Newspaper Page Text
ictos? BUY VNITB* ■TATB* STAMM VOLUME NO. LXX TWO AUTOS CRASH ON LINCOLN THREE MEN IN HOSPITAL Chas. Bormuth, Jenera Rural Mail Carrier is Serious ly Injured Accident Occurs Wednesday Morning Two Pennsylva nia Men Involved Three men, two of them badly in jured, are in the Bluffton hospital as the result of an automobile colli sion Wednesday morning at 10:30 o’clock and a farm woman residing near the scene of the accident may have sustained a fractured arm as the result of a fall which she sus tained .while helping to give first aid to victims of the accident. In the hospital are: Charles Bormuth, 60, Jenera rural mail carrier. Chas. Spears, 57, Halifax, Pa. Edward Spears, 23, also of Halifax. Bormuth was driving alone in one car and the two Spears men, father and son were in the other. Bormuth and the elder Spears are the most seriously injured it was disclosed following an examination by Dr. Treece, Arlington physician, who was called to the scene of the accident and accompanied the injur ed men to the hospital here. The younger Spears escaped with slight injuries. Both cars were completely wrecked. Former Bluffton Woman Hurt The injured woman is Mrs. Elmer Burkholder, former Bluffton resi dent, living one mile west of New Stark on the Lincoln highway. The accident occurred in front of the Burkholder home and Mrs. Burk holder fell as she was assisting the elder Spears from the wreckage, sus taining a painful injury and possible fracture to her right forearm. The accident occurred as Bormuth, making the rounds on his mail route had deposited man in Burkholder’s rural route box and was driving away, when the two cars crashed. Bormuth was reported driving west and the Spears car was believed to have been headed in the same direc tion. The elder Spears who was driving was too seriously injury Jo^give a coherent account of the accident and his son also in thee ar, was asleep at the time of the crash. Injured Brought to Hospital The three injured men were given first aid treatment at the Burkholder home. Bormuth was brought to the Bluffton hospital in the Stanley Ba singer ambulance while the two Spears men were brought to the hos pital here in the Dally ambulance from Arlington. Determination of the extent of their injuries will await a more complete examination late Wednes day, it was announced. With The Sick George Klay of South Mound street is a patient in Bluffton hos pital. Mrs. Edgar Hauenstein of South Jackson street is in the University hospital clinic at Ann Arbor, Mich. Donald Deeds, 20 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Deeds of Beav erdam who received a fractured pel vis in an accident at Columbus has been removed from the University hospital in that city to Bluffton hos pital. Deeds, a freshman at Ohio State university, was injured when the motor scooter which he was riding was struck by a truck at a street intersection. His condition is reported satisfactory. Mrs. Frank Gibbs of Rawson un derwent a surgical operation at Lima Memorial hospital Tuesday morning. Mrs. Grace Wilson of West Elm street is a patient in a Lima hos pital. Real Estate Deals John Wilkins of Cherry street has sold his farm of 120 acres in Orange township to his son Delbert Wilkins who occupies the place. Fred Mueller has sold the North Main street residence occupied by A. C. Amstutz and the lot formerly occupied by the Faze filling station to William Smith of Findlay and Joseph Hubble of St. Marys. The new purchasers are fitting up the building formerly occupied by Faze and will operate a filling station and lunch counter, in partnership. Later the two families expect to move to Bluffton and occupy the property in which the Anututzs now. live. This sum was realized from the concert given here last week by the Findlay Legion band. Expenses in cidental to the concert were defrayed by the Bluffton Legion post. Cost of uniforms for 44 members of the high school band is estimated at $1,800. TWO SCHOOLS TO OPERATE FARM COURSES JOINTLY Bluffton and Beaverdam Boards to Hold Meeting for Final Arrangements Harry Barnes, Head of Depart ment Here to Teach Half Time at Both Places Bluffton and Beaverdam boards of education will meet in joint session at Bluffton high school this Wednes day night to make final arrangements for vocational agriculture depart ments in the two schools for the coming year under instructorship of Harry F. Barnes, head of that department in the Bluffton school. In announcing the meeting, it was disclosed that negotiations have been under way for some tipie between the two boards and an agreement reached on all major points. At the meeting here this Wednes day night a joint committee consist ing of members of the two boards will be chosen to administer affairs of the joint vocational agriculture setup. Half-time at Each S£h6ol Under the proposed arrangement which will become effective next fall, Barnes will teach half time at each school. This will make possible a continua tion of vocational agriculture in Bluffton high school which was faced with closing of this department be cause of decreased enrollment and also add a new department in this field to the Beaverdam schools. Bluffton will have an enrollment of approximately 17 boys in this department while Beaverdam has a prospective enrollment of 20. Retain Federal Aid With Bluffton’s enrollment for farm courses less than half of what it was at one time, the federal government which pays half of the instructor’s salary has demurred on continuing the arrangement. Consequently the consolidation move was necessary so far as Bluff ton was concerned, if vocational agriculture was to be continued here with the assistance of federal funds provided under the vocational pro gram. By combining the agricultural departments of the two schools, the federal government will continue to pay one-half of the instructor’s salary. The other half will be shared equally by Bluffton and Beaverdam schools. With each school, therefore, paying only 'one-fourth of the total salary, continued operation of the vocational agriculture department in Bluffton actually will cost less money than this year when the local board paid half of the instructor’s salary. Proposed Spring Improvement Program Started At Harmon Field Playground $556 Added To H. S. Band Uniform Fund The sum of $556.35 has been added to the fund to provide uni forms for the Bluffton high school band, it was announced by Supt. Ralph Lanham. Decreasing enrollment in the agri culture department at Bluffton is in direct proportion to a sharp drop in school attendance that has been the trend for more than a decade. When a section of Orange town ship, bordering Richland, was trans ferred some 10 years ago to the Union township school district at Mt. Cory, Bluffton lost a rural section that provided many agriculture students. Since that time, total enrollment at the local school also has shown a steady decline, and this decrease has been greater among students from farms than it has been in town. Farm families in previous years have been considerably larger than the average city family, but now they are more nearly equal in size, and boys interested in agriculture studies consequently are fewer in the local school. Barnes’ present salary, "paid half by the Bluffton board of education and half by the state department of vocational education, is $2,576, with 200 travel allowance. Tiling of Field for Better Drain age is Completed as the First Step Playground Will Be Re-located and Additional Equipment Added Inaugurating an extensive improve ment program projected for Harmon field this spring and summer, an intricate network of drainage tile was laid last week thru the baseball diamond and the area surrounding it at the recreation center. Tilfiig the field to provide better drainage for the area involved represents the first improvement project of any extent at the recrea tion field since lights were installed for night football play, back in 1937. In the intervening 9 years, little has been done to improve existing recreational facilities, a situation that finally culminated this spring with the Community Progress As sociation citing revitalization of the recreation center as one of this year’s most needed projects. Improve Playground Following initial publicity on the needs of the field, the Bluffton Business Men’s association adopted the program, and agreed to sponsor this summer’s improvement plans, including moving of the playground location, purchase of new playground equipment and sponsorship of a full time recreational director. In the tiling program completed last week, six lines of intersecting tile were laid thru the baseball diamond. The improvement in drain age has been badly needed for some time, for in early-spring wet seasons, the field is unfit for baseball play for weeks at a time. Funeral Sunday For Mrs. C. A. Stauffer Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon at the St. John’s Reformed church for Mrs. Chester Stauffer, gf 668 South Main street, who died last Friday morning in the Bluffton Com munity hospital. Mrs. Stauffer had been seriously ill since last December with a heart ailment. Daughter of Adolph and Lydia (Kohler) Badertscher, she was born October 18, 1893, in Richland town ship. She was married to Mr. Stauffer, who is a member of the Bluffton municipal council, on No vember 25, 1916. Survivors include her husband and mother, and two daughters, Mrs. Ralph Diller, of Lima and Mrs. K. H. Dickerson, of Lomita, California. In addition, she is survived by five sisters, Mrs. Albert Balmer, Mrs. Lee Coon, Mrs. John Everett, Mrs. E. C. Stauffer and Mrs. Maynard Geiger, all of Bluffton and four brothers, Albert, Elmer and Milton Badertscher, all of Bluffton, and Herman Badertscher, of Arlington. Mrs. Stauffer was an active work er in the St. John’s Reformed church, where she taught a begin ners Sunday school class, and was a member of the Edith Lahr Mission ary Circle and Women’s Guild. She also was a member of the Royal Neighbor’s lodge. Rev. Vernon C. Oppermann, pastor of the St. John’schurch, officiated at the funeral rites Sunday afternoon. Burial was in Maple Grove cemetery. Postal Inspector Dies At Beaverdam Jesse F. Cordrey, 60, postal in spector, died Tuesday afternoon at the home of his step-mother,* Mrs. Maude Cordrey in Beaverdam. Death, due to cerebral hemorrhage, followed several weeks’ illness. Cordrey was well known in Bluff ton, visiting here frequently in con nection with his official duties. He has been a postal inspector since 1907 and at the time of his death was assigned to a district consisting of Van Wert, Allen, Auglaize and Mercer counties. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Martha Cordrey of Lima, one broth er in Toledo and two sisters, one re siding in Findlay and one in Ne braska. Funeral arrangements are incomplete. Navy Recruiter At Post Office Monday A navy recruiting officer will be at* the Bluffton post office every Monday afternoon from 1 to 3 o’clock, it was announced by the Lima recruiting office. Anyone in terested in navy enlistment is in voted to consult with him. 11IEBLUE ETON NEWS A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY BLUFFTON, OHIO THURSDAY, MARC 21, 1946 SENIOR CLASS OF 43 TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL Barnes of Members of Graduat ing Class is Announced by Superintendent Robert Ramseyer to be Valedic torian Elmer Stonehill is Salutatorian Bluffton High school will graduate a class of 43 seniors at 1946 com mencement exercises Thursday night, May 23, in the school auditorium. This year’s commencement list is headed by Robert Ramseyer, valedic torian, and Elmer Stonehill, saluta torian, it was announced Wednesday by Supt. Ralph Lanham. Others in the upper 25 per cent of the class include Leonard Smucker, Mary Louise Dean, Harold Hartman, Paul Steiner, Hugh Hilty, John Lugi bihl, Helen Bauman, David Stearns and Kenneth Moser., Other graduates will include Fero! Althaus, Donavin Augsburger, Hub ert Basinger, Karl Basinger, Dale Berryhill, John Braqy, Harry Burk holder, Marion Criblez, Margaret Diller, Ray Follas, David Frick, Mary Jane Garmatter, Wilma Geiger, Mar garet Groman, Phyllis Hardwick. James Harmon, Lois Harris, June Hauenstein, Arthur Hilty, Patricia Huber, Harry Klay, Robert Lee, Dor othy Lugibihl, Phyllis Marquart, Richard Minck, Harvey Moser, Anne McGinnis, Allison Neuenschwander, Louise Soldner, Robert Stalter, Charles Swank and Charles Stonehill. Grove Patterson, editor of The To ledo Blade and one of America’s best known newspapermen, will be the class speaker. Japanese Speaker At College Friday Speaking on ‘’The Church and Japanese Americrnr**- Toru Matsu moto, staff member of the Home Missions Council of North America, will appear at a public meeting in the Ramseyer chapel at Bluffton college, at 8 p. m. Friday. Born in Japan in 1913, Matsumoto was graduated from a Tokyo school founded by the Presbyterian and Reformed churches of America. He was arrested in Japan in 1934 by Japanese thought control police. Later he graduated from Union Theological seminary in New York City. In 1945 and 1946 he was on the committee of re-settlement of Japanese Americans. Faculties of Findlay college and Ohio Northern university, Ada, who will be dinner guests of the Bluff ton college faculty at Ropp hall will attend the lecture in a body. Booster Five Plays At Beaverdam Gym Playing manager John Stonehill says the Bluffton Boosters basketball team will play the Beaverdam War Vets at the Beaverdam gym Thurs day night. The Boosters team, com posed of Bluffton war veterans, is sponsored by the Bluffton Commun ity Sportsmen’s Club. The game is called for 7:30 Probable players for Bluffton are: Stonehill, Wenger, Clark, Kinsley, Matthews, Soash and others. Feature Popular Opera In Broadcast Light opera numbers will be fea tured in the weekly broadcast of the Three O’s and Jeanne from Lima station WLOK, Friday night at 6:15 o’clock. Vocal numbers by the trio will in clude Giannina Mia from The Firefly, I’ll See You Again from Bitter Sweet and Gypsy Love Song from The Fortune Teller. Jeanne will continue the program with Scharwanka’s Polish Dance and the program will close with a hymn. Business Men To Meet Next Week Bluffton Business Men's Associa tion will meet Wednesday night of next weekin the Walnut Grill, it was announced this week by Silas Diller, president of the organization. Committee reports will be submit ted at the session, including those on bylaws of the revitalized association. BLUFFTON MARKETS Wednesday Morning Grain (bushel prices )—W e a 1.73 corn 1.12 oats 80c soys 2.04. Richard Mumma, son of Mr. and I Mrs. Ray Mumma of Cherry street,' who is graduating this spring from i McCormick Theological seminary, in Chicago, has won a fellowship in I New Testament Greek, it was an nounced by the seminary early this week. Tne award, known as the T. B.1 Blackstone Fellowship is said to be one of the most lucrative of its kind amounting to about $1,500 which I Mumma will use for graduate study! during the next two years, probably at Columbia university in New York city. The fellowship was awarded for writing a thesis on a competitive basis, the three best of which were sent to an eastern theological sem inary for determination of first place. A 40-year-old concrete arch bridge over Little Riley creek on West Elm street, one of the first of its type in Allen county, has been closed by the Allen county commissioners for re building. Strain of traffic for nearly half a century has rendered the struc ture unsafe, the commissioners said, and an Allen county repair crew is busy this week in work on the bridge. Built 40 years ago, the bridge was one of the first of its kind in the county and it has stood up well dur ing the four decades it has been in use. The late A. L. (Alex) Conrad, of Bluffton, was a member of the county board of commissioners when ^he structure was built here. During the course of repairs, traf fic on Elm street is being detoured between Spring street and the Col lege road. The street will be closed four or five weeks. With The Service Men Harry Shrider, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Shrider, recently return ed from the European theatre of war, has been discharged from the Army and returned to his home here. Shrider, who married an English girl, expects his wife here this spring. Sgt. Raymond Kimmel, son of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Kimmel of near Bluff ton is stationed aboard an LMC craft based on Batanga islands in the China sea, it was learned the first of the week. Verl Reichenbach, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Reichenbach has re ceived his Navy discharge and re turned to his home in Beaverdam. Harold Schick, stationed in Korea, has been promoted to the rank of technician fifth grade, it was an nonced the first of the week. Ralph Diller of Lima, former Bluffton resident who served in the European area, has heceived his Army discharge and joined his wife, the former Geraldine Stauffer, in Lima. Bluffton Man Wins Fellowship For Graduate Study In Seminary Virgil Allgire, son of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Allgire of Rockport has received his Army discharge at Camp Atterbury after 40 months service in the Army, 15 of which were in the European theatre of war. 40-Year-Old Bridge On Elm Street Closed By County For Re-building T/4 Harold Augsburger, son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Augsburger of near Bluffton is enroute to this country from Manila and will re ceive his discharge from the Army shortly. Augsburger has served overseas since last July. John Schmidt, recently discharged from the* Army service and his wife the former Elva Pickett are moving to Akron where he is employed by an engineering firm. The couple have been making their home temporarily with his mother, Mrs. Anna Klapp on Cherry street. Capt. W. E. Diller of the Army medical corps stationed at Camp Roberts, Calif., is enroute east with his family on six months’ leave. He is a former Rawson physician and expects to resmue his medical prac tice at that place the first of April, according to word received by his father, J. A. Diller. His wife and two children have been with him in California for some time. Masonic Inspection Next Monday Night Annual inspection of Bluffton Ma* sonic lodge will be held at 7:30 p. m. Monday night in the Masonic half, it was announced this week by Bert rand Swank, Master. For inspection, work will be con ferred in the FeUowcraft degree. Refreshments will be served. District Deputy Grand Master O. W. DeWeese, of Delphos, will be the inspecting officer. The thesis which won the award for the Bluffton man was on the subject of “Popular Response to Gospel Preaching in the First Chris tian Century.” Mumma is a graduate of Bluffton high school and Bluffton college. His wife is the former Wilma Nonna maker, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. S. F. Nonnamaker of Spring street. During the war he applied for a navy chaplain’s commission and at present is on the inactive list of the Chicagg Naval Procurement office. It is of interest to Bluffton resi dents that the late Dr. S. K. Mosi man, former Bluffton college presi dent won the Old Testament Fellow ship at McCormick seminary in 1905 and his brother Edison Mosiman won the New Testament Fellowship in 1909. Garmatter-Amstutz Wedding Solemnized Miss L. Julee Garmatter, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Garmatter of Columbus Grove and William Amstutz, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Amstutz, Sr., of Bluffton, were married in a double ring ceremony at the Amstutz home Thursday evening. Rev. V. C. Oppermann of the Re formed church officiated at the candlelight service which took place before the fireplace banked with gladioli, jonquils and palms. Near relatives of the couple were in at tendance. The bride wore a grey suit with black and white accessories with cor sage of red and white carnations. Her only ornament was a stone set bracelet, a gift of the bridegroom. The maid of honor, Miss Dorothy Wenger, wore a green suit with black and white accessories and cor sage of pink carnations. Roy Amstutz of Pandora was best man. Seventy-five guests attended a re ception held in the* home of the bride’s parents following the cere mony. The couple left on a short wedding trip and on their return will make their home with the groom’s parents for the present. Receives M. D. Degree From Medical School Jason Trippiehorn of Bluffton was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Medical school, Phila delphia, receiving the degree of doc tor of medicine at commencement exercises Saturday. Dr. Trippiehorn was on Army de tached service to complete his medi cal course and upon graduation was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Army Medical corps. He is spending a two weeks vaca tion here, returning to Bluffton with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. D. R. Trippiehorn of South Main street who attended the graduation exer cises. Early in April he will return to Philadelphia for 16 months service as interne at Lankanau hospital in that city. Dr. Trippiehorn was graduated from Bluffton high school and Bluff ton college previous to his entering upon a medical career. Births The following births at Bluffton hospital: Mr. and Mrs. Francis Luginbill, Bluffton Route 1, a girl, Nancy Lee, Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Howard Hover, Wil liamstown, a girl, Barbara Kay, Monday. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Hoffer, Bluff ton Route 1. a girl. Susan Beth, Tuesday. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Mumma, formerly of Bluffton, a girl, Judith Ann, at Presbyterian hospital, Chi cago, Monday. Mrs. Mumma is the former Wilma Nonnamaker, daugh ter of Mr. and Mrs. S. F. Nonna maker of Spring street. Mr. and Mrs. Norman Sumney, a girl born at Port Chicago, Calif. Mr. Sumney is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Sumney of Lafayette, formerly of Bluffton and is in naval service. BOARD ACCEPTS BID Bid of Leri Gable in amount of $76.10 was accepted by the Bluffton board of education for a combination saw and jointer formerly part of the equipment of the manual arts depart ment at the high school. Five seal ed bids were submitted by prospec tive purchasers ranging from $35 to Gable’s bid which wm the highest. BUY uwrm» •TATM NUMBER 48 BLUFFTON COLONEL RECEIVES ARMY'S LEGION OF MERIT Award Presented to Col. Rene Studler for Small Arms Development developed Pocket-size Machine Gun and Body Armor for Combat Troops Col. Rene Studler, son of Mrs. Paul Studler, of S. Jackson street, has received the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious services in the Army Ordnance Dept, during World War II, it was announced thia week. Outstanding in his wartime record were development of a “pocket-size” machine gun light in weight and deadly in operation, and his work on research in helmets and body armor combining a maximum of protection with a minimum of weight. As chief of the small arms division of the Army’s Ordnance Department, the former Bluffton man held a key position in wartime developments for the fighting man. Col. Studler was graduated from Bluffton High school and was a student at Ohio State university when he enlisted in the air force in World War I. Remains In Army After the war, he continued in the Army and took training at Mass achusetts Institute of Technology in the field of small arms. Later he spent two years at each of the United States military bases. From 1936 to 1941 he was station ed in London as assistant military attache, where he had an opportunity to inspect and study small arms weapons used by the warring nations. His citation for the Legion of Merit said that he was “instrumental in developing and increasing the fire power of numerous small arms, decreasing the weight of similar items carried by the foot soldier, developing powerful recoilless weap ons of man-portable weight, develop ing more effective types of small arms ammunition, improving its packaging, and in developing head end body armor for the individual soldier.” Lima Mailbag Club Sponsors Breakfast Rainbow chapter of the WLW Mailbag club of Lima will sponsor a Breakfast in Hollywood at Trinity M. E. church, Lima, next Monday morning from 11 to 12 o’clock. It will be conducted similar to the Tom Brenneman Breakfast in Holly wood with awarding of gifts and John Daniels of WLOK radio sta tion, master of ceremonies. The Mailbag club is a non-profit organization for bringing cheer to handicapped persons. Tickets for the breakfast may be obtained from Mrs. H. E. Augsburger, Bluffton member of the club. Central Ohio Power Workers Vote Strike CIO-affiliated employees of the Central Ohio Light and Power Co. in the Woodcock generating plant locat ed in Bluffton last Thursday evening voted to go on strike to force recog nition of their union as a collective bargaining agency instead of the ex isting independent union. No date was indicated* when the strike was to be called, nor was there any indication if such a date had been set. In 1943 a vote of all Central Ohio employees indicated their preferenc* for an Independent union, with cer tification of that group as the com pany-wide bargaining agency follow ing from the National Labor Rela tions Board. Strike vote of CIO-affiliated em ployes at the Bluffton generating plant of the company represents a culninating of their efforts to obtain recognition since that time. All moves by the union, however, have been without effect so far as the NLRB is concerned, which as recently as Jan. 23 ruled that “further pro ceedings do not seem to be warrant ed.” Following that decision, the local union on Feb. 13 notified the Secre tary of Labor of the union’s inten tion to file with the NLRB an appli cation to conduct a strike vote. The Central Ohio’s generating plant here supplies light and power to many villages in the area, includ ing Mt. Cory, Rawson and the bulk of the electric cuftent used in Find •v. ......._ ..