Out of the past: Oct. 13

1996

Cape Girardeau Democrats had a double treat during their annual Fall Festival fund-raiser last night; Miss Missouri, Kimberly Massaro, and Missouri Secretary of State Bekki Cook, a Cape Countian, took turns at the rostrum in the absence of Missouri Treasurer Bob Holden; Holden, who was to have attended, had to cancel when his son suffered a household accident earlier in the day.

The production and use of methamphetamine is getting out of control in Southeast Missouri, authorities say; "We didn't have much to speak of until a year ago, then it exploded; there are meth labs everywhere," says Perry County Sheriff Gary Schaaf, president of the executive board of directors of the SEMO Drug Task Force; in the last year, the task force has busted 44 methamphetamine labs in Southeast Missouri.

1971

Southeast Hospital announces it will receive bids on two separate days in November for the mechanical and general construction contracts for additions to the maternity and other sections of the hospital on the south and west wings; it is expected work will begin as soon as contracts are awarded.

James A. Finch Jr., former Cape Girardeau attorney who rose to one of the state's top positions -- chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court, has no expectations of moving up to the U.S. Supreme Court; however, the Missouri Bar Association is promoting Finch for one of two vacancies on the high court; Finch says he doesn't expect to be nominated by President Nixon.

1946

Twelve fliers in three airplanes return from Nashville, Tennessee, where they flew yesterday and attended the Grand Ole Opry that night; the three planes made the trip from Harris Field, and those going were Mr. and Mrs. William Hollenbeck, Mr. and Mrs. Bud Steger, Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Wheeler, F.W. Ryan and Noble Miles of Cape Girardeau, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Mariott of Chaffee, Missouri, and Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Neesey of Sikeston, Missouri.

Three new pastors will assume their duties next week in Methodist churches in Cape Girardeau, and three pastors they succeed will move to their new appointments; the Rev. Kasey is the new pastor of Grace Methodist, succeeding the Rev. Miles Stotts; the Rev. J.E. Morgan will come to Maple Avenue, succeeding the Rev. O.D. Niswonger; and Third Street's new pastor is the Rev. M.A. Garrison, succeeding the Rev. W.E. Sparks.

1921

The International Shoe factory here, running at its greatest capacity, is turning out over 8,000 pairs of shoes daily, according to company officials; 1,100 men and women are on the payroll at the local factory, drawing an average total weekly salary of $21,000; the Cape Girardeau plant is the biggest of its kind in the United States, and D.B. Smith is its manager.

Capt. John L. Stout's fan handle factory, located in a concrete building in the south part of Cape Girardeau, started up yesterday and is giving employment to eight persons; the factory hasn't been running for several months; it has a large number of orders and will run steadily through the season; the factory has a capacity of 180,000 handles a day; they are sold to concerns making fans in wholesale quantities for advertising purposes.

-- Sharon K. Sanders