The Bluffton news. [volume], October 04, 1945, Image 1

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VOLUME NO. LXX
FILLING STATIONS
HERE STILL ARE
GETTING GASOLINE
Limited Quantities of Motor
Fuel Still Available At All
Filling Stations
Supplies From Outside Continue
To Trickle in Despite Oil
Workers Strike
Gasoline shortages which have vir
tually tied up motor transportation
in large cities as a result of the oil
workers’ strike still are passing up
Bluffton.
Consignments of gasoline from dis
tributors are continuing to trickle in
to the town this week to permit local
filling stations to operate on at least
a day-to-day basis.
Practically all stations are limiting
excessive amounts of gasoline they
will sell to motorists, but so far the
shortage has not been serious enough
locally at any time to prevent the
operation of motor cars.
See Key to Situation
Secretary of Labor Lewis B. Schwel
lenbach*s ultimatum on Tuesday to
strikers and oil companies demanding
an immediate end to the strike and
get gasoline flowing freely again is
seen here as the key to what the fu
ture supply situation may be in Bluff
ton.
Should the three-week deadlock be
broken, Bluffton probably will com
pletely escape gasoline-famine condi
tions which have prevailed in larger
cities.
On the other hand, a continuation
of the strike on its present basis may
mean that Bluffton’s deliveries from
outside might be cut off at any time.
This action would force filling stations
to close their doors in matter of a
few days.
In the meantime, Bluffton motor
ists are keeping their tanks filled to
the brim and are continuing to hope
that the worst of the gasoline short
age will pass them by.
Union Service Will
Hear Army Chaplain
Rev. Ernest N. Bigelow, Army
chaplain who recently returned from
service inEurojw-wiH speak at Bluff
ton’s union service Sunday night at
the Methodist church at 7:30 o’clock.
The service is sponsored by the Bluff
ton Ministerial association.
Rev. Bigelow, pastor of the Bluff
ton and Rockport Presbyterian
churches, is here on three weeks’ fur
lough after which he will report at
Camp Breckenridge, Ky.'
Sgt. Don Berry Is
Expected Here Soon
Sgt. Don Berry who spent two and
one-half years overseas with an
Army medical unit in Africa and
Italy has arrived at Camp Patrick
Henry in Virginia, according to word
received by his brother Dallas Berry,
post office employe.
Sgt. Berry who was in the Army
for four and one-half years expects
to be discharged soon and return
here.
Cpl. Evan Steiner
With Cited Group
Cpl. Evan Steiner, Route 2, Bluff
ton, is one of the members of the
20th Air Force stationed on Guam
who have been commended by Gen
eral Carl Spaats for their part in
helping defeat Japan.
As members of the air service
group, the men commended played
a vital part in keeping Superfort
resses ready for their long trip to
the Jap homeland.
Cpl. Steiner was employed at The
Triplett Electrical Instrument Co. be
fore going into the service. He is a
cook with the air force.
In College Glee
Club And Orchestra
Miss Sarah Amstutz, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Amstutz north
of Bluffton, a freshman at Miami
university has been selected for mem
bership in the university orchestra
and the ladies glee club, it was an
nounced this week.
Hatcheryman Is Home
From Poultry Clinic
Earl Jorg, Bluffton hatcheryman
has returned from Meyerstown, Pa.,
where he spent a week in the clinic
of the Whitmoyer Poultry Medical
school specializing in diseases of
poultry.
0
Three Bluffton men from the 37th
Division who have been in the Pacific
area since early in the war will be
discharged at Camp Atterbury, Ind.,
and return home this week.
They are Sgt. Eugene Firestone,
T/5 James Birchnaugh and Pfc. Her
bert Kindle. Birchnaugh and Kindle
are expected here this Wednesday
night.
Birchnaugh is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Fred Birchnaugh and Kindle
the son of Mrs. Eli Augsburger.
Firestone’s wife is the former Berda
Gratz of this place.
BLUFFTON SEWER
BOND ISSUE LOST
IN FIVE ELECTIONS
Voters Consistent In Rejecting
Sewage System Over Span
Of 19 Years
Proposal With Federal Funds
For Three-Fourths Of Cost
Lost By 32 Votes
Editor’s Note: This second in
series of articles on Bluffton’s
setver question covers the history
of Bluffton voting on proposals
tn remedy the problem. Another
will appear soon.
Over a span of 19 years, Bluffton
electors five times have rejected bond
issues proposed to finance various
types of sewer and sewage disposal
systems, as an answer to the problems
resulting from the pollution of Big
and Little Riley creeks.
a
Since 192S the sewage disposal
question has plagued every municipal
administration and has involved the
town in repeated wrangles
state board of health
suits with landholders.
Bluffton electors cast their first bal
lots on a proposed sewerage system
back in November, 1927, when a
$215,000 bond issue was defeated by
a vote of 492 against the proposal and
295 for it.
Started In 1927
The 1927 proposal was for a com
plete new sewer system in the town
and for construction of a disposal
plant. All of the cost was to be borne
by the municipality.
Following the 1927 vote, the state
health department notified the town
council to proceed with the immediate
issuance of bonds to provide a part
of the funds necessary to finance the
system.
By order of the state department,
the council can be empowered to issue
bonds within limitations, even tho a
confirmative vote of electors has not
been received, it was pointed out at
that time by the state authorities.
A showdown in the matter was
avoided by the administration at that
time, however, when the council con
sented to submit another bond issue
to voters at the regular election in
November of the following year, and
the state board of health did not press
its demands.
Vote Again
a
This proposal for the same type of
system voted in in 1927 was over
(Continued on page 8)
Bluffton Medical
Man On Furlough
Capt. John Blackburn is home
after 19 months service overseas in
an Army medical unit spending a 45
days’ furlough with his wife, the
former Corrin King and family at
their home on East Elm street.
Capt. Blackburn, a physician, was
on duty with a hospital train seeing
service in France, Germany, Belgium
and Italy.
He formerly attended Bluffton col
lege and afterward completed a med
ical course and after finishing his
intern period entered the military
service where he has spent the past
28 months.
Schools To Close
Thursday For Fair
Bluffton high and grade schools
will be closed all day Thursday to
give pupils and teachers an oppor
tunity to attend the Putnam county
fair at Ottawa.
THE BLUF
Bluffton Woman Returns By Plane
Africa Mission Field
From West
Three From 37th To
Be Home This Week
with the
in court
and
proposed
the
On three occasions,
bond issues received
majority of the votes cast but failed
to carry by the 65% margin necessary
to put the improvement program into
effect. •«.
more than a
Catherine Gratz Arrives Home
Tuesday Night on Year’s
Furlough
Missionaries Interned by Colon
ial Government of French
Guinea
Miss Catherine Gratz who spent
the past five and one-half years as a
missionary in French Guinea, French
West Africa, arrived here Tuesday
night at the home of her mother, Mrs.
Peter Gratz of South Jackson street.
She will spend a year’s furlough in
this country.
Because of war-disrupted transpor
tation facilities, the usual travel by
boat was not available and the Bluff
ton woman made the trip by plane
from her mission station at Kankan,
1,000 miles inland in Africa to Mi
ami, Florida.
It was not until recently that air
travel was available and because of
this Miss Gratz remained for 18
months longer than the regular four
year term of sen-ice in the foreign
field.
Missionaries Interned
The colonial government of French
Guinea, pro-Vichy following the fall
of France rounded up all the Ameri
can missionaries when the Lmitetl
States troops invaded North Africa.
For two weeks 10 women were in
terned in the mission compound and
the men were taken to a concentra
tion camp. During this time they
were deprived of the use of their ra
dios and they had no knowledge of
what was happening in world affairs.
Supplies were obtained from the city
market thru natives employed at the
mission station.
After two weeks they were releas
ed when the American forces took
over Dakar, one of the key cities on
the west coast and the colonial gov
ernment swung into line with the Al
lies.
After this the mission station was
permiteed to resume its activities.
It is the only Protestant mission in
Kankan, a sizeable city and trading
point of that region.
Airport at Kankan
From the airport at Kankan where
she left September 4, a French air
line operates a regular passenger ser-
ed a Pan American Clipper for the
trans-Atlantic trip going from Li
beria, West Africa on a 14-hour non
stop flight to Natal, Brazil. Three
and one-half days were spent there.
From Natal she transferred to a
land plane and went by way of For
taleza, Brazil and Trindad, Port of
Spain to Miami, Florida, September
21.
The work of the mission station at
Kankan is under auspices of the
Christian Missionary Alliance and the
Bluffton woman was a bookkeeper at
that place. Natives of the region are
large, well proportioned and very
black, she said. French is the official
language of the region, altho the na
tives speak several dialects.
Homecoming Services
At Ebenezer Church
Homecoming will be observed at
the Ebenezer Mennonite church on
Sunday, October 14, with services in
the morning, afternoon and evening
and a basket dinner at noon, it was
announced the first of the week.
Cpl. James Benroth
Gets Army Discharge
Cpl. James Benroth, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Albert Benroth, of North
Main street, was honorably dis
charged from the Army Air force
last Friday after being in uniform
three and one-half years.
Cpl. Benroth spent two and one
half years of his service with U. S.
troops in India, and later was sta
tioned at Wright field. He now is
home on a visit.
Dale Davidson Gets
Commission In Army
Dale Davidson, formerly of Bluff
ton and son of R. W. Davidson, of
Willoughby, Ohio, has been commis
sioned a second lieutenant after com
pleting an officer’s training course at
the Infantry School, Ft. Benning, Ga.
Lt. Davidson was inducted into the
army as a private on Jan. 9 of this
year, and qualified for officer’s train
ing while at Camp Wolters, Texas.
A graduate of Bluffton High school
and Illinois State Normal university
at Normal, Ill., Davidson formerly
lived here with his grandparents, the
late Mr. and Mrs. D. W. Fox, of
College avenue.
TUP RT IT
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE I
BLUFFTON, OHIO, Tfi
Bluffton Fire
Fire Befo
Gas-filh
ri
FIREMEN WIN RACE
AGAINST BLAZE IN
GAS CA
Racing against time, the firemen
used chemicals on a fire which had
started under the hc*od of the truck
shortly after the truck had pulled in
to the station operated by Dick Ha
begger.
Quick action by the local depart
ment, which answered the alarm with
both fire pumpers, resulted in the
blaze being extinguished before it
reached tanks at the rear of the truck
filled with high test gasoline.
When the fire broke out the driver
of the truck was in the station, but
the alarm was sounded as soon as he
noticed smoke and flames rolling from
under the hood.
A short circuit in the electrical
wiring was attributed by Chief Guy
Corson as the cause of the fire. Motor
of the truck was badly damaged and
the upholstering inside the cab was
burned out before firemen arrived.
Operated by Hi-Speed distributors,
the truck had arrived here to fill the
station’s gasoline tanks. No estimate
of the damage was made, and the
truck was taken to Lima for repairs.
Bluffton Man III
In Chunking China
Dr. S. Floyd Pannabecker of Bluff
ton who recently arllved in Chung
king, China, to organize the post-war
relief of the Mennonite Central Com
mittee is ill in that city with ma
laria.
A cable message leceived Tuesday
by.bis wifa, Mrs. hidR^lPannabecke.r
of East Kibler street which brought
word of his arrival in the Chinese
capital citv also told of his illness.
There was nothing in the message to
indicate that his condition is serious
and it is believed that he is hospital
ized.
Arriving in Chungking with Dr.
Pannabecker was P. P. Baltzer of
Newton, Kansas, who will be asso
ciated with the Bluffton man in the
work of organizing the post-war re
lief.
The two men left here more than
a year ago for China going by the
way of Egypt. Because of war-dis
rupted transportation encountered
many delays and were in Calcutta,
India, for several months before pas
sage could be obtained to their final
destination.
In New Locations
Walter Basinger of near Pandora
who recently purchased the former
L. L. Clymer residence on South
Main street from Frank P. Anderson
is occupying the property.
moved
chased
and Mrs. Anderson have
to Findlay where they pur
a property recently.
Mr.
Sgt. Gordon Hilty
Married In Denver
Sgt. Gordon Hilty, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Philip Hilty of Route 25 south
of Bluffton and Miss Ila Dunning,
daughter of Mrs. Maurice Cleavinger
of Denver, Colorado, were married
in that city Saturday, according to
an announcement made here the first
of the week.
The ceremony took place in the
chapel of The First Plymouth Con
gregational church at 8 o’clock in the
evening. The pastor, Rev. Raymond
Waser officiated in the double ring
service. Decorations were yellow
roses.
The bride was attired in a yellow
soft wool afternoon dress with cor
sageof talisman rosebuds. Her at
tendant, Miss Anne Stoffel wore an
afternoon dress of soldier blue with
yellow rosebud corsage. Hal Dun
ning, brother of the bride was best
man.
Sgt. Hilty and his bride are ex
pected here the last of this week on
a short furlough. He has been in
the Army for four years and is sta
tioned at Las Vegas, Nevada, where
the couple will reside.
T’vvnrnv
MY, OCTOBER 4,1945
■TRUCK
i Extinguish
Reaches
plosion Averted Monday at
Filling Station
1----
Winning a race against fire that
threatened the expl sion of 700 gal
lons of gasoline oa a loaded tank
truck, the Bluffton fire department ex
tinguished the btazi before a serious
conflagration developed at 11 a. m.
Monday at the Hi-Speed filling station
on North Main street.
ON NEWS
OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
Bluffton air raid wardens for
World War II can keep their helmets
and armbands, and perhaps even the
stirrup fire extinguishers they have
been using as garden sprayers, ac
cording to a new interpretation of
orders to return all civilian refense
equipment to the government.
Ralph H. Stone, director of the
Ohio Defense Council, made the an
nouncement, reversing earlier instruc
tions from Washington that every
thing issued to municipal civilian de
fense workers would have to be re
turned.
Branding orders to collect small
defense items as “ridiculous”, Stone
indicated that only large equipment,
casualty station and medical team
first-aid equipment, etc., would be
For First Time Since Rationing
Started, Meat Appetites
Fan Be Satisfied
Removing Lowest Meat Grades
From Rationing Gives
Plenty of Points
Bluffton area residents this week
are fully satisfying their appetite
for beef steaks for the first time
since meat rationing was brought on
by the war.
The demand for steaks at local
meat markets was one of the more
or less unanticipated results of tak
ing ration points off the three lowest
grades of meat, effective Monday.
With sausage, hamburger, bologna,
boiling meat and products made from
point-free meat off the ration list,
housewives have a surplus of tokens
for the first time since rationing
started, and they are spending them
on steaks and also butter and mar
garine which still are rationed.
Ration points now are required
for only the three top grades of
meat—commercial, good and choice—
and with their point value remaining
unchanged practically every family is
in a position to obtain any kind of
meat wanted for their weekly menu.
Bluffton Air Raid Wardens May Keep
Their Shiny Steel Helmets After All
Bluffton Folks Feast On Steaks
As Result Of New Ration-point Cut
Ml the
better grades of beef which still re
quire points will not take enough to
make planning the family meals a
difficult task for the housewife from
now on.
Plenty of meat is on hand with the
exception of bacon and ham, both of
which must be shipped in from out
side, but home-killed meats are avail
able in practically unlimited quanti
ties, bespeaking the possibility of a
quick return to pre-war days so far
as the meat supply is concerned.
Southernaires Will
Sing Here Tuesday
The Southernaires quartet, ranking
with the greatest vocal ensembles
heard today on the air or concert
stage, will present a concert at 8:00
p. m. next Tuesday in the Bluffton
High school gymnasium.
Appearance of the singing group
here is sponsored by the Bluffton
college department of music as its
first presentation of the current sea
son.
Since 1929, when the Southernaires
were organized, their beautifully
blended voices have thrilled audi
ences all over the country. Their
programs, always favorites with mu
sic lovers, this year are more ap
pealing than ever.
As their name implies, the South
ernaires are true sons of the South,
and they sing the native melodies of
their native soil with an artistry that
has seldom been equalled.
Their repertoire covers three cen
turies of Negro music, including Af
rican chants, spirituals, slave songs
and popular songs. They also pre
sent classics and ballads as effective
ly as they do songs of their own
race.
In the 16 years that they have
been broadcasting regularly over the
radio networks they have become a
nationally known group.
Making up the quartet are Ray
Yeates, lyric tenor Lowell Peters,
second tenor Jay Stone Toney, bari
tone William Edmonson, bass,
Spencer Odom, accompanist.
and
Real Estate Deal
Oscar Lora of South Main street
has purchased for $4,450 a tract of
35 acres of land belonging to the
late John H. Deppler and sold in
settlement of his estate. The land
is located 5 miles west of Bluffton
and is without buildings.
returned.
Bluffton has a motor operated fire
jumper which never was used which
will be returned under this program,
Fire Chief Guy Corson said this
week. The town is not interested in
purchasing the pumper, for it must
be pulled to any fire by another ve
hicle and it is unsuited for fire fight
ing, Corson said.
A quantity of medical supplies will
be offered to the Bluffton Community
hospital at the government’s dis
posal price—but those fire helmets
which serve as mementoes, the arm
bands fire wardens wore, and the
fire extinguishers that warred on
garden insects instead of incentiary
bombs now appear to be fairly safe
in the hands of those who have them.
CLEARING SKIES TO
GIVE GREEN LIGHT
TO WHEAT SOWING
Torrential Downpours Delay
Cutting of Already Late
Corn Crop
Wheat Seeding to Start in Dis
trict Week After Fly
free Date
Clearing skies Wednesday indicated
an end Of ten days of torrential
rains in the
brought corn
and delayed
week beyond
Bluffton district which
cutting to a standstill
wheat sowing for a
the fly-free date,
which followed a six
The rains
weeks’ drought period have delayed
corn cutting much of which will have
to be done before fields can be sowed
to wheat.
insignificant acreage of
late corn crop had been
the rainy season began
Only an
this year’s
cut before
and Wednesday found binders in
many fields in an attempt to bring
the delayed vyork up to schedule.
Large Wheat Acreage Forecast
Early indications are that altho
wheat seeding will be late in the
Bluffton district this fall, a
acreage will be put out.
large
be of
farm
rains
Altho coming too late to
maximum benefit to the corn,
ers said Wednesday that the
have materially helped the stand and
opinion which
month ago as to
corn has veered to
position.
was pessimistic a
the prospect for
a more favorable
of the rains was
Principal benefit
felt by meadows which were rapidly
drying up and fall pastures have
been vastly revived by the down
pours.
Waterworks Residence
Heating, Stops Oct. 15
All residence heating from the
waterworks plan will be discontinued
on October 15, it was stated Wed
nesday by a spokesman for the
Board of Public Affairs.
Bluffton hospital which previously
had this service will put into opera
tion Thursday its newly installed oil
heating system.
Private residences formerly served
from the waterworks plant have in
stalled individual heating systems
during the past summer.
Critically Ill
Condition of Miss Clara Geiger
who has been ill at her home on
Spring street was reported
Wednesday morning.
grave
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Earl Ream, Colum
bus Grove, a girl, Ruth Earlene,
Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Jackson of
Dayton, formerly of Bluffton, a boy,
Kenneth Wells, Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Zimmerman,
a boy, Gary Lynn, Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. John Riggenbach, Co
lumbus Grove, a boy, John Jay, Mon
day.
McVay of Mt. Cory,
Mrs. Walter
whose husband was killed in Army
service, a boy, Duane Lee, Monday.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Elbert Kohli
of Baltimore, Md., a boy, Monday.
Mr. Kohli is the son of Mrs. Eva
Kohli of this place.
Function of the citizen’s committee
will be the same as that of similar
organizations which have served in
the past when the three-mill levy
has come up for vote.
p'--
BUY
VNHt»
«aTU
NUMBER 24
ORGANIZE CITIZENS
GROUP TO BACK 3
MILL SCHOOL LEVY
Initial Meeting to be Held at
High School Wednesday
Night
Members Will Serve to Promote
Sentiment in Pre-election
Drive
Civic sentiment in favor of renewal
of a special three-mill tax levy to
provide additional operating funds
for Bluffton public schools will be
crystallized this Wednesday night in
the organization of a citizen’s com
mittee to support the measure.
Meeting of the group will be in
the high school at 8 p. m. to com
plete details of publicizing the pro
visions of the special tax levy and
organizing to serve as neighborhood
contact persons.
The proposed measure to be pre
sented at the polls in November is
for a continuation of a levy that
has been in effect for years.
Effective Next January
The levy provides for a tax not to
exceed three mills per year for a
five-year period beginning next Jan
uary, when the present special tax
assessment expires.
Revenue from the three-mill levy
amounts to $15,225 annually on the
present schoold istrict tax duplicate
of $5,075,000. The funds can be used
for any operating expense, not in
cluding bond retirement and interest.
To by continued here, the measure
must be approved by a majority vote
at the polls. Expiration date of the
present three-mill levy is Dec. 31,
1945.
Present tax rate for Bluffton school
purposes is $10.40, including the spe
cial three-mill levy now in effect. It
represents nearly two-thirds of the
Bluffton corporation tax rate of
$16.70, also including the school levy.
Criblez-Crow Wedding
At St. John's Church
Miss Rachel Irene Criblez, daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Criblez,
will become the bride of A. LeRoy
Crow, son of Mr. and
Crow of Mt. Cory, this
evening at 7:30 o’clock in
to be solemnized in the
Reformed church.
rs. Ferd
Wednesday
a ceremony
St. John’s
The ceremony will be performed by
the Reverend V. C. Oppermann, pas
tor. Mrs. H. Kenneth Luginbuhl,
sister of the bride, will be matron
of honor and Charles Crow, brother
of the groom, will lie best man.
For her wedding costume the bride
has selected a gold wool suit. The
tunic-type jacket fastens with gold
buckles and is trimmed with flared
cuffs of lynx-dyed wolf. Her acces
sories are black suede and her cor
sage a single giant orchid. Her only
ornament will be earrings of onyx
chips.
Mrs. Luginbuhl will wear a tail
ored suit of officers pink cloth and
a corsage of gardenias. Her acces
sories are brown taffeta and kidskin
with nailheads.
Miss Criblez graduated from Bluff
ton High school and attended Find
lay college, Ohio Northern univers
ity then graduated from Bluffton
college in the class of 1941 when she
was elected to the Pi Delta honorary
society. Since graduation she has
taught commercial subjects in the
Vaughnsville and Pandora High
schools where she is now employed.
Mr. Crow, a graduate of Mt. Cory
High school, is employed as mechanic
in the McDowell Implement store in
Pandora, where the couple will re
side.
Immediately following the cere
mony, Mr. and Mrs. Crow will leave
for a southern trip. Enroute they
will visit Pfc. Robert M. Criblez,
brother of the bride, who is conval
escing at the Nicholas Army Hospital
in Louisville, Kentucky.
Given Discharge
From Army Service
Pfc. Merlin Burkholder, son of
Mrs. Sarah Burkholder has been
granted a discharge from the Army
at Camp Lee, Va. He was overseas
with the 37th Division, being station
ed for 11 months at Tonga and 19
months at New Hebrides.
Pfc. Burkholder was inducted into
the Army January 23, 1941 and
trained with the 37th at Camp
Shelby, Miss., and later at Indian
town Gap, Pa.