Turner's Public Spirit, June 9, 2023
A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
Center. Misses Mabel Prescott and Gladys Ingalls attended the class day exercises of Gordon college, Boston, on Tuesday of last week.
Miss Maud Robinson, who has been teaching in Washington, D.C., has arrived home for the summer.
Mrs. H. K. Ranney, of Wayland, and Mrs. Charles Campbell, of Hudson, N.H., have been recent visitors in town.
Miss Eleanor Colburn, who has been teaching music at Atlanta university, Atlanta, Ga., is at home for the summer.
Miss Mabel I. Osborne, a former teacher in the Providence Technical high, was recently elected vice president of the Mathematical society of Brown university, of which she is a graduate.
Mrs. Warren Hanscom underwent an operation at the Lowell General hospital on Monday.
A number of the friends of Miss Mabel Prescott gathered at her home last Saturday evening to observe her [25th] birthday. A general good time was enjoyed and during the evening refreshments were served, among which was a beautiful birthday cake. Miss Prescott was presented with a bible, especially adapted for use in her work in the Sunday school.
A number of the friends of Wayland Balch gathered at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Perry Shupe on last week Tuesday evening and tendered him a surprise party in honor of his eighty-fourth birthday. Mr. Balch was the recipient of various gifts, and during the evening refreshments were served. All present enjoyed themselves thoroughly and wished Mr. Balch many more such observances.
Mrs. Fred Mitchell and daughter, Mrs. Allen, have arrived in town for the summer.
The graduation exercises of the eighth grade of the William E. Frost school will be held at the town hall on next Tuesday evening at eight o’clock.
Children’s day will be observed by the W.C.T.U. at the Congregational vestry on Wednesday afternoon of next week.
John P. Wright and family, who have been living in Cambridge, recently move to Wollaston.
Hon. John Jacob Rogers made his annual visit to the three villages the past week and met many of the citizens.
The Odd Fellows, M.C., and Odd Ladies attended services at the Congregational church in a body on last Sunday.
The firemen enjoyed a supper at the firehouse on Tuesday evening. Strawberry shortcake was one of the specials on the menu.
Fire burned over a large area of woodland near the Pine Ridge station the past week. The local fire company were out and did their usual good work.
Eight persons, six men and two women, will appear before the district court in Ayer on Saturday morning, charged with illegal sales of liquor and keeping and exposing the same for sale.
A young man from Graniteville, charged with speeding, was fined $10 in the district court in Ayer on last week Friday. His license has also been suspended by Registrar Goodwin.
A drunk from this town was fined $10 on Monday morning by Judge Atwood in the district court.
Chief Whiting took an insane patient to Tewksbury on Tuesday evening.
A number of the friends of Miss Mildred Fletcher, who is soon to become the bride of Frederick Robinson, tendered her a surprise party recently and presented her with a clock and ten dollars in gold. Lawrence Ingalls made the presentation speech. During the evening refreshments were served. Miss Freda Johnson was in charge of the affair.
About twenty members of the Legion and Auxiliary attended the get-together at North Chelmsford on Monday evening and about twenty-five neighbored with Groton on Wednesday. The post is very appreciative of the voluntary services of the Abbot Worsted Company band on Memorial day
Academy Notes. The second team played the Lowell Vocational school team in Lowell last week Friday and were defeated by the score of 16 to 6. On Tuesday afternoon a return game was played here, Westford winning by the score of 7 to 3. On next Tuesday a game will be played with Pepperell high.
The annual outing of the senior class was held on Friday when an auto trip over the Mowhawk [sic] Trail was enjoyed.
This Saturday Miss Bashford will take the freshman class to visit the Agassiz Museum, Boston.
The graduation exercises will be held in the town hall on Wednesday morning, June 20, at ten o’clock.
About Town. The Babcock family of Littleton have bought of Ralph P. Cutting his Parkerville farm, formerly owned by George E. Monegan. This farm is the old Gilbert Parker farm, and when the buildings burned several years ago the abandoned little red schoolhouse [at the corner of Griffin and Carlisle Roads] was purchased of the town and several additions is now part of this farm located on the road from Westford Center to Carlisle Station [Carlisle Road].
Daniel H. Sheehan, who has been ill at the home of his sister in Lowell, has recovered sufficiently to return to his farm on Pigeon hill on the Stony Brook road.
A family by the name of Jacques has bought the Crossland farm in Parkerville next to the new [Parkerville] schoolhouse. This was formerly the George A. Parker farm on the road from Westford Center to Carlisle station. But few, if any of the old residents of Parkerville are left at the period when Gilbert Parker and his four sons each owned farms there, coming from Acton. At present I am unable to name one family of that time. Recently the special new arrivals have been Sullivan on the Collins place, Lawrence, of Concord, on the Goldsmith Conant place; Wilder, of Lancaster, N.H., on the Kimball place; Parker, of Concord, on the Hoyle or Hart place; Babcock, of Littleton, on the Cutting place; Jacques, of Lowell, on the Crossland place, and Courtur on the Gladu place.
Among the unmentioned at Memorial day exercises was our old civil war veteran, Hiram Dane, of Los Angeles, Cal., in his eighty-fourth year. We had a nice, pleasant exchange of hostilities on the common of reminiscences of ye olden days of ye olden residents, who were a vital part of the town, but who have passed on.
Yes, that’s so. I haven’t thought of that, but they have passed out of full bloom at the time of writing, and that means green peas for dinner on Saturday, June 9. They may not be so dreadfully large, but they will be awful sweet, and all the sweeter because they taste of first peas of the season. I don’t like these large podded peas, “they’re all puff.”
Mr. and Mrs. Lyman (Ida Osgood) Wilkins, of North Cambridge, were in town Memorial day with relatives and friends of their native town. I recall at this time that his father, Luther Wilkins, was a gallant soldier of the civil war, and with his son, Luther E. Wilkins, enlisted from Westford on October 17, 1862, in the 53rd Regiment, Company D. The son re-enlisted on March 1, 1864, in the 2nd Cavalry, and was discharged on July 20, 1865, at the expiration of service. Luther Wilkins will be remembered by the few older residents left as sexton for many years of the Unitarian church.
Miss Ella Wright, from Cleveland, Ohio, has arrived at her summer home, “The Elms,” on [No. 120] Lowell road, Brookside, and will spend the summer here.
Several saw a large white heron on Tuesday evening in Tadmuck brook, south of Main street, fishing for trout and frogs and other insects.
As a bearing on the assault on fads and frills in our public school listen to authority: Ex-President Eliot of Harvard says that “Music rightly taught is the best mind-trainer on the list. We should have more of music and drawing and less grammar and arithmetic.” T. P. Giddings of Minneapolis, in an article on “Instrumental music in schools,” says, “All the music of Oxford university is taught in Magdalen college, England. Ten percent of the students take music; 90% do not. The 10% taking music also take 75% of all those prizes and scholarships in all departments. The 90% who do not take music are contented with or have to put up with the remaining 25% of the prizes and scholarships. This rather amazing record has been the average for the last thirty years.” What have you got to say, you anti-fad-frill folks who contend that the old-fashioned New England three R’s—reading, writing and arithmetic—are all that go to the brain that is worth anything, in the face of the statement of the above facts? Especially ex-President Eliot’s statement which is in substance “less of the three R’s and more of music and drawing as a mind-trainer.”
We met our most efficient Congressman John Jacob Rogers at the postoffice last week Thursday noon. This, too, was a delightful questionnaire conference. With notebook in hand he wrote down the result of this referendum. Chief among the wants and nearest home was the expressed desire to restore a mail messenger on the Stony Brook railroad and have as formerly the mail sorted on the mail car, instead of delivering it in Ayer and Lowell to be sorted. Congressman Rogers will do what he can in congress to bring desired results. Some of us went direct from the weeds in our fields into his lap for a blessing and we got it for he met us on a most courteous level.
Gov. Baxter of Maine ordered the flag on the state house at Augusta at halfmast on the death of his pet dog. If the dog had bitten someone and caused death from hydrophobia, would he have ordered the flag at half mast? How much better is a man than a sheep, asks the ancient volume? Well, if we have reasoned out the deductions aright a man is not as good even as a dog. When it comes to displaying the flag of the nation and of the people at halfmast on the death of a dog it looks on the surface as though it was dogs first and humans second, and seldom ever and lowering the dignity of the flag to the dignity of a dog.
Nothing but a continued dry wave will prevent the Old Oaken Bucket farm folks from having peas on Saturday or Sunday. We have already commenced irrigation, just enough irrigation to save one small mess for dinner and save us from second place.
Hon. Charles A. Kimball and family, of Littleton, were recent visitors at the Old Oaken Bucket farm [of Samuel L. Taylor, the author of this article]. It was a delightful questionnaire conference.
Signs of a change of pastor at the Congregational [Church] begin to appear. One member of the pulpit supply committee has been noticeably absent from his accustomed Sunday morning place and is known to have a sort of roving commission as to who he hears preach. As Mr. Blair is to be away the next three Sundays the supply committee takes the opportunity offered to them to place candidates in the pulpit those Sundays. Rev. George H. Cummings is expected on June 10. He has recently closed a pastorate in Dracut Center and has recently been heard in Templeton by the roving committeeman.
Sunday service at the Unitarian church at four o’clock. Preacher, Rev. Frank B. Crandall, the minister; subject, “The escalator—a modern parable.”
“Lost Opportunity.” Many of the Memorial day orators had much to say about “America lost her opportunity for leadership of the world in not joining the league of nations.” Now see here, brother orators, at all world conferences the United States has sent the best brains of her statesmanship and given the same advice as would have been given had we been in the league of nations—even closeted with the unspeakable Turk in an attempt to reconcile them to terms of justice, and this advice was flatly rejected. There is not the slightest evidence on the horizon, past, present or future, that this advice from some of the best statesmen in the United States would not have been rejected if we were officially in the league. Less truth talk and more evidence to support it would do something towards conversions, but a lot of foaming generalities about what perhaps we all wish could be true. “America the headlight of the whole world,” in settling world troubles is altogether too foaming with wish in view of the fact that more than fifty nations are already in the league of nations and have done hardly nothing for what the league was organized for, and to foam and wail about “America’s lost opportunity” and in fact contradiction of facts is too senseless for even a kindergarten to be expected to believe.
We never had a lost opportunity to lose. Unless we traded our birthright to foreign control “lost opportunity” we are not as well off in this respect as the Irishman and his big copper tea kettle on the vessel, who asked the captain, “Is a thing lost when you know where it is?” who answered, “Why no, you blockhead, a thing isn’t lost when you know where it is.” “Faith, then, be golly, the big copper tea kettle is at the bottom of the sea.” In leadership we haven’t had even a copper kettle to lose, or “lost opportunity.”
Graniteville. The Abbot Worsted baseball team defeated the Bunker Hill K. of C., of Boston, 5 to 3, at Abbot park on last Saturday. The game was a pitchers’ battle between Baum of the Abbots and Andrews for Bunker Hill. With the score 5 to 3, in the ninth, the visitors got three men on bases with nobody out. Al Davidson then relieved Baum and retired two men by the strike-out route and forced the next man to hit to the infield for the third out. It was a great finish to a well-played game. On Tuesday evening the Abbots defeated the fast Gardner A.A. in the first twilight game of the season, 7 to 4. The Abbots got to Cutting, the Gardner twirler, in the fourth scoring five runs on seven hits, and after that were never headed. Davidson worked for Abbots on the mound and Dee was on the receiving end. The Abbots will not have any home game this Saturday, for they are booked to play the Derry A.A. in Derry, N.H. On Sunday the Abbots will play Fitchburg in Fitchburg and many of the local fans will accompany the team to both places.
The graduating exercises for the eighth grade scholars in the Sargent grammar schools were held in Abbot’s hall on Thursday afternoon and were well attended. A very fine program was presented and all did finely in their respective parts. Stanley C. Jones, principal, had charge of arrangements.
- Carroll Furbush of the navy with Mr. and Mrs. Owen McNiff and two children, are stopping at the home of their parents, Mr. and Mrs. F. L. Furbush.
Misses Emily Hanson, Laura McCarthy and Hilma Hanson were in attendance as delegates at the grand circle convention of C. of F. of A., held in New Bedford this week.
The members of the Epworth league held an entertainment and buffet lunch in the vestry of the M.E. church on Thursday evening which was largely attended. Miss Helen Casey, of Lowell, was heard in several dialect readings, assisted by local talent. The whole affair was a great success.
The members of the Brotherhood held their regular meeting in the vestry of the M.E. church on Wednesday evening with a good attendance. Much important business was transacted.
Owing to the severe thunder storm here on Wednesday evening, something went wrong with the electric lighting system and the whole town was plunged into darkness. Those who had kerosene lamps were fortunate, while others had to use candles. The toll service on the telephone system was also out of order for a brief time.
Forge Village. At the home of Mr. and Mrs. Fennimore Morton, Pleasant street, a very pretty wedding took place on May 30, when their daughter, Ellen Mae, was married to Edmund D. Rogers, of Lowell. The bride was attended by her sister Mary as maid of honor, and her sister Laura was flower girl. The best man was Roland Newcombe, of Boston.
The bride was dressed in white satin with over-drapes of lace and a long, flowing veil, and carried a bouquet of white roses and sweet peas. Her sister Mary wore pink satin and carried pink roses. Her sister Laura was dressed in peach colored satin and carried a large basket of Marguerites.
There were many present from out of town, including the bridegroom’s parents from Lowell and his brothers and sisters; the bride’s aunt and son, from Peabody, and also her cousin and son from Dorchester, and several others from nearby towns and Fitchburg.
Following the wedding services, which were performed by Rev. William E. Anderson of the Graniteville M.E. church, a bountiful wedding supper was served to over fifty persons. The wedding cake was afterward cut and distributed to all after all had been served.
The bridal couple started on a tour of New Hampshire and surrounding towns with the best wishes of all present, and upon their return will reside with her mother, Pleasant street.
Littleton
News Items. The A.L. post and the Ladies’ Auxiliary to the A.L. about twelve in number, together with the Westford post and Auxiliary were guests of the Groton post and Auxiliary by whom they were royally entertained in Groton Wednesday evening.
Townsend
Center. Mrs. Daisy Warman, of Gardner; Mr. and Mrs. Louis Miller and son, of Westford; Robert Brown and daughters, Grace and Lillian, and Rev. Joseph Waterhouse and daughter, of Leominster, were recent visitors at the home of Mrs. Martha Brown.
West. Miss Alice Swenson, of Westford, who is a schoolmate of Miss Persis Ormsby, spent the weekend at the home of Mr. and Mrs. F. H. Ormsby.
Ayer
News Items. David Hubbard has sold his home on Sandy pond road to a Polish family from Westford and will move to the house owned by him on the corner of Church and Grove streets, recently vacated by Michael J. Murray. Mr. Murray has moved to the upper tenement in the house owned by C. A. Cross Co. on Shirley street recently vacated by Herbert L. Bosquet. Mr. Hubbard intends to make repairs on his new home before moving in.
Real Estate Transfers. The following real estate transfers have been recorded from this vicinity recently: …
Westford—Edith F. Wilson et al. to Charles G. Carter. …
District Court. On Friday morning of last week Francis C. Wood of Westford was before the court charged with driving an automobile at an unreasonable rate of speed in that town. He pleaded nolo and was fined ten dollars. A charge against him for not stopping when signaled and another charge of reckless driving were both dismissed by agreement. Attorney John M. Maloney appeared for him.
Ephraim Reed charged with drunkenness at Westford, was found guilty and fined $10.
Notes:
”Center. Through a misprint last week’s edition stated that Mrs. Fred Mitchell was in town for the summer and it should have read Mrs. Fred Hildreth.” Westford Wardsman, Sat., June 9, 1923, p. 2.
This is probably the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University founded by Louis Agassiz in 1859. See https://mcz.harvard.edu/ornithology-history
This information on the Civil War service of the two Wilkins men is taken from Rev. Edwin Hodgman’s History of the Town of Westford (1883) p. 199.
This is a reference to Matthew 12:11-12: “11. And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 12. How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.” KJV