davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
INVESTIGATE NAVY
SURPLUS TURBINE
FOR LIGHT PLANT
Representatives of Board of
Public Affairs in East This
Week
Large Generating Units Being
Removed from Dismantled
Vessels

Representatives of the board of
public affairs are at a navy surplus
depot in Painesville, Rhode Island,
this week to investigate the possibi-
lities of buying an 1850 XIV turbine
from government war surplus stocks
as the most economical and immed-
late way of expanding the electrical
generating capacity of the municipal
light and power plant.
The board here feels that one of
the marine-type turbines built for
navy escort destroyers during the
war may provide an earlier delivery
at a substantial saving than to pur-
chase one thru the regular manufac-
turing channels.
Representing the board Of public
affairs at Rhode Island are John
Swisher, superintendent of the NUM-
cipal light plant and Dan r. Trip
plehorn, city solicitor who are check
ing turbines of five escort destroyers
which are being offered Friday at
public sale as navy surplus.
Council Approves Plan
Possibility of acquiring a navy
generating unit from surplus stocks
was approved by the town council a
month ago when the matter was sub
mitted to it by the board Of public
affairs.
No estimate of cost has been made
thus far, but with reconditioning and
few minor changes to adapt the
turbines for use here, it is believed
the outlay would be approximately
one-fourth to one-third that of new
unit.
Rating of the navy turbines, 1850
XIV, is considerably greater than the
1850 XIV and 750 XIV units now in
operation at the municipal plant.
Need for the additional turbine is
pointed out by board spokesmen as
due to the fact that the towns day
time electrical load has exceeded
capacity of the smaller 750 XIV tur-
bine, the first installed at the Bluff
ton plant more than a decade ago.
Peak loads now can be handled only
with the larger 1850 XIV turbine,
which must be in operation virtual
ly all the time, and a standby of
additional generating capacity must
be provided as a safeguard against
curtailment of electrical service in
case of emergencies, plant officials
declare.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
Jack Frost Takes First Fall Nip
At BlufftOn Area Monday Night
Open Evenings For
Drivers License

The timeworn alibi that they
couldn't get around during the day
time to get a drivers license just
isn't going to work this year as far
as Bluffton motorists are concerned.
With the deadline next Tuesday at
midnight and sales tagging, Clayton
Bixel, deputy registrar, said his of
fee at the Bixel Motor Sales will be
open every evening for issuing of
licenses.
Less than half of the Bluffton
motorists have obtained drivers IL
censes, he estimated Wednesday
morning and a heavy last minute
rush is anticipated.
Required to obtain a drivers Ii
cense are your old license-and forty
cents for fees.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
Planting Of Record Wheat Acreage
Will Start In District This FRIDAY
Farmers in Favorable Position
Have More Land Available
Than Normally
Friday Is Set As Hessian Fly
Free Date; Seeding Win
Start Then

With fy-free date for the start
of wheat planting set for Friday of
this week, hundreds of additional
acres of land were plowed last week
in the Bluffton area as farmers
rushed last-minute preparations for
what is expected to be a record
acreage of wheat in this district.
Farmers have been cautioned not
TO plant their winter wheat crop be-
fore Friday if they hope to harvest
maximum yields, according to state
agricultural officials, for seeding
after that date will assure the crop
of escaping damage from Hessian
fly infestation.
Weather conditions permitting,
however, seeding will be started on
a rush schedule after Thursday, as
farmers seek to get record crop
in the ground, lured by prospects OF
predicted Sd bushel wheat sometime
within the next year.
CONDITIONS FAVOR EXPANSION
Acreage devoted to wheat will be
greater than in normal seasons due
to a dual combination of circum-
stances including rapid progress in
the maturity of corn, plus the fact
that there were fields implanted on
virtually every farm last summer,
because of the delay in spring till
age.
Most farms showed an early start
in preparing land for fall wheat,
for acreage untitled during the last
season was plowed and disced, ready
for seeding.
From present indications there
also is reasonable certainty that corn
will be off in plenty of time to disc
the land for winter wheat, a pro-
cedure that generally is followed
here in crop rotation.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
Autumn Here Tuesday AS First
Frost OF Season ChilIs District

Autumn arrived officially at 4:29
o'clock Tuesday afternoon, following
a preview in the form of Monday
nights light frost.
The arrival of fall is late, the
q. S. naval observatory reported,
but the lateness is tied in with 194s.
That will be a leap year when the
calendar adds an extra ID hours
February 29--to make up the time
the suns year has gained on the
calendar year in the previous four
year period.
The corn crop which is racing the
frost deadline passed its first test
without any reported damage and
with warm weather moving in a
respite of at least several days may
be expected before another cold snap
develops.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
Er-Arnay Chaplain To
Address Youth RaIIu

Roland v. Hudson, ex-army chap
lain in the India and Burma thea
tres of war will address the Sep
tember Youth for Christ rally in
Panora high school gymnasium, Sat
urday night at 8 o'clock.
The speaker, now major in the
officers reserve is a graduate of
Asbury Theological seminary and
Ohio State university, a former pas
tor of a Methodist church in Colum-
bus and now professor and dean of
men of Bethel college, a Mennonite
Brethren in Christ school at Misha-
waka, Indiana.
Special music will be furnished by
local talent and congregational sing
ing with aid of hymn slides will be
directed by Arthur Schmidt.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
WINDSTORM HERE
BLOWS new HOUSE
ACROSS HIGHWAY
Gale of Near-Cyclonic Fer0city
Uproots Trees; Early Sun
day Night
Maintenance Crews at Work
Repairing Telephone and
Electric Lines

Buffeted by a windstorm of near
cyclonic proportions, shortly after 5
o'clock Sunday evening, the Bluffton
district in a few short minutes suf-
fered moderate damage to buildings,
communications, power lines and
trees, in addition to the freak aspects
that remain in the wake of every
heavy windstor1n.
The spotty path of the storm thru
town was marked by many fallen
trees, branches wrested off others,
blown down poles of the municipal
light plant and the BIuffton Tele-
phone Co. and minor damage to
buildings.
An unusual damage case was re-
ported in the Fred Mueller building
addition on the Dixie highway, north
of town near the county line road
intersection where the wind picked
up a quonset-type structure which
had been erected the previous day
as a residence by George Brown,
carried it across the highway, and
dropped it in a pasture field, mass
of wreckage.
Fortunately Brown and his wife
had not moved into the structure,
awaiting the completion of final work
on the home. A portion of the
Harvey Which residence nearby was
also unroofed by the storm.
In its path thru the same area,
the wind raised high waves on Buck
eye lake, and at the generating
plant of the Central Ohio Light and
Power Co. wreaked havoc with a
large coal storage pile.
Street lights were out generally
thruout the town Sunday night, and
residential lighting was curtailed
in most sections for 30 minutes
about 7:20 p. m., about two hours
after the storm struck, while repairs
were effected to provide electrical
service for all homes.
Telephone service still was dis
rupted here late Tuesday, as an
aftermath of the storm.
Windstorm damage in the Sunday
evening cyclone principally was
centered at Rawson where barns
were blown down and the high school
building was unroofed.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
SOME CORN IS CUT
HERE BUT BULK OF
CROP NOT MATURE
No Damage to Stand is Report
ed From Monday Nights
Frost
Corn i'm Most Fields Will Need
Two More Weeks of Ripen-
ing Weather

Corn cutting is under way in few
scattered instances in the Bluffton
area this week, but with the bulk of
the crop approximately two weeks
away from maturity farmers are
hoping the weather will not bring
a killing frost until after the first
week of October.
No damage to the stand was re-
ported from Monday nights light
frost.
Hot weather the latter part of last
week hastened the crop materially in
its progress toward ripening, and
present indications are so encourag-
ing that an early frost will be the
only obstacle that could prevent a
near record crop for the district.
Corn cutting so far principally has
been in the Pandora, Columbus Grove
and Benton Ridge areas, altho few
fields in the immediate Bluffton vi
cinity also are ready for binders and
for filling silos. No stands are far
along enough to be harvested by corn
pickers, however, altho some harvest
ing by that method will be under
way within the next week or 10 days.
Major Portion Not Mature
Most Of the corn in the area, how
ever, will require approximately two
more weeks to reach maturity, and
that win run dangerously close to
the average killing date for frost
around October 7.
A good many fields, seeded late
because of unusually inclement
weather last spring, may not make
the grade, but if frost holds off an
other two weeks the crop locally will
be very near bumper proportions
despite the disadvantages it has had
to weather so far this summer.
Late corn continues to look very
promising, and unless frost comes
earlier than usual farmers who stay
ed with their usual varieties will fare
better generally than those who
switched to earlier maturing types
because Of delays in getting seed in
to the ground.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
Births

The following births at Blufftor
hospital:
Mr.. and Mrs. Laurence Burkhalt
er, Bluffton, a girl, Kathiynn, We'd
nesday morning.
Mr.. and Mrs. Ralph Smith, OF
tawa, a boy, Wednesday morning.
Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Montgom
cry, Jr., Bluffton, a girl, Susar
Jane, Thursday.
Mr.. and Mrs. James Martin, Bluff
ton, boy, Craig J., Friday.
Mr.. and Mrs. John Reinxing
Findlay, girl, Sarah Jane, Sunday
Mr.. and Mrs. Theron Bibler
Findlay, a girl, Deborah Jane p
Findlay hospital, Friday. Mrs. Bib
ler is the former Pauline Carr 81
Bluffton.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
PRICE OF BUTTER
DOWN SLIGHTLY As
OLEO SALES RISE
Top Grade Butter Retailing at
SO Cents; Other Grades II
Cents
Sales Slower as Price Conscious
Buyers Switch to Cheaper
OleO

After reaching top of SO cents q
pound in Bluffton food stores last
week, butter, one of the bellwethers
in the cost of living rise, was down
four cents a pound to a price of 50
cents for grade A brands the first
of this week.
AT the same time oleomargarine,
which became increasingly popular
with housewives as butter scared to
quotations near the dollar mark,
moved up in price with lower bracket
grades around 27 cents a pound, as
compared with Is cents a week ago.
Few priee-conseious buyers were
shifting back to butter despite the
advance in oleomargarine, however,
for even the cheaper grades of but
ter, priced down to II cents, are
roughly three times as costly.
Demand Drops
Declining butter prices were at
tributed to the sharp slump in sales
after retail costs sky~rocketed to as
high as SO cents a pound in a little
less than q month.
With butter prices placing too
much of a strain on the average
family budget the switch to oleo-
margarine cut so noticeably into but
ter sales that prices started down
ward again over the weekend.
Some hope of relief from high
prices covering other foods also was
seen by observers in the fact that
grain quotations have been dropping
for nearly a week, and cattle in the
major livestock markets are bringing
less money.
Canned fruits generally are lower
than at the same time last year, with
the greatest difference noted in can
ned fruit cocktail, selling at approx
mately 20 cents lower.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
Before The White
Men Came

The whites called that. Indian tribe
the Delawares because it had come
to Ohio from the Delaware River val
ley but the tribe called itself the
Lenni-Lenape first men), parent
stock of the Algonquin nation and
of all other tribes in the Ohio
country. 1t was the Delawares,
with the help of the Iroquois, that in
the early 1600's, according to their
own tradition, swept into Ohio and
exterminated the mound builders.
1t was long, ferocious war and
for their protection against the
Delawares and Iroquois the mound
builders threw up the conical watch
mounds and rambling earthworks
that Ohioans wonder about today.
The numerous penetrated and
crushed skulls and closely buried
skeletons, strewn flint arrow and
spear heads, and many domestic
relics apparently abandoned while
still being used, that have been
uncovered in the vicinity of the
mounds attest to the ferocity and
intensity of the fighting.
Tribes Honor Delawares
Other tribes in Ohio conceded
the parentage of the Delawares.
At all solemn councils they were
addressed as grandfather" They
called the other Algonquins children,
grandchildren, nephews or younger
brothers. To the Wyandottes and
Iroquois they were cousins though
these nations were called uncles by
the Delawares.. .s
1t was soon after their victory
over the mound builders that the
Iroquois went North and the Lenni-
Lenape to the Delaware river valley.
The Indian delegation of 10 which
greeted the Adventure Galley" when
that 45-foot boat discharged the first
4s white settlers April 7, 1888, on
the bank of the Muskingum river
where Marietta now is, We're Della
wares. With them was Chief Cap
tain Pipes, who with Chief Bohen-
geehalus, ruled the Delaware nation.
Indian United States
Up to the arrival of the whites
the Ohio country was a compact,
well ruled confederation of Indian
Estates" each Independently gov
erned but banded together into one
great united states" for the well
fare of all.
The tribal states had we'll defined
borders and in them We're permanent
Indian towns and villages with per-
manent homes, mostly log cabins,
for the residents. Around the
villages were the cornfields and
other agricultural areas. The In
dians were good farmers and, be
cause they had to have meat and
skins, and furs TO sell, expert hun
CONTINUED on page 81
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25

However, the corn crop in other
sections of the Middle West is re.
ported as not having Jared so we'll
A cold wet spring, floods, late
summer drought and heat have cut
deeply into production prospects
The agriculture department reported
that as of September II only about
half the crop was safe from damage
by killing rost.
The seasons coldest weather NOV.
ed across the northern plains states,
the Great Lakes region, and the up
per Mississippi valley and Ohio val
leys Sunday night and Monday
Frost was widespread Monday morn.
ing in northern Wisconsin, Mime,
sofa and North Dakota with freez.
ing temperatures recorded in north.
ern Iowa,
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
Funeral In BeaUerdan,
For Mrs. Emma Barber

Mrs. Emma Barber, 81, for many
years resident of Beaverdam died
at the home of her daughter, Mrs.
Frank Plaugher in Genoa, Ohio,
Wednesday morning at 9:25.
Funeral services will be held at
the Beaverdam Methodist church,
Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock with
the pastor Rev. L. d. Fauver Off
ciating assisted by Rev. obee of
Genoa. Interment will be in Rock
port cemetery.
The body will lie in state at the
church from IL a. m, Friday until
time for the services.
Surviving besides her daughter Is
son, Frank Barber, of Beaverdam
and brother Oscar Weaver of Coz
lumbus Grove Route 2.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
START DRILLING
FOR OIL IN AREA
NORTH OF TOWN
Derrick is Being Completed for
Test Well on John Boehr
Farm
Leasing of 1,500 Acres for
Drilling Rights is Announc-
! ed Here

Hope of reviving the Bluffton area
as a major oil producing district is
centered this fall about operations
on the John Boehr farm three and
one-half miles north of Bluffton in
Riley township where a 65-foot der
rick is nearly completed and drilling
expected to start this week.
Upwards of a dozen truckloads of
drilling equipment already are at the
location and experienced oil men this
week said that judging by advance
preparations the we'll apparently will
be sunk to greater depth than pre-
viously has been the practice in this
locality. ,-.... ...s.
Dating back to days of the oil
boom at the turn of the. century,
drilling here always has been at
comparatively shallow depths, and
results of deeper drilling are expect
ed to indicate whether there are
potential oil reserves at the lower
levels. -z. ss
Test Well Here
Operations on the Boehr farm are
in the nature of test well. financed
by Findlay and Toledo. capital. In
anticipation of success of the venture,
it was disclosed that the same in
terests have leased drilling rights to
some 1900 acres of surrounding
farmland.
Spurred by knowledge that drilling
is going on in this district furry
of leasing activity has been set off
in the areaa as other oil interests
are seeking leases on land adjoining
that already pledged to the Findlay-
Toledo group.
Two wells at comparatively shall
low depths were drilled on the Boehr
farm in the 1900 oil boom by the
late DR.. ]. r. Rudy, Bluffton ply
sician. The wells were never pumped.
Boomlet in 1889
An oil boomlet in the same section
petered out eight years ago after
Bowling Green and New York inter
ests leased roo acres of land with a
view of drilling, but plans were
dropped following the outbreak of
war. Farms leased at that time in
cluded those of Boehr, Homer, Arden
and Leonard Zimmerly, Will Carr,
Roy Hauenstein, Peter Geiger and
Sam Welty, all of whom live in the
vicinity of the Boehr farm.
Oil was found generally in the
same section in the Bluffton oil boom
at the turn of the century, but wells
soon were abandoned principally be-
cause the low price of oil at that
time made operations Improbable.
About a dozen wells were put down
in the vicinity, but with oil at Is
cents a barrel, pumping was not a
paying proposition in any but the
very best fields. Oil now is around
two dollars a barrel.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
Assigned To HatUoii
Army Medical Post

DR.. Jason Tripplehorn, first lieu
tenant in the Army medical corps
has been assigned to duty at an air
base in the Hawaiian Islands it was
learned here this week. He expects
to sail from San Francisco shortly.
After completing his medical
course at the University of Penn
sylvania he interned for a year at
Lankenau hospital, Philadelphia, and
for the past month has been sta
tiond at San Antonio, Texas. He is
the son of Mr.. and Mrs. ID. r.
Tripplehorn of South Main street.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
Denomination Here
adopts NetU Name

Change of the name of the De-
fenseless Mennonite church here to
Evangelical Mennonite is announced
by the pastor, Rev. E. J. Shady.
The new name conforms to action
taken at the conference of the de-
nomination held recently at Upland,
Ind, when action was taken to
change the name from Defenseless
Mennonite to Evangelical Mennonite
conference.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
Squirrel Dinner For
Hospital Patient

Hunting prowess of George Combs
who a week ago brought down three
squirrels with two shots plus the
culinary technique of Mrs, Fred
Triblehorn resulted in a fine squar-
rel dinner for Mrs. M. M. Murray,
a patient in Bluffton hospital.
George who has been unusually
successful afield this season selected
a fine specimen of bushytail which
Mrs. Triblehorn cooked to turn.
Mrs. Murray who has been hospital
lied for the past ten months appre-
ciated the dinner and thanked all
concerned.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
To Teach At State
College In Arizona

DIR. Harvey L. Eby, native of the
Bluffton district who last year was
a member of the faculty of Ari-
zona State college at Tempe, Ari-
zona, will continue his position
there for the coming year, it was
learned this week.
DIR. Eby was previously for a
number of years connected with the
University of California at Los An
peles where he was on the faculty
of the school of education. He and
Mrs. Eby have taken up residence
at Tempe.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
Real Estate Deal

Lester Badertscher, west of Rock
port, has bought the Clarence Henry
property at North Lawn avenue and
Washington street. He will occupy
the place next month.
Henry last week purchased the
w. o. Geiger property on Washing
ton street and Geiger purchased the
East Kibler street property of John
Maxon who with his family will
move next month to California.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25

A marriage license has been is
sued to Lynn Cupples and Gladys
Klingler, both of Bluffton. Rev.
Walter Purdy of the Rawson Evan
gelical United Brethren church will
officiate.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
Start NelU House
On Cherry Street

Don Martz has started building a
new house in Sunny Acres addition
on Cherry street near the county
line road junction. The house will
be of brick veneer construction. Mr..
and Mrs. Martz are making their
home temporarily with her parents,
Mr.. and Mrs Swan Stonehill of
East Elm street.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
TUO Area Farmers On
Putnam, Grand Jury

w. G. Carr, residing north of
Bluffton and Lloyd Van Meter of
Pandora have been drawn for grand
jury service for the October term of
the Putnam county common pleas
court at Ottawa. -
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
BLuFFTON MARKETS
Wednesday Morning

Grain thushel prices) = Wheat
1854; corn s2.25, oats S1.10; soys
So.
Poultry-Heavy hens 26c; leghcrn
hens 20c; heavy rock fryers 33cs
heavy red fryers 32c; leghorn fry
ers 27c.
Eggs-Large whites Soc; large
browns Sic. mediums 4se; puIlets
3ec.
Butterfat--S4c.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
AntUets Plan To
Form Group Here

Plans for organization of Amvets,
ex-service men Of World War IL
were announced this week and :
meeting for that purpose will be
held IN the high school study hall
this Wednesday night at 3 o'clock.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
Schools Close Oct. 2
For OttatUa Fair

Bluffton public schools will be
closed on Thursday, October 2 for
the Putnam county fair, it was an
nounced the first of the week.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-09-25
f2bIgMlS9!5.
5&1zzzes3:51;o5If119EES
sr HARRY LHAAn

OF HNRkT :. q y -
EDITORS NoTE-This is one
of series of articles to appear
tn the BLufton Ne40s dealing
Nth early Ohio history. Others
t0iIl appear ia forthcoming
issues.