The Bluffton news. [volume], January 01, 1942, Image 1

About The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current

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Happy New Year
VOLUME NO. LXVI
BLUFFTON PLANS
TO WELCOME NEW
YEAR WITH GAIETY
Watch Parties and Bands of
Carolers Will Greet 1942
Wednesday Night
Enthusiasm and Cheer for New
Year Little Dampened by
Clouds of War
little
war,
cast
With enthusiasm and cheer
dampened by the clouds of
Bluffton area residents will
their cares aside to the sound of
ringing bells, shrilling whistles, and
blowing horns as watch parties are
preparing to celebrate the passing
of another year and the ushering in
of a successor at midnight on Wed
nesday.
As is the custom in the community
many bands of carolers will make
their traditional rounds of the town
and countryside adding color and
cheerfulness to the New Year’s ob
servance.
Caroling Popular
Caroling on New Year’s eve is a
tradition of long standing in this
area and the many bands of singers
know most of the melodies by heart.
Traveling from house to house on
foot and in the countryside by cars,
the bands of carolers are welcomed
into the homes they serenade. There
midnight lunches or snacks are serv
ed and the general gaiety of the
occasion prevails.
in Bluffton,
service, will
with one or
the family
the Christ
have been
Some of the families
having sons in the army
celebrate the New Year,
several members
absent. In other
mas holiday furloughs
extended to permit the boys to cele
brate the
here.
of
cases
with theli parents
holiday
Parties
are another fav
entertainment in
Watch
parties
Watch
orite
Bluffton and numerous get-togethers
are being planned again this year.
In some cases groups are arranging
theatre parties and in others they
are confining their celebration to
listening to radio programs herald
ing the passing of the old year and
the arrival of the new.
form of
With the debut of 1942, the gay
Yuletide season will be brought to
a close, and the Bluffton district
will resume the accustomed mid
winter life. The period also marks
the time when many people in the
area take down the house Christmas
decorations and discard the Christ
mas tree.
P. O. Anniversary
New 'ifear’s day marks the first
anniversary of the dedication of
Bluffton’s post office building, the
celebration of which was in charge
of the Lions club last year. As
usual postal deliveries will be sus
pended on both town and rural
routes.
Business generally will be sus
pended on Thursday in observance
of New Year’s day with numerous
families planning to visit at the
homes of relatives and friends.
Friday, however, will find the col
or and cheer of the Yuletide
being absorbed in the rush of every
day affairs.
season
Bluffton grade and high school
students will resume their studies on
Monday with college classes con
vening on regular schedule Tuesday
morning.
Far East Will Be
Discussed At Lions
A round table discussion on the
Far Eastern situation will be held
at a meeting of
the Walnut Grill
6:15 o’clock.
the Lions club at
Tuesday night at
the discussion will
Taking part in
be Dr. C. Henry Smith, professor of
history and government at Bluffton
college and Prof. C. F. Pannabecker,
Bible professor at the college and a
recently returned missionary from
China.
1942
Bluffton Boy Takes
Aircraft Position
James Basinger, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Noah Basinger of South Lawn
avenue, has accepted a position with
the Vultee Aircraft corporation of
Nashville, Tenn., effective the first
week in January.
Basinger graduated two weeks ago
from Parks Air college in East St.
Louis, Ill., where he specialized in
airplane engine design and mainten
ance. Mr. and Mrs. Basinger will
leave for Nashville on Thursday.
FILLING STATION
ROBBERS CAUGHT
AFTER CAR CRASH
Sinclair Station Robbed Early
Monday Morning by Two
Young Bandits
Apprehended by Hardin
’air
Co. Sheriff After Collision
Near Kenton
Abandoning the wrecked car con
taining merchandise, looted at the
Sinclair filling station, at Main street
and College avenue early Monday
morning, two youthful prisoners are
in the Kenton jail facing long prison
terms.
The youths, who were escaped
prisoners from the Lucas county jail
in Toledo, said they gained entrance
to the filling station here through a
back window Monday morning at 3
o’clock. Apparently the men left
the filling station about 6:45 o’clock.
Their car was seen by Mrs. Oscar
Lora, living across the street,
shortly before they left. The rob
bery was discovered by Harry
Shrider, Jr., son of the proprietor,
when he came to work at 7:30
o’clock Monday morning.
The men carried
later estimated at $125,
front door of the filling
the automobile stolen by
Bowling Green. After
Sinclair station they bought gasoline
at the Texaco station on the corner
of Main and Riley streets at 7:10
o’clock.
Buy Gas at Texaco
Charles Kauffman, proprietor of
the Texaco station, said the men paid
for the gasoline in nickels and dimes,
the money taken from the cash
drawer at the Sinclair station. At
the time his suspicions were not
aroused but it seemed strange to
him than an out of town car should
back out of the station driveway
and head down Riley street instead
of Main street, Kauffman said.
After leaving Bluffton the escaped
prisoners headed toward Kenton
where a mid-morning collision of
their automobile with a truck result
ed in their apprehension. The men
abandoned their car and when the
truck driver noticed the quantity of
merchandise he became suspicious
and telephoned
sheriff.
the Hardin county
The two mgn who were picked up
by the sheriff
Peter J. Craig, 21, of San Pedro,
Calif. and Herbert Eckhart, 20, of
Rossford. Just 12 hours before the
men had escaped with two other
prisoners from the Lucas county
jail in Toledo by cutting their way
(Continued on page 2)
were identified as
For Bluffton folk who have a good
memory, 1941 will be recalled as a
year of strange contradictions and
unusual events interwoven into the
everyday lifb of a typical American
small town.
A New fyeab
BOARD TO
NEW AUTO
NAMED BY
C. G.
And
Soard
tion
merchandise,
out of the
station into
the pair at
leaving the
RATION
TIRES
MAYOR
Coburn, Ralph Dunifon
Gilbert Fett Appoint
ed on Committee
to Have Final Jurisdic
on Sales of New Rub
ber to Motorists
Bluffton’s tire rationing committee,
which will determine who shall be el- 1
igible to purchase new tires and tubes
for automotive vehicles was named
Tuesday night by Mayor W. A. Howe.
Members of the board are: C. G.
Cobum, chairman Ralph Dunifon and
Gilbert Fett. In naming the commit
tee the mayor stated that additional
members may be added if conditions
warrant.
The board will operate as a branch
of the local civilian defense council
under direction of the commodity dis
tribution section of the federal Office
of Price Administration.
Board to Organize
Organization of the board together
with routine preliminaries will be ef
fected this week and preparations
made for its functioning after next
Monday, when, according to federal
order, it is to take over all details
pertaining to sales of new tires and
tubes here. Until next Monday no
new tires or tubes can be sold to any
one.
The board will make its headquart
ers in the mayor’s office and its ched
ule of meetings will be announced lat
er.
In announcing the personnel of the
board Mayor Howe pointed out that
regulations issued by Price Adminis
trator Leon Henderson prohibit is
suance of tire purchase certificates
except to owners of motor vehicles
which fall within seven sharply de
fined classifications covering essential
services for health, safety and indus
trial and commercial operations.
Procedure Outlined
Motorists and truck owners on the
eligible list who seek new tires must
fill out application forms. These
forms then must be taken to an “in
spector” appointed by the local ra
tioning board who will inspect and re
port on the condition of the appli
cant’s tires.
If the inspector finds the tire or
tires are unsafe and cannot be repair
ed, reconditioned or retreaded, he will
certify the need for a new tire to the
local board. The board will then re
view and take final action on the ap
plication.
High School Student
Singers In Columbus
Summer Heat Wave Sets Five Year Record—Roses and Straw
berries in Bluffton Gardens on Thanksgiving—Bluffton
Man Places 6,000 Mile Telephone Call—Three
Legged Chicken Hatched
Roger Howe, son of Mayor and
Mrs. W. A. Howe, will present a 15
minute song recital over Columbus
radio station WOSU Saturday after
noon at 4:30 o’clock. Miss Elizabeth
Higley, Bluffton High school music
instructor, will be accompanist.
James Gratz, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Leonard Gratz of near Bluffton, will
be a member of the large high school
chorus to sing at a meeting of the
Ohio Educational association in Co
lumbus Friday. The chorus will be
made up of outstanding student
singers from all over the state.
They are the persons
remind you that during
12-months’ period:
can
who
the
Bluffton received an attractive
mural for its new post office build
ing, but sharp-eyed farmers dis
covered that the artist erred as the
draft horse being used by pioneers
was wearing racing shoes.
Roses were picked from bushes
in his yard the last of November by
Albert Baumgartner.
Charles Young found it handy to
be a member of the fire department
when a storage tank in his house
caught on fire. Young commandeer
ed the town’s fire truck, raced to
the house and extinguished the blaze.
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, JAN. 1, 1942
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Maynard Niswander,
Bluffton, a boy, Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Rankin, Raw
son, a girl, Wednesday.
Mr. and Mi’s. Albert
Lafayette, a girl, Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Morris
Leipsic, a girl, Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Donald
Alger, a girl, Thursday.
Here Are Only
Ones Who Can
Bu? New Tires
Purchase of new tires are limited
to owners of motor cars which fall
into seven sharply defined classifica
tions, covering essential services for
health, safety and industrial and
commercial operations.
A new tire may not be purchased
for use as a spare since the regula
tions provide that such
tubes must be “mounted”
1. Vehicles used by
surgeons, visiting nurses
arians, principally for professional
services.
2. Ambulances.
3. Vehicles used “exclusively” for
fire-fighting services, necessary pub
lic police services, enforcement of
specific laws affecting public health
and safety, garbage removal or
other sanitation services, or mail
delivery.
4. Vehicles with a capacity of 10
or more passengers operated “ex
clusively” to carry passengers as
part of “services rendered to the
public by a regular transportation
system”, as school buses, or to carry
employes vo and from any industrial
or mining establiiMuent or construc
tion project “except when public
transportation facilities are readily
available”.
5. Trucks used “exclusively” for
ice and fuel delivery, transportation
of materials for construction and
maintenance of public roads, public
utilities or production facilities, de
fense housing and military establish
ments trucks used by essential
roofing, plumbing, heating and elec
trical repair services, or waste and
scrap dealers by any common car
riers and for transporting raw ma
terials, semi-manufactured goods and
finished products—except that no cer
tificates may be issued to transport
such raw materials, semi-manufac
tured or finished goods “to the ulti
mate consumer for
or household use.”
6. Farm tractors
implements, except
trucks, for which tires are essential
to operation.
7. Industrial, mining and construc
tion equipment, except automobiles
or trucks, for which tires are essen
tial to operation.
—..........................■■■7-------------
Millions Of People In Europe Are
Cold And Starving, Speaker States
Births
Amstutz,
Ramsey,
Harrod,
Mr. and Mrs. Gene Zuber of Whar
ton, former Bluffton residents, are
the parents of a daughter bom at
the Findlay hospital.
A daughter Therv a Ann was bom
at St. Rita’s hospi. il, Lima, to Mr.
and Mrs. L. H. Macke residing in
the Bertsche property on the county
line.
tires and
on:
physicians,
or veterin-
personal, family
or other farm
automobiles or
No exemptions other than those
specified in the seven classifications
of eligibles are provided for persons
who use their automobile in the
daily conduct of their business.
IT ALL HAPPENED IN BLUFFTON DURING THE YEAR OF 194
Remember It?
Additional reviews of Bluff
ton highlights during the past
year appear on Page 8 of this
issue of the Bluffton
Deer were seen
ity of Bluffton in
in September and
past
of straw-
The year’s second crop
berries was enjoyed on Thanksgiv
ing Day by Postmaster Ed R.
Reichenbach and Mrs. Bertha Mat
ter, both of whom picked large help
ings from their gardens in what
should have been the winter season.
News.
near
A large Army
near Mt. Cory, blew itself and its
five crew members to bits.
Bluffton’s sewage dumped into Big
Riley creek brought damage suits
against the town aggregating
$25,000. Oliver Locher and Henry
Huber filed the suits.
Four voting precincts were cre
ated here, replacing the three to
which nearly a generation of voters
had become accustomed. Re-district
ing was required because each of
the three
more than
Director of Mennonite Relief
Work in France Speaks at
Ebenezer Church
lore than 2,000,000 People Will
Die of Starvation in Spain
This Winter
Stalked by the gaunt spectres of
disease and hunger, millions of inno
cent women, children and aged peo
ple in war-torn Europe today are
cold and starving to death, Rev.
Jesse Hoover, Philadelphia, Pa., and
head of Mennonite war relief work
in France, told an audience at the
Ebenezer Mennonite church, tw’o
miles west of Bluffton, Sunday night.
Rev. Hoover is a member of the
Mennonite Central committee, head
ed by Dr. M. C. Lehman, which is
engaged in the distribution of food
and clothing to war sufferers in
Russia, Poland, France and Spain.
Distribution centers and relief sta
tions
land,
are also being set up in Eng
it was stated by the speaker.
Starvation
Fance countless numbers of
In
people are actually starving with
deeply sunken cheeks and eyes one
of the main physical reactions. Con
trary to popular conception very few
people actually die of starvation.
Insufficient and bad food in time so
weaken the human system that it
easily becomes a prey to many dif
ferent types of diseases, most not
ably pneumonia and tuberculosis.
Death is caused by other diseases
but starvation is the basic cause be
cause the human system was ren
dered susceptible by it, Most of the
Mennonite relief workers, also on
limited rations, found themselves
losing weight and showing many of
the ill effects of mal-nourishment,
the speaker said.
Work With Children
In recent months the Mennonite
committee has been concentrating its I
efforts on salvaging the lives of
children since war’s greatest pres
sure seems to be directed against the
very young. In the large industrial
city of Lyons, France, the commit
tee has attempted to feed practically
all children under the
and one meal a day to
under 14 years of age.
to
ed
vicin
again
in the
August and
December,
bomber, crashing
previous precincts had
the maximum 400 voters,
had its hottest weather
when the mercury hov
or topped the 100-mark
Bluffton
since 1936
ered near
for a 10-day period. The peak was
102 degrees.
Paint found in a pasture field by
Alfred Muller’s cows proved fatal
age of six
all children
have been
The French officials
very cooperative to the committee and
have attempted to give every aid
in facilitating the distribution of the
food. Requirement has been made
that the food be bought in European
(Continued on page 2)
Real Estate Deals
H. W. Althaus has sold his prop
erty at South Main and Garau
streets to A. T. Worthington. Pos
session will be given in April. The
property is now occupied by Dr. B.
R. Herring. Worthington, former
Bluffton motion picture theatre pro
prietor, returned last spring from
California and is now employed at
the Lima Locomotive works.
Clayton Bixel has sold his 145
acre, farm in Orange township
known as the old Frick farm, to
Charles Fisher. The tract is locat
ed on the county line and was form
erly owned by Mrs. Lydia Ewing.
Fisher has resided for several years
on the Brundage farm east of town.
several of them when they sampl
the delicacy.
A three-legged chicken was hatch
ed and lived at the Steiner hatchery,
and Bluffton sportsmen took 100
baby pheasants to raise.
O. O. Alspach and Rev. J. Norman
King both became grandfathers
twice in a one-week period.
A 10-day infant successfully und
erwent an appendicitis operation at
Bluffton Community hospital.
Mistaking the highway for a body
of water, a loon, a huge water bird,
crashed into it and was found in a
dazed condition by Elmer Fett, Jr.,
of Orange township.
Gov. John Bricker received an en
thusiastic greeting when he came to
Bluffton to address a meeting of
the Bluffton College Booster’s group.
Orange Trustees To
Organize Thursday
Organization meeting of the
Orange township trustees will be
held at the Orange Community cen
ter on New’ Years day. Replacing
Will Bigger and Fred Boutwell,
chairman, are Henry Hilty and Hen
ry Wilch, elected last fall.
Hold over member of the board is
John Warren who has two more
years to serve on the four-year term
of office. Mell Long, clerk, also con
tinues in .office.
$1,000 RED CROSS
WAR RELIEF FUND
SOUGHT IN DRIVE
Systematic Solicitation of Com
munity Planned by Com
mittee to Reach Quota
Drive Will Close Here Week
From Sat. Leaders Urge
Cooperation
Systematic solicitation of business
establishments and the residential
sections of the community will start
this week on a more intensified basis
in order to provide $1,000 for Bluff
ton’s share in the Allen county goal
of $30,000 for Red Cross war relief.
The drive started about two weeks
»go but with the Christmas rush of
shopping and activities, a sum in the
neighborhood of only $200 has been
reached so far, it was announced by
Edgar Hauenstein, chairman of the
finance committee.
Business Solicited
All factories and places of business
will be asked to solicit their employ
ees for Red Cross contributions. Oth
er residents of the community will al
so be called on in a systematic solici
tation plannd by the committee.
Contributions so far have been on
I a voluntary basis with Bluffton
churches cooperating in the activity.
The present war relief drive is for
funds in addition to those raised in
the A’.nua! membership drive complet
ed several weeks ago.
A national war relief fund of $50,
000, 000 is the goal of the drive which
will close on January 10. Voluntary
contributions are still invited and con
tributions may be left at either drug
store or the bank.
Local War Relief
Fifteen per cent of the amount
raised will be retained in Allen county
for local war relief expenditures, it
was announced.
Members of the local committee in
the direction of the drive are Edgar
Hauenstein, Armin Hauenstein, M. M.
Bogart, C. G. Cobum, Mrs. Edith
Mann, Mrs. Ora Wetherill. For Beav
erdam and the rural district of Rich
land township, Mrs. Herbert Marshall
is the chairman.
Mayor W. A. Howe is working with
the committee and has urged public
support of the project pointing out
the need for speed in raising the need
ed $800 to reach the Bluffton quota.
Loon, Huge Water Bird Found on Highway—School Attendance
Drops to New Low—Bluffton Turns Out to Honor Gov
ernor Bricker—Sewer Problem Brings Head
aches and $25,000 Law Suit
Bluffton’s public school attendance
dropped to its lowest figure in many
years, when 532 students reported to
start the year. Enrollment was 53
In buying farm land during per
iods of rising prices, the buyer al
ways should remember that the real
value of farms is based upon their
earning capacity for the next
or 30 years after purchase and
upon their earning power in the
mediate future.
20
not
irn-
less than the preceding year.
Norman A. Triplett placed
longest telephone call ever made
from Bluffton, in a 6,000-mile con
versation with Buenos Aires, Argen
tina.
the
NUMBER 36
NEW OFFICIALS
ASSUME OFFICE
MONDAY NIGHT
Mayor W. A. Howe to Begin
Second Term as Town’s
Administrative Head
ive New Members on Town
Council Marshal to be
Appointed by Mayor
new municipal adminib
take over reins of city
at the first courcil meet
new year next Monday
Bluffton’s
tration will
government
ing of the
night.
The change will be made official
y in the council chamber when
members of the outgoing council will
convene in a brief routine session
and adjourn sine die after which the
incoming council will hold its organ
ization meeting.
Maytor Howe Continues
With Mayor W. A. Howe re-elect
ed for a second term the adminis
trative head of local government
will remain unchanged. Likewise
positions of councilman
urer will continue to be
A. Triplett and Samuel
cumbents, respectively.
and treas
held by C.
Bixel, in­
Appointment of a deputy clerk by
the new council will be necessary since
James West, re-elected, is in military
training at Ft. Bliss, Texas. Wilford
Geiger, Bluffton High school instruct
or, served as deputy clerk by appoint
ment of the council when West left
for training last spring.
Many New Faces
Other municipal offices will set/
many new faces as the new term of
office begins. All but one of the
present council will be replaced by
new members. New councilmen are:
Wm. Amstutz, Chas. Aukerman, E. S.
Lape, Fred Hofer, Jesse Yoakam.
Cleon Triplett, president of the pres
ent council, will continue to serve for
the next two years.
On the school board, Forrest Stein
man, completing his second term,
will be replaced by Ralph Badertscher,
I elected in November. Re-elected to
the school board were Dr. W. M. Nis
wander and John Tosh. Present mem
bers of the board who will continue
1 to serve for the next two years are:
s®!&c
Elmer Short and Waldo Hofstetter.
Organization meeting of the board
will be held Monday, January 12.
Board of Public Affairs
Eli Deppler, who was not a candi
date for re-ection, will be replaced by
Oswin Luginbuhl on the board of pub
lic affairs. Coach A. C. Burcky and
Wm. Luginbuhl were re-elected for
another two year term on the board.
There is one change in the person
nel of the Richland township (trustees.
Fred Badertscher, who formerly serv
ed two terms on the board, replaces
Carl McCafferty who completes eight
years in office. Walter Marshall was
re-elected and Allen Grismore, third
member of the board, is serving the
unexpired portion of the four year
term. N. W. Basinger will continue
as clerk-treasurer.
The first meeting of new board of
trustees will be held on New dear’s
day in the township room of the town
hall at one o’clock.
Township Constables
Township constrabies are R. E.
Griffith and Chas. Lora. A. D. Gratz
and Stanley Vertner will continue
their offices as justices of peace.
The office of town marshal and
street commissioner will be filled by
appointment this year following en
actment of a state law providing that
village laws enforcement officers are
to be appointed by the mayor. Ap
pointments for other municipal of
fices also will be made at the Mon
day meeting of the council.
In New Location
Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Bixel are
moving this week from apartments
on the second floor of the Bixel
Motor Sales building at Main and
Elm streets to the former Elizabeth
Boehr property at Grove street and
Lawn avenue which they recently
purchased.
AU Newk Reader