Out of the past: Dec. 1

1990

Four county courthouses in Southeast Missouri -- Scott, Mississippi, Bollinger and Ripley -- will be closed Monday because of a climatologist's forecast of an increased possibility of a major earthquake occurring along the New Madrid Fault that day.

Judy Wilferth, a Cape Girardeau businesswoman and a 1963 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, has been named chairwoman of the board of the University Foundation. She succeeds Thomas Wood, who completed a two-year term.

1965

Paul F. Frederick, who will become Cape Girardeau's first city manager Jan. 1, arrives at the municipal airport. Frederick is here to get a preview of the City Council's operation. He and his wife also will inspect housing prospects.

Simultaneous with the dedication of the Tree of Lights on the old post office lawn in the afternoon, Capt. George Collins of the Salvation Army announces contributions toward the community Christmas program totaling $500. This year's Tree of Lights goal is $5,000.

1940

A discussion of the annual Christmas program Dec. 29 and the appointing of committees forms the principal item of business at a meeting of the Hanover Lutheran Dramatic Club in the evening. The club also discusses assisting the congregation in purchasing a pipe organ for the church in the near future.

The trapping season opens for eight species of fur-bearing animals and will continue for one to two months. Those species are raccoon, fox, opossum, weasel, mink, muskrat, skunk and civet cat. Wolves, coyotes and bobcats may be killed any time.

1915

The International Shoe Co. has made a proposal to the Cape Girardeau Commercial Club to enlarge the local shoe factory by one-third if local residents subscribe sufficient money to pay for construction of an addition to the building. The addition would allow the company to turn out 6,000 pairs of shoes daily instead of 4,500 and pay out in wages every Saturday about $10,000 instead of the present $7,500.

An automobile belonging to E.D. Hoffman, real-estate and loan agent, decides to take a spin down Broadway without its driver at noon, colliding with the Idan-Ha Hotel porter's luggage cart. The collision scatters grips all over the street. No one is hurt in the accident.

-- Sharon K. Sanders