The Bluffton news. [volume], February 22, 1945, Image 1

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VOLUME NO. LXIX
WINTER DAMAGE TO
HIGHWAYS HEAVY
IN BLUFFTON AREA
Richland Township Road Fund
Is Nearly Depleted by Cost
of Gearing Snow
Trustees Petition Court to
Transfer Money for
Highways
Winter damage to highways in the
Bluffton area has been unusually
heavy this year, and Richland town
ship trustees are debating the prob
lem of how to pay for an extensive
repair program out of a heavily de
pleted road fund.
Reflecting the gravity of the situa
tion the township trustees have filed
a petition in the Allen county common
pleas court to transfer the sum of
§2,500.00 from the general fund in
the township treasury to the road and
bridge fund, which has been badly
depleted by the excessive drain caused
by cost of clearing highways of heavy
snows since early in December. The
pettition is scheduled for hearing on
March 5.
Hard-surfaced highways and gravel
roads already are in poor shape, and
their condition will become much
■worse with the arrival of spring
weather bringing rains, freezes and
thaws.
Damage suffered so far has result
ed from the heavy snowfall of this
winter, which was cleared from the
center of the roads, leaving banks on
each side.
Freezes on Surface
This snow eventually packed solid
and froze into ice, thereby preventing
water from running off into ditches.
Each roadway became a trough under
these conditions, with water lying on
top of the road and penetrating be
low the surface. As water froze and
thawed chunks were broken loose from
the surface, making extensive repairs
necessary.
Financing the repair program will
prove a real headache for Richland
township trustees, who in connection
with their petition for a transfer of
funds announced Saturday that more
than two-thirds of the $3,600 they re
ceived each year for the township road
fund already has been spent in clear
ing highways of snow.
So far this winter the cost of labor
on township roads and the bills for
repairs to the township snow plow,
which broke down repeatedly, have
totalled $2,500, leaving a balance of
only about $100.
Seek County Aid
In the hope of obtaining financial
assistance from the county, the town
ship trustees have taken up the mat
ter with County Engineer Hobart
Mumaugh, pointing out that only
about one-third of the amount they
normally spend on roads will be avail
able this pring at a time when the
need for repairs are as great as any
time in history.
With the thawing weather of last
week, practically all of the township
roads have been opened, altho in many
places only one-way trafic is possible.
As roads are gradually cleared of
•snow and ice the extensive winter
damage to them becomes more ap
parent here towmship officials say.
Resume Mission Work
Interrupted By War
Rev. and Mrs. Paul Wenger former
missionaries to India have returned
to that country to resume their work
which was interrupted by the war.
They arrived in Bombay last Wed
nesday, according to word received
here.
The couple spent the last tw'o
years in this country and visited in
Bluffton during the past summer at
the home of Mrs. Wenger’s mother,
Mrs. A. R. Good and sister, Mrs.
Harvey Beidler of South Jackson
I street.
Warmer Weather
Melts Snow, Ice
Warmer weather of the last w’eek
I finally erased most of the snow and
ice which had covered the ground
continuously since last December 11
except in places where deep drifts
had piled, but snow flurries again
blanketed the area on Tuesday fol
lowed by rain on Wednesday.
Mild weather continued thru Tues
day night and Wednesday, however,
with much of the new snow disap
I pearing soon after it had fallen.
Except for a cold snap which drop
ped temperatures below 20 late Sat
urday and on Sunday, warmer weath
er appears to finally have broken the
cold wave which first moved into
the district early in December.
Harold Monegomery
To Sell Auto Tags
Harold Montgomery, operator of
a North Main street news stand, has
been appointed deputy registrar of
motor vehicles and will sell auto
license tags here beginning March 1.
New plates must be used on and
after April 1.
Each vehicle again will have only
one plate, but two are promised for
1946.
The plates this year will be blue
lettering on a white background.
Licenses will cost the usual fee,
$7 for vehicles up to 25 horse power
$10, from 25 to 31 horse power, and
$16 for over 31 horse power.
HUSBAND OF LOCAL
WOMAN KILLED IN
ACTION IN BELGIUM
Message Received of Death of
Staff Sgt. Allen Wilson,
January 31
Was with Infantry Unit of 9th
Army Wife Employed at
Triplett Plant
Staff Sgt. Allen Wilson, husband
of Mrs. Virginia Wilson, employe of
The Triplett Electrical Instrument
Co., was killed in action on the
Ninth Army front ih Belgium on
January 31.
Notification of her husband’s
death came in a telegram from the
War Department received by Mrs.
Wilson Friday morning.
A daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Levi
Waltz, of west of Mt. Cory, Mrs.
Wilson has been living in Bluffton
at the home of Mrs. Mary Matter
on Garau street until new’s of her
husband’s death, since which time
she has made her home with her
parents.
She has worked continuously at
the Triplett plant since her first
employment here more than four
years ago, except for several months
spent with her husband while he
was in training in Texas.
Sgt. Wilson was in the infantry.
No details regarding how he met
his death were given in the tele
gram.
Lions Observe 11th
Annual Charter Night
Eleventh annual charter night of
the Bluffton Lions club was observed
at a ladies night dinner meeting
Tuesday evening in the Walnut Grill.
John Zartman, Tiffin magician,
and District Governor Ralph E.
Blaney, also of Tiffin, appeared on
a program which also included har
monica selections by Robert Potts
and necrology services by Wilbur A.
Howe.
Ninety Lions and guests were in
attendance for the occasion marking
the eleventh anniversary of the
founding of the club here.
N .E. Byers introduced four new
members of the club: Donald Reams,
Robert and Arthur Nonnamaker and
Robert Potts. A Lion’s award was
presented by First Vice President
A. C. Burcky to Jesse Yoakam,
member of the club here.
Post Office Will
Close Thursday
Washington’s birthday here this
Thursday will be observed as a holi
day only by the Bluffton post office
and the Citizens National bank.
Window's will be closed thruout the
day at the post office and there will
be no mail deliveries on town or
rural routes
Bluffton High and Grade schools
and Bluffton college will have class
es, and local business places and in
dustries will operate as usual.
Former Bluffton Boy
Called To Pastorate
Edgar Neuenschwander, Jr., son
of Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Neuensch
wander of Saginaw, Mich., has ac
cepted a call to the pastorate of the
Missionary church at Yoder, Ind.,
near Ft. Wayne and began his min
isterial duties there last Sunday.
He is a student in Ft. Wayne Bible
institute from which he will be
graduated in May.
The Neuenschw’ander family form
erly lived in Bluffton where the
father was a photographer.
(j
o
Coal Supply Continues Short But
Immediate Demands Still Are Met
Bluffton Residents May Get
Thru Until Spring Without
Hardship or Suffering
Brownout of Town Probably to
Continue Here Thru spring
and Summer
Sufficient coal is coming into
Bluffton to meet the immediate de
mand, and barring unseasonably cold
weather for the rest of the winter
the town is expected to get thru un
til spring without any suffering or
hardship.
Altho coal supplies have not been
normal at any time for nearly two
months, there have been no cases in
which any local residents have been
out of fuel.
Warmer weather is expected to
greatly ease the demand for coal
thru March, but restrictions on coal
deliveries are so tight that a normal
stock likely will not be built up in
Bluffton yards until next summer.
Dimout of Bluffton’s street, store
window and display lighting in
augurated on February 1 as a fuel
conservation measure will continue
indefinitely, it was indicated this
w’eek, when an Office of War Utili
ties spokesman in Washington said
the measure would remain in force
thruout the summer and as long as a
coal shortage exists.
At the same time there were in
dications that additional restrictions
in services of the municipal light
plant likely will be put into effect
soon by the Board of Public Affairs,
to further conserve the use of coal
by the plant.
Bluffton public schools, short of
coal the early part of last week,
received 10 tons of fuel later in the
week w’hich will permit them to oper
ate until the first of next week,
Supt. Ralph Lanham said.
Cal Stettlers Mark
Wedding Anniversary
Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Stettler, of
South Mound street, celebrated their
49th wedding anniversary in a quiet
observance at their home Sunday.
Stettler was born on the Stettler
farm on the Dixie highway near
Beaverdam October 5, 1871, and Mrs.
Stettler was born on what is known
as the Greding farm on the Lincoln
highway, Oct. 17, 1876.
They w’ere married Feb. 14, 1896,
at the parsonage of the Emmanuel’s
Reformed church, w’ith Rev. P.
Greding, an uncle of Mrs. Stettler,
officiating. The weather was w’arm
and there was no snow on the day
of the wedding.
Mr. and Mrs. Stettler have three
children, Theodore Stettler, of Cleve
land Mrs. Naomi Wiebe, of Willard,
and Mrs. Marcella Cox, of Ashta
bula, and five grandchildren, Hal
stead and Theodore Stettler Judith
Ann W’iebe, and Julia Gretchen and
Jon William Cox.
Mr. and Mrs. W’iebe and daughter,
of Willard, were here for the anni
versary observance Sunday and many
cards and flow’ers of congratulation
w’ere received.
Former Orange Twp.
Man Dies In South
C. P. Swank, 83, native of Orange
township, died Tuesday night at the
home of his son Roy Swank in
LaGrange, Georgia, according to
w’ord received by relatives here.
His death occurred following a
period of failing health.
Born in Orange township, the son
of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Swank who
lived on w’hat is now the Irvin Moore
farm on the county line, he taught
school in this vicinity as a young
man and later went to Chanute,
Kansas, where he operated a retail
store and also served as judge of the
probate court.
Following the death of his wife
he made his home in recent years
with his only son, Roy Sw’ank, La
Grange newspaper publisher. He is
the last survivor of the Henry Swank
family. The late Chris Swank of
Orange township was a brother.
The body will be taken to Chanute,
Kansas, where funeral services will
be held Friday followed by interment
at that place.
Agnes Amstutz Takes
Vets Hospital Post
Miss Agnes Amstutz, of the Bluff
ton college faculty, has obtained a
leave of absence starting March 1,
to take a post in the library of the
Veteran’s hospital at Sunmount, New
York.
Sunmount is near Tupper Lake in
the Upper Adirondacks.
rHE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, FEB. 22, 1945
HORSES DRUG ON
FARM MARKET AS
POPULARITY WANES
Horses Become the Forgotten
Animal As Tractors Gain
in Use on Farms
Shetland Pony Sells for
But Good Work Te
Brings $117 He
Draft horses are well on
toward becoming the forgo
mal on Bluffton area farms,
paid at public sales this s
any indication of present a
trends.
$86,
ly
way
ani-
prices
are
future
Good work teams selling at sales for
barely $100 to $125 demonstrate more
than anything else just how far the
tractor has gone in replacing horses
in Bluffton area farming practices.
At the same time farmers are cheer
fully paying top quotations on scarce
ceiling-priced farm machinery, and
prices are soaring to fatastic heights
on non-ceiling items, horses, once the
mainstay of farm production, are vir
tually a drug on the market.
Team Brings $117
Typical of the market situation,
farmers say, is an incident at a sale
several weeks ago when a good match
ed team of draft horses, six and ten
years old, sold for $117.
At the same time a draft mare colt
brought $10, which farm observers
point out is less than insurance fee.
In times when horses were a fixture
on every farm such a colt might have
been expected to bring from $75 to
$100.
On the other hand, riding horses,
virtually unknown in this district a
decade ago, are commanding fancy
prices. At one sale early this month
a seven-year-old riding horse brought
$160, and a four-year-old shetland
pony sold for $186.
Interest in Riding
Altho feed is high and labor to care
for horses usually scarce, Baddie
mounts continue in demand
of the current interest gene
rodeos and horsback riding.
Present-day farming practices, how
ever, are in favor of the tractor, es
pecially in spring plowing where the
horse finishes a poor second to his
mechanical cousin.
With his plows hitched to a tractor
a farmer can take care of far more
acreage in one day than he can with
a good team, and plowing at night
also is possible by adding a light on
the vehicle. In the busiest seasons
the tractor can run day and night,
pausing only for re-fueling, where
horses are governed by physical lim
itations.
Three Bluffton Men
Wounded In Europe
Three more Bluffton area youths
have been w’ounded in fighting on
the European battle fronts, their
parents were notified by the War De
partment.
Fred Herrmann, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Andrew Herrmann, of North
Main street, former star athlete at
Bluffton High school .received a
shrapnel wound in his left leg in
France on February 1, his parents
learned last Friday.
Herrmann has been overseas since
last October. He is in an army hos
pital in France.
Pvt. Donavin Amstutz, a para
trooper ,was slightly wounded on
January 25 in Belgium, according to
word received by his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Joshua Amstutz, who live
five miles north of Bluffton. This
is the second time Pvt. Amstutz has
been wounded.
He is in a hospital in Belgium,
and has been overseas for twro years.
Cpl. Frederic Andrews, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Paul Andrews, of south of
Bluffton ,was slightly wounded on
Jan. 28, and wrote his parents on
February 1 that he was back in ac
tion on the front after the hospital
had removed an iron chip from his
eye.
With The Sick
A. J. B. Longsdorf, former Bluff
ton school superintendent, now con
nected with the federal bureau of
internal revenue is ill at his home
on South Lawn avenue with compli
cations.
Jacob Hochstettler is ill with pneu
monia at his home on Spring street.
Peter, son of Mr. and Mrs. Archie
Diller is ill with asthma and compli
cations.
W. D. Keel is bedfast at his home
on South Main street.
Donald, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wal
ter Neuenschwander of Butler, Ind.,
formerly of near Bluffton is recov
ering following an attack of rheu
matic fever and complications.
Barbara Joyce Hauenstein, daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Hauen
stein, of Campus Drive, will sail
from Philadelphia on March 24 to
take a teaching post in a girls’
school at Beirut, Syria, operated by
the foreign mission board of the
Presbyterian church.
Miss Hauenstein will be overseas
for a period of five years, the first
of which will be spent in Jerusalem
studying the Arabic language.
Altho classes in the school are con
ducted in English, the language of
Syria is Arabic and teachers are re
quired to know it before taking up
their duties.
Birthday Anniversary of First
American President to Be
Observed Thursday
Throughout Career He Always
Longed to Settle Down at
Mt. Vernon Estate
With the United States engaged
in all-out military action at the
present time, attention is focused on
George Washington, whose birthday
anniversary we celebrate this Thurs
day, not only as the father of our
country but as a military genius of
first order.
Even from the period of his earl
iest boyhood George was known for
his insistence of precision. His fam
ily encouraged him To take up sur
veying, an activity that appealed
very much to the young man. Bound
aries, angles, plots, calculations all
were entered with formality and ex
actness on George’s books.
Life at Sea
At the age of 15 he had a con
suming ambition to enter a life at
saa. Maay a time he was seen to
cast longing eyes at the ships which
sailed up and down the Rappanahan
ock. His mother did not sympathize
with his ambition and prevailed on
her brother to write George and tell
him of some of the hardships with
that type of work.
His mother’s tears, reinforced with
the cold hard judgment of his uncle
put an end to George’s dream of
glory to be gained from a life at
sea.
Prevented from realizing this am
bition George went to w*ork in earn
est in his chosen field of surveying.
After several years of this work the
young man began to feel that the
profession did not provide sufficient
outlet for his boundless energies and
aspirations. Whenever an idle in
terval found him at Mount Vernon
he took up the study of the military
profession.
Made Major
At this period of life it became
evident that Virginia was likely to
be plunged into the war between the
English and the French. The colony
w’as therefore divided into four dis
tricts. An officer, called an adju
tant general, was appointed for each
district. Young Washington was
given the rank of major with a
salary of 150 pounds a year.
Washington served his country for
five years in these frontier struggles
at the end of w’hich he was given
the rank of colonel. When the peace
of the frontier was assured Washing
ton retired to private life.
He was married to Mrs. Martha
Custis on Jan. 6, 1759. Both being
of aristocratic lineage and the groom
being an outstanding military leader,
the wedding was one of the out
(Continued on* page 8)
Addresses M. E, Men
On Latin America
Rev. Frank Batterson, instructor
in Spanish at Bluffton college will
address the Men’s Brotherhood of the
Methodist church following a pot
luck dinner at its monthly meeting
Thursday night.
Rev. Batterson formerly lived in
South America where he was en
gaged in mission work under aus
pices of the Methodist church.
Former Resident Is
Dead In California
Mrs. John Winkler, 73, died at
her home in Los Angeles, Calif., Feb
ruary 8, according to word received
here. She was a former Bluffton
resident living here about 25 years
ago. Funeral services were held
in Ix)s “Angeles, Feb. 10 followed by
burial at that place. Her husband,
also formerly of Bluffton, is the only
survivor.
Bluffton W oman Sails In March For
Syria To Teach In Mission School
Grade and high school courses are
George Washington Preferred Fanning
To Responsibilit es Of Public Service
taught in the girls’ school, which at
one time was a part of the American
University of Beirut where Dr. J. E.
Hartzler, formerly of Bluffton, taught
about 15 years ago.
Several years after Dr. Hartzler
was on the school’s faculty, the uni
versity was taken over by the gov
ernment of Syria. The girls’ school,
however, is operated by the Presby
terian cFhirch as a mission project.
For the last three years Miss Hau
enstein has been an instructor at the
Sunset Gap, Tenn., Presbyterian mis
sion school in the mountains. She
returned home last Saturday and
will remain here until she sails for
the Near East in late March.
COUNCIL APPROVES
PLANS FOR TOWN’S
NEW FIRETRUCK
Delivery of New $6,203 Pumper
Expected in April, Coun
cilmen Announce
Triple-Combustion Mack Truck
Will Have 500-Gallons Per
Minute Capacity
Blueprints and specifications for
Bluffton’s new’ $6,203.85 fire truck
have been approved by the town coun
cil, and delivery of the pumper is ex
pected in April.
Technical details of the new truck,
worked out to answer Bluffton’s re
quirements for vehicle fitted for
rural fire fighting as well as in town,
were approved by councilmen in the
final form submitted by the Mack Fire
Truck Co., of Allentown, Pa., whiah
has the contract to provide the equip
ment.
An order for the truck was placed
with the Mack firm in October, and
the WPB allocated an AA5 priority
for the purchase the last week in No
vember.
500 Gallon Minute Capacity
Bluffton’s new truck will be a triple
combustion fire pumper with a ca
pacity of 500 gallons of water a min
ute. It will be equipped with a 400
gallon booster tank, fitting in for rur
al fire fighting, to comply with ar
rangements made by the department
to provide fire protection in Richland
and Orange townships.
Purchase of the fire truck last Oc-1
tober was the second made by the
town in the last three years. A
previous contract for a Mack pumper
in 1941 was cancelled after wartime
production restrictions made it im
possible to obtain the vehicle.
Final details in financing the pur
chase of the new truck also have been
cleared with the purchase of bonds
in the amount of $6203.85 by the Cit
izens National bank, of Bluffton.
African Missionary
To Talk Here Sunday
Miss Lois Slagle, who will sail
soon as a missionary to the African
Congo, will speak at morning and
evening services in the Defenseless
Mennonite church next Sunday.
She is a graduate of the Ft.
Wayne Bible Institute, the Lutheran
hospital in Ft. Wayne, and of Taylor
university.
Services at the church next Sun
day will start at 10:30 a. m. and
8:15 p. m.
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Basinger,
Pandora, a boy, Tuesday. Mrs. Ba
singer is the former Glada Wilkins
of this place.
Mr. and Mrs. Weldon Basinger of
Bluffton, a boy, Tuesday.
Pvt. and Mrs. Willis Badertscher
of Lima, a boy, John Leslie, Sun
day.
Pfc. and Mrs. Victor Bucher of
Pandora, a boy, Richard Wayne,
Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Keifer of
Beaverdam, a girl, Charlotte Louise,
Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Charles, Col.
Grove, Thursday, a boy Jerald Alan,
Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. Loren Steinman,
Bluffton, a girl, Linda Lee last Wed
nesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Clair Bucher, Bluff
ton, a girl Linda Jane, last Wednes
day.
BUY
vwrm
OTATU
NUMBER 44
APPEAL DECISIONS
SHOW INCREASED
TEMPO IN DRAFT
Six of Eight Appealed Classifi
cations Are Continued in
1-A by Board
Tightened Restrictions on De
ferments Reflect Need of
Younger Men
Continuation of tighter restrictions
on the deferment of younger men, re
flecting needs of the armed forces, is
seen again this week with announce
ment by Allen County Draft Board
No. 3 that of eight appealed cases,
six registrants were continued in Class
I- A.
Board No. 3 has jurisdiction over
all of rural Allen county, including
Bluffton and Richland township.
Decisions on the eight appealed
cases were as follows:
Ralph Franklin Thomas, Route No.
3, Lima. Classified in 1-A by Local
Board. Lima Tank Depot appealed.
Classification of I-A upheld by the
Board of Appeals.
Donald Forest Hostetler, Route No.
3 Lima. Classified in Class LA by
Local Board. Registrant appealed,
in Class II-B by Board of Appeals.
Ronald Lowell Ferguson, 126 N.
Cole Street, Lima. Classified in I-A
by Local Board. Registrant appealed.
Classification of I-A upheld by the
Board of Appeals.
James Otto Lang, III Sutter St.,
San Francisco, California. Classified
in Class I-A by’ Local Board. Direc
tor of Federal Bureau of Investiga
tion appealed. Reclassified in Class
II- A by the Springfield, Illinois Board
of Appeals.
Preston James LaRue, Route No. 2,
Lafayette. Classified in Class I-A by
Local Board. Registrant appealed.
Classified in Class ILC by Board of
Appeals. This classification was ap
pealed to the President by State Di
rector. i'residefilial classification, U
A. Registrant is engaged in agricul
ture.
Fred Leo Zeits, Route No. 2, Colum
bus Grove. Classified in Class I-A by
Local Board. Registrant appealed.
Classification of 1-A upheld by Board
of Appeals.
Robert Bixel Marshall, WLOK Ra
dio Station, Lima. Classified in Class
I-A by Local Board. Registrant ap
pealed. Classification of I-A upheld
by the Board of Appeals.
Jay' Junior Long, Route No. 2,
Ada. Classified in Class I-A by Local
Board. Registrant appealed. Classi
fication of I-A upheld by the Board
of Appeals, with a 3-1 vote. John L.
Long, father, appealed to the Presi
dent. Presidential classification, I-A.
Registrant is engaged in agriculture.
Pre-Easter Services
At Mennonite Church
Rev. Erland Waltner of Mountain
Lake, Minn., will speak in a series
of pre-Easter services at the First
Mennonite church from Sunday until
Friday of next week it is announced
by the pastor, Rev. J. N. Smucker.
Rev. Waltner, pastor of the Men
nonite church at Mountain Lake
previously held a pastorate in
Philadelphia and spent a summer
traveling in Europe and the Holy
Land.
His general theme will be person
alities of the Passion. The opening
address will be Sunday morning at
10:30 on the subject Jesus, the Flint
faced Saviour.
Evening addresses at 7:30 o’clock
will be:
Sunday—J e s u s, the Flint-faced
Saviour.
Monday Peter, the Overconfident
Friend
Tuesday—Pilate, the Guilty’ Judge
Wednesday—Barabbas, the Released
Murderer
Thursday—Simon, the Drafted Cross
bearer
Friday—Nicodemus, the Post-mortem
Loyalist
Care Of Woolens
Demonstration Here
A “Care of Wool and Wool-Mixed
Materials” demonstration will be giv
en in the home economics room at
Bluffton High school Friday’ after
noon at 4 o’clock.
Miss Ruth Winner, Allen county
home demonstration agent, will be in
charge of the meeting, which will
feature the new glue wash for wool
ens and other timely hints on the
care of clothing.
Interested women of Bluffton and
the surrounding area are invited to
4 attend.
aK4