Ottoville Items - 1918

5-8-1918 LN

Attempt Made To Save Road, Meeting in Lima

Forty Persons Attend Conference At Local Hotel on Tuesday

Residents of Ottoville, Mandale and Other Towns Object to Abandonment

            At a meeting held Tuesday afternoon at the Lima House, an attempt to save the Findlay, Ft. Wayne and Western railroad from discontinuation was made, but no definite decisions were reached. Officials of the company attended the meeting together with residents of towns thru which the road passes who are desirous that it be continued. Altogether, there were 40 persons at the meeting.

            If the road is discarded it will not be the fault of residents of Ottoville, Mandale, Delphos and a number of other towns who have put up a hard fight against abandonment since the company announced some time ago that the road could no longer be continued, as it had proven a financial failure.

            Ottoville residents were in Toledo earlier in the week, in conference with Clover Leaf officials in hopes that they could induce that road to take the property over, but no arrangements could be made.

            For the last few months, the road has been giving freight service every other day. This has been a lifesaver for the villages thru which the road operates. However, no freight service is given at the present time. An attempt has been made to interest John Ringling; owner of the Delphos and Dayton line of the old C. H. & D. system to take over the road, but his project also failed. The Clover Leaf railroad company can see no advantage in the possession of the property and the establishment of service between Dayton and Ft. Wayne. If no agreement can be reached this week, the road will be discarded after May 15.

5-10-1918 LN

Will use one Section of Old Findlay R. R.

            Upon orders from Directors General of Railroads McAdoo the Cincinnati Northern Railway Company will operate that division of the Findlay, Ft. Wayne and Western railway between Haviland and Grover Hill. Just what disposition will be made of the remainder of the line is not known. A meeting was held in Lima earlier in the week when owners of the road, who say its continued operation is being done at a big loss and residents of towns and villages thru which the line passes, conferred. Another meeting was held in Delphos Thursday when members of the Commercial Club of Ottoville met with Superintendent Bohon of Dayton, Toledo and Chicago railway, requesting that company to consider taking over the property.

            No arrangements could be agreed upon at the meeting by Supt. Bohon stated he would take the matter up immediately with John Ringling, owner of the D. T. & C. The government in all probability will request the latter company to operate the branch of the road, which will not be under the Cincinnati Northern supervision.

            The Findlay and Ft. Wayne line affords to many villages thru which it operates, their only railroad facility and in every instance they are putting up a hard fight against its abandonment.

5-22-1918 LN

Ft. Wayne Road is Probably to be Kept in use

            Whether the operation of the Findlay, Ft. Wayne and Western railway will be continued permanently will greatly depend upon the support that is given it by the towns and cities thru which it passes. There has been no passenger service out of Delphos for several weeks, though the branch line between Ottoville and Mandale has had every other day service.

            Regional Director Smith, wired the Delphos Commercial Club that he has arranged with the Dayton, Toledo and Chicago Company to thoroughly investigate the possibilities of the road with a view of taking its operation. A meeting of the parties concerned is to be held in Ft. Wayne today. As the use of the old road will give thru service from Dayton to Ft. Wayne it is thought that the proposition will prove alluring enough in a financial way for the larger company to pass favorably upon it.

            If the meeting at Ft. Wayne today is at all favorable to the continuance of operations on the road, there will be meeting the latter part of the week at Delphos of the officials of the Dayton, Toledo and Chicago road and the commercial bodies from each town along the line.

10-22-1918 LN

Another Influenza Victim

            Delphos – Henry Klein, son of Mr. and Mrs. Matt Klein, prominent Ottoville residents, died Saturday morning from Spanish Influenza and pneumonia. The young man was only 23 years of age, and was just married in June. He was an only child. Funeral services will be held at the Ottoville Catholic Church, Tuesday morning.

12-14-1918 LN

Life Long Resident of Delphos Dies Here

            Delphos – Mr. Henry Schulte, 68, died Friday morning after a long illness from cancer. He was born in Ottoville and has spent practically his entire life around this community.

            Surviving are the wife, one son, two brothers, and three sisters.

            Funeral services will be at the Catholic Church in Ottoville at 9 o’clock. Burial there.