The Bluffton news. [volume], June 01, 1950, Image 1

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BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Live
VOLUME LXXV
STATE DIRECTOR IN
COLUMBUS TO GET
CASE WEDNESDAY
Orange Township Backers and
Bluffton School Officials in
Attendance
Petitioners Seek to Transfer
Territory from Mt. Cory
Rawson to Bluffton
Clyde Hissong, state director of
education will hold a hearing in
Columbus this Wednesday afternoon
on petitions of Orange township
residents for transfer of territory
from the Mt. Cory-Rawson school
district to the Bluffton school
district.
Jesse Anderson of Orange town
ship who was instrumental in circula
ting the petitions said Tuesday he
had received a notice of the hearing.
Anderson said he expected to at
tend together with Will Beagle and
probably Harold Marshall, both of
Orange township who were active tn
the project. Also attending will be
A. B. Murray, superintendent of the
Bluffton schools and Rev. V. C. Op
permann, president of the Bluffton
board of education.
Two Petitions
The hearing in Columbus followed
circulation of two petitions in the
western portion. of Orange township
asking for transfer of a block of
territory from Mt. Cory-Rawson to
Bluffton school district.
The petitions said to have been
signed by 85 per cent or more of the
qualified voters in the affected ter
ritory were filed with the Hancock
County Board of Education in Find
lay late. last January.
The Hancock county board last
’"*March refuted to grant the petitions
were ^|hen forwarded to the
stateMepartment of ed#atioji as- re
quired by law, for further considera
tion.
Construction of a new high school
building for the Mt. Cory-Rawson
district is scheduled to begin this
week.
Jack Clark O. N. U.
Pharmacy Graduate
Jack Clark, formerly of Bluffton
was graduated in pharmacy at com
mencement exercises of Ohio North
ern university, Ada, last Sunday.
He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul
Clark of Grove street. Attending
the commencement exercises were
his father and brother James Clark
and family. He recently accepted a
position as pharmacist in a drug
store in Ravenna.
BLUFFTON COLLEGE
50th Anniversary Highlights
(Condensed Calendar)
Friday, June 2
10:00 A. M. Assembly of Swiss—-Chapel
12:00 Noon Swiss Day Luncheon—Baseball Field
2:00 P. M. Swiss Program—Ramseyer Chapel
7:30-9:30 P. M. Faculty Musicale, Swiss and Art Display-
8:15 P.M. “Macbeth”—H. S. Auditorium
Saturday, June 3
10-45 A. M. Box Ceremony—Classes 1950, 40, 30—College Hall
11:30 A. M. Luncheon—Baseball Field
1:15 P.M. Anniversary Program—Chapel
3:30 P.M. Crowning May Queen—Baseball Field*
5:30 P.M. Alumni Banquet—Ropp Hall
8:15 P.M. “Macbeth”—H. S. Auditorium
Bluffton’s pioneer hostelry, the
American House, a North Main
street landmark for more than 100
years and a leading hotel in this
area in the gay nineties will be
largely dismantled and remodeled
into a garage this summer.
Announcement of razing of the
old hotel, used in past years as an
apartment building, came this week
when E. S. Miller, local Buick deal
er, said he had bought the structure
preparatory to converting it into an
Sunday, June 4
1:30 P.M. “Messiah” Practice—Baseball Field
3:30 P.M. Baccalaureate Service—Baseball Field*
4:45 P. M. President’s Reception—President’s Home
8:00 P.M. “Messiah” Concert—Baseball Field
Monday, June 5
10:00 A. M. Commencement Exercises—First Mennonite Church
12:15 P.M. Commencement Luncheon—Ropp Hall
In High School Gymnasium if weather is unfavorable.
Against the floodlighted verdant
setting of the Bluffton college base
ball field, a mammoth 400-voice
chorus of returning graduates and
former students will join this year’s
college Choral society in a 60th an
niversary rendition of Handel’s
celebrated oratorio, “The Messiah”,
at 8 p. m. Sunday night.
Presentation of the music feature,
traditionally presented at Christmas,
will be one of the outstanding events
on the feature-studded program plan
ned for the Golden Anniversary com
mencement schedule at the college.
A crowd of more than 2,000 per
sons, one of the largest ever to wit
ness an offering of this kind
is expected for the outdoor rendit
under brilliant floodlights. Plenty
seating accommodations will
provided.
Graduates Return
In the gigantic 400-voice chorus
will be graduates and former stu
dents representing most of the class
es in the 50-year existence of the
college, joining with this year’s Col
lege Choral society in the 53rd
rendition of Handel’s famous “Mos-
JOLLY SWISS TO
THRONG COLLEGE
CAMPUS FRIDA'
Antiques to be on Display
Basket Picnic Dinner on Ball
Field at Noon
Native Costumes to be Features
Afternoon and Evening
Events Planned
It will be Swiss as Swiss cheese—
that “Schwietzer Dag” on the Bluff
ton college campus Friday when
Bluffton, Pandora, Berne and W
County delegations take over
the day.
It will open in the morning at 10
o’clock with exhibits of Swiss an
tinques and heirlooms in the College
library picnic lunch at noon on
the baseball fifld afternoon pro
gram at 2 o’clock in the chapel and
evening art display in the library.
Town people planning to attend
Swiss day meetings will be given
free transportation to and from the
campus in the College bus. It is
scheduled to leave the campus 45
minutes before each session and any-
Orange Twp. School Petitions Up For Hearing
Chapel and Library
Walk
automobile salesroom and garage.
Although there is no record as to
when the American House was con
structed, it is known to be well over
100 years old, according to M. M.
Murray, 82, former Bluffton post
master and the oldest native-born
resident of the town.
Back in 1868 when John Dray op
eraed the hostelry, then known as
the National hotel, it was a busy
stopping place because of its situ
ation halfway between Lima and
College Celebrates Golden Anniv
Chorus of 400 Voices to Sing Messiah in
Open Air Campus Rendition Sunday Night
siah.”
With approximately 400 voices as
sured for the choraL numbers, the
rendition here will be all the more
outstanding because it will feature
the largest chorus ever to appear in
this part of the state, it was an
nounced this week by -.Prof. Russell
A. Lantz, conductor, who has handled
arrangements for the commencement
week feature.
An augmented orchestra of more
than 40 pieces will provide the
musical accompaniment for the
oratorio.
Outstanding Soloists
Former Bluffton college students
also will appear in the solo roles for
the rendition, including a number of
outstanding artists who previously
have appeared here.
Soprano soloists for thq event will
be Estelle Lugibill WoRmann, of
Freeman, S. D., daughter of A. E.
Lugibill, of Lawn avenue and a
member of the class of 1920 Mildred
Agner Hilty, of Bowling Green, of
the class of 1925 Mabel Williams
Badertscher, of Sebring, O., class of
1927 and Beulah Temple Nietz, of
Walbridge, O., class of 1938.
Contralto soloists will include Opal
Berry Stauffer, of Columbus ,class ot
1922 and Lois Oyer, of Elida, class
of 1947. Both are former Bluffton
residents.
Tenor Soloists
In the group of tenor soloists will
be Carey Steiner, of Bryan, class of
1930, a former Bluffton resident
Orlo Sprunger, Ada, class of 1933,
and Herbert Jones, Van Wert, class
of 1938.
Bass soloists will include G. A.
(Dad) Lehman .Rochester, N. Y.,
former director of the college de
partment of music Samuel L. Burk
hard, Columbus, class of 1927 and
Walter Treadway, Bluffton, ctass of
1949.
Dress rehearsal for the gala Sun
day presentation will be held on the
college baseball field Sunday after
noon from 1:30 to 3 o’clock, it was
announced by Prof. Lantz.
In case of inclement weather, the
rendition will be in the Bluffton High
school gymnasium.
one wishing to ride may flag the
driver at any point along the route.
Bus stops to the meetings will be
made on the following schedule:
A. M. P. M. P. M.
Main & Elm 9:20 1:20 6:50
Jefferson & Huber 9:25 1:25 6:55
College Av. & Main 9:35 1:35 7:05
Main & Bentley Rd. 9:40 1:40 7:10
Main & Kibler 9:45 1:45 7:15
Lawn & Grove 9:50 1:50 7:20
The afternoon program:
Es Lied—Ich weis Einen Strohm
Russer, Harold leitn
Es Zither Solo Hahn, Berta, Bluffton
gs Schwietzer Stuchli
Habegger, Martha, Bern
Es Solo Althaus, Janet, Bluffton
Continued on Page 8
H. S. Graduates
Class Of 45 Seniors
Diplomas were presented to a class
of 45 seniors at the close of com
mencement exercises of Bluffton high
school in the gymnasium last Thurs
day night. A large audience was
in attendance.
Class address was delivered by
Dr. Edgar DeWitt Jones, former
Detroit pastor and newspaper col
umnist speaking on the subject “The
American Dream.”
Representing the class, the vale
dictory address was delivered by
John Bauman and the salutatory by
Ada May Oyer. Music included
solo numbers by Ruth Irene Diller
and Kay Berry and the orchestra
under direction of Earl Lehman.
Graduating seniors were:
Lowell Keith Amstutz, Roderick
Lynn Balmer, David Edward Basing
er, John Howard Bauman, Donald H.
Burkholder, Cleo R. Diller, Mickey D.
American House, Bluffton’s Century Old Pioneer Hostelry To Be
Findlay.
In those days, mud roads slowed
travel and travelers found the half
way stopping place in Bluffton rep
resented just about a one-day jour
ney from either town. The hotel
was filled each night with those en
route between the two towns.
The hotel was in the brick portion
of the combination brick and frame
building. In the frame wing at
the north was the Langan bank,
Bluffton’s first banking institution.
THE BLUF 'ON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 1950
Harmon Field Summer
Program Hits Snag As
Burkholder Resigns
Opening of Bluffton’s summer
program at Harmon field and
the grade school playground may
be delayed somewhat by the
resignation last Saturday of
Robert Burkholder as recreation
director for activities sponsored
by the Bluffton Recreation com
mittee.
Burkholder, who last year
directed an unusually successful
program of recreation activity,
had been rehired by the commit
tee for the coming three-months*
schedule of activity.
He resigned last Saturday
because of other arrangements
for the summer. No successor
has been announced.
TOWN REPLACING
TRAFFIC LIGHTS
ON MAIN STREET
New Lights are Taking Place of
Old Traffic Signals in Down
town Area
New System to Cost $1,500
Plan Fire-AIann Control of
Lights Later
y-'
Replacement of Bluffton's 25-year
old traffic signals completed
this week in the dowmown area and
the new lights are expected to be in
operation before the close of the
week.
One of the new traffic signals al
ready is in operation at Main street
and College avenue, and the two
other lights are to be erected this
week at Main street intersections
with Cherry and Elm streets.
Decision to buy the new signals
was made early this month, after a
long siege of trouble with the lights
in use at the three street intersections
for the last quarter of a century.
Individual Controls
Each of the new signals will have
an individual control, and after the
new installation is completed trouble
with one light will not affect the
others.
It is planned to later install a fire
alarm control system w’hich would
permit turning all traffic lights red
when the fire truck is making a run.
After five minutes, the red lights
would automatically be shut toff, and
normal operation of the lights would
be resumed.
Cost of the new light system will
be approximately $1,500.
Gleason, Peter Eugene Hankish,
Charles Dwayne Hauenstein, Dwight
G. Hauenstein, Charles Evans Joseph,
Donald James Kuhn.
Howard James Landes, Roger Gene
Lehman, Larry Lewis Mathewson,
Kenneth Dean Parish, Don Herman
Schmidt, Donald Eugene Shumaker,
Edgar E. Wenger.
Dorothy Rae Amstutz, Marilyn I.
Amstutz, Josephine Miriam Augsbur
ger, Sara Lee Badertscher, Mary
Louise Balmer, Winifred Joyce Bau
man, Virginia Kay Berry, Miriam
Arlene Bixel, Marilyn F. Brunn,
Doloras Anne Burry, Raelene Joyce
Campbell, Ruth Irene Diller, June
Elizabeth Habegger, Dorothy Lee
Hardwick.
Willa Ann Hilty, Wanda Mae Hoch
stettler, Imajean Irene Klass, Carolyn
Mae Matter, Charleen Rae Miller,
Rosella Jean Moser, Ada May Oyer,
Lena M. Preto, Mary Jean Ramseyer,
Jane Risser, Janet Anne Stover, Peg
gy Ann Young.
After moving uptown about 1877
when the present business section
was launched, the bank later failed
in a financial crash that created one
of the outstanding early Bluffton
situations.
Stable Busy
A livery stable at the rear of the
hotetedid a thriving business, for all
travel was by horse and buggy. A
fajniliar sight to the Bluffton of
that day were the big “sample wag
ons” of the traveling salesmen, ve­
St------------------------- X________ _______________ ___ _________________ __________________________
Exercises are Held at Maple
Grove Cemetery on Tues
day Morning
Business and Industry Suspend
ed Fair Weather Swells
Motor Traffic
Pledges of rededication to the na
tion’s security were added to reverent
tribute paid to the soldier-dead of
four wars in Bluffton’s Memorial
Day exercises, Tuesday moaning in
Maple Grove Cemetery.
Across the grave of Joseph P.
Owens, veteran of World War I and
a former mayor here, Rev. Paul
Cramer, chaplain of the Bluffton
American Legion post, reminded his
audience in the cemetery observance
of the example of supreme sacrifice
and devotion rendered by those who
have laid down their lives in the de
fense of their country.
Fair weather which prevailed over
the weekend and until shortly after
nightfall on the holiday helped swell
the Tuesday morning crowd which
viewed the parade and followed it to
Continued on Page 8
School Board Hires
New Clerk-Secretary
Miss Mary Kathryn Gratz, an of
fice employe at The Triplett Elec
trical Instrument Co. and daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Reno Gratz, has
been employed as clerk of the Bluff
ton board of. education and office
secretary for the high school build
ing, it was announced this week by
Supt. Aaron B. Murray.
Salary for the combined duties to
be handled by Miss Gratz was set
at $160 monthly by the board. She
was hired last Wednesday night.
In her new position, Miss Gratz
will succeed James F. West as clerk
of the board of education and Mrs.
Donna Koontz as office secretary at
the high school building. Decision
to combine the two positions was
reached this spring when both Mrs.
Koontz and West submitted their
resignations, effective at the close of
the school term.
New Physician To
Locate In Bluffton
Dr. Walter Donaghue, physician,
will locate in Bluffton, it was learned
the first of the week. He will ar
rive here in July and occupy the
office of the late Dr. M. R. Bixel on
Cherry street.
Dr. Donaghue is now completing
his internship in a Dayton hospital.
He is married with one child.
hicles which transported both the
salesman and his wares from town
to town.
In front of the hotel big arm
chairs lined the sidewalk, a popular
gathering place for guests of the
hostelry and native alike. News of
the day could always be obtained at
this center, and at night gay dances
and parties made the hotel the so
cial center of the town.
Because of the hotel’s strategic
location, all the big circuses of the
(Couple Chosen To Reign At Bluffton
College May Day Campus Fete Saturday
LOIS RICH
she'll he queen
Reigning over open air May day
festivities Saturday afternoon, most
picturesque of Bluffton college com
mencement events will be Lois Rich
of Washington, Ill., queen and Fred
Liechty of Berne, Ind., most popu-
Pledge Rededication To Nation’s
Security In Memorial Day Services
FRED LIECHTY
most popular man
lar man.
The queen will be crowned with
elaborate ceremonies on the baseball
field at 3:30 o’clock. The queen and
most popular man are selected by a
vote of the entire student body.
PRESBYTERIANS TO
OBSERVE FOUNDERS
DAY HERE SUNDAY
Morning and Afternoon Services
to Mark 101st Anniversary
of Church
Original Scenes ii Founding of
Church Over Century ago to
be Re-enacted
Dramatization of early events in
the history of Bluffton’s First Pres
byterian church will mark the 101st
anniversary celebration at morning
and afternoon services next Sunday.
Sunday school at 9:45 will open
the day’s program followed by morn
ing worship service at 10:55 o’clock.
At a noon luncheon program, a
dramatic presentation will be enacted
of the original meeting between Rev.
R. H. Holliday and Rev. John’ Mc
Kinney to plan establishment of the
church here.
In re-enacting the historical event,
Rev. Holliday will be portrayed by
Continued on Page 8
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Hearold Weirauch,
Sr., Arlington, a boy, Hearold Ed
ward, Jr., Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. Rollan Rader, Har
rod, a boy, Shadwick Lyn, Sunday.
Mrs. Rader is the former Marilyn
Holmden of Bluffton.
Mr. and Mrs. Gail Rakosky, Bluff
ton, a boy, Arden Wilson, Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kline, Leip
sic, a girl, Roberta Mae, Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Green, Ar
cadia, a boy, Jeffrey Bernard, Sun
day.
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Niswander,
Bluffton, a girl, Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. Rolland Beach, Ar
lington, a girl, Dorothy Jeanne, Mon
day.
Dr. and Mrs. W. R. Evans, Col.
Grove, a girl, Nata Ann, Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. David D. Amstutz,
a boy, James Dean, born at Lima
Memorial hospital, Wednesday. They
were formerly of Bluffton.
Rev. and Mrs. Arthur E. Killam,
Joliet, Ill., a girl, Joy Ellen, May
17. Mrs. Killam is the former
Dorothy Bixel, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. S. S. Bixel.
day stopped in Bluffton overnight,
while enroute between Lima and
Findlay. Often, the traveling shows
would put on a performance here
to pick up a little extra change and
among those playing in the little
country town which then was Bluff
ton was the great Adam Forepaw
circus.
Another traveling show, the G. G.
Grady circus, established more du
bious notoriety here, however, when
it broke up in Bluffton because of a
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Trade
NUMBER 7
ilsary
LARGEST CLASS IN
FIFTY YEARS WILL
RECEIVE DEGREES
Brilliant Feature-Studded Pro
gram Arranged for Over
Weekend Here
Baccalaureate Service Sunday
Afternoon Graduation Mon
day Morning
With emphasis on its Fiftieth an
niversary celebration, Bluffton col
lege’s feature-studded commencement
program over the coming week end
will be climaxed by graduation ex
ercises for a record class of 71
seniors at 10 a. ni. next Monday in
the First Menonite church.
Presentatin of diplomas to the
Presentation of diplomas to the
largest class in the school’s history
will mark the closing phases of an
elaborate four-day program in ob
servance of the college’s Golden an
niversary.
Honorary degrees will be conferred
upon Rev. A. E. Kreider of Newton,
Kansas, former pastor of the First
Mennonite church here and Rev. A. S.
Rosenberger of Quakertown, Pa.,
former president of the college and
for a time pastor of St. John Men
nonite church near Pandora.
In addition to the traditional com
mencement week features including
May Day festivities next Saturday
the alumni banquet on the evening
of the same day, and the baccalaure
ate Sunday, the fiftieth anniversary
celebration also will include an out
door rendition of “The Messiah”
Sunday night by a mammoth chorus
of more than 400 voices.
Baccalaureate Sunday
Dr. L. L. Ramseyer, president of
the college, will preach the bac
calaureate sermon Sunday afternoon,
taking as his subject, “Th# Golden
A^a.”
At commencement exercises next
Monday, the class speaker will be
Dr. D. Elton Trueblood, professor of
Continued on Page 8
Set Lantz Case
Hearing Monday
Suit of Mrs. Mabel Lantz, former
teacher, against the Bluffton board
of education has been set for hear
ing in the Allen county common
pleas court at Lima next Monday
morning at 9 o’clock. The case will
be heard by Judge Tudor of Ken
ton, it was reported here.
Subpoenaed by the plaintiff are
Leland and Paul Diller, former
members of the board of education
A. J. B. Longsdorf, former superin
tendent of schools Gerhard Buhler,
high school principal James F.
West, former clerk of the board, all
of Bluffton and Ralph dJanham,
former superintendent of schools
here, now head of* the schools of
Ashtabula Harbor.
Mrs. Lantz is suing for two
years’ salary and restoration to her
teaching position. The board of ed
ucation claims that she is on total
and permanent disability retirement.
The case was continued since last
March following pleadings of attor
news before Judge Moran B. Jen
kins. Clarence Fischer is repre
senting Mrs. Lantz and Thos. Guern
sey, assistant county prosecutor rep
resents the board of education.
With The Sick
A. L. Baumgartner .is ill at his
home on South Main street follow
ing a light stroke, Sunday.
Calvin Steiner, a surgical patient
at Lima Memorial hospital has been
returned to his home.
Mrs. Paul Clark who was in Bluff
ton hospital the latter part of last
w’eek has been returned to her home
on Grove street.
C. D. Hilty has been removed
from Bluffton hospital to his home
on Spring street.
Miss Gail Basinger is a patient in
Bluffton hospital.
Dismantled
lack of funds.
To Remodel
In his remodeling program, Miller
plans to dismantle the frame part
of the building. Interior partitions
of the brick structure will be re
moved in converting it into the auto
showroom and garage.
In the real estate transaction,
completed last week, Miller bought
the 60-foot lot frontage on North
Main street from Elmer Burkholder,
former owner.