Turner's Public Spirit, March 15, 1924
A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
Center. The overseers of the charity department held a meeting last Saturday evening and organized with Wesley A. Hawkes, chairman, and Perley E. Wright, secretary. The contract for wiring and furnishing fixtures at the town home was awarded to Joseph Walker, of Graniteville.
A daughter [Ruth Evelyn] was born to Mr. and Mrs. Willard Moore, of Cold Spring farm, last Saturday [March 7].
The Middlesex County Council of the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the American Legion will hold their regular monthly meeting in Hardy’s hall, Ayer, on Saturday afternoon, March 22. All members of the local organization are invited to attend these meetings which are held on the fourth Saturday of each month in the different towns and cities of the county.
The school closed on this Friday for a vacation and will reopen on March 24.
Mrs. Salome Blodgett, who is ill at her home in the north part of the town, is resting comfortably and showing improvement.
A daughter [Constance] was born to Mr. and Mrs. Carl Lydiard at the Lowell General hospital last week [March 7].
There was no school on Wednesday, owing to the severe storm, which brought the heaviest snowfall of this season.
The Ladies’ Aid of the Congregational church held an all-day meeting at the home of Mrs. Ralph Bridgford on Thursday.
There was a good attendance at the meeting of the Laymen’s league at the Unitarian church last Sunday evening. A luncheon was served and at eight o’clock James P. Ramsey, probation officer of the superior court, gave an interesting talk on his duties and experiences during the past twenty-five years. The league plans to hold a banquet the last of the month. The organization is growing fast and anyone over sixteen years of age may become a member by applying to the secretary, J. Herbert Fletcher.
Emery J. Whitney is ill with pneumonia at Kissimmee, Fla., where he is spending the winter. Just previous to his illness Mr. Whitney, with five other friends, had been enjoying a trip to Havana, Cuba.
At the meeting of the Grange on last week Thursday evening the members listened to an interesting talk by Allister MacDougall; Misses Elva Judd and Lillian Sutherland sang a duet, and there were readings by Mrs. Perley Wright. Seven applications for membership were read. It was voted to present a five-dollar goldpiece to Mrs. Edna Moore [nee Edna May Sargent] upon her first anniversary, as in some manner it had been overlooked at the time of her marriage [to Willard Franklin Moore in Westford March 20, 1923], and the other young ladies recently married, who had been helpful in Grange work, had already received a like gift.
Fred R. Blodgett, who has been ill, is able to be about again.
Academy Notes. Principal William Roudenbush, president of the Northwestern Middlesex Teachers’ association, will attend the county meeting held in Boston this Saturday. This meeting has been called by Commissioner Payson Smith to make plans for the meetings to be held next fall.
Nathaniel Phillips is to be captain of this year’s baseball team, and Roger Hildreth, manager.
Principal Roudenbush and Master Phillips will go to Groton on Monday where representatives from Ayer, Groton, Littleton, Lunenburg, Pepperell and Westford will meet for the object of forming a baseball league.
About Town. That town meeting special is reported to come off in the night time on Monday, March 24. The business so far reported relates to reconsideration of the vote appropriating money for the police force. The second article is first cousin and sister to the first article to transfer the authority of letting the town hall from the selectmen to the janitor of the aforesaid town hall. I have always supposed this was even [sic, ever?] thus all the time the janitor had the letting of the hall.
A moose was freighted or crated down from Ayer over the Stony Brook [rail]road last week Friday whose horns spread was four feet.
Have recently received a postal from a former townsman. He says, “I am in Habana [sic], Cuba, as it is pronounced by the natives. It is not as clean a city as it might be. The older section is of Spanish architecture; narrow streets and sidewalks. Don’t have to go dry, for there is a barroom at every corner. Very few speak English.”
The farmers’ institute held at Grace Universalist church, Lowell, on last week Thursday, was an all-‘round best one, coming as it did with the monthly social of the church. James Tufts, Sr., of Phillips Exeter academy, gave some sensible advice on “How to interest the boys in agriculture,” and our own Allister MacDougall was equally good and at his best in discussing “Farm problems.” Mrs. Smith, wife of Rev. Isaac Smith, minister of the church, was highly entertaining and instructive in giving her experiences as probation officer before her marriage. The supper and entertainment in the evening were helpful physically and socially.
Middlesex North Pomona Grange held one of its most fully attended and uplifting meetings on last week Friday in Lowell. Questions were discussed such as “Does money spent in beautifying the farm and village property pay a dividend in dollars and cents?” and “Should profit be reckoned in anything but cash?” The afternoon session was all of a hurrah of instruction as Rev. Percy E. Thomas gave his illustrated lecture on “California.”
Charles Robey has been obliged to go to the Lowell General hospital again.
Rev. Oliver J. Fairfield, formerly of Littleton, in the Christian Register, says of salvation, “Make yourself so serviceable that you will be worth saving.” That is just the “it” of it. Too much of our modern living makes life one grand bargain counter for personal selfishness. We are so struck [sic, stuck?] on ourselves that we have nothing for public spirit or even a “cup of cold water for charity.” Emerson says, “Make the want of you felt.” [Probably not an Emerson quote.]
First church (Unitarian) Sunday service at 4 p.m. Lord’s prayer and vesicles chanted by chorus choir. Miss Eleanor Colburn, soprano, soloist. Preacher Rev. Frank B. Crandall, the minister. Subject, “The best gift.” Church school at 3.
Death. James A. Walkden, a resident of Westford for the past fifty years, and one of the town’s most respected citizens, died last week Wednesday at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Henry A. Fletcher, at Chamberlin’s Corner, aged 73 years, 3 months, 27 days.
Born in Lowell on November 7 [sic, 6], 1850, Mr. Walkden moved to this town fifty years ago and opened a wheelwright shop at Chamberlin’s Corner, which he successfully carried on until his retirement about two years ago on account of ill health. Mr. Walkden was widely known in this and surrounding towns. His long residence in this community, his neighborly and manly characteristics and his business enterprise and consideration for his fellowmen at all times were traits that made him a host of friends. Being an extensive reader of the best literature he was a remarkable, easy and entertaining conversationalist. There were no dry springs in his life. All the abundant springs that nature had endowed him with were alive and in action and always at the bubble point and required no pumping to start them into action.
Since the death of his wife about sixteen years ago he had made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Henry A. Fletcher, whose kindly devotion and ministrations to her father made even his final illness more easily endured.
The deceased leaves two sons, Albert E., of Cleveland, Ohio, and Herbert H. Walkden of Wichita, Kan., and two daughters, Mrs. Henry A. Fletcher and Mrs. John Bell, both of this town, eight grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
The funeral was held from his home on last week Friday afternoon, Rev. E. E. Jackman, formerly of the West Chelmsford village [Methodist] church, conducting the service. Flowers were abundant, hopeful and helpful. The bearers were Henry A. Fletcher, E. Clyde Prescott, Joseph E. Sargent, Mark Jenkins and James O’Brien. Interment was in the family lot in Fairview cemetery.
Milk Revenue. Dracut, which has the highest tax rate in the state, has the largest number of cows of any Middlesex county, but at the rate the price of milk is dropping the larger the herds the greater the prospect of an almshouse residence, and all over milk-producing sections of New England and New York. The farmers in this vicinity are holding meetings to discuss the situation, or perhaps to cuss the situation. I would not be surprised if that was the current name of the terminal. The Hood Milk Company has come into Lowell, it is reported, to gobble up the milk at a price so low that it cannot be made and drive all competitors out of the retail trade. The duty on milk is not sufficient to keep it out of the Lowell Market. Hence the local producers can their milk or take Canada prices.
As discouraging as the situation is in this state, it is optimistic sunshine compared with the situation in New York, where several cooperative producers’ organizations are fiercely engaged in a butting act, each against the other, each against all, and all against each, while Canada and the consumers do all of the smiling act. Having ceased being a producer and joined the happy consumers, I am smiling daily with a smile that increases daily as the price drops and the butting in increases. As producer, I got in under cover before this deluge.
I thought some said free trade was a good thing. Yes, for Canada; for the tariff on milk is so small that it threatens the exterminating or curtailment of local production. And now that I have commenced to wander and wonder about free trade, it seems convenient to mention here that our efficient and honest Calvin Coolidge, as president, whose mercies and sympathies are with the struggling farmer, has increased the tariff on wheat to help out the financial floundering wheat farmers. Many thanks, Mr. President, that you have not forgotten your early days on the farm, and still many, many more thanks that you never was [sic] ordained with such a bumptious bump of ego that it would make the approaches to you for hayseed personalities too much like “holier than thou” route, besides impairing your usefulness.
“Days of Delusion.” I am still reading with enthusiastic interest Clara Endicott Sears’ new book, “Days of delusions,” and was much impressed with the reply of Emerson when warned the end of the world was close at hand, “The end of the world does not affect me. I can get along without it.” This answer is characteristic of his temperamental “oversoul” and his transcendental thinking. To this might be added the testimonial of Margaret Fuller Ossol picturing Emerson during the exciting, crazy scenes of the Millerites and the “convention of friends of universal reform”: “Amid all these wild gospelers came and went the calm figure of Emerson, peaceful and undisturbed.” Is it possible for us to picture Emerson in the role of a converted Millerite climbing apple trees to meet his Lord, and when he did not appear on time, lose his head and jump off the tree into the barberry bushes, break an arm, bruise and lacerate his mortal flesh and tear his mortal clothes? Say, wouldn’t Emerson look gay and inspiring having his picture taken, entitled “Emerson in the barberry bushes”? Miss Sears describes such a happening as this in her new book, but she does not picture Emerson in it. I have volunteered to picture him in this apple-tree-barberry parachute to see if it would be an improvement to his transcendental oversoul.
The following incident, among many of the Millerites “carry on” was contributed to Miss Sears’ new book, “Days of delusion,” by the late John M. Fletcher, who received it from his father, John B. Fletcher, whose house faced the common and opposite the Bancroft house, the headquarters for the gathering of the go-up folks, 1843, and will interest Westford people and others. Mr. Fletcher was not a believer in the Prophet Miller’s doctrine, but was deeply interested as an on-looker, and was a witness to all that happened to all of his followers in Westford.
“The principal meeting of the Millerites in Westford was in a fine old mansion facing the common, on the site of which now stands the Fletcher Memorial library. It was owned by a man named Bancroft and he and his family were held in high esteem by the townspeople, and it caused much comment that they and a family of Leightons and also one named Richardson, all well-to-do people with a certain [amount] of education, should have fallen so completely under the spell of the delusion. But they did so with great enthusiasm and faith and the Bancroft house was filled to overflowing with large numbers of persons as deluded as themselves. (The Richardson family referred to was the Joseph Richardson family and lived on Main street, just west of Fairview cemetery. Mr. Richardson was the grandfather of the late Edward A. Richardson, of Ayer.)
“Every believer in the prophecy in Westford was an ardent one; there was not a lukewarm soul among them. According to Mr. Fletcher’s father many had white robes ready and each prayed loud, sang loud and shouted loud and on this last night the unbelievers who were not up to see what was going to happen lay awake listening to the tumult of sound that issued forth from the Bancroft mansion. Now there was a man who lived near by who was generally known as ‘Crazy Amos’ (Amos Hildreth). He was somewhat addicted to drink (more than somewhat addicted; submerged is the word) and was one of those queer characters sometimes found in country districts. He was the possessor of a very large horn and it so happened that as he lay in his bed listening to the sound of voices that rose and fell like the waves of an in-coming tide, a sudden thought flashed through his befuddled brain, and jumping out of his bed he hurriedly dressed himself and seizing his horn he rushed out upon the village green and blew a terrific blast upon it. The poor deluded fanatics now congregated in the Bancroft house to await the awful summons of the Holy Angel Gabriel, heard the sound and for a moment a death-like stillness came over the assembly. Then uttering a great shout of exultation they rushed tumultuously in a body out of the house and onto the green, hustling and jostling each other in a frantic attempt to secure an advantageous position from which they might easily be ‘caught up in the air.’ When they gained the green, they gazed about in bewilderment, scanning the heavens, looking first at the east then at the north and south, then at the west, and to their astonishment they could see nothing unusual in the night skies.
“Then of a sudden came another terrific blast from the horn, loud and clear, awakening the echoes. With one accord a great shout went up, ‘Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory!’ and believing the fulfillment of the prophecy to be at hand they strained their eyes upwards searching the heavens again, expecting any moment to see the angelic host appear, and they raised their arms high above their heads in an attitude of prayer and supplication. Then a regular fanfare rang out and one of them espied their neighbor ‘Crazy Amos’ blowing as though for dear life upon his horn. A muffled exclamation of dismay, mixed with resentment, escaped from the lips of the humiliated enthusiasts who retreated into the house again in dire confusion, exhausted and trembling from the high pitch of ecstasy which they had reached for the space of a few supreme moments, and from the sense of shame at having been so duped, while they clasped their hands over their ears so as to deaden the sound of the gibes and taunts of ‘Crazy Amos’ who shouted after them ‘Fools, go dig your potatoes for the Angel Gabriel he won’t go a-digging ‘em for you.’ […]
“The members of the Richardson family had escaped the ignominy that these others had suffered because very early that morning they had gone to Littleton just a few miles away so as to ascend with the Hartwell family, with whom they were related (Mel Hartwell one of them).”
In justice to “Crazy Amos” it must be said that when Rev. George H. Young was ordained and installed as minister of the Unitarian church on August 7, 1866, he had the persuasive temperamental ability to cause “Crazy Amos” to stop drinking, wash up, dress up and attend church like a temperate human being, and “Crazy Amos” closed his earthly career a temperate man.
Graniteville. In spite of the severe storm on Tuesday evening the motion pictures attracted a large audience here. The feature picture was Rex Reach’s [sic, Rex Beach is meant] “The spoilers,”[1] followed by an enjoyable comedy.
March is running true to form and the storm on Tuesday was one of the worst of the winter.
Rev. James F. Kelly, of Jamaica Plain, preached the sermon at the Lenten services in St. Catherine’s church on Wednesday evening.
The Abbot Worsted Company band will give a concert before the movie at Abbot hall in Forge Village on Saturday evening at seven o’clock.
Manager R. J. McCarthy of the Abbot Worsted baseball club is fast getting his team lined up for the coming season in the Boston Twilight league. Several new men have been signed up and the club will be stronger than ever. All home games will be played in Graniteville. The season will open about the middle of May.
Both masses in St. Catherine’s church last Sunday morning were celebrated by the pastor, Rev. A. S. Malone. At the first mass the members of the Holy Name society received communion in a body. The regular meeting of the Holy Name society was held on Sunday evening with a good attendance. The regular Lenten services will be held on Wednesday and Friday evenings at the usual hours.
Some of the ardent soccer football fans of Forge Village attended the big eastern semifinal between Fall River and Bethlehem Steel in Brooklyn, N.Y., last Sunday.
The Abbot Worsted soccer team did not play Fore River on last Saturday as the grounds in Quincy were not in shape.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles McLean, of Ayer, have been recent visitors here.
The members of Court Westford, M.C.O.F., are planning to hold a whist party in the near future.
Ayer
Real Estate Transactions. The following real estate transfers have been recorded from this vicinity recently:
Westford, Claude L. Allen to Victor E. Eliason, land on Pine Grove road; Claude L. Allen to Victor Eliason, land on Pine Grove road. [sic]
[1] The 1923 silent Western film “The Spoilers” was based on a popular 1906 novel of the same name by Rex Beach about the 1898 Gold Rush in Nome, Alaska. It starred Milton Sills and Anna Q. Nilsson and was produced by Goldwyn Pictures. It had previously appeared as a film in 1914 and would subsequently be remade in 1930 (starring Gary Cooper and Betty Compson) and 1942 (with John Wayne and Marlene Dietrich). See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spoilers_(1923_film).