The Bluffton news. [volume], October 15, 1942, Image 1

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VOLUME NO. LXVII
NEW TAX RATE ON
REAL ESTATE HERE
IS SET AT $19.20
Richland Twp. in Bluffton
School District Rate Will
Be $16.20
Beaverdam Corporation and
School District to Pay Rate
Of $12.90
Tax rate on Bluffton real estate for
the coming year has been set at
$19.20 for each thousand dollars of
taxable property, it was announced by
the Allen county auditor’s office the
first of the week.
While the rate is as yet tentative,
pending acceptance by the various
taxing subdivisions, it was indicated
that changes, if any, would be minor.
Bluffton council, in charge of mu
nicipal finances and the board of edu
cation in charge of schools have
signified their satisfaction with the
levies which they receive under the
present rate.
Town Tax Rate Higher
The 1942 rate of $19.20 which will
be effective for collection of taxes
Detailed summary of tax rates
in Bluffton, Beaverdam and Rich
land township since 1939 appears
on Page 2 of this issue.
this December and June of next year
is ten cents higher per thousand dol
lars of taxable property than the 1941
rate of $19.10.
This advance is due to the fact that
while the levy for county purposes de
creased 25 cents, the corporation levy
increased 25 cents and the school levy
10 cents.
School District Rates
That portion of Richland township
in the Bluffton school district will re
ceive a ten cent reduction. Tax rate
for the coming year is $16.10 as com
pared with the past year’s rate of
$16.20.
On the other hand the portion of
Richland township in the Beaverdam
school district will face a higher rate,
$12.90 for the coming year as compar
ed to the present rate of $12.30.
Beaverdam taxpayers who have
been paying at the rate of $12.70 this
year will pay twenty cents more, the
new rate having been announced at
$12.90. The $12.90 rate applies both
to Beaverdam corporation and the
school district.
Bible Lectures At
Reformed Church
“These Three: You—the Church—
the World” is the theme of the Bible
lectures, sponsored by the St. John’s
Reformed church, to be presented by
the Rev. Dr. Carl Koepke of Ft.
Wayne, Ind., on October 25 to 29.
The first lecture on Sunday night
will be held at the high school audi
torium and the remaining addresses
will be given at the St. John’s Re
formed church with all meetings
scheduled to start at 8 o’clock. The
public is invited to attend the lec
tures, it was stated by the Rev. Emil
Burrichter.
Bluffton Man Army
Air Corps Inspector
Virgil Moser, former Bluffton man
who has been inspector for the
army at an aircraft plant in Ken
more, N. Y., a Buffalo suburb, has
been transferred to Chicago where
he is inspector in charge for the
Army air corps at the Douglas Air
craft plant.
His family is moving to Chicago
this week. Moser is a brother of
Ezra Moser north of town. Mrs.
Moser is the former Ola Luginbihl,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs Cal Lug
inbihl near Bluffton.
Young People9s Unit
Will Meet Sunday
Rev. Ernest Bigelow, pastor of the
Bluffton Presbyterian church, will be
the speaker at a meeting of the
Bluffton Young People’s Federation
to be held at the Methodist church
Sunday night at 6 o’clock. Election
of officers for the year will be held
at the meeting.
Births
The following births at the Bluff
ton hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Carl Blackburn, Je
nera, a boy, last Wednesday.
Mr*, and Mrs. Clyde Hauenstein,
Ada, a girl, Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. George Clapper, a
girl, Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Willis Amstutz, a
girl, Sunday.
Youth Here Served
On Lost V. S. Cruiser
Burdette Clark, 22-year-old Bluff
ton youth serving in the Navy
whose death was reported early last
month, at one time was stationed
on the U. S. Cruiser Vincennes, the
loss of which was announced by the
navy the first of the week.
The cruiser, according to the
Navy’s report, was sunk in a battle
with Japanese naval units off the
Solomon islands on August 9.
Whether Clark was aboard the cruis
er at that time is not known. He
was last reported on the Vincennes
before the outbreak of the w'ar.
Announcement of Clark’s death re
ceived from the Navy department
stated that he was killed in action
in the line of duty but gave no de
tails.
COMMITTEE NAMED
FOR PRICE CEILING
REGULATION HERE
Mayor Howe Appoints Three
Council Members to Serve
On Control Unit
Complaints of Violations of
Price Ceilings May be Made
To Committee
Machinery for the enforcement of
price ceiling regulations on retail
merchandise is being set up in Bluff
ton/it was announced this week by
Mayor W. A. Howe.
A committee has been appointed
by the Mayor to deal with the local
price ceiling situation. Three mem
bers of the town council—E. S. Lape,
Jesse Yoakam and William Amstutz
will serve on the Bluffton committee.
Details of the arrangements will
be worked out at a meeting of the
business men and the committee,
called by H. B. Fox, Allen county
coordinator, to be held at the Bluff
ton High school auditorium Thurs
day night at 8 o’clock.
Discuss Regulations Thursday
Regulations concerning price ceil
ings will be discussed at the Thurs
day meeting by Coordinator Fox.
All business men are urgently re
quested to be present at this meet
ing, it was stated by Mayor Howe.
The local committee will make
regular checks at retail establish
ments here to see that the retail
prices are not higher than the ceil
ing prices as established by law.
Complaints of violations of ceiling
prices may be made to the com
mittee which will be instructed as
to appropriate action to take, it was
stated by the Mayor.
Most of the retail merchandise
and food on the counters at stores
is subject to price ceilings and in
numerous cases violations have been
reported. Heavy fines are provided
for violators of the law, it was
pointed out.
Rev. J. N. King Will
Address Lions Club
Rev. J. Norman King, Dayton,
former Bluffton minister and teach
er, will be the speaker at a meet
ing of the Bluffton Lions club Tues
day night at 6:15 o’clock.
Rev. King, who recently retired as
Army chaplain, is now stationed at
the military home in Dayton. He
will speak about activities of the
United States armed forces.
Club women from the towns and
cities of northwestern Ohio will
meet in the annual district fall con
ference of the Ohio Federation of
Women’s Clubs at the Bluffton
Methodist church, on Thursday,
October 22.
Bluffton Man Leaves For Geneva,
Switzerland, For War Relief Work
All women of the community are
invited to attend the meetings which
start with the registration at 9
o’clock, it was announced by Mrs.
I. W. Bauman, president of the
Bluffton City Federation.
District Conference Of Ohio Federation
Of Women’s Clubs Meets Here Oct. 22
The public is invited to attend the
meeting Thursday evening at 8:15
o’clock which will be featured with
an address by Hugh Pharies of the
FBI organization who will speak on
the subject, “The Federal Bureau of
Investigation in Defense.” The
Bluffton College A Capella choir will
sing at this meeting.
Dr. Josephine Peirce, Lima, dean
Delvin Kirchhofer to Sail from
Baltimore on Portuguese
Liner, Oct. 24
Selected to Geneva Post Large
ly Because of Ability to
Speak Swiss
Organization of war relief for
thousands of refugees in Switzer
land will be one of the important
tasks of Delvin Kirchhofer, of South
Jackson street, who will sail from
Baltimore harbor on October 24,
with Geneva, Switzerland as his
destination.
Kirchhofer will be an administrat
or for other relief activities in
Europe for the Mennonite Central
Committee. He was chosen for the
Geneva post largely because of his
ability to speak the Swiss language.
Speaks Swiss
Several weeks ago when Kirch
hofer secured his visa for travel in
Switzerland he was able to converse
satisfactorily with the members of
the Swiss consulate in Philadelphia.
He found that the Swiss language
used in this community, and other
Swiss communities where he has
been, is practically identical with
that used in the native land of
Switzerland.
Kirchhofer will sail on the Por
tugese liner, Nyassa, which is ex
pected to arrive in Lisbon, Portugal
about Nov. 10. Since Portugal is a
neutral country in the present
struggle its boats are able to travel
in safety fully lighted at night.
From Lisbon he will go through
Spain to France and stop at Mar
seilles where he will receive instruc
tions from the American Friends
Service Committee, with which the
Mennonite closely collaborates. Fi
nal instructions will be given by the
Mennonite Central committee at
Lyons, France before he undertakes
the work at Geneva.
Expand Relief
The Mennonite and Quaker com
mittees are attempting to expand
their relief to war sufferers in
Greece and Poland where thousands
Of people are dying of starvation.
Contacts in the various foreign of
fices of Geneva will be used to
further this type of work, Kirch
hofer pointed out.
The Mennonite committee works
closely with the International Red
Cross from which it purchases most
of the food distributed to the war
(Continued on page 8)
Golden Anniversary
Anniversary Sunday
Fifty years of wedded life will be
marked in a Golden Wedding anni
versary celebration by Mr. and Mrs.
William G. Fridley at their home
north of Bluffton on Sunday.
The family and near relatives will
have dinner Sunday noon and open
house will be held from 2 to 5 p. m.
Mrs. Fridley was formerly Miss
Gertrude Varner. The couple have
three children, Clarence at home
Charles, near Bluffton, and Mrs.
Willis Schumacher, five and one-half
miles north of town.
Real Estate Deal
Emil Garau of Indianapolis has
sold his brick residence property on
South Main street to Walter Augs
burger of near Bluffton. The prop
erty is occupied by Louis Deerhake.
Augsburger expects to occupy the
property soon. His son Wade Augs
burger and family will move on the
farm.
of departments, will speak on “Our
Departments in Action” at 9:30
o’clock Thursday morning. This ad
dress will be followed by committee
reports. Mrs. C. L. Goldthorpe, vice
president of the state federation,
will speak at 11:30 o’clock.
In the afternoon, Mrs. M. Y. New
comb, president of the state federa
tion, will present the president’s
message. This will be followed by
a discussion on “Relationship Be
tween Soil and Health” by Prof. O.
E. Fink of Ohio State university.
An informal conference banquet
will be held at 6 o’clock in which R.
H. McDonald will address the group
on “Inflation and the Consumer”.
Local arrangements for the all day
conference are in charge of the offi
cers of the Bluffton Federation of
Women’s Clubs.
FHE BLUFFTON N
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INT tRESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, OCT. 15, 1942
HIT BY
GRADE
Robert Fields Struck in At
tempt to Push Stalled Auto
Off Tiicks
Employed in Lima and Expect
ed to Move There Last of
This Week
Struck by a fast Nickel Plate
freight train as he was attempting
to push his stalled automobile off a
grade crossing, Robert Fields, 34, of
North Main street was instantly
killed Sunday afternoon at 4:20
o’clock.
The accident occurred on the
Sugar Creek road between Beaver
dam and Lima a short distance
south of the Dixie Highway.
Fields’ decapitated body with one
arm severed was hurled 200 feet
from the scene of the accident and
the car was thrown? clear of the
tracks when it was struck by the
speeding locomotive.
Unable to Stop Train
Engineer William. Swartzman of
Lima told investigating officials that
he saw Fields climb out of his car
but it was too late to stop the heavy
train, Swartzman said. I
Highway patrolmen and Justice of
the Peace Warren E. Jones, acting I
in the absence of Coroner Harry
Lewis reported that Fields had
stepped from the car and was ap
parently trying to push it off the
tracks when he was hit.
The body was taken to the Davis,
Miller & Son mortuary in Lima
from where it was removed to the
Stanley Basinger funeral home here
Monday morning.
Employed in Lima
Fields at the time of his death
was employed at the plant of the
Lima Locomotive works. He was
previously employed as a truck driv
er for the Page Dairy here.
In order to live nearer his work
Fields recently purchased a property
in a Lima subdivision^fafcd had made
arrangements to mbve his family
there the last of this week, vacating
the W. S. Dearth property here on
North Main street.
In anticipation of occupying the
Lima property Fields had been busy
in his spare time making repairs and
improvements around the place.
Funeral Services
Funeral services were held at his
late home here Tuesday afternoon
with Rev. Emil Burrichter of the
Reformed church officiating. The
body was taken to Anna, Ohio, Wed
nesday, where services were held at
the Methodist church followed by
interment in Pearl cemetery at that
place.
Surviving are his wife and two
sons Richard and Jack father and
mother, Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Fields
of Anna two brothers Chalmer of
Sidney and Roland at home and two
sisters, Mrs. Helen Short of Sidney
and Mrs. Ruth Fennery of New York
city.
Dissolve Implement
Company Partnership
Partnership of Noah Neuensch
wander and Oswin Luginbuhl oper
ating here under the name of the
Bluffton Implement & Harness com
pany was dissolved Saturday when
Neuenschwander purchased Lugin
buhl’s interest in the business.
Amount involved in the deal was
not disclosed. Neuenschwander has
taken over sole management of the
business and announced that former
policies will continue. Luginbuhl
has announced no plans for the fu
ture.
The business has been operated as
a partnership by the two men for
about fifteen years.
Notice
The following business places will
be closed on Wednesday nights be
ginning this week:
A & Tea Co., Badertscher’s Gro
cery, John Fett & Sons, Suties
Cleaners, Ludwig Shoe Shop, Ruff’s
Store, Gray & White, Economy Store,
City Market, Todd’s Grocery, Sie
field Bakery, Helen’s Hat Shop, Peter
Gratz Dry Goods, Greding’s Hard
ware, G. H. Barnes Grocery, Ba
singer’s Furniture Store, Mumma
Electric Shop, Lape Co., Community
Market.
Closed beginning next Wednesday:
Bigler’s and Basinger’s Meat Mar
kets, C. F. Niswander ,Bluffton Im
plement & Harness Co.
Open Wednesday nights—W. H.
Gratz shoe store, Fred Gratz, Stein
er & Huser clothing stores.
Bluffton residents must obtain ra
tioning certificates for the use of
kerosene the same as any other type
of fuel oil, it was learned this week.
Every deafer, storekeeper or gas
station operator who sells kerosene
must register at the office of the
Allen county rationing board on
October 20 and 21.
Every person who expects to buy
kerosene must go to his rationing
board and obtain his rationing allow
ance after the kerosene retailers
have been registered.
The registration of the consumers’
application will begin October 22 and
continue for one week.
There is no strict limit to the
amount that a kerosene consumer
may be allowed by his board, altho
its use must be conserved, it was
stated.
The consumer will be required to
state his actual minimum needs, and
on the basis of that statement and
from their own knowledge of local
conditions the boards will make their
judgment._______________________
Second Campaign Fo
And Rubber
High and Grade Schools Will
Sponsor Collection Drive
This Month
School Pupils Will Canvass
Neighborhood for Scrap
Materials
Bluffton’s second drive for scrap
metal and rubber will be under the
direction of the public schools here
and will start Monday and continue
until the end of October, it was an
nounced by Mayor W. A. Howe,
chairman.
All of the school pupils from
grades one through twelve will as
sist in the drive not only in round
ing up the scrap materials them
selves but in calling on neighbors
surrounding their homes, it was
stated by the Mayor.
Altho Bluffton had a successful
drive, for scrap metal last month, jt
is believed that there is still a con
siderable amount of scrap in the
homes and farms. Busy summer
working activities prevented many
people from collecting the scrap on
their premises, it is believed.
In charge of the scrap drive at the
school are Harry Barnes, Robert
Ewing and Orden Smucker. All
school pupils are being asked to
make an inventory of scrap mater
ials that might be lying around at
their homes.
The pupils will then contact their
neighbors and bring what scrap they
can carry to school. If the scrap
item is too heavy to carry either the
town or township truck will bring it
in to the town hall where another
scrap heap will be located. All
scrap from both school buildings will
be taken to the town hall pile, it
was stated.
Scrap brought to any of the collec
tion centers is the property of the
United States government and there
are heavy fines to protect the scrap
from being stolen.
All Kerosene Users Here Must Be
Registered After Week Of Oct. 22
Children who would like to have
money for the scrap metal they
bring in will be issued receipts and
after the scrap is sold the funds
will be distributed on a pro-rata
basis.
Hospital Purchases
X-Ray Equpment
Portable x-ray equipment was pur
chased at the Bluffton Community
hospital and will be installed this
week, it was announced by N. E.
Byers, president of the board.
The new equipment which includes
a fluoroscope will enable the staff to
take care of all types of cases re
quiring x-ray treatment.
Sixty-three years of wedded life
will be celebrated by Mr. and Mrs.
J. D. Cummins in an anniversary
observance at their home in Orange
township, Sunday. Mr. Cummins is
83 and Mrs. Cummins is 82 years
of age.
Light Plant Mishap
Disrupts Breakfasts
Orange Township Couple To Mark
63 Years Of Wedded Life Sunday
The couple will receive the con
gratulations of their many friends in
open house on Sunday afternoon
from 1 to 5 o’clock. They celebrated
their Golden Wedding anniversary
13 years ago.
Mrs. Cummins, the former Emma
Gorby, is a life long resident of
Orange township. Mr. Cummins was
Breakfast in Bluffton homes was
disrupted last Thursday when toast
ers and lights suddenly glowed
brightly and then burned out and
radios went dead right in the mid
dle of the early morning broadcast.
The trouble occurred at the muni
cipal plant about 7 a. m. when
sticking of the mechanism of a volt
age regulator on the plant’s switch
board caused an upsurge in voltage
which burned out many small house
hold appliances.
Frederick Ludwig, engineer in
charge, shut down the operation of
the turbine for a short time while
adjustments were made after which
service was resumed.
Normal current output at the
plant is 2,300 volts and capacity of
the generator is 3,000 volts. In
crease in voltage was somewhere be
tween these two limits, plant attaches
stated.________
Scrap Metal
Begin Next Monday
Death Takes Charles
Steinman Wednesday
Charles A. Steinman, 74, promin
ent Jenera lumber dealer and father
of Forrest Steinman of this place,
died at his home in Jenera, Wed
nesday morning at 4 o’clock.
Mr. Steinman had been in failing
health over a period of two years
and had been bedfast for the past
10 days.
Funeral services will be held at
the Jenera Methodist church Friday
afternoon at 2:30 o’clock. Officiating
at the service will be the Rev.
Charles Miller and the Rev. J. J.
Anglemyer.
Mr. Steinman was one of five bro
thers who organized the Steinman
Bros. Lumber Co. of Jenera in 1891
and has been active in directing the
affairs of the company until very
recently. His son Emerson Steinman
has been manager of the Jenera
branch and another son Forrest
Steinman has been in charge at
Bluffton since 1932.
The firm has expanded its milling
operations until it has grown to be
one of the largest in the area and
in April, 1941, held a 50th anni
versary celebration.
Mr. Steinman was born in Van
Buren township, Hancock county on
Dec. 3, 1868, the son of George and
Catherine Hull Steinman. He moved
from his farm home in Van Buren
township to Jenera in 1889.
He was united in marriage to
Della Miller of McComb on March
28, 1895. She died on October 16,
1936.
To this union were born five child
ren, all of whom survive: Forrest
Steinman, Bluffton, Emerson Stein
man and Miss Kathryn Steinman of
Jenera Mrs. Homer Reeder, Lima
Mrs. Mildred Wilson, Middletown.
There are five grandchildren.
Also surviving are three brothers,
Joseph and Alph Steinman of Je
nera John Steinman of Arlington
and a sister Mrs. Lizzie Smith of
Jenera.
Preceding him in death were three
sisters, Mrs. Ella Cramer, Mrs. Alice
Martz, Mrs. Caroline Thomas and
three brothers, Andrew, Jacob and
William Steinman.
Prominent in the affairs of the
church he was superintendent and
teacher in the Methodist Sunday
school in Jenera and served as a
member of the board of education in
Van Buren township.
Burial will be in the Maple Grove
cemetery in Findlay.
Enlists In Navy
H. Jack Clark, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Paul Clark of Grove street has
enlisted in the navy and is now at
Great Lakes Naval Training station.
born in Hardin county. They have
lived at the present farm for the
past 20 years.
Both are members of the Riley
Creek Baptist church and attend
regularly. They were in church last
Sunday morning.
They have one son, Elmer Cum
mins of New Stark and two daugh
ters, Mrs. Francis Wagner and Mrs.
George Wagner both of Orange
township.
Mrs. Cummins has one brother,
Sam Gorby of Orange township and
a sister living in Michigan.
NUMBER 25
$2,500 GOAL IN
BLUFFTON WAR
CHEST CANVASS
Wore Than 100 Solicitors Se
lected for Intensive House
To House Drive
Residents May Designate War
Chest Agencies to Which
Funds are Given
With the local quota set at $2,500
an intensive drive for funds for the
Allen county war chest will get under
way here on Saturday and will last
until Friday, Oct. 23, it was announc
ed this week by Mayor W. A. Howe,
chairman.
More than 100 solicitors have been
selected by the local war chest com
mittee to make a thorough house to
hcaise canvas. About 30 workers have
been selected for each of the four pre
cincts of the town, the Mayor explain
ed.
Precinct Captains
Eight precinct captains have been
appointed as follows: A I. B.
Beeshy and Mrs. J. S. Steiner B—
Robert Ewing and Don Conrad C—
Fred Getties and Charles Cobum D—
Forrest Mumma and Ralph Patterson.
The solicitation in Richland town
ship has already begun and is under
the direction of Henry Huber, chair
man T. V. Stirn, Arthur Bowers,
Raymond Stratton, Mrs. Harvey Gratz
and Mrs. Everett Rowland.
With a local goal of $2,500 it will
be necessary for every family to give
about five dollars or an average of
about one dollar per person, it was
pointed out by the Mayor.
Agencies Listed
Residents who contribute to the
fund may designate any of the fol
lowing relief agencies to which they
wish their funds to be given:
American Social Hygiene associa
tion, British War Relief, Queen Wil
helmina fund (Dutch), Greek War Re
lief, Polish American Council, Rus
sian War Relief, United China Relief,
War Prisoners Aid, War Emergency
fund (Y.W.C.A.), United Service
Organizations.
If there are no designations made
on the official war chest solicitation
card, the national war chest commit
tee will distribute the proceeds of the
subscription according to the budget
committees allocations. In no case
can designations be made to organiza
tions not included in the w-ar chest
list, it was pointed out.
Pledges to the war chest fund may
be made in installments or cash may
be given at the time of the solicita
tion. Provision is made on the pledge
card to make payment in the most
convenient form.
In war time citizens have a double
responsibility—not only to buy war
bonds for the promotion of war but
also to make contributions to the
building of morale and the relief of
human suffering in the war points, it
was explained by the Mayor.
All drives for war relief are com
bined under one head in this plan,
thus eliminating the many separate
drives for sorely needed funds for war
relief in various parts of the world.
With The Sick
Miss Mary Alice Howe, daughter
of Mayor and Mrs. W. A. Howe, is
at the Bluffton hospital where she is
convalescing from an appendicitis
operation which she underwent Mon
day morning.
Wayne Sommers, 13-year-old son
of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Sommers
west of town, underwent an appendi
citis operation at the Bluffton hos
pital Saturday morning.
Miss Mary Jane Worthington,
Bluffton High school senior, is con
valescing from an appendicitis oper
ation at the Bluffton hospital.
Francis Basinger, Bluffton High
school bus driver, underwent an ap
pendicitis operation at the Bluffton
hospital, Tuesday afternoon.
Mrs. Gottlieb Danner, 93, of South
Jackson street, was removed from
the Bluffton hospital on Monday to
the home of a daughter in Ft.
Wayne, Ind. She is suffering from
effects of a fall at her home here.
Jacob Conrad is ill at his home
in Beaverdam.
William Fett is confined to his
home north of Beaverdam with an
illness.
Condition of J. H. Loganbill, Bluff
ton college business manager, re
mains unchanged. He is ill at his
apartment at Lincoln hall.
S. H. Pifer, of Rawson, is serious
ly ill at the Bluffton hospital.
Mrs. Florence Sechler is ill at her
home on Railroad street
Mrs. Frank Stalder is recovering
from a two weeks’ illnes at her home
on Riley street.