The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1940-03-14

I = sunny, lazy, spring afternoon,
and sees the lovely trees of Main
Street with their leafy heads to-
gether forming a shady arch over
head. one cannot help but think,
What a beautiful village this is"
The elderly people and the tired
may walk in comfort under those
same trees; the children may play
there. sheltered from wind and sun
in the hot afternoons of summer. In
winter the graceful branches and
massive trunks combine beauty and
strength in an everchanging pattern
of light and shadow.
Bluffton is town of trees. Like
Oxford, Ohio, it owes its chief beau
ty to them, except that Oxford's
large trees are elms for the most
part, whereas most of Buttons are
naples, thus giving US the advan-
tage of brilliant autumn colors, and
red buds and twigs in the spring.
Just little later come the maple
blossoms and the hum of bees is
heard everywhere, for they have
come for the first sweets.
There are two rather extra spe-
cial" trees in Bluffton; one the elm
| in the Presbyterian church yard
which is listed as one of the largest
| elms in the state, not in height but
| in spread of branches-the other, the
fine specimen between the gymnas-
| ium and Riley Creek on the College
Campus.
THE College Campus is place of
= beauty at any season. Have you
been there in May when the prim
little hawthornes clothed in white,
stand guard along the Ropp Hall
path and around the baseball dia-
mond? Have you walked along the
path and seen spring beauties, anem-
ones, the lovely trillium, yellow ad-
der's tongue, and the chaste white
of dog tooth violet and bloodroot?
Have you gone off of the path in
March and poked your fingers under
the leaves and found fat heptaica
buds all wrapped up in their downy
coats? Sometimes / have brought
a budding plant in, which bloomed in
| a few days in the warmth of the
house. Pussy willows, too are to be
seen with their many little furry
burdens.
The natural beauty of this area
was one reason for locating the col
lege here, and | think that faculty
and students alike, are ever grateful
for this 1t is said of plants: "They
toll not neither do they spin, yet
say unto you that Solomon in all his
glory was not arrayed like one OF
these" Seeing the perfection Of
flowers one knows the truth of this
statement.
1--WE have mentioned the beauty OF
w trees and flowers, but there is
animal life to consider, too. Wher
else can we know so surely that
spring is here than when we hear
the myriad frog voices around the
marsh at twilight?
Then morning comes when there
is a fiutter of yellow in the trees anc
the sound of birdsong and we know
the goldfinches have arrived-tt
stay? Oh, no-just few days visit
and then on to the north. But they
like to rest among our shelterine
trees for a brief time.
Have you heard the redbird's clear
call and the cry of the jay? Hav,
you seen the flash of wings, red ant
blue, among the new leaves, or seel
a funny little dark colored birt
: backing over tree looking for in
I sects? Have you seen eight redbird
in one group, the dainty rosy gra,
| females and the brilliant red higl
| crested males? Have you seen tn
| flash of the gold and black oriole ant
examined its pensile nest; or seel
= the scarlet and black of the tanager
= All these have I seen at variou
| places on the campus, or along Rile
Creek as it meanders around tn
| town. Late in the night I have hear
| the soft courting call of the owl an
have seen it drift past in the twi
- light.
|! SOMETIMES l have visited tn
two quarries; the one bare @
| trees, the other bordered by then
One evening l went to the treeles
| quarry in winter, and counted on
] hundred wild ducks, swimming, diN
ing, or resting there. The water
| always so clear and such Lowell
| color.
True there are not many bird
other than ducks around it, but tn
water is so beautiful whether yo
view it by day or see the moon an
= stars reflected in it by night, wit
= the lights of the village fashin
| close by. At the other quarry tree
| cast their shadows in little sheltere
| places, and if you win go out ther
| early in the morning you may &c
| big bass lazily swimming by or 20
may see them spawning if you ca
| make yourself go about daybreaI
| The quarry is worth seeing at das