davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1948-04-22

inches in length. Many frogs caught
by the hunters weigh Ia pounds.
One hunter estimated the group
caught 1900 frogs last year.
The frogs are huge size and how
they happen to be so numerous in the
streams causes considerable discus
sion. One Bluffton outdoorsman re-
calls a venture of 20 years ago when
a farmer near Arlington started a
bullfrog farm. Jumbo bullfrogs were
imported from Louisiana for breed
ing stock. But the farm was not sue
cessful and the project abandoned.
Many of the breeder frogs escaped
into Eagle creek which flowed near
by. From this point they rapidly
spread out to propagate and flourish
in streams and marshland of the area.
James Hugus, from Rawson, an
other frog hunting enthusiast, said
it was reported the Conservation Div
ision aided sportsmen in restocking
streams with the big frogs,
The Bluffton Sportsmen's Club
considered purchasing a shipment of
frogs last year when it was learned
several Findlay groups were making
plans to restock streams with the
amphibians.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1948-04-22

O1e article reproduced below originally appeared
in the Omaha, Neb, World Herald. The letter was
written by Union Pacific engine service employe.
Chester E. Beltz secondgeneration railroad empIoye
and holder of perfect accident record.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1948-04-22
Erection Of Sales
Barn Is Under Way

Construction of a new sales barn
and stockyard has been started east
of the A. c. and Y. railroad, be-
tween Pandora and Columbus Grove,
by the Putnam County Livestock Co
operative association.
Albert Garmatter, Bluffton, who
has the contract for erection of the
structure said last week that work
of pouring the concrete for the
foundation has been completed. The
frame building will be 1876 feet long
and 112 feet wide, with an al" 80
by SIS feet, which will contain the
sales ring, with a restaurant over
head.
Construction, at an estimated cost
of $4,000, is expected to be COM
pleted by August l.
The association will conduct weekly
sales each Friday. The former sales
barn is south of Columbus Grove on
Route IS, where auctions have been
conducted for 27 years.
Members of the board of directors
of the association include President,
Elan Suter; vice president, E. Buch-
er; secretary, Dwight Griffith; Harry
Potts, William Riggenbach, William
Lugibihl, and Clyde Van Meter
Harold Boyd is manager.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1948-04-22
College Nine Viii
Play WiLberfOrce

Bluffton college baseball team will
make its next home appearance of
the season Friday afternoon on the
local diamond in a tilt with a col
orful outfit representing Wilberforce
university.
The Wilberforce team looked good
week ago when it took the measure
of FindIay, to 2, in well-played
game, and will be a real test for
the Beavers.
Last week, the Burckymen sue
cumbed in the later innings to Ohio
State university's Junior Varsity by
a score of 10 to 2, at Columbus.
Bluffton led by score of 2 to 0
after five innings of play, but the
Ohio State team dubbed out 10
runs in the last four frames to cap
ture the victory.
Bob Hearne, who started for Bluff
ton, allowed only four hits and no
runs in the first five innings, but
finally weakened and had to be re-
lieved. Hartman, Fritchie and
Hershberger, who followed him on
the mound, could do little toward
stemming the Ohio hitting assault.
Jim Gratz, Bluffton veteran, pro
vided the power punch of the CON
test, by polling out a tremendous
home run in the fifth inning. No
one was on base at the time.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1948-04-22

Stalking the tailless leaping amphib-
ians of the genus Rama has become
increasingly popular the past two
years in the Jenera-Arlington area.
Phenomenal success was scored by
a group of Jenera hunters last year.
Gene Beach, Marvin SchaIler, Ray
mond Crist, Ed Bosse, John Gilbert,
Raymond Rupright and Harvey Bame
are a few of the men who engaged in
the sport.
Hunting at night armed with flash
light, hip boots and gunny sack slung
over the shoulder the men invaded
streams and marshlands plying a
strong beam of light along the
waters edge until a frog was spot
ted.
Capture of the amphibian was made
with bare hands while blinded by the
strong light. Cautiously reaching out
the hunter grabbed his quarry and
dropped the croaker into the gunny
bag, Sometimes $50 frogs a night
were captured by the gang.
Later the hunters had get-to-
gethers and frog legs rolled in bat
ter and fried in deep fat were eaten
until the inner man was satisfied.
The flesh of the bullfrogs hind
legs is considered a delicacy and high
ly esteemed for food. The Jenera
hunters have get-to-gethers often two
times a week for telling tall stories,
playing cards and feasting on frog
meat.
One hunter said the gang had a
head start this year for they had 5
or pounds Of legs stored in locker.
Frog hunting will start within week
or two and continue until late fall
| the hunter stated.
Only the hind legs are used for
meat and these often measure 10
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1948-04-22
Fox and Geese Battle to End

The long waged battle between AL
dine Kohli's red fox team and Will
bur Fish and his blue goose team
will end this Thursday night, contest
director Floyd Hardwick announced.
For six weeks two teams of thirty
men each have been working hard
to enroll the membership in the
Sportsmen's Club annual membership
contest. Winners in the contest will
be the team signing up the most
members. Losers are obligated to fete
the winners to a big feed and enter
tainment at Buckeye Park during
May.
The contest will be terminated at
the Sportsmen's Club directors meet
ing in the Town Hall. The meeting
is called for 7:3O p. m. this Thurs
day evening. All ticket salesman,
club officers and directors are re-
quested to be o inland. Some import
ant business matters must be settled
at the meeting.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1948-04-22
LEGAL NOTICE

Earnest T. Turner. whole last known resi-
dcncc is Box 56, Lynch Station. Virginia is
hereby notified that Aghes Wilbur Turner
has filed her petition against him for divorce
in case number 38148 in Fthe Court of Com
mon Pleas of Allen Coq qnty. Ohio. alleging
Extreme Cruelty and Grds Neglect of Duty
as her grounds for sams,f and that said cause
will be for hearing on Or after the 9Th day
of May, I948.
Agnes Wibr9 Turner
By Sylvan H. Wise, Her Attorney .
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1948-04-22

think that we in the cab of that
engine would feel. We are hu-
man beings. too. We have young
ones waiting home for us to re-
turn. We, too, could have been
killed.
You and your girl were one
second from eternity Sunday,
son.
"I hope you read this and
know it means you, and that
your girl will. too. Next time
you 60 driving around, stop and
look. We don't want to hit
you but we are helpless. as we
cannot swerVe away from our
given rail.
''If I were you. son. and you.
too, sis, I'd thank God for that
split second He granted you
Sunday evening.
II said prayer for all when
7 realized you were going across.
Perhaps that's what saved us
all. .
"Now think it over. both of
you. And I'll bet you are both
still shaking in your shoes.
And please, for Gods sake.
don't try it again"
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1948-04-22

Frog Hunters Prepare To Invade
Area Streams And Marshlands
Signs Of spring brings a rustic of
activity among the frog hunters.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1948-04-22
One Second From Eternity;
Please Don't Try 1t Again

A railroad engineer, whose
train nearly crashed into q car
at Fremont last Sunday. Tues
day addressed an open letter to
the youth and his girl" in the
car.
His letter, sent to The World
Herald, says:
Il don't know who you are.
it's true. but I do know you were
scared to death Sunday evening
near 9 o'cioek when you drove
your car across directly in front
of speeding passenger train.
1t was so close that I. in the
cab, could see the young girl
(your sweetheart, I presume)
throw her hands up in front OF
her face and lcringe up against
you in stark horror.
IF I were that young girl I'd
pull away from you, fast You
don't have good sense. son. You
probably say yeu love her. I
wonder. Those we love we try to
protect. But not you.
wouldn't that have been a
nice Christmas present to hand
your mother-a broken and bat
tered body. And how do you
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1948-04-22
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT
THE STATE OF OHIO1

THE STATE OF OHTOl
Allen County. s..
Estate of Jacob w. BurkhoIder. deceased.
Monroe Burkholder of r. ID. No. 2. Columbus
as Administrator Df the estate of Jacob w.
Burkholdsr late Of Allen County. Ohio, de-
ceased.
Dated this 9Th day of April. 194s.
RAYMOND P. SMITH.
Probate Judge 2
Arizona sun., 1948-09-24

The bulldog is cross of the old
British mastiff and the large pug
dog of Southeast ASIA.
Arizona sun., 1948-09-24
Ragsdale Mortuary
Fly Johnson Remains
To Mississippi

Katherine Johnson, age 11s the
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Samuel
Johnson of 1431 East Washington
Street passed at local hospital on
September 81.
Katherine came to Phoenix from
Port Gibson, Mississippi, in July of
this year and took sick about
three weeks ago and was removed
to local hospital where she>passed
from Leukemia. Katherine'S re-
mains will be flown back to Port
Gibson, Mississippi, for funeral and
burial services.
The following are surviving rel
atives: George johnson, uncle; Ger
eldine Johnson, sister who is at
tending Booker T. Washington
Grade School; Evelyn Johnson,
aunt; Senolia Johnson, step-moth-
er; Melvin Lee johnson and Willie
C. Larry, cousins, all of Phoenix.
Ragsdale Mortuary in charge of
services.
Arizona sun., 1948-09-24
Louis Says He'll
Defend Title Again

New York, Sept. 17.-Joe Louis
announced today he will defend his
heavyweight championship in June
against the winner of the Joe Bak-
81 Ezzard Charles fight if the win
ner was impressive.
Baksi of Kulpmont, Pa, and
Charles of Cincinnati are schedul-
ed for a 10-round bout at Madison
Square Garden on Nov. II.
Louis announcement was unex-
pected for only Tuesday night the
heavyweight champion declared at
Philadelphia he would not decide
until December whether he ever
would fight again.
Louis had announced in June
that he was retiring from the ring.
It was an "unofficiaI' announce
ment, however, for he never noti-
fled the National Boxing Associa-
ton and the New York Boxing
Commission of the retirement.
He made the announcement in
the ring right after he knocked
out Jersey Joe Walcott in the 11th
round at Yankee Stadium.
Arizona sun., 1948-09-24
BOYS of WestSide
Club Awarded Model
Airplane Prizes

An audience of over 200 boys wit
messed the awarding of prizes to
the winners of the model airplane
contest conducted at the Westside
Boys Club.
The planes were solid models
constructed from Exits" provided
by the club and included several
types and Sizes The contestants
were boys who had built their
planes in the craft class recently
concluded at the club. There were
some 20 planes entered from which
the winners were selected.
Judges of the coneest were Faith
er Lucien of ST.. Monica's Church
Gather Emmett's Mission, DR.
Willis B. Easley of the Valley OF
the Sun Kiwanis Club and Mr.. Ell
der H. Russell, Director of the
WestSide Boys Club.
First prize was won by the mod
ell submitted by Reynaldo Mendez
second prize went to Jesus Coria
and third prize to James Pogue
Judging was done on the basis OF
Accuracy OF Idea, NeaLneSS, Work-
mapship.
According to E. H. Russell the
craft classes will be continued as
soon as an Instructor can be Sc
cured.
At the same time the above
awards were made, the % boys
who won in the contests conducted
at the First Annual Boys Clut
Outing held at South Mountain
last Sunday, were also given theil
prizes. DR.. Willis B. Easley also
made these presentations. Mr.
Thomas J. Williams, Executive Di-
rector, Boys Clubs of Phoenix
gave a short talk on active parti-
cipation in Club activities.
Arizona sun., 1948-09-24
Lionel Hampton To Be At
Riverside Park, Monday 9th

Something new in swing is Lion
ell Hampton'S great new orchestra,
coming to Riverside Park Monday
night September 27. But, it's some
thing new in sweet, too, for Lionel,
surprisingly for an alumnus of the
Benny Goodman band, with which
he was starred for four years, gives
equal attention to swing and sweet.
Appearing here in 1899 as the
only Colored artist in Goodman's
band, Lionel played the vibraharp,
on which he was an instrumental
star for four years. In September
of the following year Hampton or
ganized his own aggregation which
critics have described as shot as
Goodman and sweet as Lombardo."
1t is the only Colored orchestra
in the world featuring violins, and
one of only two Colored orches-
tras-the other is Louis Arm
strong's-featuring entertainment
in addition to mucisianship.
Hampton'S is one of the biggest
bands about, too, with seventeen
people. He has five saxophones,
two of them doubling on violin;
three 'trumpets and three from
bones, for a total of six brass; pia-
no, bass, guitar and drums. Lionel
himself plays a vibraharp most of
the time, relieving the drummer
occasionally for a drum solo, and
at other times the pianist for one
of his famed two-finger piano So
los. He has the only gold-plated
vibraharp in the world. It cost 3d.
500 and was given to him by the
manufacturer. He also has tuna
BILE tom-tom only one of its kind
in use.
A composer, as well as drum
and vibraharp star, Hampton's
Arizona sun., 1948-09-24
Former Carverites
Toins PCBand

Former Carverites, who are at
tending Phoenix College this year,
have joined the College band. They
are Arthur Brown, Robert Carreth-
ers, James Gilbert and Theodore
Hunter. All play the trumpet ex-
cept Gilbert who plays the bass
drum.
They will make their first ap-
pearance with the band tomorrow
night at Montgomery Stadium
when the College clashes with New
Mexico Military in their first sched-
uled footbalE game of the season.
Arizona sun., 1948-09-24

Furniture in the two other
houses were saved Mrs. Calhoun,
who is shown with her baby, lived
in one of the houses and was fort
unate enough to save all of dher
furniture.
Mrs. Banks said that she and
Mr.. Banks were the first Colored
to buy property in that block. Four
years ago they moved from Stock
ton, California here and purchased
their lot, where they lived in a
trailer until there was money
enough to build their modern block
home which was an investment of
several thousand dollars. The pity
of the whole thing-there was not
a penny's worth of insurance.
Mrs. Banks has one son who re-
Gently joined the Navy and two
smaller children at home.
Arizona sun., 1948-09-24

The devastation of homes and
other property, by fire, on the
West Side marches on. The wreck
age pictured above is the latest
spectacle which left thirteen peo-
pie homeless last Monday about
noon, at 1913 w. Yuma ST.
Mrs. Nellie Banks, whose home
and furniture was completely de-
stroyed, said the fire started in her
kitchen as she was prearinpg lunch
on an oil stove. The food which she
was cooking ,boield over, she said,
and the mixture of the water and
oil caused an exlosion. p
Mrs. Banks said she was only
able to save a couple of pieces of
furniture out of the whole house.
The city fire department arrived
on the scene in time to save the
3rd house from being completely
destroyed.
Arizona sun., 1948-09-24
American Legion Advocate Integro
ton of Neqroes in National Guard

The 3Oth Annual Convention of
the Arizona American Legion
which convened in Yuma, Septem-
Der 1918 adopted a resolution to
intregrate Negroes in the National
Guard.
The Tildon. White Post No. 40 of
Phoenix sponsored the resolution
which was presented ito the resolu-
ton committee and was adopted
by the body.
The resolution reads as follows:
Whereas, Members of the Amer
Arizona sun., 1948-09-24
Record Enrolment
At Roosevelt School

At the end of the second week
the enrolment at the Roosevelt
Ward School stood at 265. This all
time high has taxed the facilities
of the school, however, work will
soon begin on a. new school build
ing near 22nd Street and East
Broadway. The enrolment is ex-
pected to exceed 300 pupils by
Christmas when all the former pu-
pills enroll. Pupils living in the
Roosevelt District must attend
school within the district, unless
special permission is obtained from
the trustees of the district.
Arizona sun., 1948-09-24
Rites Held For
lanes Pearce

Funeral services were held at
East Lake Mortuary, last Tuesday,
for James Pearce 80 year old
Phoenician who died in local hos
pital on September 16 after a long
illness; Rev. Holt officiating.
Mr.. Pearce came to Phoenix
about 18 years ago from Shreve-
port, La, and resided with his son
l.. c.. Pearce here, who survives
him; also a granddaughter, Mrs.
Hattie Bell, 1341 E. Madison ST.
Interment in Greenwood Gene
terry. East Lake Mortuary in
charge.
Arizona sun., 1948-09-24
Busey Condemns
Ariz. Segregated
School System

Ray Busey, former Mayor of
Phoenix in his regular State wide
broadcast over Station KOOL, last
week on September Is took dras-
tic stand against Arizona's separate
school system. His exact words are
quoted as follows:
"We all want the best for our
children. ....Some of you will differ
with me of course, when I say that
we in Arizona are making a mis-
take when we allow the Segrega-
ton of Negro Americans in our
elementary and high school systems
.....Well, you have that privilege.
This is America and we may all
think as we please, but segrega-
ton is a rather foolish thing for
democracy to allow. When our
state constitution was framed and
when our early laws were writ
ten nearly two generations ago
there crept into them mandatory
clause that Negroes must be Sc
gregated in the elementary schools
and that under certain conditions
segregation could be by law invok
ed in the secondary or high schools.
That has been done in many
places throughout the state in the
elementary system, and it was
done years ago here in Phoenix IN
the high school. 1t should be un-
done, and that's difficult, because
too many of you folks carry old
fashioned prejudices in your sys-
TENS and can't or won't shake them
off. The law says we must give
equal facilities in schooling to those
whom we Segregate,' but most of
the school boards where Segrega-
ton is practiced in Arizona know
full well that they are not comply
ing with the law. If you FORGET
entirely about the injustice done
to child who happens to be born
into this part of the world with a
black or brown skin of Negro line
age, the injustice and damage by
this segregation practice of ours,
you might think about something
else. It's just this. You want every
privilege and every fair chance for
your own child with the very best
of school facility to accomplish
that end, and actually when you
segregate other children you are
taking your school funds needed
by your own and spending them on
the special so-called schools set up
to accomplish the segregation deal.
That is simply the most foolish of
economic maneuvering.> The big
gest item in your tax bill today is
the one which maintains the good
school system of the state. If we
allow segregation to grow upon us
as population increases we shall
soon find ourselves maintaining
two complete school systems and
for no explainable reason except
that we've got more money than
we know what to do with and we
want to spend a big slice of it like
a guy named Hitler did to try to
prove something which isn't prove
able. If there is a superior race of
people on this earth they have yet
to be found and isolated. Maybe we
shall learn. I don't know. What do
you think about it"
Mr.. Busey is a proven friend to
the minority races and would well
come a letter from anyone who
can suggest final answer to this
problem.
Arizona sun., 1948-09-24
Last OF The Nine Scottsboro Boys Tells
WHY FLED AL ALBANIA PRISON.
TEXT OF Letter BARES
HELL OF PENAL FARM

haywood PdUJorSOn, writer OF
the letter below, has spent II of
his "a years behind prison bars. He
escaped last July from Kilby Pris-
on, Montgomery, Ala, where half
of his life was spent.
He was one of nine Negro boys
who were dragged from an Alaba-
ma freight train on March 25, 1881,
and charged with rope" Ranging
in ages from IL to 18 years, the
boys were saved from a mob by a
sheriff who wanted the court to
handle the case. The court sem
fenced eight of them, including
Haywood Patterson, to the electric
chair.
Six years of legal and mass cam
paigning resulted in freedom for
four of the defendants, Glen Mont
gomery, Roy Wright, Willie Rober-
son and Eugene Williams. The then
governor of Alabama, Bibb Graves,
promised a defense committee dele
cation that the other five boys
would be pardoned in a comprom-
iSe offer.
One by one the ScottSboro boys
were let out of Kilby Prison on pa
role. Andy Wright, Clarence Nor
ris, Charlie Weems and Ozzie Pow
ell. Powell was released only in
September, 1916.
Patterson, who had shown the
most advanced understanding of
his case, was serving a sentence of
SO years for an act charged against
him while in prison. Last year he
was known to have been one of the
prisoners flogged by prison author
tiles.
Patterson'S story, and the story
of other Negro prisoners whose
crimes could never equal those
committed against them by the
state, is told in his letter. Patter-
son is asking, in the only way he
knows how to ask, that the people
who once saved his life, now act
to guarantee him a sanctuary.
Quick death, it is understandable
would be far more preferable than
a return to the conditions he deS-
cribes in his letter.
TEXT OF LETTER BARES
'HELL' OF PENAL FARM
Yes, am the ScottSboro boy,
namely, Haywood Patterson, and
am not a refugee from justice.
1 am only a victim of >cirsum-
stances over which i have had no
control. And 1 do want the people
of America to realize that am not
trying to hide from justice but
what I have done was just and
right. The only unjust thing I did
in Alabama was the killing of two
state dogs in order ITO make my es-
cape. can't begin to say how sorry
1 am about this, but it had to be
done or else!
Now 1 ask that the people who
are really interested be not de-
ceived by the state of Alabama be-
cause they will have you to believe
that I am a bad character, the
meanest Negro in all the world if
you allow them to tell it.
Now 1 can scarcely describe all
the evil and mean things that hap
pened ito me. Some I shall call to
remembrance of the people of the
state of Alabama. How many "a
time they have been bitter and
torn my heart out with their veno-
nous tongues. They have placed
many foul accusation against me.
They have disgraced my life and
CONTINUED on Page ~
Arizona sun., 1948-09-24

lean Legion, Tildon White Post
No. 40, Department of Arizona,
and other citizens of Ithe United
States of America, are denied the
opportunity of serving in the Ma
tional Guard of the State of Ari-
Zona.
Whereas, The Preamble to the
Constitution of the American Le-
gion states we are all dedicated to
safeguard the principles of Justice,
Freedom and Democracy. To fos-
(Co-xtinued on Page So
Arizona sun., 1948-09-24

compositions include "Jack the
Bellboy," and "Bompin" "Give Me
Some Skin," II Nearly Lost My
Mind" Number ST." Anything"
Standing Room Only Holly
wood Shuffle," "Mushm6uth," and
"Boogie-Woogie Jones'" In all, he
has written over 100 original tunes.
Hampton won 1912 Pittsburgh
Courier Poll as most popular band
His orchestra played in the Danny
Kaye Samuel Goldwyn picture
That's Life"
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1948-10-28

You'll enjoy much finer per-
formance pith economy in
Chevrolet. Its worlds cham
pion Valve-in-Head engine
holds all records for miles
served. owners satisfied. and
years tested and proved. And
Valve-in-Head engine-design.
like so many other Big-Car
features, is found only in
Chevrolet and more costly cars.