Out of the past: Dec. 3

1995

The weather -- with temperature in the 60s -- does little to instill the yuletide spirit, but makes the task of selecting a Christmas tree a bit more pleasant; "It's been great," Dave Kinder, operator of a Christmas tree lot in front of Schnucks on South Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau, says of the warm weekend weather; "We've been swamped all morning. Usually on Sunday we don't have any customers until 12. Today we sold 40 before noon."

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Riverside Regional Library holds an open house in the afternoon at its central branch in Jackson.

1970

A planning bonus is awarded the City of Cape Girardeau, increasing by $10,980 a federal grant previously received to partially finance the west end interceptor sewer replacement project; the initial federal grant was for $109,000; the bonus was awarded because the city meets the planning requirements for federally assisted water and sewer projects of the Federal Water Quality Administration.

During a 15-minute meeting last night, the Cape Girardeau City Council adopted the plat of the Farrar Subdivision, handled a variety of other items, and held a short discussion on the proposed rezoning of Crites Second Addition.

1945

Between 3,000 and 4,000 persons were estimated to have viewed the automobile of Herman Goering, displayed Saturday night at Houck Field House as part of the Victory Loan Campaign; the 10-ton, Mercedes-Benz convertible sedan was housed overnight at a local garage, and the tour continued Sunday morning into Tennessee.

Two buildings, both brick structures, will be placed under construction soon by Southeast Missouri Bus Lines on property purchased on the north side of the 100 block of Broadway, company officials say; both buildings will cost about $10,000, one to be a garage and shop building 40 feet wide and 60 feet deep, and the other to be a bus passenger station, with offices and waiting room, 30 feet wide and 50 feet long.

1920

The government's new boat, Natchez, has left Charleston, West Virginia, on a good rise in the Ohio River; after stopping at Jeffersonville, Indiana, to pick up some new barges, the boat will run through to Cairo, Illinois, and will then be used by the federal barge line on the Mississippi River; the Natchez is the first of a fleet of boats the government is having constructed at points on the Ohio for regular service between St. Louis, Memphis and New Orleans,

Sugar bowls, which disappeared from the tables in America's restaurants early in the World War, have finally made their return to Cape Girardeau eateries; for a year or more, sugar has been plentiful, and the soldier boys were back, but "the sugar bowls evaded the public eating places like a small boy does the bath tub"; their return yesterday was greeted with great joy among diners.

-- Sharon K. Sanders