Out of the past: Aug. 8

1992

After several agonizing weeks of waiting, the call Steven N. Limbaugh Jr. had been hoping for finally came Wednesday morning. While working at his Common Pleas Courthouse office, Limbaugh received a call from Gov. John Ashcroft advising him he would be appointed to the Missouri Supreme Court.

James L. "Jay" Thompson of Bourbon, Missouri, who lost the Democratic nomination for Congress in the 8th District by 211 votes to Thad Bullock of Cape Girardeau, says he likely will request a recount by the secretary of state's office.

1967

Four French agricultural students, who chose the city as a stop-off point because of its French name, were guests of Cape Girardeau Rotarians last night. Members of the senior class of their college, Ecole Supericure D'Agriculture de Purpan, they were entertained at dinner, spent the night in the homes of their hosts and were taken on tours of the city.

Remodeling of the interior of the Arena Building is nearing completion, reports A.C. Brase of the Arena Improvement Committee. He adds 95 percent of the work has been done, and the remainder depends upon the arrival of a shipment of restroom doors. Mirrors are yet to be installed in the restrooms.

1942

James A. Finch Jr. left for West Palm Beach, Florida, yesterday to start training as a first lieutenant in the Army Air Corps. Finch, nominated on the Republican ticket Tuesday as candidate for prosecuting attorney, hasn't decided about resigning as a candidate. He was pressed for time in closing up his affairs here, having only three days' notice before leaving for the service.

A supply of 8,000 V-mail sheets, combination envelopes and writing paper, have arrived at the Cape Girardeau post office and are available in limited numbers to persons wishing to write to men of the armed forces outside the continental U.S. They are free.

1917

Word is a hotel, with adequate accommodations for Cape Girardeau, will be built on Main Street between Broadway and Independence Street. Merchants there and property holders are said to be interested to such an extent they voluntarily have offered large financial assistance toward the formation of a company that will buy the site, erect the hotel and look to its financing and operation by a lessee.

Cape Girardeau has furnished a juvenile star to motion pictures. Billy Steele, the 5-year-old grandson of J.F. Fulbright, is playing opposite Theda Bara, who makes a specialty of vampire pictures.

-- Sharon K. Sanders