The Bluffton news. [volume], March 09, 1939, Image 1

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i
BLUFFTON NEWS
The Advertising Medium for
Bluffton Trade Territory
VOLUME NO. LXni
leTpostoffice
BID NEXT FALL
Six Months Usually Required
After Survey is Finished
Before Work Starts
Two Residence Properties on
Site will be Moved by
Building Contractor
Contract for Bluffton’s new’ feder
al postoffice building will not be let
until late next summer or early fall,
it was announced the first of the week
by J. D. Levin, who is in charge of
surveying the site and other prelim
inary work here.
Levin, an engineer from the pro
curement division of the public build
ings branch of the federal treasury
department, is overseeing a number
of government projects in northwest
ern Ohio. His present headquarters
are at Paulding where he is supervis
ing construction of a new postoffice
building.
Survey of the postoffice site here,
including sub-soil tests has not yet
been completed, Levin stated. On
completion of this work the data will
be sent to Washington and will pro
vide the basis for design of the build
ing and also specifications for its con
struction.
Six Months Required
About six months usually elapse
after completion of the survey before
the contract is let. This time is re
quired for completion of architect s
plans and advertising for bids for
construction.
Two residence properties which now
occupy the site at South Main and
Franklin streets of the postoffice will
probably be removed by the contract
or to whom contract for construction
of the federal building is awarded,
Levin stated.
It is customary, he said to place all
preparation of the site in the hands
of the contractor. Any buildings on
the premises may be disposed in such
manner as he sees fit.
Organize Bluffton
1
Boy Scout Troop
Organization of a Bluffton Boy
Scout Troop, No. 56, sponsored by
the First Mennnite church, has been
completed here, with an initial mem
bership of 12.
Presentation of the charter, badges
to the boys and cards to troop com
mitteemen, the scoutmaster and as
sistant scoutmaster was a featuie of
an investory service held last Sun
day evening in the church.
Kenneth A. Connelly, Shawnee
Area Scout executive, and nine
scouts from Troop Six of Lima,
headed by R. R. Miille, scoutmaster,
and E. M. Carville, assistant scout
master, were in charge of the ser
vice.
Troop Committeemen include Ger
hard Buhler, chairman Nelson Herr,
Dr. W. N. Niswander John Tosh,
Dr. J. S. Schultz and Rev. H. T.
Unruh.
Karl Gable is scoutmaster, with
Paul Wingate serving as the as
sistant. Members of the new troop
are Norman Beidler, Richard K.
Berky, Russell Gratz, Floyd Herr,
Roger Howe, James C. Landis, De
nard Loganbill, Richard and Robert
Oberly, John Schmidt, Raymond
Schumacher and Merlin Zuercher.
Meetings of the troop will be held
each Monday night in the church
basement. Activities of the organi
zation will be related to those of the
Shawnee Area, with which the troop
js
affiliated.
Spring Chickens
Early This Year
The'spring chicken season will be
early this year—in fact it started
last Sunday when two local restau
rants, Pine’s and Long’s served
chicken dinners consisting of two
pound broilers hatched from incu
bators at the Steiner hatchery exact
ly two months ago. And come to
think about it, two pound broilers in
eight weeks is something, too.
Hospital Auxiliary
Membership Canvass
Bluffton residents will be solicited
Thursday and Friday in a two-day
canvass for memberships in the
Women’s Auxiliary of the Bluffton
Community hospital.
Announcement of the canvass was
made by officers of the auxiliary the
first of the week after plans had
been completed. The membership
canvass is made by the auxiliary
•every two years.
Easter Vacations
At Public School
And College Here
Tp ASTER vacations at Bluffton
college and Bluffton grade
and high schools were announced
the first of the week.
Vacation at the college will
begin on Thursday afternoon,
April 6 at 4 o’clock and continue
until Tuesday morning, April
18 at 8 o’clock.
Classes at the high and grade
schools will be closed for one
day only, Good Friday, April 7.
FARMERS SIGN
AAA CONTRACTS
Compliance Agreed to by 25
Per Cent of Richland’s
375 Farmers
Signup Time Will Continue
In Bluffton Friday at
Township Room
Approximately 25 per cent of Rich
land township’s 375 farmers have
signed compliance contracts for the
1939 Federal AAA Farm Program, it
was announced this week.
First contracts in the township
were signed at the Richland Grange
hall last Wednesday and Thursday
when representatives of the Allen
County and Richland township AAA
committee were there. During the
two-day period 96 farmers agreed to
comply.
Additional contracts will be signed
at Bluffton in the township room at
the town hall, Friday, it was announc
ed by Amos Moser, Richland town
ship chairman.
40 Per Cent in 1938
In commenting on the program,
Moser pointed out that last year ap
proximately 40 per cent of Richland
farmers complied. He thinks this
year’s total will be equal to that of
1938. No deadline has been set as
yet for signing contracts.
"Major provisions of AAA compli
ance is the limit of wheat and corn
acreages (soil depleting crops). How
ever, other factors also enter into the
final determination of benefits.
If full compliance is made with the
federal program, farmers will receive
a price adjustment of six cents a
bushel and a conservation payment of
nine cents a bushel on corn, a total
of 15 cents. For wheat the price ad
justment will be 11 cents a bushel
and the conservation payment 17
cents a bushel, a total of 28 cents.
$2.50 Acre Benefits
Ninety-five per cent of those sign
ing contracts thus far have agreed to
full compliance, Moser said. Under
maximum compliance benefits may
run as high as $2.50 per crop acre,
he stated.
Members of the Richland township
AAA committee include Amos Moser,
chairman, Sol. E. Steiner, Fred Muel
ler, Willard Jennings and Virgil Bow
ers.
Most of those signing thus far have
farms averaging about 50 crop acres,
Moser said. Under the AAA pro
gram, however, any plot of three
acres or more may be classified as a
farm.
Bluffton Motorists
Buying Auto Tags
Although the sale of the 1939 auto
tags got off to a late start in Bluff
ton, a total of 137 sets of tags had
been sold by Wednesday noon, ac
cording to Robert Lewis, local deputy
registrar in charge of distribution
here.
Tags, which were scheduled to go
on sale last Wednesday morning, did
not arrive until Friday forenoon.
Lewis is maintaining office quar
ters for license sales at the Steiner
Chevrolet garage on North Main
street.
Real Estate Deal
In a real estate deal completed the
first of the week Adam Amstutz and
his sister, Miss Barbara Amstutz
sold their farm of 120 acres two
miles west of Bluffton near the
Ebenezer church to Chas. Danner of
Lima.
Danner, a Lima plumber was form
erly of this place, being the young
est son of the late C. P. Danner.
Amstutz and his sister will move
to Bluffton this spring.
Clarence Amstutz, present renter
on the farm, will continue to oc
cupy the place. The real estate deal
I was made by the Althaus & Collins
firm.
f/
NEW BOILER IS
PLACED HERE
nspection of New Municipal
Plant Equipment to be
Made this Week
Construction of Brick Work for
Boiler Will be Started
Next Week
Assembly of the new 350 H. P.
boiler has been completed at Bluff
ton’s municipal electric light and
water works plant, and tests will be
made the latter part of this week by
a state inspector.
Following inspection of the boiler,
construction of the supporting brick
work will be started. Approximately
20 days will be required to complete
this phase of the expansion program,
according to plant Superintendent
John Swisher.
Test runs will be made late in April
after brick work is finished.
With the new boiler in use, capacity
of the municipal plant will be nearly
doubled. The two boilers now in use
have a rated capacity of 250 H. P.
each, but the new unitx will be of
such an advanced design that its 350
H. P. output will be nearly equal of
the present capacity it was pointed
out.
Construction of a brick coal silo,
adjoining the new addition to the
plant where the boiler is located also
is well under way.
Summer School At
Bluffton College
Bluffton college will open a nine
weeks summer term on June 15, it
was announced the first of the week
by Dr. J. S. Schultz, dean of the
college and director of the summer
school.
Courses offered will include sci
ences, languages, social studies,
teacher preparation and fine arts.
Special effort will be made this
year to adapt courses both as the
subject matter and time schedule to
people of the community who may
be interested in some popular study
regardless of college credit, Dr.
Schultz stated.
With this end in view classes will
be organized for the study of birds,
trees, appreciation of art, church
history, psychology and music will
be offered if there is sufficient de
mand. Persons interested are re
quested to notify Dr. Schultz.
Young Peoples Meet
At Methodist Church
Sixty-five young people from nine
churches of Bluffton and community
together with a number of pastors
and counselors enjoyed a fellowship
supper and program at the Metho
dist church, Tuesday night.
Supper was served by the Metho
dist Epworth League after which a
recreational program was enjoyed
in charge of Miss Jeanne Baumgart
ner and Eugene Weed. The program
for the coming year was outlined by
Miss Luella Luginbuhl president of
the Bluffton district Christian En
deavor and closing devotional service
was led by Rev. J. A. Weed, pastor
counselor.
Churches represented were: First
Mennonite, Church of Christ, Pres
byterian, Lutheran, St. John’s Re
formed, First Methodist all of Bluff
ton, Rockport Presbyterian, Ebenezer
Mennonite and Olive Branch United
Brethren.
The next meeting of the district
young people will be a union service
on Good Friday evening at the
Church of Christ.
Births
Mr. and Mrs. Brice Henry, Jr.,
are the parents of a son born at
the Bluffton hospital, Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Merrill Bushong of
Columbus are the parents of a
daughter, Susan Louise, born at the
Bluffton hospital, Sunday.
A son, Robert Franklin, was born
to Dr. and Mrs. M. B. Rice of Pan
dora at the Bluffton hospital, Satur
day.
Word was received here of the
birth of a son to Mr. and Mrs. Bert
McGeorge of Albion, Mich., Feb
ruary 22. Mr. McGeorge was form
erly of this place.
CRITICALLY ILL
Mrs. Med Murray who had been
improving for the past month fol
lowing a serious illness from heart
trouble is again in a critical condi
tion at her home on Thurman street.
FHE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INT ERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1939
Bluffton which in recent years has I
benefitted largely by federal work.
programs under the PA and PWA
setups may fail to qualify for a
similar program this summer.
Mayor W. A. Howe stated the first
of the week that there has been
little response to the offer of the
city administration to apply for a
sidewalk and curb work project this
summer.
Under the sidewalk and curb pro
ject arrangement the cost of ma
terials is paid by the property own
er while the labor is provided by the,
government. Last summer some
6,000 feet of sidewalk and 2,000 feet
)r. Irwin W. Bauman Talks at
Dinner Meeting of Lions
Club Tuesday
United States Punishes by
Death Thru Electrocution,
Gas and Hanging
Speaking on “Capital Punishment”,
Dr. Irwin Bauman, professor of so
cial sciences at BlufFton college, ad
dressed a dinner meeting of the
Bluffton Lions club Tuesday night
in the Walnut Grill of the Pine res
taurant.
Thruout the world today there are
29 different kinds of capital punish
ment in vogue, but the United States
has only three, Dr. Bauman told his
audience.
Twenty-two of our states have
electrocution for the death penalty
eight use gas eight have no capi
tal punishment, and in the others
hanging is the legal form of execu
tion.
Dr. Bauman said then- is no ap
preciable difference between crime in
states that prescribe capital punish
ment and those which have laws
against it.
Records further that in 1930
there were 1200 murders in the
United States and only 155 execu
1 tions. Of those executed there were
twice as many negroes as whites.
Town May Have No Federal
Work Project This Summer
Twenty-Nine Forms Of Capital
Punishment In Use, Speaker Says
At one time in England there
were 240 crimes punishable by death,
the speaker said, and the more len
ient attitude of today come slowly.
Similar circumstances prevailed in
this country in the early days of
colonization, altho William Penn es
tablished a precedent when he ruled
that the only crime punishable by
death was murder.
Hansaker Funeral At
New Stark Thursday
Funeral services for Edward Han
saker, 59, Bowling Green druggist,
will be held at the New Stark Fed
erated church, Thursday afternoon
at 2 o’clock.
Mr. Hansaker died at his home in
Bowling Green, Tuesday, following a
paralytic stroke which he received
the previous Friday.
His wife was the former Clara
Hilty, daughter of John Hilty of
near New Stark.
Mr. Hansaker was for twenty
years a druggist in Lima and last
fall purchased a drug store in Bow
ling Green where he has since resid
ed. He is a native of Martinsburg,
Pennsylvania.
Surviving besides his wife are one
son Elmer Hansaker of Lima three
brothers, Leslie and Chauncey Han
sacker of Martinsburg, Pa., and
two sisters Mrs. Ray Baumgartner
and Mrs. Clarence Metzler both of
Martinsburg, Pa.
Rev. Jaynes of the United Breth
ren church of Bowling Green will
officiate at the funeral services. In
terment will be made in Hassen cem
etery.
Infant Daughter
Pneumonia Victim
Edna Marie Marquart, infant
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clifford
Marquart residing two miles north
of Jenera died Sunday morning in
the Findlay hospital.
Death was due to pneumonia fol
lowing a three days’ illness. The
child was aged ten months and
twenty-six days.
Funeral services were held at the
Jenera M. P. church, Tuesday after
noon with Rev. Jeffries officiating.
Interment was in the Keller cemetery
near Jenera.
Surviving besides the parents are
the grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Wm.
Marquart and Mr. and Mrs. J. E.
Benner, also one brother and sister.
of curb were built here under that
plan.
Work projects of previous years
have given Bluffton its Community
hospital, Harmon field stadium, Har
mon road improvement, Harmon field
tennis courts, widening of Lawn
avenue and additional sidewalk im
provements.
The PWA project now under way
at the municipal electric light and
waterworks plant will be completed
next month, according to the pres
ent schedule. City officials indicated
there are at this time no plans to
apply for any further government
grants of work programs.
father Of Rev. Unruh
Succumbs In Kansas
P. P. Unruh, 86, of New’ton, Kan
sas, died at his home in that city
Tuesday noon. He was the father
of Rev. H. T. Unruh, of Bluffton,
pastor of the First Mennonite
church.
Rev. Unruh who on Monday re
ceived word of the critical condition
of his father was enroute to Kan
sas when the death message arrived
here.
Funeral services will be held Fri
day afternoon at Newton followed
by interment at that place. Rev.
Unruh is one of five children sur
viving.
Jobs Lost And Won
in Political Shuffle
One Bluffton state employee lost
his position and another Bluffton man
was endorsed for a county post in
the shuffling of political jobs the
first of the week.
Ralph Reichenbach, investigator
connected with the Old Age Pension
office in Lima was one of six em
ployees dismissed Tuesday by Tom
McCaw, chief of the Division of Aid
for the Aged. The position carried
an annual salary of $1,500. McCaw
said there would be no immediate
replacements.
Nile Murray, former Bluffton cor
poration clerk, was endorsed by the
Allen County Republican Executive
committee Monday night for a dep
uty’s post in the office of Floyd B.
Griffin, county auditor-elect. Grif
fin, who will assume his office at the
courthouse in Lima next Monday, has
not yet announced who his deputies
will be.
Last Rites Are Held
For Mrs. Peterson
Funeral services for Mrs. Pearl
Peterson, 55, residing one-half mile
east of Bluffton, were held at the
Methodist church Friday afternoon
with Rev. J. A. Weed, the pastor,
officiating. The funeral services
were followed by interment in the
Clymer cemetery.
Mrs. Peterson died in the hospital
here last Wednesday afternoon fol
lowing a six weeks’ illness.
She was born in Jackson township,
south of Bluffton, July 23, 1883, the
daughter of Charles and Louisa
Cambier. Following her marriage to
Pearl Peterson, December 19, 1912,
the couple took up their residence
east of Bluffton in Hancock county.
Surviving are the husband two
sons Robert of Benton Ridge and
Ray Peterson of Pandora two
daughters, Margaret at home and
Mrs. J. L. Doorman of Bowling
Green and two brothers Howard
Cambier of Ada and George Cambier
of Lima.
Hold Last Rites
For Col. Grove Man
Funeral services for Noah Oard,
74, retired Columbus Grove business
man and well known in this locality,
were held at his residence last Fri
day afternoon with Rev. N. H. Brad
ley of the Columbus Grove Methodist
church officiating.
Mr. Oard died suddenly at his
home last Wednesday. Following
the funeral interment was made in
the Vaughnsville cemetery.
Surviving are his wife one daugh
ter, Mrs. Gust Basinger of Bluffton
two sons, Ernest and Thomas at
home two sisters, Mrs. Lottie Luce
nf Lima and Mrs. F. M. Rimer of
Rimer and eight grandchildren.
NAMED RECEIVER
E. M. Hostettler of the Citizens
National bank has been appointed
trustee in bankruptcy for the Rock
port Stone company. The company
went into receivership last fall.
New Auto Tags
To Make First
Showing Friday
rJ1HOSE bright new blue and
white auto tags will make
their first appearance on Bluff
ton’s streets, Friday morning.
The 1939 tags may be used
not earlier than March 10.
From that date until March 31,
either this year’s or last year’s
tags may be used. Use of 1938
tags after midnight March 31
is illegal.
COUNCIL DELAYS
BUCKEYE LEASE
Satisfactory Liability Insurance
Is Now Major Obstacle to
Acceptance
Expect Definite Decision at
Meeting of Town Council
On March 20
Final decision on the matter of
leasing Buckeye lake as a municipal
swimming and fishing resort during
the summer months is expected to be
made at the next meeting of the
town council on March 20.
That the municipality will lease the
quarry is by no means a certainty, it
developed at the council meeting
Monday night when terms of the lease
were under discussion.
Major obstacle to leasing the place
is the matter of obtaining satifactory
liability insurance, and sentiment in
the council appeared to be against en
tering into any agreement relative to
a lease until this point could be clear
ed up.
Invite Insurance Men In
Insurance representatives, it is un
derstood. will be invited to appear be
fore the council at the next meeting
to explain details and cost of such
protection. Following this report a
final decision is expected to be made.
With satisfactory liability insur
ance, it is believed that the council
will approve terms of the lease with
little further delay.
In event of approval of the lease
the quarry will probably be sub
leased to responsible persons of legal
age to whom will be turned over re
sponsibility for management of the
place.
Lease Submitted
The Central Ohio Power & Light
company, owner of the quarry has an
nounced that they will discontinue the
former practise of direct leasing of
the quarry for swimming and fishing
during the summer season.
However, the company stated at the
same time its willingness to lease the
quarry to the municipality for sum
mer recreation purposes at a nominal
rental of one dollar per year.
Draft of a lease covering the tran
saction was submitted by the ultility
company to the council a month ago.
Terms of the lease were later approv
ed by Francis Durbin, Bluffton city
solicitor. In accepting the lease,
however, the municipality w’ould be
come liable for accidents on the prem
ises and as a safeguard in this re
spect, the council is delaying action
pending the working out of satisfac
tory arrangements for liability insur
ance.
Music Recital At
College Next Monday
Students in the Bluffton college
department of music will be pre
sented in a public recital at 7:15
p. m. next Monday in the college
chapel. Prof. Russell A. Lantz, di
rector of the department, is in
charge of arrangements for the pre
sentation.
Hog Prices Sag
On Market Here
Hog prices which ran into a sud
den slump on the Bluffton market
Tuesday continued on the down grade
Wednesday. Prices generally closed
Tuesday night twenty cents under
the morning’s opening quotations
Wednesday morning’s prices open
ed ten cents under the close of
Tuesday night.
TAX COLLECTOR HERE
Deputies from the Allen county
treasurer’s and auditor’s offices will
be in Bluffton at the Citizens Na
tional bank on Thursday and Friday
to assist in the making out of per
sonal and classified tax returns and
also to collect personal, classified
and real estate taxes.
14
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Live and a
Good Place to Trade
NUMBER 45
MANY SCHUULS
IN CHORAL MEET
One Thousand High School Con
testants are Expected
Here March 17
Judges Announced for North
west Ohio District Vocal
Competition
Approximately 1000 students from
more than 30 schools are expected
here Friday of next week to com
pete in the Northwestern Ohio chorus
festival in the Bluffton High gym
nasium.
Boys and girls glee clubs and
mixed choruses representing schools
from six classes will sing here, with
most of the entries expected within
the next week.
Morning, afternoon and evening
sessions will be held, and winners
and runnersup in each of the six
classes will be eligbile to compete
in the state contest.
Adjudicators Announced
Adjudicators announced this week
by Prof. Russell A. Lantz, chairman
of the contest, include the following:
Louis E. Pete, superintendent of mu
sic in the Ashland public schools
Dr. Frank C. Biddle, director of
music in the Cincinnati public
schools, and Mrs. Sarah Cline, of the
music education department, Cincin
nati Conservatory of Music.
Competition will be in six classes,
with the grading based on enroll
ment. The classes are A, AA, B,
BB, C, and CC.
Bluffton High school will enter
competition in all three events in
Class B, according to present plans.
Sidney Hauenstein, of the Bluffton
college music faculty, is chairman of
the Northwest Ohio District group
sponsoring the annual state contests.
Arrangements for the local meet are
being directed by Prof. Russell A.
Lantz, director of the music depart
ment of Bluffton college.
Noted Peace Leader
To Speak At College
Kirby Page, internationally known
author and social evangelist, will be
featured on the Bluffton college
campus for the entire day of Mon
day, April 24. In the morning he
will appear before the student body
in a special chapel program. Thru
out the day he will lecture in var
ious classes. A lecture in the even
ing, to which several other colleges
will be invited, will climax his acti
vities on the campus. A social to
be held following his evening les
ture is being planned.
He will appear on the campus un
der the sponsorship of the Bluffton
college Y. M. C. A., being secured
through the state organization.
Mr. Page is author of eighteen
volumes on international, economic,
social and religious questions. His
works have been translated into
French, German, Dutch, Swedish,
Danish, Greek, Bulgarian, Spanish,
Chinese and Japanese. Nearly a
million copies of his books and pam
phlets have been sold.
His latest books are “Must We Go
To War?” and “Creative Pioneers”
(in collaboration with Sherwood
Eddy). “Living Creatively” is his
best known book. This book was
ranked first out of 436 books listed
by religious workers with students
in a national survey by the Hazen
Foundation to discover the religions
books most helpful to college stu
dents. “Individualism and Social
ism”, another of his works, was re
commended by the Book-of-the
Month Club. “Jesus or Christianity”
was selected as first choice by the
Religious Book club.
From 1926 to 1934 Kirby Page
was editor of “The Word Tomorrow”.
He is now contributing editor of
“The Christian Century”. His ar
ticles have appeared in leading
periodicals.
He has spoken at 300 colleges in
the United States and foreign lands,
and addressed numerous clubs, con
ferences and conventions. He is an
ordained minister.
Mr. Page has crossed the ocean 20
times and has visited some 35 coun
tries of the earth.
PARENT-TEACHER ASS’N.
“The Budgeting of Money from
the Viewpoint of the Parent, Teacher
and Pupil” will be the topic for the
meeting of the Bluffton Parent
Teacher association to be held in the
high school cafeteria next Tuesday
night at 7:30 o’clock.
G. H. Barnes, veteran Bluffton
grocer, is ill at his home on South
Jackson street with asthma and
complications.
‘u-
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