The Bluffton news. [volume], September 14, 1939, Image 1

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

Image provided by: Ohio History Connection, Columbus, OH

                
.................. .............
BLUFFTON NEWS
The Advertising Medium for
Bluffton Trade Territory
VOLUME NO. LXIV
COLLEGE OPENS
FOR FALL TERM
Class of 85 Freshmen is One of
Largest in History of
Local School
Enrollment Figure is 187 at
Noon Wednesday with
More to be Added
Enrollment at Bluffton college this
fall will be somewhat heavier than
last year, it was indicated Wednes
day as registration for the first se
mester was nearing completion.
At noon a total of 187 students had
registered, an increase of 15 over last
year’s record at the same time. Of
the students, 102 were upper class
men and 85 were freshmen.
This fall’s freshman class is one of
the largest in the history of the school
and with a number of upper class
men expected to enroll within the next
few days there are prospects that this
year’s student body will approach the
200-mark.
Dormitories Filled
Increased enrollment is reflected in
the situation at men’s and women’s
dormitories.
Ropp hall, the girls dormitory, is
entirely filled and four women are
living in Campus Cottage, formerly
occupied by Ralph Blosser, who moved
last week to the Babione residence on
Jackson street. Mrs. Metta Dean is
resident matron of the cottage.
Lincoln hall, men’s dormitory, is
filled to capacity, the first time in re
cent years. The dormitory situation
indicates a large number of out-of
town students, most of whom come
from outside the state.
Classes Open Thursday
Regular classroom work will be
started Thursday morning with final
details of enrollment to be completed
by the close of the week. Upper
classmen registered Tuesday and fres
classmen registered Tuesday and
freshmen enrolled Wednesday. The
one faculty vacancy, the philosophy
department occasioned by the resig
nation of Dr. M. C. Lehman will be
filled by Prof. N. E. Byers, former
dean of the college who retired last
year from regular classroom work.
Opening social function of the
school year was a freshman mixer
Tuesday night in the gymnasium to
acquaint the members of the first
year class with each other.
Wednesday night an all-college
meeting will be held in the chapel to
introduce student campus leaders.
Mixer Thursday
The annual all-college mixer is
scheduled for Thursday night in the
gymnasium, and Friday afternoon to
the Big and Little Sister tea sponsor
ed by the Y. W. C. A. will be held at
Ropp hall.
Closing a week of busy activity, an
all-college party will be held Satur
day night in the gymnasium.
Bluffton students this year will
pretty largely be a working group,
with about 125 of the 187 assigned
to student work projects, the N YA
program, campus maintenance, the
dining hall staff, etc.
School Bus Hired By
Orange Twp. Patrons
Although part of the Union town
ship school district, a bus is making
the rounds in Orange township
transporting pupils to the Bluffton
schools it was announced the first
of the week.
The bus, one of those discai ded
by the Bluffton board of education
when they purchased new equipment,
was purchased by Walter bommer
who has been hired by Orange
township residents to transport their
children to and from school here.
Thirty-one children, it is said, are
riding on the bus. Sommer, one of
the drivers employed by the Bluff
ton board last year, was dropped
when the board decided to operate
one less bus during the current
year.
The decrease in the number of
busts operated was effected thru the
purchase of three larger buses to
gether with a decrease in the num
ber of pupils in the rural districts.
235 Here Obtain
Drivers Licenses
A total of 235 drivers’ licenses
have been issued to Bluffton motor
ists, it was stated Wednesday by
Robert Lewis, deputy registrar of
motor vehicles, who is in charge of
issuing the permits here.
All persons driving cars must
have new licenses by October 1.
Lewis maintains an office at Steiner
Chevrolet salesroom for the issuing
of licenses.
TV W. Cunningham, former
Bluffton banker, who died at
his home here Monday night.
Funeral services were held at the
Presbyterian church. Wednesday
afternoon.
DEATH CLAIMS N,
W.
Funeral Services Held in Pres
byterian Church, Wednes
day Afternoon
Former Bluffton Banker Suc
cumbs at Home Monday
After Long Illness
N. W. Cunningham, 83, former
Bluffton banker, founder of the Bluff
ton News and for many years promi
nent in political and civic affairs died
at his home on South Jackson street,
Monday night at 10 o’clock.
His death, following several years
of failing health, was due to compli
cations which kept him confined to his
home during the greater part of the
past year.
Funeral services were held Wednes
day afternoon at the Presbyterian
church with the pastor, Rev. Chas.
Armentrout officiating. Interment
was in Maple Grove cemetery, with
the Masonic lodge of which he was a
member for more than fifty years as
sisting with his ritual at the grave.
Long Prominent
For more than fifty years he was
influential in the commercial and in
dustrial life of Bluffton and North
western Ohio with many business in
terests. He was president of the
Commercial Bank & Savings company,
pioneer Bluffton financial institution
when it closed its doors eight years
ago.
His death brings to a close a color
ful and many sided career in which
he was known as a public speaker,
author, traveler and political figure,
almost as well as in the field of bank
ing.
He was born near Lima, February
24, 1856, the son of Col. James and
Martha Kennedy Cunningham, the
youngest of eleven children. The
farm on which he was bom is now
part of the city of Lima.
Learns Printing Trade
He began learning the printing
trade at the age of fifteen in the of
fice of the Lima Democrat, one of the
pioneer newspapers in this section.
His first appearance in Bluffton w’as
at the age of nineteen when he came
here to establish a newspaper after
several previous attempts had ended
in failure.
With an old Washington hand press
and few cases of type the Bluffton
News made its appearance in the
spring of 1875. He continued as ed
itor sixteen years when he sold the
paper to the late Jesse Huber and
became associated with the Commer
cial Bank & Savings company.
Besides his banking connection here
he served as director in banks at
Findlay and Toledo as well as being
interested in smaller institutions in
Rawson, Mt. Cory, Lafayette, Van
lue and Butler. He was also for a
time a member of the board of direc
tors of the Ohio Pennsylvania Joint
Stock land bank with headquarters in
Cleveland. Following the closing of
the bank here he retired from active
business affairs.
Mell Known Speaker
He was much in demand as a pub
lic speaker and took an active part
in politics. In 1914 he was nominat
ed for congress by the Democratic
party of the Fourth Ohio district, be
ing defeated at the election by a small
majority.
Two trips which he and his wife
made abroad, one to Europe and the
other around the world were follow
(Continued on page 8)
77
o
Bluffton Pastor On German Liner
Dodging British War Ships At Sea
Rev. Robert Maher of St.
Mary’s Church on Cruise
As War Breaks
Lifeboats Ready as Sub Warn
ing Sounds Passengers
Landed in Cuba
Rev. Robert Maher, pastor of St.
Marys Catholic church of this place,
was one of the 800 aboard the Ger
man luxury liner, Columbus, which
spent several anxious days last
week dodging about in Caribbean
waters after the European war had
been declared.
Rev. Maher, together with several
other ministers of his denomination
who were in New York City on va
cation, had taken the boat for a
short cruise down the east coast.
They had expected to be gone only
a few days.
When war broke out, officers of
the large liner were fearful of re
turning to New York because of the
danger from British submarines and
warships.
Instead, they set their course for
a Dutch island off the north coast
of South America, but upon arrival
there found they were unable to
land the passengers, as the United
States had notified port authorities
that it would be necessary the Co
lumbus return the vacationists to
New York City.
After zig-zagging around the West
Indies off regular‘ship lanes to
avoid encounters with French and
British vessels, the Columbus even
tually succeeded in landing its pas
sengers at Havana. From there
they were taken to Miami, Fla., by
a United States ship.
Passengers were on the water a
week longer than they had antici
pated, and in addition they exper
ienced all the thrills of the hazards
of war-time travel by water.
On one occasion while the ship
was dodging about in the West In
dies a submarine alarm was sounded
and passengers were ordered to be
ready to take to the life boats,
which had been stocked w’ith food
and water. However, the alarm was
false and the boats were not low
ered.
The German steamship company
paid the fare of all passengers from
Havana back to New York City, or
to other destinations. Leaving Lima
where he resides, on August 16, for
a two w’eeks’ vacation, Rev. Maher
did not return until last Saturday.
Older officers on the German boat
made no comment about the war,
Rev. Maher said, but younger offi
cers were enthusiastic and their at
titude bespoke full confidence in
Adolph Hitler.
The boat Columbus is one of the
finest in the Atlantic service and
Rev. Maher said that with the excep
tion of anxiety there was no discom
fort and everything possible was
done to make the passengers at ease.
Bluffton Couple
Married In Lima
Wedding of Miss Dorothy Tripple
horn of Bluffton and Walter King
of Dayton, formerly of this place
was solemnized at Lima, Saturday
morning in the presence of the im
mediate families.
Rev. J. Norman King, of Dayton,
father of the groom officiated, using
the single ring service.
The bride, daughter of Mrs. Ross
’trippiehorn was a member of the
Bluffton high school ’senior class.
The groom was graduated from
Bluffton high school last spring and
since that time has been employed
in Dayton where the couple will re
side.
With The Sick
Oliver Locher who is showing
some improvement following an ex
tended illness from complications,
left Wednesday for Cleveland where
he will undergo an examination at
St. Luke’s hospital.
Ray Kern living on the county
line who has been in Findlay hos
pital for several weeks has been re
moved to the University hospital in
Columbus for treatment. Kern un
derwent an operation for a stomach
ailment last spring.
Frank Dray residing east of Bluff
ton who has been seriously ill in
Findlay hospital with a blood clot
on the brain has been removed to
a Cleveland hospital.
Mrs. Katherine Badertscher, Bluff
ton nurse, is in Berne, Ind., assist
ing in the care of her brother Hi
ram Sprunger who is ill at his home
at that place.
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INT ERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1939
Schedule of Charges Here are
Among Lowest in this
Area, Report Shows
Bluffton, Ada, Lima, have Low
est Minimum Findlay Less
In Quantity
Blufftons electric current rate,
since the July 1 revision compares
favorably with any town in the
area and is considerably less than
the schedule of charges for the ma
jority.
The comparison has been made on
the basis of a report made by the
Federal Power Commission, covering
WHEAT ANO HOG
MARKETS LOWER
Prices Appear to Have Stabi
lized Temporarily Under
Peak Levels
Wheat Quoted at 78 Cents Top
Hogs $7.60 Here Wednes
day Morning
After ten days of skyrocketing
prices stimulated by an hectic de
mand for foodstuffs, livestock and
grain markets appeared to be sta
bilizing at least temporarily, at
levels somewhat lower than the
peaks reached the latter part of
last week.
The wide swings of prices, how
ever, have resulted in no increase
in normal volume of selling, dealers
stated. The principal reason as a
scribed for this lack of selling is the
fact that the spring hog crop is not
yet ready for market.
No Wheat Sold
Wheat sales have dropped to neg
ligible proportions, dealers stated
Wednesday morning when a price of
78 cents per bushel was quoted.
This is five cents under the market
peak established last Thursday and
one cent lower than Tuesday’s price.
With harvest-sales of wheat com
pleted during the threshing season
more than a month ago, the lack of
offerings now in the face of a
strong to rising market would in
dicate a prevalent belief among
growers that still higher prices, pos
sibly dollar wheat, are in the of
fing, dealers said in sizing up the
situation Wednesday morning.
Methodist Pastor
Is Returned Here
Rev. J. A. Weed, pastor of the
Bluffton Methodist church during the
past year has been assigned to con
tinue his pastorate here, it was an
nounced Tuesday evening following
the close of the annual Ohio Metho
dist conference at Delaware.
A number of changes were made
in assignments throughout the dis
trict as a result of merger of the
Methodist Episcopal and Methodist
Protestant churches into one denom
ination.
The Mt. Cory-Dola charge, form
erly M. P., will continue its former
pastor, Rev. E. I. Obee. Rev. F. W.
Obee was also returned as pastor of
the Gilboa church, formerly M. P.
Bluffton’s Electric Rates Are
Low, Federal Report Discloses
Many Graduated Last Spring
From High School Enter College
Hogs which went to a top of $9
per hundred pounds last Thursday
were quoted at a top of $7.60 here
Wednesday morning. The current
market Wednesday represented an
advance of 40 cents per hundred
from Tuesday’s top.
Rev. Valentine Hainen, former
pastor of the Bluffton church has
been returned to Forest and Rev. W.
R. Burton, also a former pastor here
has been assigned to Ottawa.
Other assignments in this district
include: Beaverdam, E. J. Arthur
Cairo, J. Williamson Lafayette, T.
Clark Davis Pandora, C. O. Good.
Rev. W. H. W. Webster, former
Arlington M. E. pastor was named
pastor of the new Houcktown circuit
formed by combining the Mt. Zion
and Jenera churches formerly of the
Arlington M. P. charge and Houck
town and Center Chapel churches,
formerly of the Mt. Blanchard M.
i E. charge.
CUTTING OF BUMPER CORN CROP STARTS
the charges made by all towns in
Ohio.
Bluffton’s rates very closely paral
lel those in force in Ada and Lima,
which are among the lowest in the
area. Findlay’s schedule is slightly
lower in higher brackets.
Beaverdam Rate Higher
Rates are a little higher in other
surrounding towns including Arling
ton, Beaverdam, Columbus Grove
and Rawson.
Bluffton, Ada and Lima have the
lowest minimum rates, 50 cents a
month, and in each case the bill cov
ers 10 KWH. For other towns in
the district minimum charges vary
from 80 cents to $1.00.
For the home using 40 KWH,
which covers lighting principally and
a limited use of electrical appli
(Continued on page 8)
Twenty Continuing Studies in
Advanced Institutions
This Fail
Eleven Enroll in Bluffton Col
lege Freshman Class 9
Go Elsewhere
Of the 58 members of the senior
class graduated last spring from
Bluffton high school, 20 are continu
ing their schooling this fall a check
up of records at the high school
office revealed the first of the week.
Of the 20 continuing in school, 11
are registered at Bluffton college
while 9 are enrolled in other insti
tutions.
Those attending Bluffton college
enrolled Wednesday in the freshman
class. Most of those enrolling else
where are leaving this week for their
various schools.
Attending College
Attending college are the follow
ing:
Case School of Applied Science,
Cleveland—Richard Wenger.
Ohio Northern university, Ada—
Wade Huber, Joel Kimmel.
Mary Manse college,, Toledo
Adelaide McGinnis.
Ft. Wayne Bible institute—Ivan
Agin.
Moody Bible institute, Chicago—
Elias Augsburger, Jr., Mark Nis
wander.
Warner Bros. Beauty school,
Toledo—Hope Kincaid.
Tiffin Business university—John
Lloyd.
Bluffton college—Wm. Holtkamp,
Fernan Loganbill, Darwin Luginbuhl,
Paul Soldner, Jason Trippiehorn,
Herbert Oyer, Zitella Getties, Mary
Lape, Bettye Lewis, Magdalene Oyer
and Lora Schultz.
Couple Wed In Van
Wert To Reside Here
Miss Lamoile Salsbury and Russell
Amstutz were married Sunday morn
ing at 9 o’clock at the home of Rev.
L. C. Davis of the Church of Christ
at Van Wert. The wedding vows
were received by Rev. Davis using
the single ring ceremony.
The bride is the daughter of Don
ald Salsbury of Ada. Mr. Amstutz
is the son of Samuel Amstutz of
Bluffton. ,i
The couple will reside in the Mrs.
Martha Flick apartment on South
Main street.
Births
The following births at Bluffton
Community hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Max Blosser, Colum
bus Grove, boy, Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Niswander,
Auburn, Ind., boy, Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Boehm, girl,
Tuesday.
Traditional gridiron rivalry be
tween Bluffton and Pandora High
schools will be further intensified
for this Friday night’s game under
the Harmon field lights by the fact
that coaches of the opposing crews
were team mates in high school.
Yield Expected to Run Consid
erably Above Average
Fodder Heavy
Crop is Expected to Form Basis
of Extensive Stock Feed
ing Program
Harvesting of a bumper crop of
corn, whose value has been en
hanced by rising markets of the
past ten days is well under way in
the Bluffton district.
Prevailing hot, dry w’eather has
rapidly matured the crop and an av
erage yield of from 40 to 45 bushels
thruout this section is anticipated.
Avci.ge corn production over a
leriod of years is usually from 35
to 40 bushels.
Production, however, from some
sections favorably situated for corn
growing which escaped damage from
last months tornado is expected to
be considerably above the district
acreage.
With a steady to strong hog
market anticipated during the com
ing months as well as a good price
for cattle, the large corn crop with
unusually heavy fodder, will provide
the basis for what is expected to be
one of the largest livestock feeding
programs in recent years, during the
coming year.
FOOD SHORTAGE
FEARS ON WANE
Volume of Buying on Bluffton
Markets Rapidly Approach
ing Normal
Decline Anticipated in Prices
Of Foodstuffs Still at
High Marks
Fears of flour and sugar shortages
because of the European war wOT
definitely on the wane in Bluffton, it
was disclosed in a survey of the local
food markets here the first of the
week. Volume of buying of food
stuffs was rapidly approaching nor
mal.
Prices, however, are holding at the
high mark they reached last w’eek on
the crest of a nation-wude buying
wave that all but depleted sugar
stocks of retailers.
European war conditions, together
w’ith false rumors that sugar could
be purchased only in limited amounts,
were credited as the underlying
causes for heavy buying of sugar last
week.
Canning Demands Aggravate
Situation
The condition was aggravated by
the fact that the war-scare came when
the home canning season was at its
height, a time when a considerable
increase always is noticed in sugar
buying.
Purchases of foodstuffs for hoard
ing, however, now definitely appear
to be on the w’ane, and altho prices
are holding at the high mark estab
1 lished last week a decrease is antici
pated, altho no one is in a position
to indicate when.
Former Teammates Are Coaches
Of Opposing Squads Here Friday
Dwight Diller, who is starting his
third season as coach at Bluffton,
wras a player at the same school
from 1929 to 1932.
A calming influence in the flury of
buying were announced by President
Roosevelt and other ranking govern
ment officials to the effect that the
United States has a surplus of com
modities generally, and that ordinary
law’s of supply and demand in most
cases do not warrant increases in
prices.
BUMPER TOMATOES
Two bumper tomatoes, one weigh
ing two pounds and two ounces and
the other one and three-fourths
pounds are attracting attention in
the New's window. They are raised
by Carl Young, Bluffton gardener,
who is growing some unusually fine
tomatoes this season.
He will be matching wits this
year with Jim Miller who wore
Bluffton High football togs from
1931 to 1934. Both were backfield
aces in their high school days, and
in college play later they each won
additional honors.
Diller earned his collegiate laurels
at Missouri State Teachers college,
and Miller was one of the main
stays of the Bluffton college grid
team for four years.
A Good Place to Live and a
Good Place to Trade
NUMBER 20
2.30 MILL SEWER
LEVY ESTIMATE
ounty Auditor Submits Figure
For Twenty-five Year
Bond Issue
Bonds Would be Issued to Meet
Town’s Portion of Pro
posed System
If Bluffton electors vote favorably
this fall on the $80,000 bond issue to
finance the major portion of the
town's cost in construction of a pro
posed $400,000 municipal sew’age sys
tem and disposal plant, the tax rate
to retire the bonds over a 25-year
period will average 2.30 mills annual
ly.
That was the estimate last week of
County Auditor Floyd Griffin, who
based his figures on bonds hearing
five per cent interest. It is expected
however, that the bonds may be sold
at a rate of interest materially less
than that figure. This would in turn
be reflected in a lower tax levy.
Griffin’s report on the tax rate
marked the final step in prarping the
bond issue for submission to the vot
ers at the regular November election.
Preliminary Work Finished
His estimate was submitted to the
town council to permit the completion
of preliminary action required in
making arrangements for including
the bond issue on the ballot.
With an average rate of 2.30 mills,
the tax assessment would be an av
erage of $2.30 per $1,000 of taxable
property included on the tax dupli
cate. During the first twelve and one
half years the tax would be higher
than $2.3», but it would be less for
the second twelve and one-half year
period.
In addition to the 2.30 mill average
levy to retire the bond issue, each
property owner also would pay an es
timated average flat rate of $6 each
year to retire $20,000 in special rev
enue bonds, which would be required
to complete the town’s share of $100,
000 in the $400,000 project.
^»The $6 special revenue assessment,
however, would be the same on all
properties, irrespective of valuation.
In construction of the town-w’ide
sewer system and the disposal plant,
the town would pay $100,000, with
the balance of the project’s cost,
$300,000, being provided from federal
funds thru the WPA.
Leaving This Fall
To Attend College
A number of Bluffton young peo
ple are leaving this fall to attend
various colleges and universities.
Included in this number and the
institutions which they will attend
are:
Ohio State university, Columbus—
Harriet Balmer, Barbara Carr, John
Romey, Evan Sommer, Wayne Yoak
am, Paul Rhoads.
Bowling Green State university—
Letha Niswander, Annabelle Weed,
Mary Marshall.
Miami university, Oxford—Ethel
Jean Marshall, Neil Baumgartner.
Eastman School of Music, Roches
ter, N. Y.—Nelson Hauenstein.
University of Cincinnati—Morris
and Ropp Triplett, Chas. Schu
macher.
Oberlin college—Roberta Biery.
Heidelberg university, Tiffin—Jo
sephine Niswander.
Western Reserve university, Cleve
land—Milburn Diller.
St. Joseph’s college, Collegeville,
Ind.—Chas. Hankish, Jr.
Wheaton college, Wheaton, Ill.—
June Burkholder.
Kansas City College of Osteo
pathy—Jeanne Diller.
Cincinnati Conservatory of Mu
sic—James Bixel.
Residents Drawn
For Term On Jury
A number of residents from this
part of the county have been drawn
for service on the Allen County
grand and petit juries.
A panel of twenty grand and sixty
petit jurors was drawn from the
jury wheel at Lima, Saturd^’ by
Commissioners R. R. Schryer and
B. B. Harsh in the presence of
Judge Neal Lora and other officials.
Among those drawn were:
Grand jury—Fred Zehrbach, For
est Mumma, Bluffton Marion Green
wait and Geo. Heiser, Lafayette.
Petit jury—Agnes Amstutz, Bluff
ton Laura McCleary and W. W.
Craig, Lafayette.
The grand jury is scheduled to
convene September 25 to consider
more than a score of cases.