The Bluffton news. [volume], February 13, 1941, Image 1

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

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BLUFFTON NEWS
The Advertising Medium for
Bluffton Trade Territory
VOLUME NO. LXV
FRANK SCOTT DIES
FUNERAL SERVICES
WILL BE THURSDAY
Retired Manufacturer, Banker
And Business Man, Aged
93, Dies Tuesday
Served Twenty-two Years as
Member of Bluffton Board
Of Public Affairs
Frank Scott, 93, retired manufac
turer and former banker, business
man and municipal official, died at
his home on South Main street early
Tuesday morning. Death was due to
infirmities and complications.
Although he had been in a serious
condition since Saturday afternoon,
his illness was not generally known
and news of his death was unexpect
ed.
The body is at the Stanley Basing
er funeral home where services will
be held Thursday afternoon at 2
o’clock with Rev. W. L. Harmony,
pastor of the Lutheran church, offi
ciating. Interment will be in a maus
oleum at Lafayette beside the remains
of his wife.
Senior Member of Firm
At the time of his death he was
senior member of the firm of Scott &
Ewing, manufacturers of gear and
wheel pullers and widely known in
industrial circles.
His death brings to a close a long
and many-sided career as an indus
trialist, financier and public official.
During the sixty-eight years of his
residence in Bluffton he exercised to
a marked degree an influence on the
development of the town.
However, following the death of his
wife, twenty-seven years ago, he re
tired more and more from public af
fairs and lived quietly at his home ad
joining that of his son in law and
daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Ewing.
A man of marked business acumen,
he combined with it integrity in pub
lic and private life together with ex
traordinary physical vitality which
enabled him repeatedly to shake off
grave illnesses and infirmities during
the past twenty years which might
well have conquered one of less reso
lute determination and stamina.
In Bluffton Sine 1872
Bom in Delaware, Ohio, September
16, 1847, the son of William and
Nancy Scott, he came to Bluffton in
1872 at the age of twenty-five years
and entered the mercantile business,
operating the “red front” dry goods
store, which he later left to engage in
a pioneer grain elevator project here.
In 1887 he founded the Commer
cial Bank & Savings company, which
operated until nine years ago when
it closed its doors and later was liq
uidated. For twenty years he served
as president of the institution but in
1906 he severed his connection to be
come associated with the firm of AI
thaus, Ewing & Co., manufacturers of
threshing machines and other farm
equipment. This was later reorgan
ized to form the Scott & Ewing com
pany.
He was at various times a member
of the town council and board of ed
ucation. His outstanding public serv
ice, however, was the twenty-two
years of membership on the board of
public affairs in charge of Bluffton’s
municipal electric light and water
plant, during most of which time he
was president of the board.
Plan Flourishes
A lifelong advocate of efficiency
and honesty in public office, he devot
ed the same efforts and attentions to
his public charge that he gave to his
private business. During this period
the plant expanded in equipment and
service and at the same time main
tained a strong and solid financial
position.
Of a mechanical bent, he was as a
voung man an avid bicyclist and par
ticipated in the wave of bicycle riding
which swept the country in the eight
ies.
Continuing along this line he was
the owner of Bluffton’s first automo
bile at the turn of the century in 1900,
and took a keen interest in motor cars.
Hunting was one of his early avoca
tions and for many years he kept a
fine bird dog.
His wife was the former Emma
Looney of Piqua who preceded him
in death May 11, 1914.
■Besides his daughter, Mrs. Ewing
of this place he is survived by a sister,
Mrs. Mary Burcham of Brownville,
Ind., and a brother Charles Scott of
Portland, Oregon.
LEGION MEETING
“What We Live By” is the subject
to be presented by Rev. Chas. Ar
mentrout, pastor of the Presbyterian
church, at the meeting of the
American Legion in the club rooms
Monday night at 8:00 o’clock.
(2 ,/.
Passes
TWO BOYS GO TO
CAMP IN FEBRUARY
ARMY DRAFT CALL
Herbert Kindle and George
Duffman Sent in Allen
County Quota
Bluffton Draftee with Hancock
County Quota Rejected
at Toledo, Tuesday
Allen county’s early February
quota of 32 draftees was filled dur
ing the last week, with two Bluffton
men included in the group conscript
ed for army training.
Herbert Kindle was one of 15 men
who left Lima Saturday morning,
traveling to the Toledo induction
station via C. and L. E. bus.
Kindle’s contingent w-as immediate
ly sent to Gamp Shelby, Miss., and
his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Eli Augs
burger received a telegram from that
place announcing his arrival there
on Monday morning.
In a group of 17 that left Lima
Monday morning for Toledo was
Geo. W. Duffman, of Route 1, Bluff
ton, a volunteer.
Kimmel Marshall who left Tuesday
with the Hancock county contingent
was rejected at the army induction
center in Toledo.
Drafting procedure in the county
will be speeded up considerably with
in the next month, with the likeli
hood that even faster conscription
will prevail throughout the spring
months.
Three new draft calls were issued
last week from Columbus, specifying
14,700 more Ohio trainees between
March 2 and April 10. These calls
will bring to 29,825 the number of
trainees furnished by Ohio under the
conscription act.
Allen county registrants without
dependents with numbers as high as
“1400” stand an excellent chance of
being inducted into the army before
next July 1, in view of the speedup
in conscription, it was announced
(Continued on page 8)
Mrs. Watkins Rites
Held Here Saturday
Mrs. Susanna W. Watkins, 88,
resident of Bluffton for many years,
died last Thursday morning at the
Cook Convalescent home in Elida.
She had been in failing health for
a number of years, and ill tw’o weeks
from influenza.
Funeral services were held Satur
day afternoon in the Stanley Ba
singer funeral home here, with Rev.
J. A. We'ed, pastor of the Bluffton
Methodist church, officiating. Burial
was in the Clymer cemetery.
Survivors include three sons, Bert
and John Watkins, of Bluffton, and
Pearl Watkins, of Klamath, Ore
gon two daughters, Mrs Ollie Fish
er, of Fremont and Mrs. Dorris Hu
ber, of Lima -a half-sister, Mrs.
Ellis Bibler, of near Arlington 18
grandchildren 27 great-grandchild
ren and two great-great-grandchild
ren.
Mrs. Watkins was born in Han
cock county Sept. 6, 1852, and was
married on Nov. 4, 1869, to William
Watkins, who preceded her in death.
She was a member of the Christian
Union church, once near Mt. Cory,
now disbanded.
3
School Vocational Electricity Class
To Re-Wire Grade School Building
4|!|
T^RANK Scott retired Bluffton
manufacturer, also a former
banker, municipal official and
business man who died at his
home on South Main street,
Tuesday. The above likeness is
taken from a photo as he ap
peared at the height of his active
career of more than a half
century.
Nine Boys Under Direction of
Instructor to Undertake
Project
Re-wiring Necessary Due to In
creased Load of Added
Equipment
Complete re-wiring of the grade
school building on Jackson street will
be effected in the near future as a
class project to be undertaken by the
Bluffton High school class in voca
tional electricity under the direction
of George Sigg, instructor.
The project was approved by the
Board of Education at its meeting
Monday night. Materials for the re
wiring will cost about $400, accord
ing to estimates made at the meet
ing.
Re-wiring w’as made necessary be
cause of increased current consump
tion in the building which has caused
the present lines to be overloaded.
The building was wired about 25
years ago with the result that the
present wiring is outmoded and in
adequate, it was reported to the
board by Sigg after a survey of the
situation.
Class
is
Experienced
Members of the class have already
had considerable experience and
training in the installation of elec
trical equipment and wiring in the
present high school building and
in the stadium, Sigg reported.
In the grade school building the
boys will get experience in pipe
bending, installation of service and
feeder wires, the distribution of
cabinets and other activities neces
sary in a project of that nature.
The work will be done during the
regular shop periods and will not in
terfere with the classroom work
which is devoted to discussions and
general electrical theory, Sigg stated.
The present program in vocational
electricity devotes equal time to
theory and practical application.
Members of the class undertaking
the project are: Eugene Newlan,
Don Clark, William McCafferty,
Francis Marquart, James Martin,
Robert Watkins, Clyde Fisher, Gerald
Bow’ers and Fred Fritchie.
Wayne Deppier Is
Married At Findlay
Marriage of Wayne Deppier, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Eli Deppier of
South Main street, and Miss Esther
Ellen Bishop, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. V. E. Bishop of Findlay took
place in a wedding at the home of
the bride’s parents Sunday after
noon at 3:30 o’clock.
The wedding vows were received
by Rev. L. E. Ames, pastor of the
First United Brethren church of
Findlay in a single ring ceremony.
The ceremony which was per
formed before a fireplace banked
with spring palms was witnessed by
members of the immediate families
and a few’ close friends.
The bride descended the stairs on
the arm of her father. She was at
tired in an ash rose dress with street
length skirt with which she wore
black accessories and a corsage of
gardenias. She was attended by
her sister, Miss Helen Bishop.
Kenneth Deppier, of Columbus, at
tended hit) brother as best man. The
men of the bridal party wore white
carnation boutonnieres.
A wedding reception followed the
ceremony with a three tier wedding
cake being cut by the bride.
The couple left on a two-weeks’
trip to the west travelling as far as
Oklahoma. Upon their return the
couple will reside in Sidney where
Mr. Deppier is employed as a service
center manager.
He is a graduate of Bluffton High
school in the class of 1933 and at
tended Bluffton college. Mrs. Dep
pier is a graduate of Findlay High
school and college. She has been
employed in the Hancock county pro
bate court for the past four years.
Masonic Banquet
Next Wednesday
Extensive preparations axe being
completed for the Washington’s
Birthday Father-Son banquet of the
Bluffton Masonic lodge to be held
Wednesday night of next week in the
lodge hall.
Frank Warner, of Lima, European
traveler, will be the speaker. His
address will be on “Washington as
a Mason”.
Also on the program will be the
address of welcome by F. E. Wenger
the response by Richard Wenger
music by the Hauenstein string trio
and the invocation by Ralph Stearns.
Charles Aukerman, master, is di
recting arrangements for the fete
in observance of the birthday of the
nation’s first president.
THE BLUF ON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INT E STS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
IIO, THURSDA
BRI ARY
BLUFFTON, O 13, 1941
ORANGE SCHOOL
CASE DECIDED BY
SUPREME COURT
Transfer of Territory from Mt.
Cory to Bluffton Not
Mandatory-
Orange Pupils Previously
School Here Continue in
Classes
in
Despite a ruling by the
supreme court in which the Hancock
county board of education was upheld
in its refusal to transfer certain
Orange township territory to the
Bluffton school district, school child
ren of the area in question who have
previously been coming here are still
attending the Bluffton public schools,
it was announced here this week.
Ohio
The 43 children of Orange town
ship are continuing to come to Bluff
ton in a school bus provided by resi
dents of the area under private ar
rangements with Robert Frick em
ployed as driver of the bus.
This arrangement, it is understood,
will continue during the present
school
year.
Six Year Controversy
decision of the top court cli
six years of controversy in
Jesse Anderson and others
The
maxes
w-hich
sought to compel the Hancock county
board of education to transfer 5%
square miles of Orange township
territory to the Bluffton school dis
trict. The territory' had been pre
viously attached
school district.
to the Mt. Cory
action, seeking to
to irtake the trans­
The mandamus
compel the board
fer, was filed directly in the court
of appeals at Lima and the appellate
judges on last May 4, rendered a
decision ordering the transfer to be
made as petitioned by Anderson and
others. From that decision the
county board appealed to the state
supreme court where the case was
argued last December. Decision of
last week.
Children Still Come
The decision, however, did
change the law which provides
all residents living more than
(Continued on page 8)
Klay-Burkholder
Wedding Saturday
Miss Josephine Klay, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. George Klay, of Mound
street, became the bride of Richard
Burkholder, son of Mrs. Lida Burk
holder, Geiger street, in an impres
sive single ring ceremony
First Reformed church of
last Saturday afternoon.
in the
Lima,
of the
Rev. E. P. Graser, pastor
church, a friend of the groom and
his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs.
Burkholder, of Lima, was the
ciating minister.
Enos
offi-
wore
For the ceremony the bride
a street length gown of aqua crepe,
a matched turban and a corsage of
pink gardenias.
Attendants of the couple were Mr.
and Mrs. Richard Lewis, of Cherry
street. Mrs. Lewis w-ore a black
and white crepe gown and a corsage
of yellow roses and pink sweet peas.
Following the wedding the bridal
pair left for a trip to Cleveland and
Detroit. Follow-ing their return on
Wednesday they will reside in the
Chamberlain apartments on Cherry
street.
Both were graduated from Bluff
ton High school, the groom in 1935
and the bride in 1937. They are
employed at the Triplett Electrical
Instrument Co., the former as fore
man of the tester department and
the latter in the office.
French Pianist To
Play Here Monday
Three appearances will be made
here next Monday by Maurice Dum
esnil, celebrated French pianist, who
is being brought to Bluffton under
auspices of the Bluffton College
Music Course.
High-lighting the day’s program.
Dumesnil will present a full-length
.concert at 8 p. m. in the newly re
modeled college chapel.
Other appearances include a short
program at a dinner in the Walnut
Grill at 6 p. m., attended by
dents, members of the faculty
music
also a
college
noon.
stu
and
and
the
friends of the college,
presentation at one of
music classes in the after­
Dumesnil recently returned from a
successful South American tour, and
is resuming a concert schedule in the
United States, where previous offer
ings have been enthusiastically re
ceived.
Reminiscent of their wedding 50
years ago, the icy wintry blasts lift
ed almost as by magic bringing a
warm and beautiful spring day for
the Golden Wedding anniversary cel
ebration of Mr. and Mrs. John Bix
ler, residing four and one-half miles
northwest of Bluffton, Wednesday.
When the couple was married 50
years ago Wednesday the honey bees
were out and the dandelions were
booming. With o|d man weather
flirting between the zero and freez
ing marks last week, the prediction
was made that the anniversary date
would be greeted with freezing tem
peratures.
Survey Shows 1397 Scouts, 73
Troops in Shawnee Area
Of Ten Counties
rr*
Balmy Weather Wednesday Reminiscent
Of Spring Wedding Day 50 Years Ago
Almost as if trying to show that
Boy Scout Week Being Observ
ed by Local Troop in Win
dow Display Here
Bluffton Boy Scout Troop Given Many
Distinctions In District Scouting
in
Bluffton troop is participating
the celebration of Boy Scout Week
continuing through Thursday, it was
announced this week by
Karl Gable.
Scoutmaster
has been at
of scouting
the window
Considerable attention
traded by the display
activities and crafts in
of the C. F. Niswander Implement
store.
The local troop, sponsored by the
First Mennonite church, has won a
number of distinctions and awards
in the scouting program of the area.
During 1940 the troop here was
the only troop in the district to re
ceive all of the awards The follow
ing awards were received: 10 year
program award 100 per cent Boys
Life banner commissioner award
award at Big Island camp
budget plan seal.
troop
not
Shawnee Council
Shawnee council, of which the
The
that
1%
Bluffton troop is a part, consists of
ten counties including: Allen, Aug
laize. Defiance, Paulding, Fulton,
Hardin, Henry, Mercer, Van Wert
and Williams.
1397 scouts and 73
area. There are only
patrols in the area
is in Bluffton also
There are
troops in the
two explorer
one of which
only two troops in the district re
ceived the ten year program award,
one of which went to Bluffton.
The local troop had many service
activities during the past year in
which considerable time and effort
were donated to the community in
21 projects which contributed to
civic betterment.
Some of these activities are: Dis
tribution of war relief posters for
the Red Cross distribution of hand
bills for the American Legion on
Memorial Day raise the American
flag at the high school every day
assistance in the distribution of
Christmas baskets distribute grain
for squirrels at college campus for
sportsmen’s club.
23 Scouts
in
The
of the
Life
Star
Floyd
Oberly,
Schumacher
Troop
following boys are members
troop:
scout—Kenneth Oberly.
scouts Wilhelm Amstutz,
Herr, Richard and Robert
John Schmidt, Raymond
First class—Norman Beidler, Otto
Klassen, Varden Loganbill, Denard
Loganbill, Bill Mericle, Harry Minck.
Second class—Gordon Bixel, Rich
ard Berky, Maurice Kohli, Robert
Stratton
Tenderfoot—Donivan Augsburger,
Robert Fisher, Evan Herr, Richard
Minck, Charles Trippiehorn,
Niswander.
Dean
are:
Win-
Assisting Scoutmaster Gable
Assistant Scoutmaster, Paul
gate Jr. Ass’t. Scoutmaster, Ken
neth Oberly Sr. Patrol Leader, Bifl
Amstutz Quartermaster, Robert Ob
erly Ass’t. Quartermaster, John
Schmidt.
Buglers, Dean Niswander and Bill
Amstutz News reporter, Floyd Herr
scribe, Norman Beidler Quarter
master, Raymond Schumacher.
Visit Triplett Plant
Members of the vocational training
classes of the national defense course
at Bluffton High school visited the
plant of the Triplett Electrical In
strument Co., Tuesday night.
Fred Wenger, purchasing agent,
conducted the class of 43 young men
to the various divisons of the plant
and explained the operations.
The group was accompanied by the
instructors A. L. Daymen and
George Sigg.
so memorable an occasion could be
greeted again with balmy weather,
the mercury started to rise Tuesday
with a very' fair and sunny' day' at
hand Wednesday.
Several people have reported see
ing robins as well as dandelions. It
remains to be seen w-hether the
weather will change again as it did
50 years ago. Only a
the wedding the weather
enough to provide snow
good sleighing activity.
week after
turned cold
and ice for
The warm weather enabled many
relatives and friends to visit the
couple and extend congratulations.
Open house was held Wednesday
afternoon preceded by a family din
ner at noon.
When Spring And
Winter Meet It’s
In Mid-February
OPRING and winter met in
Bluffton this week with some
of the very best ice skating
of the season being enjoyed at
Buckeye lake on bright moon
light nights Sunday and Monday.
Warmer weather Tuesday and
Wednesday brought with it all
evidence of spring. Farmers
state that a continuance of the
present warm spell will take the
frost out of the ground suffici
ently to start spring plowing by
the last of the week.
With The Sick
Marjorie Clark, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Paul Clark of Grove street,
is critically ill with rheumatic fever
at her home on Grove street,
jorie is a student in the
grade class at Bluffton High school.
Mar-
eighth
Condition of Prof. E. J. Hirschler,
Bluffton college mathematics instruct
or, remains unchanged. Prof. Hirsch
er was taken ill last week and has
been confined to his bed at his home
on Elm street.
Mrs. A. L. Daymon, of North
Main street, is ill with appendicitis
and complications.
N. R. Elzay is ill at the home of
his daughter, Mrs. A. S. Filer, near
here.
the
Mrs. Mary Ann Follet is ill at
Bluffton Community hospital.
Mrs. Gotlieb Frankhouser is ill
her home west of town.
A Good Place to Live and a
Good Place to Trade
at
Lewis Wyncoop, who recently un
derwent an operation for appendicitis
at the Bluffton hospital, has been
taken to his home north of town
where he is reported improving.
Mrs. A. J. B. Longsdorf is ill at
her home on South Jackson street.
Oliver Locher, Bluffton resident
who w-ith his wife and family are
spending the winter in Clearwater,
Florida, is convalescing from an op
eration which he underwent at
Mease hospital, Dunedin, Florida,
early last week. His aunt, Mrs.
Mary Diller of Cherry street who is
with the Locher family will remain
for several weeks until he has
cuperated from the operation.
re-
Lions Ladies Night
For District Meeting
Ladies night will be observed at
the district meeting of the Lions
club to be held at the Bluffton High
school cafeteria Tuesday night at
6:30 o’clock.
District Governor Howard Hender
shott and District Secretary Paul
Carter, both of Cleveland, represent
ing district 13-A will be among the
speakers present for the occasion.
Possibility that Carl Sorrick, In
ternational Lions president, may be
here, it
Stauffer,
club.
Many
W.
was announced by P.
president of the Bluffton
clubs in the district are
to send delegations to the
meeting, it was reported.
planning
Bluffton
In addition to the speakers various
entertaining features have also been
arranged by the program committee.
Births
The following births at the Bluff
ton hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Myron Trippiehorn,
a girl, Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Earl Nonnamaker,
Lafayette, a girl, Monday.
Announcement has been received
here of the birth of a son, Fred
Stuart, Jr., to Mr. and Mrs. Fred S.
Means of Charlotte, North Carolina,
Thursday. Mrs. Means was the
former Miss Marietta Lichenwaiter,
of Chicago, daughter of A. E. Lich
tenwalter of South Lawn avenue.
Mrs. Lichtenwalter will leave Satur
day for Charlotte to spend several
weeks with the Means family.
NUMBER 42
COUNCIL FORMED
TO CO-ORDINATE
ACTIVITIES HERE
Permanent Organization Will
Serve as Clearing House for
Community Problems
Plan Suggested at Meeting of
Civic Leaders Called Last
Week for Defense
Formation of a permanent commun
ity coordinating council is the likely
result of the public meeting on com
munity and national defense called
by A. J. B. Longsdorf, superintendent
of schools, at the high school cafeteria
Friday night.
Following an open discussion by
leaders of various civic, industrial,
church and educational organizations,
the suggestion w’as made that a per
ment organization of a similar nature
would have definite advantages in
terms of community cooperation and
civic welfare
Although details of the organiza
tion remain to be worked out, the
general plan of the council would be
to serve as a clearing house for com
munity problems and to provide op
portunity for discussion of possible
methods for the solution of difficul
ties.
Coordination
At the present time there is no
organization in the community at
tempting to coordinate activities of
the various clubs, churches, industrial
groups and other organizations. The
council would be composed of the
leaders or elected representatives of
these community groups
Whether the council would have
regular monthly meetings scheduled
or whether it would be subject to call
only as community problems arise
would be a detail to be worked
at the organization meeting of
group.
out
the
the
the
Main topic of discussion at
Friday meeting of the group was
matter of national defense as i
related to the local community Opin
ions were expressed as to what is
being defended in the present emer
gency and the nature of the local par
ticipation in the total scheme.
Delegate Selected
In order to give further clarifica
tion to the local problems a delegate
was selected to attend the Ohio val
ley and Great lakes conference on
“Adult Education, the Community and
National Defense” to be held in Col
umbus, Thursday through Saturday.
Orden Smucker, instructor in social
science at Bluffton High school, was
named as representative of the local
group.
Supt. Longsdorf has called another
meeting of the group to effect the
organization of the coordinating
council and to listen to reports of the
Columbus convention. Likely time of
the meeting will be Friday, February"
21, Longsdorf stated
Temporary" organization .of the
group was effected with Supt Longs
dorf named chairman and N. E. By
ers chosen secretary.
Organizations
Present at the Friday meeting were
representatives of the Board of Ed
ucation, Parent-Teacher association,
W’oinen’s Federation of clubs, Travel
class, Orange Township Farm Wom
en’s club, hospital auxiliary, Amer
ican Legion, American Legion aux
iliary-, Ministerial association, Busi
ness Men’s association, Bluffton col
lege, Bluffton Public School Teachers’
association, Municipal government,
Allen county tuberculosis seals as
sociation, the Citizens’ committee,
Triplett Electrical Instrument Co. and
youth organizations.
Real Estate Deals
The North Lawn avenue property
occupied by Albert Garmatter has
been sold by the Mrs. John Matter
estate to Dan Badertscher, residing
near Bluffton. Badertscher pur
chased the property for an invest
ment and Garmatter will continue to
reside in it.
The V. E. Green property on
Spring street has been purchased by
Chas. Gazette. The deal was made
by H. W. Althaus. The property,
formerly occupied by Roy Berry w-as
vacated recently when Berry moved
to the property of the late Mrs. Mat
tie Morrison at Elm and Spring
streets.
In New Location
Clarence Henry has moved from
the Chas. Dillman property on North
Main street adjoining the Bluffton
Tire shop to the W. S. Dearth prop
erty on North Main street recently
vacated by Russell Trippiehorn.
Triflplehorn is now occupying the
Paul Faze property on North Lawn
avenue.