The Bluffton news. [volume], July 05, 1945, Image 1

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VWITBB
■TATS*
VOLUME NO. LXX
CROWD OF 3,000
HERE FOR FOURTH
OF JULY RODEO
Horses and Riders Numbering
180 on Harmon Field,
Wednesday Night
Aerial Circus Adds to Attrac
tions Many Are Here
From Distance
Harmon field was thronged Wed
nesday night with a crowd estimat
ed at 3,000 for Bluffton’s second
Fourth of July rodeo, headline sport
event of the summer season.
One hundred and eighty horses
and riders participated in the grand
entry parade which opened the even
ing’s program and 100 participated
in the various competitive events.
Officials of the two sponsoring
organizations, the Bluffton Sports
men’s club and the Bluffton Saddle
Horse club said there were 1,768
paid admissions in addition to free
admissions for contestants, service
men in uniform, children and mount
ed horsemen. Besides this number,
hundreds viewed the exhibition from
automobiles parked near the field.
Field Brilliantly Lighted
Harmon field was brilliantly il
luminated by electric flood lights
and the big crowd applauded dis
plays of skillful horsemanship until
midnight.
The stadium, packed long before
the opening hour was the focal point
for the evening’s attractions with
the Rawson band furnishing music
and the public address system broad
casting announcements of events and
winners.
Overflow crowds of spectators un
able to gain admission to the stad
ium surrounded the football field
fenced off for the events. Some
brought camp chairs and’ blankets
while others standing, sought points
of vantage to gain an unobstructed
view of the field.
Ideal Weather Conditions
The fact that Bluffton was one of
the few places having a Fourth ot
July celebration this year, together
with a delightfully cool evening did
much to swell the attendance.
Horsemen and rodeo enthusiasts
thruout Northwestern Ohio wer«
here as well as the usual Fourth of
July holiday crowd seeking diversion
.and entertainment for what to many
may be their only opportunity for
vacation'this summer.
That the affair would attract a
large number of rodeo contestants
became evident Tuesday when horse
men' began arriving early in order
io put their mounts thru preliminary
paces and warm up on Hannon field.
Approaches Jammed
Streets leading to the field were
jammed with parked cars on both
sides of the thorofares. Notwith
standing the big crowd and traffic
congestion there were no accidents
reported.
An added attraction for the show
was the aerial circus with two
planes stunting. The planes were
flown by Clayton Bixel of Bluffton,
operator of a flying service here and
Harold Carey of Lima, army
primary flight instructor.
Bixel’s plane was a 65 horse
power Taylor craft while that flown
by Carey was a 50 horsepower Piper
•cub.
Events were judged by Gene
Franks of Van Buren, expert horse
man and experienced rodeo man.
Don Boyd of Findlay was announcer.
Prize Winners
Winners in the various events
were:
Grand entry’ parade—1st, $5, Col.
Leon Robinson, Dunkirk 2nd, $4,
Mary Jane Gustin, Bowling Green
.3rd, $3, Roy Neil, Findlay 4th,
ribbon, Pauline Oats, Dunkirk.
Brone riding—1st, $10, Garland
Gunn, Ada 2nd, $6, Ralph Motter,
Ada.
Ladies pleasure horse—1st, $12,
Laverne Neyons, Toledo 2nd, $7,
Louise Kleinhenz, McComb 3rd, $4,
Pauline Oats, Dunkirk 4th, $2
Wanda Breda, Lima.
Boys & Girls musical keg—1st,
^6, Margaret Curry, Bowling Green
2nd, $5, Russell Moore, Ada 3rd, $4,
Jack Shindler, Col. Grove 4th rib-,
bon, James Lewis, Bluffton.
Men’s musical keg—1st, $6, Wm.
Alstetter, Cairo 2nd, $5, James
Lewis, Bluffton 3rd, $4, James
Rainey, Rawson 4th, ribbon, Roger
Murray, Ada.
Steer riding—1st, $8, Wm. Spring
er, Lima 2nd, $5, Glenn Andrews,
Bluffton 3rd, ribbon, Rolland Ney
-ons, Toledo 4th ribbon, Thos. Surles,
Wapakoneta.
Women’s musical keg—1st, $6,
Louise Kleinhenz, McComb 2nd, $5,
Jean Dukes, Pandora, 3rd, $4, Ruth
(Continued on page S)
Emanuel Boutwell
Coming From Pacific
S. Sgt. Emanuel Boutwell is en
route home after nearly three and
one-half years service in the Pacific
war theatre, it was learned by his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Bout
well of Orange township the first of
the week. Sgt. Boutwell was re
cently stationed in the Philippines.
NDUSTRIES AND
STORES CLOSE FOR
WEEK'S VACATION
Triplett Plants Closed For Week
And Business Places Curtail
Operations Here
Vacation Collaboration Plan Is
Followed Here For Second
Consecutive Year
For the second successive year,
the first week in July is being ob
served as a general vacation period
for most of those in Bluffton’s war
pushed industries and business
places who plan to take time off
from work this summer.
Success of the wartime collabora
tion plan inaugurated last year is
seen in the fact that it is being
repeater this summer on an equally
broad scale which finds industry and
business generally almost at a stand
still this week.
To make it official vacation week
for the town, all plants of The
Triplett Electrical Instrument Co.
are closed, and several retail stores,
restaurants, beauty shops, the Star
theatre, etc., have followed suit.
Others have curtailed operations and
probably never before in history
have so many Bluffton persons been
on vacations at the same time.
All Triplett employes are taking
their vacation at the same time to
insure uninterrupted war production
for the steady grind ahead, and
local business men saw the advis
ability of following suit at a time
when many war workers would be
out of town.
Quite a number, however are
spending vacations at home, because
of crowded travel on trains find
buses, and those who left town found
reservations hard to get.
Some relaxation in gasoline ra
tioning, however, whereby A stamps
have been made good for six gallons
of gasoline instead of four made
short pleasure trips pssible for many
of those who remained at home.
To Teach In Michigan
State College In Fall
Orden Smucker, former Bluffton
High school teacher, has resigned his
position as instructor in sociology at
Stephens college, Columbia, Mo., to
accept an appointment as assistant
professor of social science at Michi
gan State College in Lansing.
Smucker will teach in the recently
reorganized division of the university
known as the Basic college, which at
tempts to break down traditional
subject matter lines. Michigan State
was the first land grant college in
United States and has a present en
rollment of about 7,000 students and
650 faculty.
Mr. and Mrs. Smucker and family
will move to Lansing in September
at the close of the summer term at
Ohio State university where he is
now teaching.
Myron Vandemark
Wounded In Pacific
Myron Vandemark, son of Mr. and
Mrs. E. A. Vandemark, of Ada, and
a brother of Mrs. Willard Frank
hauser, of South Jackson street, was
wounded in action on June 7, in the
Pacific war theatre.
In a letter to his parents, Vande
mark reported that he received eight
wounds from an exploding Japanese
grenade. He was wounded in the
Philippines and is in a hospital there.
Vandemark went into the service on
Jan. 21, 1941, and went overseas
with the 37th division on May 26,
1942. He is in the infantry.
Real Estate Deals
i
Mrs. Edna Badertscher has sold
her residence at Grove and West
Kibler streets to Samuel Weagly of
Rushmore in a deal closed the first
of the week. Possession will be
given next month. The deal was
handled by Mrs. H. W. Althaus.
Edgar Cdnaway has purchased the
property of Byron Anderson at West
Elm and Spring streets. Anderson
was recently called for Army service.
The property is occupied by E. J.
Wahlie, Bluffton hatcheryman.
BIXEL MOTOR CO.
BUILDING NOW FOR
POST-WAR PERIOD
Excavation For New Addition to
Present Building Will Start
This Week
Wing at Rear of Cherry Street
Building Will Double Space
Used In Business
Bluffton’s first business expansion
program In preparation for the post
war period will be launched here
this w’eek, with the start of excava
tion for the construction of a cement
block addiion that will nearly double
the present space of the Bixel Motor
Sales building on Cherry street.
Plans call for completion of the
“L” addition at the rear of the
present structure before the close of
this summer, it was announced by
Clayton Bixel, head of the business.
The building w’ill be of cement block
and steel construction.
After its completion, the new ad
dition will be used as an automobile
repair shop, Bixel said.
Space in the present building now
serving as a repair shop will be
converted into a display room for
new automobiles and household
electrical appliances.
Thieves Busy Here
On Monday Night
Thieves Monday night made off
with a cash register after breaking
into the Hi-Speed filling station on
North Main street, attempted to
force a door at the Bluffton Milling
Co. plant, broke into the watchman’s
shanty at the Cherry street crossing
of the Nickel Plate railroad and
ransacked several cars parked over
night in the business section.
Theft of the cash register from
the Hi-Speed station was discovered
by Dick Habegger, proprietor, when
he opened for business Tuesday
morning. He said the register con
tained only a small amount of
change, and that there w’ere no gas
oline ration coupons in it.
Tires and auto accessories in the
station were not touched and the
cash register was the only item miss
ing.
Entrance to the station was ob
tained by breaking a glass panel in
the front door.
On the same night, an unsuccess
ful attempt was made to force a rear
door at the main plant building of
the Bluffton Milling Co.
Red flares were taken from the
watchman’s shanty, adjacent to the
mill, which was broken into some
time during the night.
Several cars parked all night on
I the street in the business section
I were ransacked, but nothing was re
ported taken. Authorities believe
gasoline ration stamps were sought
in the cars.
Investigation of* the wave of de
predations on Tuesday led to the
belief that the work was that of
juveniles.
Attend Funeral
Of Grandmother
Mr. and Mrs. Kermit Kibele and
duaghter and Mrs. Paul Geiser and
son attended funeral services of Mrs.
Kibele’s grandmother, Mrs. Louise
Geiser, 92, at Orrville, Friday.
Mrs. Geiser died last Wednsday at
her home in that city follow’ing a ten
days’ illness after sustaining a frac
tured hip in a fall.
She is survived by 102 descend
ents: eight sons, four daughters, 40
grandchildren and 50 great grand
children.
Harvey L. Moser
At Great Lakes
Harvey Laern Moser, Jr., 18, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Moser,
Rural Route 2, Bluffton, is receiving
his initial Naval indoctrination at
the U. S. Naval Training Center,
Great Lakes, Illinois.
His recruit training consists of in
struction in seamanship, military
drill, and general Naval procedure.
Cpl. Donavin Moser
Home From Germany
Cpl. Donavin Moser, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Warren Moser, of near
Bluffton, has returned from Germany
and is at the home of his parents
for a 30-day furlough.
He w’ill then go to Ft. Bragg, N.
C., for re-assignment. Cpl. Moser is
a graduate of Bluffton High school,
and formerly was employed by The
Triplett Electrical Instrument Co.
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
______ __ ___________________________ ____
Bluffton motorists who did not have
the new 1945 federal auto use tax
stamps displayed on their cars Mon
day, the second day when they were
required, found that Uncle Sam is
losing no time in enforcing observ
ance of the law.
Cars parked on Bluffton streets
thruout the day were checked by
representatives of the internal reve
nue collection office, and whenever
stamps were not displayed on the
windshield a summons was issued for
QUOTA OF 17 MEN
IN ALLEN COUNTY
JULY DRAFT CALL
Number Of Men To Be Inducted
This Month Less Than In
June Call
No Selectees Will Be Taken
From Bluffton Three From
Columbus Giove
No Bluffton men are included in
the July induction call of Allen Coun
ty Draft Board No. 3, which will
take 17 men for the armed services
this month.
Three registrant* from Columbus
Grove and one from Lafayette, how
ever, have been notified to report in
the call, w’hich is considerably lighter
than in June when 26 men were in
ducted.
The complete list of inductees is:
Columbus Grove—- Harold James
Crawfis, John V. Bucher and Donald
E. Barber.
Lafayette—Robert Lee Hentzee.
Lima—John W. Kesner, Jr., James
A. Leffler, Jack T. Gannon, Lloyd E.
Early, Ronald W. Flanigan and
Miles V. Whitling, Jr.
Spencerville—Karl A. Krendl, Dan
ield Gaberdiel, Jr.
Cridersville—Russel A. Musser.
Van Wert—Kenneth P. Schwinnen.
Elwood City, Pa.—George Shallen
berger.
Canned Fruit, Meat
Stolen From Home
Tw’o dozen cans of fruit and home
canned meat were stolen from the
residence of Mrs. Russell Schaublin,
who lives two and one-half miles
north of Bluffton on the Dan Bad
ertscher farm, while she wras on a
two-weeks’ visit with' her husband in
an Army Camp at Madison, Ala.
When Mrs. Schaublin returned last
Thursday she found the rear door
of her home unlocked, and the next
day she discovered the loss of the
canned food.
Taken from the basement were 12
cans of sweet cherries, besides 12
cans of pineapple and of home-can
ned meat. A window in the base
ment had been covered, apparently to
keep a light from showing, indicating
that the theft may have taken place
at night.
On the trip to Alabama, Mrs.
Schaublin was accompanied by Mrs.
Francis Moser, of Bluffton
Given Discharge
From Coast Guard
Kenneth Gable S 1/c, formerly of
Bluffton stationed at Essexville,
Mich., in the Coast Guard has re
ceived his honorable discharge after
three years’ service, it was an
nounced the first of the week. He
and his wife will reside at nearby
Bay City, Mich., for the present.
i 5, 1945
Use Tax Stamp Violators Receive
Summons In Checkup Here Monday
Richard Wenger Writes Of Horrors
Of German Concentration Camp
the driver to appear before Isaac
Judkins, deputy internal revenue col
lector, at the Bluffton post office,
this Thursday.
Judkins said that another check of
cars may be made here later, and
that motorists found delinquent in
showing the stamps on their vehicles
will be subject to penalties of the
law.
The 1945 use tax stamp is required
after July 1 on all motor vehicles.
Cost is $5 and the stamp will be good
until next July 1.
Conditions Just As Bad As
Newspaper Accounts, Letter
From Overseas States
Bluffton Man’s Unit Liberates
English Soldiers Held By
Nazis Five Years
A description of the horrors of a
German prison camp in Austria was
in a letter received recently by Mr.
and Mrs. F. E. Wenger, of this
place, from their eldest son, Richard,
who is with the Third Cavalry group
in Europe.
His letter reads in part:
“I saw something the other day
that made me realize just w’hat we
have been fighting. You’ve probably
read about and seen pictures of the
big concentration camps like Dachau,
Buchenwald, etc.
“Well, I didn’t see either of those
places but I saw a camp that would
match either of them in horror.
Every w’ord that was ever written
about those places is the God’s
truth.
“It’s just impossible to describe all
the horror that was in that camp.
Men dying every day and most of
the living more dead than alive.
Full-grown men with legs about as
big as my wrist dead bodies stacked
like cordwood, waiting to be burned
in the crematorium.
“Men drinking and washing in the
same pools of dirty water. Some
men almost naked, and all incredib
ly filthy. And the smell of the
camp and the filth was enough to
make a buzzard sick.
“The things that ran the camp
weren’t human. They were just
dow’nright beasts. I’m only sorry
that there still is a German living.
It’s not only the Nazi officials who
were to blame, but every man,
woman and child in Germany. I
hope to see them all suffer for what
they have done.
“One bright spot of that particular
day, hvwgver, was the fact that the
outfit I am in charge of liberated
quite a few English soldiers, some
of whom had been captured at Dun
kirk, Calais and other places nearly
five years ago. They certainly were
glad to see us. When we brought
them in that night, I felt more like
a man than at any time I can
remember.”
The Third Cavalry Group, to
w’hich the Bluffton man is attached,
is the United States oldest cavalry
unit, and in Austria recently ob
served its 99th anniversary.
It was the Third Cavalry which
garrisoned the frontier posts of the
early West and covered itself with
glory in the Mexican Civil and
Spanish-American wars and the
Philippine insurrection.
Attend Youth Camp
Marlene and Kay Berry and Nancy
Frankhauser are attending a “Chris
tian Adventure Camp” at Sabina this
week. More than 100 intermediate
age young people of Methodist
churches of Lima and Springfield dis
tricts are meeting there this year.
New Postal Regulation
Affecting Overseas Service Men in Navy, Marine
Corps and Coast Guard
Effective July 1, a new jyostal regulation provides
that there shall be no new newspaper subscriptions or
renewals of present subscriptions to men serving
overseas in the Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard
except by written request of the addressee-
Persons sending the Bluffton News to men in
care of the Fleet Post Office via New York or San
Francisco must supply to this office a written request
from the service man.
Without this request it will be necessary to dis
continue the present subscription at the expiration
date until a request is obtained. In oraer to avoid
this delay, persons sending the Bluffton News to men
in these services should obtain from them written
requests for continuance of the paper before the ex
piration of the present subscriptions.
A. Richard Caris
To Be Here Soon
Lt. (j. g.) Richard Caris of the
Navy landed in Jacksonville, Florida,
Wednesday after 15 months sea duty
in the Atlantic. He has been grant
ed a 30 days’ leave and will be here
soon, it was learned by his wife the
former Betty Triplett of South Main
street in a telephone conversation
w’ith her husband, Wednesday night.
SGT. GERALD CARIS
ARMY AIR GUNNER
KILLED IN ACTION
Wife Notified Saturday That
His Death Occurred March 8,
1944, Over Germany
Death Not Confirmed Until Fel
low Crewmen Were Freed
From Germans
Staff Sgt. Gerald R. Caris, 21, of
Orange township, who had been
reported missing in air action over
Europe since March 8 of last year,
was killed when his plane was shot
down in Germany, the War Depart
ment notified his wife, the former
Veldean Moser, beauty shop opera
tor, last Saturday.
Sgt. Caris was the only son of
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Caris, of Orange
township. His mother is employed
in war work at The Triplett Elec
trical Instrument Co.
His death was not established
until after nine men who had been
in the Flying Fortress with him on
the fatal flight were liberated from
a German prison camp in the closing
week of the war.
The other members of the crew
parachuted from the plane and were
taken prisoner by the Germans, but
Caris was killed by enemy fire which
knocked the huge airship out of
action.
His wife received the Air Medal
and two Oak Leaf clusters awarded
to him last October at Baer field,
Ft. Wayne.
Sgt. Caris was a gunner on the
bomber, and was reported missing
on his 18th mission after going over
seas in December, 1943. He enlisted
in the army air force on Oct. 26,
1942. He was a graduate of Ada
High school.
Will Enter Dairy
Business At Bryan
Carey Steiner of Columbus, form
erly of Bluffton, has purchased a
dairy at Bryan and will take pos
session this month.
Steiner who has been connected
with a large Columbus dairy for sev
eral years resigned his position there
to take over his new business.
Mr. and Mrs. Steiner and family
are spending several days with their
parents, E. P. Steiner of near Bluff
ton and Mr. and Mrs. Wm. William
son of Benton Ridge. They expect
to move to Bryan next week.
Sgt. Ralph Augsburger
Gets Army Discharge
Staff Sgt.Ralph E. Augsburger, of
112% S. Main street, received his
honorable discharge from the Army
under the point system at Camp At
terbury, Ind., last Friday.
A former employe of The Triplett
Electrical Instrument Co, Sgt. Augs
burger has been in the South Pa
cific w’ith the famous 37th Division
since it first w’ent overseas.
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Dexter Cross, Ada,
a girl, Janet Louise, Monday.
Mr. and Mis. Kermit Boehm, Raw
son, a boy, John Gerhart, Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. Francis McCrate,
Prospect, a boy, James Timothy,
Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Burkholder,
Lima, a boy, Wednesday.
A son, James Franklin, Jr., was
born Sunday to Lt. and Mrs JMmes
F. Miller at the Wooster (Ohio)
hospital. Lt. Miller, of the U. S.
Coast Guard is now at sea. He is
the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mil
ler of South Main street and the
mother is the former Esther Ram
seyer of Smithville.
A son, William Patrick Madden
was born to Capt. and Mrs. Franklin
Madden, June 10 at Rome Army Air
Field Station hospital, Rome, N. Y.
Mrs. Madden is the former Besse
Patrick, daughter of Mrs. Med Mur
ray of North J.ackson street.
NUMBER 11
NO KNEE-HIGH CORN
OR CUT WHEAT ON
FOURTH OF JULY
Rule-Of-Thumb Method Ta
Gauge Prospects Out Of
Picture This Summer
Com Makes Excellent Progress
After Slow Start Wheat
Prospects Bright
Farm crops are behind schedule this
summer, according to two ru!e-of
thumb standards for measuring nor
mal progress by Independence day.
Corn which according to tradition
should be “knee-high by the Fourth
of July” is short of the mark. Also
the Fourth of July and wheat har
vest which are invariably associated
missed connections this year. Little
if any wheat will be cut before the
end of this week.
Thunderstorms accompanied y
high winds have blown down con
siderable areas of standing w-heat
and with the crop growing tall and
rank this year will add complications
to harvest.
Outlook Brightens
Both crops are late this summer,
but prospects on the whole are good,
for a bumper wheat harvest is ex
pected and a discouraging outlook for
com has decidedly improved over the
last tw’o weeks.
Corn had been the backward child
of the farm crop family this year,
and plagued by late planting, cold
weather and heavy rains, the crop
outlook had been very poor.
Fearing a poor yield, farmers have
been carefully husbanding the re
mainder of last year’s corn supply
awaiting a clarification of develop
ments of this year’s crop.
Improved prospects of the last week,
however, indicate that with favorable
growing W’eather the crop should
overcome its early handicap.
Cultivation Under Way
Fair weather last of June termin
ated nearly two weeks of continual
i rainfall, and the warm weather and
sunshine which followed have “perk
ed up” the crop prospects. Cultiva
tion is well under way, and corn is
growing fast thruout the area.
Altho the crop did not reach knee
high stage by the Fourth of July, a
rough rule of the thumb method of
measuring normal growth, com is
making excellent growing progress
and the early handicap may be over
come,
The wheat crop which normally
being harvested by the Fourth, ia
standing fence high and is rapidly
“turning” ripe. Heads are w-ell filled
and there is every’ prospect for a
bumper crop.
Dr. Luke Steiner
Heads Oberlin DepL
Dr. Luke Steiner, native of the
Bluffton area, has been named head
of the Oberlin college department of
chemistry in w’hich he has served as
an instructor for several years. His
new duties became effective on July
1.
Dr. Steiner is the son of the late
Rev. Menno Steiner and the family
lived five miles northwest of Bluffton.
Mrs. Chris Bixel, of South Main
street, is an aunt and Attorney R.
S. Steiner, of Lima, is an uncle. An
other uncle was the late Dr. J. S.
Steiner, of this place.
Stager Brothers Are
Home From Overseas
Cpl. William Stager, w’ho served
two years with the Eighth Army air
force stationed in England, arrived
the first of this week on a 4()-days
furlough to visit his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Leonard Stager of North Main
street.
Cpl. Stager’s brother, Sgt Arthur
Stager, who had been in the service
four years, one of which was in the
southwest Pacific, has received a
medical discharge.
For the present Sgt. Stager and
his wife and daughter will make
their home with Mrs. Stager’s par
ents, Mr and Mrs. William Maurer
in Findlay.
Presbyterian Youth
Group Meets Here
Young people numbering 130 from
Presbyterian churches in Northwest
ern Ohio are holding a conference on
the Bluffton college campus this week.
The week’s program includes classes
and discussion groups in the morning
with recreational activities in the
afternoon.
Those from the Bluffton church in
attendance are: Marilyn Fett, Elea
nor Linden, Malcolm Basinger, David
Frick and Robert Stalder.