April 2013

April 22, 2013June 11, 2021

“The Rose Sniffs Me”

Three-year-old Karen Lampher, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ted Lampher of Advance, sniffed every variety of rose at the Rose Display garden at Capaha Park when she visited it in June 1966.

“I sniff the rose and the rose sniffs me,” she said, exhibiting a great sensitivity for imagery.

Not big on bugs, though

She like sniffing the roses, but she wasn’t crazy when a bug inside a bloom returned the favor.

Rose Garden Photos

In addition to the photos of Karen, here are some other stories about the Rose Garden:

April 21, 2013March 6, 2016

The flood threat to Southeast Missouri had been downgraded a bit, but it looks like we’ll still be getting two or three feet of water on our property in Dutchtown. That’s quite a bit less than we got in 1993 and 2011.

I’m not sure how high it has to get to cut off Allenville, but when it gets really high, the old Allenville railroad bridge owned by the Jackson, Gordonville and Delta Railroad Company (JGDR) is the only access to the town.

Railroad wants to abandon line

The JGDR, which once was the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railway, has petitioned the Department of Transportation to abandon 13.3 miles of rail line between Delta and Gordonville. Having seen the condition of the rails and bridges like the one over Williams Creek, I have to agree that it would be impossible to run a train over most of that section without practically rebuilding the road bed..

Here is a link to the formal petition. If I read it correctly, if nobody objects to it by June 1, 2013, then it’ll be a done deal. If the railway is to be abandoned and salvaged, I’d like to see the right of way held in trust for possible use for a rails-to-trails sometime in the future. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Bridge built in 1918

When I did the earlier story on the bridge, reader and railroad buff Keith Robinson provided this tidbit: “The Allenville Railroad bridge was built in 1918 by the Bethlehem Steel Bridge Corp. Ist design is known as a riveted, 6-panel Pratt through truss. These old bridges are succumbing to age and the desire by some to eliminate risk while preserving nothing.”

I walked about halfway across the bridge without feeling too uncomfortable. Some of the ties on the south end show charring where someone started a fire under the bridge.

Aerial of bridge

I took this November 6, 2010.

Allenville photo gallery

Click on any photo to make it larger, then click on the side to move through the gallery.

April 20, 2013

Plaid Shirt School Uniforms?

I stumbled across this shot from a Central High School pep rally. I didn’t want to put a name to the cheerleader, but I notice a “67” on the C on the front of her sweater, if that helps you narrow her down. (You can click on it to make it larger.)

The photo was taken Friday, September 9, 1966. I know that because the next frame over was of a fatal car crash at the intersection of I-55 and Hwy 61 intersection between Cape and Jackson. It’s one I remember well. Too well, in fact.

I never come to that stoplight without looking both ways before pulling out, even if I have the green.

Detail, details

I blew up the image on the screen and started looking for details in the crowd. The first thing I noticed was a handful of girls wearing handmade Tiger spirit badges made out of construction paper. That’s a dead giveaway that they were probably freshmen.

As I scrolled down the row, I was going to comment about how loafers were the shoe of the day, but I didn’t see a single penny in any of them.

That’s when spotted what had to be the unofficial school uniform for boys: at least 10 of these guys were wearing plaid shirts. I don’t know if it was a coordinated effort (knowing guys, I doubt it) or a coincidence.

The pep rally must not have been too successful because Saturday’s Missourian said “Lean Chicks Take Advantage of Tigers’ First Game Mistakes.” The Blytheville (Ark.) Chicks defeated the Tigers 27-13 in Central’s opener at Blytheville.

April 19, 2013

Chaffee Hwy 77 Bridge Hearing

Many photographers hated covering meetings, but I usually didn’t mind. Even dull but necessary governmental hearings offered up opportunities for interesting portraits and studies in body language. (You can click on the photos to make them larger.)

This meeting was to bring together all the principle players to hear why it was taking so long to complete a bridge over the Cotton Belt Railroad tracks on Hwy 77 north of Chaffee. The project had kept the most direct route out of and into town blocked for more than a year.

The Missourian’s caption said “Chaffee residents demonstrated their concern Saturday with the slow pace of construction on Highway 77 at a hearing held by Jack Stapleton and Albert C. Riley of the State Highway Commission. Mayor Robert H. Capshaw of Chaffee gestures as he describes problems created by the construction. Clockwise around the table are, Elbert Masters, Maurice Montgomery, R.P.Stephens, contractor for the project, W.D. Carney, District 10 highway engineer; Mr. Riley and Mr. Stapleton.”

A trip to the construction site

I never met a barrier you couldn’t walk around, so I shot this picture of the movers and shakers looking through the barricade.

They got bold

When the group saw nothing bad happened to me, they moved closer. Yep, there’s no bridge there.

Mayor makes his points

The Missourian said, “Mayor Capshaw describes the highway problem to Mr. Stapleton as Keith Moore and Mr. Masters look on.

One day there will be a bridge here

There’s still a long way to go before a bridge is going to sit atop that pier.

Do NOT do this!!!

I was doing a freelance job for a railroad insurance adjuster when I did what this guy is doing: I walked on the rail.

“Do you know what one of the most common injuries I see?” the adjuster asked.

“What?”

“People who are walking on the rail like you are. When their foot slips off, it slices the ankle bone clean off.”

I never walked a rail again.

Not a happy crowd

You can tell this crowd is not happy by the dour expressions and the crossed arms.

W.D. Carney, the District 10 highway engineer disputed a statement made by Mayor Capshaw that the Chaffee Merchants had been damaged by the shutdown of the highway. “This is not true,” the paper reported he said.

“Town is not divided”

Mayor Capshaw asked permission to interrupt and asked for a a show of hands from those in the audience if they thought Chaffee had been done an injustice by the highway department. Every hand in the room was raised.

“Don’t come and tell us we have not been done an injustice,” Mr. Capshaw directed at Mr. Carney. “This town is not divided in its opinion we have been done an injustice.”

The crowd was so big it spilled over into the corridor and out onto the lawn.

Albert C. Riley

This is Albert C. Riley of the State Highway Commission. I don’t know who the reporter is who is behind him. I don’t think he was with The Missourian.

Jack Stapleton

Jack Stapleton of the State Highway Commission

Month: April 2013