The Bluffton news. [volume], March 30, 1939, Image 1

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BLUFFTON NEWS
The Advertising Medium for
Bluffton Trade Territory
VOLUME NO. LXIII
CLEANUP DAY TO
BE ON APRIL IB
Date is Set by Town Council:
Mayor Howe Urges Co
operaton of Public
Rubbish and Tin Cans will be
Removed by Municipality
Free of Charge
Bluffton’s annual spring municipal
cleanup will be held this year on
Tuesday, April 18, according to an
announcement made this week by
Mayor W. A. Howe.
During the cleanup drive, the truck
owned by the town will remove debris,
tin cans and rubbish free of charge
if the items are placed in containers
suitable for easy handling.
All such rubbish-filled containers,
however, should be placed on alleys
or streets in spots easily accessible by
No ashes will be hauled by th clean
up crew, members of the town council
decided last week in drafting plans
for the cleanup campaign.
Urges Cooperation
Tn announcing thb drive, Mayor
Howe urged residents of the town to
cooperate in cleaning up their proper
ties in order that Bluffton might go
into the spring season with the mu
nicipality presenting the best possible
appearance.
City officials also have pointed out
that the removal of rubbish and piles
of other debris will go far toward
eliminating possible breeding places
for mosquitoes, which every summer
are a problem in Bluffton.
Annual cleanup activities in the
spring are benficial to the town and
cost is relatively small, the mayor re
ported. Altho the cleanup crew may
not be able to cover the entire town
in one day, every one is requested to
have debris ready for removal on the
day set by the council.
Return From South
American Trip Soon
Mr. and Mrs. R. L. Triplett of
Campus Drive are expected to return
the middle of next week from an
extended trip to South America.
They are due to land at New York
city the first of the week.
They left here the latter part of
January, sailing down the east coast
of South America and up the west
coast with stops at principal cities
including Sao Paulo and Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil Buenos Aires, Ar
gentine, and Santiago, Chile.
From the Pacific coast they will
sail thru the Panama canal and back
to New York ctiy.
While abroad, Mr. Triplett, presi
dent of The Triplett Electrical In
strument company of this place, vis
ited the film’s South American agen
cies and representatives from which
comes a sizeable amount of the
company’s volume of business.
Firemen Extinguish
Blaze In Automobile
Fire Monday night damaged the
interior of an automobile owned by
John Gibbs, who lives in an apart
ment at the Mrs. Orpha Harris resi
dence on South Main street.
The upholstering of the car was
discovered ablaze about 10 p. m. by
neighbors, and Marshal Lee Coon
was notified, who in turn turned in
a call for firemen. A few of the
fire fighters made the run on the
truck and quickly extinguished the
blaze with chemicals.
When the fire was discovered the
car was parked at the rear of the
residence. Upholstery was badly
burned, but other than that there
was little damage, it was reported.
Real Estate Deals
Adam Amstutz and sister, Miss
Barbara Amstutz, who recently sold
their farm west of Bluffton, have
purchased the Levi Frankhouser res
idence on Spring street and expect
to occupy it soon.
Eugene Basinger has purchased
the W. P. Agin property on North
Main street. Mr. and Mrs. Basinger
who have been living in Mt. Cory
with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ray
Bowersox, will occupy the property
shortly.
Two College Girls
In Radio Broadcast
Misses Janet Bigler and Esther
Ramseyer of Bluffton college will be
heard Sunday afternoon on a radio
program over Lima station WLOK
from 12:30 to 12:45 o’clock.
Caterpillar Weather
Forecast Fulfilled
By Past Winter Here
/'HIARLES Burns, Bluffton
weather prophet, this week
was happy over the fact that
his predictions for the winter,
based on a study of the cater
piller’s furry covering, again
have, been accurate.
Last fall Burns predicted that
the early part of the winter
would be the coldest, and he
pointed out that since Feb. 2,
which marks the halfway mark
of the winter season, there has
been very little cold weather.
Based on his study of the
catterpiller, Burns also said in
the fall that most of the oats
would he sowed by April 1, an
other forecast that appears to
be materially accurate.
REGULATE SALE
OF FIREWORKS
Restrictions on Fourth of July
Observance to be Continued
This Year
No Sale of Fireworks Until
July 3: Ban Shooting in
Business District
Bluffton’s Fourth of July celebra
tion this year will again be of the
“safe and sane” variety, a repetition
of the 1938 observance when rigid
regulations were placed on the use of
fireworks.
In announcing a continuation of
safety measures, municipal restric
tions regulating the sale and shooting
of fireworks wdTe released this week
by Mayor W. A .Howe, with approval
of the town council.
Thru a proclamation, the mayor
will rule that firecrackers, torpedoes,
fireworks, or explosives of any kind
cannot be exploded in the business
district at any time during the Fourth
of July celebration.
Boundaries of the business area are
fixed as from College avenue to
Washington street, and from Jackson
street to Big Riley creek.
In the residential district, the dis
charge of fireworks will be restricted
to one day only—the Fourth, Mayor
Howe declared. All measures are to
be rigidly enforced.
Mayor Howe’s ruling also specifies
that fireworks cannot be sold or ex
posed for sale in tow’n before Mon
day, July 3.
Bluffton Finalist
In Play Contest
Bluffton High actors will compete
with representatives from two other
schools for the Northwest Ohio dis
trict championship in a one-act play
contest sponsored under the WPA
recreational program at Toledo this
Friday night.
The Bluffton group was one of the
winners in an elimination tourna
ment last week. Convoy, of Van
Wert county, and a Toledo group are
the other competitors.
Bluffton players, representing the
Thespians organization, presented
“The Happy Journey”. In the cast
were Zitella Getties, Mark Niswan
der, Bettye Lewis, James Landis,
Paul Soldner and Lora Schultz.
Ebenezer Choir Will
Give Cantata Sunday
“The First Easter”, a cantata will
be presented by the choir of the
Ebenezer church Sunday at the hour
of the regular morning service.
The choir of fifty voices directed
by Miss Mabel Amstutz will be aug
mented by the following soloists:
Miss Geraldine Grismore and Mrs.
Mabel Steiner, altos Gordon and
Marvin Hilty, tenors and Francis
Niswander, bass.
Hold Last Rites For
Local Man's Father
Funeral services were held at Pan
dora, Tuesday afternoon for William
Risser, 68, former resident of that
place and father of David Risser,
Bluffton restaurateur.
Mr. Risser died of a heart at
tack Saturday evening at the home
of his daughter Mrs. Jesse Lehman
of New London. The remains were
brought to Pandora for the funeral
services at the home of another
daughter, Mrs. Aaron Hilty. Rev.
C. O. Good, pastor of the Pandora
Methodist church officiated.
Surviving are his wife, four
daughters and one son.
FRIDAY DEADLINE
FDR AUTO TAGS
One-third of Bluffton Motorists
Have Not Bought New'
Licenses
County Auditor Warns No Ex
tension of Time for Fil
ing Tax Returns
Friday of this week will be an
unlucky day for the motorists who
neglects to get new auto tags or the
taxpayer who fails to file his per
sonal tax return.
Two state agencies called atten
tion the first of the week to the fact
that Friday is an important day.
As the last of March this year, it
represents the final day on which
the 1938 automobile tags can be
used.
Also County Auditor Floyd B.
Griffin reminded taxpayers that there
will be no extension of time for the
filing of personal tax returns, due
on that day.
About one-third of Bluffton motor
ists have failed to get new license
tags, it was stated by Robert Lewis,
deputy registrar, in charge of sales
here. Sales Wednesday noon showed
a total of 811, Lewis said. This is
about two-thirds of the 1,300 tags
usually sold here during the year.
Summer And Winter
Weather Past Week
Extreme changes in the weather
have been Bluffton’s lot for the last
week, real summer conditions that
prevailed last Friday and Saturday
being succeeded by a spring rain and
a drop in temperature that brought
winter back for a belated assault.
On Friday, the weatherman really
provided the unexpected when the
thermometer reached a mark of 81
in a heat wave that had all the ear
marks of midsummer weather.
Mild conditions prevailed through
Saturday, but rain on Sunday
brought a close to the short three
day tenure of spring.
The mercury dropped rapidly Mon
day, and Bluffton residents were still
shivering on Tuesday. At its lowest
point the thermometer was near the
32-degree mark, a difference of near
ly 50 degrees from the weather that
had prevailed only a few days
earlier.
Warmer weather is expected to
ward the close of the week, but local
residents are hoping the weather
changes for the remainder of the
spring season will not be so extreme
in nature as those experienced in
the last several days.
HOLY WEEK SERVICES
Special services in observance of
Holy Week will be held at the
Methodist church, beginning Sunday
and continuing through Thursday
evening. Services each evening at
7:30 o’clock. Sermon topics for the
series are as follows:
Sunday—Morning, “Marks of the
Lord Jesus” evening, “Who is
King?”.
Monday—“Authority in Religion.”
Tuesday—“Religious Controversy.”
Wednesday—“Behold the Lamb of
God.”
Thursday—“And it was Night.”
This service will conclude with the
Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.
Everyone most cordially invited.
Laundering Old And
New Shown In Exhibit
Progress in laundering in the past
three-quarters of a century is graph
ically depicted in a window exhibit
at the Basinger furniture store.
Beside a glistening array of mod
ern laundry equipment was a
seventy-five year old “washer” con
sisting of three wooden rolls, some
what similar to a wringer and oper
ated by a crank. A sidewise motion
of the upper roll against the two
lower provided the rubbing for soiled
clothes fed thru the machine.
Several old residents of the town
recalled the first of the week of
operating similar washing equipment
many years ago.
OPEN WEDNESDAY NIGHT
Bluffton retail stores will be open
every Wednesday night during the
coming summer season, beginning
next week.
GIVE CONCERT HERE
The choir of Freeman Junior col
lege of Freeman, South Dakota, will
give a sacred concert in the First
Mennonite church here on the even
ing of Easter Sunday.
rHE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INT ERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 1939
Bluffton college finally 1
Beaver trophy for its athlel
ment—a Beaver tail that
to Coach A. C. Burcky
from the wilds of northe
gan.
rn Michi-
.ke of the
decided by
Just what use he will nu TIEPORTS that a I
sighted in Riley
Pandora during the i
water, were current
first of the week.
hasn’t yet be
Burcky. More
Coach
in length and about five
the tail is a little large to
a good-luck charm, the
mentor believes.
with
end.
inches wide,
The tail is dark brown
and the outer skin is
with
scaly'
a surface tha
in nature. It is flat on both
and slightly paddle shaped,
the smaller part toward the
Low Grain Prices Of
Record Complia
Richland Township Contract
Signing Far Greater Than
In Previous Years
Trend Appears to be Similar
Throughout the Nation,
Observers Report
Low grain prices resulting from
relatively high agricultural produc
tion in 1937 and 1938 are believed
to be the underlying cause of the
widespread interest evidenced this
year by Richland township farmers
in the AAA conservation program.
A survey the first of the week in
dicated low' prices of the last year
have caused many farmers to sign
full compliance contracts. Reports
from all parts of the country indi
cate there is a similar trend on a
national scale.
In Richland township a new record
will be set for compliance, and it is
believed the percentage of local sign
ers will be greater than for
other township in Allen county.
about aver
the farmers
throughout
The trend is general
Ohio, with the result that state agri
cultural observers report they expect
Ohio’s 1939 corn acreage will be re
duced approximately four per cent
from last year. Planting of one
per cent less oats is expected.
Meanwhile drastic increases in soil
building crops is anticipated. Barley
acreage is expected to jump approxi
mately 75 per cent, and soybeans 45
per cent. Little change is antici
pated in spring wheat sowing, how
ever.
Virgil Bowers Dies
Monday In Hospital
Virgil Bowers, 45, farm resident
of near Beaverdam, died early Mon
day morning in Lima Memorial
pital, following an illness of
past two months.
hos
the
son,
Ellis
Sufvivors include the widow, a
Clarence a daughter, Mrs.
King, of Pandora his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Peter Bowers, of Beaver
dam four brothers, Earl, of Bluff
ton George, of Columbus Grove
Russell, of Payne, and Harry, of
Lima and two sisters, Mrs. Walter
Barber, and Mrs. Stanley Vertner,
both of Beaverdam.
Funeral services were held Wed
nesday afternoon at the Beaverdam
Church of Christ, with Rev.
Davis, pastor, officiating.
L. C.
Church Of Christ
Services Continue
Evangelistic services at the Church
of Christ will continue thruout the
week with meetings opening at 7:45
o’clock. Rev. Lee B. Remaley, pas
tor, is in charge of the meetings
and the public is invited.
an
The following themes are
nounced for the week: “Life and
Death”, “The Anti-Christ”, “The
Image of Daniel”, “The Last Judg
ment”, “The Coming of Christ for
His Church”.
ATTEND SEMINARY MEET
ig of Witmarsum
of trustees held in
was attended by
Ramseyer of Bluff
Rev. H. T. Unruh,
Annual meetii
Seminary board
Chicago, Tuesdaj
President L. L.
ton college and
pastor of the
church. Rev,
Pandora and Re
Wadsworth also attended.
First Mennonite
Paul Whitmer of
v. W. S. Shelly of
Dr. Ramseyer is
Chicago for several
a meeting of the
College association.
COLLEGE “BEAVERS” HAVE REAL BEAVER TAIL FOR
MASCOT SENT FROM WILDS OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN
Report Beaver
Seen In Flood
Of Riley Creek
Bluffton seen
in color
y and hard
somewhat
The animal, it is said,
swimming in the creek had a
broad flat tail, similar
of a beaver and bore no
lance to muskrats which
quently encountered.
Mrs. A. E
for her recovery. The children have
been summoned and her eldest son
Waldo Lugibill of Hope, North Da
kota, will arrive here this Wednes-
H. B.
home or
tireatment.
Oliver Locher who has been af
flicted with kidney stones has been
brought to his home after two weeks
at Huron Road hospital, Cleveland.
After six weeks here he is expected
to return to the hospital in Cleve
land for further treatment.
Verne Dardio is ill with scarlet
fever at his home south of Bluffton.
Mrs.
throat
town.
Harry Ewing is ill with a
infection at her home near
Mary Ludwig, a former Bluff-
Mrs.
ton resident, has been ill at her home
in Toledo for the past five weeks,
being confined to her bed by an at
tack of bronchial asthma.
Mrs. J. C. Welty of Minneapolis,
Minn., formerly of Bluffton is im
proving at Phoenix, Arizona, where
she has been seriously ill for the
past two months. Mr. and Mrs.
Welty were making a winter trip
through the southwest when she re
ceived a paralytic stroke. After
seven weeks in a Phoenix hospital
she was removed last week to a
hotel in that city. Mr. and Mrs.
Welty expect to remain in Phoenix
for another month after which
will return to Minneapolis.
The
beaver
creek
recent
I here
to that
resemb
are fre-
Beavers have not been report
ed in this locality for many
937,1938 Bring
ice In AAA Program
With The Sick
te ill at his
avenue.
utz, formerly
i been ill at
the home of her daughter at Bloom
ville, near Tiffin, was removed to
Jma Memorial hospital Friday for
1
Miss Virginia Price, freshman in
Beaverdam high school and daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Price of
Rockport underwent an operation
for appendicitis at the Bluffton hos
pital, Tuesday. Her condition is re-
Mrs.
any
Little Interest Before
Until this yeai Richland township
farmers have not idenced unusual
interest in the AAA program, last
year’s compliance being
age, with 40 per cent of
holding contracts.
Arthur Miller is convalescing
home south of Bluffton fol
a major operation which she
lowing
underwent in the hospital here.
Ray Kern, residing in the Bertsche
property on the County line under
went an operation for stomach ulcers
last Friday at Findlay hospital.
they
Former Bluffton
Boy To Preach Here
Rev. Geo. Agin, formerly of Bluff
ton will preach at the Missionary
church Sunday morning, it was an
nounced by the pastor, Rev. Clifford
Grabill. Rev, Agin, son of W. P.
Agin of this place is pastor of a
Missionary church at Midland, Mich.,
where he has a growing pastorate.
Members Of High
Ranking Orchestra
Joan and Jean Huber, twin
daughters of Mr. and Mrs. L. L.
Huber of Wooster, former Bluffton
residents are members of the Woos
ter high school orchestra awarded
first place in the district contest at
Kent State university last Saturday.
The twins, Joan and Jean, in the
eighth grade of the Wooster schools,
play violin and cello respectively.
Announce Services
For Easter Week
Bluffton district young people’s so
cieties will hold a union service at
the Church of Christ on Good Fri
day evening, directed by Miss Janet
Henderson,
education in
Cross” will
instructor in religious
the public schools.
play “The Symbol of a
be presented by the
A one act
remaining in
days attending
North Central
young people in a sunrise service at
St. John’s Reformed church Easter
morning at 6:30 o’clock.
he fie
Bes
high
the
ter, Jean Kolb, is a sophomore at
Bluffton college, and when the father
learned Bluffton sports teams went
by the name “Beavers” he promised
For
The Blufft
ASK DURIAL PLOT
FDR EX-SOLDIERS
Council Gets Proposal
Aside Sixteen Lots
Maple Grove
Maple Gr
erans of
funds for
considered
council.
in
Would
Appropriate Monument
Be Provided by Bluffton
Legionnaires
who lack sufficieni
expenses is being
Bluffton municipa
burial
by the
of the
ton American Ee
presented the pro
cil and pledged its
According to tl
n the cemetery for
and
of
in the Bluffton
have no funds for funeral expei
It was proposed that the sit
large enough to accommodate a
16 graves. Under tjie suggested
gram, the town would hold the
to the plot.
about
I pro
title
the
Should the plan be approved
Legion will erect a suitable monu
ment to mark the site and com
memorate its purpose.
No indication has been given as
to what action the town council may
take with regard to the proposal,
and an immediate decision may not
be made in the matter.
Last Rites For
Mrs. Wm. Wallace
Funeral services for Mrs. Wm.
Wallace, 68, were held in the Pres
byterian church, Sunday afternoon
with her pastor, Rev. Chas. Armen
trout officiating. Interment was
made in Rockport cemetery.
Wallace died at her home on
street, Friday morning fol
an extended illness.
in Columbus Grove, she re-
Mrs.
Cherry
lowing
Born
sided in Bluffton for the past twenty
years and was active in church and
club work. She was a member of
the Presbyterian church
women’s organizations and
Travel class.
and
also
its
the
she was
At the time of her death
president of the Bluffton Federation
of Women’s clubs.
Surviving are her husband to
whom she was married in 1908 and
one daughter, Mrs. Richard Bixel
both of Bluffton and two brothers,
A. W. Bushey of Lexington, Ky.,
and L. V. Bushey of Canton.
Missionary Church
Workers Conference
Attendance of some fifty pastors
is expected at a two-day workers
conference to be held at the Mis
sionary church here from Monday
to Wednesday noon of next week, it
was stated by Rev. Clifford Grabill,
pastor of the Bluffton church.
The visiting pastors will come
from churches of that denomination
in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Ill
inois, which comprises the central
district of the Missionary church.
Monday and Tuesday evening ses
sions of the conference are open
the public.
Peoria, Ill.,
among the
heard Tuesday night.
to
of
Rev. Walter Lugibill
formerly of Bluffton
speakers who will
Births
Mr. and Mrs. Norman Hannawald
of Williamstown are the parents of
a son born at Bluffton hospital,
Sunday.
Howard
Bluffton
was born to Mr. and Mrs.
Devore of Ottawa, at the
hospital, Tuesday.
A son
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Live and a
Good Place to Trade
NUMBER 48
BUILD DIKE FOR
FLOOD CONTROL
Work Undertaken to Protect
Utility Generating Station
From High Water
Dike to Prevent Overflow Into
Quarry and Subsequent
Damage to Plant
Construction of a dike 200 feet
long paralleling the Jefferson street
bank of the Central Ohio Light and
Power quarry was started Tuesday
as a flood control measure.
Flood danger was apparent to of
ficials of the utility two weeks ago
when Bluffton’s most disastrous in
undation since 1913 raised the level
of Big Riley cre*k to the extent that
water flow’ed ac •oss Jefferson street
and into the larg e quarry.
Designed to |irevent a repetition
of the occurrence, the dike is being
constructed froin the creek bank
toward the Nick el Plate railroad for
a distance of so ne 200 feet parallel
to Jenerson stre
Two I
eet High
It will stand a bout two feet above
sidew’alk level and will be sturdily
constructed to turn the force of the
current in case of iny future floods.
Employes of Thj Bluffton Stone
Co. are building the dike using
earth obtained in stripping opera**
tions at their quarry.
Utility officials pointed out that
a flood hazard exists at their gener
ating plant, across the quarry from
Jefferson street, due to the fact that
the first floor of the plant is level
with the sidewalk on Jefferson street.
As a consequence, if the level of
the large quarry should be even with
Jefferson street, water would back
up through the intake tunnel and
flood the ground floor of the gener
ating plant. By constructing the
dike, it is believed any danger of
this sort will be averted.
No Damage Last Time
When the water ran into the
quarry during the recent flood there
was not enough to raise the water
level materially.
Because of the size of the quarry
it would require a large amount of
water to make any noticeable differ
ence in the level, and the flood two
weeks ago rose and fell so suddenly
that there was little effect.
Officials of the utility said the
level of the quarry varies very little
otherwise. Pressure of the water
has much the same action as a
thermostat and when the level
reaches a certain point the pressure
is sufficient to prevent the under
ground springs flowing again until
the water level has dropped.
Former College
Student Is Dead
Leslie Sprunger, 38, former Bluff
ton college student, died Thursday
morning at Millard Fillmore hos
pital in Buffalo from pneumonia
complications.
Sprunger, a native of Berne, Ind.,
will be remembered as a student in
Bluffton college during the year
1921-22. He was a member of the
Men’s Glee club which made the
coast-to-coast tour in the summer
of 1922 under direction of Prof. G.
A. Lehman.
After one year of college here he
attended the Chicago Art institute
after which he was employed as a
type designer by the Ludlow’ Typo
graph company w’hich calling he fol
lowed until the time of his death.
He had resided in Buffalo for the
past five years.
The remains were taken to his
former home in Berne, Ind., where
funeral services were held Sunday
afternoon followed by interment at
that place.
Surviving are an eight-year-old
daughter, Patricia Joan of Buffalo
his mother Mrs. D. C. Sprunger of
Berne four brothers and four sis
ters. His wife preceded him in
death three years ago.
Dies At Daughter's
Home Near Bluffton
Harry A. Clouser, 70, of North
Baltimore, died at the home of his
daughter, Mrs. Dw’ight Dailey south
of Bluffton, Saturday evening. Death
was due to a heart attack.
Mr. Clouser, born in Perry county,
Pennsylvania, has lived in the vi
cinity of North Baltimore for the
past forty-five years. He w’as form
erly employed as a pumper in the
oil field.
Funeral services were held in
North Baltimore, Monday, followed
by interment at that place.
Surviving are his wife, three
daughters, one son and three bro
thers.