The Bluffton news. [volume], July 14, 1949, Image 1

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BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Trade
VOLUME LXXIV
POLITICS STIRS AS
PARTIES HERE EYE
SUMMER CAUCUSES
Tickets Must Be Filed With
Board of Elections by
August 10
Three Terms Expire on School
Board Two on Richland
Trustees
Bluffton’s political cauldron began
simmering again this week, as
Democrat and Republican leaders
drafted preliminary plans for party
caucuses required by August 10 to
name candidates for the village
board of education and Richland
township offices.
Headlining Bluffton interest in the
caucuses, of course, will be the
selection of candidates for the
board of elducation, to which three
members will be elected next fall.
Terms expiring will be those of
Leland Diller, president of the board,
Paul Diller and Norman A. Triplett,
the latter serving the unexpired term
of the late Donivon B. Conrad.
On the Richland township board
of trustees, the terms of Chairman
Fred Badertscher and Watson Stein
er are expiring. Candidates also are
needed for township constables, to
replace R. E. Griffith and Charles
Lora, whose terms in office end next
December 31.
Two justice of the peace berths
will be open on each party ticket.
The term of Stanley Vertner,
Beaverdam, is expiring, and party
leaders also will be seeking to give
the township a full complement of
justices for the first time in four
years, by being sure of getting at
least two candidates.
During the last four years, Vert
ner has been the only justice in the
township. Four years ago, he was
the only candidate, and the second
man elected two years ago failed to
be sworn into office, and no replace
ment could be obtained.
Beaverdam and Lafayette also
must hold caucuses to name village
board of education candidates, and
draft tickets for the town offices, in
cluding mayor, councilmen, etc.
Oscar Kibele, Former
Resident, Succumbs
Funeral services were held in
Columbus, Friday morning for Oscar
Kibele, 81 year old resident of that
city who as a youth was reared in
Bluffton and a brother of the late
Hector Kibele of this place.
Kibele, for many years a promin
ent building contractor in Columbus,
lately retired, died at his home fol
lowing an extended illness. He was
the last of a large family, well
known in Bluffton about fifty years
ago, exceptionally talented including
architects, mechanical engineers and
industrial plant and oil field super
visors.
Kibele was the contractor who
erected College hall, the first build
ing of the present Bluffton college.
Plans for the building were drafted
by his brother Kuno at that time an
architect in Muncie, Ind. At the
time of his death Kibele was a
director of the Clintonville Federal
Savings & Loan company.
Surviving are his widow and one
son Oscar, Jr., of Columbus and two
daughters, Mrs. L. O. Walcutt of
Hilliards and Miss Helen Kibele at
home.
Bluffton Residents9
Grandson Is Injured
Donavin Baumgartner, Jr., 19,
eldest son of Dr. and Mrs. I). A.
Baumgartner of Cleveland is in St.
Luke’s hospital, that city, as the
result of injuries sustained in a
traffic accident Sunday morning at
9 o’clock.
His grandparents living in Bluff
ton are Mrs. J. S. Steiner and Mr.
and Mrs. A. L. Baumgartner, all of
South Main street.
The accident occurred at a Cleve
land street intersection in the col
lision of a retail milk delivery truck
operated by Baumgartner and a se
dan laden with picnickers.
Baumgartner received a com
pound fracture of the upper right
leg together with numerous lacera
tions and bruises. His condition re
ported serious following the accident
was said to be improved Tuesday
night.
SERIOUSLY ILL
Mrs. Gideon Burkholder is serious
ly ill at the home of her daughter,
Mrs. Calvin Steiner on Poplar street.
A business property changed
hands in a real estate deal closed
this week when Clayton Bixel,
Bluffton automobile dealer, purch
ased the McCabe building on North
Main street adjoining the town hall.
The place is operated by the Mc
Cabe interests of Attica, Mich., as
a cream and egg station.
Possession will be given the last
of this month and Bixel said he ex
pects to remodel the business place
into a modern salesroom for home
WHEAT MARKETING
RUSHED TO BEAT
RUMORED EMBARGO
Most Wheat Is Being Marketed
This Summer Little Held
By Farmers
largest Yield Reported is 40
Bushels Acre Quality
Continues Good
Bluffton area farmers during the
last week have been rushing wheat
to market as rapidly as it could be
combined, in order to get the grain
off their hands before rumored em
bargoes of freight shipments might
be put into effect to relieve jammed
terminals.
Despite heavy marketing, the price
has held fairly steady at about 81.78
per bushel, comparing with a $2.10
price paid last summer.
Little wheat is being held on farms,
except for what the farmer needs,
or plans to store under the govern-
Government loan rates on
wheat now being harvested in
the Bluffton area hae been an
nounced as follows:
Allen county $2.08 per bushel
Putnam county $2.06 Hancock
county $2.07 Hardin county
$2.08. This is for No. 1 wheat
testing 60 pounds per bushel.
If the fanner keeps the wheat
on the farm until April 20, 1950
and then sells it to the govern
ment, he will receive an addition
al seven cents per bushel for
storage.
ment loan program. In most cases,
however, the grain has^noved to
market in a steady stream.
Bluffton’s sole wheat shipping
point, the Farmers Grain Co., has
received no indication of an embargo
notice from Buffalo, Toledo or Fos
toria, where most of the Bluffton
wheat is shipped. Eldon Tschiegg,
manager of the Farmer’s Grain, also
said that so far there have been
plenty of freight cars to handle the
grain.
Wheat marketed here has continued
of good quality, testing less than 14
per cent moisture content and around
60 pounds to the bushel. Highest test
was 62 la, Tschiegg said. Largest
yield reported was 40 bushels to the
acre, with the average yield from
30 to 33 bushels.
Bluffton Girls At
State FHA Meeting
Bixel Buys McCabe Poultry Building
On North Main Street To Remodel Soon
Patriotic Societies Honor Bluffton’s
Founder And Revolutionary Soldier
Genevieve Burkholder, daughter of
Mrs. Edith Burkholder and Louise
Reichenbach, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Ray Reichenbach, both of Bluff
ton high school, are in Columbus at
tending the Central Regional meet
ing of the Future Homemakers of
America, an organization of high
school home economics students.
The girls are chaperoned by Miss
Elizabeth Mohr, high school home
economics instructor here during the
past year and FHA adviser.
The meeting which opened Tues
day will continue until Thursday,
with delegations present from Illin
ois, Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan
attending besides those from Ohio.
Miss Burkholder will be Ohio’s
candidate for a member of the Na
tional committee and will compete
for this honor with representatives
from the four other states in an
election to be held at the Columbus
meeting. She will be nominated in
a speech by Miss Reichenbach.
Adult Church Of
Christ Conference
An adult conference sponsored by
the Churches of Christ in Ohio will
be held at Bluffton college next
week, July 17 to 23. Rev. O. Mer
rill Boggs, pastor of the Bluffton
and Beaverdam Churches of Christ,
will represent the local charge at
the conference. A similar confer
ence will be held at Hiram college,
Hiram, Ohio, August 7 to 13.
applicances. Bixel, associated with
Kimmel Marshall now operates a
home appliance business from the
Bixel Motor Sales on Cherry
street.
A vacant North Main street lot
adjoining the McCabe building
which Bixel purchased last month
from George Carmack will be fitted
Up as a used car lot, Bixel stated.
The place has been leased by the
town as a parking lot.
Allen County Sons and Daugh
ters of Revolution Hold
Service Here
Joseph DeFord, Original Settler,
Was Soldier in War of
Independence
Joseph DeFord, founder of Bluff
ton and soldier in the Revolutionary
war was honored with impressive
patriotic ceremonies at his grave in
the old cemetery on Jefferson street
Sunday afternoon marking the dedi
cation of a headstone of gleaming
white Georgia marble attesting to
his services in the War of Inde
pendence.
Conducting the memorial were the
Lima chapters of Sons and Daugh
ters of the American Revolution, to
gether with a color guard from
Shawnee Boy Scout Troop.
Participating in the service Sun
day were Mrs. George Jenkins of
Fremont, director of the Northwest
Ohio D. A. R. district Miss Mary
Belle Linnell, acting chaplain of
Lima D. A. R. chapter Mrs. Grace
Johnson, regent of Lima chapter
Mrs. John Breese, past regent of
Lima chapter Clarence Breese, pres
ident of Lima S. A. R. chapter and
Thos. Gallagher, director of Allen
County Soldiers and Sailors Relief.
According to data collected by the
Allen County Historical society,
DeFord, Bluffton’s only Revolution
ary soldier, came to this country
from France with Lafayette and
served in the war with the 5th
Maryland regiment.
Following the war he went to
Boston and from there to Pittsburgh
where he came by boat down the
Ohio river to the mouth of the
Scioto. Here he built a raft and
went up the Scioto river to Ross
county from where he is said to
have traveled overland into North
western Ohio and settled at Bluffton
in 1832.
Tradition has it that DeFord was
seeking a place to build a grist mill
and stopped here because he found
in Big Riley creek crossing the In
dian trail, now the Dixie highway,
a likely source of water power to
operate hs little corn cracker.
Other families settled here in the
westward surge which followed the
opening of the Northwest territory
and in 1937 DeFord is said to have
platted the village of Shannon, con
sisting of 16 building lots centering
around what is now Riley creek
bridge on North Main street.
Restock Pheasants
In Game Reserve
Fifty mature pheasants have been
restocked in the Howard Rickly
game reserve south of Bluffton on
Bentley road, it is announced by
Donald Ramge, Allen County Game
protector.
Release was in the proportion of
one cock |ird to five hens. To date
168 mature birds have been released
in Allen county in good cover and
Ramge expects to obtain additional
supplies for stocking from the Ur
bana game farm.
As a protection to nesting pheas
ants the conservation division has
leased 10 acres of timothy grass
from Rickly which will not be
mowed until after the nesting sea
son. Contract for the unmolested
cover will run until this Friday.
Rickly’s entire farm is now under
lease as a game reserve and his
woodlot is leased under the state
forest program.
Studies Spanish In
Cuba This Summer
Miss Sara Jane Huser, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Huser, 115
S. Jackson street is attending the
University of Habana at Habana,
Cuba, for six weeks for the study of
Spanish. She will be a junior at
Bluffton college this fall where she
has had two years of Spanish lan
guage courses.
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON. OHIO, THURSDAY, JULY 14, 1949
Oats Crop Light
Quality Is Cut By
Recent Hot Spell
OATS in the Bluffton district
will be light this year, according
to reports from early marketings
here. Hot weather of the past
three weeks is believed to be
largely responsible for the condi
tion, local dealers said.
Editor’s Note—This is
one
of a series of articles to appear
in the Bluffton News dealing
with early Ohio history. Others
will appear in forthcoming
issues.
The Newmarket Devil
Tough? Wicked? Reckless? Jim
mie Finley was all three with a
sprinkle of other things thrown in.
The writer recalls an old backwoods
adage of his own youth about some
preachers having bad boys—and Jim
mie Finley was a preacher’s kid.
Born in 1781 in North Carolina to
Rev. Robert W. Finley and his bride
of a year, Rebecca Bradley, James
B. Finley was cradled in civil war
and nurtured on bloodshed. Neighbor
massacred neighbor. Tories tried to
exterminate the Whigs. All of Rebec
ca Bradley Finley’s brothers died in
the struggle.
One brother was killed at General
Gates’ defeat another was murdered
by four Tories at his own door—shot
with his own rifle a third died on a
prison ship. Jimmie’s own father and
his congregation were waylaid and
shot at on their way to church. One
member was killed by a shot fired
through a window when at prayer.
Reverend Finley received a ball
through the breast of his coat as he
stepped out of his own door. Much
of such as this Jimmie Finley saw.
Rough Life of Backwoods
One Tory leader collected all the
wives of Whigs he knew into one
house and hanged them by the neck
until nearly dead—in an attempt to
make the women disclose the where
abouts of their husbands. In retalia
tion the ’teen-age sons of the women
took the Tory’ by night to a swamp
and gave him 20 lashes each for the
mothers he had hanged. Then they
tarred and feathered him and ducked
him into the swamp. The Tory never
again was seen.
Backwoods boys were brought up
that way—and Jimmy’ Finley learned
to play a good hand at cards was
passionately fond of dancing: went
on many a spree was a fluent “cus
ser” and fought like a wildcat
when angry.
The boy’s Presbyterian father was
a Princeton graduate who had studied
for the ministry and became a mis
sionary in the wilds of North and
South Carolina and in Georgia. Be
cause of Indian dcpridations the Fin
leys moved to Bourbon County, Ken
tucky, where the father had two con
gregations—one at Cane Ridge and
the other at Concord.
When Janies B. Finley was seven
he met both Simon Kenton and Simon
Girty, the Indian renegade. The boy
drifted into Highland County, Ohio,
where he hunted, fished and fought
near Newmarket, south of Hillsboro.
It was there he got the nickname,
“The Newmarket Devil.”
About that time a great religious
revival broke out in Kentucky, ac
companied by that strange phenome
na, “the jerks.” In August that year
a big camp meeting was held at Canp
Ridge, Kentucky, his father’s old
congregation, and James Finley, with
a few rowdy companions, went to see
it and the place of his boyhood.
Flees Revival Scene
“It was an awful scene,” Finley
later related. Fully 25,000 persons
milled around there the noise “was
like Niagara and it was a sea of
humans agitated as by a storm.” He
counted seven preachers, all preach
ing at once from stumps, fallen trees
and wagons. Some were singing,
others were praying many were
piteougjy crying for mercy and more
were shouting wildly in joyful
hilarity. Nearly everybody was
“jerking.” Young Finley felt weak
at the stomach and fled to the woods.
After a time he returned to the
scene and found the waves of excite
ment still higher and wilder. Finley
got on a log to see better. “It was a
surging sea of humanity,” he related.
“At one time I saw at least 500 swept
down in a moment as if a battery- of
a thousand guns had opened on them.
And almost immediately there follow
ed shrieks and shouts that rent the
very- heavens.”
Finley’s hair stood up and he
chilled. The young fellow again fled
to the woods and “wished he had
stayed at home,” he said.
This time he went to a tavern a
half-mile away and asked for brandy-.
That, he felt, would help him. There
(Continued on page 8)
Ten Bluffton youths of Boy Scout
Troop 56 are spending a week at
Shawnee Council camp near Defi
ance.
In camp from Bluffton are John
Triplehorn, Don Badertscher, Bruce
Hauenstein, Frederick Habegger, Don
Triplehorn, James Henderson, Joe
Joseph, James Green, Marl Wat
kins and Dean Badertscher.
They- are accompanied by Morris
Groman as group leader who also
will assist on the adult staff at the
Showers and Hotter Weather
Make Ideal Conditions For
Mosquito Breeding
Cooperation of Residents Is
Needed to Make Town’s
Program Effective
Intermittent rains and warm
weather during the last two weeks
have made ideal conditions for
mosquitoes, and residents of the
town must cooperate with the munic
ipal prevention program now under
way if this summer’s mosquito con
trol system is to be completely
satisfactory, according to an an
nouncement this week by the mayor.
Bluffton at present is virtually
free of mosquitoes, and with co
operation of the public in addition
to the town’s mosquito control
activities the situation should be
kept well in hand, the mayor added.
Belief that the mosquito prevention
program here last year prevented a
polio epidemic here, similar to that
in area surrounding Bluffton, is an
added incentive for every household
er to do his bit again this summer.
W. A. Howe, who has previously
been in charge of previous success
ful mosquito prevention programs
here, has taken over the project
again this summer, and a regular
schedule of spraying creeks, catch
basins and other bodies of water
has been under way for the last two
months, to destroy mosquito larvae.
Need Aid of Householders
Arrival of warm weather, however,
together with scattered showers,
have made it more imperative than
ever that householders cooperate to
prevent the possibility of mosquitoes
hatching on private premises.
Among the more prolific breeding
places for mosquitoes on private
property are cisterns, especially
those unused plugged eavespouts
and old tin cans in which stagnant
water may lay following rains.
Mosquitoes from those sources can
be eliminated, however, by spraying
with oil or a commercial prepara
tion. Persons desiring information
on control measures may consult
Howe for the best measures to fol
low.
Bluffton Boy Scouts Spending Week At
Shawnee Council Camp Near Defiance
Summer Rains, Hot Weather Bring Plea
For Public’s Aid In Mosquito Control
The mayor also praised coopera
tion of village residents in the May
Cleanup-Paintup-Fixup campaign In
giving the town an excellent start
in helping control mosquito infesta
tion this season.
Entertains Guest
From Philippines
Mrs. Carrie Wolfe of Manila.
Philippine Islands, was a week end
guest of Mrs. Helen Wells of South
Main street. Mrs. Wolfe, mission
ary of the Church of Christ and
Mrs. Wells were intimate friends
when the latter lived in the Phil
ippines 42 years ago. This was
their first meeting since that time.
Mrs. Wolfe ,in this country on
furlough, will return to her mission
work in January. She and her hus
band, in the Philippines during the
war, were interned in a Japanese
prison camp and the latter died
shortly after as a result of priva
tions suffered at that time.
Will Attend Lions
Meet In New York
Rev. Paul Cramer, president of
the Bluffton Lions club will attend
the International Lions convention
to be held in Madison Square Gard
en, New York. City,. July £4 to 27.
He will preach on Sunday morning,
July 24’• in Christ Tresbyterian
church in that city where his form
er army chaplain’s assistant, C.
Spaulding Wilkes is minister of mu
sic.
Mrs. Cramer and children Paul,
Jr., and Joyce will accompany him
and preceding the New York meet
ing the family will enjoy a motor
trip through the New England
states and Canada.
camp. 'Wade Shook, formerly of
Bluffton, now field executive of the
Shawnee area is in charge of the
camp, which this week has 290 boys
in attendance.
Because of the large attendance
the Bluffton troop has been assigned
the task of breaking in a new camp
site. Parents of the local boys will
attend the Indian Order of the Ar
row campfire this Wednesday night
and also a group campfire on Fri
day night.
DRIVER KILLED IN
CRASH BLUFFTON
RIDER LITTLE HURT
Robert Coon, Hitch-Hiking from
Findlay Escapes With
Minor Injuries
wo Autos Are Demolished in
Three-Car Accident on
Dixie Highway
s
Robert Coon, 20, youngesUiJfc of
Mr. and Mrs. H. Lee Coon of South
Jackson street, student at Ohio
Northern University. Ada, who was
hitch hiking a ridff from Pmaiay to
his home here escaped with minor
injuries in an automobile accident
Saturday afternoon in v hich the
driver of the car was fatally injured.
William Basinger, 23 enroute from
Sandusky to his home in Lima who
picked up Coon while passing thru
Findlay, became involved in a three
car crash a short time thereafter on
the Dixie highway just southwest of
the Findlay city limits.
The state patrol reported that
while attempting to pass an automo
bile driven by Alvie Daugherty, 43,
of Lima, Basinger's car skidded and
collided with an approaching north
bound car driven by Harrison
Halsey, 54 of Flint, Mich. Basinger
was driving a Buick and Halsey u
Mercury, both late models, demolish
ed as a result of the accident. Some
damage was caused to the Daugherty
car.
The Lima man unconscious when
removed to the hospital, died Sunday
night without regaining conscious
ness. Coon was given first aid treat
ment at the hospital for minor in
juries and returned to his home
here.
Others in the Findlay hospital are
Halsey with compound fracture of
the right leg Mrs. Halsey, com
pound fracture of the left arm and
fractured right leg James Barton,
51, Detroit, passenger in the Halsey
car, lacerations and bruises and his
wife Lorica, chest and shoulder in
juries.
Basinger’s body was removed to
Lima where funeral services will be
held Thursday afternoon in the
Davis-Miller cathedral chapel with
Rev. T. C. Davis officiating. Burial
will be in Memorial Park cemetery
at that city.
Remains Brought
Here For Funeral
Funeral services for Benjamin H.
Matter, 61, retired farmer, were
held at the Paul Diller funeral
home Tuesday afternoon followed
by burial in the Emmanuel's ceme
tery south of Bluffton. Rev. Op
permann officiated.
Mr. Matter, formerly residing
south of Bluffton, died in the Allen
county hospital Sunday afternoon
following a long illness. He was a
member of Emmanuel’s Reformed
church.
He was born February 28, 1888,
in Richland township a son of Elias
and Anna (Balmer) Matter. He was
married in 1916 to Della Stettler
who survives.
Also surviving are two daughters
Dorotha and Treva Matter both of
Dayton and two sons Ralph and
Dean Matter both of Rawson three
sisters, Mrs. Calvin Leiber, Lima
Mrs. Edna Leiber and Mrs. Calvin
Stettler of Bluffton three grand
children and two brothers Orville
and Chester Matter both of Bluff
ton.
DOCTOR MOVED OFFICE
Dr. M. D. Soash has moved his
office from the Hankish building on
North Main street to his residence
at 561 South Main St.
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Live
NUMBER 13
ORGANIZATION OF
SCHOOLS FOR FAU
TERM IS STARTED
New School Superintendent,
Will Be Here Part-Time
During July
Hiring of Two Replacement
Teachers One of First
Problems
Organization of Bluffton’s public
school system for the coming year
will get under way this month altho
the term of Aaron B. Murray, new
school superintendent, officially does
not begin until August 1.
Supt. Murray announced this week
that he will be in Bluffton on a part
time basis during July to confer with
former Supt. Ralph S. Lanham, who
will come here from Ashtabula Har
bor, where he will be head of the pub
lic school system during the next
year.
One major problem in which Supt.
Murray will be concerned will entail
conferences with the. board of edu
cation in the matter of hiring replace
ments for two resigned instructors.
Mathematics, Grade School Vacancies
Teachers who have left vacancies
on the school staff are Sidney C.
Stettler, high school mathematics in
structor and Mrs. Faye Herrick,
grade school teacher.
A third vacancy caused by the
resignation of Miss Elizabeth Mohr,
head of the high school economics
department, was filled with
hiring of Miss Ellen Jean Vo-
Supt. and Mrs. Murra
move here next month
ington Court House, __
has been head of the
system at that place,
k
Charles Day, I
Resident, Sir
Charles S. Day, 88, 4®
here, died at his hom?* in
Saturday morning. Hg was a forfif
er Bluffton resident, 4*d brother i
the late R. B. Day/of this place.
He was born in pandora, January
31, 1861, a spn of Russell B. and
Mary (MeI4rtde) Day. He married
Catherine Keim January 5, 1882,
who preceded him in death, Octo
ber 16, 1946. The family moved
from Bluffton to Findlay in 1890.
He was a member of the First
Lutheran church in Findlay and for
50 years was a member of the Ma
sonic and Odd Fellow orders. For
many years he owned the business
building on North Main street here
occupied by Waitermire’s store.
Surviving are a daughter, Mrs.
Hallie B. Decker and son Jerome
Day both at home, grandson and
great grandson and a sister, Mrs.
1-T. A. Goodnough of Eugene, Oregon.
Services were held at the Coldren
funeral home in Findlay, Monday
afternoon followed by burial in
Findlay Maple Grove cemetery.
Wind no For Rodeo
Next Wednesday
Final meeting to wind up affairs
of Bluffton’s Rodeo celebration will
be held at the Mayor’s office Wed
nesday night of next week at 8:00
o’clock.
All persons indebted to the rodeo
for advertising may settle accounts
with Silas Diller at Geiger & Diller
store. Those having bills should pre
~“i them to James F. West, rodeo
treasurer at the bank.
Distribution of rodeo profits will
be made to the four sponsoring or
ganizations, the Bluffton Saddle club,
the Bluffton Recreation committee,
Community Sportsmen’s club and
the Bluffton Business Men’s associa
tion.
All committeemen and others in
terested are invited to attend. Dis
cussion and plans for next Fourth
of July will be aired at the meeting.
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Olen Businger, Ar
lington, a girl, Mary Christine, last
Wednesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Vertner,
Beaverdam, a boy, David Stanley,
riday.
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Hamman,
Bluffton Beaverburg, a boy, Wil
liam Robert, Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. Dale Hartman, Wil
liamstown, a son, Robert Dale, Sat
urday.
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. J. Lucas, ML
Vernon, Ill., a girl Julia, born Wed
nesday morning at Mt. Vernon hos
pital. Mrs. Lucas is the former
Mary Margaret Basinger of this
place.