MID-SOUTH MEMORIES

25 years ago — 1993

WASHINGTON — President Clinton said Thursday he will send Vice President Gore to Mexico next week, marking a more visible role for Gore in foreign policy following his NAFTA debate performance against Ross Perot. Gore has been involved in foreign policy all along, but “he will be giving more speeches and increasingly articulating the foreign policy vision of the administration,” said Gore’s chief of staff, Jack Quinn. Despite his NAFTA success, Clinton has been troubled by a perceived lack of coherence in his foreign policy, especially in Somalia and Bosnia.

50 years ago — 1968

The federal government yesterday pledged 11 million dollars to build a new setting for W.C. Handy’s blues — but it’ll be 10 to 15 years before those trumpet sounds can be heard on the new Beale Street, said Memphis Housing Authority officials. Land acquisition could begin within 90 days, said Orelle L. Ledbetter, MHA executive director, if final appraisals are completed. A high-rise apartment for the elderly, with about 200 units, is planned for the southwest corner of Danny Thomas and Beale. Elsewhere along the fabled street, MHA will assist private developers in buying buildings for renovation by private capital and incorporation into a “blue light” district patterned on the days of the late Mr. Handy. The project approved yesterday is bounded by Wagner, Gayoso, Danny Thomas and the south side of Linden.

75 years ago — 1943

The Princess Theatre Building at 167 South Main has been purchased by Kemmons Wilson of 2374 Union for $75,000. The building was part of the Jacob Evans estate. Mr. Wilson said he bought it for an investment.

100 years ago — 1918

Arrangements for bringing home the troops in France are being made rapidly and the shipping board today issued a call for 5,000 volunteers to man the vessels to be used for that purpose. Each division of troops will be returned to the locality from which most of its men came. The War Department will parade the divisions in adjacent cities so that the people may give the returning men a fitting welcome. Most of the 1,790,000 men now under arms in the United States will be demobilized.

125 years ago — 1893

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Fast Express train No. 51 of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway, known as the Cannon Ball, was held up early this morning near Oliphant, Ark., by seven masked men. Conductor J.P. McNally was shot and killed in a gun battle with the robbers. All the passengers were relieved of their valuables and the mail car was looted. A posse led by the sheriff of Newport is in hot pursuit and a special train was sent to Augusta, Ark., for bloodhounds.

PHOTO COURTESY FIRE MUSEUM OF MEMPHIS The R.A. Utley and crew are shown in an undated photo inside Station #12 at Lamar and Woodward. It was placed in service at this location on 19 Nov 1912. The pumper is shown with Dayton "Airless" tires and carbide headlights. The tires were later replaced by solid rubber and the lights replaced with electric head lamps. Chains were used almost year round, not for snow, but to obtain traction on the many dirt streets of the city. The apparatus was not equipped with an electric starter, and had to be hand cranked each time it was started.