MID-SOUTH MEMORIES
25 years ago — 1993
NASHVILLE — Murals in the state Capitol building have drawn complaints over the years, but a state representative says the time has come to remove them in the name of political correctness. “Our young folk know they probably should not be subjected to that at the Capitol,” said state Sen. Thelma Harper (D-Nashville). “It could kill their self-esteem.” The murals in and around Gov. Ned McWherter’s office depict black slaves and scantily clad Indians. They have been in the offices since 1938 when state officials renovated a previously open section of the Capitol into a section of the executive offices.
50 years ago — 1968
If the action taken by the Mississippi Alcoholic Beverage Control Board over the weekend is typical, gamblers will get no foothold in DeSoto County, Miss. The ABC is to be commended for its swift action in closing down a gaming room operated within an old dairy barn. All law-abiding citizens in our growing metropolitan area can be thankful that this raid by the Mississippi ABC has nipped in the bud what could have become a spreading blight.
75 years ago — 1943
The face of the Grand Central Station is undergoing a transformation. Grime from hundreds of puffing trains is being scoured off by a mixture of steam and ammonia, and the half of the building south of the main entrance is shining like new.
100 years ago — 1918
Yesterday’s German offensive against the Americans on the Marne River front in France was a complete failure. The American troops swiftly gained all the Germans’ positions and destroyed the enemy’s pontoons across the river. Our troops have taken 1,500 prisoners.
125 years ago — 1893
The Shelby County Grand Jury has condemned the courthouse in a report to Criminal Court Judge Scruggs. A committee of experts testified that the building was erected in 1859 “of inferior brick and mortar,” and is in imminent danger of collapsing.