The Bluffton news. [volume], November 08, 1945, Image 1

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VOLUME NO. LXX
The total unofficial vote for mayor
stood according to complete returns:
Aukerman 225 Howe 208. Auker
man carried three of Bluffton’s four
precincts, leading in A, and D,
w’hile How’e was ahead in precinct C.
Howe was running on the ticket
as a candidate for mayor
Democratic opposition and
feat was attributed to local
lican factional differences
sw’ung support to Aukerman in a
last-minute write-in campaign,
kerman is manager of the
food store here and is also
as president of the town
How’e is an instructor in
high school.
Sidney Stettler, Bluffton high
school instructor, Democrat defeated
John A. Thompson, Republican for
tow-n treasurer by a vote of 292 to
£41.
WRITE-IN CAMPAIGN AT
POLLS CAUSES UPSET
Food Store Manager Boomed for Mayor in Last Minute Political
Drive Wins Over Incumbent, Tuesday.
In one of the biggest upsets in the history of Bluffton poli
tics, Charles Aukerman, Republican, was elected mayor in a
write-in campaign over W. A. Howe, Republican running for a
fourth term in the municipal election Tuesday. Aukerman was
also re-elected for a third term as a member of the town council.
without
his de
Repub-
which
Au-
A &
serving
council.
Bluffton
Balloting Light
Balloting was light in Tuesday’s
election, approximately one-third of
the total vote being cast and little
interest generally appeared to be
manifested which made the upset all
the more unexpected as returns
w’ere received Tusday night.
The total of 619 votes cast in the
town’s four precincts Tuesday was
186 more than the 433 votes cast
for the mayor, indicating that many
electors failed to mark their ballots
for that office.
Unexpected developments in the
mayoralty race overshadowed other
contests on the ticket, some of w’hich
were decided by narrow’ margins.
Democrats
in
Majority
Outside of the mayor’s race which
w’as an intra-party affair, Demo
crats took title to the majority of
contested offices in Tuesday’s elec
tion.
of the six seats on the town
went to Democrats: Arden
Don Patterson, C. A. Stauf-
Four
council
Baker,
fer and F. L. Todd. Two Republi
cans elected were Charles Aukerman
and C. A. Triplett. Patterson was
high on the council ticket with a
vote of 399.
On the school board w’ere elected
tw’o Democrats: Donavin Conrad and
Leland Diller and one Republican
Paul Diller. Leland Diller, high
man, received 560 votes.
Richland Township Results
Richland tow’nship electors split
their ticket for trustees, electing
Fred Badertscher, Democrat and
Watson Steiner, Republican.
The ticket for constables was also
split between the tw’o parties in the
election of R. E. Griffith, Republican
and Charles Lora, Democrat.
Army Releases
Three From Area
Three Bluffton area men have
been granted Army discharges, it
was announced Wednesday morning.
Pfc. Melvin Nusbaum, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Jacob Nusbaum who spent
three years in the Pacific area ar
rived home the first of the week.
Cpl. Howard Lugibihl of Pandora
has returned after three and one
half years of service.
Russell Schaublin, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Walter Schaublin has returned
to join his wife and family who re
side in Columbus Grove. He was
discharged at Camp Beal, Calif.,
after seven months in training at
Ft. McClelland and Camp Rusker in
Alabama and Camp Adair in Ore
gon.
Enters Cosmetology
School In Ft. Wayne
Miss Janet Steiner, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. N. P. Steiner of North
Jackson street left Monday for Ft.
Wayne to enroll in the Warner Col
lege of Cosmetology. She
whs
graduated from Bluffton high school
last spring.
Important Feed
Hay, the most important feed in
the dairy ration, varies more in
feeding value and in palatability
than any other feed commonly used
in dairy-cattle feeding.
AUKERMAN ELECTED MA
Elected Tuesday
Mayor—Charles Aukerman,
Clerk—W. O. Geiger, D.
Treasurer—Sidney Stettler, D.
Council—Charles Aukerman,
A.
R. Baker, Don Patterson,
C. A. Stauffer, F. L. Todd,
C. A. Trip.ett, R.
Board Public Affairs—Harry Barnes,
A. C. Burcky, Forrest
Harmon, D.
School Board—Donavin Conrad,
Leland Diller, Paul Diller, R.
Richland Twp. Trustees—Fred Bad
ertscher, Watson Steiner, R.
Justice of Peace—Stanley Vertner,
R.
Constables—R. E. Griffith, C.
W. Lora, D.
Bible Lectures At
College Open Sunday
The annual series of Bible lec
tures at Bluffton college will open
Sunday and continue until the fol
lowing Friday, November 16.
m.
The speaker will be Dr. Wi
Beahm of Bethany Biblical semin
ary, Chicago, speaking next Sunday
morning, afternoon and evening. He
will also speak every morning and
evening thereafter during the serv
ices.
All evening and Sunday morning
services will be held in the First
Mennonite
will be in
College.
church. Other services
Ramseyer chapel at the
Family Honors
Returned Members
A family gathering was held at
the home of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer
Diller of Spring street, Sunday after
noon and evening when 26 relatives
met to welcome Mrs. Lavina Diller
Geiger who spent
in California and
the past 38 years
Oregon.
was Cpl. Edgar
has received his
after 20 months
Also honored
Schumacher who
Army discharge
service in the Far Eastern theatre
of war.
Others present were: Mr. and Mrs.
A. C. Diller, Mr. and Mrs. Orlo Dil
ler and son I pan of Orrville Miss
Jennie Diller of Lima Mr. and Mrs.
Edison Diller and children, Miss
Bertha Diller, Nelson Schumacher,
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Schumacher ot
Pandora.
Mr. and Mrs. Noah Diller, Mrs.
Sara Bame, Mr. and Mrs. Robert
Gerber and family, Mr. and Mrs.
Lamont Diller and son Michael and
Mr► and Mrs. Elmer Diller.
Hold Last Rites For
Oldest Resident Here
Funeral services for Mrs.
Euphemia ^lumma, 92, were held
Saturday afternoon in the Church of
Christ of which she was a member.
Mrs. Mumma, Bluffton’s oldest
resident, died Wednesday night at
her home on North Jackson street
where she had lived for the past
fifty years. She was the widow of
Joe Mumma, pioneer Bluffton fire
chief, who died in 1932.
A daughter of John and Elizabeth
Hamilton, she was born January 23,
1853 in Orange township on what Is
now the Elmer Anderson farm.
She came to Bluffton shortly after
her marriage in 1882 and has since
resided in the neighborhood where
she died.
Notwithstanding her advanced age,
Mrs. Mumma lived alone until recent
months and enjoyed ‘good health
until the time of her last illness.
Surviving are four sons: Forest
and Gail Mumma of Bluffton and
Jay and Harry Mumma of Toledo.
E. J. Penhorwood of Lima
Side Church of Christ, a
pastor here, officiated at the
services and interment was
Rev.
South
former
funeral
in Maple Grove cemetery.
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO
BLUFFTON
THREE MILL LEVY
CARRIES AT POLLS
BY BIG MAJORITY
Support for Measure Runs Over
93 Per Cent at Election
Tuesday.
Total Vote Stands 689 for and
49 Against the School Levy
Proposal.
Bluffton school district electors
Tuesday approved a renewal of the
3-mill levy for the schools by one of
the largest majorities ever given to
a
tax measure.
Complete unofficial returns showed
a vote of 689 for and 49 against
the proposal.
The measure carried by a 93.3%
majority as compared with an 81.3%
majority five years ago.
Tuesday’s vote will authorize a
renewal of the levy for a term of
five years which will add approxi
mately $15,000 annually to revenue
of the schools, all of which is to be
used for operating expenses.
'Not only did the proposed levy re
newal carry by wide margins in
Bluffton and Richland township but
14 votes cast in Orange township
and one
portions
Bluffton
favor of
vote in Monroe township,
of which are
school district,
the measure.
Open Missionary
Convention Here
Returned missionaries from foreign
lands will be heard in a convention
at the Bluffton Missionary churcn
beginning this Wednesday night and
continuing over Sunday.
Speakers will include Rev. Kenneth
Rupp of Sierra Leone, Africa Rev.
Silvan Hausser, Venezuela Miss
Minnie Hilty, China and Rev. Chris
Gerig of Ft. Wayne, district super
intendent of the Missionary church.
Pictures will be shown at meet
ings every night except Thursday
depicting work in these fields,
public is invited.
ncreased ,1a
Hospi
The
Bluffton Youth
Weds In England
Cpl. Charles Hankish, Jr., Bluffton
youth in Army overseas service and
Miss Louise Hart of Tetbury, Glos.
England, were married Saturday
morning in the Catholic church at
Tetbury, according to an announce
ment made the first of the week.
Cpl. Hankish, the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Chas. Hankish, Sr., of South
Main street was stationed in Eng
land for two years with an Army
medical unit before being transfer
red last spring to his present
tion at Karlsruhe, Germany,
was graduated from Bluffton
school in the class of 1938.
loca
He
high
The bride is the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Charles Hart of Tetbury.
Announce Prince
Of Peace Contests
Between 35 and 40 Bluffton high
school students will participate in
six Prince of Peace Declamation
contests to be held this month in
five churches here.
Schedule of contests follows:
Thursday, Nov. 8—First Mennon
ite church, 8:15 p. m.
Sunday, Nov. 11—Church of Christ
10:30 a. m. Methodist church, 7
p. m.
Sunday, Nov. 18—St. John’s Re
formed, First Mennonite and Pres
byterian churches.
Winners in the six contests will
be awarded
be eligible
contests for
bronze medals and will
to compete in county
a silver medal.
Returns By Army
Plane From Europe
of
of
in
Sgt. Walter G. Williamson, son
Mr. and Mrs. D. D. Williamson,
Bluffton Route 1, has arrived
this country in the Army’s redeploy
ment program,
ami, Florida,
European war
He returned to Mi
via plane from the
theatre.
Relief from present rates charged
by the town for L.'-ht and water
service provided foi he Community
hospital was request* Monday night
by the Hospital Bo-jxI of Trustees
at a joint meeting w|th the Muni
cipal Council and tl Board of Pub
lic Affairs.
Increased cost of operation of the
hospital resulting
tion of a new
this year when the
works plant
line to the institutio
spokesmen of the
the basis for the
In the past, heat
has been provid*
by the town, but
lately applied to
service at the in
included in
were all in
Likewise that portion
North precinct included
townhsip school district
proposed $80,000 addition
Pandora schools. All of
votes cast here Tuesday
support of the measure.
of Richland
in the Riley
favored
to
the
were
To help balance iti
get, the hospital
council for some
charges for water
which are app
month.
the
the
six
in
the
the
for
for
Ithout charge
rates have
and water
on.
Operation
Hospital operati
moved sharply up
cause of the di
service. Ins
plant cost $8,
that its operation
additional annual
More
costs have
however, be
uance of heat
of a heating
it is estimated
ill require an
lay of $3,000.
operating bud
petitioned the
from present
light service,
tely $100 per
In taking under consideration the
request for relief from present rates,
the council faces two possible ave
nues of solution should action on
the matter be favorable.
Difficulty Seen
A suggestion that present rates be
reduced was countered by the Board
of Public Affairs which pointed out
that such a method would entail
carrying a separate entry departing
from the established rate schedule,
justifying the departure from the
schedule to state examiners and
complicating bookkeeping and billing.
Further complications were seen
in the fact that operating costs of
the municipal water and light plant
would not reflect a true picture of
the expense in serving the town.
(Continued from page 1)
Physician Out Of
Army Will Study
Dr. John Blackburn, former cap
tain in the Army medical corps who
has received his Army discharge will
pursue graduate medical study in
Columbus for the coming year, it
was announced on his return here
the first of the week.
His wife, the former Corrin King,
and children who have been living
here while he was in service, will go
with him to Columbus. They expect
to move there next month.
OFFERING MEET
THANK
the Lutheran Missionary
hold a thank offering
Women of
society will
service at the church, Sunday night,
Nov. 18 at 7:30 p. in.
Bluffton’s first Armistice Day ob
servance since the close of World
War II will be marked by a com
munity meeting sponsored by the
American Legion at 11 a. m. next
Monday in the high school audi
torium.
Present Light And
ter Rates Sought By Hospital
Operating
Basis for
Council is Askckl to Provide
Relief in Some Form at Meet-
the installa-
fplant required
lunicipal water
ed its heat
was cited by
ital board as
est.
the hospital
tition, it was
municipality
hospital, and
the hospital
No charge is
water service
council room
and street
As a basis for the
pointed out that
holds
leases
board
made
for the mayor’i
and fire depa______5, __ ____
lighting also is provided without
charge W the
out by N. E.
the hospital.
title to
institutio
$1 a year.
light and
towi','*1T 'wa8 pointed
Byers, spokesman for
Bluffton Business Places To Suspend
Activity Two Hours On Armistice Day
Cessation of all business and in
dustrial activity in the town over
the noon hour, from 11 a. m. until
1 p. m., has been requested by the
Legion as a mark of respect to
American forces which fought to vic
tory in World War IL
ON NEWS
OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
AY, NOV. 8, 1945
Bulletin
Riley township school district vot
ers Tuesday approved the $80,000
bond issue for improvement and ad
dition to the Pandora schools it was
announced Wednesday.
Complete Returns
Complete unofficial returns by pre
cincts of the vote cast in Bluffton,
Richland township and Beaverdam
appears on Page 8.
ORANGE TOWNSHIP
BARN DESTROYED
IN $5,000 FIRE
Structure on Ray Crawford
Farm Burns to Ground Mon
day Afternoon.
Discovered in Haymow
Fire
Loss is Partly Covered by
Insurance.
Fanned by a stiff southwest
breeze, fire of undetermined origin
last Monday afternoon razed a 40
by 60 foot barn on the Ray Craw
ford farm one mile east of Orange
Center in Orange township.
When discovered by Crawford
shortly after the noon hour, flames
in the hay mow had gained such
headway that the
control.
fire was beyond
ground floor of
driven into the
Livestock on the
the structure were
open, but the fire destroyed a large
quantity of hay, farm implements
and new lumber.
$5,000 was
surance.
Loss estimated at
partially covered by in­
razed in the blaze was
older structures on the
The barn
one of the.
farm. It was built of hewn timbers.
Bluffton’s fire department was
called to the farm when a south
west wind which had
flames away from other
changed direction and
threatened to spread,
their efforts no other buildings sus
tained damage.
blown the
structures
the blaze
Through
Sgt. R. A. Burkholder
Gets Army Discharge
Staff Sergeant Richard A. Burk
holder, son of Mrs. Lida L. Burk
holder and husband of Mrs. Josephine
Klay Burkholder, of the Fett apart
ments, was honorably discharged
this week from the Army Air Forces
at the
ration
Patterson Field Army Sepa
Center, Ohio.
Burkholder entered the serv
August 27, 1942, and served
Sgt.
ice on
overseas for 21 months,
the European Theater Ribbon and
the Good Conduct medal.
He wears
Prior to his discharge, Burkholder
was assigned to the 1378th AAF
Base Unit
Wing, Air
LaGuardia
of the North Atlantic
Transport Command, at
Field, New York.
AID EUROPEAN RELIEF
The first six grades in the public
schools contributed the sum of $21.25
in a special offering for post-war
European relief, it was announced
Tuesday.
Student Recital
Students of* the Bluffton college
department of music will be present
ed in a yecital program in Ramseyer
chapel, this Wednesday ni^ht. The
public is invited.
Rev. V. C. Oppermann, pastor of
the Reformed churches, will be the
speaker at the community service
and special music will be included
on the program. Ralph Henry,
commander of the Legion, will serve
as chairman.
Altho Armistice Day falls on Sun
day, the observance will be on Mon
day, and there will be no mail de
liveries in the town from Saturday
morning
Windows
closed all
until Tuesday morning,
at the post office will be
day Monday.
WITHHOLDS ACCEPTANCE
The food
position of being elected to two offi
ces. Besides the write-in campaign
which placed him winner in the
mayor’s race he won as a candidate
on the Republican ticket for re-elec
tion on the town council. The law
forbids the holding of two elective
positions.
STUNNED BY RESULTS
OF TUESDAY’S ELECTION
Possible Courses
Political observers Wednesday
pointed out some of the possibilities.
In event Aukerman should accept
the office of mayor, one of two
courses would be open to him. Eith
er he could assume the duties of the
office next-January 1 and serve the
two year term, or:
When assuming the office January
1 he could resign at that time in
which event the president of the
council would automatically’ assume
the office of mayor and serve the
full unexpired term of two years.
The council at its first meeting or
ganizes by electing one of its num
ber as president. While any coun
cilman is eligible for the office, the
candidate polling the highest num
ber of votes is usually selected. In
such an event the choice would be
Don Patterson, Democrat, operator
of a South Main street barbershop,
who received high vote in the coun
cil race in Tuesday’s balloting.
If Aukerman Declines
On the other hand if Aukerman
declines to accept the office and re
fuses to qualify, W. A. Howe, pres
ent mayor will continue in office,
the law’ providing that the incum
bent shall continue
“until his successor
qualified.”
31uffton Political Situation in State of Flux Pending Aukerman’s
Decision on Mayor’s Post.
Whether Charles Aukerman, local A & food store manager
would accept
elected via a
nesday noon.
the office of mayor of Bluffton to which he was
write-in campaign, Tuesday, was undecided, Wed-
store manager Wednesday was tn the anomalous
of
Aukerman, stunned by results
the election which he said
tally unanticipated, said
would withhold decision on
ter until he took further
consider the matter,
indication as to when he would an
nounce his decision.
to
he
were
that
the mat
time to
There was no
Never Consented, Claim
Aukerman said Wednesday that
he had never consented to the use
of his name for a write-in campaign
for mayor and never agreed to serve
in event he should be elected. Auk
erman, who was out of town the
past week because of the death and
burial of his father, said he was un
aware of developments in the politi
cal situation here.
In a statement issued Wednesday
morning Aukerman said that the in
creasing demands upon his time in
connection with his position as food
store manager have left him un
decided as to what to do in the pres
ent situation for which he was en
tirely unprepared.
Pending his decision in the matter,
the future of the mayor’s office was
in a state of flux with no way of
determining who the incumbent
might be when the term of W. A.
Howe, present mayor expires Decem
ber 31.
to hold office
is elected and
Howe would be
In such an event
eligible to continue in office as may
or until the next general municipal
election in 1947. However, in case
of his resignation the president of
the council would fill the vacancy.
This would leave a vacancy on the
council which would be filled by that
body for the unexpired term.
Births
following births at Bluffton
The
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Thos. J. Crawford,
a boy, Larry Allen, Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. Lorenz Von Stein
Rawson, a girl, Dorothy
Thursday.
Louise,
Rupp,
Rev. and Mrs. Stanley
Bluffton, a girl, Joy Elise,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul D. Baumgard
ner, Jenera, a girl, Mary Ann, Fri
day.
Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Virgil Bixler, Pan
dora, a girl, Gloria June, Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Greenawalt,
Lafayette, a boy, Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. George Bame, Je
nera, a boy, Dennis George, Mon
day.
BUY
vnrra»
•TaTU
NUMBER 29
THIS WEEK ENDS
HOUSE -TO HOUSE
BOND SOLICITATION
Canvassing of Residential Dis
trict Will Be Completed
Within Next Week
leavier Individual Purchasing
Urged To Enable Meeting
Eighth Loan Goal
House-to-house canvassing of Bluff
ton for subscriptions in the Victory
Loan drive will be concluded within
the next week, but heavier individual
buying is urged by those in charge
of the campaign if the town’s record
of meeting its quota in each drive is
to be maintained.
Altho the war has ended, the ne
cessity of purchasing bonds is urged
to provide medical care for the
wounded and to insure bringing our
men home from overseas at an earlier
date, it was pointed out.
Nearly 100 solicitors are canvass
ing the town in the eighth and final
bond drive of the war, and zone cap
tains are directing the solicitation in
110 residential districts.
All bonds purchased by Bluffton
residents thru the first month in De
cember will count toward the Victory
Loan drive aggregate, but house-to
house canvassing is to be completed
by the end of this week, it was re
ported by Norman A. Triplett and M.
M. Bogart, co-chairmen of the cam
paign.
Should anyone be missed in the
house-to-house solicitation, either of
the chairmen may be notified and ar
rangements will be made for a can
vasser to call at the convenience of
the householder, it was announced.
Clayton Harkness Is
Released By Navy
Clayton Harkness in Navy radio
service stationed at Washington has
received his discharge, it was an
nounced the first of the week. Mr.
and Mrs. Harkness arrived in Bluff
ton, Tuesday and wijl occupy their
former location in the Rohrbach
property at South Jackson and Kib
ler streets.
Mexican Authority To
Speak Here On Friday
Racial characteristics and prob
lems of the two million Spanish
speaking people in the American
Southwest will be discussed at 7:30
p.m. Friday in the First Presby
terian church by Dr. Paul L. Warn
shuis, of the Presbyterian Board of
National Missions.
Dr. Warnshuis will devote particu
lar attention in his talk to the
question of inter-racial relationship
in our country and its bearing
the Good Neighbor policy.
on
an
of
Dr. Warnshuis is recognized as
authority on Mexican inhabitants
this country, and has worked with
many governmental agencies on their
problems.
Pfc. Clyde Fisher
Gets Army Release
Pfc. Clyde Fisher, son of Mrs.
George Swank, Sr., was discharged
Jasi week from the United States
Army at the Fort Knox, Ky., separ
ation center.
Pfc. Fisher had served overseas
in the South Pacific for more than
two years.
Preshrunk
If you buy wool yard goods that
isn’t preshrunk, it’s wise to have it
steam-pressed to shrink it, before
cutting out a garment.