The Bluffton news. [volume], July 17, 1947, Image 1

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

Image provided by: Ohio History Connection, Columbus, OH

                
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Live
VOLUME LXXII
BIG TRAILER LOOSE
FROM TRUCK RUNS
WILD THRU STREET
Accident Occurs on South Main
Street Early Wednesday
Morning
Steel Loaded Trailer Goes Over
Sidewalk Into Harold Koch
Lawn
A heavily loaded 4-wheel trailer
hitched to a semi-truck-trailer outfit
broke loose from its hitching and
careened wildly for more than 200
feet on South Main street, Wednes
day morning finally coming to I a
stop in the yard of Harold Koch a
short distance south of the Bentley
road intersection.
The accident occurred at 7 o’clock
in the morning and the trailer was
reported still in the yard late in
the forenoon awaiting aid to extri
cate it.
No one was injured and the trail
er and its contents apparently were
undamaged. The heavily traveled
Dixie highway which follows Bluff
ton’s Main street through town was
momentarily free of traffic, avoiding
what might have been a serious ac
cident.
Loaded
with
Steel
The driver gave his name as Leo
Stout of Bay Bridge, near Sandusky,
employed by the Russell Truck Line
Co., also of Bay Bridge, owner of
the equipment.
Load of the trailer consisting of
steel castings enroute from Sandus
ky to the Lima Locomotive works
was estimated by observers here at
about ten tons.
Police reported the driver as say
ing that the trailer came loose from
the truck in front of the Myron
Matter residence where the black
top dressing of the road has been
worn off exposing the brick pave
ment underneath making a small
dip in the highway.
The trailer, headed south, ran
alongside the truck for a short dis
tance, then swerved across the street
over the sidewalk with the front
wheels at the top of a smalt terrace
in front of the Koch residence, form
erly the home of the late John Fett,
Bluffton hardware merchant. There
was no one on the sidewalk at the
time of the accident.
The Koch family is out of town
on a month’s vacation in Wisconsin
and there was no one in the house
when the accident occurred.
Implement Store Is
Enlarging Quarters
C. F. Niswander, Bluffton farm
implement dealer is enlarging his
South Main .treet establishment by
building an addition to the rear of
his present quarters.
The addition is a one story struc
ture of brick and concrete and will
consist of a farm machinery repair
shop 40 by 60 feet and a ware
house 22 by 80 feet. Francis Moser
has contract for the construction.
Part of the site for the new build
ing was previously occupied by a
smaller warehouse which has been
torn down to make room for the
larger structure. Additional ware
house facilities have been provided
by leasing the two story brick build
ing from Dr. Gordon Bixel at the
rear of the latter’s optometrical
offices.
The new’ structure is expected th
be completed by September 1 after
which repair and warehouse depart
ments will be moved to the rear of
the establishment, leaving the front
for office quarters and display floor
for farm implements and household
appliances.
Honor Roll Taken
To Legion Hall
Bluffton’s honor roll, listing names
of men of this community who
served in World War II has been
removed from the high school
grounds to the Legion hall where it
will be preserved along -with other
military records of the Civil and
Spanish American wars and World
War I.
The honor roll was erected jointly
by Bluffton Legion post and the
Legion Auxiliary with funds raised
by popular subscription.
To Teach Commercial
Subjects At Defiance
Miss Geneva Hankish who was
graduated from Bluffton college this,
spring has accepted a position as in
structor in the commercial depart
ment of Defiance high school, teach
ing typing and shorthand. She is
the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Chas.
Hankish of South Mam street. k
Two wallets which looked as much
alike as two peas in a pod made an
embarrassing situation for Arvin
Scheele of Bluffton not to mention a
lot of worry for a Wapakoneta
woman.
It all started in a Lima auto ac
cessory store Saturday afternoon
when a clerk found a wallet lying
on the counter and inquired if any
one had lost it.
Scheele standing nearby claimed it
believing it to be his own—until he
arrived home and found he had two
wallets, exactly alike, instead of
one.
WHEAT HARVEST
IN AREA WILL BE
LATEST IN YEARS
Virtually None of Stand Cut
Until Latter Part of
July
Prospect for Better Than
Average Yield As Price
Hits $2.30
Bluffton area farmers will cut
wheat the latter part of July, the
latest wheat harvest in recent years.
A survey of the situation the first
of the week failed to disclose any
harvesting with exception of a few
scattered fields cut with binders
near Delphos.
Any wheat acreage cut in this vi
cinity before the middle of the
month is negligible, leaving virtually
all of the crop to be harvested the
last of this month, some two weeks
later than usual.
Growing practice of combining the
crop instead of using' binders is
making’1 cutting later than*in pre
vious years as the combine handles
the grain at a more ripened stage.
Stand Ripe
Cutting of the stand, now ripe is
expected to get under way the last
of this week, unless showers preva
lent the first of the week continue.
Farmers predicting a yield better
than average, but below that of last
year’s bumper crop were heartened
by a price of $2.30 a bushel quoted
for new wheat on the Bluffton
market Wednesday morning.
A note of caution in forecasts of
yield was voiced by some growers,
however, who said that rust, result
ing from unseasonably wet weather
might make the crop smaller than
had been anticipated.
Golden Wedding Of
Beaverdam Couple
Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Augsburger,
for many years residents of Beaver
dam wilk observe their Golden w’ed
ding anniversary next Sunday.
They will receive friends at a re
ception and open house in the after
noon from 2 to 4 o’clock at the home
of their son, Russell Augsburger,
two miles east of Beaverdam on the
Lincoln highway.
The couple .were married July 10,
1897 at the home of the officiating
minister, Rev. W. S. Culp of the
Lafayette Methodist church. Mrs.
Augsburger is the former Adda
Larue.
For the past 25 years they have
lived in Beaverdam. Mr. Augsburg
er, a retired oil field worker is jani
tor of the Beaverdam Methodist
church. Both he and his wife are
72 years of age.
Besides their son Russell, they
have two other children, Mrs. Dor
tha Shaffer and Robert Augsburger
of Lima.
Mr. Augsburger has a brother,
Dan Augsburger of near Ada and a
sister, Mrs. Emma Scoles of near
Beaverdam.
Mrs. Augsburger’s four brothers
are Ira Larue, California Guy of
Harrod, Norval and Otis Larue of
Lima. Three sisters are Mrs. Em
ma Baker, Grinnell, Iowa Mrs.
Hettie Younkman and Mrs. Eva
Arnold of Beaverdam.
Open North Main
Filling Station
Fred McMillen and Dale Kindle
of Ada have opened the Mobil gas
filling station at North Main and
Jefferson streets. The station has
been closed since the first of the
year
Two Identical Wallets Embarrass
Bluffton Man Worry Wapak Woman
Former Bluffton Youth In China
Has Brush With Communist Army
Meanwhile Mrs. Gilva Kellerman
of Wapakoneta reported to the Lima
police the loss of her ■wallet contain
ing $110 in bills. Mrs. Kellerman
said she had entered the store to
get change for a parking meter and
walked out, leaving her wallet on
the counter. She returned later to
learn that it had been claimed by
an unidentified man.
Scheele returned the purse to the
Lima police, Monday, explaining
that it was an exact duplicate of his
wallet which he thought he had lost
in the store.
Robert Pannabecker in Recoil*
struction Work Encounters
Rebel Forces
Program is Twice Interruptec
When Communist Army
Overruns Province
Robert Pannabecker, former Bluff
ton youth now in reconstruction
work in China w’as in the midst of
a tense situation recently when
Chinese Communist forces overran
Honan Province in which he is lo
cated, according to reports received
here the first of the week.
Pannabecker, son of Dr. and Mrs.
S. F. Pannabecker of Chicago, who
made their residence here until last
fall, left a year ago for China to
teach the natives modern mechanical
farming methods under a program
sponsored by the Church of the
Brethren.
Communists Come Twice
Operations in Honan province
were interrupted twice when the
Communist forces moved in, but des
pite the tense situation unit mem
bers reported no personal or prop
erty damage.
With the Communist army driven
out, the Brethren service units ex
pect to have more than 650 tractors
in operation soon in its program of
training native farmers in the use
of mechanized equipment. Work
was resumed within a few days
after Chinese government forces had
made the area secure.
In the early stages of the training
program progress has been slow be
cause of floods and scarcities of
equipment, but additional plows, cul
tivators, grain drills and tillers have
now been put into service to assure
success of the project.
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. James Mayer, Shel
by, a girl, Julia Ann, last Wednes
day night. Mrs. Mayer is the form
er Margaret Jane Basinger of Bluff
ton.
Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Young, Leip
sic, a girl, Susan Ruth, last Wed
nesday night.
Mr. and Mrs. Carl Lehman, Bluff
ton, a girl, Susan Carol, Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Deitrick,
Mt. Cory, a girl, Donna Jean, Sat
urday.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Diller, Bluff
ton, a girl, Rene Cherie, Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. Lowell Weaver,
Bluffton, a girl, Patricia Yvonne,
Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Reichen
bach, Bluffton, a girl, Linda Jane,
Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Mericle,
Bluffton, a boy, John David, Sun
day.
Mr. and Mrs. Lowell Shimp, Cin
cinnati, a boy, David Odell, Sunday.
Mrs. Shimp is the former Eloise
Alspach of Bluffton.
Mr and Mrs. Otho Greenawalt,
East Leroy, Mich., a girl, Monday.
Mrs. Greenawalt is the former Dor
othy Fett of Bluffton.
Mr. and Mrs. Emerson Basinger,
Pandora, a boy, Wednesday morn
ing.
Mr. and Mrs. Neil Baumgartner,
a girl, Sarah Lynne, born at Ur
bana, Ill., Thursday. Mr. Baum
gartner is the son of Mr. and Mrs.
Lyle Baumgartner of Mishawaka,
Ind., formerly of Bluffton.
Dr. and Mrs. Paul Kliewer, a girl
born at Lakeview, Oregon, Thurs
day. Dr. Kliewer is the son of Rev.
and Mrs. P. A. Kliewer of Albany,
Oregon, formerly of Bluffton.
One quart of concentrated 25 per
cent DDT mixed with 39 quarts of
water will make the 0.5 per cent
spray recommended to protect live
stock from flies. Two quarts sprays
one cow.
111E BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, JULY 17, 1917
STRANGE OBJECT
SEEN HERE LIKE
FLYING SAUCERS
Farmer Reports Seeing Lightet
Body at Night at Treetop
Height
No Trace Is Found in Search
Throughout Area on Fol
lowing Morning
Bluffton made the grade in the fly
ing saucer parade last week when
Henry G. Reichenbach, 74, farmer,
saw a strange illuminated object fly
ing at tree top height over his farm,
four miles northwest of Bluffton,
about 11 p. m.
Traveling at low altitude, the aer
ial phenomenon had an appearance
something similar to a meteor, Reich
enbach reported, and after passing
overhead it remained in sight until
it went thru the top of a tall tree.
Standing in his yard, Reichenbach
noticed a ball of light traveling to
ward him. At times, there appeared
to be two lights, and the illuminated
object was visible until it reached the
tree.
Members of the family who search
ed the area near the tree the next
morning found no trace of the ob
ject, linked by many with the flying
saucers reported in widespread dis
tricts thruout the country.
Local Woman's Father
I s Fatally Scalded
D. N. Claudon, 80, father of Mrs.
Clarence Diller of South Jackson
street died at his home in Valpa
raiso, Ind., from severe burns caused
by scalding water which he inad
vertently turned on while taking a
bath.
The accident occurred May 23
while Mr. and Mrs. Claudon were
visiting at the home df their daugh
ter Mrs. Albert Morehead in Phila
delphia.
Mr. Claudon, alone in the bath
room with the dpor k overcome
by shock of the scalding water and
unable to extricate himself from the
bath tub was badly burned before
aid could reach him.
He was removed to his home in
Valparaiso where he died on Tues
day of last w’eek. Funeral services
were held at Valparaiso, Saturday,
attended by Mr. and Mrs. Diller and
family.
Surviving are his wife, five
daughters and tw’O sons.
Delvin Kirchhofer
Married At Kidron
Delvin Kirchhofer, Bluffton college
graduate and son of the late Mr.
and Mrs. Daniel Kirchhofer of
Wayne county and Miss Helen Ruth
Moser, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Martin Moser of Orrville were mar
ried Saturday evening at the Kidron
Mennonite church near Dalton in
Wayne county.
Rev. I. W. Royer, of the Orrville
Mennonite church and pastor of the
bride officiated assisted by her
cousin, Rev. Allen Bixler of Kidron.
Miss Elma Bixler and Ivan
Badertscher, both of Orrville were
bridesmaid and best man respective
ly.
Following the ceremony a recep
tion was held at the home of the
bride’s cousin, Monroe Lehman *of
Orrville after which the couple left
on a trip to Canada.
This fall they will reside in
Leitersburg, Maryland, where he
will be in charge of a new hospital
for mentally ill which is being open
ed by the Mennonite Central Com
mittee.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Kirchhofer
W’ere in relief work in the Near East
war area. He also taught in Ar
lington and Delphos high schools.
Mrs. Kirchhofer is a graduate of
Goshen college and LaJunta hospital
in Colorado. Her wedding gown
was a white silk sari which she ob
tained while in relief work in India.
Those from Bluffton attending the
wedding were Mr. and Mrs. D. W.
Bixler, Mr. and Mrs. D. C. Bixel,
Misses Dora and Fem Bixel, Mr.
and Mrs. Millard Oberly, Kenneth
Hartman, Gordon Bixel, Jr. Mrs.
Catherine Badertscher and Misses
Dora and Stella Kirchhofer.
Bluffton Estate Is
Filed In Probate
Estate of the late Mrs. Fiana
Steiner of Bluffton was filed in the
Allen county probate court, Thurs
day. Her daughter, Mrs. Naomi
Hause of Rawson was named execu
trix. Estimated value of the estate
is $25,000 of which $24,O(jo is in
real estate.
House-to-house solicitation for
funds to finance Bluffton’s year
round recreation program so far
has yielded $791, according to an
incomplete report of the canvass
made at a meeting of the Bluffton
Recreation committee, Tuesday night.
inal calls in the solicitation will
be made w-ithin the next week, and
anyone missed by canvassers may
mail in their contribution, or notify
Chairman N. A. Triplett.
In addition to solicitation receipts,
a total of $107.22 has been collected
so far at softball games, which com
prises a fund to pay for lights, re
sod the football field, etc.
Present balance on hand for re
creation expenditures is $985.
A busy summer program is under
way at Harmon field under the su
pervision of Recreation Director Rog
er Howe, including softball league
Play, games for children, playground
activity, tennis play, etc.
Bluffton Lions Are Conducted
on Tour Thru Plant Tues
day Evening
Eighty Tons of Milk from
Bluffton Area Farms Pro
cessed Daily
Bluffton Lions club got a close-up
view’ of a major Bluffton industry
which processes 80 tons of milk
daily w’hen they W’ere conducted on
a tour of the Page Dairy plant, fol
lowing their dinner meeting at the
Walnut Grill.
Members were guests of Harry
Turner, superintendent of the plant
and member of the club who ex
plained processes involved in hand
ling the huge quantity of milk which
comes every morning by trucks
w’hich cover a wide radius of mod
ern dairy farms throughout _the
Bluffton area.
The plant has a receiving capacity
of 30,000 pounds hourly and two
thirds of this quantity is separat
ed.
The major task of the local plant
is in the preparation of dried skijn
med solids, with 11,000 processed
daily. One ton of fluid milk is re
quired to make 200 pounds of dried
milk. Most of this product is ship
ped to Boston or Providence, R. I.
Refreshments of ice cream were
provided by Supt. Turner after in
spection of the plant.
D. W. Bixler, newly elected presi
dent of the club presided at the din
ner in the Walnut grill following
w’hich C. B. Fett recounted high
lights of his trip to Florida early in
July during w’hich time he enjoyed
a deep sea fishing expedition with
How’ard TriplehOrn, former Bluffton
resident, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred
Triblehom of this place.
Leave To Locate
In Texas Valley
Cecil Thompson and sister Miss
Mae Thompson left Saturday for
Mission, Texas, in the Rio Grande
valley where they expect to locate.
They recently sold their farm, the
former Allen Thompson place in
Orange township to Abe Baumgart
ner. Cecil w’as employed as a ma
chinist in the Westinghouse plant
in Lima.
House Is Ransacked
While Gone On Trip
While they w’ere gone on a trip
to California, the home of Mr. and
Mrs. Philip Dye of Wellston was
ransacked, according to word re
ceived here the first .of the week.
Mrs. Dye is the former Esta Lugi
bill of Bluffton. Her husband is in
structor in Wellston high school.
Authorities reported that they be
lieved nothing of value was found
how’ever, they are awaiting the re
turn of the family from the west in
order to complete their investigation.
Awarded Painting
Job At High School
Frank Neuenschwander was
awarded the contract for outside
painting at the high school building
at his bid of $1,304 by the board of
education at its meeting last Wed
nesday night.
Neuenschwander’s contract pro
vides for two coats of paint on win
dow frames, doors and other outside
work, together with calking of win
dow’s and removal of vines where
necessary. His was the lower of
two bids submitted.
Recreation Drive Nets $791 So Far
Busy Summer Program Is Under Ulv
Page Dairy Plant, Major Bluffton
Industry, Visited By Luncheon Club
Teaching Vacancies*
Here Are Still Ohen
Two vacancies in the teaching
staff of the Bluffton schools the
result of resignations last we« are
still open, it was stated Tuesday by
Supt. Ralph Lanham.
acancies are those caused by the
resignation of John Martin, in
structor in music and Mrs. Dwight
Spaythe, teacher of the second grade.
The resignations were made last
w’eek shortly before the J«ly 10
deadline. There have been other
resignations, Supt. Lanham stated.
Under provisions of the new state
law, teachers have until July 10 to
resign, after which time the board
of education may refuse to release
them from their contracts for the
coming year. Previously the dead
line for resignations w*as August 1.
SCHOOL OPERATION
WILL COST $88,756
DURING THIS YEAR
1947 Expenditures Are More
Than $18,000 Greater
Than in 1946
Estimated Expenditures for
1948 are $93,213 to Keep
Pace with Costs
Bluffton public school expenditures
in 1947 will be $88,756.96, or a Lit al
of $18,109.47 more than in 1946/ac
cording to estimates in a budget^ ap
proved by the board of education.
The 1947 figure is baaj^on aljual
expenditures for the firffnrolrTFthe
year, and estimates for the amount
to be paid out for school purposes
during the last six months.
Next year’s expenditures will rise
again by slightly more than $4,000,
the budget estimate show’ed, with
1948 school expenses set at an esti
mated figure of $93,213.86.
In 1945 school expenditures were
$67,216.64, a figure $25,997.22 under
the estimate for 1948.
$49,168 For Teachers
Included in 1947 expenditures of
$88,756.96 are $49,168 for teachers,
as compared with $41, 207.05 in 19
46. School administration salary ex
penditure for the same period in
creased from $4,610 to $5,800.
Cost of maintaining school build
ings will show a marked increase for
1947, with expenditures of $5,264.06
more than double the $2,316.59 figure
spent in 1946. In 1945 $1,072.80 w’ere
spent for the same purpose. In ad
dition, a sum of $5,000 is set aside
for installation of a new grade school
heating plant.
Receipts for 1947 will be $88,846.
28, with an estimated balance of $89.
32 remaining unspent at the‘close of
the year.
Receipts for the year include
$10,000 from a special two mill levy
voted at the polls last November.
Receipts Gain
General property tax receipts rep
resent more than half of the $88
846.28 figure, bringing $49,075 as
compared to $35,987.74 last year.
School foundation funds for 1947 will
move up to a mark of $27,421.01 from
$20,050.60.
Outstanding bonded indebtedness
of the school system stands at $37,
900, which is being liquidated at a
tax levy of 2.4 mills. AH bonds will
be retired by 1952 at the present
schedule.
In addition, the school is financed
by a three mill special levy passed
by voters in 1945 and a tw*o mill
special levy approved at the polls
last year.
To Attend Youth
Meet At Lakeside
A delegation from the Bluffton
Methodist church will leave Sunday
for Lakeside to attend a youth con
ference of that denomination next
week. Five hundred are expected to
attend.
Going from here are Marlene
Berry, Sara Jane Huser, Peggy
Eckcnwikr, Kay Berry, Pau! Cram
er and Rev. and Mrs. Paul Cramer.
Rev, Cramer will be director of
recreation during the conference
with Paul Cramer in charge of
equipment. Mrs. Cramer will serve
as dean of women.
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Trade
________ NUMBER 13
COLLEGE TO LIMIT
SIZE OF INCOMING
FRESHMAN CLASS
Enrollment of First Year Stu
dents to be Restricted to
135
Enrollments Still Being Accept
ed Student Body of 300
Expected
Bluffton college is expected to fol
low the lead of other Ohio colleges
in limiting the size of its fall en
rollment it was indicated the first
of the week.
While no definite steps have yet
been taken, it was announced by a
college spokesman that because of
physical limitations it will be neces
sary to restrict enrollment in the
freshman class this fall to 135 stu
dents, the size of last year’s in
coming class.
Enrollment in all classes still is
being accepted at the college, but
by late summer it is expected that
the local institution will have closed
the doors to additional registrants,
as many schools of the state already
have dene.
Bluffton's enrollment last year was
at an all-time high of 270, and
estimates are set at 300 for this
year, principally because of another
large first-year class.
With prospective enrollment in
dicating that classes will be crowd
ed even more than last year, women
will continue to be housed in Lincoln
hall, former men’s dormitory’, which
was used for coeds last year for the
first time.
Men again will be in Ropp hall,
a smaller dormitory, formerly used
for women. Altho there probably
w’ill be more men than women stu
dents it is more practicable for men
to be housed in rooms in the towm.
With the incoming freshman class
registration set at 135, and total en
rollment at 3'0, more than one-third
of the student body will be in the
first-year class.
15 From Here At
Boy Scout Camp
Fifteen members of Bluffton Boy
Scout troop No. 56 left last Sunday
for one week at the Shawnee Area
camp at Defiance.
Robert Oberly, acting scoutmaster,
accompanied the scouts for the
camping period. The trip was made
in a- truck provided by Dick Ha
begger, with Troop Committeeman
Robert Luginbuhl accompanying the
group.
Included in Bluffton’s representa
tion at the camp are Don Bader
tscher, David Bixel, Don Burkholder,
Arlen Campbell, Lynn Carmack,
Ronny Conaway, Pau! Cramer,
James Green, Frederick Habegger,
Bruce Hauenstein, Karl Klassen,
Richard Patterson, Charles Schu
macher, Don Trippiehorn and John
Trippiehorn.
More than 150 boys are registered
at the camp for this week’s camping
period. Kenneth Oberly, of Bluffton,
scoutrpaster of Troop 56, is Camp
Director this summer. On the sen
ior staff he is assisted by three oth
er Bluffton scout leaders, Don Augs
burger, Robert Stratton and Charles
Trippiehorn.
Assistant Scoutmaster Bill Am
stutz and Roger Howe visited the
camp last Sunday, and this Wednes
day Karl Gable, troop committee
chairman Paul Wingate, committee
man, and Bill Amstutz will attend
special campfire services.
Church Workers Meet
On College Campus
One hundred adult workers of the
Congregational Christian denomina
tion closed a six day conference
Tuesday on the Bluffton college
campus.
In connection with the conference
there was organized a laboratory
training school for 50 children, 30
of whom were from the Bluffton
grade school.
Director of the school was Rev.
E. W. Wilcox of Kent assisted by
Rev. W. T. Matters, Columbus Miss
Priscilla Chase, Cleveland, and Miss
Grace Storms, Boston.
BLUFFTON MARKETS
Wednesday Morning
Grain (bushel prices) New
wheat $2.30 corn $2.15 oats $1.08
Poultry—Heavy hens 26c heavy
frvers 4 lbs., and up 29c fryers
under 4 lbs., 27c leghorn hens 21c
leghorn fryers 23c.
Eggs—Large whites 52c large
browns 50c.
Butterfat—71c.