The Bluffton news. [volume], June 13, 1940, Image 1

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BLUFFTON NEWS
The Advertising Medium for
Bluffton Trade Territory
VOLUME NO. LXV
GRADUATION IS
IMPRESSIVE AT
COLLEGE HERE
Dr. Wilson Compton Gives Ad
dress to Class from Busi
nessman's Viewpoint
Degrees are Conferred at Close
Of Service at Mennonite
Church Tuesday
Like the Pilgrim forebears who,
facing a hostile wilderness, went to
their fields with a musket in one
hand and a hoe in the other, present
day America may henceforth be
obliged to make its progress in peace
ful pursuits under the shadow of a
huge national defense program. This
was the warning expressed by Dr.
Wilson Compton of Washington, D.
C. who delivered the address to the
graduating class at the commence
ment exercises of Bluffton college,
Tuesday morning.
The First Mennonite church was fill
ed for the occasion and the speaker
read his address, entitled “On This
Rock” from a prepared manuscript.
Although .a distinguished scholar
and an instructor in George Washing
ton university, Compton told his au
dience he was speaking not as a
teacher but as a business man.
Prominent in Business
The speaker was thoroly at home
in his business role, having been for
many years secretary of the Nation
al Lumber Manufacturers’ associa
tion, and known thruout the country
in commercial circles.
He appeared for the occasion in a
(Continued on page 8)
Former Hluffton
Man Dies In West
Relatives here have received word
of the death of Frantz Stauffer, 40,
native of Bluffton, who died suddenly
at his home in Hawthorne, Calif.,
May 19. Death was due to cerebral
hemorrhage.
Mr. Stauffer was the son of Mr.
and Mrs. John Stauffer who formerly
resided on South Lawn avenue. The
family left about thirty-seven years
ago for Blackwell, Okla., later mov
ing to California. The father died
at that place some six years ago.
Surviving are his mother, Mrs.
Lydia Frantz Stauffer of Hawthorne,
and three sisters, Mrs. Edith Wright
of Calhan, Colorado Mrs. Nina
Stroup of Blackwell, Okla., and Mrs.
Chloe Lair of Los Ageles. He was
never married.
Eighth New Home
To Be Begun Soon
Building of another new residence
in Bluffton will be begun soon, it
was learned the first of the week
folowing announcement of the pur
chase of a building lot by Mrs. Jose
phine Carnahan.
The lot, located at the comer of
West Elm and Spring streets was
purchased by Mrs. Carnahan from
Postmaster Ed Reichenbach. An
nouncement of the building makes
eight houses in Bluffton’s summer
building program, either under con
struction or ready to be started
shortly.
Car Driven By Man
Near Town Hits Tot
A two-year-old Ada child, Charlene
Greenawalt was instantly killed last
Wednesday night when struck by a
car driven by Kenneth Hauenstein,
22, son of Lewis Hauenstein of Jack
son township south of Bluffton.
The accident occurred as the child
and her mother, Mrs. Gerald Greena
walt were crossing a street intersec
tion. The child ran ahead of the
mother directly into the path of the
automobile.
K. W. Preston, Hardin county cor
oner returned a verdict of acci
dental death and exonerated Hauen
stein of any blame. The coroner
said witnesses told him the car was
not going fast.
Heavy Rain Leaves
Fields Under Water
A considerable number of fields
southwest of Bluffton in the Beaver
dam area were reported under water
Tuesday following Monday night’s
heavy downpour. Many of the fields
were planted to com which is just
beginning to show signs of growth
following a late spring.
The rain Monday night, one of the
heaviest this summer followed an
erratic course. South of Bluffton in
the Lafayette district, comparatively
little rain fell.
Graduates And
Weds Tuesday
1IJRS. Wm. Tisdale, the former
Miss Vivian Heck of Wil
lard, Ohio, who was graduated
from Bluffton college Tuesday
morning and married in a cere
mony in the college chapel in
the afternoon. Her husband was
graduated from the college a
year ago.
LOCAL WOMAN IS
THOUGHT IN WAR
RELIEF OVERSEAS
Lulu Sommer, Daughter of Abr.
Sommer of Beaverdam, Be
lieved in Belgium.
Last Heard From in Brussels in
April Previously Located
in Central Europe.
Rising concern is being felt for
the safety of Miss Lulu Sommer,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Abr. Som
mer of Beaverdam, who is believed
to be in Brussels, Belgium, engaged
is in w-ork among war refugees.
Last word received two months ago
by her parents consisted of a heavily
censored letter in which only meager
details were available. However,
she stated that condition* were bad
and that she and others engaged in
mission work at Eupen, Belgium,
had been forced to evacuate that
place and go to Brussels.
In the absence of any later word
from her it is presumed that she is
engaged in war relief work among
the refugees in Brussels.
Miss Sommer has been in Belgium
for the past three years as a mis
sionary working under the Baptist
church of Grand Rapids, Mich.
Previous to that she spent another
three year term of service in mission
work in Czecho-Slovakia, Germany
and Hungary.
Couple Is Wed At
Dayton, Thursday
In a ceremony at the home of the
bride’s uncle, Rev. William Motter of
Dayton last Thursday morning, took
place the wedding of Miss Leona
Motter, daughter of Albert Motter
of Orange township and Verl Reich
enbach, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hiram
Reichenbach of Bluffton.
The wedding vows were received
at 7 o’clock by Rev. Motter, using
the single ring service. The couple
was unattended.
Following the ceremony a wedding
breakfast was served by the bride’s
aunt after which they left on a short
trip thru the southern states, re
turning Saturday night. They are
now residing at the home of the
bride’s father.
Red Cross Reports
Contributions Here
Bluffton and community have con
tributed a total of $117.50 to the
Red Cross fund, it was reported by
Mrs. Edith Mann of the local chap
ter, Wednesday morning. Bluffton’s
quota, originally set at $150 has
been increased to $300.
It was a lucky mistake when Mr.
and Mrs. Frederick Herr of Bluffton
got on the wrong route while re
turning from a motor trip to Akron
last Sunday afternoon.
Had they not accidentally followed
on the wrong road they would have
been directly in the path of a de
structive tornado which swept a dis
trict near that city.
Downward Enrollment Trend In
Schools Expected To Continue
Bluffton Motorists On Wrong
Route By Error Miss Tornado
The Bluffton couple were enroute
Forty-five to Enter First Grade
In Fall 56 Graduated from
High School
Enrollment in Schools Here
May Drop Below 600 Mark,
First Time in Years
Bluffton’s downward trend in pub
lic school enrollment is likely to con
tinue next fall, on the basis of reg
istration for the pre-school clinic for
the first grade, which was held last
week.
A further decrease is apparent
despite the fact that first-grade en
rollment for next fall is expected to
be 11 more than in 1939 when 34
started to school.
It is estimated that 45 first year
students will be in classes here in
the fall, but altho this number is
greater than the enrollment of 1939,
it lacks 11 of equalling the number
lost from the school in this spring’s
graduating class of 56.
On the basis of pre-registration in
dications, and assuming that enroll
ment in classes other than the first
grade will remain static next fall,
Bluffton’s public school enrollment
may drop below the 600 mark for
the first time in many years. Last
fall’s total enrollment here was 610.
At the pre-school clinic last Thurs
day 32 prospective first-graders were
examined and it was reported that
13 others were unable to attend.
This places next fall’s first-grade en
rollment at 45.
College Chapel Is
Scene Of Wedding
A romance which began while both
were attending Bluffton college cul
minated in the wedding of Miss
Vivian Heck of Willard and William
Tisdale of Amherst in the college
chapel, Tuesday afternoon at 2:30
o’clock.
Rev. A. C. Schultz of the college
faculty officiated in the doub’e ring
ceremony. The wedding which took
place following the commencement
lunC!Tf»nn was attended by many
alumni, former students and visitors
who were here for the graduation
festivities.
The bride was attended by Miss
Marjorie Lecrone of Bucyrus, a class
mate. The bridegroom also chose for
best man a classmate, John Gregg
of Genoa. Miss Frances Jones pre
sided at the organ.
Following the ceremony a recep
tion was held at Ropp hall after
which the couple left on a short wed
ding trip. Mr. Tisdale who has been
teaching at Boliver, Ohio, the past
year will return to that place for
the coming year where the couple
will reside.
Akron Speaker To Be
Heard At Lions Meet
F. Dougas Rea of Akron, deputy
district governor of the Lions inter
national, will be the principal speak
er at the ladies night meeting of
the Bluffton Lions club at the high
school cafeteria next Tuesday at 6:15
p. m. His subject will be “Cut Your
Own Wood”.
Mr. Rea, executive secretary of the
Goodwill Industries of Akron, has
previously appeared here. Special
music will be provided by Russell
“Sonny” Oberlin, nine-year-old boy
soprano widely known thruout the
state.
Installation of newly elected offi
cers of the Bluffton club will also
be included on the program.
Three Graduated
At Bowling Green
Three Bluffton young women,
Eloise Alspach, Letha Niswander
and Annabelle Weed were members
of the class graduated at Bowling
Green State university, Monday
morning. Each received the Bache
lor of Science degree.
home from a day’s visit at the home
of Hr. Herr’s sister, Mrs. Ralph
Martin and family when they dis
covered they were on the wrong
route. As they retraced their way,
they saw the tornado sweeping
across the route which they should
have taken.
The Bluffton couple obtained a
number of good pictures of the
twister which are being admired by
local camera fans.
rHE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INT ERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1940
MAKING OF BUCK
RAKES BLUFFTON'S
NEWEST INDUSTRY
Manufacture Carried on in
Garage Here with Capacity
Of Two Rakes Weekly-
Ten Rakes have been Made this
Season by Bluffton Man,
Pioneer in Industry
Bluffton’s newest industry is the
manufacture of auto buck rakes, the
outgrowth of a home-made mechan
ism built two years ago by Philip
Hilty to speed “hay-making” on his
farm near Bluffton.
Widespread interest was evidenced
in Hilty’s development, and this year
the local man had gone into the
manufacture of the buck rakes. Ten
units have been turned out so far,
all mounted on used automobile
chasses.
Hilty is manufacturing the buck
rakes at the Harley Augsburger
garage here and is equipped for a
production of two rakes each week.
Speeds Haymaking
With the special-built auto buck
rakes, farmers can quickly gather
up a jag of hay, then speed away
across the fields to the barn with
the load. Besides all kinds of hay it
handles straw, cornfodder and green
feed for filling cilos, Hilty said.
In adapting a used car for hay
making purposes, a large buck rake
is attached to the rear of the auto,
after the back half of the body has
been removed.
This rake consists of a number of
long prongs, which gather up the
hay and crowd it back on the rods
until about a sling-load of hay is
being carried. It is necessary to
run the car backward during the
loading process.
Operation of Buck Rake
When a load has been gathered,
the prongs are raised and the car
speeds away, in a forward direction,
to the barn. In unloading, the hay
is dropped on slings and quickly
whisked into the mow.
Altho a wagon will hold more
hay, the old method is much slower
and the work is harder to handle.
Average cost of an auto buck rake
of the type being built by Hilty ap
proximates $150, depending largely
upon the value of the used car on
which the rake is attached.
In addition to building buck rakes
on cars to order, Hilty also offers
complete sets of blue prints for
those who wish to build their own
outfits.
Six From Here At
Peace Mobilization
Six Bluffton college delegates at
tended a peace mobilization meeting
in Washington, D. C., last Friday
under auspices of the National
Council for the Prevention of War
and other cooperating organizations.
Those from Bluffton who went to
Washington were Prof, and Mrs.
Russell A. Lantz, Prof. N. E. Byers,
Prof. J. P. Klassen, Misses Dorothy
Schumacher and Barbara Joyce
Hauenstein.
Delegates from all parts of the
country attended the mobilization.
Its purpose was to express opposi
tion to the defense program now be
ing rushed thru congress.
Graduates At Western
Reserve In Cleveland
Miss Kathryn Fenton, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Fenton of South
Lawn avenue, was graduated from
Western Reserve university, Cleve
land, at commencement exercises held
Wednesday.
Miss Fenton received the master’s
degree in social science administra
tion from the university’s school of
applied social science. She is now
employed in Cleveland by the Insti
tute of Family Service, a division of
the Associated Charities of that city.
Six From Here At
Chicago Radio Show
Six representatives of the execu
tive staff of The Triplett Electrical
Instrument Co. are in Chicago this
week, attending the National Radio
Parts Trade Show, at which the lo
cal concern is an exhibitor.
The show opened Tuesday in the
Hotel Stevens, and will continue un
til the close of the week.
Representing the Triplett company
at the show are R. L. Triplett, presi
dent N. A. Triplett, salea manager
Ropp Tripett, Jack Remde, F. E.
Wenger and Arden R. 'Baker.
Would you like to have a job as
rural mail carrier? If you would,
you are no different from a lot of
other Bluffton people, it has been
disclosed during the past week.
A lively interest in the rural mail
carriers job, one of the best salar
ied in the local postal service, was
manifested here following the an
nouncement in the News last week
that a competitive civil service exam
ination will be held from which an
applicant will be selected to fill the
position now held by G. R. Bogart
who will retire this fall.
Clyde Yerger, carrier on Bluff
ton’s other rural route will also re
tire during the coming year.
Rain Brings Change
College Cam
Crowning of Queen Takes
Place Between Showers in
Afternoon
Heavy Downpour Forces Change
Of Play from Campus to
H. S. Gymnasium
For the second successive year,
rain was a factor to be reckoned
with in connection with Bluffton
college commencement activities, but
a carefully planned schedule permit
ted crowning of the Bluffton Day
Queen in the colorful outdoor cere
mony, between showers on the cam
pus Monday afternoon.
Rain seldom interferes with college
commencement festivities, but for
two years in a row the outdoor pro
gram for Bluffton Day has been
changed because of precipitation.
Crowning of Miss Carol Cookson,
of Bluffton, as Bluffton Day Queen,
in the traditional ceremonies, was
held on schedule Monday afternoon,
atho a heavy shower preceded the
colorful event and rain fell again
shortly following its completion.
Despite threatening skies, a large
audience was on hand to see the
Queen receive her crown from Miss
Helene Stonehill, of Lima, Maid of
Honor. Escort of the Queen was
William Snyder, who had been elect
ed the college’s most popular man.
Presentation of a Shakespearean
play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”,
scheduled for the ampitheatre on the
campus, had to be transferred to the
Bluffton High gymnasium because of
rain in the evening and during Mon
day night, and several other minor
outdoor events were cancelled.
Weather for commencement week
has been quite warm this year, with
rain on Saturday and Monday. Des
pite these conditions there have been
large crowds of visitors on the cam
pus, and out-of-town attendance at
the various events has been as great
as in any preceding year.
Settle Post Office
Labor Differences
Labor differences between union
and non-union men relative to com
mon labor on Bluffton’s new post
office building now under construc
tion have been ironed out, it was an
nounced by Mayor W. A. Howe, fol
lowing a conference with represen
tatives of the American Federation
of Labor building trades, project
foremen and Sheriff Wm. Daley.
Under the agreement as worked
out, nearly all of the common labor
jobs will go to Bluffton men, the
mayor stated.
An agreement worked out at the
conference specified that all regular
common labor jobs shall be filled by
union members while all irregular
common labor jobs will go to non
union men.
Of the four regular jobs in this
classification, three are held by Bluff
ton men who are union members.
All skilled labor and crafts working
on the building will be union.
The conference was called at the
mayor’s office after union men asked
the sheriff for “protection” declaring
that they were informed that Bluff
ton townspeople would picket the
project if A. F. of L. leaders con
tinued in their demands that only
common laborers belonging to the
union be employed.
Work on the project stopped last
Thursday pending negotiations, was
resumed Friday morning. The con
ference held at the office of Mayor
Howe last Thursday afternoon after
A. F. of L. representatives objected
to the presence of newspaper report
ers.
FLAG DAY FRIDAY
Bluffton will participate in the
nationwide observance of Flag day,
Friday. It has been requested that
flags be displayed in observance of
the day. .,
Many Bluffton People Aspire
To Job Of Rural Mail Carrier
Just how many will take the exam
ination cannot yet be determined
since applicants have until Friday to
file. However, a canvass of the sit
uation the first of the week disclosed
that among those expecting to com
pete in the test are local business
men, teachers, college students, em
ployees of the post office here and
others. Date for the examination
has not yet been determined.
Salary of rural route carriers is
$1,800 annually for a 30 mile route
with $20 annually additional for each
additional mile. Bluffton’s routes
are approximately 60 miles each. Be
sides the salary there is an allow
ance for maintenance of equipment.
At Bluffton
)us Fete On Monday
BLUFFTON HARMON
FIELD SUPERVISOR
IS DROPPED HERE
Dale Davidson Relieved of Posi
tion Because of Shortage
Of WPA Funds
Possibility Seen of Reinstate
ment at Beginning of Fiscal
Year July 1
Bluffton is without a Harmon
field supervisor for the first time in
many summers, as the result of un
expected action taken this week in
the reduction of WPA recreational
personnel in the area.
Dale Davidson, recreational direc
tor here since the spring of 1938,
was laid off indefinitely in the cur
tailment program.
If finances are available, Davidson
may be re-instated at the beginning
of the next fiscal year on July 1,
it was reported this week by Eugene
Zuber, of Bluffton, who is supervisor
of WPA recreational activities in
Allen and Auglaize counties.
No Definite Plans
No definite plans have been an
nounced, however, and re-instate
ment likely will depend largely on
the amount of funds available for
recreational work in the new year.
Layoff of Davidson leaves Bluff
ton without a Harmon field super
visor at the opening of the always
busy summer season.
Since 1938 the director for the
recreation center has been paid by
the WPA. Prior to that time the
Bluffton board of education hired
the supervisor.
At its regular meeting Tuesday
night, the school board took no
action relative to hiring a supervisor
for the field because of a shortage
of funds, and also because of the
possibility that Davidson may be re
instated at the first of July.
No Supervisor
As matters now stand, the field
will be without supervision for at
least the rest of this month, and
possibly all summer.
In commenting on the staff reduc
tion, Zuber said that shortage of
funds had resulted in the layoff of
supervisors thruout the Toledo dis
trict, wherever it was deemed least
harmful.
In addition to the layoff of David
son, Lima, with 14 supervisors, lost
one. Delphos and Beaverdam, with
one supervisor each, were not af
fected.
Special Permit For
Radio Field Trials
Special permission has been ob
tained from the Federal Communica
tions Commission for radio amateur
field trials to be held on June 22
and 23 by the Bluffton Radio club,
despite a new federal regulation
prohibiting the use of mobile or
portable transmitting equipment.
Restrictions on rigs that can be
moved from place to place have been
put into effect to control the possi
bility of foreign spies using radio
for communications within and be
yond the borders of this country.
Permission was granted to the
Bluffton club for its field trial pro
gram, which entails the use of port
able equipment, following communica
tion with the FCC.
Radio amateurs can continue to
use transmitters in their homes and
at the club radio station, but mobile
and portable rigs are prohibited in
th* future under the new restric
tions.
A Good Place to Live and a
Good Place to Trade
NUMBER 7
WONDER WORLD OF
MODERN RESEARCH
SPEAKER'S THEME
“Science in Your Senice”, Sub
ject of Address by Re
search Worker
More than 1,000 Attend Open
Meeti ig of Meter Works,
Friday Night
A glimpse into the wonder-world
of modern scientific research wras
given to a Bluffton audience which
heard Dr. Harrison E. Howe of
Washintgon, D. C., nationally7 known
scientific authority who addressed an
audience of more than 1,000 people
at the high school auditorium, Fri
day night. His subject was “Science
in Your Service”.
Dr. Howe was the principal speak
er at the open meeting of a three
day sales conference held by the
Triplett Electrical Instrument com
pany and the Readrite Meter Works.
He is editor of the technical maga
zine “Industrial and Engineering
Chemistry”.
“I firmly believe that modem
scientific research has done more to
break up monopolies than all the
anti-trust legislation ever passed”,
declared the speaker as he held up
a vial of synthetic camphor.
Research Breaks Monopoly
Camphor, he explained to his audi
ence, originally came from the Far
East in its natural state. During
the World war a Japanese monopoly
forced up the price of camphor to
fantastic heights with the result that
research laboratories the world over
started on a search for a synthetic
substitute which they succeeded in
finding.
"It may be almost laid down as a
general principle that when the
price of any product goes to un
warranted levels it tempts someone
to find a substitute,” said the speak
er.
The synthetic camphor was one
of several dozen samples of drugs,
fabrics and other materials, made
synthetically equai and in some in
stances superior to the natural
products.
Many Attend
In attendance at the meeting in
the gymnasium were employees of
the Triplett and Readrite companies,
residents of Bluffton and surround
ing area and visitors.
In the audience also were regional
sales representatives of the two
companies who had come to Bluffton
from all parts of the United States,
Canada and South America to wit
ness the advance announcement of
new 1941 models in radio testing
equipment and electrical measuring
instruments manufactured by the
Meter Works.
Special musical numbers on the
program included xylophone selec
tions by Barbara Jean Triplett
vocal trio numbers by Kathryn
Patterson, Mabel Steiner and Car
olyn Romey and a trumpet trio,
Virgil Bartz, Robert Zigler and
Richard Howenstine.
See Plant in Operation
A feature of the program was a
(Continued on page 8)
Births
Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Bailey of
Forest are the parents of a son born
at Bluffton hospital, Friday.
A daughter born to Mr. and Mrs.
E. L. Neff of Jenera at the Bluffton
hospital, Saturday, died shortly after
birth.
Word has been received here of
the birth of a son, Douglas James,
born to Mr. and Mrs. James Det
weiler of Lansing, Mich., Friday.
Mr. Detweiler is the son of Rev. I.
R. Detweiler of Bloomington, Ill.,
formerly of Bluffton. Mrs. Detweiler
was the former Dorothy Wiebe, a
sister of Mrs. John Boehr of this
place.
Mayor’s Proclamation
Emphasizing the need of more lib
eral Red Cross contributions, Mayor
W. A. Howe has issued the following
proclamation:
In every hamlet, village, and city
in our great country the Red Cross
is making a special appeal for funds
with which to relieve suffering in
war torn Europe.
The same appeal comes to us who
live in Bluffton or nearby. Thus far
the response has been negligent and
delinquent Local Red Cross officials
ask Bluffton citizens to give now and
to give freely.
Leave your contributions at either
drug store or the Citizens bank.
W. A. Howe, Mayor.