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

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VICTORY
BUY
UNITED
STATES
DEFENSE
'’BONDS
AND
STAMPS
VOLUME NO. LXVII
WAR WILL SHELVE
BUILDING SEWAGE
DISPOSAL PLANT
Necessary Materials Would be
Impossible to Obtain, En
gineer States
Two Plaintiffs in Suit Meet for
Conference with City Soli
citor Here
Because of difficulty in obtaining
mechanical equipment and other ma
terials on the critical list, it is un
likely that Bluffton could build a
sewage disposal plant even if di
rected to do so by a court verdict.
This was the opinion expressed by
Engineer Pettis of the firm of Fink
beiner, Pettis and Strout, Toledo
engineers who were retained bv the
council several years ago to prepare
plans for a sewer system here.
Pettis’ statement of difficulty in
obtaining materials necessary for
construction of a sewer system came
following a conference with Mayor
W. A. Howe, Friday afternoon.
File Depositions
This development came in connec
tion with the filing of depositions in
Allen County common pleas court
by City Solicitor Francis Durbin in
which the municipality will make its
answer to two suits filed against the
town a year ago charging that its
sewage emptied into Riley creek and
thereby damaged farms of the plain
tiffs.
Conference Monday Night
The suits aggregating $25f000
were filed against the municipality
by Oliver Locher and Henry P.
Huber, whose farms are located on
the streams. The plaintiffs with
their attorney, R. S. Steiner of Lima,
appeared before the town council at
a meeting at the town hall Mon
day night. They were questioned by
Solicitor Durbin to secure more
specific information about damages
caused by pollution of the stream.
The landowners reaffirmed that
unless something was done by the
(Continued on page 5)
Woman Loses End Of
Finger In Accident
Mrs. Clint Morehead, 45, of five
miles south of Bluffton on the coun
ty line, suffered the loss of part of
the middle finger of her left hand
when it was accidentally caught in
a corn sheller at her home the past
week.
The woman was alone at her farm
home at the time of the accident
and went to a neighbor’s to obtain
help. She was removed to the Bluff
ton hospital where the finger was
amputated at the first joint.
Farm Machinery
Rationing Committee
Rationing of new farm machinery
and equipment in Allen county will
be handled by a three-man commit
tee headed by AAA Chairman, Clair
A. Patterson of Lima it was an
nounced Tuesday.
Two other farmer members of the
committee appointed by the County
CSDA War Board are Leonard L.
Bowsher of Shawnee township, and
Francis C. Marshall of Richland
township. Alternates named are
Paul Lawrence of Auglaize township
and J. C. Begg of Monroe township.
The Department of Agriculture
order of September 17, temporarily
“freezing” all farm machinery and
equipment was described by Patter
son as necessary because of the
critical shortage of steel and also to
insure fair distribution of the limit
ed supply and its placement where
it will do the most good in wartime
farming production.
Mennonite Educator
At St. John Church
Dr. M. C. Lehman, well known
Mennonite educator, will speak at a
union meeting of the Mennonite
churches of the Bluffton and Pan
dora area, at the St. John Mennonite
church next Tuesday night at 8
o’clock.
Dr. Lehman has just returned
from Germany where he has been
engaged in directing the relief ef
forts of the Mennonite Central Com
mittee. The committee has been dis
pensing relief in most of the coun
tries occupied by the German forces.
He has travelled widely in Europe
since the outbreak of the war, hav
ing done relief work in France and
Poland prior to his work in Ger
many. The public is invited.
Bumper Corn Crop—
But Fodder May Be
Scarce This Winter
ALTHOUGH this district is
harvesting one of the big
gest corn crops in recent years
many farmers are anticipating
a shortage of fodder this winter.
Reason for this situation is
attributed to the shortage of
labor for corn cutting which will
force many farmers to resort
to mechanical corn pickers.
Harvesting by this method
leaves the corn stalks standing
in the field and deprives the
farmer of the use of fodder
used for feed and bedding in
the wintering of livestock.
Hen’s Rubber Work
Are Frozen To
PROPOSED HARMON
ROAD EXTENSION
MAY BE DEFERRED
Construction of Satisfactory
Retaining Wall is Engin
eer’s Problem
Work on Street Projected for
This Fall May be- Postponed
Until Spring
Engineering problems in connec
tion with the proposed extension of
Harmon road from East College
avenue to Cherry street this fall,
may delay construction work until
next year.
This became known the first of
the week with the announcement by
Mayor W. A. Howe that a satisfac
tory solution of the engineering dif
ficulties would be the first step in
getting the project under way.
The proposed roadway will follow
the west bank of Big Riley creek
for the distance between the two
streets and construction of a re
taining wall on the side facing the
creek will be necessary, it was point
ed out by the mayor. The other
side will also require protection
against high water it was stated.
Seek Property Easements Later
Only until these problems are
worked out in more detail by the
engineers will the easement from
property owners be secured, it was
pointed out. No difficulty is antici
pated in obtaining the easement
since a number of the owners have
already signified their willingness to
donate enough of their land along
the creek for that purpose.
County Engineer Hobart Mum
maugh will likely assist the town
in working out details of the road
way construction, the Mayor said.
Fill Required
Considerable fiU will be required
to bring the road up to grade level.
This would be required for most of
the road which will be about a
quarter mile long. At the present
time it is likely that a stone dress
ing would be applied to the top and
after the war it could be properly
surfaced with asphalt.
Ton Of Milk Floods Nickel Plate
Crossing When Freight Hits Truck
The road would relieve traffic con
gestion on Main street considerably
in that it would provide an effective
by-pass for traffic which would
otherwise be required to go on Main
street. At the same time it would
serve industrial establishments in
the area including the two plants of
the Triplett Electrical Instrument
Co., the municipal electric light and
waterworks plant, Page Dairy,
Bluffton Hatchery and Bluffton Stone
Co.
Last Rites For
Marilyn Dearth
I Funeral services for Marilyn Col
leen Dearth, two-year-old daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Dearth,
four miles north of Ada, were held
at the home of the parents Satur
day afternoon. She died on Friday.
Rev. L. B. Rcmalcy officiated at
the services. Burial was at the Has
san cemetery.
Janitor Resigns
Levi Mellinger has resigned his
position as janitor at the Grade
school building and is employed at
the Triplett plant. Charles Fenton
one of the janitors at the high school
building is filling the position temp
orarily.
Two Youths in Cab of Milk
Truck Escape with Minor
Cuts and Bruises
Front of Truck Demolished and
Hurled to Side of Track by
Locomotive
More than a ton of milk flooded
the College avenue crossing of the
Nickel Plate railroad last Thursday
afternoon at 2 o’clock when a load
ed truck bound for the Page Dairy
plant was struck by a through
freight train.
Although the front of the truck
(Continued on page 8)
Shoes And Boots
Be Rationed Monday
Order Effective at Midnight
Tuesday to Prevent Run
on Stocks
Six Types for Men Covered
Women’s and Children's
Not Affected
Stocks of men’s rubber boots and
rubber work shoes on Bluffton deal
ers’ shelves were frozen Tuesday at
midnight by the Office of Price Ad
ministration at Washington. An
nouncement of the freezing order
was made late Tuesday afternoon.
The OPA stated that rationing of
the frozen stocks would start next
Monday, but until that time all
stocks now in the hands of retailers
will be frozen and dealers will be
required to secure inventory forms
from local rationing boards before
sales of the rationed articles may be
made.
Six types of rubber boots and
shoes to be rationed will be sold on
certificate only to men working on
jobs essential to the war or to public
health and safety.
Women’s, Children’s Rubbers
Unaffected
Women’s and children’s rubber
boots and ordinary rubbers, arctics
and gaiters are not affected by the
freeze or the rationing orders. Re
claimed rubber is mostly used for
them.
This first government move into
the field of clothing rationing af
fects six types of men’s rubber boots
and rubber work shoes because they
require a high content of crude rub
ber and because of a mounting de
mand among industrial and agri
cultural workers.
The almost immediate freezing or
der was designed to avert any
buyers’ run.
These Are Rationed
The following men’s footwear is
included in the rationing order:
Hip-height rubber boots, including
all of hip, body and thigh height^:
(Continued on page 8)
European Relief Head
Will Speak At Lions
Dr. M. C. Lehman, who has just
returned from Germany where he
has headed Mennonite war relief ac
tivities, will be the speaker at the
meeting of the Lions club to be held
at the Walnut Grill Tuesday night
at 6:15 o’clock.
Dr. Lehman has been administer
ing relief to countries occupied by
the Germans and'he will describe his
experiences in these countries.
Rev. J. Norman King, retired U.
S. army chaplain of Dayton, will
speak to the Lions on Tuesday night
October 20, it was announced by I.
B. Beeshy, club president. Rev. King
will tell about army life at the meet
ing.
Bluffton Girl Is
Painfully Burned
Margaret Basinger, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Noah Basinger of
South Lawn avenue, is recovering
from burns received in a painful ac
cident last week when her dreasing
gown caught fire as she was stand
ing in front of the fire place at the
home of her parents.
Her brother-in-law, William Ed
wards, quickly rolled her in a rug
and smothered the flames. She re
ceived many painful burns on the
body.
She had just taken a position at
the Dayton army air field and was
home for the week end visiting her
parents.
rHE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY7
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, OCT. 1, 1912
LIVESTOCK YARDS
HERE WILL CLOSE
TWO DAYS WEEKLY
No Operations on Tuesday and
Wednesday at Brady Bros.
Markets
Sixty Yards in Three States to
Be Closed to Conserve
Tires and Gas
Bluffton’s livestock yards owned
and operated by Brady Bros., will
be closed every Tuesday and Wed
nesday beginning next week as a
measure to conserve tires and gaso
line. Announcement to this effect
was made by A. E. Lugibill in
charge of the local yards.
The market here is one of 60
yards located in Ohio, Michigan and
Indiana owned by Brady Bros., large
livestock dealers with headquarters
at Payne, Ohio.
Livestock assembled at the com
pany’s different yards is graded and
then trucked to a central point for
carload shipments to packing houses.
Some thirty trucks are operated
by the company in this phase of the
business and it is with the aim of
conserving tires and gasoline of
these trucks that the order was
issued for a shutdown two days
weekly.
All of the company’s yards will be
effected, it was stated Wednesday
morning.
FINDS BROKEN RAIL
IN TIME TO AVERT
TIEUP ON RAILROAD
Sidney Garau, Merchant Police,
Discovers Break Tues
day Night
Section Crew Makkes Emergen
cy Repairs Near Cherry
Street Crossing
Promp action by Sidney Garau,
Bluffton merchant police, early
Tuesday night averted what might
have been a serious train wreck on
the Nickel Plate road here.
Garau, making his first round of
local business places and industrial
concerns shortly after 7 o’clock, dis
covered a section of broken rail at
the railroad’s Cherry street crossing.
He notified Alva Scoles living
nearby on Cherry street who in turn
telephoned Agent Fred Hofer.
An eastbound freight due here at
8 p. m., was notified of the situation
as it had made an unscheduled stop
at Beaverdam to make a minor re
pair.
Meanwhile a section crew was
summoned to make emergency i e
pairs. During the evening traffic of
the line, including the Cleveland to
St. Louis passenger train passed
over the place cautiously but with
out interruption. The repair job
was complete dabout 11 p. m.
The broken section of rail was dis
covered only a few feet east of the
grade crossing and opposite the
shelter for the watchman on duty
during daytime. The crossing is
protected by an electrically operated
signal at night?
The bleak was at the base of
the “ball” of the rail. While not
immediately serious it would, if un
discovered, lead to further breaks
in the rail at the same spot and
eventually derail traffic Hofer stated.
In New Locations
Mrs. Lysle Baumgartner left Wed
nesday for Mishawaka, Ind., Her
husband is employed in the offices of
the Ball Band Rubber company and
the family will make their’home in
that city.
Mr. and Mrs. George Linden and
family will move the last of this
week from the Mrs. Ethel Niswander
apartment on South Jackson street
to the Lyle Baumgartner property on
Cherry street.
Rev. and Ernest Bigelow will move
this week from the Miss Martha
Steiner property on South Lawn ave
nue to the Mrs. Niswander apart
ment on South Jackson street.
Rev. and Mrs. John Elwood who
spent the summer near Ada, after
being in Pomeroy the past year have
moved to Evanston, Ill., where he
will enter Garrett Theological sem
inary.
Cold early Monday morning? Well
there was a good reason, for temp
erature dropped to 28 degrees above
zero. It was the third time in a
century that a temperature of 28
degrees has been recorded in this
section in September.
However, farmers here reported
frost damage was slight. It has
been pointed out that the killing of
the heavy foliage in the soy bean
fields will make possible an early
harvesting of the district’s bumper
crop.
Nearly all of the corn was well
enough matured to escape damage, a
few late fields were going into silos
in different parts of the surrounding
countryside.
The vegetable harvest in town and
country is virtually completed. The
Triplett Company Without
Single Lost-time Accident
In Six Months
deceives Silver and Gold Plaque
For Making Top Record in
Allen County
An attractive silver and gold
plaque signifying the leading safety
record of 150 manufacturing and
business concerns in Allen county
for the first six months of 1942 was
presented last Wednesday to The
Triplett Electrical Instrument Co.
of this place.
R. L. Triplett, president and gen
eral manager of the Bluffton concern,
accepted the plaque, on behalf of
employes, at a banquet held in Lima
to honor winners in the safety cam
paign.
To win the signal honor, the Trip
lett Company worked 657,459 hours
from January 1 to July 1, 1942,
without a single lost-time accident.
Mercury Drops To Low Mark Of 28
Monday For Third Time In Century
Speaking at the banquet was Dr.
Charles Copeland Smith, of New
York City. A native-born English
man, Dr. Smith is now a citizen of
the United States.
In his address Dr. Smith paid
high tribute to industry for the
part it is playing in the war pro
gram. “Miracles performed in the
production field of this nation some
times are not properly appreciated
by us because they promptly are
succeeded by more and more mir
acles”, the speaker declared.
Dr. Smith explained that rather
than cite an isolated case he would
review the results of profits shown
by the review of 150 war contracting
firms. “Taking the average, it was
found that gross profits prior to tax
ation was six per cent, and after the
deduction of taxation three per cent.
Such a record shows industry is not
going hog wild in war profiteering.”
IT ill Enlist In Army
Air Corps Band Unit
Nelson Hauenstein, son of Prof,
and Mrs. Sidney Hauenstein of Cam
pus Drive left Wednesday for Los
Vegas, New Mexico, to enlist in the
army as a member of the 95th air
squadron band.
He was graduated from Eastman
School of Music, Rochester N. Y.,
last spring, specializiysnn ffute and
spent the summer e the kUr versity
of Michigan, Ajp Arbor, w: ere he
had a teaching asstantslxip in the
music department for the coming
year.
To enlist in the army he was re
leased by the Allen county draft
board and the university music de
partment.
Accompanying Hauenstein to Los
Vegas will be Noah Knepper of
Bowling Green, who will enlist as a
member of the same army band as
a member of the oboe section. Knep
per was also a student at the Uni
versity of Michigan last summer.
Births
The following births at the Bluff
ton hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Elliot, of
West Kibler street, a boy, Roger
Bryan, last Wednesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Crawfis, a
boy, Gary Lynn, last Wednesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Shroats,
Jenera, a girl, Susan Jane, Thurs
day.
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Weih
rauch, Jenera, a boy, Robert Paul,
Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Hutchinson,
Lima, a girl, Karen Sue, Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Martin, Wil
liamstown, a boy, Tuesday.
tomato season is practically over,
and the potato and sweet potato
crops are matured.
An unusually large amount of
cane has been planted in the Bluff
ton area last spring for old fash
ioned sorghum molasses. The freeze
compelled the patch owners to strip
the leaves from the stalks and get
it ready for the cane mills.
No damage was done to sugar
beets and harm to apples is slight
because the loss of the trees’ leaves
will enable the late fruit to ripen
faster.
Furnaces were started in opera
tion heating stoves were set up and
some residents were seen putting on
storm doors and storm windows, all
indications of unusually cold weather
for this time of the year.
11 u fit on Concern Wins Industrial
Award For County Safety Record
WAR CHEST DRIVE
TO BE HELD HERE
OCTOBER 10 TO 30
Campaign Will Combine All
Drives for War Relief
Under One Unit
Local Organization for Solicita
tions Being Formed by,
Mayor W. A. Howe
Combining all drives for war relief
under one head, Bluffton residents
will be solicited for contributions to
the Allen County War Chest for the
United Service Organizations and
nine national war relief agencies, it
was announced Tuesday by Mayor
W. A. Howe, temporary chairman of
the local organization. The cam
paign will be conducted Oct. 10 to
30 throughout the country.
Individual drives for relief of a
particular country or organization
will be eliminated and the War Chest
drive will unite into a single effort
the raising of funds for the needs of
the home front and war front, it
was stated. The Allen county quota
is $52,731.
Only One Drive
Bluffton residents should welcome
the opportunity of contributing to
war relief in one sum instead of
being bothered by numerous drives
asking for relief in the various parts
of the world, it was pointed out by
Mayor Howe.
An organization for the drive is
being formed locally with represen
tatives from the various clubs, busi
ness groups, fraternal orders and
other organizations of the commun
ity. A meeting of the representa
tives will be called in the near
future to make preliminary plans,
the mayor stated.
War Relief Control
All of the war relief agencies in
cluded in the Allen county and Bluff
ton campaign have been registered
with and licensed by the President’s
War Relief Control board of which
Joseph Davies is chairman. These
agencies have been examined and
approved by the National Informa
tion bureau, New York. Thus all
contributors can be assured that
their funds will go into legitimate
relief channels.
“All Americans should welcome
contributing to this cause in view of
the opportunity to aid our valient
allies in a way which will promote
international unity as no other
method can,” it was further stated
by the mayor.
Union Services At
High School Sunday
Rev. Ernest Bigelow, pastor of
the Presbyterian church, will be the
speaker at the first in a series of
monthly meeting to be held at the
Bluffton High school auditorium Sun
day night at 8 o’clock.
The meeting will be sponsored by
the Bluffton ministerial association
and generally will be held on the
first Sunday of the month, it was
stated by Rev. Emil Burrichtet, pres
ident of the organization.
The offering of the evening will
go to the community religious educa
tion fund. The public is invited.
Real Estate Deal
H. E. Shrider has purchased the
North Jackson street property of
the late Mrs. Jennie Althaus, it is
announced by A. D. Gratz, adminis
trator of the estate.
iulTton
PCS
BUY
UNITED
•TATES
SAVINGS
^BOHDS
I MID STAMPS
NUMBER 23
FIRE DAMAGE IN
TOWN LOW LOSS
N COUNTRY HEAVY
Department Gives Out
Figures for Fire Preven
tion Week
Total of Loss in Town is
$1,600 Losses in Country
$15,000
Local preparation for observance
of national fire prevention week, Oc
tober 4 to 10 brought the announce
ment that Bluffton’s fire loss for the
first nine months of 1942 has been
81,600 in six blazes, an increase over
the $70 total of last year.
Last year there were five runs of
the fire department. In 1940 the ag
gregate loss was only $50 and in the
same period in 1939 there was a loss
of $1,500.
$15,000 Loss in Country
Five runs have been made to rural
areas by the Bluffton fire department
so far this year, with a total damage
of $15,000, it was reported by Clar
ence Stonehili, secretary' of the de
partment. A year ago the losses in
the country came to $26,000 with six
runs.
Bluffton’s fire fighting equipment
has been improved during the last
year, with the purchase of 500 feet of
additional hose.
Observance of fire prevention week
also has served to focus renewed at
tention on the need for additional
equipment that will be made available
if action can be had from the V) I’B
for delivery of the Mack fire truck
cancelled by that group in early May.
Contacting WPB
City Solicitor Francis Durbin is
presenting the facts to VV i’B officials
relative to the need here for the equip
ment which the voters of Blugton ap
proved funds for last November.
Durbin will stress to WPB that
Bluffton is a center of defense indus
try upwards of a half dozen plants
engaged directly or indirectly in pro
duction for the war effort and that a
(Ucrttinucd on page 5)
Many Attend Funeral
For Harry O. Bentley
Many from Bluffton were in at
tendance at funeral services held at
Lima, Saturday afternoon for Harry
O. Bentley, 69, widely known corpor
ation lawyer and native of this place.
Bentley died unexpectedly at his
home in Lima shortly before eight
o’clock last Thursday morning. Death
was due to a heart attack. He had
become ill during the night but had
not considered his illness serious
enough to summon a physician.
He was senior member of the law
firm of Wheeler, Bentley, Neville
and Cory and prominent in profes
sional and civic affairs.
The son of Winfield Scott and
Mary Jane (Anderson) Bentley, he
was born in 1873 near Bluffton. The
family lived on what is now the Ira
Slusser farm on Bentley road south
of town.
He graduated from Bluffton high
school in the class of 1891 and later
taught in the schools here. Out
standing as a student Bentley gained
more than local note for his attain
ments in spelling school contests.
His legal career began with his
admission to the bar after graduat
ing from the Ohio Northern univers
ity law school in 1896. Locating in
Lima he formed a law partnership
with the late S. S Wheeler and since
resided in that city.
He was a frequent Bluffton visitor
especially during the lifetime of his
parents who moved to town and lived
for a number of years at what is
now the Lloyd Murray residence on
South Main street.
He was also a loyal supporter of
Bluffton college and a close friend
of the late Dr. S. K. Mosiman,
former president of the institution.
Memorial services in his honor were
held at the Bluffton college chapel,
Sunday evening with D. W. Bixler
as the principal speaker.
Bentley was general counsel for
the Triplett Electrical Instrument
company of Bluffton and more than
a score of other industrial and finan
cial firms. Among these was the
Pennsylvania railroad which he rep
resented as district solicitor for forty
years.
Funeral services were held from
the Davis, Miller and Son Cathedral
chapel in Lima. Among the hon
orary pallbearers was R. L. Triplett
of this place.
Surviving are his wife, Blanche
Bentley whom he married April 3,
1901 two daughters Mrs. Robert
Breckenridge and Mrs. Charles Cory
five grandchildren and a sister, Mrs.
Charles Killen, all of Lima.