davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-12-04
THIRD TURBINE IS
Being INSTALLED
AT LIGHT PLANT
1850 XIV Generating Unit Was
Formerly In Naval
Service
Expected To Be In Operation
Here Within Next Five
Months

A used 1850 XIV turbine purchas-
ed early last month by the board of
public affairs is being moved into
the generating room of the municipal
light plant this week, but will not be
IN operation for approximately five
months.
Excavation for the foundation of
the turbine now is under way, prep
aratory to setting it up in a line
with the 750KW and 1850 XIV
generators now comprising the
plants equipment. 1t will be placed
between the plants 1850 XIV turbine
and its Skinner engine.
Work is being done by board of
public affairs employees who estimate
it requires about six weeks to COM
plete that phase of the work. After
the turbine is mountd on its founda-
tion, it will be converted by General
Electric Co. engineers to fit local
plant needs.
Conversion is required inasmuch
as the turbine previously was used
on Navy escort ship. 1t was one
inspected aboard ship by Supt. John
Swisher, of the local plant, and
later bought from Charles Weaver
and Co., of Detroit, on a bid of
$24,720, plus conversion and installa-
tion.
Accessory parts for the turbine
were included in the $24,72O pur-
chase price. No estimate was an
nounced on the cost of conversion
and installation.
After conversion, the 1850 XIV
turbine will be sufficiently large to
handle the towns peak loads, there
by providing adequate standby now
lacking.
At present, the 750 XIV turbine
will no longer carry daytime loads
at the plant. Last Friday a new
record peak was set when the towns
load went to 1850 XIV demand about
II a. m.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-12-04
Less Aid In Filing
Income Tax Blanks

There will be less assistance avail
able to taxpayers in the fling of
federal income tax reports next
March because of the dropping of
% employees in this district, it was
stated by John j. Quinhvan, district
collector, in Toledo.
The % dropped from the depart
ment were results of designations
and failure to make passing grades
in a recent civil service examination,
he said.
A. H. Kellermeyer, deputy collect
or in charge of the Lima area offices
said his staff was five persons short
due to designations and examination
failures.
Dropping of the %, coupled with
staff reduction of 81 made last July
as an economy measure will curtail
income tax filing aid more than so
per cent in the Toledo district which
includes Bluffton and Allen county,
Quinlivan said.
Eventually the % new openings
will be filled from the civil service
eligibility list, but not before the
1947 tax return fling rush Is COM
pIeted next March Is, he added.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-12-04
COUNCIL TABLES
PROPOSED LIGHT
PLANT ADDITION
Approval of Building Plans
Held Up Pending Check
On Financing
Board of Public Affairs Asks
Addition To House New
Plant Boiler

Proposal for building addition to
the municipal light plant at a cost
of approximately $4,000, in con-
junction with the general expansion
program started is months ago by
the board of public affairs, was
tabled at a meeting of the town
council Monday night, pending a
study of the availability of funds for
the project.
Late in the summer of 1916,
councilmen had refused to approve
plans for tho. construction of a
$4,000 building. IN which the plants
new boiler was to be erected, and
made recommendation at that time
that arrangements be made to place
the boiler in the present structure.
Further investigation by board af-
fairs engineering counsel, Emery,
Marker & Emery of Toledo, is re-
ported to have shown the new boiler
can be accommodated only by con-
structing an additional wing to the
plant, adjoining the present boiler
room to the north.
The matter was presented to the
council Monday night by a letter
from the board of public affairs, re-
questing permission to advertise for
bids.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-12-04
Business Men Make
Christmas Plans

Plans for the Christmas shopping
season and nominating procedure to
name new president of the Bluff
ton Business Mems association fea-
tured the December meeting of the
group, last week.
To accommodate Christmas shop
pers, most local business establish
ments will be open on Thursday
afternoons, Dec. IL and 18, and on
two evenings prior to the Yuletide,
Dec. % and %.
Arrangements also were made by
the group to broadcast Christmas
music in the business district by a
public address system, and to con-
slider holiday lighting of Main street.
Parking, industrial expansion, rec
reational activity and other municipal
problems were discussed.
Committees named included: Nom
mating, Paul Greding, E. S. Lape
and Armin Hauenstein; January
meeting, Ed Waltermire, William
Gaiffe, Morris Fett, James Martin
and Joe Swank; Christmas decora-
ton, William Edwards, Dan Alspach
and Hiram Huser; Christmas party
plans, William Gaiffe, M. Prosser and
Merle Meyer.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-12-04
Winter Recreation Program, Launched
This Week, OF Interest To Many
Organized Recreation Activity
Is Under Way In Two Local
Gymnasiums
Coach Kent Cotterman Again
Serves AS Winter Recre-
alton Director

Launched this week with enthusi-
astic response, Buttons winter pro-
gram of organized recreational
activity will be continued with
regular periods of play every Mon
day and Tuesday night and each
Saturday morning.
The initial mems basketball work
out Monday night in the high school
gymnasium gave evidence of repeat
ing its popularity of last winter.
General practice workouts will be
continued for those interested at
next Mondays session, after which
teams will be organized for league
play.
More interest will be needed, how.
ever, to make the Tuesday night
program in the college gymnasium
equally successful. At the college
the first half of the evening is
devoted to program for men in
terested in volleyball, basketball
work with gymnastic equipment, etc
Those of middle age and older ar,
especially urged to attend from 7 tt
$3.50 p. m.
Girls and women will have activit,
designed for them in the gymnasium
from $3.50 p. m. until 10 p. m. OF
the same night.
Saturday mornings program in tn
high school gymnasium will be 70
boys from the fourth, fifth and sixtl
grades. 1t will run from 10 unit
1880 a. m.
Coach Kent Cotterman is directo
of the winter program under tn
Bluffton Recreation committee.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-12-04

put up in Clinton county.
Van Meter had not travelled far
but the going had been difficult
Originally from New Jersey, he had
been living, during the late 1905,
at Deerfeld, new South Lebanon,
Warren County. He was a hunter
and had bought his land and moved
onto it because of the abundant
game and scarcity of neighbors. The
woods were full of deer, bears,
panthers, wolves, wildcats and small
er wild animals. Along the East
Fork were plenty of otter and beaver
and the stream was filled with fish.
Though hospitable enough, hunters
did not desire neighbors. Always
when the neighbors began to come
the game began to disappear. Van
Meters nearest neighbors were the
few families at Bedel"s station at
the mouth of Todd's Fork and the
four families at Mounts station, on
the south side of the Little Miami
River, a couple of miles further
down. Both were in Warren County
and entirely across Clinton County
from Van Meters cabin.
Builds Cabin
The hunter lost no time in putting
| up his own cabin. He wanted to
get out of the wigwam. 1t reeked
of old smoke and held the ominous
smell of "injun." No pioneer liked
that.
Though hurriedIy built, Van Meters
cabin was a good one. He selected
the even, strong, young trees, felled
| them and dragged the measured logs
to his building site. There he notch
ed the ends, lifted them into place
and chinked the cracks with mud
| Using the same axe he rived from
even white oak blacks the clapboards
for the roof and door, placed the
boards on the roof and weighted
them down with poles. The fire
place was of buckeye logs, the
hearth of clay and the chimney oi
mud and sticks. The cabin had tive
rooms with a hall between-all under
Continued on page 10)
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-12-04
ViOLiTtist Hi College
Concert Next Tuesday

Claire Wellman, concert violinist,
will be presented as the second num-
Der on the Bluffton College Music
series at $50 p. m. next Tuesday in
the Ramseyer chapel on the college
music course.
Miss Wellman's appearance is
being made instead of the scheduled
concert by Bill Palmer, accordionist,
the cancellation of which was an
nounced this week by the college
music department, sponsor of the
series.
A brilliant violinist, Miss Wellman
formerly played in the first chair in
the famed Hour of Charm All Girl
orchestra. Her technical mastery,
remarkable clarity and nuances OF
tone have earned enthusiastic praise
in her concert tours about the
country.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-12-04
Messiah Concert December Ii
To Mark Opening of Musi-
cal Observance
Business Mems Association Pro-
yides Christmas Music In
Downtown Area

With Christmas only three weeks
in the offing, traditional pre-holiday
activities and preparation for the
Yuletide are beginning to take the
center of the stage in the Bluffton
community.
An appropriate background for the
Christmas shopping season, already
under way here as shoppers jam
business establishments, is a series
of recorded broadcasts of holiday
music sponsored in the downtown
district by the Bluffton Business
Mems association.
A public address system has been
placed in the Masonic lodge hall, and
in addition to recorded music,
musical organizations who wish to
sing carols over the setup are asked
to contact SiIas Diller, president of
the business mems group.
Decoration of downtown district in
the traditional Christmas setting
also is being studied by the business
mems association, with a committee
composed Of William Edwards, Dan
Alspach and Hiram Huser working
on the project.
To accommodate Christmas shop
pers, Bluffton business establishments
cooperating with the business mems
group have decided to remain open
Thursday afternoons, Dec. IL and
18, and on the evenings of Dec. %
and %. On Christmas eve they viii
close at 6 p. m.
Opening musical event of the holi.
day season will be the traditional
presentation of Handers oratorio
"The Messiah, on Sunday, Dec. ID
in the high school gymnasium.
Appearing in the annual rendition
will be the Bluffton College Chora
Society and featured soloists from
outside the community.
Rehearsals are we'll under wa,
thruout the district for pageants ant
programs marking the Christina.
observance of churches, clubs, etc.
with announcement of the schedule Of
offerings to come later.
Christmas vacations for Blufftor
High and Grade schools will star
with the close of classes on Tuesday
Dec. %. Pupils win return to schoo
on Monday morning. Jan. 5.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-12-04
FARM SEEDS WILL
BE SCARCE; HIGH
PRICED IN SPRING
Grain Prices At Record Marks
Drain Normal Seed Supply
From Farms
Inferior Quality OF Seed Also
Feared AS Result Of Early
Fr0sts Last Fall

Farm seed grain will be scarce
next spring and likely viii command
prices near an all-time high mark,
one of the discouraging factors that
farmers will face in attempting to
get crops in the ground that will
permit them to take advantage of
farm prices inflated by general world
conditions.
Seed scarcity of soy beans, corn
and oats is indicated by prevailing
market prices at record high marks,
always a powerful stimulus for farm
ers to sell their grain.
Indications are that little grain
will be left on farms, as prices con-
tinue going to new high marks
thereby complicating next springs
seed outlook.
In similar conditions in the past,
the scarcity Of seed following the
next spring never has failed TO drive
seed prices to high marks, and farm
observers expect to see a repetition
of that cycle in the early months of
1948.
Fears that much of the seed
available next spring also viii be
inferior in quality were voiced this
week. This years corn and soy
bean crops were damaged badly by
early frosts, and in the normal
course of events it may be expected
there will be a lot of inferior seed
on the market.
During the last week, wheat quo
tations on Bluffton markets went to
a record high, and soy beans jump
ed to 81 a bushel last Saturday.
Market followers are predicting the
upward trend will continue, and ex-
pect to see $5 soybean prices by
spring.
Expecting the seed shortage and
general price ascent to reach into
other fields, some growers alraedy
have contracted for their 1948 seed
potatoes, in order to escape the high
er prices they feel will be in effect
next spring.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-12-04

The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr.. and Mrs. Edgar Cook, Bluff
ton, a girl, Bonnie 10, Nov. 20.
Mr.. and Mrs. Rodney Sampson,
Arlington, a girl, Janet Ann, Thurs
day.
Mr.. and Mrs. Roy Klingler, Bluff
ton, a girl, Julie Ann, Thursday.
Mr.. and Mrs. VIM. Bosse, Ada, a
girl, Friday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Francis Lehman,
Pandora, a girl, Anita Kay, satur-
day.
Mr.. and Mrs. Russell Welty, Pan
dora, q boy, Russell Ralph, Jr., this
Wednesday. -..~..-
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-12-04
Pre- Christmas Activities Herald
Approach Of Holiday Season Here
SOJOists Named For
."Messidh" On Dec. II

Out-of-town soloists were an
nounced this week for the annual
rendition of Handel's celebrated ora
torio, "The Messiah" by the Bluff
ton College Choral Society, at 2:30
p. m. Sunday, Dec. Il, in the high
school gymnasium.
Taking featured roles in the tradi-
tional presentation will be Miss Ma
saka Ona, soprano, Bowling Green
State University; Miss Ruth Notzka,
contralto, Toledo; Clarence R. Ball,
tenor, director of music in Toledo
public schools, and Wilson Jones,
bass, of New York City.
Prof. Russell Lantz, head of the
Bluffton college music department,
will direct the chorus.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-12-04
DAMAGES ASKED IN
MT. CORY GRADE
CROSSING Death
Husband Employed Here Files
$4,000 Suit Against Nickel
Plate
Wife Driving Car Instantly
Killed i'm Accident at Cross
ing July 81

AS an aftermath to a grade cross
ing crash in Mt. Cory last July 81
in which Mrs. Eva Werner was kill
ed instantly, Richard J. Werner, of
Mt. Cory, her husband, Monday filed
a $4,000 damage suit against the
Nickel Plate railroad. Werner is
employed at the generating plant of
the Central Ohio Light & Power
company here.
Suit was fled in Hancock county
common pleas court in Findlay.
When the Werner. car was struck
by a north-bound freight train at
the Main street crossing in Mt. Cory,
her husband was at work at the
Bluffton plant, and it was nearly two
hours after the fatality before he
was notified.
In the suit, the plaintiff says the
Nickel Plate track where the &C
cident occurred is six feet above the
leve, of the Mt. Cory Main street.
At the time, tie petition continues,
there were no electric signal lights,
no watchman, nor any safety gates.
Buildings are said to have obstruct-
ed the view to the south for drivers
of southbound automobiles.
Mrs. Werner was alone in the
auto, and the train, said to. have been
travelling 10 to rs miles an hour
carried the wreckage three-quarters
of mile down the track.
Boggs, Boggs and Boggs, Toledo
attorneys, are representing Werner
in the suit.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-12-04
SpOrtsnen's Club
To Elect Officers

Election of officers will be held at
the meeting of the Bluffton Com
munity Sportsmen's Club planned
for Wednesday night of next week
at the Bluffton town hall club rooms.
Dick Troy chairman of the nomin-
ating committee announces the fol-
lowing names have been selected by
the committee to be voted upon:
President-Gerald Clever and
Kenneth Dearth.
Vice Pres.--Alternate for president
will be vice president.
Secretary-Morris Fett and Hiram
Huser.
Treasurer-Ralph Reichenbach and
Robert Benroth.
Directors Roy Rogers, Gilbert
Montgomery, Roy Clements, Silas
DiIIer, Floyd Hardwick. Denver
Augsburger, Aldine Kohl, Gene
Benroth, Ray Mumma, Thomas
White, Herbert Rupright, Wilbur
Fish. One man for each Of the Of
fees and six directors will be select
ed by ballot. Additional nominations
TO the above selection can be made
from the floor.
A pickerel fish fry viii be held at
the close of the meeting. 0. FL.
Neimeyer, Marion county game pro-
tector, will screen movies on Ohio
wildlife.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-12-04
Van Meter Moves In

Unmindful 1T the moment, persons
who pass the intersection of State
Routes $50 and 73, near the East
Fork OF tha Little Miami a few
miles northwest Of New Vienna,
drive right over the mouldered body
of Clinton County's first permanent
settler, Morgan Van Meter. He was
buried there 134 years ago-before
the highway was made.
Van Meter nosed out two compet-
itors in the first settler race, William
Smally and Amos Wilson,--the first
because he miscalculated by 80 feet
and the latter much worse.
1t was a colorful country into
which Van Meter led his pack-horse
that late spring afternoon in 1900
land where nobody lived. Branch
es of the close-grown sycamores,
beech and black walnut, mixed with
hickories, oaks and elms, were so
interlocked as to obscure the sky.
Some of the trees were more than
three feet through.
Dense Forest
Beneath the green canopy the
thick tangle of underground, shrubs
and vines made the wilderness al
most impenetrable and the forest
floor was a matted web of spicewood,
wild pea, running vines and bear
grass. 1t made difficult walking even
for the moccasined feet of the pio-
neer. Through it all were splashes
of color, red-bud, dogwood and the
roses. Flowers were everywhere,
Such was the Clinton County of a
century and half ago.
Van Meter unsaddled his horse,
threw its pack onto the ground and
looked around at the panorama
which was to be his permanent
home. Nearly the first thing which
caught his eye was an Indian wig.
wan just visible through the under
brush and much too near.
That was surprise and was 9
bit alarming. No Indians were sup
posed to be about. No Indian towr
ever had been in that country and
there had been no bloody battles
among tribes nor between the Indians
and whites. It was an Indian game
preserve, open to all tribes for hunt
ing. There peace had reigned.
Wigwam Abandoned
A stealthy investigation revealed
that the wigwam, long had been un'
occupied and probably was a hunting
camp abandoned by a party of saw
ages long gone. So Van Meter
moved into the wigwam. 1t was OF
his property anyway. He had pait
! *.seven quarters of dollar per acre
for the 200 acres of wilderness ant
on it he found a home already pre-
pared for him. He lived in the bari
and skin camp while building his own
cahin--the first double log cabin eve
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-12-04
Rites Held In Lima
For Former Resident

Mrs. Ed Benroth, II, former resi-
dent of Bluffton who moved to Lima
about 45 years ago, was found dead
in bed Saturday morning at her
home in Lima.
Survivors include one son, Ralph
Benroth, Lima; and two daughters,
Miss May Benroth, at home, a teach
er at Lima South High school, and
Mrs. Charles Shade, also of Lima.
Mary Bartscht, of Findlay, is a
sister.
Funeral services were held Mon
day in the Lewis Memorial chapel at
Lima. Burial was in Woodlawn
cemetery, Lima.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-12-04
Early Mailing Vital This December
Postmaster Warns Postal Patrons

Early mailing of Christmas cards
and packages was urged this week
by Postmaster Ed r. Reichenbach,
to avoid the customary last-minute
crowds at post office windows.
To assure delivery of out-of-state
mail before Christmas Day, the post
master recommended mailing prior
to December Is. Holiday greeting
cards for local delivery should be
posted before December 20, he
advised.
Packages mailed early can easily
be marked with "Do Not Open Until
Christmas" stickers, and there is no
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-12-04
LEGAL ANGLE MAY
SNARL new STORM
SEWER PROGRAM
Private Outlets May Be Barred
From Sewers Put in with
Village Funds
Action Needed to Relieve Flood
ed Streets, But Legal AS
poets Are Puzzling

A new city-wide surface water
drainage system as the only answer
to a growing problem represented
by flooded streets and easements
following every heavy rain would be
complicated not only by the diff
Guilty of engineering, but also by the
necessity of untangling legal snarls
involved in the procedure.
Consideration of the complications
has entered into the picture more
than ever this fall, following an
lnouncement by village officials that
completely new system of storm
sewers will be required to relieve
the flooded conditions besetting
Bluffton residents at increasingly
frequent intervals.
Revamping of the present make
shift and inadequate system would
be impractical and as costly as a
new system, according to Mayor w.
A. Howe and city officials who have
been looking into the situation.
75-Year-Old Sewers
Many trunk lines in the present
network of sewers were installed as
far back as rs years ago and were
designed to handle a comparatively
small amount of street surface water.
Now, in addition to carrying an in
creased amount of street surface
water, the sewers are overloaded by
private storm sewers, plus some sam
itary sewers which have been tapped
into the system.
Engineering a new system to
eliminate the existing storm water
impasse would be a more difficult
engineering project than that involv-
ed in laying intercepting sewers a.
long stream banks for the towns
proposed sewage disposal plant, and
in addition there are legal snarls in
volved which would have to be solved,
Altho no legal opinions have been
formally submitted, it is believed
that a new storm drainage system
paid for with public tax money could
carry only wate~ from streets.
Legal Tangle
Consequently, additional sewers
would be required for storm water
and sanitary sewers from private
property, and in cases where such
drains empty into the town sewers
there would be two alternative
measures to be considered.
Either the private drains would
be shut off, or there is the possibility
of making a direct assessment
against property owners for town
installation of private drains in con-
nection with the towns new system
These are the principal problems
which must be faced before a salts.
factory solution can be worked out
for the problem of flooded streets
and Easements, in the opinion oi
Mayor Howe.
/ Anything that can be done by the
city street department at best af.
fords only partial and temporary re,
lief, and a completely new network
of sewers will be the only final
answer in the situation.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-12-04

necessity to delay sending them until
dangerously near the holiday.
Postal authorities are anticipating
heavier mail loads this Christmas
than during the record breaking 1916
holiday season.
Christmas cards should be sent
frst-class where there is any pos
sibility of the address being incor-
rect or incomplete, since only en-
velopes bearing three-cent stamps
have forwarding privileges. Parcel
post packages cannot be accepted
unless they are stoutly wrapped and
tied, postal patrons were warned.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-12-04
Youth Conference
To Be In FindI0y

Young people, Is to 25 years, are
invited to attend the Oslo in Ohio
Youth Conference sponsored by the
Ohio Council of Churches at the
First Presbyterian church, Findlay,
from Friday until Sunday.
The Bluffton Ministerial associa-
tion will pay the $3.50 registration
fee of one delegate from each local
church. Registrations should reach
Rev. Y. C. Oppermann by Thurs
day noon.