The Bluffton news. [volume], April 16, 1942, Image 1

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1CTORY
BUY
UNITED
STATES
DEFENSE
^BONDS
AND
.STAMPS
VOLUME NO. LXVI
TOWN GOING ALL
OUT FOR CIVILIAN
DEFENSE PROGRAM
Large Enrollment in Various
Committees Touches Near
ly Every Family
Organization Being Made Ready
To Take Over in Event of
Emergency
Bluffton is going all out for Civil
ian Defense, a survey revealed the
first of the week when it was indicat
ed that almost every family in town
hase one or more of its members
in some phase of the defense effort.
Auxiliary’ firmen and policemen, nu
trition and first aid classes, automo
bile and truck drivers and victory
gardeners, and a dozen other classifi
cations are numbered among the man
ifold activities of the Civilian Defense
setup.
So numerous and varied are the
network of defense agencies that there
is scarcely a resident of the town and
community not touched in some way
by the program.
500 on Committees
A survey the first of the week in
dicated that some 500 Bluffton resi
dents are serving on Civilian Defense
or Defense Bond committees.
On this basis one of every four of
the town’s population is directly en
gaged in one of the major Civilian
Defense activities. Including related
programs, the number is upwards of
100 per cent.
With an objective of training an or
ganization prepared to take over the
function smoothly in event of an
emergency-, classes in the various ac
tivities are meeting regularly.
Many Enrolled
Enrollment in the various classes
is large and in the first aid couise,
seven classes have been organized.
These classes meet at the high school
and Legion hall with an enrollment
over 200.
instruction has been given by Sher
iff Win. Dailey to a class registered
as auxiliary police and announcement
was made the first of the week that a
course of instruction for air raid and
fire wardens would be organized under
direction of Forrest Steinman and Dr.
Ralph Whisler of the College faculty.
Bond sales are in charge of a com
mittee with Norman Triplett as its
chairman.
Classes For Women
For housewives is a class on nutri
tion, dealing with wartime menus di
rected by Miss Eddythe Cupp of the
high school home economics depart
ment.
Care and preservation of household
equipment is the aim of a new class
to be started at the high school Fri
day afternoon under Miss Edna Ram
seyer, home economics instructor at
Bluffton college.
Although not included in the Civil
ian Defense structure, Bluffton’s Red
Cross effort is prominent in wartime
activities. Sewing projects are di
rected by Mrs. J. S. Steiner and knit
ting by Mrs. Paul Studler.
A variety of technical courses aim
ing to fit young men for defense in
dustry have been offered in evening
classes at the high school during the
past year with instruction being given
principally by foremen of the Triplett
Electrical Instrument company.
Technical Courses
At present two courses, one of elec
trical theory- and another in engineer
ing drafting are being given at night
an the high school by John Maxon and
Paul DeLamater, Triplett engineers.
A committee which promoted the
Victory Book campaign here during
the past winter, reported nearly 350
volumes donated by residents for use
in army libraries by men in the ser
vice.
Swinging into action as spring
opens in the Victory Garden program
directed by Harry Barnes, high school
agricultural instructor, seeking to
promote interest and activity in home
gardening.
Religious Education
Teacher Is Re-hired
Miss Mary Sypos, religious educa
tion teacher in the Bluffton public
schools, was re-hired for another
year at a meeting of the Bluffton
council of religious education in a
meeting held at the high school Sun
day afternoon.
The council voted to increase her
salary from $85 to $90 per month
for the nine month period. Miss
Sypos is a graduate of Taylor uni
versity in the department of religion
and taught here for the first time
last year.
Heavy Hogs Bring
Top Record Price
On Market Here
TTEAVY lard type hogs, long
neglected in favor of lighter
bacon types, have come into
their own, it was demonstrated
this week when demand for the
heavies pushed the market to
the highest point in sixteen
years.
Top price for the present
market swing was established
Monday when offerings of from
160 to 350 pounds were quoted
at $13.90 per hundred. Prices
were shaded Wednesday with a
top of $13.80.
Increasing demand for lard is
said to be stimulating the mark
et risfc which is now at the high
est point since 1926. Shipments
from Bluffton are reported in
increasing volume due to mark
eting of last fall’s pig crop.
SEVEN FIRST AID
CLASSES HERE TO
ENROLL OVER 200
Four Classes Now in Operation
Three More to be Started
Shortly
First Aid Instruction Prelim
inary to General Defense
Preparation
Inaugurating Bluffton’s civilian de
fense instruction program, over 200
volunteer defense workers will be
enrolled in seven First Aid courses
to be held here this spring.
Four classes already are in opera
tion, three under Civilian Defense
auspices and one under Red Cross.
Joy Huber is instructor for the
Red Cross class meeting at the high
school. Under Civilian Defense three
classes are now being held, one
under Dr. Ralph .Whisler at the
Legion hall and two at the high
school with Mrs. B. Wr. Travis and
Mrs. W. E. Diller as instructors.
Organize Three Classes Soon
Three other classes to be started
soon under Civilian Defense will be
taught by Mrs. Evan Basinger, Mrs.
Sidney Hauenstein and Mrs. Hiram
Huser.
Seven civilian defense volunteer
units are enrolling for the first aid
instruction, including the command
section, 17 persons drivers, 60 aux
iliary firemen, 28 rescue squad, 11
auxiliary policemen, 11 bomb squad
ron, 10, and air raid wardens, 60.
Training obtained in the course
will be useful not only in case of
military disaster but also for civil
ian emergencies, it was announced.
Enrollment in the first aid classes
is not required, but 100 per cent
registration is expected since the
groups regard it as a patriotic duty
to prepare themselves for their
work.
High School Alumni
Banquet On May 29
Bluffton High school alumni will
hold their 61st annual reunion at
the school gymnasium on Friday
night, May 29, according to an an
announcement made this week by
Silas Diller, president of the or
ganization.
Tire Rationing May Upset Next
Fall High School Sport Program
Preliminary plans for the pro
gram have been started. The fol
lowing committees have been ap
pointed:
Program—Sidney Stettler, chair
man Orden Smucker, Ralph Stearns,
W. O. Geiger.
Dance—Mrs. Lloyd Hardwick,
chairman Harold Beals, Don Pat
terson, Walter Stratton, Charles
Steiner.
Menu—Edith Amstutz, chairman
Mrs. H. H. Huser, Mrs. Howard
Stauffer, Mrs. Armin Hauenstein.
Properties—Frederick Herr, chair
man Karl Gable, Eugene Benroth,
Justin Gratz, Paul Greding.
Decorations—Dwight Diller, chair
man Harry Bogart, Robert Ewing,
Mrs. William Edwards, Mrs. Bertran
Swank, Theola Steiner.
Diller has requested that all com
mittees make plans immediately’ for
the banquet and dance. Officers of
the association in addition to Diller
are: Dallas Berry, vice-president
Phyllis Steiner, corresponding secre
tary Theda Hankish, recording sec
retary Sibyl Mollett, treasurer.
Suggestion Made that Teams
Use Extra School Bus for
Athletic Teams
Final Decision in Matter Will
Be Made by Board of
Education Here
Pending official action by- the board
of education, Bluffton High school’s
athletic program for next year is
still uncertain, as a result of the
federal tire rationing regulation
limiting the use of school buses to
transporting students to and from
classes.
School and athletic officials at the
high school contacted the first of the
week indcated that the matter was
as far from solution as it was last
week when the new federal order
was made public.
Up to School Board
The school board can decide whe
ther to permit the use of the buses
for games as long as the tires were
purchased before the program was
inaugurated in December but they
will not be permitted to use re
treaded tires on buses used for any
purpose except transporting pupils.
Even tho the ruling does not apply
to buses using old tires it was stated
by H. T. Beckam, Ohio rationing ad
ministrator, that “such buses would
be violating both the rubber conser
vation program aims and the spirit
of the federal ruling, if used for
excursions of any kind or the trans
porting of athletes.”
Another factor complicating the
use of old tires would be the attitude
of rationing boards to schools when
it became necessary to make appli
cation for re-treads for the present
tires. It is expected that rationing
boards would favor schools which
have cooperated both with the spirit
and letter of the law, it has been
pointed out.
Use Extra Bus
Athletic circles here indicated that
the extra bus to be available next
year due to the elimination of one of
the five buses operating at the pres
ent time might be a solution to the
problem. This bus could be made
available for excursions and trans
porting athletes, it was stated.
Members of the board have indi
cated no position as yet concerning
the availability of the extra bus.
That this possibility might be elim
inated was seen in the announcement
that state defense officials may use
all available buses and trucks for the
transportation of workers to defense
plants.
State high school athletic commis
sioner H. R. Townsend indicated
that a possible solution to the prob
lem would be for school to use rail
road facilities. As far as Bluffton is
concerned the use of such means of
transportation would be too expens
ive, it was stated the first of the
week by Sidney Stettler, faculy man
ager of athletics at Bluffton High
school.
Basketball and football schedules
have beeen completed for next fall
and winter, it was stated by Stettler.
Whether or not private cars might
be available to transport the ath
letes has not yet been indicated.
Neither is it known what sort of
modifications would be necessary
should the bus transportation be
completely eliminated.
Designate Friday
Victory Book Day
Climaxing the solicitation of books
for boys in Uncle Sam’s armed
forces will be Victory Book Day to
be officially celebrated on Friday at
the order of President Roosevelt.
To date Bluffton residents have
contributed more than 350 books in
the Victory Book drive, it was an
nounced by Miss Ocie Anderson, li
brarian of the Bluffton public li
brary.
If residents in the town or country
sections have additional books to do
nate to the men in service they are
requested to bring them to the public
library or to contact Miss Anderson.
The books wll be sent to army li
brary headquarters in Toledo some
time this week, Miss Anderson said.
Births
The following births at the Bluff
ton hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Rolland Koontz, a
boy, Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Wendell Greiser,
Rawson, a girl, Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. Howard Welty,
Pandora, a boy, Tuesday.
11 IE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE 1 OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 1942
ADRIFT ON OCEAN
FORTY-TWO HOURS
BEFORE AID COMES
Relative of Mrs. Ethel Roberts
Engineer on Ill-fated
Vessel
Ship Sinks in Twenty Minutes
89 Saved 29 Are Re
ported Missing
Adrift on the Atlantic for forty
two hours after the vessel on which
he was aboard was torpedoed was
the thrilling experience of W. O.
Michael of Wilmington, Delaware,
nephew of a Bluffton woman, Mrs.
Ethel Roberts, residing in the Mrs.
Fred Hahn property at North Lawn
avenue and West Elm streets.
Word was received the first of the
week by Mrs. Roberts from her
nephew who escaped uninjured thru
the ordeal in which 29 were reported
missing, presumably lost.
Michael was employed as an en
gineer on a passengei-cargo ship en
route from New York to Africa.
The ship was hit by a torpedo from
a submarine March 29 when only
twenty-four hours out of New York.
It sank in twenty minutes.
Eighty-nine of the passengers and
crew were saved. Michael, together
with eight others escaped from the
doomed ship in a lifeboat and after
forty-two hours adrift were rescued.
Michael who is now at his home
in Wilmington expects to leave short
ly for New York to sail on another
ship.
Sells Interest In
Meat Market Here
Philip Basinger, member of the
firm of Basinger Bros. Meat Market
has disposed of interest in the
business to his brother, Joel Basinger
of Pandora, it was announced the
first of the week.
The new member of the firm is al
ready here and will be associated
with Ezra Basinger, another brother,
who with Philip established the bus
iness in Bluffton a number of years
ago.
Joel formerly operated a meat
market in Pandora which he recent
ly sold to Elmer and Ben Burry of
that place.
Philip Basinger has announced no
plans for the future and will con
tinue to reside on his farm south of
Bluffton on the Dixie highway.
Harris-Craw ford
Nuptials Saturday
Wedding of Miss Treva Harris,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd
Harris of Bentley road, and Ray
mond Crawford, Triplett employe
from Mt. Cory, were married at
Ashville, south of Columbls, Satur
day afternoon.
The wedding ceremony was per
formed by Rev. Woodworth, pastor
of the Ashville Methodist church, a
friend of Mr. Crawford.
The couple will make their home
at the Mrs. Josephine Carnahan
apartment on South Lawn avenue.
Both are employed at the Triplett
Electrical Instrument Co. Mrs.
Crawford graduated last year from
Bluffton High school.
Will Gather Junk
In Orange Township
Old iron, wire fence, paper and
rags will be gathered by the Orange
township trustees in Orange town
ship from Monday thru Wednesday
of next week.
The material will be taken to Find
lay and sold for national defense
purposes. It is requested that
Orange township residents gather the
junk and place it in their driveways
by Monday morning. No tin cans
are wanted, it was stated.
Inventory Filed In
Hutchinson Estate
Inventory and appraisement of the
George Hutchinson estate filed in the
Allen county probate court by Ellen
Hutchinson, administratrix, showed
assets of $18,277.95.
Included in the total were:
Personal property $2,665 stocks,
bonds and securities $100 accounts
and debts receivable $112.95 and real
estate $5,300 located in Jackson and
Richland townships, Allen county.
Bluffton sportsmen will cooperate
in the civilian defense organization
and will make their firearms avail
able through the “Minute Men” unit
formed here in case of emergency,
it was affirmed at a sportsmen’s
rally held at the American Legion
hall Tuesday night.
In addition to discussion of the
role of minute men, the need for the
conservation of natural resources in
time of war was given attention by
several speakers.
The following addresses were
given: “The League’s Program” by
Dick Lindeman of Delphos, presi
dent of the Ohio Sportsmen’s Lea
gue “Regulated Deer Hunting” by
Ted Reigle, Wood County game
warden “Duties of Sportsmen
Minute Men” by Howard Langstaff
Unusual Coins To
In Connec
Mintings From Pre-Christian
Era and Early Colonial
Pieces to be Shown
Pine Tree .Shilling, Widow’s
Mite, Franklin Cent, Wood
en Nickel in Exhibit
Coins of all ages dating from the
pre-Christian era and including many
early American colonial pieces will
be included in a coin display in the
window of Basinger’s Furniture store
next week.
The display wll be maintained
thruout National Coin week, from
April 19 to 25, with rare coins from
the collections of Dr. Evan Basinger
and Robert Benroth in the showing.
In the display will be coins from
nearly every country in the world,
with many rarities minted in all
eras comprising a major part of the
showing.
Widow’s Mite Included
Among the early money on dis
play will be the Widow’s mite, a
coin used commonly in Judea at the
time of Christ, and made famous by
the Biblical parable of the Widow’s
Mite.
Silver coins of early Greece, Rome
and Syria, bearing busts of promin
ent rulers, some of which date back
to 336 B. C. also will be shown.
Another feature will be the Pine
Tree shilling, the earliest American
coin, dated 1652, and made famous
by many early stories. Other colon
ial money will be the rare Pitt pen
ny, the Woods half-penny used in the
early part of the 18th century coin
age minted by the states before the
U. S. Mint was established in 1792,
including the famous Fugio, or
Franklin cent, designed by Benjamin
Franklin and bearing the statement
“Mind Your Own Business”.
NEPHEW OF BLUFFTON WOMAN ON PRIORITY LISTING
SHIP TORPEDOED BY SUBMARINE DELAYS DELIVERY
Role Of Bluffton “Minute Men”
Discussed At Sportsmen’s Rally
Civil War Coins
Civil war coins also will be shown,
including the famous Dix penny,
with the words “Shoot Him on the
Spot”, commemorating the fall of
the Union mint at New Orleans to
the Confederacy.
A modern note will be served by
a display of anti-Axis coins, consist
ing of coins of the nation’s of the
world aligned against the Axis pow
ers.
All different denominations and
coins minted by the United States
will be shown, including the one-half
cent piece, two-cent coin three-cent
nickel, three-cent silver, halfdime,
20-cent coin and the trade dollar.
Proof coins sold by the mint to col
lectors, commemorative coins, wooden
nickels and other rarities also will
be included.
National coin week is an annual
event sponsored by the American
Numismatic association, in which
both Benroth and Dr. Basinger are
members.
During National Coin Week, per
sons having old coins can have their
value appraised by sending in a
list of their coins to The Coin Re
corder, Dept. C, Bluffton, Ohio.
Only coins in good condition have a
collector’s value.
With The Sick
Jesse Stratton is a patient at the
Bluffton hospital where he is ill with
pneumonia.
Daniel J. Herr, residing four miles
west of town, was taken to the Lima
Memorial hospital Tuesday where
he is under observation.
of Ottawa “Game Management and
Conservation’’ by Gene Copeland of
Ottawa.
Others appearing on the program
were Foster Rossman, Findlay
"Curley” Olds, Hancock County
Game Warden George Treese, Put
nam County Game Warden.
Also presented at the meeting
were techni-color sound motion pic
tures showing the development of
the trucking industry and a travel
picture dealing with the new Oregon
trail. z
The wild life exhibit of fox
squirrels and pedigreed Silver King
pigeons owned by Robert Potts was
shown at the rally.
Silas Diller, president of the club,
presided at the meeting attended by
150 sportsmen. Refreshments were
served by Boy Scout troop No. 82.
8 Displayed
ion With Coin Week
WAR ORDER HALTS
CONSTRUCTION OF
NEW HOUSES HERE
Four-year Building Boom Cur
tailed by War Production
Board Restrictions
Maintenance and Repair of
Present Structures Will be
Permitted
Maintenance and repair of present
buildings took on additional signifi
cance this week as the War Produc
tion Board clamped down additional
restrictions on new building.
The restrictions on large scale new
construction will bring curtailment,
likely for duration of the war, in a
residential construction boom that
has resulted in erection of 36 new
houses in Bluffton since 1938.
Altho a serious housing shortage
continues to exist here, little is ex
pected in the way of additional con
struction because of regulations now
in effect.
Defense Homes Possible
New homes may be erected only
for defense workers, in case a de
finite need is shown. Before con
struction can be started, however, a
permit must be obtained from the
War Production Board with the
application handled by FHA.
On the other hand, maintenance
and repair are completely exempted
from the order and indications are
that this type of activity will keep
carpenters busy during the summer.
Volume of paint sales, also is
said to be at record marks for this
time of year, a large part of which
is believed to represent buying in
anticipation of future needs.
New Construction Limited
New residential construction is
permitted when the estimated cost
is less than $500. This would allow
minor additions such as a porch or
garage.
Reconstruction of dwellings de
stroyed by fire or tornado since
December 31, 1941 also is permitted.
Farm service buildings may be
erected where the cost is less than
$1,000. Residential construction on
farms, however, is subject to the
same restrictions applying to muni
cipalities.
Continue Buildings Under Way
Buildings of any nature now in
progress may be continued, altho
scarcity of materials covered by
priorities may result in shortage of
some essential items, it was pointed
out.
Restrictions were set up because
war requirements of the country
have created a shortage of many
materials required in construction
work the War Production Board an
nounced.
Social Security
Man Coming Here
William Ashbrook, manager of the
Lima office of the Social Security
board will be at the postoffice in
Bluffton on Wednesday morning of
next week at 10 o’clock.
Anyone desiring original or dupli
cate account number cards, or in
formation relative to filing of a
claim for federal old-age and sur
vivors insurance benefits should call
at the postoffice at that time.
BUY
UNHID
STATtS
SAVINGS
/liONDS
AMD SUMPS
NUMBER 51
OF NEW FIRETRUCK
mproper Classification of Mu-
nicipality Responsible for
Confusion
Approval Expected Within Two
Weeks Deliver}’ Promised
In 90 Days
Until the municipality is given
the proper priority classification, de
livery of the new Mack fire truck,
purchased recently for the Bluffton
fire department, will be held up, ac
cording to information received this
week by Mayor W. A. Howe.
Authorization for purchase of the
new truck was given at a meeting of
the town council early in March.
Plans had been made by the man
ufacturer to deliver the unit within
90 days when it developed that the
order had been given the wrong
classification.
Priority Listing
Correspondence with the office of
the Interstate Commerce Commission
at Toledo has shown considerable
confusion regarding Bluffton’s status
in priority listings, the mayor said.
Approval of this office is necessary
to obtain the proper classification,
Howe added.
The Toledo office has been seek
ing additional information about the
defense status of the town in order
to properly consider the Bluffton
request for re-classification. Several
of the industries have already writ
ten the Commerce Commission at
the request of the mayor.
Delivery in 90 Days
Once the proper rating is given
to the town, delivery of the pumper
will be made within 90 days. Re
classification into the proper cate
gory is expected within two weeks.
The Mack Fire Truck company will
immediately start plans to complete
manufacture of the fire fighting unit
for the town.
The unit will cost $7,950, coming
within $50 of a maximum of the
$8,000 in bonds authorized for pur
chase of fire fighting equipment at
the general election last November.
The equipment will include a three
man cab, rotary pump with capacity
of 600 gallons per minute, a 155
horse power motor and a 400 gallon
“booster” taifk.
On arrival of the new fire fighting
equipment the department’s hose car
mounted on the Reo chassis will be
discarded, it was stated by Fire
Chief Guy Corson. The equipment
has been in use about 24 years and
there will be room lacking in the
fire department headquarters to ac
commodate it.
The Studebaker pumper in use
since 1928 will be continued as part
of the department’s equipment,
Corson said.
Household Equipment
Care Class On Friday
Care of household appliances and
equipment will be stressed at the
first of a series of consumer educa
tion meetings, scheduled for 2:30
p. m. Friday in the Bluffton High
school cafeteria.
Preservation of present household
equipment is important in view of
war priorities now affecting practic
ally every field. Care of kitchen
equipment, plumbing, electric sweep
ers and other appliances will be dis
cussed in detail at class sessions.
Mrs. William Edwards will serve
as instructor for the first phase of
the course. Miss Edna Ramseyer of
Bluffton college is chairman of the
consumers committee organized un
der the Bluffton civilian defense set
up.
Pandora Woman Is
Severely Injured
Following severe injuries incurred
in a 20 foot fall from a hay mow
last Friday, Mrs. Lennis Grismore,
residing two miles northwest of Pan
dora, was removed to the Lima Me
morial hospital where she is con
valescing.
In the fall she received a broken
right arm, head and body bruises
and possible internal injuries. She
was taken to the Lima hospital in
the Paul Diller ambulance.
NORTHERN LIGHTS DISPLAY
A display of Northern Lights vis
ible in Bluffton, Monday night, was
one of the most brilliant of
spring season.
tha