The Bluffton news. [volume], August 10, 1939, Image 1

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BLUFFTON NEWS
The Advertising Medium for
Bluffton Trade Territory
VOLUME NO. LXTV
ORDER TRANSFER
IN ORANGE CASE
Court of Appeals Directs
Change from Mt. Cory to
Bluffton District
Action to be Taken Before
School Opens or Hold Hear
ing Next Month
Indications that the Orange town
ship school distrcting controversy is
approaching a final settlement with at
least part of the disputed territory
assigned to Bluffton, were seen here
the first of the week following action
of the Third district court of appeals
which ordered the Hancock county
board of education to transfer the
Anderson area in Orange township
from the Union township (Mt. Cory)
school district to Bluffton.
Transfer of the Anderson area will
be made by the county board before
the opening of school here, September
5, if the court’s order is complied
with.
In event the county board answers
the writ and does not make the trans
fer by the time specified, then the
court has set September 21 as the
date for hearing the case on its mer
its in the court house in Findlay.
Court’s Order
The court’s order, an alternative
writ of mandamus bore the signatures
of Judge Phil M. Crow and Charles
(Continued on page 8)
Prospects Dim For
Barbers9 Ordinance
Enactment of an ordinance regu
lating hours of barber shops in
Bluffton appeared definitely dimmed
following Monday’s meeting of the
town council in which it was agreed
to continue the matter until a later
meeting.
Barbers representing both factions
appeared at the session to present
their, cases for and against the sug
gested hour regulation schedule to
be prescribed by an ordinance.
Councilmen also heard at the
meeting an opinion from City Solici
tor Francis Durbin to the effect that
ordinances regulating the hours bar
ber shops are in operation are legal
if reasonable.
His opinion agreed with com
ments received here earlier from
Paul Flavin, secretary of the State
Board of Barber Examiners, who
advised there are now about 60 such
ordinances in effect in Ohio.
Elizabeth Moser
Here From China
Miss Elizabeth Moser who recently
arrived in this country after three
years in China is visiting at the
home of her brother, Ezra Moser
and family north of town.
Miss Moser, accompanied by her
brother Alford Moser and the lat
ter’s son Jimmy of Chicago arrived
here by auto from Rochester, N. Y.,
where they have spent the past week
at the home of their sister, Mrs. G.
A. Lehman and family.
Alford Moser and son left Wed
nesday for their home in Chicago.
Miss Moser, after a week’s visit
here will return to Rochester to as
sist in the care of her sister, Mrs.
Lehman who is ill at her home with
a lung abscess following an opera
tion for removal of tonsils.
During her three years residence
in China, Miss Moser was surgical
supervisor in the Peiping Union
Medical college, an institution spon
sored by the Rockefeller Founda
tion.
She will return to New York city
this fall where she has accepted a
position at Cornell Medical center,
a hospital operated in that city by
Cornell university of Ithaca, N. Y.
With The Sick
Miss Elvira Niswander, eldest
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Nis
wander is convalescing at Bluffton
hospital following an operation for
appendicitis which she underwent
Monday morning.
Richard Mumma underwent an op
eration at Findlay hospital, Friday
for a bone injury on his right fore
arm. He is convalescing at his home
here.
Condition of Miss Diana Miller,
patient in Bluffton hospital, is re
ported improved.
UNION SERVICES
Union services will be held at the
Presbyterian church Sunday night
at 7 o’clock. Rev. H. T. Unruh of
the First Mennonite church will be
the speaker.
Recent Rains
Damage Grain
Left In Fields
RA’2S,
usually welcome, are
proving a detriment to many
farmers in this section, who re
port that oats and wheat left in
the fields are starting to sprout
in the shocks.
The heavy rain Tuesday night
aggravated this situation and
unless the latter part of the
week brings drying weather,
much of the grain will be too
badly damaged to market and
must be used for livestock feed,
farmers said.
GIRL ON BICYCLE
FATALLY INJURED
Ride on New Bicycle Ends in
Death of 12 Year Old Girl
In Hospital Here
Accident Marks Second Fatality
Of Summer as Auto Hits
Girl Cyclist
Happiness in the possession of a
new bicycle ended in tragedy for a
twelve year old girl who died in the
Bluffton Community hospital, Friday
afternoon at 5:15 o’clock, within
fifteen minutes after an automobile
struck her while riding on a country
road near her home about four miles
north of Bluffton.
The mishap victim was Ellen May
Alspach, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
G. F. Anspach, residing near Mt.
Cory. She suffered a fractured
skull.
Her seven-year-old brother, Robert
who was riding on the handle bars
of the bicycle, was seriously in
jured, but is reported recovering in
the Bluffton hospital.
The fatal accident marked the
second time this year that a bicycle
mishap has claimed the life of a Mt.
Cory area child. Early in July
Marilene Wilkins, 10-year-old daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs Charles Wilkins,
was killed while riding a bicycle in
Findlay.
According to a report made to
the Hancock sheriff’s office, the two
Alspach children were struck by the
automobile last Friday as they en
tered the Brundige road (a north
south road) from County Road 41
(an east-west highway). They were
said to have been headed west and
the automobile was northbound.
Driver of the car was said by the
sheriff’s office to have been Orton
Hutton, 36, of Pleasant township.
Riding with him was Dale Okuly,
24, of Portage township. The two
men, employes of the Great Lakes
Sugar Co., were enroute home after
a day’s work on the Merritt Green
farm, a short distance south of the
accident scene.
The mishap occurred in front of
the Alspach home and was witnessed
by a sister, Miss Hildreth Alspach,
a teacher in Cleveland schools, who
was following the children in an
automobile.
Hutson and Okuly stopped after
the mishap, left their names with
the family and then went on to
Findlay where Okuly, a member of
the Findlay Brownies baseball team,
was to report for a game.
Questioned later by Dr. H. O.
Crosby, Hancock county coroner, the
two men said they were traveling
about 40 to 45 miles an hour at the
time of the accident.
They told the officers that the
bicycle with Ellen May pedalling
came onto the road in front of their
car suddenly and unexpectedly. A
corn field at the corner obscured
their vision.
Ellen May was born Feb. 21, 1927,
and would have entered the seventh
grade at Mt. Cory this fall. Be
sides her parents she is survived by
her brother who was in the crash
with her and four sisters, Hildreth
Alspach, of Cleveland Mrs. Clar
ence Payne, of Findlay and Cath
erine and Marjorie Alspach, at home.
Funeral services were held Sunday
afternoon at the Coldren funeral
home in Findlay. Rev. W. P. Als
pach, pastor of the Pleasant View*
United Brethren church, of which
the mishap victim was a member,
officiated. Burial was in the Bishop
i cemetery.
Health Speaker
At M. E. Church
Mrs. Margaret Hinson of Rich
mond, Ind., will deliver an illus
trated lecture on health and beauty
at the Methodist church here, Thurs
day night at 8 o’clock. The lecture
is open to the public.
Margaret Ruhl President of
City’s Organization of Child
Care Groups
Also Directs Activities of 57
Children as Head of Day
Nursery
The following article and
photograph above which recent
ly appeared in the Cleveland
Press are re-printed herewith
by permission.—Editor.
Having the responsibility of 57
children under her daily direction
doesn’t seem to have etched any
wrinkles on the attractive face of
Miss Margaret Ruhl, the alert,
smartly groomed, intelligent young
woman who directs Merrick House
Day Nursery.
Nor has the added responsibility
of heading the Association of House
mothers dulled her energetic enthu
(Continued on page 8)
Epworth Leaguers
Home From Lakeside
A group of 19 young people, rep
resenting the Bluffton and Beaver
dam-Rockport Epworth Leagues, re
turned home from Lakeside last
Sunday afternoon, having spent a
week attending the Epworth League
Institute.
They were accompanied by Rev.
J. A. Weed and two of the League
mothers—Mrs. R. K. Cooney and
Mrs. Ross Triplehorn. Miss Anna
bel Weed acted as chaperone for the
girls, and Eugene Weed, who is
League counselor, for the boys.
All the Leaguers brought back
certificates, and diplomas were a
warded to three of our Bluffton
Leaguers. Those to whom diplomas
were awarded are Carolyn Stone
hill, Ralph Short and Robert Cooney.
This is the fifth time the Bluffton
Leaguers have brought home a
plaque for being an honor League
at Lakeside.
In New Locations
Mr. and Mrs. R. K. Cooney and
family are moving from the H. A.
Alderfer property on South Main
street to the Walter Gratz property
on South Jackson street. Mr. and
Mrs. Gratz and family moved last
month into the former A. D. Lugi
bihl property on South Lawn avenue
where Mrs. Gratz conducts a private
school for handicapped children.
Leader In Children’s Work
■jyjARGARET Ruhl, formerly of Bluffton, who is prominent in
Cleveland organizations having to do with institutional care of
children. Miss Ruhl, director of Merrick House Day Nursery is
also president of the Cleveland Association of Housemothers whose
membership includes everyone in institutions of that city coming in
direct contact with children.
Former Bluffton Girl Head Of
Large Cleveland Welfare Body
Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Maxon and
family who recently came here from
Chicago and have been occupying
apartments in the Alderfer property
are moving to the Edgar Chamber
lain property on East Kibler street
formerly occupied by Lewis Deer
hake. Mr. Maxon is employed by
the Triplett Electrical Instrument
company.
Mr. and Mrs. Deerhake vacated
the chamberlain property last month
and are now occupying the Emil
Garau property on South Main
street.
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INT ERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 1939
NOMINEE FOR
COUNCIL QUITS
O. Smucker Withdraws From
Democratic Ticket After
Primary Confirmation
New Candidate Will be Named
By Bluffton Democratic
Committeemen
Orden C. Smucker, nominated with
out contest as a Democratic candidate
for the village council in Tuesday’s
primary election, withdrew from the
race Wednesday morning because of
contemplated absence from Bluffton
during the next year.
Another nominee will be named by
the local Democratic committee to fill
the vacancy, it was announced follow
ing Smucker’s withdrawal.
Selection of another candidate will
fill the Democratic ticket for the six
coucil posts in the November election.
Named one of the six council can
didates at a Democratic meeting two
months ago, Smucker’s name appear
ed on the primary ballot and he was
officially confirmed as a candidate in
the day’s voting.
Last week, however, he obtained a
year’s leave of absence from Bluffton
High school, where he is an instruct
or, to take graduate work and teach
part-time at Ohio State university,
necessitating his withdrawal from the
Democratic ticket.
St. Mary's Fete
This Wednesday
A large attendance is expected at
the annual lawn fete for the benefit
of St. Marys Catholic church this
Wednesday evening on the church
grounds at Lawn avenue and Elm
street.
In the past lawn fetes sponsored
by the church have drawn many
from this commuity and from out of
town. A number of new features
included on this year’s program are
expected to add to the attractions.
Rev. Robert A. Maher is general
chairman in charge of the affair.
Couple Weds In
Indiana Saturday
The wedding of Miss Marian Zim
merly of Pandora and George Clap
per of Bluffton took place in Indian
apolis, Saturday. The vows were
received at his home by Rev. D. A.
Sommer, pastor of the Church of
Christ of that city.
The bride is the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Ardon Zimmerly and a
graduate of Pandora high school in
the class of 1937.
Mr. Clapper is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Boyd Clapper and a graduate
of Ada high school in the class of
1932.
The couple will reside on his
father’s farm southeast of Bluffton.
DARN BURNED
DURING STORM
Large
ton
Grain
Structure East of Bluff
on Route 103 Destroy
ed by Fire
and Machinery are Lost
When Lightning Strikes
Tuesday Night
Struck by lightning during
heavy storm which swept Bluffton
and vicinity Tuesday night, a large
frame barn, together with all its
contents was destroyed by fire eight
miles east of town at 10 p. m.
The barn was on the George Full
hart farm on Route 103 one and
one-half
miles east of Jenera.
were no horses or other
There
livestock in the barn but the mows
were nearly filled with hay, and
of this year’s oats crop and part
last year’s were in bins.
all
of
a
Losses in machinery include
corn binder, silo filler, hay loader,
side delivery, disc and spring tooth
harrows, wagon, cement mixer and
small tools.
Barn Built in 1868
Both the barn and its contents
were covered by insurance.
barn, 45 by 80
1868 and still
preservation.
The
feet was erected in
in good state of
owned by George
The place is
Fullhart but rented and operated by
Luther Grieser and Monroe Crates
who owned all the contents. Haney
Redick, Jenera elevator employe,
lives in the house.
A pouring rain which continued
during the fire probably kept it
from spreading to other nearby
buildings. The Arlington fire de
partment stood by in case the house
would catch fire, but could not ex
tinguish the barn fire which spread
rapidly thruout the structure. A
straw stack was also burned.
Wife Of Former
Resident Is Dead
Mrs. James C. Marshall, 70, well
known in this vicinity, was found
dead in her bed at her home in
Findlay, Tuesday morning. Her
husband was a former Orange town
ship resident and a brother of
Harry, Ray and Walter Marshall
residing east of Bluffton.
Mrs. Marshall’s death was dis
covered about 9 o’clock in the morn
ing when Mrs. Wr. L. Montgomery,
sister of Mr. Marshall, who resides
at the same address went into Mrs.
Marshall’s bedroom to give her a
postcard which the mail carrier had
left. It was believed she had been
dead about three hours.
Mrs. Marshall, an asthma sufferer,
was apparently sleeping soundly
when her husband left the house
early in the morning to go to work
at an election booth, as one of the
officials at Tuesday’s primary in
Findlay. However, she may have
already passed away at that time.
Funeral services will be held
Thursday afternoon at 4:30 o’clock
at St. Paul’s Evangelical church,
Findlay, with the pastor, Rev. L. H.
Naumann officiating. Interment will
be in Findlay at Maple Grove ceme
tery.
Resigns Position
In Leipsic Schools
Miss Eleanor Niswander, of Bluff
ton, instructor in public school music
in the Leipsic schools for the past
three years has resigned her posi
tion and will attend Ohio State uni
versity at Columbus during the com
ing year.
Miss Niswander will take ad
vanced work in the field of public
school music leading to the Master
of Arts degree. She is the daugh
ter of Dr. and Mrs. W. M. Niswan
der of South Jackson street.
Births
Mr. and Mrs. Bliss Reiter of Mt.
Cory are parents of a son born at
Bluffton hospital. Monday.
Word has ben received of the birth
of a son Ralph Eugene, to Mr. and
Mrs. Walter Locher of Maracaibo,
Venezuela, on Wednesday of last
week. Mr. Locher is the son of
Mrs. Eph Locher of Cleveland and
a former Bluffton resident now em
ployed by the Standard Oil company
in South America.
ADDRESSES
OTTAWA KIWANIS
Smith of Bluffton col
principal speaker at a
Dr. C. H.
lege was the
meeting of the Kiwanis club at Ot
tawa, Monday night. Dr. Smith
spoke on current economic trends.
Hog Market Off
To New Low Of
$6 On Wednesday
QAGGING hog markets here
went to a new low Wednes
day morning when $6 per
hundred pounds was posted for
prime quality offerings. This
quotation marks a drop from
the low of a week ago when a
top price of $6.20 was quoted.
The current price of hogs is the
lowest in recent years, shippers
stated.
SEWAGE SYSTEM
PLANS REVIVED
Engineer Outlines Proposal at
Meeting of Council This
Week
Cost About $300,000 Town’s
Share Would be Approx
imately $60,000
Reviving interest in a municipal
sewage diposal system, bond issues
for which have twice been defeated by
Bluffton voters, received added impe
tus Monday night when an engineer
appeared at a meeting of the town
council to outline a proposed program
financed to a great extent by federal
funds.
Details of the suggested sewage
disposal project were presented to the
council by C. E. Pettis, representative
of Champe, Finkbeiner and Associ
ates, a Toledo engineering firm.
Financial assistance for construc
tion of the disposal system very likely
could be obtained thru the WPA, Pet
tis declared. However, almost im
mediate action would be required to
complete preliminary routine legisla
tion necessary to have -Jhe proposal
included on the ballot for the Novem
ber election.
Government funds for the work
would be obtained thru the WPA, in
asmuch as PWA appropriations are
exhausted, the engineer explained.
Cost About $300,000
In a number of Ohio communities
about the size of Bluffton where sew
age systems are being installed the
cost is approximately $300,000, with
the municipality’s share of 20 per cent
amounting to $60,000, Pettis declared.
He estimated that the cost for a
system in Bluffton would be about the
same, but emphasized that the amount
was an offhand opinion.
Under WPA constructed projects
the town’s share usually runs from
20 to 25 per cent, and covers the cost
of materials. Labor is furnished by
the WPA, except for a few classes of
skilled labor, which if not available
thru the WPA, must be paid for by
the town.
At the outside, however, Bluffton’s
share of the cost should not run more
than from $60,000 to $75,000, the en
gineer pointed out.
Pettis stated that the cost of work
under a private contract would
amount to about half of that under
WPA, but under a private contract
the town would be compelled to fi
nance the entire program, entailing
an expenditure of approximately
$125,000 to $150,000.
Intercepting Type Sewers
The cost estimated by Pettis cover
ed the installation of intercepting
sewors and a disposal plant, and
would not mean sewering of the en
tire town.
Interceptors would he laid along
the creek banks and private sewers
would empty into them. The sewage
would be conveyed thru the inter
cepted to the disposal plant, instead
of being emptied into the streams.
The disposal plant would be large
enough to take care of domestic sew
age and also wastes from the Page
Dairy plant. One or possibly two
men would be needed to operate the
plant.
Altho installation of the sewer sys
tem would not entirely eliminate
Bluffton’s mosquitoes, it would be the
first step in that direction, Pettis
said.
Bond issues on proposed sewage
disposal systems were defeated at the
polls here in 1935 and 1936. In de
feating the last issue Bluffton elec
I tors voted 59.7 percent in favor of the
program but a 65 per cent was re
quired.
A Good Place to Live and a
Good Place to Trade
TOTAL VOTE OF 283 CAST
IN LIGHT PRIMARY ELECTION
NUMBER 15
Deppler, Kohli and Lape Win in
Republican Contest at
Polls Tuesday
One-fourth of Town’s Vote is
Out No Contest on
Democratic Ticket
With but a single contest at stake,
Bluffton electors registered one of the
lightest votes in recent years at the
municipal primary election Tuesday.
A total of 283 votes was cast—225
Republican and 53 Democratic, repre
senting about one-fourth of Bluffton’s
total vote.
With no contests on the Democratic
the primary revolved itself in
o an intra-party battle in the Re
publican camp to select three nomi
nees for board of public affairs.
ticket,
Four candidate seeking three nomi
nations were Eli Deppler A. E. Kohli,
E. S. Lape and Chas. Lloyd, with the
first three winning.
Precinct Vote
Vote by precinct stood:
A
Deppler ............ ... 51 71
Kohli ................ ... 18 58
Lape ................. ... 14 51
Lloyd ................ .... 15 27
Vote cast:
Total
75
60
58
30
197
136
123
108
83
25
Republican .... .... 60 82
Democratic .... .... 18 15
225
58
Deppler, Kohli and Lape, nominated
for board of public affairs on the Re
publican ticket will run at the Novem
ber election against the candidates on
the Democratic ticket consisting of
Cal Balmer, A. C. Burcky and Wm. B.
Luginbuhl.
Deppler, only Republican member
at preent on the board is a candidate
for re-election as are also Balmer and
Luginbuhl, Democrats, now serving on
the board.
Little Interest Shown
With only one contest to be decided,
the primary attracted but little at
tention. Any interest manifested was
shown in the Republican ranks whose
vote of 225 was slightly over half the
400 ballots sent here by the county
board of eections.
The Democratic primary took on
some comic opera aspects of much ado
about nothing as 58 voted at the polls
marking a party ballot all of whose
nominees were unopposed. A total
of 575 ballots were provided by the
board of elections.
Counting of ballots was accomplish
ed quickly after the polls closed at
6:30 p. m., the last of the three pre
cincts posting its election results
a short time after 8 o’clock Tuesday
night.
Withdraws trom Ticket
Altho six Democratic councilmen
were running unopposed Tuesday, the
party found itself with only five Wed
nesday morning when Orden Smucker,
one of the number withdrew.
Smucker, a high school instructor,
will be gone on a year’ leave of ab
sence to attend Ohio State university
beginning next month,
the ticket will be filled
Democratic committee.
His place on
by the local
tickets as it
Personnel of the two
now appears:
Republican—Mayor, W. A. Howe
clerk, James West marshal, Carl
Burkhardt treasurer, Ralph Bader
tscher council, Munson Bixel, Carl
Cahill, Wm. Edwards, Armin Hauen
stein, Harold Kennedy, Cleon Triplett
board of public affairs, Eli Deppler,
A. E .Kohli, E. S. Lape.
Democratic—Mayor, A. D. Wells
clerk, Carold Steiner treasurer, Sam
uel Bixel marshal, Lee Coon council,
Menno Badertscher, Evan Basinger,
Fred Hofer, Ralph Patterson, Jesse
Stratton board of public affairs, Cal
Balmer, Wm. Luginbuhl, A. C.
Burcky.
Joint C. E. Supper
College Farm Friday
Members of the Bluffton Christian
Endeavor societies will hold a joint
picnic supper at the College farm,
Friday evening at 6:15 o’clock. All
young jieople, members of the follow
ing C. E. societies are invited:
Church of Christ, Ebenezer, First
Mennonite, Lutheran, Methodist, Re
formed, Presbyterian and Rockport
Presbyterian.
Preceding the supper will be a
recreation period beginning at 5:30.
Following the supper will be a short
campfire service.
Each person is to bring a covered
dish and own silverware. Be at the
College farm as near 5:30 o’clock as
possible.