The Bluffton news. [volume], February 20, 1947, Image 1

About The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current

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BLUFFTON
A Good Place To Live
VOLUME LXXI
THIEVES DISCARD
BEAVERDAM LOOT
IN ORANGE TWP.
Tri-County Investigation Fol
lows Discovery of 22 Mis
cellaneous Items
Discarded Loot from House
Trailer Included Radio,
Clothing, Annual
Sheriffs of Allen, Putnam and
Hancock counties are cooperating in
an investigation this week aimed at
solving the riddle of why 22 miscel
laneous items stolen from a Beaver
dam trailer home Sunday night were
found strewn over a lonely field in
Oranjje township an Moriday niom*
ing.
The discarded hot, raritrinsr from
clothi ig and shoes o a rsidio and a
1941 Bluffton collecre annual, were
disco\ ered by Geoi'Re Moi■rison. in a
field 300 yards nc rt of the Betnel
churc 1 in Orange towns!lip.
His find was rejsorted Lo HarTCOCK
County Sheriff Or a A. vopu r, and
the rtuous threa1 or ir
got under way when Sheriff Cfoner
co Hee ed the item
radiuc of some 3( squa»* and
leame he had silints. n suits.
top C(ats, shoes, u" oves. e is, a
hot Tlate, radio, foldin 5 carnera,
cedar chest, two decks of pls vine?
cards, mirror and the Bluffton an*
nual.
Stationery (Jives Clue
Among the recovered loot was a
sheet of stationery with the name,
Wilma Everett, Columbus Grove, en
graved across the top. Also found
was a statement from an oil firm,
bearing the name of Charles Lora,
Lima Route 3.
Putnam County Sheriff Arnold
Potts, investigating the Everett
angle, turned up information that
Miss Everett is now married to Lora,
and thatlthe couple lives in Beaver
dam.
Then from Allen County Sheriff W.
R. Dailey came the report that the
trailer home of the Lora’s adjacent
to the Hi-Speed Sendee station in
Beaverdam, was looted Sunday night,
and the items recovered in Orange
township were taken by the thieves.
A window was broken in the trailer
to gain entrance. It was reported
that a car with a Pennsylvania li
cense was parked at the service
station about the time of the robbery.
Beyond that, there have been no
other leads.
Robert Byers In
Engineering Firm
Robert Byers, son of N. E. Byers,
of this place, has become a member
of the firm of John Paul Jones and
Associates, Cleveland consulting en
gineers.
For same years Byers has worked
for the firm, which designs heating,
lighting and plumbing systems for
architects. He is now specializing
in the new field of panel heating, a
system whereby buildings are heated
by placing hot water piping in the
floors and ceilings, thereby dispens
ing with radiators
Several of Byers’ heating projects
have been described in national
trade journals. At the annual con
vention of the American Society of
Heating and Ventilating Engineers
he participated in a forum on panel
heating.
Man Injured When
Stepladder Breaks
Peter C. Herr, farmer, received a
dislocated left shoulder as the re
sult of a fall when a stepladder
broke on which he was standing
while trimming trees at his farm
north of Bluffton on College road,
Friday morning.
He was removed to Bluffton hos
pital in the Basinger ambulance for
examination and later returned to
his home. His condition is reported
satisfactory.
Grandson To Return
Front Pacific Area
CpI. Halstead Stettler, grandson
of Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Stettler who
has been in the Pacific area for the
past year, recently spent a week in
Tokoyo after wllich ihe flew to Guam
where he is aw aitmg return to the
CpI. Stetiler serve•d as a weather
liaprv"PF 511 Giu Saipan and I wo
Jiina. He i the s,on of Mr. and
rs. Theodore Stettler of Cleveland
and vk'as a ist tulent in Western Rc
serve univensity of that city before
entering military service
Each motorist will receive two
tags this year for the first time
since 1941. New license plates must
be on all cars operated after March
£1.
Color combination of this year’s
tags is white on green, according to
Edward T. Fogo, state registrar of
motor vehicles.
UNBEATEN PIRATES
MEET ST. ROSE AT
ADA ON THURSDAY
Bluffton Cagers Hurdle First
Foe To Advance To Semi
Final Round
Pirates Point For Chance To
Play In Sectional Tourney
Next Week
Spurred by the memory of pre
ceding Buffton teams which ordinar
ily showed their peak form in
tournament play, Bluffton High’s un
defeated cagers are set for a tilt
with Lima St. Rose at 7:30 p. m.
Thursday, in the second round of the
District Class cage meet at Ada,
after hurdling over Delphos Jeffer
son, 66 to 25, in their first start.
Most observers look on the Ros
arians as the toughest foe the
Pirates might be called on to face
in the tourney, if the game this
Thursday should be a repetition of
the one played here in mid-season
when the Pirates topped the Lima
outfit, 52 to 47.
That five-point margin was the
narrowest in Bluffton’s impressive
win streak now standing at 17, and
in only two games during the year
did the Pirates make less than the
52 points to which they were held by
St. Rose. i
Semi-Final Round
Thursday’s game will represent
the semi-final round of district play,
and the winner will play in the
championship finals at 8:30 p. m.
Saturday. Both teams competing in
the final round will go to the section
al tournament opening next week at
Celina.
Bluffton and St. Rose both ad
vanced in Monday night’s tournament
play, the Pirates with their 66 to
25 conquest over Delphos Jefferson,
and St. Rose with a 54 to 41 win
over Delphos St. Johns.
St. Rose’ 54-point total represented
the second high score run up by
any competing crew in the tourney,
altho Ada’s improving Bulldogs had
drubbed Wapakoneta St. Joe, 51 to
26, in play in the other bracket.
Hicksville, the defending tourney
champion, won its first start with a
46 to 35 decision over Lima St. Ger
ard. On Tuesday night, Lima St.
John, which had drawn a first round
bye, met Hicksville, with the latter
team winning by a score of 39 to 35.
This puts Ada and Hicksville as
the other two semi-finalists with the
game to be played at 8:30 p. m.
Thursday, following the Bluffton-St.
Rose melee.
Charter Night Is
Observed By Lions
Pleading for more public interest
in the advancement of education,
Clarence D. Jenkins, of Mt. Vernon,
district Lions governor, addressed a
charter night meeting of the Bluff
ton Lions club Tuesday evening in
the Walnut Grill.
Public education stands as a safe
guard of human liberties, and it is
to America’s interest to make our
educational system stronger and bet
ter, he told his listeners.
In these troubled times the start
ing point of a program to bolster
our educational forces rests in ad
vancing the salary level of teachers,
the speaker continued.
In discussing the role Lionism
plays in community life of the
country, Jenkins told his audience
Lions clubs now nave more members
than any other s organization.
Nine new men bers were inducted
at the meeting, Dr. F. D. Rodabaugh,
Clair Fett Clayton Harkness, Rich
a rd Cookson, Ura! Ellenberger, Roy
Hauenstein, Han-y F. Barnes, John
Martin and Harry Turner
Drive For $250,000 Bluffton College
Gymnasium Is Under Way This Week
1947 Auto Plates
On Sale March 10
Automobile license plates for 1947
will go on sale March 10 at the
Bixel Motor Sales, it was announced
this week by Clayton Bixel, who ■will
be deputy registrar for the Bluffton
area.
New Structure on Campus
Woulc} be Ideal for Basket
ball Tournaments
Used As Auditorium, Building
Would Have Accommoda
tions for 1,800
House-to-house solicitation of the
Bluffton area was well under way
this week in a two-week campaign
for local contributions to Bluffton
College’s $250,000 gymnasium-audi
torium building fund.
Teams made up of 138 volunteer
workers are making the canvass un
der the direction of a solicitation
committee made up of ,W. Bixler,
chairman Rev. Paul Cramer, Armin
Hauenstein, Rev. V. C. Oppermann
With its" largest enrollment in his
tory, and operating free of debts,
the college has planned the gymnas
ium-auditorium as the first step in
an expansion program required to
keep pace with the growth of the in-
Three major functions served by
the building will be its adaptability
itudent
seat 1500 persons for
its, making it an ideal
location for basketball tournaments,
etc., in addition to serving for col
lege sports needs.
Used as an auditorium there will
be seating space for 1800, answering
a need for performances such as the
annual college Messiah concert, com
mencement programs.
The larger auditorium also would
permit bringing scholastic musical
(Continued on page 8)
/. O. Biome Dies
Suddenly In Home
John O. Biome, 59, died unexpect
edly of heart disease at his resi
dence, 314 N. Main street, at 3:00
P. M. last Mondry, although appar
ently in good health up until the
time death occurred.
A night-shift employe of The
Triplett Electrical Instrument Co.,
he had worked the preceding night,
and had not complained of ill health
during the day. Death came as he
was sitting in his home following a
meal. Cause of death was certified
as coronary thrombosis.
Funeral services will be held at
2:30 P. M. Thursday in the Presby
terian church. Rev. E. N. Bigelow
will officiate. Burial will be Jn
Maple Grove cemetery.
Biome was born Nov. 11, 1888, in
Millersville, Pa. He was married to
the former Hazel McGriff, who sur
vives with two daughters, Harriett
Biome, of Chicago, and Florence Ann
Biome, of New York City.
Other survivors include a sister,
Mrs. Corine Butcher, of Evansville,
Ind., and a brother, Dawson E.
Biome, of Reading, Pa.
The body will be at the Basinger
funeral home until the funeral..
To Observe 50th
Anniversary Sunday
Mr. and Mrs. A. D. Meyers re
siding on the Fred Badertscher farm
southwest of Bluffton will hold open
house Sunday afternoon from 2 to 5
o’clock in honor of their Golden wed
ding anniversary
Preceding the afternoon open
house a reception will be held in
the basement of St. Marys Catholic
church Sunday morning at 10 o’clock
following mass. At noon a family
dinner, will be held at the Walnut
Grill.
The couple were married in Leip
sic, February 24, 1897. Their four
children are: Daniel Meyers at
home Mrs. Chas. Fruchey, Colum
bus Grove Mrs. Harvey Sylvester,
Ft. Wayne, and Miss Mildred Leffler
of Bluffton.
There are six grandchildren and
Mr. Meyers has two brothers John
of Toledo and Isaac of Temperance.,
Michigan.
No Mail Delivery
On Next Saturday
There will be no mail delivery on
Bluffton city or rural routes on Sat
urday, Washington’s birthday, a
legal holiday, it is announced by
Postmaster Ed Reichenbach. Win-
for the day however, mail will be
received and dispatched as usual.
The Citizens National bank also
will close for the entire day. Other
business will be operated as usual.
1HE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO THURSDAY, FEB.
LANHAM GETS FIVE
YEAR CONTRACT AS
HEAD OF SCHOOLS
Present Superintendent is Re
tained by Board of
Education
Will Complete First Three Year
Term in Bluffton Next
Summer
Supt. Ralph S. Lanha was re
hired to head Bluffton’s piiiblic school
system on a five-year conitradt, at a
meeting of the board ol’ education
last Wednesday night.
A three-year contract entered into
in 1944 when Supt. Lariham came
here from Mt. Victory expires on
July 31,, of this year.
New Contract Starts Aug. 1
The inew five-year cointract will
become effective on next August 1.
It is at the present salar y of $3,500
a year.
Before» coming here, Sujst. Lanham
had heaided the Mt. Vidlory public
scnooi s
The five-year contract ,vas offered
by a tour to one vote of the board
nf pdurflition. Voting for tne contract
were L»vi Althaus, Lei.and Diller,
Waldo Jlofstetter and N. A. Triplett.
A negalLive vote was casst
Diller.
hv Paul
Basinger Funeral
Home Plans Opening
The Stanley Basinger funeral home
is nearing completion and the date
of the formal opening will be an
nounced soon.
It is considered one of the most
modern in this section, with every
facility and convenience found in
city mortuaries.
ig has been entirely remodeled
office and reception rooms,
chapel, family room and display
section.
The chapel is carpeted from wall
to wall, and 'provided controlled
lighting and temperature.
A driveway around the building
offers convenient loading facilities.
In commenting on the new funeral
home Mr. Basinger said: “We are
equipped to give the best in funeral
and ambulance service and to meet
the needs of a bereaved family re
gardless of distance, personal re
quirements, or financial standing. It
is a community institution and its
only purpose is to serve.”
Two Trucks In Crash
At Beaverdam Curve
Two trucks were damaged in a
mishap at Beaverdam at 6:30 a. m.
Tuesday when one of the vehicles
skidded on the curve on the Dixie
highway at the northeast edge of the
town's corporation limits.
The skidding vehicle, operated by
Joseph Dunlap, 41, of Detroit, left
the road and crashed into a truck
parked at a service station lot at the
intersection of the Dixie and Lin
coln highways.
The back wheels of the parked
trucked were torn off, and the front
end of Dunlap’s vehicle was dam
aged. Driver of the parked truck
was John B. Cassidy, 29, of Middle-
Following the crash, Dunlap was
held by authorities for failure to
have a truck operator’s license.
Real Estate Deal
Mrs. Adeline Graber, residing
south of Bluffton has purchased the
South Jackson street property owned
by John Amstutz of Norwalk. The
deal was bandied by Mrs. H. W
Althaus. It has been occupied by
Mrs. Eli Amstutz and daughters
Misses Rhoda and Eunice Amstutz
who will move this spring into the
James Elvin property on Poplar
street purchased recently by John
Amstutz.
Former Resident, III,
Taken Off Locomotive
Earl Good of Lima, Bluffton na
tive, was in a Meadville, Pa., hos
pital the past week as the result of
a suddent attack of stomach ulcers
while he was engaged in delivering
a railroad locomotive from Lima to
New York city.
Good employed by the Lima Loco
motive Works was taking the newly
built engine east when he suddenly
became ill and it was necessary to
remove him to the hospital at Mead
ville and obtain a relief engineer to
continue the run. His condition is
reported satisfactory.
parable of the talents as a model
for church financing inaugurated by
the Bluffton Presbyterian congrega
tion two weeks ago has spread to
Lima where it has been taken up by
the First Evangelical and United
Brethren church.
At a meeting of the Lima church
Tuesday night 100 new $10 bills were
distributed to the congregation by the
pastor Rev. Gerald H. Coen with in
structions that the maney be “put to
work’ ’for benefit of the church.
Eugene Benroth, member of the
Bluffton church who conceived the
idea addressed the Lima meeting
Tuesday night on the subject “Par
able of the Talents Applied to
the Church of Today.”
Forum for Discussion of Youth
Center Under Consideration
by Organization
Rev. V. C. Oppermann was re
elected president of the executive
committee of the Bluffton Com
munity Progress association in re
organization of the group for its
second year of municipal improve
ment activity, at a meeting lest
Wednesday night in the high school
building.
Other officers include Woodrow
Little, vice-president James West,
secretary, and Mrs. Augusta Steiner,
who was re-elected treasurer.
Membership of the executive com
mittee .which directs activity of the
association, is made up of represent
atives from 11 panels.
New membership consists of Rev.
V. C. Oppermann, church organiza
tions Albert Augsburger, farm
organ Nations Dr. J. S. Schultz,
educational groups Forrest Stein
man, industry Roger Howe, youth
groups Woodrow Little, government
al department Silas Diller, business
Mrs. Augusta Steiner, clubs and
societies Wilford Gratz, labor
groups and James West, financial
institutions.
A member has not yet been elect
ed by the health groups of the town,
to complete the committee’s mem
bership.
Plans were discussed at the organ
ization meeting for an open forum
discussion of the need for a youth
center here, based on a survey which
will be made among the young
people of the town.
Observe World Day
Of Prayer Friday
World day of prayer will be
observed with union services at the
First Mennonite church, Friday
afternoon at 3 o’clock. The services
are sponsored annually by mission
ary societies of the churches of the
town and are open to the public.
Mrs. I. W. Bauman will preside and
there will be special music by Miss
Elizabeth Brand.
Former Resident Is
In Kansas Hospital
Mrs. Sarah Geiger, former Bluff
ton resident, is a patient in the
Bethel Deaconess hospital, Newton,
Kansas, with a fractured pelvis, the
result of a fall.
The accident occurred at the home
of her daughter, Mrs. Eva Harsh
barger of nearby North Newton
with whom she lives, when her heel
caught on a rug. Her condition is
reported satisfactory.
198 Hancock Dog
Tags Sold Here
Hancock county dog tags were
sold to 198 dog owners by the Bluff
ton Community Market, according to
a report made this week by Han
cock County Auditor Charles E.
Simpson. Zehna Ingalls Trippiehorn,
proprietor
registrar.
Talent Idea Spreads Lima Church
Distributes $1,000 To Congregation
Benroth outlined how the plan has
Group Working on Community
Betterment Reorganizes for
Coming Year
of the market, is deputy
BLl
Wednesday
FFTON
ARK E
Morning
Grain (bushel
$2.25 cora,
trices)
oats, 83
Wheat,
$1.25
Poultry—Heavy hens, 27c
springers, 27c leghorn her
stags, 14.
Eggs—Large whites, 38c
browns, 36c mediums, 32c.
Butterfat—70c.
heavy
is, 15c
large
congregati
1 with the
•s meanwt
from Mattfi
19 which narrates
given talents to be
master’s absence ar
counting when he
xiernized version
applied to churc
i widely publici
the current ed
Rev. Oppermann Re-elected President
Of Community Progress Association
viOitirie
farmer,
id called
•eturned.
of the
y, leading
church
nee to it i
Gottfried Frankhauser
Dies Funeral Friday
a ranxnauser, reiirea
ed at the home of his son
Willard Frankhauser of South Jack-
o'clock 1 leath due to heart trouble
roll owed ji six months’ illness.
Funeral services will be held Fri
day afteriroon at 2:30 o’clock at the
rau miler chapel with Rev. Howard
the Ebenezer Mennonite
church officiating. Interment will be
1 n the E trenezer cemetery west of
Bluffton.
He was born in Canttfn Bern,
Switzerlan d, May 10, 1865, the son
of John a nd Magdalene Frankhauser
and came to this country July 14,
He was married to Anna Gasser
who died May 15, 1945. To this un
ion were born 12 children, 10 of
whom are living. Sons are: Willard
and Levi of Bluffton John and Al
bert of Li ma and Chris of Sylvania.
1 laughters are: Mrs. Carrie Neuen
sen wander and Mrs. Rose Ricker,
both of Lima Mrs. Fanny Augs
burger of Pandora Mrs. Emma Lug
inbuhl and Miss Elizabeth Zimmerly
H1DUI11 UI1U
of Blufftbi
Also surviving are 25 grandchild
ren and six great grandchildren.
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Barkimer,
Columbus Grove, a boy, Michael Al
len, Thursday. Mrs. Barkimer is
the termer Mary Ellen Burkholder.
Mr. and Mrs. Eldon Reichenbach,
Columbus Grove, a boy, James Rus
sell, Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Zimmerly,
Bluffton, a boy, Ray Gene, Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Victor Moser, Ada,
a girl, Sharon Lynn, Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Smith, Wil
liamstown, a girl, Rita Kay, Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. Carl Davis, Ada, a
girl, Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Jacobs,
Columbus, a boy, Daryl Lynn, Tues
day
Mr. and Mrs. Glen Morgan, Syl
vania, a girl, Jane Richards, born
Saturday at Toledo hospital. Mrs.
Morgan is the former Eleanor Nis
wander of Bluffton.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cooney, Jr.,
Union City, Michigan, a girl, Janine
Louise, born at Community hospital,
Coldwater, Michigan, Saturday. Mrs.
Cooney is the former Joan Patterson
of Bluffton.
Opening of the Lenten season, in
preparation for Easter, began this
Wednesday in an observance known
in the religious world as Ash Wed
nesday.
The Lenten period is a fast of 40
week days observed by the Roman
Catholic church and many of the
Protestant denominations. It was
not until 1840 that the date was
fixed for the fast to start on Ash
Wednesday and to continue through
Holy Saturday.
The name Ash Wednesday has a
general reference to the penitential
sackcloth and ashes so frequently
spoken of in the Old Testament. In
the Roman church there is a rite
observed on this day in which the
priest places ashes on the forehead
of the communicants as they kneel
at the altar rail.
BLUFFTON
A Good Place To «Trade
Lenten Season In Preparation For
Easter Begins (This Ash Wednesday
As he does this he says, "Memento,
homo, quiva pul vis es, et in puferem
reverteris” (Remember, man thou
art dust, and unto dust thou shalt
return.) The ashes are obtained by
burning palm branches consecrated
in the church on the Palm Sunday
of the year previous.
Gradually it came to be the cus-
NUMBER 44
MORE TRACTORS IN
PROSPECT WAITING
LIST IS STILL LONG
No Chance to Get Tractor Un
less Name is Already on
Dealer’s List
Hoi se Drawn Equipment Un
wanted as Trend Continues
Toward Power
Altho delivery of farm tractors
is being stepped-up in a steadily in
creasing tempo, dealers have such a
huge backlog of orders that a farm
er cannot hope to get a tractor this
spring unless he put his name on
the list before the close of the war,
A survey of the tractor situation
made this week by The Bluffton
News showed there’s no chance to
Priorities no longer have a bear
ing on who may get a tractor and
when, except under very unusual
circumstances, such as when a war
veteran burns out and a few other
extremely unlikely situations.
No Priorities
Generally speaking, however, prior
ities do not enter into the picture,
but dealers who made up long lists
during the priority period are filling
their orders from the same backlog
listing.
This means that any farmer who
wants to order a tractor today
starts at the bottom of the list, and
there can be no assurance of when
he may expect delivery of the
vehicle.
Despite the continued shortage of
tractors and tractor-drawn imple
ments, apparently no one wants to
return to horse-drawn equipment
which is virtually going begging at
public sales.
Horse Drawn Equipment Plentiful
In contrast to the scarcity of
motor-powered farming tools, the
farmer who is willing to handle his
work as the\ 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 comparable to what it was
several generations ago.
Based on prices now being paid
for horse-drawn machinery, an ag
gregate outlay of approximately
$600 would permit a start in farm
ing. This would include a good
team at $100 grain binder, $25
farm wagon, $10 harness, $10
breaking plow, $5, and mowing
machine, $90.
In the opinion of farmers there is
no prospect of a reversal of the
present trend away from farming
with horses, unless the farm labor
supply becomes more plentiful at
lower prices. Only thru that devel
opment would it prove profitable to
use a slower method of farming
with lower capital investment.
SHORTS AND MIDDLINGS
Dormant sprays on Ohio fruit
trees should be applied when temper
atures are above 40 degrees Fahren
heit.
Meadows can be used for spring
pasture on farms where plenty of
hay is in sight. Moderate, early
"•razing w:’l delay haying a week or
longer, which sometimes is an advan
tage.
tom of friends and relatives to
manifst their humility by joining
the penitents, expressing a similar
contribution in their outward guise
and offering their foreheads ter the
ashes.
In time the number grew’ so large
that it was made necessary to ad
minister the ashes to the whole con
gregation in a single rite, the form
used at the present time.
Ash Wednesday was not always
included within the Lenten period.
In the fifth and sixth centuries Lent
began with the succeeding Sunday
and lasted six weeks. Omitting Sun
day this would be 36 days. The ad
dition of* four days to this period
makes the fast exactly 40 days in
duration and therefore accords with
the fast of Jesus as well as the
fasts of Moses and Elias,
The use of ashes in the eremony
lias generally been discontinued
tli' reformation. The entire
Christian world, however, starts the
Ash Wed-
no^'ay even though the form of the
celebration varies in the different re
ligious groups.