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BUY UNITED •tates ON DS VOLUME NO. LXVIII MORE FEED, LESS LIVE STOCK TO BE RAISED ON FARMS Farmers Plan to Cut Pro duction of Hogs, Cattle and Broilers Increase in Dairy Cattle, Corn, Oats and Hay is Anticipated More feed crops and less livestock during the coming season is the overall farm picture for the Bluffton district, according to a survey of opinion made by the Bluffton News this week. Almost without exception farmers were of the opinion that, generally speaking, this year will see a mark ed curtailment of livestock together with many livestock products and a corresponding increase in grain and feed production. Slated for decrease are poultry, hogs, sheep and beef cattle. An ex ception to the general trend in cut ting down livestock inventories is dairy cattle which are expected to show a moderate increase. This reflects a price of $3.20 per hundred pounds for milk, more than double the pre-war figure. More Corn Despite curtailment in hog and beef cattle production, corn acreage will be materially increased. Likewise the increase of oats acre age is expected to be limited only by the amount of seed oats available, which are already reported as scarce. Little of last year’s oats will be suitable for seed, farmers say, making it necessary to look to the crop of two years ago for this pur pose. Decreased acreage for soybeans is expected following last fall’s bumper crop and the resultant market glut and shipping embargo. Reduction of wheat acreage was not planned last fall, but has developed as an unforeseen circum stance due to absence of moisture this winter. Hay, it is believed, will show an increase in production un less curtailed due to dry conditions this winter. Livestock Surpluses Surpluses generally in livestock and livestock products with resultant falling markets, despite wartime conditions, have discouraged expan-! sion of operations in this field which was the keynote of farming opera tions a year ago. Accelerating the trend has been scarcity of feed which this winter commands two to three times its normal price and the shortage of farm manpower necessary for successful livestock feeding. Curtailment of hogs, beef cattle and broilers is expected to be particularly severe and already- long range observers are predicting an acute scarcity in these commodities by next fall. Roethlisberger Rites Held Here On Sunday Carl Roethlisberger, 79, a native of Canton Berne, Switzerland, who dune to the Blufl’ton district with his parents on May 10, 1873, died at his home in Bluffton early last Friday morning, after an illness of six days. Death was attributed to the in firmities of age. Mr. Roethlisberger was nine years old when his parents, Carl and Mag dalene Roethlisberger came to Bluff ton to make their home. He was married to Marian Am stutz who died Jan. 27, 1933. On April 4, 1937, he was wed to Mary Hauenstein, who survives. Other survivors include a son, Al dine Roethlisberger, of Lima two daughters, Mrs. Dennis Diller and Mrs. Homer Reichenbach, both of Pandora. Three brothers also are living, Ernest, John and Christ Roethlisberger, all of Texas. Mr. Roethlisberger had been a Sunday school teacher at the Eben ezer Mennonite church for 50 years, and formerly served on the Bluffton board of education. He also was a past president of the Mennonite Mu tual Aid Society. Funeral services were held in the Ebenezer church Sunday afternoon with Rev. A. C. Schultz, the pastor, and Rev. V. C. Oppermann, officiat ing. Burial was in the church cem etery. Church Of Christ To Hear Findlay Pastor Rev. R. B. Farringer, of Findlay, will be in the pulpit of the Bluffton Church of Christ, for church services starting at 10:30 a. m. next Sun day. Will He Play Or Won’t He Play Is Question THE QUESTION mark in what may be Bluffton High’s success or failure in this year’s basketball tournaments is the draft status of Fred Herrmann, flashy center of the undefeated Pirate cagers. Since passing his pre-induction physical examination at Toledo Herrmann has heard nothing further from selective service headquarters, and there are hopes he may not get an in duction notice until late in March. Masonic Father-Son Banquet On Feb. 24 Dwight Hunter, of Findlay, will be the speaker at a Masonic George Washington birthday banquet in the Bluffton lodge hall Thursday night, February 24. Sons and friends of members of the lodge will be guests at the din ner, honoring the memory of Wash ington, who is America’s most dis tinguished Mason. Donavin B. Conrad, master of the Bluffton lodge, is directing arrange ments for the banquet, assisted by a committee consisting of Henry Hilty, Ben Whisler, Bertrand Swank, Charles Coburn, Harold Wenger and Arden Baker. Booster Banquet At College On March 24 Frazier Reams, Democratic candi date for nomination as governor, will be the speaker at the annual Bluffton College Booster banquet to be held Friday, March 24, in the college dining hall. Reams now heads the Northwest Ohio district internal revenue de partment, and has long been a prom inent figure in Ohio. Glen West Rites To Be Held Here Sunday Glen West, G7, native of the Bluffton area who went to Cali fornia about 22 years ago, died last Sunday at his home in Los Angeles, after an illness of three days. He was a son of the late James and Florence West, and a native of Union township. Survivors include three brothers, Cliff West, of Bluffton Fletch West, of Lima Bert West, of Toledo and one sister, Mrs. Ira Garner, of Toledo. He never married. Bluffton High’s Undefeated Cagers Focus Of State-Wide Attention The body enroute here from Cali fornia is expected Saturday. It will be taken to the Basinger funeral home where services will be held Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock with Rev. J. A. Weed of the Metho dist church officiating. Burial will be in the Clymer cemetery. Plans Drafted For Service Honor Roll Plans for erection of an honor roll of Bluffton men and women in mili tary and naval service, together with ways and means of raising necessary funds were discussed at a meeting held Tuesday night in the Legion hall. The project is sponsored by the Bluffton Legion post and the Legion Auxiliary with a joint committee from the two groups in charge of administrative and promotion work. KIRTLAND AVIATION CADET Pvt. Norman Eugene Kirtland, son of Mr. and Mrs. V. A. Kirtland, of Route 1, Bluffton, has reported at the Army Air Forces training sta tion, Keesler Field, Biloxi, Miss., for tests as a pre-aviation cadet, it was announced this week. Backers Hoping To See Team Play In State Tournament For Eleventh Time Pirate Outfit Is Ohio’s Leading Class Scorers Record Is Impressive With Bluffton High’s undefeated basketball team the focus of state wide attention as the leading Class scoring outfit in the state, hopes already are beginning to run high here that the school may be able to send their charges to the final round of Ohio tournament play for the 11th time. Riding the crest of an 11-game winning streak in which they have a game average of 68.5 points, this year’s Bluffton outfit looks every bit as good as any of the previous which gave the local school a state record by competing in the state tourna ment playoffs 10 times. In addition to topping this year’s scoring parade of Class teams, the Pirates are second in state standings only to Martin’s Ferry, crack Class A outfit, which has an average of only 1% points more per game. Plays Strong Teams Bluffton has defeated five'Class A teams so far this season, and has three more outfits from that bracket to play before regularly scheduled play comes to a close. Sectional- tournament play will open at Celina March 3 and 4, with the winners of the meet to be de termined the following week of March 10 and 11. Second round of the tournament, the district meet, will be played at Bowling Green on March 17 and 18, and the state final round will be in Columbus March 24 and 25. One Question Mark Whether Fred Herrmann, star pi vot man of the Pirates, will be avail able for the remainder of the season and thruout tournament play is a matter of conjecture that is the talk of the town. Hopes are high here, however, that Herrmann will be on hand for the rest of the regularly scheduled games, and that he may not be tak en into the armed services until after the tournament is ended. Altho Herrmann passed his pre induction physical examination at Toledo three weeks ago he has re ceived no further notificatoin from Allen County Draft Board No. 3 since he was determined available for service. Indications are that he will not be caHed for induction this month, and if the March call should be to ward the latter part of the month, as usual, he will probably be avail able for most if not all of the tour nament schedule. Officers Elected By Citizens Bank Dr. C. Henry Smith will continue as head of the Citizens National bank here, having been re-elected president for the coming year at the annual organization of the board of directors. Noah Basinger, Bluffton merchant, who has been a member of the bank’s directorate since its founding, was elected vice president filling the vacancy caused by the death of L. T. Greding. E. C. Romey was re-elected cashier and E. M. Hostettler assistant achier. Smith, Basinger and Romey, offi cers, are also members of the bank’s board of directors together with Ed win Amstutz, M. M. Bogart, H. P. Huber and C. F. Niswander. Dinner Marks 25th Wedding Anniversary In honor of the twenty-fifth wed ding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Weinhold, of Lake avenue, a family dinner was held Sunday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Rolland Stratton, of South Main street. Present for the occasion were Mr. and Mrs. Winehold, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Matthey and Misses Betty and Eileen Weinhold all of Bluffton and Gene Walterick of Delphos, and Mr. and Mrs. Stratton and family. Navy Promotion Donald Lehman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Lehman of Pandora, form er Bluffton residents now in naval service has been promoted from fire man first class to motor machinist’s mate third class. Real Estate Deal Millard Herr has purchase^ from Mrs. Charlotte Rohrbach the 60 acre tract which he occupies on Bentley road. .11 IE BLUFFTON NEWS A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, FEB. 10, 1944 HARLAN DICKSON NAVAL AIR HERO DIES IN AIR CRASH Col. and Mrs. Rene Studler of Washington, D. C., Notified of Son’s Death Dickson, Lieutenant Commander Decorated With Two Navy Air Crosses Lieut. Commander Harlan Dickson, 29, of the Navy, son of Col. and Mrs. Rene Studler of Washington, D. C., a former Bluffton high school student was killed in the crash of a navy dive bomber near San Luis Obispo, Calif., Saturday. With him died Edward Hlywa, 21, aviation radioman, first class, son of George Hlywa, of Youngstown. The bodies were enroute east to day, Dickson’s for burial in the Ar lington National Cemetery and Hlywa’s to Youngstown. News of his death was received here Sunday afternoon in a tele phone call from Col. Studler inform ing his mother, Mrs. Emma Studler of South Jackson street of the fa tality. Mrs. Studler left for Wash ington, Sunday night. Dickson, a native of Columbus, was a squadron commander and was listed as one of the youngest lieu tenant commanders in the naval air forces. He received two navy crosses, one for blasting two carriers in the Coral Sea and the second for locat ing the enemy carrier which sent the planes that mortally wounded the Yorktown in the battle of Mid way and for directing planes to the enemy ship which subsequently was sunk. He also assisted in sinking three other Japanese vessels at Mid way. He participated in the first raids on the Marshall and Gilbert Islands and on Guadalcanal and Tulagi. When the Navy Air Crosses were awarded to him, Lieut. Commander Dickson was cited by Admiral W. K. Harroll for “heroic and distinguished service as pilot of an airplane in a bombing squadron in a dive bombing attack against Japanese forces in Tulagi harbor on May 4, 1942, an attack on an enemy carrier in the Coral sea on May 8, 1942, and also for courage in pressing dive bombing aTtAclfS tgaiP.$t the Japanese inva sion fleet in the battle of Midway.” The war hero was a student in Bluffton High school in 1929, and later was graduated in 1936 from the U. S. Naval Academy at An napolis. He was a frequent visitor here in peacetime and was well known locally. Music, Roundtable On Sunday Program Roundtable discussion of post-war peace problems and special musical offerings will be featured in an In ternational Brotherhood program to be held at 7:30 p. m. Sunday in the Methodist church, under auspices of the Bluffton Ministerial association. Headliner in the musical portion of the program is J. William Max well, basso, who was the first negro to sing a solo in the Metropolitan Opera house in New York city. He has gained considerable recognition as a bass vocalist. Miss Saldana, of Texas, a soprano soloist, will be on the program and the Weaver’s Memory Group will sing the old hymns and songs our grandfathers enjoyed. Their ac companiment will consist of mando lins, guitars and tipples. The Bluff ton College Girls choir will also sing. The round table discussion will be directed by Prof. A. C. Miller, in structor in religion and philosophy at Heidelberg college, Tiffin. Stu dents from the college will take part in the round table, discussing the various post-war problems. No admission will be charged but a free-will offering will be taken. Jess M. Hanna, Findlay rug deal er, is founder and president of the International Brotherhood. It is made up of people from all races, creeds and religious beliefs. Bluffton Woman On State Auxiliary Board Mr. and Mrs. George Rauenbuhler are attending the 53rd annual busi ness conference of the Ohio Master Plumbers association in Toledo this week from Sunday until Thursday. Mrs. Rauenbuhler is a member of the women’s auxiliary board repre senting 15 districts throghout the state. This winter’s drought is the second worst in Ohio’s history, it was re vealed this week, when the state meterology department announced there was only 9.7 inches of rainfall in the state during the six-months period endifig Jan. 31, as compared with normal precipitation of 17.27 inches. Only in the six months from Octo ber, 1930, thru March, 1931, when precipitation amounted to 9.31 inches has the drought been greater than that of this winter. Mr. Harris was a retired farmer and after leaving his farm south of Bluffton lived on South Jackson street. He was a member of the Bluffton Church of Christ. Besides the daughter at whose home he died he is survived by two other daughters, Mrs. Clara Missa more of Findlay and Mrs. Joel Ba singer of Bluffton and two sons Floyd of Bluffton and Harry Harris of Battle Creek, Michigan. The body is at the Diller funeral home here where services will be held Friday at 2:30 p. m. with Rev E. J. Penhorwood officiating. Burial in Harmon cemetery, Gilboa. Need More Workers For Red Cross Here A call was made the first of the week for more workers by the Red Cross headquarters here. Making of surgical dressings has been delayed because of a belated shipment of gauze. Work room in the Grade school building is open Monday night at 7:30 and on Tuesday thru Friday afternoons from 1:30 to 4 o’clock. Also the work room for making gar ments at the home of Mrs. J. S. Steiner is open every day excepting Saturday, with many garments to make. Collect County Tax Next Week This Winter’s Drought Revealed As Second Worst In Ohio History Last month was the driest January r. N. Harris Dies Wednesday Morning I. N. Harris, 82, for many years a resident of Bluffton and vicinity, died in Findlay Wednesday morning at the home of his daughter Mrs. Ethel Harris where he had made his home. He had been ill since the holidays. Deputies from the Allen county treasurer’s office will be at the Citi zens National bank here Tuesday and Wednesday of next week for collection of real estate taxes for the first half of 1943 (December collection). Archbold Quartet To Be Here Sunday Special music at the morning and evening evangelistic services of the Defenseless Mennonite church will be provided by a men’s quartet from the Defenseless church of Archbold, it is stated by the pastor, Rev. Stan ley Rupp. Graveside Services Are Held For Infant Graveside services were held in Clymer cemetery Sunday morning for the infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Glen Shafer of near Leipsic. The child died at birth in Bluff ton hospital, Saturday afternoon. Mrs. Shafer is the former Miss Vera Habegger, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Habegger of Riley street. Insurance Agency Changes Hands Here Sale of the F. S. Herr insurance agency to- W. F. lutzi, local insur ance man, was completed the first of the week. Announcement of the sale was made by Mrs. Esther Herr who has been operating the business since her husband, Staff Sgt. Frederick Herr was called into military serv ice nearly two years ago. Sgt. Herr is now overseas. Business of the Herr agency taken over by the lutzi agency as of Feb ruary 1, including all accounts and goodwill. Births The following births at Bluffton hostipal: Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Schick, La fayette, a son, last Wednesday. Mr. and Mrs. Otho Moore, Ada, a daughter, Saturday. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Davis, Ar lington, a son, Saturday. company. The feed should be placed I cheerful comoanions on record, only .91 of an inch falling during the 31-day period, to further aggravate serious drought conditions. Dr. Wilbur E. Stout, state geolo gist, said normal rainfall will be needed to bring up the subterranean water supply, and it may be from three to eight months before wells and streams will be refilled. Dr. H. C. Ramsower, Ohio state university’s agriculture extension di rector, said the state farm picture was not encouraging because of the extended drought, and that farmers are afraid to predict either success or failure of 1944 plantings. Lions To Celebrate Tenth Anniversary Tenth anniversary of founding of the Bluffton Lions club will be cele brated at a ladies night dinner meet ing at 6:30 p. m. next Tuesday in the Walnut Grill. Roy Evans, of Findlay, district Lions governor, will be the speaker at the meeting, with Guy Brent linger, of Lima, who was district governor when the Bluffton club was formed, acting as toastmaster. Other features of the program will include the installation of new members by Forrest Steinman pre sentation of 10-year membership chevrons by Ed Ward, of Lima and presentation of 10 years perfect at tendance pins by District Deputy Governor Floyd Griffin, of Spencer ville. y** A necrology service for Dr. J. S. Steiner will be conducted by Mayor Wilbur A. Howe. In the club’s 10 years’ record of community service it assisted in procurring a new post office for Bluffton obtaining Buckeye lake as a community park and swimming pool, and in sponsoring the Harmon field stadium. Eleven charter members still re tain membership in the club. They are I. B. Beeshy, Gordon Bixel, Dr. Munson Bixel, N. E. Byers, Eli Deppler, E. S. Lape, A. E. Lichten walter, Russell Lantz, A. J. B. Longsdorf, P. W, Stauffer and For rest Steinman. The following have served as pres ident of the club over the 10-year span: N. E. Byers, A. J. B. Longs dorf, Forrest Steinman, A. E. Lich tenwalter, A. H. Hauenstein, G. R. Bogart, Fred Getties, P. W. Stauffer, Homer Gratz, I. B. Beeshy and E. S. Lape. Present membership list of the club has 41 active members. Four new members were added in Janu ary, Clair Leiber, Cloyce Bame, F. R. Hagerman and Cliff Elliott. New Store Plans To Open Here In March The Gamble stores organization will open a unit in Bluffton this spring, probably during the coming month, it was learned the first of the week. The store will be located in the Chas. Day building on North Main street formerly occupied by the A. & P. store. Remodeling of the busi ness location is now under way. The new store will deal in a general li?4 consisting principally of hard goods, it is understood. In Officer Air School At Yale Neil Baumgartner, formerly of Bluffton, has been sent to Yale uni versity, New Haven, Conn., for an eighteen weeks’ course of officers ad vanced training in the army school, radio and communications division. He was previously in aircorps training at Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina, completing that course with honors. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Lysle Baumgartner ?f Mishawaka, Ind., former Bluff ton residents. In New Locations Charles Lora who recently sold his farm west of Bluffton and pur chased the S. V. Heckathorn resi dence on Grove street, moved into the property the first of the week. Levi Hochstettler residing south west of Bluffton will move to town in the spring and occupy the Mrs. Bertha Matter property on Cherry street which he purchased some time ago. His son, Andrew Hochstettler has rented the farm and will move there this spring, vacating the Abe Balmer farm. Arrives In India Pvt. Evan Leiber has arrived with an army unit in India, it was learned the first of the week by his par ents, Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Leiber, south of town. BUY UNITS* STAT** .STAMPS NUMBER 42 $51,755 OBTAINED SO FAR IN FOURTH WAR LOAN DRIVE ntensified Buying Needed To Put $100,000 Campaign Over The Top Here ligh School Junior Class Re ceives Official Credit For Purchase of a Jeep Increased buying of war bonds in Bluffton will be necessary during the next week to enable the community to attain its $100,000 quota in the fourth war loan drive, it was emphaa sized anew Tuesday by local war finance leaders. Sales at the close of Tuesday’s bus iness aggregated only $51,755, and nearly half of the $100,000 goal re mains to be subscribed. All reports are not yet in, but in tensified selling must mark activities of the next week, if the Bluffton Bluffton High school’s junior class has purchased a jeep as it share in putting Bluffton’s fourth war Ioan drive over the top. The juniors put $900 into war bonds and stamps to achieve the goal, and will receive official cred it for the purchase of a jeep for the armed forces. Members of the other five junior and senior high school classes raised $900 for a second jeep, giving the local school credit for two of the ve hicles. drive is to go over the top by Feb. 15, it was announced by Norman A. Trip lett, chairman of the local war finance committee. House-to-house canvassers in the 10 zones of the town will conclude their solicitating this week, and final re ports from committees will be made at a meeting of zone captains this Friday night. Buy Fighter Plane If Bluffton reaches its goal of $100, 009 the town’s bond purchases will be enough to purchase a fully equipped Army fighter plane, Triplett pointed out in urging increased buying of bonds to meet the goal. Allen county’s quota also has not yet been reached, with $2,901,260.35 subscribed toward the goal of $4, 640.000. Hardin county’s campaign has gone over the top, and canvassers in th st county are endeavoring to pass the next million mark in their drive. Hancock county so far has $2,102, 655 subscribed toward a goal of $2, 190,000. Last Rites For Fred von Gunten Tuesday Frederick W. von Gunten, 83, re tired building contractor, who moved from Bluffton to Findlay in 1888, died early last Saturday morning at his home in that city. He had been ill several weeks. A native of Bluffton, he was born March 6, 1860, the son of John and Anna von Gunten. As a young man he spent a number of years in Law rence and Topeka, Kansas. He was an energetic missions worker, and served for many years as a trustee of the Christian and Missionary Al liance. On June 10, 1888, he was married to Catherine Neiswander, who died January 1, 1929. Survivors include three sons, Irvin von Gunten, Ft. Wayne Raymond von Gunten, Findlay Sidney von Gunten, Columbus one daughter, Mrs. Mae Martz, Findlay three sis ters, Mrs. T. M. Chalmers, Scars dale, N. Y. Mrs. Charles Baldosser, Republic and Mrs. J. F. Williams, Tiffin and two brothers, Albert von Gunten, Eudora, Kansas, and Henry von Gunten, Cleveland. Funeral services were held on Tuesday in Findlay, with Rev. Ten nyson Guyer, of Celina and Rev. Paul Tewell, pastor of the College Church of God, of which von Gunten was a member, officiating. Burial was in Findlay. To Take Religious Census Of Bluffton Plans are being completed by the Bluffton Ministerial association for taking a religious census of the town during the coming week. Fifty teams from the cooperating churches will conduct the census, visiting every home in town and ex tending to those not already con nected with a church of the com munity to become a regular attend ant somewhere. Members of the teams will meet for instruction at the Methodist church, Sunday afternoon at 2:00 o’clock.