Out of the past: Oct. 15

1997

Modern adventurers reminiscent of Lewis and Clark docked their pirogue yesterday at the Cape Girardeau riverfront; the small group of voyagers is traveling from St. Charles, Missouri, to the Fort Massac Encampment at Metropolis, Illinois; the boat is open for tours today.

Higher education officials are touting a new partnership of five colleges and universities that plans to reach out to the region with technical training and college courses; the Southeast Missouri Educational Consortium is made up of Southeast Missouri State University, the University of Missouri, Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mineral Area College at Park Hills and Lincoln University in Jefferson City; officials of the schools attended a meeting with more than a dozen state lawmakers yesterday at the Show Me Center; also in attendance were Dr. Kala Stroup, Missouri's commissioner of higher education, and U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson.

1972

Ford and Sons Funeral Home, 188 S. Sprigg St., is building an addition on the north side of the present building to house an additional family room facility; the new unit will be completed during November.

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Trowel Masonic Lodge No. 440 observes its centennial with a special program today and a chicken barbecue supper Wednesday; the lodge was charged Oct. 16, 1872; guest speaker at today's afternoon program in Masonic Hall is Dr. H.O. Grauel of Cape Girardeau, past grand master of the Missouri Grand Lodge, A.F. & A.M., and retired head of the English department at Southeast Missouri State University.

1947

Natural gas for Cape Girardeau, Illmo, Fornfelt, Ancell and Dexter, Missouri, is virtually assured with the announcement by president H.B. Newman of the Missouri Utilities Co. that the company's application for service from the Big Inch and Little Big Inch pipelines has been approved; the Federal Power Commission has issued an order sustaining the application of the Texas Eastern Transmission Corp. to use the two wartime pipelines for transmission of natural gas from Texas fields to the Atlantic seaboard.

Carlton Meyer is the new post commander of Altenthal-Joerns Post of the American Legion in Jackson; he, along with other officers, were installed Tuesday night by J.R. Henderson, district commander; Meyer served in the Army Air Forces in Europe, Tunisia and Sicily as a radio operator and mechanic; his most distinguished decoration is the Air Medal with 10 Oak Leaf Clusters; with this medal he wears the three bronze stars for the battle campaigns and a unit citation.

1922

Elam Vangilder, Cape Girardeau hurler, who is one of terhe starts of the St. Louis Browns' pitching staff, gives an exhibition of his prowess at Fairground Park, taking the mound for the Bell Telephones in a game with the Dexter club, champions of Southeast Missouri for the 1922 season; Van has to work to be the star of the day, for the Dexter hurler is also in fine form, the 10-inning duel ending in a 1-1 tie; Vangilder yields four hits, but strikes out 20 batters and smashes the hardest drive of the day.

Commemoration of the founding of St. Mark's Lodge of the Masonic order in Cape Girardeau and the organization of Wilson Chapter No. 75, of the same order, will be celebrated here Oct. 25; it will mark the 75 anniversary of St. Mark's Lodge, and the 50th anniversary of the organization of Wilson Chapter; more than 400 persons, members of Masonic chapters throughout Southeast Missouri, are expected to attend the celebration.

-- Sharon K. Sanders