Out of the past: July 25

1995

"Overwhelmed by elegance" is how one traveler described life aboard the new American Queen riverboat; for six hours Monday the sternwheeler's 406 passengers toured Cape Girardeau, while a few area residents were allowed to tour the boat.

The City of Cape Girardeau will seek federal and state aid to buy flood-prone homes; but the City Council still must decide if it can afford its share of such a program before it makes a final decision; city officials don't know how much the city will have to spend, although estimates place the cost at $160,000 or more.

1970

A Southeast Missouri native who gained statewide recognition as the wife of the state's governor may try to succeed her husband in office; sources in Jefferson City and St. Louis say Betty Hearnes, wife of Gov. Warren E. Hearnes, is seriously considering a campaign to become Missouri's first woman governor.

Cape Girardeau County Board of Equalization has ended its session for another year, making 46 adjustments in real estate assessments, eight of which were increased while 38 were lowered; in addition the board heard complaints from 28 property owners on which the board took no action to change assessments.

1945

A mass of cool air moving out of the Dakotas and Montana is predicted to bring some relief in the northern section of Missouri, but may not reach Cape Girardeau, which has been sweltering in near 100-degree temperatures; the high temperatures have been reflected in a 29% increase in water usage here in the past week.

Fred M. Wilferth has been appointed principal of Washington School; he succeeds R.L. Sheets; prior to becoming a teacher here, Wilferth was principal for several years at the high school at Oak Ridge and was superintendent one year at Bloomsdale, Missouri.

1920

In the absence of the Rev. L.M. Spivey, Mrs. W.W. Martin occupies the pulpit at Centenary Methodist Church in the morning, speaking on the moral side of the participation of women in politics; most of her talk is based on the Democratic convention at San Francisco, she being one of 128 women present.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- The Red Sox of Perryville and the Cape Girardeau Capahas, baseball rivals of years standing, battle here until players and spectators alike are groggy, waiting for the big break of the game which doesn't come until the 15th inning and giving the home team a 1-0 victory; not a hit was made until the eighth inning, so well did both teams' pitchers perform.

-- Sharon K. Sanders