The Bluffton news. [volume], January 12, 1950, Image 1

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A Good Place to Live
VOLUME LXXIV
BLUFFTON SNUBBED
BY STORK FINALLY
GETS FIRST BABY
Three Girls Bom at Bluffton
Hospital Sunday, Week
After New Year’s
Baby Derby Without Baby Puts
Town in Newspaper Head
lines and on Radio
A long-delayed stork at 2:03 a. m.
last Sunday broke the baby famine
at Bluffton Community hospital, the
longest in history of the Institution,
finally bringing to an end the 1950
baby derby just a week and two
hours from the time the starting
gates were opened.
Winner of the more than 60 prizes
offered by local merchants as the
first baby of the new year was Rae
lene Kay, eight-pound and six-ounce
OFF STORK’S LIST
Bluffton is still off the stork’s
calling list so far as boy babies
are concerned. There have been
no boys born at the hospital here
since December 30 with none in
prospect, attaches said Wednes
day morning.
Only four babies, all girls,
have been born at the hospital
this year, an unusually small
number for a ten and one-half
day period.
daughter of Mr. and Mrs, Lowell
Habegger, of West Elm street.
Her appearance two hours after
midnight Sunday finally brought to
an end Bluffton’s prolonged holiday
from births which had attracted
nation-wide attention.
Nation-Wide Focus
As the baby derby dragged on
with no prospective babies even in
sight, the dilemma received first-page
mention on major newspapers and
was included in the newscasts of
big-city radio reporters.
The maternity ward at the Com
munity hospital was deserted as the
derby dragged on, with no births re
ported after one on December 30.
After that baby had gone home the
ward lay empty, an unprecedented
condition, and the nine-day stretch
without births established a local
record.
Birth of the Habegger infant
touched off the spark again, how
ever, and the stork got busy in a
hurry to deliver two additional
babies at the hospital by Sunday
morning.
Three In All
Janet Suzanne, a six-pound, four
ounce daughter was born at 4:35
a. m. to Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Motter,
of Rawson. At 9:30 a. m. Sunday
the third girl arrived in the person
of Mary Anne, seven-pound, 12
ounce daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
George Stoody, of Pandora.
Bluffton’s 1950 baby holdout
represented the longest time between
births in the history of the hospital.
The previous record was four days,
according to Miss Sylvia Biederman,
superintendent.
Each of the three new mothers
received a basket of flowers from the
Bluffton Business Men’s association,
sponsors of the derby, which ran a
full one-week’s course before the
(Continued on pag2 8)
Steinman Is Head Of
Board Public Affairs
Forrest Steinman and Harvey
Beidler, holdover members, were
elected president and vice president
respectively at the organization
meeting of the Board of Public Af
fairs, Tuesday night. Joel Kimmel,
beginning his first term, is the third
member of the board.
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Lowell Habegger,
Bluffton, a girl, Raelene Kay, Sun
day.
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Matter, Raw
son, a girl, Janet Suzanne, Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Stoody, Pan
dora, a girl, Mary Ann, Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Williams,
Leipsic, a girl, Wednesday morning.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Golden,
Lima, a boy at St. Rita’s hospital,
Friday. Mrs. Golden is the former
Rosa Frankhauser of Bluffton.
Directors Re-named
By Citizens Bank
Seven directors were re-elected
Tuesday night at a meeting of Citi
zen’s National Bank stockholders in
bank headquarters.
Officers also were continued in
office, including Elmer C. Romey,
president James West, cashier and
Nelson Herr and Eli Hostettler, as
sistant cashiers.
Directors re-elected were L. W.
Dukes, Fred Getties, H. P. Huber,
C. F. Niswander, E. C. Romey,
Adam Steiner and Melvin William
son.
Dividend of $6 a share announced
at the meeting represented an in
crease of 50 cents over last year.
Motion pictures taken by Henry
Huber in Mexico, California and at
Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon
were shown at the meeting.
MARCH OF DIMES
CAMPAIGN OPENS
HERE THIS WEEK
Dr. F. D. Rodabaugh Is Chair
man of Local Drive Spon
sored By Lions
Contributions Sought For Con
tinuation of War On In
fantile Paralysis
Bluffton will join in the nation
wide March of Dimes campaign to
raise funds for the fight against
infantile paralysis, with the local
drive opening Friday and continuing
the rest of the month.
Local participation in the cam
paign is sponsored by the Bluffton
Lions club, with Dr. F. I). Rodabaugh
heading the committee in charge of
the drive. On the health committee
of the Lions club with him are D.
W. Bixler and Jess Yoakam.
Money raised in the campaign is
used entirely in the war on polio.
This annual appeal is the sole source
of funds through which the National
Foundation of Infantile Paralysis
and its county affiliates can carry
on its activities, Dr. Rodabaugh
declared.
Plan Local Campaign
In the local campaign containers
for contributions will be placed in
business places, schools and indus
tries and special collections will be
taken at the Carma theatre. The
barrel contest at the theatre, a
feature of last year’s campaign, will
be repeated.
In 1948 and 1949, Allen county
spent a total of $4,435.66 for the
treatment of three Bluffton polio
cases. Proceeds from the Bluffton
drive last year were $1,464.04, and
less than $500 were contributed the
previous year.
A report shows that Allen county
in 1949 had 18 polio cases in com
parison with 40 in 1948. During
1949 the Allen county polio founda
tion spent $19,990.60. Of this amount
$3,066.64 remain unpaid. During the
past two years, the national founda
tion also has advanced to the county
for treatment of polio cases a total
of $24,725.
Real Estate Deals
41
John E. Weaver of the Bluffton
college business office has purchased
the Mrs. Geneva Badertscher prop
erty on Poplar street and expects to
occupy the residence soon, moving
from the Ray Harris property at
North Jackson and Elm streets.
Kenneth Hauenstein who purchased
from the estate the 160 acre farm
of his father the late L. C. Hauen
stein five miles south of Bluffton has
sold the east 80 acres to Walter
Stratton of South Main street. Strat
ton expects to occupy the place.
Hauenstein who now lives on the
tract he sold to Stratton will move
to the west 80 acres, the property
now occupied by his mother, who
will move to Lima.
Heads Engineers Unit
Cold Snap Averts Flood Danger
Here Following Heavy Downpours
Marshall T. J. Garlinger, formerly
of Ada and a cousin of John Gar
linger, of this place, has been elected
president of the California chapter
of the National Association of Elec
trical Refrigerator Engineers. He
lives in San Francisco.
High Water Overflows East
College Avenue on Tuesday
Morning
Sleet Storm is Followed by
Lowest Temperature of
Winter Season
Clearing and colder weather Tues
day afternoon averted flood condi
tions in Bluffton when Big and Little
Riley creeks overflowed their banks
following heavy rains Monday night
and Tuesday forenoon.
At the crest of the high water
Tuesday morning at 11 o’clock, Har
mon field was inundated and water
was flowing across East College
avenue, Schmidt’s field was under
water which came within 10 feet of
adjoining Vance street.
Rains and warmer weather Mon
y followed Bluffton’s first real
ite of winter weather the latter
rt of last week inaugurated by a
et storm and topped by four inches
snow which brought ice-glazed
eets and walks over the week end.
was the first snow blanket which
las stayed for more
vinter and brought
ow temperature for
Tree branches gave way under the
cy load, and motor traffic was made
loubly hazardous by the four-inch
nowfall which fell Friday. Altho
tate highways were well cleared by
lightfall Saturday, traveling on
econdary roads and village streets
emained treacherous until Monday.
Lowest temperatures during the
old wave were recorded on Satur
lay when the mercury hit a new
eason low of six.
A return on Monday to the mild
rinter which had prevailed previous
y found most of the ice and snow
lisappearing before nightfall Mon
lay, and temperatures above the
reezing level prevailed throughout
fuesday morning followed by colder
fuesday night and Wednesday.
Student Recital
Bluffton college department of mu
le will present in public recital at
lamseyer chapel this Wednesday
wening at 8:30 o’clock students of
’rofs. Mann, Holtkamp, Burkhalter
ind Lantz. The program will include
nano, organ, violin and vocal num
ers and woodwind ensemble.
rmer
Third of a series of evangelistic
services sponsored by the Tri-County
Evangelistic association will begin
next Monday in the St. John Men
nonite church, near Pandora, and
conclude with a series of meetings
from Jan.- 22 thru 29 in the Bluffton
High school auditorium.
Services each night during the
two-week series will begin at 7:30.
In the evangelistic series the Tri
County association will bring to this
area forepiost speakers and musi
cians.
This year Captain Edgar Bundy,
of Wheaton, Ill., will speak each
night during the campaign. Capt.
Bundy is a former chief of research
and analysis section of intelligence,
headquarters Alaskan Air command,
where he is said to have seen at
first hand what Soviet Russia is
building up inside Siberia. He also
knows the inside of the political,
economc and socal problems of
China.
Lecturer, traveler and journalist,
Capt. Bundy will speak on subjects
such as “Peep Holes in the Iron
Curtain,” “Alaska—America’s Front
Door—Wide Open,” “The Master
Plan of World Communism,” “Pal
estine,” etc.
-LUFi
than a day this
with it a new
the season.
Covered
last Thursday'
in this area in
Bluffton Ice
The sleet storm
light was the worst
everal years and residents of the
.rea awoke Friday morning to find
verything sheathed in ice.
With low temperatures prevailing
n a prolonged cold snap, during
rhich the thermometer hit a new
winter’s low of six, the ice did not
lisappear until warmer weather ar
rived on Monday.
Telephone and power lines sagging
inder the weight of the ice gave
inemen continual trouble during
hree-day period, and with wires
oles covered with ice repairs
naintenance were difficult
the
and
and
and
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
(04 A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, JAN. 12, 1950
-——_______________
Homes Here Feel Pinch of Coal Shortage
MAYjAIR PHONE
RATEIPROTEST AT
COUNCIL MEETING
Council May Hear Objections to
Higher Rates at Meeting
Monday Night
No Prospect Now for Conver
sion of Bluffton System to
Dial Phones
Increase in Bluffton telephone
rates, proposed by the Bluffton Tele
phone Co. in a petition presented to
the Ohio Public Utilities Commission,
will not be accompanied by a change
to an automatic dial system, first
promised to the village several years
ago.
That no immediate move is con
templated in conversion to automatic
dial phones was disclosed by Mau
rice Mahoney, local manager of the
telephone company, which is a sub
sidiary of Telephone Service of Ohio.
Mahoney gave the answer after
being queried on the matter, in view
of the fact that nearby Ottawa, an
other subsidiary of the same com
pany, has been promised a dial sys
tem in connection with a requested
raise in rates, on a similar scale to
those proposed for Bluffton.
Retain Same System
Mahoney said that conversion to
an automatic dial setup is impossible
here at this time, because the output
of dial system equipment manufac
turers falls far below the demand.
As a result dial systems are being
allocated only at those places where
central facilities are totally inade
quate. That condition does not ap
ply in Bluffton, Mahoney declared.
In the meantime protests over
the projected rate increases for
Bluffton telephone users appeared to
be growing in the town, with de
mand from subscribers that the vil
lage government take a hand in the
matter.
Protests Growing
Whether .the complaints will get
an official airing at next Monday’s
meeting of the municipal council re
mained indefinite this week,but pro
tests over the proposed rate increase
have been increasing.
Under the new rate system re
quested of the public utilities com
mission, increases for telephone rent
al here would range from 25 per
cent for four-party residential lines,
to 83 per cent for private business
phones.
Telephone officials said it was the
first request for a rate boost here
since 1928.
BLUFFTON MARKETS
Wednesday Morning
Grain (bushel prices) Wheat,
$1.94 corn $1.24 oats 70c soys
$2.08.
Poultry—Heavy hens 21c leghorn
hens 16c heavy springers 22c, heavy
stags 15c leghorn stags 13c.
Eggs-—Large white 27c large
brown 25c medium white 21c
medium brown 20c pullets 18c.
Butterfat—60c.
Captain Of Army Intelligence
To Head Two Weeks’ Evangelistic Drive
Also assisting in the evangelistic
meetings will be Rev. and Mrs. Iner
Basinger, former Pandora residents.
Basinger was a former editor of The
Pandora Times. During the last
four years he amP Mrs. Basinger
have been in full-time evangelistic
service, including one year in Ed
monton, Alberta, Canada, where they
assisted in daily radio broadcasts.
Assisting with instrumental music
will be Mrs. Edgar Bundy, who ap
pears wth her husband. She is an
organist-pianist.
During the series of evangelistic
services, the Bundys and Basingers
will speak and sing at special meet
ings with school groups.
Special topics for the first week
of the meeting include: Monday—
“Sunday School Night Tuesday—
“Men’s Night Wednesday—“Fam
ily Night Thursday—“Fublic School
Night” (Pandora, Benton Ridge,
Gilboa and Columbus Grove.) Oth
ers are welcome on the special
nights, but emphasis will be for the
groups named.
Mr. and Mrs. Basinger will not
arrive here until Tuesday night and
Walter Treadway, a Bluffton college
graduate, will be in charge of music
on the opening night.
Enthusiastic Response to
Legion’s Tide of Toys
Project Here
Toys Will Be Distributed on
Arrival Overseas by CARE
Organization
Nearly 2,100 toys donated by
Bluffton kiddies for children in war
devastated areas overseas during
the Bluffton Legion post’s Tide of
Toys campaign will start on their
long journey to Europe next week.
Collected by local Legionnaires in
their participation in a nation-wide
campagn were 190 dolls and 1,900
other toys whch will make needy
children overseas happy.
The local consignment of toys,
weighing 548 pounds, will be carried
free of charge by railroads to Phila
delphia where a ship will be loaded
with the gifts collected throughout
the United States in the humanitar
ian drive.
In Europe the toys will be distrib
uted through the facilities of CARE,
major overseas relief organization.
Bluffton Legionnaires were pleased
with the result of the local cam
paign, in which the voluntary con
tributions brought nearly 2,100 toys.
Name Committees
For School Board
Organization of the Bluffton board
of education was completed at the
first regular meeting Tuesday night
when standing committees were
named by President V. C. Opper
mann. They are:
Finance—Carl Derringer and Paul
Stauffer.
Building and Grounds—B. W.
Travis and V. C. Oppermann.
Athletics—Levi Althaus.
The board approved a revised stu
dent teaching agreement effective
next September, drafted by Dean J.
S. Schultz of Bluffton college and
Supt. A. B. Murray of the public
school covering practice teaching for
the coming year.
Between 25 and 30 student teach
ers obtain classroom experience in
the school here under supervision of
regular teachers. Under the new
arrangement payments by the college
to the supervising teachers will be
increased from $4 to $6 per credit
hour.
The clerk also was authorized to
apply for an advance draw on the
February tax collection from the
county auditor’s office and bids will
be received for two cars of coal.
Bluffton F. F. A.
Unit Re-organizes
Re-organization of the Bluffton
chapter of Future Farmers of Amer
ica, with Leland Garmatter named
president of the group, was effected
last week in connection with activi
ties of the vocational agriculture de
partment at Bluffton High school.
Other officers of the group include
Don Oates, vice-president David
Hofstetter, secretary Dale Risser,
treasurer Cleo Diller, sentinel Mel
vin Marquart, reporter, and L. A.
Basinger, advisor.
Meetings will be held by the group
at 8 p. m. on the second Wednesday
of each month in high school voca
tional agriculture rooms.
Farm Account Class
Will Meet Tuesday
Farmers in the Bluffton commun
ity who have problems connected
with keeping of farm business rec
ords are invited to attend a meeting
in the vocational agriculture room at
Bluffton High school, at 8 p. m.
next Tuesday.
Classes in the keeping of records
will be held under the direction of
Lorain A. Basinger, vocational-agri
culture teacher, it was announced by
Supt. Aaron B. Murray.
The Ohio Farm Account book,
prepared by the agricultural exten
sion service, the Ohio Bankers asso
ciation and the Department of In
ternal Revenue, will be used.
Brother Of College
Professor Succumbs
Dr. J. S. Schuitzo Bluffton col
lege received word Wednesday morn
ing of the death of his brother, I. B.
Schultz of Mountain Lake, Minn.,
Tuesday evening. Funeral services
will be held at that place Saturday.
Bluffton Kiddies Contribute 2,100
Toys For Needy Children In Europe
Cridersville Girl
Wins Contest Here
Miss Dorothy Staas, of Criders
ville, representing Auglaize county,
won first place in district Prince of
Peace declamation competition Sun
day night at the First Methodist
church in Bluffton.
Alternate named in the contest
here was James Powers, of Dayton.
Miss Staas represented a Metho
dist church an3 Powers was from an
E. U. B. congregation.
Winner of the district meet here
last Sunday will compete with five
other Ohio winners in a semi-final
contest at Columbus on Jan. 26.
The final round will be the follow
ing week during a pastor’s conven
tion in the state capital.
VILLAGE COUNCIL
CONFRONTED BY
MANY PROBLEMS
New Council Will Complete
Appointments At Meeting
Next Monday
Sewage Disposal, Storm Sewers
And Parking Among Prob
lems On Agenda
Bluffton’s new municipal council
at its second meeting next Monday
night will complete setting up the
framework for the 1950-51 admin
istration by completing town appoint
ments through the naming of a city
solicitor and making fire department
appointments.
With the initial appointive hurdle
out of the way, the new councilmen
will face for the first time some of
the larger problems which will con
front them in their two years in
office.
Chief of the problems will be
Bluffton’s sewage disposal question,
and the necessity of obtaining a site
for the treatment plant. In obtain
ing land for the treatment facilities,
the village government for more
than a year has been attempting to
purchase a triangular-shaped tract
of ground owned by the Central Ohio
Light and Power Co., laying between
Buckeye quarry and the railroad, at
the west end of the Buckeye.
No Price Set
Complications stemming from Cen
tral Ohio delay in setting a price or
making the land available for pur
chase prevented the last council
from making any headway in the
matter, despite engineer’s recom
mendation that the site be obtained
as soon as possible.
Action on the sewage disposal
question is imperative, because of a
new Ohio law which became effective
last August making it unlawful to
discharge untreated sewage into
streams and rivers. Under the law,
Bluffton already has been cited as
one of the Ohio cities which must
effect a cleanup of prevailing condi
tions.
Of scarcely less importance, how
ever, is remedial action to the vil
lage’s outmoded storm sewer system,
the cause of flooded streets and
basements in many areas during
periods of sustained rainfall.
Additional downtown parking fa
cilities also present a problem of no
little import, now that the situation
has been aggravated by the loss of
a parking lot next to the Pine res
taurant, now occupied by Bixel Mot
or Sales used car lot.
Beaverdam Child
Dies Of Strangulation
Vivian Gayle Herr, six-months
old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dale
Herr, of Beaverdam, was found dead
in her bed last Thursday morning,
with Dr. C. J. Talbot, Allen county
coroner, ruling death was due to
strangulation during the night.
The child had been ill during the
preceding week.
Funeral rites were held Saturday
morning in the Stanley Basinger
funeral home, with Rev. Paul Cram
er, pastor of the Bluffton Methodist
church, officiating. Burial was in
Woodland cemetery at Beaverdam.
In addition to the parents, the
child is survived by a sister, Vickie
Dale, 3. Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Herr,
Beaverdam, are the paternal grand
parents.
A Good Place to Trade
NUMBER 39
DEALERS LIMIT
DELIVERIES TO
SPREAD SUPPLY
Situation Takes Serious Turn
in Bluffton as Winter
Returns
Prospect for Future Shipments
from Mines Uncertain,
Dealers Say
Bluffton’s coal situation took a
serious turn this week when a
survey of local dealers disclosed
rapidly dwindling stocks for domestic
home heating.
Cold weather over the weekend
which returned Wednesday when
temperatures ranged below 20 degrees
brought a critical aspect to the
shortage, particularly in view of un
certainty over future delivery of coal
from the mines.
Pooled resources of Bluffton coal
yards the first of the week amount
ed to only about 150 tons of regular
commercial grade coal. This does
not include some off-grade fuel which,
usually is not put on the market.
Rationing In Effect
Rationing has been*put into effect
by dealers to conserve the existing
supplies, with deliveries to patrons
limited to one or two-ton loads.
Most serious aspect of the situa
tion, however, is the uncertainty of
future shipments from mines, accord
ing to local dealers.
One dealer said he had no ship
ments enroute, due to the miners’
short work week of three days. An
other dealer said he was not sure,
for with mines operating on the
short week coal brokerage houses
are far behind on filling orders. One
local coal yard still is awaiting
delivery of coal scheduled to have
been shipped last October.
No Industrial Shortage
On the whole the industrial coal
picture is much brighter than that
which applies to the domestic heat
ing situation. Bluffton’s municipal
power plant has a supply on hand
ample for two or three weeks’ opera
tion, and additional fuel is supposed
to be on the way.
At the Central Ohio Light and
Power Co. there is an ample
reserve of coal for several weeks’
demands. Bluffton college and Bluff
ton public school also have a good
supply on hand for present needs.
The schools with about three weeks
available supply are seeking to buy
two more carloads of coal, Supt. A.
B. Murray said.
Most of the trouble apparently is
shaping up for the domestic home
user who failed to fill his bin last
summer, with the key to the entire
situation depending on whether cold
weather will continue. Should mild
winter conditions, which have pre
vailed so far, return soon, the most
critical aspect of the situation would
be eased temporarily.
Trains Curtailed
In the meantime, passenger train
operation is being curtailed by many
railroads. Among trains being taken
off, as the result of an interstate
commerce order to conserve coal, Is
a New York Central train out of
Findlay to Columbus, which carries
much of the Bluffton mail destined
for southern points.
The train which leaves Findlay In
mid-afternoon carries Bluffton mail
taken from here via star route
leaving the local post office at 2:30
p. m.
Dr. Travis Director
Of Medical Academy
Dr. B. W. Travjs, Bluffton physi
cian, has been elected to the board of
directors of the Ohio Academy of
General Practice, which meets in Co
lumbus bi-monthly to administer the
affairs of the state chapter of the
national organization.
On the board he replaces Dr. J. C.
Bowman, of Upper Sandusky, who
resigned recently.
Dr. Travis also is president-elect
of the Third Ohio District of the
academy, an organization of physi
cians, specializing in general medical
practice.
To Occupy Farm
Wm. Amstutz, Jr., now living near
Houcktown will move soon on the
farm of the late Mrs. Lenore Myers
three miles southwest of Bluffton,
recently purchased by his father
Wm. Amstutz, Sr., living on the Fol
lett farm.