Out of the past: Feb. 29

Absent from today’s “Out of the Past” column are events from the years 1949, 1974 and 1999. Those were not leap years.

1924

Leap Day. At least eight Cape Girardeans are members of the 29’ers Club; today they celebrate a birthday anniversary delayed for four years; they are Joseph Baumgartner, Ernest Sawyer, Mrs. E.P. Vaeth, Mrs. Ollie Crump, Hilda Fisher, Mrs. C.B. Crabtree, Joe Sciortino and Norman J. Schwab.

This is the last day of grace for 1923 auto license tags, according to Prosecuting Attorney Frank Hines and Jackson Chief of Police W.W. Hobbs; Hobbs also says that in addition to the state license plates, all owners of vehicles in Jackson add to that a small orange disc indicating the owner has paid his annual dues into the city treasury.

Southeast Missourian librarian Sharon Sanders compiles the information for the daily Out of the Past column. She also writes a blog called “From the Morgue” that showcases interesting historical stories from the newspaper. Check out her blog at www.semissourian.com/history.