The Bluffton news. [volume], September 11, 1947, Image 1

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BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Live
VOLUME LXXII
MOTORIST’S PURSE
VANISHES AND SO
DOES HITCH-HIKER
Police Looking for Transient
Picked up Here Tuesday
Night.
Toledo Man Who Befriended
Hitch-hiker in Findlay Hos
pital After Crash.
A Toledo motorist who picked up
a hitch-hiker on Bluffton’s Main
street Tuesday night is in the Find
lay hospital with injuries as the re
sult of an accident shortly there
after
The Toledo man’s wallet is miss
ing—so is the hitch-hiker and sta|e
patrolmen are searching for both
and also an unknown car ■whose driv
er is believed to have caused the ac
cident.
The Toledo man, James Blakely,
f4, northbound thru Bluffton pick
ed up the hitch-hiker about 10:30
p. m., who said he was going to De
troit. Approaching the Rawson
road intersection, Blakely lost con
trol of his car in avoiding a colli
sion with a southbound car making
a left turn into the filling station at
the comer. The Toledo car ran into
a fence throwing the driver into a
field.
When the gas station attendant
heard Blakely calling for aid, he
went to his assistance rather than
pump the gasoline for his customer.
Apparently believing that his
turning in front of the Blakely car
caused the accident, the unknown
driver left the gas station. The pa
trol is on the lookout for the un
known car.
.The Otto ambulance from Rawson
brought the injured Toledo man to
Findlay hospital. The hitch-hiker,
uninjured, riding in the back of the
ambulance with Blakely asked the
ambulance driver to turn out the
light in the rear of the ambulance.
About fifteen minutes after ar
rival at the Findlay hospital it was
discovered that Blakeley’s wallet con
taining between $200 and $300 was
missing and that the hitch-hiker had
vanished.
Blakely is suffering back and pos
sible internal injuries.
Only a sketchy description of the
hitch-hiker is available for the po
lice to work on as little attention
was paid to the transient.
Second Collision
At Intersection
The Spring and Elm street inter
section was the scene of the second
traffic accident in two weeks when
cars driven by Paul Quenzer of
Omaha, Nebraska, and Mrs. Beatrice
Wells of West Elm street collided
Friday afternoon at 3:30 o’clock
during a heavy rainstorm.
Marshal Lee Coon who checked
the accident said Quenzer was driv
ing north on Spring street and Mrs.
Wells eastbound on Elm street. The
Wells car sustained some body dam
age. No one was injured.
Quenzer was here to attend the
wedding of his brother, Adolph, of
Paso Robles, Calif., to Miss Marie
Winkler which took place at the col
lege chapel Friday evening.
An accident occurred at the same
place two weeks ago when Tom
Burkholder 19-year-old Pandora
motorcyclist collided with an auto
mobile driven by John Shromquist
of Lima.
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Stewart,
Columbus Grove, a girl, Barbara
Lynn, last Wednesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Carl Hissong, Ben
ton Ridge, a girl, Brendd Karol,
Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Schey, Leip
sic, a boy, Terry Lee, Friday. Mrs.
Schey is the former Vidella Bucher
of Columbus Grove.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Reese, Ben
ton Ridge, a boy, Ray Terry, Sun
day.
Mr. and Mrs. James Koogler,
Lima, a boy, James Lynn, Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Radabaugh,
Rawson, a girl, this Wednesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Jay Long, Ada, a
girl, Shirley Marie, this Wednesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Bogart of
West Kibler street have taken into
their home a two weeks’ old boy,
Tom Duncan.
Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Harkness of
East Kibler street have taken into
their home a three weeks’ old girl,
Judith Ann.
Fireworks At Kenton
Bluffton Grid Game
There will be plenty of fireworks
at the Bluffton-Kenton high school
football game at Kenton, Friday
night—and it will be the real thing,
at the half-time intermission.
Announcement from Kenton high
school athletic authorities Wednes
day morning promises “a spectacu
lar and dazzling display of fireworks
between halves of the game,” which
is something new in attractions for
football fans in this section.
The effects listed include star
hydra shells, dazzling sunshine
shells, floating star shells, flying fish,
giant bombardment, electrical and
thunderstorm, surprise novelty, dev
il’s fort, century of progress, star
cluster and shamrock of Emerald
Isle shells, all of which should give
the fans a new thrill.
TWO BIG BARNS IN
ROCKPORT AREA
BURN TO GROUND
Damages in Two Conflagrations
Estimated in Excess of
$20,000 Figure
Lightning Razes Fred Basinger
Barn Undetermined Fire on
Clarence Begg Farm
Two large barns in the Rockport
area were destroyed in fires that
caused damage estimated at $20,000,
last Friday afternoon and evening.
Lightning caused the blaze which
razed a structure on the Fred
Basinger farm, four miles west of
Bluffton, at 3:30 p. m., and six hours
later a fire of undetermined origin
burned a bam on the Clarence Begg
farm, four miles northwest of Rock
port.
Basinger was sitting on the porch
and saw the lightning strike his barn
in the heavy electrical storm which
swept thru this district in midafter
noon. The barn was equipped w’ith
lightning rods.
A call was placed for the Colum
bus Grove fire department, but it
was impossible to obtain sufficient
water to battle the flames and the
barn burned to the ground.
Loss in the Basinger fire included
a threshing machine, com and grain
binders, oats, hay and w’heat, includ
ing 90 bushels of seed. Some 4-H
club calves, the only livestock in the
barn, were rescued. Some of the con
tents of the barn were owned by
Basinger’s son Melvin. Loss was
partially covered by insurance.
Barn Burns at Night
In the Friday evening fire, the
Begg family had retired for the
night when the blaze was discovered
at 9:30 p. m. by Franklin Mayberry,
a neighbor, w’ho was enroute to Co
lumbus Grove.
Fire departments could not be
summoned immediately, because tel
ephones had been knocked out of
commission by the afternoon electric
al storm. Mayberry notified the Co
lumbus Grove fire department by
riding into town on a motor scooter.
Fireman obtained water from a near
by stream and prevented spread of
fire to other buildings.
Loss included an ensilage cutter,
and hay and feed for a dairy herd.
No livestock was in the barn. Loss
was covered by insurance.
Large crowds gathered at both
fires, as neighbors and friends joined
the firemen in their efforts to save
the contents of the barns.
Musicale Sunday
At Mt. Cory Church
A program of vocal «and instru
mental numbers will be given in the
Mt. Cory Methodist church, Sunday
night by Wilma Hause, Coralyn
Fouts and Margaret Folk, all of
Findlay, whose parents were form
erly members of the Mt. Cory
church.
The program is the third in a
series of Sunday evening musicales
and offering taken at the service will
go to the church’s organ fund.
Mrs. Myers Receives
Degree At Michigan
Mrs. Lenore Miller Myers, of Col
lege road, received a bachelor of
arts degree in library science, after
completing work toward the degree
on the University of Michigan'cam
pus, this summer. Mrs. Myers is
Bluffton college librarian.
Commercial, Vocational Subjects
Again Favored By H. S. Students
Industrial Arts Enrollment Is
Higher Despite Attendance
Drop
Fewer Mathematics Classes
Interest in Languages
Wanes
Continuing a trend in evidence the
last several years, commercial cours
es and industrial arts rank tops this
fall in the preference of Bluffton
High school students.
Summary of enrollment totals in
the various classes following the
first week of school showed Monday
that the marked movement toward
vocational study is continuing in
favor with high school students lo
cally
Although total registration in the
four upper high school grades is 16
per cent lower than last year, en
rollment in commercial and indus
trial arts courses is holding near the
1946-1947 level. In the four upper
classes this year there are 151 stu
dents as compared with 179 last
year.
Remain Popular
At the same time, the school sur
vey shows enrollment of 71 this fall
in five commercial classes, in com
parison with 82 last year, a de
cline of about 14 per cent. The five
classes are first and second year
typing ,shorthand, bookkeeping and
commercial law.
Industrial arts this year attracted
a greater number of students des
pite declining high school enrollment.
Registration for industrial courses,
including mechanical drawing, was
72, in comparison with last fall’s
mark of 69. Home Economics en
rolls 28 this year as compared to
last year’s total of 34.
Vocational agriculture, favored
principally by boys from rural fami
lies, held steady in popularity with
enrollment of 18 this year, one more
than last fall.
Science, chemistry .physics, biology
and general science enrollment also
held steady, enrolling 107 students
this year, only three off from last
fall’s figure of 110.
Math Interest Wanes
Wartime popularity of mathe
matics is waning, with only two
courses, algebra and geometry this
fall instead of three as last year.
There are only 47 mathematics stu
dents this fall, a drop of nearly one
half from the 1946 figure of 82.
Interest in languages virtually is
non-existent at the school, and for
the fourth successive year all mod
ern languages have been dropped
from the curriculum.
During the four-year period, Latin
has been the only foreign language
offered, but enrollment in that course
also is declining. Tctal students
for first and second year Latin this
fall is 29, but 22 of these are in
the second-year class, with only
seven pupils interested in beginning
Latin this fall.
Install Organ At
Reformed Church
Installation of the new organ at
St. John’s Reformed church was
under way Wednesday after a two
weeks’ delay caused by the break
down enroute of a motor truck
transporting parts of the instrument
shipped by the builders, the Kilgen
Organ company of St. Louis. Wm.
Miller of Cincinnati, factory repre
sentative, of Cincinnati is supervis
ing the installation.
Former Resident
Dies In Indiana
Mrs. Gertrude Gage, 79, former
Bluffton resident, died Sunday morn
ing at a LaGrange, Indiana, hos
pital. She lived here a number of
years ago and moved to LaGrange
where she has since resided.
Funeral services were held at that
place Wednesday afternoon followed
by burial there.
Surviving are two daughters, Mrs.
Lenora Woodworth of LaGrange and
Mrs. Marjorie Fretz of Wadsworth
also four grandchildren.
Music Instructor
At Omaha School
Miss Mabel Amstutz residing west
of Bluffton has left for Omaha, Neb.,
where she accepted a position as in
structor in the conservatory of music
of Grace Bible institute.
MARRIAGE LICENSE
A marriage license has been is
sued to Roy O. Sherman, Jr., 20,
of McGuffey and Miriam Colleen
Stettler, 19 of Bluffton Rt. 2.
I IE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, SEPT. 11, 1947
SPECIAL PRIMARY
ELECTION HERE ON
TUESDAY, OCT. 7
Fourth District To Nominate
Candidates For Vacant Seat
In House of Representatives
Special Election In October Or
dered This Week By Gov.
Thomas J. Herbert
Bluffton will have a special elec
tion on Tuesday, Oct. 7, when voters
of the Fourth Congressional district
cast ballots in a primary ordered by
Gov. Thomas J. Herbert to select
party nominees for the post left
vacant in the House of Represen
tatives by resignation of Robert F.
Jones, of Lima.
A successor to Jones in Congress
then will be elected in the November
general election.
Gov. Herbert announced proclama
tion of a special election had been
issued because he found sentiment
in the district generally in favor of
that procedure.
Counties in the district in which
the special October election will be
held include Allen, Auglaize, Mercer
Shelby, Miami and Darke.
Filing Deadline
Under Ohio electiouM|aws, candi
dates for the pri must fife
nominating petitions niw later than
10 days prior to the date of the
primary.
Three men have formal an
nouncement they are candidates to
succeed Jones, who resigned to ac
cept an appointment to‘the Federal
Communications Commission.
Two are Lima residents: Dewey
Fetter, chairman of the Allen county
Republican Executive committee, and
Joseph B. Quatman, who will be a
candidate on the Democratic ticket.
Also seeking the Republican nomina
tion is William M. McCulloch, Piqua
attorney.
Candidates will have Hny 27 days
to conduct caqvass of the district
prior to the primary, election, and
the governor’s proclamation is ex
pected to jet off one of shortest
'but' ffiosf*' fieated campaigns ‘ever
witnessed in the Fourth district.
BY HARRY U HALS
Editor’s Note—This is one
of a series of articles to appear
in the Bluffton News dealing
with early Ohio history. Others
will appear in forthcoming
issues.
Blennerhassett Island
The occasional chug of a diving
muskrat, a night bird’s cry and the
rustle of a river breeze through
somebody’s cornfield—those are all
that break the stillness of willow
bound Blennerhassett Island in the
Ohio River opposite old Rockland
Cemetery, near Belpre, Washington
County.
There, 147 years ago, music, revel
ry and gaiety filled the air and a
beautiful white mansion stood where
only a few foundation stones, half
buried in the loam, and an old well
hidden among the cornstalks, remain
to mark its site.*
At the lower end of the three-mile
long island are a few dilapidated
farm buildings. These—and the
shades of some of Ohio’s first digni
taries which might float across un
seen from the old burying-ground on
the brow of the cliff to live again a
life of romance, intrigue and trag
edy, are all.
Couple Had Wealth and Beauty
Herman Blennerhassett (1767
1831), English bom Irishman who
inherited $100,000 when his father
died in 1796, came with his wealth
to New York the following year.
With him he brought his beautiful
and accomplished young wife, the
former Margaret Agnew, daughter
of the Governor of the Isle of Man
in the English Channel. In America
the wealth, rank and polish of the
bridal pair brought them a welcome
from the best and oldest colonial
families.
That winter the Blennerhassetts
went to Marietta and in March, 1798,
paid Elijah Backus $4,500 for 174
acres—the whole upper portion of
the island. The land once had be
longed to George Washington. They
moved into an old log-house on their
property and lived there two years.
It took that long to build the great
crescent-shaped, two-story house.
They were a refined, loving couple
and their home w*s the social cen
(Continued on page 8)
Bluffton High school’s cafeteria
emerged this week as one of the
outposts holding the line against the
high cost of living, with the cost of
meals provided for pupils remaining
unchanged from last year.
For 25 cents a student obtains a
noon plate lunch consisting of gen
erous servings of potatoes, another
warm dish such as macaroni and
cheese, a cooked vegetable, milk and
dessert. Servings are as large as a
year ago, school officials reported.
The 25-cent price, however, is
slightly higher than the prevailing
charge of 20 cents when school op
ened last fall. An increase of five
cents was made last spring, but
cafeteria operation for the start of
a newT school term is figured on the
basis of holding at the 25-cent fig
ure.
Preview Success Follows One
Postponement Because of
Flooded Field
LaFayette, Mt. Cory, Rawson,
Col. Grove, Forest, Pandora,
Ada, Bluffton Play
After one postponement because
of a water-flooded field, Bluffton’s
first football preview last Saturday
night was witnessed by an overflow
crowd rtiat packed the stadium and
lined every side of the playing field.
Although participating teams had
only two weeks of practice behind
them, they put on a sparkling pre
view exhibition in which spectator
interest never lagged as LaFayette
topped Mt. Cory* 6 to 0 Pandora
bested Rawson, 16 to 6 Ada beat
Columbus Grove, 12 to 0, and Bluff
ton and Forest battled to a scoreless
tie.
Despite the Saturday night date,
the streets w’ere packed solid with
parked cars within a four-block area
of the stadium. Incomplete reports
indicate there were approximately
1,500 paid admissions, according to
officials of the Bluffton Recreation
committee, sponsors of the event.
Field Flooded
Originally planned for last Fri
day, the gridiron opener had to be
postponed when a torrential down
(Continued on page 3)
Many From Bluffton
Attending College
With schools opening for the
coming year, many from Bluffton
are planning to attend college both
here and elsewhere.
Among this number are:
Jean Ann Steinman, Baldwin Wal
lace college, Berea.
Fluff Biome, Art Students League,
New York city.
Beverly Biery, Oberlin college.
Neil Schmidt, Purdue university,
West Lafayette, Ind.
Mary Margaret Basinger, Eleanor
Linden, Malcolm Basinger, Wooster
college.
Sarah Amstutz, Carlton Wilson,
Maynard Amstutz, Miami university,
Oxford.
Earl Dean Luginbuhl, Cincinnati
Bible seminary’.
David Diller, Cleveland Institute
of Music.
Chas. Tripplehoni, Robert Burk
holder, John Althaus, Dale Good, Geo.
Swank, Jr., Ohio State university.
David Tosh, Mark and James Dil
ler, Wheaton college, Wheaton, Ill.
Dorothy Anderson, Carol and
Juanita Bame, Janice Hankish, Car
rol Tschiegg, Bonnie Grismore, Bowl
ing Green State university.
Robert Kuhn, Richard Newlan,
Michael Reagan, Ohio Northern,
Ada.
Enrolled in the Bluffton college
freshman class: Paul D. Bixel. Ken
neth Finton, Margaret and Morris
Groman, By’ron Fritchie, James
Lewis, Maynard Pogue, Harriet Am
stutz, Lucille and Mary K. Bauman,
Betty Bixel, Katherine Bohn, Joanne
Buhler, Jean Anne Burcky, Helen
and Joan Burkholder, Sara Jane
Huser, Alice Pannabecker, Pauline
Purcell, Patsy’ Schmidt, Imagean
Wenger.
Real Estate Deal
No High Cost Of Living At High
School Cafeteria Prices Unchanged
Eight Teams In Sparkling Football
Preview Exhibition Here Saturday
Joe Mumma has purchased a
building lot from Harley Burkholder
in the latter’s Sunny Acres addition
on Cherry street.
Don Martz who owns a lot in
Sunny Acres is hauling building
blocks preparatory to building a
house on the site.
Dr. V. II. Allman Is
Returned To Office
Dr. V. H. /liman of Bluffton was
re-elected superintendent of Sandus
ky conference of the Evangelical
United Brethren church for a four
year term at its 115th annual meet
ing in St. Marys, Friday. He has
previously served as superintendent
for the past ten years.
The meeting was held at St. Marys
at which time took place the dedica
tion of the camp which the confer
ence is developing at nearby Grand
lake.
A tract of land which a year ago
consisted of swamp and woods has
been cleared and an auditorium,
cabins, houses and dormitories have
been built on the camp site.
FIVE BALLOTS FOR
VOTERS HERE IN
NOV. 4 ELECTION
Separate Town, Township, Hoard
of Education and State
Issues Ballots
Fifth Ballot Is Now Necessary
As Governor Orders Special
Congressional Vote
Bluffton voters will receive five
ballots when they go to the polls
here in the November 4 general elec
tion to mark their choice of candi
dates for town, township and school
board offices and indicate their pref
erence of issues on a special state
ballot.
A fifth ballot will be required
as Governor Herbert ordered an
election to fill the post of Robert
I F. Jones, former representative to
i Congress from the fourth district,
who has resigned to accept an ap
pointment on the Federal Communi
cations Commission.
Of the five ballots local voters
must mark, that carrying the names
of candidates for Bluffton municipal
offices will be the longest.
Other ballots will include a non
partisan ticket for the Bluffton board
of education a Richland township
ballot and a state ballot which will
submit three and possibly four spe
cial issues.
92,000 Ballots for County
In Allen County, 92,000 ballots will
be required for voters in the various
subdivisions, it was announced last
week by officials of the board of
elections.
Some 280 candidates are in the field
for approximately 175 municipal,
township and board of education
posts in the county as a whole.
Ballots are ordered by the board
on a basis of 10 per cent more than
registration, or 10 per cent more
than the number of votes cast for
governor in the last gubernatorial
election for precincts in which there
is no registration.
Letters have been forwarded by
the board of elections to 224 Allen
county central committeemen—112
from each party—for recommenda
tions for appointment of poll work
ers for the November 4 election. Ap
pointments are for one year from
Sept. 15.
To Report On Lions
San Francisco Meet
Prof. R. A. Lantz, who attended
the Lions International convention at
San Francisco last summer will give
a report of the affair at the dinner
meeting of the club at the Walnut
Grill next Tuesday night at 6:15
o’clock. Club officers announced that
it will be the annual 100% attend
ance meeting in honor of the new
president D. W. Bixler.
BLUFFTON MARKETS
Wednesday Morning
Grain (bushel prices) Wheat
$2.56 corn $2.45 oats $1.05 soys
$3.
Poultry—Heavy hens, 23c leghorn
hens 19c heavy rock fryers 30c
heavy red fryers 29c leghorn fry
ers 25c.
Eggs—Large whites 56c large
browns 55c mediums 51c pullets
40c.
Butter fat—86c.
Compliments are like perfume to
be inhaled, not swallowed.—Charles
Munn.
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Trade
NUMBER 21
300 ENROLLED AT
BLUFFTON COLLEGE
SETS NEW RECORD
Student Body At All-Time High
As College Opens Doors for
Fall Terms
Six New Members Added to
Teaching Staff Dormitory
Accommodations Filled
Bluffton college enrollment of ap
proximately 300 students is at an
all-time high this week as the in
stitution opened for its 48th year of
scholastic activity.
In the record student body is a
freshman class of 107, and upper
class enrollment may still be boosted
by additional registrations which
were continuing at mid-week.
Official enrollment figures are not
yet available, because of the last
minute rush of registration, but
school authorities said there was no
doubt a record number of students
were on the campus this fall.
Dormitories Filled
Campus dormitories are bulging,
w ith all rooms taken, and many men
are quartered in accommodations
about the town. Coeds are in Lin
coln hall. Men on the other hand
have filled Ropp hall, and overflowed
into Hershey cottage, the former
H. W. Berky residence Lehman
cottage, the former Mrs. A. C.
Geiger residence, and in the resi
dence of Carl Lehman, college busi
ness manager, on Grove street.
All trailers and pre-fabricated
homes are filled in Beaverburg, the
former Beaver village just off the
football field.
Ex-service men attending school
under provisions of the G. I. Bill
comprise a sizeable proportion of
the student body.
Included among students are one
girl each from Holland and France
four students for Porto Rico, two
from Canada, and one student from
Italy.
Six New Instructors
Six new faculty members will
take over th^jr duties when clasps
start their regular fall schedule
Thursday morning.
They are Miss Dora Soldner,
languages, formerly of Wheaton col
lege, Ill. Howard Raid, economics
and business, from Ames, Iowa
William Burbick. speech department,
a graduate of Bluffton Elma Louise
Ater, music, Columbus Walter Zim
merman, assistant coach, Akron and
S. T. Moyer, returned missionary*
from India, who will teach Bible.
Fred Davidson, who was to have
been instructor in psychology, has
resigned, it was announced Tuesday,
and Dr. N. E. Byers, former dean
of the college, will return as in
structor in that department.
Burbick and Miss Ater will teach
part-time at the college, spending^
the remainder of their time as in
structors on the Bluffton High school
faculty.
Bluff ton Pastor On
WLW Radio Sunday
Rev. E. N. Bigelow’ will be heard
Sunday morning at 8:30 o’clock on
the W LW broadcast from Cincinnati
speaking on the radio program “The
Church by the Side of the Road.”
He will deliver a 12-minute address
on the talent program inaugurated
last spring by the Bluffton Presby
terian church of which he is pastor.
Reichenbach-Little
W in Tennis Crown
Dale Reichenbach and Woodrow
Little won the Bluffton city doubles
championship last Sunday by virtue
of a 16-14, 7-9, 6-4, 6-3 match score
over Roger Howe and Bob Simcox,
It was a three and one-half hour
match, halted in the opening round
two weeks ago with the score at
16-14, 6-6 because of darkness. Play
was resumed at that point, with.
Howe-Simcox winning the second set,
9-7. Then the city champs settled
to cop the next two sets.
Trophies were awarded to the win
ners and the runnersup
Reichenbach and Little were un
defeated in doubles play this year,
the first season they have reamed to
gether. Their victories included the
Bluffton city championship, Bluffton
tennis club championship Allen
county championship and the Find
lay open championship.
SUNDAY SCHOOL PICNIC
The annual Presbyterian Sunday
school picnic.will be held on Hannon
field, Thursday evening at 5:30
o’clock.