The Bluffton news. [volume], January 16, 1941, Image 1

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BLUFFTON NEWS
The Advertising Medium for
Bluffton Trade Territory
VOLUME NO. LXV
37 ALLEN COUNTY
MEN CALLED FOR
SERVICE IN ARMY
Draft Board Announces Tenta
tive List to Leave Thurs
day, January 23
Group to Leave Court House at
Lima for Induction Station
In Toledo
Names of thirty-seven Allen county
men who will go to camp next week
for a year of army training were an
nounced in a tentative list by Allen
county draft board No. 3, Tuesday.
The list of names, board members
pointed out, is subject to minor
changes because of possibility of ap
peals and also the outcome of pend
ing physical examination.
Should any of the list chosen be
excused, their places will be filled
from a list of four alternates an
nounced by the board.
The thirty-seven men will report
at the court house in Lima on Thurs
day morning, January 23 at 6:30
o’clock. From there they will go by
bus to the army induction station
in Toledo. It is believed that the
quota will be sent to the National
Guard units at Camp Shelby, Miss.,
although there was no official word
to this effect.
The list as announced by the
draft board includes five volunteers:
Willard Dillman, Joseph and James
Birchnaugh all of Bluffton and
Clarence Theis and Vernon Keeling
both of Lima.
Others named by the board are:
Robert Early, Willard Stombaugh,
Donald Ward, Chas. Lhamon, Edwin
Book, Richard Griffin, Winfield Rous
coulp, Walter Hughes, Anthony
Jacobs, Lloyd Cook, Robert Edwards,
Ora Spring, Ralph Augsburger,
Gerald Holman, Orman Renner.
Chas. Schooler, Wm. Cupp, How
ard Early, Herman Luginbuhl, Ralph
Shumaker, Ralph Hutson, Merlin
Burkholder, Charles Jackson, Melvin
Matthewson, Gerald Schmelzer, John
Freyer, Calvin Miller, Merl Habeg
ger, Wilbur Mefford, Charles Pick
ering, Chesney Van Dyke, Myron
Howard.
Alternates—Herbert Kindle, Bluff
ton Herbert Hageman, Delphos
James Eastman Freeman Basinger,
Pandora.
Deppler Will Head
Public Affairs Board
Eli Deppler, president of the Board
of Public Affairs during the past year
was re-elected to that position at the
annual organization meeting of the
board last Thursday night.
Other members are Wm. Luginbuhl
and A. C. Burcky. Edgar Hauen
stein was continued as clerk of the
board.
Changes in the operating steup of
the municipal electric light and
waterworks plant were suggested by
the board in a recommendation to be
submitted to the council for final ap
proval.
The board, under its proposed re
organization recommended that John
Swisher, present superintendent, be
transferred to the plant’s staff of
engineers.
Swisher, together with Hiram
Wenger, senior engineer, would be
in charge of operations inside the
plant. Forest Mumma would be
placed in charge of service and main
tenance outside the plant.
Under the proposed plan the plant
would have five engineers instead of
four which would give each man a
six day workweek instead of the
present seven day week.
The board’s recommendation is ex
pected to come before the council at
its meeting next Monday night
Bible Teacher At
Ebenezer Church
“The Second Coming of Christ’’ is
the general subject of the Bible lec
tures to be given by Dr. M. De
Haan, of Detroit, at the Ebenezer
Mennonite church, west of town,
starting Sunday it was announced by
Rev. P. A. Kliewer, pastor of the
church.
Subject of the lectures are:
Sunday, 2:30 p. m.—“The Days of
Noah Repeated”.
Sunday, 7:45 p. m.—“The Doom (f
Russia and End of the Age”.
Monday, 7:45 p. m.—“The Trans
lation of the Church”.
Tuesday, 7:45 p. m.—“The Jew in
Prophecy”.
Wednesday, 7:45 p. m.—“The Sec
ond Coming of Christ”.
Special music will be provided at
each service.
Fido Better Watch
Out After Monday
Is Warning Given
TT will be tough for Fido if his
master does not buy him a dog
license by Monday as January 20
is the deadline date for the pur
chase of tags. Sales to date have
been rather slow, Menno Badert
scher, local distributor for Allen
and Hancock counties reported
Tuesday.
After Jan. 20 any dog found
without a license may be im
pounded by the county dog
catcher. At the county dog
pound Fido may be retrieved for
two dollars plus license fee pro
viding he has already not been
disposed of. After Monday a
one dollar penalty will be added
to the license fees, Badertscher
stated.
HOSPITAL MAKES
PROGRESS ANNUAL
REPORT DISCLOSES
Muffton Institution Cared for
485 Patients During
Past Year
Three Directors are Elected at
Annual Meeting Board
Organizes
Representing an increase of 85 new
admissions over the previous year,
there was a total of 485 patients at
the Bluffton Community hospital dur
ing the past year, it was stated by
Miss Helen Maxwell, superintendent
of the institution. Miss Maxwell pre
sented her report at the annual meet
ing of the hospital held in the high
school cafeteria, Monday night.
The hospital had 123 births, a rec
ord figure totalling 28 more than the
previous year’s number. There were
21 death and 124 operations during
the year, according to the superin
tendent’s report.
The average number of patients,
13.2 was slightly under the number
for the preceding year which was 13.5.
The number of nursing days for the
patients at the hospital totalled 4,845,
according to figures given by the
superintendent.
New Trustee Elected
One new trustee, Hiram Wenger,
was elected for a three year term to
fill the vacancy caused by the expira
tion of the term of Gideon Schumach
er-
Trustees re-elected were N. E.
Byers and Mrs. R. L. Triplett. Other
trustees are: Mrs. J. A. Warren,
Menno Schumacher, Edgar Hauen
stein, Mrs. Reese Huber, Cal Balmer
and Ross Bogart.
In the organization meeting of the
board the following officers were
named: President, N. E. Byers vice
president, Mrs. Reese Huber secre
tary, Cal Balmer treasurer, Ross Bo
gart.
Miss Maxwell was named to con
tinue as superintendent of the hospit
al and Miss Sylvia Biederman, assist
ant. Both are registered nurses. All
other present employees were also re
hired.
Farm Short Course
Starts Monday Night
Instruction in farm problems will
be given in the annual short course
for farmers and farm youths to be
held in the Bluffton High school ag
ricultural room starting Mun* lay
night for about 15 weeks, it was an
nounced by Harry Barnes, instructor
in vocational agriculture.
An outline of the course and a
discussion of the prospects of the
farmer for the coming year as re
lated to national defense will make
up the program Monday at 7:30 p. m.
and it is open to all interested.
There is no charge for the cuurs^
Barnes stated.
English Girl Writes That Northern
Part Of Country Untouched By War
Meetings of the course will be
held one night each week.
Steinman Re-elected
School Board Head
Forrest Steinman, lumber dealer,
was re-elected president of the Bluff
ton Board of Education, at an or
ganization meeting of the body held
at the high school. Dr. W. M. Nis
wander was named vice-president
and Leland Diller was re-appointed
clerk of the board.
Other members of the board are
Waldo Hofstetter, Elmer Short and
John Tosh.
Nineteen Year Old Girl in Black
pool, England Corresponds
With Doris Jean White
Activity in Lancashire has been
Confined to Dropping of
Leaflets by Nazi Planes
Despite the terrific aerial bombard
ments of southern England, the
northeast part of the country shows
little evidence of war activity, ac
cording to letters received by Doris
Jean W’hite, of Spring street from
a girl living in Blackpool, England.
She has been corresponding with
an English girl, Audrey Throp, 18,
for several years and has been re
ceiving letters with little delay.
Blackpool is a seacoast town in
northern Lancashire several hundred
miles from the theatre of warfare.
Leaflets Dropped
The only type of bombardment to
which the Blackpool area has been
subjected is the dropping of mil
lions of leaflets by German airplanes
urging the English to give up while
there is yet a chance. Dire threats
as to possible consequences should
the English refuse to acquiesce are
always contained in the leaflets, the
English girl writes. This type of
strategy has had the opposite effect
on the people and instead has caused
a stiffening of opposition and
strengthening of morale. People in
the town and countryside generally
joke about the leaflets and everyone
proclaims a belief in the ultimate
victory of England.
Polish Aviators
The town of Blackpool in recent
months has been swarming with
Polish aviators who are becoming
more and more a vital part of the
British air offensive. The English
girl reports that the Polish fliers are
itry polite and at social functions
aie always known to click their heels
and bow their heads when ask:.ng a
girl for a dance.
Many of the letters speak of
American motion pictures and that
most of the English girls have the
same screen favorites as the girls in
America. England has always been
impressed with the American motion
picture product and while admitting
their technical superiorities some
times question their artistic and dra
matic qualities.
War Suffering
Occasionally relatives and friends
speak of the death or wounding of a
member of the family in the current
war and there are many heart aches
and much suffering as a result of
these losses.
In recent months quite a few peo
ple from the bombarded southern
section of the country have come to
the northern area in Lancashire to
get relief from the bombs. Most of
these people have complained from
lack of sleep caused by the poor
sleeping conditions in the air raid
shelters, the letters stated.
Real Estate Deals
Jesse Bracy has purchased the
Mrs. Grace Hughes farm of 35 acres
north of Bluffton on the County line.
Bracy will occupy the farm in April,
moving from his residence on South
Lawn avenue.
Malcolm Ewing who occupies the
Boyer farm near Rockport has pur
chased the Alex Steiner farm north
of the former Gratz school. Ewing
will move on the place in the spring.
C. M. Keifer who now occupies the
Steiner farm will move on the Mrs.
Della Matter farm south of town
which he recently purchased.
Fred and Albert Marquart have
purchased the Mrs. Mayne Miller
farm of 90 acres in Orange town
ship. Newlin Habegger, employed
on the Marquart farms will occupy
the residence, moving from the Mel
vin Williamson farm north of the
Black school.
Kenneth Chidester has purchased
the Chris Santschi farm of 79 acres
south of Bluffton on the Dixie high
way occupied by Reed Painter.
Chidester who lives on the Mrs. An
na Fett place southeast of Bluffton
on the Lincoln highway expects to
occupy the Santschi place this
spring.
Play To Be Given At
New College Chapel
“The Lost Church” will be present
ed by the College church society in
the new chapel at Bluffton college
Sunday night at 6 o’clock.
The following students will appear
in the production: Mark Houshower,
Julia Culp, Richard Weaver, Lena
Boyer, Margaret Shelly, William
Holtkamp, Betty Keeney, Eloise
Whitmore, Josephine Haldy, Mary
Alice Geiger, Ann Chuch, Wilma
Nash.
The public is invited.
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INT ERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, O IIO, THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 1941
TO OPEN NATIONAL
DEFENSE COURSES
ON MONDAY NIGHT
Free Eight Weeks’ Course in
Vocational Instruction at
High School
Instruction in Metal Working
And Electricity for Youths
17 to 25
Vocational training courses in con
nection with the national defense
program will be opened in Bluffton
high school next Monday night, it
was announced by Supt. A. J. B.
Longsdorf
Supt. Longsdorf’s announcement
came following a joint meeting of
representatives of the Bluffton Board
of Education and the local National
Defense Advisory council held at the
high school last Monday.
The instruction open to young men
between ages of 17 and 25 will con
sist of courses in metal working and
electricity with a view of providing
fundamental knowledge in these
fields in which demands for skilled
labor are being made by industries
engaged in the manufacture of pro
ducts for national defense.
Open Meeting Monday
The organization meeting will be
held at 7 o’clock next Monday night
in the library study room at the
high school. A minimum enrollment
of ten will be required and accom
modations are available for a maxi
(Continued on page 8)
PROGRAM READY
FOR BLUFFTON’S
FARM INSTITUTE
Two Days’ Sessions to be Held
Here on Wcdiiioday and
Thursday Next Week
State and Local Speakers Will
Touch on Many Phases of
Farm Activity
Featuring a two-day discussion of
rural community problems, Bluffton’s
annual winter farm institute will be
held next Wednesday and Thursday,
Jan. 22 and 23.
Speakers well qualified in the
fields they represent will appear on
the institute program, and in addi
tion many entertaining features are
planned. Complete details of the
program appear on Pages 4 and 5
of this week’s issue of the Bluffton
News.
Opening on Wednesday, men’s and
women’s institute organizations will
hold joint morning, afternoon and
evening meetings in the Bluffton
High school auditorium. Separate
sessions are planned for Thursday,
with the men in the high school and
the women at St. John’s Reformed
church.
Outstanding Speakers
Heading an impressive list of
speakers are C. Clyde Jones, Ohio
City livestock farmer, and Mrs. Pearl
E. Boli, prominent Stark county farm
woman. They have been selected
from the state list of farm institute
speakers.
Others who will appear on the
program in speaking roles include
Edgar Herr, hybrid corn specialist
J. W. Windau, former farm agent of
Putnam county and J. H. Warner,
Allen county farm agent.
Wednesday morning’s session at
10 a. m. will open the institute, with
a dinner following at noon in the
high school cafeteria. The afternoon
program will start at 1:15 p. m.
Wednesday Feature Day
Varied presentations on Wednesday
night are expected to attract a ca
(Continued on page 8)
Diller Named Head
Of Sportsmen's Club
Silas Diller was elected president
of the Bluffton Sportsmen’s club at
an organization meeting held at the
town council room Monday night.
Other officers named at the ses
sion are: vice-president, Sam Hauen
stein secretary, Nelson Herr treas
urer, Dallas Berry. The directors
are: Laurence Hosafros, Albert Gar
motter, Herbert Rupright, Gerald
Berry, Jesse Mangus, Edgar Root.
Membership fee this year will be
one dollar instead of the two dollar
fee of last year. Tnis will include a
fishing permit for the National
quarry.
Unanimous adoption of a new- con
stitution was effected at a meeting of
the shareholders of the Citizens Na
tional Bank Tuesday night.
The new constitution was made ne
cessary as a result of retiring the pre
ferred stock issue of the bank. The
bank now has listed among capital
accounts, common stock with a total I
par value of $75,000.
A cash dividend of $4 a share on
the present outstanding common
stock was paid to stockholders of rec
ord.
Modernizing and Redecoration
Made Possible by $5,000
Gifts from Trustees
Dedication ceremonies for the new
ly remodeled and redecorated chapel
at Bluffton college will be held at
special Vesper services Sunday after
noon at 3 o’clock, it was announced
this week by Dr. L. L. Ramseyer,
president of the institution.
The new auditorium has been in
use since the first of the year when
students resumed school work after
the holidays.
Extensive remodeling was made
possible by a $4,000 gift from A. C.
Ramseyer, Wayne county potato
grower, and a $1,000 gift from Wil
liam Mohr, Bethlehem, Pa., for the
installation of opera type seats.
Both Ramseyer and Mohr are mem
bers of the college board of trustees.
William V. Beach, 79, who oper
ated a dry goods store in Bluffton
about forty years ago, died at his
home in Ashland, Monday. Death
was due to a heart attack.
Born near Rawson, he entered the
drygoods business in Findlay and
afterward moved to Bluffton in the
1890’s. After seven years here he
moved to Ashland where for many
years he was proprietor of a depart
ment store. For a number of years,
however, he had retired from active
business.
New Constitution Adopted At Annual
Citizens Bank Stockholders Meeting
Dr. C. Henry Smith, president of
Ceremonies for Remodeled
Chapel Room to be Held
Sunday at 3 O’clock
Special Services Will Mark Dedication
Of New Auditorium At Bluffton College
Rev. Shelley, Speaker
Speaker for the afternoon occasion
will be the Rev. Wilmer Shelley,
pastor of the Mennonite church at
(Continued on page 8)
Former Bluffton
Merchant Is Dead
Funeral services were held in Ash
land, Wednesday afternoon. He is
survived by his widow, the former
Cora Kagey of Findlay. A son Ray
mond and daughter Ruth Beach pre
ceded him in death.
Pigeon Arrives In
Cleveland On Time
With wings badly battered and
bruised, the carrier pigeon released
in Bluffton last Monday at its des
tination in Cleveland in a little less
than three hours.
The pigeon was started on its way
by Robert Potts, of Spring street, at
10:45 a. m. and arrived at the home
of a Cleveland friend at 1:30 p. m.
A message in a band on its leg was
carried by the bird.
The many feathers out of the bird
indicated that heavy weather
whs
encountered. Carrier pigeons travel
at an average speed of 75 miles per
hour.
Raising carrier pigeons is a hobby
of Potts, and he obtained the bird
released Monday from the C’evelund
friend fpr breeding purposes. Potts
is an employe of the Triplett Elec
trical Instrument Co.
the institution, in his annual report
to the shareholders stated that the
surplus of the bank at the close of
year stood at $60,000 an increase of
$10,000 over the figure of last year.
Statement of the bank at the close
of the past year showed total footings
of assets and liabilities at $1,178,
809.70, an increase of $68,302.73 over
last year’s total.
The former board of directors was
re-elected for the coming year. Elect
ed were: C. Henry Smith, E. C.
Romey, Hiram Locher, Noah Basing
er, L. T. Greding, Edwin Amstutz
and Henry Huber.
MENNONITE AID
SOCIETY HOLDS
ANNUAL MEETING
Mennonite Insurance Company
Has $3,209,365 Risks in
Force in Area
Policies Carried by Local Unit
Aggregate 869 Officers
Elected at Meeting
Insurance risks aggregating a
total of $3,209,365 are carried by the
Mennonite Mutual Aid Society, a
locally controlled and operated in
surance organization specializing in
farm risks, it was reported Satur
day at the annual meeting of the
group in Pandora.
Reports submitted at the session
showed the society has 869 policies,
an increase of six over the total
of last year.
Aggregate risks carried by the or
ganization at the close of the year
were $3,209,365. This represents an
increase of $97,810 over the previous
year’s total of $3,111,555.
Due principally to the November
windstorms, the storm losses were
numerous but not heavy, the direct
ors pointed out. Total losses for
1940, including fire, lightning and
storm, came to $3,077.74.
Jerry Basinger and A. S. Hilty,
both of Pandora, were elected for
three year terms on the board of
directors at the stockholder’s meet
ing.
Officers re-elected at the meeting:
Jerry Basinger, president and adjust
er E. E. Bucher, vice-president and
appraiser D. J. Basinger, secretary
Albert Winkler, assistant secretary
and appraiser A. S. Hilty, treasur
er Gid Schumacher and J. G. Phil
lips, appraisers.
Sales Tax Examiner
To Be Here Jan. 24
Home From War-Crushed France, Edna
Ramseyer To Resume College Duties
Returning from a year’s experience
in war-crushed France, Miss Edna
Ramseyer will again resume her
duties as dean of women and in
structor in home economics at Bluff
ton college, at the start of the sec
ond semester.
She recently arrived in the United
States after serving since last Feb
ruary as supervisor and dietician in
a Friends Service Camp for Spanish
children refugees near Marseilles,
France.
She will be at Bluffton college on
Sunday for dedication of the remod-
Assistance in making out their
1940 sales tax reports will be avail
able for Bluffton vendors Friday
afternoon, Jan. 24, when a sales tax
examiner will establish temporary
headquarters in the mayor’s office at
the town hall.
The examiner wil be here from 1
to 4 p. m., and during his stay he
will assist Bluffton business men in
making out their reports.
Completed reports may be mailed
to the department of taxation in Co
lumbus, or mailed to the district
office, 1004 Cook Tower, Lima. All
reports must be filed before Janu
ary 31, or be subject to a penalty of
$1 per day.
Births
The following birth at the Bluff
ton hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Quinten Deifendeif
er, a girl, Monday.
eled chapel, and will assume her du
ties on the college faculty during the
following week.
Miss Ramseyer received a year’.3
leave of absence from the institution
at the start of the second semester
last year, and sailed to Europe from
New York city on Jan. 25, 1940.
Landing in Genoa, Italy, she went
by railroad into France, the Italians
at that time not having declared war
on their neighbors.
During her stay in France, Miss
Ramseyer lived through the trying
days of the country’s defeat and the
beginning of a reconstruction effort.
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Live and a
Good Place to Trade
NUMBER 38
ANNUAL MEETING
OF RICHLAND TWP.
FARM INSURANCE
Risks in Total of $2,149,365
With 540 Policies in
Force
Officers Re-elected at Annual
Business Meeting of Rural
Mutual Group
Property insured by the Richland
Township Farmers Mutual Insurance
Co., a rural organization operating
in the Bluffton area, amounted to
$2,149,365 at the end of the fiscal
year 1940, it was announced at the
annual meeting in Bluffton Saturday.
With two windstorms and three
fires, losses were higher than usual
during the past year making neces
sary a two mill assessment to cover
losses amounting to $4,477.70.
A total of 540 policies are in
force, nine more than in 1940.
Schick Re-elected
Jacob Schick was re-elected as a
member of the board of directors for
a three year term at last Saturday’s
meeting. Also named at the share
holder’s meeting for one year terms
were: Charles Lora, appraiser H.
P. Huber, treasurer Earl Matter,
secretary.
Other directors serving unexpired
terms are: Eli Augsburger, and
Elmer Lauby.
In the organization of the board of
directors Eli Augsburger was elected
president and Jacob Schick, vice
president.
Organized 1885
Altho the Richland township com
pany does not include professional
insurance men in its directorate, it
has continued in operation success
fully for more than a half century.
The society was organized in 1885
for the primary purpose of insuring
farm property on a mutual basis.
Business was originally conducted
in a comparatively restricted neigh
borhood but in the last decade or so
operations have generally extended
to include surrounding communities.
Bluffton Man Year's
First Traffic Victim
A. S. Faze, 65, Bluffton filling sta
tion proprietor and coal dealer was
fatally injured in an automobile ac
cident Sunday afternoon at 4 o’clock
and died in Lima Memorial hospital
about a half-hour later. It was the
first automobile fatality in Alien
county this year.
The fatal accident occurred when
the car driven by Faze and another
driven by Rev. Joy Williamson, 28,
minister of Anna, Ohio, crashed at
the intersection of two country roads
one mile south of the Monroe center
school, one and one-half miles north
east of Cairo.
Faze, alone, was east bound on one
road while Rev. Williamson accom
panied by his wife and five-year-old
daughter Jean Ann was driving
south.
The Bluffton man was thrown
from his car by impact of the colli
sion and received a fractured hip
and internal injuries. These to
gether with the shock resulted in his
death, according to Allen County Cor
oner Harry Lewis. Occupants of the
Williamson car escaped with minor
injuries.
Funeral services were held Wed
nesday afternoon at the Faze home
on South Main street, Rev. Charles
Armentrout officiating. Burial was
in Maple Grove cemetery.
Mr. Faze was a native of Perry
township and with his family moved
to Bluffton from Monroe township
about twenty years ago. He was a
member of the Presbyterian church
here.
Surviving are two sons: Floyd of
Lima and Paul Faze of Bluffton and
four daughters: Mrs. Wilbur Sum
ney of Bluffton Mrs. Dwight Nichol
of Johnstown, Pa. Mrs. J. D.
McKinney of Lima and Mrs. Dorothy
Nichols of Canton. Also surviving is
i one brother, Don of Lima and one
sister, Mrs. Lottie Tate of Wauwa
tosa, Wisconsin.
P. T. A. Meeting To Be
Held Wednesday Night
Family relationships will be the
theme of the meeting of the Parent
Teacher association to be held in
the high school auditorium Wednes
day night at 7:30 o’clock.
Music will be provided by the in
strumental department of the school.
Two short plays and a discussion, on
family relationships will feature the
program.