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BLUFFTON A Good Place to Live OLUME LXXIV NEW SWITCHES ARE BEING BUILT HERE BY 30-MAN CREW More Than 3,000 Feet of Bluff ton Switch Rails Are Being Replaced Bluffton Section Crew Augment ed By Workers From Three Other Cities in Project Replacement of more than 3,000 feet of rails in five Bluffton Nickel Plate railroad switches is under way here this week, with a crew of 30 men working on the project. New’ 115-pound ed in the switch gram are heavier for replacement, announced. rails being install improvement pro than those ticketed railroad officials Switches on which work is being done include the following spurs: Bluffton Stone Co., the team track near the railroad station, west end of the passenger switch, the west A. C. and Y. switch and the A. C. and Y. transfer. In installation of the new switches, the Bluffton section assisted by workmen Lima and Rawson, section crews have here, with Lima and Rawson each providing one crew’. is being Findlay, Findlay assigned crew from Two been Improvements in the program are the first to Bluffton switches in many years, and represent the first major rail replacement here since late in World War II. Bluffton Census Is Two-thirds Complete Bluffton census takers are about two-thirds through their job of com pleting the 1950 population count of the village’s residens, and present indications are that the canvass will be pretty well completed within the next week. Enumerators for the loci census are Mrs. Aaron B. Murray and Mrs. Elmer Short. Mrs. Murray has the town district east of Main street and Mrs. Short is handling the can vass in the west end of the city. Although the enumeration is run ning fairly well on schedule, local census taking has been slowed some what by the number of callbacks re quired on persons not found at home on the first stop. Sportsmen’s Fish Fry On Thursday A fish fry for members and friends of the Bluffton Community Sportsmen’s club will emphasize opening of the spring fishing season at a mixer in Sportsmen’s club head quarters in the town hall at 7:45 p. m. this Thursday. Herbert Rupright, program chair man, plans to have plenty of fresh Lake Erie pickerel fillets on hand for all attending. An open invitation to attend the gatherini has been extended by the club president, Rolland Koontz, to all persons and their families inter ested in the program of the club. Plans for restocking the Buckeye quarry will be discussed at the meet ing. Ed Root and Jesse Manges, directors in charge of fish restock ing, also w’ill lead discussion on the possibility of holding a rainbow trout derby for this year’s promo tion. Plans are considered for pur chasing several additional loads of fish for the quarry. Hunting and fishing motion pic tures of Canada and several come dies for children will be shown at the meeting by C. E. Neuman, well knowm Spencerville outdoorsman. Mobile X-Ray Unit To Visit Local School Allen county’s mobile tuberculosis chest X-ray unit will be at Bluffton school Monday, April 17, under aus pices of the Allen County Tubercu losis and Health Association. Pupils in grades 10 to 12 will be served Monday morning along with others wherein a need has been shown. The board of education Tuesday night voted to continue the policy of teachers and other school employees taking advantage of the X-ray examination at that time also. The mobile unit will be at the college in the afternoon of April 17. Examinations are free as a service of the Allen County Tuberculosis Association. Nickel Plate Railroad is Building New Sidings Here oann Gratz Will Be Bluffton Candidate For Beauty Queen Crown Bluffton will have a candidate for the district Lions Club queen at the annual area meeting next Sun day in GroVer Hill and Ed Lape, of this place, will appear on the all-day program as one of the principal speakers. The local contestant for the beauty queen crow’n and the right to represent northwestern Ohio in the state finals will daughter of Mr. Gratz. Mrs. Edward (Minnie) Fisher of Cloverdale passed away at Castle Convalescent Home in Van Wert, Tuesday morning. Pneumonia fol lowed by complications was the cause of death. She had been ill six months. Born November 28, 1871, the daughter of Almon and Olive Wheel er, Mrs. Fisher was the last living member of 13 children. On October 28, 1888 she married Edward Fisher who passed away January She was a member of the U. B. church near Kalida. Bluffton Lions Will Have Speaker And Beauty Queen At Area Meeting Lape Will Be One of Speak ers On District Program This Sunday be Joann Gratz, and Mrs. Homer active member of will speak at the of the conference Lape, long an the Bluffton club, afternoon session on the subject “Ohio Red Jackets.” Miss Gratz is a sophomore in the Bluffton high school and will compete for honors as district beauty queen with representatives from other clubs of the area. The winner will compete in the state finals at Cin cinnati w’ith the Ohio queen partici pating in the contest July Chicago. Lions International 16 through E. J. Ward, 20 in gover Includ- Lions district nor, will announce awards, ed also in the program Michael Bradshaw, editor Toledo Blade, speaking at the even ing session on “Marshall Plan In Operation.” will be of the Attending the district meet from Bluffton will be: Dr. and Mrs. Gordon Bixel, Mr. and Mrs. Homer Gratz and local Lions club president, Rev. Paul Cramer. Mother Of Charles Fisher Is Dead 16, 1947. Palestine by nine Bluffton Mrs. Fisher is survived children: Charles Fisher of Roy Fisher, Ottawa Wooster Mrs. John Michael, Ney, Ohio Mrs. Peter Strife, Ottawa Mrs. Florence Keirns, Van Wert Mrs. Lloyd Miller, Toledo Mrs. Ken neth Clinger and Mrs. Cecil Stopher of Delphos. Ira Fisher, be held at 2 p. m. Harter & Son Delphos. Rev. will officiate and at the Cascade Funeral will Thursday at funeral home Stopher of Delphos interment will be cemetery near Cloverdale, Ohio. the in Carey Named Air Association Director Harold A. Carey, manager of the Bluffton airport, this week was elected a director of the Ohio Avia tion Trades association, at the an nual meeting of the organizaion. Representatives of the local air port attending the session included Carey and Dotie J. Anderson. In a belated assault of winter, the weatherman took over the East er style parade in Bluffton last Sun day and a four-inch blanket of snow which fell beginning in mid-morning provided anything but a spring-like setting for the holiday. Instead of Easter finery, residents of the town were bundled up in great coats and galoshes as the mer cury stayed in the twenties thruout most of the day. The snowfall, com ing at a time ordinarily associated with the advent of spring, was one of the heaviest of the past winter. About the only persons who hailed the unexpected weather were the town’s children who took one last fling at winter sports by coasting on sleds and building snow men and snow forts. Bluffton Musicians In Contest Saturday Easter Fashion Parade Gives Way To Snow Men In Belated Wintry Assault High school instrumental musicians will be among 6,000 students competing Bluffton and vocal more than in the annual Northwest district band, orchestra and choral contest on the Ohio Northern university campus in Ada, next Saturday. Bluffton’s band will play in Class competition with 22 other schools and the local orchestra, also in Class C, will compete with representatives of three other schools. Also representing Bluffton in the contest will be a mixed chorus, a boy’s chorus and a girl’s chorus. BLUFFTON COLLEGE FACULTY WILL BE ENLARGED IN 1950 Three New Instructors Will Be Added To Staff For Coming 1950-51 Term Mathematics, Physics and Ele mentary Education Tea chers Are Added be add faculty 1950-51 Three new professors will ed to the Bluffton college with the opening of the school term next fall, it was an nounced this w’eek by college author ities. One of the new instructors will serve in the new’ly created elemen tary education department at the school, and the other two will be in the mathematics and physics di visions. Luther Shetler, of Goshen, Indi ana, w’ill teach mathematics here next year. He is at present doing graduate w’ork at Indiana University and has also been doing some teach ing there. He has completed his work for his Ph. D. degree, except for a small amount on his disserta tion, w’hich he expects to finish after coming to Bluffton. To Receive Ph. D. Mr. Weaver is now studying at the University of Michigan, from w’hich he will receive his Ph. D. de gree prior to coming here. He is the recipient of a three year scholar ship to this institution from the American Chemical Society. A graduate of Bluffton in the class of 1942, Mr. Weaver is married to the former Margaret Shelly, sister of Professor Paul Shelly. The cou ple have three children. The instructor for the newly-or ganized elementary education depart ment, will be Ada Lapp, graduate of Goshen College and received her Master’s degree from the University of Illinois. She has teaching experience mediate, and junior Iowa and Illinois. A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY Peggy soon Goshen College Grad Col- He is a graduate of Goshen lege, a member of the Eighth Street Mennonite Church of Goshen, and has had several years’ high school teaching experience at Middlebury, Indiana. He is married, his wife also being a graduate of Goshen College. Joining the chemistry and physics staff will be Richard Weaver, son of John Weaver, who is bookkeeper at the college business office. He will teach physics, physical chemistry, and perhaps some chemistry. had 20 years of in rural, inter high schools in Then on Monday the weatherman pulled an “about-face"’ performance,1 as temperatures soared upwards and the town got its first taste of spring like w’eather in more than a month. By noon Monday the snow gone, and a high mark of 72 recorded by thermometers in afternoon, 46 degrees higher Sunday’s low. was was late than Bluffton’s touch of spring again w’as only temporary, however, for the weatherman again on Tuesday and Wednesday drove temperatures down near the freezing point, and garden ers continued to wonder when they will have a chance to get at their April gardening. On a pipe organ, the short pipes produce the high notes. BLUFFTON NEWS BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 1950 45 TO GRADUATE AT HIGH SCHOOL HERE ON MAY 25 Senior Class Consists of 19 Boys And 26 Girls Here This Year .ohn Bauman Class Valedicto rian Salutatorian Will Be Ada May Oyer a Bluffton High school will have class of 45 graduating seniors for commencement exercises next May 25, it was announced this week by Supt. of Schools Aaron B. Murray. Valedictorian of the graduating class will be John Bauman, son of Dr. and Mrs. I. W. Bauman, and the salutatorian will be Ada May Oyer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Oyer. This year’s graduating class of 45 will be considerably larger than that of 1949 when there were only 29 seniors. In this year’s group of graduates are 26 girls and 19 boys. The class roll, announced this week by school authorities, includes: Low’ell Keith Amstutz, Roderick Lynn Balmer, David Edward Basing er, John Howard Bauirian, Donald H. Burkholder, Cleo R. Diller, Mickey D. Gleason, Peter Eugene Hankish, Charles Dwayne Hauenstein, C. Hauenstein. Dwight Donald Landes, Charles Evans Joseph, James Kuhn, Howard James Roger Gene Lehman, Larry Lewis Mathewson, Kenneth Dean Parrish, Don Herman Schmidt, Donald Eu gene Shumaker and Edgar E. Wenger. Dorothy Rae Amstutz, Marilyn I. Amstutz, Josephine Miriam Augs burger, Sara Lee Badertscher, Mary Louise Balmer, Winifred Joyce Bau man, Virginia Kay Berry, Miriam Arlene Bixel, Marilyn F. Brunn, Dolores Ann Burry, Raelene Joyce June Elizabeth Habegger, Dorothy Campbell, Ruth Irene Diller. Lee Hardwick, Wilta. Ann Hilty, Wanda Mae Hochstetler, Luajean I Irene Klass, Carolyn Mae Matter, Chariean Ra? Miller,* Rosefta Jean Moser, Preto, i Risser, Ada May Oyer, Lena M. Mary Jean Ramseyer, Jane Janet Anne Stover and Ann Young. JAMES WEST WILL RESIGN AS CLERK OF SCHOOL BOARD Resignation To Become Effec tive June 1 Had Been Clerk Since 1945 the James F. West, clerk of Bluffton board of education since 1945, submitted his resignation from the post at a board meeting, Tues day night. Coming as a surprise to school board members, the resignation will be effective next June 1. West has been clerk of the board for the last four and one-half years, taking over the position shortly after his return from military service in World War II. Diller, Bluffton had resigned. He succeeded Leland insurance man, who the Citizen’s Nation- As cashier of al bank, West advised that the press of business was the reason resignation from the board cation position. for his of edu- service, Before going into military West had served as clerk of Bluffton corporation. Elgar Eaton Rites Held In California Last rites for Elgar Otis Eaton, 68, of Berkeley, Calif., former Bluff ton resident, were held Monday at Berkeley. Mr. with a heart afernoon while home. He was fore aid to be administered. Eaton was stricken attack late Friday strolling near pronounced dead his be- for' A native of Bluffton, Eaton 25 years was chief of the Western States drug division, U. S. Food and Drug Administration in San Fran cisco. He began his career as a chemist with a private drug manu facturing concern. Mr. Eaton is survived by his wid ow, Mrs. Jeanette P. Eaton and two sisters, Mrs. Nellie Farrick of Cali fornia, and Mrs. Mabel Bogart of Bluffton. Services were followed with inter ment at Cypress Lawn Cemetery in San Francisco. Bluffton High School Gets Good Cleanup Week Will Be April 27-May 6 Dates for Bluffton’s annual Clean up-Paintup-Fixup campaign have been advanced nearly one month earlier, and the drive will be held from April 27 to May 6, it was an nounced this week. An intensive program of municipal cleanup activity is being mapped by the committee headed by Edgar Chamberlain, chairman, with all res idents, municipal organizations, busi ness men and others participating. Bluffton college will cooperate in the campaign by making a crew’ of students available for cleanup week work, assisting anyone in need of extra labor during the period. SPRING BUILDING BOOM GAINS MORE MOMENTUM HERE Construction Upsurge Continues With Start of Another New House Three Building Projects Laun ched In I^ast Week Despite Bad Weather Despite continued unfavorable weather, Bluffton’s spring upsurge in building continued to gain momen tum during the last week, with con struction developments marked by one new business addition and two new residences. Latest building program to get un der way was excavation completed last Saturday* on the County Line road, inside the city limits, for a new house to be constructed by Ivan 1). Johnson. The house is located about midway betw’een Jefferson street and the Nickel Plate railroad on a lot John son purchased from his father-in law, Ezra Basinger. Earlier in the week an excavation had been made for a residence to be erected on Harmon road by Everett Sutermeister, Bluffton business man and president of the municipal coun cil. At the same time, contractors be gan clearing the site for a new 40 by 60-foot one-story warehouse which will be constructed by Carey Niswander for his farm implement and home appliance business. The new Niswander business build ing will be of cement block construc tion, and w’ill be erected across the alley from the rear of present opera tions on a lot purchased from Hiram Huser. An old barn formerly stand ing on the site has been dismantled. Rawson Band Plays For Last 20 Years Rawson’s Community band which has played every summer for the last 20 years was reorganized last week and plans w’ere laid for the coming suemer’s program. Membership of the band extends into the Jenera, Benton Ridge, Mt. Cory and rural districts. W. A. Otto has been its director for the last 16 years. Barring resignations, Bluffton’s public school teaching stai for the 1950-51 school term will differ little from the the high year. Town Moves To Clean Up Creek Courses! and Alleys Rating In State Inspection Here I No Unsatisfactory Status In Bluffton Public School Teaching Staff For 1950-51 To Change Little faculty which has served and grade schools this annual contract considera- At the tion meeting, the only teaching force change indicated w*as the need to re place Ralph DeVore, grade school instructor, who has not signified his intention to return, it w-as reported by Supt. Aaron B. Murray. On recommendation of the super intendent new two-year contracts have been granted, to Lorain Basing er, agriculture instructor Harry E. Kettlew’ell, mathematics instructor, and Jean Ellen Vore, Home Econ omics. Dwight Spayth, instructor in vocational shop courses, received a five-year contract. More Than 100 Rating V Categories I Recommendations by the eluded a suggestion that N Louege One-Act Local School Continued As High! Sanitation and Mos School of First Grade By I quito Control State Dept. I In commenting on the local s tup.I banks, alleys or vacant lots are the report included in part: “This!provided in a new ordinance drafted school is well organized, well staffed I council, and town authorities were and adequately equipped. The libr-1 directed to police the village, for vio ary arrangement is an excellent aid |lations. to the total instruction program. The student activities program ap pears to be very strong.” State authorities also suggested a ”a?e dl8P0EC daily time schedule on a uniform b’sh' dlrt’ canB’ anlmal basis o€ either 45 minutes or one- st“ce »«y "‘her offenstve matter o ... v i i ..Iwithin the village limits, hour periods. Split schedules should I ... .. ... ., I Conviction of violation will carry be avoided, thev recommended. I ... la fine of $25, with second offenses of men against the sea will be pre-l i A Good Place to Trade sented by an all-male cast under the! DOOSl 11 (IS III( S direction of Addison Mvers. Appear-! ing also is the play “Hans Bulow’s Authorization to increase rates Last Puppet,” a fantasv with highlcbarK ed by Ohio Fuel Gas Co., appeal for young children as well as which is the supplier for West Ohio adults, directed by Onnolee McClin-fGas Co” holder of the Bluffton tocj. I franchise, was granted last week by The plays are presented by stu- the Federal Power Commission in dents in partial fulfillment of re-1" ashington. quirements in the course in play! Whether the boost in rates charged directing taught at the college. I ^or wbo'csab‘ service to the West Appearing in the productions are:|Ohio wil1 result in an increase Don Steer, Dorothy Shirtz, Ronald!*’1 cbarRe f°r ?as service heie Kirkwood and Dick Boehr. Bob|was unknown this week. Smucker ,Dick Simcox, Roderick! granting the Ohio Fuel Gas Deihl and Bob Stutzman will play in I Permission to increase charges for “Minor Miracle’ I wholesale service, the power com mission made the ’increase retroact ive to April 1. Don Cossack Chorus Sings Here April 25.^^ At Gen. Platoff’s w’orld famous Doni Cossack Chorus and dancers will be I presented under the sponsorship ofl A general student recital will be the Bluffton College music department! presented at 8:30 p. m. Friday even on April 25, at 8:00 p. m. in the! ing in Ramseyer chapel on the col Bluffton High School auditorium. I lege campus. Selections will be pre Tickets will be on sale beginning! sented by students of Professors April 14 at Sidney’s Drug Store,! Mann, Holtkamp and Lantz of the Hauenstein’s Drug Store and Music! college music department. Hall. Reserved seats will sell for| A special feature of the program $1.50, plus sion seats will be $1.00, $.75, and! celebrated concerto for $.60. I I- ---. Reserved seats will sell fori tax, and general admis-|will be the performance Another musical presentation of I Nunemaker and Mary the near future is that of the Artlw*B °ffer this selection. Guild String Quartet. This group! ^he public is cordially invited to will be presented April 21 at 8:Oo|a^end’ p. m. in Ramseyer chapel under the auspices of the college Concert Series. Changes also were made in the! j^r an(j j^rs Harvey Moser, Jr., contract status of three teachers I Bluffton, a boy, Donald Lynn, Fri who should have received two-year Iday. contracts last year, instead of one-1 year contracts granted. Those wholGornb’ will be teaching the second year oflday* the revised contracts during the! next school term will be Coach Ia fir1, this Wednesday. Richard Lowry. Miss Geneveive Mr- and Mr8' Vlctor Bucher- C° Beagle and Mrs. Levada Bixel, grade|lum°us school teachers, and Miss Elma Ater,|day* music instructor. other Bluffton teachers the state teacher’s tenure All NUMBER 52 OFFICIALS CRACK pgyy QN PRE EK BANKS I Cleanup Ordered In Interests Bluffton High school has been continued as a high school of the first grade by the Ohio department of education, according to a statel visitation report received by Supt.I Banks of Bluffton’s streams and Aaron B. Murray of the local school I the alleys and vacant lots of the system. I town will be cleaner this summer as In an inspection last February’ 14.1 the result of a program to crack the Bluffton school was rated either! down on violators of a cleanup drive “Satisfactory-Plus” or “Satisfactory”! instituted Monday night at a meet in 101 different classifications. There IW the municipal council. were no “unsatisfactory” ratings ini Severe fines for those who dispose any phase of local school activity. I of rubbish of any kind on creek Heavy Fines Provided For Vio lators of New Municipal Ordinance Despite the village’s economically priced rubbish collection service, many residents have continued to state in-1 dispose of rubbish of all kinds on the com-l^0 ban^s of Big and Little Riley mercial program is worthy of broad- lcree^s» and the crackdown is aimed ening by incorporating some exper- PartlcularlY a* that Practice, accord ience in general office practice, andl’ng to ^aU’r A. Howe, through providing several different I Cleaner Town types of office machines. Frov?s.on. of the new ordinance 7 I drawing a fine of $100 or imprison- Iment of 30 days or both. Play On Wednesdays Mayor Howe that _____ I mosquito control program also will The second in the series of one-actH helPcd considerably if the former play programs sponsored by the! ^sanitary dumping of rubbish along Bluffton College speech department,Ilstl earns can be curbed under the will be presented at the College Wed-Ilnew Pro£ram* nesday evening, April 12 at 8 o’clock.! “Minor Miracle,” a striking play! IFcs/ Ohio Supplier rp Rntno Cdllege This Friday “The London Concerto.” of Mozart’s two pianos, Mary Ann K. Bauman Z--- Births The follow’ing births at Bluffton hospital: Mr. and Mrs. James Green, Bluff ton, a girl, Jane Ellen, Thursday. Mr. and Mrs. Roger Musser, Lima, a girl, Jacqueline Ann, Thursday. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Clark, Find lay, a boy, Robert Scott, Thursday. I Born under tract coverage. In assignments for next year, hard Buhler was approved as school principal, and Miss Meredith! born Sunday at Ft. Wayne. Mrs. Stepleton will be continued as grade! Sims is the former Mary Amstutz, school principal. Both have two-1 daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Am year assignments. stutz, south of Bluff torn and Mrs. Jack Nusbaum, Me a boy, Michael Jack, Satur- and Mrs. Harry Snyder, Ada, Grove, a girl, this Wednes- to Mr. and Mrs. J. A. War of Route 5, Swanton, a arcl kentin con"I daughter, Jayne Agnes, at Toledo I hospital last week. Ger-1 Mr. and Mrs. Frank E. Sims, Ft. high! Wayne, Ind., a boy, Ronald Eugene,