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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