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Days BLUFFTON A Good Place to Trade VOLUME LXXIH NEW AUTO TAGS TO GO ON SALE HERE TUESDAY License Plates for All Passenger Cars $10 Plus Registration Fee Tags to Carry Yellow Numerals on Black Ground: Deadline March 31 Auto tags for 1949, going on sale nex Tuesday morning at the Troy Motor Sales, in the South Main street business section, will cost all pas senger vehicle owners the same amount again this year—a flat fee of $10 plus a 25-cent registration fee. H. M. (Dick) Troy, owner of the Troy Motor Sales, is the new deputy license registrar here, succeeding Clayton Bixel, who during the two preceding years of Republican admin istration in the state sold auto tags at the Bixel Motor Sales. A flat fee of $10 for all auto tags continues a new policy established last year. Prior to 1948, the cost of auto tags had been on a graduated scale based on horsepower, altho a considerable majority of the licenses fell in the $10 class. Yellow and Black New tags going on sale here next Tuesday will have yellow numerals on a black background, a reversal of the 1948 color scheme. The new tags may be used any time after purchase, and must be on all cars operated after March 31. This is the third year since 1941 that two tags have been provided, for during the war and in a few years following the close of hostili ties, only one plate was provided for each motorist, because of the shortage of steel. In applying for tags, the procedure will be the sale as last year, with owners required to present their bill of sale or certificate of title before the licenses can be issued. Henry V Film At Carma Next Week Film version of Shakespeare’s Henry V will be presented at the Carma theater here on Thursday afternoon and evening, March 3, it is announced by George Carmack. The picture stars Laurence Oliver as King Henry V of England. Real Estate Deal Samuel Badertscher has sold his 80 acre farm to his son Walter, in a deal closed thic week. The farm, south of town on the Bentley road is the old Badertscher homestead which has been in the family since the early 1850’s. With The Sick Mrs. Daisy Woodruff who collapsed on a bus was removed from the de pot here to Bluffton hospital Monday morning. She was enroute from North Baltimore to her home in Lima. She was taken to her home Tuesday. Otto Bigler, former meat market operator is a patient in Bluffton hospital with a heart ailment. His condition is reported improved. Improvement is reported in the condition of Sidney Hauenstein, pa tient in Bluffton hospital with asth ma complications Mrs. Wilhelm Amstutz II, sur gical patient in Bluffton hospital has been removed to the home of W. A. Amstutz north of town. C. D. Steiner of Pandora who was a patient in Bluffton hospital has been removed to his home. Mrs. David Fisher who underwent treatment at Bluffton hospital for a fractured left kneecap as the re sult of a fall has been removed to her home near Pandora. Mrs. Henry Balmer has an eye in fection at her home on South Lawn avenue. Miss Kate Hilty, 82, of Chicago, is reported critically ill in a hos pital in that city. She has been in a coma for several weeks. Miss Holty, a former Bluffton resident, is a sister of Mrs. A. L. Baumgartner of South Main street. Carl Smucker of Bluffton college faculty is ill at his home on Cam pus View. Miss M’Della Moon of Bluffton college faculty is ill with flu. R. A. Lantz of Bluffton college department of music is recovering from a sinus infection. Personal Tax Aid Here On March 4 Representatives from the Allen county auditor’s office will be at the Citizens National bank in Bluffton, Friday, March 4 to assist residents in preparation of their personal property and classified tax returns, it was announced by Auditor Rus sell L. Hire. Representatives from the auditor’s office here Monday were unable to accommodate the large number seek ing aid and for that reason arrange ments were made for another day here,. Hire announced. BODY OF MARINE KILLED IN PACIFIC TO ARRIVE FRIDAY Body of Pvt. Leo Basinger to bQ Taken to Diiier Funeral Home Services Will be Held at Funeral Home Here on Sunday Afternoon Remains of Pvt. Adrian Leo Basinger 22 year old Marine who was killed bn Okinawa in the Pacific theatre of war, will arrive here from Columbus, Friday night at 9:42 o’clock on the Cleveland-St. Louis Nickel Plate train, according to word received from Army sources the first of the week. The body will lie taken to the Paul Diller funeral home where services will be held Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock. Officiating will be Rev. V. C. Oppermann of St. John’s Reformed church of which he was a member. Interment will be in the Thompson cemetery with graveside rites con ducted by the Foss-Agin-Meyer American Legion post of Ada. Killed on Airfield Basinger a machine gunner in the Marine corps met instant death on Machinate airfield in Okinawa when he was killed by artillery shell fire May 4, 1945. The body was brought to this country’ last month on the army transport Sergeant Jack J. Pendleton. He served in he second batallion, Co. of the first Marine division. He was the son of Adrian and Glenna Basingeer of near Ada, born June 1, 1923 and was graduated from Mt. Cory high school in 1943. He was married to Margaret Burk holder. Besides the parents he is survived by two sisters Mrs. Alice Fauwer of Ada and Mary’ Jo Basinger at home. Flower Seed Store Opening Saturday Herr’s Flowers & Seeds, new gard en supply house, will hold open house Saturday at the residence of Kermit Herr, who operates the busi ness at 123 South Lawn avenue. Herr is a successful gladioli grow er in this area and has won numer ous awards at flower shows. His new stofe, recently completed will carry bulbs, seeds and garden equip ment together with insecticides and fertilizers. He will also represent a landscape consultant and fruit ad viser and is prepared to test sam ples of soil. At Saturday’s opening, flowers will be given to the first 65 visitors together with favors for all callers. Christian Santschi, Bluffton’s old est resident, who celebrated his 91st birthday on Tuesday, February 15, died of a heart ailment at 11:45 p. Saturday in Bluffton Commun ity hospital. He had been critically ill for 10 days. Born in Sigwiswil, Switzerland, on February 15, 1858, Santschi came to America in 1881. On Nov. 15, 1888, he married Caroline Boss, who died Oct. 21, 1942. The marriage was the culmination of a romance which had its inception in Switzer land before either came to this country. A farmer by occupation, Santschi for many years owned the former Sem Steiner farm south of Bluffton. •In 1918 he moved to Bluffton with Allen County Dairy Cattle Will Be Tested For Tuberculosis This Year Plans For County-Wide Test Directed By Dr. E. S. Augs burger, Former Blufftonite One Hundred Per Cent Tests Will Be Made of Every Dairy Herd In County All Allen county dairy cattle will be tested for tuberculosis starting next summer in a county-wide test ing program announced last week by E. S. Augsburger, of Lima, depart ment of agriculture veterinarian. Dr. Augsburger, now located in Lima, is a former Bluffton resident. Plans already have been completed for testing in seven of the county’s townships, and details are being ironed out at present for completion of the project in the remainder of the county, Dr. Augsburger said. Funds for the tuberculosis test have been appropriated by Allen county commissioners, and a 100 per cent test will be made of all dairy cattle, rather than running a spot check. The testing program will be continued every three years. If Allen county is to remain on the accredited dairy list, cattle must be tested every three years, Dr. Augsburger pointed out. Youth For Christ Rally On Saturday Rev. Russell R. Kauffman, Indian apolis evangelist and pastor will ad dress the monthly Youth for Christ rally of the Bluffton-Pandora area at the high school auditorium here Saturday night at 7:30 o’clock. Rev. Kauffman is pastor of the Christian and Missionary Alliance church in Indianapolis. Opening the rally will be a sing spiration and special numbers of vocal and instrumental talent are on the evening’s program. A pre-serv ice prayer meeting will be held at 7:10 o’clock. Ropp Triplett Named To Safety Council Ropp Triplett last week was elect ed a trustee of the Allen County Safety Council, a group which gath ers statistical information on traffic accidents in Allen county and car ries on a continuous accident pre vention campaign. Walter S. Jackson, appellate court judge, is president of the Council. Lions Club Charter Night Next Tuesday Bluffton Lions will observe their sixteenth anniversary and ladies night with a dinner at the Walnut grill, next Tuesday evening at 6:30 o’clock. R. H. MacCullough of Defiance, district governor will be the speaker of the evening. Other numbers on the program will be readings by Wm. Burbick, instructor of speech at Bluffton college and the College Men's quartet. Past District Governor Dwight Murray will induct new members and Dr. L. L. Ramseyer, president of the club, will be toastmaster. BLUFFTON MARKETS Wednesday Morning Grain (bushel prices) Wheat $2.05 corn $1.12 oats 68c soys $2.12. Poultry—Heavy hens 33c leghorn hens 27c. Eggs—Large white 39c large brown 38c medium white 35c medium brown 34c. Butterfat—64c. Christian Santschi, Oldest Resident, Dies Three Days After 91st Birthday his family, but continued farming operations until 1940. A member of St. John's Reformed church, Santschi at one time served as Sunday school superintendent and was a former director of the choir of the church. Survivors include one daughter, Mrs. Alice Parker, of Washington, D. C. and a son, Arthur Santschi, of Chicago. A son, Lewis was killed in an automobile accident in 1942. There also are five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Funeral services were held in St. John’s church Tuesday afternoon, with Rev. V. C. Oppermann officiat ing. Burial was in Maple Grove cemetery. Tiuc Dig Dollar Days in Bluffton, Friday and Saturday THE BLUFFTON NEWS A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON. AND VICINITY BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, FEB. 24, 1949 29 BLUFFTON HIGH SENIORS SMALLEST CLASS SINCE 1914 Small Graduating Classes Re flects Depression’s Effects on Families Smallest Class In 35 Years To Receive Diplomas At Com mencement May 26 Bluffton High school’s smallest graduating class since 1914 will receive diplomas at commencement exercises for 29 seniors on Thurs day, May 26, according to graduation plans announced this week by Supt. of Schools Ralph Lanham. The class of 29 is smaller by 15 than last spring’s group of 44 graduates, and is in marked contrast to graduating classes from 70 to 75 common here during the “thirties”. Smaller families resulting 'from depression years are now showing up in Bluffton High graduating classes, but at the same time an other reversal has been set in pro cess for grade school enrollment over the last three years has shown a pronounced upswing. An evidence in the new enrollment trend is a comparison of this year’s graduating class of 29 with double that number enrolled in the first grade of the elementary schools. Dr. Clyde Hissong, Ohio director of education, will be the commence ment speaker at this year’s Bluffton High graduation exercises. Ebenezer Church Has Combined Conference Annual Bible and youth confer ences of the Ebenezei Mennonite church will be combined this year into one week’s sessions, opening Sunday, March 13, it is announced by the pastor, Rev. Howard Landes. Speaker will be I‘r.,. Paul R. Bau man, professor of Bible and execu tive vice president of Grace Theo logical seminary, Winano Lake, Ind. Dr. Bauman a prominent archaeolo gist, was formerly dean of the Los Angeles, California, Bible Institute and served as interim pastor of the First Mennoite church of Los An geles. Washington Address At Masonic Dinner Prof. C. H. Freeman of Ohio Northern university, Ada, was the principal speaker at the Masonic lodge Father-Son dinner, Monday night. An authority’ on Washington, Prof. Freeman gave a graphic nar rative of Washington’s military cam paigns and his part in the formation of the republic. There were 140 members of the lodge and guests in attendance at the affair. Walter White, assistant Allen county prosecutor, scheduled to address the meeting was unable to fill his engagement because of illness. Dinner was served by wo men of the Eastern Star order. Births The following births at Bluffton hospital: Mr. and Mrs. Walter Green, Bluff ton, a boy, David Ronald, last Wed nesday. Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Paul, Bluffton, a girl, Deborah Eileen, Thursday. Mr. and Mrs .Raymond Holden, Findlay, a girl, Joetta Kay, Friday. Mr. and Mrs. Carl Betz, Arling ton, a girl, Jennifer Jean, Friday. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Green, Findlay, a girl, Lucinda Jane, Fri day. Mr. and Mrs. Marion Driver, Lima, a girl, Kathleen Jo, Saturday. Mr. and Mrs. Donald Etter, Pan dora, a boy, Ronald Lee, Saturday. Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Miller, Dun kirk, a girl, Linda Lou, Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Martin Stahl, Leip sic, a boy, James Robert, Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. James Van Atta, Arlington, a girl, Deborah Lynn, Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Donald Joliff, La Wayette, a girl, Dorcas Elaine, Tuesday. Mr. and Mrs. Earl Montgomery, a boy Gary Lee at Findlay hospital, Tuesday. Mrs. Montgomery is the former Kathleen Waltz of near Mt. Cory. Mr. and Mrs. Walter Nichols, of Waynesfield, a boy, William Dennis, bom Monday at Lima Memorial hospital. Mrs. Nichols is the form er Verena Steiner of Bluffton. Farmers Prepare For Spring Operations As Demand Con tinues At High Level Small Tracts In Bluffton Area Produce Limited Quantity Each Spring A sharp upward trend in the price of maple syrup, one farm product unscathed in the current slump, finds Bluffton area fanners with maple groves getting their camps in readi ness for the annual spring run. With the demand for good quality maple syrup continuing to expand, early reports are setting this year’s price at $6.50 a gallon, a boost of $1.50 over the $o mark prevailing a year ago. Local production of maple syrup, revived by the wartime shortage of sugar, has shown no indication of reverting to its pre-war status when it was largely an abandoned prac tice. Up from Free Movies For Kiddies Feature Of Dollar Days Here Friday, Saturday More than 30 Bluffton merchants, including almost all establishments in the downtown district, are cooperating to provide for district shoppers a most unusual money-saving op portunity in Bluffton Dollar Days, Friday and Saturday. Two days of outstanding bargains will climax weeks of preparation for this sales event which finds stores in widely diversified lines featuring the best sales values possible. To make possible astonishingly low prices, profit margins have been cut sharply in order to focus the attention of shoppers on Bluffton’s superior facilities as a trading center. Dollar Days will be particularly appealing for children of school age, who are invited to a free showing of “My Dog Rusty” in the Carma theatre, Saturday afternoon. The show also will include a comedy and a cartoon, and will provide interesting and wholesome entertainment for the kiddies while their parents are shopping for bargains. All school children of Bluffton and sur rounding towns are invited. No parking meters line Bluffton streets, another advantage that will bring many here for the bargain sale. Many of the outstanding bargains offered in Dollar Days appear in advertisements in this wreck’s issue of The Bluffton News. All are well worth reading for money-saving opportunities. No Slump In Maple Syrup Price It Goes Up $1.50 To $6.50 Gallon Mark $1.50 Pre-War Price Before the war, many maple groves were disregarded by owners because their operation had been un profitable when sugar was plentiful and when maple syrup could be purchased in stores for prices as low as $1.50 a gallon. Sugar shortages, however, brought revival of maple sugar camps here, for operation permitted the farmer to serve his own individual needs, as well as giving him assurance of high prices for the surplus he had for sale. Inasmuch as area farmers do not have capacity to make syrup com mercially there has been no estab lished price for the product, with each year’s price level determined generally according to the demand. Clothing Collection For Relief March 5 Clothing for overseas relief pur poses will be collected in Bluffton on Saturday, March 5 in a project sponsored jointly by the Missionary Society of the First Mennonite church and the Bluffton college Re lief committee, it was announced the first of the week. Amstutz Estate Is Valued At $30,489 Estate of the late Edwin Amstutz, Richland township, is estimated at $30,489.14 in an inventory filed last week in Allen county probate court. The inventory consisted of real estate and personal property. Confirmation that Bluffton’s mos quito control program helped keep last summer’s polio epidemic in this area from gaining a foothold here was seen in testimony of Dr. John Porterfield, Ohio health commissioner, at the recent Maumee valley con servancy hearing in Defiance. Dr. Porterfield said that polio virus is carried by flies and mosqui toes. Bluffton’s control program, started early last spring and con tinued until late fall, practically rid the town of flies and mosquitoes during the summer. HATCHERY RECORD MAY BE MADE IN RUSH FOR POULTRY Cheaper Grain Spurs Orders For Baby Chicks More Turkeys Coming Too Mosquito Control Program Cited As Check On Summer’s Polio Epidemic The state health commissioner also testified that excreta from pa Hatcheries Report Unprecedent ed Early Orders Production largely Sold Now Hatchery business in the Bluffton area is the best in recent years, and hatchery operators are pointing out an almost unprecedented Febru ary condition which finds a sizable portion of their spring schedules of baby chicks already sold. The rush of orders for chicks is seen by operators as a farm measure to get higher prices for grain by marketing it in the form of poultry or eggs during the coming year. Although grain prices have drop ped decidedly during the last 12 months, poultry prices have changed little from a year ago. As a result the situation this year is exactly re versed from what it was in 1948 when grain prices were inflated and the price of poultry held stationary. With feed costs high, little poultry was raised in 1948, but with cost of feeding projects at lower levels this year larger poultry flocks will be in evidence throughout the entire dis trict. Nation-wide Trend A nation-wide trend toward in creased poultry production also is in evidence, with heavy chick buy ing serving as a barometer of what’s ahead in chicken abundance. In many areas the rush to turn cheaper grain into chicken is adding up to something like a stampede, (Continued on page 5) Two Retail Stores Exchange Locations Geiger & Diller clothing store and Fett &Sons hardware, retail stores in the North Main street business section are exchanging locations this week. Both stores are located in the Fett business block and occupy adjoining rooms. Stocks of merchandise were moved the first of the week and remodeling of interiors is in prograss. Both stores are being fitted up with fix tures and lighting for modern mer chandising. tients is the most common carrier of polio virus. This in turn gets into streams through sewage, and under these conditions the virus will live from eight to 10 hours. Dr. Porterfield also said it is known that some virus is airborne, but contended that fecates are the greatest carrier. A community hit by a polio epi demic one year is not likely to have another the next year, the health commissioner said. He pointed to U. 8. public health service records which show no cases of a community suffering polio outbreaks two years in a row. $ Days $ BLUFFTON A Good Place to Live NUMBER 46 FEW CHANGES IN PROSPECT ON AREA FARMS THIS SPRING Farm Owners and Tenants All “Sitting Tight” As March Deadline Nears Mechanized Farming Make Pos sible Cultivation of Larger Tracts of I^and March 1—traditional moving date for farm families—will find few changes being made in farm residency this spring, with both farm owner occupants and tenants “sitting tight” in present locations. An indication tha^ anyone with a place to stay is remaining there is seen in the fact that farm sales this winter have been comparatively few a situation which means that few changes in location will be made at the time when the farm year tradi tionally begins. Public sales always provide an ac curate barometer of farm changes, for most of them come either when a renter is moving from a location and dissolving partnership with his landlord, or when the owner of a farm sells out, preparatory to retir ing and usually moving into town. Stay On Farm Farmers at retiring age are stay ing right on their farms these days, however, because high-priced city properties represent an uncertain investment to anyone who has a home where he can stay. At the same time, the retiring farmer has no worry ’about keeping his land in cultivation, for in these days of mechanized farming there always is a neighbor looking for more land. With farm prices at lower levels, the tendency now is for farmers to remain in their present locations, handling with their own labor as much land as they can, and to hire little or no help. All agree that the high cost of farm labor is out of line with the declining price of farm products, thereby ruling out the pos sibility of farmers hiring much nelp during the coming year. Fewer Tenants In the meantime, tenants are con tinuing to find it difficult to make farming connections, continuing a trend in evidence here for nearly a decade. Increasing mechanization of farm ing practices, now making it possible for one man to farm as much as 200 acres or more, tenant farmers each spring find fewer farms to rent, and are worried by the trend which seems to indicate that the farm cultivated on a tenant basis eventually may be come a rarity. Before the days of mechanized farming, 80 acres were considered about all one man could manage. Now, however, the farmer with good mechanical equipment is glad to have a neighbor from whom he can rent additional acreage, generally on a 50-50 grain rent basis. Scholastic Honor to Bluffton Girl Jean Steinman of Bluffton has been named to the dean’s list at Baldwin-Wallace college, Berea, where she is a senior, it was an nounced the first of the week. She is among the upper ten per cent of the student body in scholas tic achievement and received recog nition after attaining a grade aver age of B-plus or better during the fall term. She is the younger daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Forrest Steinman of South Lawn avenue. Indiana Male Chorus Is Coming On Sunday The Menno singers, male chorus of Goshen, Indiana, will be heard in sacred concerts at the First Men nonite church here Sunday after noon at 2:30 and Grace Mennonite church, Pandora, in the evening at 7:30 o’clock. The chorus consisting of 30 voices directed by Walter Stutsman is sponsored by the Eighth Street Men nonite church of Goshen, and is in its third concert season. Dr. Lloyd Ramseyer Is Speaker At Ada Dr. Lloyd Ramseyer, president of Bluffton college, was the speaker at a meeting of the Ada Parent-Teach i ers association Tuesday night in the Ada High school auditorium. Dr. Ramseyer’s subject was “Build I ing Personality.”