Out of the past: July 30

1999

Anyone who has ventured outside in the past two weeks knows the heat is extreme, and the oppressive heat like that of yesterday isn’t going away soon; a heat advisory for Southeast Missouri has been extended until tomorrow; the heat index in Cape Girardeau reached 119 at about 3 p.m. yesterday, with a high of 98 degrees at the airport; temperatures topped the century mark elsewhere in the city and at many locations across the region.

At a time of year when allergists are usually twiddling their thumbs, the high heat and humidity are causing molds to proliferate in record numbers, sending allergy sufferers to doctors for relief; “We’re seeing a number of people sick who are not normally sick,” says Dr. Robert Sacha, a Cape Girardeau allergist.

1974

Rep. Bill D. Burlison of Southeast Missouri’s 10th District is undecided on how he will vote when the recommendation for President Richard M. Nixon’s impeachment comes before the House of Representatives; he says this is possibly the most difficult decision he will make in public life; on Saturday, the House Judiciary Committee once more accused Nixon of failing the nation’s trust, voting to recommend the ouster of a president for only the second time in the annals of the republic.

An ordinance establishing a fire district at Gordonville and giving it authority to respond to fires within a five-mile radius of the community is approved by the Town Board; the action follows a special meeting yesterday of about 60 persons who gathered at Gordonville to air their views on formation of the district.

1949

A crowd estimated at between 2,500 and 3,000 persons cheered the first official public appearance of the new Golden Troopers drum and bugle corps last night at Houck Stadium; the corps, which is sponsored by the Louis K. Juden Post of the American Legion, presented a dress rehearsal of what will take place at the state contest in St. Louis next Friday night; this group compares favorably with the former Troopers, according to crowd comments.

The work of the Cape County Chapter for Infantile Paralysis in setting up an emergency program in Cape Girardeau to combat polio in this sector, and the program itself, are praised by Dr. Robert J. Neville, director of orthopedic service of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, and Warren T. Kingsbury, regional director of the south central area of the Foundation, who are here; the two, along with John Putney of St. Louis, state director for the National Foundation, tour the new polio ward at Saint Francis Hospital.

1924

Work on contracts for nearly $1,000,000 road work in 14 counties let yesterday by the State Highway Commission will start at once; 3 1/2 miles of the concrete work is in Cape Girardeau County; that contract was let to Otto Kochtitzky of Cape Girardeau for $75,789; it is for a stretch of State Highway No. 25 from Delta to Blomeyer.

At the Lions Club luncheon, Ed Harris and Oscar Hirsch, members of a committee appointed some time ago to see to the placing of a bronze plate at the hawthorn tree planted in memory of the late N.J. Hutson, chief of police, on Arbor Day in 1923, report the plate is ready and present it to the club for inspection; the plate bears the inscription: “In memory of N.J. Hutson. Chief of police, a man who stood for law and order, for which he gave his life. Lions Club, Arbor Day, 1923”; the plate will be attached to a granite slab and will be placed near the base of the tree.

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.