The Bluffton news. [volume], June 15, 1944, Image 1

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BUY
VWffiEO
•TaTES
INC*
NOS
VOLUME NO. LXIX
SCHOOL TEACHERS,Applicants
TO GET $60 YEAR
SALARY INCREASE38
Reshuffling of Teachers, Courses
Necessary to Permit Addi
tional Payment
Hiring of Part-Time Coach,.
Cuts in Music, Art Sug
gested as Economies
Reshuffling of teachers and courses
in Bluffton Grade and High schools
is in prospect for next year to effect
economies that will cover payment of
a flat increase of $60 in the annual
salary of all public school instructors
during the next year.
Change in the rate schedule of
teachers was approved Monday night
at a meeting of the Board of Educa
tion, but economies in operation will
be necessary to raise the additional
$1,380 earmarked for salary pay
ments.
Teachers had suggested increases
which would amount to approximate
ly $4,500 based on a salary schedule,
but the board said it was unable to
finance a revision that would amount
to more than $60 per year for each
instructor.
Extra Teacher Needed
In addition to the increases
amounting to $1,380, the board also
must provide $1,200 additional for
another first grade teacher.
For the last several years only
one first grade instructor has been
needed, but with next fall’s class
estimated at 50 a second teacher
must be provided. This will be the
largest first grade enrollment in
recent years.
This means the board will pay
$2,580 more for teaching services
next year, and the only means of
defraying the additional expenditure
will be in effecting internal economies
in school operation.
No Regular Coach
Suggested reshuffling under con
sideration includes a proposal that no
regular coach be employed. Some
one from the town would be retained
to handle athletic Teams and physical
education for boys and girls would be
handled by some other member of
the present teaching staff. Coach
Russell Hasson, who has resigned to
work on a railroad, will not return
next fall.
There also has been talk of com
bining some courses and dropping
others. Extra-curricular activities
such as interscholastic sports, art
and music may be curtailed, altho no
definite plans have been made.
Cuts in cost of operation must be
made wherever possible board mem
bers stated.
Including the $60 increase the
average salary of Bluffton Grade
teachers next year will be $1,534,
and the average salary of high school
instructors will be $1,744. By special
motion of the board Principal Ger
hard Buhler will rece:ve $2,350, an
increase of $70 from $2,280.
Elizabeth Diller
Dies In Toledo
Funeral services were held Satur
day afternoon in the Diller funeral
chapel for Miss Elizabeth Diller, 60,
who died last Friday morning in
Toledo. Rev. J. N. Smucker, pastor
of the First Mennonite church, offi
ciated.
Surviving brothers and sisters in
clude Ed Diller, Pandora Frank Dil
ler, McComb Menno and Barbara
Diller, Toledo Mrs. Mary Augsburg
er and Susan Diller, Bluffton, and
Mrs. Martha Bayliss, of Florida.
Burial was in the St. John ceme
tery near Pandora.
Robert West Now
Is 1st Lieutenant
Robert West, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Cliff West, of Lawn avenue, has
been promoted from Second to First
Lieutenant at his station in the
southwest Pacific area.
The promotion was effective on
May 26, according to word received
by his parents.
Cdllection Of Castoff
Furs Completed Here
Castoff furs collected here during
the last two weeks by the American
Legion Auxiliary have been shipped
to New York City where they will
be used in lining coats for merchant
seamen.
A large box full of furs was ob
tained in the drive, according to Mrs.
Millen Geiger, who acted as chair
man. Another collection is planned
next spring.
Thirty-eight children who expect to
enter the first grade of the Bluffton
schools next September were brought
to the pre-school clinic for physical
examination, Wednesday morning.
The clinic was held in the Grade
school building with examinations
i made by local physicians and dent
ists. Smallpox vaccinations and
diphtheria immunization also were
provided.
The clinic was sponsored by the
Mothers Study club. A canvass by
the club indicates that there will be
52 children enter the first grade here
next fall.
FIFTH WAR LOAN
DRIVE GETS UNDER
WAY IN BLUFFTON
Over 100 War Bond Workers To
Make House-To-House
Canvass of Town
Intensified Buying Needed to
Put $110,000 Carppaign
Over the Top Here
With teams of canvassers contact
ing every householder in the town,
Bluffton’s Fifth War Loan campaign
got under way in earnest last Mon
day, the opening day of the drive
to raise 16 billion dollars nationally
before June 30.
Heavier individual buying will be
necessary in this drive if the town
is to reach its goal of $110,000, but
it is hoped that the intense e house
to-house solicitation now under way
will put the drive over the top long
before the June 30 deadline.
For the Fifth War Loan drive, the
town has been divided into 10 zones,
with zone captains directing the
solicitation teams in those territories.
Zone captainJA named at a kickoff
meeting last Thursday night included
Woodrow Little, Gene Renroth,
Charles Aukerman, Mayor W. A.
Howe, C. F. Niswander, Charles
Gazette, Gail Mumma, N. E. Byers,
Jesse Yoakam and Silas Diller.
Allen county this time has a quota
of $5,506,000, representing an in
crease of $886,000 over the preceding
drive quota, it was announced by A.
D. MacDonnell, chairman of the
county’s war finance committee.
With the European invasion now a
reality, and the need of ending the
war quickly to save the lives of as
many soldiers as possible, everyone
should buy bonds to the limit of their
ability in the campaign this time,
especially since six billion dollars of
the national goal are to represent
the purchases of individual.
Maynard Geiger Heads
Bluffton Athletic Ass’n
In a reorganization meeting of the
Bluffton Athletic association last
Friday night, Maynard Geiger was
named president to succeed Norman
Triplett.
Other new officers include Donald
Reams, vice-president and business
manager Jess Manges, softball
coach, and Bert Swank, secretary.
Principal spring and summer ac
tivity of the athletic association is
sponsorship of the Harmon field soft
ball league. Practice play has been
under way at the recreation center
for the last couple of weeks each
Tuesday and Thursday night, start
ing at 6:30 p. m.
Anyone interested is urged to take
part in play at the field, and in the
league which will be organized short
ly. There is no charge for play in
the league.
Main In Training
At Great Lukes
Charles P. Main, 22, husband of
Mrs. Betty Main, of 121 Thurman
street, Bluffton, is receiving his ini
tial naval indoctrination training at
the U. S. Navay Training station,
Great Lakes, Ill.
Before going into the service,
Main wras an employe of The Trip
lett Electrical Instrument company,
of this place.
Ebenezer Broadcast
A vocal trio will be heard on the
Ebenezer Mennonite church radio
program broadcast from Findlay sta
tion WFIN, Sunday afternoon at
3:30 o’clock. Members of the trio
are Misses Vera Alice Bucher, Videl
la Herr and Eloise Lora. Mrs. Milo
Lora will be accompanist.
For Position
As Head Of Bluffton s Schools
toard Makes Preliminary Sur
vey of Applications at
Meeting Monday
First Action of Board will be
to Narrow Field of
Prospects
First steps in the selection of a
superintendent for the Bluffton school
system for the coming year were
taken by the Board of Education at
its meeting Monday night when a
preliminary survey was taken of 20
applications for the position which
have been filed with Leland Diller,
clerk of the board.
Altho one of the 20 applicants will
probably be selected fur the position,
this was by no means certain as
there has been no action taken to
limit the time for filing applications
and indications are that considerable
time will be required to reach a
final decision.
All applicants are from out of
town, this being in keeping with the
board’s announced policy of bring
ing in a school man from outside the
system for the superintendency here.
Because of the amount of detail
work involved tentative plans have
been made for special meetings to be
held in addition to the regular
monthly sessions of the board which
besides the question of filling the
superintendent’s position is confront
ed with a reshuffling of the teaching
staff and curriculum in an effort to
effect operating economies to keep
within the current income for the
coming year.
Preliminary action of the board it
was indicated Monday night will be
to narrow the field of candidates to
a comparatively small number from
which the final selection will be
made.
The number of applicants for the
position was larger than had been
anticipated in view of the existing
manpower shortage on the teaching
and school administrative field. A
number of those applying for the
position, however, indicated that they
were attracted to the place because
they considered Bluffton an excep
tionally desirable place in which to
live and rear a family.
Vacancy in the superintendency of
schools here was caused by the resig
nation last month of A. J. B. Longs
dorf, head of the Bluffton school
system for the past nineteen years.
He expects to retire from teaching
when his resignation becomes effect
ive on August 31.
For the past several years the
position has carried an annual salary
of $2,800. Whether the salary will
be continued at that figure is not
known. However, in view of the
present stringency in the school’s
finances it is believed unlikely that
there will be any advance over the
present level.
Bringing Body Here
From Los Angeles
Menno Zimmerman, former resi
dent of this area who had lived in
Los Angeles for 16 years, died in a
hospital in that city last Saturday,
after having been critically ill since
June 5.
The body will arrive in Lima next
Monday and will be taken to the
home of his daughter, Mrs. Clarence
U. Amstutz, of Pandora. Funeral
services will be held in the Amstutz
home at 2:30 p. m. next Tuesday.
Friends are requested to omit flowers.
Zimmerman was a native of Pan
dora, and had been a farmer in that
area before he retired and went to
Los Angeles.
Six daughters survive, Mrs. J. C.
Eymann, Los Angeles, with whom he
made his home Mrs. P. H. Eymann
and Mrs. F. W. Frahm, Los Angeles
Mrs. D. E. Reed and Mrs. Waldo
Diller, both of Lima, and Mrs. Clar
ence Amstutz, Pandora.
One surviving sister is Mrs. Lavina
Kleck, Los Angeles and three broth
ers, Ezra Zimmerman, Fostoria
Emil Zimmerman, Zion City, Ill.
and Chris Zimmerman, Waskegan,
Michigan.
Radio Singer Will
Lead Singspiration
Rev. Neal Boertje, of Elida, radio
broadcaster, will lead the Singspira-
tion at 9:15 p. m. next Sunday in
the Defenseless Mennonite church.
Rev. Boertje is heard each week
day on the “Frank and Neal’’ broad
cast over Radio Station WLOK,
Lima.
A trio made up of Rev. Boertje,
his wife and her sister, will sing at
the service. They will also be in
charge of evening church services
starting at 7:45 p. m.
w
rHE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 19
PROSPECTS BRIGHT
FOR BUMPER FEED
CROP YIELDS HERE
tains Tuesday Night Bring
Alfalfa Cutting to
Standstill
Wheat and Com Lfrte but Out
look Good Potato Acreage
Short
Heavy rains which fell Tuesday
night brought to a standstill tempor
arily busy farm operations In the
midst of haymaking, corn cultiva
tion and last tag ends of soybean
planting.
First cutting of alfalfa is well I
under way and cutting of rod clover
was started in scattered localities.
Prospects are good for a ha/ crop
in this section which has had ample
moisture during the growing season.
Early summer prospects indicate
that production of feed crops will
reach a new high mark this year
which belief is borne out by the
alfalfa yield.
Record Soy Acreage
With soy bean planting virtually
completed, indications are that the
acreage this year will be the largest
ever to be put out in this section.
Farmers point out that soy beans
are particularly attractive this year
because of the relatively small
amount of labor required and an at
tractive base support price of $2.04
a bushel for No. 2 grqon and yellow
beans containing not |nore than 14
per cent moisture.
Crops generally, althp looking good
are somewhat later than usual this
year. Corn stands are spotty and
the majority of fields will not be
“knee high by Fourth of July” unless
favored by exceptional growing
weather. Crop outlook, however, is
good.
Wheat Ixxk«ijG)od
Wheat prospects, likewise are
particularly promising *his year, al
tho farmers are not anticipating
harvest until after the Fourtl| of
July. Acreage in this district id
about average.
Prospect of insufficient labor for
cultivation and harvest is largely
responsible .for the sharply curtailed
potato acreage which is reported the
smallest in this area in recent years.
Because of the reduced planting
this spring a number of dealers are
reported to have had stocks of unsola
seed potatoes left on their hands.
Rites Tuesday For
John Badertscher
John Badertscher, 73, native of
Bluffton, who left here about 40
years ago, died last Saturday morn
ing at his home in Lima.
He was born west of Bluffton, and
worked in the oil fields during the
boom at the turn of the century. At
the time of his death he was night
watchman at the south side plant of
the Deisel-Wemmer-Gilbert Corp, in
Lima.
Funeral services were held Tues
day afternoon in the Elida Lutheran
church, with Rev. Ivor Willis offi
ciating. Burial was in Greenlawn
cemetery.
Survivors include his wife, Grace
a daughter, Mary Elizabeth Bader
tscher, at home a brother, Peter
Badertscher, Bluffton, and five sis
ters, Mrs. Kathryn King, Los An
geles Mrs. Sarah Basinger, Califor
nia, Mo. Mrs. Susan Aeschbaucher,
Versailles, Mo. and Misses Barbara
and Lydia Badertscher, Denver, Colo.
Francis Luginbill
Sails As Navy Diver
Francis W. Luginbill, MM 3/c, a
Navy diver, has left the United
States for overseas service on an
auxiliary rescue and salvage ship.
He is a former employe of the
Triplett Electrical Instrument Co., of
this place. Before sailing from San
Francisco, he met Charles Emans, of
Bluffton, who also worked for the
same organization.
Boy Scouts Gather
Five Tons Of Paper
Five tons of wastepaper w’ere col
lected last Saturday by Bluffton’s
two Boy Scout troops, with the group
n:cking up only paper that had been
placed on curbs or porch steps.
It has been decided to gather
wastepaper every 60 days until
further notice.
BLUFFTON MARKETS
Wednesday Morning
Grain (bushel prices) Wheat
$1.55 corn $1.12 oats 75c soys
$1.84.
WAR SAVINGS
8ON0 SERIES
Youths from United Brethren
Churches to Gather at
Bluffton College
Sessions to Open Next Monday
Morning and Continue
Until Saturday
More than 200 young people from
United Brethren churches of North
western Ohio are expected here next
week to attend the annual summer
conference to be held on Bluffton
college campus from Monday to
Saturday.
The conference is held here every
summer with a program of study,
devotions and recreation arranged
under direction of young people’s
leaders of that denomination.
Recitation halls at the college are
used for class work and those at
tending are housed in Ropp and Lin
coln halls, college dormitories. Meals
will be served in Ropp hall dining
room.
Rev. Don Hochstettler of Mont
pelier, native of Bluffton will be
camp manager and Rev. Fay Bow
man of Toledo will be dean of the
school.
Dr. V. H. Allman, residing south
of Bluffton will serve as counsellor.
Y)r. Allman is superhffendent of
Sandusky conference, which compris
es the group of United Brethren
churches in Northwest Ohio.
Buy An Extra War Bond
Purchase of an extra $100 war bond by everyone is being urged as the
Fifth War Loan drive gains momentum.
More Than 200 Expected Here
For Young People’s Conference
Gareth Todd Gets
Ensign's Commission
Gareth Todd, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Frank L. Todd, of Franklin street,
will be commissioned as ensign in the
naval air service at Corpus Christi,
Texas, next Saturday.
Todd has been serving as cadet
lieutenant commander of the 8th
battalion, aviation cadet regiment,
at the naval air training center at
Corpus Christi, one of the highest
cadet officers in the regiment. He
has also been commended for exemp
lary conduct.
Production Rally
Here Wednesday
Lieut. Schuyler Patterson, of the
U. S. Navy, will be in charge of a
1 production incentive rally for em
ployes of The Triplett Electrical In
strument Co., this Wednesday after
noon in the Bluffton High School
auditorium at 4:45 o’clock.
Personal reports direct from the
battle front by men who have fought
will be featured at the rally.
Indiana Senator To
Address Lions Club
Indiana State Senator Charles
Phelps, of Ft. Wayne, will be the
speaker of a ladies night meeting of
the Bluffton Lions club at 6:30 p. m.
next Tuesday in the Walnut Grill.
Senator Phelps has a fine record
as a speaker, and has proved one of
Indiana’s best legislators.
New officers of the Lions club to
serve during the coming year will be
inducted at next Tuesday’s meeting.
Kirtland Is Army
Air Force Gunner
Pfc. Norman E. Kirtland, son of
Mr. and Mrs, Victor Kirtland, of
Rural Route 1, Bluffton, was gradu
ated last week as an Army Air Force
bomber aerial gunner, after complet
ing training at the Harlingen Army
air field at Harlingen, Texas.
Unless retained at Harlingen as an
instructor, Pfc. Kirtland will join
an aerial combat team.
MARRIAGE LICENSE ISSUED
A mariage license has been issued
to Raymond Kenneth Duffman, 25,
U. S. Navy, Bluffton and Hazel M.
Martin, 23 of Lima.
issue
1SU
START SURFACING
OF MAIN STREET
ABOUT AUGUST 1
Hot Mix Street Treatment
Awaits Installation of
Water Taps
Curb Repair and Raising of
Catch Basins Must be
Done First
Re-surfacing of Bluffton’s Main
street, in a $27,500 improvement
program sponsored jointly by the
State Highway department and the
municipality, will begin about August
1, it was learned this week.
Start of work on the project is
being delayed to permit installation
of new tap lines connecting the city
water mains running down the center
of the street with the water systems
in 160 homes and business places
bordering on Main street.
Replacement of old taps will not
be completed before the latter part
of July, according to present esti
mates, and the worirfflwtst be finished
before the street can be re-surfaced.
Under Way Now
Installation of new tap lines has
been under way for more than a
month, but the work last week was
held up several days because of the
non-arrival of additional taps, which
were delayed in shipment to Bluffton.
State highway department officials
in their last visit here, said that
everything would be in readiness to
start the re-surfacing early in July,
but that the work would be delayed
until the replacement of water lines
is completed.
Before the street can be re-surfac
ed broken curbs must be repaired.
It will also be necessary to raise all
catch basins and manhole covers one
and three-fourths inches, to make
them flush with the new surface of
the street.
In the street improvement, a one
and three-fourths-inch asphalt hot
mix surface will be placed over the
present brick pavement beginning at
the Bentley road, and continuing
north to the Allen-Hancock county
line. This will comprise a one and
one-half mile project within the city
limits.
In addition, the highway resurfac
ing project will continue north from
the county line to the intersection of
1 the Dixie highway and State Route
69 near Mt. Cory.
By the time the street resurfacing
starts in August, the Bluffton council
expects to have available $5600
representing the town’s share of cost
of the $27,500 project. At last week’s
meeting of the council, issuance of
bonds to raise the funds was author
ized, and they will shortly be offered
for sale.
Other Improvements
Altho re-surfacing of Main street
will constitute the major portion of
Bluffton’s street repair program this
summer, Street Commissioner Lee
Coon says the town hopes to have
sufficient funds to undertake other
improvement programs.
Street repairs are badly’ needed on
Harmon road from Garau street to
the Bentley road on Lake avenue
from North Main street to the Allen
Hancock county line, on West Elm
street from Main street, and on
Spring street between Elm and Riley
streets.
Births
Mr. and Mrs. George Burton of
Ada, a daughter, Carol Juanita, at
Bluffton hospital, Friday.
Cpl. and Mrs. Clyde Klingler, a
son, Keith Ream at Bluffton hospital,
Sunday.
BUY
VWI
NUMBER
DRAFT CALLS ARE
LESS YOUNG MEH
ARE FILLING QUOTA
Smaller Calls Reflect Decreased
Demand from Armed
Forces
Quotas Being Substantially Met
by Registrants Under 26
Years
Reflecting a decreased demand for
manpower in the armed forces, Allen
County Draft Board No. 3 selective
service calls for the last two months
have been lighter, and the board has
been substantially meeting its quota
despite the fact that no men over
25 are being inducted.
Bluffton and Richland township
are under the jurisdiction nf Board
No. 3, and the reduced draft calls
have meant the induction of fewer
men from this area during the last
several weeks.
For the present, draft calls are
being filled by men under 26 whose
industrial or agricultural deferments
are cancelled, by those just turning
18 years old, and by reclassification
of men formerly’ physically deferred.
Two Calls for Navy-
Two calls aggregating 28 men
were filled by’ the Allen County
Board during the past week. Ail the
men were sent for naval training.
Men from this area included in the
calls were:
Robert E. Stratton, Bluffton Rich
ard Paul Leiber, Beaverdam Paul
Geiser, Franklin Mayberry, Columbus
Grove Carlton L. Emerick. La
fayette.
Former Bluffton Man
Married In Coshocton
Lieut. Neil Baumgartner, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Lysle Baumgartner of
Mishawaka, Ind., formerly of Bluff
ton and Miss Pauline Wolfe of Co
shocton, daughter of Mrs. Mildred,
Wolfe of that city were married SaU,
urday night. v .IK.
The wedding Foo"k plice in the
Presbyterian church of Coshocton at
8 o’clock with the pastor, Dr. R. M.
Kiskaddon officiating.
The ceremony took place before an
altar banked with palms and baskets
of white roses. Two candelabra were
arranged on either side of the altar.
The bride, given in marriage by
her mother, wore a wedding gown of
white marquisette with tulle veil and
coronet of seed pearls. Her only
ornament was a strand of pale pearls,
the gift of the bridegroom and her
flowers were a shower bouquet of
white roses.
Mrs. Dale Baker of Charleston, W.
Va., was matron of honor and Miss
Jeanne Baumgartner of Mishawaka,
sister of the bridegroom was maid of
honor. Bridesmaids were Mrs. G. T.
Moore and Miss Anne Wolfe both of
Columbus.
Mr. Baumgartner served his son as
best man.
A reception followed the ceremony
after which the couple left on a
short wedding trip. They were in
Bluffton the first of the week visiting
his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. A. L.
Baumgartner and Mr. and Mrs. G. R.
Bogart and other relatives and
friends after which they will go to
Boston, Mass., to make their home.
The bride is a graduate of Miami
university-, Oxford, in the class of
1942 and received her Master of
Science degree from Wayne univers
ity, Detroit, this spring.
Lieut. Baumgartner was graduated,
from Miami university in 1942 and
took graduate work at the University
of Illinois. He was graduated last
w-eek from the army technical school
as communications officer.
Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Baumgartner
and Mr. and Mrs. Bogart from thia
place were in attendance at the wed
ding.
Victor Augsburger
Wins Scholarship
Rev. Victor Augsburger, son
of
Eli Augsburger, of South Jackson,
street, has received the Lane Schol
arship awarded by McCormick Theo
logical seminary’ in Chicago, where
he has been a student for the past
year.
The scholarship was aw’arded in
recognition of outstanding work dur
ing the last year, Rev. Augsburger
having had a grade average of
“A*
for the tw-o semesters.
Financially the award covers the
tuition, room and board for another
year of graduate work at the Semin-
ary.
This is the third scholarship Rev.
Augsburger has won in the last 18
months, following his graduation
from Aurora college.