The Bluffton news. [volume], October 19, 1939, Image 1

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BLUFFTON NEWS
The Advertising Medium for
Bluffton Trade Territory
VOLUME NO. LXIV
COUPLE TELL OF
WAR IN ENGLAND
Sales Representative of Triplett
Company and Wife Here
From London
Cross Atlantic on British Liner
Convoyed by Warship
Blackout on Boat
Of 47 business trips to the United
States, the one just completed likely
will linger longest in the memory of
W. G. Watson of Sydney, Australia,
sales representative of The Triplett
Electrical Instrument Co. in Australia
and New Zealand.
Mr. and Mrs. Watson arrived in
Bluffton this week to visit the Trip
lett plant and the story of their trans
Atlantic crossing from England to
this country represents the danger
and disrupted conditions resulting
from the present European war.
In London when the war broke out,
Mr. and Mrs. Watson witnessed the
evacuation of that great city—the
largest in Europe—because of the
fear of air raids. Children, patients
in hospitals and older persons were
removed from London to rural areas,
and the huge art galleries and mu
seums were emptied.
London Life Changed
Declaration of war brought a com
plete metamorphosis in everday life
in London and thruout England and
Scotland, just before Mr. and Mrs.
Watson decided to leave. He was in
England principally to study the in
dustrial picture as it applied to his
extensive Australian importing busi
nees, and the outbreak of war of ne
cessity put a stop to his investiga
tions.
It was for easier, however, to think
of leaving England than to do so.
Eventually, after numerous delays,
Mr. and Mrs. Watson finally sailed,
but because of war precautions, not
on boat they thought would take them.
Before they could board the ship, a
British liner, passengers were ques
tioned, and in some instances their
luggage was searched. Americans
were warned by United States offi
cials that they would travel at their
own risk.
Boat Crowded
The boat carried nearly twice its
customary number of passengers, and
for second and third class passengers’
meals three sittings were required in
the dining hall. Leaving port at
night, the liner was accompanied by
destroyers and cruisers. One of the
destroyers stayed with the liner for
several days.
Ordinarily, the passenger run from
England to America is less than five
days, but a zig-zag route was fol
lowed and it took nine days to com
(Continued on page 8)
Former Bluffton
Man Is Married
Announcement has been made of
the wedding of John Todd of Cleve
land, former Bluffton resident, and
Miss Ruth Boody of Painesville,
which took place last Saturday.
Mr. Todd, a Cleveland bank execu
tive, is the eldest son of Rev. and
Mrs. John Todd who resided here
some thirty years ago during which
time Rev. Todd was pastor of the
Bluffton and Rockport Presbyterian
churches.
Bluffton Couple Is
Married In Toledo
Marriage of Miss Juanita Lora,
daughter of Dr. and Mrs. B. R.
Herring and Bertrand Swank, son
of Mrs. Linda Swank, was quietly
solemnized Saturday afternoon at
the home of the officiating minister,
Rev. C. L. Cohagen in Toledo.
The double ring ceremony was
performed at four o’clock. The cou
ple was attended by Miss Betty Solt
of Rawson an intimate friend and
Melvin Lora, brother of the bride.
The bride wore for the occasion
a fall frock of stone blue with black
accessories and corsage of Johanna
Hill roses and yellow’ and white pom
poms.
Miss Solt w'as dressed in an ashes
of roses frock with black accessories
and wore a corsage of delphenium
and yellow and w’hite pompoms.
Immediately following the cere
mony, Mr. and Mrs. Swank left for
a short motor trip. For traveling
the bride wore a black pin-striped
suit with matching accessories. Up
on their return they will reside at
the home of the bride’s parents at
551 South Main street.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Swank are
graduates of Bluffton high school
and have been employed at the Trip
lett Electrical Instrument company
for several years.
Public Meeting On
Sewer Bond Issue
Here Monday Night
pUBLIC meeting for the dis
cussion of Bluffton’s propos
ed sewer system will be held at
the high school auditorium next
Monday night at 8 o’clock. All
residents are invited.
A representative of the firm of
Champe. Finkbeiner and As
sociates, Toledo engineering firm
which has been making prelimi
nary plans for the project will
be present to answer questions.
The meeting is held pre
liminary to the November 7
election at which time Bluffton
will vote on a proposal to issue
$80,000 in bonds for the town’s
share of the cost of a municipal
MAY RE-SURFACE
MAIN ST. PAVING
Emergency Measure Necessary
to Save Street, Council
Declares.
Seek State Highway Depart
ment Aid for Temporary
Asphalt Top
Emergency treatment to preserve
Bluffton’s Main street pavement from
further deterioration during the com
ing winter will be discussed this
week by members of the town coun
cil and O. C. Kohli of Lima, state
resident division highway engineer.
Necessity of taking some measures
relative to the pavement was point
ed out at the council meeting Mon
day night. Many of the bricks com
prising the surface of the pavement
are loose allowing water to seep thru
to the concrete foundation.
Present plans are to give the
street a temporary surfacing of hot
mix asphalt and stone chips this
fall before cold weather. This, it is
stated, if applied over the entire
surface from curb to curb, would
effectually seal the pavement and
prevent entrance of water.
Council Urges Speed
Members of the council it is un
derstood, will urge that the work be
started at once as a winter of freez
ing and thawing would work almost
irreparable damage to the street, it
is claimed.
Pavement to be treated would ex
tend from the south corporation line
north to the A. C. & Y. grade cross
ing, a distance of one and one-fourth
miles. Work on the project would
be under direction of the state high
way department, since Main street is
part of Route 25.
Proposed Sewer System Would
Have Twelve Miles Of Lines
Following the application of the
temporary treatment, plans are ex
pected to be made for a permanent
repair of the street next summer.
The present pavement laid twelve
years ago consists of a six inch con
crete foundation, one inch sand
cushion and a three inch brick top
held in place with asphalt binder.
Hold Funeral For
Mrs. Edw. Zweibel
Funeral services for Mrs. Edward
Zweibel, 34, of Riley street, were
held at the Church of Christ on
Monday afternoon with the pastor
Rev. L. B. Remaley officiating.
Mrs. Zweibel died from complica
tions at the Community hospital,
Saturday morning. Interment was
made in Maple Grove cemetery.
Mrs. Zweibel, the former Rose
Elizabeth Rash, was born in St.
Johns, Ohio, the daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. John Rash. She has resided
here for the past twelve years.
Surviving are her husband and
daughter Betty Jean of Bluffton and
her father residing in St. Johns.
Also surviving are two sisters, Mrs.
Lillian Pohlabel and Mrs. Lena
O’Hara both of Sidney and a foster
brother Charles Kinstle of Wapak
oneta.
Delegation Attends
Men’s Congress Meet
A delegation of 51 men from the
St. John’s and Emanuel’s Reformed
churches was in attendance at the
annual Men’ Congress of West Ohio
Classis held at Wapakoneta, Sunday.
A total of 370 men was present
for the meeting which has become
one of the outstanding men’s gath
erings of the denomination. The
meeting next fall will be held in
New Knoxville.
Representative of Toledo En
gineering Firm Addresses
Lions Club
Bluffton’s Bond Issue Would
Provide One-fourth of Im
provement Cost
Approximately 12 miles of new
sewers will be laid in Bluffton if the
proposed $400,000 municipal sewage
disposal system is approved at the
polls in the November election.
This was one of the details of the
project explained Tuesday night by
C. S. Finkbeiner, of the firm of
Champe, Finkebeiner and Associates,
Toledo engineers, in a talk at a
dinner meeting of the Lions club.
In the proposed sewage system,
lines would be laid of six, eight, 10,
12, 15, 18 and 24-inch pipe. More
than half of the total would be of
the eight-inch size.
The breakdown outlined by Fink
beine.r was as follows: six-inch, 11,
000 feet, principally house connec
tions eight-inch, 35,250 feet 10
inch, 2,540 feet 12-inch, 3,600 feet
15-inch, 2,570 feet 18-inch, 5.190
feet, and 24-inch, 1,125 feet.
Finkbeiner explained that Bluff
ton’s share of the cost of the $400,
000 program would be $100,000,
with the remainder furnished by the
federal government in the form of
WPA labor.
Bluffton is voting on an $80,000
bond issue, which vrould cover the
major portion of the town’s share
of the cost. The remaining $20,000
would be financed by special assess
ment bonds on properties with sewer
outlets.
Finkbeiner said sewage treatment
plants at Columbus Grove and Find
lay, similar to the one proposed for
Bluffton, are operating perfectly.
At Tuesday’s meeting the Lions
also heard a talk by Frank B. Pauly,
of the Ohio Emergency committee,
on the Bigelow amendments on which
electors will vote at the election. It
was his contention that passage of
the amendments would result in ex
orbitant taxes.
Orange Twp. Couple
Married 60 Years
Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Cummans,
pioneer Orange township residents
observed the sixtieth anniversary of
their wedding, Wednesday at their
home east of Bluffton.
The couple are of that compar
atively rare number now living who
were married in the old brick court
house in Findlay. The wedding took
place October 18, 1879.
They have been lifelong residents
of this section and Mr. Cummans, a
retired farmer, has been justice of
the peace in Orange township for
twenty-eight years. He is the last
survivor of a family of fifteen child
ren.
Mr. Cummans is 80 years of age
and his wife 79. Their three child
ren are Elmer Summans of New
Stark, Mrs. George Wagner and Mrs.
Francis Wagner of Orange township.
They have six grandchildren and five
great grandchildren.
In honor of the event, a family
dinner was held at the Cummans
home last Sunday followed by a re
ception in the afternoon. Present
for the occasion were 139 friends
and relatives from Detroit, Toledo,
Kenton, Dola, Van Wert, Rawson,
Grover Hill, Ada, New Stark and
Findlay.
Funeral On Thursday
For Mt. Cory Woman
Funeral services for Mrs. Lovena
Smith, 89, of Mt. Cory, will be held
Thursday afternoon at 2 o’clock in
the Mt. Cory Methodist church. Rev.
E. I. Obee will officiate and inter
ment will be in the Clymer ceme
tery.
Mrs. Smith died Tuesday after
noon at the home of her son, Edwin
H. Smith in Mt. Cory following an
extended illness.
She was a native of Mercer coun
ty, Pa., the daughter of Peter and
Malinda Rickart and moved with her
parents to Union township near Mt.
Cory when eighteen years of age.
She was married March 14, 1872,
to Cicero Smith who died Feb. 16,
1924, while living in Findlay. For
the past fourteen years she has
made her home with her son in Mt.
Cory. For fifty years she was a
member of the Mt. Cory Methodist
church.
Besides her son, Mrs. Smith is sur
vived by three nieces and two
nephews. Two children preceded her
in death.
I
FHE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INT ERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1939
HOMECOMING TO
BE GALA EVENT
Bluffton College to Hold Annual
Back-Home Movement
Saturday
Frosh-Soph Tug of War, Crown
ing of Queen and Foot
ball on Program
An elaborate Homecoming pro
gram, with morning, afternoon and
evening features, has been prepared
for the entertainment of alumni and
former students returning to the
Bluffton college campus this Satur
day.
Opening the events of the day,
graduates who now hold positions as
instructors in educational institutions
will gather for a teacher’s confer
ence at 9 a. m. in College hall. Dr.
J. S. Schultz is in charge of the pro
gram.
At 10 a. m., a special Homecoming
chapel service will be held, at the
close of which the Homecoming
Queen, Miss Margaret Hobson, will
be crowned.
This will be followed by a peace
meeting at 11 a. m. conducted by
Don E. Smucker, youth secretary of
the Fellowship of Reconciliation.
Activities of the afternoon will
bring the traditional tug-o-war be
tween freshmen and sophomores at
1:15 p. m. on the banks of Little
Riley creek.
“Sparkin”, a one-act comedy, will
be presented by the Thespians, col
lege dramatic society, at 3 p. m. in
the college gymnasium.
Alumni will gather for reminis
cences and an interesting program at
the Homecoming banquet at 5:30 p.
m. in Ropp hall. Ira Baumgartner
will be toastmaster.
Climaxing a busy day, Bluffton’s
scrappy football eleven will meet a
rugged team from Grand Rapids uni
versity at a night contest on the
Harmon field gridiron, starting at
8:30 p. m.
One of the features io be present
ed during the intermission will be
the parading and playing by the 55
piece Celina High school band, di
rected by Lawrence Evans, a Bluff
ton graduate.
Many of the homecomers are ex
pected to remain for a continuation
of the program on Sunday which in
cludes a special Homecoming service
at the First Mennonite church in the
morning and a vesper service in the
college chapel in the afternoon.
Couple Is Wed In
Port Clinton, Friday
A quiet ceremony solemnized in
Port Clinton, Friday afternoon at
four-thirty o’clock united in marriage
Miss Lois Jordan, younger daugh
ter of Mrs. Pearl Jordan of Mt.
Cory and Richard Fillwock, son of
Mrs. Anna Fillwock of North Balti
more.
The ceremony took place at the
residence of Rev. G. W. Lily, former
pastor of the Rawson U. B. church
who officiated. The ceremony was
witnessed by Mrs. Lily.
The bride wore a titian crepe
gown with black accessories and cor
sage of white gardenias.
Mr. and Mrs. Fillwock left im
mediately after the ceremony on a
motor trip thru the eaestern states.
They will reside in their new home
at Leavittsburg, near Warren, where
Mr. Fillwock is an electrician in a
steel mill.
Mrs. Fillwock was a graduate of
Rawson high school in the class of
1936. She has been employed at the
plant of the Triplett Electrical In
strument company for the past three
years.
Mr. Fillwock graduated from Raw
son high school in 1934 and has been
employed at his present position for
the past three years.
First Music Recital
At College Monday
Bluffton college’s first student re
cital of the fall season will be pre
sented in the chapel at 7:30 p. m.
next Monday. Arrangements for the
program of vocal and instrumental
music offerings are being made by
Prof. Russell A. Lantz, head of the
department of music.
Mayor’s Notice
With the coming of the annual
Halloween season, attention is called
to the fact that there will be no in
terference with a proper observance
of the occasion, but no malicious de
struction or defacing of property
will be tolerated.
W. A. Howe, Mayor 26
With The Sick
Mrs. Katherine Badertscher, regis
tered nurse, is a patient in the
Bluffton hospital as a result of a
fall down a flight of stairs leading
to the basement of her home on
South Jackson street, Monday morn
ing. She received severe bruises and
possible internal chest injuries. Her
condition, however, is not regarded
as critical according to Dr. J. S.
Steiner, attending physician.
Frank Parker, 57, transient is in
the Bluffton hospital with a broken
left leg as the result of an accident
in Bluffton’s downtown section Sat
urday night. Parker, who was
crossing the street was struck by an
automobile driven by a Toledo man.
The motorist stopped and took
Parker to the hospital.
Church Of Christ Prepares To
Observe Eightieth Anniversary
Founded in Bluffton in 1859, the
Bluffton Church of Christ will ob
serve its eightieth anniversary with
special services on Sunday, October
29, it was announced the first of the
week.
The pastor, Rev. L. B. Remaley
and committees of members of the
congregation are making prepara
tions for observance of the occasion.
The church was originally located
on North Main street on the site
now occupied by the Hi-Speed filling
station a short distance north of the
Riley creek bridge.
After being moved to its present
location on East Elm street, the
former site was occupied for many
years by the Kimmel planing mill.
Allen County Corn luskers
To Vie/ For Title Saturday
Fred Stauffer of Williamstown,
former Bluffton resident who was
injured in an automobile accident
two miles west of Bluffton ten days
ago is again a patient in the Bluff
ton hospital after having been dis
charged from that institution early
last week. After leaving the hos
pital Stauffer remained several days
at the home of his sister, Mrs. Kate
Beals on South Jackson street. A
relapse in his condition, however,
resulted in his being re-admitted^ to
the hospital last Friday. He is now
reported improved. His wife, who
has been a patient in the hospital
here since the accident is also im
proving.
Mrs. Wilson Hawk of South Jack
son street is a patient in the Find
lay hospital.
Oliver Locher who is convalescing
at St. Luke’s hospital in Cleveland
following a recent kidney operation
is expected to be removed to his
home here during the coming week.
Teachers Organize
For Coming Year
Teachers in the Bluffton high and
grade schools have organized for the
coming school year electing Mrs.
Russell Lantz, art instructor, as
president of the Bluffton Teachers
association. Other officers are vice
president, Miss Theola Steiner sec
retary-treasurer, Miss Elenor Leiter.
Opening meeting of the organiza
tion was held Monday night when
Mrs. Armstrong of the Houghton
Miflin company spoke on the sub
ject “Reading, the Responsibility of
Every Teacher”. After the address
pictures were shown of the trip to
the National Education association
meeting at San Francisco which was
attended by several Bluffton teach
ers last summer. Refreshments closed
the meeting.
A joint meeting of high and grade
school teachers together with their
wives and husbands will be held each
month. Separate monthly meetings
will also be arranged for teachers
of the high and grade schools to
discuss mutual problems.
Temperance Play
Here Sunday Night
“The Tiger Tale”, temperance
play, will be presented in a union
service in the high school auditorium,
Sunday night at 7:30 under auspices
of the Bluffton Ministerial associa
tion.
Presentation will be by a local cast
under direction of S. P. McNaught
of Columbus. The action will be
based on the life of John B. Gough,
reformed drunkard.
Appearing in the cast are: Rev.
E. G. Steiner, Rev. C. M. Armen
trout, Rev. J. A. Weed, Elmer Stone
hill, Mrs. J. S. Schultz, Robert Lug
inbuhl, Charles Schultz, Luella Lug
inbuhl, Mrs. Fay Isham, A. J. B.
Longsdorf, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Stauf
fer, Norman and Freddie Sumney.
Ur'.
Third Annual Contest and Colt
Show to be Held at J. C.
Begg Farm
Standing and Shock Corn Con
tests are Arranged Ma
chinery Displays
Allen county’s third annual corn
husking contest and draft colt show
will be held this Saturday morning
and afternoon on the J. C. Begg and
Sons farm, two miles east of Colum
bus Grove, just off the Bluffton
Columbus Grove road.
Husking contests will be held in
the morning in an unusually good
2—acre field of Hybrid corn, Indiana
614 and Ohio U-17. Standing and
shock corn contests both are planned.
Entry in each contest is limited to
the first 10 applicants reporting to
the office of James H. Warner, Al
len county agricultural agent, in the
Federal building at Lima.
Rules announced for the state con
test, in which winners, will be eli
gible to compete, will be in force for
the Allen county meet. Awards for
winners also are being offered.
A Future Farmer corn husking
i contest, with entry limited to one
high school students from each dis
I trict, will be held on the Begg farm
in the afternoon, starting at 1 p. m.
The draft colt show will be opened
at 2 p. m. with classes for horse
and mare colts. Any colt whose
dam or sire is owned by an Allen
county breeder may be entered.
Other events of the day include
farm machinery displays, plowing
demonstrations in alfalfa sod and
processing of seed in a hybrid seed
com plant on the farm. Lunch will
be served on the grounds.
The contest and colt show is spon
sored by the Allen county granges
in cooperation with County Agent
Warner.
The shock com contest will open
at 9:30 a. m. and the standing corn
contest at 10 a. m. Shock winners
in 1937 and 1938 respectively were
Jesse Shaw, Harrod Route One, and
Elmer Wood, Cairo. Winners in the
standing contest in 1937 and 1938
were George Greenway, Columbus
Grove, and Ralph Jarvis, Spencer
ville, respectively.
Red Cross To Give
Course In First Aid
Arrangements are being made by
the Bluffton Red Cross to give a
course in first aid here under direc
tion of two instructors from Lima.
Enrollment in the course is open to
anyone over the age of seventeen.
There will be no expense to those
enrolling except sixty cents for a
text book and a square of muslin.
Those interested should notify Supt.
of Schools A. J. B. Longsdorf, Mrs.
Ora Wetherill or Mrs. Edith Mann.
Construction Begun
On Fifth New House
Construction of the fifth new
house in the Grove street area has
been started with the excavation for
the basement of a residence to be
erected by Ed Smith at the corner of
Grove and Kibler streets opposite
the Howard Stager residence.
Smith w’ho is employed as an en
gineer at the generating plant of the
Central Ohio Light & Power com
pany here purchased the site from
Mrs. W. A. Triplett early this fall.
Four other dwellings now under
construction which are expected to
be completed before winter are those
of Harry Bogart, Norman Triplett,
Jack Remde and Lugibill Sisters.
All nations smile in the same lan
guage.
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Live and a
Good Place to Trade
NUMBER 25
INSTALL COLLEGE
PRESIDENT HERE
Dr. Lloyd Ramseyer to be In
augurated at Ceremony in
Chapel, Friday
Representatives of Thirty Col
leges to be Present for
Occasion
Formal inaugural exercises for Dr.
Lloyd L. Ramseyer as president of
Bluffton college will be attended by
representatives from more than 30
colleges Friday afternoon and even
ing.
The inauguration precedes by a
day a gala homecoming celebration
on Saturday, and is included as a
part of an elaborate program ex
tending from Friday thru Sunday.
Part of the inauguration cere
monies will be broadcast over Radio
Station WLOK, Lima, including the
principal address by Dr. Kenneth I.
Brown, president of Hiram college
and of the Ohio Colleges association.
Many On Program
Doors will be closed at 3:45 and
inaugural services will start at 4
p. m. in the college chapel, with Rev.
A. S. Rosenberger of Dalton third
president of Bluffton college, serving
as chairman. Rev. Earl Salzman, of
Topeka, Ind., will offer the invoca
tion.
Dr. Harry G. Good, professor of
education, Ohio State university and
formerly of the college here, will
present Dr. Ramseyer for the induc
tion ceremony, which will be con
ducted by J. S. Slabaugh, of
Nappanee, Ind., president of the
Bluffton board of trustees.
President Ramseyer’s inauagural
address will be on “The Christian
College and Present Needs”, follow
ing which Dr. Brown will talk on
"The Ideal of a God-Centered Educa
tion.”
Honorary Degrees
Honorary Doctor of Law* degrees
will be conferred upon two educators
following his induction. Those to be
honored are Dr. S. K. Mosiman,
president emeritus of Bluffton col
lege and Dr. Edmund G. Kaufman,
president of Bethel college,
North...._
at Bluffton. Dr. J. S. Schultz, dean
of the college, will present the two
candidates.
Closing the afternoon session Rev.
Jacob R. Fretz, of Lansdale, Pa., will
deliver the benediction.
An inaugural banquet will be held
in the Ropp hall dining room follow
ing services, with N. E. Byers, dean
emeritus of Bluffton college, serving
as chairman. Dr. Kaufman will give
the address. .- r*
Concert In Evening /,
Final event of the day will be a
concert in the First Mennonite
church at 8 p. m. featuring the ves
per choir, the college orchestra and
featured vocalists.
Dr. Ramseyer became president of
Bluffton college on Nov. 5, of last
year. He was born near Blooming
ton, Ill., and graduated from Bluffton
college in 1924.
In the spring of 1938 he received
his Ph. from Ohio State university.
In New Locations
Ray Mumma and family will move
this week from what is known as the
Geo. Hacker property on South Main
street into the H. A. Alderfer prop
erty on South Main street vacated
several months ago by the Robert
Cooney family.
Mrs. Sibyl Mollett and Mr. and
Mrs. A. D. Wells will occupy the
property vacated by the Mumma
family. It was recently purchased
by Mrs. Mollett. The North Main
street property which they vacate
was recently purchased by the Misses
Marcella and Lilas Basinger, daugh
ters of Philip Basinger.
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Ludwig and
family have moved from the Zanna
Staater property on South Jackson
street to a location near Rawson.
Mr. and Mrs. M. L. Perkins, resid
ing on the former Lafe Owens farm
south of Bluffton on the county line
expect to move to Leipsic Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. Laverne Badertscher
have moved to the house formerly
occupied by Irene and Eugene Augs
burger, near town.
Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Ream have
moved from the Ludwig property on
North Main street to an apartment
in the Mrs. Zoe Zehrbach block.
Births
Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Balmer re
siding near Bluffton are the parents
of a daughter born at the Bluffton
hospital, Monday morning.