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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.