The Bluffton news. [volume], December 24, 1959, Image 1

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Xoakam, Vernon
Bt. #2 ,.
Bluffton, Ohio
Jan.60
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Lire
84 YEAR NO. 37
Bond Firm
Making Study
Beaverdam council has author
ized a Cincinnati investment
house to prepare tentative con
t#»cte for users of the proposed
municipal water system.
April 1, 1960 has been set as
the target for preparation of con
tracts and completion of a survey
by the company.
“We should know long before
then whether this project will
work,” Robert J. Brink, repre
senting Charles A. Hinsch and
Company, Inc., told the council.
Mr. Brink also recommended
financing the proposed system
through n combination of mort
gage revenue bonds and general
obligations bonds or property as
sessments. This would be a big
step away from the council’s
original hopes of financing the
water system from revenue
alone.
To Prepare Survey
Hinsch and Company will pre
pare a survey which will show
what monthly rates should be
charged, the type of financing
the village should use and the
minimum number of users the
water system must have to be
profitable.
If they find the project is not
workable they will report this to
the council. Acceptance of this
company means they will be
given first chance to purchase
mortgage revenue bonds at an
interest rate to be set later when
the method of financing has been
chosen.
If the project is considered
unworkable and is dropped there
will be no charge to Beaverdam
for preparing the survey, Mr.
Brink said.
How To Pay?
Issue of general obligation
bonds or property assessments
to carry part of the costs seems
necessary, Mr. Brink said. Either
of these would require a vote of
approval from the village. A fav
orable vote on these bonds would
al.'o make it easier for Bea
verdam to market mortgage
revenue bonds and could mean a
lower interest rate for these.
Consulting engineer Francis
Conners pointed out the council’s
early decision to finance the
whole project through revenue
from the utility.
Mr. Brink countered that Bea
verdam is “a borderline situa
tion.” Their proposal will receive
better attention from financial
institutions if it is not based
completely on revenue bonds
from such a small water system.
“Beaverdam has possibilities,
but it will take time, thought and
work,” the bonding representa
tive concluded.
A preliminary survey shows
178 prospective users of a village
water system. Usually between
70 and 80 percent of the potential
customers will sign for a water
system, Mr. Brink said. This
would mean that Beaverdam
could expect
sign options
system.
i that
from 125 to 142 to
to subscribe to
the
firms will be
Financial
far
can
more favorable if the village
produce the top figure when
(See “Water”, p. 12)
Eagle Creek
Church Begins
Expansion Move
An extensive expansion pro
gram involving additions to the
front and rear and deepening of
the basement is under way this
winter at the Eagle Creek Church
of the Brethren located on Route
30, east of New Stark.
Bluffton builders, Klay and
Amstutz, who recently completed
an addition to the First Mission
ary church, Bluffton, have the
Eagle Creek church contract.
The front addition is 21 by 24
feet and will provide space for a
new entrance, a nursery room,
small all-purpose room and jani
tor supply and pump room in the
basement. Exterior of the new
front will be of sandstone Veneer.
At the rear a 12 by 30 foot addi
tion will provide a new Sunday
School classroom and rear en
trance to the basement.
The old basement floor is being
lowered 30 inches and an ac
coustic tile ceiling installed. The
completed project will provide a
large 35 by 25-foot fellowship
room and a completely new
kitchen.
A new baptistry is also being
constructed.
The plans were prepared by
Miles Miller, Findlay architect.
May Require Tax To Finance
Beaverdam Water Construction
65- Year Service
Ending for Organist
Sixty-five years as Presbyteri
an church organist will be con
cluded Sunday morning at wor
ship service when Edgar Hauen
stein plays the chords of his last
postlude as official organist.
The 82-year-old Bluffton drug
gist began his services to the
church as a youngster in the sixth
grade. The congregation felt at
that young age, he was capable
of playing its reed organ for Sun
day services.
Edgar had been persuaded ear
lier to take up the organ by B. F.
Biery, who was head of the Sun
day school at the time. He stud
ied on the church’s reed organ,
and has seen the t-hurch add
another reed organ then switch
to the pipe organ, donated in
1919 by Mr. and Mrs. N. W. Cun
ningham.
Mr. Hauenstein and C. A. Biery
studied pipe organ together after
installation of the new instru
ment, and they have alternated
at the keyboard for the past 40
years.
During his 65 years as a church
musician, Mr. Hauenstein has
played the piano or the organ in
every church in the community
as his services came into wide
demand.
Even with his years of experi
ence, he has still not escaped the
popular White
to be slowly
Traditional and
Christmas seems
slipping over the horizon in the
Bluffton area.
Only one really white Christ
mas has been recorded during
the 1950s and that one, a fine
six inch blanket, came during the
opening year of the decade- A
one''inch snowfall grace-U the
area on December 25, 1956, but
came so late in the evening th.
practically every one with a
wishful interest in white Christ
mas had already retired to their
beds to dream of the next year.
The law of averages and the
odds both favor a white Christ
mas. Snow, or a trace of snow,
has fallen 26 times in the past 48
years. The almost complete
drought of the past 10 years
also points up the long overdue
need for a white Christmas.
Weather of every type has
marked Christmas in this area.
A snowy, icy cold Christmas is
quite likely to be followed by
almost spring-like weather the
following year.
Temperatures have covered a
range of 75 degrees, from the
low 12 below zero in 1924, to the
balmy high of 63 in 1940. A
roaring 12 inch blizzard hit the
area in 1916, by far the heaviest
snowfall since records were kept
in this area.
Other heavy Christmas snow
falls have been eight inches in
1935, seven inches in 1914, 1917
and 1944 and six inches in 1950.
The 48-year record of Christ
mas snows is: 1911, no snow
1912, no snow 1913, trace of
snow, 1914, seven inches 1915,
three inches 1916, 12 inches
1917, seven inches 1918, trace of
snow 1919, one inch 1920, no
Census Takers
Will Find 10%
Growth Locally
Census takers who will swarm
down on Bluffton early next year
will find a growth of 10 percent
or more, according to an unoff
cial census
year by- the
Commerce.
prepared early this
Lima
Association of
1950
population of
to the unoffi-
Bluffton’s
2,423 had jumped
cial mark of 2,671 early this year.
This is an increase of 248 and a
boost of more than 600 from the
1940 census of 2,035.
has char
during the
population
Surprising growth
acterized Beaverdam
past decade, as its
has leaped a spectacular 32 per
cent, from 450 to 594.
The unofficial figures show
Bluffton still holds its place as
third in the county, behind Lima
(56,000) and Delphos (7,173) and
well ahead of Spencerville (1,993).
Edgar Hauenstein
need for practice. Each service
requires a half hdUr or more of
practice several evenings of the
week.
In August of 1956 Mr. Hauen
stein was honored by the con
gregation for his
church organist. A small plaque
was attached to
memorating his
long service as
the organ com
record.
Always modest, he has request
ed that no special recognition be
given Sunday as he leaves the
organ console.
What Happened tolJPAite Christmas?
Only One Here in] the Past Decade
snow 1921, no snow 1922, trace
of snow 1923, no snow.
1924, five inches 1925, one
meh 1926, three inches 1927,
no snow 1928, one inch 1929,
five inches 1930, no snow 1931,
no snow 1932, no snow 1933, no
Know 1934, three inches 1935,
eight inches 1936, no snow
1937, no snow 1938, no snow.
1939, trace of snow 1940, no
snow 1941, no snow 1942, two
inches 1943, no snow 1944, sev
en inches 1945, two inches 1946,
two
1948, no snow
1950, six inches 1951, trace of
snow, sleet 1952, trace of snow
1953,
1955,
1957,
inches^ 1947, two inches
1949, no snow
no
no
no
snow 1954, no snow
snow 1956, one inch
snow 1958, no snow.
One-Way Street
Passes Again
Proposal to make Campus
Drive a one-way street around
Ropp hall passed on second read
ing by a 5-1 vote at Tuesday
evening’s council meeting. Pas
sage one more time will make it
effective and give Bluffton its
first one-way street.
Councilman Charles Hankish
Jr., again cast the lone negative
vote. He suggested setting up a
no parking zone, rather than 1,
000 feet of one-way street.
“Santa’s House” portrayed
with Santa departing from the
lawn in his sleigh while his wife
awaits him seated beside the
fireplace, won first place in the
Jaycee outdoor Christmas light
ing contest for Mr. and Mrs. Al
dine Weiss of Riley street.
The awards were announced
Tuesday evening following deci
sions by the judging committee
consisting of Russell Brooke,
Dean Nonnamaker, Morris Gro
man and the Rev. James Hein
inger.
Second prize was awarded to
the Swan Stonehills on East Elm
street for their colorful red, white
and blue display of a large star
over a gaily lighted television
tower. The lights also outlined
the entire front of the house.
A Christmas greeting in lights
at the Alan McCluer home on
East Jefferson street received
the third award. Santa was shown
in his sleigh before the colorful
ly illuminated shrubbery and
house carrying a sign, “Season’s
Greetings from the McCluers.”
The prizes were $8.00, $5.50
and '$3.00 merchandise certifi
cates provided through courtesy
of the Bluffton Junior Chamber
of Commerce and the Greding
hardware store. The Artificates
are all redeemable in merchan-
Winter Proves
Its Identity
With a Chill
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
____________________________A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO THURSDAY) DEC. 24, 1959
Winter sneaked into town
early Tuesday morning,
bringing with it the season s
coldest day to show its power.
The thermometer dipped to
nine above zero, tying the
low mark which was set on
November 18. The slow slide
to nine above marked a de
Iarture from totally unsea
sonable temperatures earlier
in the month, with the ther
mometer climbing as high as
51 on December 16.
Snow, w'hich has been pil
ing up and dlsap|earing at a
record
record
snowy
fall of
total for the season to 19.3
inches. If this pace continues
it ‘will eclipse the old record
for total snow fall during a
single winter.
rate, will set a new
if the winter is as
as the fall. Sunday's
1.6 inches brought the
Installing
Dial Phones
In Mt. Cory
A new dial telephone system
now being installed in the village
of Mount Cory and surrounding
countryside will go into operation
January 10, it was announced this
week by Walter Welman, mana
ger of the Community Telephone
Company of Leipsic.
Modernization of the Mount
Cory system will bring slight in
creases in the rates for business
phones and private lines, but
party line patrons in rural areas
and town will remain the im^
Mount Cory residents wifi
able to dial, telephones in
ton Ridge ahd Pandora as werk
as Mount Cory without toll.
The Mutual Telephone compa
ny which operated for many
years in the village was pur
chased January 1, 1957 by Com
munity Telephone company.
Masons To Attend
Church on Sunday
Members of the Bluffton Ma
sonic lodge will attend church
as a group Sunday morning at
St. John’s United Church of
Christ, one of the two yearly ob
servance’s of St. John’s Day.
The men will meet at the
church at 10:30 a. m. for the
10:45 services, John Gilbert, mas
ter of the Bluffton lodge, has
nounced.
Mt"
j,
Mr. Welman said that the
switch over to the new system
is slated for Saturday, January
9, and that it should be com
pletely operative by the next day.
In addition to gaining the bene
fits of the dial system, patrons
of the system will have advan
tage of an additional fourth cir
cuit to Findlay. All long distance
calls will be made by dialing the
operator in Finday.
an-
NYC Closes Its
Arlington Depot
The New York Central
“Santa’s House” Wins Top Prize
For Weisses in Lighting Contest
dise at the hardware store.
Honorable mention was award
ed to Maynard Geiger for his un
usual “black light” illumination
of two evergreens in his front
yard, and to the angelic front
porch of the Gene Benroths.
Cuppies Family
Home on Visit
From Venezuela
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Cuppies
and family who have been mak
ing their home in Venezuela,
South America, are enjoying a
month’s visit with friends and
relatives in Bluffton and Mount
Cory.
The Cuppies, their son, Billy,
and daughter, Linda, arrived
here Sunday by plane. Mr. Cup
pies is a foreman with a road
construction company working in
the Latin country.
Mrs. Cuppies is the former
Wanetta (Peggy) Bronson. They
are staying with her folks, the
Fred Bronsons, in Bluffton and
his parents in Mount Cory.
Ift'
Insurance Agency
To Change Hands
Here January 4
Paul M. King, who has repre
sented the Nationwide Insurance
Co. in Bluffton for the past three
years, will step up to a district
manager’s post and has transfer
red the local agency to Bruce
Shelly, effective January 4.
Mr. King will undertake a pro
gram of training at company
headquarters and then do field
training before being assigned to
his own district office. It has not
been determined which office he
will head, but it is thought that
it will be one within a 50-mile
radius of Bluffton.
entering the insurance busi
here, King succeeded Her
Traucht, who
advancement
In
ness
bert
ilar
taine.
Lines
has closed its express office and
depot at Arlington. Express and
freight is being handled at the
Findlay depot.
the
Mr.
the
had
took a sim
in Bellefon-
president of
As present vice
Business Men’s association,
King would have assumed
presidency next year, if he
remained in the community.
Mr. Shelly is a Bluffton col
lege graduate of the Class of ’57.
He is the son of the Rev. and
Mrs. Wilmer Shelly of Bluffton.
He is presently employed in the
accounting department of the
Ohio Oil company, and will leave
that position to take over the
local agency.
Village Approves
Extension of
Dumping Contract
Extension of the present con
tract to use grounds in the rear
of the Amstutz Hatchery as the
village dump was approved Tues
day evening at council meeting.
The village must cover the
dump with a foot of dirt and
when they finally abandon the
area as a dump they must cover
the entire dump with dirt.
A new dump is slowly being
prepared along the banks of Big
Riley creek across from the sew
age disposal plant. This will not
be ready until a much larger and
stronger dike is built along the
creek, mayor David L. Risser
said.
Rental of the present dump
costs $35 a year.
SINGLE COPY 8c
CHRISTMAS ON MAIN STREET Bluffton’s business
section never looked more festive for a holiday season. The
Businessmen's assoc iation has festooned every lamp post with
greens and colored Christmas tree lights. Four large swinging
bells hang overhead and a large Season’s Greetings sign wel
comes visitors at the north end of town.
On the right a large old-fashioned candle lamp is silhouetted
against the town hall tower.
Retiring Village Clerk
Honored by Colleagues
to tribute
Tribute was added
for retiring village clerk A. J. B.
Longsdorf, who was honored with
a surprise presentation at the
year's concluding council meet
ing Tuesday evening.
Representing many of the men
who have worked with Mr. Longs
dorf during his 10 year term as
village clerk, former mayor Wil
bur Howe presented him with a
piece of luggage. Only last week
the retiring clerk was given an
engraved gold wrist watch from
the Bluffton Lions club.
Mr. Howe recounted Mr.
Longsdorf's public service as su
perintendent of school and as vil
lage clerk, pointing out that “a
man who has retired twice be
fore certainly deserves public
recognition.’’
Calling whimsical attention to
1 the fate of many public offi
cials, M-. Howe concluded by
saying “generally we kick them
out of office, but this is one time
we protest it.”
Mr. Longsdorf was surprised
by the presentation, which came
midway in the council meeting
when many men formerly asso
ciated with him as councilmen,
Physicians’ Offices
Closed Saturday
Bluffton physicians have joined
several local business firms in
announcing that their offices
would be closed the day after
Christmas to permit them to en
joy the long week-end hoiday.
Among business firms which
have announced the Saturday
closing are Steinman Bros. Lum
ber Co., the Master Feed Mill,
and Farmers Grain Company.
All downtown retail stores will
be open as usual Saturday, sev
eral announcing that year-end
sales will begin on that day.
The Citizens National Bank
will remain open this afternoon,
Thursday, until 2 p. m. instead
of closing at the customary noon
hour.
CT
7.
.fl/- i
v
public employees and Board of
Public Affairs members sudden
ly entered the meeting.
Noting with satisfaction that
many of the men who combined
to give him the gift were former
pupils of his during his 19 year
term as superintendent of
schools, Mr. Longsdorf also
thanked all of them for the co
operation they h|id given him
during his term jh office.
“If a few of the nice things
said about me during the past
two weeks are true, I’ll consider
myself well paid,/’ he said.
Farmers Produce
Has New Location
On S. Maifl St
ucc lias moved
bii on S. Mam
nearly 14 years
Farmers Pn|
Id a nc.v loc? i
street foliowingl
at their old location at 322 N.
Main.
The new location is in the bam
at the rear of owner Clayton
Harkness’s residence at 321 S.
Main street. The bam has beep
completely remodeled to accomo
date the cream, egg and poultry
pickup business operated by Mr.
Harkness.
He has been in the produce
field in Bluffton for the past 22
years, with the exception of over
two years spent in the Navy dur
ing World War II.
He came here in 1937 as man
ager of the Gray and White
company's Bluffton store, which
was then located where Pat’s
Barber Shop now' does business.
Mr. Harkness operated the busi
ness there until 1943 when he
was called to the Navy.
After his return he opened
Farmers Produce at its N. Main
street location in January, 1946.
PLOT ANNEXED
Annexation of a small plot on
Geiger street belonging to Albert
Flinn was approved at Tuesday
evening’s council meeting.
Bulldogs Picked To Regain
From Pirates
Carnival Crown
in
If anything seems certain
this uncertain world it is that
the Bluffton Pirates are about to
have a three year Holiday Carni
val winning streak shattered next
week.
(We said the same thing
last year when the Pirates
entered the Carnival with a
0-5 record, but they still man
aged their third straight
championship.)
Favorites this year are Cory
Rawson and Columbus Grove. If
the clubs run true to form in the
openers, the favorites will tackle
each other in the championship
windup Wednesday night.
Columbus Grove meets Pan
dora Gilboa in the opener at
7 p. m. next Tuesday, with Bluff
ton tackling Cory Rawson in
the evening’s second game. Los
ers meet losers in the first game
Wednesday, with the winners
playing for the championship in
the second game.
Columbus Grove had little trou
ble handling Pandora Gilboa
48-29 early this season and Cory-
seriously ex
Bluffton 48-35
Rawson was not
tended in defeating
two weeks later.
If these re-matches follow the
the Hornets should swing through
easily on Tuesday night then
swing off against each other
the top spot on Wednesday.
Cory Rawson, considered to
be a major threat in the Han
cock county race, has made a
slow start this year. They have
been handicapped by the absence
of Lynn Young, who had been
counted on to be their top scor
er. A leg injury has kept him on
the bench for most of the season.
C-R’s record for the year is 1-4.
How Do You Score?
Bluffton also bears a 1-4 rec
cord. Their major problem has
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Trade
ANNUAL SUBSCB1FTIOK
BY MAIL U.M
Stone Co
Buys Farm
Near Quarry
plans of the Bluff-
Expansion
ton Stone company were outlined
this week following the disclosure
that the company has acquired a
58-acre farm from Miss Rhoda
Matter and Mrs. Marie Craig.
A small housing subdivision,
expansion of the quarry and a
new quarry access road are in
cluded in plans outlined by Her
bert Conrad, manager of the
Stone company.
The Matter farm is located at
the comer of Bentley road and
Harmon road in the southwest
comer of Bluffton and adjoins
the present quarry property.
Seven acres between Harmon
road and the Nickel Plate rail
road will be subdivided into
building lots, Mr. Conrad said.
Another 11 acres, lying in a
strip between the Nickel Plate
railroad and route 25 will be
used for expanding the stone
quarry. An access road will be
built in this strip, running from
the present quarry to the Bent
ly road. This will enable many
qu?rry trucks to come and go
without bucking traffic on village
streets, Mr, Conrad said.
The remaining 40 acres of the
purchase lies on the south side
of Route 25, across from the
present quarry.
1960 Baby Derby
Will Giver 12
Mile Radius
annual
by the
associa-
Rules governing the
Baby Derby sponsored
Bluffton Business Men’s
tion were released this week. In
charge of the program are Dr.
B. W. Travis, Dr. Howard Shel
ly and Dr. F. D. Rodabaugh.
A shower of awards, contribut
ed by many members of the
Bluffton Business Men’s associa
tion. awaits, the first baby of the
new decade be born in Bluff
ton Community hospital.
The mother must reside within
a 12 mile radius of the local hos
pital, or she may be a regular
patient of any physician living in
Bluffton or on Bluffton rural
routes who has been previously
scheduled to come to the local
hospital for delivery.
“These limitations are broad
but necessary since the Business
Men’s association sponsors the
program to show their apprecia
tion to the people of our trade
area,” Gene Benroth, Business
Men’s secretary, said.
Last year’s winner was Alan
Titus, son of Mr. and Mrs. By
ron Titus, Lafayette.
Births
following births were re-
The
corded at Bluffton Community
hospital during the past week:
Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow Little,
Bluffton, a boy, William Jay,
bora Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Huffman.
Bluffton, a girl, Merry Christine,
born Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Gil
breath, Harrod, a girl, bom
Monday.
been an in-and-out offense W’hich
yields points only occasionally.
They hit their high-water mark
last week end when they scored
52 points against Spencerville but
the highest total of the year to
be racked up against their de
fense. Starters Buck Schiffke
and George Burkholder were
benched for the Spencerville
match, but their performance in
reserve rolls may have won new
recognition for both of them.
for
Young Bulldogs
is
Columbus Grove's lineup
dominated by underclassmen,
they are starting two soph
omores, two juniors and only one
senior. Their major scoring
threat is usually junior Lynn
Darbyshire, with help from Jer
ry Stechschulte and John Welty.
as
Pandora Gilboa, slowly im
proving, finally broke into the
win column by easing past Ot
toville last Friday night. Like the
Pirates, their problem is putting
the ball through the basket with
more frequency. Rol Etter, Dale
Basinger and Mike Meinke have
done perhaps the most of their
meager scoring.
A prediction from The Bluffton
News? Certainly. Columbus
Grove to win their fourth Carni
val and break a four year dry
spell. Bluffton will defeat Pan
dora Gilboa on Wednesday af
ter losing to Cory Rawson
again on Tuesday night.