Newspaper Page Text
BUY UNIT** —r—- VOLUME NO. LXX PRIMARY ELECTION, CANDIDATE FILING EARLIER THIS YEAR Declarations of Candidacy Must Be Filed by May 2 in New Ohio Law Date of Filing and Primary Set Ahead Because of Overseas Soldier Vote Political activity is expected to take the limelight in municipal affairs dur ing the next week, as a result of an announcement Tuesday that all can didates seeking nomination in Bluff ton’s summer primary election must file their declarations of candidacy before 6:30 p. m. next Wednesday, May 2. With less than one week remaining until the filing deadline, activity like ly will be spirited here for a few days inasmuch as no declarations of can didacy have been announced thus far. Filing by May 2 represents a war time change in the customary pro cedure, authorized for this year only by the State legislature. The move was taken to permit more time for mailing ballots to overseas voters. Normally the deadline for candi dates’ filing come early in June, 60 days before the date of the August primary. Ninety days are allowed this year, however, because of the overseas vote. For this year the primary election also has been set ahead to an earlier date. It will be held on Tuesday, July 31, instead of the second Tuesday in August as provided in the custo mary schedule. No Contest, No Primary no contests develop on either ticket for the elective municipal of fices, no municipal primary will be held, it was pointed out by Board of Ek ’ion officials. There were no contests here in 1943, the last municipal election year, and as a result no primary election was held in the town. Under those cir cumstances there is no need for mu nicipal balloting until the-Noyember election. Changes in the election laws for this year apply to Bluffton municipal offices only, and the school board and township tickets will be selected at caucuses, as in the past. Party caucuses ordinarily are held in late Augst to name township and school board candidates, and their names are carried on a separate non partisan ballot in the November elec tion. Bluffton Family Goes To St. Marys Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Deerhake of South Main street moved Wednesday to St. Marys, where they formerly resided. They came to Bluffton seven years ago during which time .Deerhake was employed at the Woodcock generating plant of the •Central Ohio Light & Power company. Deerhake recently resigned his position with the company after twenty years of service. He and his wife will reside for the present on a farm near St. Marys. The South Main street property which they vacated was recently sold by Eli Deppler to O. C. Hursey, Bluffton farm implement dealer. The Hursey family expect to occupy the property soon, moving from their present location on the Marquart Bros, farm in Orange township, the former Mayne Miller place. Methodist Speaker On Church Series Rev. John L. White, pastor of Ep worth Methodist church, Lima, will present the historical background and beliefs of the Methodist faith in a lecture at the First Mennonite church Sunday night at 7:30 o’clock. The address will be the fourth in a monthly series dealing with the outstanding features of the various denominations arranged by Rev. J. N. Smucker, pastor of the First Men nonite church Rev. White, one of the younger ministers of his denomination is a native of low’a. He w’as graduated from the Boston University School of Theology and entered the ministry eleven years ago. For the past four years he has been pastor of the Lima church. The monthly lectures which began in January have met with a good response and with growing interest and attendance, providing an in sight into the beliefs, tenets and creeds of the different denominations. The Bluffton Methodist church will be in charge of the devotionals and special music at Sunday night’s meeting. Fire Razes Building On Reichenbach Farm Fire destroyed an outbuilding on the Amos Reichenbach farm three miles northwest of Bluffton and for a time threatened to spread to the residence and other buildings, Sun day evening at 5:30 o’clock. The building ,used as a summer kitchen and tool shed, together wuth all its contents including tools and two washing machines was burned to the ground. Cause of the fire was attributed to defective wiring. The Bluffton fire department which responded to the alarm laid 800 feet of hose to Dutch Run,creek nearby to get water to fight the fire and prevent a spread of the flames. The Pandora department arrived shortly afterward. Reichenbach discovered the fire while doing his evening chores, but the blaze had gained too much head way to save any of the contents. There had been no fire in the build ing recently, he said. The loss which was not estimated, is said to be covered by insurance. AIRMAN KILLED IN PLANE CRASH HAD FORETOLD DEATH Cpl. Wayne Dailey, Radio Man and Gunner Loses Life on Palawan Island ’remonition of Death Expressed in Letter Received by Par ents Here Premonition of death expressed in a letter to his parents here was ful filled when Cpl. Wayne Dailey, Bluff ton youth in the Army air service was killed in a plane crash on Palawan island in the Philippines on April 8. The letter -written by their son the day before the fatal crash was re ceived Friday by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. D. E. Dailey residing south of Bluffton on the Dixie highway who on the following day learned of their son’s death. The message was received here in a telegram from the War department Saturday morning. No details were given. Radio Technician and Gunner Cpl. Dailey who had been overseas only 60 days was a radio technician and gunner on a B-25 bomber. Thurs day would have been his 21st birth day. He was bom in Portage township, Hancock county and later came with his parents to their present home two miles south of Bluffton. He gradu ated from Bluffton high school in the class of 1942 and entered the service in March, 1943. He started his training at Kansas City ,Mo., and was afterward station ed at Denver, Santa Ana, California Sioux Falls, S. D. Yuma, Arizona, and took his crew training at Green ville, S. C. Besides his parents he is survived by a younger brother, James Lowell at home and two grandmothers, Mrs. H. A. Clouser who resides at the Dail ey home and Mrs. Elsie Dailey of Findlay. Army Bus Catches Fire Near Town Singers From 35 High Schools To Vie For District Honors Here Saturday An Army passenger bus w’hich caught fire on the Dixie highway near the Omer Welty farm one mile south of Bluffton resulted in a call to the fire department at 5:15 o’clock, Friday afternoon. In the blaze caused by an over heated motor, the engine and elec tric wiring was damaged before the fire could be extinguished by the department. He is Col. Rene Studler, Bluffton native and son of Mrs. Paul Studler of South Jackson street, was given unusual recognition in an article appearing in the Washington, (D. C.) Post for his outstanding accomplishment in devel oping four new types of small arms which are proving their worth in the present war. Col. Studler ,who is known in mili tary circles as an expert in the small arms division of the Army ordnance department has been engaged in re search in this field since before the outbreak of the present conflict. What he has accomplished in the development of new arms was achiev ed with a wide background of observa Northwestern Ohio Vocal Com petition to Be on Bluffton College Campus Morning and Afternoon Sessions Include Solo, Duet, Trio, Ensemble Singing Singers from 35 Northwestern Ohio High schools will compete for honors here this Saturday in a dis trict vocal solo and ensemble audi tion to be held on the Bluffton col lege campus. Morning and afternoon sessions are on the schedule, with contestants to be heard in solos, duets, trios, quartets and ensembles up to nine voices. A total of 350 entries have been made by the 35 competing schools, and judging will be in three classes, A, and C, depending on the en rollment of the school, it was an nounced by Prof. Russell A .Lantz, of the Bluffton college conservatory of music, who is serving as general chairman. Three Sections In morning competition there will be two sections in College Hall and one in the Ropp Hall lobby, and dur ing the afternoon two sections will lie heard in College hall. Competition will start at 8:30 a. m. The session is sponsored by the Ohio Music Education association and the State Department of Music. Normally it is an annual affair, but no competition was held for the last two years because of the war. Com petition this year is restricted to only district meetings and no state contest is scheduled. Judges will be S. Norman Park, director of music in the Dayton schools Thelbert Evans, director of music in the Lakewood schools, and W. G. Tempel, director of music in the Lima schools. Ratings will be in four classes: superior, excellent, good and fair. Organ Concert Special features on the day’s pro gram include an organ concert in Ramseyer chapel from 12:30 to 1:00 p. m. by a Bluffton college organist, and a program by the college girls choir at 2:30 p. m. Competing schools include Ada, Archbold, Arlington, Beaverdam, Bluffton, Bowling Green, Columbus Grove, Defiance, Delphos, Delta, Deshler, Fostoria, Gilboa, Grand Rapids, Hamler, Haskins, Holgate, Kenton. Liberty Centralized, Lima Central, Lima South, Lyons, Maumee, Mc Comb, Milton Center, North Balti more, Oakwood, Pandora, Paulding, Perrysburg, Lima St. John, Shawnee, Van Buren, Van Wert and Wayne. Celebrate Wedding Anniversary Sunday In observance of their 63rd wed ding anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. Wil son Hawk will hold open house at their home on South Jackson street, Sunday afternoon from 3 to 5:30 o’clock. The couple was married April 27, 1882 and are pioneer Bluffton resi dents. Mr. Hawk will be 81 on Saturday and his wife is aged 86 years. They have two sons: Guy of Bel videre, Ill., and Edmond Hawk of Bowling Green and one daughter Mrs. Mabel Huser of Bluffton. Four grandchildren are: Donald Hawk, Jacksonville, Fla. Eugene Hawk, Des Moines, Iowa Aleta Hawk, Miami university, Oxford, and Sara Jane Huser of Bluffton. Bluffton Youth Enlists In Navy Harvey LaVern Moser, Jr., Bluff ton youth, has enlisted in the Navy as an apprentice seaman, it was an nounced by the* Lima recruiting of fice the first of the week. tion and experience when during the period from 1935 to 1940 he was the only United States ordnance attache in Europe. Cover Europe His objective was to obtain all available data concerning foreign weapons in the European countries. In carrying out his mission, Col. Studler visited every’ major gun fac tory and arsenal in Europe including Vickers in England, Bofors in. Sweden, Schneider in France, Krupp and Rhin metall in Germany, Skoda in Czecho slovakia and Ansaldo in Italy, besides numerous smaller firms some of which he discovered were secretely making armament. THE BLUFFTON NEWS A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VltlMTY BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 1945 JAMES STONEHILL FREE FROM PRISON CAMP IN GERMANY Bluffton High Graduate Lib erated By American Troops on April 2 Pvt. Stonehill Taken Prisoner on Dec. 17 in Battle of Belgian Bulge Pvt. James StonehiU, 19, son of Mr. and Mis. Swan Stonehill, of East Elm street, was liberated from a German prison camp on April 2 by fast-moving American armies in vading Germany, according to a tel egram from the war department re ceived last Saturday night by his parents. Following war depa:i,- nt notifi cation of Pvt. Stone’ I s release, a letter written in France by the freed youth was received’here two days later In his letter, Pvt$ Stonehill men tioned that he is in *good health, ex cept for trouble with his stomach. He said that in the jprison camp the food provided for prisoners was poor in quality and very scarce. Indication that he| may return to this country in the Aoar future was seen in his closing remark, “I’ll be seeing you all soon.’’ Pvt. Stonehill was? taken prisoner by the Germans on Wee. 17 during the battle of the Belgian bulge. His parents were notifiedfon Jan. 17 that he was missing in faction, and on March 18 they received notification that he was held a prisoner by the Germans. He is a graduate of Bluffton High school and has been' in the army a little more than one year. High School Youths Win Music Awards Eight Bluffton higfn school entries won awards in the mstrict competi tion sponsored by file Ohio Music Teachers association at Bowling Green, Saturday. The Bluffton group entered in class B, received the following rat ings: Superior Piano solos—Jean Ann Steinman, Mary Kathryn Bauman. Violin solo—Mary Ann Smucker. Flute solo—Paul Don Bixel. Violin duo—Alice Jean Bixel and Mary Ann Smucker accompanied by Eleanor Linden. Violin quartet—Mary Lou Dean, Mary Kathryn Bauman, Betty Bixel, Jean Burkholder. Excellent Violin solo—Mary Lou Dean. Fair Cornet solo—Ray Follas. China Missionary Will Speak Sunday Rev. Theophilus Hilgeman, mis sionary who returned from China on the Gripsholm recently will address a union service of the Emmanuel’s and St. John’s Reformed congrega tions at the latter church Sunday. He will speak in the morning at the Sunday school hour at 9:30 on “Childlife in China” at the morn ing worship hour at 10:45 on “China and the Mission House Col lege”, and in the evening at 8 o’clock will show pictures on mission work in China and the denomina tion’s Mission House College at Ply mouth, Wisconsin. Ebenezer Broadcast A woman’s chorus will be heard in the program of the Ebenezer Mennonite church broadcast from Findlay radio station WFIN, Sun day afternoon at 3:30 o’clock. The chorus will be directed by Waldo Hofstetter. the Army’s Man Behind the Man Behind the Gun A glimpse into the secret ramifica tions of the preparation for war was disclosed when he found that a Ger man manufacturer was turning out parts for a new type machine gun which was shipped to a plant in a neutral country’ for assembly and then re-shipped to Spain where the Ger mans had an opportunity to see the weapon actually tested in action be fore they proceeded to manufacture it in quantities for their own use in the present war. CoL Studler who was in London during the dark days of the German bombings, returned to this country shortly before the United States was involved in the conflict. His European Edgar Hauenstein, Bluffton pharm acist who served as clerk of the Board of Public Affairs for the past 25 years has resigned the latter position, it was announced by Harry Barnes, president of the board, the first of the week. The Board of Public Affairs operates Bluffton’s municipal electric light and waterworks plant and the clerk’s office makes monthly collec tions from consumers for this service. In presenting his resignation to the board Hauenstein asked that it become effective June 1 provided the position can be filled by that time. The office carries with it a monthly salary of $85. Increased volume of clerical work resulting from a larger volume of No Deliveries Permitted Over 80 Per Cent Of Normal Requirements Coal Cannot Be Obtained Until Consumers Declarations Are Filed Consumer declarations to be filed with retail coal dealers before coal can be obtained for home use now are available at all Bluffton coal yards and deliveries are being made under the rationing system which became effective this month. Before any consumer can obtain coal he must file with his dealer a declaration form on which he reports the amount of coal used by him for the year ending March 31. Declarations forms are available only at coal dealers, it was pointed out. Board Of Public Affairs Clerk Resigns After 25 Years Service Consumers’ Declarations For Next Winter’s Coal Rationing Are Here For the coming year, a rigid coal rationing program will limit con sumers to only 80 per cent of the solid fuel they used between April 1, 1944, and March 31, 1945. Any residence or business place using more than 25 tons of coal during the year must also file an inventory showing the amount of coal on hand as of March 31. If a consumer declaration and order are filed with a dealer on or before May 15 and are accepted, the dealer is required to deliver to the consumer 80 per cent of his normal annual requirement between April 1, 1945, and March 31, 1946. Under the same conditions the dealer must deliver between April 1 and September 30 of this year 30 per cent of the consumers annual requirements. Dealers may on option deliver 50 per cent by August 31. Because of a critical fuel shortage, home owners are requested by the government to plan their heating program in such a way that they may be assured of getting by with not more than 80 per cent of their normal winter’s supply of coal dur ing the next year. War Prisoner Is Expected Home Soon I’fc. Ralph Althaus, 19 year old Bluffton youth who was recently freed by American armies from a German prison camp expects to re turn home next month, according to a letter which he sent to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Levi Althaus residing west of Bluffton. Except for the loss of 30 pounds in weight, he says he is none the worse for the experience and was never mistreated. Pfc. Althaus who was captured by the Germans in Belgium, December 24, is now in France. experience together with previous ser vice in the Army’s Ordnance depart ment made him the logical choice for chief of the small arms development branch. Develops New Weapon His first task was to develop a new type of carbine to be used instead of a pistol. The new weapon took form after he conducted competitive trials of all available carbines and for amu nition used the modification of a readily produced sporting rifle cart ridge. His next assignment was the pro duction of a sub-machine gun for use by American troops and underground forces of Europe and the former business handled by the municipal plant together with present shortage of help were reasons which prompted the resignation, it was stated. In connection with the resignation, board members indicated they are considering opening a downtown of fice and employing a full time clerk to handle the plant’s business. No definite decision on this matter, how ever, has been made, it was indicated Wednesday. Under the present arrangement collections are made at the clerk’s office which is operated in conjunc tion with Hauenstein’s pharmacy. BLUFFTON MARKETS Wednesday Morning Grain (bushel prices) Wheat $1.68 corn $1.12 oats 75c soys $2.04. I MORE DEFERMENTS GRANTED FARMERS LESS IN INDUSTRY Heavier Drain On Industry, Older Men Results From New Policy Board Of Appeals Decisions Defer Farmers: Industrial Workers In LA With farm workers under 30 now getting more consideration so far as deferments are concerned and draft calls expected to continue heavy for at least several months, it will be necessary to make up monthly quotas by heavier calls on industrial work ers and older men between 29 and 34 years of age. Recent decisions of the Board of Appeals confirms belief that such a policy is being followed to offset the loss in inductees resulting from new leniency apparent in the considera tion of agricultural deferments. In nine appeals decisions an nounced last week, one farm defer ment claim resulted in a II-C classi fication, but of eight industrial de ferment appeals only one I-A classi fication by the local board was re versed by the appeals board. Appeals Board Defers Farmers More consideration of farm defer ments also was evidenced in decisions announced last week when six I-A classifications given to farm workers by the local board were reversed by the Board of Appeals. The trend toward easing the draft (Continued on page 8) Bluffton Man Gets Purple Heart Medal Pvt. William Mericle who is in a hospital in England convalescing from wounds received in action has been awarded the Purple Heart med al, it was learned Tuesday by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Mericle of South Main street. Pvt .Mericle who went overseas in January received wounds in both legs and a broken left arm on March 15, three days after he had been at the front. He was later removed to England where he is now in a wheel chair after spending five weeks in bed. Democrats Meet To Draft Party Slate A meeting of Bluffton Democrats will be held in the council chamber Thursday night at 8 o’clock to name candidates for the municipal election. Bluffton boy evolved one which Army ordnance men termed a marvel of simplicity and economy in assembly and operation. It is rugged and re liable, a .45 caliber, 30-shot weapon which the doughboy s proudly call the “grease gun.” Two less known, but highly impor tant weapons developed under Col. Studler’s direction are the rifle and carbine grenade launchers. The former Bluffton man is known among his associates as a hard and resourceful worker, the full story of/ whose accomplishments cannot be told until after the close of the war. He and his wife are residents of Wash ington. Jl.li.a MlBUY UNfflt* •TAT** NUMBER 1 BLUFFTON CLOCKS TO BE SET AHEAD ONE HOUR SUNDAY Change To Fast Time Will Be come Official At 3 A. M. For Summer Months Time Change Schedule Set Up In Response To Requests Of Residents Bluffton residents will set their clocks ahead one hour when they go to bed Saturday night, in conformity with a municipal ordinance passed one year ago to provide for observ ance of fast time here during the late spring and summer season. Officially the change in time will not Im? effective until 3 a. m. on Sun day, but most clocks of the town will be set up at the time the family re tires on Saturday night. Albert Benroth, caretaker of the town clock, will move it ahead one hour at the designated time Sunday morning. In keeping with the new’ time, Bluffton churches will convene one hour earlier Sunday morning, and Bluffton industries, schools and busi ness places will begin operation on fast time, next Monday morning. Decision to adopt fast time in Bluffton from the last Sunday in April each year until the first Sun day\in September was voted one year ago by the municipal council after expression of sentiment had in dicated most Bluffton residents w’ere in favor of discontinuing slow time for the summer. In an ordinance drafted last spring, councilmen set up a perman ent schedule w’hereby the town will be on slow’ time from the first Sun day in September until the last Sun day in April. In addition to providing an extra hour of daylight for Bluffton Victory gardeners, the fast time schedule for the summer w’ill have an extra ad vantage inasmuch as it will conform to railroad and radio schedules. Un der slow time, railroad and radio schedules were one hour earlier, w’hich generally was confusing. Emans Is Instrument Specialist In Navy Charles Emans w’ho u*as an in spector at the Triplett plant here before entering the Navy has been advanced to the rating of instrument specialist second class in the avia tion machinist mate branch of the service, it was announced the first of the week. Emans who was previously sta tioned at the Aiaineda Naval Air base in California as a member of the engineering crew’ preparing planes for overseas shipment has been transferred to Chicago w’here he is receiving specialized instrument training. At the conclusion of this training he will return to Alameda to con tinue his work with electrical in struments. Bluffton Army Man Married In Nevada Wedding of Sgt. Robert Kohli and Vance Potter Fraser took place in Reno, Nevada on Easter Sunday, ac cording to word received here. Sgt. Kohli, eldest son of Mrs. Eva Kohli, is stationed at Chico, Calif., where the couple will reside. The bride is the daughter of the late Dr. Fred Potter of Sweet Briar and Hollywood, Calif. Chauncey Basinger Is Awarded Purple Heart Pvt. Chauncey Basinger has been awarded the Purple Heart medal for wounds in the left arm received in action in Germany, February 28. He returned to duty April 2. Pvt. Ba singer is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Millard Basinger residing five miles west of Bluffton. Births The following births at Bluffton hospital: Lt. and Mrs. Kenneth Luginbuhl, Bluffton, a boy, Tuesday. Lt. Lug inbuhl is overseas in the Pacific war area. Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Jones, Col. Grove, a boy, Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Naas of Lima, a boy, Monday, in Memorial hospital. Mrs. Naas was Helen Maxwell, form er superintendent of Bluffton hos pital.