The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1945-01-11
Old Fashioned Winter
Brings Isolation

Old Fashioned Winter
Brings Isolation
Continued from page II
the fact that radios continue bring
ing latest news. and entertainment
to the snowbound rural families.
AUTOS USELESS
Gone for the time being is the use
fulness of many farm automobiles.
Impossible drifts-fence high on
practically every rural road-keep
the family auto in the garage, and
in most cases even tractors bog down
in the deep snow.
Farmers are coming to town on
long-unused bobsleds, and few all
but-forgotten sleighs are on the road.
Old-timers say it is the first time in
20 years sleds and sleighs have been
needed, and the first occasion since
the advent of the automobile age
that cars have not been able to travel
on roads within two or three days
following the heaviest blizzards.
1t also is common to see farmers
trudging into town on foot to get
provisions for the depleted family
larder, and to stop at the post office
for mail which cannot be delivered
by rural carriers.
For the first time in history Bluff
ton schools have been closed for
more than a period of two or three
days because of the weather. With
school buses unable to operate on
the snow-banked roads, there have
been only two days of school here
! until Monday of this week since the
first blizzard struck this district on
December IL.
No MAIL DELIVERY
Mail delivery can be made only on
those parts of rural routes which lie
on main highways, and for the first
time in the generation since rural
mail service was inaugurated 4(
years ago farmers have had to come
to town for their mail. Service thi:
week is approaching normal althC
many roads still remain closed.
Work in clearing the roads alsc
has returned to the old hand-shove
method of our grandfathers. Count!
and township motorized snow plowi
are helpless in drifts that on man.
roads are higher than the equipmen
itself.
Consequently farmers along snow
blocked stretches of country road
are organizing to clear them b,
shovels, but this has proved a tie
dious process with recurring higl
winds and snowfall soon building u
a new drift where one has just beel
cleared away.
One of the prime necessities fo
getting roads open results from tn
heavy milk production of dairy farm
ers in this area. Ordinarily truck
pick up the milk daily and deliver j
to the Page Dairy Co. and other pre-
cessing plants in the district.
MUST GET MILK
With roads blocked for weeks, mil
is accumulating on farms. Report
have it that one farmer has ever,
utensil, including washtubs, brim
ming with milk. Altho in thi
weather the milk will remain swee
indefinitely, farmers have no facili
ties for storage.
Many farmers selling milk to tn
Page plant take it by tractor t,
some point where it can be picked al
/ by truck, and others form a com
munity enterprise in loading it ont,
a bobsled and hauling the cans t
town.
Those few farmers who can us
their automobiles report they mus
drive miles out of their way to ge
places. In many areas they leav
roads and drive over fields which ar
bare in spots. North and soutl
roads are said to present the big
gest problem, and east and ives
main roads are being the first to b
| opened.
Bread remains the hardest item t
buy in Button grocery stores, fo
it is the first item on the list 0
every farmer who manages to ge
into town. In the worst days of tn
storms many farm families were sal
to be existing on diet of potatoes
pork and canned fruits. Now whe
they get to town purchase or brea
is first on their lists, followed b
stopping at the post office.