davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1949-10-04
Asks Why Comic Industry"
Is Being "Emphasized"
To the Editor Of the Star:

Is Being "Emphasized'
To the Editor OF the Star:
It was with panied amazement that read
In an article in The Star Of September ~.
publicizing the current cartoonlSt exhlolt at
the Library of Congress, that the comic strip
Kerry Drake "crusades against eVils. Inls
same comic strip in September, l947, was
particularly mentioned in a report before
the Criminal Law Section of the American
Bar Association as an example of comic
feature in which "crime techniques are olue
printed with meticulous accuracy-thus CIV
ing the recipient an accurate handpooK LOT
anti-social and often criminal conduct
One cannot help wondering why all this
emphasis upon the favorable part comics
have played in our civilization. Could 1t be
that the comic industry is alarmed oy the
many recent pronouncements on the CORE
lation between crime and comics and Juve-
nile delinquency and is trying to cloak with
respectability media that is many times
menace to children?
It is misleading to call many Of these pic
ture stories comics" as they are lar re-
moved from the humorous stories generally
associated with the title. Kerry Drake well
exemplfles this type of comic that for too
long has been indoctrinating children IN the
finer points of criminal procedure.
And now the comic industry is introducing
our children to another field OF learning
that of love. It's new line Of so-called ro-
nance comics with such stories as Il Played
At Love-" II Wanted Both Men, my Short
Term Marriage" should be able to accom-
plish much with newly awakened adolescent
emotions.
It is because parents realize, as the United
States Children S Bureau has pointed out that
the greatest leisure time activity OF middle
childhood is the reading of comics. and be-
cause they recognize that comics are among
the most important media ever devised to
present facts ideas and ethical standards to
children that parents all over the Nation
have become concerned over the quality OF
entertainment found in many OF these pub
lications FLORA M. COAN.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29
PARENTS TO SHARE
WITH LUCKY BABE
IN LAVISH GIFTS
Hospital Announcement to
Determine Hour of Birth
of Infant
Buttons Baby Derby to Start
at Midnight Saturday
Night

Gifts by the truckload will be
showered on the first 1850 baby from
the Bluffton area born in the Com
munity hospital here, with more
than GO local business places offer
ing prizes in gigantic New Years
Baby Derby.
Most of the gift-jackpot will 60 to
the baby, but the lucky father and
mother also will share in the awards
with a wide variety of offerings in
cluding everything from ice cream to
coal.
The first baby born in the Bluffton
hospital after the stroke of u Sat-
urday night viii be the King or
Queen of the baby derby, if his par
ents live within a 10-mile radius of
the place Of birth, participating mer-
chants announced.
Complete derby rules are as fol-
lows:
Rules of Award
1. The baby must be born in
Bluffton Community hospital.
Continued on page 12)
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29
Mrs. Henry Hdbegger
Rites Held MOnday

Funeral services were held Mon
day afternoon in the First Mennon-
ite church for Mrs. Mary Ann Ha-
begger, rs, wife of Henry c. Ha-
begger, who died suddenly last Fri
day evening in Bluffton Community
hospital of a heart ailment.
Born in Putnam county March 20,
1874, she was the daughter of Chris
tian and Marie (Welty) Zimmerly.
She married Mr.. Habegger on Aug
ust %, 1898.
In addition to the husband she
is survived by six children: Mrs.
Carl Hector, McComb; Mrs. Cecil
Flick, Bluffton Route l; Mrs. Glenn
Schafer, Findlay Route s; Richard
and Merl Habegger, both of Bluff
ton: and Vincent Habegger of Raw
son. There are nine grandchildren,
one great-grandchild and one step
grandchild.
Also surviving are the following
brothers and sisters: Mrs. Joshua
Amstutz, Mrs. Caroline Augsburger,
Mrs. William Habegger and Mrs. AL
bert Lehman, all of Pandora; Leon
ard and Arden Zimmerly, of Pan
Continued on page 12)
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29
Gifts Awaiting Arrival of Buttons Baby
New Year to See Many
New Town Officials
White Christmas
Misses BlufftOn
For Second Year

BLUFFTON missed a White
Christmas for the second success
siye year last Sunday when mild
weather and sunny skies greeted
the Yuletide.
Altho the temperature reached
readings i'm the lower fifties dur
ing the day, it missed the record
for a warm Christmas establish
ed i'm 1882 when a mark of 81
degrees was recorded.
Buttons last snow on the
Yuletide came in 1947 when
there was a blanket of two
inches on the ground.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29

matte relocking device also blocked
further attempts to open the safe,
and there were indications that the
prowler beat a hasty retreat.
Entrance to the building had been
effected by prying open portion of
the sheet metal siding and then fore
ing open an inside office door.
Footprints indicated that the burg
larry attempt was staged by a lone
operator who apparently came upon
the building from the Nickel Plate
railroad tracks at the rear of the
structure. Authorities working on
the case took impressions of the foot
prints for further investigation.
Not Amateurs Work
Evidence indicated that the attempt
to loot the safe was not the work of
an amateur.
Authorities conducting the investi-
cation said there is no evidence the
attempt to crack the Farm Bureau
safe had any connection with burg"
laries of two Bluffton business places
one night earlier, Tuesday of last
week. In connection with the Bluffton
burglaries, thieves also took an auto
mobile owned by Jack Koontz from
its parking place in the business
district.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29
REICHE NBACH IS
new Chairman OF
RECREATION GROUP
Winter Program of Recreation
Committee To Start Next
Week, Chairman Says
Ed Chamberlain Named Vice
Chairman; Secretary To
Be Selected

Ralph Reichenbach has been elected
new chairman of the Bluffton Recrea-
tion committee and will direct ac-
tivities of the organization during the
coming year.
Ed Chamberlain will serve as vice
chairman, and the secretary for the
organization will be named later.
Both Reichenbach and Chamberlain
have served as members of the COM
mittee during the past year
Usual winter recreation activities
sponsored by the committee, and
which have not yet been started this
year, will get under way early in
January, Reichenbach announced.
Open Program Monday
The new officers are completing
plans for the program due to open
next Tuesday at the high school gym
nasium for young men. Recreation
for women will be held every Tuesday
night in the Bluffton college GYM
nasium.
Saturday morning programs for
boys and girls will be held from 900
to 11:30 A. M. each week, beginning
Jan. Z. Coach Richard Lowry will
be in charge of the boys program in
the high school gymnasium, and Miss
Theola Steiner will direct girls ac-
tivities in the high school gymnasium.
Ed Badertscher is retiring president
of the committee.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29
BlufftOn Merchants Association
Completes Busy Year OF Activity

Buttons Business Mems associa-
tion has rounded out year of busy
activity during 1949 under the di-
rection of Ed Rice, retiring presi-
dent.
Rice will be succeeded on Jnauary
l by Silas Diller, new head of the
organization.
Other official changes in the or
gazation at the first of the year
will be: H. w. Raid and Forrest
Steinman, vice-presidents, to be sue
ceeded by Hiram Huser; Paul Cred
ing, treasurer, to be succeeded by Al
Ingalls,; Hiram Huser, secretary, to
be succeeded by Harlan Swank.
Special activity promotions of the
association during the last year n
cluded the following:
Dollar Days in February-Ed
Waltermire, Silas Diller and Ray
mond Greding, committee.
Fourth of July Rodeo (participa-
ton with other community organi-
zations) - Paul Greding, William
Gaiffe, Silas DiTler, Morris Fett and
Clarence Brunn, committee.
Cleanup-P Paintup- Fixup Week -
May 5-12.
Summer Promotion-Dick Troy,
Bill Edwards, Harold Balmer, Ralph
Patterson, Charles Lloyd, committee.
Christmas Decoration committee
Art Amstutz and James West.
Swimming Pool Committee-Ed
Chamberlain, E. A. Sutermeister.
Halloween Party - Dave Risser
chairman.
Christmas Entertainment (Santa
Claus, Etc.)-James Szabo, Chas
| Alderman.
Grievance committee-Silas Diller
| William Gaiffe, Raymond Greding
Membership Promotion Drive-Ralpf
Basinger and James Steiner, chair,
men; New Business Committee
! Wilford Geiger, Fl. w. Raid, E. S
Lape.
During the year the organization
had total membership of At. Reg
lular meeting night is the last We'd
nesday of each month. Four ban
quets were held during the year.
| New committee chairmen named
by Diller, the incoming president, in
clude: Joe Swank, publicity and nev
business; Morris Fett, membership
Raymond Greding, grievance; Chas
Alderman, solicitation.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29
BURGLAR FAILS in.
ROBBERY attempt.
At farm BUREAU
Office at Warehouse South of
Bluffton, Scene of Attempted
Looting
Room Filled with Gas After
After Attempt to Force En-
trance of Safe

Tear gas automatically released
when the office safe was tampered
with, together with an automatic re-
locking device, last Wednesday night
foiled an attempted robbery at the
Allen County Farm Bureau Coop
warehouse, two miles south of Bluff
ton on the Dixie highway.
Potency of effects of the tear gas
bomb attached to the safe is seen in
the fact that nothing else in the office
was molested. Apparently the gas
filled office forced the burglar to
leave in a hurry, without chance to
disturb anything else in the office.
When Wilson Mas, manager of the
establishment, discovered the attempt
ed robbery upon his arrival Thursday
morning, he found the office filled
with fumes from the bomb, which
apparently had been set off only a
few hours earlier.
Tear Gas Surprise
The burglars attempted robbery
nlet with the surprise blast of tear
gas when he had smashed the COM
bination knob of the safe. The auto
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29
!. p. Queens, Former
Mayor, Buried Here

Funeral services were held here
Wednesday morning in st. Marys
Catholic church for Joseph P. Owens,
81, mayor of Bluffton from 1910 to
1912, who died Sunday in Veterans
hospital at Dearborn, Michigan.
A Bluffton native, Owens had lived
in Detroit for more than 80 years
and had been an official in the De-
troit post office snce 1920.
Owens was an attorney when he
served as mayor of Bluffton. He
was elected to the Office when he was
only % years old, and is the young
est mayor in Bluffton history. His
father, Andrew ]. Owens, also had
served as mayor of the village.
After graduating from Bluffton
High School and Bluffton College,
Owens received his law degree at
Ohio Northern university in Ada.
While in high school and college he
was a prominent athlete. He was a
veteran of World War |.
Survivors include his wife, the
former Ada Whitman Longsworth; /;
an adopted son, Laird Owens Came
ron, Defiance; and two sisters, Mrs.
Zenobia Esely, Loudonville; and Mrs.
Hortense Lowery, East Chicago, Ind.
Following Owens death in Dear
born, his body was brought to the
Basinger funeral home in Bluffton
where it remained until time for
the funeral rites Wednesday morn
ing. The Rev. c. ]. Yeager officiat-
ed at the services. Burial was in
Maple Grove cemetery.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29
Heart Attack Fatal
To Memo BurkhOlder

Memo S. Burkholder, rs, promin-
ent retired farmer, died suddenly at
his home two miles west of Blutfton,
Tuesday night at 1925 o'clock.
Death was due to a heart attack.
He had not been i'll.
He was born May 81, 1874 in the
Swiss Settlement near Bluffton, the
son of Samuel and Lydia (Steiner)
Burkholder. On December 6, 1900
he married Lavina Augsburger who
survives. They observed their 49th
wedding anniversary this month.
Surviving are two sons Truman
and Oliver at home and a daugh.
fer. Mrs. Stanley Bixel of Bluffton
also six grandchildren and three
great grandchildren.
Brothers surviving are John OF
Rockport and Reuben of Everett
Wash; two step-sisters Mrs. Lydls
Rufenacht and Mrs. Anna Rufenach
both of Archbold.
He was a member OF the Epen
ezer Mennonite church where fun
eral services will be held with Rev
Howard Landes officiating. Buria
will be in the church cemetery. Time
for the services is announced, sub
;ect to change, on Friday Afternoon
- o.90 o'clock.
The body is at the Paul Ollie
f,,nora, home from where it will b
removed Thursday to his residence
there to remain until time for fun
eral services.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29
Announce Plans For Two Weeks
Evangelistic Campaign In January

Plans for a two weeks evangelis-
tic campaign in the Bluffton-Pan-
dora area were announced the first
of the week by the Tri-County Evan
gelistic association which conducted
a similar movement year ago.
Capt. Edgar Bundy of Wheaton,
ILL.,, and Mr.. and Mrs. liner Basing-
er of Parkersburg, w. Va, formerly
of Pandora, have been engaged as
speaker and song evangelists re-
spectiyely.
Services will be held in st. John
Mennonite church east of Pandora
from January Is through the 21st
and at Bluffton high school auditor
ium from January % through %.
Rev. A. L. Schmidt of Pandora is
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29
Three Union Church Services Will
Mark Week Of Prayer Observance

Three union church services will
mark Buttons observance of the
Universal Week of Prayer, Janu-'
ary l through the 8th, it was an
nounced this week by Rev. V. c.
Oppermann, president of the Bluff
ton Ministerial association, sponsor
ing organization.
First of the Week of Prayer
services will be at 7:30 p. m. Sun
day in the First Mennonite church.
Rev. Oppermann will be in the pull
pit.
Second meeting of the series is
set for 7::30 .. m. Tuesday in the
Presbyterian church with Rev. Frank
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29
Births

The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr.. and Mrs. Lehr Reese, Raw
son, a boy, Ronald J., last Wednes-
day.
Mr.. and Mrs. Robert Diller, Bluff
ton, girl, Barbara Jean last We'd
nesday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas Crawford,
Jenera, a girl, Mary Jane, Thurs
day.
Mr.. and Mrs. Emory Benroth,
Bluffton, boy, Ronald Gene, Satur-
day.
Mr.. and Mrs. Carl Burns, Gilboa,
a girl, Tuesday.
Mr.. and Mrs. VIM. Snyder, Akron,
Pa, girl, Sharon Christine, born
at that place, Monday. Mrs. Snyder
is the former Lucille Steiner of
| Bluffton.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29
Bluffto1l Marks 1040
as Progressive Year

Bluffton ended 1949 with a year Of
unparalleled activity marking u
continuation of the revitalized in
dustrial, business, m1nicipal and ex-
pansion program which got under
way here shortly after the close of
World War III, back in 1945.
General construction activity ana
expansion reaching into all four
fields, and marking the growth of
bigger and better Bluffton, easily
qualified as the most noteworthy
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29
BLUFFTON DISTRICT
WILL GREET new
YEAR WITH GAIETY|
Watch Parties and Bands of
Carolers to Welcome 1850
Saturday Night
Bushes Places and Industries
To Suspend Operations
Next Monday

elimination of the Yuletide holi-
day season will be reached at mid
night Saturday when Bluffton area
residents usher in the New Year in
traditional fashion with ringing bells,
shrieking whistles, footing horns and
unrestrained gaiety.
Watch parties in many homes will
add color and cheerfulness to the
New Years eve observance; theatre
parties are planned by some, and in
other cases the passing of the old
year will be observed by staying at
home and listening to radio pro-
grams in keeping with the season.
Bands of merry carolers are plan
ming their traditional rounds of the
town and countryside, to sing the
favorite Swiss songs of the season,
as another feature marking the debut
of the year.
Holiday Monday
With New Years Day falling or
Sunday, the holiday will be general
ly observed heer next Monday, with
local business places and industries
suspending activity over the long
holiday weekend.
AS usual there will be no mail
delivery on either town or rural
routes and windows at the post office
will be closed thruout the day.
With the passing of 1949, the
gaiety of the holiday season comes
to a close and the color and cheer
of the Yuletide soon will be absorbed
in the rush of everyday affairs.
Christmas decorations will come
down for another year and the gaily
decked trees will be discarded
symbolizing the end of another cele.
bration of the community's favorite
holiday season.
Bluffton High and Grade schoo'
students will return to their classes
next Tuesday morning; and Blufftor
college will resume it's classroom
schedule on the same day.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29

Patterson appearing as the speaker.
Closing the observance will be a
meeting at 8 p. m. Thursday of
next week in the st. Johns Re-
formed church. Rev. Harry Yoder
will be the speaker.
Theme for the week is "A Living
Witness for a Lost World" The
Universal Week of Prayer is spon-
sored by the Federal Council of
Churches.
On the committee to arrange Bluff
tons series of services were Rev
J. N. Smucker and Rev. Paul Fl
Cramer.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29

An automobile stolen from
downtown Rluffton as the after
math to burglary of two local
business establishments Tuesday
night of last week was recovered
in a Lima parking lot. Lima
police discovered the auto and
returned Ii Thursday to Jack
. koontz, its owner.
There have been no further
developments in investigation of
the burglaries and the car theft.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29
New Incumbents in Nine of
Twelve Elective Positions
Here
New Mayor, Clerk, Treasurer
and Five of Six
Councilmen

Bluffton's turnover in elective
office holders when officials elected
last November take office on Jan.
will be one of the greatest in the
history of the town.
OF the II municipal elective posts,
including board of education, for
which new terms start at the first of
the year, only three will be filled by
incumbents.
Two of the three carryover of
ficials are on the three-man board of
public affairs, but for the other 10
town posts, Councilman Frank Todd
is the only one now in office.
In the village administration there
will be a new clerk, new treasurer,
five new councilmen, three new board
of education members and one new
member on the board Of public ar
fairs. Former Mayor w. A. Howe,
who turned over the office to Arden
Baker two years ago, will return to
the villages chief executive post
again at the start of the new year.
Many Changes
Richland townships official family
also will undergo some changes,
there being one new trustee, one new
justice of the peace and two new
constables.
Five new members who will join
incumbent Todd on the village coun-
ell include Edwin Badertscher, VIII
liam Gaiffe, Clay Henderson, Donald
Ream and Everett Sutermeister.
A. j. B. Longsdorf, former super
intendent of schools will succeed
Charles Emans as city clerk; and
E. M. Hostetler, assistant cashier of
the Citizens National bank, will take
over the treasurer post from Sidney
C. Stettler.
Board To Organize
Least affected in the municipal Of
| fee turnover will be the board of
public affairs. Two of the former
members, Forrest Steinman and
Harvey Beidler, were reelected. The
new member will be Joel Kimmel,
who succeeds Edgar Conaway.
Three incoming members of the
board of education are new-Rev. V.
c. Oppermann, Paul Stauffer and
DR.. B. w. Travis. They succeed
Leland Diller, Norman Triplett and
Paul Diller.
On the township board of trustees
Fred C. Badertscher was reelected
for another term, and Jesse Yoakam
was elected a new member of the
board. Yoakam succeeds Watson
Steiner. Albert Augsburger is the
holdover member of the board.
New Constables
Albert Winkler will be a new
Richland township justice of the
peace. Stanley Vertner, of Beaver.
dam, was reelected to the same
position.
Two new constables, both elected
by writeins in the absence of candi
dates with names on the ballots, are
John Garlinger, of Bluffton, ane
10. K. Burns, of Beaverdam.
Bluffton villages new officers al
will take over on the first day o,
the new year Mayor Howe viii
relieve the incumbent mayor at mid
night on Dec. 81, and the new council
will meet for the first time mex
Monday nipht
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29

chairman of the committee on ar
rangements; Joe Thompson and Clar-
ence Diller, both of Bluffton, are
secretary and treasurer respectively.
Committee chairmen are: Outside
services, Rev. F. S. Harder, Pan
dora; finance, John Tosh, Blufton |;
delegations, Noah Schumacher, Pan
dora; ushers, Ralph Basinger, Pan
dora; publicity, Irene Schumacher,
Pandora.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29

events ozhe past IL months.
BiilfftcN cipality's liking -size'
program 4 impsoye-
ments pping anything in many
years, was one OF the highlighta-sf
a season marked by busy activity in
many fields.
City improvements
Included in the major activities of
the village administration during
the year were an $4,000 program
Continued on page 12)
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29
Stores To Close
New Years Eve

Bluffton retail stores will close
Saturday, New Years eve at 8
p. m, it is announced by officers
of the Business Mems Associa-
tion.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29
Seriously Ill

Mrs. Martha Burkholder is a pa
tient at Rluffton hospital.
Cecil Hartman is i'll at his home
south of Bluffton on Bentley road.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-29

Humans contract brucellosis from
contact with diseased animals Or by
drinking raw milk from infected
cows.
The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1949-05-26
"Take A Number"

A diver, clad in grotesque Marian
helmet, plows his way along the ocean
bed fathoms down; human fly,
perched precariously 1000 feet above
the city's streets, whistles cheerily
as he swabs the thousands of win
dows of Manhattan's Empire State
building. This isn't a page from
Jules Verne. 1t is an advance tip
on what is in store for listeners
when persons in hazardous occupa-
tons are the contestants on the Sat-
urday, May %, broadcast of Mu-
tuaFs Take A Number" quiz show
$3.50 to p. M, EDT).
Jacques c. Trahan, deep-sea div
er affectionately dubbed "Frenchy"
by his submarine co-workers, Dick
Hart, chief of the men who give
Manhattan executives heart failure
with their deeds of derring-do as
they wash the windows of the En-
pire State building, and Joseph Pat
rick O'Toole, sand-hog currently
working on the new Brooklyn-Man-
haitian, N. Y, vehicular tunnel,
head the list of Give dangerously
people who will give emcee Red
Benson the right answers - they
hope.
And just to top it off, two con-
struction workers, known to all as
''those madmen who walk Orders
hundreds of feet up" will also COM
pete for the valuable merchandise
prizes. Benson, both feet content
eddy planted on terra frma, will pose
the listener submitted questions.