The Bluffton news. [volume], February 20, 1941, Image 1

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BLUFFTON NEWS
The Advertising Medium for
Bluffton Trade Territory
VOLUME NO. LXV
SEEK WPA AID IN
STREET PROJECT
HERE THIS SPRING
Extensive Program for Roads,
Sidewalks and Curbing is
In Prospect
Undertaking of Work Will be
Dependent on Federal Aid,
Council Says
Bluffton’s town council will seek
to have listed as a WPA project a
proposed extensive street construc
tion program during the coming
summer. Preliminary steps in the
matter were taken at the council
meeting Monday night and formal
application for aid is expected to be
filed with WPA authorities soon.
The project as outlined at the
council meeting will include construc
tion of roads, sidewalks and curbs,
entailing a larger cash outlay than
corporation finances will permit, it
was stated.
In event WPA aid is not forth
coming it will be necessary to dras
tically revise the program, council
men stated. However, Mayor W. A.
Howe stated that he was hopeful of
obtaining approval of having the
work listed as a government project.
Proposed Program
The entire program as proposed
with WPA assistance includes grad
ing and surfacing of Huber street
and also short stretches at the south
ends of Jackson, Geiger and Mound
streets.
Huber street which joins Jefferson
street at the Allen McCluer resi
dence will be continued until it
reaches Cherry street at the resi
dence of Mrs. Wm. Underwood. At
present Huber street stops when it
joins Mound street at the Fred Hofer
residence. Construction of sidewalks
is also proposed on Huber street
from Jefferson to Mound street.
Other street construction will in
clude that portion of Jackson street
south of the Kibler street intersec
tion at the Moses Steiner residence
and on Geiger and Mound streets
south of the East College avenue
intersections.
Sidewalk Construction
Construction of a sidewalk on
Kibler street road from South Lawn
avenue to Grove street is also in the
program. A number of new resi
dences have been built in that area
during the past summer.
A concrete curb for nearly a mile
stretch of the full length of Lawn
avenue from Kibler to Riley streets
is also tentatively proposed.
Besides this a number of minor
sidewalk and curb improvements are
expected to be included in the final
draft of the application for a WPA
project.
Burglars Obtain $25
Loot At Gas Stations
Burglars broke glass from windows
to gain entrance to two filling sta
tions and broke a lock to steal gaso
line at a local saw mill Thursday
morning to gain loot valued at ap
proximately $25, Marshal Lee Coon
reported.
The thieves took $10.86 from the
cash register at the Shell gas station
owned by Elmer Burkholder at Main
and Elm streets and obtained several
cans of motor oil from the Johnson
filling station operated by Ralph Dil
ler on South Main street and Bent
ley road.
A lock was broken on a gasoline
pump at the Cal Balmer saw mill
on East College avenue enabling the
thieves to steal a quantity of gaso
line.
Assisting in the investigations of
the thefts here were Deputy Sheriff
John Carder of Lima and Corporal
Loveland of the state highway pa
trol’s Findlay outpost.
Boone County Radio
Show Here March 4
Kentucky hill billy music and com
edy features will be featured in pre
sentation of the Boone County Jam
boree, celebrated radio performers, at
8 p. m. Tuesday, March 4, in the
Bluffton High gymnasium.
Local appearance of the WLW
radio entertainers is being sponsored
by Bluffton Post American Legion,
with tickets for the event going on
sale this week.
Cast of the radio show will be
entirely different from that which ap
peared here last year, with the ex
ception of the headliner of the cast,
Lazy Jim Day, featured comedian.
Others who will appear include
Merl Travis and the Drifting Pion
eers, Natchee the Indian, Fiddling
Daisy and her Rangerettes, Bill and
Eveline and many others.
The farm is owned by Fred Bout
well and the house is occupied by
Miss Elvira Bishop, sister of Mrs.
Boutwell.
A call to Bluffton and Jenera brot
fire departments from both places.
Considerable damage was done to the
stairway and one room before the
blaze could be brought'under control.
The coldest snap of the winter to
gether with a high wind materially
hampered the firemen’s efforts.
Post Office And Bank
Wilt Close Saturday
Bluffton’s post office and the Citi
zens National bank will be closed
Saturday in observance of Washing
ton’s birthday. With the closing of
the post office it is announced that
there will be no mail. delivery on
Bluffton city or rural routes for
that day. Other business will con
tinue here as usual.
Legion Post is Investigating
Possibilities of Proposed
Plan
Quarters, Now Unused, were
Formerly Occupied by Odd
Fellow Lodge
Possibility of converting the third
floor of the town hall into a muni
cipal recreation center is being in
vestigated by the Bluffton American
Legion post, sponsor of the proposal.
Discussion of the matter at a Le
gion meeting Monday night was
based on using the entire upper story
for recreational purposes for the
boys of Bluffton and the surrounding
community.
The space proposed for the recrea
tion center formerly served as quar
ters for the I. O. O. F. lodge prior
to disbanding of the organization
here several years ago. On the third
floor are one large hall and two
smaller rooms, now unused.
Ample Room
Plenty of room would be available
for setting up a recreation program
with broad facilities if the project
can be put into effect, officials of the
Legion announced.
Shuffle board courts could be in
stalled, there would be room for
ping pong tables and a small basket
ball court. Gymnastic equipment is
being considered including a trapeze,
swinging bars, and other features.
Checkers and other games also would
be provided.
If the project becomes a reality,
competent supervision under a re
creational director will be provided
at all times.
Investigate: Possibilities
Investigation of possibilities is be
ing made by a Legion committee
made up of Clair Fett, Fred Fritchie
and Mayor W. A. Howe.
Other civic organizations of tne
town will be invited to cooperate in
putting the recreational plan into
effect, and sugestions and donations
of equipment will be welcomed.
Former Bluffton Man Stationed At
African Airport Of American Line
$400 Fire Loss In
Orange Township
Fire damage estimated at $400
occurred when a house on the form
er Emanuel Bishop farm eight miles
east of Bluffton was partially burned
Monday afternoon at 1 o’clock.
May Use Town Hall Third Floor
For Youths’ Recreation (’enter
Red Cross Classes
Start Friday Night
Classes in first aid under the spon
sorship of the Red Cross will start
at the Bluffton High school cafeteria
Friday night at 7 o’clock.
Miss Elizabeth Tiefenthaler, i reg
istered nurse and instructor in relig
ious education in the Bluffton public
schools, will teach the classes.
Red Cross certificates will be given
to everyone completing the course
which will consist of 20 hours of in
struction. Certain positions in fields
of welfare and safety require these
certificates, it was stated.
Enrollment will be limited to stu
dents 17 years of age and older.
Time and frequency of meeting will
be determined at the Friday session.
NAMED TO SOCIETY
Josephine Niswander, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Niswander, re
siding north of town, has been
elected to the Kappa Delta Phi,
honorary scholastic society at Heidel
berg college in Tiffin.
Miss Nisw’ander is a member of
the junior class at Heidelberg and
was graduated from Bluffton High
school in the class of 1938.
Winton Modin is Radio Officer
At Bolame, Portugese
Guinea
Wendel Willkie Stopped at Port
Enroute Home from
Europe
Winton E. Modin, former super
visory employe at The Triplett Elec
trical Instrument Co., is stationed at
the new Pan-American Airways port
at Bolama, Portugese Guinea, Africa,
in a capacity as radio communica
tions officer for the airline, according
to word received here the first of
the week.
Flights over the new route between
this continent and Europe were in
augurated two weeks ago, and the
PAA “Dixie Clipper” carrying Wen
dell Wilkie home from Europe stop
ped at Bolama on the maiden trip.
On the same plane, Modin sent a
letter to Miss Alice Mayberry, of
Columbus Grove, office employe at
the Triplett plant, describing the
new African station of the airline.
(Continuedon page 8)
Krautter-Tripplehorn
Wedding Held Sunday
Wedding of Gerald Trippiehorn,
youngest son of Mrs. Ross Tripple
horn of Cherry street, and Miss Ruth
Krautter, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Jack Krautter of near Mt. Cory took
place Sunday noon at the home of
the officiating minister Rev. H. I).
Camp of North Baltimore.
Rev. Camp was the former pastor
of the bride when he was minister of
the Mt. Cory United Brethren
chuich. The wedding was held in
the presence of the immediate fami
lies.
The bride wore a street length
dress of printed crepe and a corsage
of roses and sweet peas. Following
the ceremony a wedding dinner was
served at the home of the bride for
several close friends and relatives.
Mr. Trippiehorn graduated from
Bluffton High school in the class of
1936 and is engaged in the trucking
business. The bride has been em
ployed at the Triplett Electrical In
strument Co. The couple is residing
in the John Kohler property on West
Elm street.
Pinafore To Be Given
At School Next Week
H. M. S. Pinafore, tuneful Gilbert
and Sullivan operetta, will be pre
sented by the high school A Capella
musical organization at the Bluffton
high school auditorium next Tuesday
and Wednesday nights at 8 o’clock.
Rehearsals have been proceeding
under the direction of Miss Elizabeth
Higley, music instructor. Colorful
costumes and stage settings have
been secured for the production.
The operetta is a satire on English
customs and traditions whose rigidity
is the object of the author’s barbs.
The plot centers about the romance
of Josephine, daughter of Captain
Corcoran of H. M. S. Pinafore and
Ralph Rackstraw, a common sailor
aboard ship.
Sir Joseph Porter, the “ruler of
the Queen’s Navee” would like to
marry Josephine and the various en
tanglements involved in the situa
tion lead to many amusing and com
plicated incidents.
The following is the cast of char
acters: Boatswain, Norman Beidler
Buttercup, Carol Bame Dick Dead
eye, Wilhelm Amstutz, Jr. Ralph
Rackstraw, James Gratz Captain
Corcoran, Roger Howe Josephine,
Alice Oyer, Marcene Stonehill Sir
Joseph Porter, Robert Cooney Cous
in Hebe, Betty Steinman, Mary
Stearns Boatswain’s Mate, Harold
Augsburger Sailors, boys’ glee club
First Lord’s sisters, cousins and
aunts, girls’ glee club.
Power Farming
Program Feb. 27
Roy Smith and his Tennesseans,
popular rado entertainers, will be
heard here in person at a power
farming entertainment at the high
school gymnasium on Thursday
night, February 27 at 7:30 o’clock.
The entertainment is sponsored by
C. F. Niswander, Bluffton McCor
mick-Deering dealer and all farmers
of this vicinity are invited.
Besides the Tennesseans, there will
be included in the program motion
pictures among which is “Belgian
Congo African Expedition”.
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE 1NT KIIHHTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, rErilU ARY 20, 1941
NEAR-ZERO COLD
WAVE GRIPS AREA
NO EARLY RELIEF
No Break in Gusty Weather
Foreseen in Immediate
Future
Farmers in Area Concerned
Over Winter Wheat Due
To Lack of Snow
With the weatherman giving little
indication of immediate relief, severe
winter was in full swing in Bluffton,
Wednesday morning with the mercury
hovering close to thi zero mark.
Near-zero temperatures were not
ed in the rural are..s and four de
grees above was reported quite con
sistently throughout the town to give
the area the coldest snap of the year.
No break in the gusty weather, ac
companied by occasional snow flurries,
was foreseen in the immediate future
by the United States government me
teorological observers.
A biting wind accompanying the
low temperatures made everyone
conscious of the fact that winter is
still here groundhog or no groundhog.
The weather conditions were par
ticularly uncomfortable in view of the
fact that about a week ago Bluffton
residents were consider:n the possi
bility of an early summer. Quite in
contrast to the weather of this week,
the sun shone warm and the weather
was altogether comfortable.
The forecast for this immediate
area call for continued cold and in
creasing cloudiness for Thursday.
Farmers in the area have been quite
concerned over the wheat crop pros
pects due to the absence of snow with
the severe drop in temperature.
There should be at least an inch
or two of snow to protect the wheat
in case of near-zero temperatures,
armors stated Wednesday morning.
Mrs. D. L. Shalley
Rites Held Tuesday
Bedfast for the la- two years,
Mrs. D. L. Shalley, 76, was found
dead last Saturday mi ruing at ner
home on South J?ck-»m street.
Mrs. Shalley and her husband, who
survives, formerly operated a res
taurant in Pandora. After moving
to Bluffton they established the Shal
ley Variety store, now operate by a
son, Harry.
Surviving in addition to the hus
band and son are a daughter, Mrs.
Opal K. Egly, of Miami, Fla., two
grandsons, a great-granddaughter
two sisters and a brother, Mrs.
Josie Feaser and John Kratner, both
of Bluffton, Ind., and Mrs. Emma
Harth, of St. Petersburg, Fla.
Mrs. Shalley was born June 19,
1863, at Ft. Wayne, Ind. She was
a member of the St. John’s Evan
gelical and Reformed church of this
place.
Funeral services were held Tues
day morning in the Stanley Basing
er funeral home, and in the after
noon at Berne, Ind., where Mr. and
Mrs. Shalley were founders of a
Reformed church.
Rev. Emil Burrichter, pastor of the
St. John’s church, officiated at both
services. Burial was at Berne.
Former Resident
Dies In Texas
M. B. Sweeney, former Bluffton
resident died at his home in Dallas,
Texas, last Wednesday, according to
word received by relatives here.
Death was due to throat infection.
His wife, who survives was the
former Miss Rose Benroth, sister of
Albert Benroth of North Main
street.
Mr. Sweeney was associated in re
sponsible positions with the Sun Oil
company and at the time of his death
was production manager of the
Texas field. He had been connected
with the company for more than
fifty years and was recently pre
sented with a service medal and gold
watch in recognition of his long
service.
Mr. and Mrs. Sweeney visited here
last summer enroute to their home
in Dallas after Mrs. Sweeney had
christened one of the company’s
ocean going oil tankers when it was
launched at Philadelphia.
Besides his wife he is survived by
three sons, John, Eugene and Jerome
and two daughters Ruth and Mar
garet, all living in Texas.
Observe World Day
Of Prayer Peb. 28
Bluffton will observe the World
Day of Prayer with a union service
in the First Mennonite church, Fri
day afternoon, Feb. 28, it was an
nounced the first of the week. The
service will begin at 2:30 o’clock.
Important officials in Lionism of
District 13-A assisted in the ladies
night program of the seventh annual
charter night banquet of the Bluffton
Lion club held in the high school caf
eteria, Tuesday night.
Howard Hendershott, district gov
ernor, and Paul Carter, district secre
tary, both of Cleveland appeared on
the program. The entertainment
was featured with music by the Dixie
Eight, a colored octette of radio sing
ers representing the Ford Motor Co.
of Dearborn, Mich.
The colored musicians presented an
hour’s program of varied music con
sisting of spirituals, classical, semi
classical and popular numbers. The
group was given many encores by the
appreciative Bluffton audience.
Summary of the year’s activities
was presented at the meeting. Club
activities included: cooperation with
village officials in mosquito elimina
tion feting of high school basketball
Concert Pianist Playi
Over Fate Of Fren
Maurice Dumesnil, in Concert
Here Monday Night, Has
No News from Home
Recently Returned from South
American Tour Complains
Of Poor Bed Facilities
Although Maurice Dumesnil, noted
French pianist appearing in concert
here Monday night, is possessor of
all the material advantages accorded
one of such outstanding artistic
achievement, the current European
war has given him concern on a
levelwith those of the peasant or
other commoners.
Lions Hold Seventh Annual Charter
Banquet In Ladies Night Celebration
When he left France in November
1939, his home remained under tin
care of his friend, the mayor of the
town. The latter was inducted into
the army service and Dumesnil fears
that last June, during the German
advance, that his home may have
been plundered by the enemy.
Concerned Over Home
Since May of last year he has been
without news as to what may have
happened to his home near Caon,
Normandy, France. All efforts to
communicate with friends who have
remained over there have been fruit
less. During his seven months tour
of South America recently he tried
to secure information through the
diplomatic channels and French em
bassies, but without results.
Although the artistic standards of
South America have been greatly
raised, the general conditions of com
fort have not been correspondingly
improved. According to Mr. Dumes
nil, innerspring mattresses are still
a rarity, and it is not unusual to
see a much advertised luxury hotel
offer to customers a beautiful room,
an equally lovely bathroom, and a
bed which in the United States would
be rejected by even a 50 cents a
night tourist place along the road.
Meals are excellent and incredibly
cheap. One can get a good lunch for
20 cents due to exchange conditions.
In Montevideo, Uruguay, a big juicy
steak with French fries costs about
15 cents, a la carte. In fact, South
America would be a paradise for
tourists if only the beds improved
and the red tape of passports re
duced, Dumesnil stated.
Although worrying over the fate
of his home, the French artist has
fresh memories of great successes of
his recent South American tour. He
can point, for example, to being the
only foreign artist who is an honor*
ai citizen of Chile, South America.
This honor was granted at his
farewell recital in the municipal the
atre of Santiago, capital of that
country. This concert w’as offered
to the students and w’orkingmen as a
token of the gratitude on the part
of the artist for the splendid recep
tion given him by the public.
Presented Diploma
During the intermission the mavor
of the city presented to him the
diploma which symbolized the appre
ciation of the artist’s efforts.
Dumesnil possesses a number of
original Debussy manuscripts, others
from Massenet, Saint Saens, Ravel,
many autographed pictures of fa
mous musicians, apart from a li
brary of piano music, chamber music,
orchestral compositions, around two
thousand books, among which are
many valuable first editions.
Real Estate Deal
Wm. Amstutz, of Beaverdam, has
purchased the Wm. Obenour farm
of 58 acres west of Beaverdam on
the Lincoln highway. The deal wac
made thru H. W. Althaus of Bluff
ton.
team staging of musical revue Boy
Scouts were assisted in vacation fund
needy children were provided w’ith
glasses sponsoring of the Findlay
Lions club.
Presentation of magic show as
sistance in the campaign for the three
mill levy distribution of Christmas
baskets to the blind support of the
community defense program dona
tion of money to Camp Shelby recre
ation fund contribution to the stu
dent refugee fund at Bluffton college
inaugurated a community advertising
program club had charge of post of
fice dedication.
The room was attractively decorat
ed by the art classes of the Bluff
ton public schools under the direction
of Mrs. R. A. Lantz, art instructor.
Dinner music was provded by a Bluff
ton college instrumental ensemble.
P. W. Stauffer, president of the
club presided as toastmaster.
ng Here Worried
ch Home In War Zone
BIXEL NAMED TO
DISTRIBUTE AUTO
LICENSES HERE
Appointment Follows Factional
Party Dispute for Bluffton
Position
Tags Will be Sold at Bixel
Motor Sales Beginning
First of March
Controversy over the position of
deputy registrar for the distribution
of automobile license tags in Bluffton
for the next year, was settled last
week with the appointment of Clayton
Bixel by C. W. Wallace, state regis
trar of motor vehicles.
Naming of the local distributor fol
lowed a factional party dispute which
came into the open a month ago when
it was learned that both Bixel and
Robert Lewis, registrar for the last
two years, were seeking the appoint
ment.
Bixel has been endorsed by the Al
len county ways and means commit
tee of the Republican party.
Tags on Sale March 1
Automobile license plates for 1941
will be placed on sale here Saturday,
March 1, with April 1 set as the dead
line for purchasing the new tags.
Headquarters for the sales will be
established in the Bixel Motor Sales
rooms on North Main street. No
changes in passenger car registra
tion costs are anticipated.
Color scheme for Ohio’s 1941 li
cense plates will be a maroon back
ground with white numerals and
marking. State cars will have a
white background and maroon numer
als.
It is estimated that approximately
2,200,000 auto tags will be sold in
Ohio this year.
State And Federal
Tax Men To Be Here
Federal and state tax representa
tives will be in Bluffton during the
next few weeks.
On Friday of this week a deputy
colector from the internal revenue
office will be at the Bluffton post
office to assist in making out federal
income tax returns. He will also be
at the post office here on Tuesday,
March 4.
Representatives from the county
auditor’s office will be at the Citi
zens bank on Wednesday and Thurs
day, March 5 and 6 to assist in the
making out of personal tax returns
and collection of personal taxes.
With The Sick
Condition of Prof. E. J. Hirschler,
Bluffton college mathematics in
structor, remains unchanged. Prof.
Hirschler was taken ill two weeks
ago and has been confined to his bed
at his home on Elm street.
Marjorie Clark, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Paul Clark of Grove street,
continues to be in a very serious
condition. Marjorie, a student in
the eighth grade class at Bluffton
High school, is ill with rheumatic
fever and heart complications.
Miss Arlene Caris who underwent
an operation for appendicitis at
Bluffton hospital recently is conval
escing at the home of her parents,
Mr. and Mrs. John Caris in Orange
township.
A Good Place to Live and a
Good Place to Trade
NUMBER 43
COUNCIL MAY BUY
LAND FOR SEWAGE
DISPOSAL PLANT
Sentiment at Meeting Monday
Night is Favorable to
This Move
Town Has Option on Five Acre
Tract from Utility
Company
Preparing for the likelihood that
a municipal sewage disposal system
eventually will be constructed here,
strong sentiment for the purchase of
a site for the location of the plant
developed at the meeting of the
town council Monday night.
An option on a five acre tract of
land at the north edge of town was
granted to the town last April by the
Central Ohio Light and Power Co.
for the cost of $1.
The option secured covers a two
year period and should the munici
pality buy the land the cost is stipu
lated at $2,000. Site on which the
option is held is at the western end
of the Buckeye lake, bounded by the
Bigler road, the A. C. & Y. railroad
and the western extremity of the
quarry. It is the triangular strip on
which the old “dynamite house” is
located.
Depends on Funds
Purchase of the site by the coun
cil is dependent on the availability of
funds, the councilmen expressing
sentiment that action now is advis
able due to the limited number of
sites available.
Further reason for taking action
while sufficient time remains before
the expiration of the option date, is
seen in the legal difficulties that
may be encountered in releasing the
land which is included in collateral
for bonds issued by the power com
pany.
The land on which the Central
Ohio Power Co. plant is located has
been used as a lien against the 'out
standing issue of the company’s
derlying issue of the company’s
bonds. Due to the fact that this real
estate is part of the property pledged
to secure these bonds, it would be
necessary to undergo certain legal
processes to make the site available
to the town.
Time Required
Had the power company known of
this possible development in time,
considerable difficulties could have
been saved by simply not including
the proposed site in the collateral, it
was stated at the meeting. Due to
the fact that considerable time will
be required before the land could
come into the town’s possession, it
was felt at the council meeting that
action be taken on the matter in the
near future.
Further in line with the probabil
ity of the revival of the sewage dis
posal issue, was the action of the
council recently when they approved
a plan to keep the opportunity open
for federal assistance.
Much preliminary engineering work
has been done in previous years pre
paratory to the presentation of the
sewer issue at the polls. A letter
received recently by Mayor W. A.
Howe from W. B. Schmuhl, district
manager of the Works Progress Ad
ministration at Toledo asked what
disposition the council wished to
make of the plans, drawings and spe
cifications.
Federal Funds
The letter also pointed out that
federal assistance would be available
should the council decide to bring the
matter again to a vote. Members of
the council indicated that it would
not now be feasable to present the
issue to the voters again but that
it would be wise to keep the situa
tion open for a more opportune time.
Bluffton voters have turned down
proposals to construct sewer systems
five different time during a 13 year
period. The most recent instance
was in November 1939 when a pro
posed $80,000 bond issue for the con
struction of a municipal sewer sys
tem w’as defeated by a margin of
three per cent of the required 65
per cent minimum prescribed by law.
The district W. P. A. office indi
cated a willingness to give an ad
vance approval to a plan for con
struction of a sew’er system here.
With this pre-approval the council
indicated that they would be less re
luctant to place the issue at some
future date before the voters.
Births
The following birth at the Bluff
ton hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Burkholder,
a boy, Saturday.
Bom to Mr. and Mrs. Dallas Berry
at their home on North Mound
street, a daughter, Saturday morn
ing.