The Bluffton news. [volume], March 07, 1946, Image 1

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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