The Bluffton news. [volume], December 28, 1939, Image 1

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

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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