davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1957-09-05
Fate OF Old School Bell
FORGOTTEN As Time Passes

grade school was dismantled. The
500 pound bell was thrown 55 feet
from the tower and landed undam-
aged.
1t was one of the featured entries in
the annual rodeo parade that year
as committee leaders attempted to
raise fund to build a final home for
the bell.
Chairman 81 Diller reports that
over 5000 is available in the fund,
which has lain untouched since the
1855 rodeo. Several small contribu-
tions have been made since that time
but the major share of the fund came
from donations taken at the rodeo
Leipsic parties sought the bell for
their centennial celebration this year
but were unable to find method of
moving it from the Amstutz farm
The bell hung in the grade school
tower from 1883 until taken down in
1855. It was not used after 1948 after
it was learned the tower was so
badly weakened it might no longer
support the weight. The bell replaced
a smaller one hung in the tower when
the school was constructed in 1876.
Suggestions for maintaining the
bell include wishing well" struc-
ture outside the new elementary
building and victory bell at Harmon
field, to be rung only when Bluffton
high school wins an athletic game.
Diller has suggested plan similar
to one used to preserve an old school
bell at Ashland. A cement platform
has been erected and a bronze
plaque carrying the history of the
school and the bell embedded in the
cement. Ashland officials have re-
ported that it is considered an honor
to ring that school bell and the
tradition which has grown around it
prevents practically all unauthorized
persons from ringing the bell.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1957-09-05

The entire project will take 10 DAYS
to two weeks, L. H. House, super
intendent for Churchill, estimated
when his firm was awarded the con-
tract at the July % meeting of village
council.
First work was done on Jackson
street, between Kibler and Grove
streets where the high crown of the
street was lowered and the low spots
filled in, providing better drainage
and better base for the new surface.
Extra material from the old sur
face was hauled away, but the Lima
firm has been using the old surface
for their base course wherever pos
sible,
A primer coat had been applied for
the entire length of the Jackson
street repair project by Saturday
evening. Tuesday the paving crew
moved onto the street and the first
of the rev pavement was applied by
nightfall.
BY the time the paving crew had
arrived on Tuesday the grading crew
had moved to Lawn avenue where
they will widen and re-grade Lawn
avenue from Kibler street to Grove
street. The extremely high crown
on the southern end of the street will
be reduced and low spots in the next
block built up.
Six streets in all are scheduled for
the new surface. Besides the first
two worked on by the company they
are: Kibler street, between Jackson
and Main; Poplar street, between
Main and Harmon road; Washington
street, between Jackson and Main
and the entire length of Vance street,
which has been badly torn up since
the interceptor sewer system was in
stalled three years ago.
Trees obstructing the widening of
Poplar street were removed last
week, under the supervision of street
commissioner William Gaiffe, as the
village crew prepared the way for the
re-surfacing contractor.
Estimated cost of the project will
exceed SIG, 900, on the basis of figures
Churchill submitted to council when
he was awarded the contract. This
includes S1995 for all grading work,
and $13,3 1863 for the new surface, COM
pletely applied. Other costs, such as
additional base material primer and
choke, will be in addition to the prices
quoted above.
Work is progressing rapidly on the
new bridge over Little Riley creek
which workmen from the Allen county
engineers office are now installing on
Grove street.
Girders for the new bridge are now
in place and the continuous concrete
deck will be poured very shortly.
Date for opening of the new bridge
has not been set.
No cost estimate for the bridge has
been released from the office of
county engineer Tom Monahan.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1957-09-05
Births

The following births were recorded
at Bluffton Community hospital dur
ing the past week:
Mr.. and Mrs. Richard Brown,
Bluffton, a girl, Drema Ann, born
Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. Max Mcdowell, Find
lay, girl, Linda Lou, born Saturday.
Mr.. and Mrs. VIM. Bates, Bluffton,
girl, Marcella Marie, born Monday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Carl Seitz, Ottawa, a
boy, born Monday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Louis Burgess,
Bluffton, a girl, Lori Renee, born
Monday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Billy Durain, Will
Jamestown, a boy, born Wednesday.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1957-09-05
Pirates Get Public Showing Tomorrow
Evening Against Vanlue In Preview

Junior fullback Gordon Mathewson
will probably miss the action tomor-
row evening as he suffered a dis
located shoulder in tackling practice
last week. Osborne expects to have
the hard driving veteran in uniform
for next weeks league opener against
the Lafayette Wolves.
First game of the preview will
open at 7:30 with Bluffton college
graduate Emil Knorr unveiling his
Pandora-Gilboa Rockets against
North Baltimore.
Bluffton will take the field in the
second game against Vanlue. Host
school McComb will test AL Carrinos
Columbus Grove Bulldogs in the third
encounter and neighboring Cory-Raw-
son viii battle Leipsic in the last
attraction of the evening.
The McComb high school band will
play at flag-raising ceremonies at
TBS p. m. with the first game start
ing five minutes later. The band will
also present a 10 minute program
between the second and third games.
The McComb band will be the only
band to perform at the preview.
Fifteen minute games with five
minutes intermission at halftime will
be played. There will be five minute
intermission between all games,
except for the Is minute intermission
when the band will perform.
If the preview should be postponed
because of rain the schools will be
notified by 3 p. m. of the day of the
game. If postponed the preview will
be played Saturday evening at 7:30,
preview manager ]. B. Finley, of
McComb, has announced. If post
poned announcement will be made
over the Findlay and Lima radio
stations.
Holtzapple, Hoerig, Kuenzle and
Valentine have been hired as officials
for the preview.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1957-09-05

AS children return to Buttons new
elementary building for its second
year of use the old mid-Victorian
relic which it replaced is becoming
a fast-forgotten memory.
One relic of the old building re-
mains.
fDusty and alone, foagotten in the
rush and expansion of the past two
years, the old grade school bell lies
neglected in a trailer on the farm
of Wilhelm Amstutz, northwest of
Bluffton.
Symbol of school for many genera
tions of Bluffton residents the old bell
appears to have reached silent, un-
happy end.
Silenced in 1948 when the school
board condemned the bell tower the
bell was removed during the razing of
the building in 1855.
Presently its fate rests in the hands
of the committee appointed by the
high school alumni two years ago.
This committee, which merged with
the self-styled "Save the Bell COM
mittee, is a group dedicated to re-
moving the bell from the old grade
school tower and preserving it for
future generations of Blufftonites.
The original high school alumni
committee, on learning of the plans of
the independent group showed con-
siderable enterprise in merging the
organizations into one group with a
single purpose 81 Diller served as its
chairman and other members were
Dan Tripplehorn. Ralph Stearns,
Armin Hauenstein, Sam Diller, Chuck
Hilty, Bruce Hauenstein and Richard
Jordan.
Unsuccessful in their attempts to
remove the bell by sheer manpower
on Memorial Day, 1866, the group
claimed the bell when it was thrown
from the tower at the time the old
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1957-09-05
PreUieu Ticket
Information

Bluffton is scheduled to play i'm
the second game of Friday nights
preview at McComb. Their oppOn-
ent will be Vanlue. BlufftOn's
game will start five minutes after
the conclusion of the first game,
or shortly after s p. m.
Tickets are on sale at the high
school office and may be pur-
chased. Admission prices are 40
cents for all students and one
dollar for adults.
In case of rain the preyiew may
be postponed until Saturday eve-
ming. If 1t is called off notification
will be made by p. m. Friday
and information will be broadcast
over the Findlay and Lima radio
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1957-09-05

IN orange township was Topped off tC
become part of the Mt. Cory school.
later part of the Cory-Rawson con-
solidation.
The new record completes a 20-year
cycle during which the school age
population here dipped from its 1897
tops to low of 48O pupils in 1850.
Since that time there has been a
steady upward surge.
The new high figure, however, re-
quired an enrolment of Is pupils in
the kindergarten, which was not in
operation back in 1897. Without the
kindergarten influx, the registration
for u grades would still be % under
the 1897 record.
Heaviest influx of additional pupils
was in the elementary grades where
the registration jumped 19 from 81
last year to 80 this year. There were
16 more in the kindergarten than
last year, and 16 more students in
high school grades Z to u.
This years kindergarten win have
80 boys and SO girls, and boys viii
also outnumber girls in the first six
grades, 1913 to 172. In the high school
girls continue to outnumber bows.
149 to 128.
The enrolment by grades follows
Miss Groman's kindergarten, Is;
Miss Stepleton's first grade, 81;
Mrs. Murray's first grade, 33; Miss
Jerome's second grade, SO; Mrs.
Klay's second grade, So; Mrs.
Steiner's third grade. 25; Mrs.
Steiner's fourth grade, g; Mrs. Hilty' S
third grade, 36; Mr.. Ewing's fourth
grade. So: Mrs. Oyer's fifth grade,
80; Mrs Rockers fifth grade, 35;
Mrs. Ropp's sixth grade. 30; Mr.
Stratton's sixth grade. 30. Total ele-
mentary $40.
High school-Grade Z. 48; grade
s, 43; grade 9, 81; grade 10, So; grade
IL, 40; grade II. "a. The senior clas:
will be the same size as last years
senior class on opening day of school
Total high school, 277.
The 20-year record of opening day
registration at Bluffton schools is as
follows: 1937-669; 1898 64S: 1889
610; 1940-5S5; 1941-532; 1924; !;
1943-4S7; 1S44S4; 1851; 1916
-4S6; 1947-4S4; 194S-493; 1949-5O2; !;
1950-48O; 1951-5O6; 1952-531; 1853
565; 1954-573; 1955-577; 1956-671;
1957-722.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1957-09-05

whether one day will be set aside for
purely local registration.
Slightly over 900 persons registered
in the three days the program was
conducted locally. Based on 1856
presidential election figures 1886 per-
sons were eligible to be registered
from Bluffton's four precincts.
Only 933 ballots were cast in the
last municipal election in the fall of
1855, SO this years municipal cleo
ton can come close to that figure if
all registered persons turn out to vote.
Expressed in percentages the turn
out in the four Bluffton, two Rich
land township and one Beaverdam
precincts are: Bluffton A, 70; B, 81;
C, 20; d, 76.5; Beaverdam, IS; Rich
land North, 81; South, Il.
Highest registration in the county
was in Cairo where 92.7 per cent of
the eligible voters are now registered.
Election board officials attributed
this to the upcoming local option
election on permitting liquor sales
within the village limits.
Veteran Bluffton election judges,
who have served as precinct re-
gistrars, noted that most of the per-
sons who vote regularly year after
year have been registered Younger
voters who usually appear at the
polls only when a presidential election
is being conducted were most lax in
getting to the registration booths
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1957-09-05
Wahlies To Open
Floral instruction
School In Lima

Mrs E. j. Wahlie has opened a
new gift house and floral instruction
school in Lima, it was announced
this week The shop and school are
branches of the business she present
ly conducts in her South Main street
home.
The school viii be similar TO classes
she presently conducts at the S.
Main street shop. She also conducts
workshops in this field in Findlay.
The new Lima school will be held
at 40 5. Main street, the site of the
former Lima Flower Material COM
pany. First classes viii be held in
early September.
Students are taught to make arti-
ficial flowers from colorful wood
fiber materials. Designs SO elaborate
they have been used for weddings
and parties as well as costume dec
Grafton have been produced by these
students.
Schools are free, but students must
purchase material used in the courses
from the Wahlies. The Wahlies are
the only wholesale and retail dis
tributor in this area for the different
varieties of fibers used in construc-
ton of the artificial flowers.
Instruction in the Wahlie schools is
divided into basic and advanced
courses of eight weeks each. Students
are awarded diplomas upon complet-
ing each course.
Mrs. Wahlie first began teaching
courses in this field about four years
ago. Since that time the demand for
instruction has grown so great that
she has opened a second, and now a
third school As many as 81 students
have been enrolled in single course.
Well-known in her field, Mrs.
Wahlie has also served as an in
structor at the informal schools con-
Quoted by the Lima YMCA. She
plans to teach there again this win
ter.
Persons who wish to enroll in any
of the three schools may contact Mrs.
Wahlie at her shop on S. Main street.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1957-09-05
Two Ex-Cell-O
Employees Killed
In Weekend Crash

Two teen-age employees of the
Bluffton Ex-Cell-O corporation plant
were killed in tragic collision which
claimed the lives of four young men
early Saturday morning.
Dead are Joseph Schumacher, Co
lumbus Grove, driver of the car and
Robert Hall, Lima, both employed in
the local industry. Killed in the same
accident were James Bowerman,
Lima, and Robert Worline, Route /,
Columbus Grove.
The accident occurred when Schu-
macker's speeding automobile crash
ed the stop light at the junction of
Routes 65 and BON in Cairo, striking
a tractor-trailer assembly driven by
Lester Strange, Harvey, Ill.
Hall, who was to have been mar
ried Sunday, has recently taken an
apartment in Bluffton.
Funeral services for Hall were held
Tuesday morning in the Bayliff Fun
eral home, Cridersville, with burial
in Woodlawn cemetery.
He is survived by his parents, Mr..
and Mrs. Clifford Hall, Waterloo, Ind,
two brothers, Donald, Lafayette; and
Carl, Lima; three sisters, Mrs. Patri-
cia Keith, Lima, and Janet Kay and
Cheryl Lynn, Waterloo.
Joint services were held Tuesday
morning in st. Anthony's church,
Columbus Grove, TO rSchumacker
and Worline, with burial in st. An
thongs cemetery.
Schumacher was the son of Mr.. and
Mrs. Herbert Schumacher, Columbus
Grove. He is also survived by broth
ers, Eugene, William, Claude, and
Herbert and sisters, Alicene Schu-
macker, Phoenix, Ariz., Mrs. Gladys
Schramm, Ft. Jennings, Ru h,
Blanche, Sharon and Sheila, all at
home; and paternal grandparents,
Mr.. and Mrs. william Schumacher.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1957-09-05
Cornerstone To Be
Laid Sunday At
Mennonite Addition

Formal laying of the cornerstone
for the church school addition to the
First Mennonite church will be held
at 11:15 a. m. Sunday following reg
ular church services, the Rev. Jacob
Friesen, church pastor announced
this week.
Construction of the building is pro
ceeding on schedule. The foundation
walls have been poured and the new
furnace has been installed. Sidewalks
are in place and the general outline
of the new building is becoming
apparent.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1957-09-05
New Class Offered
In Office Practice

One new high school class in office
practice is offered this year in Bluff
ton high schools commercial depart
ment, Superintendent A. 3. Murray
has announced. The class will be
taught by Miss Florence Duffield.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1957-09-05

championship teams
Rechenbach Eber Dubenon and
trophies presented by former
the
Day at Ohio State fair last Friday
in football track and tennis the
school from the MdOho conference
football and Duben
for the seventh year
captain unable make the
speaker which honord high school and college
entire state Bill Veeck former
of ST. Louis Browns Milwaukee
Brewers, now a public relations counsel in Cleveland
Otto Graham Bill Willis,
high school athletic commits
soner Harold Ems and Rhodes.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1957-09-05
Village Street Re-Surfacing
Begun Saturday Morning
Six Streets TO Be Graded, Widened
And Black-tOpped In Tuo Week Job

Opening work on the street reurfacng contract held by the
Churchill Construction company Lima was begun last Saturday
Jackson street.
Six village streets will be graded wdened and given new
surface OF hotmix asphac concrete similar the
given Jackson street the elementary last fall
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1957-09-05
New ALL Time Record Set
By School Registration
Opening Day Total of 722 Pupils
Surpasses Top Registration OF 1897

Blufton school enrolment reached alme peak of 721
opening day Tuesday rolling past last years mark by
additional boys and girls according Superintendent Schools
A. B. Murray.
The high registration figure topped the former
peak OF $50 established in 1897 before part of the local district
Milford chronicle., 1957-10-25
Service Slants

U. S. ATLANTIC FLEET, {FET
NC)-Richard Frank, electrician 5
mate third class, USN, of Slaugh-
Ger Beach Rd., Milford, Della, a.
board the attack aircraft carrier,
USS Saratoga, took part in North
Atlantic Treaty Organization ex-
ercises in European waters during
the latter part Of September.
More than 200 vessels, with at
tached air support, from NATO
countries took part in the oper-
ations, marking the first time since
1853 that forces under NATO have
been engaged in large-scale com
bined fleet maneuvers.
Air and submarine opposition,
anti-submarine warfare, aircraft
carrier operations, simulated use
of guided missiles and atomic wea-
pons in offensive action, plus an
amphibious assault landing were
included in the exercises.
Milford chronicle., 1957-10-25

The membership committee of
the ocal branch of PTA are spon-
soring October as PTA Month and
are urging everyone to join the or
ganization at once With this pro-
ject in mind the committee, who
are, Mrs. William Jefferson, chair
man, Mrs Marion Collins and Mrs.
William Porter, issues the follow
ing announcement: In Our PTA
You Car
1. Help open the doors of Edp-
cational opportunity to our chill.
dren and to all adults who believe
that education never ends.
2. Add your voice to millions of
other voices that demand an en-
forced law protecting children and
youth.
3. Keep informed on the findings
of all those who have made a life's
work of understanding young peo-
pie and see that these findings are
put into practice.
4. Join our PTA today
Mr.. and Mrs. William Pritchett
and children, Billy and Teresa. of
Newark, Del, were weekend guests
with Mr. and Mrs. David w. Dutton
and son, David.
Mrs. Delema Handy, of Naaman's
Road, near Wilmington, spent sew
eral days in Milton with her sister.
Miss Myrtle Pettyjohn.
Mr.. and Mrs. George Cannon and
children and Mrs. Walter Crouch
spent Sunday afternoon with Mr..
and Mrs. Allen Currey, in Wilm-
ington.
Mrs. Nora Campbell, Mrs. Cora
Mitchell and Mrs. Alberta Lofiand
were Saturday shoppers, in Will
mingtoh.
Sunday dinner guests with Mr.
and Mrs. Lester E. Clendaniel in
cluded Mr.. and Mrs. Roscoe Glen
daniel and son and Mrs. Vivianne
Krenshaw, of New Castle, Della.
Last Friday, Mrs. Lester E. Glen
daniel, Mrs. Norman Donovan and
Mrs. Earl King spent the afternoon
in Dover
Harvey Wilson of Leipsic, Della.
spent Sunday with his sister, Mrs.
Eliza Dutton.
Milford chronicle., 1957-10-25
Twenty Years Ago.

Taken from the Oct. %, 1897 Issu
Miss Irene Defibaugh, of
Woodside, has been crowned the
National Women's Outboard
Racing Champion Of 1887, final
point standings of the Ameri-
can Power Boat Association
disclosed. Her sister, Miss
Frances Defibaugh, finished 9Th.
Mrs. C. G. West, of Delmar,
president of the Delaware
Home Demonstration Council,
has just returned from a ma
tional meeting of Home DEM
onstration Councils which was
held in connection with the
American Life Association in
Manhatten, Kansas.
zoe
Last Saturday from 1880 to
5, Dolores Knowles played little
hostess to a group of friends
1t was her tenth birthday and
guests were Eileen Wharton,
Jean wilkins, Marilyn Jami-
son, Nancy Ann Bordner, Caro-
lyn Bordner, Betty Wootten,
Elizabeth Houston, Eileen
Houston. Eleanor Geyer, Betty
Lou Webb, Louise Jester, Helen
Pinder, Margaret Saunders,
Elizabeth Burn, Jack Malarky,
Donald Shannon, Paul Lynch,
Henry Saunders. Billy Jester
and Russell Scarborough.
Milford chronicle., 1957-10-25
MILTON
Walter w. Crouch
Phone: Milton 1886

wish to make correction con-
cerning an article published in
last weeks column. 1t was report
ed that George Marshall was ill
at his home on Chestnut st. This
was an error and should have read
that Mrs. George Marshall was
taken very i'll suddenly during last
week. Our apologies to Mr. Mar
shall, our sincere get well wishes
to the Mrs.
The Tooth Anniversary Celebra-
tion Services held in Grace Church
on Sunday were greatly attended
and proved very successful. The
morning service was conducted by
Layman Donald Dukes, of Laurel,
Del Afternoon services began at
2:30 with James Carpenter, as
Chairman. Dorothy KOsci, of Mil
ford and Samuel Elliott, SeafOrd
were guest soloists. The Carey's
Quartet offered several selections.
Mrs. GOldie Owens who compiled
the church history into book form
gave a brief talk. Mrs. Mary Evans
and James Hazard sang several
hymns. The principal afternoon ad-
dress was given by the Rev. Floyd
Mitchell, minister of the Brethren
Church, Easton, Md. The Rev. Earl
Watts of the Pilgrim Holiness
Church assisted at this service.
The evening worship consisted
of a song service by the congrega-
ton as we'll as solos by Dorothy
Kosci and Samuel Elliott; duets,
10 Ann Donovan and James Car
penter; 10 Ann Campbell and Carol
Ann. Mcdaniel The Rev. VIM A.
Mcdaniel, pastor of the Brethren
Church, Pennington, Della, con-
Quoted these services. He will also
conduct Revival services through
out the next two weeks. He will be
assisted in the services by Roy
Judy, Jr.
Milford chronicle., 1957-10-25

The Annual Church Day and
Memorial Service will be held this
Sunday, October 27, at 11:O0 a. M,
Standard Time in the Christ
Methodist Church, Laurel. All Odd
Fellows and family are cordially in
Vited to attend. Refreshments will
be served after the service. Let's
all attend and make it a big day
in Odd Fellowship.
GO
A Joint Public Installation, of
Ocean Wave Lodge, No. 43 and
Leah Rebekah Lodge No. 18, will
be held in Rehoboth on Monday,
October %, in the High School, The
installation ceremonies will be con-
Quoted by Grand Master John o.
Dickerson and staff of the Grand
Lodge of Delaware.
GO
On Wednesday, October 80, Depu-
ty Grand Master Stewart Baillieul
and staff will install the newly
elected officers of Chosen Friend
Lodge, of Harrington.
@
On Thursday, Nov 7th, Margaret
G. Pyle Rebekah Lodge, No. II, will
not be meeting on this date-be-
cause our General Assembly will
be in session in Wilmington, Della
Our Noble Grand will be pleased
to meet all our members that can
attend this Assembly. am sure
you will be greatly informed by