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BLUFFTON A Good Place to Trade VOLUME LXXIV Wesley Vermillion Farmer,! Living Alone is Found I Burned to Death I Neighbor Attracted by Smoke From House Discovers Body in Kitchen J. Wesley Vermillion, 84, retired farmer residing in Orange township on Route 103 four and one-half miles east of Bluffton, was found burned to death in his farm home early Saturday. Howard Benroth, who farms Ver million’s land, noticed smoke pouring from the Vermillion home, when he arrived for the morning’s work. He summoned Russell Elzay, a neighbor, when he could get no answer by knocking at the door. Upon investigation they found the aged man’s charred body, with a hole burned in the floor beneath him and flames starting up the walls. Crawled From Fire k The chair in which he had been) sitting was charred and his pipe was| on the floor near it. Death, ruled) accidental by the coroner, probably) had been caused by sparks from) Vermillion’s pipe which ignited his| clothing. Time of the death was set| at about 8:30 a. m., and the bqdv| In an appropriate Christmas was not found until nearly half an| ting made gay by laurel ropes hour later. overhead arches of lights in In Poor Health downtown district and the first Vermillion had been in ill health) pearance of residential trees for several months, and had haidly| decorations, Bluffton’s preparations been able to walk for several prior to his death. He had alone for a number of years, was never married. Funeral services were held Monday) cards expected by next Monday. Increase In Library Book Circulation November book circulation at the Bluffton public library totalled 3,141 volumes, nearly three times the num ber of books read in the same month a year ago, according to a report made this week by Librarian ■Ocie Anderson. A marked increase in circulation 1 has been apparent at the library) 4 P- m. this year, with the highest mark last May when the number of books read was more than three times the cir culation of the preceding year. BLUFFTON MARKETS Wednesday Morning tlG9?ineornUS$f22 rioat)s Sil u Ohio’s Cotton “Snow” In I NeWS Window Is I THp MeCov Cygnet child. COTTON pinch-hits at Christ mastime as make-believe snow—• shows up more or less realistic ally as whiskers for Santa Claus and a dozen or more other uses —but that cotton you’ll see in the Bluffton News window is the real thing. Fact is, it’s a genuine cotton stalk, and the cotton—41 bolls to be exact—was really grown on it. The stalk, five feet high, was one of several grown experiment ally in the garden of Sidney Stettler, of South Lawn avenue who gardens as a hobby. The stalk was grown from seed he obtained in Texas a year ago last summer. He says he has ample seed to raise more cotton next year and a sufficient amount to supply other amateur gardeners who may wish to ex periment in Ohio cotton raising. MA MV DDE UH! IDAVp The body was found between the living room and kitchen where Ver million apparerily had crawled in an effort to esc ape the flames. The Bluffton fir department as called. Damage from the fire was small, Chief Guy Corson said. lafiniJ) I |YIHa) Kiley creek and its tributaries IVIHNI lKt*HULIURT Dr. Byron F. Vorhees, Hancock) in Allen and Putnam counties likely county coroner, who investigated,) will be opened next year for liber said there were indications Ver-| |alized fishing under a new state pro million had started a fire in the|Post Office To Be Open Satur-|gram under which very few fishing kitchen stove, then sat down in a) day Afternoon chair by the stove and likely fell) Rush Is Under asleep. afternoon in the Paul Diller funeral) Post Office Windows Open home. Rev. V. C. Oppermann,) To accommodate local postal) Names of ten Bluffton area resi pastor of the Reformed churches, of-| patrons, windows at the post office) dents were among 120 drawn last ficiated. Burial was in Cannonsburg) will remain open next Saturday) week in Allen county common pleas cemetery near Mt. Cory. afternoon instead of closing at the) court to comprise the venire for jury usual 1 p. m. deadline. Business will) duty in the January term of court, be conducted as usual until 5 p. m. Saturday. Of the books circulated during the month, 1,308 were from the child ren’s department 681 from I|OffiCerS rens uepa ohighi A„if|ing on South Main street. school shelves, and 627 were adult I ... ,. ., ... scnuvi Santa also will distribute favors books. rirenlation I During Christmas vacation in Bluffton public schools, the library will be open daily from noon until |club was guest speaker at the fourth provides no compensation for re .actors. n except on Saturday, Dec. 26,1 charter anniversary and Saturday, Jan. 2. Lions club at Forest last Wednes-| ^"7, ____ I ACTIVITIES HERALD CHRISTMAS SEASON!. crw* ,y'd *•in i= Mailing Way Town Bright With Decorations Santa Here Again Saturday Afternoon Kiddies of the district will have' another opportunity to remind Santa) 3, Columbus Grove and Otis Claus of the gifts they want for| B°wers Beaverdam. Christmas, when open house is held] t^ie 8Tand jury 18 ary again by the patron saint of the) Coon, Bluffton. Yuletide on Saturday afternoon in| the former Troy Motor Sa!eS i, during his afternoon visit from 1 to Bluffton Man Speaks Before Forest Lions\°^& _____ I Principal \High School XmaS Poultry—Heavy hens 20c leghorn) hens 17c heavy springers 27c heavy) Bluffton high school music depart .1 Find Orange Township Man Ambulancen?nd ^atro1 ?aroRacu T.t 1 Thru Town to Save Childs Life A speeding ambulance led by a state highway patrol car raced thru Bluffton with sirens roaring at 10:30 p. m. last Wednesday to win a race against death for a 212-year-old 1 lit rvtdl luxvuy physicians at Lima Memorial hos pital told drivers of the two vehicles that Frank Van Scooter, son of Mrs. Frances Van Scooter, owes his ONLY STREAM IN NORTHWEST OHIO NAMED FOR TEST Final Decision on Proposal Will be Announced in January Restrictions Would Apply Under New Code Now Being restrictions will apply. The stream which rises east of town, passes through Bluffton and is I joined here by Little Riley creek, is Christmas! on^ one *n Northwestern Ohio recommended by the state council for a trial under the liberalized fish ing program. made in January. days! for the Yuletide were taking final! has been conducted since 1945, and lived form this week. Inext year it is proposed that all He| Musical observance of the season] state lakes be relieved from fishing I was opened last Sunday night with! restrictions. the| the annual presentation of Handel’s) According to records to date, fish He was born Feb. 13, 1865, in the! the annual presentation of Handel sl According to records to date, fish home where he lived his entire life] “The Messiah” by the Bluffton Col-1 management officials say that effect and where he eventually met death.]lege Choral society, and the high|of fishing pressure under the liberal His parents were Isaac' and Mary (school Christmas music program will)izeci programs have little if any ef (Elzav) Vermillion. be in the auditorium at 8 p. m. nextpect on existing fish populations, survivors include two brothers, Monday. compared to natural reproduction in Albert, of Bluffton, and Edward, of First evidence of the Christmas)lakes and streams Ada and a sister, Mrs. Elizabeth) mail rush at the Bluffton post office) Vanness, of Continental and stx|was reported this week, with the an-| Cln nieces and nephews. nual flood of parcels and greeting) set-| If the recommendation is approved and! anglers in the Riley creek next year the I would not have to observe seasonal, ap-1 legal length or bag limit restric and|tions next year. Ohio’s liberalized fishing program rom Here Ufl afternoon delivery o£ mail and parcel] Griffith, Levi Althaus, Stella Marsh post also will be ordered, it was an-| a9 and Cassius Ballinger, all of nounced. Ed Lape of the Bluffton LionB G. Callaha« of Lima, Commander of District No. 2. Others on the pro dinner^ of "the| £ram wiH include Thos. Gallagher, and A. J. commander, day night. He also showed pictures! Shindeldecfafcr, county taken in Hawaii when he and Mrs.Dot^ Lima. Lape visited the islands. 1 Preceding the meeting Concert On Monday stairs 15c leghorn stags 13c. ment will present a Christmas con-1 -T. Eggs-Large white 36c large cert Monday at 8 p. m. consisting of brown 34c medium white 30c med-) selections by the mixed chorus, en-| ium brown 29c pullets 26c. semble and band. Christmas cus-| Ray Evans, of Lima, production Butterfat_____60c. toms in England also will be pre-| manager of the Lima-Hamilton cor ___—— sented in a pageant by sixth grade) poration will address the Beaverdam amended brucellosis law| pupils. Liofis dinner meeting in the P. K. The program will be in the audi-1 dinette at Beaverdam this Wednes I toriuwu day night. I 1 Venires For Jury\ _Among those in the prospective list of petit jurors are Lida L. Alma Route Bluffton Barbara Fleming, 1, Lafayette Edith Glancy, Route E. THE BLUFFTON NEWS E To Address Legion Here District officers of the American Legion will address an open meeting of Bluffton Legion hall post to be held at the Monday night at 8:00 speaker will be Frank members of per at the Walnut Grill at 6:30 o’clock. Gerald Swank and Al In galls are in charge of tickets. Speaker At \BeaVerdam LlOUS tub A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, DEC. 15, 1919 APARTMENT RENTS FACE UPWARD ADJUSTMENT Dead and His House on Fire Cost of Heat and Light to their speed. life The boy was choking on a whole peanut, and his mother accompanied by an uncle and aunt raced for the Findlay hospital. A Findlay police car escorted the family through Findlay to the hospital. On arrival of the group there, the family learned that Findlay physicians did not have the proper State Liberalized Fishing Code May be Given Trial in Riley Creek 'own’s Waler Supply Adequate For Most Pressing Demands, Superintendent Says With water shortages assuming critical proportions in many villages and cities across the country, Bluffton remains one of the few communities in which you can use all the water you want. Even in the midst of protracted heat waves and prolonged droughts, Bluffton’s water supply has proved adequate for all demands, and Supt. John W. Swisher announced this week that there is no possibility of a water shortage in the' town. Altho the municipal water works pumps in excess of half a million gallons of water daily during the hottest weather, the heavy drain does not begin to tax the villagebe Final action on the matter will In addition to the four wells, ade quate to handle local demands, the plant has two other wells as standby for city water demands. Supt. Swisher commented that it is difficult to forsee an emergency which would make it necessary to restrict the use of wrater here. Bluffton uses 250,000 gallons of water daily in households, or about 100 gallons each 24 hours for every man, woman and child in the town. The other half of the town’s 500,000 gallon output is used by the Page Dairy Co. for cooling purposes. If the volume warrants, Saturday) Burkholder, Wade Shook, Bluffton’s water is tops, not only in quantity but also in quality, plant at taches pointed out. It’s as hard as any water in the state in mineral content, but from a standpoint of purity tion. tested health entirely free of contamination. there’s never been any ques Regular analyses of samples in the state department of always have shown it to be Suggestions on how to make Christmas fire free, guarding against the possibility of home tragedies marring the Yuletide season, were called to the attention of Bluffton householders this week by Fire Chief Guy Corson. Householders handling Christmas trees are offered these hints: Leave tree outside until you ready to trim it. 1 the post here will hold a buffet sup Safe Place for Trees Select a place well away from stoves, radiators and other sources of heat or inflammable materials for setting the tree and don’t set it near an outside doorway. Place your tree in a substantial base which will permit a deep pan of water beneath and secure it a gainst accidental tipping by attach ing guy wire to wall or ceiling. Use only electrical lights with cords in good condition. A short circuit can start the tree burning. instruments to remove the peanut. The state highway patrol car, driven by Sgt. Harold T. Cowell, then led the automobile to Lima, with the trip from Findlay hospital to Lima Memorial hospital in east Lima taking only 28 minutes. Doctors at Lima soon removed the peanut from the child’s right bron chial tube, and he returned home later in the week. ’lenty Of Water For Bluffton Users No Shortage Here As In Other Areas In Abundance of Water Here Marked Contrast to Other Cities with Acute Shortage Births The following births at Bluffton hospital: Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Felkner, Find lay, a boy, Robert Eugene, Thurs day. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Coates, Lima, a boy, Thomas Vaughn, Friday. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Sherry, Pandora, a boy, Terry Lee, Sunday.] Mr. and Mrs. lumbus Grove, a gene, Monday. s facil ities, which Supt. Swisher said are as good as any in Ohio. “Use all the water you want. There’s plenty for everybody,” is the standing offer at the Bluffton plant. This is in decided contrast to con ditions in many cities, including New York City where a critical water famine is feared. Four Wells In providing water for Bluffton, the municipal plant pumps two wells to supply regular city demands, and two other wells for the Page Dairy Co., the town’s largest industrial con sumer. Gerald Kidd, Cq boy, Robert Eu- Ellis Hauenstein, Mr. and Mrs. Mt. Cory, a girl, Carolyn Sue, Mon-1 day. Mr. and Mrs. James Dailey, Bluff ton, a girl, Beth Ann, Monday. Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Shank, Ar lington, a boy, Tuesday. Mr. and Mrs. Robert McKinnon, Napoleon, a girl, Roberta Ann, Tues day. Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Ada, a girl, Lynda Lee, morning. Umphress, Wednesday day. Mrs. McCain is the former Elizabeth Balmer of Bluffton. I J? jrr pi tiag our ueer in 9 sportsmen 8 lilt) Other officers elected were: Guard Against Fire Hazard To Make This A Merry Christmas stead of cotton o.- plastic tions. emove ff1 are I I I Elects Officers} I meeting the demand. Hiram Huser sec., Bernard Fish Lbern directors: Gilbert Montgomery, Jesse I Top Manges, Herbert Rupright, Mumma, Eugene Benroth and Edgar Root. for the P—|bought 1 Rise to Reflect Higher Herd Of Five Deer Seen At Orange Center FIVE deer, consisting of two bucks, two does and a fawn have been reported seen frequently in the vicinity of Orange center, southeast of Bluffton since pheasant season the this fall. in woods area, but fields The deer live thickets in this often seen in and are nearby. When st art kxi they easily clear fences and disappear into the underbrush. XMAS TURKEY TO COST MORE THAN AT THANKSGIVING Overall Cost of Holiday Menu, However, Will Be Near Pre-War Level Price of Turkeys Up Shade From Thanksgiving Other Poultry Unchanged Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Thompson,II Lima, a boy, William Keith, born at) Lima Memorial hospital, Saturday. Mrs. Thompson is the former Glennal dinner you will find that prices havell Binkley of Bluffton. I edged slightly higher than those pre-1| Mr. and Mrs. Henry McCain, Rox-I vailing at Thanksgiving when thel ana, Ill., a girl, Mary Ann born at|bjg birds sold at levels reminiscent! Alton Memorial hospital, last Tues-1 of pre-war days. One Day’sHunting! I turkeys. II If you intend to have turkey on Ln.th' “m™nt hens. Farmers are getting around were moved to the Toledo office. The hunters, Roy Rogers of Bluff-130 cents for toms and 40 cents for ton and Lehr and Merritt Green andljjens. Ray Peterson of Mt. Cory made! Buying Rush Expceted their headquarters at Tionesta, Pa., I Holiday demand has been light to hunting in President and Allegheny I jate, with heaviest marketing rush townships. I expected early next week when whole-1 Lawrence J. Haley, 55, of Rawson, BLUFFTON A Good Place to Live sale poultry buyers will begin their I defendant in a $300,000 suit pending holiday purchasing. What the price! in Hancock county court of common |will be at that time will depend on pleas, last Wednesday was found how nearly the supply comes to guilty of failing to yield the right I O. C. Hursey was-named president! No shortage of turkeys is expected,] hearing in the court of Clifford E. of the Community Sportsmen’s club I however, for they may be found in|Glathart, Findlay mayor at the annual election of officers hig flocks on farms of many raisers. Friday night. Never use candle lights and stay|72 cents and cauliflower, 35 cents a|filed four occupants of the auto away from the tree when you smoke. hcad. mobile enroute to Bluffton, is be SB 3 S v ”1 Ilieved Use glass wool or asbestos snow I rr*vrva It s and acetate-treated ornaments in XJuniOT High FlVC LOSCS To Findlay I I soon as possible and burn them in Findlay junior high eagers last|Mrg Pearl clippinger, 52, an aunt an incinerator or wire basket. Saturday defeated Bluffton’s junior) of the local woman Ora Lantz, 35, Don overload house circuits by|teain by a score of 49 to 17 on the|_„ nnj Smith qi the addition of too rnanJide^"^S| Bluffton court. :errir wFngUn,^uipmeOntd B^ff- eounty^residents. door decorations. ton’s eighth graders, 37 to 18. Don’t connect the wires of theI —-... lighting circuit outdoors until the| 11 raining Ul IVUUIU installation is complete. If readjust-) After two weeks of steel strikes,) ment is necessary,turno ff the cir-| consumption of fluid milk dropped’ cuit first. sharply in eastern Ohio cities. Water Conducts Electricity I Mount lamp sockets outdoors sol rain and melted snow cannot leak! in, as water is a conductor of elec-l tricity. Under no circumstances, Chief of way to approaching traffic, in a The supply of geese also is plentiful su’^ are ^^her, aunt and uncle .for the holiday trade, with farmers] Mrs. Morris Triplett, of this Vice pres., Rolland Koontz treas.,|getting about 35 cents a pound for| Place’ who were enroute to V181t •*----J "m-*--1 ’Mrs. Triplett here when their car was involved in a collision with that driven by Haley, last Nov. 15. quality roasting chickens, from producers^ are priced] from 28 to 30 cents a pound. Those prices are tops at the farm for extra good poultry. Other foodstuffs for the holiday)^ “a“^’ ^^id^i^rw'ed table are correspondingly low com-1 parison with last year. Cranberries) Q]athart, Haley was fined $25 and are bringing 21 cents a pound toP|cosfs .quality eggs, 47 cents a dozen butter,] The suit was $300,000 damages, I I Corson warned Bluffton householders,! Salem, Oregon, former Bluffton resi should lighted decoration be left in' operation when no one is home. Call the fire department immediately, helors’ training school at Scott Field, urged, at the first evidence of a fire. NUMBER 35 Change in Terms to Follow Lifting of Rent Control in Bluffton Rentals for Dwellings Will be Virtually Unchanged, Sur vey Shows Rent controls were ended last week in Bluffton and all of Allen county outside of Lima and imme diate area, but a survey here the early part of the week indicated there apparently will be no general increase in the rates charged for local rental property. House rents ranging around $40 monthly in cases where the pays for his own coal and electricity are expected to change but little as a result of the withdrawal of rent controls which have been in effect since early in World War IL Although there will be no general increase in apartment rental, in many cases adjustments will be made which in effect constitute a boost, especially where the landloard provides heat and electric current, Adjustments Coming Apartment owners who provide heat and electricity pointed out that rentals frozen eight years ago were based on coal prices at tha Since then coal has about in cost. doubled provide be con- Also, some landlords who electric current are said to templating new arrangements under which tenants would pay for their own current on a meter basis. No General Uptrend i So far, however, there has been no indication that the removal of rent controls will induce a move upward °J ... I ficient to be reflected a your menu for this year s Chnstmasl .. .. 1 I boom in residential construction spring. High cost of construction, it is generally agreed, will make im practical construction of homes at the level of rents forseeable in the immediate future. IJ On the whole the market has gone) I)econtro] of rents in all parts of up from two to four ce Thanksgiving holiday quotations, with) was announced last week in an order some possibility that prices may go|afrecting approximately 1,500 rental I still higher next week when the big| housing units. Landlords in the af- demand is expected on Christmas fected areas now will be able to set I turkeys. I their own rents for the first time I Four Bluffton area hunters re-1 While prices for other poultry have I in seven years. turned from a hunting trip in Penn-1 remained virtually unchanged during! Rent control in the county sylvania with four deer which they I the last month, present retail prices I established on Nov. 1, 1942, and bagged in one day’s hunting Satur-lfor turkeys range from 40 cents a I offices were maintained in Lima un day. Largest of the quarry weighed I pound for toms to 50 cents for choice I til last September when all records 200 pounds. their own rents for the first building?next was Haley Fined For Traffic Violation Among those filing the damage Following the crash, which occur red near Rawson on the Dixie high way, state highway patrolmen ar rested Haley, on the charge for nesday Found by Mayor the largest ever filed in Han- cook county courts Lnd|eay Zsp'ti"7ncluPdJ: M’rs. Velda Hoover, 48, mother of Mrs. Triplett fiance of’Mrs. Triplett’s sister.’ All SorVlCC With Army Pfc. Herbert Siefield, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Siefield of dents, has been transferred from a Texas air base to the radio operat- Illinois.