Out of the past: March 25

1997

A pile of rubble and memories are all that remain of the old St. Paul Lutheran School that stood vacant in Jackson for many years; it was demolished by a former student, Kirk John; built in 1935 for $18,000, the structure was referred to as Parish Hall and housed Sunday school classrooms, a gymnasium, bowling lanes and meeting rooms; members of the church plan to eventually build on the site.

Fund-raising was down, but the American Cancer Society says its 11th annual gala Saturday at the Show Me Center was still a success; abut 400 people attended the event, which collected nearly $45,000 to be used to fund cancer education and research and to pay for treatment of area cancer patients; last year's gala collected $60,000.

1972

Local law enforcement agencies have gone "hog wild" in prosecuting drug violators to the point that it has gotten "completely out of balance," says Cape Girardeau County Circuit Judge W. Osler Statler; pointing out that drug cases are cluttering his criminal court, Statler says "two-thirds of the total cases I have handled in the past year have been drug cases"; he further says he would like to see the decriminalization of possession of small amounts of marijuana.

Skyview Animal Hospital, a veterinary facility owned and operated by Dr. Edward L. Snider at 851 S. Kingshighway, has purchased 14 1/2 acres land adjacent on the south to the present location for expansion purposes; the land, bought from the Lafarth family, lies on the west side of Kingshighway, and improvements will include a large, new animal hospital and facilities for all veterinary services.

1947

An ancient steel and wooden bridge spanning Williams Creek on Gordonville Road went into the stream at 7:30 last night with a Cape Girardeau taxicab on it; the 1946 Plymouth cab was overturned on the east approach, the front clearing the falling bridge by a only a few feet; the driver, Jess Wilkerson, sustained a broken collarbone and minor bruises, while the Cape Girardeau-bound passenger, Woodrow Lairmore of near Gordonville, sustained only scratches on his face and body.

The Lions Club pancake committee announces arrangements have been made to again hold Pancake Day at the Homer Millikan Motor Co. salesroom at 817 Broadway, instead of Houck Field House, where it was previously announced the affair would be staged; Pancake Day will be April 2.

1922

A day nursery, where small children may be left while the mother works away from home, and which will have a competent elderly woman in charge, is being planned for Cape Girardeau by Capt. Venus McAlearney of the Salvation Army; the need of such a nursery here was explained to members of Centenary Methodist Church's missionary society Tuesday by Mrs. G.B. Schulz in a report on social conditions in the city.

Patrons of the free lodging house at the police station that has been maintained under direction of fire chief Fred Meyer during the winter months for the benefit of "hobos" and unfortunates out of work are met with a sign as they enter the place that reads "Closed for the summer"; Thursday was the last night homeless could bed down there; according to a register kept by Meyer, 889 "visitors" were accommodated at the lodging house since it opened Oct. 5.

-- Sharon K. Sanders