The Bluffton news. [volume], August 07, 1941, Image 1

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BLUFFTON NEWS
The Advertising Medium for
Bluffton Trade Territory
VOLUME NO. LXVI
$10,000 DAMAGE
BY WIND STORM
BEINJC REPAIRED
Shortage of Carpenters Here
Causes Delay in Repairs of
Barns and Roofs
Largest Single Loss At Stein
man Bros. Lumber Com
pany Yards
Repairs are being effected on wind
storm losses in the Bluffton area,
estimated the first of the week at
$10,000. A good share of the dam
age had been repaired by Wednesday
morning, although with carpenters
busily engaged in building activities
in the area some of the repairs will
not be completed until the end of the
week.
Observers reported that the wind
storm last Wednesday afternoon was
one of the most severe in recent
years. It is believed that the wind
velocity in the storm reached at least
70 miles per hour.
Widespread Damage
Roofs were torn off barns, trees
were uprooted, telephone and electric
current poles were blown down and
livestock was killed all of which
combined to give the Bluffton area a
property loss estimated conservative
ly at $10,000.
Estimates on the amount of heav
ierlosses were: Steinman Bros. Lum
ber Co., $2,000 Bluffton Municipal
Light plant, $500 Bluffton Telephone
Co., $500. Insurance claims: Men
Township Fanners Mutual Associa
nonite Mutual, $1,800 and Richland
tion, $1,500. In addition to the
above are farm losses not covered by
(Continued on page 8)
Rug gley-Cochran
Nuptials Sunday
Wedding of Donald Ruggley, son
of Mr. and Mrs. William Ruggley of
North Main street, and Miss Imogene
Cochran, daughter of Elmer Coch
ran formerly of Ada, took place at
the home of the officiating minister,
Rev. H. T. Unruh of the First ^Icn
nonite church, Sunday afternoon at
4:00 o’clock.
Kenneth Schaublin of North Main
street was best man and Miss Betty
Williams of Ada, a cousin of the
bride, was maid of honor. The wed
ding party was attired in street
clothing.
Mr. Ruggley graduated from Bluff
ton High school in the class of 1936
and is employed at the Badertscher
grocery. Mrs. Ruggley graduated
from Ada High school in the class
of 1939 and is employed at the Trip
lett Electrical Instrument Co.
The couple will reside temporarily
at the home of Mr. Ruggley’s parents
on North Main street.
Binkley Sisters
In Double Wedding
In a double wedding at the Metho
dist parsonage, Miss Cleda Binkley
became the bride of Ivan Clements
of McComb and her sister Miss Glen
na Binkley was married to Willard
Thompson of Lima, Wednesday
morning at 9:30 o’clock. The sisters
are the daughters of Mr. and Mrs.
Lester Binkley of Railroad street.
The wedding vows were received by
the Rev. J. A. Weed, pastor of the
Methodist church. The couples were
unattended and were attired in trav
elling clothes.
The sisters are employed at the
Triplett Electrical Instrument Co.
Mr. Clements is a produce buyer in
McComb and Mr. Thompson is a fire
man in Lima.
For the time being the couples will
make their home at the residence of
the brides’ pareiS on Railroad
street.
Mrs. Deifendeifer
Rites Held Sunday
Mrs. Emma Deifendeifer, 83, died
at 3:30 a. m. last Thursday in Bluff
ton Community hospital after an ex
tended illness.
She had been making her home with
her daughter, Mrs. Charles Stratton
of East Elm street.
Suivivors in addition to Mrs.
Stratton include a son, Murvin, of
Cherry street two brothers, James
Fenton, of near Rawson, and John
Fenton of Arlington. There were
nine grandchildren and nine great
grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Sunday
afternoon in the Bluffton Methodist
church of which she was a member.
Rev. J. A. Weed, pastor, officiated.
Burial was in Clymer cemetery.
Channel Cut In
Big Riley Creek
In order to permit a better flow of
water, a five foot channel is being
cut in the Big Riley creek between
Spring street and College avenue by
the Chas. E. Kohl company of Lima.
Authorization of the project was
given at a meeting of town council
Monday night.
Purpose of the channel construc
tion is to enable a better flushing of
the creek to permit the removal of
stagnant water. This could require
less spraying of stagnant water with
larvicide and make the mosquito
control program more effective, it is
believed.
The council specified that the right
be reserved for Mayor W. A. Howe
to order operations stopped any time
it appeared that the channel would
not be effective. Work on the pro
ject is expected to be completed by
the latter part of the week.
BLUFFTON GOES TO
POLLS IN PRIMARY
ELECTION TUESDAY
Voters to Select Party Tickets
For November Election
Here Tuesday
Republican Ticket Has Two
Contests Democratic
liallot Has One
Bluffton voters will decide on three
contests when they go to the polls
next Tuesday for the August prim
ary election.
Principal interest in the pre-elec
tion campaign has been centering in
the mayoralty race, with four candi
dates in the field, two on each ticket.
Seeking, the Republican nomination
are N. E. Byers and W. A. Howe, the
latter now serving as mayor. Demo
cratic mayoralty candidates are John
E. Steiner aand Russell L. Magee.
Contest For Clerk
The third contest is for village clerk
on the Republican ticket, with James
F. West and Zelma Ingalls seeking
the nomination. Wilford O. Geiger
is the unopposed Democratic nominee
for clerk.
With six councilmen to be elected,
the Republicans have only five candi
dates in the primary and they also
filed only two nominations for the
Board of Public Affairs, with three
posts open. Democrats have a full
slate for both.
For council, the Democratic nomi
nees are Fred A. Hofer, Gerald E.
Swank, Jesse W. Yoakam, Prank L.
Todd, Homer L. Bracy and Frank
McElroy.
Candidates Listed
Republican council candidates in
clude C. A. Triplett, C. E. Aukerman,
Kermit Kihele, E. S. Lape and Mil
liam Amstutz.
Candidates for Board of 1 ublic Af
fairs include: A. C. Burcky, William
Luginbuhl and Oswin Luginbuhl,
Democrats, and Peter Gratz and Claj
ton O. Bixel, Republicans.
For treasurer, Samuel Bixel, Dem
ocrat, has no opposition on either tick
•fit.
No candidates for marshall will be
voted on in the primary because of a
new state law providing that in the
future village law enforcement offi
cers are to be appointed by the
mayor.
Lamont Diller Is
Wed In Cincinnati
Silk Hosiery Sales Rise Here
Supply Ample And Price Stable
Wedding of Lamont Diller, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Diller of Spring
street, and Mrs. Neva L. Pogue,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. W.
Leasure of Lima occurred in Cin
cinnati on Saturday, July 26.
The marriage was performed in
the Walnut Hills home of Mr. and
Mrs. J. B. Royer, Cincinnati, who
were the attendants. Mrs. Royer is
a sister of the bride.
The Rev. A. J. Koonse, pastor of
the Walnut Hills Presbyterian church
officiated in the presence of the im
mediate family.
Mrs. Diller has been employed in
the loan department of the City Loan
and Savings Co. Lima office. Mr.
Diller is employed at the Triplett
Electrical Instrument Co. in Bluffton.
He graduated from Bluffton high
school in the class of 1927 and from
Bluffton college in the class of 1931.
The couple is at home for the pres
ent at 912 West Wayne street in
Lima.
Merchants Report No Increase
In Prices And No Limit
In Purchases
Satisfactory Substitutes Will
Become Available is Pres
ent Belief
That Bluffton area women react as
others in the nation is reflected in a
sharply increased demand for silk
hosiery in local stores, following fed
eral action in shutting down mills
producing silk stockings.
Bluffton merchants, however, re
port that manufacturers have not
limited them in the purchase of fall
stocks and at present there is no
price increase in silk goods. Wheth
er to limit the amounts which a cus
tomer may purchase is being debated
by proprietors of dry goods stores
here, but as yet no action has been
taken on the matter.
With the supply of raw silk from
Japan definitely cut off due to in
ternational relations, the supply of
silk hosiery cannot last any great
length of time.
Satisfactory Substitutes, Belief
However, sources of supply appear
confident that satisfactory substtutes
will be available in sufficient quanti
ties.
Nylon hosiery will be available in
reasonable lots, but the nation’s nu
lon production alone will not be suf
ficient to offset the loss of silk stock
ings.
New developments in sheer rayon
and lisle hosiery are expected within
the near future, and cotton manu
facturerses pecially are hard at work
to develop suitable substitutees.
Department and specialty stores
dealing in lingerie do not believe
undergarments will feel the pinch of
shortages, because of the great num
berof suitable substitutes, because
undergarments will feel the pinch
of shortages, because of the great
number of suitable substitutes be
cause of the great number of suitable
substitute material.
Mrs. Sarah Hummon
Dies At Short Home
Funeral services were held Satur
day afternoon in the Bluffton Metho
dist church for Mrs. Sarah J. Hum
mon, 84, who died last Wednesday
afternoon at the home of her daugh
ter, Mrs. Elizabeth Short, of South
Main street.
Rev. J. A. Weed officiated at the
service. Burial was in the Clymer
cemetery.
Mrs. Hummon was a life-long resi
dent of this vicinity and was a mem
ber of the Methodist church and
the Women’s Society of Christian
Service.
Survivors include three daughters,
Mrs. Short, of this place Mrs. Syl
via D. Aden, of Fayette Mrs. Mistel
M. Steiner, of Mechanicsburg and
three sons, Jesse, of Bluffton Lloyd
M. of Cygnet, and Wilbur W., of
Los Angeles, Calif.
Last Rites For Mrs.
Garrett Wednesday
Mrs. Altha Garrett, 77, resident of
Bluffton for many years, died Mon
day evening at the home of a son,
Charles H. Garrett, in Lima.
She had been making her home
with her son during illness extending
over the last six months.
Born May 16, 1864, the daughter
of Henry and Margaret Reiter, Mrs.
Garrett had lived in the Bluffton
area most of her life. She was the
widow of Samuel P. Garrett, who
died Dec. 28, 1938. She was a mem
ber of the Bluffton Missionary
church.
Survivors in addition to the son,
Charles, include a sister, Mrs. Callie
Keppner, of Dayton, and a brother,
Lewis Reiter, of Findlay.
Funeral services were conducted
Wednesday afternoon in the Diller
funeral home, with Rev. Albert Albro,
pastor of the Missionary church, offi
ciating. Burial was at Rockport.
Samuel D. Romey
Dies In Los Angeles
Samuel D. Romey, 58, Son of the
late Henry L. Romey, who left Bluff
ton about 1905, died in Los Angeles,
last Sunday night, according to word
received here the first of the week.
He was a brother of E. C. Romey
and Mrs. F. J. Badertscher, of this
place.
Funeral services were held at Los
Angeles the first of the week. Ro
mey’s death followed an illness of six
months.
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THl RSDAY, AUGUST 7, 1941
FARMERS STDRING
WHEAT IN PROTEST
AGAINST PENALTIES
Movement Developing Here to
Withhold Present Crop
From Markets
Plan to Drastically Reduce
Wheat Acreage for Next
Year's Crop
Protesting against federal wheat
quota restrictions, a number of
Bluffton area farmers with storage
facilities are planning to withhold
their present crop from the market
and will sow no wheat this fall for
next year’s crop.
As under the present regulations
wheat in excess of the quota re-
quirements may be neither sold nor
fed to livestock without the payment
of a penalty of 49 cents a bushel, a
movement is developing to store the
grain on the farm awaiting the pos
sibility of a modification of the
present marketing restrictions.
Just how far the movement will
extend could not be determined.
However the combination of the
recent drop in wheat prices, to
gether with partial embargoes and
(Continued on page 8)
NATIONAL MEETING
OF DEFENSELESS
MENNONITES HERE
Conference Representing Entire
Membership of Body to be
Held August 20-26
Eight Hundred Visitors Expect
ed Sessions in High School
Gymnasium
Defenseless Mennonite churches of
the entire United States will hold
their annual conference in Bluffton
this year, August 20 to 26.
Sessions will be held in the high
school gymnasium auditorium. From
August 2o 24 the meetings are
open to the public and from August
24 to 26 the sessions will he limited
to ministers and official delegates of
the church, it was announced by Rev.
E. G. Steiner, pastor of the De
fenseless Menno.lite church on South
Jackson street.
800 Delegates
About 800 delegates and visitors
are expected to attend the conference
which is 1 v'ing Id in Bluffton for the
third time. It was held in Bluffton
for the first time in the summer of
1914. Because of the limited seating
capacity of the church building at
that time the meetings were held in
a large tent on the Bucher school
grounds opposite the Ebenezer Men
nonite church west of town.
Th-e conference was held here again
in the summer of 1927, this time in
the old high school auditorium. Dele
gates from 12 churches in Kansas,
Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee and Ohio
will be in attendance. Approximately
1,600 communicants will be represent
ed at the conferece here.
Formerly Egly Church
Normally it would have been Bluff
ton’s turn to have the conference
about two years ago but with moving
operations being planned, it was
thought best to wait until that was
completed. Formerly known as the
Egly church, the building was locat
ed near the Riley creek one mile north
of the Ebenezer church.
The structure was moved from that
place to its present location in the
spring of 1940 and remodeling was
completed during the summer after
which regular services started.
Last year the conference was held
at Flanagan, Ill., in the church of
Rev. H. E. Bertsche, formerly of
Bluffton, is the pastor. Rev. Bertsche
is chairman of the conference for this
year and will preside at the session.
Riley Street Work
Starts Wednesday
Following delays in engineering
work, re-surfacing work on Riley
street was started Wednesday morn
ing, it was announced by Lee Coon,
street commissioner.
Engineers staked off lines Wednes
day morning and grading operations
will start Thursday, Coon stated.
The street will be widened after
which a hard asphalt top will be ap-
With excavation under way for an
other new house, making a total of
three in the last two weeks, prospects
for a residential building boom in
Bluffton appeared imminent this
week.
Ulysses Reichenbach, Bluffton car
penter, started excavation Monday
on the foundation for a new house
being built on a lot he bought from
Ed Marquart located on Cherry
street near the county line between
the residences of Don Cuppies and
O. E. Dudgeon.
This is the seventh new house of
the year and with the building season
about half over, the number of
houses being built this year is ex
actly half of the all time record of
last year when 14 new residences
were constructed.
Lester Hahn and Orden Smucker
have completed foundation work fur
the fifth and sixth new houses of the
Work of Youthful Cleveland
Artist is Placed on North
Wall of Foyer
Art Piece Depicts Erection of
Joseph De Ford’s Cabin
Here 100 Yrs. Ago
Erection of Joseph Deford’s log
cabin and grist mill at the junction
of Riley creek and an Indian trail
in 1832 as the start of the settle
ment of Shannon, known today as
Bluffton, is symbolically represented
in the large, attractive mural done
in oil and placed Saturday in the
foyer of Bluffton new Colonial style
post office at South Main and Frank
lin streets.
Dominating the north wall of the
foyer, the mural depicts the building
of the log cabin structure in the vir
gin Ohio wilderness.
It is painted on pure linen can
vas^—the same material used by the
old masters and renaissance painters.
Size is 11 feet two inches by four
feet, five inches.
For painting the mural Sante
Graziana, 21-year-old Cleveland ar
tist, received $800. This is a stand
ard fee for a government mural as
the appropriation for such work geen
erally is determined on the basis of
one per cent of the total cost of the
structure.
Graziana is a graduate of the
Western Reserve School of Fine Arts
and will study at the Yale School of
Fine Arts next year on a scholarship.
He gave up an early ambition to be
a taxi-cab driver to follow the field
of art after an interest was awak
ened while drawing maps at West
Tech High school in Cleveland.
Seventh New House Started This Week
May Be Forerunner Of Building Boom
In determining his subject, Grazi
ani came here last fall. He read
Alien county history in detail rela
tive to the early settlement of Bluff
ton and discussed the matter with
Wilhelm Amstutz, local historian.
Before starting painting of the
mural, Graziana made a full-size pen
cil sketch and used it as a pattern
for the painting.
Mural Oil Painting At Post Office
Symbolizes Founding Of Bluffton
Graziana was runner-up in a field
of 400 for the $20,000 mural in the
federal social security building at
Washington, and he is considered one
of the best of the younger artists
working for the public buildings de
partment. The mural in Washing
ton was 62 by 52 feet.
Laverne Thutt Is
Married In Lima
Wedding of Laverne D. Thutt, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Amos Thutt of
South Main street, to Miss Viola
Harris, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Franklin Harris of Asheville, N. C.,
occurred at the home of the officiat
ing minister, Dr. Cornelius Nicholas
Bakker, pastor of the Market Streeet
Presbyterian church, Lima, Sunday
evening, July 27, at 7:00 o’clock.
Mrs. Harley Holmes of Lima
served as matron of honor and was
the only attendant of the bride.
Prof. Harley Holmes was best man.
For her wedding the bride wore a
floor length gown of white net and a
corsage of yellow tea roses. Her
ornaments were diamonds. Mrs.
Holmes wore a gown of floor length
pink taffeta and a corsage of or
chids. Her ornamentes were dia
monds and seven aquamarines.
After a short wedding trip Mr.
and Mrs. Thutt have returned to
Lima and have taken up residence at
131 West Haller street.
Mr. Thutt for several years has
been associated with the Economy
store in the clothing and shoe busi
plied. i ness. Lima. Zuercher, Lima, a girl, Friday.
year and are now ready to begin
framing.
The following houses are in var
ious stages of completion: Rev. Mel
linger and Rev. Eli Steiner have
completed their houses on South Main
and South Jackson streets. The R.
A. Dunifon house on Garau street is
practically completed and the inter
ior framing is completed at the house
of Miss Ocie Anderson on South
Main street.
Eugene Benroth is beginning work
on the construction of a basement
and the addition of a bedroom on
his recently remodeled house on
South Lawn avenue.
Several new lots have been pur
chased recently and it is known that
additional residences are being plan
ned with indications that another
residential building boom may ma
terialize before the end of the sum
mer.
EBENEZER CHURCH
MAKES PLANS FOR
CONFERENCE HERE
To Provide Housing Among
Members Meals to be Serv
ed in Church Basement
Middle District Conference of
Mennonites Starts Tues
day Ends Thursday
With plans completed for the enter
tainment of delegates and visitors,
arrangements are well under way for
the Middle District Conference of
Mennonites to he held at the Eben
ezer church starting next Tuesday
and continuing through Thursday.
Those coming from a distance to
attend the conference will report at
the church as soon as they arrive
where they will he given directions
by the entertainment committee.
On this committee are Mrs. Isaac
Neuenschwander, Mrs. Watson Stein
er and Miss Minerva Hilty. Dele
gates and visitors will be given lodg
ing at the homes of various members
of the congregation.
Two meals a day for the duration
of the conference will be served in
the basement of the church under the
direction of the menu committee con
sisting of Mrs. Hiram Neuenschwand
er, Mrs. Melvin Hilty, Mrs. Waldo
Hofstetter, M:ss Vclda Amstutz and
Miss Ida Winkler.
A pot-luck supper for the young
people attending the conference will
be held on the Bluffton college cam
pus Thursday night. Committee in
charge consists of Mr. ftnd Mrs.
Francis Niswander, Dale Grismore,
Richard Gratz and Rebecca Hofstet
ter.
The program of the conference has
been completed and appears on page
2 of this issue of the News.
Enlists As Dentist
In Naval Service
Dr. DeLos Kervin, dentist of Port
Huron, Mich., whose wife was form
erly Miss Dorothy Rae Triplett of
this place, has enlisted in the dental
corps of the navy with a rank of
lieutenant.
Announcement to that effect was
made the first of the week as Dr.
and Mrs. Kervin and their little son
Michael arrived here to visit her
parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Triplett
of South Main street.
Dr. Kervin who recently disposed
of his business interests in Port
Huron, left Wednesday for San
Diego where he will be temporally
located at the naval training sta
tion.
Mrs. Kervin and little son expect
to leave the last of this month for
San Diego where they will make
their home. They will be accompan
ied by her mother, Mrs. Triplett, who
vill remain there for a visit.
Dr. Kervin is a graduate of the
dental college of the University of
Michigan and taught there following
his graduation. For the past three
years he has enjoyed a large prac
tise in Port Huron.
INFANT DIES
One of the twin girls born July 22
to Mr. and Mrs. Don Davis of
Miami, Fla., died at that place last
Thursday, according to word receiv
ed here. Mr. Davis is the son of
Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Davis, formerly
of Bluffton and now residing in hospital:
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Live and a
Good Place to Trade
NUMBER 15
TRUCK BURNS AS
FORMER RESIDENT
ESCAPES INJURY
Harry Gratz Narrowly Escapes
Death as Gasoline Truck
Catches Fire
Crawls Out of Cab of Over
turned Truck Following
Collision in Elida
Harry Gratz, former Bluffton
resident employed by a Lima gaso
line firm, narrowly escaped death
when his gasoline truck overturned
at the main street intersection in
Elida and caught fire Monday after
noon after colliding with a private
car.
Gratz, father of Mrs. Paul Stauf-
fer of Kibler road, made his escape
from the cab after the truck turned
over on its side 200 feet west of
the traffic light on Route 30-S and
began to blaze.
He was traveling west and in at
tempting to avoid striking a car
driven by Joseph P. Layman of
Lima, Route 2, hit the curb where
his truck turned over. The automo
bile was spun around and knocked
into the side of the Elida Farmers’
Equity Exchange building, but the
driver escaped injury.
Gratz’s truck, loaded with 400
gallons of gasoline caught fire and
burned fiercely blistering a section
of the highway and scorching trees
and hedges along the route.
Gratz saw the flames coming
about his feet in the overturned
truck crawled up out of the
door of the cab. As he jumped
clear of the wreckage the blaze
seemed to follow him and a few
seconds later the entire truck was
on fire with flames shooting high
into the air.
Although the truck, owned by the
Lima firm, was completely destroy
ed, Gratz escaped from the accident
uninjured. This was the third ac
cident of its type the company has
suffered in the Lima district. In
the two previous eases the drivers
were killed.
The blaze was extinguished by the
Elida fire department, but the gaso
line burned so rapidly that the truck
could not be saved.
Mr. and Mrs. Gratz lived in Bluff
ton until about ten years ago. Since
that time they have resided in Find
lay and Lima.
Sumney-Ell wood
Nuptials Tuesday
Against a background of pretty
summer flowers and ferns in the home
of the bride’s parents occurred the
wedding of Miss Alberta Sumney,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur
Sumney of Washington street, to
Rev. John Ell wood, of Pomeroy, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Ellwood of
Ada, Tuesday morning at 10:00
o’clock.
The wedding vows were received
by Dr. Walter P. Castoe of Lan
caster. The bride was attended by
Betty Jo Steinman of Dola, a close
friend, and the groom was attended
by his brother Donald Ellwood of
Ada.
The bride was attired in a white
gown and wore a large white hat
and a corsage of roses. Miss Stein
man wore a beige gown and also
wore a large white hat and corsage
to match those of the bride’s.
The bride’s mother wore a blue
triple sheer dress with a blue halo
turban and Mrs. Elwood wore a dress
of wine print crepe.
The bride was graduated from
Bluffton High school in the class of
1940 and has been employed at the
Triplett Electrical Instrument Co.
for the past year. Rev. Ellwood at
tended Bluffton college for the past
three years and now holds a pastor
ate at Pomeroy at which place the
couple will reside.
An informal reception following
the ceremony was attended by Mr.
and Mrs. Wilbur Wood and family,
Mr. and Mrs. Elsworth Kohli and
family, Mr. and Mrs. Delbert Wil
kins and son, Mrs. Florence Kepner,
Miss Irma May Rodabaugh, Robert
Blosser, Donald Ellwood, Prof, and
Mrs. Sidney Hauenstein, Betty Jo
Steinman, Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur
Sumney and family and Dr. and Mrs.
Walter Castoe of Lancaster.
The couple left at noon for a
short wedding trip and will be at
home after August 10 at 211 Mul
berry street, Pomeroy.
Births
The following birth at the Bluffton
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth