The Bluffton news. [volume], August 16, 1945, Image 1

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

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BUY
UNITW
STAMP*
VOLUME NO. LXX
BLUFFTON SCHOOLS
TO OPEN FOR FALL
TERM ON SEPT. 4
Teaching Staff For Grade And
High Schools Same As That
Of Last Year
No Resignations Of Teachers Is
Unusual Situation Under Pre
sent Conditions
Bluffton public schools will open
for the fall term on Tuesday, Sept.
4, one day after Labor Day, is was
decided this week by the Board of
Education.
Going into the new school term,
the Bluffton teaching staff will be
the same as that which served last
year, and the fact that no resigna
tions were tendered here is seen
quite unusual in a year in which
many teachers have changed schools
because of the acute shortage of
instructors in practically every
system.
With the same corps of teachers
returning for the coming year, only
minor changes are expected in the
assignment of instructors. The only
vacancy is in the manual training
department which was without a
teacher last year.
The force of janitors and care
takers also will remain the same as
that which served last year, and
altho some school bus drivers have
resigned all posts will be filled by
the time school opens, spokesmen for
the school board said this week.
Bluffton schools will operate on
slowr time when they open for the
fall term, due to the fact that a
municipal ordinance provides for dis
continuance of fast time on the first
Sunday in September.
Form Lions Club
At Columbus Grove
_____
Organization of a Lions club in
Columbus Grove under sponsorship
of the Bluffton club affiliated with
Lions International was completed
Tuesday night.
The meeting was held in Columbus
Grove under direction of the exten
sion committee of the Bluffton club
and George Bormuth, special repre
sentative of Lions International.
Officers of the club elected at the
meeting are:
President, Theo. Kissel vice pres.,
Dr. A. B. Hilty sec., Amos Goodwin
treas., Donald Hilty lion tamer,
Ralph Brooks tail twister, A. G.
Kohli.
James Basinger Ends
Basic Flight Training
Aviation Cadet James H. Basinger,
son of Noah Basinger, Lawn avenue,
has completed his basic flight train
ing at the AAF Pilot School Basic,
Gunter Feld, Montgomery, Alabama,
it was announced last week by the
commandant of cadets at this field.
Cadet Basinger received his primary
training at Carlstrom Field, Arcadia,
Conn.
While at Gunter Field, Cadet Ba
singer has logged approximately 70
hours in basic training ships. Those
flying hours include cross country
navigation flights, night flights and
formation flying. His advanced
training will be given at another
school in the vast AAF Training
Command.
Joe Birchnaugh
Home From Army
Pfc. Joe Birchnaugh, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Fred Birchnaugh arrived
home Monday, having been dis
charged from the Army. He served
with the 37th Division in the south
west Pacific and later was stationed
at Camp Lee, Virginia, and more re
cently was at the Army’s Fletcher
General Hospital in Cambridge, Ohio.
Triplett Closes
Because of the two-day ft
ft holiday declared by Presi- ft
ft dent Truman, plants of ft
ft The Triplett Electrical In
ft strument Co. will not re- ft
ft sume operations until 7 a.
ft m. Friday.
-e
Goes From France
To Philippines
aJL,. Is
Sgt. Melvin Long, Jr., who served
for 15 months with a military police
unit in the European theatre of
war is now in the Philippines, ac
cording to word received the first of
the week by his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Melvin Long of Orange town
ship.
Sgt. Long was transferred directly
from Europe to the Far East pre
sumably via the Suez canal. His
wife, the former Catherine Sutter
and their little son are making their
home with her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Leonard Sutter of Pandora.
14 MILES OF ROAD
IMPROVEMENT IN
TWP. UNDER WAY
Summer Highway Resurfacing
Program Being Pushed,
Trustees Announce
Two Miles Paid Jointly by
County and Township
County Pays Balance
Fourteeen miles of Richland town
ship highways are being improved
this summer by the application of a
hard surface top dressing of asphalt
and stone chips, in a county program
aimed principally at repairing exten
sive winter damage sustained last
December and January.
Parts of five roads are included in
the improvement schedule, with the
work being done by employes and
equipment of the Allen County high
way department.
Cost of the major part of the work
is being borne by the county, with
the exception of re-surfacing of two
miles for which the county will pay
half and the Richland township trus
tees will be responsible for the bal
ance.
Two Miles Financed Joint ly
The two miles financed jointly by
the township and county include a
one-mile stretch of the Augsburger
road, from the termination of West
Elm street at the corporation line,
west to the Fett road and one mile
on the Schifferly road from the Bent
ley road east to the Allen county line.
Highway improvements financed by
the county include four miles of the
Bentley road from Bluffton corpora
tion to the Lincoln highway six miles
of the .Phillips road from the Putnam
Allen county line to the Lincoln high
way and two miles of the College
road from Bluffton corpoation to the
Allen-Putnam county line.
Radio Message From Lt. David Kliewer
In Jap Prison Received By U. S. Navy
Repair Winter Damage
Road improvements under way, and
which will be completed by fall, carry
out recommendations of Richland
township trustees to put the highways
back into good condition following
the heavy damage of last winter.
No work can be done this summer
on roads requiring oil treatment, be
cause of inability to obtain the ma
terial which is on government restric
ed lists, but where a hard surface has
been applied previously re-surfacing
can be accomplished by the asphalt
and stone chip “blacktop” method.
Injured In Fall
While Picking Plums
Gideon Schumacher, farmer, is a
patient in Bluffton hospital as the
result of injuries received in a fall
while picking plums at his home
west of Bluffton, Tuesday morning.
Schumacher who was standing on
a shed roof near the plum tree
slipped and fell fracturing his right
hip and left shoulder, it was re
ported Tuesday night.
At New Air Base
Captain Francis L. Hochstettler,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter M.
Hochstettler of Bluffton, Route 2,
left this week from the Troop Car
rier base of George Field for Se
dalia Army Air Field, Knobnoster,
Missouri for the purpose of attend
ing the Central Instructors Training
Program.
Upon completion of the program
Captain Hochstettler will return to
George Field.
ormer Bluffton Man, Marine
Flyer, Expected to be
Freed Soon
’reparing for Study of Medicine
While Held Prisoner by
Enemy
From a prison camp on the Jap
anese home island of Shikoku on
August 8 came a radio broadcast to
his family by Lt. David Kliewer, of
the U. S. Marine corps, first Bluffton
youth to be taken prisoner by the
enemy, indicating that he is alive
and well despite the rigors of im
prisonment approaching the four
year mark.
Lt. Kliewer was one of the heroic
little garrison to be taken prisoner
by the Japanese when Wake capitu
lated in the early days of the war.
He is now at Zentsuji camp, and it
is hoped will be liberated by Ameri
can occupation troops within a mat
ter of hours following Japanese sur
render.
His message addressed to his sis
ter and transmitted by radio by the
Japanese government to one of our
own Navy radio posts was as fol
lows:
“I received yesterday the Decem
ber, 1944, letter and photos of Ann
and Jimmy. They take by breath
away. It almost creates a desire to
have a family of my own. When
homesick and lonely I get in my
small corner with the photo album
that is my handsome, prolific family.
“The past three and one-half years
have given me plenty of opportunity
for intro and retrospection. I have
learned adaptabilities and am en
joying living, regardless of the pres
ent difficulties and monotony.
“My medical studies at Harvard,
Northwestern or California still are
planned. I am studying every avail
able moment. Just completed a de
tailed study of Gray’s anatomy. All
Wake Marine officers here are well.
All my love.”
Lt. Kliewer is the son of Rev. and
Mrs. P. A. Kliewer, of Albany, Ore
gon, and was graduated from Bluff
ton High school. His father former
ly was pastor of the Ebenezer Men
nonite church here.
Ensign Calvin Bert Yoder Shot
Down While Strafing Large
Jap Freighter
Navy E’lane Makes Rescue
While Under Fire From
Enemy Shore Batteries
A daring air-sea rescue from the
Japanese inland sea recently prevent
ed the enemy from capturing Ensign
Calvin Bert Yoder, 21, who since he
was four years old was reared in
the Settlement by his aunt and uncle,
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Diller, who now
reside on the former Oliver Locher
farm, north of town.
Ensign Yoder is the son of Willis
Yoder, of Goshen, Ind., and his
mother was the former Malinda
Diller, sister of Edwin Diller, who
died when he was four years old.
Bluffton Pilot Of Navy Fighter Plane
Rescued From Japanese Inland Sea
A rescue by a Navy Dumbo air
plane was necessary to save the
Bluffton youth, a Navy airman, after
his Hellcat fighter plane had been
shot down in the Japanese inland
sea recently.
In a thrilling account appearing
in the Indianapolis News, a special
news release told how the rescue
plane dashed in, made a water land
ing under the very eyes of the
Japanese and picked up the downed
fighter pilot.
Second Landing
On the return trip, the large plane
had to make a second water landing
to rescue two other fighter pilots
who had flown escort for the rescue
mission and who were forced down
at the entrance to the inland sea,
only 200 yards off the coast of
Japan.
Ensign Y»der was shot down while
flying a Hellcat from one of the
carriers participating in Task Force
38 strikes against the Jap mainland.
About 20 miles southwest of Kure
he strafed a large Jap freighter,
rHE BLUFFTON NEWS
_________ A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY__________________________
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, AUG. 16, 1945
END OF WAR GREETED HERE WITH WILD ACCLAIM
THREE-MILL LEVY
FOR SCHOOLS ON
NOVEMBER BALLOT
School District Electors Will
Yote On Special Tax Pro
posal This Fall
Proposal Is For Renewal Of
Levy In Effect Here For
Many Years
Bluffton school district electors
will vote on renewal of a special
three-mill tax levy to provide ad
ditional operating expenses for the
schools at next November’s general
election, it was learned this week.
The proposed levy is to provide a
continuation of special funds that
have been received by the school for
operating expenses, and the measure
will appear on a seperate ballot. It
will provide for a tax not to exceed
three mills for a five-year period.
Application to include the school
levy vote in this fall's election was
filed last week with the Allen county
Board of Elections at Lima by the
Bluffton Board of Education, to
comply with preliminaries necessary
to have the proposal submitted to
electors of the school district.
Revenue derived from the three
mill levy which expires this year
amounts to $15,225 annually on the
present school district tax duplicate
of $5,075,000. The funds can be
used for any operating expense, not
including bond retirement and inter
est.
To be continued, the levy must be
approved by a majority vote. Altho
the measure provides for any
amount not to exceed three mills for
a five-year period. I^ards in the past
always have levied the maximum
amount allowed.
Present tax rate for Bluffton
school purposes is 10.40 mills, in
cluding the special three-mill levy
now in effect. It represents nearly
two-thirds of the Bluffton corpora
tion tax rate of $16.70, which in
cludes the school levy.
The present three-mill levy for
which renewal is sought will expire
on Dec. 31, 1945. It has been in
effect for many years.
scored three rocket hits out of four
tries and left the ship sinking. In
the attack, however, the engine of
his plane was hit by anti-aircraft
fire, and he was forced to land on
the water about a mile off shore.
Fellow fliers found the green dye
marker on the water showing Ensign
Yoder’s position just before dark and
directed the Dumbo flying boat to
the place. The big plane set down
on the water for five minutes to
pick up Ensgin Yoder, and just as it
took off a burst of eight shells
struck the water directly in front
of the plane. Apparently the fire
came from shore batteries.
Short On Gasoline
The two fighter planes accompany
ing the big plane landed on the
water at the entrance to the inland
sea on the return trip when their
gasoline supply was exhausted, and
the flying boat landed again to pick
them up.
Trouble continued to dog the
rescue mission, how’ever, for the big
ship also ran short on fuel and all
loose gear except emergency equip
ment was thrown overboard to
lighten the load. The plane finally
landed with only enough gasoline to
have flown half an hour longer.
Following the rescue Ensign Yoder
was reported a little pale, but ap
parently none the worse for having
spent five hours in a rubber boat in
the enemy’s inner stronghold.
“Yoder threw' me a kiss as I
coasted by on the landing to pick
him up,” the pilot of the rescue
plane said. Several Japanese fish
ing boats w’ere in the vicinity of
w’here the crash landing was made
by Yoder who escaped detection.
The young flier has been in the
service since February, 1943, and
had pre-flight training at DePauw’
university at Greencastle, Ind. He
went overseas last January and was
on his sixth mission in the current
task force operation when he was
shot down.
firemen Extinguish
Oats Stubble Blaze
i
A rapidly spreading oats stubble
fire in a field along the Nickel Plate
railroad right of way, east of the AU
Tower at the junction of the Nickel
Plate and A. C. & Y. railroads, was
extinguished with small damage at
noon Monday by the Bluffton fire
department.
The field is owned by the Central
Ohio Light and Power Co. and had
been farmed this summer by Charles
Matthey. Railroad section men as
sisted in extinguishing the blaze.
It w’as this area’s first grass fire
of the summer.
JEFFERSON STREET
RE-SURFACING IS
DROPPED BY STATE
Unofficial Word from Highway
Department is Received by
Clerk Here
Town Unwilling to Bear Any
Portion of Cost of Proposed
Improvement
Re-surfacing of Jefferson street,
proposed a month ago by the State
Highway department, will not be ef
fective this summer, according to un
official information received this week
by municipal officials.
Change in the plans to improve
that part of Jefferson street travers
ed by State Route 103 was announced
by Town Clerk Wilford O. Geiger,
who said his information came from
an attache of the State Highway de
partment.
Seek Permission in July
Application to re-surface the street
was proposed early in July by the
state department, and the Bluffton
council consented to the department’s
request on condition that the town
would be relieved of sharing any part
of the cost.
Estimates made by the state at
that time indicated that the cost of
the improvement would be approxi
mately $535, and under usual pro
cedure the town’s share of the expen
diture would be about $90.
Altho there has been on official no
tification that the state department
has dropped plans to re-surface the
street, town officials are assuming
that ine matter has been closed, and
are not anticipating any further move
from the state.
Effect of Rider Unknown
Whether the decision not to improve
the street was influenced in any way
by the council’s rider making its ap
proval conditional on the state pay
ing the entire cost of the project is
not known.
Proposed re-surfacing of Jefferson
street was a part of an improvement
to State Route 103, which follows the
thorofare to Main street inside the
corporation.
No word has been received as to
whether plans for the work on Route
103 east from the town corporation
limit also have been dropped, Bluff
ton officials said.
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Benton, Pan
dora, a boy, Charles Ray, Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. John Pore, Williams
town, a girl, Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. Warren Bridenbaugh,
Pandora, a girl, Judith Kay, Sun
day.
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Stump,
Lafayette, a boy, John William,
Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Lanning,
Beaverdam, a boy, Jack Arthur,
Tuesday.
Sgt. and Mrs. Earl Ludwig, Mt.
Cory, a girl, Connie Jo., August 7.
Scouts To Gather
Paper Saturday
Boy Scouts of Troop 56 will gath
er paper Saturday afternoon begin
ning at 12:30 o’clock. Newspapers
and magazines should be bundled and
left on the front porch by that time
and the Scouts will pick them up.
The subsidy paid on lambs goes to
the person who sells the lambs to a
licensed slaughterer. The farmer will
not receive the subsidy unless he
piakes the sale direct or makes an
middleman.
Peace had come at last to a war
weary world three years and eight
months after the infamous Jap at
tack on Pearl Harbor, and with those
years of heartbreak and anxiety fin
ally in the background Bluffton hail
ed the Presidential announcement
with cheers on their lips and tears
in their eyes.
News Flashes Peace
This was it—the moment tensely
awaited since Japan’s first broadcast
seeking peace flashed round the
world last Friday. Radios which
played continuously in Bluffton
homes over the long vigil caught the
good news, finally culminating hopes
that had been raised once by an er
roneous report of surrender on Sun
day night and which soared again
early Tuesday with a false announce
ment that the surrender had been
made.
Scarcely before the news flash was
completed the deep throated whistle
at the water works settled down to
a steady five-minute assault on the
ear drums of the town.
Doors were flung open as neigh
bors shouted to each other across
their yards. Shotguns and pistols
barked salute after salute into the
evening air. Firecrackers dug up
from secret repositories banged a
gain and again.
Children hammered on tin pans,
bells were rung and automobiles
driving aimlessly about the town ad
ded to the din with blaring horns.
Downtown streets were jammed
within minutes after the surrender
announcement had been made.
Order came to the cruising auto
mobiles when John Maxon’s car car
rying a portable public address sys
tem streaked down Main street blar
ing the First World War’s lilting
tune of “Hinky-Dinky-Parly-Voo.”
Procession Forms
A long procession of cars including
the town’s fire department trucks
and ambulance soon formed behind
this impromptu sound wagon, and up
and down the streets it went with
horns blaring, music playing and fire
crackers popping. Happy spectators
stood on the curbs and cheered as
as the parade passed.
WHISTLES, BELLS, SIRENS
IN NOISY DEMONSTRATION
Finally the procession grew so
long it proved unwieldy, and away
the cars went in spontoneous parades
of their own. Rain shortly after
eight temporarily drove many in
doors, but they' were outside again
as soon as there was the first indi
cation of clearing.
For hours the horns on cruising
cars blared in the town, and crowds
remained on the streets until after
midnight. In homes, parties in cele
bration of the event went on until
the wee small hours.
Wednesday Holiday
^andemonium Loosed by Impromptu Automo
bile Parade on Main Street After Presi
dent’s Announcement Tuesday
business and Industry Closed Wednesday No
Mail Deliveries Churches Unite in
Thanksgiving Service
With whistles, bells and auto sirens, Bluffton greeted in a
wild pandemonium of acclaim announcement of final victory in a
war of nearly four years’ duration Tuesday night.
Ending a long five-day vigil fraught alternately with hope and
disappointment, the town staged a spontaneous celebration as the
tension snapped at 7:02 p. m. with the announcement by Presi
dent Truman that Japan had unconditionally surrendered. The
demonstration which followed was unequalled by anything since
the Armistice in 1918.’
Noisy Demonstration
By mutual assent, Wednesday was
a holiday continuing the joyful cele
bration in a quieter manner as the
first flush of victory subsided. Down
town business places were closed.
Mail deliveries on city and rural
routes were suspended and windows
at the postoffice were closed. Bluff
ton’s industries likewise were shut
down.
A union thanksgiving service was
held at 10 o’clock Wednesday morn
ing in the First Mennonite church
which was filled for the occasion.
The service was sponsored by the
Bluffton Ministerial association and
local pastors spoke. Churches of the
town were open thruout the day for
those who wished to avail themselves
of the facilities for meditation and
prayer.
Attraction of the afternoon was a
NUMBER 17
band concert under direction of Sid
ney Hauenstein on the Presbyterian
church yard. Players were princi
pally former members of the high
school band hastily recruited for the
occasion.
Markets Drop
Reflecting the arrival of peace,
Bluffton grain markets were general
ly lower Wednesday. Wheat was
quoted at $1.50 per bushel, six cents
under last week while oats at 55
cents were five cents under the price
of a week ago.
Unlike many of the larger cities,
Bluffton’s celebration did not start
until the official announcement had
been made by President Truman,
but from that time on local cele
brants cut loose in earnest.
Tenseness pent up for five days
while hopes for surrender ebbed and
flowed and Japanese reports proved
contradictory’ time after time was
evidenced by the enthusiasm that
bubbled into a full-fledged celebra
tion in a matter of minutes.
Significant Occasion
But against this background of
hilarity’ of unrestrained exuberance
there also was a deeper, more seri
ous undercurrent. That the ghastly
effects of war must never again be
visited upon the world was a theme
mentioned over and over again wher
ever there were gatherings of
celebrants and spectators.
Looking forward to a brave new
world of brotherhood, there was
sincere expression of the belief that
out of this—mankind’s severest trial
—must and will come enduring
peace.
And this promise of a better
world to come meant more than the
celebration to those many who stood
on the edges of the throngs with
tears in their eyes and sorrow in
their hearts for loved ones who had
made the supreme sacrifice in the
hope that the light of peace may
burn on brightly thru the years to
come.
Robert Young Helped
Combat Buzz Bombs
Cpl. Robert D. Young, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Charles Young of Lake
avenue, is a member of the 125th
Anti-Aircraft unit which made more
than 7(M)di rect hits on German buzz
bombs in the skies over England
and later in Belgium, it was reveal
ed this week by the Assembly Area
command in France.
Gunners in the unit also had 200
crippling blows on bombs, forcing
them to land in the English channel
or in open fields.
In addition to its buzz-bomb oper
ations, the battalion fired 75,000
rounds of ammunition in helping to
stop the German forward lunge in
the famous December Belgian bulge
breakthru, and fast firing is reported
to have burned out four barrels on
each gun in the battery.
At present the anti-aircraft unit
personnel are assigned to patroling
traffic in the Assembly’ Area com
mand in 17 re-deployment camps in
France.
Real Estate Deal
The Ralph Joseph farm of 40 acres
occupied bv Albert Hughes has been
purchased by John McVetta of Mt.
Cory it was announced by Mrs. H.
W. Althaus who closed the deal.