crest Sunday; the river gauge here goes to a stage of 43.2 feet between 8 and 9 in the morning, breaking the previous record of 43.17 feet set April 7.

An enthusiastic 1973 outlook for the Otahki Girl Scout Council was shared by adult volunteers working in the scouting program and graduating Senior Scouts, when the council held its annual appreciation dinner last night at the Masonic Temple; the Thank Badge, the highest award given to adults working with scouting, was presented to Mrs. Burwell Fox Jr. of Cape Girardeau and to Mrs. Calvin Phillips of Jackson.

1948

Back from a tour of three central Missouri cities which have installed parking meters, Mayor Walter H. Ford waxes enthusiastic over the findings made by himself and Commissioner Cleo Johns on the benefits derived by residents, tradespeople, customers and the cities themselves; the cities visited were Colombia, Fulton and Jefferson City.

Cape Girardeau and the County Court agree, at a conference at Jackson in the morning, to the extension for another year of the milk inspection and sanitation program in the county; the city and county further agree to each contribute $1,500 to finance the program; however, the remaining $1,000 of the $4,000 fund has been divided among three processors; those three report they have not made a decision on whether to renew their support.

1923

State Sen. Tillman W. Anderson, farmer and stock man of Commerce, Missouri, was arrested near his home lated Wednesday afternoon by the deputy sheriff of Cole County on a warrant charging him with having in his custody an adding machine taken from the state Capitol in Jefferson City when the Legislature adjourned several weeks ago; when asked, Anderson said the machine had been loaned to him by a clerk in the office of the Commissioner of Labor Statistics; he leaves on an early morning train for Cole County, where he will be given an opportunity to make bond; the adding machine is valued at $300.

Cape Girardeau city engineer Ed Sailer is establishing grades and running lines preparatory to making plans for the construction of a sanitary sewer in District No. 4 -- the district affected by the Teachers College septic tank; most of the landowners in the proposed district support the work, and it is believed rights-of-way for the sewer will be given.

-- Sharon K. Sanders