The Bluffton news. [volume], July 18, 1940, Image 2

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

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Post Office Established In 1835 When
Surrounding Area Was Wilderness
Andrew Hauenstein Has Long
est Tenure as Postmaster,
From 1872 to 1885
First Post Office Opened Here
Three Years After Found
ing of the Village
Blufftons’ post office was estab
lished in 1835, three years after the
arrival here of the town’s first set
tler, Joseph Deford, and long before
hardy pioneers had started the task
of clearing trees from the virgin for
ests that surrounded the little village
on the Riley.
Exact location of the first post
office is not known, and the name of
the postmaster was never recorded so
far as can be determined. Opening
of the backwoods post office was dur
ing the administration of President
Andrew Jackson, when much of Ohio
was first being settled.
At that time the town was known
as Shannon, but since Ohio had an
other city by the same name the post
office address for this place was
Bluffton.
No Early records
No record was kept of early post
masters until after the Civil W ar.
Dr. Robert Murray consequently w’as
the first of whom any definite rec
ord is had, altho it is know’n that
Abe Long, grandfather of Irvin
Long, Bluffton restaurateur, was one
of the early postmasters before the
war. He also served as mayor of
the town at one time.
Dr. Murray served as postmaster
while he was studying medicine with
a local physician. Study with an es
tablished practitioner was the accept
ed way of getting a training in
those days. After he left Bluffton
Dr. Murray gained honor because of
notable work in yellow fever research
in the Marine hospital at Key West,
Florida, about the time of the
Spanish American war.
During the eighties the post office
had no permanent location, but gen
erally was in the corner of one of
the town’s general stores. Old tim
ers say that at one time or another
the post office was in practically all
of the older buildings which remain
standing here. Front doors of some
Gross receipts at the Bluffton post
office have almost doubled since 1830,
a survey of records indicated this
week.
At the close of business on Dec. 31,
1939, receipts for the year were
$25,987.69, as compared with a figure
of $14,533.66 on Dec. 31, 1930, Post
master Ed R. Reichenbach said.
Total gross receipts, including the
sale of stamps, stamped paper, sec
ond and third class postage, are rep
resented by the above figures.
Continued improvement in business
has been shown during the first six
months of 1940, the postmaster de­
“As
Good As
A RAISE..."
“An extra $20 or so each
month buys a lot of grocer
ies,” say City Loan customers.
Figure it out for yourself ...
Arrange a cash loan. Take the
money, square up and get
ahead. Bring in your loan list
tomorrow. We’re backing you
to win with ready cash.
The City Lo
an
AND SAVINGS COMPANY
Cor. Market & Elizabeth Sts.
Phone Main 7351, Lima, Ohio
of these structures bear evidences of
the slot which was cut in the door
to receive mail after hours.
Longest Service
Andrew- Hauenstein, pioneer Biuff
ton druggist, served as postmaster
longer than anyone else who has
held the office here. Appointed in
1872, he served until 1885. Hauen
stein maintained the service in con
nection with his drug store.
Other postmasters, down to the
present, included: Glover Smith, 1885
to 1888, Cleveland’s first adminis
tration W. P. Bentley, 1888 to 1892,
Harrison administration Henry L.
Romey, 1892 to 1896, Cleveland’s
second administration Russell B.
Day, 1896 to 1907, McKinley and
Roosevelt administrations.
George Lewis, 1907 to 1916, Taft
administration Gideon Locher, 1916
to 1924, Wilson administration M.
M. Murray, 1924 to 1934, Harding
Coolidge-Hoover administration Ed
R. Reichenbach, 1934 to present,
Roosevelt administration.
Three Bluffton
Postmasters Living
Three men who have served as
Bluffton postmasters still are living,
altho one of them will be unable to
attend the cornerstone laying cere
monies next Sunday, because of ill
health.
Gideon Locher, M. M. Murray and
Ed R. Reichenbach, incumbent, com
prise the trio who have directed ac
tivities of the post office here since
1916.
Locher was postmaster from 1916
to 1924 during both terms of Presi
dent Woodrow Wilson. He has been
seriously ill for some time at his
home on Cherry street and w’ill be
absent from next Sunday’s program.
Gross Receipts At Bluffton Post Office
Almost Double During Last Decade
Murray wras postmaster from 1924
to 1934, serving under Presidents
Harding, Coolidge and Hoover.
Reichenbach, the present postmaster,
w’as appointed in 1934.
Missing Dogs Bureau
Deputy Sheriff Dalton Coleman,
Mayfield, Kan., has set up a missing
dogs bureau for Graves county. Fol
lowing receipt of a number of com
plaints of missing hunting dogs and
pets, Coleman requested owners to
file footprints and photographs of
their dogs with the sheriff’s office.
clared, and another new record is
likely to be set this year.
Since 1933, the local post office
has established new gross receipts
records each year.
Complete record of post office re
ceipts since 1930 are as follows:
Dec. 31, 1930—$14,533.66.
Dec. 31, 1931—$14,283.38
Dec. 31, 1932—$13,884.69.
Dec. 31, 1933—$14,188.97.
Dec. 31, 1934—$18,029.24.
Dec. 31, 1935—$20,922.06.
Dec. 31, 1936—$23,136.02.
Dec. 31, 1937—$23,529.24.
Dec. 31, 1938—$25,190.12.
Dec. 31, 1939—$25,987.69.
tut
The New Bluffton Telephone Di
rectory will be ready for delivery
August 1st. Persons desiring to
order a telephone for listing in this
issue must phone our business
office at once.
Bluffton Telephone Co.
»*v*w*rs
.1180
$18
..35
6
chu£...
..20
4
-.30
3
.35 4
.25 3
*38x
Jig
AHEAD
tach month...
$20
Ex-Postmaster
Mthe
M. Murray, postmaster at
Bluffton office from
1924 to 1934, will be the only ex
postmaster in the official group
at laying of the corner stone for
Bluffton’s new post office Sun
day afternoon. Gideon Locher
who served as postmaster dur
ing both terms of President
Wilson will be prevented from
attending by ill health.
New Post Office Is
Colonial In Design
The new post office for Bluffton,
(Ohio), will be a one story building
of Colonial design to be erected on
the Northwest corner of South Main
and Franklin streets.
An allotment of $80,000.00 was
made under the Federal Public Build
ings Appropriation Act of 1938 to
include the purchase of the site, con
struction costs and administrative
expenses incurred by the Public
Buildings Administration.
Exterior walls will be faced with
brick, with w’ood and stone trim,
w’ood cornice, and wood and metal
framed windows. A pitched slate
roof surmounted with chimney type
ventilators at either end will cover
the front portion and a flat composi
tion roof will be used over the work
room in the rear. Foundation walls
and floor slabs will be of concrete.
For the convenience of the public,
the lobby will be 12 feet wide, pro
viding space for five service windows
and more than 50 bronze lock boxes.
Decorations include a terrazzo floor,
marble wainscot, plaster walls and
ceilings. The Postmaster’s office will
adjoin the lobby on the left.
The large work room and office
space for the financial section will
I be illuminated by two skylights in
addition to the windows. A special
mezzanine floor will be provided to
house postal storage rooms and
swing” room—comfortable quarters
where carriers may relax between de
liveries.
In commenting on the design of
the Bluffton Post Office, Commission
er Reynolds said, “It is apparent
that here is no casual assembly of
wails, windows, doors and roof to
accord with someone’s haphazard
opinion of w’hat the building should
look like. Rather it is the inevitable
product of many controlling factors,
chief among which are the practical
requirements of the Post Office De
partment, the convenience of the pub
lic, the size and shape of the building
s'te, and the character and tastes
of the community”.
European War Cuts
Parcel Post Volume
Despite the wrar between Germany
and the Allies, which brought the
suspension of all parcel post service
to Europe, Bluffton’s post office has
handled 1,200 parcels consigned to
foreign lands during the last year.
It is estimated that because of the
war, the total foreign parcel post
volume has been reduced by approxi
mately 300 shipments.
The bulk of Bluffton’s foreign con
signments since outbreak of the war
has been to Canada, South America
and British possessions.
Many shipments w’ere made to the
Oiient prior to outbreak of the war
between Japan and China twro years
ago, but since that time the volume
has dwindled away to practically
nothing.
Parcel post deliveries have been
suspended with practically every
country in Europe since outbreak of
the war last September.
Attempts are made by the United
States post office department to de
liver first class mail to all European
countries, but parcel post shipments
are refused in all but a few isolated
exceptions.
Truck Overturns
Near Town Friday
Tw'o Indianapolis truck drivers es
caped injury when their truck over
turned south of Bluffton on the Dixie
highway early last Friday after col
liding with a Page Dairy Co. truck
operating out of the local plant
In the mishap the Indianapolis
truck was badly damaged, but the
Page truck w’as only slightly dam
aged. Driver of the Page vehicle
w’as unhurt.
BLUFFTON POSTOFFICE HAS RECORD OF OVER CENTURY OF SERVICE
Mere’s Inscription
On Corner Stone
The following inscription will ap
pear on the corner stone of Bluffton’s
post office building:
James A. Farley
Postmaster General
John M. Carmody
Federal Works Administrator
W. Englebert Reynolds
Commissioner of Public Buildings
Louis A. Simon
Supervising Architect
Neal A. Melick
Supervising Engineer
1940
Twelve On Bluffton
Post Office Staff
Twelve persons are on the staff of
the Bluffton post office to provide
quick and efficient service in keeping
with the high standards set by the
United States postal department.
At the head of the local office is
Postmaster Ed R. Reichenbach, w’ho
was first appointed on February 15,
1934. He now is serving his second
term.
Ralph Stearns, assistant postmast
er and secretary' of the local board
of Civil Service Examiners, has
served in the office since Nov. 16,
1921.
Dallas Berry and Harry Bogart,
the two clerks in the post office,
handle sales of stamps, money orders,
etc., and assist in dispatching out
going mail.
Carriers on Bluffton’s tw'o city
routes, on which mail is delivered
twice daily, are Wilbur Potee and
Byron Anderson.
Rural route carriers are Clyde
Yerger on Route No. 1, and Ross
Bogart on Route No. 2, both of whom
have had 30 years service. They will
retire within the next year.
Substitute rural carriers are Mel
vin Long, Route 1, and Ralph Pat
terson, Route 2.
Substitute clerk and carrier for the
town routes is Eugene Benroth. H.
W. Stager is special delivery and
mail messenger.
Parcel Post Heavy
In Bluffton District
Delivery of parcel post in Bluffton
is a big job—far larger than re
alized by the man in the street, a
survey of post office records showed
this week.
From June 1, 1939, until June 1,
1940, a total of 32,058 packages were
delivered to consignees in Bluffton,
it was shown in the report.
To handle this large volume of
parcel post, the delivery service
averages in distance about six miles
per day. The average number of
stops is 34 daily.
Gene Benroth is in charge of the
delivery service w’hich is handled on
a prompt and efficient basis.
Parcel post limits are 70 pounds in
weight and 11 inches in length and
girth combined.
Former Resident
Dies In Arkansas
Word has been received here of
the death of Aldine Stager, 60, at his
home in Little Rock, Arkansas, July
7. His death followed an illness of
one year.
Mr. Stager was the son of the late
John A. and Magdalena Stager of
this place and formerly Mved here.
Funeral services and burial took
place at Little Rock where he had
lived for the past thirty-eight years.
Surviving are four sisters: Mrs.
Mary Moser and Mrs. A. H. Walters
of Beaverdam, Mrs. C. W. Smith of
Sw’anton and Mrs. Noah Steiner of
Lima.
Twins Celebrate
Birthday
On Friday, July 12, Mr. and Mrs.
Doyt Yoakam gave a birthday din
ner in honor of Mr. Yoakams’ moth
er, Mrs. Rettie Yoakam and his aunt,
Mrs. Nettie Cantrell of North East,
Pennsylvania.
Mrs. Yoakam and Mrs. Cantrell
are twins and celebrated their sixty
third birthday. They w’ere before
their marriages Rettie and Nettie
Kidd of this place.
Those present were:
Mr. and Mrs. Cantrell, of North
East, Pa., Mrs. Cora Huber, Dean
Holman, Mr. and Mrs. Joy K. Huber
and daughter Sondra, of Bluffton
Mrs. Bessie Hefner, Bobby and Lu
cille Riley, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur
Yoakam, Opal and Donald Yoakam
and Mr. and Mrs. Doyt Yoakam and
daughters Marjorie and Meredith, of
LaFayette.
On June 11, 1898, the twins were
married in a double wedding cere
mony at the home of their parents,
Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Kidd.
On June, 1938, the four, Mr. and
Mrs. A W. Yoakam and Mr. and
Mrs. D. W. Cantrell celebrated their
fortieth wedding anniversaries to
gether in North East, Pennsylvania.
Higher Education
The enrollment in American col
leges is now six times that of 1900.
________________ THE BLUFFTON NEWS, BLUFFTON, OHIO THURSDAY, JULY 18, 1940
Unable To Appear
T1ILLON Crist of Alliance,
Grand Master of the Ohio
Masonic order who will be un
able to be here Sunday to offici
ate at the laying of the Bluffton
postoffice corner stone. He has
designated Charles Wilson of
Ada, deputy grand master of
the order to appear in his place.
Public Buildings Adm.
Designed Post Office
Design and construction of Bluff
ton’s modern new post office is be
ing handled by the Public Buildings
Administrations, which has head
quarters in Washington, D. C.
Drawings and specifications were
prepared by the office of the super
vising architect of the Public Build
ings Administration, and the admin
istration of the construction contract
is the responsibility of the office of
the supervising engineer.
William W. Cooke is the construc
tion engineer who has been assigned
to Bluffton by the Public Buildings
Administration to check the work of
the James I. Barnes Construction Co.
2,039 Get Old Age
Pensions In County
Old age pensions are being paid
to 2,039 persons in Allen county, ac
cording to an announcement made
last week by the state division of aid
for the aged.
Monthly payments to the 2,039
pensioners amount to $47,883.30, an
average of $23.49 to each person.
Thirty-two new cases have been
added to the county pension rolls
for this month, and others are ex
pected to be added in August. By
the end of July, it is estimated that
approximately 128,000 persons will
be on the rolls of the division of aid
for the aged in the entire state.
Payments in state-wide old age
pensions this year will be approxi
mately $35,000,000.
H. S. Cooperates In
Agricultural Survey
Bluffton Hgh school is one of 20 in
the state selected for evaluating the
program of school vocational agricul
ture departments, Supt. A. J. B.
Longsdorf learned this week.
Direction of the survey will be
handled by a national committee
named by the United States Office
of Education, working in conjunction
with educational departments in
every state.
Ohio’s survey is being directed by
H. G. Kenestrick and E. O. Bolender,
of the Ohio State university depart
ment of agriculture. Object of the
survey is to determine a picture of
the work of a cross section of schools
maintaining agriculture departments
thruout the entire country
Honor California
Relatives
A family gathering was held at
the home of Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Nis
wander, Sunday, honoring her broth
er and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Walter
Hilty from Glendora, Calif., who are
visiting in this community. A
basket dinner -was served at the
noon hour.
Those enjoying the occasion were:
Mrs. Edna Anspach, Milton Hilty
and son Clayton, Mr. and Mrs. Joe
Hilty and son David, of Columbus
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Clough of Day
ton.
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Ream and
grandchildren, Dorothy and Jack
Harmon, Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Stryk
er, of Lima Mr. and Mrs. Stanley
Morrison and daughters, Jean, Jackie
and Bonnie Lou, of Findlay
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Nisw’ander
and daughter Letha, Mr. and Mrs.
H. O Hilty and daughter Rosanne,
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ewing, Mr.
and Mrs. Harold Young, Mr. and
Mrs. Wm Hilty, Mr. and Mrs. Earl
Hilty and children Hugh, Billy Anne
and Sally Anne, Mr. and Mrs. Walter
Schaublin and daughter Rachel, Mr.
and Mrs. Russell Schaublin and
daughter Patsy Ann Mr. and Mrs.
Wilford Gratz, and the honored
guests, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Hilty
of Glendora, California.
News Want-Ads Bring Results.
An article on refugee relief work
in France written by Miss Edna
Ramseyer, furloughed dean of wom
en at Bluffton college, appeared in a
recent issue of “The Mennonite
Weekly Review”.
The article treated some of the
phases of w’ork at the refugee camp
where Miss Ramseyer is one of the
directors. It did not mention the
war, nor its effect on France, and
evidently was w’ritten before the sur
render of France to Germany.
COLORS
White, Brown
and Black
Patent
Word Comes From Edna Ramseyer
In Refugee Work In France
At the opening it dealt particular
ly with the history of a small Span
ish refugee child—Carlos Gamarra
Rios. In part the article follow’s:
“Carlos is a Spanish refugee of
four years of age. During the month
of February, 1939, Carlos with his
father, mother, and sisters fled from
Malaga, Spain, with thousands of
other Spanish refugees, to southern
France. They carried nothing with
them except a blanket, some food and
a few articles of clothing. Upon
their arrival in France they were
taken care of by the French govern
ment and private organizations.
Thousands of refugees went to gov
ernment colonies or camps, and
thousands were put into private
homes where they were slowly ab
sorbed into French life.
“Carlos and his parents were for
tunately placed in a small town,
namely Signe, with a French family
who was intensely interested in child
ren and in the Spanish people as a
group. They were treated as one of
the family and shared in the respon
sibilities of the household. A month
after their arrival to France the
mother became critically ill and with
in a brief time died. The father,
who realized the need of finding some
means of support for his children,
found work in a factory. This w’ork,
however, did not give sufficient
money or time to properly care for
the three motherless children.
“A request was made to the In
ternational Commission of Paris as
to the possibility of placing the three
children in a colony where they
would be properly clothed, counseled
Approximately 163 miles are cov
ered every day by Bluffton postal em
ployes in the delivery of mail and
parcel post to residents of the town
and the surrounding area.
More Than 163 Miles Covered Daily
In Delivery Of Bluffton Area Mail
Two city mail carriers make their
On the two Bluffton rural routes
a total of 129 miles is involved.
Route No. 1 has 62 miles and there
Summer SALE
and fed. It was at this time that
the colony D’efants, ‘La Douviere”
Marseille, France, wTas to be opened,
and the International Commission
suggested that the Rios children be
the first to be admitted. On Febru
ary 24 the Rios children, who spoke
only Spanish, W’ere accompanied to
the colony by an American Mennon
ite who spoke only a little French.
This was the beginning of a colony
that is now supported by the Men
nonites of America.
“After three months the colony of
which Carlos was the charter mem
ber has increased to forty members.
The colony now follows a definite
routine and we believe the children
are all happily situated. The house
proper is surrounded by lovely tall
sycamore and pine trees, and there
is an abudance of pure air, good
sunlight and plenty of space for
play. With the fifteen francs per
person, per day, which is equivalent
to about 30 cents per person, we are
able to give the proper food, buy
most of the necessary equipment and
some of the medical supplies. Soon
we will have the pleasure of dis
tributing to the children some cloth
ing which you Mennonites in Amer
ica have sent.
“Perhaps you have thought many
times as we have too, is the work
really worthwhile? Is there some
thing else which w’ould be much more
valuable? We believe that the value
of the work has been proven many
times by the smiles of gratitude
when the children receive new or
different clothing, the increase in
weight of almost everyone, a change
of complexion, a favorable change of
attitude and a realization that love,
kindness and peace has a part to
play after all.
“We who have been in this relief
work in France and Spain wish sin
cerely it were possible for hundreds
of our American Mennonite friends
to spend some time in this work. An
experience such as this gives one a
great appreciation of one’s own
home, church and community, as well
as a view of the present w'orld sit
uation.”
rounds twice daily, and each w’alks parcel post carriers travel 978 miles
14 miles in giving the town uninter- per week, and approximately 50,856
rupted servise, rain or shine.
On Our Large Assortment of
Ladies Novelty Footwear
A large assortment of Ladies $2.98 Novelties
SfSS
Men’s air conditioned footwear for sum
mer in white, brown and gray.
$3.00 values ....... $2.39
$4.00 values ............................................ $3.40
$5.00 values ....... $3.95
$2.98 Boys White Oxfords...................$2.39
$2.48 Boys White Oxfords...................$1.89
W. H. Gratz Footwear Shop
“Corrective Fitting a Specialty”
Bluffton, Ohio
are 67 miles on Route No. 2.
Daily parcel post delivery service
in the town requires coverage of an
average of six miles additional, post
al attaches reported.
All told Bluffton’s five mail and
miles a year to provide service of the
type that has made the United
States’ postal department a model
for the world to copy.
STYLES
Pumps,
Straps,
and Ties