The Bluffton news. [volume], February 21, 1946, Image 1

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THURSDAY, FEB. 21, 1946
BUY
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STAMM
VOLUME NO. LXX
4,150 FEET OF NEW
WATER LINES WILL
BE LAID THIS YEAR
Nearly One Mile Of New Mains
Will Go Into Three Build
ing Subdivisions
New Extension Of Lines Will
Provide Fire Protection And
Water Service
Installation of nearly one mile of
new city water mains in three Bluff
ton subdivisions where extensive
post-war residential building activity
is planned will e completed this
spring by the Board of Public Affairs.
A total of 4,150 feet of four-inch
water lines will be laid to provide
fire protection and water service in
the three building districts, as a re
sult of action taken Minday night by
the municipal council in approving a
$2,000 purchase of pipe proposed by
the board.
New water mains will be laid in
the Fred Mueller Dixie highway sub
division, the Romey-Kraft subdivision
along the south side of Jefferson
street east of the Nickel Plate rail
road, and in the West Elm street
subdivision west along College road
and north along Huber road.
New Water Lines
In the Mueller Dixie highway plot,
1,700 feet of water lines will be laid
from the A. C. & Y. railroad, run
ning parallel to the highway north
east to within 300 feet of the Allen
Hancock county line road. Two new
residential building projects are now
under way in the subdivision and one
house already is located there..
Mueller also owns the Romey
Kraft subdivision where 1250 feet of
new mains will be laid from the fire
hydrant in front of the Allen Mc
Cluer residence east to the Levi
Frankhouser property at the town
corporation. The line will run along
the south side of the road. Three
building lots in this subdivision have
been sold in the last few weeks.
Water lines for the new West Elm
street buliding plot will start at the
end of Elm street, continue 750 feet
along College road to the Huber road,
then 450 feet east on the Huber road
to the end of the Albert Garmatter
subdivision. One new house now is
under construction in this area and
others are said to be planned for
next spring.
Fire hydrants will be placed at the
proper intervals along the various
water, lines, according to present
plans of the board.
Installation of the new mains is
to be started as soon as weather per
mits.
Masonic Father-Son
Banquet On Tuesday
In observance of George Washing
ton’s birthday, the Bluffton Masonic
lodge will hold a Father-Son banquet
in the lodge rooms at 6 p. m. next
Tuesday night.
Motion pictures taken by Stanley
Basinger, a past master of the lodge,
during the time he was in Europe
with the armed forces will be shown
as one of the features of the pro
gram. Special harmonica selections
will be played by Robert Potts. Ber
trand Swank is master of the lodge
and will preside.
The dinner will be served by the
Order of the Eastern Star.
Scouts To Gather
Paper On Saturday
Bluffton Boy Scouts Troop 56 will
gather waste paper, Saturday. News
papers and magazines should be
bundled and placed on front porches
by noon.
In New Locations
Berdell Huber and family have
moved on the farm of his grand
mother, Mrs. Sarah Niswander,
south of Bluffton. Mrs. Niswander
who held a public sale last week is
making her home with her daugh
ter, Mrs. Russell Huber.
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Rice have
moved into the Chamberlain apart
ment building at 123 Cherry street.
Mr. and Mrs. Asa Boedecker jsouth
of Bluffton have moved onto the ad
joining farm of the late John' Boe
decker.
John Everett has moved from the
Isaac Amstutz farm near the Phil
lips school to the former Abe Balm
er farm
Ralph Hall west of Beaverdam
will move on the farm vacated by
Everett.
Paul Rusmisel who occupied the
former Balmer farm has moved to
a farm which he purchased near
Columbus Grove
Schools To Close On
Washington's Birthday
Bluffton public schools will be
closed Friday in observance of
George Washington’s birthday, but
classes will be continued on schedule
at Bluffton college.
Windows at the Bluffton post of
fice will he closed thruout the day,
and there will be no mail delivery on
town or rural routes. The Citizens
National Bank also will be closed.
Business and industrial activity of
the town otherwise, however, will
continue as usual.
CENTRAL DISTRICT
MENNONITES NOW
IN GENERAL GROUP
Affiliation of Central Mennonite
Conference with General Con
ference Announced
Bluffton Churchmen Attending
General Conference Meet
ing in Kansas
The Central Conference of Menno
nites, with some 20 churches in Illi
nois and other midwestern states, is
affiliating with the larger General
Mennonite conference, it was an
nounced this week as a group of
Bluffton ministers and laymen lead
ers in the General conference left
for Newton, Kansas, to attend the
annual meeting of boards and stand
ing committees of that group.
Rev. J. N. Smucker, pastor of the
Bluffton First Mennonite church,
president of the General Conference,
is serving as chairman of thb meet
ing which opened at Newton, Tuesday
for a three-day session.
Five others from Bluffton, who
serve as members of General confer
ence committees, also are in Kansas
for the annual session.
Bluffton People At Meeting
In this group are Dr. C. H. Smith,
of the conference board of publica
tions Dr. I. W. Bauman, of the
board of relief activities G. T. Sold
ner, of the church unity committee
Dr. L. L. Ramseyer, of the board of
education, and Genevieve Buhler, re
presenting young peoples organiza
tions. Dr. J. S. Schultz of the pro
gram committee was unable to at
tend.
Final details of affiliating the Cen
tral Committee with the General
Conference will be completed at the
session, in addition to handling the
annual routine matters of business.
Rev. Harry Yoder, of Carlock, Ill.,
president of the Central Conference,
will be the only representative of his
group in completing the affiliation.
A Bluffton college graduate in the
class of 1932, Rev. Yoder is return
ing to Bluffton this spring to serve
as field secretary for the college.
Seventh Affiliated Group
The Central Conference will retain
its identity as a district unit under
the affiliation procedure. It will be
the seventh group to be so affiliated
with the General Conference, which
consists of an amalgamation of what
formerly were smaller independent
Mennonite conferences.
Other districts now in the General
Conference include the Eastern, Mid
dle, Western, Northern, Pacific, and
the newest addition, the Central.
Prior to the Central district affilia
tion move, the General Conference re
presented approximately 200 churches
with an aggregate membership of
50,000. To this membership will be
added 22 Central District churches
with a membership of 3,3300. These
churches are in Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan, Kansas and Iowa.
Affiliation of the Central district
with the General Conference has been
under consideration for the past 10
years. At its triennial meeting last
summer, the General Conference vot
ed to accept affiliation of the smaller
group, and the annual Central Con
ference meeting in August approved
the move.
The matter then was referred to
each of the member churches of the
Central District, which voted unan
imously for affiliation. Central dis
trict churches previously had been
affiliated with General Conference
churches in the support of Bluffton
college.
In addition to its regular church
activities, the Central Conference of
Mennonites operates a hospital at
Bloomington, Ill., and an Old Peoples’
Home in Meadows, Ill.
As a general rule you pay a high
price for the thing you get for
nothing. —Bert Estabrook.
XHE BLUF
S' (, A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE
Community Progress Assn. Charts
Harmon Field Recreation Needs
Expanded Summer Program Is
Needed At Bluffton Recre
ation Center
Rev. V. C. Oppermann Named
President of New Progress
Association
Plans to revitalize Harmon Field’s
summer recreation program were
considered at an organization meet
ing of the executive committee of
the Bluffton Community Progress
association, last Thursday night in
the Bluffton High school building.
Named to head the executive unit
representing all interests and acti
vities of the community in a pro
gram of continuing progress was
Rev. V. C. Oppermann, pastor of
the Reformed churches.
As president of the Community
Progress association, he will be serv
ing in the same capacity he held on
the Citizens’ Advisory committee or
ganized last fall to sponsor renewal
of the three-mill school levy for
Bluffton schools.
Need of an expanded summer re
creation program at Harmon field,
similar to that which marked activ
ity back in the days when Bluffton
won awards from the Harmon found
ation for its accomplishments, was
the major project discussed at last
Thursday’s session.
Recreation Needs
To attain those ends, a full-time
recreational director would be re
quired, new playground equipment,
is needed, and the playground should
be moved to a spot adjacent to Col
lege avenue, according to proposals
presented at the session. In recent
years, the only funds made avail
able for Harmon field’s summer
program have been for maintenance
of the grounds.
With organization Of the executive
committee completed, the Progress
association now is ready to receive
recommendations of projects that
may help the community. These
can be presented to any member of
the executive committee.
Other officers w’ho will assist Rev.
Oppermann include Donavin B. Con
rad, vice-president Arden R. Baker,
secretary and Mrs. J. S. Steiner,
treasurer.
Those on the executive committee
and the groups they represent are:
Rev. V. C. Oppermann, church
Supt. Ralph Lanham, education Dr.
M. D. Soash, health Donavin B.
Conrad, industries A. C. Burcky,
financial David Stearns, youth
groups Mrs. J. S. Steiner, clubs
and societies Arden R. Baker, gov
ernment Armin Hauenstein, busi
ness men Edwin Badertscher, labor
and Henry Huber, rural.
Lions Charter Night
Observed On Tuesday
Twelfth Charter anniversary of
the Bluffton Lions club was celebrat
ed Tuesday evening in the Walnut
Grill, with Ed J. Ward, of Lima,
delivering the address of the even
ing.
Other features on the program in
cluded the induction of new members
by Ray Evans, Findlay, and the pre
sentation of awards by Lee H. Gil
lespie, Arlington. Special entertain
ment was provided by a trio made
up of Jean Ann Steinman, Dean
Niswander and Esther Bohn.
Group singing w*as led by Prof.
Russell Lantz. Dr. B. W. Travis,
president of the club was chairman
of the meeting.
450 Blankets Are
Gathered For Europe
A truck load of blankets and com
forters collected by the Bluffton
First Mennonite church was started
on its way toward w’ar-torn Euro
pean countries Monday.
In the collection, residents of the
Bluffton-Pandora community donat
ed 450 blankets and comforters.
Money to be used in purchasing
meat and milk products for overseas
relief distribution is being collected
this week at the Lape dry goods
store and the lutzi insurance office.
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Balmer,
Bluffton, a boy, Alan Gene, Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Orine Johnson, Mt.
Cory, a girl, Barbara Lynn, Satur
day.
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Roy, Leipsic,
a boy, Kenneth Wayne, Sunday.
Mr and Mrs. Charles' Hanlin,
-Continental, a girl, Wednesday
morning. .- s.
THE BLUFFTON NEWS, BLUFFTON, OHIO
BLUFFTON, OHIO THURSDAY, FEB. 21, 1946
TOWN BUYS $375
MACHINE Rl CLEAN
BLOCKED fSEWERS
Sewer And Drain Cleaning Ser
vice Now Available To
Property Owners
Using Machine Makes It Un
necessary to Dig up Lawns
And Streets
Residential sewer and drain clean
ing service will be p*-\ id_-d for p,luff
ton home owners ill the future, as
the result of the pUtirt.:- an elec
trically powered sew-, c,caning ma
chine made Monday night by the
municipal council.
The $375 outfit added to the town’s
service department wv' thru dirt,
tree roots and other obstructions that
might cause blocked sewers, dnd will
make it unnecessary to dig up lawns
and streets except wher tile is brok
en it was pointed our
Under the expanded program of
municipal servicttO. sewer cleaning
will be available to property owners
at a fixed charge of $10 for the
machine and a mirun inn charge of
$1 per hour for tack of the two
operators. Lee Coon, town service
director, will be inf-dia.-e .f oper
ation of the unit.
Tested Monday
Here on approval brf the Mon
day night purchaseracti.i!-., the ma
chine was used Monday afternoon to
clean a blocked town sewer at the
Main and Cherry street intersection.
It cut thru an obstruction of tree
roots to open the sewer.
With the electrically powered sew
er and drain cleaning outfit, the town
also received 120 feet of flexible
cable, four augers and three root
cutters.
The machine is similar to those
used in larger cities and is made by
the Kollman Mfg. Co., of Erie, Pa. It
was bought thru the Crane Co.
Alley Vacated On
Residents' Petition
An unopened all4y in the A. G.
Kibler addition, adjoining a building
site fronting South Lawn avenue
purchased recently by Don Patter
son from the Beiderman heirs, was
vacated Monday night by action of
the municipal council upon petition
of affected
Signers of the petitions were Am
bert Basinger, Mrs. Anna Gromann,
Don Patterson and Harold Balmer,
who own lots adjoining the unused
alley right-of-way.
To Open Furniture
Store In Carey
Jerome Bernard of Bluffton in
partnership with his brother Leo of
Kenton will open a furniture store
in Carey this spring, it was an
nounced the first of the week.
The Bernard family of this place
expect to move to Carey as soon as
housing accommodations can be ob
tained. Mrs. Bernard is the former
Marcella Steiner and the family are
making their home with her mother,
Mrs. Moses Steiner of West Kibler
street.
The Bernard brothers were in the
furniture business in Wellington,
Ohio, until war canditions forced
them to dispose of their holdings.
Later Jerome was employed at the
Triplett plant here.
Laymen To Conduct
Church Service Here
Laymen will have charge of cerv
ices at the Methodist church Sunday
morning in observance of ‘he de
nomination’s laymen’s day o"-m.
Harold Younkman, prer-Hen1- of
the men’s brotherhood will be in
charge and speakers will be Ralph
Lanham and Nelson Steiner. Others
taking part in the program are A.
J. B. Longsdorf, James West, Jesse
Anderson and Stewart Berryhill.
Special music will be furnished by
a men’s quartet.
Lima Speaker At
Union Church Meet
Speaking on “The History and
Beliefs of the Baptist Church,” Rev.
Harold F. Stoddard, of Lima, will
•occupy the pulpit at a union church
service in the First Mennonite
church Sunday night at 7:30 o’clock.
Rev. Stoddard’s address is a con
tinuation of last year’s series deal
ing with the background and beliefs
of the various Christian denomina
tions.
Devotional services for, the evening
meeting will be conducted by the
Bluffton High school Girl Reserves
organisation.
TON NEWS
STS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
Roaring thru Bluffton with near
tornado proportions, a gale last
Wednesday night ripped shingles off
roofs, blew in windows and took
many limbs off trees.
The wind subsided Thursday morn
ing only to be followed with the
winter’s worst gale of blinding snow
beginning shortly after dusk Thurs
day night and continuing until the
following morning.
Highway travel was hazardous
Thursday night as gusts of wind
driven snow obscured highway marks.
The storm was accompanied by a
sharp drop in temperature with the
mercury falling to six degrees above
zero.
Principal damage caused by Wed
nesday night’s gale was sustained
by roofs and repairmen were busy
Thursday and Friday patching spots
where shingles were ripped loose.
Also damaged were two airplanes
in a hangar on the W. G. Carr farm
four miles north of Bluffton in Riley
township when the gale overturned
and wrecked the building.
S. F. Pannabecker Now in Relief
Work Describes Trip Into
War-Torn Area
Journey Made on Railroad Pow
ered by Converted Chev
rolet Truck
Order gradually is coming out of
the chaos that war left in China,
according to a letter from S. F.
Pannabecker, who left here to return
to China to assist in organizing
post-war relief for the Central Men
nonite committee.
Mrs. Sylvia Pannabecker, his wife,
who was engaged in missionary pur
suits with her husband in China
prior to the outbreak of the war, re
mained here with their children.
Pannabecker’s letters describing
his railroad trip from Chungking to
Chengchow in country formerly held
by the Japanese is as follows:
“The trains are very undepend
able. The locomotives burn wood
most of the way up and have to
stop for firing, etc. Sometimes they
sit at stations for hours. You should
see the Special train we came on.
The engine is a truck having a
regular Chevrolet engine running on
alcohol. It doesn’t have as much
power as if they fed it gasoline but
it runs.
“The truck with flanged iron
wheels substituted for the rubber
tires hauls three cars. The cars
are light weight goods wagons and
not much bigger than a good sized
truck. A car seats about forty pas
sengers five on a seat and eight
benches in the car. When every
body sits down the car is just nicely
filled.
“Passengers are allowed only 15
kilograms of baggage (33 pounds).
However, it is not weighed and
everyone including ourselves takes
as much as they can drag in. We
probably had the most, but tied it
on the back platform.
“We were crowded like sardines,
especially when new passengers
crawled in thru the window into a
car that was already full. They had
to squeeze in between benches and
stand up.
“Chengchow appears familiar
though large sections are in ruins.
The vicinity of the station is bombed
flat. Some of the ruins are now
being cleared up and gradually order
is coming out of chaos. Business
seems quite active on the street,
rickshaws are plentiful, and have
pneumatic tires which is not true
in Chungking and Hankow.”
Income Tax Men
Coming Thursday
Deputies from the office of the
federal collector of internal revenue
will be at the mayor’s office Thurs
day to assist income taxpayers in
making out their returns. They will
also be here again on Wednesday,
March 6.
Gospel Team Coming
For Sunday Services
Gale Wrecks Airplane Hangar Near
Bluffton And Damages Two Planes
Order Gradually Supplanting Chaos
Of War In China, Bluffton Man Writes
A gospel team from the Ft. Wayne
Bible school will provide singing and
speaking features at the Missionary
church Sunday morning and evening.
Rev. J. A. Ringenberg, president
of the Missionary church association
will be the principal speaker at the
evening service.
One of the planes is owned by
Carr’s son, David Carr, recently re
leased from Army service and the
other is the property of Lehr Green
of Mt. Cory. Roth planes are now
undergoing repairs.
Many householders reported minor
roof damage, with the most severe
damage suffered at the First Menno
nite church where approximately 50
slate were torn loose.
Several large windows were broken
in the heavy windstorm, and in a few
cases some damage resulted from
rain beating into homes thru the
broken windows.
Bluffton fared much better in the
windstorm than any of the surround
ing territory. Heavier damage was
reported in Ada, Lima, Findlay and
Ottawa, and the wind left a trail of
debris in its wake thruout all of
northern Ohio.
At its height, the wind reached a
velocity of 80 miles an hour, accord
ing to official weather reports from
the Lake Erie region.
MARKET IS GONE
FOR HORSE DRAWN
FARM EQUIPMENT
Despite Shortage of Tractor
Powered Machinery No De
mand for Other
Farming with Horses is Slower
and Lack of Farm Help Re
quires Power Use
Despite the critical shortage of
farm machienry, horse-drawn farm
ing equipment is going begging at
public sales in the Bluffton district
this spring.
This situation, farm observers say,
is a reflection of the prevailing short
age of farm help and high wages
commanded by farm hands, for the
use of power operated implements re
presents the farmer’s ony chance of
handling the heav schedule of work
which faces him.
Lack of demand for horse-drawn
machinery was evidenced last week at
one of the few public sales being held
this winter when a horse-powered cul
tivator in good condition sold for
$2.50. A cultivator of the same type
would sell new for $70.
Other equipment designed for use
with horses is being Sold at compar
able prices, at the same time that
tractor operated machinery is virtual
ly unobtainabe.
No Demand for Horse Equipment
Despite the shortage of tractor
drawn implements, the result of a
machinery shortage and the fact that
farmers general'y are not disposing of
farming tools, apparently no one
wants to return to horse-drawn im
plements which mean increased man
hours in use.
The farmer who is willing to handle
his crops as they did in grandfather’s
day, relying on horses for his motive
power, will find it comparatively easy
to set himself up in farming, at a
cost that would be comparable to what
it was several generations ago.
Based on prices now being paid for
horse-drawn machinery, a total outlay
of approximately $600 wou'd permit
a start in farming. This would include
a good team at $100 grain binder,
$25 farm wagon, $10 harness, $10
breaking plow, $5, and mowing ma
chine, $90.
In the opinion of farmers there is
no prospect of a reversal of the pre
sent trend away from farming with
horses unless the farm labor supply
becomes more plentiful at lower
prices. Only in this way would it
prove profitable to use a slower me
thod of farming, with less capital in
vestment.
Lt. Donald Wenger
Released By Navy
Lt. (j. g.) Donald D. Wenger, of
the United States Navy, received his
discharge last week at the Great
Lakes, III., separation center.
Lt. Wenger had served on a mine
sweeper in Japanese w’aters, and w*as
off Okinawa during the heaviest
fighting there last summer.
He is here with his wife and two
children at the home of Mr. and Mrs.
C. F. Miller, South Main street, his
wife’s parents. Lt. Wenger is the
son of Mr. sod Mrs. Hiram Wenger.
PAGE THREE
BUY
uwrrB»
•tatbb
NUMBER 44
DIXIE HIGHWAY TO
BE IMPROVED HERE
IN STATE PROGRAM
Route Will Be Re-Surfaced from
Bluffton to Gratz Crossing
Curve This Summer
Estimated Cost of Project Set
At $37,000 Improvements
Also for Route 30
Resurfacing of 2.12 miles of the
Dixie highway, starting at the Bluff
toi city limits and continuing south
to the Gratz crossing, will be includ
'd in a $1,704,989 summer program
of the state highway department in
this area.
Asphaltic concrete will be used in
improving the stretch of highway at
an estimated cost of $37,000, accord
ing to officials of the divisional of
fice of the highway department.
Re-surfacing will continue from
Bluffton to the new strip of highway
built at the Gratz crossing curve
two years ago.
An improvement on the Lincoln
highway west of Cairo also was an
nounced, with 4.6 miles of road to be
widened and surfaced. An asphal
tic concrete surface will be added
from Cairo to Gomer in the program,
with cost estimated at $96,000.
AH told there will be four improve
ment pr era" s in Allen county at an
aggregate cost of $166,000.
Mrs. Mae Matthews
Funeral On Tuesday
Funeral services for Mrs. Mae
Matthews, 75, were held at the Paul
Diller funeral home Tuesday after
noon with Rev. V. C. Oppermann of
the Reformed church officiating.
Mrs. Matthews who resided at the
home of her daughter, Mrs. W. H.
Gratz of Lawn avenue died early
Monday morning at Bluffton hos
pital. Death due to a heart attack
followed a fall last Wednesday in
which she sustained a broken hip.
Mrs. Matthews, a seamstress and
furrier, was born in Potterville,
Michigan, Oct. 7, 1870, the daughter
of Delos and Salome Griffin. She
was married to Burdette Matthews
who died in 1897.
She was a member of the Baptist
church in Charlotte, Mich., and fol
lowing services here Tuesday the
body was taken to that city where
services were held Wednesday after
noon at the Pray funeral home. In
terment was in Maple Hill cemetery,
Charlotte.
In addition to Mrs. Gratz she is
survived by another daughter, Mrs.
Ivola Sansome of Detroit and a
brother, Owen Griffin of Charlotte.
Business Men's Unit
Will Hear Lima Man
L. W. Mannon, executive secretary
of the Lima Better Business Bureau,
will be the speaker at a meeting of
the Bluffton Business Men’s associa
tion at 8 p. m. next Wednesday in
the Bluffton High school building.
Mannon will outline at the meet
ing what business associations can
do for community progress. The
speaker has been with the Lima
bureau far more than a decade.
President Silas Diller, of the local
association, will name executive
committees of the group at the meet
ing Wednesday.
With Service Men
1st Lt. Ernest Bigelow, Army
chaplain stationed at Camp Camp
bell, Ky., will leave this week for
Camp Atterbury, Ind., to receive his
discharge. Lt. Bigelow is pastor of
the Bluffton and Rockport Presby
terian churches and on leave of
absence for military service. Whether
he will arrive here in time to conduct
services next Sunday morning could
not be determined Wednesday. His
wife and little son Bruce have been
with him since his return from over
seas service in Europe last summer.
T/Sgt. Herbert Oyer who served
with occupation forces in Japan ar
rived in Seattle, Wash., Monday and
is enroute to Camp Atterbury to
receive his Army discharge, it was
learned Tuesday. He spent two and
one-half years in service.
S/Sgt. Marvin Hilty, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Philip Hilty has been dis
charged recently from the Army at
Camp Beale, Calif., after six months*
service in Okinawa. He is now at
home with his wife and small daugh
ter in Redding, Calif.
Sgt. Gordon Hilty, another son of
Mr.'.und Mrs. Philip Hilty who re
cently received his Army discharge
is making his home in Denver. Cotat