Out of the past: Sept. 4

1992

SEMO Fence Co. has begun the work of building a chain-link fence that will surround three sides of Old Lorimier Cemetery; the work should be completed within two weeks; the Fountain Street side of the cemetery will have a wrought iron fence; the fencing is part of an effort to preserve the burial ground and halt vandalism there.

The Cape Girardeau Senior Center hopes to host a big New Year's Eve bash at its new home; preliminary work has begun at the new site on North Clark Avenue; earlier this week, officials secured a bank loan for $400,000 for construction of the center.

1967

Labor Day. Taking advantage of the long weekend and near-perfect weather, Cape Girardeans and others turn out in numbers to close out the activities of summer; large crowds attend the Knights of Columbus two-day picnic; by 6 p.m. today, 3,000 pounds of barbecued pork had been sold.

Charles T. Berry, 91, of Cape Girardeau died yesterday morning at the Veterans Hospital in Poplar Bluff, Missouri; he was the last surviving veteran in Cape Girardeau County of the Spanish-American War.

1942

Bootleggers and moonshine operators have become so scarce, it would be difficult to buy a pint of illicit whiskey in any of the 16 counties of this district; some of the reasons for the definite falling off in the moonshine business are the rationing of sugar, scarcity of metals for still making and vigilance of revenue agents and local law officers.

With livestock raised by 4-H Club members and articles they made in their project work on display at the new city park, the two-day public exhibit gets underway in the morning.

1917

That part of Cape Girardeau County north of the city lying along the middle Egypt Mills Road is developing quite rapidly; John Holtz, a carpenter, is building several new residences and silos there, having under construction homes for Fred Gerlach and Christ Ehlers and silos for William Hett Jr., William Hett Sr. and Charles Mammon.

Claud Speak, who operates a saloon on Water Street between Themis Street and Broadway, has presented a petition to the County Court for a license to open a saloon in the old Arcade building at the corner of Main and Themis streets; Speak will move his popular saloon to the prominent corner.

-- Sharon K. Sanders