Out of the past: Aug. 7

1998

Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon never proposed to the Legislature that he would hire outside lawyers to litigate the state's lawsuit against the tobacco industry, three Southeast Missouri lawmakers say; state Sen. Peter Kinder and Reps. Mary Kasten and Joe Heckemeyer also say they don't remember Nixon putting forth any plan on how the lawsuit would be handled; all three lawmakers said Nixon's plan to pay contingency fees to outside lawyers was never brought before their committees; Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Cole County Circuit Court challenging the constitutionality of Nixon's contract with outside lawyers

A pair of Notre Dame High School graduates will soon have the opportunity to take in the sounds and sights of Newcastle, England; and while they are there, they'll also get to play plenty of soccer; Jason Frank and Matt Vollink are both members of the Quincy (Illinois) College soccer team that will be in Newcastle from Aug. 10-20 to play a five-game series against English teams; Frank graduated from Notre Dame in 1996 and Vollink in 1997.

1973

Renovation is rapidly converting the old Masonic building at Broadway and Spanish Street into a music house; purchased several months ago by the Keys Music Co., the three-story structure will in early fall be fully occupied by the company; while a portion of the ground floor is being fitted with display space for musical instrument sales, the remainder is being prepared for electronic services; John Steinhauer, who moved here from Belleville, Illinois, will work in a cooperative arrangement with the Keys company, providing services for demo tapes, master tapes, records, stereos, guitars and public address systems; the upper levels will be outfitted for recording studios and classrooms.

Nearly $1,000 damage was caused by a vandalism attack on M.E. Leming Lumber Co. in South Cape Girardeau this weekend; Charles Leming, president of the company, tells police that between 8 p.m. Friday and 7 a.m. Monday vandals entered the sawmill building of the company and cut 19 drive belts to equipment.

1948

The official canvass of votes cast in the recent election in Southeast Missouri reveals Paul C. Jones of Kennett, publisher of the Dunklin Democrat newspaper and former chairman of the State Highway Commission, won the Democratic nomination for Congress in the 10th District; he won over Joseph H. Allen, New Madrid landowner and attorney, with a majority of 400.

Shady Grove barbecue stand on South Sprigg Street, shortly before it was razed in August 1948.Southeast Missourian archive

Shady Grove barbecue stand on South Sprigg Street, shortly before it was razed in August 1948.Southeast Missourian archive

The old Shady Grove barbecue stand on South Sprigg Street at Giboney Park is no more; the building, constructed in 1921, was torn down to make way for the new location of Highway 74, which will take off southwesterly from Sprigg Street to a new junction with Highway 61; the old eatery was purchase by the Rev. Dale Black from Tom Miller, the minister to use the material to construct a dwelling; Miller operated the barbecue stand for the past 18 months.

1923

An ordinance placing a ban on "bingo" games and other games of chance at carnivals and increasing the license fee for such shows operating in Cape Girardeau from $25 to $50 a day was passed by the City Council yesterday; the ordinance applies to carnivals held on private property or lots in the city and doesn't include city property.

Work has started on the construction of the building which will house the factory of the American Gauze and Cotton Co. in South Cape Girardeau; the building is to be located on a lot just south of the St. Vincent's College grounds and will have a switch from the Frisco Railroad; the company will employ approximately 50 persons at first and will manufacture gauze and other absorbent cotton pharmaceutical products; raw cotton, most of it from Southeast Missouri, will be purchased.

-- Sharon K. Sanders