The Bluffton news. [volume], July 08, 1948, Image 1

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BLUFFTON
A Good Place To Live
VOLUME LXXIII
Upwards of 10,000 in Throngs
Streets Here for Big Parade on Saturday
Night Airport Dedication and
show Monday Afternoon and
With an airport dedication and
airshow, rodeo and big street parade,
Bluffton’s week end Fourth of July
celebration was the most elaborate in
the town’s history and attracted
crowds estimated at upwards of 10,
000 for the three feature events on
the holiday calendar.
Opening with a gala Independ
ence day parade Saturday night, the
celebration continued with a double
feature Monday program that includ
ed afternoon attraction at the air
port and rodeo at night on brilliant
ly lighted Harmon field.
Fair weather with no
the "week end added to the
the three-event celebration
jointly by the Bluffton Saddle Horse
club, Bluffton Community Sports
men's club, Bluffton Business Men’s
-association and Bluffton Recreation
committee.
No Accidents
Throughout the entire celebration
Saturday night and Monday when
Bluffton’s streets were jammed,
there was not a single accident re
ported and local police together with
state highway patrolmen and depu
ties from the Allen county sheriff’s
office kept the heavy traffic moving.
It was typical Fourth of July
weather with temperatures in the
upper eighties and the crowds dis
posed of huge quantities of sand
wiches, ice cream and pop.
Turnout at the air show, marking
official dedication
port
5,000
hour
port
town
was formerly the Owens farm, now
owned by Clayton Bixel.
Rodeo Monday Night
rain over
success of
sponsored
of Bluffton’s air-
was estimated at more than
for all or part of the three
afternoon program. The air
is located two miles east of
in Orange township on what
Three acres of parking space vrere
crowded with automobiles with a
steady stream of traffic coming and
going, while the milling crowd along
the edges of the flying field had all
the features of a county fair.
Airport Dedicated
Dedication of the airport by Mayor
Arden R. Baker, opened the after
noon’s festivities. In a brief address
the mayor expressed in behalf of the
community its appreciation for the
spirit of enterprise which has gone
ahead with development of the air
port and expressed the view that it
will play a major role in Bluffton’s
future development. He was intro
duced by C. W. Hatfield of Cleve
land, official announcer at the micro
phone.
At the announcer’s stand during
the afternoon were a number of
personages well known in aviation
circles. Included were Henry Ham
ilton of the CAA safety board of
Cleveland Sgt. Ernest Webb of Co
lumbus who demonstrated the new
Beechcraft Bonanza plan recently
put into service by the state high
way department Leonard Moore of
Cincinnati, professional parachute
jumper, who thrilled the big crowd
with two jumps from a 2,500 foot
altitude Joe Ulman of Fostoria,
whose P-40 plane was converted to
civilian use after serving with Chen
nault’s Flviner Tigers in the
East during the last war.
98 Planes
Far
on
Field
was
air-
With 98 planes registered, it
by far the largest number of
craft ever assembled at one time in
Bluffton. About half of this number
were visitors from outside the local
area.
A headline attraction for the
afternoon was the demonstration put
on by an Army Air Force helicopter
flown by Captain Raymond Papson
of Wright field. The helicopter was
the first ever seen in Bluffton.
Looking after details of the show’
were Harold Cary and Clayton Bixel,
co-owners of the airport, Billy
Hirschfield, Lima, and Howard Post,
Spencerville, in the observation con
trol tower atop the hangar Paul
Werthimer, Ada, assisting in an
nouncing and Maynard Geiger and
Don Reams in charge of the public
address system. Representatives of
the sponsoring organizations did a
rushing business at the refresh^
ment stands set up in the hangar.
Crowds See Parade
Other thousands had been drawn
to Bluffton for last Saturday night’s
parade, enthusiastically judged “the
(Continued on pag-e 8)
RECORD BREAKING CROWD AT FOURTH
OF JULY CELEBRATION IN BLUFFTON
ch Jam
Bluffton Part
To Alaska
BINDERS S
WHEAT HA
IN FIELDS
ART
EST
ERE
First on
Cutting Reported
Farms West
Bluffton
Combines Are Expected
Start in Fields by Last
This Week
Bluffton district wheat, rapidly
ripening under rays of a hot July
sun, will be ready for combining
within the next week, farmers said
Tuesday in appraising prospects for
harvest. Harvest
will be used are
this w’eek.
an average
bushels was
Altho the
ripening at
there were no reports of arty
esting under* way on the Fourth of
July, a date which in earlier y’ears
often saw wheat cutting at its peak.
of whelk is
usual jme
•4
First wheat reported cut in
the John
miles west
this area was on
Habegger farm three
of Bluffton. on the
Grove road, Tuesday,
was “opened” Monday. Harvest
ing is being done with binder.
Habegger says he will use both
binder and combine this year.
Columbus
The field
of
of
William Althaus, south
Hilty school also cut a field
wheat on his farm Tuesday.
Corn Prospects
This is due to a
binder harvesting to
method the latter
Bright
change
the combine
handling the
from
grain at a considerably later stage
in its maturity. Harvest this sum
mer, however, will be about a week
earlier than that of last year, which
did not start until around July 22,
an unusually late date for wheat
cutting.
Corn Propects Bright
Outlook for the Bluffton district
com crop continues the best in many
years. In fact, farmers who admit
prospects never have been better are
putting a note of caution into their
opinions. On the theory that it’s
“too good to be true,” they feel
“something is bound to happen,” as
one grower put it this week.
This pessimistic note may have
arisen, from the area’s disappointing
experience with the hay crop. A
bumper hay stand—in fact one of
the best in recent years—has
represented a continuing headache
for farmers because of heavy rains
the past w’eek that prevented proper
curing and handling.
Very few farmers escaped some
loss of hay by spoilage in the con
tinuing rains, and in some cases the
loss ran into a considerable portion
of the entire crop. Not only did the
rain spoil hay which was down in
the fields after being cut, but it
also prevented the cutting of alfalfa
and the clovers which reach the peak
of feeding value at first bloom.
Those hay crops should have been
cut the first two weeks of June this
season, when the protein proportion
was highest in relation to fibre con
tent, but intermittent rainfall pre
vented handling the crop
should have been a normal
on what
schedule.
Oats Maturing
a cool
Oats, benefitting from
spring and fairly early seeding, has
sufficiently matured, so that hot July
weather over the weekend had little
unfavorable effect on the crop.
On the whole, district prospects
for feed crops are much better than
average, and some farmers are look
ing into the coming fall and winter
with the thought there may well be
a reversal of last winter’s situation
...........
JJWe Marshall Is
Justice Of Peace
Wada Marshall has been appointed
to senle as justice of the peace in
Orange township, it was announced
the firA of the week. Appointmnt
was mile by the township trustees.
Enroute Oij Auto Trip
er
Heading
To
of
in which binders
ready for cutting
yields, they es
which
lels to
This summer’s
timate, will be about average
growers say is “about 25 bus
the acre.” Generally speaking this
year’s harvest is expected to vary
little from that of last summer when
yield of
general,
area stand
about the
around
ay
lenger
Fairbanks, South
^Arctic Circle
Fred
For
Family Starts
of
Road Traverses Wilds of North
Filling Stations 300 Miles
1 Apart
mut on an adventurous
tfie wilds bordering the
Alcan highway across
trip thru
1,500-mile
Canada and Alaska, five members of
the Fred Wenger family left Satur
day afternoon on a motor tour that
will take’them to Fairbanks, Alaska,
about 125 miles south of the Arctic
Circle.
Making the trip with Wenger, who
is going
Mrs.
Fairbanks on business, is
Wenger, their son, Robert, and
another son, Richard, and his wife.
To Fairbanks one way is a motor
trip of approximately 5,000 miles,
with 1500 miles of the tour on the
recently opened Alcan highway
through the wilds
Alaska.
of Canada and
No Paved Roads
From Edmonton, Alberta, there is
a 500-mile stretch of dirt road to
Dawson Creek, ritish Columbia,
where the Alcan hig away, a graveled
road, begins its route
Travel will be no easier
point, for most of the way is twist
ing and mountainous.
northward,
from that
There are sheer drops at the
curves, and no abutments or safety
barriers to retard a car if it fails to
make the turn.
Gasoline filling stations are ap
proximately 300 miles apart, and an
automobile breakdown may mean a
delay of weeks, for garages where
repairs can be made are as much as
1,000 miles apart.
Prices High
Prices are high, for everything
must be flown in by planes to the
few’ towns and stopping places along
the highway. Two eggs served in
a hotel eating place cost as much as
$1.50 lettuce is $1 a pound gasoline
sells at 65 cents a gallon and
tomatoes bring 90 cents a pound.
Only at Dawson Creek, start of
the highway, and Whitehorse, a little
more than halfway to Fairbanks,
are there hotels, and tourists must
sleep in their cars or in the open.
The Wengers are taking with
them two folding cots for the women
and three sleeping bags for the men
to use on the trip. Eating places
also are hundreds of miles apart,
and the Bluffton family expects to
eat on the road, and are taking a
portable gasoline camping stove with
them to do the cooking.
Carry Own Food
5-pas
which
an ice
In the trunk of the new
senger Studebaker coupe in
they are making the trip is
box in w’hich they will carry perish
able foods, and they also have stock
ed up with a good supply of canned
vegetables, fruits and meats.
On top of the car, the Wengers
have two extra tires, and with filling
stations hundreds of miles apart,
they also carry’ a large reserve
supply of gasoline and oil in cans.
Tire chains also are a necessity
because of the thousands of miles of
unpaved roads over which the trip
w’ill be made. These road* eithei
filled with dust or a sea of mud
depending on the season.
Enroute to the start of the Alcan
highway, the Bluffton tourists will
visit Yellowstone park, Glacier park,
Banff and Lake Louise.
Wenger said the trip likely would
require several months.
Library Hours
Bluffton public library will be op
en daily from noon to 5 p. m. except
Sunday, it is announced by the li
brarian, Miss Ocie Anderson. Open
Monday and Saturday evenings from
6:30 to 8 o’clock.
when feed was scarce and prices
were high.
Assuming that this summer’s
crops turn out as anticipated, farm
observers point out there
prospect of a surplus in
and less than an average
livestock to which it can
is definite
feed crops
amount of
be fed.
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1948
THREE HIRED TO
FILL TEACHING
VACANCIES HERE
New Coach, Instrumental Music
Instructor, Grade School
Teacher Employed
Former Findlay High Assistant
Will Be New Bluffton
High Coach
Bluffton ’s new coach will be
ard O. Lowry, 27, a gradua
Bow’ling Green university,
served as assistant coach at
High school last year.
As physical education
director
Lowry w
a year,
children.
the
Bluffton’s teaching staff for
1948-49 school term was rounded out
with the employment of three new
instructors
the board
night.
at a special n
of education
Tuesday
contracts were
to a new coac
music instructo
One-yea
the session
st rumentai
ing teachers who had resigr
to an additional elementary
required by an increase ii
school enrollment.
replac
ed, and
teacher
grade
Rich
te of
structor,
coach.
of athletics and
ill receive a salary
He is married and
New instrumental music instructor
will be Ean W. Lehman, 26, a Bluff
ton college graduate in 1944, who
has taught at Pandora for the last
four years. Lehman also will be in
charge of part of the school’s vocal
music instruction. His salary was
set at $2,850. He is married and has
one child.
Lowry and Lehmah replace Coach
Kent Cotterman and Harold Hunter,
whose resignations. Were submitted
will
Cotter
nt Br
three weeks ag
become head co
school next fall,
associated in a pharmacy
father-in-law in Bellevue.
The new grade school instructor
will be Mrs. Levada* (Balmer) Bixel,
a former member ffte teaching
staff. Her salary will be $2,178.
WORKMEN BUSY AS
BUILDING BOOM IN
AREA CONTINUES
Five New Houses, Much Re
modeling and Repair Work
In Summer Program
Building Boom Continues Local
ly With No Indication'** of
Easing Housing Shortage
Workmen in the building trades
are experiencing a busy summer as
construction activity in the Bluffton
area continues on a boom Scale, al
though operations are decidedly more
modest than in the first year follow
ing the close of World War II.
Five new houses, under construc
tion or ready to be started, together
with extensive remodeling and re
pair programs to residential build
ings have created a huge backlog of
work for carpenters and building
contractors, expected to run well
into the next year.
Altho residential building activity
has been in a boom stage here for
nearly two years now’, observers
said this week the housing shortage
in the town and community remains
as acute as ever, with no indication
of a diminishing point in the near
future.
Five New Homes
New residences under construction
are those of Mrs. Elsie Buckland,
Thurman street C.
South Main street
W. Elm street and
Harmon road.
F. Niswander,
Gerald Swank,
Clayton Weiss,
Paul Emmert is getting building
materials on the ground preparatory
to starting construction of a garage
home on the Lugibill road, two miles
south of Bluffton, a short distance
off the Dixie highway where excava
tion was made last summer for a
small lake^
With the work other than resi
dential building included in their
programs, carpenters, plasterers and
other building tradesmen have more
than enough work for the summer,
and construction activity is expected
to run into late fall.
Painters also are struggling to
cope with a huge backlog of work
accummulated during war years
w’hen both materials and workmen
were unavailable. The big demand
for painters has been partially al-
Troy Motor Sales
At New Location
The Troy Motor Sales, Hudson
sales dealer, have moved from North
Main and Elm streets, to a new lo
cation in the Dr. M. D. Soash build
ing on South Main street.
Vacation Collaboration Plan
Followed Here For Fifth
Consecutive Year
For the fifth successive year the
week of July 4
To make it
week for the
The Triplett
Co., are at i
retail busines
council
next Monday
theater was closed,
tribute to the
week picture.
Industries And Store Close For
Week In Community Vacation Plan
Is
Triplett Plants Close For Week
And Business Places Cur
tail Operations
being observed
i period for
of those in Bluffton’s industri
business places who plan to
time off from work this sumir
and
take
atio
Success of the community vs
week collaboration procedure
augurated in 1944 during World W
II, has found the plan continuii
into the post
a semi-official vacation
town, all operations of
Electrical Instrument
standstill and several
5 operations have clos­
ed for the one-week period.
In many stores which remain open
operations are on a curtailed
of working
as at this time,
oming on Mon
meeting of the
was postponed
and the Carma
to further con
community vacation
are
with members
taking their v
With the rodeo
day night,
municipal
until
ith
Many left last Friday and Satur
day, to squeeze a few extra days
into their vacation schedule, and
there was another exodus on Tues
day following Monday’s air show and
rodeo. Many others are spending
their vacation at home, however, be
cause of crow’ded vacation facilities
at this time of the year.
Sidney Garau Rites
Are Held Saturday
Funeral services were held Satur
day afternoon in the Basinger
funeral home for Sidney Garau, 59,
who was found dead Thursday even
ing at 7:30 o’clock in his home on
Cherry street.
In poor health for the last year,
Garau was in the veteran’s hospital
at Dayton for treatment last winter
and spring.
A veteran of World War I, he
was reared in Bluffton by his grand
parents the
Garau.
late Eugene and Eliza
H. Cramer officiated at
home and the Bluffton
Legion, conducted
Rev. Paul
the funeral
post, American
military* rites at the grave,
was in Maple Grove cemetery’.
Burial
Assists In Bowling
Green Speech Clinic
Herbert Oyer, formerly of Bluff
ton, is one of three graduate assist
ants working this summer in a six
weeks speech clinic at Bowling Green
State university which began Mon
day.
Attending the clinic are 17 child
ren between ages of 6 and 16 with
speech defects from Hancock, Huron,
Lucas and Wood counties. Those at
tending pay a small fee to cover op
erating costs.
Students in university courses on
methods of teaching speech and prin
ciples of speech correction are ob
serving the clinic.
Geo. Clymer Dies
Body Brought Here
George B. Clymer, retired farmer
of near Benton Ridge died in the
Findlay hospital Wednesday morning
at 6 o’clock. His death followed a
fall last week when he sustained a
fractured hip. Ten children survive.
The body is at the Paul Diller fun
eral home awaiting completion of
funeral arrangements.
leviated by a number of college and
high school youths who turned to
that field this summer when they
found jobs plentiful.
TWO DIE IN HOLIDAY TRAFFIC CRASH
AT ROUTE INTERSECTION NEAR TOWN
Two
MODERN, 90-ACRE
BLUFFTON AIRPORT
DEDICATED MONDAY
ocal Air Field Is Rated One
of Best In Any Town of
Bluffton's Size
’regressive Airport Owns Seven
Planes Has Seven On
Field Staff
Dedication
Blufft
four-runway
airshow last Monday aft
thousands of area resid
portunity to view field
are generally rated as
any town of th
On the spat
modem hangar,
with offic
basis
field
left 1
laid
Operating
student trai
enviable record of 120
since operations were
January, 1947. Seventy
soloed students hold prr
and 48 are taking commercial flight
training.
The seven airplanes owned by
Bluffton Flying Service, operators of
the airport, have a value in excess
of $20,000, and the field facilities,
other than land are worth more than
$30,000, it was announced.
Co-Partner Operation
Harold Carey and Clayton Bixel,
co-partners in the airport operations,
were singled out for praise in the
mayor’s dedication of the field for
their vision and courage in develop
ing today’s modem installation.
Carey, airport manager, and Bixel,
owner of the buildings and field,
head up a staff of seven employed
at the airport. Others assisting in
operations include Hannon Falkel,
Beaverburg, and John Rollins, Find
lay, instructors Dorothy Anderson,
bookkeeper and secretary James
Romick, Raw’son, serviceman, and
Eddie Post, Bluffton, in charge of
the repair department.
In staging Monday’s elaborate air
show for the community, the airport
spent more than $1,000 to assure
one of the finest programs of its
type ever presented in this district.
Steinman Delegate
To Church Meeting
Forrest Steinman, Bluffton lumber
dealer, is one of Ohio’s 22 lay dele
gates to the Methodist North Cen
tral Jurisdiction conference which
opened in Indianapolis, Tuesday.
Delegates generally are chosen
from the larger churches, and Bluff
ton probably is one of the smallest
congregations to be represented at
the conference.
Representatives from eight states
under the North Central Jurisdiction
w’ill elect four bishops and different
church committees during the
ference.
con-
Ebenezer Mixed
Chorus Sunday
will
and
The Ebenezer mixed chorus
present a program of chorus
special number at the church,
day night at 7:30 o’clock. Mrs.
Lora directs the chorus and accom
panists are Mrs. Vinton Bucher and
Mrs. Wm. Althaus.
Sun
Milo
Real Estate Deal
The Clarence ajed Vernon Moser
farm of 100 acres has been pur
chased by T. R. Shindeldecker of
Lima. Mr. and Mrs. Shindeldecker
expect to move on the place in the
near future.
BLUFFTON
A Good Place To Trade
Crashes on Route 69 Saturday West
Virginia Motorist and Wife Fatally
Injured on Collision in Evening
Michigan Woman Is Hurt in
Crash Early in Morning
Bluffton area
Fairmont, Wes
wife and result
NUMBER 12
Two holiday motor mishaps in the
the lives of a
?inia man and
injuries to six
Vir
ed in
others in Saturday morning and
evening collisions on Route 69 east
of town.
Both fatalities resuited from a
two-car crash it the intersection of
Routes 69 and 30-N at 6:30 p. m.
Saturday.
Dead on arrival a Bluffton Com
munity hospital was Frank Carr, 69,
Fairmount, W. Va., and his wife,
Kate, G4, died in Hie hospital five
hours later.
The Carrs, with Mr% and Mrs. Jack
Carr, also of Fairrriount, were on
their way to I)etroit for a holiday
vacation. The
elder
Carr, driver of
the auto, died of a fractured skull
internal injuries and a crushed chest
caused the deat i of ns wife*
Others Inj ured
The son, aick (’arr, 27, with
i mt ions 1 a sprained left
shoulder, and ilis wife. Maisie 26.
fractured coll a boiie, pelvis and
scalp lacerations, wei•e in the Bluff
ton hospital until Tuesday when they
were taken to Lima by the Diller
ambulance, to home by train.
According to state highway patrol
men ,the Carr vena•le was headed
north on Route 69 vvhen it collided
with a pickup rue k occupied by Mr.
and Mrs. Alvin Cox, t»nd Miss Gladys
Marker, all of Bloonlingdale, travel
ing east on Rc 0-N
The crash caiised the Carr vehicle
to overturn, and the pickup hurtled
into a window n Vatis grocery store
at the highwaj inteirsection.
Occupants of the pickup truck ate
were brought Lo the Bluffton hosptX
al. Miss Marker, with fractured
pelvis and lacerations, was most
seriously injured. Mr. and Mrs. Cox
suffered cuts and bruises.
Bodies of the two accident victims
were shipped by train to Fairmount,
Three ambulances, Lantz and
Preston’s of Ada, and Diller, of
Bluffton, brought the injured to the
hospital here.
Morning Mishap
In the Saturday morning mishap
at intersection of Route 103 and 69,
four miles east of town, Mrs. Altha
Lois Kilgoar, 33, of Monroe, Mich.,
suffered a dislocated right wrist,
when the two cars collided at 5:35
a. m.
William Kilgoar, 35, her husband,
was arrested by State highway
patrolmen and fined $10 and costs by
Justice of the Peace Anderson, of
Orange township, for running a stop
sign.
The Kilgoar car was going west
on Route 103 when it was involved
in the collision with an auto operat
ed by Charles Carruthers, 22,
Detroit, and which was enroute
south on Route 69. Carruthers and
Kilgoar were not injured.
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Denver Augsburger,
Bluffton, a girl, Anita Louise, Satur
day.
Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Cuppies, Mt.
Cory, a boy, Robert Lynn, Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Dilts, Jenera,
a boy, Frank Eugene, Jr., Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. Rufus Steinman, Ar
lington, a boy, John Ray, Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. Howard Rinehart,
Arlington, a boy, Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. John Ferguson, Ada,
a boy, Joseph Edward, Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Luginbuhl,
Findlay, a boy, Larry Ray, Wednes
day.
Mr. and Mrs. John Martin, Point
Pleasant, W. Va.’, a girl bom last
week. Martin was public school in
structor here in 1946-47.
Follas Student In
Navy Music School
Ray Follas, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Joe Follas, Bluffton Rt. 1, a navy
seaman apprentice, has been as
signed to the Potomac River Naval
command as a student in the Navy
School of Music at Washington,
D. C., it was announced this week.
Follas who entered naval service
last March reported to the school
from the Naval Training Center,
Great Lakes, Illinois.