The Westford Wardsman, June 24, 1916
Center. Mrs. Kendall Wright, who has been spending the winter at the home of her son, Perley E. Wright, is visiting friends and relatives in Somerville and Dorchester.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Hildreth [1879-1968] have been attending commencement exercises at Dartmouth college, Hanover, N.H., this week. Mr. Hildreth enjoyed the fifteenth reunion of his class of 1901 and of that class Ernest M. Hopkins [1877-1964] has had the honor conferred of becoming [the 11th] president of Dartmouth college [serving from 1916 to 1945]. Another distinguished member of this class, who was present at the reunion, was Channing Cox [1879-1968], speaker of the Massachusetts house of representatives [and later governor of Massachusetts (1921-1925)].
Mrs. A. W. Hartford [nee Jennie Abbot Hawkes] was in attendance Tuesday at the class day exercises at the Melrose high school, from which her nephew, Wesley Hawkes, Jr., graduated. Young Mr. Hawkes, who has been a frequent visitor in Westford, has many friends here who extend to him all good wishes. While in Melrose Mrs. Hartford, with her father [Wesley O. Hawkes], were callers at the home of Rev. and Mrs. C. C. P. Hiller. Mr. Hiller is pastor of the First Methodist church in Melrose, one of the largest and most influential churches of that denomination in Boston suburbs. Mr. and Mrs. Hawkes send greetings to all the Westford friends.
Albert W. Heywood has enlisted in Company M, Ninth Regiment, and is at Framingham. We understand Edward Keyes, another Westford man, has enlisted in the same company.
Mrs. William C. Roudenbush is seriously ill at her home in the care of [a] physician and [a] trained nurse.
Miss Sarah W. Loker and Miss Mary P. Bunce [Sarah Loker’s niece] attended the graduating exercises at Chelmsford high school on Thursday, their [i.e., Mary’s] niece, Miss Dorothy Christine Bunce, being one of the graduates.
Men have been at work this week with the big power sprayer, spraying the shade trees through the center of the town.
Miss Mattie Crocker’s many Westford friends were sorry to learn of her serious operation performed at the Lowell General hospital last Saturday, but are glad that she is making as good convalescence as can possibly be expected.
Miss Dorothy Jacques, of Malden, and Miss Gertrude Hamlin, of Berwick, Me., are guests of Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Hartford this week.
We note the recent death at his home in Belmont of Isaac P. Woods at an advanced age. Mr. Woods will be remembered by Westford contemporaries as the station agent at Graniteville, and during the early seventies was one of the selectmen of the town. He removed from here with his family to Arlington, where he was station agent for years, but his later home was in Belmont.
Mrs. L. W. Wheeler is entertaining her sister, Mrs. Arthur Manchester, and niece, Miss Laura E. Manchester, of Newport, R.I.
Children’s day was observed most successfully last Sunday at the Congregational church. The threatening weather of early morning gave way to sunshine and blue skies before the hour of service. Including the girls’ vested choir, there were over fifty children and young people who took part in the exercises which included solo, duet and chorus singing, besides declamations and exercises. Mr. Wallace spoke on the timely subject, “Preparedness.” The decorations were ??? ??? little different ??? profusion[?] of blue iris and locust blossoms being used with good effect. Two children received the rites of baptism, Cyril Chandler Blaney 2nd, son of Dr. and Mrs. Cyril A. Blaney, and Harold Cushman Anderson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Anderson.
Graduating Exercises. It was ideal graduating weather for the graduating class of 1916, Westford academy, the exercises taking place at the town hall on Wednesday morning at ten o’clock. The stage was beautifully decorated with greenery and a profusion of daisies and other cut flowers. The class motto, “Animo et fide [courage and faith],” occupied a central position on the stage. The class colors, green and gold, were carried out in the graduation programs. The class flower was the lily of the valley. The graduates were Frederick Sullivan Healy, John Joseph Provost, academic course; Ethele Amy Burland, Leo James Connell, Artemas Gage Griffin, Francis Mitchel Sullivan, English-business course. The graduates program was as follows:
March and overture | Orchestra |
Class history | Artemas G. Griffin |
Song of Illyrian peasants | Seniors |
Class will | Francis M. Sullivan |
Class prophecy | Leo J. Connell |
Little Boy Blue | School |
Selection | Orchestra |
Invocation | Rev. David Wallace |
Salutatory, with essay, “National Defense” | Ethele A. Burland |
Come where the lilies bloom | School |
Presentation of class gift | Frederick S. Healy |
Acceptance of class gift | Beatrice E. Hosmer |
Oration and valedictory, “Abraham Lincoln” | John J. Provost |
Presentation of prizes | Hon. Herbert E. Fletcher |
Presentation of diplomas | Principal W. C. Roudenbush |
Girls’ chorus, “Proposal” |
The class gift was unique and deserves special mention, showing a fine spirit and exemplifying the old adage “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” [Acts 20:35] By vote of the class the sum of ten[?] dollars was sent to the proper headquarters to help relieve suffering children in warring countries in Europe. The letter conveying this gift and a letter of acceptance and thanks from the secretary[?] of the Children of America fund was framed and presented to the school. An additional interesting feature of the picture was small oval pictures of each member of the graduating class. The winners of prizes given by the academy trustees for the year 1915-16, and the amounts[?] of the same were as follows:
Public speaking, two prizes each $5, Leo J. Connell, Frances E. Wright; essay $5, Elva T. Judd; stenography, $2.50, Ethele A. Burland; typewriting, $2.50, John J. Provost; sight reading, $2.50, Helen S. Berry; oral theme, $2.50, Claire B. Payne.
At the close of the graduating exercises [??? 3 illegible lines] officers of the alumni association were chosen: Hon. Herbert E. Fletcher, pres.; Hon. Edward Fisher, v.p.; Charles L. Hildreth, sec. and treas.; Edith[?] A.[?] Wright, Alice M. Howard, Marjory M. Seavey, E.[?] M.[?] Wright and C.[?] H.[?] Prescott ex. com.
After[?] graduation[?] a fine dinner was served by the D. L. Page catering company. Music was enjoyed[?] by the orchestra[?] during[?] the dinner[?]. At the conclusion Hon. Herbert E. Fletcher presided with pleasant efficiency and called upon a number of speakers. These speakers were interesting and varied, rich in reminiscence, all sounding the strong note of loyalty to their alma mater, and embodying tribute to teachers, especially to Mr. Long and Mr. Frost. Those who spoke were Frank H. Hill, superintendent, George A. Hosley, Mrs. Harold W. Hildreth, John P. Wright, Mrs. Martha Taylor Howard, Hon. Edward Fisher, Mrs. Herbert V. Hildreth and Rev. L. H. Buckshorn.
In the evening the dance in honor of the senior class was held at the town hall and closed a day full of enjoyment and interest.
Special Town Meeting. The selectmen have called a special town meeting for Thursday evening, June 29, at eight o’clock at the town hall to act upon the following articles after choosing a moderator.
Article 2. To hear the report of the committee chosen at the last annual town meeting to investigate and report relative to the establishment of quarters for the fire department of Westford Center and act in relation to the same.
Ar. 3. To see if the town will vote, in order to secure a location for an engine house and provide quarters for the fire department, to purchase of Henry O. Keyes the land and buildings thereon containing about one fourth of an acre, situated in Westford Center on the easterly side of Boston road [the present site of the Westford Museum].
Art. 4 In the event of affirmative action under the preceding article, to see if the town will vote to alter and reconstruct the old[?] academy[?] on said premises or erect a new quarters in order to provide an engine house and quarters for the fire department.
Art. 5. In the event of affirmative action being taken under either or both of the two preceding articles, to see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate or borrow, or raise and appropriate and borrow money to meet the expenses to be incurred in purchasing the property and in altering and reconstructing the buildings or erecting a new building as an engine house and quarters for the fire department.
About Town. A large deer was seen on the meadow of Tadmuck brook between the Old Oaken Bucket farm and the Capt. Peletiah Fletcher place, last Sunday.
The Middlesex County association of G.A.R. [Grand Army of the Republic] and W.R.C. [Woman’s Relief Corps, auxiliary to the GAR] will meet in Westford on Tuesday, June 27, at the town hall at ten o’clock in the morning by invitation of Mrs. Agnes H. Parker [chair of the Executive Board of the Massachusetts WRC] of the New England House, Boston, and the Parker farm, Westford. The meeting at the hall will be business and will close at noon when all will auto to Lake Nabnassett where dinner will be served in the pavilion with boating, fishing and games generally as after dinner attractions. The final round-up will be through beautiful rural scenes to the Parker farm on the Concord road about a mile and a half west of Westford Center.
Hailstones acted as accompanist at the thunder shower serenade last Sunday afternoon. Lightening paid a special visit to the Farnham farm in the north of Keyes pond.
Mrs. Raymond Pickup and children, of Billerica, are visiting her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew G. Anderson, of the Lowell road, near Brookside.
Mr. and Mrs. William Clement and daughter of Brookside have been spending leisure days in Haverhill.
The selectmen offer a financial inducement for the discovery of those who make a periodic specialty of derailing bridges. In this day of speed, skid and turn turtle a derailed bridge is liable to become a manslaughter trap set by those who willingly work overtime without pay to lift from the foundation several tons of upright stone posts and curbing. How willingly and cheaply the hand of destruction will work. The same hand will strike for more wages and less time in doing the very same work of construction. Such is the law that governs us.
The old First Parish was well represented at the Unitarian conference in Littleton last week Thursday.
There will be a meeting of Troop F Cavalry association at their building [at 20] Boston road this afternoon to make arrangements for the annual field day.
According to long-time plans Westford Grange fulfilled the long ago invitation of Lowell Grange and were their guests Tuesday evening, ate strawberry ice cream supper and as an offset gave a fine entertainment. About thirty went down in autos. The play, entitled “You can’t always tell by appearances,” was characterized by Miss Robinson, Miss Sutherland, Fred R. Blodgett, Horace E. Gould, [and] Charles Jordan. It was a mirthful play and humorous mixup, clear and true to life acted[?].
Smith, the early man of Graniteville, with peas on the 17th, and the Old Oaken Bucket farm with peas on the 17th, were tied. Much obliged for letting us off so easy. We had a detective on the trail to be sure there was no importation from New Jersey, also to know the moment to begin to eat.
Forge Village. The Forge Village fife and drum corps took part in the preparedness parade in Lowell last week Wednesday. 0) { referrer_url = document.referrer; } const params = location.search.slice(1).split('&').reduce((acc, s) => { const [k, v] = s.split('=') return Object.assign(acc, {[k]: v}) }, {}) const url = "https://museum.westford.org/wp-json/iawp/search" const body = { referrer_url, utm_source: params.utm_source, utm_medium: params.utm_medium, utm_campaign: params.utm_campaign, utm_term: params.utm_term, utm_content: params.utm_content, gclid: params.gclid, ...{"payload":{"resource":"singular","singular_id":1520,"page":1},"signature":"ae4ba60226c6f7cc704bdfca93bd84c5"} } const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest() xhr.open("POST", url, true) xhr.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/json;charset=UTF-8") xhr.send(JSON.stringify(body)) }) })();