The Bluffton news. [volume], July 22, 1948, Image 1

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

Image provided by: Ohio History Connection, Columbus, OH

                
A Good Place To Live
VOLUME LXXIII
AREA FARM CROP
PROSPECTS BEST
IN RECENT YEARS
Bumper Wheat, Oats, Corn
Hay, Potato And Soybean
Yields Seem Assured
Plenty of Livestock Feed Will
Be Available, But Stock
Shortage Continues
best a
recent
of a s
Bluffton area, this week.
Following the pattern set
excellent wheat yield, better
average
corn,
and ba
ments i
their best yea rs
Fai
outlet
Helds wi
^ginning
high in
age but
ticipated
unusu
some
more
Potat
than
factor
the
Bumper farm crops in one of
11-around growing seasons in
years was the summing
arvey of crop prospects in
up
the
y an
than
crops are predicted for oats,
)tatoes, soybeans
rring unfavorable
aimers should hav
a generation.
nearing
raged a
and
nd hay,
develop
one of
With the wheat harvest
ave
acre
the yield 1
bushels to
quality has been good.
A better than average
assured in this summer’
crop 4
oats
gems
har-
to start soon with compar
mall acreage about average.
•servers say that the corn
this time of the year
been better, and in many
of town the stand be
tassel out is about head-
the fields,
a high yiel
Acreage is aver
1 per acre is an-
prospects
good, growers repo
Potato
this sea
n are
t, and
diggings have produced
400 bushels to the acre,
heavier
another
the favor of growers.
bean prospects also are very
but the acreage is down in
ea, generally speaking. There
th
acreage this year i
usual for the district
jgood,
the a
has been a heavy stand of hay, al
though
spoilage due to heavy rains at the
peak of the harvest.
farmers experienced some
Abundance
of
Feed
With every indication of bumper
crops, farmers are predicting an
abundance of livestock for the com
ing winter but are wondering if
there will be sufficient livestock to
permit heavy feeding programs.
Feeding cattle are high in price,
with prospects of further advances,
which means the farmer’s initial
commitment this fall is going to re
quire a lot of money. Feeders now
are been quoted around $3.50 per
hundred, and with initial investment
in that range, many are hesitating
to embark feeding programs.
With high-priced meat in prospect
and abundant grain and potato
crops in the making, consumers may
well see their eating habits under
going a change this winter. Non
meat menus likely will grow in pop
ularity, with breads, cereals and po
totoes the mainstay of the family
menu.
Nickel Plate Buys
10 Steam Locomotives
Reversing what had been an ap
parent trend toward diesel locomo
tives, the Nickel Plate railroad this
week placed an
Hamilton Corp,
engines to be
her,
Rai
of the
order with the Lima
for 10 steam freight
delivered
January,
ials plans
the west
from Frankf
here much
it was poi
in Decern
1949.
and
bough
:omp.
Lima
ord-
om the
ue of th
er aggregates $2
The engines wi
roller bearings,
be 64,100 pounds
tive will weigh more that
effort
To Teach In College
At Freeman, S. Dakota
Richard Berky, son of Prof, and
Mrs. H. W. Berky, who was gradu
ated from Bluffton college last May
has accepted a position as instructor
in mathematics and chemistry in
Freeman Junior college, Freeman,
South Dakota.
He and his wife, the former Agnes
Suter of Pandora, whose marriage
occurred recently will live on
KSoHetre farm near Freeman.
the
REAL ESTATE DEAL
Cna.-. Emans has purchased
buildi
Rober
a
lot on Spring street from
Potts who is moving with
is family to their new home in
outh Salem, Oregon.
Rodeo Profit Over
$1,800 Checkup Shows
Bluffton’s Independence day rodeo
wiJJ show a profit of between $1,800
and $1,900, according to incomplete
returns it was stated by officials of
the rodeo, the first of the week.
Final accounting is expected to be
computed within the next ten days.
Profits of the rodeo to be used for
community improvement projects will
be divided one-third to the Saddle
club one-third to the Sportsmen’s
club and one-sixth each to the Com
munity Recreation committee and
the Business Men’s association.
TOWN’S OPERATION
WILL COST $35,038
DURING NEXT YEAR
Expenditures In 1949 Will Be
$3,035 Less Than For The
Current Year
Budget Prepared By Town Clerk
Is Approved By Munici
pal Council
Bluffton enditures
during
elusive
of
In general fund expenditures for
1949, the greatest outlay is
for the town street repair
$2,500 on retirement of loans
for police $2,500, sewers and
age $1,750 for Maple Grove
tery and $1,200 for firemen.
Bluffton’s Only Polio Case Making
Satisfactory Recovery At Lima
ight plant and water
aggregate $35,038, ac
lew budget prepared
cording to the
by Town Clerk
submitted to the Allen county budget
committee
Charles Emans, and
Funds available for expenditure in
the coming year will be $3,035 less
than
ture
funds earmarked for expendi
this year.
|948, actual expenses for the
six months and estimates for
last half year indicate an ag
gregate outlay of $38,073, approxi
mately $6,000 more than funds spent
in 1947.
In
first
the
for 1949 are broken
s, with 1948 figures
fund, $20,-
Expenditures
down as follow
in parenthesis: General
363 ($24,673) Street
Maintenance
and Repairs, $3,400 ($3,200) Gaso
line Tax for Street Repairs, $5,000
($4,500) Bond Retirement and In
terest, $6,275 ($5,700).
$3,500
crew
$3,000
drain
ceme-
Bluffton’s tax valuation shown
the budget estimate is $3,061,700.
in
Ex-Army Chaplain
St. Mary's Pastor
Yeager, former
been appointed
Catholic church
J. Alter of To-
Rev. Clarence J.
Army chaplain, has
pastor of St. Mary’s
here by Bishop Karl
ledo, it was announced this week.
The appointment will become effect
ive July 30.
In addition to his duties here Rev.
Yeager will serve as chaplain of St.
Rita’s hospital, Lima,
cancies in the
Lima hospital caused by the death
of Rev. James Nett, June 17.
ger for the past two years
return from military duty
as pastor of St.
Fr. Ye
since his
has been
Patrick’s
be succeeded
Reynolds, also a
the
rt, Ind., to
lly country
He fills va-
church here and the
ars
Bascom. He
Rev. Thon
former Army
Bluffton High Girls
Are At Y-Teen Camp
Five
will
high s
and each locomo
400 tons.
Is, officers of the Bluffton
1 Y-Teen club are spend
reek attending the conference
of Y-Teen clubs at Camp Pittinger.
They are: Lois Marquart, presi
dent Ruth Irene JDiller, vice pres.
Darlene Garmatter. secretary Ada
May Oyer, music chairman, and
Treva Althaus, service chairman.
Real Estate Tax
Deadline Saturday
Approaching deadline for payment
of last-half 1947 real estate taxes
was reflected by heavy collections
amounting to $223,919.68, last week.
This Saturday will mark the final
date for payment of taxes without
the assessment of penalties, it w-as
announced
In the first-half collection last De
cember, a record of $1,004,002.19
was established.
lectible including
and penalties, is
Total amount col
taxes, assessments
$2,036,400.36.
Disease Causes Death of Son of
Former Mt. Cory Coach,
James Morrison
One Additional Allen County
Case In Last Week Comes
From Cairo
14-year-old son of
Charles Bucher
Mr. and Mrs.
Elm street,
polio, is making satisfactory prog
ress at
where he has been a patient for the
last 11 days.
Clair Bucher, of West
Bluffton’s only case of
Lima Memorial hospital
Bucher’s case is reported as a mild
one, and he is said to be responding
to the Kenny pack treatment which
he is receiving at the hospital.
In
he meantime no additional
have been reported in
polio case
the Bluffton area, although one addi
tional Allen county case was found
last week in Cairo two more Han
cock county cases developed, and one
additional case was reported in Put
nam county.
Latest victim of the disease from
this section was Michael James Mor
rison, 6, son of Mr. and Mrs. James
Morrison, well known here. Mor
of Bluffton High
rison, a graduate
school and son of
son, was a former
High school and
ployed in the
Electrical Instrument Co. here.
Mrs. Alva Morri
coach at Mt. Cory
his wife was em
office of The Triplett
Their son died Monday night at
the Maumee Valley hospital, Toledo,
after undergoing treatment for five
days. Private services were held in
Findlay Tuesday’.
The boy had been living with
grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. M.
Overholt, in Findlay.
his
R.
Ada Man Salesman
For Aircraft Here
Paul W ertheimer, former manager
of Ada Airport, Inc., is district sales
man for Stinson aircraft, represent
ing the Bluffton Flying service, it
was announced the first of the week.
Wertheimer is now appointing as
sociate dealers throughout the ter
ritory which includes airports in the
area bounded by Dayton, Ft. Wayne,
Toledo and Bucyrus.
Leaving For New
Home In Oregon
Mrs. Robert Potts and children of
Spring street are leaving this week
for South Salem, Oregon, where they
will make their future home. Mr.
Potts has been there for several
weeks and has purchased a 17-acre
fruit farm and will also be em
ployed in the building trades.
The Potts property on Spring
street was recently purchased by Ed
gar Cook who with his wife and
family will occupy the residence.
100 Miles Of County
Roads Are Improved
More tlAn 100 miles of Allen
county and township road improve
ments have been completed so far
this summer, with work continuing
on 60 additional
the program, it
week by County
M. Mumaugh.
miles included in
was reported this
Engineer
Start of this slummer
delayed approximately one
extensive spring rains and
expensive road patching
rquired in recent years, the
said.
E
Hobart
s w
the most
program
engineer
Most of the remaining 6(
improvements is heavy mat work
Total cost of the basic
gram of 163.392 miles of
rovemen will be $213,051
89 miles of roads are in the
system, with the remainder
work.on township roads.
Mr. and .Mrs. Clayton Bixel are
on a motor trip to Wilberforce l.ake,
Canada, where he will make a sur
vey of possibilities of developing a
landing field for aircraft.
The lake is a popular fishing re
sort and visited by
anglers throughout
number of Bluffton
ported interested in
cabins.
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
Pop
the
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1948
FORMER BLUFFTON
MAN MISSING CAR
FOUND NEAR LAKE
Four Days Search Fails
close Whereabouts
Jacob Warkentin
Family Says Columbus
to Dis
of
Grove
Man May Have Suffered
Loss of Memory
22,
Seach for Jacob Warkentir
Columbus Grove roofing cont:
and former Bluffton resident went
into its fourth day Wednesday with
out uncovering
man who was
afternoon.
of the
any trac
last seen
about Port
where his
s found on
centered
Erie
The search is
Clinton on Lake
abandoned automobile wai
Route 2 near the Por
bridge. In the car were
glasses, some clothing and billfold
containing $1. Also in the
found a note addressed to
and family saying goodbye s
he was "sorry.”
his
wife
1 that
Warken
that he
m-
The family stated that 1
tin had been doctoring and
may be suffering from lapse of
ory.
The note found in the car
in red pencil on
Warkentin Bros., a Columbus
firm, was unsigned. Anothei
found among Warkentin’s eff
his shop in Columbus Grove, Mon
day, said the car would be found in
Port Clinton. Writing of both was
identified as that of the missing man.
a letterhead of
Grove
The search was started Sunday by
Ottawa county sheriff’s office in con
junction with Sheriff Potts of Ot
tawa and coastguardsmen began
dragging operations and patrolling
the shores of Lake Erie near Port
Clinton to determine whether his
body might be in the lake.
The Warkentins have two children,
three years and 18 months. His wife
is the former Frieda Fritchie of
Bluffton. She told officers that her
husband had paid several bills Satur
day and left herktVM) with which to
buy groceries before leaving home
Saturday afternoon in working
clothes on a business trip to Lima.
who was in military
since been working as
engaged in roofing and
buildings and erecting
Warkentin
service, has
a contractor
siding farm
metal corncribs.
He is described as 5 feet, 9 inches,
140 pounds, light hair, blue
and high forehead.
Slight improvement has been re
reported in the condition of Harold
Amstutz, injured 11 days ago in an
automobile crash on the Columbus
Grove road, four miles west of Bluff
ton.
In the Community hospital since
the crash, Amstutz is reported to be
conscious only at brief intervals.
He suffered deep lacerations about
the head when his car turned end
over end, after being involved in a
mishap with another automobile at
the intersection of the road with
Route 696.
Ada Man To Open
Electrical Store
Findlay.
948 pro­
county
of the-1
To Survey Airfield
Landing In Canada
many parties of
the summer. A
parties are re
the purchase
The lake, some 750 miles north
Bluffton by highway travel could
reached in about five hours by plane,
it is estimated. At present, how
ever, there are nc landing facilities
Increasing Raccoon Populatior
Is Reflected In Depreda
tions In Fields
Change In Fashions Gives Little
Incentive For Trapping and
Hunting of Animals
This area’s growing raccoon popu
lation is comprising a new menace
to the district’s stand of corn which
in years past has surmounted dam
age wreaked by corn borer
worms, drought and numerous
obstacles.
Raccoon depredations on
sweet corn already have been
ported, continuing a major trail of
damage that assumed sizable pro
portions a year ago. With the ani
mals having the time of their Jives
eating the succulent corn, a major
problem that is expected to get
worse instead of better is facing
area farmers.
e increasing depredations
is a change in fashions,
no longer wear raccoon
he slap-happy collegians
rs ago sported cc
iger have an intei
as a part of their
no
ried on its
offering hunters
bonus for
eyes
Auto Crash Victim
Slightly Improved
and
Mr. and Mrs. James Ferrell
mily of Ada have moved into
eppler property at South Main
vacated
and
by
ved
5 to op
appiiar
A FFTON MARKETS
Wednesday Morning
bushel prices)
$2.10.
-Heavy hens 3
heavy broilers
eghom broilers
$2.09 corni
Poultr
hens 28
ur
79c
Butt :a
Don’t
tion costs
tion rates
sent
States will becom
August 1. 1946:
1 Year. S2J5G
6 Months, $1.56
3 Months, $1
of
of
be
Single copies, 7c
iiave evei
the rest
F. Swift.
let the best you
the standard for
life. Gustavus
done be
Notice
Because
of increased produc*
the following subscrip
to the Bluffton News
anywhere in the United
i will become effective
ually $1 above market price for
males and $1.50 for females. These
animals then were penned and fed
until the end of the open season and
again released.
Raccoons are protected by game
laws and the hunting season is com
paratively short.
Bluffton May Queen
County Home Agent
Miss Joan McCarty, Bluffton col
lege May Queen last spring has ac
cepted a position as Hardin county
home agent, it was announced this
week. Her headquarters will be in
Kenton.
Miss McCarty, who majored in
home economics, was graduated from
Bluffton college in May. Her
is in Wapakoneta.
Two Are Injured
In Auto Accident
Farmers Are Mad, Hunters Are Sad, And
Raccoons Happily Feast On Corn Crop
lonskin
rest in
wear-
accoon skin, formerly’
nand, has dropped to fo
fur marketing, follm
opposum and skunk in
place
musk
and for a number
ious, raccoons have been
the Bluffton area by the
stocked in
Community
with little
take them
molested.
s raccoon
numerous
by motori
The are
become so
often seen
ways at night, and
they are commonly
fields.
Whether they will be re-stocked
again by the Sportsmen's clnb will
not be decided until this fall, when
the club’s
tee is to
gram.
game restocking commit
complete its year’s pro-
years, the club has car
i re-stocking program by
and trappers a
raccoons taken alive, us­
In past
slightly injured
Herbert Clum,
Bluff-
Two persons v
when cars drive
Ada, and Duncai
ton Route 1 wen
cident on State I
east of Bluffton, Saturd
Injured were Sharon
leghorn
bs. and
Miss Roberta Manges of near Mt.
Cory has been hired by the Riley
township board of education as in
structor in music in the Pandora
schools for the coming year. She
was graduated from Bluffton college
last May.
caused by the resignation of Earl
Lehman who has accepted a position
as music instructor in the Bluffton
schools the coming year.
Flying Lions See
Town From Air
Bluffton Lions g)t a free view of
Bluffton from the tlir Tuesday night
as an unexpected feature of a meet
ing in the Walnu Grill at which
Harold Carey, man ager of the Bluff
ton airport, was the speaker.
Following his ta k, Carey invited
the members to the airport as guests
of the flying service in an aerial
trip over the tow•n. Each of 20
Lions who accepted the invitation
was treated to a 15-minute aerial
tour in the Stimson station wagon.
Knapp
disc
bridt
Henry
id loo)
de. Hi
Knapp
club,
Sportsmen
incentive 1
they have
‘or trappers
multiplied
hole
Willis ht
nsor
Roberta Manges To
Teach At Pandora
will fill the vacancy
Mrs. Sarah Geiger
Estate Is Valued
Valuation of $11,664.14 is placed
on the estate of Sarah Geiger, late
of Bluffton. It lists $9,624.09 in ac
counts and debts receivable and
$2,040.05 in stocks and securities.
it
Route
Regarding
it ruck th
backing
addl
of the
been
iged
had
thou
elf
The cot
back to Kalida fr
Columbus Grove wl
:anie mired on the
nodern hard surfa
een Kalida
un-
has
population
that they
sts along high
farmers report
found in their
dirt road, now
ed highway be
i Columbus Grove
Continenta
the Mennonib
Indiana
which, laid out in
to Bluffton after
rived, in honor of the
from which most of them had come.
town
Knapp was editor of the Kalida
Venture, county seat weekly news
paper founded by James Mackenzie
in 1841. It was in the late 184(»’s when
the mud puddle episode occurred and
in that week’s Venture there was a
scathing editorial from Knapp’s vit
riolic quill about what he thought
Northwestern Ohio dirt roads
general.
of
Paper Moved to Ottawa
The paper, called by opposition
was moved with
ed-
itors “the Vulture,'
the county seat in 1866 to Ottawa,
where George D.
Later it became the Putnam County
Sentinel—still existent. Knapp lived
to write "The History of the Mau
mee Valley,” in 1872, which he dedi
cated to Rutherford B. Hayes. “Ex
Governor of Ohio.”
Kinder ran it.
The muddy dirt roads in Allen and
Putnam counties before the Civil War
were traditional. The mud puddles
were so deep and so close together
that a new industry5
them—that of mud
was bom from
hole rescue.
various taVems
ided themselves
of
Landlords of the
along the roads prr"
with extra yokes
the travelers
home
ten to rescue
immigrants—
pass the suc-
-mostly
could not
cessive
small i
paid.
The
were
Williamson,
two of
For that a
e and gladly
deep puddles,
charge was ma
rescue business bt
itized that the righ
the mud holes nea
nd
th especial dilig
brought him, s
hi
$5—probably the only transact
its kind on record.
When horses’ hoofs and 1
wheels failed to create enougl
holes
dence
of a
rods
Pleasant township, in
bus Grove
an unexplained upheaval of the earth
formed a ridge four feet high and 30
feet wide which dammed a creek from
bank to bank.
in the district, nature or provi
helped them. Old accounts tell
low piece of ground some 20
wide in Putnam County’s
which Colum
loeated, where in 1845
William Turner, who owned the
ground cut a channel through it to
let out the water and thus had a great
mud
been
road
hole of his own. It would have
worth a small fortune had the
run a little closer to it.
Edge of Black Swamp
Just what was under ground in
that country or why so much mud
no early settler knew nor could
imagine. On the edge of the Black
(Continued on page 8)
A Good Place To Trade
With farmer
one
Editor’s Note—This
of a series of articles to
in ths Bluffton News
with early Ohio history,
will appear
appear
dealing
Others
forthcoming
The Columbus Grove
Road
tood for a moment
NUMBER 14
HEAVY MARKETING
MARKS CURRENT
WHEAT HARVEST
Larger Proportion of 1948 Crop
Is Being Sold Than At Any
Time In Decade
Factors Which Formerly Im
pelled Farmers To Hold Crop
Are Missing Now
year’s
to mark-
narvest season
le, according to
a survey made
ners and mark-
heavily as
st, the close
nominal
ed with
y of the
irmers to
grain in
season.
30
farms is the
and
of
an
1 bay.
jeeable
emer-
are cautious
vhat future
md there is
th crop for
ay previous
to
What th price
wheat may be
v is anyone’s
farmers, but
increases has
been hurt by promising world wheat
production foi
Price
this year.
Satisfactory
farmers feel present
In addition
prices are satisfactory, and conse
quently are marketing directly from
combines, as less labor is entailed
than if the wheat is put in storage,
and handled a seennd time. Im
mediate selling also eliminates any
possibility of loss or deterioration in
storage.
Fourteen cars of wheat had been
shipped from here by The Farmers
Grain Co. by the end of last week,
and loading was continuing this
week following heavy marketing.
So far, there has been no local
shortage of freight cars to handle
grain shipments, a direct contrast
from last year’s situation. In caring
for the ‘rush of marketing the ele
vator is running day and night.
Price dropped to $2.10 the first
of the week, but following rain early
last week grain content of wheat
rose from 13% to around 15*^%.
Here From Hawaii
To Care For Mother
Mrs. S. T. Reeder, the former
Evelyn Niswander, is here from
Hawaii caring for her mather, Mrs.
Kate Niswander of South Lawn
Mrs.
P-
undisputed
Niswander has been
vinter. Mrs. Reeder
engaged in school
in Hawaii.
formerly
Births
at Bluffton
Kenr
Pand
Thun
Mr.
i Mrs. Paul Weirauch,
oy, Paul Thomas, Friday’.
Mrs. Warren Kline, Leip
Lowell Warren, Friday.
sic, a boy
Mr. an
a girl, Nancy Eileen
Mrs. Janies Redd, Ada,
Saturday.
Galen Basinger,
a girl, Linda Suzanne, Sat-
Mr. and Mrs.
Pandm
urday.
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Bronson, Jr.,
Col. Grove, a boy, Michael Eugene,
Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. R. Lee Shackelford,
Williamstown, a girl, Linda, Mon-
Mr. and Mrs. Corel Henry, Carle
ton, Mich., a girl, Varelia Sue, Mon­
Mr. and Mrs. Don Thornton, Limal
boy, Donald Evan, Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. R. T. Snow, Union
City, Mich., a boy, Richard Thomas,
Jr., Saturday. Mrs. Snow is the
former Harriet Cooney of this place.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Sims, Ft.
Wayne, a boy, Robert Ellsworth,
June 29. Mrs. Sims is the former
Mary Amstutz of Bluffton.