The Bluffton news. [volume], August 04, 1949, Image 1

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BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Trade
VOLUME LXXIV
DEMOCRATS NAME
SIX CANDIDATES AT
SUMMER CAUCUS
Democrats Have Candidates For
Bluffton Board of Education
and Twp. Trustees
Republicans Will Name School
Board, Township Nominees
This Wednesday Night
Three Democratic nominees for ’he
Bluffton board of education, two
Richland tow-nship trustees candidates
and one justice of the peace were
named Friday night at a lightly at-
tended caucus meeting in the high
school building.
Democrats failed to complete their
ticket for next fall’s election, how
ever, for a second justice of the
peace nomination was not made and
there were no candidates for the two
constable offices.
Republican candidates for the
school board and township posts will
be named at a caucus in the council
room this Wednesday night, to com
plete pre-election activity by the two
parties.
School Board Candidates
Democratic nominees selected last
Friday for the Bluffton board of
education included Willis Amstutz,
Dr. Gordon Bixel and Nelson Steiner.
None have served on the board
previously.
Fred C. Badertschei’ and Jesse
Yoakam w-ere named as Democratic
candidates for the Richland tow-nship
board of trustees. Badertscher, is a
candidate for re-election Yoakam is
seeking his first term.
Albert Winkler was nominated as
justice of the peace, marking the
first time in the last six years that
the north half of Richland township
has had a candidate for the post.
Tw’o justice of the peace berths
are open on each party ticket, and
at last Friday’s caucus no cand date
was found from the southern part
of the township, and Winkler’s name
will be the only one filed.
With two constables to be elected
this fall, no nominations w-ere made
by Democrats.
Driver Bound Over On
Manslaughter Charge
Henry Grismore, 43, of Jenera,
Route 1, driver of one of the cars
in a crash in which two persons
lost their lives two weeks ago at
the Riley Creek Baptist church cor
ner in Orange tow-nship, was bound
over to the Hancock county grand
jury Friday on a charge of second
degree manslaughter.
State Highw-ay Patrolman Robert
Ruddock filed the charge in the
court of Findlay Mayor Clifford E.
Glathart. Grismore furnished $1,500
bond.
Robert B. Clinger, 23, Williams
town, and his two-year-old son, John
Franklin, were the fatalities in the
mishap.
Earlier last week, Ralph M. Cling
er, administrator of the estate of the
Williamstown man, filed a $100,000
damage suit against Grismore.
Day and Night Events to
Feature Attraction-Studded
Program
Junior Fair and 4-H Exhibit
Will Be Major Attraction
This Y ear
Arrangements are nearing com
pletion for an attraction-studded Al
len county fair to be held August
How Bluffton lost its force of
volunteer fire fighters back in 1889
when the group resigned enmasse
because village councilmen would
not pay a $9 deficit incurred in tw-o
firemen-sponsored dances w-as one
of a series of interesting highlights
of pioneer fire-fighting activities
here before the turn of the century.
Bluffton is one of the few cities
in the state where you can use all
the water you want, even in the midst
of a protracted heat wave, such as
experienced here during the last, two
weeks, according to a survey made
at the conclusion of the hot spell.
Push Plans For Allen County
Fair To Be Held August 23-27
Resignation of the firemen w-as
not a passing whim either, for the
fire department was not re-organized
until 1891, tw-o years later—accord
ing to a musty old record book
discovered recently in the mayor’s
office.
There are other interesting items
of historical interest in the book:
Details of disastrous fires, one of
w-hich destroyed the town’s principal
Altho the municipal water works
pumped in excess of half a million
gallons of water daily during the
summer’s hottest weather, the heavy
drain did not begin to tax the town’s
facilities, which plant officials say
are as good as any in Ohio.
“Use all the water you want—
There’s plenty for everybody,” was
the word that went out from the
WOMAN SERIOUSLY
HURT IN ANOTHER
69-30N ACCIDENT
Michigan Woman Enroute To
Visit Sister, Nurse Here,
Is Hospitalized
Automobile Crashes Into Truck
At Intersection Four-Ton
Load of Milk Spilled
Miss Fern Tandeler, 24, of LaSalle,
Mich., enroute to Ada to visit her
sister, Mrs. Virginia Stavenger, a
night nurse at Bluffton Community
hospital, is in a Lima hospital suf
fering from serious injuries received
in an automobile-truck collision at
the intersection of Route 69 and the
Lincoln highway-, southeast of Bluff
ton, last Sunday noon.
Miss Tandeler suffered lacerations
on her face, arms and toSy and right
hand. Her cqndition vms reporter! as
fair at Lima Memoriai&hospttal.
Victor S. Seihorst, v,4, Route 1,
Columbus Grove, driver of the truck
involved in the mishap, received pos,
sible back injuries but was not
hospitalized.
Milk Is Spilled
According to a report by the state
highway patrol the car of the Mich
igan woman struck the rear of the
westbound truck. A four-ton load of
(Continued on page 8)
Orange Twp. G. O. P.
Names Candidates
Ray Marshall and Kenneth Dearth
w-ere renominated as candidates for
Orange township trustee at a Re
publican caucus held last Friday
night in the township house.
Both are completing four-y-ear
terms as members of the board of
trustees.
Also nominated by Republicans
was Wade Marshall for justice of
the peace. He w-as appointed justice
last year to fill a vacancy occasioned
by the resignation of Enos Steiner.
23 to 27, inclusive, at show grounds
in Lima, it was announced this week
by Wayne Laibe, fair manager.
Day and night events are plan
ned for the enlarged fair program,
w-hich marks removal of the fair
from Delphos to Lima for the first
time in many years.
An extensive prize-list is offered
for livestock and other farm pro
ducts showings, and there w-ill be
many- industrial displays.
One of the fair features will be
the 4-H exhibits and a complete
junior fair, Laibe said.
industry, and the record also shows
that at one time the department
flaunted the fancy- name of “Bluffton
Cataract Fire Co. No. 1.”
Allen County Farmers Now Receiving
Individual Wheat Allotments For 1950
The two dances w-hich led to
wholesale resignation by fire depart
ment members were held on October
18 and on Christmas night in 1888.
On the dance committee were M. S.
Muinma, F. M, Marvin and Joseph
Mumma.
$9.00
in
Debt
No other details of the dances are
given other than to list a deficit of
$9.00, and for most of the next
year the minute books show discus
sion indulged in by firemen in an
effort to raise money to pay the
debt.
plant during the peak of the heat
wave.
500,000 Gallons Daily
At that time the plant was pump
ing in excess of 500,000 gallons a
day from four wells, with two wells
in reserve for unforseen contingen
cies.
Approximately half of the 500,000
gallon total represented household
consumption, and the other 250,000
gallons are used by the Page Dairy
Co. for cooling purposes.
Two wells are pumped to supply
regular city demands, and two other
wells are pumped for the dairy con
cern. In addition, the plant has two
Total Acreage For County Dur
ing Coming Year Is Set At
25,777, Agent Announces
Notices of Individual Allotments
Are Being Mailed This Week
To Farmers
Individual w-heat allotments for
1950, based on reduced national
acreage, are being mailed this week
to Allen county farmers, according
to an announcement by Clair A.
Patterson, chairman of the county
agricultural conservation committee.
A 1950 wheat allotment of 25,777
acres for Allen county farms repre
sents the county's proportionate
share of the national wheat acreage
allotment of 68.9 million acres.
Patterson said the national allot
ment is the acreage w-hich at nor
mal yields will produce an amount
of wheat w-hich together with the
expected carryover next July 1 w-ill
supply contemplated domestic and
export requirements, and also pro
vide for an adequate reserve.
Notices Mailed
“Individual county farm Allot
ments, based on acreage and I pro
duction data collected over the past
several months have been estab
lished and notices now- are being
made to growers,” Patterson said.
Acreage allotments are not an en
forced limitation on production, but
provide a limitation on government
expenditures for price support, the
county agent explained. Only those
farmers who seed within their al
lotment will be entitled to price
supporting commodity loans or pur
chase agreements on their 1950
crop.
1949 Yield Reduced
Although adverse conditions dur
ing the growing season have result
ed in a smaller 1949 w-heat crop
than originally expected, this year’s
harvest still w-ill be the third largest
on record and the sixth successive
wheat crop in excess of one billion
bushels, Patterson explained.
Average domestic consumption of
wheat is only 700 million bushels,
and abnormally high exports sup
ported by ECA allotments and army
purchases for occupied countries
have been required to prevent the
accumulation of price-depressing
surpluses.
Patterson emphasized in his an
nouncement that if wheat grow-ers
comply with acreage allotments it
may be unnecessary to use market
ing quotas for future crops.
Real Estate Deal
Sale of the residence of Mrs.
Helen Wells of South Main street
was announced the first of the week.
Identity of the purchaser w-as not
disclosed. She will hold a sale of
household goods Saturday afternoon.
Installmentpl an buying in Eng
land is known as the “hire pur
chase” system.
Finally on October 19, 1889, a mo
tion carried to present the bill of $9
to the council, and on Nov. 19 a spe
cial meeting w-as called, with the
secretary noting “Council did not
allow- the bill of $9. Speeches were
made by H. Von Gunten, Joe Mum
ma, A. E. Temple, H. Steiner and
others.”
On Dec. 4, 1889, another meeting
w-as held, with the minutes recording
“Moved and seconded that we as
members of the fire department do
this evening tender our resignation
in a body- to the council of the said
village of Bluffton, and turn over
all books and keys to the clerk of
the council. Motion carried.”
How- Bluffton functioned without
a fire department for the ensuing
Two Big Dollar Days in Bluffton, August 5 and 6
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, AUG. 4, 1949
No Shortage of City Water in Bluffton Use All You Want
additional wells for the regular city
supply, and it is difficult to forsee
an emergency which would make it
necessary to restrict the use of water
because of hot weather.
100 Gallons Person
With 250,000 gallons of water
used daily in households, Bluffton’s
hot weather water consumption adds
up to 100 gallons each 24 hours for
every man, woman and child. The
quarter-of-a-million gallon daily con
sumption is nearly double the low
mark of mid-winter, which drops to
about 150,000 gallons.
Bluffton’s water is tops not only
in quantity but also in quality, plant
Bargains and Free Attractions onl Friday and Saturday
MOVIE FOR KIDS
STORES HERE CUT
PRICES FOR EVENT
Children to Get Free Matinees,
Frosted Cones, Gum and
Candy
Bluffton Stores Co-operating in
Big Town-wide Sales
Movement
All roads will lead to Bluffton on
Friday- and Saturday a.- stores here
join in sponsoring their biggest Dol
lar Days observance, a semi-annual
event laden w-ith bargains for thrifty
shoppers.
Not only w-ill there be attractive
bargains for the elders, but ample
{•ovision for entertainment of the
children has been provided with tw-o
free matinees at Bluffton’s Carina
theatre at 2 o’clock and 3:15 on
Friday and Saturday afternoons.
The shows are sponsored by the
Bluffton Business Me /s association
and all children of 15 years and
under will be admft^vJ free. ’Films
consist of 10 Cartoon ujmediss suit
able for children.. 1
Tn addition to the matinees a
number of business places are spon
soring treats of frosted cones, gum
and candy to all children. A barrel
of candy, to be given away- during
the two dollar days was flown in
at the airport here Tuesday.
Attracts Crowds
Bluffton’s Dollar Day-s, with spec
tacular values, have invariably at
tracted shoppers here from a 30
mile radius and the sale is always
one of the largest merchandising
events of the year.
This year’s bargains are greater
than ever, participating merchants
pointed out, "for most stores will
be clearing shelves of goods that
normally would be carried over to
the following winter.”
"These goods are price-tagged low
enough to be outstanding bargains,
and the smart shopper has an op
portunity to effect considerable sav
ings.”
Stores which ordinarily do not fit
into the seasonal clearance classifi
cation also are joining with others
in offering special values for the
two-days’ sales event.
Regular store hours will be ob
s’erved during Dollar Days.
Men To Organize
Garden Club Here
Organization of the Bluffton
Men’s Garden club, started last
month will be completed at a meet
ing this Wednesday night at 8
o’clock at the high school building.
Officers will be elected for the com
ing year.
Membership in the club is open to
all men w-hether Bluffton residents
or not, w-ho are interested in gard
ening, trees, landscaping, birds and
nature subjects.
Bluff ton’s Fire Department Got Mad at Town Council and Quit—Way Back in 1889
two y-ear period is not disclosed,
but it is assumed that citizens
handled the duties during the in
terim, for re-organization did not
come untit tw-o years later.
On Dec. 23, 1891, the reorganiza
tion meeting w-as held, with Joe
Mumma being elected chief David
Highland foreman George Weirich,
secretary, and John Weirich, treas
urer.
List Unusual Fires
In 1894, the record book for the
first time begins a listing of fires.
The initial entry showed loss of
$400 in a fire at the John Emerson
home on Poplar street. Firemen
were paid $1 each, and Wilson Hawk
received $2 for furnishing a team
to pull the engine to the fire.
attaches pointed out this week.
It's "hard” water, to be sure, as
hard as any in the state in mineral
content, but from a standpoint of
purity there’s never been any ques
tion. Regular analyses of samples
tested by the state department of
health always have shown it to be
entirely free from all contamination.
Deep-Strata Wells
High quality of the Bluffton water
partially can be attributed to the fact
that it all comes from deep sub
strata wells, sunk from 100 to 300
feet into rock.
To further safeguard purity of the
drinking water, a small amount of
Former Bluffton Man, Y’eteran
A. T. & T. Employe Ex
plains Operation
Ingenious Alarm System Re
flects Any Trouble in
Underground Line
Editor’s Note: Because of
the widespread interest in the
coaxial cable laid this summer
by the American Telephone &
Telegraph company near Bluff
ton, we are providing our read
ers with the following article
by Elmer Lora, who for SI
years has been employed by
A. T. & T. and is thoroughly
familiar with technical details
of construction and operation of
the cable. He also provided a
cross section of the cable now
on display in the Bluffton News
window.
Last link in the coaxial television
and telephone carle between Toledo
and Dayton, w-hich passes at the
west edge of Bluffton in this area,
w-as installed last w-eek at Maumee.
Approximately two weeks splic
ing work remain, after w-hich a
permanent gas pressure of nine
pounds will be placed inside the
cable sheath. Dry nitrogen, non-in
flammable gas is used to provide
the pressure.
The cable will be ready for use
early this fall, following tests by
transmission engineers.
Use of gas in the cable sheath
enables maintenance crews to de
tect and locate small leaks or
breaks which might occur in the
lead covering of the cable. Sec
tional cablemen can then make re
pairs to the lead sheath before the
cable becomes damp or wet on the
inside, a condition which could cause
a failure of tubes or wire. Possi
bility of conductor trouble caused by
moisture is greatly minimized by
use of the gas pressure.
In the event of serious damage
to the cable from any outside
cause, the gas pressure is of no val
ue, for immediate tube failure will
(Continued on page 8)
Former Local Woman
Coming From Scotland
Mrs. W. M. C. Todd, the former
Barbara Hauenstein, of Edinburg,
Scotland, is expected here Thurs
day to visit her mother Mrs. Sidney
Hauenstein of Campus Drive. She
made the trans-Atlantic trip by
boat, landing in Boston the first
of the w-eek. She expects to remain
here until fall.
Mrs. Todd w-ho left here four
years ago to engage in mission work
in the Near East under the Presby
terian board of foreign missions
was afterward married and for the
past three years has been living in
Scotland. Her parents, Mrs. Hau
enstein and the late Mr. Hauenstein
visited at her home in Edinburgh
two years ago.
Shades of old-time Fourth of July
celebrations are indicated in a minor
roof fire on July 4, 1895, at "the
Mrs. Scott home on North Main
street,” when a sky- rocket fell on
the roof. On Feb. 8, 1895, there
had been a $290 fire at the L. E.
and W. water house.
The most disastrous blaze came on
August 13, 1896, w-hen the Town
send and Swinehart mill on Main
street was destroyed in a midnight
fire. Loss was estimated at $4,000.
The mill rebuilt, was visited by fire
again at 8:30 p. m. on October 21,
1902, but damage was minor at
that time.
Needed Roof Anyway
An unconscious bit of humor is
revealed in the account of a fire
chlorine is added, not enough to be
noticeable to taste but sufficient for
assurance of the highest quality
water.
Television Cable Laid Near Bluffton
Is Outstanding! Feat Of Engineering
Bluffton’s stepped-up consumption
of water during heat waves adds
materially to the flow of Big and
Little Riley creeks during a time
when the volume of water in the
streams otherwise would be at low
ebb. With the exception of water
used on lawns and gardens, it is esti
mated that approximately the same
amount of water pumped by the vil
lage plant is discharged into the two
streams from th town’s extensive net
work of sewers.
SEWAGE PROBLEM
HERE IS HEADING
FOR SHOW DOWN
New Ohio Law Will Back
Health Department’s ('lean
up Policy
Project Without Federal Aid
Will Be Heavy Financial
Burden
With indications that state legis
lation will soon bring to a head Bluff
ton’s long-deferred action on con
struction of a sewage disposal system
and plant at a time when large fed
eral grants for municipal improve
ments apparently- are on the wane,
Bluffton’s projeted sew-erage hand
ling measures are taking on the as4
pects of a heavy financial burden foi
the tow-n.
New Ohio laws prohibiting the dis
charge of untreated sewage into
•streams of the state will ab6come ef
fective in August, and officials of the
state department of health already
have announced that action to insure
compliance with the legislation will
come just as soon as possible after
the law is official.
At the same time Bluffton property
holders can look back with a twinge
of regret on rejected proposals to
(Continued on page 8)
100 Men To Clean
Site Of IV
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Lutterbein,
Lima, a boy, William Mark, Thurs
day.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Emans,
Bluffton, a boy, Jeffrey Scott,
Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Weaver,
Beaverdam, a boy, Marvin Harold,
Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Ray- Lee Wilch,
Bluffton, a girl, Judith Ann, Sun
day.
Mr. and Mrs. Wendell Grieser,
Rawson, a girl, Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. James Morton,
Bluffton, a girl, Tuesday. Mrs.
Morton is the former Eileen Wein
hold.
Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Richard, Hel
ena, Ohio, a boy, Daryl LeRoy, born
at Fremont Memorial hospital,
Thursday. Mrs. Richard is the
former Princess Basinger.
Capt. and Mrs. Joseph Spinelli,
Ft. Benning, Ga., a boy, John Jo
seph, born at the station hospital
at that place, last Wednesday. Mrs.
Spinelli is the former Mary McGin
nis.
on March 23, 1896, which destroyed
roof of the Stearns and Greding
elevator. The record comments,
"There was no damage, as the build
ing needed a new- roof anyway.”
Familiar names, still common
here, and many- unfamiliar to the
present generation appear in the
roster of firemen.
Over the period to 1902 covered
by the old book, fire chiefs w-ere Joe
Mumma and D. S. Beeshy. Secre
taries included W. A. Triplett, A. E.
Temple and G. F. Weirich.
Among the firemen listed around
the turn of the century were A. L.
Conrad, Bert Watkins, Henson Good,
S. A. Fett, W. S. Dearth, Ira Trox
el, Charles H. Sweet, C. S. Yerger,
S. L. Kimmel, Lemuel Black, Shel­
$ Days $
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Live
NUMBER 16
$12,544 TOWNSHIP
ROAD PROGRAM TO
START IN AUGUST
Richland Trustees and County
Commissioners Announce
Plans
To Close Bridge on Schifferly
Road New Phillips Road
Bridge
Major road improvements in Rich
land township at an aggregate cost
of $12,544 will get under way in
August, in a program worked out
between the tow-nship trustees and
Allen County- Commissioners.
In the summer program, resurfac
ing projects will be completed on
12’a miles of county- highway's in the
township and also on about nine
miles of township roads.
Richland township’s share of cost
of the improvements will be $3,500
and Allen county- will contribute
$9,044.98. Of the county’s contribu
tion, however, $4,900 is earmarked
for work on county highways in the
township.
County roads to be top-sealed will
include portions of the Col. Grove,
Phillips and Allen-Hancock county
line roads.
To Complete Plans
Township roads to receive a new
top seal coating will be selected at
a meeting of township and county
representatives early- in August.
In the county road improvement
campaign four miles o’f the Col.
Grove road will be re-surfaced from
Bluffton city- limits west to the Hilty
school.
Five miles of the Phillips road w-ill
be resurfaced from the Allen-Putnam
county line to the Lincoln highway.
In work on the Allen-Hancock
county- line road, three and one-half
miles of the south half of the road
will be resurfaced.
New Bridge
In addition to resurfacing the
Phillips road, the county will also
build a new- bridge where the road
spans a tributary to Little Riley
creek near the SAk'iss Tnn a short
distance from the Dixie highway.
The bridge is located near the
junction with Schifferly- road where
there is another bridge over the
same stream.
A corner tract of land has been
purchased from Cai Luginbuhl at
the junction of the two roads which
will permit routing Schifferly- road
(Continued on page 8)
Debris From
ennonite Home Here
Men from five Bluffton area Men
nonite churches sponsoring erection
of the Mennonite Memorial Home
for the Aged here will work on
Thursday afternoon, August 11, to
clean away debris from the site of
the proposed building, it was an
nounced the first of the week.
Arrangements are being made for
100 men who will move in with
tractors and other pow-er equipment
as well as hand tools to remove
rubbish, brush and other waste.
Women of the churches will serve
luncheon to the workers at 4:45
o’clock in the afternoon.
The former fox farm was pur
chased as a site for the home and
funds for erection of the building
are being raised.
Plans for construction of the
building drafted by Carlton “Tony”
Wilson, Richmond, Indiana, archi
tect and former Bluffton resident,
have been adopted in principle by
the committee in charge following a
public showing of the blueprints
here.
Churches sponsoring the project
for erection of the home are First
Mennonite, Ebenezer and St. John
in this vicinity together w-ith the
Grace church of Pandora and Lima
Mennonite church.
don Dearth, J. D. Garlinger, Joe Bo
gart, Joe Mumma, Z. T. Mumma,
Jeff Watkins, W. M. Murray, Med
Murray, C. G. Fenton and Jos. Ste
pleton.
Around the “nineties” when a com
plete roster of firemen was not list
ed, names appearing in the book
include, in addition to others w-ho
have been named:
L. Clippinger, William Clymer,
M. S. Mumma, Herman Wittkofski,
Lloyd Murray, William Bogart, E.
E. Garau, Jacob Fillhart, David
Newland, William Thomas, Lank Ca
hill, William McHenry, Oscar Kib
ele, David Highland, Harry Patter
son, John Buck, Charles Yerger,
Dan Conrad, Albert Barly, John Mc
Henry and others.