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BLUFFTON A Good Place to Live VOLUME LXXII FOURTH DISTRICT SPECIAL PRIMARY ELECTION TUESDAY Democrats and Republicans to Name Congress Candidates In Balloting Six Candidates in Two Parties Seek Vacant Seat of Con gressman Jones Bluffton and Richland township voters will go to the polls next Tuesday in a special primary elec tion to name Democratic and Repub lican candidates for the unexpired term of Congressman Robert F. Jones, of Lima, who resigned as a representative to Congress to accept an appointment to the Federal Com munications Commission. In the special primary, called by Governor Thomas J. Herbert to per mit the naming of candidates w’hose names will appear on the November General Election ballot, Republicans ■will make their choice between two candidates, and Democrats will decide the winner of a ticket of four. Candidates Each voter will receive one ballot. On the Republican ticket will be the names of Dewey Fetter, Allen county, and William M. McCulloch, Miami county. The Democratic ballot will carry the names of Paul Christie and Joseph Quatman, both of Allen county Reuben Dickman, Auglaize county, and Roy Harmony, Shelby county. Counties in the Fourth District •which will have polls open next Tuesday for the special primary are Allen, Auglaize, Mercer, Darke, Miami and Shelby. Polls will be open from 6:30 a. m. to 6:30 p. m., and electors of Bluff ton, Beaverdam and Richland town ship will vote in their usual places. Names of the candidates selected by each party in the special primary will appear on the ballot at the regular November elction, the winner going to Congress to fill the vacancy caused by Jones’ resignation. Sportsmen To See Pheasant Hunt Film Color motion pictures on South Dakota pheasant hunting will be shown at the first fall meeting of the Bluffton Cmmunity Sportsmen’s club in their clubrooms at the town hall on Wednesday night of next week, October 8, at 8 o’clock. Elmer A. Clark, president of the Great Lakes Aviation & Airways with headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, will present and narrate the pictures. The airline operates chartered trips to the Dakota hunt ing fields. Following the program a pickerel fish fry will be held. Meeting is open to all members of the club and their families. Oil Well Drilling Is Under Wag Here 'Drilling for oil is under way on the John Boehr farm, three and one half miles north of Bluffton in Riley township, where a 65-foot derrick was completed last w’eek. Experienced oil men last week said that judging by advance prepara tions the well will be sunk to great er depth than previously had been the practice in this locality, ap parently in the hope of setting off another oil boom similar to that ex perienced here at the turn of the century. Operations on the Boehr farm are in the nature of a test well financed by Findlay and Toledo capital. In anticipation of success in the ven ture, it was disclosed that the same interests have leased drilling rights to some 1,500 acres of surrounding farmland. Stanley Steiner On Ohio State Staff Stanley F. Steiner, son of E. P. Steiner, of Bluffton, has been ap pointed to the faculty of the de partment of engineering at Ohio State university, and will take up his teaching duties there on Octo ber 15. To join the Ohio State teaching staff, he has resigned as supervisor of methods control at the Murray Corporation of America plant in Scranton, Pa. At Ohio State his teaching duties will be in the fields of tool engineer ing, plant design, and equipment and production engineering. Some time also will be devoted to engin eering consultation and post-gradu ate work. IN OUR DATE WITH DESTINY BLUFFTON BANKER IN HOSPITAL AFTER TWO AUTOS CRASH Elmer Romey, Cashier, Under goes Emergency Operation For Internal Injuries (An Editorial) Kenton Woman Also In Hospital Here Crash Near Town On College Road all honesty it might as well be admitted that only a few will vote at next Tuesday's primary when the Fourth Dis trict nominates two candidates for congress. Most citizens haven't enough interest in public affairs to go to the polls. This attitude has in the past cost whole peoples their self-government—and such a thing can happen again. Faced with a crisis such as the world has not seen in a thousand years and fateful decisions pending which will affect the lives of generations yet unborn, this nation des perately needs statesmen in congress. It is the high privilege and duty of citizens of the Fourth District to select such men. Nothing can be more important than your obligation to vote—remember you have a date with destiny at the polls next Tuesday. Elmer Romey, 67, cashier of the Citizens National bank, is in Bluff ton Community hospital with internal injuries received at 5 p. m. Sunday when Automobiles driven by Dr. Francis Basinger, Bluffton dentist, and Virgil W. Deitrich, West Liberty, collided at the intersection of College road and the Allen-Putnam County Line road, two miles north of town. Romey, who suffered a ruptured intestine, underwent an emergency operation at the hospital Sunday night. His, condition Wednesday morning was reprted satisfactory. Also hospitalized in the crash was Mrs. Leone Thrailkill, 49, of Kenton Route 3, who is suffering from head injury and shock. Her condition also is satisfactory and she is expected to leave the hospital Wednesday evening. Mrs. Donna Deitrich, 23, wife of the -driver of the West Liberty car, was discharged from the hospital after treatment for a fractured collar bone and cuts about the head. The Deitrichs are former Mt. Cory resi dents and Mrs. Thrailkill is the mother of Mrs. Deitrich. Dr. Basinger, who received an in jured knee and shoulder, is able to continue his dental practice this week. Deitrich and four other oc cupants of his car were unhurt. Dr. Basinger’s car was northbound on College road, and Deitrich was driving east on the County Line road when the mishap occurred. View of the crossing was unobstructed, and it is believed the crash resulted from confusion as to which car had the right-of-way. Immediate assistance was provid ed for the mishap victims by’ Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Winkler, of the Badertscher apartments on South Main street, whose car was just ahead of that driven by Dr. Basing er. Hearing the sound of the crash, they’ turned around and returned to the intersectin. Romey and Dr. Basinger, alone in their car, were enroute to the John Boehr farm, which is approximately one-half mile farther down the road, to see a new oil well being drilled at that site. i Both automobiles were demolished in the mishap. Library To Close On Thursday And Friday Bluffton’s public library at the high school will be closed on Thurs day and Friday, it is announced by Miss Ocie Anderson, librarian. Bluffton high and grade schools will be closed all day Thursday for the Putnam county fair at Ottawa. Religious Education Teacher To Speak Mrs. Charles Lauby, instructor in religious education in the Bluffton elementary schools will address a union service in the Presbyterian church, Sunday night at 7:30 o’clock. She will speak on objects and aims of the training and also display ma terials being used in the course. The meeting Sunday night is under auspices of the Bluffton Ministerial association. Waste Of Food Thing Of Past In Area Households As Prices Soar President’s Plea for Food Con servation Comes When Prac tice Aifeady Is General Waste from Tables Disappeared Weeks Ago When Prices First Soared Upward The highest food prices in a generation already have forced maximum conservation of foodstuffs in homes of the Bluffton area, and appeals of President Truman that the nation’s housewives save more food represent a request with which it will be impossible to comply. That was the gist of comment resulting from a spot check in Bluff ton food stores last Saturday, when women* who handle the actual prep aration of meals in the home were doing their week end shopping. Comments’ranged from a sarcastic “If those Washington Big Shots ever tried to set a table on my husband’s pay check, they’d know I can’t waste anything”, to the mild rejoiner “I don’t see how we can do any more than we are doing.” Whether sarcastic or mildly amus ed at the idea that there is prevalent waste when butter is near record top prices and eggs are bringing around five cents each, the women who do the actual preparation of food in Bluffton area kitchens all were of the same opinion that high prices of food long ago dictated the conservation of every scrap of food so far as the average family is con cerned. Garbage pails, according to house wives contacted in the survey, never within their memory afford leaner pickings than they do today, and wishful thinking that there is waste which can be eliminated will not change that situation. BY HARR.Y |_ HALB Editor’s Note—Thia is one of a series of articles to appear in the Bluffton News dealing with early Ohio history. Others will appear in forthcoming issues. Pirates Sink Island Queen The recent destruction of the Is land Queen, Cincinnati-owned river excursion steamer in Pittsburgh waters and the sinking of the boat, with a toll of more than 20 dead and missing, recalls the scuttling of an other Island Queen, great grand mother of the Cincinnati boat, off Middle Bass Island, in Lake Erie, eighty-three years ago—September 19, 1864. The first Island Queen, like the great-granddaughter, was an excur sion boat, plying among the Lake Erie islands. Usually she was fill ed to the rails with pleasure seekers. On that early September morning she had docked at Middle Bass Is land when the Philo Parsons, a packet between Sandusky, Detroit and the islands, pulled alongside. Four armed men off the Parsons boarded the Queen and overpower ing Captain G. W. Orr, took posses sion of the steamer. Twenty Pirates About 20 of the pirates still were on the Parsons. These, with those on the Queen, lashed the two boats together. The passengers on the Island Queen then were sworn to a day’s secrecy and with those from the P&rsons, were put ashore on Middle Bass Island, then entirely uninhabit (Continued on page 10) I HE BLUFEflON NEWS A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, OCT 2, 1947 DOWN TOWN BLOCK SOLD GREENHOUSE HAS NEW OWNER Roy Hauenstein Buys Building Occupied by Barnes Grocery, Tuesday. Ralph Basinger, Pandora Flor ist Buys Grove Street Green houses Here. Two separate business deals were closed here Tuesday w’hen Roy Hau enstein purchased the Zehrbaeh block occupied by Barnes grocery and Elmer Short sold the Grove Street Greenhouses to Ralph Basinger of Pandora. In the real estate deal, Hauen stein, manager of the Ar?nstrong furniture store here bought from Mrs. Zoe ehrbach the latter'f North Main street business room occupied by the grocery with living, apart ments on the second floor. Reported consideration was $15,000. In connection with his purchase of the real estate Hauenstein announc ed that a bakery will be opened lat er this fall in the room now ecupied by the grocery. The bakery, he said will be operated by his brother Harry Hauenstein, formerly Employ ed by the Siefield bakery which op erated here a number of ye^rs ago. Arthur Amstutz .proprietor of the Barnes grocery said Wednesday morning that he had no plans to announce at present. Basinger, who purchases! the greenhouse here is experienced in that field, having been in that busi ness in Pandora for a number of years and will continue to Operate the Bluffton establishment together with his Pandora interests. Short, the former owner, will as sist in operation of the Greenhouse here until after formal opening und er the new management Nov. 1. FIRE PREVENTION URGED AS TOWN'S LOSS GOES HIGHER Fire Loss So Far This Year Is $16,055 Damages At Same Time Last Fall $20 Increased Vigilance Urged in Local Observance of Fire Prevention Week Officials of the Bluffton Fire Department pointed to a greatly in creased fire loss here so far this year, with damages of $16,055 in 14 town fires, as local interest centered on the national observance of Fire Fire Prevention Week, beginning next Sunday. At this time last year, Bluffton had fire damages of only $20, as compared with the loss of $16,055 reported in the first nine months of 1947. This year’s 14 alarms inside the corporation also exceeds the 1946 total of only three at the end of September. Rural fire damage also has been heavier, according to the report by C. V. Stonehill, clerk of the depart ment. In seven country fires this year there has been an aggregate loss of $40,300, in comparison with five fires with damage of $1,400 for the same period in 1946. With the number of fires on the increase in both town and country, and damage running heavier than in other years, the need of scientific fire protection in the home becomes more important than ever, Fire Chief Guy Corson declared this week. Urge Prevention During the season when furnaces and stoves first are put into late fall use there often is greater danger of fire damage than in mid winter, unless the householder is careful to check all possible fire haz ards in advance. Bluffton is in ia better position to fight fires than ever before in history, for it has two first-class fire trucks, one especially adapted for rural fire fighting, an advantage that has resulted in contracts with Orange and Richland township trust ees to provide fire protection service on an annual fee basis. The department has 1,800 feet of serviceable hose, nearly all of which is two and one-half-inch size. Members of the fire department include Chief Corson, Clerk Stone hill, H. E. Augsburger, Richard Augsburger, Ed Badertscher, Robert Dillman, Wilford Gretz, Ross Irwin, Fred Martin, Lester Niswander, John Stonehill, Aldine Wiess and Chas. Young. Bluffton area experienced the first killing frost of the season when temperatures dropped to 32 degrees here Tuesday night. Early risers Wednesday morning found a heavy frost and farmers reported ice for mation on livestock watering tanks. Extent of the freeze could not br definitely ascertained Wednesday but farmers said it will put an enX to maturing of the corn crop, mu/'h of which is believed will be so A and immature. The cold snap Tuesday reght was the most severe of a r/umber of lighter freezes during the past ten days. Warmer weathe^ is forecast for the latter part of the week. Boys F^vor Further Education al preparation and Indus trial Jobs Survey of Occupations of Grad uates for Past Ten Years Made Here Marriage\continues to be the tfiost attractive vd^ation for the girl graduate, whil& boys in increasing numbers are pursuing eg A-s in further education,Sjt gpr thetealed this fall in a survey* bleave eakions chosen by Bluffton .eir residefpol graduates since 1938. The occupational bred""....... ..........s 47 percent of the gir s have become brides durii. year period. At the further schooling is tops with the boys, claiming 30 of all graduating. Killing Frost Here Tuesday Night As Mercury Drops To Freezing Point Marriage'Is Most Attractive Vocation To High School Girls Here Report Shows Second choice of the boys a. in industry, with 24 per ce» the graduates so engaged. Farming, with 20 per cent of the graduates, is a close third. Next to marriage, 15 per cent girl graduates have preferred ad ditional scholastic training, industry with 14 per cent was third. Classes from 1938 to 1947 inclusive included 271 girls and 258 boys on the graduating lists. Complete breakdown occupational ly is as follows: Girls—Marriage, 47 per cent In School, 15% Industry. 14% stenographer-typist, and at home, each 6% teaching, 4% clerk or waitress, 3% beautician, 2% nurse, Red Cross work, radio, tele phone operator, and deceased, each one per cent. Breakdown of the occupations in which boy graduates are engaged is as follows: In school, 30% Industry, 24% Farming, 20% Army and Deceased, each 6% truck driver, garage mechanic, carpenter, and at home, each 2% and the following each one per cent: restaurant, Navy, meat market, relief work, civil serv ice, undertaker, hardware merchant, beautician, painter, stock buyer, mer chant, office manager, doctor, en gineer, banker, stationary engineer. Mennonite Relief Unit To Re Moved The Mennonite relief unit which has been conditioning clothing for European relief will vacate its pres ent quarters in the Bluffton college science building, it was announced Tuesday. Until it is located in other quarters it has been requested that no more clothing be sent in. Fugitive Sought For Reported Lewdness A man reported for lewd display in the vicinity of the town hall sent Bluffton police officers on an unsuc cessful search for several hours Tuesday night. A similar incident was reported in the downtown sec tion last Friday night. New Windows At Church Of Christ Installation of nine new stained glass windows was completed last week in the auditorium of the Bluff ton Church of Christ. Mrs. Helen Wells was chairman of the com mittee arranging for the improve ment program. Fears Unfounded When the RFD was inaugurated many business men expressed the fear that the service would drive the country into bankruptcy and that many parcels would be lost. Births Mr. and Mrs. Guy Scoles, Bluff ton, a boy, David Alfred, last Wed nesday. Mr. and, Mrs. Joe Pepple, Sr., Waynesfield, a boy, Joe Ronald, Jr., Thursday. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Davies, Bluffton, a boy, Joseph Ropp, Sun clay. Mr. and Mrs. Harold Stark, Co lumbus Grove, a girl, Kaye Ellen, Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Freeman Basinger, Bluffton, a girl, Nyla Janiece, Mon day. Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Houdeshell, Mt. Blanchard, a girl, Shirley Jo, Tuesday. WILL ATTEMPT TO BUY NAVY TURBINE FOR LIGHT PLANT Board of Public Affairs Un able To Make Purchase In East Last Week Negotiations Continue, With Definite Possibility Tur bine Can Be Had Still in process this week were negotiations that may lead to the purchase of an 1,850 KW turbine from government wr surplus stocks as the most economical and im mediate means of expanding the electrical generating capacity of the municipal light and power plant. Representatives of the board of public ajffairs were unable to buy a turbine durhjg last week’s sale at a navy surplus dtjppt rin Painesville, Rhode Island, but returned home with a report indicating definite pos sibility of Bluffton obtaining the type desired. Five escort destroyers offered in last week’s sale were bought as complete units, and the turbines, which represent part of the original equipment on the ship, were included in the sale. However, it may be possible to purchase a turbine from one of the new owners of the es cort vessels, and that possibility is being investigated. May Get New Unit In addition, there are reports the navy may sell as surplus several new turbines which never have been used on ships, and if so the board of public affairs plans to bid in such a sale. Negotiations that may lead toward purchase of a surplus generator are being pushed by the board because of a substantial savings in cost, plus earlier delivery than if a new tur bine were ordered. Representing the board at last week’s surplus sale in Rhode Island were John Swisher, superintendent of the municipal light plant, and Dan R. Tripplehorn, city solicitor. Rites Wednesday For Clara Badertscher Mrs. Clara Badertscher, 67, of Cherry street, died at 11 p. m. Sun day in Bluffton Community hospital after a four-months illness. She had suffered a paralytic stroke last June. Born in Putnam county, January 14, 1880, she was the daughter of Gottlieb and Fredericka (Schweitzer) Reichenbach. Iler first husband, Ernest Brauen, preceded her in death in 1910. On August 27, 1929, she was married to Dan J. Bader tscher, who survives. Other survivors include two sons, Dennis F. Brauen, McAllen, Texas and Lloyd Brauen, of Bluffton three sisters, Mrs. Sarah Basinger and Mrs. Amelia Diller, both of Bluffton and Mrs. Ida Stepler, Decatur, Ind. two brothers, Dan Reichenbach, of North Baltimore, and Hiram Reich enbach, Bluffton. Last rites were conducted Wednes day afternoon in the First Mennon ite church, of which she was a mem ber, with Rev. J. N Smucker, pastor, officiating Burial was in Maple Grove cemetery. PULLETS STOLEN Myron Motter of South Main street reported the first of the week the theft of forty pullets from his poultry house. BLUFFTON A Good Place to Trade DEALERS LIMITING COAL DELIVERIES TO SPREAD SUPPLY Shortage of Goal Cars Respon sible for Slow Shipments to Local Yards Deliveries to Householders Re stricted More Coal Ex pected in Mid-October Coal has been scarce in Bluffton so far this fall, with dealers restrict ing deliveries to domestic users as a serious shortage of railroad cars cuts sharply into shipments of fuel to local dealers. Many area householders short of fuel learned of the prevailing situa tion for the first time last week, when the first fall frosts brought to mind the necessity of filling coal bins for the chilly days ahead. In apportioning out what little coal they receive these days, dealers are delivering only one load to a customer, as long as the supply lasts. The average load is about four tons of coal. With demand picking up with the arrival of frost, there was no coal in the hands of dealers last Satur day, but a few cars have arrived here this week to slightly relieve the situation. Temporary Shortage Altho the present shortage is more or less temporary in nature, dealers said there will be little improvement until after the middle of October when coal shipments to the upper lake regions will close for the sea son. The present shortage of cars, af fecting shipments to Bluffton from the mines, is caused by a last minute rush to route as much coal as possible to the upper lake area, thereby resulting in a bottleneck so far as deliveries to other points are concerned. With plenty of coal at the mines, and sufficient cars to handle domestic deliveries after the lake shipping season closes, the present fuel short age should soon ease, dealers said. Current shortages are aggravated, they point out, by a peak demand from householders now that the first signs of cold weather are at hand. In contrast to the tight situation affecting householders, there is plenty of fuel on hand for the muni cipal light plant, and other industrial plants, which receive coal on a. regularly specified delivery basis. Sunday Talk On Religion In Russia Events in Europe leading up to the present world crisis will be dis cussed at 7:30 p. m. Sunday in the St. John Mennonite church near Pandora, by Rev. Peter Varonoff, missionary from Odessa, Russia. Speaking on “Russia, God and Victory,” the Russian missionary will relate his own experiences, and illustrate the lecture with photo stereopticon slides. Rev. Varonoff, who represents the Russian Missionary Bible Society, predicts that Russia will be a great missionary field in the future for in that land, which comprises a sixth of the world, he said, there are 195,000,000 people who have never heard of Christ. He says that to bring these people the Christian religion will mean a better chance of getting along with them as neighbors. He says the Slavs are instinctively a religious and mystical race and suffering has made the Russia .people receptive to religion. The speaker, who has been spend ing most of his life in Russia where his parents are also missionaries, made several interesting comments which threw light on the present at titude of the Soviet government to ward religion. He said that when the Germans attacked and the terror of war came, the people demanded the right to worship and the govern ment acceded. Whether this was because of ex pediency or actually because of less ening in hostility to religion on the part of the communists, is not known, said the speaker. But, he told, that on June 22, 1941, when the churches opened in Russia, Marshal Stalin stood for an hour in a church in Moscow. Rev. Varonoff will show pictures of Russia, depicting the poverty of the people and the grimness of the war. He also will show impressive slides of the city of Moscow, the Kremlin and the Harbor of Vladi vostok.