The Bluffton news. [volume], April 29, 1943, Image 1

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BUY
UNITED
OTATES
SAVINGS
flONDS
I AKO STAMP*
24 SCHOOLS IN
MUSIC FESTIVAL
HERE SATURDAY
More Than 400 High School
Musicians Will Sing in
Choral Groups
To Be Held At Bluffton High
School Gymnasium Spon
sored by College
More than 400 students from 24
district high schools will participate
in a music festival, sponsored by the
Bluffton college music department, at
the Bluffton High school gymnasium
Saturday night at 8 o’clock.
The festival will replace the music
contests of previous years and there
will be no judges. Select student
musicians from the 24 schools will
sing in chorus and ensemble groups.
The girls chorus will consist of 300
voices, the mixed chorus will have
150 voices and the boys chorus 125
voices.
Oscar Jones, Director
Oscar Jones, director of public
school music in the Findlay schools,
will direct the three units. Jones is
president of the Ohio Music Educa
tion association. Prof. Russell A.
Lantz, head of the Bluffton college
music department, will be festival
chairman.
Rehearsals for the evening concert
will be held in the gymnasium on
Saturday afternoon at 2 o’clock. Mu
sic instructors in eight of the partici
pating schools are Bluffton college
graduates, it was stated.
Twenty-four Schools
Schools participating and their di
rectors are:
Columbus Grove, Ruth Burtchin
Sylvania, Eleanor Morgan Wayne,
Lucille Steiner Mt. Blanchard, Dor
othy Whitworth Pandora, Marcella
Peterson Arlington, Richard South
wick Grover Hill, Pauline Sprunger
Ada, Dorothy Titus Ridgeville, Lou
ise Bignin LeMoyne, Jane Shaw
Leipsic, James Hopkins.
Waterville, Charlotte Hutchinson
Malinta-Grelton, Hoyt Sprow Shaw
nee, Homer Mitchell Continental,
Ruth Robenalt Spencerville, Paul
Eler: McClure, Betty Hibler, Mc
Comb, Marguerite Moyer Salem,
Ethelyn Oyer, Hicksville, F. H.
Kunkle Vaughnsville, Marceyle
Smith North Baltimore, Stanley
Weldy Findlay, W. O. Jones Bluff
ton, Harriet Brate.
Several musical numbers will be
presented by two college music
groups—a piano duet by Vera Oesch,
Washington, Ill., and Lila Moon, Ft.
Wayne, and a string trio composed
of Harold Thiessen, violin, Arthur
Thiessen, cello and Lila Moon, piano.
The public is invited.
High School Alumni
Reunion On May 28
Members of the Bluffton High
school alumni association will enjoy
a program and dance at the school
gymnasium on Friday night, May 28,
at 8:30 o’clock, it was announced
this week by Dr. Gordon Bixel, pres
ident of the alumni association.
Due to food rationing, the tradi
tional banquet will be eleminated this
year. A program will be held after
which the alumni will enjoy dancing
to a popular out-of-town orchestra.
Committees appointed are as fol
lows
Program—Miss Carolyn Romey,
W. A. Amstutz, Miss Agnes Am
stutz, Mrs. Harriette Luginbuhl.
Dance—Don Patterson, Ropp Trip
lett, Sidney Stettler, Roger Howe,
Lamont Diller.
Other officers are: Ezra Moser,
vice-president Mrs. Sibyl Mollett,
treasurer Misses Mary Schultz and
Harriet Biome, secretaries.
No notices will be sent to people
with Bluffton addresses this year
with the understanding that all
Bluffton High school alumni are in
vited to the reunion.
Mt. Cory -Graduation
Will Be Held May 13
Graduation exercises of Mt. Cory
high school will be held on Thurs
day night, May 13, it was announced
the first of the week.
Graduation honors will go to four
girls of the class. Ida May Arnold
.and Carol Montgomery will be co
valedictorians. Lois Steiner will
give the salutatory address and
Geraldine Henry the class oration.
Organization For
Township Defense
Organization of Richland township
for civilian defense purposes will be
effected at a meeting of township
farmers to be held at the township
room in the town hall Thursday
night at 8 o’clock, fast time.
The meeting has been called by
the township trustees consisting of
Walter Marshall, chairman Alan
Grismore and Fred Badertscher.
Marshall will preside at the meeting.
Various officers for civilian de
fense in Richland township will be
chosen at the meeting with special
attention to be given to the coming
blackout.
Wardens will be appointed to check
on the various houses and to stop
motorists who have their headlights
on during the blackout.
ARMY TO GET FILE
RECORDS OF HIGH
SCHOOL SENIORS
To Give Detailed Information
Concerning Aptitudes and
Academic Records
Copy Must be Presented by
Draftee at Induction File
To be Kept Here
All Bluffton High school students
who will graduate this spring or who
will leave school before graduation
will fill out cards soon giving informa
tion desired by the War Department.
The War Department stated in an
announcement the first of the week
that it would soon distribute 5,000,000
of the cards to high schools thruout
the country along with instructions.
The cards will be filled out and kept
in the school files and a copy given
to each student upon leaving school.
Although the forms have not been
received here vet the school will co
operate with the War Department in
getting them completed as seen as
possible, it was stated by Supt. of
Schools A. J. B. Longsdorf.
Detailed information concerning ed
ucational and work experience, aca
demic standing and achievement, vo
cational training, wage earning ex
perience, aptitudes, significant hob
bies, etc.
Induction
The army will require draftees who
are in school after the card filing sys
tem is completed to present the cards
at induction centers which will use
the information in classifying them.
Civilian employers will also use the
information in an attempt to place
the student in the position in which
he would be most likely to succeed.
Cooperating with the army in the
preparation of the cards was the
United States Office of Education.
Officials stated that hitherto there
had been no ready or uniform record
concerning the students’ school and
job histories.
The cards will give the following
information:
The name, birthplace and birthdate
of the student. Social Security num
ber. Home address. Name and stat
us of citizenship of the guardian or
parent.
Visual and hearing capacity of the
student along with a description of
any physical impairment.
Subjects which the student has tak
en, the grades in them. Records in
aptitude and achievement tests, rank
in class, etc.
Special aptitudes, significant hob
bies, main interests, extra-curricular
activities, peacetime occupation pre
ferred, evidence of leadership, etc.
Vocational preparation, experience
at wage-earning jobs while in school
and any post-graduate training.
Births
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Coon are
the parents of a baby girl, Cynthia
Ann, bom at the University hospital
in Columbus, April 18. Mrs. Coon
was formerly Miss Marjorie Lugin
buhl of this place.
The following births at the Bluff
ton hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Crates, Ar
lington, a boy, Larry Gene, Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Louie Rettig, Raw
son, a boy, Philip Cary, Monday.
VOLUME NO, LXVIII _________________________________ BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 1943
“King For A Day” Students Take
Over Affairs At College Wednesday
Faculty and Students Change
Places for Twenty-four
Hours
College Observes Traditional
Student Administration
Day
King for a day—that was the
prevalent atmosphere among the
Bluffton college student body Wed
nesday when according to tradition
of the institution undergraduates
and faculty changed places and for
twenty-four hours students filled ad
ministrative offices, conducted class
es, kept peace and quiet in the li
brary and managed the dining hall
all the way from planning the meals
to the most menial k. p. duty.
And the faculty assumed the role
of students, attending classes which
they regularly conducted, and ans
wering questions when called upon
by the student teacher.
Meals at the Ropp hall dining
room were in charge of a student
dietitian with a completely organized
kitchen staff.
Student Administration Day
The occasion, a tradition of many
years’ standing known as student
administration day is to give the
faculty and student body an oppor
tunity to see operation of the insti
tution from the other’s viewpoint
and to experience in a measure the
problems involved.
Administration posts are filled by
a popular vote of the entire student
body with two major parties and
full slates of candidates putting on
a full-fledged political campaign with
oratory, platforms and banners.
Students in each class select one
of their number to serve as instruct
or upon whom rests the responsibil
ity of conducting the class for the
day.
Filling the president’s chair for
the day was Herbert Oyer. Royal
Thomas was dean Mabel Hill, busi
ness manager Robert Kumata, reg
istrar Otto Elmer, dean cf men,
Margaret Shelley, dean of women
Earl Lehman, coach Lois Sommer,
librarian Grace Adams, dietitian
Stanley Hostettler, superintendent of
grounds.
Rites Friday For
Mrs. D. A. McGinnis
Funeral services for Mrs. Delbert
A. McGinnis, 58, will be held at the
St. Marys Catholic church Friday
morning at 9 o’clock, fast time.
She died suddenly of a heart at
tack at her home on Garau street
Tuesday morning at 7:30 o’clock.
Mrs. McGinnis, the former Dale
Owens, was born near Bluffton Jan
uary 11, 1885. Her parents Henry
and Elizabeth (Allerding) Owens
were pioneer residents. She was
married to Delbert McGinnis in 1919.
A registered nurse, Mrs. McGinnis
was graduated from the St. Peter’s
hospital school of nursing of New
Brunswick, New Jersey, and served
as a member of the auxiliary board
of Bluffton Community hospital.
She was a member of the St.
Marys Catholic church here and the
Altar society. Rev. Fr. A. W. Schei
ber will officiate at the services.
Members of the parish will hold serv
ices at the Diller funeral chapel
Thursday night at 8 o’clock.
Survivors are her husband three
daughters, Lieut. Mary McGinnis,
Army Nurse Corps, Camp Brecken
ridge, Ky. Adelaide, a student at
Bluffton college and Anne, a student
at Bluffton High school four sis
ters, Miss Ida Owens, Bluffton Mrs.
Thomas Conway, and Mrs. Esther
Wagner, Eustis, Florida Mrs. David
Fisher, Pandora, and one brother,
Johns Owens, Ada.
Burial will be in Maple Grove
cemetery.
Father Of Bluffton
Man Dies In Toledo
Herman Siefield, 79, died at his
home in Toledo, Monday morning,
according to word received by his
son Herbert Siefield of South Main
street.
Mr. and Mrs. Siefield and daughter
Jeanne left for Toledo where they
will remain until after funeral serv
ices to be held Thursday afternoon.
Interment will be in Lakeview ceme
tery at Port Clinton
Besides his son of this place, the
elder Siefield is survived by his wife
and two daughters.
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON PUTS WAR BOND1RIVE ‘OVER THE
Honoring all former students and
alumni of Bluffton High school now
in active service in the armed forces,
a service flag will be placed at high
school in the near future, it was an
nounced this week by Supt. of
Schools A. J. B. Longsdorf.
Dedication ceremonies will be held
during the second week in May. The
service flag has a single star on it
and the names of all the former
Bluffton High school students now
in the service will bte attached to
the flag.
A list of those in service is being
compiled and readers of the Bluffton
News are requested to inform the
high school office of ai y changes or
additions to be made to the list.
The tentative list, by classes, fol
lows
1913—Col. Rene Studler.
1918—James G. Owtii. Dr. Otho
CORN ACREAGE UP
TOMATO GROWING
FACES SHARP CUT
Corn Basis of Hog Feeding
Also Requires Less
Hand Labor
Tomato Acreage for Commercial
Canneries Less Due to
Labor Shortage
----------I
Bluffton area farmers are planning
to put out an aercyg corn equal,
if not greater than that of last year.
The soy bean acreage, too, will be
large, altho somewhat less than a
year ago. The growing of tomatoes
for commercial canneries, however,
is due for a drastic shrinkage.
This was the summary of a sur
vey of the farm situation the first
of the week as tillage was being
rushed under forced draft to make
up for the loss of several weeks of
unfavorable weather.
Farmers busy with spring work
had little time to discuss the situa
tion, but pointed to the fact that the
shortage of farm help will make it
necessary to confine planting to those
crops which require a minimum of
hand labor.
Corn Favored
Standing at the top of the pre
ferred list of farm crops is corn.
Farmers called attention to the fact
that the crop is not of the emergency
class and altho much of it stood out
all winter, due to shortage of help,
its feeding value was not materially
affected.
Also corn is the principal feed for
fattening hogs for market and des
pite prospect of federal control of
prices thru the medium of livestock
ceilings, raising hogs will continue to
be one of the main activities of the
farm.
Altho about half of the soy bean
crop was lost here last season be
cause of wintering in the fields, the
acreage this year will be substantial
as compared to wheat which shows
prospects of about half a crop.
One grower summed up in this
manner: “Farmers prefer soy beans
to wheat as long as the government
holds the price of beans up and
wheat down.”
Less Tomato Acreage
This district, which for the past
several years was rapidly developing
into a tomato growing center, will
decrease its acreage about 20 per
cent, according to present estimates.
Growers are agreed that the drop
in tomato acreage is due to prospect
of not being able to get enough ex
perienced help to raise and pick the
crop which requires much hand la
bor.
Tomatoes, it is explained, have to
be picked each week and because of
the highly perishable nature of the
ripe product, experienced help is ne
cessary. Inexperienced help, they
say, just gets in the way.
War Conditions Make Town’s Spring
Road Program Smallest In Years
Government agencies and canning
interests have started last-minute
campaigns to induce growers to
change their minds about reducing
tomato acreages. How well the drive
will succeed will depend almost en
tirely how convincingly can be pre
sented any plan to supply necessary
labor.
High School to Dedicate Service Flag
Honoring Alumni and Former Students
Thompson.
1919—Herbert Luginbuhl.
1924—Elbert Anderson.
1925—Roland Swank, Celestine
Schmidt, Theodore Criblez.
1926—Charles Dillman.
1927— Jerome Herr, Ivan Geiger,
Stanley Basinger, Edgar Schumacher
Forrest Basinger, Ex ’27.
19,28—Carl Trippiehorn, Donald
McCafferty, Glenn Slusser, Wesley
Miller.
1929—Gerald Scoles, James Ben
roth, Bob Schaublin, Harry Bogart,
Dr. Wade Basinger, Frederick Herr,
Harlan Dickson, Ex ’29 Alvin
Crawford, Ex ’29, Clifford Filhart.
1930—Marvin Crawford, Rudy Wil
kins, Josephine Steiner (nurse) Karl
Hostettler.
1931 Donivan Geiger, James
West, Garfield Griffith, Howard
Trippiehorn, Harold Bell.
Shortage of Critical Materials
Limits Work to Patching
And Repair
Proposed Re-surfacing Program
Depends on Additional
Supplies
Faced with a shortage of mater
ials, Bluffton is starting this week
the smallest street repair program
in recent years.
Street Commissioner Lee Coon an
nounced Tuesday the arrival of 1,500
gallons of road oil and 1,000 pounds
of powdered asphalt.
This, he said will be barely suffi
cient to patch holes in the hard sur
face roadways which developed dur
ing the past winter.
Materials used in road re-surfac
ing and repair have been designated
as critical by government agencies
and will be allotted almost exclusive
ly to highways used for miiltary
purposes.
Seek More Materials
Application made for an addition
al allotment of materials to be used
for re-surfacing here has not been
acted upon. Authorities here are
hopeful that it will be given favor
able consideration in view of indus
tries here engaged in war produc
tion.
Should an additional supply of
materials be granted, resurfacing of
Elm street and Harmon road from
Garau street to Bentley road will be
undertaken. Also in bad condition
is Spring street from Elm to Riley.
Necessary Patching Only
Meanwhile, however, the road pro
gram this spring will be limited to
such patching as is necessary in
order that the limited allotment of
materials may serve where most
needed.
Richland township trustees have
encountered a similar situation and
materials thus far have been allotted
only for patch and repair work.
The original road program called
for resurfacing nine or ten miles
of road this season.
Peace Conference At
College And Church
“Christianity’s Contribution to a
Lasting Peace” will be the topic of
a conference, under the auspices of
the Friends Service committee, to be
held here Monday afternoon and
evening. Dr. A. J. Muste, Presby
terian minister from New York city,
will be the speaker.
The meetings are as follows:
Chief Obstacles to Peace, Ramseyer
chapel, 4 p. m. The Peace Program
of the Churches, pot luck dinner,
Ropp Hall, 6 p. m. Spiritual Found
ations of Peace, public meeting at
the First Mennonite church, 8 p. m.
Dr. Muste is nationally known as
a minister, lecturer and writer on
problems of war and post-war per
iods. He was director of the Brook
wood Labor college and later served
as executive secretary of the Fellow
ship of Reconciliation.
The public is invited.
AT FORT SILL
Earl Montgomery of Orange town
ship recently inducted into the army
has been sent from Camp Perry to
Ft. Sill, Okla., for training.
1932— Marion Burkholder, Chas.
Emans, Gerald Basinger, Thomas
Crawford, Emerson Niswander, Den
ver Augsburger.
1933—Morris Amstutz, Wayne
Yerger, Wayne Deppler, Ralph Dil
ler, Cleon Steiner, John Romey,
Robert Kohli, Dr. Robert Oyer,
Gerald Trippiehorn, Ralph Kohli.
1934—Robert Root, ex ’34 Francis
J. Luginbuhl, Francis W. Lugibihl,
Kenneth Luginbuhl, Lester Piper,
Walter Williamson, Melvin Lora.
Louis Foltz, Max McCafferty, Rich
ard Swank.
1935—James Birchnaugh, Ralph
Augsburger, Donivan Berry, Richard
Burkholder, Robert Motter, Gordon
Hilty, Evan Badertscher, Arthur
Best, Edward Schumacher, Joe Mum
ma, Roger Hauenstein, Edwin Rice,
Herbert Moser, David Kliewer,
(Continued on page 8)
30 SENIORS TO
GRADUATE FROM
COLLEGE MAY 24
Commencement Address to be
Given by Goshen College
President
Graduation “In Absentia" to he
Held for Several Seniors
In Service
Thirty seniors will graduate from
Bluffton college in the 43rd annual
commencement exercises to be held
at the First Mennonite church on
Monday, May 24th it was' announced
this week by Dr. J. S. Schultz, dean
of the institution.
Graduation “in absentia” will be
held for several members of the class
who are in service at the present time
and will be unable to attend the exor
cises. Several seniors will receive
their degees as of August, Dr. Schult?
stated.
Dr. E. E. Miller, president of Gosh
en college, Goshen, Ind., will give the
commencement address.
As was the case last year, the
commencement season has been moved
ahead several weeks in order to per
mit the school to adjust its schedule
to war time conditions. Summer
school will start immediately at the
close of commencement to permit stu
dents to obtain a full semester’s cred
it.
Annual May Day exercises will be
held on Saturday, May 22. Miss
Ruth Neuenschwander, Quakertown,
Pa., will be crowned queen in the tra
ditional colorful outdoor ceremonies.
The alumni banquet will be held at
Ropp hall at 6:30 o’clock to be follow
ed by the presentation of the Shakes
pearean play, Merchant of Venice, by
the Thespian dramatic society.
Pres. Ramseyer will deliver the
baccalaureate sermon to the graduat
ing class at the Ramseyer chapel on
Sunday afternoon. May 23. In the
evening there will be a concert by the
A Capella choir at the First Menno
nite church.
Four students are scheduled to be
graduated in the department of mu
sic. These are: Ruth Burkhard, Or
tanna, Pa., piano, May 7 Sarah Moy
er, Mt. Cory, piano, May 14: Bettye
Lewis, Bluffton, piano, May 17 Har
old Thiessen, Bluffton, violin, May 21.
Lora Schultz, also to graduate in
the department of music will present
her graduating recital in July be
cause of a teaching position this se
mester at Stryker High school.
Chicago Orchestra
To Play Here Friday
Presented as the final number on
the Bluffton college music series, The
Chicago Little Philharmonic orches
tra will give a concert at the Bluff
ton High school auditorium Friday
night at 8:30 o’clock.
The noted musical ensemble is un
der the direction of Dr. Eric Soran
tin, interantionally known conductor,
violinist and composer from Vienna.
A program ranging from seldom
heard classical numbers to the latest
works of European and American
composer will be heard.
The members of the orchestra have
played with the foremost symphony
orchestras of Europe and America.
In addition to the ensemble numbers,
solos will be presented by several of
the members.
BUY
UNITED
■TATE*
PKFKNM
AND
STAMPS
NUMBER 1
TOP’
SUBSCRIPTIONS OF
$180,000 EXCEED
QUOTA BY $15,000
Goal of §165,000 Passed by
Substantial Margin, Head*
quarters Says
Sum is Largest Ever Raised for
Single Project in Town’s
History
Bluffton has gone “over the top”
in the second war loan campaign, it
was announced Wednesday morning
by M. M. Bogart and Norman Trip
lett, co-chairmen of the drive.
The sum subscribed in the com
munity stood at $180,000 Wednesday
noon—$15,000 over the assigned
quota of $165,000. With subscrip
tions still coming in the total may be
even higher than the present sum,
Bogart stated.
One factor which enabled the town
to go substantially over the goal was
the fact that the allotment of seven
eights per cent certificates to blanks
was made by the federal reserve
bank. This represented a sizable
sum credited to the local suscrip
tions.
Series E Most Popular
By far the most popular issue has
been the series “E” bond which was
not included in the previous Victory
Loan campaign.
The final meeting of all solicitors
and campaign workers will be held
at the Bluffton High school cafeteria
this Wednesday night at 8 o’clock.
Bogart and Triplett have asked that
all reports be in at this time.
The $180,000 raised in this cam
paign represents the largest sum of
money ever raised in a single move
ment in this community, it was
pointed out.
Further Campaigns
According to present treasury de
partment plans, further loan cam
paigns of this intensive nature will
be conducted periodically, with the
next one set tentatively for late sum
mer or early fall.
In the meantime, emphasis will be
placed on continuing a program of
regular and systematic purchases of
“E” and other available war bonds
to keep the war funds flowing stead
ily.
In a statement issued Wednesday
morning by Co-chairmen Triplett and
Bogart, they expressed appreciation
for the intensive canvassing work
done by the group of 75 solicitors
and the courteous reception accorded
them by residents thruout the town.
Reports from Richland township’s
war loan canvass were not available
Wednesday morning. Progress of
the campaign has been materially
handicapped by the serious illness of
Henry Huber, township chairman.
Pannabecker Places
First In Scholarship
Robert Pannaecker, Buffton High
school senior, son of Rev. and Mrs.
S. F. Pannabecker of College road,
placed first in Allen county general
scholarship tests conducted March
27, it was announced this week by
Allen County Superintendent of
Schools Willard M. Floyd.
Pannabecker who made a score of
221 in addition to being high in the
county, placed 12th in the district
and gained honorable mention in the
state. Second was James Barbour
of Shawnee with 203 who was
trailed by Richard Thornberry of
Lafayette with 197. z
Others from Bluffton in the upper
25 per cent were: Dorothy Anderson
with 183 and Raymond Schumacher
with 182.
Pannabecker is valedictorian and
Dorothy Anderson is salutatorian of
the graduating class at Bulffton
High school this year.
With The Sick
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Huber are ill
at their home one mile north of
Bluffton.
Miss Freda Fritchie, Bluffton high
school junior, is convalescing at
Bluffton hospital where she under
went an operation for appendicitis,
Sunday morning. She is the daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Fritchie
of Riley street.
Nancy Lou, fifteen-months-old
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard
Ludwig of Lima, broke both bones
in her left forearm as the result of
a fall at her home, Saturday morn
ing. Mr. and Mrs. Ludwig were
formerly of Bluffton.