The Bluffton news. [volume], May 13, 1943, Image 3

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

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THURSDAY, MAY 13, 1943
Well, fellows the time has come
when this scribe has been asked to
trade in his typewriter for a Garand
and a Khaki uniform. Uncle Sam
has called and I leave for the Toledo
induction center the 20th, and I
hope, the Marine Corps.
I’ve had a swell time here in
Bluffton and have really enjoyed
spending my Monday evenings down
here at the News hammering away
at the column. I want to take up a
little space in thanking the Club
president, Gene Benroth, for all the
help he has given in supplying the
local articles. If this column is to
continue in the future Gene will be
responsible for it and in thanking
him for the cooperation he has given
me I wish him the best of luck. To
the rest of the Club, the Directors
and my friends here, I want to say
that you’ve really made a stranger
feel at home. I’ve never been in a
more sportsmen-minded community
than this and I’m glad to have had a
part in what I believe is one of the
most active Sportsmen’s Clubs in the
State of Ohio.
I hope that this Club and its in
terests continue to grow as they
have in the past. At present it has
a bigger job than it ever had before.
Next time you happen to glance
over the pictures of Bluffton’s young
men in Hankish’s Confectionery who
have gone to fight for their country
think this over Just what
do you at home owe the boys behind
the guns?
There’s one thing you can be
sure of—When we come back we
want to find this country as we left
it! Our wildlife had better still be
here, our forests had better not be
ravished and raped as they were by
greedy and selfish industries during
the last war and another thing,
there had better not be another dust
bowl like the one which resulted
from World War I.
Quite a few of us won’t come
back, some will, a great majority of
those are going to need the quiet
and beauty that our great outdoors
has to offer, to reconstruct tired
bodies and harried minds.
You folks at home are depending
on those fellows behind the guns.
We aren’t going to let you down,
there are millions of us out there
who knew how to shoot long before
we thought of fighting any wars,
you can bet that just as long as we
can squeeze a trigger, if that be our
job, that we’ll be there fighting for
our American heritage.
I think I’m expressing the views
of quite a few fellows: the kids that
you just a few years ago started off
to school and went fishing and hunt
ing for the first time, we don’t like
war, but ... we are in it now! We
didn’t ask for it but we know’ that
the quicker it’s over, the better for
all concerned, then we can come back
home Back to what we’ve
fought for, our woods, our lakes, and
streams and the right for a fellow’ to
ramble over the field with his dog
and gun or to cast a fly on a swift
trout stream.
Your job at home is just as big
and important and tough as ours is
under fire, we won’t let you down.
Are you going to do the same for
us?
Keep uncooked, w’ell-cured meat in
a dark, cool, dry, airy place. Leave
wrapping on ham, bacon, and other
cured meat until ready to cook.
D. C. BIXEL, O.D.
GORDON BIXEL, O.D.
Citizen* Bank Bidr., Bluffton
EYESIGHT SPECIALISTS
Office Hours: 8:30 A. M-—5:30 P. M.
Eveninra: Mon.. Wed., Fri., Sat. 7:30 to
8:30 P. M. Closed Thursday Afternoon.
WITH THE
SPORTSMEN’S CLUB
By Paul Saucier
Trying to finish courses up early
at the College has caused things to
sort of pile up on the editor and this
being my last week, I’d better get
them on paper. I’ve been in on a
few of the tree planting expeditions
lately sponsored by the club and, be
lieve it or not, the Directors of the
Sportsmen’s Club can even plant
trees.
Thursday evening the Directors
held their meeting on a hill behind
Elmer Klay’s property on West Elin
street where they planted one of
the tree units issued by the Conser
vation Department and they did
get those trees planted too. Cliff
Elliot took pictures of the planting.
The picture will be sent to the Ohio
Conservation Bulletin for publica
tion. Gene Benroth tells me that
photographs of most of the units
and those who helped plant them
are to be taken and the pictures sent
to the bulletin.
Saturday a week ago John
Schmidt in charge of the following
group of scouts: John Bracy, May
nard Pogue, David Steams, Dean
Nisw’ander, Gene Patterson, Bob
Ramseyer, Don Augsburger, Maurice
Kohli, Coach A. C. Burcky and son
Billy and myself planted a unit of
trees opposite Riley creek from the
College Cabin at the College farm.
After “Schmidty” told the boys that
as soon as we had the trees in, the
eats were on him—then those trees
really were put in their proper set
ting in a hurry.
The trees and shrubs in all of the
units came in very good condition
and this weather has really given
them a break, so it looks like in a
few years w'e may see some very
favorable results.
This spring weather has persuaded
me to do quite a little hiking around
and I was very much surprised to
encounter on one of those strolls a
Canada Goose. The bird was stand
ing along the opposite bank of the
Riley out by the College farm w’hen
we encountered it. I expected it to
leave when it spotted us but instead
it causually strolled around and after
omitting a dozen or so curious honks
it lazily took off and flew but a
short distance down stream. The
bird had probably become lost dur
ing the spring migration.
Reports have come in that chucks
are plentiful this spring and Mon
day Dick Berky, Warren Sites, and
myself secured a couple of fully
feathered crow’s from a nest which I
had spotted Sunday. We w’ere rather
surprised to find young birds almost
ready to leave the nest this early in
the season. Merlin Zurcher has con
sented to care for the two crows and
we intend to use them as live decoys
in a little crow shooting spree in the
near future. Along with Russ Mont
gomery’s owl and a good crow call
plus a few shootin’ irons ... it looks
mighty bad for those black maraud
ers. Especially if Dick Berky and
Wilbur Niswander keep on hitting
wing shots like they have in the past
few days. Never again will yours
truly kid Dick about his ability to
shoot.
For Jesse Mangus’ information the
fur output in these parts should be
good next season. I’ve seen musk
rats working along the Riley, both
night and day and the other after
noon one took a notion to gather
some grass not four feet from where
I was standing. Contented that it
had enough for one trip it took to
the water and swam down the creek.
Since gas is becoming a thing be
longing only to the man with the
“C” card more people are having a
chance to enjoy themselves out in
the open. This time of the year
DO YOU HAVE A LAND CONTRACT?
Why not let us Appraise your property to
pay off that land contract or refinance
your present loan?
NO CHARGE IF YOUR LOAN IS NOT GRANTED
You will appreciate the service we can
render. We have a financial plan for
your own individual requirements.
SOUTH SIDE
BUILDING & LOAN ASSOCIATION
128 WEST HIGH ST, LIMA, OHIO
nothing is as enjoyable as an after
noon out in the woods or along the
creek just seeing what kind of a
show Outdoor Ohio can put on for
you. And by the way to those who
like wildflowers now is the time to
find them in bloom, saying nothing
of how the mushrooms are poppin’
this time of the year.
By a unamious vote of the board
of directors of the Bluffton Com
munity Sportsmen’s Club, the Bluff
ton Bowmen Archery Club has be
come an affiliate association. The
archery club under the plan will
share the third floor of the Town
Hall with the Sportsmen’s Club. The
meeting quarters has sufficient room
to accommodate both organizations
and an indoor archery range will be
installed in the large auditorium
formerly used by the Odd Fellows
Association.
The archery club is headed by
Miss Della Krebill as president and
Mrs. Dallas Berry as Sec’y-Treas.
Plans are made to have weekly
meetings. A private outdoor range
will be constructed for use by the
members during the summer months.
Harry Wingate, manager of the
Swiss Inn on the Dixie south of
town, will erect an archery range
at his gas station for use of the
public.
Anyone interested in archery to
the extent that they would like to
try out the sport prior to joining the
archery club will be furnished equip
ment on a rental plan at Wingate’s
range. Interested persons are in
vited to attend meetings. The next
meeting will be Friday night, 8:30
p. m., at the archery range on the
third floor of the town hall. This
meeting is open to the public and
you are requested to bring your
equipment to the meeting for prac
tice shooting.
Here is a proposition for you
farmer folks—the club had ap
propriated a considerable sum of
money to be used for the purchasing
of feed for the College Game Re
serve and the feeding of wildlife dur
ing the winter months in other
areas. This sum is very nearly ex
hausted and the club needs addi
tional ear corn for the squirrel feed
ers constructed on the college cam
pus. We will be interested in ex
changing a club membership costing
one dollar for an equivalent amonut
of corn to maintain our feeding pro
gram.
membership card and the corn will
be called for at your farm. It is
estimated the club will need 50
bushels of corn for the next 12
months.
The reserve has thirteen squirrel
dens installed and four large feeders
that need replenishing about every
12 days. The club has contracted
THE BLUFFTON NEWS, BLUFFTON, OHIO
Nay
isjus
More
BLACK
caappic
-ifcE LARGEST
TREE EAST
OF THE ROCKY
MOUNTAINS IS A
SYCAMORE NEAR
Beverly* 0 sycamore
42feet 7inches
IN CIRCUMFERENCE
for’two more game reserves in the
area. These two reserves will be
equipped with squirrel and coon
dens, in the next few weeks. Plans
are being discussed to maintain
feeders for wildlife in the two new
reserves. These new reserves are
set up by the state primarily as
squirrel and raccoon propagation
areas, and work done by the club
will be for the propagation of this
type of game.
A grebe picked up on the highway
Monday by Staff Sgt. Racine Warren
home on furlough was turned over
to Si Diller for treatment. The
bird, about the size of a hen pheas
ant will be cared for until it is able
to mend a broken wing bone and
fly again. Apparently the grebe had.
hit a wire while flying. This swim
ming bird nests along reeds, is an
excellent diver and is able to swim
long distances under water. The
grebe is a relative of the loon, has
lobate toes instead of webbed feet,
and the tail is rudimentary. Its
body has a greyish color and the
front of the neck is marked by a
red band of feathers.
In the last few weeks complaints
have been floating around which are
aimed at those rabbits and pheasants
which Jack Berry declares are tak
ing turns watching for the first
green shoots to appear in his victory
garden. Not only Jack’s garden but
it seems that the rabbits so far
have not needed a food rationing
book due to the bountiful gardens
within the city limits. Just how
you will eliminate this menace we
don’t know but, there is a booklet
put out to help the victory gardner
to protect his plants! Leaflet No.
236 “Protecting Victory Gardens
from Animal Pests” (issued free by
writing the U. S. Fish & Wildlife
Service, Chicago). This publication
deals largely with the cottontail rab
bit, and how to keep him out of the
garden.
In an effort to find a nesting place
i to rear its young in complete safety,
a rabbit finally decided to choose a
location on the Triplett Company
lawn just at the rear of the flag
pole.
The lawn completely enclosed by a
high fence affords excellent protec
tion for the nest of young rabbits.
The only’ party disturbed in the rear
ing plan is the lawn caretaker who
has some difficulty in mow’ing near
the nest.
W’hat kind of bait is best? Fish
ermen don’t agree on the best kinds
of bait for taking various types of
fish from Ohio waters but most of
them are eager for more informa
tion on the subject.
Without getting into any argu
ments as to the merits and demerits
of baits, it is interesting to look at
the records on census reports, com
piled by E. W. Wickliff of the Ohio
Division of Conservation and Natural
Resources, for a total of 4,585 fish
caught. These census reports show
that live crawfish, especially soft
shelled craws, took more smallmouth
bass, while minnows were responsible
for the catching of nine out of ten
of the crappies taken. The lowly
angleworm enticed the most fish to
bite on hook and line and these in
clude rock bass, blue gills, sunfish,
bullheads, channel catfish and suck
ers, while doughballs proved the
downfall of four-fifths of all carp
taken.
Of the total number of fish taken,
worms were responsible for 60%,
minnows, 20%, doughballs 10% and
crawfish 8%.
The winning team of a member
ship contest held by the club direc
tors will be entertained at a dinner
at the Walnut Grill Thursday even
ing. The winning team led by’ Herb
Rupright will be fed by the losing
team led by Si Diller as captain.
Membership this year will be con
siderably larger than the 339 on the
role last year.
Jack Filhart takes great pride in
the apple orchard near hia home on
under ontosntes
AS TOLD BY CONSERVATION DlV/SION
Month
ees
crappies are
TAKEN IN MAY THAN
AT ANY OTHER
SEASON*
cmmts-
wmiyr
c**Afna
:0‘
WMIT« CRAPPIBS ARP COMMON
THROueHOUT THK STATS IN PONP
reservoirs or euueeisH parts
OF LARGE STREAMS. 61. ACK
CRAPPISS ARE COMMON ON(_Y IM
THE NORTHERN SECTIONS*
BOTH SITE ON
LIVE MINNOWS
OR SPINNERS*
SH
flow
TEMPERATURE
iS required to
preserve bait
Minnows where
they have no
SPECIAL AERATION
ies\
|7i i i kk
North Jackson street. Last week he
became aware that other eatables
besides apples are grown in the
orchard for under one tree he picked
up three nice big sponge mushrooms.
Judging from the number of
people taking to the woods last Sun
day there should have been a great
harvest of sponge mushrooms. Cars
were parked by nearly every good
woods and many orchards were
scoured by eager enthusiasts search
ing for this spring delicacy. Some
folks were successful, others gather
ed a scattered few for their efforts.
Elmer Ludwig was probably the
luckiest for he gathered around six
dozen nice mushrooms near a stump
in the Dardio woods. Mrs. Ludwig
and Verne Dardio accompanying
Elmer were not without luck for
they were each able to gather a few
before the day was over.
Veterans at the game of mush
room hunting are Carl and Ray
Mumma of Bluffton, and Jay Mumma
of Toledo. These three were able to
gather only a few mushrooms Sun
day afternoon. Carl feels that the
coming week end will be the peak
for this season and that the warm
weather with the rains falling the
past few days should produce an
abundance of sponge mushrooms.
Mushrooms can be gathered the last
of April and as late as the first of
June, but the first ten days of May
I is the best time in the opinion of
these men.
Albert Benroth picked up four
sponge mushrooms under an apple
tree near the Tipple farm, but was
unable to find more after searching
several additional orchards and
woods.
Maynard Geiger always hits the
jack pot when he goes a mushroom
ing. Last Friday he made a find of
38 nice big ones. Maynard hunts
with his father Menno Geiger and
this probably accounts for some of
his uncanny ability to find these
choice delicacies. Menno, a lumber-
I
I
K5 w S
i
Bl
Turtles Numerous In
Local Streams
(Continued from page 1)
son on turtle hunting this year.
Turtles and frogs may be taken from
the waters at any time, except from
May 1 to June 15, inclusive.
No Limit
There are no legal lengths, bag
or possession limits in open seeason
and sportsmen are permitted to sell
them. They may be taken in any
way, except that if a trap is used
each mesh shall measure at least
four inches on a side.
The turtles “hole up” for the win
ter and with the coming of warm
spring weather head down the small
streams towards bigger waters. Later
as the weather becomes considerably
wafmer the female locates a sand
bank or a convenient place in a near
by field and using her tail as an
auger will pivot round and round in
a circle until a hole in the earth is
made in which she lays her eggs.
Frequently several dozen of these
small eggs can be found in a single
nest. Egg laying time is the period
when the turtle is extremely brave
and the turtle will vigorously defend
herself. The eggs are then left to
be incubated by the warm rays of
the sun.
Turtle Eggs
Turtle eggs of the snapper and
soft shell varieties are about the
size of a ping-pong ball and are very
edible. One nest of eggs is laid by
turtles in the Bluffton locality each
season. Nests of snapper turtles
have been found containing as many
as 70 eggs.
Turtles are caught in the creeks
and quarries of Bluffton. They gen
erally prefer the creek as a habitat
since they are almost entirely vege
tarian. The snapper turtle is an ex
ception to this rule and will eat
fish or even on occasion will pull a
duckling under the water and de
vour it.
The following varieties of turtle
are found in the Bluffton area:
snapper, painted, blandings, box,
spotted, soft shell and musk. None
of these is poisonous. Of all these
the snapper turtle is the largest,
Bluffton sportsmen having caught
this variety in a size too large for
an average wash tub.
Caught Many Ways
Turtles are caught in a variety of
ways: handnets, specially built traps
or even with hook and line. Lester
Hahn, Bluffton sportsman living on
West Elm street, has developed his
own technique and catches the tur
tles by reaching into the under
water hole with his hand pulling
them out by the tail. Further de
scription of this method will be giv
en in next weeks installment.
I Few people realize how much tur
tie meat is available around here.
Local turtle hunters and trappers
state that there is an almost un
limited supply in the two streams
man for a good many years, can
tell ash and elm and other trees a
mile away that seem to lend assist
ance in some manner in causing the
mushroom spawn to flourish. So
these two hunters waste little time
looking at the places where there
aren’t mushrooms.
Fred Zehrbach found some 20
mushrooms of the large grey type in
the woods Monday evening.
PAGE THREE
and its tributaries.
Probably the reason why turtles
are not easten more frequently is
not so much the prejudice against
them but their foridding appearance
which makes the task of preparation
for the table seem like an all day
job.
Dressing Turtles
Yet, we are told by the sportsmen
here, that it is no more of a trick
to dress a turtle than it is to dress
a chicken.
Turtle can be prepared for eating
in several ways and in the opinion
of most local hunters baking the
meat in an oven produces the most
delicious flavors. Preparing the
meat is similar to the preparation
of dressing pheasant or chicken.
Like dressing a bird you first chop
off the head. Lifting the turtle by
its tail will cause him to stick his
head out and then a noose can be
slipped over the head, making the
severing of the head an easier task.
The claws are sharp, so to avoid
injury cut off the feet and hands at
the “ankle” and “wrist” respectively.
Now nail the turtle to a board or
tree, belly out, and you are ready
for the removal of the shell.
Cut the skin from the shell, and
after pulling it back over the legs
separate the shell into two parts by
cutting exactly through the point of
junction of the belly plate and the
back shell. Lift the belly plate off,
and after removing the entrails, the
four quarters can be removed. The
tenderloins can then be cut from
along the middle of the back just
outside the ribs. Skin out the neck
and base of tail and there will be
ready eight chunks of meat of three
distinct kinds.
All fat must be cleaned away in
preparing the meat. In frying, soak
meat first over night in salt water,
or diluted vinegar. The meat can be
used for soups rather than frying.
The eggs found inside the turtle
make excellent omelettes and French
toast.
It is not possible to boil turtle
eggs. Jim Luce, of Lake George,
Michigan, well known to many Bluff
ton people, gives the following re
cipe: Separate the yolk from the
white, add a small amount of sugar,
thick cream or condensed milk, beat
well, add seasoning and fry in butter.
Personal experiences of Bluffton
turtle hunters will be described in
the next issue of the News.
Compulsory registration of Austral
ian women was made effective Oct.
15, 1942 and at that time, there was
a Woman’s Land Army totaling 1,538.
The enrollment increased to 1,900 by
the end of 1942. Women in the Land
Army are granted free uniforms, free
transportation, four weeks annual
I sick leave and two weeks holiday on
I pay, and are to be provided with in
insurance against occupational acci
dents.
Francis Basinger, D. D. S.
Evan Basinger, D. D. S.
Telephone 271-W
Bluffton, Ohio
MUNSON R. BIXEL, M. D.
Office Hour*: 8:30-10 A. M.
1-3 P. M. 7-8 P. M.
Office, 118 Cherry St.
Phone 120-F Bluffton, O.
This is more of a woman’s war than
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.. .to the women at home faced with
the problem of preparing nutritious
wartime meals for their families
we're all playing a vital part in help*
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“But there’s another way we can show
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that is by avoiding wasteful use of
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''Most people think of Gas only as a
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“Gas makes them faster ... and that
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