Turner's Public Spirit, September 16, 1922
A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
Center. The Ladies’ Aid of the Congregational church met with the Misses Green, Littleton road, Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. Perry Shupe have made recent auto trips to Hartford, Conn., Silver Lake, N.H., and Somerville.
Mrs. Olive Dunn, of West Pembroke, Me., has arrived at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Charles Blodgett, Groton road, for an extended visit.
Arthur G. Hildreth has resumed his duties as teacher at the Newton Technical high school.
- Herbert Fletcher has been to Farmington and Jackson, N.H. His son, John G., who has been attending the Thorn Mountain tutoring camp in Jackson, returned to Westford with his father.
Mrs. Charles Campbell, of Hudson, N.H., was in town on Monday, the guest of Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Knight.
The agricultural fair given annually by the Congregational church will be held in the town hall on next Wednesday afternoon and evening. Fancy articles, aprons, cake, candy, etc., will be on sale, and supper will be served in the lower hall from 6:30 to 8 o’clock. There will be the usual exhibit of fruits and vegetables, and it is hoped that those sending things for the exhibition will try and have them at the hall in the morning, or as early as possible in the afternoon. In the evening there will be an entertainment as usual. It is expected that there will be a large attendance as this fair, which has been held for the past thirty or more years, has become a much looked for early fall affair.
Over fifty members of Westford Grange and sixty from Chelmsford attended neighbors’ night at Acton Grange on Tuesday evening. The entertainment of the evening was furnished by the visiting Granges. That furnished by Westford consisted of vocal and instrumental selections, and a talk by Rev. William Anderson, the subject of which was an auto trip which Mr. Anderson had taken in the early part of the summer [to New York state and to his hometown in West Virginia]. His remarks proved to be very interesting and were much enjoyed by all present. Chelmsford Grange furnished a “solo dance,” “novelty dance” and vocal and instrumental selections by a “kitchen orchestra,” which furnished much amusement for those present. Acton Grange served their guests with a roast beef supper in their usual hospitable manner.
There was a large attendance at the motion pictures given by the Middlesex County Bureau of Agriculture and Home Economics at the town hall on Tuesday evening. The next series of pictures will be shown on the second Tuesday in October.
At the last meeting of the Grange there were two applications for membership, and up to date there are five more to be read at the next meeting. During the lecturer’s hour there were vocal and instrumental selections, and the lecturer, Miss Ruth Sargent, gave an excellent report of the lecturers’ conference held in Burlington, Vt., and Mrs. Eben Prescott, Miss Lucinda Prescott, Mrs. Frank C. Wright and Frederick Hanscom each gave short accounts of their summer vacations.
All persons having articles for which they have no further use, or which in other words have become “white elephants” to them, are asked to donate the same to the white elephant table at the Congregational fair [paper torn, line missing] the home of Mrs. Perley Wright as soon as possible.
Homer Seavey is reported ill at his home on Main street.
The time of the Friday evening meetings held at the Congregational church will be changed to eight o’clock beginning this week. Choir rehearsal will be held from seven to eight o’clock. Sunday morning service at 10:45. Sermon theme, “What is a revival?” Sunday school at noon. The first regular meeting of the adult class will be held this week. Young people’s meeting at 6:30. Evening service at 7:15; theme, “When a revival is needed.”
Mrs. Charles Carter is teaching at the Parkerville school.
Miss Helen McCoy has returned to her duties as teacher of physical training at Portsmouth, Va. Upon her return from her trip to California she was at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred McCoy, for three weeks.
The enrollment at the academy this year is 58—34 girls and 24 boys. The freshman class consists of 21 members, 11 of whom are girls. Herbert Shea, Raymond Shea, Philip Prescott and Fisher Buckshorn will represent the school in the high school track meet at the Groton fair on September 23.
The party from Westford [Adam Lapniewski], who was before the district court in Ayer on Tuesday of last week and found not guilty of an illegal sale of liquor, was again before the court on last Saturday morning charged with a similar office and was found guilty and fined $100, from which he appealed and furnished $300 bonds for his appearance at the superior court.
About Town. The Grange meeting on Thursday evening September 21, should prove to be very interesting. Mrs. Eben Prescott will be in charge and has arranged a good program. Mrs. Margaret Sarre, of Lowell, lady assistant steward of the State Grange, will give a talk; a quartet from Tyngsboro will sing and a solo will be given by a Granger from Tyngsboro. There will be readings by Mrs. Sarre, of Lowell, and Mrs. Sherburne, of Tyngsboro. All visiting patrons are welcome.
The wonderful annex to the Lowell high school is finished and the building is now said to be unsurpassed in America. Apropos of the completion of the work a final description has been given and also a list of the Carney medal scholars since 1881. In 1858 J. G. Carney established a fund for the annual award of six silver medals, three for the boys and three for the girls standing highest in character and scholarship. It has been a coveted honor to win a medal—on one side the seal of the city of Lowell and on the other the quotation, “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.” In this list of honor scholars are several names of interest to Westford. In the class of 1917 is Donald Fiske Cameron; in 1913, Edith Proctor, now Mrs. Harold H. Fletcher; in 1899, John Jacob Rogers; in 1905, John C. Varney, son of Dr. Varney of North Chelmsford. Perhaps the most remarkable of all is the mention of four children of Thomas Elliott, the real estate man—in 1898 is the name of Robert Henry Elliott; in 1903, Herford Naylor Elliott; in 1906, Richard Maurice Elliott; in 1909, Margaret Elliott.
First Parish church (Unitarian) Sunday service at four p.m. Preacher, Rev. Frank B. Crandall, the minister. Subject: “Life’s greatest problem.”
- Arthur O’Brien, with team, is grading up around and otherwise improving the playground park at the new Nabnassett school, which will be open for business and pleasure on Monday
Someone has asked “Mustn’t a layman have a wonderful mind to pass on the constitutionality of an injunction before the supreme court of the United States has handed down a decision on it?” Well, yes, it does certainly seem so, but then we must remember that there is sometimes more mouth than mind. The author of the above question also asks, “Wouldn’t it be a great plan to serve an injunction on idiocy?” The only objection we can see is the enormous expense for extra clerk hires in making out and serving so many injunctions. If it could be limited to a few who are on the firing line at Camp Moses and who by their actions deny the law of supply and demand, cause and effect, we should say that it would be a universal blessing to seal their mouths up with an injunction.
John Drysdale, a farmer of Craigsville, W.Va., recently died at the age of 126 years. He was born in Scotland and a family record gives 1796 as the year of his birth.
Joseph Sargent, on the Edwin E. Heywood place, has a large crop of fine peaches and of the best of flavor, and we are not going to give away our knowledge of how we know so much.
An injunction to restrain an injunction by Camp Moses, who does not believe in injunctions, is the latest “talk one way and squint another and opposite way.” But then, most anything is liable to break out at Camp Moses except common sense, which still recognizes the sanity of steering apparatus of the business world. Someone who seems to know the inside says, “Moses is due for the biggest tumble of his life.” Well, let him tumble; better him than tumble all hands by defiance of governments and courts.
At the Banister farm is a McIntosh red tree loaded down with apples to the breaking-down point, while other trees close by haven’t an apple and one tree always blossoms and never bears. Who can explain such freaks? “Ice storm.” Not quite so fast, my little fellows, not quite so fast. We don’t have an ice storm every winter do we? There are certainly some freaks in fruit-growing this year that are as yet unexplainable. Wonder if Moses could explain these freaks?
We are glad that the dogs are to be taken [care] of by Dr. J. N Murray, of Littleton, in readiness for the Groton fair next Friday and Saturday. In reading of the notices we thought of the old saying, “Every dog has his day,” and as such we want ours and give due notice that we shall be traveling that way on Thursday afternoon preceding the fair with our apples, crabapples, potatoes and corn, sweet and unsweetened.
Since we have been so badly out-measured on hollyhocks, we will try crabapples. We have a crabapple tree at the Old Oaken Bucket farm from which we have picked ten bushels, and one limb at the top of the tree is in blossom, so that we shall have a second crop to harvest along about the Santa Claus harvest season.
At the last meeting of the Grange each member answered roll call by responding to “Vacation experiences or what I vitally observed and was impressed by in the summer outing.” Miss Ruth Sargent gave an interesting and helpful account of the lecturers’ conference in Burlington, Vt. As lecturer she represented Westford Grange. Miss Freda Johnson favored with a piano solo and Miss Elva Judd closed the program with a song. The meeting was not largely attended, but efficient.
We have just received the annual premium list of the Groton fair to be held next week Friday and Saturday. The premiums offered are tempting, timely and liberal and we are under the spell of exhibiting more than we originally intended, and we very much doubt if we can shake the spell, and we don’t want to [paper torn, line missing] to be enlarged and we have already commenced to pack and plan to unpack on next Thursday afternoon. The Groton fair is one of our inspiration delights and we are bidding for these delights and the temporary premiums bring up the rear. If our exhibit brings anything we shall take it and if they bring us nothing, it will not mar the sunshine of the inspiration that we gather at these fairs.
The Lowell road, from its intersection with the Stony Brook road, has been oiled to the Chelmsford line and the road from Brookside corner by way of the electric car line tracks to the town line at Westford Corner has been oiled. This oiling is new to some of us and we have got to get used to its habits.
The next meeting of the Grange will be held next Thursday. The lecturer’s hour will be in charge of Mrs. Eben Prescott, which means that it will have an energetic push.
- L. Larree, president of the Delaware & Hudson railroad, commenced his railroad career by working for the railroad seven days in the week for thirty-five dollars a month. Since that time he has rescued several railroads form the hands of the receiver and put them on their feet, and is recognized today as the oldest railroad manager in the United States. He earned his promotion by persistent individual development of latent capacities; he did not desert trains in the desert, or get so heated up over his rights as to make it necessary to call out the militia to protect railroad property from his over-heated nonsense. We are all living under the same natural lawns and man-made laws as Larree. A little more persistent development of individual capacity and culture to the extent of “make the want of you felt,” and remembering as of old that the power of cultured individuality is “not in the tempest or the earthquake, of fire, or flood, but in the still, small voice,” would do much to quiet down present day “tempest in a teapot” threatenings.
Send for entry blanks for the dog show at Groton Fair, September 23, to Dr. J. N. Murray, Littleton. Entries close September 17.
A reporter for the republican rally recently speaks of the maple walnut colored suits of the Abbot Worsted band. We think that is such a clever choice of terms that we pass it on. The color certainly is like that of the ice cream we much enjoy.
The earliest and best piece of field corn we have seen this season is growing on the level land at the Banister farm. It is tunnel eared and about ripe for grinding. It was planted after the corn at the Old Oaken Bucket farm was up, and ours is fresh and green.
Lovers of flowers have been enjoying the display of lythrum on the town farm meadows. This is an inadvertent present to the town through wool waste. Another beautiful wild flower exhibit is the cardinal flower where Keyes brook crosses the Groton road.
We regret that V. T. E. interpreted us as “picking on him.” If we were conscious of it we would apologize, as little as we believe in wasting time with meaningless words. No, we always read his communications with aspiration for more for their originality and terseness, and rarely if ever agree with all of it. Neither have we been trying to pick on Moses nor any of his satellites, any of his satellites, and we cannot retract a word and stand by truth as we see it. V. T. E. sidesteps a little in alluding to the Volstead act. We intend to collar and elbow on that subject as soon as we can unloose the emergency brakes that we have applied to prevent monopolizing the space of other correspondents, and if ever we felt like apologizing to the reading public it is now. But then we will not do anything so conforming with meaningless words. Better by miles spending the time in useless hours by studying our Sunday school lesson.
We read with interest in a recent issue of the charitable work carried on at the “Lodge” at Long-Sought-for pond, and we only wish to add a word of encouragement in regard to its environment. The “Lodge” is situated on elevated land overlooking the lake that contains 107 acres—an inspiring view. As not far off surroundings it has Flushing hill on the east, Scribner hill to the north, Spaulding hill closeby on the west and the newly constructed Groton road as its southern boundary. All these environments are constructive assets for wiser living.
Send for entry blanks for the dog show at Groton fair September 22 to Dr. J. N. Murray, Littleton. Entries close by September 17.
Interesting Outing. Massachusetts Fruit Growers’ association certainly picked a winner for weather when they chose August 10 for their outing at the farm of the Bolton Fruit Company in Boston. Going over the hill between Harvard and Bolton we had beautiful views of the countryside, but when we arrived at the top of the observation tower in the midst of a 200-acre farm of fruit, mostly peaches, of which 30,000 baskets are expected this year, we found a yet broader view spread before us. We read of some auto drivers hitting the high spots on the road, but here the eyes could hit most of the high spots and some of the low ones within fifty miles in all directions. As the air was very clear the result was enchanting.
After a basket lunch in a packing shed at twelve o’clock, R. R. MacRae, of Castleton, Vt., told of the ups and downs of apple raising as met in his state. He has 13,000 apple trees under a sod mulch system of culture and gave a pleasing and illuminating address. Following the address the visitors were escorted in their automobiles through the orchards. Apparently all of 300 people were present, coming in perhaps 100 automobiles, even from Rhode Island and New Hampshire.
Interesting Doll Exhibition. A stray newspaper item having caught the eye of the writer his auto was pointed eastward on Friday, August 11. We sidestepped enough to visit a garden in Marblehead where perhaps a hundred varieties of dahlias were in blossom. Then we went to Wenham town hall. Here was an exhibition of the international doll collection which has recently been donated by its originator and owner, Mrs. E. R. Horton. Hundreds of dolls from all over the world in costumes of varied races and dates were assembled in a most interesting collection. This, under the ownership of the historical committee, is to be the starting of the first doll museum in America. At three o’clock in the afternoon of the same day, sixty little maidens of the town paraded in front of the town hall with their dolls, mostly in their doll carriages, for prizes for the best outfit. They were escorted by twenty small boys in Indian and other costumes. This parade of little ones, all dressed up, with their dolls, was one of the prettiest sights the writer ever saw. Our homeward way led past the Danvers insane hospital, the Essex county agricultural school [now the Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School (ENSATS) in Danvers], the Essex sanitarium and the historic town of Andover.
Clipping. The following item will interest the old-time friends of Mrs. Joseph R. Draper and her sister, Miss Lillian Packard [daughters of Dr. Liberty D. Packard, a Boston physician; Dr. Joseph Rutter Draper was a Westford physician from 1899 until his death in 1904; see Marilyn Day “The Physicians of Westford, Mass., 1740-1960”]:
A unique social event was held at the cottage of Miss Lillian M. Packard on the campground, Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard, on Thursday, August 24, the occasion being the recognition of the fiftieth year this summer home has been occupied by members of the Packard family. It was purchased by Rev. George Whitaker in 1872 for Ernest Kingman Packard, son of the late Dr. Liberty D. Packard and Mrs. Packard. The “Golden celebration” took the form of a family dinner at one o’clock and “open house” for friends and neighbors in the afternoon. Among the invited guests were Mr. and Mrs. Arthur T. Cass and Miss Esther E. Cass, of Boston; Mrs. Joseph R. Draper, of Auburndale; Mr. and Mrs. Kingman Packard Cass, of Winchester; Mrs. Gardiner M. Kingman, Mrs. Harry Packard Kingman and Miss Lucy S. Kingman, of West Somerville; Mr. and Mrs. Herbert L. Kingman, of Brockton; Bishop and Mrs. Edwin Holt Hughes, of Malden; Prof. and Mrs. C. E. Meleney, of New York; Mr. and Mrs. John Goss and family, of Fall River, Me.; Mr. and Mrs. I. S. Dillingham, of Auburndale and several neighbors.
Annual Outing. The annual outing and dinner of the Lowell Fish and Game association, otherwise known as Fins, Fur, Feathers and Fun, will be held on next Thursday at Lake Mascapple, Willow Dale Park. Transportation will be by auto. The parade will meet at the Hood building at 12:30, and the usual street parade will start at 12:45. Upon arrival at the grounds dinner will be served, followed by a few snappy orations from guests, followed by the usual sport program. As a member of the above we would cut out the dinner and put in the music by some lively, high-glee, time-keeping-stepping band, for we eat 1096 ½ times during the year not counting between times, and we rarely get the inspiring step and uplift of a band of music.
Aside from the annual outing ten fish and game associations, including Lowell, have been invited to an entertainment at the Opera House, Nashua, N.H., on the evening of September 21 at eight o’clock. Hon. John B. Burnham, of New York, president of the American Game Protective association, will give his illustrated talk on “Swashing in Siberia,” showing views of the people and much of that far-away country. Mr. Burnham is one of the most noted sportsmen in this country and a fine speaker. Following Mr. Burnham, Eugene S. Jones, official photographer for the Boston and Maine railroad and Maine Central railroad, will entertain with his latest story, “Hunting and fishing, Canada to Lowell.”
A Unique Monument. A very interesting stone is about to be placed in the Westlawn cemetery. Richard Prescott, of Forge Village, has had a stone which was in front of his house made into a family monument. This stone weighs about two tons and was the stone from which in olden times one mounted to ride horseback. It has stood for more than a century in front of the Prescott place, which is just across from the Forge Village station. There are three steps irregularly cut on one side, and on the top are cut in the figures 1795. A hand is also plainly chiseled and something else which seems like the face of an Indian.
Mr. Lundberg, of Brookside, has made a unique monument of this stepping stone. He has left the steps and top just as they were, and on one side has chiseled the word Prescott, and on the other side has cut in the names of those in the family—Richard Prescott’s father, Luther Prescott, and his wife; also, Olive Ann Prescott, who was such a wonderful teacher in Forge Village, and others who are buried in the family lot.
Forge Village was once one of the great thoroughfares of travel from Vermont to Boston. The “Great road” from Bellows Falls to Boston passed through Groton Ridges, and [from] there some used to go through Littleton to Boston and others went through Forge Village. Sometimes as many as seventy “teams” could be seen in line going through Forge Village. There were several taverns to accommodate them. Perhaps this very stone was one which they used during their stops at Forge Village.
Graniteville. Abbot Worsted baseball club lost to [the] Henricksen Grow Tire team here last Saturday 3 to 1. The rubber game was played here on Wednesday evening and the Grow Tire again won 2 to 1. The same batteries worked in both games. Al Davidson and Sullivan for Abbot; Jimmy Cassell and Dee for Grow Tire. Although the Abbots lost those last two games they have established a fine record this year winning the most of their games and by their brilliant work have a right to claim the state championship on their record. The Abbots are certainly one fine ball club. The game on Wednesday was the last of the season.
Saturday, September 16, the opening of the soccer football season will take place at Forge Village when the Abbot Worsted eleven will meet the fast Massachusetts Cotton of Lowell in an industrial league game. The Abbots this season will be composed of the following players: Davidson, goal; Ross and W. Kelley, backs; Cosgrove, Corrigan and Duncan, half backs; Farquhar, Kane, Kershaw, Dundas and Neil, forwards. The kickoff will be at 3:30 on the new Abbot field at Forge Village and soccer fans from Lowell, North Chelmsford and all the surrounding towns will be in attendance.
The Ladies’ Aid society of the M.E. church met with Mrs. Harry Fletcher on Thursday evening.
The vote at the primaries was very light here on last Tuesday.
Former Alderman Thomas J. Dyer, proprietor of the Dyer Printing Company, Concord, N.H., died on Monday after a short illness. He had been prominent in city politics until recently and was one of the charter members and active in the Chamber of Commerce. He was born in Graniteville on September 22, 1875. He learned the printing trade in the shop of his father, the late Joseph B. Dyer. He was a member of the First Methodist church, the Wonolancet [sic] club, Masons, Grange and O.U.A.M. He leaves a brother James of Concord, N.H., and two sisters, Miss Lily Dyer, of Concord, N.H., and Mrs. A. Ernest Johnson, of Brockton.
Ayer
News Items. The following real estate transfers have been recorded recently from this vicinity: … Westford, Martina A. Gage to John DeCarteret, William A. Poulopoulos et al to Murton H. Spelman et ux, land on Acton road; …
District Court. Adam Lapniewski, of Forge Village, was also in court last Saturday, charged with several violations of the liquor laws. He was found guilty and fined $100, from which he appealed. Atty. John D. Carney appeared for the government and Atty. John M. Maloney appeared for Lapniewski.