The Bluffton news. [volume], February 15, 1945, Image 1

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VOLUME NO. LXIX
SHORTAGE OF COAL
EASES SLIGHTLY
DURING LAST WEEK
Six Cars of Coal Received Over
Last Weekend by Bluff
ton Dealers
No One Out of Coal Yet, Mayor
Reports Supply Situation
Is Better
Bluffton’s coal situation, which was
in its most critical stage at the end
of January, has improved slightly
with the arrival of six cars of coal
here during the last week.
Three of the cars were received by
Bluffton dealers the latter part of
last week, and three more which ar
rived on Monday eliminated likeli
hood that anyone will run out of fuel
in the immediate future.
Mayor W. A. Howe said there have
been no reports of suffering here, and
that altho many families have only a
small supply of coal in reserve every
one has enough for immediate needs.
He complimented Bluffton residents
on their cooperation in response to
his appeal of last week that only those
with five days supply or less should
apply for coal.
Local dealers confirmed the Mayor’s
report, and said that deliveries are
being made on a schedule that elimi
nates the possibility of anyone being
without fuel.
Deliveries Restricted
Deliveries are being restricted to
one ton lots for each householder, a
procedure that slows the unloading of
oars to some extent because of the
extra handling. However, it is ex
pected that all cars now on tracks
here will be unloaded by the end of
the week.
Bluffton High school on Wednesday
had only five days supply of coal on
hand, but school authorities said they
have received notice that a car is en
enroute and should arrive here before
the end of the week. Bluffton Grade
school building has a two week’s sup
ply.
Dimout of Bluffton street lights to
conserve fuel will be continued until
the government lifts present restric
tions, it was announced by John W.
Swisher, superintendent of the muni
cipal light plant. He said the plant
has a 15 day supply of coal on hand,
which is not as much as normal.
About 15 tons of coal are used each
day at the plant.
Robt. McCune Gets
Air Force Citation
Pfc. Robert C. McCune, 160 Geiger
street, is a general clerk with the
392nd Bombardment Group, a Liber
ator unit recently cited for “dis
tinguished and exceptionally out
standing performance of duty” on
200 missions.
Commanded by Col. Lorin L.
Johnson the group completed its
200th mission on Armistice Day, the
100th on D-Day. The citation, is
sued by Major-General William E.
Kepner of Second Bombardment Di
vision read:
“During this period of 200 mis
sions, the 392nd attacked 120 targets
in Germany and 80 targets in enemy
occupied territory despite adverse
conditions and inclement weather at
times overcoming fierce enemy
fighter oppostion on many occasions
in order to reach assigned object
ives.”
Former Student Here
German War Prisoner
Sgt. Gaylord Jordan, who attended
Bluffton High school about 10 years
ago, is a war prisoner in Germany,
according to word received from him
by his wife in Dunkirk, last Friday.
This is the first information con
cerning him since he was reported
missing in action in France, last
October 5. His father, Calvary
Jordan, who lives near Ada now, was
a resident north of town when Sgt.
Jordan was in school here.
When Sgt. Jordan went into the
service on July 7, 1942, he was
studying for the ministry at Marion
college, Marion, Ind. He was with
Gen. Patton’s Third Army and went
overseas July 1, 1944.
Navy Promotion
Maynard J. Coon, in naval service
has been promoted from the rank of
ensign to that of lieutenant junior
grade, it was announced the first of
the week. Lt. (j. g.) Coon, who
spent the past eight months in the
South Pacific returned to duty, Mon
day after a thirty day leave visit
ing his wife in North Robinson and
his parents, Mr. and Mrs. H. L.
Coon of South Jackson street.
Reveal Spot Where
Airman Met Death
George Burkholder, Bluffton air
man who met death in action last
September 22 in the European thea
tre of war was killed near Charmes,
France, when his aircraft was se
verely damaged and brought down
by enemy gunfire .according to word
received this week from the War De
partment by his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. H. H. Burkholder residing
west of Bluffton.
Latest word from the ar Depart
ment was the first to reveal the
spot where the fatality occurred.
Burkholder, engaged on liaison mis
sion wus in a small “grasshopper”
plane at the time.
He is buried in the military ceme
tery at Muerthe et Mozelle, near
Metz, the parents were informed.
FEWER DRAFTEES
DEFERRED APPEAL
RULINGS INDICATE
Tightening of Draft Regulations
Reflects Need of Younger
Men in Service
Seven Appealed Classifications
Are Continued in 1-A By
Board Decisions
More rigid application of draft reg
ulations, reflecting the need of young
er men in the armed forces, was ap
parent again this week with announ
cement that the Board of Appeals has
continued eight of nine appealed
cases in the same classification given
by Local Board No. 3, of Allen
county.
Board No. 3 has jurisdiction over
all of rural Allen county, including
Bluffton and Richland township. One
of the decisions was in the appealed
case of Robert Freeman Amstutz, of
Bluffton Route Two.
In their rulings, the Appeals Board
continued seven men in Class 1-A and
one Class 4-E. One 1-A classifica
tion was changed to 2-B by an out-of
state Appeals Board.
Announcement jf the decisions on
appeals was as follows:
William Albert Roeder, Spencer
ville. Classified in Class I-A by Local
Board. Lima Tank Depot appealed.
Classification of I-A upheld by the
Board of Appeals.
William Dean Watkins, Lima.
Classified in Class I-A by Local
Board. Employer appealed. Classi
ification of I-A upheld by Board of
Appeals.
Harold Gene Shindiedecker, Lima.
Classified in Class I-A by Local
Board. John Baber, employer, ap
pealed. Classification of I-A upheld
by the Board of Appeals.
Jack Lee Core, Spencerville. Class
ified in Class I-A by Local Board.
Registrant appealed. Classification
of I-A upheld by Board of Appeals.
Robert Freeman Amstutz, Bluffton.
Classified in Class IV-E by Local
Board. Edwin Amstutz, father, ap
pealed. Classification of IV-E upheld
by the Board of Appeals.
Richard Oliver Spyker, Lima. Class
ified in Class I-A by Local Board.
Don Hardin, father, appealed. Class
ification of I-A upheld by the Board
of Appeals.
Robert Lee Burtchin, Lima. Class
ified in Class I-A by Local Board.
Campbell & Co., employer, appealed.
Classification of I-A upheld by the
Board of Appeals.
James Henry Kitzler, Tulso, Okla
homa. Classified in Class I-A by Lo
cal Board. Oklahoma Osteopathic
Hosp. Tulsa, Oklahoma, appealed.
Reclassified in Class II-A by Appeal
Board No. 1, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Bluffton Man Two
Weeks In Jerusalem
Dr. F. S. Pannabecker who is en
route to China to engage in post-war
relief work recently spent a fort
night in Jerusalem, according to
word received by his wife, Mrs. Syl
via Pannabecker of College road.
He left this country last fall but
was detained for a time in Egypt
awaiting clearance of his vise and
other papers. He expects to leave
for India the middle of this month
enroute to his final destination in
China.
Arrives In France
Pvt. Karl Gable has arrived in
France with an Army unit, accord
ing to word received by his wife
here.
Bluffton Youth With Front Line
Hospital Serving Army In France
Pfc. Donald McCafferty with
Medical Unit Commended
for Work
Hospital Cared for 14,000 Pa
tients in Italy Before Mov
ing to France
Pfc. Donald M. McCafferty, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Carl McCafferty re
siding south of Bluffton, is attached
to the staff of the 36th General
Army hospital which has been com
mended for its w’ork under hazardous
conditions in Italy.
The hospital, which at times was
only five miles behind the lines in
Italy, is now operating in France,
serving the U. S. Seventh Army and
units of the Sixth Army Group. Be
fore coming to France, the hospital
had cared for more than 14,000 pa
tients from the Fifth Army.
Equipped to render all types of
medical treatment, from removing a
splinter to performing the most deli
cate brain operation, the hospital
hustled to the front and not only
served as a general hospitt.1 but as
an evacuation hospital, admitting
wounded soldiers directly from fox
holes.
On New Year’s Eve of 1943-44,
the 36th General further displayed
its efficiency by absorbing within
three hours 615 patients when an
evacuation hospital was endangered
by a storm. Many a soldier receiv
ing anesthetic at the evacuation hos
pital, was operated on and awoke
feeling fine in the general hospital.
The 36th General Hospital, a re
vival of Base Hospital No. 36 oper
ated by the Red Cross in World War
I, is sponsored by the Wayne Uni
versity College of Medicine, Detroit.
Former Local Woman's
Husband Is Wounded
Lester Zerbe, with the American
forces in Germany has been slightly
wounded in action, according to word
from the War Department the
first of the week by his wife, Mrs.
Marie Zerbe.
Mrs. Zerbe and her two small
children living in Sylvania closed
their home at that place and are
spending the winter with her par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. J. Lugibihl
of Riley street. They expect to re
turn to Sylvania in the spring.
Income Tax Man
Here February 26
A deputy from the office of the
collector of internal revenue will be
in Bluffton gt the Mayor’s office on
Monday, February 26 from 9 a. m.
to 5 p. m. to assist taxpayers in
preparation of their federal income
tax returns.
Any person whose total income for
1944 was $500 or more must file an
annual return not later than March
15. This also applies to taxpayers
who have already made substantial
payments on their 1944 Federal tax
thru withholding from their wages
or direct payments to the collector.
The deputy will be in Columbus
Grove on Tuesday, February 27.
Mrs. Emma Cronin
Rites Held Tuesday
Mrs. Emma Cronin, 74, who was
born south of Bluffton and lived in
this area during her early life was
found dead in bed last Saturday
morning at her home in Findlay.
She had been in ill health for two
years, and Hancock County Coroner
Byron F. Voorhees ruled that death
was caused by heart disease.
Daughter of deorge and Mary
Gromann, she was born near Bluff
ton Sept. 3, 1870. On Oct. 24, 1911,
she was marred to William Cronin,
who died in 1933.
Survivors include two sisters, Mrs.
Louise Schmidt, of Bluffton Mrs.
Mary Wenzinger, of Findlay and two
step-sons, Walter Cronin and Clar
ence Cronin, both of Findlay.
Funeral services were held Tues
day in St. Michael’s Catholic church
at Findlay and burial was in the
church cemetery.
Soldier Wounded In
Germany Is Home
Pvt. Marion C. Fox, who was
wounded in action in Schmidt, Ger
many, has returned to this country
and is spending a 15-day furlough*
with his wife, the former Edith Mo
ser, and son. Mrs. Fox is the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ervin
Moser.
Lipstick Stains
Rub soap on lipstick stains before
wetting them.
1HE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, FEB. 15, 1945
PURPLE HEART TO
WIFE OF AIRMAN
KILLED IN COMBAT
Comrade Who Witnessed Death
of Lt. Gerald Trippiehorn
Gives Details
Medal, Awarded Posthumously,
and Letter from Buddy Re
ceived Same Day
Lt. Gerald (Willie) Trippiehorn,
26, U. S. Army Air Force fighter
pilot, who lost his life in the skies
above Leyte last November 18, was
killed in aerial combat with Japanese
planes, according to word received
Monday by his wife, wjio lives in the
Stratton apartments on South Main
street.
On the same day, Mrs. Trippiehorn
received from the War Department
a Purple Heart medal, awarded post
humously to the Bluffton officer.
Details regarding the engagement
in which Lt. Trippiehorn lost his life
were in a letter written by a buddy.
It was the first information received
about his death since the War De
partment on December 20 notified
Mrs. Trippiehorn of his death in ac
tion.
On the day of his death Tripple
hom was on patrol with three other
U. S. fighter planes above Leyte.
They encountered four Japanese
planes and shot down two of the
enemy fighters.
In the engagement Trippiehorn was
killed by a Jap bullet. His plane,
which got out of control, crashed,
caught fire and burned. The friend
who wrote to Mrs. Tripplehom wit
nessed the fight from the ground.
Tripplehom’s body was removed
from the plane before it burned, and
he was buried in the cemetery on
Leyte with a military funeral.
The Bluffton officer had been in
the air force two years and showed
unusual aptitude in his training. He
received his wings at Foster field in
Texas 13 months ago. A graduate
of Bluffton High school in 1986, he
had a brilliant scholas«« record.
Clayton Wiess Gets
Navy Training Honor
Singled out as the outstanding
man in the deck division of his
LSM (Landing Ship, Medium) crew,
Clayton W. Wiess, Coxswain, USNR,
was recently presented with a gift
for his personal use by Captain
Charles F. Macklin, Jr., U. S. Navy,
Commanding Officer of the Amphib
ious Training Base at Little Creek,
Virginia.
Wiess, whose parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Aldine C. Wiess, reside on
Riley street has completed his train
ing at Little Creek and will soon de
part with his crew’ to take over a
new’ LSM at one of the nation’s busy
shipyards. After a period of fitting
out and a shakedow'n cruise, Wiess
and his mates will be ready to join
a flotilla of the new amphibious
craft.
The award which Wiess received,
an electric iron, leather billfold and
a certificate of merit, was presented
by Captain Macklin at a review of
all the Little Creek personnel. The
certificate cited the following quali
ties w’hich the Bluffton resident has
exhibited during his LSM training
period: Military bearing and neat
ness of person and uniform, indus
try, cooperation, loyalty, leadership,
initiative and proficiency in rating.
Lions Charter Night
Dinner Next Tuesday
Bluffton Lions club will observe
their eleventh annual charter night
aniversary next Tuesday with a din
ner at the Walnut grill at 6:30
o’clock. The occasions will be ladies
night with wives of members attend
ing as guests.
Principal speaker will be District
Governor Ralph E. Blaney of Tiffin.
He will be accompanied by his secre
tary J. Zartman, a Tiffin magician,
who will also appear on the program.
Hire Paulding Man As
Light Plant Engineer
James J. Leslie of Paulding has
been hired as an operating engineer
at Bluffton’s municipal electric light
and waterworks plant it was an
nounced the first of the week by
Superintendent John Swisher.
He fills the vacancy caused by the
death of Noah Zuercher.
Leslie will begin his duties here on
Thursday. His family consisting of
his wife and two daughters will move
here from Paulding after the close
of school next spring.
Twenty-six natives of South Cen
tral Mexico who arrived here Tues
day in summer garb to work on the
Nickel Plate railroad tracks south
of town nearly froze during the day
before they could obtain a sufficient
quantity of winter work clothing
from the depleted shelves of Bluff
ton retail stores.
Wearing summer weight trousers
and shirts, open-toed sandals and
straw hats, the 26 men w’ere the
center of attraction as they moved
thru the downtown district in a
group in search of w’armer clothing.
Exempted and Parochial Teams
Must Conduct Own Tour
ney This Year
Winner and Runnerup of Play
Are Eligible to Compete
in Sectional
A decade in which Bluffton High
cage teams have been excused from
pre-sectional tournament play will
come to an end next W’eek under a
new tourney setup that pits exempt
ed village and parochial schools
against each other at the same time
county schools are fighting it out
for the privilege of competing in
sectional play.
As an exempted village team,
Bluffton since 1935 has been eligible
to compete in the sectional tourna
ment without playing in a qualifying
round.
This year, how’ever, the eight ex
empted village and parochial teams
in this district will play in a pre
sectional tourney at the Ohio North
ern gymnasium in Ada, with only
the winner and runnerup permitted
to enter the sectional.
In their opening tournament as
signment Bluffton eagers are pitted
against St. Johns at 9:30 j). m.
Wednesday night of next week, the
last of four games scheduled for the
evening.
This is a repetition of last win
ter’s first tournament game in which
the Pirates competed, when they
were defeated by the Lima team in
the opening round of sectional play.
St. John’s in turn went on to the
state Class finals before being
eliminated.
Other teams in the tournament at
Ada include Wapakoneta St. Joseph,
Delphos Jefferson, Ada, Delphos St.
John’s, Lima St. Gerard and Lima
St. Rose.
Winners of next Wednesday’s four
games will play again on the fol
lowing night, and the final tourna
ment tilt will be played on Saturday
night of next week.
Lecture On Reformed
Church Sunday Night
Dr. D. A. Bode, pastor of the First
Reformed church, New’ Knoxville, one
of the leaders in that denomination,
will speak on the background, creed
and tenets of the Reformed faith in
a lecture at the First Mennonite
church here Sunday night at 7:30
o’clock.
The lecture will be the second in
a series dealing with history of the
different denominations presented
each month in the First Mennonite
church and arranged by the pastor,
Rev. J. N. Smucker.
Dr. Bode’s New Knoxville congre
gation comprises one of the largest
Reformed churches in the Middle
West. Special music will be fur
nished by the St. John’s Reformed
church of this place.
In March a leading representative
of the Presbyterian church will speak
for that denomination, followed by
lectures by speakers from other
faiths to be announced monthly. The
public is invited to attend these
meetings.
Model Railroads
Club Meets Here
February meeting of the Lima
Model Railroads club was held in
Bluffton at the home of Dr. B. W.
Travis of West Kibler street. Dr.
Travis, Bluffton physician, follows
model railroading as an avocation
and has an extensive setup at his
home here.
William K. Walthers of Milwau
kee, Wis., was guest speaker at the
club’s meeting here. He talked on
model railroad gauges. Dr. Travis
exhibited a model “pike” or model
railroad layout.
26 Mexicans In Straw Hats, Summer
Clothing Center Of Attraction Here
Many of them w’ere without socks,
Bluffton Will Play In Pre-Sectional
Tournament For First Time In Decade
and with the work clothes scarcity
being what it is, only one pair could
be provided for each man.
With shelves already depleted,
there was a merry scramble to out
fit the Mexicans, and by the time the
job was done Bluffton dealers had
no overalls on hand, and only a few’
work shirts and other items. No
gloves could be obtained at all.
The 26 men who arrived here
Tuesday w’ere replacements recruited
for a similar number who returned
to Mexico recently when their con
tract for w’ork on the railroad ex
pired.
Golden Wedding
Mr. and Mrs. John Garlinger
of Geiger street who observed
their Golden wedding annivers
ary, Wednesday. Story on page 2.
Evangelistic Services
At Church Of Christ
Evangelistic services which opened
at the Bluffton Church of Christ last
week will be continued thru next
Sunday, with special features at 7:30
p. m. each evening except Saturday.
Rev. Milton Fronsoe, pastor of the
church, is in charge of the series,
and Mrs. Fronsoe leads the evange
listic singing.
Special music for the «e» vicea in
cludes the following: Ebenezer Men
nonite mdle quartet, this Wednesday
Bluffton college string trio, Thurs
day Cincinnati Bible Seminary
singers, Friday. The Cincinnati
group also will sing on Sunday, in
addition to holding a Singspiration
service at 2:30 p. m. on that day.
Rev. Fronsoe’s subjects are an
nounced as “The Lord’s Day”, Wed
nesday “The Communion Service”,
Thursday “A Good Man Who Need
ed Christ”, Friday and “Popular
Misconceptions of the N. T. Position”
and “Neutrality Impossible”, Sunday.
Radio Play By Local
Girl On Air Friday
A S'adio play written by Miss
Betty’ Steinman, Bluffton student at
Ohio Wesleyan university, Delaware,
will be heard over the air on a
broadcast from the Marion station
Friday afternoon from 4 to 4:30
o’clock.
The play will be produced by the
university’s radio workshop training
students in broadcasting technique.
Miss Steinman, a senior at Ohio
Wesleyan is specializing in radio
script writing. She is the daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Forrest Steinman
of South Lawn avenue.
Beaverdam Man In
Overseas Hospital
Pvt. Glen Zimmerman of Beaver
dam who has been in the European
theatre of war for the past year is
in an Army hospital in Luxembourg,
according to word received here
Wednesday morning. No details w’ere
given in the message and it is not
known w’hether he is ill or was
wounded in action.
Pvt. Zimmerman is the husband of
Mrs. Rose Zimmerman living in
Lima. He is the son of the late
Mrs. Noah Zimmerman of Bluffton.
World Day Of Prayer
Service Here Friday
Union services in observance of the
World Day of Prayer will be held at
the Church of Christ, Friday after
noon at 2:30 o’clock.
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Schutz, Pan
dora, a boy, Albert James, Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Waldemar Spaeth,
Jenera, a girl, Tuesday.
buy:
I
•VATM
NUMBER 43
FARM SALES HAVE
DEVELOPED UNIQUE
WARTIME FLAVOR
Raffle-Like Drawings Decide
Lucky Bidders for Items
Sold At Ceiling
Hundreds of Names Are Re
ceived from Those Willing
to Pay Top Price
Public sale on farms these days
have taken on a distinctive wartime
flavor resulting from a critical short
age of farm machinery’ and restric
tions imposed on sky-high bidding by
rigid OPA ceiling prices on many
items.
Squeezed by a lack of machinery
on one hand and a growing shortage
of manpower on the other .desperate
farmers often pay’ fantastic prices
for equipment not covered by ceiling
restrictions.
At the same time, the demand is
so great for machinery’ on which ceil
ing prices apply that it is no uncom
mon ocourrence for the auctioneer to
find as many as 250 to 300 bidders
willing to pay the top price permit
ted by law.
OPA permit auctioneers to desig
nate any one of many bidders as the
buyer of the item, but none of them
working sales in this area want to in
cur the displeasure of the crowd by
following that procedure.
Draw Lucky Name
Consequently they have worked out
a procedure generally followed here
in which all prospective buyers place
their names on slips of paper. These
are collected in a hat.
Someone not interested in the sale,
usually a child or woman—is selected
to draw one name from the hat, and
the lucky bidder gets the item at the
ceiling price.
Drawings for such items as tract
ors, combines, corn pickers, etc., all
covered by OPA ceilings, have be
come the feature of sales these days,
and it is by no means uncommon to
have as many as 300 names in the
hai.
Farm observers point out, however,
I that many’ bidders do not w’ant the
item, but a farmer who is interested
in obtaining it at ceiling price will
get his friends to put in their names
with the understanding that they will
re-sell it to him should they be the
lucky party in drawing.
Ceiling of 85%
Ceilings of 85% of present list
prices apply to equipment one-year
old or less, such as tractors, combines,
manure spreaders, corn pickers,
pickup baler, side delivery rakes, hay
loaders, and corn binders.
If the equipment is more than one
year old, the ceiling price is 70% of
present list price, and any old item
in anything approaching fair condi
tion will bring the maximum.
In another class are discs, tractor
plows, corn cultivators (unless sold
with tractor), grain drills, mowing
machines, com planters and wagons,
on which there are no OPA ceilings.
These sell at fantastic prices which
have no relation to their original
purchase price. If they are in work
ing condition at all they’ invariably
will sell at prices much higher than
they’ brought when new.
Fantastic Bidding
As an evidence of what demand
will do when there is no ceiling, a
corn cultivator placed on the block at
a sale last week brought over $200.
Had it been sold with a tractor, a
ceiling price of about $140 would have
applied.
Fann opinion is that there is no
apparent reason why some machin
ery has been put under ceilings and
other has not, for all of it is badly
needed by farmers who hope to keep
up with the demands for maximum
production.
Steel tire wagons are about the
only item which prove to be a drug
at sales, because farmers w’ant only
wagons with rubber tires. Top prices
of from $5 to $10 are the best that
can be expected for such wagons,
representing a decided contrast to
the free and easy bidding for every
thing else.
New Produce Station
To Open Saturday
A new Bluffton business, the
K & Produce Station will open
for business Saturday in the North
Main street location formerly occu
pied by the Hardw’ick pool room ad
joining the towm house.
Operators of the station are
Charles Kinsinger and Robert Murray
who have formed a partnership for
buying poultry, eggs and cream.
They have been operating a truck
route thru the country for several
weeks buying produce.