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

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BLUFFTON NEWS
The Advertising Medium for
Bluffton Trade Territory
VOLUME NO. LXV
LOCAL LABOR WILL
BE USED IN POWER
COMPANY BUILDING
Excavation Work Completed
Last Week by Steam Shovel
From Stone Co.
New Construction Program Will
Start in Month and Last
Until December
Local labor will be employed in
the construction of the large addi
tion to the Central Ohio Light and
Power Co. at its Woodcock generat
ing station in Bluffton, it was stated
here the first of the week. Cost of
the project will aggregate upwards
of one million dollars.
Except in the more specialized
operations, local labor will be used
in the building work which will
start in about a month and con
tinue until the fore part of Decem
ber.
First step in the construction, that
of excavation, was completed last
week the operation taking four days
time. The steam shovel of the
Bluffton Stone Co. was used for the
work.
Excavation
Excavation work was done at this
time due to the fact that the steam
shovel of the Bluffton Stone Co.
would not be available in several
weeks since at that time it will
be needed for spring work at the
stone company which will open
shortly.
As yet the contract is not let for
the construction of the addition, al
though this probably will be done
in the near future in order to pave
the way for top speed work when
the weather breaks.
The new building program will
mean not only emnkoyment for local
labor but creatfcA of a need for
additional operating personnel with
in the plant. Additional engineers
probably will be provided by ad
vancement in the local plant and
transfers from other units of the
company, it was stated.
Face Dixie Highway
The addition will be built on the
north side of the present structure
and will face the Dixie highway.
The program, it is estimated, will
involve an outlay of some $828,000.
Size of the new building will be 45
by 107 feet, it was learned from in
formed sources. When the original
plant was built here three years
ago, provisions were made for an
addition at the north side of the
plant, should it be required.
Growth of the company’s volume
of business made necessary the con
struction of the addition sooner than
had been anticipated. The new ad
dition will house a large turbo
generator unit of 7,500 kilowatt
capacity. This nearly doubles the
present plant capacity of 10,000 kilo
watts.
Service By Girl
Reserves Sunday
Union services will be conducted
by the Girl Reserves organization of
Bluffton High school at the First
Mennonite church next Sunday night
at 7:30 o’clock. “Lighted Lamps”
will be the theme of the program.
Plans for the service are being
worked out under the direction of
Marcene Stonehill, a member of the
junior class. The public is invited.
With The Sick
Marjorie Clark, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Paul Clark, who is ill
with a heart ailment, suffered a re
lapse the forepart of the week, but
at the present time is somewhat im
proved.
James Harmon, son of Mr. and
Mrs. F. J. Harmon of South Lawn
avenue recently underwent an opera
tion for appendicitis at the Bluffton
hospital and is convalescing at his
home. James is a student in the
seventh grade at Bluffton High
school.
Mrs. Abe Wise, former Bluffton
resident who has been ill for some
time, is improving at her home in
Lima following treatment at St.
Rita’s hospital.
Frank Painter is convalescing at
his home on East Jefferson street
after treatment for an ailment at
the Allen county hospital.
Miss Helen Pifer, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Adrian Pifer of Orange
township, is improving at her home
following an operation at the Find
lay hospital.
Mrs. Rufus Gorham was moved
Sunday from the White Cross hos
pital in Columbus to the home of her
sister Mrs. Stockwell of Sidney.
Mrs. Susan Stalter is ill at her
home here.
JL JL -X
______________________________ A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
Freak Thee Legged
Chick Hatched Here
Alive And Vigorous
QTHERWISE normal and
healthy, a- three legged
chick of the New Hampshire
Red breed, was hatched this
week at the Steiner Hatchery on
Cherry street.
This type of freak appears
almost every year and is not
limited to any particular variety,
according to E. G. Steiner, man
ager of the establishment.
Other freak appearances are,
chicks born without eyes or with
crooked bills. Often the freak
chicks are weak but the present
chick appears to be strong and
probably will grow to maturity,
Steiner stated.
MAJORITY FARMERS
ARE SIGNING AAA
AGREEMENTS HERE
Few Changes Made in Farm
Program Over that of Pre
vious Years
Marketing Quotas May Be Used
By Farmers to Stabilize
Grain Prices
Record participation by Richland
township farmers in the Agricultural
Adjustment act program was antici
pated following a preliminary meet
ing held at the township house in
the town hall Fridy aand Saturday.
Of the 360 farmers in the township
a total of 71 per cent participated in
the AAA program last year and pre
liminary indications point to the fact
that even a larger percentage wlil
sign this year, according to Willard
Jennings, chairman of the Richland
township committee.
Last year’s participation gave Rich
land township the highest percentage
of participation of any township in
Allen county.
Few Changes
Fe\v changes have been made in the
farm program from that of a year
ago. The principal change has been
made in dealing with the farmer who
has exceeded his allotment. Last
year, if the allotment was exceeded,
the farmer lost the parity payments,
which constituted the reward for
staying within the limitation.
This year if the farmer over plants,
he can re-classify when the mistake
is discovered as long as the not more
than three acres over the allotment
have been planted.
The committee, consisting of Jen
nings, S. E. Steiner, and Walter
Schaublin will make the check up on
wheat in April this year instead of
July as previously. The committee
also will visit every farmer and will
extend an invitation to participate in
the 1941 farm program.
Marketing Quotas
Another development this- year is
the matter of marketing guotas. Due
to practically no export market there
exists one of the largest carry overs
in both corn and wheat in agricultural
history.
Farm economists have been point
ing out that to stabiliz farm prices it
is necessary to establish a system for
the orderly marketing of the corn
and wheat crops. The marketing
quotas is designed to help accomplish
this end.
The marketing quota will apply
only to the person who goes above the
acreage of corn and wheat. If the
farmer stays within the allotment he
can market all the corn and wheat he
can raise.
Referendum
Before this system can be put into
effect it must be approved by a two
thirds majority of those eligible to
1 vote in the referendum. If approved
the non-cooperator will then be re
quired to store a certain amount of
his crop as a protction for the great
majority of farmers who want to
maintain an effective farm program.
The system has been used very ef
fectively in tobacco and cotton farm
ing and is gaining increasing favor
in this section of the country, local of
ficials have pointed out.
Births
The following births at the Bluff
ton hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Dale Davidson, a
girl, Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. Harley Gehron, Raw
son, a girl, Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Dunlap, Co
lumbus Grove, a girl, Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Gallant, Co
lumbus, a girl, Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. Conner Stewart, a
boy, Tuesday.
JLjF
DRAFT TAKES CITY
CLERK COUNCIL TO
NAME SUCCESSOR
James West to Leave for Army
Training Within Next
Thirty Days
Council to Consider Appoint
ment for Vacancy at Meet
ing Monday Night
Appointment of a new corporation
clerk to fill the unexpired term of
James West, called in the selective
service draft within the next month
will be taken up at a meeting of the
Bluffton municipal council next Mon
day night.
West’s departure for army train
ing will leave a vacancy in the town
administation that will be filled by a
majority vote of the councilmen.
Mayor W. A. Howe will ballot on the
appointment only in case of a tie.
The appointee to the position will
serve as deputy clerk, and if West
returns before his term expires on
Jan. 1, 1942, he will again take over
the office, Mayor Howe said.
Four applicants are seeking the ap
pointment and there may be others
in the field before the council meets
next Monday to make its decision on
the matter, the Mayor stated.
City Solicitor Francis Durbin will
be consulted relative to the details of
procedure in handling the selection.
West was elected in November,
1939, and took over the clerk’s office
on January 1, 1940, serving one year
and three months of his two-year
term.
May Drop Dancing At
High School Reception
Dancing will be dropped from the
high school junior-senior reception
this year if a suggestion made by
the board of education at its meet
ing Monday night is carried out.
In response to an inquiry from a
junior class committee as to whether
dancing would be permitted, the
board suggested that a professional
entertainer be secured for the after
dinner program as a substitute for
dancing.
Dancing at the high school junior
senior reception has been the subject
of sharp controversy since it was in
troduced two years ago by
ity vote of the board of education
over a strong minority protest.
The board’s suggestion for a sub
stitute for the controversial dancing
feature was made Monday night
without a record vote following a
discussion in which it was sought to
formulate a program acceptable to
the entire membership of both
classes.
The board also indicated that it
would be willing to give financial aid
if necessary, in order to obtain suit
able professional entertainment tal
ent.
During the discussion at the board
meeting Monday night, it was stated
that a considerable number of the
classes did not attend the dance at
the two previous receptions, some
presumably because they did not wish
to participate and others leaving to
dance out of towm.
The junior-senion banquet held
during commencement season in May
is the outstanding social function of
the school year at which the junior
class entertains the graduating sen
iors with a dinner in the high school
gymnasium followed by an evening
program.
PT A Benefit Movie
Tuesday, Wednesday
Tickets are now on sale for a ben
efit showing of the movie, “I married
Adventure”, next Tuesday and Wed
nesday in the Star Theatre, under
sponsorship of the Bluffton Parent
Teacher association.
Of recent release, the picture is
based on a book of the same name
by Osa Johnson, who with her hus
band, Martin Johnson, experienced
many thrilling adventures in danger
ous jungles in all parts of the world.
Proceeds derived from the benefit
showing will be used to help defray
the cost of Bluffton High school’s
newly acquired caps and gowns.
Real Estate Deals
The G. F. Boyer farm, south of
Rockport, was sold Monday to the
Babage Creamery company of Colum
bus Grove. Malcolm Ewing formerly
lived on the farm but moved recently.
It will be occupied soon by Roy Herr.
EVANGELISTIC SERVICES
First of a series of evangelistic
services will be inauguarted next
Tuesday night in the Pleasant View
United Brethren church. Sessions
will be held nightly at 7:30 p. m.
'T'J~I 17 Rl jjRH ON N^WS
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 1941
A-.J V—/ JL JL V
WPA assistance is available for a
sidewalk construction program in
Bluffton this spring, and requests
must be made by property owners
before Saturday, March 22.
In building walks under the WPA
project, labor will be provided with
out charge and the only cost to prop
erty owners will be for materials.
Mayor W. A. Howe has been as
sured by WPA officials that a Bluff
ton program will be approved if
submitted, and signatures of those
wishing to benefit from the work
must be obtained before March 22.
Requests for walks may be made
to Mayor W. A. Howe or Street Com
missioner Lee Coon.
Tourney Notes
Glimpses, Gossip and Dope from
Sectional Play
Bluffton and Minster lived up to
all advance expectations as tourna
ment favorites last Friday night
when they had a packed auditorium
on pins and needles all the way in
a contest won by Bluffton in an
overtime period, 50 to 49 Until
the closing minute of the third quar
ter no more than three points had
separated the teams and the score
had been tied no less than 17 times.
Coaches of the Bluffton and Mins
ter teams both were former pupils of
W. A. Amstutz, Bluffton junior high
instructor ... Amstutz taught Dwight
Diller when the Bluffton mentor was
a former student in the local schools
The Minster coach was a pupil
of Amstutz when Hie Bluffton man
taught at Leipsic.
Barring upsets—sometimes all too
common in tournament play—it
should be Bluffton and Cridersville
in the finals this Saturday night....-...
Should such be the case, the contest
between the two crews is likely to
be a repetition of the Bluffton
Minster fracas, for the three out
(Continued dn page 3)
_----
WPA Sidewalk Construction Program
Assured For Bluffton This Spring
Boys At Army Posts Get Lonesome For
Letters From Home, Says Bluffton Boy
lark-Shook Wedding
At Arlington, Sunday
In the presence of the immediate
families and a few close friends the
wedding of Miss Bonita Clark, eldest
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Clark
of Grove street and Wade Shook of
Wadsworth took place at the home of
the officiating minister, Rev. L. B.
Remaley, of Arlington Sunday morn
ing at 8:15 o’clock.
The double ring ceremony was
used. The couple was attended by
Mrs. Eugene Firestone, a former
classmate of the bride and Jack
McLaughlin, Bluffton college senioi
also from Wadsworth. The bride
wore a street length dress of aqua
blue ramine crepe with a corsage of
roses and sweet peas.
The bride graduated from Bluffton
High school in the class of 1939 and
is employed at the Triplett Electrical
Instrument Co. Mr. Shook is a
junior at Bluffton college and is em
ployed at the College Book shop.
The couple will reside in an apart
ment at the house of Mrs. W. C.
Augsburger at the corner of College
and Lawn avenues.
New Officers Named
At P. T. A. Meeting
Officers were elected by the Par
ent-Teachers association at the meet
ing of the organization held in the
high school cafeteria Tuesday night.
The following were named:
Pres., Mrs. Forrest Steinman 1st
vice-pres., Mrs. Raymond Stratton
2nd vice-pres., Mrs. Edwin Amstutz
secretary, Mrs. Adella Oyer treas
urer, Robert Ewing.
Commencement exercises of Bluff
ton high school will be held Thurs
day night, May 29, it was announced
by Supt. A. J. B. Longsdorf, the
first of the week. Th class address
will be given by Raymond Jeffrey,
Cleveland author and traveler. His
subject will be “Above the Clouds”.
A ear Blizzard Rages
Here Tuesday Night
With streets of the town prac
tically deserted, a snow storm as
sumed near-blizzard proportions in
the Bluffton area Tuesday night. The
snow started falling early in the
evening and gathered momentum
with increasing wind velocity.
By morning the storm had abated
and with rising temperatures the
streets and sidewalks were covered
with slush. The skies, however, were
cloudy all day Wednesday with pre
dictions of snow flurries for both
Wednesday and Thursday.
“Tony” Wilson, home from
Langley Field, Va., for
15 Day Furlough
Urges Parents and Friends not
To Forget to Write to
Men at Camp
Do not forget the boys in the camp
with your letters and other remind
ers of the home town, is the advance
given by Carlton “Tony” Wilson,
United States army radio operator
at Langley Field, .Va., visiting in
Bluffton with Mr. and Mrs. Guy
Corson of North Jackson street, with
whom he has made his home.
Wilson is here on a 15-day fur
lough. The army post at Langley
(Continuedon page 8)
In New Locations
Don Eddy, employed at the Bixel
Motor sales here will move this
month from Findlay to the Mrs.
John Ewing farm of 144 acres in
Orange township recently purchased
by Clayton Bixel.
John Hilty who occupied the
Ewing farm will move to the Mrs.
Anna Groman farm northwest of
Bluffton, which was previously oc
cupied by Christ Schnegg who will
retire.
Cleveland Newspaper Man Will Give
High School Commencement Address
Other arrangements for the com
mencement program are being made
for the graduation activities of 56
seniors, Longsdorf stated.
Nelson Wells will move from the
Hews property on S. Main St. Thurs
day to the Glen Bolander farm of
ten acres in Monroe township which
he recently purchased. Wells is em
ployed in Lima. Bolander expects
to move to Findlay this week.
Rev. Kent Welty has moved to Ot
tawa w’here he is pastor of the Mis
sionary church.
Orville Shafer who purchased the
Alexander farm of 78 acres in Union
township will occupy the place this
month. Earl Alexander who was
on the farm previously is moving to
Findlay.
Mr. and Mrs. Roland Stratton who
have been making their home with
his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Cliff Strat
ton on East Elm street expect to
move soon into an apartment in their
block on South Main street.
Rev. A. F. Albro residing in the
Ezra Basinger property on Jefferson
street will move to the Jesse Welty
farm north of Bluffton on the Dixie
highway. The place is now occupied
by Eldon King who expects to move
shortly.
Basinger will move from Cherry
street into the property to be vacat
ed by Rev. Albro.
Don Cuppies who recently pur
chased the Basinger property on
Cherry street will occupy it this
spring moving from the farm of
Arthur Miller, parents of Mrs. Cup
pies, south of Bluffton.
Dennis Zimmerman has moved
from the Geo. Nonnamaker farm
east of Bluffton to a farm near
Antwerp. Conner Stewart who oc
cupied the Faze farm near Rock
port is occupying the Nonnamaker
farm vacated by Zimmerman.
Wm. Garmatter residing north
west of Bluffton has moved on the
M. H. Deeds farm near Rawson
which he has rented for the coming
year.
Jeffrey is widely knowm as a public
speaker, newspaper man and world
traveler. He has taken special in
terest in visiting unusual places and
has a facility of description by anec
dote and dramatization.
Several years ago he traveled
around the country in a Model-T
Ford in order to gain insight in the
problems of the masses of people.
During that tour he stopped in Bluff
ton at which time he chatted with a
number of residents.
Fishing Season Opens
Here With Catch Of
Two Bass At Quarry
’’’FWO large bass hooked at the
National Quarry, Sunday,
opened the spring fishing season
in Bluffton.
The catch was made by Wm.
Phillips, employee of the Central
Ohio Light and Power CoM at
the north side of the quarry.
His first catch was a bass
weighing four and three-fourths
pounds with the second one
weighing two and one half
pounds.
Phillips was as surprised at
making the catch as were his
friends who were informed of
the feat. He was fishing for
carp using dough balls as bait
when the bass were caught.
COULD HAVE CIVIL
SERVICE HERE BY
LOCAL ORDINANCE
State Law Does Not Apply to
Villages, Mayor is /Vdvised
by Commission
Proposal as Discussed by Coun
cil Would Include Appoint
ive Town Offices
Despite the fact that the state
civil service law does not apply to
villages, there is no reason why a
municipality such as Bluffton could
not have civil service through local
ordinances, it was stated this week
by Mayor W. A. Howe.
Announcement of this fact was
made by Mayor Howre following re
ceipt of a letter from Carl W.
Smith of Columbus, member of the
state civil service commission, who
wrote in response to a request for
information concerning local appli
cation of the state civil service law.
The matter came up recently at a
meeting of the town council in which
there was considerable sentiment
voiced in favor of the civil service
arrangement for Bluffton’s munici
pal employees. Mayor Howe also
spoke in support of it.
The proposition of transfer of ap
pointive salaried employees to civil
service was at that time brought be
fore the council by Wade Finton,
engineer at the municipal electric
light and water works plant.
Would Give Security, Claim
Finton stated that this arrange
ment would make employees more
secure in their positions and do
away with possibility of dismissal
because of public whims or arbitrary
action by the board of public affairs.
Mayor Howe suggested that in
event salaried employees at the
municipal plant were placed under
civil service he would recommend
that this would be extended to in
clude the nightwatch and street com
missioner.
The present appointive system
makes the jobs a political football,
the mayor stated.
Cook-Anderson
Wedding Thursday
Marriage of Miss Helen Cook,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L. E.
Cook of Beaverdam and Byron And
erson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse
Anderson of Orange township, took
place at the home of the officiating
minister, the Rev. L. A. Bradd, re
tired, of Jamestown .Thursday. Rev.
Bradd, was a former pastor of the
bride when he had the Beaverdam
Methodist church several years ago.
The single ring ceremony was used
in the presence of the attendants,
Mr. and Mrs. Marion Driver of Lima
who served as best man and matron
of honor.
The bride wore a dusty rose gown
with black accessories and a shoulder
corsage of carnations. Immediately
after the ceremony the couple left
for a short wedding trip to Wash
ington, D. C., and returned Sunday
night when a reception was held in
their honor at the home of her par
ents in Beaverdam.
The bride is a graduate of Beaver
dam High school in the class of 1935
and the North western School of Com
merce in Lima. She was formerly
employed in the offices of the Trip
lett Electrical Instrument Co. and
later at the City Loan and Savings
Co. of Lima.
Mr. Anderson graduated from
Bluffton High school in the class of
1933 and is employed at the Bluffton
post office.
The couple is living temporarily
at the home of the bride’s parents
in Beaverdam but will move to Bluff
ton in the near future.
A Good Place to Live and
Good Place to Trad*
"mt
mwb
BLUFFTON IN SEMI
FINALS OF BASKET
BALL TOURNAMENT
Pirates to Meet Delphos Jeffer
son at Shawnee Gymnas
ium, Friday Night
Bluffton and Cridersville Ex
pected to Meet in Finals
Saturday Night
Seeking their sixth Class sec
tional basketball championship, Bluff
ton High wlil meet Delphos Jefferson
at 8:30 p. m. Friday on the Shawne
gymnasium floor, south of Lima in
the semi-final round of 1941 tourney
play.
.If successful in Friday’s assign
ment, Bluffton’s scrappy Pirates will
meet the winner of the Cridersville
Gomer conest at 8 p. m. Saturday, to
decide the championship issue.
Bluffton gained the semi-final round
of the tournament by defeating Min
ster, one of the favorites of the meet,
50 to 49. and lacing Shawnee, 62 to
27, in games played last Friday and
Saturday.
See Bluffton-Cridersville in Finals
Tournament “dope” which many
times gives way to upsets, indicates
that Bluffton and Cridersville will be
the finalists in a meet that had some
of the best teams in northwestern
Ohio entered as competitors.
Altho Delphos Jefferson has been
playing heads up ball, Bluffton is con
ceded to hold a slight edge and if the
Dillermen continue to perform in the
manned characterizing their first two
tournament games it should be a case
of finding the locals in the final round.
Pose Game Predicted
Should Bluffton and Cridersville
win semi-final contests, the champion
ship game likely will be a repetition
of the thrilling show put on by Bluff
ton and Minster in first-round play
last Friday.
Cridersville and Minster met five
times during the season, with the
former outfit winning three games
and the latter tw’o. Bluffton defeat
ed Minster by a one-point margin in
an overtime tilt, and indications are
a game between the Pirates and Crid
ersville likely will be equally as close.
Four From Bluffton
Area Leave For Camp
Four Bluffton area young men
were among 56 Allen county draftees
who left Tuesday and Wednesday
for induction into the army for one
year’s selective service training.
Nineteen selectees from Allen
County Board No. 3, which compris
es Bluffton, went to Lima Wednesday
morning from where they were taken
to the Toledo induction station for
final physical examinations. Draftees
from Boards 1 and 2 w’ent to Toledo
Tuesday morning.
Those from this district in the cur
rent contingent included Herbert A.
Stewart, Bluffton Route 2 Robert
Eugene Kohli, Bluffton Route 2
Fred E. Westphal, Lafayette Route
1, and Charles L. Jennings, Cairo.
Order numbers of those taken from
Board No. 3 in the sixth call ran
from 532 to 728, with 19 men eli
gible in that bracket.
Allen county’s three draft boards
now have provided 229 men for se
lective service training. Approxi
mately 300 more will be called before
June 30, according to original draft
quotas, about 100 of whom will be
from Board No. 3.
Estimates made when draft quotas
were set up at state headquarters
called for a total of 184 men from
Board No. 3 before June 30, to as
sist in making up Ohio’s quota of
52,496 men.
It has been reported in authori
tative quarters that an unexpected
increase in regular enlistments and
national guard enrollment may result
in a quota reduction of up to 25 per
cent, but no official revision of the
number of men required has been
made as yet.
X.
Last Rites For
Infant Daughter
Funeral services for Barbara Ann
Crawfis, three-months-old daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Crawdis of
South Main street, were held at the
Diller Funeral home Monday after
noon with Rev. C. W. Armentrout
of Columbus Grove officiating.
The infant daughter died Friday
afternoon at 5:45 o’clock at the Lima
Memorial hospital following a five
days’ illness She was boro at the
Bluffton hospital December 10, 1940.
Besides her parents she is sur
vived by her grandparents, Mr. and
Mrs. Earl Crawfis of Bluffton and
Mr. and Mrs. Philip B. Welty of
Columbus Grove.
Burial was in the Hannan ceme
tery near Gilboa.