The Bluffton news. [volume], April 30, 1942, Image 1

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

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CTORY
BUY
UNITED
STATES
EFENSt
NDS
AND
STAMPS
VOLUME NO. LXVH
RENTS HERE ARE
FIXED AT LEVELS
AS OF MARCH 1
Freezing Order Effective in
Bluffton and Other Areas
Issued Tuesday
on
Rental Rates Prevailing
March 1 Will Continue for
War’s Duration
Rents in Bluffton as well as thru
out Allen and Hancock counties
were frozen Tuesday at the level of
March 1, 1942, for
war.
duration of the
this effect came
Tuesday, when
Announcement to
from Washington,
Leon Henderson, price administrator
issued the order as a measure to
halt rising rents in war production
areas of Ohio and 45 other states.
Within this area rents which have
been advanced since March 1, last,
must be returned to the level as of
that date and continued for the war’s
duration.
Sixty Days For Adjustment
Landlords have sixty days to bring
rents within the prescribed levels,
the order stated. Should they fail to
do so, the office of price administra
tion may apply rent regulations to
accomplish this end.
Indications locally are that the ef
fect of the order will be to hold
rentals at their present levels, as
rises
have
past
in rents here are believed to
been comparatively few in the
sixty days.
freezing rents, it was pointed
Bv
out that increases on spring moving
and leasing dates would be eliminat
ed.
Asserting that next to food, rent is
the largest single item in the family
budget, the order appealed to every
landlord and tenant to cooperate to
guarantee the success of the price
fixing program.
Last Rites For Calvin
Funeral services largely attended
were held for Calvin Balmer, 70,
prominent civic worker and business
man at the Lutheran church, Wred
nesday afternoon. Officiating at the
services was his pastor, Rev.
Harmony. Burial was in
Grove cemetery.
W. L.
Maple
night
Main
His death occurred Sunday
at his residence on South
street after an illness of two months.
A lifelong resident of this com
munity he operated a sawmill here
for forty-five years. The business
was operated under the name of Cal
Balmer & Son and he was widely
known among the trade.
Prominent in civic affairs, he was
a member of the board of trustees
of Bluffton hospital for twelve years,
resigning his position on the board
where he served as secretary at the
annual meeting last January because
of failing health
He also served previously as a
member of the board of public af
fairs in charge of Bluffton’s munici
pal electric light and waterworks
plant, the board of education and
was active in the work of the Luth
eran church of which he was a mem
ber.
Mr. Balmer was born November
28, 1871, in Richland township, the
son of Abraham and Anna (Bealer)
Balmer. Hew as married Jnuary
25, 1896, to Sarah Stager who sur
vives.
Also surviving are a son James,
a daughter, Mrs. Dorothy Stratton
and two grandchildren Peggy Lou
and Richard Balmer, all of Bluffton.
Other survivors are a brother,
Andrew Balmer sister, Mrs. Levi
Hochstettler and a half-sister Mrs.
William Leiber all of Bluffton. A
son and a half-sister preceded him
in death.
Basketball Squad
Guests Of Lions
Bluffton High school's champion
ship basketball squad will be the
guests of the Lions club in a dinner
meeting to be held at the Walnut
Grill next Tuesday night at 6:15
o’clock.
Seek Enlistment
Sam Trippiehorn, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Harry Trippiehorn and Har
land Swank, son of George Swank,
applied for enlistment in the United
states navy at the recruiting station
in Lima last Saturday.
Papers directing them to appear in
Cincinnati for the physical examina
tions are expected within several
days. Both are recent graduates of
Bluffton High school.
Hobnobbing with film celebrities
and week-ending at the palatial
residence of the famous film produc
ing Warner Bros., were highlights of
the recent Hollywood visit of Corp.
Robert West, of Camp Roberts,
Calif.
Corp. West, youngest son of Mr.
and Mrs. Cliff West of Lawn avenue,
was invited to the Warner Bros.’
estate with his camp buddy Sgt.
REGISTRATION OF
SUGAR USERS TO
START ON MONDAY
’o Register at Grade School
According to Alphabetical
Schedule
’onsumers will be Allowed one
Half Pound per Week
Per Capita
Registration of all consumers of
sugar in Bluffton School district will
take place at the Bluffton grade school
starting next Monday and continuing
thru Thursday from 3 to 10 p. m. it
was announced this week by A. J. B.
Longsdorf, superintendent of schools.
Elementary and high school teach
ers and volunteer home room moth
ers will be in charge of the rationing
program to take place in the kinder
garten room on the first floor of the
grade building and in the Red Cross
room on the second floor.
Alphabetical Schedule
Signs will guide consumers to their
proper locations according to an al
phabetdeal sequence. Registration
will take place on successive day* ac
cording to the place in the alphabet
of the first initial of the last name.
All commercial users of sugar
who do not register for their
ration books by 10 o’clock this
Wednesday night will be requir
ed do so at Allen county
ordination headquarters in
court house in Lima by May
according to communication
ceived Wednesday morning from
H. B. Fox, Allen county co
ordinator. The
individuals doing
and churches as
establishments, it
A. J. B. Longsdorf, in charge of
the Bluffton sugar rationing
program.
Bluffton Woman Ordered Home From
Panama Because Of War Conditions
co
the
21,
re­
order includes
custom baking
well as retail
was stated by
Sale of all sugar stopped Monday
at midnight and no more can be bot
until the rationing program goes into
effect at which time each individual
will be given stamps permitting pur
chase of a half pound weekly per per
son.
Control of the sugar rationing pro
gram is under the Allen county ra
tioning board No. 2-1 of which H. B.
Fox, is the county coordinator. If
any Bluffton consumer is dissatisfied
with the decision made locally, he may
appeal the matter to the county board,
Supt. Longsdorf pointed out.
Commercial Registration
Registration for commercial users
was completed at the high school on
Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.
Persons temporarily away from
home may apply for sugar ration
books wherever they happen to be lo
cated. Any member of the family
may apply for the family unit but the
certificate must be signed by the per
son to whom it is issued.
Here is the alphabetical
schedule to determine which day
residents of Bluffton school dis
trict register at the grade school
building for sugar rationing.
Persons whose names begin with
the initial:
“A” thru
day.
“F” thru
day.
“L” thru
nesday
thru
day.
Mon-
“E” register
Tues-
K” register
Wed-
register
‘Z” register Thurs-
of the rationing
applicants will fill
on page six of this
Bluffton News.
A sample
card which
out is shown
issue of the
Every individual will be entitled to
have two pounds of sugar in his pos
session at registration time without
penalty. In addition he may have
four more pounds for which stamps
(Continued on page 5)
THE BLlMTu
Bluffton Youth Spends Week End Furlough
With Top Hollywood Film Stars and Producers
Jerry Frisch of Cleveland. The girl
friend of Sgt. Frisch is a niece of
the famous film
lives.
producing execu-
permitted to v. it
of a picture soon
The group was
ness the making
to be released to the public. On the
set West made the acquaintance of
Jack Benny and Ann Sheridan, well
known film stars.
The party was given one of the
Mrs. Forrest Basinger and
Little Daughter Arrive
Here Sunday Morning
To on
Stay at Father’s Home i
Riley Street for the Dura
tion of the War
Mrs. Basinger, the formed I ma
donna Stepleton, has been located at
Panama City in Panama for the past
three and one-half years. Panama
City is located on the Pacific side
of the canal on the Gulf of Panama.
Her husband, Chief Petty Officer
Forrest Basinger, son of Mr. and
Mrs. David Basinger of Riley street,
has been in the navy for 16 years
and will be eligible for retirement in
four years if the war is over in that
length of time.
Many of the officers and enlisted
men in the navy live with their
families in the Panama region. Just
prior to America’s entry into the
war Mr. and Mrs. Basinger had
planned to move into official naval
tion cancelled when hostilities began.
Beautiful Country
The Panama region is a very
healthful and beautiful country in
the midst of tropical splendor. Con
trary to popular impressions there
are no flies and no mosquitoes. The
temperature ranges from 75 to 92
degrees the year around.
There are two seasons in Panama,
one known as the dry season from
December to February and the other
known as the rainy season from
February to December. There is
much splendid weather in the rainy
season. During this period it rains
very frequently and without a mo
ment’s notice.
Everybody is equipped with special
raincoats and umbrellas. Summer
clothing is worn the year around
and furnaces and other heating
stoves are unknown. Practically
everyone wears the Panama hat
which wards off the sun’s rays.
Blackouts
Nightly blackouts have been the
regular procedure since December 11.
The blackout starts at six o’clock in
the evening and continues until 11
o’clock at which time all inside lights
are also ordered put out.
Spanish is the official language of
the territory altho there is a con
(Continued on page 8)
Mrs. Marian Leichty
Rites Held Saturday
Funeral services were held Sat
urday afternoon in the First Men
Marian
nonite church for Mrs.
Leichty, 87, a resident of
until the death of her
Benedict Leichty, on April
Bluffton
husband,
19, 1941.
For the last year Mrs. Leichty
had made her home with a daugh
ter, Mrs. Marshall A. Parker, of
Lima, where she died last
day.
Wednes-
from a
suffered
Complications resulting
fall in which Mrs. Leichty
fractures of the hip and shoulder,
two months ago, resulted in her
death.
Born in Switzerland, Mrs. Leichty
lived here for many years. Rev.
H. T. Unruh, pastor of the First
Mennonite church, of which shp was
a member, officiated at the last
rites. Burial was in the Ebenezer
cemetery.
Survivors include five daughters,
Mrs. Kate Sprunger and Mrs.
Pauline Leichty, both of Berne, Ind.
Mrs.
Mrs.
Mrs.
death
Emanuel Leichty, of Mt. Blanchard,
and Noah Leichty, Upper Sandusky.
Lena Schiffler, Muncie, Ind.
Tena Basinger, Pandora, and
Parker, at whose home her
occurred and two sons,
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INT ERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1912
luxurious Warner Bros.’ automobiles
to drive while they were guests of
the film executives. More celebrities
were seen at a studio dance to
which the boys were invited Satur
day night.
good things have to come
and after a thrilling three
the boys made their way
the
But all
to an end
day visit,
back to
routine of army rcsponsibilit
Camp Roberts for
411 FROM TOWN
AND TOWNSHIP
otal of 210 Men 45 to 65
Register in Bluffton Under
Selective Service
9
a
Ordered home from Panama by
governmental evacuation decree be
cause of war conditions, Mrs. For
rest Basinger and eighteen-months
old daughter, arrived at the home of
her father, George Stepleton of Riley
street, early Sunday morning to re
main for the duration of the War.
Registrants in Richland
land South Have 103
Registration of 411 Bluffton and
Richland township men i
65 age group was port
by local boards handling
listing of men und-or
selective service act.
i the 45 to
■d Tuesday
the fourth
ie nation’s
Bluffton had 210 regisu ants, am!
Richland North repi rted a total of
98. Registration for leaverdam and
Richland South foui I 103 men of
the affected age grou i in that area.
A few others fr i this district
registered at Draft Board 3 head
quarters in Lima O) Saturday and
Sunday, but the tot 1 number from
here is not expectec to be changed
materially when the complete report
is made, selective orvice officials
said.
for
Slated
duty or war
in the 45 to
receive qu
Approximately 2,600 men register
ed in Alien county Board 3, under
the jurisdiction of which Bluffton is
included. Board 1 registered 2,190
and Board 2 had 2,800.
With all men registered from 20
to 65, youths from 18 to 20 will be
the next group subject to registra
tion. Under present laws, youths of
that age are not subject to military
service, but provision is made for
their registration.
To Pour Concrete
For Turbine Friday
Concrete will be poured Friday
for the foundation for the recently
purchased turbo-generator at
Bluffton municipal water works
electric light plant.
the
and
A cement footer was built into an
18-inch excavation cut into the solid
rock prior to the erection of the
foundation forms.
It will be necessary to complete
the cement work in one pouring
which will likely take at least a day,
it was stated.
Installation operations for the gen
erator and condenser are expected to
start as soon as the cement is
thoroughly set. W. T. Barrows, con
sulting engineer, will arrive soon to
take charge of the work.
Receives Promotion
To Staff Sergeant
Sgt. E. E. Firestone, stationed
with an army unit at Indiantown
Gap, Pa., has been promoted to the
rank of staff sergeant, it was an
nounced the first of the week.
Miss
and
hus-
Mrs. Firestone, the former
Berda Gratz, daughter of Mr.
Mrs. A. D. Gratz, is with her
band at that place.
Birth
The following birth at the Bluff
ton hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Poe, a boy,
Saturday. Mrs. Poe was formerly
Miss Wava Fisher.
Bluffton ai-ea farmers will have
opportunity to air their views
wheat marketing quotas for 1942
the national referendum to be taken
Saturday thruout the district.
Any farmer raising more than 15
acres of wheat, the normal yield of
which is 200 bushels or more,
eligible to vote.
Monroe township’s polling place
will be the Monroe township house,
and farmers in Jackson township
will vote at the Lafayette town hall.
Season
May
non-combatant
MU ion work, men
jTOup will soon
n s to report on
No lottery will be held for those
listed in the fourth registration, as
it is not planned to call any of the
middle-aged or elderly men into act
ive service. The registration was in
tended principally to give the gov
ernment a complete picture of man
power available for the nation’s war
production effort.
Pres. Ramseyer will deliver
baccalaureate sermon to the gradu
ating class at the Ramseyer chapel
on
Sunday afternoon, May 24.
With The Sick
Mrs.
but
The form has been completed
several days are required to complete
bracing operations. The concrete
will be heavily reinforced with steel
to provide a strong foundation for
the generator.
taken
street,
pital.
iSEWS
Farmers Will Vote Saturday On
1942 Wheat Marketing Quotas
an
on
in
is
Polling places are provided in each
township and will be open from
8 a. m. to 5 p. m. Saturday, to re
cord the viewpoint of farmers on the
referendum.
Voting in Richland township will
be at the Richland Grange hall. The
Richland committee to conduct the
canvass on the vote includes Francis
Marshall, Carl Amstutz and Quin-
ten
Burkholder.
Orange township farmers will vote
at the Orange Center township house.
On the committee in charge are Ken
neth Dearth, Olney Daft and Ray
mond Hamilton.
Thirty-five Seniors To Graduate
From Bluffton College On May 25
Commencement Address to be|T0
by Manchester Col
lege President
Given
The commencement season has been! in a defense rally at the Bluffton
moved ahead several weeks in orderl High school auditorium Monday
to permit the school to adjust itsl evening, May 11, at 8 o’clock, it was
schedule to war time conditions.! announced the first of the week by
Summer school will start immediately! Clair Fett, executive director of the
at the close of commencement to per-1 Bluffton Civilian Defense council,
mit students to obtain a full semes-1 All volunteers -n the local civilian
ter’s credit. I defense units will be present at the
Opening of the commencement sea-1 meeting to which every resident of
son is on Friday, May 22, when the! the community is invited,
college Vesper choir will present! nounced.
“The Rose Maiden" at the Ram-1 a bird’s eye view of
seyer chapel. I civilian defense program
Bluffton Man Run
Over By Tractor
But Not Injured
Crowning of the Bluffton queen! given at the meeting and expert in
and the traditional pageantry with! structions on how to take care of
the colorful ceremony will take place] family property during an air raid
on Saturday. In the evening
scheduled the alumni banquet
the Shakespearean play, “As
Like It’’.
Condition of Jesse Stratton, whol
has been ill with pneumonia at Bluff
ton hospital, is reported much im
proved.
Mrs. P. P. Basinger who has been I
ill at the home of her daughter, Mrs.I
Hiram Wenger, has been taken to
the home of another daughter Mrs.
John Gerber of Canton.
Mrs. Norval Scoles, who has been
suffering with an i—--
tion,
home
of a
Ada.
has been removed from her
south of Bluffton to the home
daughter Mrs. Orville Wirt of
Mrs.
been ill at her home near Beaver-1
dam, has been taken to the Lima
Memorial hospital.
Ebenezer Broadcast
ALTHOUGH a tractor ran
over the entire length of his
body, Rolland Matter, son of
Mrs. Bertha Matter of Cherry
street, escaped with only minor
bruises in an accident
Wilmer Niswander farm
zYda. Monday morning
o’clock.
AT
Friday,
Rose
to be Opened
22, With “The
Maiden”
graduate
Thirty-five seniors will
from Bluffton college in the 42nd an-1
nual commencement exercises to be I
held at the First Mennonite church] First Air Raid Alarm in
on Monday, May 25, it was an-1
ton to be Sounded
nounced this week by Dr. L. L. Ram-1 Night of Rally
seyer, president of the institution. I
John Garlmger, who wasl ... ..
,| with the alarm in case of an emerg
ill at her home on Mound I
.1 enev, Fett pointed out.
is a patient in Bluffton hos-l
1 1 As a general precaution for the
prevention of disaster the local com
mittee has recommended that every
family lay in a modest supply of
first aid equipment and a small
stirrup pump. The latter precaution
is necessary because water mains
are frequently ruptured during an
air raid.
Featuring the choir of mixed
voices of the Ebenezer Mennonite
church, the musical unit will broad
cast over Findlay station
Friday night at 7:15 o’clock.
Otto Holtkamp of Bluffton college,! with rollicking tunes, will be present
is director of the choir. I ed Wednesday evening, May
the high school auditorium by
ton grade school children.
STUDENT RECITAL
at the
west of
at 8:30
William
by the
Employed
ditch digging outfit,
attempting to crank
when it started and
foot under a wheel,
thrown face down on
Burkholder
Matter was
the tractor
caught one
He was
the ground and the rubber tired
wheels of the tractor
him.
ran over
the office
where an
nothing
Matter was taken to
of a Bluffton physician
examination disclosed
more serious than a number of
bruises. After remaining at
home Tuesday, he resumed work
Wednesday.
DEMONSTRATE
DEFENSE
PUBLIC RALLY
Instructions in Prevention
Disaster to be Given
Meeting May 11
Dr. Vernon Franklin Schwalm,!
president of Manchester college, al Instructions and demonstrations
Quaker institution, of Manchester,Il on how to save life and prevent Us
nd„ will give the commencement cane of enemy air raids or
dress, Dr. Ramseyer announced. [other military action will be given
of
at
BlufT
On
Fett an-
the local
will be
are| will be given.
Y*1 Air Raid Alarm
An added note of realism will be
given just prior to the meeting when
1 Bluffton’s first air raid alarm will
be sounded. The local air
warning will be one long and
short blasts from the whistle of
municipal water works plant.
raid
two
the
15
The whistle will be blown
minutes before the meeting and
.be used to familiarize people here
will
Varied Program
The following program has been
asthmatic condi-| arranKe(L
Music—Bluffton High school band.
Invocation—Rev. J. A. Weed.
Civilian Defense—Mayor Howe.
Demonstration—Lecture on Incen-
Sam Augsburger, whu has| d»»ry Bombs—Prof. H. W. Berky of
Bluffton college.
Movie on Incendiary Bombs.
Grade School To
wfin|
on
Demonstration and Lecture
First Aid—Dr. B. W. Travis.
Fighting Fire at Home—Forrest
Steinman.
Movie—Bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Present Operetta
Prof. “The King Sneezes", an operetta
13, in
Bluff-
Miss Elizabeth Higley,
The Bluffton college department! school instructor in music, is direct
of music will hold its monthly stu-|ing rehearsals of the large cast,
dent recital in the chapel, Thursday I
night at 8 o’clock. Students of I A meeting of all committees for
Professors Holtkamp, Mann, Hauen-1 the high school alumni reunion will
stein and Lantz will be on the pro-1 be held Friday night at 8:30 o’clock
gram. The public is invited. I at the high school building.
public
BUY
UNITED
STATES
SAVINGS
pONDS
\XT STAMPS
NUMBER 1
TO CONTACT ALL
WAGE
BOND
EARNERS IN
DRIVE HERE
House Campaign for
■louse to
V. S. War Bond Pledges to
Start Friday
Every Person of Regular In
come to be Solicited by
Local Committee
Bluffton’s drive for obtaining a
buyer’s pledge from every person of
regular income in the community for
the regular purchase of U. S. war
savings bonds and stamps will start
Friday and will continue until Sat
urday, May 9, it was announced this
week by Norman Triplett
of the local defense savings
chairman
council,
by the
50 in
in the
Solicitation will be made
committees numbering about
dividuals appointed earlier
campaign by Triplett and in some
cases to be supplemented by addi
tional workers. Up to the present
time the campaign has been carried
on thru clubs and organizations of
the community.
$70,000 Bonds
Definite ii
in purchase
upwards of
and stamps
April, Tripl
in April
reases have been made
here every month with
170,000 worth of bonds
sold in the month of
announced.
A table issued by the treasury
department giving suggested
amounts of war bond purchases
in proportion to income appears
on Page 8.
Even though pledge cards have
been already signed by many resi
dents here thru organizations, all
wage earners are expected to sign
another pledge card provided for
the campaign by the U. S. depart
ment of the treasury.
All of the workers will have lists
of all of the families in Bluffton and
the solicitation will be made on the
basis of these lists. A meeting of
night at 8:15 o’clock. Details of
the drive will be announced at this
meeting.
Regular Purchase
The pledge will ask for the reg
ular purchase of defense bonds or
stamps and will ask pledgers to
state the amount they anticipate
buying,
reads:
pledge for
or so long
to do so."
cumstances
of the
quired
chases.
A portion of the pledge
“I will faithfully fulfill
the duration of the
as I am financially
this
war
able
cir-
Should unforeseen
alter the financial status
pledger he will not be re
to continue making the pur-
U. S. treasury department
to raise one billion dollars
The
hopes
monthly by this plan of voluntary
saving. If the campaign is success
ful there will be no
tions at the wage
stated by Triplett,
will be determined
elusion of the campaign
9, it was pointed out.
enforced deduc
source, it was
Future policies
after
con
May
the
on
seek
each
will
or
The campaign workers
to persuade each family
wage earner within the family to
invest at least 10 per cent of their
earnings in war bonds, Triplett said.
Beauty Shop Here
Announces Closing
Closing of the Beatrice Beauty
shop was announced Wednesday by
its owner, Mrs. Nello Steinman. The
shop is located on the second floor
of the Citizens National bank build
ing where it has been operated for
the past ten years.
In connection with the announce
ment of going out of business Mrs.
Steinman said that she will leave
shortly with her husband for Clarks
burg, Tennessee, where he is en
gaged in erecting large elevated
tanks for public water supply. Mr.
Steinman who has been employed in
the south for the past year is here
on a week’s vacation.
Equipment of the beauty shop to*
gether with household goods will be
stored here for the present.
100 Men Register
In Orange Township
Exactly 100 men were registered
on Monday by the selective service
system for men 45 to 65 years of
age in Orange township.
Other totals in Hancock county
were Jenera, 121 Mt. Cory, 9ft
Rawson, 126. A total of 11,695 men
registered in Hancock county.