The Bluffton news. [volume], June 19, 1947, Image 1

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BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Live
VOLUME LXXn
CORN AT $2.05
REFLECTS POOR
CROP OUTLOOK
Highest Price In Recent Years
Quoted On Market Here
Wednesday
Reduced Corn Acreage Fore
casts Tight Livestock Feed
Situation
Reflecting growing pessimism on
crop prospects, corn rose to a rec
ord price of $2.05 a bushel on the
morn
years
above
Bluffton market Wednesday
ing. This is the first time in
that the local price has been
the two-dollar mark.
Fully realizing the seriousness of
the situation, farmers in the Bluff
ton district are making the most of
opportunities between showers to get
into the fields for late corn planting.
More Rain
Fair weather over the week end
which was interrupted by rain Tues
day found com and soybean plant
ers busy, although some farmers
were limited in planting of beans be
cause of shortage of seed.
While some varieties of seed com
are reported scarce, there is, on the
whole, comparatively little difficulty
on that score. Farmers are pro
ceeding with corn planting despite
lateness of the season on the theory
that a partial crop is better than
none at all.
A brighter spot in the current
crop situation is the outlook for
wheat which
been seriously
cessive wet weather. Although yields
per acre may not equal last year’s
figure, increased acreage is expected
to account for production at least as
great as last summer.
Albert S. Diller
Funeral Monday
Funeral services for Albert S. Dil
ler, 65, retired farmer, were held
Monday afternoon at the Ebenezer
Mennonite church of which he w’as
a member. His pastor, Rev. How
ard Landes officiated. Burial was
in the church cemetery.
Mr. Diller died at his home four
miles west of Bluffton, Saturday
morning following a two years’ ill
ness.
A son of Peter D. and Barbara
(Steiner) Diller, he was bom in
Allen county, May 9, 1882. He mar
ried Sarah Ann Geiger, April 10,
1910, and she survives with one son,
Clifton R. Diller at home.
Surviving also are four sisters,
Mrs. Peter C. Herr, Mrs. Peter
Nusbaum, and Miss Mary Diller,
all of Bluffton, and Miss Fannie
Diller, Chicago.
To Teach In Kenton
High School In Fall
James Griffith who completed five
and one-half years of service in the
Army has accepted a position as in
structor in political science in Ken
ton high school for the coming year.
Griffith, grandson of Mrs. John
Rogers and his wife, the former
Zitella Getties, daughter of Mr.
Mrs. Fred Getties are spending
summer here.
and
the
the
Griffith was discharged from
Army air corps with rank of cap
tain, having served for five years
as squadron commander and for six
months was clinical psychologist in
Brooke General Hospital, Fort Sam
Houston, Texas.
MOVE TO LIMA
of
to
Rolland Stratton* and family
South Main street have moved
Lima. Carl Devier of Lima who
purchased the Stratton property here
is moving to Bluffton.
BLUFFTON MARKETS
Wednesday Morning
Grain (bushel prices) Wheat
$2.40 com $2.05 oats $1 soys $2.80
Poultry—Heavy hens 25c leghorn
hens 20c heavy fryers 4 lbs. and
over 30c fryers 3 to 4 lbs., 28c
leghorn fryers 25c.
Eggs—Large whites 43c large
browns 41c.
Butterfat 64c.
James Howe At
Boys State Camp
Howe, a
worst
Farmers hampered by the
wet weather conditions in a genera
tion will be able to plant, at best,
only a sharply reduced corn acreage
and skyrocketing of corn prices they
say is a forecast of what is expect
ed to be a shortage of livestock feed
next winter.
Board of
Contract
apparently has not
damaged by the ex-
Sugar beet growers still have an
other week of normal planting sea
son in which to get out their crops.
Beets, according to agricultural ex
perts, may be planted satisfactorily
as late as June 25.
Work Will Start On Overall
Program Of Line Extension
In Six Districts
Federal Inspectors Make Barberry
Survey Here Fight Black Stem Rust
Howe, son of Mayor and
A. Howe, left Saturday for
Boys’ State, a 10-day
James
Mrs. W.
Buckeye
course in the application of practical
democracy held on the Ohio Wes
leyan university campus at
ware under
ican Legion
Dela
Amer-
auspices of Ohio
posts.
Bluffton High
sent to the state meet-
school
junior, was
ing by the Bluffton American Legion
post.
Boys’ State is incorporated into a
mythical 49th state composed of
three counties and 16 cities. An im
posing list of public officials and
other dignitaries will appear before
boys during the camp to explain the
intricacies of handling public affairs.
NEW WATER MAIN
CONSTRUCTION TO
START NEXT FALL
Water main extensions to new
Bluffton subdivisions and to elimin
ate unsatisfactory existing installa
tions will be started next fall when
initial delivery will be made on an
order for 5,500 feet of concrete pipe
placed last week by the board of pub
lic affairs.
In the contract let to the Johns
Manville Co., of Cleveland, the board
specified 2,000 feet of six-inch
site asbestos concrete pipe and
feet of four-inch pipe of the
material.
tran
3,400
same
order
Total cost of the 5,400-foot
will be $3,590. The Johns-Manville
Co. was the low-er of two bidders of
fering six-inch pipe at 86 cents a foot
and four-inch pipe at 55 cents a foot,
a spokesman for the board said.
Initial delivery on the order will be
next September, with the balance of
the pipe coming thru next May.
Extensive Program
In the overall water main exten
sion program, new* lines will be laid
six parts of the town, according
to plans announced this spring by
the board of public affairs.
Negotiations under w-ay for a site
on which a new w’ell will be estab
lished to serve the waterworks also
w’ill entail the laying of a consider
able amount of new water lines, it
was announced by the board.
To serve the new' building subdiv
ision opened by Harley Burkholder,
1,000 feet of six-inch line will be laid
on Cherry street
road.
Water for the
additions will be
feet of six-inch mains on Harmon
road to Bentley road. A connecting
line of 500 feet of smaller pipe will
be laid on Garau street from Main
street to Harmon road, replacing an
overloaded one-inch line.
Plans for Hydrant
Continuing expansion of water ser
vice in the same vicinity, 400 feet of
mains will be laid
from Harmon road
fire hydrant will be
the same district.
Another 1,000-foot project is plan
ned on Spring street from Elm to
Riley, w'here existing two-inch are
to be replaced by larger lines.
A new’ main also will be laid to
the Harmon field stadium by running
500 feet of pipe from Railroad street
to the recreation center.
Tw'o extensions serving districts
outside the corporation also have
been proposed. In one, a 600-foot line
will be laid on South Main street,
south from ,the corporation line. The
other involves laying 600 feet of line
on West College avenue to College
road, and 500 feet on College road
at the rear of the campus.
New Store’s Formal
Opening This Week
The firm of Prosser & Prosser an
nounce the formal opening of their
modern Firestone store in a three
days’ event this week on Thursday,
Friday and Saturday.
The store, successor to the Bluff
ton Implement & Harness company
purchased from Noah Niswander
early this spring has undergone ex
tensive remodeling and interior dec
orating in preparation for the open
ing event,
’lant Fungus, Nurtured by the
Barberry Spreads to Farm
Grain Crops
Previous Survey to Eradi
cate Barberry Was Made
Here 10 Years Ago
the
Three representatives o
United States Department of
culture, division of plant quarantine,
are making a survey of the Bluffton
area for eradication of the common
barberry shrub, which spreads black
stem rust to wheat, oats, barley and
Agri-
rye.
Their visit here is a re-check of
a survey made 10 years ago in 1937.
In this inspection they are especial
ly checking places where barberry
was found a decade ago.
Few barberry plants are found in
side the city limits, the inspectors
report. Generally the shrubs are
growing wild in the country, with
the plants starting from seeds car
ried by the birds and wind.
Kill Plants
Barberry found in town
by digging the shrub up
roots. In this country, an
tion of salt, heavy enough
down to the roots, is all
necessary to kill it off.
Lets
Of
Public Affairs
For 5,400 Feet
Concrete Pipe
is killed
by the
applica
te soak
that is
Property owmers rarely object to
destruction of the shrub, once they
understand the reason for the gov
ernment sponsored program of erad
ication.
Another species of barberry, wide
ly used as lawn shrubbery, etc., the
Japanese barberry, is harmless, the
inspectors say.
Grain Within Mile Affected
Grain, however, can be affected by
black stem rust within a one-mile
radius
shrub,
takes
plants
also ruptures the stems of the grain,
allowing much of the moisture to
evaporate.
of the common barberry
A fungus growth, the rust
all of its food from grain
which may be affected, and
Badly rusted fields yield light
weight and poor-quality grain. An
average-sized barberry bush can pro
duce more than 64.000,000,000 spores
at- one time, the inspectors pointed
i out.
common barberry bush is
identified, being a tall, erect
with many canes, of any
The
easily
shrub
height up to 10 feet. Its leaves are
green or purple, with sawtoothed
edges, and the outer bark is gray,
inner bark and root, bright yellow.
Boy Injured When
Thrown From Horse
James Williams, 16, of Indiana,
Pa., who is visiting his grandmother,
Mrs. Charles Gazette of North Main
street sustained a broken left
when he was thrown from a
Monday evening.
to the county line of Mr.
Matter and King
provided by 1,000
on Bentley road
east, and a new
installed to serve
ankle
horse
occurred young
as
boy, Wil
and Mrs.
Main and
The accident
Williams and a neighbor
bur Bracy, son
Homer Bracy of North
Washington streets were riding a
horse belonging to Fred Mueller liv
ing north on the Dixie highway.
The horse had been used to plow’
the Bracy garden Monday afternoon
and the two boys were riding the
animal back to Mueller’s farm when
it is thought to have shied at pass
ing traffic throwing the two boys to
the pavement. Bracy escaped with
minor bruises.
W’illiams was taken to Bluffton
hospital where medical attention wrns
given by Dr. F. D. Rodabaugh and
later removed to the home of his
grandmother on North Main street
where his condition is reported satis
factory.
Physician Ill
Dr.
physi
M. R. Bixel, Bluffton
is a patient in Bluffton hos
following a heart attack last
cian,
pital
Friday. His condition was reported
improved Wednesday morning.
Births
following births at Bluffton
The
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Myron Motter, Bluff
ton, a girl, Edna Kay, Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Clark Noonan, Ar
lington, a boyr, Robert Dana, Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Warren Morgan, Jr.,
Bluffton, a girl Judith Daub, Sun
day.
Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Schroeder,
Gilboa, a girl, Pamela Jo, last Wed
nesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Short, a girl,
Susan Elise, born at St. Rita’s hos
pital, Lima, Saturday. Mr. Short is
the son of Mr and Mrs. Elmer
Short of Bluffton.
*y
fit w
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO THURSDAY, JUNE 19,1947
TEACHERS SALARY
AID INVOLVED IN
LEGAL TAKGLES
Action By Bluff ion Board
Awaits Rulings Of Attorney
General
fe-------
Much Remains to be Done on
Pay Schedules Before July 1
Deadline
In tneir race against time to draft
new' salary schedule for Bluffton
public school teachers before the
July 1 deadline for notifying in
structors what their next year’s pay
will be, Bluffton’s board of educa
tion has run into further delays oc
casioned
school financial aid bill passed last
Sunday by the Ohio legislature.
a
by the ambiguity of a
No local action has been possible
so far because state officials have
been unable to advise school districts
as to the terms and amounts W'hich
will be allocated to*them in the way
of additional funds, Sept. Ralph
Lanham reported Tuesday night.
Definite advisement will not be
forthcoming until rulings are made
by the State Attorney General’s of
fice on indefinite phrasing of some
sections of the bill, Supt. Lanham
was told Tuesday by Columbus of
ficials.
With the July 1 deadline only 10
days away, the Bluffton board will
be in a position necessitating “many
meetings” as soon as the extent of
state aid can be determined, the
superintendent said.
Work On New Salary Scale
Every effort will be made to work
out the new salary plan before July
1, to comply with board indication
of last January promising a boost
in the pay schedule when additional
funds from the state were available.
Bluffton teachers received a minor
salary increase last January when
funds voted by the town in a special
two-mill levy the preceding Novem
ber became a
Under the when
17
schools closed
time and three part-time teachers
receive an average salary of $2,165.
This included a flat increase of $100
for each full-time instructor, plus
one per
for each
system,
years.
Teachers have until August 1 to
resign, one month after the deadline
on which they must be notified what
their salaries will be for the coming
year..
A. P. Photographer To
Cover Talent Climax
An Associated Press photographer
will be in Bluffton over the weekend
to photograph talent projects and in
gathering activities on the final day
of the Presbyterian church’s widely
publicized talent program, which
closes Sunday morning.
The Associated Press supplies the
nation’s daily newspapers with cur
rent news events, and coverage of
the climax of the talent program
will assure a feature news article
of widespread distribution.
Early last spring, the Presbyter
ian church launched the talent pro
ject with an unexpected distribution
of $10 bills to each member of the
congregation
service.
at a Sunday morning
of the money in com
admonition of the Bib-
Investment
pliance with
lical parable of the talents is to
yield funds for improvements to the
church building and parsonage.
Final reports of parishioners is to
be made at Sunday morning’s church
service.
Final group talent project under
the overall program is set for this
Saturday night when Teen-Agers
of the church hold an ice cream so
cial on the church*lawn. In case of
rain the social will be in the base
ment of the church.
During the remainder of this
week, handicraft talent projects of
church members will be offered
sale in the Waitermire store.
for
Y-Teen Girls At
Summer Conferences
Girls of the Y-Teen club of Bluff
ton high school are attending sum
mer conferences. Jean Burkholder
and Lois Marquart weie at Camp
Wildxvood near Westerville last
week.
This week Marilyn Fett, Wanda
Neiswander and Peggy Eckenwiler
are at Camp Inawendewin near
Canton.
Following a preliminary splurge
of sugar buying immediately follow
ing the end of rationing last Thurs
day, the demand was back to normal
the first of this week.
Excessive purchases were fore
stalled in local stores by informal
limits set by proprietors during the
first few days of rationing relaxa
tion, in order that there might be
enough to go around for all who
wished it.
By Wednesday of this week, how
ever, the temporary upsurge in de
mand had disappeared, leading to
the belief that the larders of most
homes were adequately stocked with
enough sugar to cover normal needs
and even take care of much of the
summer’s canning program.
Plenty of sugar is in warehouse
stocks, but because of transportation
(Continued on page 8)
Donations Will Help Finance
Year-Around Program for
Adults, Youngsters
Year-old Community Recreation
Program Has Accomplished
Many Objectives
House-to-house canvass of the
Bluffton community will be started
this Thursday to help finance a
continuation of Bluffton’s successful
start early last summer.
Demand For Sugar Returns To Normal
Following End-of-Rationing Splurge
Goal of the drive, continuing until
June 27, is set at $3,000.
Continuation and further expan
sion of the recreation program de
pends on the community’s response
in the drive necessary to finance ex
penditures, regarded by the sponsors
as an. investment in health, happi
ness and a better community.
I Under the direction of the recrea
tion committee, an organized pro-
Z.rom
cent of the previous salary
year of service in the local
up to a miximum of 14
was
Many Activities
Unused Harmon field tennis courts
w'ere reworked and put into shape,
and the grade school playground
was hardsurfaced to provide a suit
able play spot when other ground is
too w’et.
An addition to Harmon field equip
ment has been a new playground
for kiddies, complete with swings,
teeter-totters, a slide and sandboxes.
Picnic tables also have been placed
on the field for family use. Lighted
horse shoe and shuffle board courts
will be added this summer.
During the winter, the recreation
committee operated a winter pro
gram, including basketball leagues
for adults and children, w’hich proved
very popular.
This year the program has grown
to larger proportions and the need
for continued financial support is
greater than ever. Last year funds
wrere received from the 4th of July
Rodeo which is unavailable this year.
Urge Support
Clean, wholesome, organized rec
reation is the best activity any com
munity can have, committee spokes
men say, and is something that
should be provided for groups of
ages w’ho care to participate
watch.
Gets Music Degree
At
Miss
louse-To-House Canvass Launched
To Raise Recreation Program Funds
revived at Harmon field
last summer for adults and children,
with a full-time recreation director
on the job to supervise field activity.
all
or
in
At this time the balance
recreation treasury is at its low-est
ebb and immediate, and substantial
income is needed from this present
drive if we are to continue our pro
posed program.
Review Program
During the past year the recrea
tion committee has provided the fol
lowing recreation facilities and acti
vities for this community: supervised
daily play for children at Harmon
Field, including ball games of all
kinds, croquet, tennis, etc. condition
ed unused Hannon Field tennis
courts for play installed new nets
on Harmon Field courts boys soft
ball league men’s soft-ball league.
New swings, see-saws, sand-boxes
and slide for children’s playground
west of stadium resurfaced and re
graded grade school ground, fitting
it for play in wet weather resur
faced under and outside Harmon
Field stadium resodded the football
field provided care taker for Har
mon Field tennis courts provided all
needed equipment for games in the
Harmon Field summer program.
Weekly winter basket ball league
for younger men in the high school
gym weekly winter basket ball and
volley ball league for older men in
the college gym winter recreation
for grade school children on Satur
day afternoons in high school gym
Eastman School
Barbara Jean Triplett,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
youngest
R. L. Triplett of Camp us Drive was
graduated from the Eastman School
of Music, Rochester, N.. ¥., at com
mencement exercises Monday morn
ing.
She received the degree of Bache
lor of Music, together writh a super
visor’s certificate in public school
music and the performer’s certificate
in percussion.
Specializing in percussion, she ap
peared in radio concerts this spring
as tympani and marimba soloist
with the symphony orchestra of the
Eastman school.
TOWNSHIP’S ROAD
PROGRAM DELAYED
BY WET WEATHER
Rains Hamper Project of Rich
land Trustees and Allen
County
Seven Miles of Highways
Benefit in $11,500 Summer
Project
to
Richland towmship’s $11,500 sum
mer program of re-surfacing seven
miles of roads which got under way
the past week has been delayed by
wet weather which has hampered
virtually all other outdoor activity
this spring.
Treatment which the roads fcwjll re
ceive ?an be done only when the htgh
I way is dry, it was pointed out Thurs
day and sustained activity on the
program, cost of which is being
shared equally by the township and
Allen county commissioners must a
wait more favorable weather.
Summer work on roads in the
towmship will be limited, because the
extent of the program will be govern
ed by funds available in the township
treasury.
Four miles of “sealed coat” re-sur
facing will be included in the im
provement program. In addition,
three miles of township roads will
be treated with “mat” improvement.
Foundation Coat
The mat consists of a three-inch
tar and oil mix applied to gravel
roads, principally as a foundation
coat. In the year after a mat coat is
placed on a road, a sealing surface
is added by spreading
coating of asphalt mix.
a one-inch
placed
of the
county
township.
Former Rockport
Resident Is
this
Fett
line
mile
Lin-
Sealed coats will be
summer on three miles
road from the Putnam
to the Rockport road, and one
of the Swaney road between the
coin and Dixie highways.
Mat treatment will be on two miles
of the Bixel-Grisinore road from the
Pandora road to the Fett road, and
on one mile of the Swaney road from
the Lincoln highway south to the
Jackson township line. The
road w’ill then connect with a
surfaced road previous
Jackson
latter
hard
in by
ily put
other
Repair and patching of
township roads also will be done dur
ing the summer by the county road
crew, including work on the Rock
port road from the Dixie highway
w’est to Rockport, it was announced.
Dead
farmer,
home in
Wm. Hall, 75, retired
died Tuesday night at his
Harrod following an extended ill
ness. For many years he was a res
ident of Rockport.
Surviving are his wife, the former
Lulu Boyer also four sons Lyle of
Roundhead, Cloyd and Harold of
Harrod and LaVeme Hall of Des
Moines, Iowa, and two daughters
Mrs. Coda Williams and Mrs. May
me Shinaberry of Harrod.
Funeral services will be held Fri
day afternoon at 2:30 o’clock at the
Christian church, Harrod, with Rev.
Willard Thomas officiating. Inter
ment in the Salem cemetery near
Harrod.
provided equipment and supervision
for entire winter program and pro
vided ice skating on college tennis
courts.
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Trade
NUMBER 9
DELEGATION FROM
BLUFFTON COLLEGE
ON EUROPEAN TOUR
ive from Local School Will
Sail Saturday from New
York City
Mennonite Educational Group
Will Be Overseas for Two
Months This Summer
President L. L. Ramseyer and four
Bluffton college students and gradu
ate representatives will sail
New York City this Saturday
two-months summer European
cation tour for participants
American Mennonite colleges.
from
on a
edu
from
Accompanying President Ramseyer
on the tour will be Ronald Rich,
Washington, III., junior Esther Bohn,
Pandora senior, and Maynard and
Mrs. Griselda Shelly, graduates.
The group will meet Friday at Ak
ron, Pa., and will sail Saturday from
New York City on the Marine Tiger,
a former troop transport fitted by the
state department for student trans
portation to Europe during the com
ing summer.
Two Ships For Tours
Two ships are used for the student
tour program this summer, each of
which will make four round trips.
Other colleges also are sending stu
dent groups overseas.
Arriving in England on June 30,
the Mennonite group will tour that
country until July 6, when they are
scheduled to go to Paris.
On July 9, the group will arrive in
Brussels, Belgium, then go on to Hol
land on July 12. During the w’eek of
August 11, they will tour Luxem
bourg, Alsace Lorraine then go to
Switzerland for a week on
15.
August
First Project
its kind
Menno-
This is the first project of
undertaken in the American
nite denomination to get a better
understanding with the denomination
overseas.
Each student pays his own way.
Bluffton, Hesston,
Biblical, Goshen, Messiah Bible, Free
man Junior, Bethel, Beulah and the
Eastern Mennonite school.
Lions Club Hears
Findlay Executive
Paul Barrett, personnel director
of the Ohio Oil Co., was the speaker
Tuesday night at a dinner meeting
of the Bluffton Lions club in the
Walnut Grill. The Findlay person
nel official is one of the best known
speakers in this area.
0
HAR.R.Y L. HAL*
Editor’s Note—Thia
of a series of articles to
in the Bluffton News
with early Ohio history,
will appear
issues.
is one
appear
dealing
Others
in forthcoming
Mad Ann’s Converts
It is on the road map, just a few
houses—and that’s about all that can
be said about Union Village, Warren
County, where a century ago Ohio’s
greatest experiment in birth control
flourished, dwindled and died.
On a 4,000-acre tract now occupied
by the village, the Lebanon Prison
Farm and some privately owned farm
land, once lived the Shakers—of
ficially known as the United Society
of Believers
pearance.
in Christ’s Second Ap-
and wives joining the
spearated and families
Husbands
order were
were broken up. Members lived in the
most
floor
large
were
from
strict celibacy, the men on one
and the women on another, of
“group” homes. The groups
called families and numbered
30 to 90 persons.
“Brothers” and Sisters
The men were called
the women, sisters. To
a sister was assigned,
mending, washing and
him in general. The men and women
never were allowed to meet alone,
however.
‘Sisters”
brothers and
each brother
who did his
looked after
To retain and augment its num
bers, the society depended on the a
doption of orphans from elsewhere.
That succeeded for nearly 50 years
until unattached orphans began to be
taken care of by churches with a
more sound foundation and their in
filtration into the Shakers stopped.
son was permitted. The men dressed
(Continued on page 8)