The Bluffton news. [volume], November 02, 1939, Image 1

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BLUFFTON NEWS
The Advertising Medium for
Bluffton Trade Territory
VOLUME NO. LXTV
SNOW CRUISER
STARTS EAST
Big Vehicle* Leaves Gomer
Early Wednesday After
Three-day Tie-up
Huge Crowds View Juggernaut
Lying in Small Stream
Near Gomer
Admiral Byrd’s giant 37-ton snow
cruiser destined for Antarctic wastes
which for three days lay with its nose
hurried in the bank of a small stream
near Gomer, resumed its journey from
Chicago eastward over the Lincoln
highway early Wednesday morning.
The lumbering juggernaut passed
the Bentley road intersection four
miles south of Bluffton at 7 o’clock.
Although early in the morning a num
ber of spectators were on hand to see
it.
Bluffton area residents jittery
since early last week because they
were afraid they might not see the
cruiser—mad plenty of time to look
it over after it left the road and bog
ged down in Pike run, a creek on the
Mrs. Cleo Watkins farm a quarter
mile east of Gomer, Saturday after
noon at 1:10 o’clock.
Crowds estimated at upwards of
100,000 people saw the cruiser from
Saturday afternoon until Tuesday
night and the traffic regulation over
the Lincoln highway, main east and
wast travel artery proved a big
task for state and county authorities.
The cruiser w*as lifted from the
creek, largely’ under its own power
late Monday, and was back on the
Lincoln highway again Tuesday, ready
for resumption of its journey follow
ing the completion of temporary re
pairs.
Many Await Arrival
Bluffton’s interest in the gigantic
vehicle first reached fever-point Tues
day of last deek when it was falsely
rumored that the cruiser was to pass
thru Beaverdam. Many motored to
vantage points on the Lincoln on that
day, only to learn later that the snow
cruiser was not scheduled to leave
Chicago until Thursday.
There was another flurry of excite
ment Friday when reports were wide
spread that the snow cruiser would
pass thru Beaverdam at noon.
Many carloads of Bluffton residents
again took up their vigil, but again
no snow cruiser. It developed that
the vehicle was not then out of In
diana, a monor collision with a truck
having delayed it.
Nears Beaverdam
Came Saturday, and word that the
ponderous machine, 55 feet long and
20 feet wide, was traveling over the
Lincoln and drawing nearer Beaver
dam.
It was not fated to reach the town
that day, however, for a quarter mile
east of Gomer, the snow cruiser,
scraped the northeast corner of a
bridge, in some fashion the high com
pression steering line was cracked,
and the juggernaut ,out of control,
left the highway and plunged into the
creek.
Hundred saw the vehicle as it rest
ed helplessly in the mud Saturday
afternoon and also during the even
ing, among them many from Bluffton
who had heard of the mishap.
Crowd of 50,000
The real turnout came on Sunday,
however, when it was estimated that
more than 50,000 persons gathered at
the scene of the crash.
Anticipating the rush, a small army
of state highway patrol men and spe
cial deputies had thrown up a cordon
around the entire area.
Gomer was insolated to automobiles
and the thousands of sight-seers
found thew were compelled to park
their cars from one and one-half
miles to four miles from the locality.
Altho the highway was closed to au
tomobiles, it was lined with a steady
stream of person, moving to and from
the creek bed where the cruiser rest
ed.
The great machine virtually extri
cated itself from the creek, despite
damage to it, and the only work that
had to be done was to block one of the
wheels up to level with the others.
Then, the vehicle backed out to the
highway under its own power.
Temporary repairs were effected,
permitting the cruiser to continue its
journey. In Pennsylvania two of the
Diesel-powered motors which
damaged will be rebuilt, and
repairs will be made.
LIKE
ATTENTION
were
other
FIRST SNOW SATURDAY
First snow of the season fell here
Saturday, when a few flurries were
noticed here. The snow melted as
quickly as it fell. The snow ac
companied an overnight change to
colder weather. Temperatures fell
from a high mark of 72 degrees Fri
day afternoon to 39 Saturday morning.
uurnig uie wiuwsi i uecucu, **vwx**.*»s
0/.
Couple Is Wed In
Findlay On Sunday
Miss Eleanor E. Kern, only daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Kern of
Bluffton became the bride of Oliver
C. Spaeth, youngest son of Mr. and
Mrs. Peter Spaeth of Arlington, Sun
day afternoon at 2 o’clock.
The quiet single ring ceremony
was solemnized at the home of the
officiating minister Rev. T. C. Biddle
of Findlay, former pastor of the
Rawson United Brethren church.
The bride’s parents witnessed the
ceremony.
The bride was attired in a street
length dress of sea moss green wool
crepe with brown accessories and
wore a corsage of yellow chrysanthe
mums.
The bride is a graduate of Rawson
high school in the class of 1936.
bridegroom attended Arlington
school.
UPTO'THEVOTERS
It’S
EHere
Here'A^ain
It’s Again
the cat with the proverbial nine lives, Bluffton
voters will find the sewer question again on their
doorstep when they go to the polls next Tuesday.
Four times in the past thirteen years the issue has
been turned down. The fact that it continues to come up
would indicate that instead of deciding the question these
defeats have only postponed the day when the town must
adopt some method of disposing of its domestic and in
dustrial wastes.
Bluffton—a growing community—cannot continue to
ignore the sewage problem which clamors for solution.
Present means of handling sewage are a menace to public
safety and comfort. Hordes of mosquitoes, in themselves
a potential health menace, bring an unmistakable warning
every summer that speaks for itself.
Fortunate as we have been in past years in the matter
of public health, its continuance should not be left to
chance. Neither may we presume too much on the for
bearance of landowners down stream who have endured a
disagreeable situation thus far without complaint.
Bluffton has committed itself in the past for construc
tion of paved streets, schools, electric lights and water
works—all essentials of a modern municipality—none of
which, however, is more important to public health and
well-being than sewage disposal.
Cost of a complete system, as proposed, would be
of reach except for federal aid now available. This
portunity may not present itself again. Bluffton should
vote yes on the question of sewer bonds next Tuesday.
No Time To Hesitate
has been called—and rightly so—to the
two proposed Bigelow constitutional amendments
which will appear on the ballot next Tuesday. These two
proposals are fraught with the gravest danger to the wel
fare of the state—the results of which no man can foresee.
Uncertain scores of millions would be added to Ohio
ans’ tax burden to finance old-age pensions, whether needed
or not, wrere the Bigelow amendment No. 1 adopted next
Tuesday.
The process of writing future amendments into the
constitution would be simplified for any crackpot group
with a few sharp pencils and an ax to grind, were the
Bigelow amendment No. 2 approved.
It is no time for hesitant attitude by voters. Both
of these amendments must be defeated.
The
high
pres
the
on
The couple will reside for the
ent with the bride’s parents on
Bertsche farm east of Bluffton
the Allen-Hancock county line.
To Oppose Bigelow
Plan In Talk Here
Speaking against the proposed
Bigelow amendments, Frank B.
Pauly representative of the Ohio
Emergency committee will address a
public meeting in the high school
auditorium, Thursday night at 8
o’clock.
Pauly who is making a tour of
this part of the state speaking
against the Bigelow plan, spoke be
fore the Lions club here on that
subject several weeks ago.
Brotherhood Hears
Talk By Lima Pastor
Speaking at a meeting of the Bro
therhood of the Reformed churches,
Tuesday night in the Emanuel’s
church, Rev. Paul Graeser based his
talk on word pictures drawn from
real life.
Rev. Graeser, an interesting speak
er, is pastor of the First Reformed
church of Lima. Forty-six attended
the meeting.
Hospital Tag Sale
Here Election Day
Hospital tag day will be held here
next Tuesday, election day, when
tags will be sold for benefit of Bluff
ton hospital. The tag sale is under
auspices of the Womans Auxiliary
and all proceeds will go to the hos
pital.
KJ a '7od- BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1939
....
.... ..
26 In Five Church
Peace Contests
Prince of Peace Declamation con
tests will be held
churches Saturday
nights.
in five
and
Bluffton
Sunday
church
will
will
re
be
Winners in each
ceive a bronze medal, and
eligible to compete in the Allen
county elimination contest scheduled
for early in December.
Twenty-six high school boys and
girls will compete in the church con
tests .four of which are to be held
on Sunday, and the other Saturday
night.
Prince of Peace Declamation con
tests are sponsored in the state every
year under auspices of the Ohio
Council of Churches.
Local competitors are as follows:
Reformed church, 7:30 p. m. Sat
urday—Louise Dunifon, Wanda Dil
ler, Dorothy Greding, John Stettler,
Harlan Swank, Charlotte Santschi
and Billie Bechtel.
Presbyterian church, 7:30 p. m.
Sunday—Alberta Sumney, Bettye
Murray and Harriette Biome.
Methodist church, 7:30 p. m. Sun
day—Gerald Augsburger, Madlyn
Isham, Bettye Steinman, Jeanne
Baumgartner, Ralph Short and Caro
lyn Stonehill.
First Mennonite church, 7:30 p. m.
Sunday—Herbert Klassen, Arthur
Thiessen, George Myers, Helen Sold
ner and Doris Jean White.
Defenseless Mennonite church, 7:30
p. m. Sunday—Phyllis Steiner, Dale
Grismore, Doris Garmatter, Veldean
Moser and Marjorie Stratton.
Amateur Night At
College Saturday
Bluffton college will hold amateur
night Saturday with a
the chapel at 8 p. m.,
nounced the first of the
resentatives of all four
program in
it was an
week. Rep
classes and
the faculty will participate
mixed program, details of
were being arranged the first
week.
in a
which
of the
Lions To Discuss
Community Service
How the Bluffton Lions club may
best serve the community will be the
topic for the club meeting on next
Tuesday night. The club will meet
at the Walnut grill at 6:15 o’clock.
A program for discussion is being
outlined aid an opportunity will also
be given members to bring up any
project which in their opinion the
club should be interested.
I
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INT ERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
IVOTERS HERE TO
GET SIX BALLOTS
Large Number
Marked by 1
Tickets to be
ctors Next
Municipal and Township Tickets
Local and State Issues
Included
Bluffton voters will have a sizeable
job on their hands when they go to
their polling places pext Tuesday and
accept the six ballots which will be
turned over to them to mark.
For an off-year election six different
ballots are decidedly unusual, and it
is believed that the aumber will set a
new local record.
Three of the ballots will carry the
names of candidates for local offices.
Two of these will include the Bluffton
village ticket on which are listed nom-
VOTING PLACES
NEXT TUESDAY
A—Mayors office.
B—High ’“‘School Library.
C—Fire Dept. Room.
Bluffton
out
op-
.. Bluffton
Bluffton
Richland North—Township room.
Bluffton.
Richland South—Townhouse,
Beaverdam.
Beaverdam—Townhouse.
inees for municipal posts and
Richland township ticket for trustees
and other township officers.
Bluffton’s vote on the w*et and
question will be obtained on a separ
ate local opinion ballot, which if ap
proved by electors will ban the sale
of beer and light wines with excep
tion of 3.2 beer.
A state amendment ballot, with four
suggested amendments, also will be
presented. This includes the two
highly controversial Bigelow amend
ments—that providing for a new sys
tem of old age pensions, and the one
proposing to change the initiative
plan for submitting amendments and
laws to direct vote.
The Bigelow amendments will be
the second and third on the amend
ment ballot. The first will be a con
stitutional amendment, submitted by
the legislature, which provides for the
creation of a state board of education.
The fourth and last proposition on the
state ballot is the referred bill to re
organize the state civil service com
mission.
To Sail For African
Mission Field Sunday
Mr. and Mrs. Henry A. Senff,
missionaries to Africa who have
been in this country on furlough for
the past eighteen months will sail
from New York City on
returning to resume their
work.
Sunday,
mission
part of
Mr. and Mrs. Senff spent
their furlough here visiting at the
home of her father, John Welty on
Cherry street.
Their journey which begins Sun
day will end about the Christmas
holiday season when they are sched
uled to arrive at the African Inland
Mission at Maitulu, Belgian Congo,
near the equator in Central Africa.
They will sail from New York
City on the S. S. Vulcania to Lis
bon, Portugal. From there they will
sail November 24 on the S. S.
Quanza for Matadi, Belgian Congon,
arriving there on December 5.
From Matadi, on the coast they
will travel 3,000 miles over gravel
roads to their mission station at
Maitulu in the interior.
Methodist Men To
Hold Waffle Supper
A waffle and sausage supper will
be enjoyed by the Men’s Brother
hood of the Methodist church in the
church dining room Monday night at
6:30 o’clock. G. R. Bogart is chair
man of the committee in charge.
Principal add res of the evening
following the supper will be by Rev.
E. L. Arthur of Arlington. The
nominating committee wil also pre
sent names for election to Brother
hood offices for the coming year.
(Candidates For Bluffton And
PET 01V DAI I OTO Richland Township Offices
REPUBLICAN
Munson Bixel
Carl Cahill
Wm. Edwards
Armin Hauenstein
Harold Kennedy
Cleon Triplett
Eli Deppler
A. E. Kohli
E. S. Lape
Waldo Hofstetter
Norman Triplett
Henry Huber
Clayion Bixel
Frank Barber
R. E. Griffith
the
Controversial Measures
A third ballot will carry names
nominees for the Bluffton board
education.
of
of
Controversial measures that have
evoked plenty’ of comment in Bluff
ton in recent weeks are listed on the
other three ballots.
One of these is to record sentiment
of the town with respect to authori
zation of a municipal sewage disposal
system. It calls for a 65 per cent
vote in approval of an $80,000 bond
issue, which would represent a part
of the town’s share of cost of
$400,000 project.
the
Local Option Vote
dry
Rev. Albert Hager, 49, native of
Pandora, who w’as until recently a
resident of Phoenix, Arizona, told
authorities that Winnie Ruth Judd,
convicted trunk slayer who fled from
the Arizona state hospital at Phoe
nix had confided to him several weeks
ago she planned to escape.
Rev. Hager, who lately moved to
Pekin, Ill., made his statement to
Illinois authorities, following the
sensational escape of the Judd
woman last week.
For Mayor
While the rest of the campus was
preparing for an all-college party,
Bluffton college seniors left unan
nounced and unsuspected last Satur
day night on their annual "Sneak
Day” jaunt.
Accompanied by Coach and Mrs.
A. C. Burcky, the class advisors, the
seniors went to Detroit where they
spent Saturday and Sunday nights.
They did not return to Bluffton un
til late Monday.
In Detroit, the seniors made their
headquarters at the Hotel Detroiter.
On Sunday night the students at
tended the broadcast of the Ford
Sunday Evening Hour in a group,
after sight-seeing thru the city.
Monday’s highlight was a trip thru
the famous Dearborn village. While
in the original laboratory of Thomas
Edison, the class heard the man in
charge, said to be the only living co
worker of Edison, making arrange
ments with MGM officials for a
forthcoming motion picture dealing
with the life of the noted inventor.
The trip to Detroit was made by
automobile.
Postpone Opening
Red Cross School
Opening of the Red Cross first
aid school in Bluffton scheduled for
Thursday flight has been postponed
until next Monday night at the high
school cafeteria at 7:30 o’clock.
Twenty from Bluffton and vicinity
have enrolled for the course ac
cording to a report given the first
of the week by those in charge here.
Instruction in first aid work will
be given by two instructors from
Lima under sponsorship of the Bluff
ton Red Cross chapter.
Births
Announcement has been made of
the birth of a daughter, Marsha
Jean, to Mr. and Mrs. John Hartz
ler, Jr., of Ashland, formerly of
Bluffton, October 16.
Mr. and Mrs. Cleland Amstutz of
Pandora are the parents of a son
born at Bluffton hospital, Friday.
A son was bom at the Bluffton
hospital, Friday to Mr. and Mrs.
Merritt Reichly of Rawson.
W. A. Howe A. D. Wells
For Clerk
James West Carold Steiner
For Treasurer
Ralph Badertscher Samuel Bixel
For Marshal
Carl Burkhart
For Council
(Six to Elect)
For Board of Public Affairs
(Three to Elect)
For Board of Education
(Two to Elect)
For Richland Twp. Trustees
For Richland Twp. Clerk
For Richland Twp. Constables
(Two to Elect)
The minister said he wras her
“spiritual adviser’ until about a
month ago when he left Phoenix to
become pastor of the Groveland Mis
sionary church near Pekin. He held
a pastorate near Lima before he
went to Phoenix six years ago.
Escaped Trunk Slayer Confided
In Pastor, Former Pandora Man
Seniors See Sights In Detroit
On Week-End Sneak Day Jaunt
DEMOCRATIC
Lee Coon
Menno Badertscher
Arden Baker
Evan Basinger
Fred Hofer
Ralph Patterson
Jesse Stratton
Cal Balmer
A. C. Burcky
Wm. Luginbuhl
Homer Gratz
Elmer Short
Rev. Hager who made a voluntary
statement to the authorities, said
that Mrs. Judd told him she wanted
to flee "because of her treatment
and because she had not received a’
fair trial.”
The former Pandora man, a form
er teacher in the rural schools and
well remembered in this vicinity is
the eldest son of the late John
Hager. His younger brother Levi
Hager, former Pandora painter, is
also now in the west. A sister, Miss
Zelma Hager is engaged in mission
work in New York City.
Mrs. Judd, after six days of free
dom was recaptured Monday night
and returned to the Arizona institu
tion.
Hold Last Rites For
Former Local Woman
Funeral services for Mrs. I. B.
Stith, 73, formerly of Bluffton were
held at the Methodist church here
Wednesday afternoon. Rev. J. A.
Weed, pastor of the church officiated
and interment was made in Maple
Grove cemetery.
Mrs. Stith who resided near Lima
died in a Toledo hospital Sunday
night from a heart disease. The re
mains were brought here Monday.
Surviving are her husband, also
five daughters, Mrs. Rose Herrman
and Mrs. Beatrice Conaway both of
Bluffton Mrs. Molly Price of Cleve
land Mrs. Ella Shine of Lima and
Mrs. Alice Pfeifer of near Beaver
dam.
Also surviving are two sisters Mrs.
Guy of Oak Harbor and Mrs. Frank
Urban of Ludington, Mich. one bro
ther Ed Crates of Ada fifteen
grandchildren and one great-grand
child.
Gravy For Farmers
Coming Thursday
Checks for Richland township
farmers who participated in the fed
eral soil conservation plan will be
distributed here Thursday, according
to word received here the first of the
week. Distribution will be made
at the township room by representa
tives of the soil conservation
gram in Allen county.
pro-
CLINIC POSTPONED
Diphtheria immunization clinic of
the Beaverdam schools scheduled for
last Friday has been postponed until
Friday of this week. At that time
an opportunity will be given for im
munization of pupils without charge.
The treatment is given with consent
of the parents and sponsored by the
Beaverdam Parent-Teacher associa
tion.
BROTHERHOOD BANQUET
Annual banquet of the Men’s Broth
erhood of the First Mennonite church
will be held on Thursday night, Nov.
9 in the church dining room at 6:30
o’clock. Rev. Neal Dow Newlin of
Lima will be the principal speaker.
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Live and a
Good Place to Trade
is
Allen Grismore
N. W. Basinger
Leonard Gratz
E. C. Heller
NUMBER 27
——................ ..............—-
LOCAL CAMPAIGN
NEARING CLOSE
Principal Interest Centers on
Sewer Bonds and Bigelow
Amendments
Campaigns of Town and Town
ship Candidates Entering
Final Stretch
elec
been
pri-
With less than a week until
tion, local politics which has
largely hibernating since the
mary is stirring into action. Candi
dates are showing increasing signs
of activity and something reminis
cent of the old-time campaigns may
be seen before the ballot-casting day
comes around next week.
The campaign thus far is running
true to form with the principal con
test manifested in the race for mayor
and marshal positions.
ity
dates.
Little activ-
evidenced by council candi-
school board and board of
affairs contest may develop
The
public
week end activity continuing up to
election day, according to predictions
of some local observers.
Interest On Issues
Principal pre-election interest has
centered on issues, rather than can
didates. Of these the local issue of
a bond issue for a proposed sewerage
system and the state Bigelow amend
ment issues have been the focal
points of attention.
The local option issue on which
Bluffton will vote has brought little
notice in the way of a campaign for
or against the measure. Likewise
other state issues besides the Bige
low amendments have received scant
attention here.
A mass meeting here Thursday
night when Frank Pauly represent
ing the Ohio Emergency committee
will speak against the Bigelow’ a
mendments and distribution of lit
erature explaining the sewer issue
the latter part of the week is ex
pected to close the campaign on
and
ex
per-
day,
issues. Candidates for town
township offices, however, are
pected to continue their work of
sonal solicitation until election
next Tuesday.
Completes 48 Years
4 s Livestock Buyer
It was forty-eight years ago Wed
nesday that A. E. Lugibill, pioneer
livestock buyer went into business
in Bluffton. Nearing the half-cen
tury mark in his business career
here, Mr. Lugibill was receiving con
gratulations from friends and asso
ciates Wednesday morning as he
went about his routine duties of
ing daily market quotations at
stockyards here.
list
the
the
Those were the days when
work of a livestock buyer was any
thing but easy, Lugibill mused as he
recounted early days in this com
munity.
With no telephones or automobiles,
livestock men made their rounds thru
the country with a horse and buggy
and after having purchased a carload
of cattle and
ing the stock
yards here.
hogs assisted in driv
over the roads to the
those days was the
Bluffton in
shipping center for the entire farm
ing district between this place and
Pandora
railroad
possible
standard
since the "narrow gauge”
thru Pandora made it im
to switch cars onto the
gauge lines.
Mr. Lugibill was at first associat
ed with the late Lewis Waltz and
afterward with A. D. Hall whose
death occurred several years ago,
both of whom were widely known
thruout this section.
For the past years he has been
Bluffton representative of Brady
Bros., large livestock dealers thru
out Northwestern Ohio.
With The Sick
Mrs. Sibyl Mollett is recovering
from the effects of a broken left arm
as the result of a fall at her home
on South Main street recently.
A number of cases of chicken pox
are reported
principally in
the cases are
home of
Tschiegg.
M. M.
on South
in the public schools,
the grades. None of
serious.
Davidson is ill at the
daughter, Mrs. Amos
Mrs. B. F.
her
Bogart is ill at his home
Main street.
Jesse Stratton who became serious
ly ill while working in. Lima early
last week is convalescing at his home
here on South Main street.
Mrs. H. T. Unruh is convalescing
at Bluffton hospital following a
major operation last Wednesday.