The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1948-03-11
Mt>sL
OesAobsdL

Signs of spring first robins
sighted-speaking of early birds
/ they're tops and a few hardy
souls looking over their garden plots
| Just looking as yet but here
comes st. Patrick's day next Wednes-
| day and some Of the oldtime garden
ers who know their almanacs say
that's the time to plant sweet peas
d. and those new auto tags appear
ing and next Monday is the dead
line for mailing in your income tax
return-that means it's the middle
of March which also means that it
won't be long until April and
| Easter in the offing . and maple
syrup season reported going good
but it's a strictly private proposition
with none for sale . and some of
the Bluffton folks who were in
Florida returning home after hard
winter down there-the natives al
ways say that it's unusual whenever
cold snap comes which recalls that
one Bluffton resident wintering in
Florida several years ago decided to
put up a heating stove in his apart
ment-only to find after he had the
stove installed that there was no
chimney in the place.
A former Bluffton woman, DR..
Helen f. Barnes, now of Findlay, the
only Bluffton women whose name
has appeared in "Who's Who" was
85 years old Tuesday. She was a
member of the class of 1881, the
first to be graduated from Bluffton
high school. Her father was one of
Bluffton's early Methodist ministers.
For many years in Y. w. c. A.
work, she was sent to far-off places
to organize associations and carry
the American women's fellowship
messages.
Five years ago on her 80th birth
day she celebrated by inviting to her
home in Findlay everyone whose
birthday occurs in March which was
followed by an organization of these
people into a group known as the
"Marchers." Her IS years rest light
ly on her and her interest in people,
world events and community affairs
is just as keen now as ever.
H
And speaking of birthdays-there's
Andrew jackson Jack" Fisher who
has birthday next Sunday-named
after the seventh President Andrew
Jackson whose birthday comes one
day later, next Monday, All of which
recalls the unusual number of young
sters of that generation named after
the president who was a hero and
idol of the frontier folk back in the
days when northwestern Ohio was
being rough-hewn from the wilder
| ness.
Mrs. Martha Mumma Bowen, 8S-
year old Bluffton native who died at
the home of a daughter in CIaypool,
Ind, Monday had the unusual dis
tinction of having two sons who are
Indiana postmasters. They are Joe,
postmaster in Mishawaka and Roy in
Warsaw. An aunt of the Mumma
families here, Mrs. Bowen was the
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Peter K.
Mumma, pioneer family. Most of
her life was lived in Indiana.
No one seems to know for sure
just who it was that selected the
color for the new automobile license
plates-but there are plenty of Bluff
women who are sure it must have
been a man. They're awful" just
about sums up the comment from
women who are getting tags at
BiXel's Motor sales these days.
Except for maroon or black cars
the coIors clash hideously, they say.
Altho official announcement describes
the color as lemon yellow, the women
here say its really a shade of Persian
cream.
And speaking of auto tags, Bluff
ton motorists aren't in the least
superstitious, says Clayton Bixel,
registrar, as they accept tags ending
IN the traditionally unlucky number
l3 without a muruur. Since the
serial numbers start at 81, there can't
be just a plain 13-but 113 or 213 are
o. K.
The demand for special numbers
comes principally from motorists
who want their tags identical with
their house number, telephone num-
Der or their age (this latter from
men only. And shades of galloping
dominoes-one fellow asked for
number I'll.
Altho Bluffton is out of the tourna-
ment running in basketball, the fans
here are following closely the record
of James Jimmy" Gallant on the
Bucyrus high school team who has
hanY1 clyv,,.Cnlwa4:~r~