The Bluffton news. [volume], August 01, 1940, Image 1

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BLUFFTON NEWS
The Advertising Medium for
Bluffton Trade Territory
VOLUME NO. LXV
TOWN GETS TEN
DEGREE BREAK IN
LONG HEAT WAVE
Cooler Weather Sweeps Into
Bluffton District Wednes
day Morning.
Merucury Records Temperatures
Over 100 Degrees in Long
Torrid Spell.
Breaking a two weeks’ heat wave,
a brisk cooling breeze early Wednes
day morning sent temperatures down
to seventy degrees. At noon the
thermometers registered in the low
eighties, some ten degrees lower than
marks which have prevailed here at
midday for the past fortnight.
Although Bluffton and vicinity
joined the rest of the nation in hop
ing that the weatherman’s oft-re
peated predictions of showers would
bring an end to the blistering heat
wave, opinion was skeptical on that
point and many believed that the
break in the extreme heat would be
only temporary.
Since Wednesday of last week, the
thermometer has hovered at the 100
degree mark every day, and weather
forecasts of thunder showers this
Wednesday and Thursday have re
kindled hopes that relief from the
broiling heat may be in the offing.
Last Sunday brought the hottest
weather of the year, when the tem
perature climbed to 102 degrees in
the afternoon.
All of last week has been unbear
ably hot, however, with the official
thermometer readings as follows:
.Wednesday, 100 Thursday, 09 Fri
day,. 98 Saturday, 101, Sunday, 102
Monday, 98 Tuesday, 101.
14
Days of Heat
The ’heat wave has gripped the
district without a break for 14
days, and on the last 12 successive
days temperatures have been over
95 degrees.
It is the most extended heat wave
suffered here in mahy years, and
Biafftor residents havi tried practic
ally every available expedient to gain
relief.
Operators of the municipal swim
ming pool at Buckeye Lake have
found it almost impossible to close
at 9:30 p. m., the regular time, be
cause of the large numbers who hate
to leave the cooling water.
Electric fans are being worked
overtime in every home of the town,
and practically everyone sits outside
until late at night. Some apartment
dwellers in the downtown district
have been sleeping outside in the
Presbyterian church yard to escape
the bake-oven temperatures of their
bed rooms.
Potatoes Hurt
Farmers report that the potato
crop has been hurt to some extent
by the extended heat. Tops of the
plants have been killed by the blaz
ing sun, and as a consequence the
potato harvest is under way much
earlier than anticipated.
Corn has been hurt only slightly,
and showers of rain last Friday and
Saturday afternoons helped the crop
altho they failed to bring relief from
the baking heat.
Oats are ripening rapidly and
prospects of a good crop are reported
generally.
Davy Is Acting Dean
At Western Reserve
Edward D. Davy, native of Pan
dora, has been named acting dean of
Western Reserve university school of
pharmacy in Cleveland, it was an
nounced Tuesday. His wife, the
former Zoe Bentley of this place is
a sister of Mrs. Edgar Hauenstein.
of South Jackson street.
Davy, professor of pharmaceutical
chemistry at Reserve, succeeds Dean
Edward Spease who resigned re
cently to direct the newly formed
pharmaceutical department of the
National Association of Retail Drug
gists.
Davy is a graduate of the college
of pharmacy of Ohio State university
where he taught for four years be
fore joining the Reserve faculty at
Cleveland.
Injured Man Taken
Home In Airplane
Winfield Fretz, formerly of this
place who was injured in an auto
mobile wreck in California early this
summer was removed to his home in
Chicago by airplane last week.
Fretz who has been in Upland,
California, is improving nicely. His
wife is the former Marguerite Geig
er, daughter of Mrs. Sarah Geiger
of this place.
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. R. D. Biery, Leipsic,
a son, Friday.
Mr and Mrs Richard Staley, Ada,
a daughter, Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Boutwell, Je
nera, a son, Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold May, Colum
bus Grove, a daughter, Monday.
Announcement has been made of
the birth of twin daughters, Joan
Marie and Jean Ellen to Mr. and
Mrs. Doris Bogart of North Warren,
Pa. Mr. Bogart is the son of the
late William Bogart of this place.
A son, James Harper has been
born to Rev. and Mrs. Paul Tewell
of Ohio City, according to announce
ment received here. Mrs. Tewell
will be remembered as the daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Harper re
siding north of Bluffton on the Dixie
highway.
HEAT WAVE BRINGS
NCREASED DEMAND
ON WATER SUPPLY
Another Week of Unseasonable
Weather Might Bring Water
Shortage Here
r,hree Wells Pumped Day and
Night Unable to Keep Pace
With Consumption
Another week of the scorching mid
summer heat which has gripped the
district for the last 14 days will bring
Bluffton face to face with its first
water shortage in nearly two decades.
Altho there is no immediate danger
of lack of water, John W. Swisher,
superintendent of the municipal light
and water plant, reported that another
seven days of severe heat will bring
requests for residents of the town to
conserve water in order to assure
enough for home consumption and
fire protection.
Three large wells at the water
works have been pumped day and
night for the last two weeks, and al
tho their aggregate capacity is in ex
cess of 300,000 gallons daily the sup
ply of water in the plant’s reservoirs
is diminishing.
Had Large Reserve
Only the fact that th$ town had a
large reserve in the reservoirs when
the heat wave struck has kept Bluff
ton from a shortage, and it will re
quire a break in th^ weather within
the next week to prevent that occur
ence.
Last Friday, with a shower during
the afternoon, was the only day on
which the volume of water pumped
from wells has equalled the amount
used by patrons it was reported by
Superintendent Swisher.
2
Bluffton’s output of water is not
metered at the plant and it is impos
sible to determine what the town’s
daily consumption has been during
the extended heat wave. It has been
considerably in excess of 300,000 gal
lons each 24 hours, however, consid
ering that the output of the wells has
not been sufficient to maintain the
reservoir at a constant level.
Previous Shortages Recalled
No water shortages have been ex
perienced by Bluffton in nearly two
decades, altho it was formerly com
mon for extended periods of dry’
weather to result in requests for res
idents of the town to discontinue
sprinkling of lawns and gardens in
order to conserve the water.
Increased facilities at the plant
have made it possible to keep more
water in reserve and also to pump in
greater volume, but this summer’s
unusually long heat wave is begin
ning to cut into the supply on hand in
a manner that has not been exper
ienced for 10 or 12 years.
Fire Alarms Come
From Two Garages
Gasoline fires in two garages dur
ing the past week were believed to
have been indirectly due to the ex
treme heat. In both cases gasoline
in containers ignited while cars were
undergoing repairs.
The fires were extinguished by the
department and damage was small.
The first alarm came last Thurs
day morning from the Augsburger
garage at the rear of the Stanley
Basinger funeral home. Gasoline and
oil in a pan under a truck caught
fire while the truck was being re
paired.
The second alarm came Tuesday
morning when gasoline in a con
tainer ignited while a car was being
cleaned at* the Bixel Motor sales
garage.
ONE OF OLDEST
BUILDINGS HERE
BEING REMOVED
Blacksmitth Shop Next to Riley
Creek Bridge on North Main
Torn Down.
Building Housed Many Bluffton
Projects Condemned by
Fire Marshal.
Familiar to generations of Bluff
ton residents, the old red-painted
weatherbeaten building on North
Main street next to Big Riley creek
bridge is being torn down.
The building, built on the very
edge of Big Riley—in fact overhang
ing the creek bed—has been con
demned by the state fire marshal’s
office and its removal ordered. Work
of tearing down the building was
started Wednesday morning by a
Mt. Cory wrecking crew.
The structure consisted of two
rooms one of which has been vacant
while the other housed the David
Basinger blacksmith shop. Basinger
on Tuesday night moved his shop to
the home of his sister Miss Lydia
Basinger on West Elm street.
Year
of Building Lost
Old records have furnished no clue
as to the date when the building was
erected. However it is said that the
late John Deppler when a boy worked
with the carpenters in the construc
tion.
Earliest record of the building, ac
cording to old timers who were at
tempting to fix dates Wednesday
morning was some sixty years ago
when it housed the wagon shop of
Chas. Gustweiler and Lawrence
Fisher. Those were the days in
which wagons were made by hand.
Later the partnership was discontin
ued and Fisher continued the busi
ness for many years.
The place was identified with the
oil boom when in 1896 William Kim
mel operated a saw mill and made
rig and djyyjck timbers. Later Kim
mel moveonis plant to the site on
North Main street now occupied by
the Hi-Speed filling station north of
Riley Creek bridge.
Paint Shop
It was about 1898 when Charles
Burns set up a carriage paint shop
in the building. Later Burns again
rented part of the building and as
sociated with Basinger operated a
blacksmith shop about 1932. After
Burns left for Arkansas a year later
Basinger continued the shop at the
location until the present time.
About the time of the World War
the late Harl Dillman who then
owned the place used a portion of
it as an automobile salesroom.
Since that time it has served as a
garage operated by Fred Martin,
later by Burket & Wagner and also
by Morris Swick.
Title to the real estate is held by
a loan company in Lima. Whether
a new structure will be erected on
the site is not known.
Remains Brought
Here For Burial
Burial services were held at Maple
Grove cemetery Monday afternoon
for Mrs. Catherine Klay, 78, of
Cleveland, former Bluffton resident,
whose remains were brought here for
interment. She was the mother of
George Klay of this place.
Mrs. Klay died at her home in
Cleveland, Friday night following
several years of failing health. Fun
eral services were held at that place
Sunday evening followed by services
at the cemetery here. Rev. Way
man of the Lutheran church officiat
ed.
Mrs. Klay was the widow the late
Chris Klay. The family resided in
Bluffton for many years and had a
large number of friends here. For
the past eleven years they lived in
Cleveland.
Besides her son of this place she
is survived by three daughters Mrs.
Nina Berkey, Mrs. Eva Cattran and
Mrs. Carrie Parker all of Cleveland.
Also surviving are three sisters,
Mrs. Lucy Klay of Cleveland, Mrs.
Rose Tschantz of Upper Sandusky,
Miss Margaret Eiserling of Los An
geles and one brother Jacob Eiser
ling of California.
UNION SERVICES
Union services will be held at the
Methodist church Sunday night at
7:30 o’clock with Rev. Charles Ar
mentrout of the Presbyterian church
as the speaker.
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INT ERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 1940
To a former Bluffton woman—Mrs.
Matthew B. Sweeney of Dallas, Tex
as, remembered here as Rose Ben
roth—went the honor of christening
the newest ocean-going oil tanker of
the Sun Oil company at Chester, Pa.,
Wednesday.
Launching of the boat “America
Sun”, took place at the yards of the
GLEANINGS
Picked up from Harvest
Fields of the District
Harry Anderson of Orange town
ship hangs up a record for wheat
production for growers of the dis
trict to shoot at. The other day
Harry threshed an even 100 bushels
of wheat from 2% acres.
Just in case you don’t want to
bother on a hot day with the
problem of figuring out the yield per
acre, we’ll tell you that it is better
than 42 ta bushels.
The wheat is of the Thorn variety
obtained from Herr Brothers. Hany
says he expects to sow more of it
for next year.
Believe it or not, but there were
1,068 sheaves of wheat in one load
at Melvin Hilty’s last Thursday
afternoon when Eldon. Tschiegg and
his crew were threshing.
The boys out in the field set out
to send in a big load to the threshers
and they did. The 1,068 sheaves
made 57 bushels of threshed wheat.
This is more than double the 450 to
500 sheaves in the ordinary load.
The rubber tire wagon, seven feet
wide and 16 feet long had sheaves
piled five feet above the seven foot
standards. Gid Garmatter and Ray
Lora piled them high the wagon
and it took tall Minor Vhut to pitch
up the last sheaves.
It’s in Richland township where
even pop corn is growing tall this
summer. John M. Marshall of
Beaverdam has a patch the stalks of
which measure nine feet and eight
inches. Marshall also has nine and
one-half foot hollyhocks.
Fewer Mosquitoes Here Result Of
Surveys And Systematic Spraying
Orlo West, Former
Resident Is Dead
Orlo West, 75, formerly of near
Bluffton, died at his home in Steam
boat Springs, Colorado, Thursday.
Death, due to pneumonia, followed a
five days’ illness.
His death occurred three weeks
after his brother, Cliff West of this
place visited him in Steamboat
Springs, this having been the first
meeting of the two in fifteen years.
Funeral services were held at
Steamboat Springs, Saturday, fol
lowed by interment at that place.
Mr. West, the eldest son of James
and Florence Ewing West was
reared on what is now the Roy Rog
ers farm two and one-half miles
northeast of Bluffton on the Dixie
highway.
He and his wife, Mary Whisler
West left here about forty-five years
ago, locating near Steamboat Springs
where he operated a ranch until he
retired several years ago.
Besides his wife he is survived by
two sons: Walter of Casper, Wyom
ing and Alva West of Kremmley,
Colo., and four daughters Mrs. Mont
Palmer, Delta, Colo., and Mrs. Levi
Boettler, Mrs. Auburn Luekens and
Miss Vaden West all of Steamboat
Springs.
Also surviving are four brothers:
Bert of Toledo, Cliff and Fletch of
Bluffton and Glenn West of Los An
geles one sister, Mrs. Ira Garner of
Toledo, six grandchldren and one
great grandchild.
Another Tar Coat
For Township Road
Another coat of tar and chips is
being applied this week to the Hu
ber-Matter road a two and one-half
mile stretch extending from the Al
len-Hancock county line to the Dixie
highway.
The first tar treatment was given
a month ago after the roadway was
widened to forty feet with a fifteen
foot wide tar top.
Real Estate Deal
R. L. Triplett has purchased the
David Lugibill farm of 90 acres
northwest of Bluffton. Morris Nis
wander will occupy the place.
Former Bluffton Woman Christens Ocean
Going Oil Tanker at Launching Wednesday
Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock com
pany at Chester in the morning at
11:15 o’clock. As the big tanker slid
down the ways Mrs. Sweeney broke a
bottle of champagne over the bow of
the boat in the christening ceremony.
Mrs. Sweeney, accompanied by her
husband, an executive of the Sun Oil
company, left Dallas for Philadelphia
last Sunday to participate in the
christening ceremony at nearby Ches-
All Exposed Bodies of Water
Sprayed Three Times
Each Week
1000 Gallons Insecticide Used
Mosquitoes Killed in
Larvae Stage
It’s no mere quirk of fate that
Bluffton this summer has fewer mos
quitoes than at any time in the mem
ory of most of the town’s inhabi
tants.
Scientific spraying of all exposed
bodies of water, on a regular sched
ule, is responsible for the compara
tive freedom from the troublesome
insect pests which in recent years
have assailed Bluffton in swarms
during the summer months.
That the village’s first mosquito
control campaign very definitely is a
success is attested to by enthusiastic
reports from persons who this year
can sit outside in the evenings with
out being bothered by biting mosqui
toes.
Careful planning, surveys of spots
where mosquito larvae are most apt
to breed and regularly scheduled
spraying have brought about Bluff
ton’s transition from a mosquito
ridden town to one comparatively
free of the pests.
Oyer in Charge
Robert Oyer, a medical student
now on his summer vacation, is in
charge of the control activities,
working under the direction of Mayor
Wilbur A. Howe and the community
mosquito control committee.
Spraying of Big and Little Riley
creeks and other bodies of water
where mosquitoes may breed was
started late in May, and will be con
tinued until the first frost, according
to present plans.
Oyer makes daily surveys to spot
the mosquito larvae, or wrigglers, as
(Continued on page 8)
Funeral For John
J. Klay Thursday
Funeral services for John J. Klay,
83, pioneer Bluffton resident, will be
held at St. John’s Reformed church,
Thursday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock
with Rev. A. F. Albro and Rev. Emil
Burrichter officiating. Burial will
be in Maple Grove cemetery.
Mr. Klay died Tuesday afternoon
at his home on West Elm street fol
lowing
?ji
illness of five days from
uremic poisoning.
A lifelong resident of this com
munity, he was a stone mason by
trade and widely known. He was a
member of St. John’s Reformed
church and the Odd Fellow lodge.
Mr. Klay was born on March 27,
1857, the son of John and Elizabeth
Geiger Klay. On February 4, 1879
he was married to Elise Marie
Tschantz who died on March 23,
1927.
Surviving are four children and a
step-son: Otto of Lebanon, Mo., Wal
ter of Waynesboro, Pa., Elmer and
Caesar Klay and Mrs. S. H. Steple
ton all of Bluffton.
Also surviving are one brother
Gideon Klay of Los Angeles and a
sister, Mrs. Hannah Kunzman of
Alva, Oklahoma.
Tax Collectors To
Be Here Next Week
Bluffton area property owners will
have an opportunity to pay their
taxes at the Citizens National bank
next Monday and Tuesday, when
deputies are to be here from the
Allen county treasurer’s office.
Deadline for payment of last-half
1939 real estate taxes, represented
by the present collection period, will
be September 10.
Last week’s real estate tax pay
ments in the county amounted to
$46,795.83.
Receipts from the sale of sales tax
stamps last week were $4,441, an
aggregate of $154,770.58 since the
first of the year, it was reported by
Treasurer Byron T. Dershem.
ter, Wednesday morning.
On their return to Dallas they ex
pect to stop here to visit at the home
of her brother, Albert Benroth and
family and also her two sister in Li
ma, Miss Minnie Benroth and Mrs.
Mont Euller.
A number of invitations to attend
the christening ceremony and also
the noon luncheon following were re
ceived here the first of the week.
COUNCIL TO TALK
HARD SURFACING
OF LAWN AVENUE
*roposa! Slated to Come Before
Council at Meeting Monday
Night
Resurfacing of Cherry Street
May be Undertaken if
Council Approves
Proposed re-surfacing of Lawn
and Cherry street will be discussed
at next Monday’s meeting of the
town council, and work will be com
pleted this summer if approval is
voted.
Asphalt surfaces would be placed on
both thorofares under the plans which
are to be presented to the councilmen.
Lawn avenue one of the longest un
paved streets in the town, will be sur
faced from Kibler to Riley street, a
distance of nearly one mile, if the
proposal is approved.
Talk Cherry Street Surfacing
Re-surfacing of Cherry street is
suggested from its intersection with
Main street to the Nickel Plate rail
road crossing. This would entail
placing asphalt surface over the pres
ent brick pavement.
A summer street improvement pro
gram was launched in the town last
week when 21,000 gallons of prime
coat road oil were put on alleys,' ntfle
used streets which had not been treat
ed previously, and dust along the
borders of streets which have hard
surfaces.
Oil had to be used instead of tar
because these alleys and streets had
not been treated before. It is impos
sible to apply a tar and stone chip
surface until an oil base Kas been
built up with road oil, it was explain
ed.
Last Rites Monday
For Jacob D. Huber
Funeral services for Jacob D. Hu
ber, 82, pioneer resident of this sec
tion were held at Pleasant Hill
church, Monday afternoon with Rev.
J. L. Guthrie and Rev. Lee Moore
officiating. Burial was in the
church cemetery.
Mr. Huber died Saturday night in
Ada at the home of his son Prof. H.
E. Huber of Ohio Northern univers
ity where he had made his home for
several years.
During his active career Mr. Hu
ber operated a farm south of Bluff
ton and was a leader in community
affairs, education and agriculture.
He was a charter member of
Richland grange and was one of the
original founders of Pleasant Hill
church. He was also prominent in
farm institute affairs and was one
of the first in this section to intro
duce modern farm machinery.
Mr. Huber and his brother Wil
liam were the oldest twins in this
district and w’ould have celebrated
their eighty-second birthday anni
versaries August 21.
Surviving are three sons: Prof.
H. E. Huber of Ada Dr. L. L. Hu
ber of Wooster and Harry Huber
on the home farm.
Besides his twin brother William
of near Bluffton he is survived by
another brother John of Beaverdam.
Six children also survive. His wife
died ten years ago.
Woman's Hand Is
Injured By Fan
Mrs. Olan Lewis, residing in the
post office building apartments, was
painfully cut on the left hand by the
metal blades of an electric fan, Sun
day aftemcon.
The accident occurred as Mrs.
Lewis attempted to steady the fan
while in operation and her hand was
struck by the revolving blades. Med
ical aid w*as given by Dr. M. R.
Bixel who took four stitches to
close the wound.
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Live and a
Good Place to Trade
NUMBER 14
BIG CROP SURPLUS
BEING STORED ON
FARMS IN DISTRICT
kirns and Granaries Filled to
Capacity with Bumper
Crops This Year
General Opinion Thru Farming
Districts is that Prices
Will Rise
Will prices of farm products rise?
Ask any farmer in the Bluffton
district, and you will probably get a
non-committal answer. They are
all too busy right now with wheat
threshing, oats cutting and corn cul
tivating to take much time out to
talk about future price trends.
But make no mistake about it—
right or wrong—the farmer is ex
pecting a rise in prices this winter
and he is shaping his plans with
that end in view.
Here’s the Answer
The real answer to the question is
found in the barns and granaries
filled to bursting with a veritable
flood of bumper crops this summer—
one of the best all-around growing
seasons in years.
Hay, wheat and oats—all crowding
barn storage space and prospects for
a big crop of corn in the offing—not
to mention soy beans.
Hay started the procession a
month ago when farmers were faced
with the problem of what to do with
it. Some burned the less desirable
cuttings while others gave it away.
Wheat, Oats, Show Well
Wheat averaging thirty bushels to
the acre—fifty per cent above twenty
bushels, the average yield in this
district over a period of years. Yet
dealers will tell you that wheat ship
ments here are about the same as in
previous years.
In fact the peak of wheat ship
ments was reached on the Bluffton
market during the past week and is
now beginning to taper off. The
aaleg represent the surplus for which,
“there was not sufficient storage an
the farms or selling to provide
money for immediate needs. Price
of No. 1 wheat on the Bluffton
market Wednesday morning was 73
cents.
Oats now being cut will make the
best crop in four years, according
to competent farm observers. Yields
of fifty bushels and more per acre
are confidently anticipated.
Heat Hits Potatoes
Potatoes, however, have been dam
aged by the unseasonable heat wave
and may fall short of an average
crop. Digging of the crop is now
under way, having started earlier
than had been expected due to the
heat.
Corn prospects generally, however,
have not been diminished by hot
weather of the past fortnight and
barring unforseeen circumstances, a
heavy yield is anticipated which will
make additional demands for stor
age space.
War Cancels Plans
Tq
Teach In Persia
AppointuMmt of Miss Barbara
Joyce Haufnstein of this place as in
structor in the Presbyterian mission
school in Tehran, Iran (Persia) has
been cancelled on account of unset
tled conditions in the Near East due
to the European War.
Miss Hauenstein who had expected
to sail this month received word the
first of the week that no new in
structors would be sent to the school
at this time.
The Bluffton young woman, daugh
ter of Prof, and Mrs. Sidney Hau
enstein of Campus Drive, received
her appointment last May from the
Presbyterian Board of Foreign Mis
sions. She had been scheduled to
sail early in August and to arrive
at her destination in time for the
opening of the fall term of school
the first of September.
For the past year she was an in
structor in Columbus Grove high
school, which position she resigned to
accept the appointment to Iran.
The school was established seventy
years ago in Tehran, metropolis of
that region and includes grade and
high school classes. It has an en
rollment of 110 students consisting
of children of missionaries, European
officials and natives.
Building House
P. W. Stauffer has started excava
tion for construction of a residence
on Kibler street near the Grove
street intersection on a site recently
purchased from Mrs. W. A. Triplett.