Turner's Public Spirit, August 28, 1920
A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
“Center. The [new] siren whistle on the fire house is to be sounded Saturday at noon. This is
simply to test it and residents do not need to fear that there is a fire. We understand those in
charge plan to have this testing done every Saturday at noon.
“We received the tax rate for 1920 from the assessors. It is to be an even $18 on a thousand.
Last year’s rate was $17. When we read of the towns with a much higher rate, Dracut for
instance, who announced $32.25 this last week, Westford residents ought not to feel too much
cause for complaint.
“George F. White sold last week three valuable cows from his registered Ayrshire herd at
Duncraggan farm [Main Street, Westford Center]. The three animals were shipped Wednesday,
starting on a long journey that will land them in the Hawaiian islands. They were crated
separately and taken by truck to Ayer, where they were shipped by express to New Jersey, from
which point they will be assembled in a herd of about thirty-five and travel by boat to the
Hawaiian islands.
“Perley E. Wright has been absent this week, being one of three automobile owners conveying
a group of boys who have been camping at Nabnassett pond on a 700-mile auto hike. In Mr.
Wright’s Reo car were T. R. Williams, Ernest Fernald, Harold White, Irving Swanson, Fulford
and Shackford Dexter, Adams Dutton and John Ferriera. The autos carry the boys and the camp
cook looks out for the meals. Each boy carries his blankets and other equipment. The route is
over the Mohawk trail [now Mass. State Route 2], down the Hudson river to New York and
return by way of Lee and Lenox and Camp Becket [YMCA camp on Rudd Pond in Becket,
Mass.]. It is planned to have the high school boys at Becket camp August 28.
“The Donald M. Camerons are at the Cameron homestead for the month of August.
“Miss May E. Day is visiting for two weeks Rev. and Mrs. A. R. Fite in Philadelphia. Mr. and
Mrs. Fite were formerly at the Graniteville M. E. church.
“Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Hildreth have moved into the freshly renovated house next to the fire
house [now the Museum Cottage at 4 Boston Road].
“About Town. Picnic parties are still finding Nabnassett a popular resort. Saturday was the
scene of one of the largest of the season.
“We were privileged to attend the ball game at Gardner last Saturday between Abbot Worsted
Co. and the Gardner teams. The friends of the Gardner team did their best with the sounding of
their auto horns to encourage them on, but it was of no use, they weren’t built to do it and so the
game closed as it started in to do, 7 to 1 in favor of the Westford team. The Abbot Worsted Co.
band were on the stand and opened up some lively gig time music that set the boys to throwing,
batting and catching ball to win most any game. We don’t profess to be much on ball since we
left school and then it was mostly bawling, but we had the inspiration of a near view of Mt.
Watatic beyond Ashby and Mt. Wachusett south of Ashburnham.
“Five hundred bushels of produce went into Boston Monday night by the Perley E. Wright
auto trucks and there are still prospects of much to go in, enough to keep the trucks busy until
snow flies and later, unless it flies to stay and stays deep as last winter.
“Graniteville. Saturday, August 28, the Abbot Worsted Co. team play the fast Plymouth
Rubber Co. team of Canton on the local grounds. The Canton outfit has for manager and coach
Olaf Hendrickson [sic], a former member of the Boston Red Sox, and he has gathered a fine ball
club, composed mostly of minor league players and former college stars…. [Olaf Henriksen,
born in Denmark in 1888 and died in Norwood in 1962, played outfield and pinch hit for the
Boston Red Sox from 1911 to 1917. The lefty finished with a career batting average of 0.269. His
pinch hit in the 8th inning of the 8th and final game of the 1912 World Series against the great
Christy Mathewson of the New York Giants tied the game, and the Red Sox went on to win the
game in ten innings, their second World Series Championship.]
“Joe Wall, the local fish and game warden, released a flock of young pheasants in this vicinity
recently.”
Olaf Henriksen may be the only Danish-born baseball player to play in the major leagues.
Courtesy Photo / Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).