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A L£lC f? ai LXX NO. ETIDE WEATHER RUNS GAMUT ICE SLEET, RAIN, SNOW Rain Changing to Ice Dampens Christmas Eve Observance Snowfall Tuesday Afternoon Restores White Christmas Here ........ fton’s holiday weather ran the iut of ice, sleet, rain and snow lin the twenty-four hours from Christmas eve until Christmas night proving to be the most disagreeable Yuletide from a weather standpoint in recent years. The rain which started shortly before dusk on Christmas eve, freez ing as it fell covered sidewalks and pavements with ice and made travel hazardous for pedestrians and motor ists alike. A number of basements also were flooded. Cancel Christinas Programs Conditions became worse by night fall when the heavy downpour of rain coated automobile windshields with a sheet of ice obscuring the vision of autoists. Numerous cars were reported skidding off the road into ditches but there were no serious accidents. A 12-hour rain which started fall ing early on Christmas eve trans formed six inches of snow into a thin, soot-pocked blanket of gray white by Christmas morning. A light snowfall Tuesday afternoon, however, gave the landscape a fresn covering and ushered in a belated really white Christmas. Some Christmas entertainments scheduled for churches here Monday night were cancelled because of weather conditions. The rain continued all night and by Tuesday morning temperatures which hovered around the freezing point had risen sufficiently to change the ice and snow into a treacherous slushy underfooting. Slightly warmer weather Tuesday helped to clear away the coating of ice on main-traveled highways until late in the afternoon when snowfall and somewhat colder weather provid ed a more realistic and traditional Christmas setting at the close of the holiday. Home From College For Holiday Recess Many Bluffton young people who have been away attending are home for the these are: I 1 4 I college among holidays, from Stearns Tiffin. Mary Elizabeth Heidelberg college, Sarah Amstutz, Miami University, Oxford. Barbara Jean Triplett, Eastman School of Music, Rochester, N. Y. Florence Ann Biome, Art Students League, New York City. Jean Siefield, Toledo Uni Toledo. Margaret Basinger, Wooster Wooster. Dean Luginbuhl, Cincinnati Mary versity, Mary college, Earl Bible seminary, Cincinnati. Jason Trippiehorn, University of Pennsylvania Medical College, Phila delphia. Alice Jean Bixel, Oberlin Conser vatory, Oberlin. Beverly Biery, Oberlin college, Oberlin. Charles Trippiehorn, Ohio State University, Columbus. Nadine Allman, Otterbein college, Westerville, Ohio. Dorothy Anderson, Helen Greding, Geneva, Ruth and Janice Hankish, Juanita Bame and Eileen Haller, State University, Bowling Green. Bluffton Poetess To Broadcast On Sunday Beulah Moser Bernard will pre sent a quarter-hour radio program broadcast over Findlay station WFIN on Sunday morning beginning at 11:45 o’clock. The program will include the fol lowing poems composed and read by Mrs. Bernard to piano accompani ment: “I Once Had A Home,” “To You,” “Death,” “Would You?,” “A Dream,” and “Less Than Nothing.” Among her piano selections will be “Dreams for Sale,” which she has just composed. Real Estate Deal Oliver Spaeth has sold his prop erty at Jackson and Kibler streets, known as the Rohrbach property to Nelson and Gail Basinger, residing north of Bluffton on the Allen-Han cock county line. The residence is now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Clay ton Harkness. Correspondents Notice AU material for publication, cor respondents letters and advertising copy should reach the Blufftc News office next Monday aftemooir by 2 o’clock to insure publication in next week’s edition. The (office will be closed Monday night and all day Tuesday, New Year’s day. WHO WILL BE NEW BLUFFTON MAYOR REMAINS QUESTION Mayoralty Picture Puzzling As No Successor For Howe Is In Evidence None Of Incoming Council Wants To Take Job Howe Non-committal on Serving Who will be Bluffton’s mayor for the coming year remains just as much of a question this week as it did fol lowing the startling developments in last November’s election which finally ended in the town’s most perplexing political dilemma in history. Charles Aukerman, elected mayor in a surprise write-in campaign, has re-interated his decision to refuse to qualify for the office, and will serve instead on the municipal council to which he also was elected. Mayor Wilbur A. Howe, who ac cording to law must serve until a successor is qualified, could remain in office until after the 1937 election, or could submit his resignation to the municipal council following its organ ization, in which case the president of the council would become mayor. So far Howe has made no state ment regarding his intentions, but the picture is further complicated by the fact that it is understood no member of the new council will consent to serve as its president should it mean that he might have to serve as mayor. No clarification of the situation is expected until the organization meet ing of the new council on Monday, Jan. 7, when Mayor Howe likely will disclose what course of action he e., pects to follow, If he should refuse Blulfton may find itself at an impasse so far as municipal organization is concerned, providing councilmen refuse to accept the presidency of the group, and how the dilemma could be solved is some thing not even political observers can see as easily answerable. Leave For Florida Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Gratz of South Main street left Wednesday for Miami, Florida, where they will spend the winter. Mr. and Mrs. Ross Bogart of Cherry street accompanied by their granddaughter, Mrs. Geo. Swank, Jr., of Mishawaka, Ind., will leave Thursday for Bradenton, Florida, for the winter. During their ab sence their home will be occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Sheridan. Mr. Sheridan, who served as a lieutenant in the Army Signal Corps stationed at Philadelphia was recently dis charged and now employed in the engineering department of the Trip lett Electrical Instrument Co. Births The following hospital: Mr. and Mrs. Williamstown, a Mr. a %»Y^ttrnn births at Bluffton Wayne Hartman, boy, Friday. Frederick Reichen brty, Sunday. and Mrs. Bluffton, a Mr. bach, and Mrs. Kenneth Wiseley of Alvada are parents of a girl, Lana Jo,‘ born Monday at Findlay hospital. Mrs. Wiseley is the former Natalia Steiner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Steiner of Thurman street. Two Hurt In Falls Patients In Hospital Two Bluffton residents injured in falls the past week are patients in Bluffton hospital. Tt^ey are James Davis of Grove street who fell at his home and Mrs. Albert Deppler who fell on the ice near her home on South Main street. The condition of both was reported satisfactory Wednesday morning. Mrs. Raymond Conrad who was a patient in the hospital for several days the past week following a fall has been removed to her home on Geiger street. a Legion Helps World War II Vet Beat Bluffton Housing Shortage One of Bluffton Post's Suite of Rooms Turned Over To Young Couple Makeshift Housing Will Permit Veteran To Attend Bluffton College Blulfton Legionnaires this week came to the rescue of a World War II veteran whose plans to attend Bluffton college apparently were headed for the discard because of the tight housing situation here. When Bernard Jacobson, 23, and his wife, of Elmhurst, N. Y., were unable to find rooms or a house, the Bluffton Legion post turned over to the young couple one of their suite of rooms on the second floor of the town hall. Until they can find another place, Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson will live in the former justice of the peace of fice, facing Main street. To further assist the war veteran, the Legion has loaned him a kerosene cook stove and some chairs. Legion Aid Solves Problem Except for the Legion’s aid, Jacob son and his wife would not have been able to locate here, and his plans to enter Bluffton college on January 3, following the Christmas vacation, likely would have been cancelled. When he was unable to find living quarters after an all-day search last Friday, young Jacobson con tacted Ralph Stearns, service offi cer of the Bluffton Legion post. Jacobson’s father, Dr. M. D. Jacob son, a veteran of World War I, is adjutant of the Elmhurst, N. Y., post. Steams checked with Legion offi cers, and the former justice of peace office suite was offered to the young couple until better quarters can be found. They were well pleased, with the arrangement and with the cour tesy and cooperation extended by the Bluffton Legionnaires. Four Years with Marines Jacobson expects to be a student at Bluffton for one and one-half years, as a part of pre-dental schol astic training. He was discharged last September after serving four years with the 2n. arine division, and was married one month later. Over the holidays the couple are in Detroit wit} her parents. The Legion still has its large hall, the former tox\n hall auditorium, which is used for its regular meet ings. Edwin Welty Dies Funeral Sunday Funeral services for Edwin Welty, 68, laborer, were held in the Paul Diller funeral home, Sunday after noon with Rev. Robert Welch of the Missionary church officiating. In terment was in Maple Grove ceme tery. He died Friday at Kollmeier convalescent home, Findlay, where he was a patient for the past six months. Born in Putnam county the son of Christian and Marian (Klay) Welty he lived for many years in Bluffton. He was never married. Surviving are one sister, Mrs. Amos Reichenbach of Bluffton and four brothers, John and Aaron of Bluffton Theophilus of Toledo ar.d Enoch of Salem, Oregon. Bluffton Navy Man Weds In Far West Jule Basinger, in naval service and son of Mrs. Elizabeth Basinger of near Bluffton was married to Miss Kathryn Joyce Montague, only daughter of Mrs. Clifford Montagu: of Renton, Washington, according word received here the first of the week. The ceremony took place Novem ber 28 at 8 p. m., in th Methodist church in Renton. The bride is an office manager at Seattle, Wash. The couple will reside in Renton, near Seattle. Brotherhood Will Hear Lima Pastor Rev. Vernon Van Buren of Grace Methodist church, Lima will address the monthly meeting of the brother hood of Bluffton Methodist church Thursday night. His address will follow a potluck supper at 6:30 o’clock. Paint That Bas A bus travels 125,000 to 135,000 miles between paintings while a streetcar travels 80,000 to 100,000 miles—about IVa to 2 years’ service. THE BLUFFTON NEWS Wk ?'L w-tron T^irr\mr^T\ rrxzx T?nDi?nvi nn nt TTT^ivnMvt A A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY BLUFFTON, OHIO THURSDAY, DEC. 27. 1945 BLUFFTON PLANS TO WELCOME NEW YEAR WITH GAIETY Watch Parties And Bands Of Carolers Will Greet 1946 Monday Night Business Places And Industries Mill Suspend Operations On New Year’s Day Climaxing a season of holiday gai ety, without war-restaint for the first time in five years, Bluffton area resi dents will celebrate the arrival of the first post-war New Year at midnight next Tuesday. Ringing bells, shrilling whistles and tooting horns will usher in the year, and in keeping with the custom of the community, band^ of carolers will make their traditional rounds of the town and countryside. Watch parties i.i many homes will add color and cheerfulness to the New Year’s observance, and in other cases the passing of the old year will be observed by staying quietly at home and listening to raWio music in keep ing with the season. New Y’ear’s Day next Tuesday will be observed as a holiday, with busi ness and industrial activities of the town suspended. Plants of The Trip lett Electrical Instrument Co. will be closed both Monday and Tuesday. As usual,* there will be no postal deliver ies on town or rdiral routes on New Y’ear’s day. With the debut of 1946, the gaiety of the holiday season will be brought to a close and its color and cheer will soon be absorbed in the rush of every day affairs. Yuletide decorations will come down for another year and the Christmas tree will be discarded, sym bolizing the passing of the commun ity’s favorite holiday season. Bluffton High ai Grade school stu dents will return to their classes on Wednesday, Jan. t, ending a 10-day vacation^ and Bluffton College will resume its scholastic schedule on Thursday, Jan. 3 Couple Observes Golden Wedding The fiftieth wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. \\. Marshall Oiai.'gc I ebrated by the family Tuesday even ing, Dec. 18. Mr. and Mrs. Marshall were mar ried Dec. 18, 1895 near Ada. Mrs. Marshall was Miss Mary Caris be fore her marriage. They have eight children, Ward Marshall, Mrs. John Smith, Mildred Marshall, Raymond Marshall, Mrs. Harold Chiles, Mrs. Dale Keith, Kimmel Marshall, Mrs. Charles Conrad. There are eight grandchildren. Mr. and Mrs. Marsh all are both 73 years old. A large cake, commemorating the occasion, graced the table. Those present were: Mr. and Mrs. Harold Chiles, Donald and Carol Ann, Mr. and Mrs. Dale Keith of Lima Mr. and Mrs. Ward Marsh all, Miss Mildred Marshall, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Marshall, Jimmy and Arlene, Mr. and Mrs. John Smith, Vera and Nexa, Mr. and Mrs. Kim mel Marshall, Terry and Larry, and Mrs. Charles Conrad all of Bluffton. The couple expressed appreciation for the many calls, greeting cards, flowers and gifts sent by friends in honor of their Golden wedding an niversary. Couple Married In Ceremony At Ottawa The wedding of Miss Lois M. Steiner, oldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hiram P. Steiner of Pandora, to Finley E. Brown of Dayton, took place at Ottawa Saturday morning with Rev. Hall officiating. The bride’s oldest brother Maurice witnessel the ceremony. A reception was held at the home of the bride for members of the im mediate family. The bride, a graduate of Mt. Cory high school in the class of 1943, has been employed at the A. S. C. Pat terson Field, for the past two and one-half years. The groom has been recently dis charged from the Navy and is em ployed at the W. C. R. in Dayton. The newly weds will make their home in Dayton. Arrives In Germany Byran Anderson, former Bluffton post office clerk has arrived in Wurzburg, German, fvith a unit of the Army of Occupation, it was learned by his wife here the first of the week. New Year’s Calls The formal custom .of making new /ears day CALLS HAS LARGELY PASSED WITH TIME BUT WE STILL LOOK UPON THIS TIME ASA HOLIDAY WHEN OLD FRIENDSHIPS ARE REAFFIRMED AND new ones strengthened. 11W This year with peace reuniting families AND FRIENDS THE DAY TAKES ON FRESH significance and joy as we exchange new YEARS GREETINGS, WISHING HAPPINESS ANO GOOD FORTUNE TO ALL. With Many Servicemen Home Family Gatherings Take On Pre-War Aspect Gifts and Toys In Profusion Give Evidence of General High Level of Prosperity Bluffton’s business section thronged with holiday shoppers on Saturday and Monday was strangely silent Tuesday as the town celebrated its first peacetime Christmas in five years. With many servicemen already home, family gatherings for the Yule tide took on a new significance this year in comparison with the obser vances of the war years. It was generally a happy and con tented community for this year’s cele bration, and the day was spent quiet ly for the most part with family circles enjoying the festivities in their own homes. Turkeys and chickens were abun dant and with rationing abolished, the Christmas dinner for the first time since 1941 took on most of its pre-war elaborateness. Gifts and toys in profusion gave evidence of a generally high level of prosperity this holiday. Another evi dence of the prosperous times was seen in the fact that a survey failed to disclose any poor or indigent in need of relief. Gospel Quartet Will Broadcast The King’s Messengers, a male quartet from Grace Bible institute of Omaha, Nebraska, will be heard on the Ebenezer Mennonite church broadcast Sunday afternoon at 3:30 o’clock over Findlay station WFIN. Two members of the quartet Charles Boehr and Myron Hilty and also the accompanist Miss Ruth Bixel are from Pandora. Other members are Joe Schmidt and Allen Wiebe. Jangle Of Telephone Bells Busy Auto Wre Christmas eve was anything but a season of peace and joy for Leroy Traucht who operates the auto wrecking service department of Bixel Motor Sales on Cherry street. Fact is, Leroy spent virtually the entire night pulling cars out of ditches at the side of the highway. There may have been Christmas bells ringing that night, but the only bells he heard was the strident1 jangle of the telephone as stranded motorists appealed for help. Streets and roads were covered with ice from a heavy downpour of rain which froze as it fell and to make matters worse coated automo bile windshields with a heavy sheet of ice which added to hazards of skidding. Although numerous cars went off the road resulting in a number of minor accidents, no serious injuries were reported. ~---*^7? Relaxation From Tenseness Of The War Marks Christmas Celebration HOLIDAY SHOPPING VOLUME SETS NEW BLUFFTON RECORD Dollar Volume Highest In lxcal History Despite Scarcity Of Merchandise New Records Also Set In Vol ume of Mail Handled By Post Office Holiday business established new all-time records in Bluffton this year, it was learned Wednesday as prelimi nary checkups "-ere made on the vol ume of Christmas merchandise sales. Altho stocks of stores were far from plentiful, ttye dollar volume was the largest ever to be set here, mer chants admitted privately in com menting on record Yuletide sales. Most stores were closed from Christmas eve until Wednesday morn ing and until a complete tabulation of sales is completed and inventories checked it will be impossible to get an accurate figure of how much this year’s sales tops previous marks. Another reflection of the end of the war was the endless volume of mail that swamped handlers at Bluffton’s post office. New incoming and out going mail records are believed to have been established during the holiday rush. A general upsurge in business local ly during the past year, and which reached its climax at Christmas, is reflected in the deihand for business rooms, with all available ones filled for the first time in more than a de cade. Most buyers had plenty of money for this year’s Christmas shopping and as a result concentrated on better quality merchandise. Despite the vol ume of large scale spending, the pub lic held onto its war loan bonds, for there was no local evidence of con version of bonds into cash in any un usual amount. Was The Only Xmas cker Operator Heard Forecast End Of Bad Weather On Thursday End of a spell of bad weather which set in Christmas eve and con tinued thru Wednesday is forecast for Thursday with a prediction of generally fair skies and somewhat colder. Snow falling Wednesday morning ordinarily would have added to traf fic hazards, actually improved driv ing conditions over that which pre vailed Monday night and Tuesday when highways were covered with a sheath of ice. Temperatures, Wednesday ranged around thirty degrees, slightly be lyw the freezing point. BLUFFTON MARKETS Grain bushel prices) Wheat, $1.70 corn, $1.12 oats, 70c sovs, 12.04. ______ v*rr*» W*TM NUMBER 36 MANY CHANGES LOOM IN TOWN’S OFFICIAL FAMILY New Incumbents in Bluffton’s Administrative Bodies Next Year 'wo New Members in Incoming Council Three on Board of Education Bluffton’s official family for the coming year will find many changes taking place when the municipal coun cil, board of public affairs and board of education complete new organiza tions at their first 1946 meetings. Least affected in the municipal set up will be the council, for oniy two* of the six councilmen to be qualified at the initial session on Monday, Jan. 7, will be new members of the group. The other four were re-elected in last November’s election. The three new members of the board of education, to be seated the same Monday, Jan. 7, all will be serving their first terms. All three members of the board of public affairs have served before, but only two will be filling successive terms. Major question-mark in the 1946 picture, however, remains the mayor alty puzzle, for Charles Aukerman’s announcement that he will not accept the office to which he was elected in a write-in campaign will stand un changed. Whether Mayor Wilbur A. Howe will remain in office in view of the fact that no member of the coun cil-elect will indicate a willingness to take over still is undecided. Bluffton’s council for 1946 will in clude Don Patterson, Charles Auker man, Chester Stauffer, Cleon Triplett, all holdover members, and Frank Todd and Arden Baker, elected for their first terms. Rounding out the elective positions will be W’ilford Geiger, re-elected mu nicipal clerk, and Sidney C. Stattier, treasurer. The three new school board mem bers will be Donavin Conrad, Leland Diller and Paul Diller. Holdover mem bers are Waldo Hofstetter and Levi Althaus. On the board of public affairs will be Harry F. Barnes, Forrest Harmon and A. C. Burcky. New Richland township officials who will take office include: Trustees i—Fred Badertscher and Watson Steiner constables, Esmond Griffith and C. W. Lora justice of the peace, Stanley Vertner. With The Service Men Sgt. Roland Swank who served in the European theatre of war has re ceived his discharge from the Army. Swank, former superintendent of the Elida schools expects to do graduate work at Ohio State university this winter. Clair Habegger SM 2/c, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Habegger who served 40 months in the Navy has received his discharge at the Great Lakes, Ill., separation center. Home for the holidays with their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Steiner of near Pandora are Maurice J. Steiner, formerly stationed at Savan nah, Ga., who has received his Army discharge and Sgt. Loren D. Steiner home on furlough from Camp Campbell, Kentucky. Cpl. Victor Moser, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ervin Moser has received his I discharge at Indiantown Gap, Pa., after 38 months of Army service, 30 of which were spent overseas. Many Cars Stranded On Elm Street Grade West Elm street where the road dips to Little Riley creek bridge was one of the most hazardous stretches of highway in town on Christmas eve. Because of the ice-covered sur face many cars were unable to make the ordinarily easy grade. Postmaster Ed Reichenbach who lives' near the bridge was busy from midnight until nearly Christmas morning scattering ashes on the road and assisting motorists whose cars were stranded at the foot of the grade. Victory Loan Drive To End Next Monday With the Victory Loan sales drive in its final week, the bond total stood short of the $60,000 mark on Wednesday morning. All bond purchases up to and in cluding Dec. 31 will be counted to ward the drive, and heavier buying with money received as Christmas gifts, etc., was urged by those in charge of the sales campaign.