The Bluffton news. [volume], April 26, 1945, Image 1

About The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current

Image provided by: Ohio History Connection, Columbus, OH

                
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.