davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1953-07-16
Polio Strikes
Three In Nef
Families Nearby

With two Bluffton victims already
hospitalized with polio, the dread
disease again struck close to home
"a triple blow in the family of
Richard E. Neff, we'll known book
keeper at the c. F. Niswander &
Son farm implement agency, Bluff
ton, and at his fathers home on
Williamstown Route /
Bulbar polio took the life of Neff's
little 8-year-old brother, James Ed
ward on Friday, hospitalized his sis
ter, Esther, 13, at the same time,
and then struck in his own home
with his 1S-month-old baby as the
victim. ....-- r.
Funeral services were held for the
Neff youngster, Monday afternoon
in Good Hope Lutheran church, Ar
hngton. James was born July Is,
1914, the son of G. Willard and
Fairy E. (Wilch) Neff. The par
ents survive along with brothers and
sisters, Janice, 81, Mary Ellen, IS,
Carolyn, 16 and Esther, all at home;
Richard who lives near Jenera and
Mrs. Ruth Anna Russell of Jenera.
Both of the Willard Neff children
were taken to the Maumee Valley
hospital were James died. His sis
ter, Esther, was not as critically i'll.
Robert Dean, the S-month old son
of Mr.. and Mrs. Richard Neff, and his
mother were taken to her parents
home in Bluffton. Because of the in
fant's age and because he does not
appear to be in serious condition, he
has not been hospitalized.
At the same time Monday it was
reported that Mrs. Paul Traucht,
26, of Orange township, had been
stricken by bulbar polio. She died
early Wednesday morning in Maumee
Valley hospital, Toledo. The body
was taken to the Daily Funeral home
in Arlington, but funeral arrange
ments were not complete at press
time.
A three-year-old Lafayette girl,
Jacqueline Bassitt, daughter of Dom
aid r. Bassitt, Lafayette, was also
stricken by polio Tuesday of last
week. She was admitted to Lima
Memorial hospital on that day and
the case was diagnosed as polio on
Wednesday.
A Van Buren, township victim,
Mrs. Gail Traucht, %, who lives on
Route 1913, was taken to Lima Mem
orial hospital Tuesday after her ill
ness was diagnosed as polio.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1953-07-16

is planning to leave for Germany
soon. They were to discuss Moser's
travel plans.
No one at the college knew that
Arkema's plans had gone awry until
Moser turned up at the college on
Sunday looking for Fred. He said
that he had never arrived at Berne.
A girl friend of Arkema's who also
resides in Berne reported likewise
that she had not seen him.
The youth, whose home is in Hol-
land, had completed his freshman
year this spring and was employed
at maintenance work on the campus
this summer. He had planned to re-
turn to his job by Monday.
An uncle, Henry Bakker, Lansing,
Mich, was notified of the disappear
ance. The youths father was plan
ming to visit him in this country the
early part of August, and Fred had
talked of meeting his father in New
York when he arrived.
Arkema is 5 feet, 10 inches in
height and weighs about 145 pounds.
He has blonde hair and was wearing
teal blue trousers and a blue knit
sport shirt. Three fingers on his left
hand are missing, the result of a
corn drill accident during his child
hood.
The Bluffton student was we'll
known to the towns residents. His
family was the subject of Bluffton
News story last spring when young
Fred was deeply concerned for their
safety in the floods that swept his
home country.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1953-07-16
Work To Start On
Fourth New Home
Here This Summer
Three Other Smaller Build
ing Projects Launched
I'm Recent Days

Construction work is to open next
week on the fourth new residence
to be built in Bluffton this year when
A. o. Badertscher and associates be-
gin to dig the basement for the Ropp
Triplett home on the new street be-
ing constructed between the farms of
Mrs. Cyrus Schumacher and Harvey
Gratz.
At the same time it was learned
that several other smaller building
projects are either underway or in
the process of being launched. Don
Cupples has started work on a double
garage of brick veneer construction
on Cherry street to be used as gar
age and workshop for his electrical
business. Plans are to build new
residence attached by breezeway to
the garage next summer.
Elmer c. Romey, president of the
Citizens National Bank of Bluffton
is also building a single garage on
his property at Id Grove street and
work was to start this week on re-
siding the Methodist parsonage on
North Jackson street. Green asbes-
tos siding shingles are to be applied
to the building following insulation
work which has been completed.
The new Triplett home of modern
contemporary design, will be con-
structed of Roman brick veneer and
includes six large rooms with bath
room and half. Designed by Ar
chitect Carleton Wilson, the new
home Incorporates many of the most
recent home design details including
floor to ceiling glass windows in the
livingroom which slide away, open
ing the room with screen enclosure
to the out-of-doors.
Part of the livingroom ceiling is
also of structural glass and glass is
used again in the diningroom as a
sliding partition division.
New aluminium awning-type win
dows, the first to be installed in Bluff
ton, open sectionally outward from
the top, making it possible to leave
the windows open during rain with
out the water entering the home.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1953-07-16

break-ins at the corner of Cherry
and Mound street. Fett, awakened
about 8 a. m. to get a drink of wa
ter for one of his children, noted a
strange auto parked directly in the
rear of his hardware truck alongside
the house.
The car aroused his suspicious, and
he went outside to investigate. 1t
was a 1949 Buick bearing Indiana
license tags. He copied the tag
numbers down.
Location of the getaway car in
front of the Fett home was a like
ly spot, since passersby would be
inclined to believe that the Fetts
had overnight guests. 1t is possible
that the hardware mans investiga-
ton of the auto might have alarmed
a lookout and sent the safecrackers
on their way.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1953-07-16
Three Suspected
TB Cases Found
In X-Ray Check-Up

Three cases of suspected tuberculo-
sis were found among the PIP Bluff
ton residents X-rayed June 1924, the
Allen County tuberculosis and Health
association has reported.
In addition eight persons were
found to have other chest pathologies,
mostly heart.
For the month of June, in Allen
County, 19 suspected cases of tuber-
culosis and ID other chest pathologies
were uncovered among a total of
1,401 X-rays.
Gilbert C. Lear, executive secretary
of the TB & Health association, said
that all individuals with significant
chest abnormalities have been advis-
ed to see their family doctor for a
complete check up at the earliest
possible moment.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1953-07-16

Enrolment in the Baton Twirling
Camp being conducted by Victor
Faber on the Bluffton college campus
during the past two weeks reached
90 during the opening week with Ga
youngsters enrolled this week.
The school for youngsters with
ambitions to become majorettes in
their high school and college bands
is said to have the largest enrolment
over a two-week instruction span of
any of the numerous schools east of
the Mississippi river.
This is the fifth consecutive year
that Bluffton has been host town to
the majorettes. The school has been
operated each year by Victor Faber,
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1953-07-16
Burglars Work Hard, Gain Nothing
In Two Bluffton Safecracking Jobs

Safecrackers put in long, hard
nights work without compensation,
late Monday and early Tuesday morn
ing in the offices of the Steinman
Bros. Lumber Co., and nearby Farm
ers Grain Co.
Indications were that the burglars
started their work at the lumber
company .office, and after pounding
out all of the safe door rivets, man.
aged to completely demolish the
heavy outer door. They knocked off
the combination from an inner door
behind which the firms money was
concealed, but were unable to force
it open.
Police believe that they then tack
led the smaller safe in the Farmers
Grain Co. office, and proceeded in
the same manner to punch out the
rivets. Apparently daylight halted
their operation before it was COM
pleted.
In neither office were records dis
turbed or desk drawers ransacked.
A counter drawer in the grain COM
pany office containing a small amount
of silver change was untouched.
County deputies were unable to
find fingerprints in either office. The
burglars apparently wore gloves.
Only clue to the possible identifi-
cation of the thieves was offered by
Maurice Fett, Bluffton hardware man
who resides near the scene of the
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1953-07-16
B. p A. RECOMMENDS CLOSING TOWN POWER PLANT
Record Wheat Harvest Floods Elevators

With the local wheat harvest
drawing to close the latter part of
this week grain elevator operators
and farmers alike were predicting
that it would likely be the largest
haul of wheat in the history of this
area.
Eldon Tschiegg, general manager
of the Farmers Grain Co., said that
the firms records at the close of
business last Saturday showed that
$4,000 bushels of new wheat had al
ready been handled, and indications
were that there was still a lot of
grain to come.
OF the $4,000 bushels brought to
the local elevators 10000 bushels
were marked for storage under the
governments price-support program.
The wheat is being stored for the
farmers by Farmers Grain Co. in bins
located in Lima and Fostoria. The
remaining 10000 bushels We're dis
posed of on the market by farmers
preferring to take the S1.64 market
price and immediate cash to a gov
ernment loan at the $2.28 support
price for stored grain.
In many cases, however, farmers
sold their wheat on the open market
at lower price because all storage
space had been contracted for.
More than 40 railroad cars of
wheat were shipped either to storage
or to the market from the Bluffton
firm, and trucks were also engaged
in shipping the grain out when suffi-
cient freight cars were not available.
This summers bumper crop was at
tributed both to higher than normal
yield and to additional acreage plant
ed to wheat last fall. Some farmers
said that it could be expected that the
average yield of wheat lands would
be better from now on with the
growing practice of topdressing the
soil with nitrogen. This has increas-
ed average yields as much as 10 to
Is bushels per acre, they claim.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1953-07-16
Negotiations At
[Standstill Again
In MOtter Cases

Although there had been hopes
that final disposition might be made
last week in negotiations aimed at
obtaining an out-of-court settlement
in the Myron Motter sewer easement
and pollution damage cases, city Off
cials said this week that there was
nothing new to report of the pro-
ceedings.
Whether the matter will be cleared
up this week, or will be settled at all,
was something regarding which no
member of the towns official family
is willing to hazard an opinion, as
matters now stand.
Apparently negotiations, which
last week were in final stages, still
are at a point where little remains
to be done in determining if it will
be possible to settle the two cases
out-of-court.
How soon the concluding steps in
negotiations may be completed, how
ever, is something which no one
seems to know.
1t now has been a matter of a
little more then four weeks since the
town began investigating the possi-
bility of effecting a joint settlement
of the sewer easement and pollution
damage cases, without fighting the
matter thru the courts.
The towns sewer easement suit
was withdrawn on June IL, because
of an error in the engineering de-
scription, and no action has been
taken on re-filing the case in court
because of the current negotiations.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1953-07-16
Births

Mr.. and Mrs. Dean Niswander,
Bluffton, a girl, Jeanne Marsea, born
last Wednesday.
Mr.. and Mrs. George F. Thayer,
Lafayette, a boy, James Allen, born
last Thursday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Orville Stevenson,
McComb, boy, Hal David, born last
Thursday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Warren Hull, Ada, a
girl, Rebecca Lynn, born last Friday.
Mr.. and Mrs. ROLAND Dodge, Bluff
ton, a girl, Lee Ann, born Saturday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Kenneth Leedy, Bluff
ton, a girl, Pamela Marie, born Sun
day.
Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Welly, Jene-
ra, boy, Brian Neil, born Sunday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Kinsinger.
Bluffton, a boy, Clair Andrew, born
Sunday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Francis Hochstettler,
Columbus Grove, boy, born Monday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Harold Kidd, Lima, a
boy, Steven Morris, born Monday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Rex Ferrall, Lima, a
girl, Nancy 10, born Monday.
Rev. and Mrs. Paul E. Grabill, a
boy, Paul Bradley, born Tuesday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Samuel Marquart, Ar
lington, boy, born Wednesday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Roger Berky of Woos-
ter, Ohio, became the proud parents
of baby girl, Susan Fay, born July
6. Mrs. Berky is the former Alice
Louise Augsburger, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. w. B. Augsburger of Bluff.
ton.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1953-07-16
BlufftOn Baton Twirlers' School
One of Largest East OF Mississippi

Findlay, a professional drum major
and national champion baton twirler
in 1949. Other members of the in
struction staff are Bill Modlin of
Flora, H., drum major of the Uni
versity band; Marlene Martz, Miami
university majoretts from Celina,
Ohio; Marilyn Millikin, Ohio State
high school champion this year, and
Beverly James, Cleveland.
The school will close Saturday with
an open twirling contest in which
students as we'll as entrants from
several states will participate. This
years students hail from eight stat
es, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia,
Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsyl-
vania and Illinois.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1953-07-16
Light Plant Deal
May Affect SUir,,
Pool Planning

A new development came this
week in Buttons municipal
swimming pool situation, with
disclosure that it may be pos
sible to locate the pool on pres
ent grounds of the municipal
light plant and water works.
This possibility came to light,
following recommendation by the
board of public affairs that the
town sell it's electrical generat-
ing equipment and purchase its
current from the Ohio Power Co.
in the future.
Should the recommendation
become reality, the town will
have available as a swimming
pool site the quarry now used to
cool water discharged from the
plant turbines.
Garage and shop buildings,
hOW duIdSCHI W TIC dudIA " HI
turn could be remodelled for use
as a bath house, and the aggre-
gate investment would be mater
tally lower than attempting to
build at the Buckeye quarry as
originally considered, it was
pointed out.
In addition, the pool and bath
house would be located on munic-
ipally-owned property instead of
on private grounds as would be
the case at the Buckeye.
Paul Diller, chairman of the
swimming pool committee, an
nounced this week that the group
has been postponing any action
on the proposal to build at the
Buckeye until the light plant
proposal is decided.
This is seen as an indication
that the committee feels location
of the pool at the water works
quarry is preferable to building
at the Buckeye.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1953-07-16
NeIU Stage Curtain

A new stage curtain for the high
school lditorium to replace the well
worn curtain now in use was ordered
at the Tuesday evening meeting of
the Bluffton Board of Education.
The new stage piece will cost $478,
of which $125 was provided by the
graduating class of 80. The former
students will be credited with making
the new curtain possible.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1953-07-16
'54 School Budget
Calls For 4,5OO
Increase Over '53
Board Program Of Building
improvements To Continue
During Next Year

A budget for the calendar year of
1854 calling for approximately S4,-
500 in excess of estimated expen-
ditures for 1853 was adopted by
the Bluffton Board of Education at
its meeting Tuesday evening in the
high school office.
Total expenditures set up in the
budget for next year amount to
$155,SS0 as compared with $780,
1880. A slight increase in revenue
from the state school foundation
program amounting to an estimated
S1,715 will assist in meeting the
higher budget and some of the re-
mainder will come through decreas-
ing the cash balance expected to
be carried forward from this year.
Budget figures on the whole have
been set up much the same as for
this year including $4,000 for per-
manent building improvements and
$4,000 for maintenance costs to con-
tinue the boards program of i'm
proving the buildings.
Principal increase in the new bud
get is a $4,000 item for teacher
salaries. This is earmarked for en-
ployment of additional teachers, Mr..
Murray said.
At the Tuesday meeting the board
approved Mr.. Murray's recommen-
dation to ask the court to approve
transfer of approximately $1,000
remaining in the bond and interest
account to the general fund for
building improvements. The money
is no longer needed for bond or
interest payments, since the school
is now debt free.
The board also acted to renew a
two-year contract with the Citizens
National Bank as depository for the
school funds.
In the general building improve
ment program underway this sum-
mer, Superintendent Murray report
ed that new furniture has been
installed in the third and fourth
grade room in the elementary build
ing. The room formerly was used
as kindergarten room. The lat
ter has been moved to a basement
room formerly used for craft shop.
The gymnasium and auditorium
have been painted and window cur
tains are to be sent out for renovat-
ing and cleaning.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1953-07-16

This move would result in closing
the municipally-owned generating
plant and selling as salvage its equip
ment, including turbines, boilers, etc.
Receipts from this source were es-
timated at from $4,000 to $4,000.
Under the proposal made to coun-
Gil by the board of public affairs, the
electrical distribution system-lines,
poles, transformers, ETC., would re-
main the property of the town.
The only change from the present
picture would be that instead of gen.
Grating electric current as at present,
the village would buy it from the
Ohio Power CO., and distribute it
through it's existing system on the
same rate basis as now applying.
Savings Promised
According to the report presented
to council Monday night, Bluffton
would save at least $4,000 every
year "by substituting 100 per cent
purchased power in place of gener-
ated power" This would amount to
33 per cent per year and "would re-
suit in a reduction of the present
generating cost of 1873 mills per
XVIII to about 10.5 mills per XVIII"
"Over a 10-year period, the re-
port continues, "the total aggregate
cash savings in favor of purchased
power as compared to generated pow
er costs with a new unit plus the
bond payments required, would be
about $382,000, or 80 per cent, an
average of over $4,000 per year."
The "new unit plus bond payments
required" mentioned above are re-
lated to a survey conclusion that an
additional boiler is needed at the
plant, since "the present power plant
is deficient in available firm capacity,
since with the largest boiler out of
service, it is not possible for the re-
manning plant capacity of 1900 XIV
to carry all of Buttons load, es-
timated for 1868 to be 1,600 XIV.
Installation of the additional boil
er and generating equipment would
involve an expenditure and an addi-
tional bond issuance of about $780,
900, plus probably an increase in rate
to pay for same," according to the
report
Sub-Station Required
Some expense would be required in
the changeover, the report showed,
as follows:
purchased power would require
only a nominal investment on the
part of the village of Bluffton for
a sub-station, in switching equipment,
of less than $4,000, which should
not require the creation of any ad-
ditional long-term debt"
Mounting costs of labor and fuel
chiefly are responsible for the pres
ent situation, in which the village
can buy electric current cheaper than
it can generate it, the council was
told.
Only about 40 per cent as much
coal is needed for the generation OF
q XVIII in a large plant, as compared
with the cost in a small plant such
as Bluffton. At present fuel, labor
and repairs in the Bluffton plant cost
one and one-half cents, and the cur
rent can be bought for less than
that figure under an offer made by
the Ohio Power Co.
Continued on Page 5
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1953-07-16
BeaUerdan, To Vote
On School LeDy

Beaverdam school district voters
will cast their ballots this fall on the
question of renewing five-mill extra
levy for school operation during the
next five years. The school board
took action at a recent meeting to
have the levy issue placed on the
ballots.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1953-07-16

Two Bluffton college friends of the
missing youth, made a search Tues
day of the route he would have taken
from Bluffton to Berne. They found
several persons along the route who
apparently had seen the young man,
but the trail was lost in Van Vert.
At one Van Vert gasoline station,
the attendant recalled seeing youth
answering the students description.
At the time he apparently was in the
company of two servicemen. The
station attendant said that he had
overheard them speak of going to
Chicago.
Friends of Fred said that he had
often expressed a desire to travel
west and recently had been disap-
pointed when an opportunity to do so
failed to materialize. They feel that
he may have been picked up by the
other young men heading west and
grabbed the opportunity to see the
country.
Meanwhile anxious college authori-
ties were watching the mails for word
from him.
The Allen county sheriff's office,
state highway patrol and FBI were
asked to aid in the search after the
students absence was noted on Sun
day. He left last Thursday for Berne
to visit a friend, Millard Moser, who
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1953-07-16
Trail OF Missing Blufton Student
Traced To Van Vert, But Lost There

Although Buton college officials still had definite word of
the whereabouts of Fred Baker Aema freshman student who
has been missing since he began htchhng trip Berne
last Thursday there appeared to be evidence that the
sing youth have taken advantage of mpompu oppor-
tunity to travel into the western part the country.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1953-07-16
Would Buy Electricity
From Ohio Power Company
Surrey Indicates Blufton Can Buy
PoUer Cheaper Than Generating OlDn

Disclosing that Buon buy its electric current cheaper
than produce it, the village board of public affairs Monday
night recommended to municipal council that the town take i'm