The Bluffton news. [volume], January 05, 1939, Image 1

About The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current

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BLUFFTON NEWS
rhe Advertising Medium for
Bluffton Trade Territory
VOLUME NO. LXIH
PfiklQincD I ARPPR
uunoiucn LHIWLIl
as the new post ottice site.
POSTOFFICE SITEI-^^
Federal Man Expected Here to
Close Real Estate Deal
Within Week
Will Investigate Suggestion that
Additional Iot be Pur
chased Here
likely will be considered within th
Postmaster Ed R. Reichenbach isl
exneftine- a federal man here within!
consult With the Lions club and the
estate be purchased.
Suggest Another Lot
restaurant occupies the lot.
In telegrams and letters
Washington the Lions and
Men have pointed out that
ing the Geiser lot, frontage
A. D. Gratz, who occupies the brick
house on his lot, has made no ar
rangements as yet relative
ing.
to mov-i
Births
Many Diverse Faiths Have
New Year Baby
Awaited Here
YVITH no births reported thus
far in 1939, the Bluffton dis
trict Wednesday morning was
awaiting the birth of the first
New Year baby.
Three births at the Community
hospital during the past week
were all in the closing days of
the old year. Several other births
here were reported shortly before
1938 bowed off the stage.
mt- uiu jrai oeveraj vmcj Mums
Sentiment voiced by Bluffton civic I hereTererepZrteTshZrtly before the ^Ventennial Series'^ dealing
organizations that the site selected! 1Q3g bowed off tbf gtage I with early Bluffton history and
at the northwest corner of Main and I I published in commemoration of
Franklin streets is not large enough I 1 1 “I hundredth anniversary
for Bluffton’s new $80,000 post office
I f" 111 A I I
u|l| f* ill
^hA|N |N
nUrllll 111
18’ 19’ 20
I
I
cultural Show
Hiram Kohli New President of
m„
sent to
Business
by add
on Main
of all three lots is 165 feet. I
A site considerably thanL
that selected had been expected here, I
since the post office department! w
specified considerably larger require-l include Koh!i Klingler, Marshall, Joel
ments in asking for bids last spring. powell Rarold Ben Amstutz, pieces of farm machinery.
Solemnize Nuptials
I
I
PARENT-TEACHER ASS’N.
The following births at Bluffton| double ring service was used.
hospital: Following the ceremony a wedding
Mr. and Mrs. Byron Gamble of| dinner was served at the home of
Rawson, daughter, Thursday.
I
Variety Of Weather
Past Week
Wide swings of temperature from
five degrees above zero to a maxi-!
mum of fifty-five degrees on Wed
nesday morning have been exper
ienced here within the past week.
The spring-like temperature Wed
nesday appeared to be the reaction
of the weatherman from the coldest
snap of the season which swept this
district a week ago.
Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Bell of Colum-| couple left for Bowling Green where!
bus Grove daughter, Friday. both will enroll at the state uni-l
ous urove, uaugniw,
Flourished In Orange Twp
ZXdLnp“ I inriu IM monl con,roitT”f0,6“UMil
Tenta‘iye Dates Ngurally the-first ch(lrch
on the cornedwhich hTb£n named For 24th Annual Agri- were held in the log rabin homes !f servers have pointed out.
as the new Dost office site
1
t^\^thTfIiXe’Xrtm"i One of the ieading men of the Or- P^man Marshal Lee Coon as
Business Men’s association regarding! Board Preliminary Show |th€ meetin& and probably would takel ments are made by the mayor
their suggestion that additional reai Plans with ‘n dehVe"ng ‘**e Tnd ToXed by le couti!
The two organizstions have sug- BIuffton.s twenty.fourth ag- for“h^ldine the Sabbath meet- They are Francis Durbin, city soli
gested the purchase of the Mrs. Claral ricuiturai fajr will be conducted as a|?* J* ni°t,thou£rhWhether the central I citor’ an^ ^uy Corson, fire chief.
Geiser property which adjoins on the w| show the fouHh consecutive «1“ho^h wh0thcr the «ntral|
north that owned by Gratz. The Hub|time
iq
10
smmI
street would be 110 feet, instead of
86 feet made possible by the pur
chase of real estate from Edgar! tbe organjzatiori) with Clyde KUnglerl a barn owned by Clarence Benner,I the council which ele ted
Chamberlain and A. D. Gratz. Depth! servjng. vice-president. Other offi-l west of Rawson, Monday night! Romey in December.
I oers include Harry F. Barnes, secre-l about 9 o’clock. I
^^ltarylarger
and Ilay MarshaI1 treasurer. The blaze was plainly visible from!
Fair Directohs I Bluffton and many spectators were!
Cost Is $9,850 Oarl McCafferty Clyde Warren, Al structure was blazing thruout the
Purchase price of the Chamberlain-Lrt Winkkr and Edgar Herr I interior before the fire was
Gratz property was announced as I election of directors last No-| coverek
$9,850. The Geiser property can be vember Althaus was named to|
bought for $4,000, which would in-1 board but he tendered his resigna
crease the total cost to $13,850. |tdOn and has been replaced by Herr,L I
The Chamberlain residence now isl ho was elKW at Jast weeka meet I Benner owner of the farm hves on|
empty. Carold Steiner, who occupied!.^ of board I another
part of the house moved Monday into! pire^ors decided to send represen-l C°ry
what is known as the P. B. AmstutzLtives to the annual meetings of thel
property on Spring street. Thisl department of agriculture and|
house was vacated Sunday by E. O-l the Ohio Fair Manager’s association inf u e
Earl, who moved to Chicago The Columbus on Wednesday and Thurs
other occupants of the Chamberlain! JanuaTy n and 42. Hiram Kohli|
residence, Robert Craig, moved to|and Aibert Winkler will attend.
Lima recently.
Members of the board of directors! attracted to the scene of the fire. I
,| Also lost in the fire were several!
Thel
Liberty Chapelt fc** of the week-
of the immediate families. Thel survives.
the bride’s parents after which thel
Mr. and Mrs. i ney err o e^“ graduate of Bluff-|durin£ the rar from extensive
Inmhuq Grove, daughter, Saturday. I the bnae s a giaouaie 01 own
Rumbus 1 ton high school and has many friends municipal improvement projects, and
here. Mr. Edinger is a graduate ofl the program is such that it will be
Heads of the two departments, South Mam street have le for of
Mrs. R. A. Lantz and A. L. Daymonl Miami, Florida, where thej »‘n Franklin str(iels on |ots fonnerl
will address the meeting. spend the winter. I Edgar chamber|ain and A
-Bir
iVltirKS I
In Bluffton District
of the week.
I I Bis. Bentley was the widow ofl Farm prospects for
Wedding of Miss Meredith Mont-I the late O. K. Bentley whose death I year will be discussed
gomery, youngest daughter of Mr.l occurred ten years ago. He was a| meeting of the annual
made ofl and Mrs. John
Announcement has been
the birth of a daughter to
Mrs. Kenneth Newland of Olivet,! er, son
Mich., Friday. Mrs. Newland, the! Orange township was solemnized at
former Virginia Trippiehorn, is the! Liberty Chapel church Sunday morn
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. D. R.l ing at eight o’clock.
Trippiehorn, of South Main ®treet-| The wedding another daughter cussed. Meetings will be held weekly
First Church, Frame Structure!
Was Built by Baptists Town Council to Effect Reor
In 1850-55 I ganization for Coming Year,
Denominations Represented ini
Early Days of Township n0 Changes are Expected
Now Extinct Present Municipal Ap-
twenty-second installment of
of Bluffton's founding.—Editor.
IM391aC,Uired "“ghbore’they began to a‘S°
I VUUIorganize
the next few davs to make out thel (attempts were simple and crude, but|t0 1)6 the same as thos rvmg.
the next few days to make out the straight-forward No changes are likely in naming
TthTchamStoG±nLl estateP*’
fall show for the fourth consecutivel o\ I Membership of the council, how
this year, October 18, 19 and 2o| Continued on page I ever, djffers with one exception
having been set as the tentative dates.| I from that which was oraginzed a
onl Continued on page 2)
Preliminary arrangements for this! fitriko Arp RllYflpd year a8°- W. A. Howe, elected
year’s fair and the election of officers| 1? 17 president of the council at the start
were completed at a meeting of the| I fl UTm tittm rlF^lof 1938, now is mayor, having suc
board of directors last week in ithe| I ceeded J. Norman King, who re
town hall. I Eighteen head--- of lambs were! signed late last fall. The vacant
Hiram Kohli was named president of| burned to death when fire destroyed I place on the council was filled by
I Elmer
dis­
place northwest
Of Former
Resident Is
Besides her daughter at
A daughter was born Saturday to by Rev. A. E. McVey ot Mt. UWJM Davton tn
Mr. and Mrs. T. Bechtel of Grovel pastor of the church in the presence! Mrs. Helen Face also ot Dayton
cfreet
Mt. Cory high school and will pre-l continued on into 1939.
i .xo.-., rninictrv in the Unitedl Although construction has not been
Work of the art and manual tram-| pare for the ministry in tne uniieui 6
a rtmentS of the Bluffton I Brethren church. started as yet, preliminary plans have
mg departments or tne Biutrioni _________ I been completed for Bluffton’s new ?80,
schools wil e e opic or el WiKtfr IN FI ORYDA 1000 posrt office, which was approved by
meeting of the Parent-Teacher as- MINTER IN FLORIDA ment last sum.
sociation at the high school cafeteria! I
next Tuesday night at 7:30 o’clock Mr and Mrs. Andrew Gratz of to
WINTER IN FLORIDA
The barn was a large structure! compete with representatives
and used for feeding livestock. The! frorn five other counties in the dis
house on the farm was unoccupied.| elimination next Sunday at the
of Mt.
Deadi
died lastl
Mrs. O. K. Bentley, 63,
Thursday at the home of her daugh-l
iter, Mrs. Eileen Taft in Dayton,|
according to word received here thel
Montgomery ofl native of Bluffton and for many! course which opens next
Mr and! Orange township and Harry Eding-| years was engaged in the hotel busi-l night at 7:30 o clock in the high
of Scott Edinger, also of| ness at French Lick, Indiana. I —a—»
whoseI
Mimicinal
Bluffton has benefited materially
Id. Gratz, according to an announce-
I
Moderation of the cold wave the|and work likely will be under wav
latter part of last week found roadslsoon- Under requirements of the ap
covered with ice and automobile ac-l propnation, construction of the build
cidents were frequent, although none| mg is to be completed by next June,
serious.
ment from Washington, early in De-
Hx* »f the site ^d to mi-
A, heavy .. ___ ___
Bluffton on Tuesday night” made| electric light plant wiU be jmproved as
motoring
forecasts for colder weather the lat-| K"ram launched in early winter,
ter part
cate an early start on the structure,
I Light Plant Improvement
fog which hung oveij Service provided by the municipal
hazardous and brought) result of a $34,512 expansion pro-
(Continued on page 5)
11 IE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INT ERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 1939
PROPOSED ROUTE WOULD DIVERT DIXIE TRAFFIC
FILL APPOINTIVE
BERTHS MONDAY
The Bluffton News presents
church societies. The first) reoigamzation, but th? lected
m6eting8 municipal appointees. poHt.eal eb­
|the settlers, without any of the frills| Re-appointments that aft- expected
modern w-orshin (include Albert Reichenbach as night
ange settlement would take charge C"r'cSk" w’-ndc, AU ap-
PTTsaid that the cabin owned by Two other appointive officers were
in
in
No changes are anticipated
Bluffton's official family when
council meets next Monday night
reorganization and confirmation
the mayor’s appointment of
night police, street con and
the
for
of
the
"h't'tt t"i
named last year for two-year terms.
Oyer In District
Declamation Mee1
Herbert Oyer, representing the
First Mennonite church of Bluffton,
one of Allen county’s two Prince of
Peace Declamation contest winners,
Ada
Winners from Allen, Shelby, Au
glaize, Union, Logan and Marion
counties will enter the competition
at Ada. A gold medal will be
awarded to the victor, who also is
Methodist church.
eligible to enter the state contest at
I Columbus.
Annua[ Winter Farm
Course Opens Monday
twelve meetings of the course
practical farm problems will be
on Monday night and are open to
anyone interested.
YEAR OF 1938 PASSES IN REVIEW
Building
A new high level was reached in
Bluffton’s building program during the
last year with the construction here of
eight modem houses.
Resulting from an acute housing
shortage that has prevailed here for
the last two years the eight new resi
dences representing an investment of
nearly $38,000.00.
Houses have been erected in all sec
tions of the town, with the building
program made up principally of small
structures that are completely modern
in every detail. Excellence of con
struction, rather than size, is the rule
that has been followed in most instan
ces.
New homes are those of Jesse Yoak
am and Lowell Habegger on West Elm
street, William Edwards on Spring
street, Mrs. A. M. Myers on College
road Mrs. Edna Badertscher on Grove
street, Oliver Zimmerman on Main
street, Donavin Steiner on Harmon
road and Peter Nussbaum on North
Lawn avenue.
With the building program showing
evidence of continuing, the boundaries
of the town also are expanding.
(Continued on page 5)
Following the daring escape of five
armed maniacs from the Lima State
Hospital for the Criminal Insane
early last Sunday morning, Bluffton
authorities have had one suspicious
case on which they checked with the
thought that perhaps one of the
crazed killers was in town.
Monday Night
Details of the escape had been
broadcast over the State Highway
Patrol radio station, a receiver for
which is located in the mayor’s
pointive Offices
Gene Zuber, Recreational Direc
tor, is Champion After
Week’s Play
defeats Three-time Title Holder
To Win State Honors in
Tilt Monday
Gene Zuber, 29-year-old Bluffton
recreational director, and a student
at Bluffton college, captured the
Ohio checker championship in a
gruelling seven-day tournament that
closed Monday in Findlay
Zuber won the honor of defeating
in the final round J. L. Wilson, of
Sabina, three-times champion and the
defending title-holder.
The Bluffton checker wizard lost
only three games thruout the entire
tournament. He won 14 and earned
draws in 20.
In the first heat of the final round
Zuber defeated Wilson in one game
and drew three. Wilson held the
edge Sunday when Zuber lost a
game, and five others ended in
draws.
In closing play Monday, Zuber de
feated Wilson in two games and
earned four draws.
The championship award of $45
went to Zuber, with second place
money amounting to $30 taken by
Wilson. Mayor Homer O. Dorsey of
Findlay, was third, and drew $21.
Twenty-eight stellar players were
entered in the tournament, five of
whom were from Bluffton. The dele
gation came away from the tourna
ment with an enviable record.
In the major round, for the
championship, Lester' Niswander fin
ished eighth. In the minor tourna
ment, a consolation tourney for
those eliminated in the first three
rounds, John A. Diller finished third.
He received a prize
Oscar Lora and
were the other two
in the tournament.
the current
at the first
winter farm
school agriculture room.
Funeral services for Mrs. Bentleyl Harry Barnes, agriculture
were held Sunday followed by in-l structor will be in charge of
terment near French Lick.
,Monday
in
the
and
dis-
One Suspect Questioned Here After .Tll u .......
Escape Of Five Armed Maniacs At Lima| IALK
Bluffton Man Wins State Title
In Checker Tourney At Findlay
of $4.50.
Carl Burkhart
Bluffton players
Dr. Weldon A. Diller, son of the
third place minor prize winner, cap
tured minor tournament honors in
state championship play at Washing
ton Court House last year. He
unable to compete again this
son.
was
sea-
SALES TAX MAN HERE
A sales tax examiner will be at the
Mayor’s office all day on Thursday,
Jan. 12 to assist in making out the
semi-annual sales tax reports.
Industrial
Continued activity and expansion in
Bluffton’s industrial and business pro
grams during the last 12 months pro
vides a bright outlook for 1939 insofar
as the towns even tenor of progress
is concerned.
Industrial and business conditions in
the village during 1938 showed indis
putable indications of a continuation in
the uptrend, with the town and sur
rounding community reaping the
greater portion of the benefits.
Employment in private industry, al
tho a little slack during the first part
of the year, showed a sustained re
covery in the last five or six months.
Power Plant Completed
Of major importance in the year
was completion of the new $1,200,000
steam generating plant of the Central
Ohio Light and Power Co., built on
real estate near the quarry purchased
from the National Lime and Stone Co.
The new plant is located within the
town limits, adding approximately one
third to the village tax dupicate.
Construction of the large brick
building, housing the modem plant,
was completed in April, and operation
(Continued on page 5)
Shows Increase During Past Year
office.
One of the transients who applied
for over-night lodging here on Sun
day was quite suspicious in his ac
tions, and before he was released
Monday morning he was closely
questioned and his description was
checked against those of the escaped
inmates.
He w’as released after it had been
determined that he had no connection
with the Lima maniacs.
Observe Fiftieth
Wedding Anniversary
Mr. and Mrs. David P. Diller, re
siding four miles west of Bluffton
will observe their Golden wedding
anniversary next Tuesday at the
home of their daughter, Mrs. Ed
ward Lugibihl, one
Pandora where open
held from
afternoon,
call.
mile south of
house will be
o’clock in the
are invited to
2 to 5
Friends
Mrs. Diller have spent
lives in the same com-
Mr. and
their entire
munity in which they were born.
They were married January 10, 1889
at the Peter D. and Barbara
homestead now
Diller.
Diller
Albert
occupied by
Mrs. Diller is
late Gotthardt
haus.
the daughter
and Elizabeth Alt-
They have six children: Mrs. Ed
ward Lugibihl of Pandora Mrs.
Aldine Amstutz,
Waldo
holder, Findlay
and David, Jr.,
Columbus Grove
Mrs. Alvin Burk
Paul of Bluffton
of Belmont, Mass.
of Cairo
There are also seventeen grand
children and one great grandson.
Guy Brown Dies
Wednesday Morning
Guy Brown, 51, died early Wed
nesday morning at the Allen County
Home near Lima. Death due to
complications followed an illness of
several months.
He made his home in Bluffton for
many years, being employed at times
in implement stores and garages.
He was bom
the son of the
Joseph Brown,
ried.
in Union township
late Mr. and Mrs.
He was never mar-
two brothers Robert
Angeles and Alvin
Surviving are
Brown of Los
Brown of Port Alma, Ontario. Also
surviving are a step-mother and
step-sister, both of Columbus.
The body is at the Diller funeral
home pending funeral arrangements.
Wooster Professor
Is Vesper Speaker
Dr. J. Milton Vance, instructor in
Bibl? at Wooster college will deliver!
the vesper address at Bluffton col
lege Sunday afternoon at 3 o’clock.
He will speak on the subject “Life—
Changing New Lives for Old.”
Special music will be provided by
the vesper choir directed by Prof.
R. A. Lantz.
TO OPERATE HATCHERY
Hiram Welty and family of Jack
son and Elm street* moved Tuesday
to Cecil, west of Defiance, where he
will operate a hatchery on the farm
of his cousin, Elam Sprunger of Ft.
Wayne. Sprunger owns a string of
seven hatcheries.
Robert Lewis and family will
occ/j»y the Welty property, moving
from the Mrs. Will Herr property
across the street.
Bluffton’s Fire Loss] Of $3,160
Bluffton’s fire loss of $3,160 for
1938 is slightly heavier than for the
last few years, according to records
of Clarence Stonehill, clerk of the
fire department.
Most of the loss came during the
early part of the year. Four fires
previous to October resulted in an
aggregate loss of $3,035.
two fires since that time has
ed to only $125.
Loss in
amount-
The most disastrous fire
was a blaze late last winter that
practically gutted the Star theatre
and resulted in damage estimated at
$2,500. Thus, in Bluffton’s five other
fires the total loss has been only
of 1938
T'fcT TT n wn xx w*
DLurnwi
A Good Place to Live and a
Good Place to Trade
NUMBER 36
NEW LIMA.....
TOLEDO HIGHWAY
Agitation for Super-Highway
Following Abandoned Elec
tric Line
New
Col.
Route Would Touch
Grove, Leipsic, Ottawa
And Belmore
the
Possibility that much of
heavy traffic thru Bluffton
U. S. Route 25, the Dixie highway,
may be shunted over a new route
that would miss this city is seen in
the proposal to create a new super
highway between Lima and Toledo
following the abandoned right-of-way
of the defunct Cincinnati and Lake
Erie electric railway.
over
highways,
inadequate
suitability
i that fol-
One of Ohio’s busiest
the Dixie at present is i
as to vridth and general
for the volume of traffic
lows the route.
Backed
of the
has been
improve-
For several years there
considerable agitation for
ment of the stretch of the Dixie
between Toledo and Lima. Some
work in widening has been completed
north of Bowling Green, but on the
whole most of the route remains too
narrow
tery.
for a heavily traveled ar-
by
Cities
on the route of the aban-
Cities
doned traction line have seized the
opportunity to suggest an entirely
new
and
can
thru
route be chosen between Lima
Toledo in the hope that they
bring the new
their environs.
super-roadway
of the move to
are
Among supporters
change the routing
Grove, Leipsic, Ottawa,
Waterville and sections
and Lucas county.
Columbus
Belmore,
of Toledo
has been
the state
Columbus,
has been
The proposal already
presented to officials of
highway department at
and further consideration
promised for the early part of Jan
uary.
Follow Traction Line
Under the proposal, the new route
would be constructed from Toledo
(Continued on page 8)
Couple Has Thirtieth
Wedding Anniversary
Dr. and Mrs. C. H. Smith of
Campus Drive are receiving congrat
ulations on their thirtieth wedding
anniversary which occurred
the holidays. There was no
observance of the event.
during
formal
resided
Dr. and Mrs. Smith have
in Bluffton for the past twenty-five
years. They came here from Gosh­
position as instructor in Bluffton
college in 1913.
Quiet Observance Of
The New Year Here
Bluffton’s observance of New
Year’s over the past week-end was a
quiet one, and with the resumption
of normal business and industrial
activities on Tuesday another holi
day season had passed into history.
Monday was observed thruout the
town as a legal holiday, giving most
residents of the village a two-and
one-half-day vacation period.
Business and industrial activity
was resumed on Tuesday morning,
however, marking an official end to
the holiday season that was in
augurated with the advent of Christ
mas. Bluffton public school pupils
and students at Bluffton college also
returned to their classes Tuesday.
$660.
In addition to service rendered to
the town during the last year, the
Bluffton department also has an
swered six calls in the country. Loss
in these fires outside the village
limits amounted to $11,025, repre
senting damage to houses and barns.
Three runs were made outside the
town to combat truck fires, with an
aggregate loss of $360 reported.
Members of the Bluffton depart
ment include: Chief Guy Corson,
Clarence Stonehill, Harold Stonehill,
Charles Young, Ed Badertscher,
Fred Martin, Isaac Brobeck, Lester
Niswander and Harley Augsburger.