The Bluffton news. [volume], August 03, 1944, Image 1

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VOLUME NO. LXIX
AREA CONFERENCE
CALLED HERE FOR
FIRE PROTECTION
Officials of Richland and Orange
Twps., and Beaverdam
are Invited
Project to be Discussed with
Town Council at Meeting
Monday Night
First step in the resumption of
Bluffton’s effort to modernize the
municipal fire department by the
purchase of an additional truck
pumper will be conferences with
trustees of surrounding townships to
determine what extent they will want
the town to provide fire protection
for them in the future.
Clerk W. O. Geiger at the direc
tion of the council has sent invita
tions to Richland and Orange town
ship trustees and Beaverdam officials
to meet with the council next Mon
day night to learn whether they are
interested in fire protection from
Bluffton.
Announcement of the negotiations
was made this week by Mayor W. A.
Howe, as the matter of purchasing
a new truck-pumper was re-opened
again by the town council.
This is a continuation of a fire
department modernization program
started three years ago when purchase
of a new fire pumper was authorized
by voters with the passage of an
$8000 bond issue for that purpose
in the November, 1941, election.
However, with the outbreak of
war, the council found it impossible
to obtain delivery of a new fire
truck, and a contract which had
been let for Mack equipment later
was cancelled.
Restrictions Relaxed
Government restrictions on the
purchase of fire equipment now are
being relaxed, however, and the
council is again considering the
proposal inasmuch as bonds author
ized by the voters still can be issued
in whole or any part thereof decided
by the council.
Size and type of new fife equip
ment will depend largely on the
degree of rural fire protection sur
rounding districts may wish to ob
tain from Bluffton, and conferences
on that subject are being arranged
.as a guide to the council.
If Bluffton is to continue provid
ing fire protection for those areas as
in the past, more equipment will be
necessary. It also will make a
difference in the type of fire truck
purchased inasmuch as Bluffton has
adequate water supply for pumping
whereas the other districts have
areas where sufficient water is not
(Continued on page 8)
To Teach Music
In Lima School
Miss Rita Hankish who taught
public school music at Ney, Ohio,
has resigned her position at that
place to accept a similar position in
the Washington school in Lima.
She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Charles Hankrfh of this place.
Keep Fox Hoiles
Handy In France
“It’s a good idea to have a fox
hole handy, here in France”, writes
Cpl. Joe Mumma, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Forrest Mumma, who is with
the American invasion forces in
France.
Cpl. Mumma landed on the Nor
mandy coast on June 10, four days
after the first invasion units. He is
with an army unit of anti-aircraft
artillery.
Wins Navy Wings
And Commission
Robert Wallace Bayless, 20, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Vance Bayless form
erly of Toledo, now living at Brad
enton, Florida, has won his Navy
wings and has been commissioned a
second lieutenant in the Marine
corps reserve, it was announced the
first of the week.
His mother is the former Miss
Martha Diller, a native of Bluffton.
Lieut. Bayless who recently com
pleted his training at Pensacola Na
val Air Training center has been
assigned to Cecil Field, Jacksonville,
Florida, to receive specialized train
ing in combat service.
He is a graduate of Rossford
High school near Toledo and at
tended Maryville college, Tenn.,
where he was prominent in athletics.
His preliminary service training was
received at Tennessee State college,
the University of Georgia and Lam
bert Field, St. Louis.
School Bus Driver
Quits Never Dented
Fender In 11 Years
AARON Messinger, Bluffton
school bus driver for the
past 11 years announced his
resignation the first of the week.
Messinger established an un
usual record for careful driving,
not having as much as dented a
fender during this entire period.
His resignation will be presented
to the board of education at its
next meeting.
STRAW IN DEMAND
BUT FARMERS ARE
WARY OF SELLING
Wartime Industrial Uses Boost
Price in Stack to 35
Cents Bale
Note of Caution Develops on
Farms as Outlook for
Crops is Clouded
Straw—a by-product of the wheat
crop is this summer proving an un
expected source of cash income for
the farm as an active market for
it has developed within the past
fortnight.
Wartime industrial uses for
straw, principally in papermaking
have sent buyers scouring the
countryside contracting for straw
stacks of recently threshed wheat.
Prices are reported as around 35
cents a bale for straw in the stack
with the buyer paying baling costs.
Bales will average 80 to 100 pounds
each. Smaller bales made in the
field by pickup balers are not as
much in demand because of extra
difficulty encountered in loading and
transportation, it was stated.
Farmers Wary
Altho the price bid for straw is
undeniably attractive, farmers are
adopting a cautious attitude in sell
ing. Straw is ordinarily used for
bedding livestock thru the winter
season and with the outlook in
general for feed crops none too
promising because of drought farm
ers are hesitant in disposing any
thing which might conceivably con
tribute toward weathering what is
expected to be a difficult winter for
livestock feeders.
Because of dry weather which
prevailed thruout the harvest season
the straw is of unusually good
quality and in practically all fields
where wheat was combined the straw
has been cut and gathered for future
use.
Dry weather which favored wheat
harvest is having the opposite ef
fect on the corn crop and the stand
is showing the results of six weeks
of drought. Unless ample rains
come soon, there will be a shortage
of both ear corn and fodder which
will hamper the livestock feeding
program next winter.
Sgt. Robert Cooney
To End Training Soon
Sgt. Robert K. Cooney, Jr., 21, the
son of Mr. and Mrs. R. K. Cooney,
Sr., 130 South Jackson, Bluffton, is
in the final phase of training as an
aerial gunner on a B-24 Liberator
bomber at Davis-Monthan Field,
Tucson, Arizona.
For ten weeks Sergeant Cooney
and the other nine airmen of his
bomber crew have trained as an in
dividual team, learning to work, fly
and fight together.
Sergeant Cooney entered the serv
ice in October, 1942. He is a gradu
ate of Bluffton High school. His
wife lives at his parent’s address in
Bluffton.
In New Locations
Mr. and Mrs. Francis Marquart
will move soon into the Edward
Marquart property on South Jack
son street recently vacated by Mr.
and Mrs. Wm. Cookson.
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Gratz who
sold their property in Lima last
spring have moved into their Bluff
ton property on West College avenue
recently vacated by Mrs. Karl Auk
erman and son who moved to Find
lay.
Earle Lugnbill and family will move
this month to Lima where he is em
ployed. They will vacate the Kitch
en property on Cherry’ street recently
purchased by Miss Theresa Slusser.
The Slusser family will occupy the
property the 'latter part of August,
moving from their present location on
I Bentley road.
Heat Wave Speeds Area Drought Into
Sixth Successive Week As Crops Wilt
Scattered Showers Only Relief
Since Last Heavy Rain
Here June 23
Freak Storm Drenches Small
Area Tuesday Wheat
Stubble Fire Reported
Temperatures ranging through the
nineties in a recurrent heat wave
send Bluffton area’s drought into
its sixth successive week as a burn
ing sun wilted lawns and growing
crops already parched for want of
moisture.
Scattered thundershow’ers brought
a measure of temporary relief to
isolated districts but there has been
nothing in the way of general rains
to dispel grave concern which is
manifested for livestock feed crops,
particularly corn and soybeans, the
outlook for both of which is ad
mittedly serious.
High mark of the heat wave came
Tuesday afternoon accompanied by
humidity which proved unusually
oppressive.
Two freak thunderstorms passed
over small areas north and south of
town Tuesday afternoon with a
downpour so heavy that work in the
fields was suspended for the re
mainder of the day.
The district north of town receiv
ing the rain was on the county line
in the vicinity of the Quinten Burk
holder farm while south of town the
downpour was in the Edgar Herr
farm area.
The area’s last heavy rainfall was
on Friday, June 23, six weeks ago.
Since that time there have been
only sporadic showers affording only
temporary relief.
Wheat Stubble Fire
Another field fire occurred on the
farm of Walter Neal two and one
half miles north of Bluffton on the
Allen-Putnam county line Friday
afternoon.
Neal was reported to have been
burning out a fence row when the
fire spread to an adjoining field of
wheat stubble and got out of con
trol. The fire department was sum
moned and extinguished the flames
before any damage was done.
Notwithstanding the drought, the
most severe in recent years, Bluff
ton’s municipal water supply is
meeting the situation satisfactorily.
Daily consumption here is running
considerably over 500,000 gallons.
About half of this amount goes to
the Page Dairy plant the town’s
largest consumer which uses the
water principally for cooling milk.
Former Locab Woman
Crushed Under Tree
Mrs. Rosalind Bracht, 43, the
former Rosalind Diller of this place,
who moved to Ft. Wayne, more than
20 years ago with her parents, the
late Mr. and Mrs. Will Diller, was
killed instantly last Thursday when
struck by a large fallen tree at Lake
James, near Angola, Indiana.
Her husband, Edward Bracht, 51,
suffered a compound fracture of the
left leg and head injuries in the
mishap, but is reported recovering
in an Angola hospital.
Mrs. Bracht’s body could not
be removed from beneath the tree,
which measured more than 20 inches
in diameter, until part of the trunk
could be sawed away. Previously
weakened by a windstorm, the tree
fell when struck by a sudden gust
of wind.
Accompanying Mr. and Mrs.
Bracht at the time of the mishap
were their son, Neil Edwin, 19, and
several nephew’s, all of whom were
uninjured. The party was vacation
ing at the lake.
Funeral services were held last
Saturday in Ft. Wayne and burial
w’as at that place.
Bluffton persons attending the
rites included Mr. and Mrs. Frank
Stalter, Mr. and Mrs. Menno Schu
macher and son, Arthur, Miss Bertha
Diller, Mrs. Sam Bame, and Mrs.
Noah Diller. Also attending were
Edison Diller, Pandora, and Mrs.
Orlo Diller, Orrville.
Mrs. Bracht’s parents are dead
but she is survived by her foster
mother, Mrs. Frank Stalter, of
Bluffton her husband the son, Neil,
a sister, Mrs. Edith Nelson, and a
brother, Lawrence Diller, all of Ft.
Wayne.
Takes Position In
Hicksville Schools
Miss Bernice Althaus of North
Jackson street has accepted a posi
tion for the coming year as in
structor in English and speech in
the high school at Hicksville. Miss
Althaus formerly taught in the high
school at Doylestown.
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 1941
YOUTHS IN STOLEN
CAR ESCAPE AFTER
CHASE BY PATROL
Authorities Scour Countryside
Near Lyman Barnes Farm
Monday Night
Fleeing Pair Abandon Auto in
Ditch and Make Getaway
Thru Cornfield
State highway patrolmen scoured
the countryside south of Bluffton
early Monday night in an unsuccess
ful attempt to arrest two unidenti
fied youths who drove a stolen car
into a roadside ditch and then
abandoned it to escape capture.
The car w’as abandoned at the Ly
man Barnes farm on the Allen
Hardin county line when the fleeing
pair found their escape cut off by a
state highway patrol car which
blocked the roa£ as they approached
an intersection.
Flee Thru Cornfield
The youths fled thru a cornfield ad
joining the road and a short time
later were seen by Barnes entering
a nearby woods. A search of the
area by the patrolmen, however,
proved fruitless and authorities are
maintaining a lookout for the pair.
The automobile which is owned by
John Smith of near Elida was park
ed on a dow’ntown street in Lima
and was stolen about 6:15 p. m.
Smith, approaching the car from
across the street as the pair made
their getaway immediately summon
ed police and state patrolmen.
When recovered by highway
patrolmen, the car was not damaged
with exception of a smashed fnder
which resulted when the auto was
run into the ditch. The car was
driven back to Lima under its own
power.
Fern Stuart Weds In
Springfield Church
Miss Fern Stuart, vnly daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Stuart resid
ing north of Bluffton on the Dixie
highway and Merrill Bruce Tingley,
of Catawba, Ohio, were married in
the Story-Hytes Methodist church
in Springfield, Ohio, last Thursday
evening.
Rev. W. H. Fields, pastor of the
church officiated at the ceremony
w’ith members of both families iVi at
tendance.
Miss Dorothy Lloyd of Bluffton
w’as the maid of honor and the
bride’s only attendant and Burleigh
Grimes of Springfield was best man.
The bride wore an aqua silk suit
with white hat and accessories and
a corsage of pink and white glad
ioli. Miss Lloyd wore a rose dress
with white accessories and corsage
of pink roses.
Following a short wedding trip
the couple will resident in Spring
field. The groom is a deputy sheriff
of Clark county.
The bride is a graduate of Bluff
ton college and during the past year
was instructor in history and Eng
lish in Lima Central high school.
Lt. Mehollin Ends
Training In England
Second Lt. Harry Mehollin,
husband of Mrs. Vera Mehollin, of
Route 2, Bluffton, recently completed
an orientation course at an air
service command station in England,
designed to bridge the gap between
training in the States and combat
soldiering against the enemy in
France.
His next station will be one from
which the Army’s fighting planes
cover our liberation of Occupied
Europe.
Union Services Sunday
At Church Of Christ
Bluffton’s monthly union church
service will be held at the Church of
Christ, Sunday night at 8 o’clock.
Rev. Paul H. Graeser of the First
Evangelical & Reformed church of
Lima will be the speaker. The serv
ice is one of a series arranged by
the Bluffton Ministerial association.
Benefit Softball
Game On August 16
A benefit softball game between
teams from the Bluffton Lions club
and the Triplett Electrical Instru
ment company will be played on Har
mon field, Wednesday night, August
16 at 7:30. Proceeds will be used
for improvement of Buckeye lake,
Bluffton’s summer recreation spot.
Lt. Calvin R. Workman, of Lima,
reported missing in action June 9
in an air raid over Europe, is being
held a prisoner of war by the Ger
man government, his parents were
notified last w*eek.
Lt. Workman was a senior at
Bluffton college when he enlisted in
the air corps soon after the out
break of war. He was a center on
the football team at the school, and
Car-sharing Required to Qualify
for Extra Gas for Driving
to Work
Workers are Given Thirty Days
to Make Arrangements
to Conform
Bluffton motorists who have been
receiving extra gasoline rations for
home-to-work driving must become
members of a share-the-ride pro
gram if they are to continue to
qualify for additional gasoline sup
plies.
This was announced by the Office
of Price Administration which begin
ning on Tuesday inaugurated a na
tion-wide drive to compel greater
participation in automobile pooling
to reduce unnecessary driving.
Principal purposes of the cam
paign is to conserve gasoline and
tires, and to reduce wear on the
country’s dwindling supply of auto
mobiles.
Not Enough Tires
It was pointed out, for example,
that home-to-work drivers are en
titled to new tires, but there are
not enough tires to fill their de
mands.
In addition, OPA officials esti
mate that 4,000 autos wear out
daily. This means the 28 million
cars in use in 1941 have been de
creased to 21 millions, and the reduc
tion has thrown an increasingly
greater burden on other kinds of
transportation.
Beginning August 1, the new OPA
program will wqj-k somewhat as
follows:
New
OPA
Former Bluffton College Student
Held In Germany As War Prisoner
Stricter Gasoline Rationing Rules
Announced By OPA Are Now In Effect
Plan
John Doe, who has been receiving
extra gasoline for home-to-work
driving, must apply for renewal of
his rations every three months.
But when he asks for renewal
after August 1, he will obtain gaso
line for only 30 days if he is not
in a car pool. Within those 30 days
he will have to obtain enough addi
tional riders to qualify him in the
car-sharing program. If, at the end
of that time, he is not in the pool,
the board will allow no further
gasoline.
Veteran Awarded
Military Honors
Pfc. Melvin R. Nussbaum, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Nussbaum, of
east of Bluffton, has received a good
conduct medal and a Southwest Pa
cific service ribbon with two stars
denoting having participated in ma
jor battles in the Admiralty islands
and in New Guinea.
In addition he has a ribbon
awarded to his company for being
the hardest working engineers unit
in the Southwest Pacific and he
wears two service stripes for being
overseas one year or more.
Recently he sent home some gems
called “cat eyes” found in the shells
of a crablike fish, and he wrote that
he has a Jap officer’s pistol and he
will tell how he obtained it when he
returns home.
Home On Furlough
From New Guinea
Staff Sgt. Cleon Steiner who
served in the Pacific war theatre for
the past thirty months is home on
furlough visiting his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. J. E. Steiner of Thurman
street. The last half of his over
seas service was on New Guinea
island. He will remain here until
next Tuesday when he will report
at a military rest camp in Miami,
Florida.
Named Junior Grade
Lieutenant In Navy
Wood row Luginbuhl, son of Mr.
and Mrs. J. I. Luginbuhl south of
Bluffton, who has been in naval
training at Great Lakes, Ill., since
last April has been commissioned a
lieutenant (j. g.) and will be as
signed for further training at a
college to be designated soon.
had previously starred on the grid
iron for Lima South High school.
When he was shot down over
Europe, Lt. Workman was on his
40th mission as a bombardier on a
B-24 Liberator bomber, serving with
the 15th Air force in Italy.
The information that he was a
prisoner of the Germans was relayed
to his family thru the International
Ret^ Cross.
NICKEL PLATE TO
LAY NEW TRACK
SOUTH OF TOWN
Work Crew of 150 Mexicans
Will Be Quartered Here
For Three Months
All Track Between Bluffton
And Beaverdam Will
Be Replaced
New track will be laid on the
Nickel Plate railroad between Bluff
ton and Beaverdam this summer,
with the work scheduled to start
sometime newt week.
A crew of 150 Mexicans will be
brought here for the project, and
their quarters will be in railroad
cars on a siding in Bluffton. Local
railroad men estimated that 25 cars
will be used to house the laborers,
and it is expected that they will be
in Bluffton about three months.
Laying of new track from Bluffton
to Beaverdam, a distance of nearly
six miles, will be the largest rail
replacement project undertaken by
the Nickel Plate in the last 11 years.
The last previous work in this
area was the laying of two miles of
new track north of Bluffton toward
Mt. Cory, two years ago.
In view of the present scarcity of
steel, the railroad company had to
agree to return old rails to govern
ment agencies in exchange for the
new rails allotted for the project.
Mexicans who will comprise the
work crew quartered here must pass
rigid U. S. government physical
examinations before being permitted
to be employed it was stated.
General Commends
Hero Who Gave Life
Mr. and Mrs. Ira Wilkins, of near
Rawson, former Bluffton residents,
have received a letter from Major
General Robert S. Beightler, com
manding general of the 37th infant
try division, expressing regret for
the death of their son, Pvt. Francis
Wilkins, who was killed in the bat
tle of Munda in the Southwest Pa
cific August 4, 1943.
General Beightler’s letter reads:
“Please permit me to extend deep
and heartfelt sympthy for the great
loss you have suffered through the
death of your son, Pvt. Francis
R. Wilkins, who was killed in action
against the enemy. I sincerely re
gret I have been unable to write and
convey my condolences at an earlier
date, but War Department policy
forbade this for reasons of security.
“I realize nothing can compensate
for the great sorrow thus brought
to you, but I am sure you will be
comforted by the knowledge your
son gave his life in the service of
his country. He was an excellent
soldier, highly regarded by his su
perior officers, and one whom we
were proud to have as a member of
this division. His courage and devo
tion to duty contributed much to the
success of this unit in the fight
against the enemy.
“We of the 37th Division who are
privileged to remain and fight on
will find lasting inspiration in the
heroic example of unselfish courage
shown by your son.”
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. William Herr of
near Bluffton, a son, Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. Merritt Schaller of
Jenera, a daughter, Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow Steiner,
of Findlay, a son, Tuesday.
A daughter, Elaine Ann, was born
to Mr. and Mrs. Harold Stevens of
Sandusky at the Good Samaritan
hospital in that city, Monday. Mrs.
Stevens is the former Mae Belle
Amstutz, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Otto Amstutz south of Bluffton.
BUT
NUMBER 15
SON OF FORMER
BLUFFTON WOMAN
KILLED IN ACTION
Sgt. Charles Smiley Lost When
Fortress is Shot Down
In North Sea
All But Two Members of Crew
Rescued After Being Adrift
For 12 Hours
Sgt. Charles Smiley, son of Dr.
and Mrs. R. S. Smiley, of Tiffin,
was killed in action last April 22,
when the Flying Fortress on which
he was a waist gunner was shot
down in the North Sea.
His mother is the former Louise
Heighway of this place, and he was
a grandson of L. M. Heighway, of
north of town.
Sgt. Joseph Roderick, of Evans
ville, Ind., the other waist gunner,
also was killed, but the surviving
eight members of the crew were
rescued by a British W’alrus sea
plane after drifting and bailing for
12 hours on two liferafts in heavy
seas.
Floats 30 Seconds
The big bomber was shot down
when returning from a flight over
Europe, and it sank in 30 seconds
after hitting the water. Only one
life raft could be inflated before
the airplane disappeared beneath the
waves, and it was three hours be
fore other crewmen, treading water,
succeeded in blowing up the other
raft by lung power.
In their 12 chilled hours adrift
they watched an armada of Fort
resses pass overhead, and finally at
dusk they were sighted by two RAP
fliers in the Walrus.
Just as the eight Americans had
been jammed aboard, a German Ju
88 came nosing in and started to
circle the rescue plane, but two
British fighter planes drove it away.
Capt. Perry L. Huise, of Urbana,
III., was pilot of the ill-fated
fortress on the mission in which Sgt.
Smiley lost his life.
Gets Commission
In Naval Reserve
Joseph Ignat, Bluffton college
graduate, now an executive of the
U. S. Automatic corporation at Am
herst, Ohio, has reported for active
duty w’ith the Navy where he has
received a commission as Lieuten
ant (j. g.), in the Naval Reserve.
His wife, the former Mary Nord,
also a Bluffton college graduate will
take over some of her husband’s
duties in the Amherst plant of w’hich
her father is the head. The Ignat
family reside in nearby Oberlin.
Real Estate Deals
Rolland Koontz has purchased the
property on Mound street w'here he
resides, from Mrs. Maude Coon of
Detroit.
New Telephone
Directory Friday
A new’ directory now being print
ed for the Bluffton Telephone com
pany w’ill be distributed to patrons
on Friday, it is announced by Eli
Deppler, local manager of the com
pany.
With The Sick
Noah Basinger, furniture dealer,
is convalescing at Bluffton hospital
following an operation for gallstones,
Friday.
Richard Mumma, theological stu
dent, formerly of Bluffton, who is
now filling a pulpit at Harrisburg,
Ill., underwent an operation for ap
pendicitis at that place Monday.
Loretta Mae, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Robert Nonnamaker underwent
an operation for the removal of ton
sils at Bluffton hospital, Friday
morning. She was removed to her
home on South Jackson street, Sat
urday.
Mrs. Dora Montgomery of Orange
township who has been a medical
patient at Bluffton hospital is im
proving.
Elmer Diller of the Bluffton Mill
ing company is bedfast at his home
on Spring street as the result of in
juries and complications when he
was struck by a ladder which he ws
attempting to remove from a tree at
his home last Thursday.
Miss Lydia Winkler w’ho under
went an operation for gallstones at
Bluffton hospital last Thursday is
convalescing.
Gust Basinger is a patient at the
Memorial hospital at Lima since
Sunday for treatment and observa
tion. He was very sick for a few
days.