Out of the past: Aug. 30

1991

Jerry Berger, 14, of Cape Girardeau is in stable condition at a local hospital after falling about 30 feet in an open elevator shaft under construction at L.J. Schultz School yesterday. Curiosity prompted him and a playmate to explore the construction site.

Greyhound buses again will roll into Cape Girardeau on Monday, this time using a temporary bus stop at the former Greyhound station at the corner of Themis and Sprigg streets. The city has been in and out of bus service for the past several months as four different stations have operated and closed in less than two years.

1966

The initial steps are underway here to place Jackson, Scott City and Cape Girardeau within the same telephone exchange. The changeover is expected to be in operation by November. Work has started on Broadway with the laying of underground cable in the 600 block.

An opinion from the state attorney general's office indicates no more candidates may get on the ballot for the office of Cape Girardeau County sheriff. H.E. Riehn, acting sheriff, is the Democratic candidate, and Ivan McLain, a Cape Girardeau police detective, is the Republican candidate. There has been some talk of independent candidates filing.

1941

JEFFERSON CITY -- Several hundred Cape Girardeau County farmers want Gov. Forrest C. Donnell to help them "abolish the entire farm program" of the AAA in Missouri. Fifteen of them, accompanied by Rep. Frank Lowry, R-Cape Girardeau, called on the governor late yesterday, asking him to use his "high office and influence" to that end.

Staving off a fuel shortage such as that which already is being felt on the East and West coasts, millions of gallons of gasoline and oil are passing up the Mississippi River and its tributaries to points throughout the Midwest. Five boats of the Erlbacher lines, operated by Eddie Erlbacher and Erlbacher Bros., are plying over different waters with loads of gasoline and oil totaling 182,000 barrels.

1916

The Mississippi River reaches its lowest stage since last December, when it drops to 11.8 feet at Cape Girardeau. Last Dec. 29, it registered 1 foot lower than this morning but remained at that stage only a few days. For the past week, the river has been dropping at the rate of a foot a day.

Anticipating a railroad strike Monday, as called for by the brotherhoods, Capt. William "Buck" Leyhe, master of the steamer Cape Girardeau, says the company probably would put an additional boat or two into the Cape Girardeau service if needed to handle the increased freight traffic.

-- Sharon K. Sanders