The Bluffton news. [volume], June 22, 1939, Image 1

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BLUFFTON NEWS
The Advertising Medium for
Bluffton Trade Territory
VOLUME NO. LXIV
800 AT MEETING
OF MENNONITES
Sunday Session of Middle Dis
trict Conference Draws
Many to Bluffton
Mennonite Congregations of
Five States Represented
At Four-day Meet
Representing an aggregate mem
bership of 5,400 communicants in five
states the Middle District Conference
of Mennonites concluded its annual
meeting, a four day session, at the
First Mennonite church, Tuesday af
ternoon.
Comprising the Middle District
Conference are 20 churches of the
General Conference distributed as fol
lows: Missouri, one church Indiana,
two churches Illinois, three churches
Iowa, four churches and Ohio, ten
churches. The Middle District Con
ference is one of seven district con
ferences which make up the General
Conference.
This is the second occasion in which
Bluffton has entertained the Middle
District Conference, the previous
meeting having been held here in
1915. The General Conference, which
consists of 145 Mennonite churches,
has held its triennial sessions in Bluff
ton twice previously, one in 1911 and
then again in 1933.
Clearing House
The conference bringing together
as it does, ministers and prominent
laymen of the district, serves as a
clearing house for matters of com
mon interest, including progress
Rev. A. S. Rosenberger, for
mer president of Bluffton college
and at present minister of the
Dalton Mennonite church, was
elected president of the Middle
District conference for next
year, at the final business ses
sion Tuesday afternoon.
Donnellson, Iowa was chosen
as the place of meeting for next
year.
Other officers elected were:
Rev. Otto Friesen, Donnellson.
Iowa, vice president Gerhard
Buhler, secretary E. W. Baum
gartner, Berne, Ind., member of
the home mission committee
John Tosh, member of the
education committee Dr. J. S.
Schultz, member of the profes
sional committee.
Rev. Paul E. Whitmer, Bluff
ton college trustee Mr. Adrian
Amstutz, Dalton and Rev. Del
bert Welty, Noble, Iowa, mem
bers of the peace committee
Gordon Leichty, Berne, Indiana,
young people’s field secretary
Eli Luginbill, Berne, Ind., con
ference trustee.
which the church is making, its ac
complishments in mutual undertak
ings as well as a forum for discus
sion of the various problems confront
ing the denomination in this district.
Over one hundred registered dele
gates augmented by hundreds more
of laymen from this immediate dis
trict have provided excellent attend
ance at the various sessions held in
the First Mennonite church and the
high school gymnasium. Total at
tendance at the sessions has been es
timated at about 800. Principal
(Continued on page 8)
College Enrolls 40
At Summer Session
With 40 students enrolled and
late registrations expected, Bluffton
college opened its annual nine weeks
summer school session, June 15.
Dr. J. S. Schultz, dean of the
college, is director of the summer
session. Regular teachers offering
courses this summer are: Prof. H.
W. Berky, Dr. I. W. Bauman, Mrs.
A. M. Myers, Prof. Otto Holtkamp,
Prof. Sidney Hauenstein, Mrs. Pearl
Mann and Dean Schultz.
Prof. Donald Bowman, of Ohio
State university, is offering special
courses at the college this summer in
mathematics and physics.
The summer session closes on Aug
ust 12.
Will Attend N. E. A.
Meet In California
Superintendent and Mrs. A. J. B.
Longsdorf are leaving Monday for
San Francisco where Mr. Longsdorf
will attend the annual conference of
the National Education Association
from July 2 to 6.
He will attend the conference as
the delegate from the northwestern
Ohio district. They will also visit
friends and relatives in the west.
Meeting Mary Pickford, Buddy
Rogers, Norma Shearer and Ignace
Jan Paderwski on the S. S. Nor
mandie was the honor recently ac
corded Miss Harriet Criblez as a re
sult of winning the prize by the
Normandie for being the first person
to sight land.
In addition to meeting the cele
brities, who presented her with or
chids and rare perfume, she received
all first class privileges of the boat
for a day.
Miss Criblez also had an interest
ing experience when the boat was
called to answer an S. O. S. call near
the coast of Ireland. A sailor on a
nearby freighter had the misfortune
of a broken leg. Several sailers and
a doctor went out to the freighter in
4th OF JULY
Use of Fireworks Restricted to
One Day No Shooting in
Business Area
Mayor’s Proclamation Will Pre
vent Sale of Fireworks
Until July 3
Regulation of the Fourth of July
observance inaugurated in Bluffton
a year ago will be continued this
year, it w’as announced the first of
the week in a proclamation by Mayor
W. A. Howe. The mayor’s procla
mation w'as issued with approval of
the town council.
Regulations governing the sale
and use of fireworks and noise-mak
ing devices will be virtually the
same as those in force a year ago.
Firecrackers, torpedoes or other ex
plosives of any nature may not be
discharged in the business district
at any time.
Fix Boundaries
Boundaries of the business district
are fixed for this regulation as from
College avenue to Washington street
and from Jackson street to Big Riley
creek.
Discharge of firew'orks in the resi
dential district is restricted to one
day only—the Fourth. The resi
dential district is held to include all
parts of town not included in the
business district.
Dealers in firew'orks are not per
mitted to display or sell their stocks
before Monday, July 3.
Council Approves Step
Regulation of the Fourth of July
observance again this year was au
thorized by the town council last
spring and the mayor’s proclamation
issued the first of the week was ap
proved by the council Monday night.
Future permission for the use of
fireworks in Bluffton’s Fourth of
July celebration will depend largely
on the cooperation of the public in
the observance of this year’s re
stricted program, it was announced.
Last Rites For Mrs.
May West Rittenour
Funeral services for Mrs. May
West Rittenour, former Bluffton
resident, will be held at the Garner
Funeral Home in Toledo Thursday
afternoon at 1 o’clock.
Mrs. Rittenour, aged 76 years,
died at a convalescent home in To
ledo, June 20, at 9 a. m.
No service will be held in Bluffton
but the casket will be opened at the
Clymer cemetery for Bluffton friends.
Interment will be in the Clymer cem
etery.
Mrs. Rittenour was born on what
is now the Roy Rogers farm. Her
husband, George Rittenour preceded
her in death in 1927. The follow
ing brothers and sisters survive:
Cliff West, of Bluffton, Orla West,
of Steamboat Springs, Colo., Glenn
West, of Los Angeles, Calif., Fletch
West, of Lima, Bert West and Mrs.
Ira Garner of Toledo.
Bluffton Girl Awarded Prize On
S. S. Normandie Meets Celebrities
Wife Succumbs In
Indiana Hospital
Word has been received here of
the death of Mrs. A. A. Frederick
of South Bend, Ind., which occurred
in a hospital in that city.
Her husband, well known to a
number of people here, is the bro
ther of Dr. H. O. Frederick of Ash
tabula, former Bluffton dentist.
Funeral services were held in
South Bend last Wednesday. Be
sides her husband she is survived by
one son and one daughter.
a lifeboat and brought the patient
back with them.
She also had the honor of attend
ing a birthday ball in honor of the
captain’s daughter. The entire trip
across was marked by amusements,
deck games, show's and swimming.
They arrived at Havre, France,
on the afternoon of June 5th. She
reports that France is a very beau
tiful country with crops and har
vesting much in advance of the
states.
Miss Criblez, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Alfred Criblez, south of town,
is visiting relatives in Switzerland
and will study for one term at the
University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
She will return to Bluffton during
the latter part of the summer.
Summer—With
All Accessories
Checks In Here
QUMMER—season of the bath
ing suit, shorts, ice cream
cones and lemonade—officially
checked in at Bluffton. Wednes
day.
Also Wednesday was the
longest day of the year with the
sun at its most northern point
from the equator.
Worthing ton-Locher
Nuptials At Chapel
A romance which had its inception
during student days at Bluffton col
lege culminated in the wedding of
Miss Eleanor Worthington, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. A. T. Worthington
of Spring street and Ralph Locher,
of Cleveland, Sunday afternoon at
2:30 o’clock in the college chapel.
Dr. S. K. Mosiman, president
emeritus of Bluffton college, officiat
ed at the wedding. The ceremony
took place in the presence of the
families and friends of the couple
who filled the lower floor of the
auditorium.
Preceding the nuptials were organ
numbers by Miss Eleanor Niswander
who played a medley consisting of
“At Dawning”, “Our Love” and
“L’amour Tou.iours”. Following this
were two vocal numbers “Because”
and “I Love You Truly” sung by
Miss Helen Hartzler of Goshen,
Indiana.
The organ rendition of “Liebes
traum” by Liszt played by Miss Nis
wander marked the entrance of the
officiating minister and the groom
accompanied by his best man James
Myers, of Cleveland, a former college
roommate at Dayton university.
The bride entered the chapel from
the rear of the room on the arm of
her father who gave her away. She
was attired in a lovely net dress
and satin jacket. Her veil was held
together with a band of orange
blossoms. She carried a shower bou
quet of roses.
She chose for her Maid of Honor
Miss Margaret Steiner of Lima who
appeared in a gown of blue net.
The bride’s attendants, wearing
gowns of pink net, were Miss Rita
(Continued on page 8)
Dr. C. O. Lehman To
Head State Normal
Dr. Clarence O. Lehman, well
known in this community, will as
sume the presidency of the State
Normal School at Potsdam, New
York, effective July first.
Dr. Lehman at the present time is
head of the department of teacher
training at the State Normal school
at Geneseo, N. Y„ a position which
he has held for a number of years.
He graduated from Bluffton col
lege in 1915 and is the younger bro
ther of Prof. G. A. Lehman, also
well known in this community.
Rev. Wm. Schwab To
Hold Meetings Here
Rev. William Schwab, pastor of
the Missionary-Alliance church of
Duluth, Minnesota, will hold a series
of meetings at the First Missionary
church in Bluffton starting July 27
and continuing through August 2.
Rev. Schwab is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. G. A. Schwab of Lawn avenue
and formerly lived in this vicinity.
Services will start each evening at
7:45. The public is cordially invited
to attend these meetings.
Births
Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Diller of
Pandora are the parents of a son
born Monday at the Community
hospital.
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Augsburger
are the parents* of a daughter born
at the Community hospital Tuesday.
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INT ERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 1939
COMPROMISE IS
OFFERED BOARD
Orange Township Group Of
fers to Give I Part of
Territory
Hancock and I nion Boards
Considering Compromise
Made Saturday
An offer to comps n :-e the four
year-old battle of Change township
electors to be attach, i to the Bluff
ton school district instead of the
Union township area is the newest
development in the ngled school
situation.
Orange township representatives
made the compromise suggestion at
a meeting of the Hancock county
board of education last Saturday
night in the hope that the drawn
out controversy might be brought to
an end.
Their suggestion was that areas
in which a preponderance of electors
favor affiliation with the Uunion
township district, having changed
since the original petitions for trans
fer were set up, be permitted to re
main in that district. Other areas
involved, however, have not changed
in sentiment, the spokesmen said,
and should be assign.-! to the Bluff
ton district for school purposes.
Negotiations Under Way
It is understo ‘that less than
one- fourth of the aggregate area
over which the fight as been waged
for assignment to Bluffton would be
involved in the compromise. Details
were not announced, p- i. ling further
developments.
After the compioini.se measure had
been submitted, the county board
agreed to present it to the Union
township board of education and in
dicated that the matter would be
taken up at once.
Representatives of the Orange
township group at tl meeting were
Jesse Anderson, 8. S. Amstutz,
Harry Anderson and Will Beagle.
No reference" made relative to
the compromise offer in the an
nouncement made to newspapers fol
lowing the session.
Vanlue Transfer Made
Before the Orange township mat
ter was discussed at the meeting last
week, the county school board trans
ferred the Vanlue portion of Marion
township to Findlay as commanded
by the Ohio Supreme court.
Orange township electors point out
that the Marion township case is
similar to theirs and see in the
Supreme Court's uling evidence that
they also will eventually win their
extended battle.
Altho the Marion township area
was transferred to Findlay the case
is not yet settled, inasmuch as the
Hancock county board ruled last Sat
urday that the Findlay school dis
trict must assume approximately
$9,000 of the Vanlue school debt.
Issue has been taken relative to
the debt transfer, inasmuch as Mar
ion township residents do not con
sider they have ever rightfully been
a part of the Vanlue school district.
They fought Vanlue affiliation from
the beginning and finally won their
battle in the Supreme Court. When
the county board first assigned the
district to Vanlue, the area had no
school debt.
Religious Movie To
Be Shown At H. S.
“Golgotha”, an outstanding talk
ing motion picture of ten reels, will
be presented in rhe Bluffton High
school auditorium this Wednesday
evening at 8 o’clock under the spon
sorship of the Presbyterian church.
It is the first and only talking pic
ture ever made of the life and cruci
fixion of Christ.
"Golgatha” presents the immortal
story of Christ in a spectacular and
impressive manner. Critics have ac
claimed the production as probably
the most outstanding religious spec
tacle ever filmed.
Production costs of the picture
were over $800,000, which is about
four time more than the average
feature motion picture made in
Hollywood.
The picture v made in the old
country, consequ ntly the scenic back
grounds are accurate and correct in
every detail. All of the speaking
parts, however, are in English.
A matinee presentation will be
made at the high school auditorium
Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 at
popular prices. The evening per
formance will be over at 9:45 p. m.,
according to announcement made this
morning.
Permanent Wave Can be Se
cured in Manilla Beauty
Shops for 2J4c
Tells Lions Club of Unique Ex
periences and Voyage on
Tramp Steamer
The trip around the world took
five months, which included many
stops at islands along the way as
well as many out of the way ports.
The passenger list was made up of
four men and four women.
The trip circling the globe was
made by way of New York, Panama
Canal, Japan, China, India. Philip
pines, Java, Bali, Africa and then
back to Halifax and New York.
The boat, “Prince of China”
picked up cotton for the Orient in
Savanah, Ga., and airplanes for the
Orient in California. Once the boat
was completely loaded it took 21
days to cross the Pacific.
Stormy Weather
A dreadful storm was encountered
in the China Sea which made it ne
cessary to chain the passengers in
their beds. Everyone crawled on
hands and knees in order to get any
place. The severity of the storm
made it necessary to eat in the spe
cial dining room of the ship where
even the dishes and spoons were
chained to the table.
She went shopping for a hair net
in Manila, P. I., and finally found
one in a hardware store. Here she
was arrested and put in jail for
driving her carriage down the wrong
street. In the native section of the
town, where all of the buildings are
(Continued on page 8)
Bluffton Publisher Enroute To Alaska
'LJERE are Mr. and rs. B. F. Biery boarding The Alaska Line’s flagship
Aleutian at Seattle on Tuesday morning, June 13, enroute to Alaska.
They agreed that the idea of conventioneering aboard ship in Alaska waters
appears to offer an idea! combination for the delegates to this year’s
National Editorial Association convention. From Seward, Alaska, the
group will make a trip inland over The Alaska Railroad through Anchorage,
the Mantanuska Valley colonization project, Mt. McKinley National Park,
to Fairbanks and return to Seward to board the Aleutian for the homeward
voyage. The trip is taking sixteen days round trip from Seattle.
Sandusky Librarian Describes Trip
Around World On British Freighter
Description of a trip around the
world on a tramp steamer was given
by Miss Dorothy Keith, librarian at
Sandusky, Ohio, at the regular meet
ing of the Lions club at the Walnut
Grill, Tuesday evening.
Miss Keith chose a British
freighter for her adventure because
of the more cosmopolitan nature of
the crew which consisted of Malay,
Javanese, Chinese, Russian, and
English sailors.
Bluffton school authorities are in
vestigating the June 14th ruling of
the state supreme court whereby a
writ of mandamus was issued to
compel the state department of edu
cation to include average daily at
tendance of 27 non-resident pupils
of the Roundhead Rural school dis
trict, Hardin county, in the basis of
apportionment of state school funds.
The high court, however, denied the
writ to six of the non-resident pu
pils.
FIRE RATE BOOST
IS FORESTALLED
Cleaning of Water Mains Means
No Increase in Town's
Insurance Schedule
Local Authorities Studying Mandamus
Given Hardin Group By High Tribunal
Comparisons on this ruling were
being made in the Bluffton schools
which lost $2,000 in payments from
the school foundation fund because
the board of education did not collect
tuition from 37 Orange township
pupils living outside the district dur
ing the 1937-1938 school year.
In the Roundhead case it was ad
mitted that 27 pupils lived more
than one and one-half miles from the
Water Pressure in Mains In
creased Between 30 and 40
Per Cent by Cleaning
A contemplated increase in Bluff
ton’s fire insurance rates because of
lack of water pressure has been
forestalled by cleaning of the town's
three-mile network of water mains.
State underwriters for some time
have been urging that steps be tak
en to better the water pressure, and
within the last year they indicated
fire insurance rates would be in
creased unless action was taken.
Following cleaning of the water
mains, tests taken here by repre
sentatives of the underwriters’ asso
ciation showed water pressure has
been increased between 30 and 40
per cent.
Preliminary tests were made on
North Main street and others will be
taken soon by the same group. It is
felt, however, that the pressure gen
erally has been increased by as much
as one-third and that there is no
need for a boost in the insurance
rates.
Cleaning of Bluffton’s water mains
was started early in May and com
pleted in June at the suggestion of
the state board of health.
A dual benefit has been gleaned
because of the program, however,
since the health board’s recommenda
tions were carried out, and at the
same time the project was in line
with suggestions made by the under
writer’s association.
If some men expended as much
energy in trying to earn a dollar as
they do in trying to borrow one they
would never have to borrow.
school to which they were assigned
in the district of their residence and
that they were entitled to attend the
Roundhead district school with
transportation provided by the dist
rict of their residence.
The court held that the average
daily attendance of these pupils
should be included in the amount
allocated to the Roundhead school
board in apportioning the school
foundation fund.
The six non-resident pupils who
were denied the writ lived less than
one and one-half miles from the
school to which they were assigned
in their own district, and were there
fore considered not eligible as tui
tion pupils of the Roundhead dis
trict schools. Hence they should not
be included in computing daily at
tendance records for participation in
the fund for the Roundhead district,
the court ruled.
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Live and a
Good Place to Trade
NUMBER 8
New Schedule Effective With
June Billing Home User
To Benefit Most
harges for Heating Service
Will be Increased this Fall,
Board Announces
Reduction in Bluffton’s electric cur
rent tales effective with the June bil
ling on July 1 was announced this
week by the Board of Public Affairs.
A flat reduction of one cent per
KVN11 will apply to each initial rate
classification as compared with the
present schedule, it was pointed out.
The starting rate in the future will be
five cents per KWH in contrast to the
six-cent schedule previously in effect.
In announcing the electric rate cut,
members of the board at the same
time declared charges for municipal
heating will be boosted.
Higher Heating Rate
New heating rates will become ef
fective on October 1, and under the
revised schedule users will pay 20
cents per square foot of radiation.
This is an increase of five cents over
the former charge of 15 cents per
square foot.
Complete data relative to the de
crease in electric current rates was
not released by the board and the
schedule of progession will not be
announced until its completion in ap
proximately another week.
In commenting on the reduction
members of the board said the de
crease will apply to domestic, com
mercia' and industrial rates. The
-me consumer, however, will benefit
the most, it was pointed out.
First Cut Since 1936
Bluffton’s present electric current
rates have been in effect since Febru
ary, Ip.’B, when a 20 per cent reduc
tion was made from the previous
schedule.
The rates adopted for dwellings in
1936 and which are being reduced are
as follows: First 30 KWH, 6 cents
per KWH next 30 KWH, 4 cents per
KWH next 40 KWH, 3 cents per
KWH next 100 KWH, 21.- cents per
KWH and next 200 KWH, 2 cents
per KWH. There is a minimum
charge of 50 cents per month.
Under the new schedule the start
rate will be five cents per KWH, and
members of the board said reductions
will be made also in other progressive
steps. Complete details will be de
termined and announced before mail
ing of the June bills on July 1.
Bluffton Couple To
Celebrate Golden
Wedding Anniversary
Golden wedding anniversary of
Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Lovell, of South.
Main street, will be celebrated at
their home on Sunday, June 25. The
couple were married 50 years ago,
June 20.
A dinner will be served Sunday
noon for the immediate family and
open house will be held from 2 to 5
o’clock in the afternoon.
The bride of 50 years ago was
Miss Lillie Harlow, daughter of
Joseph and Saraheta Harlow, of
McComb. The groom was A. B.
Lovell, son of Joseph and Nancy
Lovell, also of McComb.
The marriage was solemnized in
the home of Rev. Cooper, pastor of
the McComb Presbyterian church.
Attending the couple were the bride’s
brother-in-law and sister, Mr. and
Mrs. V. C. McAtee of Dundee, Mich
igan, who are expected to attend the
celebration.
Also attending the celebration
Sunday will be another sister of
Mrs. Lovell, Mrs. H. J. Cooper, of
Findlay.
The couple went to housekeeping
in McComb where they lived for 15
years, then to Findlay where they
lived for five years. They lived in
several other cities before taking up
their residence in Bluffton 12 years
ago.
Mr. Lovell is a carpenter and
contractor and is still engaged in
this business. They both enjoy good
health. Mrs. Lovell was 68 years old
on May 25 and Mr. Lovell was 71
last September 28. They are active
members of the Methodist church of
Bluffton. Mr. Lovell is the only re
maining one of eijzht children in the
family.
They are the parents of three
daughters, Mrs. L. R. Reese of Ben
ton Ridge Mrs. Ward Marshall and
Mrs. L. L. Clymer of Bluffton. They
have seven grandchildren and one
great-grandchild.