Out of the past: Dec. 16

1993

U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson, R-Mo., was grilled yesterday about such tough issues as the president's health-care plan, taxes, the Brady gun-control bill, NAFTA and the environment; interrogators were about 200 students at Trinity Lutheran School in Cape Girardeau.

The Area Wide United Fund 1994 fundraising drive exceeded $500,000 for the first time ever, allaying fears the Flood of '93 would weaken contributions; pledges totaling $506,833.44 have been received in the just-completed campaign, an increase of about $50,000 over last year.

1968

George F. Rouse, owner of Cape County Ambulance Service, declares he will stop all public emergency ambulance service at 5 tonight unless certain conditions are met by the county and the cities of Jackson and Cape Girardeau; demands of the ambulance service call for a signed contract between the firm and the three governing bodies and for a $3,000 subsidy payment; the subsidy would consist of $1,500 each for the months of November and December called for in the proposed contract that has been under study by the county and the cities.

Both Southeast Missouri and Saint Francis hospitals announce rate increases of $4 per day, effective Jan. 1, for all patients in the hospitals on that date; the increased charges apply to room, food and nursing care.

1943

In the first call in January, the draft will take 41 men from Cape Girardeau County, the Selective Service Board announces; this contingent, which may or may not be the only one to be summoned next month, will report Jan. 11.

For a second day in succession, the cold wave sends the mercury down to one degree above zero in Cape Girardeau; yesterday, the thermometer reached a high of only 13 degrees; youngsters are casting appraising eyes lagoon-ward at Fairground Park, hoping the cold continues so they may enjoy ice skating on the pond; at Harris Field, the cold has grounded the Army Air Force cadets.

1918

There are 23 new cases of influenza reported to the city clerk's office today, that being the same number of new cases reported yesterday; the total number of cases reported for last week was 249, which was a decrease of 60 over the week before.

Kate Mabrey of Jackson, wife of Maj. Warren Mabrey, has received a letter from her husband in France, in which the major tells of the last days of fighting on the Argonne front, and in which he was wounded; he was hit in one limb and the left eye by pieces of shrapnel and also was slightly gassed, but he kept going after his wounds had been dressed, until three days later when his regiment was relieved.

-- Sharon K. Sanders