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Happy New Year VOLUME NO. LXlV TOWN TO HAVE NEW OFFICIALS Incoming Administration Will Take Over City Affairs Tuesday Night Many New Faces to be Seen as Municipal Officials Start Term of Office Likewise the positions of marshal and treasurer will continue to be held by Lee Coon and Samuel Bixel, incumbents, respectively. Many New Faces Other municipal offices, however, will see many new faces as the new term of office begins. James West, bookkeeper at the Citizens National bank elected town clerk will over the records kept for the two years by Carold Steiner. Twr. Trustees Unchanged Personnel of the Richland town ship board of trustees remains un changed. Allen Grismore the only member of the board whose term ex pires at the close of this year was re-elected as* was also N. W. Ba singer township clerk-treasurer. Township constables are R. E. Griffith and E. C. Heller, the latter filling the place of Harry Homer. Funeral For Mrs. Wm. Hartman Xmas Day Funeral services for Mrs. Wm. Hartman, resident of Orange town ship were held at Bethel Church of Christ southeast of Bluffton, Mon day afternoon. Officiating at the service was Rev. L. B. Remaley, pastor of the church, assisted by Rev. A. E. McVey of Mt. Cory. Mrs. Hartman died at her home near Bluffton, Saturday morning fol lowing a two weeks’ illness with paralysis. She was aged 77 years, six months and 16 days. Interment was in Clymer cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Hartman, pioneer residents of Orange township, cele brated their fifty-fifth wedding anni versary last daughter of Wilkins. Surviving Du’ adminis reins of Tuesday Bluffton’s new municipal tration will take over the local city government next night. The change will be made of ficially in the council chamber when members of the outgoing council will convene in a brief routine session and adjourn sine die after which the incoming council will hold its organ ization meeting. The head of the city government will be unchanged. W. A. Howe, former president of the town council who became mayor by succession last year when the mayor’s chair became vacant was elected to the position to serve for the next two years. take past will The Half of the present council be replaced by new members, new members are: Dr. Munson Bixel, Cleon Triplett and Ralph Patterson. They will replace Dr. M. D. Soash, E. C. Romey and M. M. Bogart. Present council members who will continue to serve for the next two years are: Armin Hauenstein, Dr. Evan Basinger and Menno Bader tscher. On the school board Peter Gratz, veteran member of the board will retire. Ralph Patterson whose term on the school tward expires will leave that body fop membership on the Council. Their places on the board will be filled by Waldo Hof stetter and Elmer Short She was the and Rebecca July 13. Absolom are her husband six Clevenger of daughters, Mrs. Stella Geneva, Pa. Mrs. Minnie Redick of Silver Wood, Mich. Mrs. Goldie Criblez of Gainesville, Texas Mrs. Sarah Slusser of Ada Mrs. Ada Yoakam of Phillips, Texas, and Mrs. Flossie Henry of Bluffton also five sons Purl, William and Archie all of Bluffton Wesley of Williams town and Emanuel of Rawson, the children were here for the fun eral services. All Four brothers surviving, are John and Ross Wilkins of Bluffton Ira Wilkins of Mt. Cory and Lawrence Wilkins of Rawson. surviving are Mrs. Jesse Mohler, Bluffton Mrs. Burt Williams, Mt. Cory and Mrs. Della Hartman, Raw son. Thirty-nine grandchildren and 12 grandchildren also survive. Three sisters R. L. Triplett To Be Heard By Lions R. L. Triplett, president of The Triplett Electrical Instrument Co., Bluffton’s major industry, will be the speaker next Tuesday night at a din ner meeting of the Lions club in the Walnut Grill. The meeting will start at 6:15 p. m. Christmas Mailing Rush Sets White Christmas? Opinions Tuesday Differ On Point Bluffton have a white Christmas Monday? Opin ions expressed Tuesday showed a wide divergence on that point. There were undeniably the re mains of last week’s heavy snow fall—but that’s all it was—just remains, as one observer put it, pointing out that less than half of the landscape was covered by a thin coating of snow. So the question remains—did Bluffton have a white Christmas —you can have your own opinion. GAIETY PLANNED FOR NEW YEARS Watch Parties and Bands Carolers will Greet 1940 Sunday Night Caroling Popular Traveling from house to house on foot, the bands of carolers are wel comed into many of the homes they serenade. There midnight lunches are served and the general gaiety of the occasion prevails. Watch parties are another favorite form of New Year’s entertainment, and many are being planned this year. In other cases, groups are arranging theatre parties, and some will confine their celebration to listening to radio programs heralding the passing of the old year and the arrival of the new. With the debut of 1940, the gay Yuletide holiday season will be brought to a close, and the Bluffton district will resume the accustomed mid-winter life. Holiday Next Monday Business generally will be suspend ed in the town next Monday, in ob servance of New Year’s Day. The post office also will be closed, and there will be no mail delivery on town or rural routes. Tuesday, however, will find the col or and cheer of the Yuletide season gradually being absorbed in the rush of everday affairs. Bluffton grade and high school stu dents will resume their studies on Tuesday morning and classes at Bluff ton college will convene on Wednes day morning. With The Sick Jesse Hummon of Union township who suffered a badly mangled left forearm when it caught in a corn shredder a week ago continues a pa tient in the Community hospital. Mrs. Chester Huber, ill as a re sult of a paralytic stroke, is conval escing at the Community hospital. Albert Vermillion is ill at his home in Orange township. Samuel Fete is seriously ill at the home of his brother, Wm. Fett of near Beaverdam following a para lytic stroke. Mrs. G. T. Soldner who has been seriously ill at her home on Cherry street following a stroke several weeks ago is improving. Mrs. Bertha Rhoda, formerly of this place, suffered a fractured left hip as the result of a fall on the street near her home in Lima, Mon i day. Real Estate Deal The Samuel Swaney farm of 80 acres five miles south of Bluffton has been purchased by E. G. Grif fith of North Baltimore. .----------------- New Record For Holiday Season of Celebration Expected to Begin Later, Awaiting Passing Of Sunday Ringilng bells, shrilling whistles, and watch parties will mark the pass ing of another year and usher in its successor thruout the Bluffton area at midnight on Sunday. The celebration this year is expected to last later than usual since much of the gaiety will be postponed until after the passing of Sunday. Adding to the color and cheerful ness of the district’s New Year’s ob servance, carolers will make their tra ditional rounds of the town and countryside, singing old favorite songs in tune with the spirit of the occa sion. Caroling on New Year’s eve is a long established custom in this area, many bands of singers make the rounds, most of them singing the bet ter-known old German melodies. A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE __________________ i_ Yuletide Mail Greatest in His tory of Postoffice, Post master Declares Record of 39,025 Cancellations Is Reported Heaviest Rush Wednesday Bluffton’s post office last week handled a record volume of Christ mas mail, but early mailing to some extent eased the rush of making de liveries and dispatching outgoing items for local postal attaches. With the volume of mail unusually heavy during the early part of the week—even for the Yuletide season-— the rush Saturday ing thru normal. On Monday momih^, postal em ployes made a special delivery of parcel post packages that arrived in the morning's mail. In coming mail on Monday was quite heavy, there being two large pouches of first class items. This year’s parcel post business at the Bluffton post office wTas about the same as last year, Postmaster Reichenbach said, and the volume of incoming packages was about the same as usual. Thruout the heaviest rush, all first class mail was cleared from the post office on schedule, the postmaster pointed out. At times, however, the handling of third class mail slightly delayed because of the ume. Funeral services for S. W. Steiner, well known Richland township resi dent, were held Saturday afternoon at the Ebenezer Mennonite church. Officiating at the services were Rev. Eli G. Steiner, pastor of the Defenseless Mennonite church as sisted by Rev. G. P. Schultz of Chi cago. Interment was made in the Defenseless church cemetery. Mr. Steiner died last Wednesday night at his home three miles west of Bluffton following a two weeks’ illness. He was aged seventy-eight years, six months and twenty-two days. He was born May 28, 1861, the third son of Abraham and Marian Steiner and lived his entire life in this community. BLUFFTON, OHIO, abated gradually, and on the the amount of mail pass post office approached Ed R. Reichenbach an- Postmaster nounced that this year’s mailing from Bluffton was the heaviest history. 39,025 Cancellations in on During the week, cancellations first and third class mail reached a new record of 39,025. This is con siderably higher than last year’s to tal, also a new record, when were 32,932 cancellations. there heav said. Wednesday’s mail was the iest, Postmaster Reichenbach On that day there w’ere 10,402 can cellations. An average day’s cancel lations here amounts to to 1500. from 1200 the public, kept the For the convenience of Postmaster Reichenbach post office open last Thursday and Friday nights. Stamps were sold to those who wished to send greet ings or parcel post. Special Service Another special service was the extra mail delivery on Saturday afternoon, which meant that letters and greetings which otherwise would not have been received until Tues day were in the hands of the per sons to whom they were addressed before Christmas had arrived. For many years he took an active part in affairs of the township serv ing for two terms as a member of the board of trustees and also a member of the school board. He was also road commissioner for twenty five years. In denominational affiliations he was a member of the Defenseless Mennonite church and consistent sup porter of the activities of his church. On September 27, 1883, he was married to Sarah Neuenschwander who survives. The couple observed their fifty-sixth wedding anniversary last September. Besides his wife he is survived by three daughters Mrs. Salva Mayer and Mrs. Alice Moyer both of Mt. Cory and Mrs. Leucile Buhler of Bluffton and two sons Jesse of To ledo and Stanton Steiner of Lima. Also surviving are one brother N. F. Steiner of Bluffton and two sis ters Mrs. Marian Lugibill of Gra bill, Ind., and Mrs. L. Rupp of Bloomington, Ill., and fifteen grand children. THE BLUFFTON NEWS LIQUOR BAN UP TO STATE BOARD Action Necessary this Week to Make December 31 Effec tive Date ?our Dispensers Here Will Affected by Revoking Of Licenses Whether sales of light wine and beer of alcoholic content greater than 3.2 per cent will be discontinued in Bluffton after nddnight Saturday rests entirely with the state board of liquor control, according to word from the mayor’s-Cl Sale of 3.2 beer is not affected and may be Thus far there has been no word from the board which will have until the end of the week to act in re voking the licenses to make the December 31 date effective. Four Affected Of six establishments dispensing light wines and *beer here at the time of the November election, four will be affected by the revoking of licenses. Of the other two, one been transferred to Lima and other will expire the first year. War was vol Funeral Services For S. W. Steiner Jacob B. Taylor, di continued here. Veteran To Conduct Revival Joe Denton, British World Rev. war veteran, will be in charge of re vival services at the Bluffton Mis sionary church from Sunday, Dec. 31, to Sunday, Jan. 14, inclusive, Rev. A. F. Albro, pastor of church, announced this week. ERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY DAY, DECEMBER 28, 1939 be office, Tuesday. A DeeeastiW ^Sunday ban on the sale of these beverages was voted at November. the election here in In event that the state board of liquor control acts to make the re voking of licenses effective on De cember 31 as designated by the town council, the sale of liquor will stop on midnight of December 30, since the 31st falls on Sunday on which day sales are legally barred. designated early town council as the state liquor was the December 31 this month by the date on which control board was authorized to re voke dispensers’ licenses and make refunds for the unexpired portion to the holders thereof. has an the of ban by be the Date on which the liquor comes effective was fixed council, since any refund to liquor permit holders would involve the ex penditure of municipal funds over which the council has control. Fixing of the December 31 date, however, will penditure in cording to received a A. Howe fro rector of the ^ejsartment of liquor control. involve little or no ex e way of refunds, ac contained in a letter ago by Mayor W. the Rev. held During the two-week period Denton is here, services will be daily at 7:30 p. m., except Saturday. Prior to his ordination as a min ister, Rev. Denton served as a sold ier for three and one-half years in India and four and one-half years in France. Incidents of his travels and military service, together with information on conditions in Europe today, are incorporated in his mes sages. Special music will be presented at the meetings by Iner Basinger, chor ister, and Mrs. Iner Basinger, pian ist, both of Pandora. Last Rites Held For S. H. Peterson Funeral services for Samuel Henry Peterson, 82, native of Union town ship were held at Pleasant View church, Sunday afternoon with Rev. of Rawson officiating, made in the Clymer Hilliard Camp Interment was cemetery. died Friday morning hospital following a Mr. Peterson in the Findlay stroke several days previous. He was bom in Union township Feb. 21, 1857 and lived all his life in the vicinity of Mt. Cory. His wife, Mary Jane Hammond Peterson preceded him in death eighteen years ago. Surviving are four daughters and four sons. They are Mrs. A. C. Hiestand, Rawson Pearl Peterson, Bluffton Everett Peterson, Mt. Cory Hazel Jane Peterson at home Glenn Peterson, Mrs. Carl Alexander Mrs. Geo. Inebnit, Findlay, Arthur Peterson at home. and and STORES CLOSE re- Beginning this week, Bluffton tail stores will be closed every Wed nesday night until spring. War Demand Creates Market For Trucks carrying the rolls of wire thru Bluffton are bound field, Columbus and other where the wire is baled similar to hay or scrap this form it is trucked to steel mills for reclamation. Setting for Holiday is More Like Spring Than Usual Winter Atmosphere Temperature Rises to 40, Yet Ice Skating is Enjoyed by Youngsters Bluffton’s weather on Christmas Day will be long remembered by res idents of the area as an unusual setting for a holiday that associated with ice, snow freezing temperatures. Despite the warm weather, ice was thick, and youngsters of the town had a good time cavorting on their skates in temperatures that did not require bundlesome clothing. Automobiles went hurrying thru Bluffton in all directions thruout the entire day, and observers said it was the heaviest Christmas traffic in a long time. Despite the heavy travel over highways, driving conditions presented no hazards and there was not a single report of an accident in this area. Hold All Day Farm Machinery Show Here An all-day demonstration of farm machinery and equipment will be held here on Wednesday of next week sponsored by the Bluffton Im plement & Harness company, farmers of this to attend. Farmers’ Worn Out Wire Fence Demand for war materials has, Top price for scrap wire now is brought about the salvaging of worn- I about $17 Per KTOSS 1011 of 2»240 out wire fence from farms of this!pounds in bales However’ the time trucking and processing costs area, and almost every day trucks' .. are paKi there is said to be little piled high with rolls of wire can be profit. seen passing thru Bluffton. i Bidding by Japan and European Salvaging worn-out fence provides1 countries for scrap iron, as the re a new source of income for farmers,! suit of wars raging in both contin and it is the first time since world- ents, started the market upward last war days that the scrap material August, has had a market value. for Mans Ohio cities in bundles paper. In Bluffton’s Weather On Christmas Day Will Go In The Record Books usually is and sub even the Not in the memory of oldest inhabitants has there been a Christmas with more balmy or cheer ful weather. The sun shown brightly from early morning until sunset, the tem perature climbed into the 40’s and the atmosphere had an invigorating tang more reminiscent of spring than of mid-winter. early prac snow first Under the rays of the sun, tically all vestiges of ice and remaining from last week’s snow of the season were dissipated and by mid-afternoon what many had hoped would be a white Christ mas was as green as any in recent years. AU vicinity are invited The morning the company’s talks on farm turer’s representatives attention being given power farming. program will be at store consisting of topics by manufac with special to modern at the noon Following a luncheon hour an afternoon program of mo tion pictures will be held at the high school auditorium. Scoles-Thompson Wedding Solemnized Announcement has been made of the wedding of Miss Salome Scoles, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Norval Scoles, residing south of Bluffton to Raymond Thompson of near Ada. The ceremony took place in Beav erdam at the home of the officiating minister, Rev. Arthur of the Pleas ant Hill Methodist church, Tuesday of last week. The couple will reside on the Pat terson farm southwest of Ada. A driving snow storm swept into the Bluffton district Wednesday morning, effectually putting to an end a period of unseasonably mild weather. A peak of $21 per ton for the best grade was reached early in the fall, but embargoes and shipping hazards at sea brought a break in the price in November, off nearly $4 the quotation I erally now. The price has fallen a ton since then, with of $17 prevailing gen DOWNTOWN REAL ESTATE IS SOLD M. M. Bogart Sells Forty Foot Business Frontage to Dr. M. D. Soash Property Involved Houses Bo gart Harness Shop and Ludwig Shoe Repair Real estate in Bluffton’s downtown district changed hands when M. D. Soash, Bluffton physician, purchased the M. M. Bogart building and lot at the south end of the business tion. sec- was real Announcement of the deal made the first of the week. The estate involved has a frontage of 40 feet on South Main street and a depth of 165 feet. It now houses Bogart’s harness shop and automo bile agency and the E. C. Ludwig shoe repair establishment. Purchase price was not disclosed however Bogart priced the real estate at $4,000 last year when it was offered to the federal govern ment as the site for Bluffton’s new postoffice building. No Plans Disclosed Dr. Soash stated following the pur chase that he plans no change in the real estate in the immediate future. Bogart likewise has made no an nouncement. Whether purchase of the real estate will result in a build ing program replacing the present frame structure has not been dis closed. The real estate is located near the site of the new postoffice, ground for which has been purchased at the corner of South Main and Franklin streets. A frontage of 110 feet on South Main street consisting of the Edgar Chamberlain and A. D. Gratz properties was acquired a year ago by the government at a price of $9,850. Construction of the post office is expected to start in the spring. The real estate acquired by Dr. Soash is separated from the post office corner by the Hub restaurant property owned by Mrs. Clara Geiser. Last year when the government was in the market for a postoffice site this property with a frontage of 28 feet was priced at $4,000. To Graduate From Bowling Green Driving Snow Storm Sweeps Bluffton District Wednesday The snow which fell heavily dur ing the morning gave indications of continuing thruout the day. Temper ature Wednesday morning stood at twenty degrees. Miss Eloise Alspach of this place will be eligible for graduation from the college of education at Bowling Green State university upon comple tion of this semester’s work on Janu ary 21. However, her diploma for the de gree of Bachelor of Science in Edu cation will not be conferred formally until the June commencement exer cises according to C. D. Perry, reg istrar at the school. Miss Alspach, instructor in the Findlay schools for the past three years has taken summer work at Bowling Green completing the course in education. She is the daughter of O. O. Alspach of this place. Claim Lost Articles A number of articles, principally wearing apparel found on the streets here have been placed in the News window. Owners or those finding same are asked to call for the articles this week as they will be removed from the window, Saturday. Happy New Year NUMBER 35 TO SHIP TURBINE HERE IN JANUARY Excavation Started at Light Plant for Installation Of Unit Equipment to be in Operation By Spring will Show Saving, Claim Purchase of a 750 K. W. turbo generator unit for the Bluffton Muni cipal Power plant was completed last week by the board of public affairs, and installation of the equipment will be started about the middle of Janu ary. Net cost of the modem Westighouse unit, complete with a direct connected exciter and surface condenser, will be $14,000. This is being paid from the plant’s cash balance and no bond issue will be required. Installation of the turbo-generator unity will give Bluffton not only im proved service, but the guarantee un der which it is sold assures operating economy of at least 40 per cent. Save $5,000 Yearly Represented in fuel savings, it is anticipated that economies of ap proximately $5,000 per year will effected with the new equipment operation. be in or Bluffton’s present requirements, a further increase in the load of the plant, make turbine generation of elec tric power the logical answer to econ omies in operation, Westinghouse en gineers have reported to the board of public affairs. With the turbo-generator in opera tion, the manufacturer guarantees that for each kilowatt generated that only from 15 to 19 pounds of steam will be required. Skinner uniflow engines now used at the plant have a guarantee of one kilowatt from 32 to 40 pounds of steam. Turbine Impractical Earlier When Bluffton’s plant first was equipped, it was impractical to consid er turbine generating equipment due to the fact the load was not heavy enough, members of the board of public affairs pointed out. For econ omies in operation, a turbo-generator should not be used when the load is less than 500 KW. Bluffton’s peak load in the early days of the municipally owned plant was less than 250 KW., and it has only been in recent years that the de mand reached the 500 KW mark. One of the light plant’s present battery of three Skinner uniflow en gines is being traded on the turbo generator. This is a 150 KW. unit, for which credit of $1,500 was allow ed, reducing the purchase price of $15,500, including freight, to a net cost of $14,000. (Continued on page 2) Phyllis Steiner 2nd In Oratorical Meet Phyllis Steiner, Bluffton High school senior, was second prize win ner last week in an oratorical con test held in the Beaverdam high aud itorium under auspices of the Allen county department of health. Norman Moorman, of Spencerville, placed first in the meet, with Miss Steiner a close second. high school the honors, recent essay Eight Allen county seniors competed for They were winners in a contest on “Tuberculosis.” ing the contest a motion picture, “Let Our People Live” was shown. Follow- Dr. Gail E. Miller, county health commissioner, arranged the contest and the program. Births The following births at Bluffton Community hospital: Mr. and Mrs. Phares Bixel, Co lumbus Grove, a son, Thursday. Mr. and Mrs. Waldo Hanna, Mt. Cory, a daughter, Saturday. Mr. and Lafayette, a the birth of Mrs. Wilbert Pummel, son, Sunday. been received here of a son to Mr. and Mrs. Word has Harold Shappell of Tiffin. Shappell was formerly Miss Kramer of this place. Mrs. Edith of a Announcement of the birth son to Mr. and Mrs. John Backensto of Woodstock, Ill., has been received here. Mrs. Backensto was formerly Miss Lavaun Kohli, daughter of and Mrs. A. E. Kohli of lege avenue. Mr. Col- West was A daughter, Catherine bom to Rev. and Mrs. R. at Barboursville, Ky., on day. Mrs. Larsen was formerly Miss Catherine Kliewer, daughter of Rev. and Mrs. P. A. Kliewer of Grove street. Ann, F. Larsen Christinas