Out of the past: Aug. 23

1990

Union Pacific Railroad has notified the Interstate Commerce Commission it may file an application within the next three years to abandon the south leg of its former Cape Girardeau branch line; the 5.8 miles of track extends from the Burlington Northern Railroad interchange track in South Cape Girardeau to the St. Louis-Southwestern (Cotton Belt) Railroad mainline tracks east of Scott City.

Preliminary census figures show Cape Girardeau's population decreased slightly during the past decade, from 34,361 to 34,167; Cape Girardeau County's population, however, increased 4.32 percent in the decade, helped by an 18.58 percent population rise in Jackson.

1965

Cape Girardeau County Court asks Juvenile Officer Robert Burdine to make specific proposals for a temporary juvenile detention home that would be put into operation in the near future; the request comes after Burdine suggests the idea to the court to get its reaction to the plan.

Two union carpenters leave their jobs in the morning at the Louis J. Schultz School, which is being remodeled, in an apparent dispute over school maintenance workers performing certain tasks; maintenance personnel went to the school to clean up and arrange furniture in the rooms.

1940

The city council, which a week ago washed its hands of relief matters because it reasoned the county should assume the entire burden in conjunction with state agencies, is asked by the County Court to help with the problem at least until Jan. 1.

Resumption of work by the WPA on the new city park, necessary to get it in shape for the district fair only a month away, awaits presidential approval in Washington; G.B. Snider, district WPA director, says approval should come by Aug. 27.

1915

A.H. Hinchey, secretary of the Cape Girardeau Commercial Club, tenders his resignation to the executive committee; he has accepted an offer from the State Federation of Commercial Clubs to become its field organizer.

Louis Houck drives to town and spends an hour at his law office; after receiving a number of callers, he drives to the Normal School to inspect the improvement work that is going on there, including the digging of a deep well; this is his first trip to town since his buggy accident July 27.

-- Sharon K. Sanders