The Bluffton news. [volume], May 01, 1941, Image 1

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BLUFFTON NEWS
The Advertising Medium for
Bluffton Trade Territory
VOLUME NO. LXVI
THREE CHANGES IN
POSTOFFICE FORCE
EFFECTIVE MAY 1
Byron Anderson and Eugene
Benroth Appointed Clerks
By Postmaster
Ralph Reichenbach to Begin
Duties as City Route Car
rier, Thursday
Three additional changes in Bluff
ton’s postoffice personnel were an
nounced this week by Postmaster Ed
R. Reichenbach.
Appointment of a new clerk, trans
fer of a city carrier to a clerkship,
and the naming of a replacement car
rier are included in the developments,
with changes becoming effective this
Thursday.
Under the new setup, Byron An
derson, now city carrier, is being
transferred to a clerk’s position in
the post office.
Eugene Benroth, present substitute
clerk-carrier, also will serve as a
postal clerk.
Ralph Reichenbach, manager of the
City Market at the present, is resign
ing to become city carrier on the
route formerly served by Anderson.
Robert Hochstettler, Reichenbach’s
assistant at the City Market, will be
come the new manager.
In the new personnel setup at the
post office an additional clerk is be
ing added, resulting in the need of
two appointments. One of the new’
appointees will replace Harry Bogart,
who was transferred from clerk to
one of the rural delivery routes and
the other w’ill fill the newly created
post.
Delays Slow Work
On Plant Addition
Pouring of the foundation for the
$750,000 addition to the Woodcock
generating plant of the Central Ohio
Light and Power Co. is being held
steel needed for the forms, it was
learned the first of the week.
Delivery of the steel is expected
within a week, how’ever, and pouring
may be started shortly after, it was
nounced. Wooden forms are about
one-third completed, and only six
men are working, awaiting the ar
rival of delayed materials.
Many more workmen will be added
as the work progresses, with each
group of contractors hiring individ
ual crews. Separate sub-contracts
have been let for electrical, plumb
ing, steam fitting and other w'ork by
the F. K. Vaughn Building Co., of
Hamilton, which holds the general
contract.
School Enters Solo
And Ensemble Meet
Bluffton High school musicians will
enter the instrumental and vocal
numbers in the solos and ensemble
contest on the Ohio State university
campus in Columbus on Friday. The
winners qualified for state competi
tion in recent district contests.
The instrumental numbers have
been rehearsing under the direction
of Prof. Sidney Hauenstein and the
vocal units under the supervision of
Miss Elizabeth Higley, music in
structors at the high school.
Entering in the instrumental com
petition are:
Xylophone, Barbara Jean Triplett.
Cello, Betty Steinman.
Flute quartet: Raymond Schu
macher, Geneva Hankish, Harriet
Burkholder and Beverly Biery.
String quartet: Neil Neuensch
wander, Alice Jean Bixel, Jane Howe,
Mary Margaret Basinger.
In the vocal competition will be:
Solos: Baritone, Roger Howe
mezzo-soprano, Betty Holtkamp bass,
Wilhelm Amstutz.
Ensembles: Boys—Leroy
Norman Beidler, Wilhelm
Roger Howe.
Lugibihl,
Amstutz,
Marcene
Girls—Ruth Hankish,
Stonehill, Mary E. Stearns, Marjean
Todd, Betty Holtkamp, Hildred Ever
sole.
Mixed—Alice Oyer, Dorothy An
derson, Betty Steinman, Helen Sold
ner, James Gratz, Robert Cooney,
Harold and Gerald Augsburger.
Jefferson Street
Bridge Completed
Repair of the Jefferson street
bridge over Big Riley creek has been
completed by
partment.
the state highway de-
of new girders and a
floor were made and
Installation
new wooden
traffic is proceeding over Jefferson
ftreet and Route 103 as usual.
Bluffton People
Meet Gene Autry
Noted Film Star
MEEZ1X?_.
Gene Autry, noted
1 film star was the unusual
experience enjoyed by George
Carmack, Bluffton theatre man,
together with Mrs. Carmack and
children.
The Bluffton people were in
Cleveland last Thursday when
a film producing company en
tertained exhibitors of this dis
trict at a luncheon and party
in honor of Autry who made a
short visit in that city. Car
mack is owner of the Star
theatre here.
POWER SHOVEL IS
DAMAGED BY FIRE
AT HILTY SCHOOL
Destruction of New State High
way Power Shovel Threat
ened in Morning Fire
Bluffton Fire Department
tinguishes Blaze with
Chemical Equipment
a
Ex-
of
Fire threatening the destruction
new’ state highway power shovel
parked for the night at the Hilty
school house, four miles wrest of
towm, was quickly extinguished by
the Bluffton fire department early
Wednesday morning at 12:30 o’clock.
Gasoline on the ground near the
power shovel was ignited by the
flame of a lantern as a w’atchman
w’as making his rounds. Watchmen
are employed by the highway de
partment to guard tools being used
in road improvement taking place in
the area.
Watchmen change shifts at mid
night and as the relief w’atchman
came on duty he noticed a car hur
riedly drive away from the school
house. A loose gasoline cap caused
tempting to steal gasoline.
Gasoline Flames
Upon examining the power shovel,
using a lantern for illumination, the
gasoline w’as ignited and the fire
flared up into his face. His clothing
was set on fire and his hand was
burned. Injuries, how’ever, were not
serious.
The Bluffton fire department wras
summoned by a neighbor’s telephone
and the blaze was quickly extin
guished w’ith chemical equipment.
One of the tires of the power shovel
w’as destroyed and the side slightly
damaged.
Shortly after the arrival of the
Bluffton fire department the state
highway patrolmen from the Lima
station came to the scene.
No estimate of the damage w’as
given.
In New Locations
Wilford Steiner will move this
week into the Edw’in Amstutz prop
erty on Spring street formerly occu
pied by Carold Steiner. Steiner is
now employed in Dayton.
Steiner and infant daughter are
maining here for the present.
Mrs.
re-
va
oc-
re-
The residence on Harmon road
cated by Wilford Steiner will be
cupied by Walter Stratton who
cently purchased the property from
Donavin Steiner of Washington,
D. C.
Raymond Rupright has moved from
the Mrs. Maud Curry property on
Washington street to Jenera. Don
Kirtland is now occupying the Curry
property, having moved here from
Mt. Cory.
Veryl Reichenbach, employed at
Steiner Bros., Lima, has moved into
the W. W. Huber property south of
Bluffton.
Pennsylvania-German
Program Postponed
The Pennsylvania-German enter
tainment scheduled for this Wed
nesday night at the Bluffton col
lege chapel has been postponed until
next Wednesday night at 8:30
o’clock.
The Pennsylvania “Dutch” will be
used throughout the entire prdferam
which consists of songs, dramatiza
tions, skits, and historical presenta
tions.
Opportunity will be given for the
audience to participate in group
singing in the colorful language.
The public is invited and those plan
ning to attend are requested to com
municate with Mrs. I. W. Bauman of
Jackson street, who is in charge
of refreshments.
GOV. BRICKER WILL
SPEAK AT COLLEGE
BOOSTER BANQUET
Executive Head of the State to
Talk Here Monday Night,
May 12
Citizens Committee in Charge
Of
Arrangements for
Booster Gathering
Gov.
his
of
John W. Bricker, sen'ing
term as executive head
governmental administration,
second
Ohio’s
will be the speaker at the annual
Bluffton College Booster banquet at
the high school gymnasium, Monday
evening, May 12.
With the Governor appearing on
the program, success of the banquet
is assured in its two-fold goal of
assisting the college financially and
creating new
institution.
public interest in the
Booster gathering is
a Bluffton Citizens
This year’s
sponsored by
committee headed by Ed S. Lape,
Ezra Moser and Dr. W. M. Nis
wander. It was thru their efforts
that arrangements were made to
schedule
er and
also are
Gov. Bricker as the speak
other plans for the affair
being directed by them,
will sene as toastmaster
banquet, and arrangements
Lape
for the
are being made for special musical
presentations.
Stress Community Aspect
Relation of the college to
community, to be stressed in
year’s banquet, also served as
theme of essay contests recently
concluded under auspices of
Citizens committee.
the
this
the
the
for
the
Subject of the essay contest
college students was “What Can
College Do For the Community?”,
and essays written by contestants
outside the college were on “What
Can the Community Do For the
College?”.
Delvin Kirchhofer, of Bluffton, a
Bluffton college graduate was the
Aw’ards to college essay winners
were as follows: Mary Lou Poe,
McComb freshman, first Keith
Plank, Middleburg, Ind., freshman,
second Lena Boyer, Biglerville, Pa.,
sophomore, third and Edmund Zehr,
Gridley, Ill., freshman, fourth.
Musical Program At
Presbyterian Church
A varied musical program of in
strumental and vocal number's will
be presented at the Presbyterian
church Sunday night at 7:30 o’clock.
The following program will be
given:
Vocal trio, Lucille Hilty, Esther
Luginbuhl, Frieda Klay Basinger
violin solo, Laurence Burkhalter
flute, duet, William Holtkamp and
James Smucker mixed vocal quar
tet, Ann Rowlins, Herbert Oyer,
Ethelyn Oyer, Herbert Oyer, Harvey
Bauman organ solo, Frances Jones
high school numbers in charge of
Miss Elizabeth Higley vocal solo,
Paul Emmert. The public is invited.
Jason Trippiehorn
Annapolis Alternate
Jason Trippiehorn, Bluffton college
sophomore and son of Mr., and Mrs.
Dan R. Trippiehorn, of South Main
street, has been named first alter
nate to fill a vacancy at the U. S.
Naval Tcademy in the class entering
June 1.
Announcement of Trippiehorn’s
ranking, determined in a recent Civil
Service examination, was made by
Congressman Robert F. Jones, of
Lima.
James Long, of Lima,
ated as the principal to
cancy, with Trippiehorn
alternate.
was nomin
fill the va
as the first
Original Peace Talks
At Mennonite Church
Original peace orations will be
presented in a contest to be held at
the First Mennonite church Sunday
night at 7:00 o’clock,
will be sponsored by
College Peace club.
The meeting
the Bluffton
contest will
junior from
Participating in the
be: Alvin Beachey,
Ortunna, Pa., Walter Kirk, freshman
from Adenna, Richard Weaver,
junior from Goshen, Ind., Darvin
Lugibill, sophomore from Bluffton.
Birth
Bluff-
The following birth at the
ton hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Noah Liechty, a girl,
last Wednesday.
LHE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, MAY 1, 1911
Miss Viola Welty, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Isaiah Welty of West Elm
street, will sail from New York city
next Thursday to take up duties in
her mission station in West Nigeria
in the deep interior of Africa.
It was necessary for Miss Welty
to cancel her address to have been
given at the Ebenezer Mennonite
church Sunday morning due to the
fact that she was requested in a
telegram to leave Bluffton Friday in
order to make preliminary arrange
ments prior to sailing.
Miss Welty will sail under the
sponsorship of the inter-denomina
tional board of the Sudan Interior
Mission with headquarters at Chi-
COMMENCEMENT
AT HIGH SCHOOL
HERE ON MAY 29
Raymond Jeffry, Cleveland
Newspaperman, Will Give
Graduating Address
Junior-Senior Banguet on May
16 to Open Bluffton Com
mencement Season
With the annual junior-senior ban
quet opening the commencement seas
on at Bluffton High school on May 16,
schedule for graduating activities are
completed.
The senior play,
herd of Kingdom Com
on Monday a:
26 a nd 2T Class nlgi
be held on May 28.
Raymond Jeffry, Cleveland news
paperman, wilt bring the graduating
address to the seniors at commence
ment exercises to be held on May 29.
Valedictorian of the class is John
Stettler, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. R.
Stettler of North Main street. Salu
tatorian is Lois Schaublin, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Waldo Schaublin
Route 2.
Nigeria From New York Next Thursday
Growing Friendship Marks Attitude Of
South America Towards United States
will be held
Baccalaureate se ..................
May 25, with Rev. G. T. Soldner,
father of Helen So
graduating seniors, pi
mon.
one of the
hing the ser-
Little Shep
be given
?hts, May
exercises will
of
be
to
The commencement season will
climaxed by the alumni banquet
be held in the high school gymnasium
on Friday night, Memorial Day, May
30.
The list of graduating seniors will
be announced at a later date. The
The following include members of the
senior class:
Gerald and Harold Augsburger,
Maynard
Maurice Fett, Clyde Fisher, Dale
Grismore, Kenneth Hartman, Clyde
Klingler, Charles Lora, Norman Lug
ibihl, William McCafferty.
Badertscher, Don Clark,
Francis Marquart, James Martin,
George Myers, Eugene Newlan, Ray
Niswander, Kenneth Oberly, Herbert
Reichenbach, Harold Santschi, John
Stettler, Harlan Swank, Hairy Turn
er, Robert Watkins.
Billie Bechtel, Harriet Biome, Bet
ty Bracy, Fairy Bronson, Marjorie
Buckland, Dorothy Burkholder, Ruth
Core, Olive DeCamp, Wanda Diller,
Winifred Fett.
Georgia Fisher, Doris Garmatter,
Dorothy Greding, Geneva Hankish,
Treva Harris, Marilynn Hofer, Mae
Huber, Madlyn Isham, Grace Miller,
Velda Moser, Bettye Murray.
Charlotte Santschi, Lois Schaublin,
Helen Soldner, Betty Steinman, Car
olyn Stonehill, Marjorie Stratton,
Freida Vandemark.
Mt. Cory Will Have
Fourteen Graduates
Commencement exercises for a
class of 14 graduating seniors will
be held at Mt. Cory High school,
Thursday night, May 15.
Dr. Frank J. Prout, president of
Bowling Green State University, will
deliver the class address.
Othei- highlights of commencement
week include baccalaureate services
Sunday, May 11 and presentation of
the senior class play, “Watch Out
for Spooks”, this Friday night.
In the graduating class are Myda
Jane Manges, Jim Wooley, Bernita
Holmes, Ann Dukes, Glenn Conrad,
Kathleen Dukes, James M. Gilbert,
Mary Lou Henning, Marie Kimmel,
Lillian Koontz, Earl Montgomery,
Martha Schaller, Gordon Schwab, and
Delloras Winget.
Ann Dukes is the valedictorian fend
the joint salutatorians are Jim Wool
ey and James M. Gilbert.
cago. She had planned to sail sev
eral months ago but due to difficul
ties in booking passage and
funds she w’as forced to
her sailing until now’.
securing
postpone
however,
She had been instructed,
by the board as to clothing, utensils,
medicines and types of bedding to
take along for the tropical climate.
She had assembled all of these ar
ticles in readiness for the voyage.
Once located in Western Nigeria,
Miss Welty will be in the same ter
ritory as Miss Mary Haas, also a
Bluffton missionary, who sailed sev
eral months ago for the African
post.
Friendly Commercial Relations
And Pan-Americanism
Help Cement Ties
Triplett Representative from
Argentina Says Prospects
Are Even Brighter
Pervading most of South America
is the warmest kind of friendship
towards the United States, accord
ing to T. C. de Grand Pre, of
Buenos Aires, factory representative
of the Triplett Electrical Instrument
Co. in Argentina, who is in Bluffton
this week on business at the local
plant.
Marked preponderance of senti
ment in favor of Britain and the
United States has followed the past
decade marked by increasingly good
commercial relationships and the
strong movement of Pan-American
ism. Prominently displayed in the ma
jority of Argentinian cities are “Buy
American” and “Buy British” signs.
American Products
Products of American manufac
turers are generally favored by the
buying public of South America be
cause of their uniform high quality.
The economies of mass production
have enabled U. S. manufacturers to
produce goods of unusual quality at
a price the average man can afford
to pay.
Mr. de Grand Pre also noticed a
very strong sentiment in Brazil for
the United States. This is natural
in that the United States buys the
big majority of the country’s coffee
output. In every year since 1921
the United States has bought a
great deal more from Brazil than
was sold her from here. This in
itself would preclude the use of the
barter system used by Nazi Ger
many. If the United States should
use the barter system to even up
these figures the increased buying
from the United States would be
enough to cut the sales of the Ger
man products considerably.
Pan-Americanism
Also cementing the friendship of
the South American and the United
States is the strong Pan-American
movement developed during the past
decade. The federal government
has erected a beautiful building at
Washington, D. C. to be used for
the purpose of the nations of the
Americas to discuss matters of
mutual concern of the two hemis
pheres. President Roosevelt made
a trip to South America in 1937
and numerous agreements were made
at this time between various South
American countries and the United
States. He was greeted by 500,000
persons in Buenos who gave him a
tumultuous welcome upon his ar
rival to open the Inter-American
peace conference.
Oxford Graduate
Mr. de Grande Pre is a graudate
of Oxford, having attended the
English university for four years.
On the basis of his talks with many
English people with whom
had commercial dealings
Grande Pre says that the
European war may result in
mate.
he has
Mr. de
present
a stale-
He pointed out that should Hitler
gain possession of the Iraq oil fields
and the grain fields of the Russian
Ukraine, there would be the basis
for formation of a self-sufficient
German-dominated European bloc,
which could not successfully be at
tacked on land.
On the other hand England, with
her fleet would still remain in com
mand of the sea, resulting in a sit
uation in which neither could suc
cessfully attack the other.
South America, however, does not
want war and is looking to the
United States
friendliness and anticipating even
closer cooperation and greater mu
tuality than in the past.
with increasing
Frost Nips Early
Cherries Other
Fruit Unharmed
pROSPECTS for a large crop
of early cherries are dimin
ished as a result of heavy frosts
of the past week, fruit growers
here report. Frost damage, how
ever, was not evident in all
localities and it is estimated
that more than half of the trees
escaped. Prevalent dry weather
is believed to have materially
lessened the damage. Frost
losses sustained by other crops
was negligible.
NO SHORTAGE OF
COAL IMMINENT
AT PLANTS HERE
Municipal Light Plant and Cen
tral Ohio Generating Sta
tion Well Supplied
See No Difficulty in Replenish
ing Supplies as Coal Mines
Strike Ends
Coal shortages occasioned by the
recent widespread strikes have had
no serious effects on the Bluffton
supply and with differences ironed
out the first of the week, there is
expected to be no serious difficulty
in obtaining additional supplies to
replenish present stocks.
Local dealers report no increase in
coal prices, although there are large
back orders held up due to the strike.
If this were the heart of winter with
a big coal demand there would be
strong likelihood of shortages, local
dealers reported. The warm spring
weather has made the situation less
difficult.
The Bluffton municipal light plant
has on hand about a 25 days’ supply
and there is no immediate concern
over the matter. In view of the fact
that it takes a little more than a
week to get coal here from the mines,
prolonging of the strike more than
several weeks might have had ser
ious effects here, it was stated by
attaches of the light plant. The
plant uses about 12 tons of coal
daily.
The Central Ohio Light and Power
plant has enough coal on hand for
three or four months, officials stated
Wednesday. Although the plant
uses on an average of 100 tons
coal per day, no serious problem
anticipated in the coal supply,
was stated.
of
is
it
Grading Of Huber
Street Completed
Grading of Huber street with the
use of a power shovel was completed
this week, it was announced by Lee
Coon, Bluffton street commissioner,
who supervised operations.
After the fine grading is com
pleted, stone and tar chips will be
added to Huber street from Jefferson
to Mound streets. The rest of the
road will be pike with a stone top,
Coon stated.
Following completion of Huber
street the crew will be transferred
to Kibler road w'here the grade will
be cut and the road lowered and
widened. Tar and chips will be used
on this road from Grove to Jackson
streets.
Condition Of Dr. E. L.
Harshbarger Improved
Condition of Dr. Emmit L. Harsh
barger, former Bluffton High school
instructor and now political science
professor at Bethel college, Bethel,
Kansas, is somewhat improved, it
was reported here the first of the
week.
After having undergone three op
erations, the former Bluffton resi
dent will likely be removed from
the Mennonite hospital in Newton,
Kansas, to his home near the college.
Last Rites For
Lafayette Woman
Funeral services for Mrs. Mar
garet Jane Ransbottom, 81, life-long
resident of Allen county, will
held at the County Line Church of
the Brethren seven miles south of
Bluffton Thursday afternoon at 2:30
o’clock.
Mrs. Ransbottom, a
Mrs. I. B. Beeshy of
Monday night from
having been bedfast
seven months.
A Good Place to Live and a
Good Place to Trade
be
half sister of
Bluffton, died
senility after
for the last
Burial will be in the Liberty chap
el cemetery north of Lafayette.
NUMBER 1
BLUFFTON ON
PROPOSED AIR
MAIL PICK UP
Representative of Mercury
Corp. Confers with Postal
Officials on Development
Collections Would be Made by
Pick-up Device Without
Plane Landing
Bluffton will have direct air mail
service and connections if an appli
cation on file at Washington is
granted
board, it
week.
on file at
by the Civil
developed the
aeronautics
first of
the
granted
the
the
application is
be in operation before
If the
plan will
summer, it was stated by Raymond
B. Towmsley,
sentative of
ment Corp.,
in Bluffton
postal officials and business leaders.
public relations repre
the Mercury Develop
Indianapolis, who was
conferring with local
The service is now very definitely
past the experimental stage and
airplanes by a patented device can
pick up mail at 130 miles per hour
and without landing. The field W’ill
be several miles outside of Bluffton.
Although postal officials here have
several sites in mind, no definite ac
tion has been taken.
Bluffton
on
Route
Bluffton would be on a route in
cluding 18 other stations. North
bound planes to Detroit would pass
over Bluffton at 9:49 a. m. Planes
westbound for Indianapolis would
pick up mail here at 5:11 p. m. Un
der the Mercury sponsored plan, it
would be possible to mail a letter to
Detroit in the morning and have an
answer back in the afternoon.
Mailjeaving Bluffton in the after
noon on the pickup route would be
delivered next morning in 253 cities
on the Mercury networks,
tire
would
joyingr
The en-
Mercury Airlines operations
serve 388 points not now’ en
direct air mail service,
Faster
The
advantage of the system lies
much greater speed in w’hich
in the
mail can be dispatched. Air mail as
now handled often involves many de
lays through not having direct con
nections. The air mail has to be
carried on trains to present air
terminals.
At the present time the Mercury
organization is asking permission to
establish seven feeder routes in In
diana, Illinois, southern Michigan,
western Ohio and Kentucky. Service
would be by daylight and would op
erate daily except Sundays, it was
pointed out by Towmsley.
Mercury
been in
eastern
A service such as the
company proposes here has
operation in Pennsylvania,
Ohio and West Virginia for about
tw’o years. The service in no way
would compete with esablished air
transport lines but doubtless would
bring a much larger volume of air
mail to them in the future.
Cargo Airplanes
The Mercury proposal sets out
that DGA-15-JC Howard cargo air
planes would be used. The Howards
would use the Jacob Model L-6 MB
330 H. P. engine and
pound pay load at a
165 miles per hour.
carry an 800
top speed
of
is headed
president,
by
a
The Mercury Corp.
Harold L. Plummer,
former assistant national adjutant of
the American Legion. Other offi
cials of the company are experienced
fliers, business men and engineers.
No stock in the operating company
is offered for sale, Townsley stated.
Third New House
Is Started Here
of Bluff
program,
will be
Marking a continuation
ton’s residential building
the basement excavation
started this week for another new
house.
Water and drain lines are now be
ing put in at the Miss Ocie Ander
son lot on South Main street, and ex
cavation w’ork will be under w’ay the
latter part of the week.
The lot fronts on South Main
street and was purchased a year ago
from Mrs. John Fett.
This is the third new house start
ed in Bluffton this spring, and
marks a continuation of a building
boom which has been under w’ay here
for the last three years.
Work is progressing rapidly on
houses being erected by Rev. Levi
Mellinger, at the rear of the Mrs.
Anna Bixel property on South Main
street, and Rev. Eli Steiner, in the
last block on South Jackson street