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THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 1946 VOLUME NO. LXX TOWN PAYS $1,080 NOTE IN SEWAGE SUIT SETTLEMENT Payment of Balance of $2,080 Note Ends Another Chapter in Sewer Litigation Money Was Borrowed in 1943 to Settle $25,000 Damage Suits Out of Court Another chapter in Bluffton’s perennial sewage disposal problem was ended Monday night when the municipal council authorized payment of $1,080 representing the balance due on a $2,080 note held by the Citizens National bank to cover funds advanced for the out-of-court settlement of two sewage damage suits back in 1943. The $2,080 borrowed from the bank on demand notes was for the settle ment of damage claims filed by two out-of-town property holders, for payment of interest dating from first scheduled hearing of the suits. In the settlement of suits aggre gating $25,000 based on pollution of Kiley creek, Oliver Locher and Henry P. Huber each received $1,000. They claimed damage to their farms from the town’s discharge of sewage in the creek. Payment of the $1,080 balance finally liquidates the town’s obliga tions incurred in settling the suits. Settlement of the claims, however, does not prevent the filing of other suits in the future, and altho the cost incurred in 1943 in effecting the truce has now been paid by the village there is possibility of other litigation providing some means cannot be taken soon to solve satis factorily the town’s sewage problem. World Day Of Prayer Service On Friday Union service in observance of the world day of prayer will be held at the Lutheran church, Friday after noon at 2:30 o’clock. The sendee is sponsored by the women’s missionary societies of the town. In New Locations Hiram Neuensch wander of near Col. Grove has moved into the form er Garau property on South Main street which he recently purchased. The property was vacated by Levi Frankhouser who moved into his property at the intersection of State Route 103 and the Allen-Hancock county line. J. Leonard Gratz has moved from the Sidney Balmer farm to the Fred Wenger farm south of town on the Dixie highway. Herman Hilty ana family who vacated the Wenger farm are moving on the former Sam Balmer farm as soon as the house is remodeled. Ben Amstutz, who formerly resid ed north of Bluffton has moved into the John Swisher property on South Main street which he purchased last fall. Amstutz operates the Bluffton Cement Block company which he purchased from Lloyd Murray and Henry Balmer. Gerald Kidd, ex-service man, has moved on the Frank Jagger farm west of Rockport. Wayne Kidd who vacated the Jagger farm has moved on the form er J. A. Diller farm west of Bluffton. Walter Haas has moved from the Jacob Haas farm in Orange township to the Pearl Burket farm northwest of Rawson. Carl Hosafros who vacated the Burket place has rented a farm east of Jenera. David Myers has moved from the Noah Basinger farm southeast of Pandora to the Fred Badertscher farm. Elmer Badertscher has moved from the I. W. Welty farm west of Bluff ton to the Wm. Shrider property on Cherry street which he recently purchased. Roy Bucher of Lima who purchas ed the I. W. Welty farm expects to move later this spring. Kohli Begins Terms On Election Board Aldine Kohli, Bluffton Republican began his first term as a member of the Allen county board of elections, Friday. He has been a member of the board for a month, replacing James Jacobs who resigned to be come a candidate for county com missioner. Kohli is the second Bluffton man now serving on the county board of elections, the other being M. M. Bogart, Democrat and chairman of the board. Woman Injured As Two Autos Crash Katherine Williams, 24, of Arling ton, employed at the Triplett plant received cuts about the head and body bruises as the result of a two car collision at the intersection of North Lawn avenue and West Elm street Tuesday night at 10:45 o’clock. Cars involved in the accident were one driven by Miss Williams, north bound on Lawn avenue and another driven by Robert Flick, 17, Bluffton Route 1, living two and one-half miles east of town, according to po lice. Flick was westbound on Elm street. Following the accident Miss Wil liams was taken to Bluffton hospital by a passing motorist. Her injuries were reported as not serious Wed nesday morning and she is expected to leave the hospital later this week. Flick was not injured. The Williams car, struck broadside and hurled against a telephone pole at the street corner was badly dam aged. Both cars were taken to the Augsburger garage. Miss Williams rooms at the home of Mr. and Mrs. George Rauenbuh ler of North Main street. BEAVERDAM YOUTH ON MOTOR SCOOTER STRUCK BY TRUCK Donald Deeds, Ohio State Uni versity Student, Injured in Columbus In University Hospital with Fractured Pelvis, Result of Accident Injuries that will hospitalize him for three months were suffered in Columbus Monday afternoon by Don ald Deeds, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Deeds, of near Beaverdam, when a motor scooter he was riding was struck by a truck at a street in tersection. Deeds received a fractured pelvis and severe bruises in the mishap, which occurred when the truck ran a red light, hfe parents reported after visiting him in Columbus. A freshman at Ohio State univer sity where he is taking an industrial arts course, Deeds is employed to help finance his schooling and used the motor scooter to get about the city. Following the mishap he was taken to University hospital, and his par ents say the injuries are such that it is expected he will be hospitalized for three months or more. Mr. and Mrs. Deeds and their daughters, Bet ty and Bonnie, went to Columbus im mediately after receiving notification of their son’s injury. Deeds attended Bluffton college for a short time last spring, and pre viously to that had been employed at the Triplett Electrical Instrument Co. He is a brother of Minard Deeds, well known Bluffton college athlete, who was decorated posthumously for bravery when he lost his life two years ago in the invasion of Saipan. The family formerly resided in Raw son. Home Demonstration Meet At High School Two Community Groups Organize To Obtain New Uniforms For H. S. Band Shortcuts in housework will be demonstrated by Miss Ruth Winner, home demonstration agent of Allen county at a meeting in the G. R. room at the high school next Tues day afternoon at 1:30 o’clock. All women interested are invited. Bring a hammer to make small shelves for your cupboard. Bluffton’s drive to raise $3,000 local ly for the American Red Cross in its worldwide humanitarian operations, will get under way here next Mon day and continue until the end of March. In officially opening the campaign, Mayor W. A. Howe and James West, co-chairmen, pointed out that the need for Red Cross senices in the coming year will be greater than ever before. This year’s drive is a combination campaign for the regular Roll Call and the Red Cross War Relief fund. Contributions provide for both local and national Red Cross work. Band Concert and Minstrel to Raise $1800 Needed for New Uniforms Benefit Band Concert Set for Next Tuesday Minstrel Show in April Members of the Bluffton high school band can discard their outworn uni forms purchased back in 1927 if a concerted program of activity be ing launched this spring by two local organizations succeeds in a drive to raise $1,800 for the pur chase of new uniforms. First move in the program to raise the funds will be a benefit band Concert in the high school gym nasium next Tuesday night at 8 o’ clock, with a minstrel show to be staged by the Lions club next month for the same purpose. Bluffton’s American Legion post is sponsoring the band concert featur ing appearance of the Findlay Le gion band and the Bluffton High band on a twin bill. The minstrel show will be sponsored and produced by the Lions club. New uniforms for the 44 members of the band and three majorettes will cost the school approximately $1,800. With $430 in the band fund at present, a total of 1,350 remains to be raised. Complete uniforms will be pur chased in school colors including hats, coats, trousers, belts and cita tion cprds. For the band concert next Tues day, the local Legion post is spon soring the sale of 700 tickets and the band organization the sale of 750 tickets. Contributions for the band fund also will be accepted. Announce Radio Program Friday The Three O’s and Jeanne will broadcast from Lima station WLOK Friday night at 6:15 o’clock. The program includes numbers by Sig mund Romberg, Irvin Berlin and Richard Rodgers, “Blue Skies,” “Deep in My Heart” and ‘My Heart Stood Still” and the hymn “Rock of Ages” all by the trio and a piano number “Warsaw Concerto,” by Jeanne. Former Resident Dies In Michigan Mrs. Martha Bogart Rockwell, 83, former Bluffton resident died at her home in Midland, Michigan, Satur day. Mrs. Rockwell was the daugh ter of Mr. and Mrs. James Bogart, pioneer Bluffton residents. She was married to Joe McHenry and following his death was married to Marion Rockwell of Midland, Mich., who survives. Also surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Maggie McHenry Deimling of Midland two sisters Mrs. Mary Isham of Norwood and Mrs. Ella McHenry of Bluffton and three brothers Ross Bogart of Bluffton who is spending the winter in Bradenton, Fla., and Joe and Earl Bogart of Lima. Funeral services were held in Mid land, Wednesday, followed by burial at that place. Among those attending the funeral services were Mrs. Ella McHenry of Bluffton, Mrs. Blanche Roberts of Col. Grove and Earl Bogart and son Donald of Lima. Births Red Cross Quota, of ’$3,000 Is Goal of Coming Canvass Here The following births at Bluffton hospital: Mr. and Mrs. Lester Hahn, West Elm street, a boy, Monday. Mr. and Mrs. Carl Lehman, Spring street, a boy, Daniel Mark, last Wednesday. Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Hauenstein, a girl, Jeanine Sue, last Wednesday. Mr. and Mrs. Donald Fruchey, Ada, a boy, Larry Eugene, Friday. Solicitation kits will be available for canvassers at the Mayor’s office Friday night, Saturday and Monday, the co-chairmen of the drive an nounced. Individuals who are to serve as solicitors will be notified by mail, and asked to call at the office for canvassing material. Bluffton Red Cross week has been designed as the period from next Monday, March 11, to March 18, in clusive, and it is planned to complete all house-to-house canvassing in the town during that period. The Red Cross flags will fly every day in the downtown district during the solicita tion week. THE BLUFFTON NEWS, BLUFFTON, OHIO A NEWSPAPER DEVOtED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY BLUFFTON, OHIO THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 1946 WAR VETS FIND FARMS TOO HIGH WAGES TOO LOW Inflated Land Prices Are Crowd ing Ex-service Men Out of Farm Market Rates Paid for Hired Hands Are Less Than Those of Indus trial Plants Discouraged by present conditions, the returned war veteran is not taking up farming as a vocation, it has become apparent here with the arrival of March, the traditional beginning of the farm year. Except in cases where farms were in the family, there has been no movement of discharged servicemen back to the soil as bona-fide farm ers. Interest in small tracts of 10 to 20 acres has been videnced by a number of war veterans as a sup plement to factory jobs or other employment but few expect to con sider full-time farmin,, .mder present conditions. Those planning to settle on the small tracts expect to specialize in chicken farming for the most part. Prices Sky-rocket Most discouraging aspect of the present situation is the existing inflated value of farm land, with prices 50 per cent higher than they were 10 years ago. This makes it practically impossible the return ing veteran to set himself up in farming except on cheap marginal land. Even with the help of government loans under the GI Bill of Rights, the aggregate investment required is a staggering one that bars veteran consideration of farming as a voca tion. Another unfavorable factor is the fact that altho the veteran has priority on the purchase of new’ farm equipment, prospects are anything but promising that there will be sufficient equipment available this spring even for those with priorities. Little Prospect for Veteran Unless the farm is in the family, the average veteran has little hope of getting into the fzu-m picture in any capacity other than a hired hand. Very few take this course, for altho farm WMges have risen sharply, now’ around $1,500 annually it is still lower than what veterans can earn on other jobs. Until the inflated value of farm land takes a downward course, few veterans can hope to set themselves up in farming. Before the outbreak of World War II, good farm land in the Bluffton area W’as roughly priced at $150 an acre. This same land now’ is upwards from $225. Ten years ago the price would have been about $130 an acre. This makes present cost of an 80 acre farm from $17,000 to $20,000. In addition to the outlay for land, $3,400 additional would be needed for machinery, and $1,600 more for livestock. Total cost of setting up operations on 80 acres w’ould be approximately $23,000 at present, and under present arrangements, veterans are limited to a maximum loan of $2,500 for chattels. The remainder W’ould have to be financed by the veteran from his own resources or thru com mercial loans. Imogene Vandemark Wed To Lima Man Miss Imogene Vandemark, daugh ter of Mr. and Mrs. Emmett Vi. Re mark, of Ada, was married S. ur day afternoon in Lima to Gene F. Schlosser, a returned war »eu .in of that place. Miss Vandemark was forme. v em ployed at The Triplett Electrical In strument Co. and roomed at the Mrs. Albert Benroth home on North Main street while in Bluffton. She now works at the Sears-Roebuck store in Lima, and her husband is employed by the B. & O. railroad. Buhler Participates In Panel Discussion Gerhard Buhler, Bluffton High school principal, was one of the panel members in a discussion of topics to be emphasized in post-war education at a meeting of principals of secondary schools in Allen county and the surrounding district, Friday in Lima. With Buhler in the panel discus sion were principals of Lima South, Delphos Jefferson, Findlay and Ken ton High schools. A man is often judged by what he does not do. TON NEWS Warm Weather Sets As Bluffton Enjoys Bluffton’s w-armest early-March w-eather in tw’o decades w’as welcomed by winter-weary residents, the fore part of this week. It was typical April weather with sunshine and intermittent showers. Temperature for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday registered high marks in the upper sixties. An end of the unusually warm spell is forecast for Thursday with some what colder weather. Spurred by the unseasonal warm spell, pussy willows are out, trees are budding rapidly, maple sprup runs are on in earnest in the groves Trend to Mechanized Farming Has Outmoded Many Exist ing Farm Buildings Building Program on Farm Fails to Keep Pace with Transi tion to Power Farming Trends toward mechanized farm ing, aggravated by a lack of all building for nearly five years, finds Bluffton area farmers faced by the need of large-scale operations in erecting barns, sheds and outbuild ings, now that the war has ended. Need of a comprehensive farm building program was pointed out this week by announcement of a sur vey completed by the agriculture en gineering department of Ohio State university show-ing that more than half of the state's farm buildings, including houses, are more than 50 years old. Extensive Farm Building Program Is Needed In Area Particularly needed on most farms are sheds and other buildings suited for housing powered machinery and equipment that has been added in the transition of the last decade from farm-hand operation to mech anized farming. Old Wagon Shed Outmoded In the old days, the wagon shed took good care of most farm ma chinery housing problems. Expand ing developments of power farming, however, has brought a heavy invest ment in machinery which depreciates more rapidly when exposed to weath er. Few farms consequently have ade quate machinery housing facilities these days, pointing up an extensive barn and shed building program, in addition to the state-w-ide need for additional houses in the town and country. Most farm buildings are of old time construction, lacking modern features, due to the fact that the construction lagged for many years when farm incomes did not allow re placement or major repairs, the state survey pointed out. Depreciation Outruns Construction Only in the periods of from 1920 29 and 1939-41 did the rate of farm construction or repair exceed the rate of depreciation of farm houses, barns and out-buildings, according to report. Shortages of building materials may prove just as much of a hand icap to farmers as it does to those w’ho plan to erect houses. Some times farmers can obtain building materials from timber on farms or in salvaging lumber from old struc tures, but to get other materials they must compete with others now’ in the market for such goods. World Day Of Prayer Service For Children Children of the religious education classes in the Grade schools will hold a world day of prayer service in the First Mennonite church, Fri day afternoon at 2:30 o’clock. This is the first year that a program has been prepared especially for boys and girls and will be used all around the w’orld. Lions Speaker Tells Of Progress Assn, t). B. Conrad, vice president of the newly organized Community Progress association, spoke before the Lions club at its dinner meeting in the Walnut grill, Tuesday night outlining the aims and program of the association. The Community Progress body was formed to consolidate the efforts of all local organizations for the promotion of projects for general welfare and betterment. Rev. V. C. Oppermann is president of the asso ciation. Early March Record Prevue Of Spring of the district, and farmers are busy with spring plow-ing. In towm a few’ early gardeners also were busy turning over the soil. Continuation of the high tempera tures may bring a repetition of last March’s unseasonal conditions which resulted in the freezing of fruit tree buds, according to fears expressed in some sources. Bluffton’s coal famine also tempor arily was forgotten during the warm snap, and fires in furnaces were out most of the time while residents en joyed the prevue of spring. &IED CROSS must carry on! JL Your Red Cross watches over the comforts of hospitalized veterans and service people everywhere. Help put its Fund Campaign over. ORANGE TOWNSHIP TO GET BLUFFTON FIRE PROTECTION Township Trustees and Town Council Agree Upon Two Year Contract Fire Department Here to Ans wer AU Calls for Annual Fee of $250 Fire protection in Orange town ship will be the responsibility of the Bluffton Fire dpartment far the next two years as the result of ia contract signed by the Orange board of trustees and accepted by the mu nicipal council at its meeting Mon day night. Under terms of the contract, the Bluffton department will answer all fire calls in the township at an over all annual fee of $250. The arrange ment will continue for two years. Signing of the contract by the trustees represents the culmination of negotiations launched more than a year ago, when Bluffton ordered its new fire truck. With trustees of Richland and Orange township show ing interest in a regular fire protec tion program provided by Bluffton equipment, the new- pumper purchas ed by the town had special facilities for fighting rural fires. Richland township has not yet acted on its contract. Organize Township In Red Cross Drive Organization of Richland township for the Red Cross war fund campaign is announced by Mrs. Walter Mar shall, tow’nship chairman. District solicitors are: Beaverdam, Mrs. Genevieve Pugh, Mrs. Beulah Michael, Mrs. Eunice Smith Hillville, Mrs. Howard Moser Hilty, Mrs. W. E. Marshall Diller, Mrs. Milton Bixler Stager, Mrs. Harvey Gratz. Mrs. W. A. Amstutz: Bucher, Mrs. C. D| Bucher Huber, Mrs. Joe Follas Owens, Mrs. Sarah Oates Phillips, Mrs. Paul Andrews Gratz, Mrs. Walter Schaublin. Richland township in the solicita tion at this time last year contributed $1,124.91. Bluffton Scouts In Shirt-Off-Back Drive Bluffton Boy Scouts are cooperat ing in the nation-wide “Shirt-Off Your-Back’ program designed to ob tain scout uniforms for troop mem bers in the war-ravaged countries in Europe. Anyone with a Boy Scout uniform not in use is requested to turn it in to any Bluffton scout. It will be Rent overseas, as a part of this country’s relief clothing drive for the help of European boys in need of garments. PAGE THREE BUY u»rn» watm NUMBER 46 BUSINESS MEN TO SPONSOR HARMON FIELD ACTIVITIES Promotion of Expanded Sum mer Recreation Program I ndertaken Committee Named to Study Program of Harmon Field Play Activities An expanded recreation program at Harmon field this summer will be sponsored by the Bluffton Business Men’s association, it was decided last W ednesday night at a meeting of the group in the Bluffton High school building. Plans for a revitalized program of activity at the recreation center will be launched at once, with a com mittee named by Silas Diller, president of the association, handling the details of the promotion. Suggestions have been made to move location of the children’s play ground, buy new equipment, provide for a full-time summer recreational director, and develop an expanded program of organized activity at the center. Committees Named Committees named at the meeting by President Silas Diller included: By-laws—Dick Troy, chairman, William Edwards and Ed Waiter mire. Membership—Armin Hauenstein, chairman Paul Greding, Aldine Kohli and Claude Ream. Mower—W. O. Geiger, chairman Paul Diller, Elmer Short and Stanley Basinger. Industrial Expansion Forrest Steinman, chairman Donavin B. Conrad, Harold Montgomery, Clayton Bixel and Edgar Hauenstein. Housing—Aldine Kohli, chairman, Ed Lape, Noah Niswander and Henry Balmer. Program—Paul Diller, chairman Charles Aukerman, Roy Hauenstein and Dan Alspach. Publicity—Arden Baker, chairman George Carmack and Gene Benroth. Business Promotion—William Ed wards, chairman C. F. Niswander, Dave Risser and Walter Gratz. Business Hours—Ralph Patterson, chairman Everett Sutermeister, Arthur Amstutz, Hiram Huser. Hannon Field Promotion— Norman Triplett, chairman Arden Baker, Gene Benroth, Donavin Conrad and William Edwards. With The Service Men Cpl. James Fett, son of Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Fett of Campus Drive who served in the Pacific theatre of war has received his Army discharge and returned to his home here. T/5 Paul Wingate who served overseas in Europe has been dis charged bv the Army and joined his wife here. Cpl. Harry Turner, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Turner of Har mon road who has been in overseas service stationed at Paris is en route home according to word re ceived the first of the week. T/5 Donavin Moser, son of Mr. and Mrs. Warren Moser who has been stationed at Ota, Japan, has been promoted to the rank of First sergeant. Bduffton Gets $199 From Tournament Bluffton High school’s athletic de partment received $199.44 in the distribution of receipts from the Lima District Class Exempted Village and Parochial School Basket ball tournament played at Ada two weeks ago. Bluffton, Ada and Lima St. Roa* were the only teams to draw less than $200. Hicksville, tourney win ner, was high in the distribution of receipts, with a total of $242.84. This year’s tournament drew a total of 4,220 paid admissions, with attendance estimated at 4,600 for the six sessions. Largest turnout was on the opening night of the tourney, when 1,186 attended. Rogers And Breda In Horse Association Roy Rogers, of Bluffton, and Mar tin Breda, vice-president of the Bluffton Saddle Horse club, were elected to executive posts in forma tion of the Horse Association of Al len county, last week. Breda is president of the county group, and Rogers was named trustee. Organization of the asso ciation is for the development of horses and horsemanship in thia