Out of the past: Jan. 14

1993

Lower gasoline prices, which people across the state have enjoyed for some time, finally have come to Cape Girardeau; over recent weeks, regular unleaded gas prices fell from $1.06 per gallon to 99 cents, and then to 94 and 95 cents per gallon.

Silo Inc., which entered the Cape Girardeau market in May 1988, plans to close its retail store here; the local store has been closed this week for inventory and merchandise markdowns; it will re-open Saturday for a going-out-of-business sale.

1968

Edwin C. Smith, one of the founders and later president of Kelso Oil Co., whose properties were purchased by Socony-Vacuum Corp., died yesterday in Miami of pneumonia and complications brought on by influenza; an active member of the Cape Girardeau business community for many years, Smith moved to Florida in 1952.

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. -- Sterling Price Reynolds, 106, one of the early band of drainage pioneers who lifted Southeast Missouri out of the swamps and made of it one of the nation's most fertile agricultural regions, died yesterday.

1943

Tentative arrangements were made for salvaging a large amount of war scrap metal when C.H. Watson, field representative of the War Productions Board, was here yesterday; the salvage considered includes the four cannons in Courthouse Park, a 200-ton steel barge owned by the cement company, which sank at the Marquette docks 2 1/2 years ago, and a string of railroad iron at the cement plant.

In the third call during January, the Cape Girardeau County Selective Service Board announces the names of 100 men who have been ordered to report at Jackson for transportation to Jefferson Barracks for examination and possible induction into the Army; another contingent of 100 men will report later in the month, making 400 men to be summoned from the county during January.

1918

Snow again begins falling in the morning in Cape Girardeau and the district, and weather forecasters are predicting the temperature may slip to the zero mark; zero weather can be withstood well enough, since 20-below conditions gave everybody much experience last week; still, a coal shortage is in sight, which is bound to increase the suffering of those who can burn nothing else or by those who are unable to get wood.

George Albert Russell and his bride of a few hours, Martha Cramer of Jackson, had the novel experience of spending their first night at the poor farm; the young couple, who were married yesterday afternoon, and two others were stranded at the farm in the midst of a blizzard.

-- Sharon K. Sanders