MID-SOUTH MEMORIES
25 years ago – 1994 Four weeks before the county chooses a new mayor, a majority of the candidates concede Republican Jim Rout is the front-runner but believe the undecided voters make a Rout victory far from certain. Rout, who has served on the County Commission since 1978, and six other candidates in the field of eight said that this week opens a sustained and highly visible campaign of TV and radio ads, door-to-door appeals, media interviews and as many speeches as time allows. 50 years ago – 1969 The Shelby County Court next Monday is scheduled to consider a proposal calling for establishment of a citycounty airport authority to run Memphis International Airport and its satellite airfields in the county. The proposal apparently is aimed at prodding city officials to act on a joint aviation authority. It was brought up yesterday when County Court Chairman Charles W. Baker asked for a decision on whether the county will continue its aid for the new Downtown Airport. City and county officials have been at odds for months on the question of costsharing for the Downtown Airport, which would be built north of the Wolf River diversion channel. It would replace the existing airfield on Mud Island, which will be shut down because of construction of the new Mississippi River bridge. 75 years ago – 1944 Hartford, Conn. – Fire blazed through the matinee performance of the Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus here Thursday, claiming at least 135 lives, most of them children. Another 124 persons, some of them in critical condition, were hospitalized. The death toll was expected to mount even higher. Twenty officials and circus workers have been subpoenaed to a coroner’s hearing into the cause of the nation’s worst circus tragedy. 100 years ago – 1919 In a meeting of the city commissioners Saturday –which was so stormy that Mayor Monteverde prevented a physical clash between two commissioners. Commissioner Charles W. Miller, commissioner of police, was switched to the department of finance and a general tightening up in city affairs was begun in earnest. Charles Quinn, commissioner of streets, was appointed police commissioner. 125 years ago – 1894 Maj. Caesar Weatherford won the umbrella for the most popular candidate for sheriff at the Hebrew picnic Thursday. There was a hot contest between M.R. Patterson and Gen. Peters for the elegant writing desk awarded the most popular candidate for attorney general. Mr. Patterson won it by a few votes.