Out of the past: Feb. 3

1995

The calendar says it's winter, but lately the weather has had the look of spring; in fact, it's been downright mild; so mild, golfers have flocked to area courses, rose bushes and some other plants are showing new growth, and city snow plows have been all but forgotten.

Personnel of the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department are increasing their odds of surviving a shootout by training on the firing range with new pistols; the department purchased .40-caliber Glock pistols, and street survival training with the 30 weapons will be completed early next week.

1970

Three more persons announced Monday they will seek posts on the Cape Girardeau Board of Education at the April 7 election; joining incumbent Mary Kasten and newcomer Hilary Schmittzehe in filing for the board are Mrs. George A. Ketcham, John A. Adams and James R. McHaney.

Army Brig. Gen. Louis H. Renfrow (ret.) of Cape Girardeau and Alexandria, Virginia, reports he is moving again "under his own steam" on two artificial legs; Renfrow had his second amputation before Christmas and the first about two years ago; he expects to leave Walter Reed General Hospital in Washington, D.C., by the end of February; his wife, at home in Alexandria, is recovering rapidly from a broken arm and ribs, received in a fall in October.

1945

Jerry Lee Allen, 7-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. James W. Allen of the Smelterville suburb, sustained a broken leg and severe bruises Wednesday afternoon near the Lane Building on South Sprigg Street when struck by an automobile; Allen, a pupil at May Greene School, was taken to Saint Francis Hospital for treatment.

Balthaser Erlbacher, 77, founder of the Erlbacher Foundry and Machine Shop, 231 N. Main St., died Wednesday afternoon at his home, 920 N. Fountain St.; born at New Wells, he moved with his family to Cape Girardeau 39 years ago and established the foundry and machine shop in 1906.

1920

Walter D. Black, leader of automobile dealers in Southeast Missouri, has bought the Idan-Ha Hotel in Cape Girardeau from Al Salzgeber, who has been its landlord the past 10 years; the price paid is reported at $5,000; the structure belongs to J.G. Reynolds, from whom Salzgeber had a lease for 10 years.

Theodore Kasten, the well-known stockman of Pocahontas, has sold part of his farms, 50 acres to Gottfried Weber for $3,000 and 95 acres to Paul Kranawetter for $7,000.

-- Sharon K. Sanders