The Bluffton news. [volume], December 14, 1950, Image 1

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BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Live
VOLUME LXXV
Judging Will Take Place Satur
day and Sunday Nights,
December 23-24
Deadline for Mailing Entry
Blanks in Contest is
December 22
Bluffton’s Christmas lighting ano
decoration contest moved forward
this week with naming of the five
judges who will select winners or
the five cash prizes offered by tne
Bluffton Junior Chamber of Com
merce.
In the list of contest judges will
be W. A. Howe, ‘mayor of Bluffton
Grover Soldner, Men’ Garden club
representative Mrs. Gordon Bixel,
president of the Women’s Garden
club Prof. John Klassen, of the
Bluffton college art department and
Mrs. Russell A. Lantz, Bluffton
artist.
Judging of contest entries will be
done Saturday night, Dec. 23 Sun
day night, Dec. 24, and Christmas
night.
Only those filling out entry
blanks will be considered for
prizes. Clip out the blank on
this page and mail to Junior
Chamber of Commerce, Bluffton.
Prizes will be 1st. $10 2nd,
$5 3rd, $2.50 :th & 5th, $1
each.
In determining -rtnners the fol
lowing method wil. be used by the
judges: General artistic effect, 50%
originality, 20% ingenuity in utiliz
ing the surroundings, 10% conform
ity to the Christmas spirit, 10%
and size, 10%.
Robert C. Hamn an, chairman ot
the community-wide contest, an
nounced this week that the per
person cost of participation in the
decoration contest is small, yet
everybody shares in the benents.
Providing a fitting atmosphere tor
church, school and civic holiday
activities, the decoration of homes is
a symbol of the instinctive good wilt
the people of America have for all
people.
It requires little or no experience
to create interesting and appropriate
designs. A lighted Christmas tree
on the roof, lighted wreaths, stream
ers or garlands stretched across the
front of the door, flood-lighted
candles or bells—all work wonders
and cast a magic spell in keeping
with the season, it was explained.
Entry blanks should be filled out
and mailed to the Junior Chamber
of Commerce. Entry is open to ail
residents of the town. Entries must
be postmarked before midnight, Dec.
22.
Abe Wise, Former
Merchant, Succumbs
Abe Wise, 85, former Bluffton
business man, died Wednesday morn
ing in St. Rita’s hospital in Lima.
His death followed a period of fail
ing health and for the past ten days
his condition was reported serious.
For the past 27 years he had lived
in Lima, moving to that place after
he and his brother, the late Jule
Wise disposed of their clothing and
shoe store here, now the Steiner &
Huser establishment.
Born in Germany, he came to this
country as a youth and for many
years was engaged in business in
Bluffton.
He was married to Hattie Zehr
b?.ch of this place who survives at
the family home, 327 South Rose
dale, Lima. Also surviving are a
son I.obert of Lima and four daugh
ters: Ur. Consuelo Newman, Youngs
town dentist Mrs. Virginia Shalley,
Kenmore, N. Y. Mrs. Elenore Deib
ler, Conneaut, and Mrs. Miriam
Renz, Lima. Surviving are two
brothers in Cleveland and six grand
children.
Funeral arrangements are incom
plete.
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Amstutz, Jr.,
Bluffton, a boy, Michael Ray,
Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. Byron Boehm, Dun
ikrk, a girl, Anna Marie, Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Simcox,
Bluffton, a girl, Susan Mary, Friday.
Governor Frank Lausche drop
ped in unannounced to call on
some Bluffton friends, Tuesday
night and enjoyed an informal
visit at the home of Mrs. Mary
Diller on Cherry street.
Mrs. Diller, the only member
of the household at home at the
time, was surprised when she
answered a knock at the door
shortly after 10 o’clock to find
the governor, accompanied by her
nephew, Ralph Locher, who is
Lausche’s private secretary.
The two were returning by
automobile to Columbus from
Lima where the governor ad
dressed a banquet at the Elk's
lodge earlier in the evening.
DECORATIONS AND
LIGHTS USHER IN
HOLIDAY SEASON
Bluffton Bright with Christmas
Spirit of Approach of
Yuletide
Churches Prepare for Christmas
Observance Mail Volume
Higher
In an appropriate Christmas set
ting made gay by illuminated decora
tions in the downtown district and
the first appearance of Christmas
bedecked homes, Bluffton’s prepara
tions for the Yuletide were taking
final form this week.
Musical observance of the season
will open next Sunday night in the
high school gymnasium with the an
nual presentation of Handel’s “The
Messiah” by the Bluffton College
Choral society. In addition to tne
large chorus of local talent, promin
ent soloists will appear in the
rendition under the direction of Prof.
Russell A. Lantz.
First evidence of the Christmas
mail rush was reported at the Bluff
ton post office this week, with tne
annual heavy flood of parcels ano
greeting cards expected to swamp
the office beginning next Monday.
Post Office Windows Open
To accommodate local postal
patrons, windows at the post office
will remain open next Saturday
afternoon instead of closing at the
usual 12 noon deadline, Postmaster
Ed R. Reichenbach announced. Stamp
windows will be open until 5:30 p. in.
Saturday.
Spurring the Christmas decoration
of Bluffton homes, a residential
holiday lighting program is being
sponsored by the Bluffton Junior
Chamber of Commerce. Five cash
prizes are offered to winners.
Public school children are looking
forward eagerly to their usual
Christmas holiday recess, scheduled
to begin this year on Friday, Dec. zz.
Vacation at Bluffton college will
start on Thursday afternoon, Dec. 21.
Elmer Stonehill
In Honor Society
Elmer Stonehill, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Clarence Stonehill, 212 S. Main
street, is one of 38 Bowling Green
university students who have been
init ated into Book and Motor, schol
arship honor society at the univers
ity.
To qualify for the society, mem
bers must have an accumulative
grade average of 3.4, between an
A and for two years.
Take Polio Victim To
I Warm Springs Clinic
Suu Murray, 18, a polio patient in
Akron General hospital, will be re
moved to the clinic at Warm Springs.
Georg-ia, for further treatment after
the holidays. Word to this effect
was received by relatives here from
her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dwaln
Murray of Ashland, former Bluffton
residents.
Sue and her 14-year-old
Joe, b- th stricken with the
last September have been patients In
the Al on hospital since that time.
Joe is iproving and will be removed
to his ome after the holidays.
Egg prices will not be gent
supported next year.
^62.7 27%
Name Judges for Christmas Lighting Contest
BOARD OF FIVE Governor Lausche Drops in For Neighborly
Chat With Bluffton Friends Tuesday Night
WILL DETERMINE
PRIZE WINNERS
“If I had known that the
governor was coming, I would
have had the house straightened
up,’* said Mrs. Diller a bit rue
fully after her distinguished
guest had departed, “but he
didn’t mind a bit—just sat down
and talked as if he were our next
door neighbor.”
Lausche for many years has
been an intimate friend of the
Locher family, having gotten his
start in the legal profession in
Bluffton’s tax rate of $18.20 for the
1950 collection is eighth high among
Allen county’s 36 taxing subdivisions
according to an announcement last
week by Ray W. Barnett, county
treasurer.
Beaverdam village has the fifth
highest rate, it is shown in the report
which lists the following breakdown:
Harrod, $21.40 Lima, Delphos and
Spencerville, $20 Beaverdam, $19.40
Bath township, $19.20 Elida, $19.10,
and Bluffton, $18.20.
Bluffton village’s total tax rate of
$18.20 is broken down as follows:
Schools, $13.40 County, $2.40 Cor
poration, $1.95 state, 20 cents and
township 20 cents.
School Rate High
Treasurer Barnett reported Bluff
ton’s school tax is third highest in
the county, the $13.40 rate for Bluff
ton being topped only by Bath town
ship, $15.50, and Sugar Creek town
ship, $13.70.
Richland township in the Bluffton
school district will have a rate of
$17.45, consisting of $13.40 for
schools $2.45 for the county $1.40
Bluffton’s Tax Rate
High In County, Treasurer’s Report Shows
With initial impetus in the Christmas mail
rush becoming apparent in the volume of letters
and parcels handled daily thru the Bluffton post
office, service of the department will be stepped
up between now and the holiday to cope with
the rush.
As a convenience for harried citizens
preparing for the Yuletide, windows at the post
office will be open Saturday afternoon of this
week, instead of closing at noon, it was an­
Hundreds of emergency bird feed
ing stations were established thru
out the Bluffton community recently,
as local bird lovers rallied to the
support of “our feathered friends”
during the six-day period that a 12
inch blanket of snow covered the
ground.
Cut off from their usual sources of
food by the knee-deep snow, birds of
the town and community had to de
pend on “handouts” from area resi
dents to keep alive.
Bluffton Community Sportsmen’s
club started the impetus for a com
munity-wide feeding program when
it provided 200 pounds of cracked
corn and screenings, distributed free
to all takers at The News office.
Supplemented with suet or meat
scraps, the corn and screenings pro
vided a balanced diet for birds which
otherwise might have starved to
death, or frozen during the worst
of the record November snowstorm.
Nearly a barrel of grain was used in
the program.
Community Feeding Project Was Boon To
Birds During Recent Heavy Snows
Clip this Coupon and Mail to The Junior Chamber of Commerce
RESIDENTIAL CONTESTANTS
BLUFFTON JUNIOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
CHRISTMAS LIGHTING AND DECORATION CONTEST
BLUFFTON, OHIO
Gentlemen:
I would like to enter my home (or apartment) in the Christmas Lighting
and Decoration Contest for residences which the BLUFFTON JUNIOR
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE is sponsoring this Christmas, 1950.
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THl’hSDAY, DEC. I I, 1950
Swisher Resigns as Light Plant Head
the office of Mrs. Diller’s broth
er, the late Cyrus Locher, Cleve
land attorney, former Cuyahoga
county prosecutor and who later
became United States senator.
Ralph Locher, the governor’s
secretary, is a son of. Mrs. Eph
Locher of Cleveland sad the late
Mr. Locher, a brother of Cyrus.
Ralph’s wife, the former Eleanor
Worthington is the daughter of
Mrs. Helen Worthington of
Cherry Street.
Of $18.50 Is-Eighth
for the township, and 20 cents for
the state.
Township residents in the Beaver
dam school district will pay a rate
of $16.40, consisting of a $12.35
school rate $2.45 for the county,
$1.40 for the township and 20 cents
for the state.
Beaverdam village’s rate of $19.40
consists of $12.35 for school pur
poses $4.20 for the corporation
$2.45 for the county and 20 cents each
for the township and state.
Other Tax Rates
Riley township in the Bluffton
school district will have a total tax
rate of $16.65 and Monroe township
in the Bluffton district has a rate of
$17.45.
Lafayette village has a tax rate of
$17.40, of which $10.20 is for schools.
The Jackson township rate is $14.70
and the township rate in Jackson is
$1.85, highest townshpi assessment in
the county.
The state levy in all subdivision
tax rates is a 20 cents per thousand
tax to retire World Wan Compen
sation bonds. County levy of $2.45
goes into the general fund.
Postoffice Windows Open Saturday
Afternoon to Speed Christmas Mail
Bird feeding stations not only at
tracted the customary sparrows and
starlings, but those cooperating in the
feeding program also reported seeing
Nut Hatches, Blue Jays, Cardinals
and others.
Melting of the snow on Saturday
ended the need for the emergency
feeding program, for when the ground
is clear most birds in town can forage
for their own food, officials of the
Sportsmen’s club explained.
With The Sick
Tom Murray of Findlay, former
Bluffton resident, suffered a para
lytic stroke, Monday and is now in
Findlay hospital.
Mrs. Nina Fritchie has received
word that her son Don is in a naval
hospital in Yokosuka, Japan, recov
ering from a severe attack of pneu
monia.
Peter Bixel, 87, is seriously ill at
his home on South Main street.
NAME ..................................................................................
Address ................................................................................
Home or Apartment............................................................
Signature .....................................................................
EGGS PLUNGE 10
CENTS WEDNESDAY
ON MARKET HERE
Price of Top Quality Offerings
Drops from 62 to 52 Cents
Per Dozen
Drop Is Sharpest Ever Exper
ienced Here, Local Deal
ers Declare
Price of top quality eggs dropped
10 cents on the Bluffton wholesale
produce market Wednesday morning
in what dealers here said was the
sharpest decline in their experience,
if not in the entire history of the
local market.
Buyers who on Tuesday were pay
ing producers 62 cents a dozen for
large white eggs, tops on the mark
et were paying 52 cents, Wednesday
morning.
The decline came abruptly, reflect
ing Tuesday’s gyrations of the New
York and Philadelphia markets
which govern prices here.
New York Egg Price 80c
Top egg price of 80 cents a dozen
dropped suddenly to 64 cents, for
a net loss of 16 cents in a frenzied
market in which speculators were
said to have run eggs up to record
marks in an effort to cover commit
ments in futures when the supply
suddenly was found short.
The ten cent raise, which came,
during the past week was cancelled
by the sudden drop and Wednesday
morning’s wholesale quotation of 52
cents for top quality eggs was the
same as that quoted a week ago.
nounced by Postmaster Ed R. Reichenbach. The
afternoon window service will be available until
5:30 p. m.
Additional employes will be added at the
post office during the coming week, when the
Christmas mailing rush will reach its peak.
Major volume of outgoing mail and parcels
should be over by next Wednesday, the post
master said, but the rush of incoming deliveries
likely will continue until the Saturday before
Christmas.
Jim Howe Earns
Northwestern Letter
Jim Howe, of Bluffton, last week
received a varsity letter for partici
pation on Northwestern university’s
1950 football team. The sophomore
center saw considerable action, prin
cipally on defense, during the suc
cessful nine-game campaign.
Howe, a graduate of Bluffton High
school, is the son of Mayor and Mrs.
W. A. Howe.
A total of 46 letters were award
ed to members of the Wildcat squad
that won six out of nine games and
finished fifth in the Big Ten with a
record of three victories against
three defeats.
High point of the season was a
14 to 7 upset victory over highly
favored Illinois in the final game of
the season. Other Wildcat victories
were scored over Iowa State, Navy,
Pittsburgh, Minnesota, and Purdue.
The Purple bowed to Wisconsin,
Ohio State and Michigan.
Northwestern ranked second in
the Big Ten in offense and fifth in
defense.
Pirates Win Over
Delphos St. John's
Bluffton high emerged victor in a
hard fought rough and tumble bask
etball game to defeat Delphos St.
John’s 52 to 46 on the gym floor
here Tuesday night. The visitors
were 1949 state class champions
and the victory gave the Bluffton
Pirates their fourth victory against
a single defeat this season.
Delphos which was out in front
at the half 27 to 23, lost the ad
vantage in the third quarter by a
one point margin, 37 to 36, regained
the lead early in the final period
but a Bluffton surge of power saw
the Pirates leading throughout the
latter part of the fourth quarter.
Garmatter, Oates and Hofstetter
led in the scoring for Bluffton while
Suever was high man for Delphos.
Chorus Of Two Hundred Voices In Annual
Messiah Concert Here On Sunday Night
Appearing in the 54 th local
rendition of Handel’s “The Messiah,”
the 200-voice Bluffton College Chorai
society will present the celebrated
Christmas oratorio Sunday night at
8 o’clock in the high school gym
nasium.
Organized in 1902 the Choral
society has grown from a 33-member
organization to its present size oi
200 voices. It has a history of 54
renditions of “The Messiah,” for
during a number of years two pro
grams were given each season.
Soloists for the oratorio presenta
tion this year include:
Dwight Welty, tenor, voice ana
choral director at Gcshen college,
Qoshen, Ind.
Soloists
Hilda Ohlin, soprano, featured
soloist with the Chicago Opera Co.
and symphony orchestras. Miss
Ohlin was a soloist here in 1944 and
was popular with the audience.
Warren S. Allen, baritone, of the
department of music at Bowling
Green State university.
Helen LeClaire, contralto, of New
York City, a concert artist and form
er member of the New York City
Opera Co.
Lantz Conducts
Prof. Russell A. Lantz, conductor
of the Choral Society for the last 21
seasons, will direct the group in next
Sunday’s rendition. He is the eighth
conductor of the society.
Pearl Bogart Mann, professor ot
piano at Bluffton college and ac
companist for the oratorio since
1910, will again serve in that
capacity.
Also accompanying the chorus will
be the Bluffton college orchestra,
under the direction of Laurence
Burkhalter. Organized in 1904, the
orchestra has accompanied “The
Messiah” renditions since 1913.
Members of the Choral society are
from the college, town and com
munity. As usual, the audience is
invited to sing the HalDlujah chorqs
with the society singers.
TOWN TO LOSE
LARGEST CITY
WATER ACCOUNT
Page Dairy Plant is Drilling
Well to Supply its Require
ments
75,000 Gallons are Used Daily
in Milk Condensing Opera
tions
The Page Dairy Co., largest indi
vidual account of the Bluffton
municipal water works is installing
its own water supply by drilling a
well east of the plant building near I
the Nickel Plate railroad siding on
in operation this month.
Harry Turner, manager of the
Bluffton Page plant, said the com
pany expects to have the new well
in operation this month.
Its use in, dairy operations will re
duce by about one-half the total
volume of water now being pumped
and sold by the municipal plant,
which faces the loss of its largest
single water consumer as a result of
action taken by the Page firm.
75,000 Gallons Daily
In present operations, the dairy
plant is using about 75,000 gallons of
water daily, principally for cooling in
milk condensing procedure. Local
plant of the Page interests is engaged
largely in the condensing of milk
trucked in from surrounding farms,
a large-scale operation. During sum
mer months daily water requirements
of the plant are considerably greater
than the 75,000 gallons now being
used.
Page operations here have used
water from the municipal plant since
the condensery first was established
here in 1920. Its requirements have
expanded over the years, and about
I a decade ago a separate well was
drilled by the w’ater works to provide
water exclusively for Page’s cooling
purposes.
1 Current water bill for the dairy
plant currently averages from $250
to $300 monthly, and the total is
higher in the summer. With their
own well in use, the Page firm ex
pects to effect a considerable saving
in operation cost.
New Installation
Electrically operated pumps will be
used in the new Page well, with a
four-inch line connecting the well
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Trade
NUMBER 35
ASKS BOARD FOR
RETIREMENT ILL
HEALTH IS CAUSE
Hiram Wenger Acting Superin
tendent of Municipal Light
and Waterworks
Resignation Effective Last of
This Month Successor is
Being Sought
John Swisher, superintendent of
Bluffton’s municipal light and water
plant for the last 28 years, has
resigned the position effective on
December 31 of this year.
His resignation, in the form ot a
request for retirement at the end ot
this year, was accepted at a meeting
of the board of public affairs, last
Saturday.
In retiring, Swisher will end more
than a quarter of a century of serv
ice with the municipal plant, during
which it experienced its greatest
growth.
Swisher’s retirement follows a
three months’ period of ill health
since he suffered a heart attack last
September 21. He is now conval
escing at his home on East Kibler
street.
Wenger In Charge
During his absence his duties were
assumed by Hiram Wenger, assist
ant superintendent, who will continue
as acting head of the plant until a
successor is named. Applicants for
the position are now being consider
ed, it was learned from informed
sources.
During his 28 years as superin
tendent of the municipal plant here,
the installation grew from a small
town utility to one of the most
modern in the state for a village ot
Bluffton’s size.
Over the span there were three
major additions to the plant build
ing, water and electric service has
been greatly expanded and the
electric current generating division
changed from steam engine to tur
bine operation. The plant now em
ploys a force of 15 persons.
Beaverdam Defeats
Delphos Jays, 51-49
Undefeated Beaverdam last Wed
nesday defeated Delphos St. Johns
by a score of 51 to 49 in a game
that was a thriller right down to
the closing gun.
In chalking up their fifth straight
victory, Beaverdam led at each
quarter mark, 16-8, 28-15 and 41-26.
St. Johns, however, outscored the
Beavers 23 to 10 in the last stanza
to throw a scare into the ultimate
victors before the contest ended.
Leading the Beaverdam attack
were Delbert Hall with 17 points and
Bud Beemer with 15.
BLUFFTON MARKETS
Wednesday Morning
Grain (bushelprices)—Wheat $2.17
corn $1.65 oats 95c soys $2.75.
Poultry—Heavy hens 21c leghorn
hens 19c heavy fryers 28c leghorn
fryers 20c heavy stags 13c leghorn
stags 12c.
Eggs—Large white 52c large
brown 51c medium white 45c
medium brown 44c pullets 40c.
Butterfat—No. 1, 62c No. 2, 57c.
with the plant building. A five-inch
line is used in the present supply
system operated by the municipal
plant.
What the municipal water works
will do with the well now used ex
clusively for Page operations could
not be learned immediately. In ad
dition to the well pumped for Page
requirements, the water works has
four other wells used for the munici
pal water supply. These are ade
quate for all ordinary requirements
and all have been certified by the
state board of health as approved
sources of supply.
The well now supplying the Page
plant never has been in use for the
town’s drinking water. Municipal
plant attaches said that negotiations
to have the well certified were under
way between the health department
and Supt. John Swisher at the time
Swisher was incapacitated by a heart
attack two months ago. However,
its use in the town system is not of
immediate importance, for there is
(plenty of water without it.
Altho the Page plant in the future
will pump its own water, the dairy
would like to maintain its present
connection with the municipal water
works, according to Manager Turner.
Presumably the connection would be
on a standby basis for emergency
use.