davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1944-10-22
By Joseph H. Baird

Germany today is suffering the tor
trres of the damned. Food is increas-
ingly short People in large cities live
IN daily terror of air raids. This COM
ing winter thousands in metropolitan
centers will be homeless. Wives at
home write pathetic and demoralizing
letters to their husbands at the front,
There Is a general realization that the
war has been lost.
Yet there are no signs of "crack"
in the German home front. So far as
trained Government observers can see
the Anglo American and Russian
armies will have to blast their way
into the Reich mile by mile.
The answer to this seeming enigma
is the most complete and terroristic
police control ever known to any ma
tion-a control enforced by fanatical
group of Nazis who would prefer to
see Germany 60 down in ruin rather
than surrender.
These are the conclusions one reaches
from reports to the State Department
and the Once of War Information
from listening posts near Germany.
from the German radio and from Ger
man newspapers that filter outside the
Reich.
Bombed Cities
First, the negative factors that seem
to be crushing the spirit as we'll as the
bodies of the German people as Allied
armies move inexorably toward the
Reich from east, west and south: Dur
ing the week ending Sunday, october
IS, more bombs were dropped on Ger
man cities-some 10000 tons-than
were showered on London during the
entire "blitz." Thousands of homes are
being destroyed. What the people in
bombed cities are suffering is shown
by excerpts from captured letters writ
ten by two German wives to their
husbands at the front.
A Viennese woman wrote: "On Satur-
day, September 10, we had very bac
attack on Vienna. Seventeen hundred
bombers came over and there is no
much left to the city. The air-raie
shelters are SO drafty and cold, weel
ago, / came home with fever and cramps
Ninety per cent of the population hav
the same malady-an epidemic. Whel
will it all end?"
This from a German wife in Cologn
to her soldier husband: Yesterday "
had the twelfth bad attack of targe
bombing. Some Of the sirens are out o
order, and one gets nervous as soon a
there is noise in the sky. We have n
water and very little gas, and haven
even got electricity. When will thi
most terrible OF all wars be over? M
nerves are completely finished"
Food Situation
The German newspapers and radio sa
little about the food situation, presun
ably because they consider it militar
secret which they do not want to reac
the Allies. Yet there are number {
self-evident facts. During the ws
Adolf Hitler has fed the German peop
largely by stealing the food Of occupie
nations-Franoe. Italy, Belgium and Il
Evening star., 1944-10-22

broken only once with cheers for three
German prisoners who had just been
captured and who were being carried on
the hood of jeep. 1t was very obvious
that Eupen didn't like us. Actually, the
attitude changed in the next few days
as the Belgian majority rose to the sur
face again and the Germans discretely
dropped out of sight.
The Reich border is less than 10 miles
from Eupen. Advance elements OF the
armored division crossed the railroad
tracks at Roetgen the next day after
slight skirmish in which two or three
soldiers were killed and established
themselves firmly on German soil in an
Evening star., 1944-10-22

Balkan countries. mainly. These areas
are almost entirely under Allied control
now. Hungary soon will be added to
the list, as Poland may be, too. That
would leave Germany only with a pre-
Czechoslovakia and part of Holland.
Even in peacetimes Germany is not
sufficient in food. 1t imports vast
amounts of dairy products from Den
mark, Sweden, Norway and the Low
lands, as well as wheat from the Danube
Basin.
A straw in the wind was the report
received by owl that two German
women in Hamburg recently were SEN
fenced to death by the Peoples Court
there for repeatedly stealing rabbits
and poultry"
Reports from neutral countries near
Germany indicate that the food shortage
is increasingly serious not only among
the civilian population of Germany, but,
more important in the Reichswehr.
With the coming of winter and the
increasing breakdown in transportation
due to daily Allied Air Force bombings
of German locomotives and rolling stock
there is every reason to believe that
Germanys diet will become even
thinner.
Widespread "black market" operations
are reported throughout the Reich.
Bombing has contributed to break
down of the rationing system, as some
people lose their ration books when
their homes are gutted by incendiaries
and it Is difiicult for the authorities to
check up on those who have really lost
them and those who only pretend that
they have in order to gain double allot-
ments of food.
Recently, despite stringent state
financial controls, there has been evi-
dence that Germany again is facing
serious inflation-always concommi-
tant of extreme scarcity of consumption
goods. For instance, in the Week end
ing September 23, the circulation of
German bank notes was reported as
9,739 800, 600 reichsmarks, or an increase
of 56s, 100000 reichsmarks within a
week.
Imitation Coming
The specter of imitation is very real to
those middle-aged Germans who re-
member the terrible days Immediately
after the last war when the reichsmark
ascended to shakespeare heights, when
q loaf of bread or streetcar ride cos
100000 marks, when investments be-
came worthless and when stark poverty
rode over the entire nation.
This winter-if the war continue:
through twill be bleak and drear!
one for Germans in such bomb-shat
tered cities as Hamburg, Cologne
Dusseldorf, Munich and even Berlin
itself Thousands of homes have beet
pulverized, forcing their occupants int
all sorts of makeshift living accommo
dations. Even those Germans who hav
houses may have little or no fuel
heat them. This will be especially tru
II the Anglo American forces push o
into the Saar Basin and the Red Arm
Evening star., 1944-10-22

munition, can give. The lesson can be
learned only when an enemy is shooting
at you with the very serious intent of
killing you. Under such circumstances
it is learned very quickly.
During the few days I have been in
Washington have been called by many
anxious relatives of men on the Ger
man front With clear conscience I
have told them all not to worry. The
chances of getting hurt now are only
a fraction of what they were in Nor
mandy-at least such was the case when
I left Germany and hope the overall
picture has not changed great deal.
Evening star., 1944-10-22
The Pattern Of Normandy Is Being Repeated in Germany
BY Thomas r. Henry,

Recently Returned After Two years
the European Thedter
pattern to be repeating itself IN tne upan
forests around ancent caP
the chief industrial cities of Western Germany -
dcouraging look at Oh
of Normandy tiny meme oupu
hardly be considered on ns
American and British armies nao
eight weeks OF bloody ngntng from
Kometers TO ParlS
200 yards the face OF
almost oeyono
remained to be accomplished was at least
Evening star., 1944-10-22

early read much about the quality OF the
defenses All this American soldier IN Germany
can teu eyeUas tanktrappng dragon teeth
small ortresse NTH concrete WaS at times III
feet thick masterpieces of military englneer1ng ~
Photova Sign
Evening star., 1944-10-22

spring of 1910 and they had been IN tne
saddle ever since.
For the first time in this victory pa
rade we entered a city where nobody
cheered, nobody pelted us with flowers,
no girls swarmed to kiss us. There was
only hate on the faces Of the people on
the streets. The ominous silence was
Evening star., 1944-10-22

pattern Normandy being repeated here the edge
of Germdny-b Nth Uery important dference The cost
and life of the American oehod France meal
comparatively small The
sos the reach Of Allied German adudnces just before
fall of Brackets indicate of actiuity the
the Usern black e At this stage the
Army, mopping up the Aachen reported
preparing assault 0hich Berlin said 10oud be aimed
at Cologne. photo
Evening star., 1944-10-22

oath to reduce Adchen to rubbLe heap
but there alternative 1t seems that the city became
phase of the In the above
prisoners son marching doWn the streets OF
Aachen past building damaged by American arery re
Evening star., 1944-10-22

These photos present contrast in receptions accorded
the in their victorious dueS At top Only the empty
cans empty streets greeted Americans as they
Germany At bottom Crod OF civilians old and young
American noved through this French
ut1age World
Evening star., 1944-06-20

CHECKED GlNGHAM PLAY
SUIT q winner for ell
sports! Spun-suoor cotton
loco trim on the low neck
and cuffs--on the pockets
Of the seporote button front
skirt. Blue. red or green.
Sizes II to l8------7.95
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-09-28
Last Springs High School Graduating
Class Of 43 Members Widely Scattered

Last springs graduating class at
Bluffton High school has II of its
members attending college; five in
the armed forces; two in nurses
training; nine employed away from
home; two married and the remain
ing II employed at or staying at
home.
Of the 43 classmates the following
will attend college this fall: Bluff
ton college, David Dean and Lois
Oyer; Bowling Green T., Joan Buck
land, Helen Greding, Janice Hankish
and Clare Reagon; 0tterbein L.,
Nadine Altman; Wooster college,
Mary Margaret Basinger; Oberlin
college, Beverly Biery; Taylor uni
versity, Anna Hochstettler; Uni
versity of Toledo, Mary Gene Sic
field; and Cincinnati Bible Semin-
ary, Earl Dean Luginbuhl.
Mary E. Habegger, at Lima Me
mortal hospital, and Dorothy Burk-
holder, at the Bluffton Community
hospital, are in nurses training.
Five members of the class are in
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-09-28

the nations armed forces, as fol-
lows: Army-Varden Loganbill, Bill
Mericle and Even Neiswander;
Navy-Maurice Kohl and Jackson
Koontz.
Those employed are Imojene Bron-
son, Margaret Griffith, Jane Howe,
Virginia Miller, Glenna Swick, Joyce
Young, LaDonna Johnson and Mir
lam Schaeublin, at the Triplett Elec-
trical Instrument Co.; Florence Ann
Blome, working in Lima; Ruth
Burkholder, employed at the Boss
Glove factory, and Levon Which, at
Wilch's restaurant.
Other class members who either
are working at or staying at home
include Robert Amstutz, Wayne Bad
ertscher, Robert Burkholder, Dale
Huber, Roger Klay, Raymond Kohl,
Harry Minck, Kenneth Reichenbach,
Robert Stratton, Alice Augsburger
and Aileen Diller.
The two class members who mar
ried are Freda Fritchie, now Mrs.
Jacob Warkentin; and Madalene
McCune, now Mrs. Weldon Deppler.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-09-28
Putnam, County Fair
Has Many Attractions

Radio stars, circus attractions and
harness racing together with music
by ten county school bands and bet
ter and better exhibits will be attrac-
tions of the Putnam county fair at
Ottawa, which opens next Tuesday.
The fair this year will run for
five days from Tuesday until Satur-
day, October to 7 together with
night attractions on Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday, it is an
nounced by Jos. l.. Brickner, fair
secretary.
A large number of Bluffton people
see the fair every year and schools
here will be clsed on Thursday,
October 5, to permit pupils and their
parents to attend.
With many workers busy during
the day, the night fairs have become
increasingly popular and indications
are that this years crowds will sur
pass anything in the long history of
the fair. Grounds are well lighted
and attractions and exhibits are of
a high standard.
One of the new attractions for
children is the B. o. streamlined
train, a miniature railroad with
three coaches. Also those attending
the fair may have copy of pub
lication Fair News" sent free of
charge on request to relatives over
seas in the armed services.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-09-28

being pumped that payed dividends
and the expense Of drilling and oper-
ating the others was eating up the.
profits from the first well.
From here Morical went to Can
nonsburg, six miles northeast where
he drilled several holes, none of which
produced oil, and he finally vanished
from the oil picture in this area.
When he left Bluffton to go to Can
onsburg, Morical pulled the casings
from his four wells in Orange town
ship and oil pumping was forgotten in
this district until the boom of 1894
awakened interest again.
Meanwhile, the Ohio Oil Co. made
its first appearance in Bluffton oil
history shortly after the gusher had
been struck on the Stratton farm. It
leased the adjoining William Warren
farm, where son, John, now lives,
but did not put down well and the
lease later expired.
Not Much Demand
During the interim from 1892 to
1894 oil was all but forgotten in this
district, for there was little demand
for it except for coal oil to burn in
lamps. Gasoline was a useless by
product at refneries and generally
was dumped into creeks.
Except for slight stirring by a
small firm of Findlay operators,
Blank, Cornwell and Co., which put
down we'll on the Eli Nonnamaker
farm adjoining the Stratton farm
which proved improbable to operate
there were no further developments.
until the 1894 boom.
By that time the industry had ex-
panded and was becoming substan-
tial business, with prices considerably
higher than in 1890. Oil then brought
Is to 20 cents barrel which was con-
sidered exceptionally good.
The Standard Oil Co. was fast be-
coming a factor in the production
field, and the Ohio Oil Co., at that
time Standard subsidiary operating
out of Findlay, looked over the aban-
doned Orange township field and
leased the Stratton and Ewing farms
as well as many others in the Orange
township area. Thus when the local
oil production reached boom proper
tions a major portion of the acreage
in the boom area was held by the Ohio
= Oil interests.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-09-28

on the Silas Ewing farm, IL miles
northwest of the Stratton farm where
he got dry hole. This was followed
by well on the George Nonnamaker
farm II mile northeast of Stratton's
anda second on the Asa Stratton lease.
These provided some oil but not much.
MoricaPs next venture was to put
down well on the William Eaton
farm, which also adjoined the STRAIT
ton property, but the we'll he drilled
there was only fair. The Eaton farm
is the one now occupied by William
Beagle.
Gives Up Lease
All of the output of the four wells
was taken by the Sun Oil Co. which
extended its lines from the first well
to the other three, and piped the oil
to the railroad siding in Bluffton
where tank cars were filled.
Morical finally gave up his opera
tions here, however, for the first well
drilled was the only one of the four
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-09-28
BIuffton College Notes

or Weaver, Margery Niswander, La
Vonne Hostetler, Sarah Jane Schultz,
Lois Oyer, Roberta Manages, Harriet
Schertz; alternate Mary Agnes Burk-
hard.
Second alto: Lois Sommer, Hildred
Eversole, Esther Habegger, Christine
Burkhard, Treva Arrants, Barbara
Springer.
The first evening Spanish class for
those interested in and around Bluff
ton was held last Wednesday evening.
This class is to meet every Wednes-
day evening throughout the school
year with Rev. Frank Patterson, for
mer missionary to South America, as
instructor. Ten are enrolled in the
class.
A Spanish class was also introduced
in the Lima YMCA under the same
instructor. This class was organized
for the convenience of those in and
around Lima who desire to learn
Spanish.
The College Faculty club will en-
tertain the faculty of Bluffton public
schools at its first meeting of this
school year next Monday night in
the Ropp Hall lobby. A farewell
speech for Mr.. A. ]. B. Longsdorf,
former public school superintendent,
and welcome speech for superinten-
dent Ralph S. Lanaham, the new SUI
perintendent, will be delivered by
President Lloyd l.. Ramseyer. Facul-
ty club meetings are to be held the
first Monday evening of each month
throughout the school year.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-09-28

Six holidays will be observed by
Bluffton public schools during the
current school year, according to
calendar of operations released this
week by Supt. Ralph Lanham.
The first holiday will be on Thurs
day, October 5, when the local
schools will be closed because of the
Ottawa fair. Glasses will be dis
missed for the second day in the
same month, October 27, when teach
ers attend the Northwestern Ohio
Educational association meeting in
Toledo.
A two-day vacation is scheduled
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-09-28
Public Schools List Holidays And
Vacation Periods For Current Year

for the Thanksgiving season, and
school will be closed on Thursday,
Nov. %, and Friday, Nov. "a.
Christmas vacation will extend
from the evening of December "a
through January l, with classes re-
convening on January 2.
Remaining holidays of the year
will be Washington's birthday on
February %, and Good Friday,
which comes on March 80 this year.
School will close on May "a next
spring and next January IL will
mark the end of the first semester.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-09-28

As if to emphasize the change in
the seasons, fall weather in the first
four days since official debut of the
autumnal equinox at 1902 p. m.
last Friday has brought warm sun
shiny days, one that was cold and
blustery, typically cool nights plus
September's first taste of frost.
Last day of the summer season
ON Friday offered beautiful weather.
A bright sun drove temperatures to
near the so mark in the afternoon,
and squirrel hunters who took to the
woods on the first day of the 1944
season could not have asked for a
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-09-28
Infant Clyde HlUin
Dies In Hospital Here

Clyde Irwin, infant son of Mr..
and Mrs. Kenneth Irwin, of near
Columbus Grove, died at $3.50 a. m.
last Sunday in Bluffton Community
hospital, shortly after birth.
Funeral services were held Mon
day afternoon, with Rev. Raymond
Seely officiating. Burial was in
Truro cemetery near Columbus Grove.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-09-28
Fall Arrives Accompanied By First
Frost Of Season Here Saturday Night

better setting.
Friday night, too, was fine night
for football, but by morning tempera-
lures we're in the 40's and Saturday
provided a cheerless, windy day, with
only a touch of sunlight now and
then as the official opening of fall.
There was light frost on Satur-
day and Sunday nights, but most
garden crops escaped serious dam
age, except sweet potatoes and some
tomatoes. Sunday and Monday, how
ever, have been bright and cheerful
with warm temperatures. All nights
have been cool, in keeping with the
season.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-09-28
Name BIuftOn Girl
To College Council

Hildred Eversole, of Bluffton, has
been elected by the student body as
a representative on the Student
Council of Bluffton college. This
year she is a junior.
Miss Eversole is publicity chair
man of the Y. w. c. A. and busi-
ness chairman of the girls glee
club. She is also active in the Var
ity "B" and the Home Economics
Club. She is the daughter of Mr..
and Mrs. j. w. Eversole of Cherry
street. ...,.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-09-28

College life, with its varied activi-
ties, has begun in earnest. The sched
ule of activities has been posted, and
several organizations have held meet
ings. Reflections of officers have
been held, to replace those who did
not return this year.
Phyllis Hartzler, of Goshen, Ind,
has been elected as vice-president of
the Varsity "B". Agnes Suter, of
Pandora, has been elected vice-presi
dent of the YWCA.
Student Council elections have given
the following representatives seniors,
Helen Arters, of Spencer; junior, Hill
dred Eversole, of Bluffton; sophomore,
Howard Krehbiel, of Donnellson, Iowa.
New vice-president of the Ropp Hall
House Council is Miss Treva Arrants,
of Lima. Mrs. L. L. Ramseyer has
been elected an adviser to the girls
gospel team.
Miss Agnes Amstutz, college librar~
ian, is inaugurating custom of ser
wing tea, the first occasion having
been held on Thursday afternoon, Sep
tember 21, in the Mosiman room of
Musselman Library. Miss Amstutz is
planning to have tea about once every
two weeks, with library assistants CO.
operating in the social hour. Miss
Frances Beckenbach poured for the
first tea.
The Roll of Bluffton scholars for
the year 1943-1944 has been released
by the Registrar. Those on the roll
have received no grades below "B" for
the year. Students on the roll and
their home addresses are as follows:
Howard Baumgartner, Berne, Ind; /;
Frances Beckenbach, Garfield; Mary
Bowman, Lima; Vera Esch, Washing
ton, ILL.,; Grace Geissinger, Allentown,
Pa; Iona Gerber, Orrville; Helen Ha-
begger, Busby, Montana; Frank Ham
blem, Columbus Grove; Clymenia
Hamman, Pennsburg, Pa; Donna
Hartzler, Bloomington, ILL.,; Ellwyn
Hartzler, Bloomington, ILL.,; Willadene
Hartzler, Bloomington, H.; Evelyn
Johnson, Bucyrus; Elizabeth Locher,
Bluffton; Lila Moon, Fort Wayne,
Ind; Lois Sommer, Pekin, H.; Elean-
or Weaver, Goshen, Ind.
The tuberculosis patch test was Civ
en- to all students, beginning Monday
at the student health center with Mrs.
Ellen Bigelow assisting. Mrs. Bige-
low, who had been college nurse until
last year, has been hired as nurse for
this year.
Professor Russell A. Lantz has
conducted try-outs for those interest
ed in the Girls Glee Club. The first
rehearsal was held last Friday in the
chapel. Those selected for the choir
include the following:
First soprano: Camilla Gorby,
Helen Arters, Frances Beckenbach,
Marguerite Jones, Virginia Geiger,
Margaret Chase, Natalie Morgan,
Joan McCarty, Elizabeth Waterstraw,
Anna Plapp, Clara Ann Bauman; al
ternate, Virginia Hinkle.
Second soprano: Phyllis Bachman,
Iona Gerber, Phyllis Hartzler, Celia
Amstutz, Edith Stuckey, Agnes Suter,
Arlene Hartzler, Thelma Maurer, Ev-
elyn Nunemaker, Juan Evans; alter
nate, Marie Smith.
First alto: Mary Kay Ramseyer,
Carolyn Wilcox, Vera Soldner, Elean-
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-09-28

Probably nothing is more confus-
ing to the amateur than the subject
OF grape pruning. In its briefest
terms, the principle of grape prun-
ing is to leave a comparatively few
long canes of the past summers
growth which arise from two-year-
old wood: generally two to five
canes of such length that they will
carry four to ten or twelve buds
each.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-09-28
Oil First Discovered
Here In 1890; Boom
Not Until 1894
Continued from page II

repetition of the same occurrence.
Next morning when the work crew
removed the cap from the casing, a
gusher of oil spurted over the tree
tops and the surrounding vicinity was
deluged with oil.
Piped to Railroad
Morical wasn't prepared for we'll
of such proportions, but finally it was
brought under control. Later the Sun
Oil Co. built a pipe line from the
Orange township location of the we'll
to the Nickel Plate railroad tracks
(then the L. E. & w. railroad). At
the railroad, the oil was loaded on
tank cars.
Later Morical drilled second well
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-09-28
Family Gathering

Honoring Clarence Garlinger of
Mojave, Calf, a family gathering
was held at the home of his Sc
year old aunt, Mrs, Ada Garlinger
at Arlington, Sunday.
Present were: Clarence Garlinger,
Mojave, Calf; Mr.. and Mrs. John
Garlinger, Bluffton, Sim Garlinger,
Spencerville; Mr.. and Mrs. Alfred
Lahr and two sons, Mrs. Thelma
Reinhart and son of Dunkirk; Mr..
and Mrs. Ernest Powell and three
sons and the hostess Mrs. Garlinger
of Arlington.
News Want-Ads Bring Results.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-09-28
In MemOriam

In loving memory of our father,
Levi Bender and sister, Minnie
Henry who died one year ago.
Two precious ones from us have
gone;
Their voices we loved are stilled
Their places are vacant in our
homes
Which never can be filled.
God in His wisdom has recalled
Those whom His love has given
Altho their bodies slumber here
Their souls are safe in Heaven.
Mrs. L. Binkley
Charley Bender