The Bluffton news. [volume], October 30, 1947, Image 1

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BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Live
VOLUME LXXII
WRITE-IN DRIVE
LOOMS IN RACE
FOR MAYOR HERE
Howe, Present Mayor, Backed
iK Write-in Campaign for
Re-election
Committeemen Urge Support
for Baker and IStaufTer
Named in Cashes
W. A. Howe, Bluffton mayor who
•was defeated for re-election two
years ago in a last minute write-in
campaign is being supported as a
•write-in candidate for mayor at next
Tuesday’s municipal election Fh a
movement which makes the mayoral
ty race a three cornered affair and
may foreshadow a split in the local
democratic party.
Movement to back Howfe as a
write-in candidate came as a new
development in what was previously
a contest between Arden Baker,
democrat and Paul Stauffer, republic
an.
Current rumors that the election
next Tuesday would witness a write
in campaign crystallized the first of
this week when Charles E.'Wells is
sued in behalf of a Citizens com
mittee, not further identified, a
statement soliciting support for
Howe, asking electors to write in
his name on the ballot for mayor.
Other Developments
Appearance of the write-in cdfe
paign as a factor, however, was only
one of several developments which is
highlighting the pre-election cam
paign.
Other developments the first of the
week included a statement by Mayor
Howe insisting that he was not a
candidate together with a caustic
(Continued on page 12)
Night Police Is
Hospital Patient
Albert Reichenbach of North Main
street, Bluffton night police is a pa7
'tient at the hospital here suffering
from Rhmach ulcers. He was taken
ill whiB he and his wife were visit*
ing at the hospital Friday. His con
dition was- reported satisfactory the
first of (he week.
Wade Bechtol is filling Reichen
bach’s position as the night police
under a temporary appointment by
Mayor W. A. Howe.
Lutheran Church To'
Hold Dinner Sunday
The Lutheran congregation will
enjoy a dinner at the church, Sun
day at 12:15 P. M., it was 5 an
nounced the first of the week to
which all members of the congrega
tion are invited Following the din
ner preaching services will be held
in the afternoon at 3 o’clock.
Hold Masquerade At
Black School Friday
Community halloween masquerade
will be held at the Black school in
Orange tdwnship, Friday night at
7:45 with program of contests and
games arranged. Each family is
asked to bring one or more pies
other refreshments may be pur
chased there.
Hospital Tag Day
Here Next Tuesday
Next Tuesday, election day, will
be tag day in Bluffton, it is an
nounced by officers of the Hospital
Auxiliary aponsoring the project.
Women of the auxiliary will be on
streets of the business section thru
out the day selling tags, proceeds of
which are for hospital benefit.
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Deeter,
Findlay, a boy, Walter Dale, Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Gossard,
Bluffton, a girl, Darlene June, Sun
day.
Mr. and Mrs. Reymundo Guzman,
Bluffton, a girl Ana Marie, Monday.
Mr and Mrs. Harvey Mesler,
Bluffton, a girl, Pamela Ann, Mon
day.
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Boehm, Raw
son, triplets, two girls, Emily Ma
linda and Evelyn Marcia and a boy
Anthony Edwin, Tuesday. The boy
died Wednesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Hostettler,
Sr., P'uffton, a boy, Wayne Eldon,
Jr.. Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Dean Cupplies, Mt.
Cory, a boy, Tuesday.
Where You Will
Vote At Election
On Next Tuesday
Bluffton A—Grade School.
Bluffton B—H. S. Library.
Bluffton C—Rauenbuhler Plumbing
Office.
Bluffton D—Mayor’s Office.
Richland N—Twp. Room. Bluffton
Richland S—Town House, Beaverdam
Beaverdam—Town House.
FEDERAL AID MAY
BE AVAILABLE FOR
HOSPITAL ADDITION
Bluffton Hospital May Qualify
For Financial Assistance
in Expansion .... ..
Committee Works on Survey to
Determine Local Eligibility
for Federal Grant
Plans for a new wing at Bluffton’s
overcrowded Community hospital,
Solved three years ago because of
the scarcity of-materials and labor,
may be revived this fall, with action
predicated on the possibility that
federal funds may be available in
helping to finance the project.
First step in attempting to qualify
for federal financial assistance was
authorized last Wednesday at a
meeting of the Bluffton Community
Progress association when a commit
tee wag named tor ^make a survey of
the community To determine if there
is need for hospital expansion.
Results of the survey must be
reported before December 13 to the
Ohio Hospital survey, a division of
the state board of health, which has
charge of administering $2,692,000 in
federal funds given to Ohio annual
ly for hospital expansion purposes
over a five-year teriod.
One-Thlifc of. Cost
If the local survey is approved by
the state board, the Bluffton hospital
would receive a grant of $1 for
every $2 provided by the community
in the expansion program, thereby
assuring that one-third of the cost
of the project would be financed by
federal funds.
After C. J. Moser, Jr., of the Ohio
hospital survey, explained the feder
al program at last week’s meeting
of the Progress association, a com
mittee of three members was named
to conduct the local survey, prelimin
ary to filing for financial aid in
adding to hospital facilities here.
On the committee will be D. W.
Bixler, Woodrow’ Little and Mrs. J.
S. Steiner..
Shelved Four Years Ago
An addition to the hospital by
building a new wing at the north
end of the present building was au
thorized foii’F years ago by the
hospital board. Architect’s plans
completed at that time included an
estimate that the cost would be ap
proximately $60,000.
Later, building plans were shelved
because of the scarcity of materials
and labor, and there has been no
move to revive the project because
of the rising costs of construction.
With the possibility of obtaining
a federal grant covering one-third of
the cost of building a new wing, the
project was referred to the Com
munity Progress association last
week, and the survey will determine
Bluffton’s chances to participate in
the program of financial assistance.
Florist To Hold
Opening Saturday
Formal opening of Basinger Flor
ist, the former Grove Street Green
houses, will be held Saturday, it is
announced by the new owner, Ralph
D. Basinger who recently purchased
the establishment from Elmer Short.
The opening will be an all day
affair, it is announced by Basinger
and favors will be given to the
ladies. The new owner is an exper
ienced florist who will operate the
business here in conjunction with
his floral establishment in Pandora.
Bertha Balmer
Estate Valued
Estate of Mrs. Bertha Balmer,
late of Bluffton is valued at $33,
997.61 in an inventory filed in the
Allen county probate court. The
appraisal lists real estate worth
$24,000 together with $6,501.61 in
accounts and debts receivable and
$3,S.6 in personal goods and chat
tels.
Pickings Are Slim In Garbage Here As
Housewives Cut Corners To Save Fodd
Volume of Garbage Collected
from Households Here
Drops One-third
Plenty of Edible Food Previous
ly Found in Garbage Pails
Nom Missing
Garbage from Bluffton households
isn’t as lush as it used to be and
100 head of hogs on the Arthur
Swank farm in Orange township,
which are the ultimate consumers of
the town’s garbage ®re feeling ef
fects of the slimming diet and will
probably have to be fed a supple
mental ration of grain.
Reflecting high living costs and
the nation’s food conservation
campaign, the volume of garbage
from Bluffton households is about
one-third less than it was several
years ago, workers in the municipal
ly operated garbage collection system
reported this week.
Where previously an average of
three truckloads of garbage were
obtained on each semi-weekly col
lection day, now there are only two
as sharp-eyed housewives are cutting
corners to stretch their food budgets.
Since 1945, edible items in garbage
have been on a steady decline, altho
there has been a marked difference
since midsummer of this year. For
the most part, today’s waste consists
of peelings, coffee grounds, vegetable
tops and very little else, it was
pointed out.
Prior to 1945, in contrast, plenty
of good food was thrown away, in
cluding such items as butter which
became rancid, uneaten baked goods
and dry bread.
Sight-Saving Drive
Nears Completion
An early return of contributions
for the Lions club sight-saving cam
paign, launched last week with the
mailing of stamps to Bluffton area
householders, was urged Tuesday by
those in charge of the drive.
Purchase of eye examination
equipment for Bluffton public schools
will be one of the community pro
jects financed by proceeds of the
campaign locally.
Equipment to be installed is re
quired by the state board of educa
tion.
In addition to the school program,
the Lions club plans to expand its
program of community sight conser
vation activity by providing assist
ance to worthy persons who need
care for their eyes.
Russian Missionary
Speaks Here Tuesday
Discussing the possibility of Rus
sia becoming the greatest world mis
sionary field, Rev. Peter Varonoff, a
native Russian, will be the speaker
at 7:30 p. m. next Tuesday in the
Bluffton Missionary church.
Rev. Varonoff is the son of Chris
tian missionaries to Eastern Europe.
His lecture on “Russia, God and Vic
tory” will be illustrated with photo
stereoptican pictures.
Youth Fellowship
Meeting Sunday
Bluffton Youth Fellowship meet
ings for high school and college age
youths will be held each Sunday
evening through November in the
basement of the First Mennonite
church.
First session in the series will be
from 8:30 to 10 p. m. this coming
Sunday .sponsored by a committee
representing Bluffton churches, the
Bluffton College recreation associa
tion and the College Church com
mittee.
Informal games, singing and group
activity will be featured. Rev. Paul
Cramer will be in charge of the first
meeting.
Peter Schnegg Rites
Thursday Afternoon
Funeral services will be held at
2:30 p. m. Thursday in the Basinger
Funeral home for Peter Schnegg,
69, retired laborer, who died at
12:57 p. m. Tuesday in Bluffton
Community hospital of complications.
He had been in ill health for sev
eral months.
Rev. J. N. Smucker, pastor of the
First Mennonite church, will offi
ciate at the rites. Burial will be
in the Ebenezer cemetery.
A native of Bern, Switzerland,
Schnegg was bom June 1, 1878. He
is survived by one sister and two
brothers: Mrs. Leonard Stager, of
Bluffton, Jacob Schnegg, Bluffton,
and Gottlieb Schnegg, El Monte,
California.
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, OCT
WARM WEATHER
EASES CRITICAL
COAL SITUATION
Scramble for Coal Intensified
As Government Officials
Predict Scarcity
With More Bins Filled During
Summer, Shortage May
Not Be Severe Here
The scramble for coal was further
intensified here this week as govern
ment predictions that a winter coal
shortage “is very probable” stam
peded the demands of Bluffton house
holders who have a scanty stock of
fuel in their bins.
Coal has been scarce in Bluffton
so far this fall, with dealers re
stricting deliveries to domestic users
as a serious shortage of railroad cars
cuts sharply into shipments from
mines.
In apportioning out the trickle of
coal they have been receiving, deal
ers have been unable to make but
little headway in building up the
scanty supplies of householders who
failed to fill their bins during the
surirtner.
Much of the present shortage of
cars, affecting shipments to Bluff
ton 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 bottle
neck so far as deliveries to other
points are concerned.
How much the condition will be
alleviated after the lake shipping
season .’closes is questionable, how
ever, in view of government predic
tions that the demand, both indus
trial and for homes, will outreach
the swpply during the winter.
Many Have Full Bins
The effect of a winter coal short
age he v, may not be so pronounced
locally, dealers said this week, for
more householders than usual had
their bins filled last summer, and are
fairly well protected so far as winter
needs are concerned.
Another favorable aspect has been
unseasonably warm wt ther thruout
October, which virtually eliminated
the need for home heating during
the month.
Otherwise, however, the outlook is
gloomy, with government experts
outlining the current coal crisis in
this way: During the first six
months of this year, soft coal miners
produced about 13,000,000 tons a
week, but since last July weekly pro
duction has averaged only about
12,000,000 tons.
Shortage of railroad transportation
facilities further is complicating the
picture, and there is little indication
that closing of the lake shipping
season will change the situation
materially.
Triplets Born At
Hospital Tuesday
Triplets, two girls and a boy,
were bom to Mr. and Mrs. Paul
Boehm of Rawson at Bluffton hos
pital Tyesday night at 8:30 o’clock.
The triple birth is believed to be
the first in the history of the hos
pital here, attaches stated.
The boy, Anthony Edwin, died
Wednesday morning at 3:45 o’clock.
Funeral services were held Wednes
day afternoon at the family home
near Jenera.
Condition of the mother and two
daughters Emily Malinda and Eve
lyn Marcia is reported satisfactory.
Attends Conference
Of Plant Managers
C. A. Lloyd, manager of the Bluff
ton plant of the Boss Manufacturing
company has returned from a two
day conference of plant managers
held at the company’s headquarters
in Kewanee, Illinois.
The company, a large manufactur
er of work gloves operates numer
ous plants in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas
and New York.
For the past 27 years Lloyd has
been manager of the Bluffton plant
which employs 55 workers.
Schools Here To
Close On Friday
Bluffton public schools will be
closed all day Friday to permit in
structors to attend sessions of the
Northwestern Ohio Teachers asso
ciation at Toledo.
Shew me the man you honor, and
I will know what kind of a man you
are, Cor it shows me what your ideal
is, and what kind of a man you long
to be.
30, 1947
Mary Jane Burkholder, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs Harvey Burkholder,
west of town, was elected Bluffton
High Scnool Homecoming Queen by
the student body Tuesday afternoon,
and will be honored at the school’s
Homecoming game with Columbus
Grove Friday night, November 7.
Her attendants will be Mary
Schmidt and Norma Klapp, the
other two senior girls nominated as
queen by the football squad.
Coronation of the queen will be a
feature of halftime ceremonies at
Crowning of Homecoming Queen
Launches Activities Grid
Game A Feature
W. H. Mohr. Trustee for 18
ears, Discusses Progress
at Dinner
Thronging the campus in the
largest homecoming turnout since
pre-war years, graduates, former
students and friends of Bluffton col
lege gathered here Saturday and
Sunday for the various events of
the homecoming weekend.
Opening with crowning of the
Homecoming Queen Saturday morn
ing, the day’s program progressed
through the freshman-sophomore
tug-of-war, an afternoon football
g^me, the homecoming dinner and
presentation of two plays by the
Thespians dramatic society.
Miss Alice Locher, of Pandora,
was crowned Homecoming Queen in
a colorful ceremony on the baseball
field, Saturday morning. Her at
tendants were Barbara Sprunger,
Berne, Ind. Joan McCarty, Waynes
field and Harriet Schertz, Meta
mora, Ill. The crown bearer was
two-year-old Ray Hamman, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Hammon.
In the tug-of-war after lunch, the
freshmen were hauled t'.jpagh Ri|iy
creek by a rugged sophomore team,
thereby dooming the first-year class
men to continue wearing their green
caps until Thanksgiving.
W. H. Mohr, of Bethlehem, Pa.,
member of the college board of
trustees for 18 years was the speak
er at Saturday night’s homecoming
dinner, held in the Ropp Hall dining
room.
Talking on the subject, “The Prog
ress of Bluffton College from the
Viewpoint of a Trustee,” Mr. Mohr
stressed much is owed to the men
and women who have sacrificially
developed the school. He stressed
the fact that little has been done
to properly reimburse faculty mem
bers, and is glad for the steps taken
to set up a retirement and sickness
benefit program.
P. W. Stauffer, president of the
college alumni association, was in
charge of the dinner program, with
Prof. Russell A. Lantz serving as
toastmaster. Dinner music was pro
vided by Roberta Manges, cello, and
Ruth Porter, violin, accompanied by
Claren Sommer. All are college mu
sic students.
Following the dinner, Thespians
presented two one-act plays, “Alma
Mater” and “Mushroom Coming Up,”
in the Ramseyer chapel.
Parents Day observance on Sun
day was marked by open house in
the dormitories, following which Rev.
Harleigh Rosenberger, a graduate in
1941, addressed a vesper service on
“The World’s Greatest Need.” His
theme stressed that the world to
day is in need of Christianity more
than any time in history.
Body of Pfc. Donald Crawfis, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Crawfis, of
Columbus Grove route 2, which was
returned to this country from the
Pacific war area on the Army Trans
port Honda Knot two weeks ago,
will arrive in Bluffton at 9:25 p. m.
Thursday night on the St Louis
Cleveland Nickel Plate train.
Accompanied by a military escort,
the body will come here from Co
lumbus, where it was taken with
other Ohio war heroes in a special
funeral train after the army trans
port carrying the war dead from
their resting places in the Pacific
docked at San Francisco in mid
October.
On its arrival in Bluffton the body
wil’ be taken to the Paul Diller
fun al home, where it will remain
Mary Jane Burkholder Is Named
Bluffton High Homecoming Queen
Varied Events Attract Big Turnout
For Bluffton College Homecoming
the Bluffton-Columbus Grove con-
test, with the Bluffton High school
band participating in the show.
hollowing the game, a homecom
ing dance will Im? held in the school
gymnasium, with Bluffton and Co
lumbus Grove students and Bluffton
alumni invited A small admission
charge *ill be made.
Sanction for the homecoming
dance, an innovation here, was
granted at the last meeting of the
board of education on a probation
ary basis.
College Trustees
Talk Building Plans
Retirement plans fof faculty
members and proposed remodeling of
Science and College halls were dis
cussed at a semi-annual meeting of
Bluffton college trustees Friday in
Musselman library on the campus.
Annual reports of the college ad
ministration also were made at the
session.
woard members attending the ses
sion included E. W. Baumgartner,
Berne, Ind. Ezra Moser, Bluffton
Rufns Rich, Washington, lit* Free
man N. Swartz, Norristown, Pa.
Oliver Diller, Wooster A. S.
Rosenberger, Dalton, Ohio J. S.
Slabaugh, Nappanee, Ind. William
Mohr, Bethlehem, Pa. Lowell Ris
ser, Danvers, 111. Wilmer Shelly,
Bally Pa. D. D. Hostettler, Sugar
creek, Ohio Walter Yoder, Bloom
ington, ?1L Roland M. Bixler, Ham
den, Cokn., and Lloyd L. Ramseyer
and' Carl Lehman, ex-officio mem
bers.
Also attending were E. S. Lape,
N. E. Byers and D. W. Bixler, all of
Bluffton, members of the advisory
council and Mrs Rufus Rich., Wash
ington, Ill. Mrs. Milford Haas,
Pandora Mrs. James Suter, Pan
dora Mrs. Milo Miller, Pekin, 111.,
and Mrs. Clovis Oberli, Berne Ind.,
members of the women’s advisory
council.
i A visitor at the board meeting'
was Dr. Harry M. Gage, former
president of the North Central Asso
ciation of Colleges and Secondary
Schools.
Body Of Pfc. Donald Crawfis, Returned
From Pacific, To Arrive Here Thursday
Halloween Pranksters
Face Severe Penalty
Four rural mail boxes on Bluffton
routes having been torn down this
week, presumably by Halloween
pranksters, brought a sharp remind
er from Postmaster Ed Reichenbach
that this is a federal offense and
those guilty ate liable to $1,000 fine
or three years imprisonment.
Deer Hunters Leave
For Canadian Wilds
Two hunting parties, one from
Bluffton and the other from Ada
will leave this Wednesday night to
hunt deer in the north Canada
woods. The men will arrive at their
destinations in time for opening of
the season, Saturday.
A Bluffton group, reported in
tending to remain until each bags a
deer will hunt at Bruce, Mines, On
tario. Making up the party are:
Leland Sechler, Gerald Swank, Joe
Birchnaugh, Alvin Stager, Weldon
Lugibill and Dewitt Ewing.
Ada hunters bound for Raabe’s
camp, Espanola, Ontario, are Jud
son Klingler, Frank Montgomery
and Lewis Klingler.
until funeral services set for 2:30
p. m. Saturday in the Methodist
church. The body will lie in state
at the church for one hour preceding
the funeral. In conformity with
State Board of Health regulations,
the casket will not be opened.
Rev. Paul Cramer, pastor of the
church and chaplain of the Bluffton
American Legion post, will officiate.
Burial will be at Harmon cemetery
in Gilboa, with full military honors.
The Bluffton Legion post will be in
charge of the graveside services.
An honor student in the graduat
ing class of 1936 at Pandora High
school, Crawfis was 24 years of age
when he was accidentally killed in
Honolulu on Nov. 18, 1942 Before
going into military service, he was
-mnloyed ’•‘y the C. F. Nirwandei
Implement establishment in Bluffton.
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Trade
NUMBER 28
VOTERS TO GET
FIVE BALLOTS
NEXT TUESDAY
Municipal and Congressional
Tickets to Bear Partisan
Designation
Township, School Board and
State Proposals are Non
partisan
Five ballots, only two of which
will bear partisan designations, will
be given to Bluffton voters when
they go to the polls next Tuesday
in the November general election.
The two ballots carrying party
emblems at .the top of their respec
tive columns are for the municipal
ticket, listing candidates for 12 town
offices, and a congressional ballot
bearing the names of Democratic
and Republican candidates for
Fourth district representative to
Congress.
In addition there will be three
non-partisan ballots, one listing
candidates for the Bluffton board of
education another carrying Rich
land township nominees athd the
third a special state issues ballot.
20 Town Nominees
Twenty nominees seeking the 12
municipal offices have their names
on the town ballot. .Neither party
has a full slate of candidates for
the municipal council or the board of
public affairs. List of town candi
dates is as follows:
For Mayor—Paul W. Stauffer,
Arden R. Baker, D.
For Clerk—Richard Cookson,
Charles Emans, D.
For Treasurer—Hiram Huser,
Sidney C. Stettler, D.
For Council—(Six to be elected)—
Charles Auk»rman, Carl Cahill,
Richard Davies, Armin Hauenstein,
Cleon Triplett, Republicans W. O.
Geiger, Wilford Gratz, Don Patter-1
son, C. A. Stauffer and Frank Todd,
Democrats.
For Board of Public Affaire—
(Three to Elect)—Harvey Beidler
and Republicans
a, jjorrest Steinman,
Democrats.
School Board Ballot
On the non-partisan board of
education ballot there will be four
candidates for two offices. Nominees
are Levi Althaus, Carl T. Derringer,
Earl Matter and Augusta Steiner.
Althaus is a candidate for re
election. Waldo Hofstetter is the
other member whose term expired.
Township Ballot
Riqfiland township’s pon-partisan
ballot wi|l carry the following nom
inees:
For trustees—(One to elect)—Al
bert C. Augsburger, Walter Schaub
1in.
For Clerk-r-Ray S. Hilty.
For Justice of Peace—C. D. Am
stutz.
F6r Constable—Two to elect—R. E.
'Griffith, Charles Lora, William Lut
terbein.
William McCulloch, Republican
and Joseph C. Quatman, Democrat,
are the candidates on the congres
sional ballot to determine the succes
sor to Congressman Robert F. Jones,
w’ho resigned last summer to accept
appointment to the Federal Com
munications Commission.
State Issues
Of the four state proposals appear
ing on the special issues ballot, the
soldiers’ bonus bill has attracted the
major interest. One of the others
is a proposal to increase the mem
bership of commissioners of the
state sinking fund by providing that
the governor and treasurer of state
shall be members in addition to the
present membership consisting of
the state auditor, secretary of slate
and attorney general.
The third special issue is relative
to the term of office and compensa
tion of probate pudges.
The fourth proposal would earmark
money derived from fees and auto
license sales for use on highways
and related purposes.
Street Carnival At
Beaverdam Saturday
A Halloween street fair and car
nival will be held in Beaverdam Sat
urday night to complete a drive to
raise funds for a new fire truck,
purchased by the village one month
ago.
Rides and other concessions are
being sponsored by the Beaverdam
Community Fire association in a
two-block area which will be roped
off on Mill street for the event.
In directing the fair President
Leo Nelson of the association has
appointed Gail T. Arnold, men’s
i chairman, and Mrs. I. L. Sawmiller,
women’s chairman.