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Happy New Year VOLUME NO. LXVIII BLUFFTON PLANS TO WELCOME NEW YEAR WITH GAIETY Watch Parties And Bands of Carolers Will Greet 1944 Friday Night Enthusiasm And Cheer of New Year Brightened By Better News of War Reacting to a brighter aspect in the fortunes of war, Bluffon area residents will cast their cares aside to the accompaniment of ringing bells, shrilling whistles and tooting horns at midnight Friday in the celebration of the passing of another yeai’ and the ushering in of its suc cessor. In keeping with the custom of the community, there will be many watch parties, and bands of carolers will make their traditional rounds of the town and the countryside, adding color and cheerfulness to the New Year’s observance. New Year’s Eve carolling is a tra dition of long standing in the area, and altho restrictions on tires and gasoline limit the use of automobiles in reaching isolated districts, there has been no general curtailment of this activity. Theatre parties are being arranged by other groups, and in some cases the passing of the old year will be observed by staying quietly at home and listening to radio music in keep ing with the season. New Year Holiday New Year’s Day will be observed quietly, with business and industrial activities generally suspended in the town. As usual, there will be no postal deliveries on town or rural routes. With the debut of 1944, the gaiety of the Yuletide season will be brot to a close, and its color and cheer will soon be absorbed in the rush of everyday affairs. Christmas decora tions 'will be removed, and Christmas trees will be discarded, symbolizing the passing of the community’s fa vorite holiday season. Bluffton High and Grade students will return to their classes Monday morning, and students at Bluffton college will resume their' normal sehclastte achetMlle mor- Week Of Prayer To Be Observed Here Universal week of prayer will be observed in churches here next week, it is announced by the Bluff ton Ministerial association in charge of arrangements. Meetings will start next Sunday and continue all next week every night at 7:30 p. m. except Saturday and close on the following Sunday, January 9. Union meetings will be held in the various churches with no pastor speaking in his own church. National observance of the Week of Prayer is sponsored by the Fed eral council of churches. Schedule for services, including place and speaker: Sunday, Jan. 2, Methodist church, Rev. J. N. Smucker. Monday, Church of Christ, Rev. E. N. Bigelow. Tuesday, St. John’s Reformed, Rev. Stanley Rupp. Wednesday, Defenseless Mennonite, Rev. J. A. Weed. Thursday, First Mennonite, Rev. V. C. Opperman. Friday, Lutheran, Rev. A. C. Schultz. Sunday, Jan. 9, Presbyterian, Rev. W. L. Harmony. With The Sick Mrs. Willis Althaus, former Bluff ton resident now residing in Ash land is in the Samaritan hospital in that city with a fractured hip which she received in a fall at her home Sunday. Her husband who suffered a paralytic stroke five weeks ago is convalescing at their home in Ash land. Miss Levon Wilch, daughter of Harvey Wilch of High street under went an operation for removal of tonsils in the office of Dr. B. W. Travis, Monday. Mrs. Jacob Schnegg who has been bedfast for the past three weeks with pneumonia at her home on East College avenue is slowly re covering. Mrs. Elizabeth Risser, mother nf David Risser, Bluffton restaurateur, is a surgical patient in Lima Me morial hospital. John Trippiehorn residing south of town on the county line is a patient in Bluffton hospital. Two Are Injured In Auto-Truck Mishap Two Kentucky men injured in an automobile-truck accident two miles south of Bluffton on the Dixie high way near the Philip Hilty farm at 7:30 a. m. last Monday, are in the Bluffton hospital this week. Four other occupants of the auto mobile were released from the hos pital following treatment. Most seriously hurt in the acci dent were Willie Root, 24, of Corbin, Ky., who suffered severe lacerations about the head, and Kenneth Root, 19, of Lake, Ky., who received a fractured left ankle. The other four persons who re ceived treatment for minor injuries were Hubert Philpot, 17, of Lake, Ky. Mrs. Bertha Clutter, 23, of Detroit, Mich: Mrs. Pauline Mc Hargun, 20, of Corbin, Ky., and J. B. Jones, 19, of Detroit. Those injured were in an automo bile northbound to Detroit which sideswiped a southbound truck op erated by a Cleveland poultry con cern. The six occupants of the car were brought to the hospital by the Diller ambulance. NEW OFFICIALS TO BE INDUCTED Mayor Howe Will Start Third Term As Head of Town Administration Outgoing Council Will Meet And Adjourn Sine Die New Group Will Convene Bluffton’s new municipal adminis tration will take over the reins of city government at the first council meeting of the new year next Mon day night. The change will be made officially in the council chamber when mem bers of the outgoing council will convene in brief routine sesssion and adjourn sine die after which the incoming council will hold its organ ization meeting. With Mayor W. A. Howe re-elected for a third term, the administrative head of the local government will Treasurer Re-Elected Also re-elected were Samuel Bixel, city treasurer and Charles Auker man, Jesse Yoakam, Cleon Triplett and E. S. Lape, as councilmen. Wil ford Geiger, who has been serving as deputy clerk in the absence of James West, was elected to that office in November, and will continue in the post he has been filling temporarily. New’ council men, elected last November, will be Don Patterson, and C. A. Stauffer, a former corpora tion clerk. Appointments for munici pal officers will be made at next Monday’s meeting of the town coun cil. The Bluffton board of education also will re-organize for the new year, at the first January meeting. Waldo Hofstetter, re-elected, will be serving his second term, and Levi Althaus will take office for the first time, replacing Elmer Short, who was not a candidate for re-election. Ralph Badertscher, Dr. W. M. Nis wander and John Tosh, present mem bers, will continue to srve. Board of Public Affairs There will be two new members on the Board of Public Affairs, Harry F. Barnes and F. J. Harmon. William Luginbuhl, a previous mem ber, was re-elected. Personnel of Richland township trustees will be unchanged. Allen Grismore was elected for another term, and Fred Badertscher and Walter Marshall will continue to serve. N. W. Basinger will continue as clerk-treasurer, having been re elected again last November. Township constables named last fall also are unchanged. They will be R. E. Griffith and Charles Lora. A. D. Gratz and Stanley Vertner will continue as justices of peace. Burial Services For Infant Twins Twins, a boy and girl, born to Mr. and Mrs. Harold Marshall of Orange township at the Bluffton hos pital, Saturday, died shortly after birth. Burial services were held at Pleasant Ridge cemetery near Pan dora, Monday. Promotion Elbert Kibele, formerly of Bluff ton, serving in the European war theatre, has been promoted from sec ond lieutenant to first lieutenant it was announced Tuesday. FHEBLUE A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE $8,000 DAMAGE IN BARN—SHED FIRE ON CHRISTMAS EVE Bank Barn, Implement Shed And Contents Lost On Jesse Hummon Farm Family In Bed When Fire Is Discovered Livestock And House Saved A Christmas Eve fire causing damages estimated at more than $8000 to buildings and contents razed a large bank barn and implement shed on the Jesse Humon farm, five miles north township. of Bluffton in Union shortly before midnight the fire had gained so Discovered last Friday, much headway before the Bluffton fire department arrived that it was impossible to save either building. The fire was discovered when mem bers of the Hummon family noticed a red glow reflected in their bedroom after they had retired. The blaze spread rapidly and altho the live stock was saved there was no time to remove anything else from the burning structures. Starts In Shed Fire Chief Guy Corson reported that the fire evidently started in the implement shed, which adjoined the barn. It had spread to the barn be fore being discovered and there was no chance to save either. Lost in the barn was a large quantity of stored corn and hay, and a combine. Implements burned in the shed included a tractor, a pickup truck, an automobile and a wagon. The car had been put in the shed by Hummon about 7:30 p. m., and no one was in the structure after that time, the family said. A house on the Hummon farm was burned 16 years ago in a fire that occurred in July, 1927, and the present structure was built to replace it. Loss in the barn fire was only partly covered by insurance, Hum mon reported. 3 con Triplett Starts recon Excavatioi£oach a new buildiffg AdWtion to the plant of The Triplett Electrical Instru ment Co. was started Tuesday on the former Mrs. Corda Oehrli lot extending north from Poplar street. The new building will be a two story cement block structure that will house expanded production fa cilities demanded by the war gram. Names Are Drawn For Jury Service and vicinity grand venires of the court. residents of Bluffton are included in one and three petit jury Names of jury drawn for the January term Allen county common pleas Included in the grand jury venire are: R. A. Stratton, Kermit Kibele, Bessie Diller, Bluffton Clara Jen nings, Beaverdam. Petit jury cenire includes: Evelyn Benroth, John Tosh, Otto ton beet ron Basinger, Pandora. W .H. Kidd, Bigler, and Jesse Yoakam, Bluff Clair Moser, Earl Struble, Her Marshall, Columbus Grove By Shrider, Beaverdam Gertrude Peter Heldman Dies Funeral Thursday services for Peter Held will be held at Trinity church, Jenera, Thursday at 2 o’clock. Rev. George Funeral man, 81, Lutheran afternoon Luetke of Toledo will officiate and burial will be in Trinity cemetery. Mr. Heldman died at his home in Eagle township, Hancock county, Monday afternoon. He was a life long resident of Hancock county. In 1881 he was married to Eliza beth Nessler who survives. Also surviving are three sons Ed ward of Jenera Amos of Findlay and Levi of Eagle township and two sisters, Mrs. Mary Von Stein of Jenera and Mrs. Jacob Von Stein of Union township. Takes Advanced Air Course At Army Base Aviation Cadet Wade Mumma has completed his basic training at the army air field at Coffeyville, Texas, and has gone to an advanced field at Pampa, Texas, where he will finsih his cadet training and win his wings. He is the son of Carl Mumma of North Main street. i Bl fc! The usual oddities that help-make up the warp and woof of this com munity’s pattern of living take the center of the stage in the review of 1943 happenings in, Bluffton and its environs, against a background of the war and its effect on the every- ■^■1 town. For the Bl a good memory, S as a year of They are the persons who mind you that earing the months: A Nickel the tracks farm, and more than-t bounced back astonished having two birth. Tree pro Bluffton’s IT ALL HAPPENED IN BLUFFTON DURING 1943 iffton folks who have will be recalled lai occurrences can re tank car H. damage occurrt had they Iding said like jumped Allman ah-ng for across the ties, the rails. No the railroaders heard of the daughter of basin Ijer, attaches by teeth four days after Crushes Truck his A truck driver who parked vehicle on Main street was moved to profanity when a large tree split in half and fell, crushing the motor, just as he stepped from the cab. Municipal councilmen had a new headache presented to them, when a reputable laboratory ruled age gas from Riley creek coloring paint on houses. that sew was dis- to play A Deputy Sheriff had King Solomon when he was called to Bluffton to settle a family in which a wife refused to give husband his trousers until turned her ration book. row her re- he an in Marshal Lee Coon found year-old transient sleeping city jail with a large American draped over him. He said lieved in demonstrating his ism when he when awake. 84 the flag be- he patriot well as was asleep, as Still city With Us officials fifth attempt to the rails of an Rails were thwarted in their rid themselves of abandoned interurban line running thru Main street. War Materials Inc. made the same report as before, the rails were so in concrete they moved. Bluffton college game in the 1942-43 season, then with less than two full teams avail able for this year’s schedule, team was still undefeated at Christmas holidays. High astonished every victory an all- Bluffton to score a over Ada time record at the school. IT ON NEWS RESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY BLUFFTON, OHIO, WURSD AY, DEC. 30, 1943 ... ......... -——______________________________________ restrictions ran a varied course drur ing the year. Despite rigid tire and gasoline rationing, the Bluffton auto tag registrar sold more licenses than ever prior to the 1943 deadline last April 1. Rationing Hurts Rationing really came into its own during the year. Canned goods rationing became effective on Feb. 1. and fresh meats went on the ration list one month later. Bread was sold unsliced for one month in the spring. Then just after everyone had finally found suitable knives to cut their own, officials re lented and bread was again sliced by the baker. Eggs were scarce and high in price. At Easter they sold for 40 cents a dozen, a contrast to 10 years earlier when they brought 12 cents. As a result of conditions the usual Easter egg hunt for kiddies was call ed off, and a theatre party was held instead. the year it was practically to get the services of painters, carpenters, elec- Thruout imposible plumbers, tricians, etc., except in emergencies, and there was no such thing as labor for odd jobs. “Sign of the Times” Another sign of the times was the notice in the window of Bluffton’s only full-time shoe repair shop in the fall, “Closed to catch up with work. Open 4 to 6 p. m. for deliveries only.” Withholding tax under the “pay as-you-go” program hit the pocket book of every wage-earner in July. Twenty-per-cent was deducted under a bracket arrangement, that left plenty of red faces when the town council gave municipal light plant employes a raise that kicked them into the next classification and the men actually took home less money than they received previously. Busy Bluffton folk had little time for politics, and there was no August primary for the first time in history because no contests developed on either ticket. Robert Is securely anchored could not be re- C, Watkins Aviation Cadet Watkins, son of Mr. and Robert R. eagers lost every the the one 94 to 27 basketball in December, for restric- The weather, despite war tions, was something to talk about. It rained on 19 days in May for a new record, and storm sewers were so heavily overloaded that fully one fourth of the town’s basements were flooded. Unpredictable Weather Farmers from three to four weeks behind in spring work, but the weatherman repented in the fall, and provided the best autumn weather in years. After operating for 19 months on war-time, Bluffton turned its clocks back one hour on October 1, to gain an hour’s daylight in the morning during the winter season. Effects of wartime controls and Mrs. Robert Watkins, 155 Spring street, is now enrolled as an avia tion cadet in the Pre-Flight school for pilots at Maxwell Feld, Alabama. At the school, cadets receive nine weeks of preparatory training before beginning actual flight instruction courses. Richard Wenger In Armored Division Pvt. Richard E. Wenger, son of Mr. and Mrs. F. E. Wenger, of Beaver street, who went into the U. S. Army last October 12, has been assigned to the 16th Armored Division at Camp Chaffe, Arkansas. Pvt. Wenger worked here for A. & P. Tea Co before going the army. the into Birth and Mrs. Glen Noe of Ada Mr. are the parents of a son born at Bluffton hospital, Friday. FARM INSTITUTE TO BE HELD HERE ON 19, 20 instructive And Entertaining Two-Day Institute Program Is Being Arranged John Grierson And Mrs. M. Rosseiott Will Be State Institute Speakers E. for Plans are nearing completion Bluffton’s third wartime Community Institute, a two-day program of lec ures, discussion periods and enter taining features to be held here Wed nesday and Thursday, January 19 and 20. As usual one of the highlights of the gathering will be the apjearance of State Institute speakers. This year they will hr J\\n Grierson awid Mrs. M. E. Rosseiott, both of Hillsboro. Other features of this winter’s meeting will include sessions set a side for the discussion of farm and community problems, and entertain ment comprised of dramatic and mu sical offerings. Arrangements for the institute are being directed eluding Elmer Harvey Gratz, liam Althaus, and Harry F. Barnes, Ezra Moser, Earl Matter, Homer Gratz and Ray mond Stratton, members of the ex ecutive committee. by the officers, in Lauby, president vice-president Wil sec retary-treasurer Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Women’s institute officers are Walter Sommer, president Josephine Huber, vice-president Albert Augsburger, secretary W’alter Scaublin, Mrs. Addie Graber and Mrs. Edwin Niswander, executive committee. Bluffton Soldier Wounded In Action Pfc. Eugene Augsburger of near Bluffton has been wounded in action in the Mediterranean area, accord ing to a report from the partment. War De not state except to The announcement did the extent of his injuries say that he is now in a convalescent hospital. Letters written by Augs burger to his sisters Mrs. Dorothy Williams of near Beaverdam and Mrs. Irene Crawford of near Bluff ton indicated that his wounds were not serious. New Instructor Will Begin Duties Monday who has Board of in Latin been Edu and here Miss Mildred Keel hired by the Bluffton cation as instructor French will assume her duties at the opening of school Monday, following the Christmas vacation. Miss Keel, who formerly taught in Pandora high school resigned her position there to accept the appoint ment here. She will fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mrs. Harriett Luginbuhl who has left for Ft. Monmouth, N. J., where her husband, Sgt. Kenneth Luginbuhl is stationed. Miss Helen Spar, senior at Ohio Northern university, Ada, will take charge of women’s physical educa tion classes formerly taught by Mrs. Luginbuhl. Happy New Year NUMBER 36 $8,000 GIH MADE FOR IMPROVEMENT OF COLLEGE HALL A. C. Ramsey er of Smithville, Prominent Potato Grower Named as Donor Contribution First to be An nounced in Institution’s $50,000 Program Bluffton college’s campaign to raise $50,000 for improvements on the’ campus got off to a good start with the announcement of a gift of $8,000 from A. C. Ramsey er of Smithville. Ramseyer is one of Ohio’s largest potato growers and a member of the institution’s board of trustees. Announcement of the gift was made the first of the week by Dr. L. L. Ramseyer, president of the college who added that the money was pledged with the understanding that contributions of an equal amount are to be obtained for other college pur poses. This is the first major contribution to be announced in the campaign launched last fall at a meeting of the institution’s board of trustees to raise a special fund for improvements to buildings. Recondition College Hall The $8,000 gift will be used for complete reconditioning of College hall and work will start as soon as materials are available, President Ramseyer stated. The building, oldest on the campus, was built in 1900. Among the im provements planned are a new roof, modernizing of art rooms on the third floor, construction of a fire proof concrete vault for valuable records and moving of administrative offices to the first floor adjacent to the vault. Present offices on the second floor will be remodeled and used for class rooms. Last Rites Held For Mrs. Lydia Williams Funeral services for Mrs. Lydia Williams, 84, pioneer resident, were held at the Paul Diller funeral chapel Sunday afternoon. I Mrs. Williams died at Bluffton I hospital Thursday morning from complications following a fractured hip resulting from a fall last July 18. She was bom in Hancock county February 12, 1859, and was married to John C. Williams who died in 1919. Her entire life was spent in this vicinity and she was for many years a member of the Bluffton Methodist church. Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Cleon Triplett of South Main street with whom she made her a son Arthur Williams of Heights. home and Cleveland Methodist Rev. J. A. Weed of the church officiated at the funeral serv ices and interment was in Maple Grove cemetery’. Rites For Mrs. Mary Devier On Thursday Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p. m. Thursday in the Diller funeral chapel for Mrs. Mary Catherine Devier, 86, who died at 12:10 a. m. Tuesday in her home at 683 S. Main street. She had been ill for 10 days ,with pneumonia. Her husband, Jasper N. Devier, preceded her in death in 1932. Mrs. Devier was born 1857, in Hancock county, ter of Jesse and Nancy Stepleton. She is the family of 18 children. March 31, the daugh (Bowsher) last of a Surviving are three sons, Ernest E. Devier, of Bluffton, home one Adams, of children, and four great-grandchild ren. of Lima N. B. Devier, and Grover C. Devier at daughter, Mrs. Daisy Mt. Cory 12 grand- Mrs. Devier was a lifelong member of the Church of the Brethren at Beaverdam. Rev. Clarence Bowman will offi ciate at the funeral service. Burial will be in the Maple Grove cemetery. Real Estate Deals the of on Edgar Herr has purchased Mrs. Charlotte Rohrbach farm sixty acres south of Bluffton Bentley road which he now occupies. Stanley Salter has purchased the former Jacob Zeiders farm of 80 acres near Rockport. Salter expects to occupy the place in the spring moving from his present location south of West Point on Lafayett* road.