The Bluffton news. [volume], December 23, 1943, Image 1

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

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Merry Christmas
VOLUME NO. LXVIII
CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
PRESENT DESPITE
WARTIME SETTING
Town Short On Decorative Frills
But Spirit of Season
Same As Ever
Churches Plan Christmas
Programs In Keeping With
Season Schools To Close
Altho shorn of some of its peace
time frills, and despite the fact that
members of many a family circle
are scattered about the globe at
army locations, Bluffton’s observance
Saturday of its best-loved holiday
this Christmas will differ little from
that of other years.
Everything is in readiness here
for the Yuletide, the shopping rush
having passed its peak last Saturday,
and Christmas mailing is reported
well in hand at the Bluffton post
office.
Opening the musical observance of
the season, the Bluffton College
Choral Society last Sunday night
presented its annual rendition of
Handel’s oratorio, “The Messiah” in
the Bluffton High 'gymnasium.
In keeping with the spirit of the
season, churches of the community
will present Christmas programs on
Christmas Eve and the following
Sunday. Schools have additional
Yuletide entertainment arranged.
Bluffton High and Grade school
pupils are looking forward to a
week’s holiday recess which will start
with the close of school on Friday
afternoon. They -will return to class
es Monday morning, Jan. 3.
Bluffton colleg will have a slightly
longer vacation extending from
Thursday, Dec. 23, at 4 p. m., until
Tuesday morning, Jan. 4.
Business generally will be suspend
ed in Bluffton on Christmas and the
following day. Bluffton war in
dustries will close, the first holiday
this year on which they have entire
ly curtailed operations.
Eva Montgomery
Rites On Monday
Mrs. Eva Montgomery, 80, who
resided at a farm home south of
Bluffton until three years ago, died
last Saturday morning at the home
of a daughter, Mrs. Von Spellman,
in Ada.
Mrs. Montgomery had been
seriously ill for a week. Death was
attributed to the infirmities of age.
She was born Jan. 9, 1863, in
Hancock county, the daughter of
Jacob and Mary (Zeller) Bloom.
William Montgomery, her husband,
died in 1934. Until three years ago
when she went to Ada to live with
her daughter she had spent all her
married life on a farm south of
Bluffton.
Survivors include one son, Charles
Montgomery, Mrs. Ernest Klingler
and Mrs. Spellman and a foster
daughter, Mrs. Mae Tschantz, all of
Ada. A brother, William Bloom,
lives at Garretsville, O.
Mrs. Montgomery was a member
of the Liberty Chapel Evangelical
church in Orange township.
Funeral services were held Mon
day afternoon at the Lantz and
Cretors funeral home in Ada. Rev.
Irwin Kauffman of Mt. Cory, officiat
ed. Burial was in the Thompson
cemetery.
Former Resident
Dies In Leipsic
Mrs. Matthew Perkins, 75, form
erly of near Bluffton, died at her
home in West Leipsic, Tuesday
morning. The family formerly lived
south of Bluffton on the county line
on the farm now owned by John
Dunbar, the former Lafe Owens
place.
Funeral services will be held
Thursday afternoon at the West
Leipsic U. B. church, Rev. O. E.
Hawk officiating. Interment will be
in Harmon cemetery near Gilboa.
Besides her husband she is sur
vived by four children: Harry Per
kins of Toledo Ford of McComb
Calvert of Fostoria and Mrs. Etta
Ostrander of Leipsic. A brother,
Newton Harris, lives in Findlay.
Christmas Programs
Defenseless Mennonite, Friday, 8:00.
St. John’s Reformed, Friday, 7:30.
Missionary Church, Friday, 7:30.
Presbyterian, Friday, 8:00.
Methodist, Friday, 7:30.
Ebenezer Mennonite, Friday, 8:00.
Emanuel’s Reformed, Saturday, 8:00.
First Mennonite, Saturday, 7:30.
Winter Officially
Arrives Wednesday
Winter officially arrived in the
Bluffton district at 12:30 p. m. Wed
nesday when the sun on its monoton
ous annual journey reached the
southernmost point of its journey
and started back in this direction.
With the winter solstice falling on
Wednesday, the day was the short
est of the year. Long nights will
continue for quite a while before
there will be little appreciable dif
ference in the abbreviated period of
daylight each day provides.
To add the proper atmosphere,
weather forecasts indicate this dis
trict may expect colder weather on
Thursday.
NINE LOCAL MEN
TAKEN INTO ARMED
FORCES AT TOLEDO
31 Registrants Sent By Draft
Board No. 3 Are Inducted
Into Service
Army Takes 16 of Group: 10 Go
Into Navy And Marines
Get Four
Nine Bluffton men were among 31
Allen County Draft Board No. 3
registrants who passed physical ex
aminations at the Armed Forces In
duction Center in Toledo, last
Saturday.
The local men acecpted for the
various branches o fthe services in
cluded:
Richard Oberly, air force Floyd
Herr, Norman Kirtland, Herbert
Conrad, James Stonehill, Byron E.
Betz, Ralph Althaus and Robert
Oberly, all in the army and Edgar
Evan Huber, in the Marines.
Of the 31 from Allen county who
passed their physical examinations 16
went into the Army 10 into the
Navy four into the Marines and one
into the Air Corps.
Those taken by the Army are to
report for induction three weeks
from last Saturday. Navy and Ma
rine candidates wil get their call
earlier, but no date has been set yet.
Others who passed at Toledo in
cluded Philip Piper, and Robert
Piper, both of Beaverdam Walter
Kraft, Lima Robert Roth, Cairo
Virgil Mather, Delphos Clarence
Clevenger, Lima Homer Gaskill,
Spencerville William Brinkman,
Lima, and Richard Druckemiller, Del
phos, all in the Navy.
Leo Bowsher, Lima Ivan R. Clum,
Ada: Henry Glasco, Lima Charles
Bockey, Delphos Charles Niedecker,
Delphos Verne Thomas, Lima Eu
gene Archer, Lima, and Ray Dodds,
Lima, all in the Army.
Marine candidates were George K.
Miller, Jr., Delphos John H. Point,
Spencerville, and Paul Heiser, Ada.
Funeral On Thursday
For Mrs. John Welty
Funeral services for Mrs. Mary
Welty, 77, wife of John Welty, will
be held at the First Mennonite
church Thursday at 2:30 p. m. Mrs.
Welty died at her home on Cherry
street, Tuesday night, after threb
years of failing health. Death was
attributed to influenza.
She was born in Wayne county the
daughter of Peter and Rebecca Leh
man and was married May 31, 1914,
to Mr. Welty who survives together
with five step-children.
They are Mrs. Lillian Senff, mis
sionary to Belgian Congo, Africa
Lee Welty, Pandora Adaline and
Harry Welty at home and Mrs. Ella
Ross of Swanton.
Also surviving are a sister and
three brothers: Mrs. Carrie Hofstet
ter and Harvey Lehman of Califor
nia, Mo. Reuben Lehman, Deer
Creek, Okla., and Frank Lehman of
Versailles, Mo.
Rev. J. N. Smucker will officiate
at the funeral services, assisted by
Rev. A. F. Albro. Interment will be
in Ebenezer cemetery.
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Young, Leip
sic, a son, Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Von Stein,
Bluffton, a daughter, Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Wyncoop, Pan
dora, a son, Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Lingel, Bluff
ton, a daughter, Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. Burdell Huber, Bluff
ton, a daughter, Monday.
Bluffton Officer In Charge Of Signal
Installations At Tehran Conference
Capt. Herbert Luginbuhl Also
Commanded Troops Re
viewed By President
Bluffton Man Responsible For
Signal Installations Serving
Allied Legations
Capt. Herbert R. Luginbuhl, Bluff
ton native stationed in Oran, was
the officer in charge of all signal
installations serving the Russian,
British and American legations dur
ing the historical three-power con
ference at Tehran, it was learned
this week.
As the commanding officer of a
detachment of signal troops reviewed
by President Roosevelt, Capt. Lug
inbuhl also appeared before the
Commander-in-Chief. The President
returned Capt. Luginbuhl’s salute at
a distance of six paces during the
review.
It was a trying assignment, for
the Blufftqp man was on 24-hour
daily duty during the conference.
However, everything went off with
out a hitch, he reported, and altho
he didn’t get much sleep it was
worth it.
Capt. Luginbuhl has been in Oran
for the last year.
First news of his responsibilities
during the allied conference was
learned here this week when he
sent newspaper clippings from Teh
ran to his wife, the former Clorinda
Steiner, who is living on South
Main street.
Before going into the Army, Capt.
Luginbuhl held a responsible posi
tion with the American Telephone
and Telegraph Co.
Mary Eden Same
Weds George Bower
Mary Ellen Bame, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Samuel Bame, of North
Jackson street, became the bride of
George Franklin Bower, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Andy Bower, of Jenera, in
a quiet ceremony at the St. Paul
Lutheran parsonage in Jenera, last
Friday night at eight o’clock.
Rev. Bauman, pastor of the church,
officiated at the double ring ceremo
ny.
For the occasion the bride wore an
aqua blue gown with black acces
sories, and a sweetheart necklace, a
gift of the groom.
Following the ceremony the young
couple left for a weekend trip thru
southern Ohio. They will reside on
the Bower farm eight miles east of
Bluffton.
A graduate of Bluffton High
school, the bride until recently was
employed by The Triplett Electrical
Instrument Co. of this place.
$125 Damage In Fire
At G. L. Preto Home
Damage estimated at $125 resulted
from a fire at 6 p. m. last Wednes
day at the residepce of G. L. Preto,
on Cherry street.
The blaze was caused by* an over
heated chimney, Fire Chief Guy
Corson said. Chemicals were used to
extinguish the blaze.
Preto’s residence is generally
known as the former Battles prop
erty.
Tokens To Supplement
Use Of Ration Books
Two billion dime-sized ration tok
ens will go into circulation Feb. 27.
The Office of Price Administration
announced the nation’s shoppers will
start trading ration stamps for the
red and blue tokens at retail stores
on that date but reminded everybody
that the ration currency will supple
ment, not replace, the regular ration
books.
The vulcanized fiber tokens are be
ing manufactured now by the Os
borne Register Company of Cincin
nati. The original order called for
900,000,000, half red and half blue,
but OPA boosted the order to 1,100,
000,000 red tokens and 900,000,000
blue.
Stamp strips will be torn off hori
zontally from ration books when the
token plan becomes effective.
A regular schedule of validity
dates will be established. Consumers
will get 50 blue processed food
points a month, and 30 meat, fats
and butter red points semi-monthly.
OPA said the tokens will make it
unnecessary to issue ration books as
frequently as at present.
LIBRARY HOURS
The public library will be closed
during the holiday vacation except
on Thursday and Friday, Dec. 30 and
31 when it will be open in the after
noon and evening.
FHE BLUFFTON-NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, DFA
GOOSE, DUCK GAIN
FAVOR FOR XMAS
HOLIDAY DINNERS
Chicken Prices Higher No
Turkeys Available On
General Market
Many Bluffton Families Will
Serve Geese and Ducks
This Year
Goose and duck—once traditional
main course items of the Christmas
dinner—this year are regaining
much of their former popularity.
For the last decade or so turkeys
and chickens have eclipsed geese and
ducks as the favored meat course for
the holiday feast, but it is a dif
ferent story this yea' when no tur
keys are available the general
market and chickens are selling at
considerably’ higher retail prices.
That geese and ducks were again
installed as popuia? favorites was
seen in the early trend of Christmas
buying, and local dealers report
marked increases in the sale of both.
Live-weight retail price of geese
and duck is 27 cents a pound this
year, with chicken bringing 32
cents. Turkey is not available at all,
except for a few who place early
orders with farmers v, no raised their
own flocks.
All prices are up slightly this
winter. Chicken advanced to 32 cents
a pound from last year’s quotation of
27 cents. Geese and ducks, selling
for 27 cents this year, brought 20
cents in 1942.
Egg prices are about the same as
last year, ranging from 30 cents a
dozen for pullet eggs, to 41 cents for
choice lots.
SI. John's Reformed
Sunday School Elects
Carl Derringer was chosen super
intendent of the St John’s Reformed
Sunday school at qre annual election
of officers Sunday kiorning. C. A.
Stauffer was named assistant super
intendent.
Other officers elected were:
Secretary, W. O. Geiger assistant,
Paul Greding treasurer, Roy Hau
enstein assistant, Henry Balmer
chorister, Mrs. Paul Greding assist
ant, W. A. Amstutz pianist,
Bettye Lewis assistant, Mrs. Mard
en Basinger librarian, Margaret
Groman assistant, Richard Minck.
Harold Andrews Ends
Specialist Training
Pfc. Harold E. Andrews, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Paul W. Andrews, of
Route 2, Bluffton, has graduated
from basic and advanced courses of
the communications school at Fort
Benning, Georgia..
This is one of the five special
courses offered to qualified para
chutists, and only the better men
from each qualifying class receive
instruction, a school bulletin an
nounced.
Red Cross Elects
Officers For Year
Mrs. J. S. Steiner was named
chairman of the Bluffton Red Cross
chapter for the coming year at the
annual election of officers held Tues
day night.
Other officers elected were:
Vice chairman, Mrs. Paul Studler
sec.-treasur., Mrs. Edith Mann.
Directors: One year term, M. M.
Bogart, Edgar Hauenstein two year
term, C. G. Coburn, Mrs. Forrest
Steinman three year term, G. R.
Bogart, Mrs. J. S. Steiner.
Rationing Calendar
So that you may keep in mind the
numerous important war-time ra
tioning dates, the Bluffton News is
publishing this weekly reminder:
JANUARY 15—Last day to
use Stamp No. 29 in Ration
Book 4 for 5 pounds of sugar.
SHOES—Stamp No. 18 in Ra
tion Book 1 good for one pair.
Stamp No. 1 on “Airplane” sheet
in Ration Book 3 good for one
pair.
JANUARY 1—Last day to use
Brown Stamps L, M, N, P, Q, in
Ration Book No. 3 good for
meats, cheese, canned milk, can
ned fish, butter, lard and other
edible fats.
JANUARY 20—Last day to use
Green Stamps D, E and in Ra
tion Book No. 4 for processed
foods.
JANUARY 21—Last day to
use Coupon No. 9 in A books for
three gallons of gasoline.
23, 1943
James Benroth, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Albert Benroth, of North Main
street, serving with United States
forces in India, has received an
Army citation for developing a spe
cial tester for checking special air
plane panel equipment.
Benroth developed the tester to as
sist him in his work in India, and
his superior officers were so im
pressed with its performance that
they sent it to this country to de
termine if it was practical for adop
tion as standard airplane testing
equipment.
In the citation thanking him for
his new test equipment design, Col.
J. W. Gurr, of the air corps, ad
vised Benroth that additional testers
Ensign And Mrs. Richard Caris
In Northbound Train
Wrecked In N. C.
Local Couple Helps In Rescue
Work: Mrs. Caris Now At
Home of Parents
Two Bluffton persons were among
the fortunate number who escaped
when north and south bound luxury
trams of the Atlantic Coastline rail
road collided in North Carolina early
last Thursday morning, killing 69
persons and seriously injuring more
than 100.
Ensign Caris, of the Navy, was be
the northbound Tamiami Champion
were unhurt except for minor bruises
when the train crash occurred at
1:30 a. m. in an isolated section of
North Carolina.
Ensign aris, of the Navy, was be
ing transferred to Baltimore, and
Mrs. Caris was accompanying him as
far as Washington, from where she
came to the home of her parents,
Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Triplett, in Bluff
ton.
Thrown
Mrs. Caris was sitting up in her
berth to see what time it was when
the crash occurred. Both she and
her husband were thrown from their
berths by the impact.
Occupants of their pullman car
were badly shaken up and some were
bruised, but there were no fatalities.
They were two cars behind the one
in which practically all occupants
were killed.
Mrs. Caris said the lighting and
heating services of the train were
put out of commission, making it
difficult to search among the wreck
age for the injured and take care
of them. It was cold outside and
there was snow on the ground.
Rescue Work Slow
Passengers who were unhurt
helped in the rescue work, and the
injured were put in the pullman
berths of cars that were not wreck
ed. Some doctors and nujies ar
rived at daybreak, but it was noon
before there was treatment for the
less severely injured.
The train was due in Washington,
D. C., at 8 a. m. Thursday, but it
was Friday night before Ensign and
Mrs. Caris arrived there. She
came on to Bluffton immediately, ar
riving at the home of her parents,
Saturday afternoon.
The wreck occurred when three
cars derailed from the south bound
train tore up the rails of the north
bound flier.
War Curios Sent
Home By Vandemark
An interesting collection of South
Pacific war curios has been sent
home to his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Emmit Vandemark, who resides be
tween Bluffton and Ada, by their
son, Corp. Myron Vandemark.
Included among Corp. Vande
mark’s souvenirs are two Japanese
rubber suits, one Japanese ammuni
tion bag one pair Japanese field
glasses two pairs chop sticks one
insignia from a Japanese uniform
one can Japanese healing powder an
ash tray made of Japanese shells,
and a grass skirt.
Corp. Vandemark has been in an
army hospital for the last three
months, recovering from an attack
of malarial fever.
TO MOVE HERE
Albert Gossman, residing south
east of Bluffton will move to town
in January and occupy the property
known as the former Storer residence
at Cherry and Mound streets which
he recently purchased.
James Benroth Gets Army Citation
lor Designing Air Corps Tester
Two Bluffton Persons Unhurt In
Tragic Train Wreck That Killed 69
from Berth
of the same kind have been made
up and sent to other fields.
Col. Gurr added, “It is a pleasure
to commend you for your originality
and initiative in the development of
this design. That and your unselfish
attitude in making it available for
others is most commendable and is a
credit to you and the service.”
Working with test equipment is
nothing new to Benroth, for he
learned a lot about testers and in
struments while an employe of The
Triplett Electrical Insrument Co., of
this place, before he went into the
army.
The Bluffton youth was with one
of the first American units to land
in India, and has been stationed
there continuously since that time.
WHITE CHRISTMAS
PROSPECTS GAIN
AS HOLIDAY NEARS
Cloudy Weather Following Cold
Wave Results in Odds Fa
voring Snow
Eighteen White Fourteen
Green Christmases Here
In Last 32 Years
Snow flurries Wednesday morning
materially increased hopes for a
“White Christmas” this year, altho
predictions of colder weather may
cut short prospects for a heavy
snowfall before Saturday.
Last year, Bluffton had snowfall on
Christmas for the first time in seven
years, and grownups and children
alike are hoping for a repetition this?
Yuletide.
In the last 32 years Bluffton has
had 18 white and 14 green Christmas
es, the records reveal. But, in the
16-year period beginning with 1928
there have been occasions when it was
quite scant.
12 Inches in 1916
The heaviest snow of the 32-year
span was in 1916 when a blizzard
blanketed the ground with 12 inches
of snow. In 1935, the Bluffton area
had eight inches of snow, the heaviest
in recent times.
Last year, snowfall did not come to
Bluffton until Christmas Day, Start
ing at noon, the snow covered the
ground to a depth of more than two
inches by nightfall. Most of it dis
appeared on the following day, how
ever.
The all-time warm record was
Bluffton’s Christmas weather in 1932
when the thermometer recorded a
mark of 62 shortly afternoon.
32-Year Record
The 32-year record of Christmas
weather for Bluffton is as follows:
1911, no snow 1912, no snow 1913,
trace of snow 1914, seven inches
1915, three inches 1916, 12 inches
1917, seven inches 1918, trace of
snow 1919, one inch 1920, no snow
1921, no snow 1922, trace of snow
1923, no snow 1924, five inches 1925,
one inch.
1926, three inches 1927, no snow
1928, one inch 1929, five inches 1930,
no snow 1931, no snow 1932, no
snow 1933, no snow 11*4. three inch
es 1935, eight inches 1936, no snow
1937, no snow 1938, no snow 1939,
trace of snow 1940, no snow 1941,
no snow 1942 ,two inches.
Rdlph Marshall Is
Graduated At O. S. U.
Mrs. Rosamond Marshall, residing
in Beaverdam, has received word
that her husband Pvt. Ralph Marsh
all stationed at Camp Cooke, Calif.,
has been graduated with the degree
of bachelor of science in agriculture
at commencement exercises of Ohio
State university, Friday.
Marshall received the degree of
bachelor of science in agriculture.
He was an enlisted reserve student
at Ohio State University until last
April when he left for California
to take up basic army training.
CLOSING NOTICE
The following stores will close
Friday at 6 p. m.: The Lape Co., A.
& P. Store, Basinger Furniture
store, Walter Gratz, Bluffton Imple
ment & Harness Co., Mrs. Peter
Gratz, Ruff’s.
1
Merry Christmas
NUMBER 35
HEAVY VOLUME OF
XMAS MAIL SETS
NEW RECORD HERE
Holiday Business This Christ
mas Season Will Surpass
Yast Year’s Mark
Peak of Mailing Rush Came
Much Earlier, However, To
Make Handling Easier
With cancellations for December
already nearly 12,000 ahead of last
year’s figure, a new all-time record
.for outgoing mail has been establish
ed at the Bluffton post office this
Christmas season.
Altho much of the 1943 Y’uletide
mailing was done in October and
November, cancellations at the post
office from Dec. I to 20 amounted to
72.061, as compared with 60,613 can
cellations last year, it was announced
by postal officials.
Earlier mailing has been the only
thing that made it possible for the
post office department to cope with
the record volume of letters and
parcels handled.
Heaviest Dec. 13
The heaviest volume of incoming
mail this year was on Monday, Dec.
13, nearly two weeks in advance of
Christmas. On that day 104 sacks
of incoming mail were cleared thru
the local office.
By contrast, Monday of this week,
when 87 sacks of incoming mail was
received, was considerably lighter
than is usual on the Monday before
Christmas. Last year, for example,
the Monday preceding the holiday
brought a flood of lry sacks of mail
for local postal employes to handle.
Outgoing mail, too, was posted
Ihiuch earlier than in
g/jt
years. The
heaviest day was Friday, Dec. 10,
when 84 sacks were made up and
dispatched. On Monday, Dec. 13,
there were 81 sacks of outgoing mail,
and the volume Monday of this week
dropped to 57 sacks. Last year on
the Monday before Christmas there
were 63 sacks of outgoing mail.
*uood Delivery
Altho help is restricted this year,
local delivery of the record volume
of Christmas mail is well in hand
because mailings generally were
made earlier than usual, local postal
officials pointed out.
All first-class mail has cleared thru
regular delivery channels on its
customary schedule, they said, and
altho there was a backlog of un
delivered greeting cards with l*i
cent postage at the post office on
Monday, all of it will be in the hands
of the Bluffton persons to whom it
is addressed by the middle of the
week.
Air Mail Greater
Air mail cancellations at the local
post office also have shown the ef
fects of the Yuletide, it was an
nounced. On Monday there were 264
air mail letters as compared with 96
one year ago, and the average so
far this month has been 150 daily in
comparison with 70 per day last
year.
A large volume of Christmas mail
was. handled at the post office as
early in October, to meet the dead
line for mailings to servicemen over
seas, and much of the normal home
land mailing was completed in
November. Cancellations for the last
half of November this year were
18,993 in comparison with a total of
18,017 for the same period last year.
The largest single day of letter
cancellations at the post office for
this Christmas season was last Fri
day when 9,954 went thru the
machine. Most of that mail, how
ever, was for local delivery.
Bluffton WAC Has
Picture In Paper
Sgt. Mary Jane Carr, of the WAC
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. G.
Carr, four miles north of Bluffton,
found her picture in Dayton news
papers last week, shortly after she
was transferred from Brooklyn to
Wright Field.
The photograph showed Sgt. Carr
busy with a soldering assignment in
the engineering laboratories at
Wright field.
In the explanation, the newspaper
said in part, “Sgt. Mary Jane Carr
is the first of technical and adminis
trative personnel that will make up a
squadron of more than 500 WACs to
report for duty at Wright Field.”
Before enlisting, Miss Carr was an
employe of The Triplett Electrical
Instrument Co., of this place.
BLUFFTON MARKETS
Wednesday morning
Grain (bu. prices)—Wheat $1.57
old corn $1.05 new corn 94c oatst
70c soys $1.80.