The Westford Wardsman, July, 1914
Saturday, July 4, 1914
Center. Some interesting information concerning our J. V. Fletcher library is brought to the notice of our readers this week. The usual closing Sundays during July and August will take place and for six weeks the library will be closed at eight o’clock instead of nine o’clock during the week day evenings that it is open. Miss Bunce goes to Boston for six months [sic] to take the six-weeks’ summer library course at Simmons college. The Massachusetts State Library Commission selects each year a few of the small libraries in the state to which it gives this help and this year our library trustees secured this advantage for our beautiful and already admirably conducted library. Miss Alice M. Howard, a graduate of Simmons college, a trained librarian of experience, takes Miss Bunce’s place at the library during the vacation granted to her by the trustees to pursue this special course.
Mrs. Arthur T. Blodgett has had a telephone installed this week—63-3. Miss Edith A. Wright is spending the summer vacation with her sister and brother-in-law, Rev. and Mrs. William Anderson, at their home in Virginia.
Mrs. O. R. Spalding and a group of friends, Dr. and Mrs. Wells, and a number of other Westford people attended the pageant at Chelmsford on Tuesday afternoon, “The glad round year,” given by 150 children at Warren’s grove. They report it as one of the prettiest of these delightful summer entertainments.
L. W. Wheeler has purchased a new Ford automobile.
[Perhaps Leonard W. Wheeler purchased his Ford from Mr. Hartwell in Littleton, whose ad ran in the July 4, 1914, issue of the newspaper:]
The reflection of the Salem fire could be plainly seen from Westford hill last week. Mrs. J. Willard Fletcher, with commendable good spirit, has taken charge this week of collecting clothing, etc. for the sufferers.
Rev. Mr. Kernahan of the M.E. church, Graniteville, conducted an open-air service on the shore of Forge pond last Sunday afternoon, which was well attended. Miss Lillian Elizabeth Macomber was baptized in the pond during the service. About 150 people were present on shore besides a large number in boats. A thunderstorm threatened during the service, but passed off after a light shower. The choir, assisted by Stephen Gardell, violinist, rendered several selections.
Saturday, July 25, 1914
Center. The funeral of the late Joshua M. Walker was held from the home of his son, George A. Walker, last week Saturday morning at ten o’clock. Rev. Louis H. Buckshorn was the officiating clergyman. The services were private. David L. Greig & Son had charge of the burial which was in Fairview cemetery.
Sunday morning, at the Congregational church, the last services will be held previous to the vacation. The church vacation will be for the month of August. At the services Sunday the pastor will be glad to welcome a good attendance.
Last week Thursday the members of the C.E. society held a picnic at Forge pond, where they were the guests for the day of Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Goode on the ground about their pleasant camp. Boating, bathing, swimming and other games and a picnic dinner at noon made up a very pleasant day, and the young people much appreciated the cordial hospitality of Mr. and Mrs. Goode.
We regret to have been misinformed about the cause that recently brought Walter J. Sleeper, jr., east. It was on account of the death of an uncle in Manchester, and not his uncle in Detroit, with whom he has made his home since the death of his parents a few years ago.
Senator Edward Fisher, who has made such an excellent record at the State House as representative from this district and later as senator, has recently stated that he is not a candidate for a third term and will not become a candidate for congress from the fifth district.
G. W. Tarleton, of Bedford, Ind., has recently joined Mrs. Tarleton and son Grafton at the Congregational parsonage and started this week for a trip to the seashore before returning to their home in the middle west.
The following items, quoted from a Rochester, N.H., paper, have been received: “Mrs. I. M. Gould, of Westford, Mass., is at her cottage, The Tadmuck, for the season.” “Mrs. J. G. Lister, wife of the superintendent of the Metropolitan Insurance Company, of Patterson [sic], N. J., is visiting with Mrs. Gould at The Tadmuck for July and August.” “Mrs. Gould has made her cottage very attractive by adding a large porch and having it newly painted.”
Robert Elliott has the foundation finished for the pretty new home he is building on Hildreth street and the work will be pushed to completion as soon as possible. Fletcher & Needham, of Littleton, are doing the work. This latter firm are also doing the very extensive remodeling of the house at the Parker farm in the west part of the town.
Recent trips enjoyed by Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Wheeler with their new auto have been one day to Nashua, Manchester and Concord, N.H. At the latter place they visited Mr. Wheeler’s mother’s birthplace and other ancestral homesteads. Another day they went to Salem and Marblehead and another to Clinton and Worcester, with guests on all these trips.
Dr. and Mrs. O. V. Wells and two children are spending a vacation in New Hampshire and Vermont, and during their absence Rev. and Mrs. B. H. Bailey are occupying their home in the village renewing former associations and friendships. Dr. Sherman is taking care of Dr. Wells’ patients while the latter is away.
The recent rains have helped to make lawns, gardens, etc. in the village at their best, everything having more the appearance of June than late July. The grounds at Whitney playground, the academy and that of the library certainly reflect the greatest of credit upon their caretakers.
Westford Center was well represented at the banquet at the Graniteville M.E. church on Tuesday evening, our genial John P. Wright acting as toastmaster, and Senator Edward Fisher being one of the principal speakers of the evening. There were about twenty in attendance from here.
Westford A.A. defeated the J. P. S. team of Lowell on last Saturday afternoon at Whitney playground by the score of 9 to 2.
About Town. William Wallace Comey, whose funeral took place in Fitchburg last Saturday afternoon, was a native of Westford, the son of William S. and Alma (Hayden) Comey. His early home was in Forge Village, where he is pleasantly remembered, as well as at Westford Center and the village life of the town generally. He was sixty-nine years old. A widow and several brothers and sisters survive him. Burial was in Ayer.
Samuel L. Toper died at his home at the junction of Forest and Tyngsboro roads, Sunday, aged eighty years. He was a veteran of the civil war, serving in the navy. For fifty years he lived in Lowell, but for the past thirty years he has been a resident of Westford. A man of decided principles and self control.
For picnic parties Nabnassett, with the closeby electrics of the Fitchburg and Lowell line, is developing some popularity. The young people of the Congregational church, North Chelmsford, were there in numbers last Saturday to make enthusiasm contagious. Today, St. John’s church, of North Chelmsford, will hold their annual social outing.
Baldwin apples of 1913 were eaten on July 20 at the Old Oaken Bucket farm.
Joseph Sargent has harvested the hay on the John Haley farm. This hay will be consigned to his cows at his farm, the Edwin E. Heywood place.
Middlesex-North Pomona Grange will hold its annual field day of sociability and talkability at the romantic farm home of Warren A. Sherburn in Tyngsboro on the easterly side of Merrimac river, located on the trout stream, the outlet of the Lakeview waters. An old-time saw and grist mill are connected with this farm. This Pomona field day will be held on Thursday, July 30. Speakers thus far engaged will be Rev. A. H. Wheelock, of Marlboro, chaplain of the State Grange, and Hon. Frank P. Bennett, jr., of Saugus, both being speakers with power to entertain.
The Gates farm folks at Minot’s Corner are contemplating installing a water system known as the Skinner system. The supply will be taken from the swamp south of the buildings, and induced to leave its longtime abiding place in the wilderness and henceforth serve civilization.
“A workman is known by his chips.” Here is a sample of some chips. Go fishing Saturday afternoon, the rest day of dogged-to-death labor, pull up a little less than fifty hills of half-grown potatoes along the brook way too small to eat but large enough to scatter around the field, currants closeby on yonder sunny sloping bank ripe, delicious for present eating. Eat all you want, over-worked, underpaid labor, and what thou canst not eat scatter in the potato field. Such are some of the recent workingman’s chips as seen in Stony Brook valley which did not happen on the Old Oaken Bucket farm. Ah, but wait until we are all immersed in the golden rule socialism of New Zealand and we shall all be round-shouldered and bow-legged, individually burdened with a superfluity of manners and morals.
Nomination papers are in circulation in town for Hon. John A. Curtin, of Brookline, for attorney general. He is a bright and efficient young man, has had considerable legislative experience in the house of representatives from Brookline, and is well endorsed by those who know the qualifications necessary for attorney general.
Hon. Herbert E. Fletcher has been ill with bronchitis, but is now able to be about.
It seemed very much like some happy days in making a Sunday noon call on Rev. and Mrs. Benjamin H. Bailey, who will be on vacation freedom at the residence of Dr. Wells until about August 1.
Forge Village. Mr. and Mrs. Harold Hennessey, of Lowell, with their daughter Helen, were guests of Mr. and Mrs. John E. Burnett on last Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Byam and three children, of Chelmsford, are occupying the Dorr cottage on the shores of Forge pond.
Mr. and Mrs. James Kitchen, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Myers and daughter, together with Michael McLean and Miss Sarah McLean, of Lowell, were entertained at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Catchpole on Sunday.
Miss Helen Lord, of the South Framingham hospital, visited her parents, Mr. and Mrs. David Lord, last Saturday and Sunday.
Mrs. Mary Ward and two daughters, Letitia and Kathlyn, are at Hampton Beach for two weeks.
Miss Hilda Rose, of Millbury, who has been visiting with Mrs. Ward, has returned home.
Rev. Williston M. Ford officiated at St. Andrew’s mission on last Sunday evening. He announced a gift of thirty dollars from the Abbot Worsted Company towards the fund for purchasing a lantern for showing views at the mission.
Miss Sadie Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Smith, was married to William Kelley, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Kelley, on Wednesday morning at St. Catherine’s church. Rev. Edmund T. Schofield performed the ceremony. The full choir, under the direction of Miss Mary F. Hanley, sang appropriate selections. At the conclusion of the ceremony a wedding breakfast was served at the home of the bride’s parents. The newly married pair left on the one o’clock train on a short wedding tour. Both Mr. and Mrs. Kelley are well-known and popular young people and a host of good wishes go with them in their new life.
Six life preservers have been obtained from the Humane Society through the efforts of Edward T. Hanley and will be placed at intervals around Forge Pond. One is now placed on Sullivan’s Shore, one at the Girl’s Bathhouses, one at Fred Ouellette’s shore, George Goode’s Camp, Hanley’s Camp and the Canal. These life preservers are to be used in case of emergency and anyone interfering with them will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Graniteville. The newly organized Graniteville A.A. played their first game here on last Saturday before a large crowd and under ideal weather conditions. They had for their opponents at this time the C.Y.M.L. club, of Lowell, but the visitors could do but little with Frank Sullivan’s pitching and the Graniteville club won handily by the score of 12 to 2. All the local players put up a good game, their fast work somewhat upsetting their opponents. Frank and William Sullivan did the battery work for Graniteville, while Morrison, Sheehan and Bowen were in the points for the C.Y.M.L. team. Graniteville will play another home game here on Saturday when they will meet the strong T.R.&T. club of North Billerica at Hillside park. The boys are playing good ball and no doubt a record crowd will be in attendance at this game. Game called at three o’clock.
Miss Kathlyn Ward, of the office staff of the Abbot Worsted Company, is enjoying the ocean breezes at Hampton Beach.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Flaherty, of Portland, Me., have been recent guests of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Prinn.
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Cutcheon and Mrs. Joint, of Lynn, have been recent visitors at the home of Samuel Willis.
M. J. Rafferty has been a recent visitor here.
Mr. and Mrs. T. A. Riney with their three children of Newark, N.J., are now visiting with relatives in this village.
Joseph Hurley of Ayer will play with the Graniteville club in their game with the T.R. and T.’s of North Billerica here Saturday.
A Grand Success. The people of the M. E. church have great cause for rejoicing in the formal opening of the church basement that was celebrated by a banquet on last Tuesday evening. John P. Wright was the toastmaster and speeches were delivered by Hon. Edward Fisher, Rev. A. Earl Kernahan, the pastor, Harry Ingalls, superintendent of the Sunday school, William S. DeRoehn, Percy R. C. Barnes and Harvey W. Barnes.
A gathering of over three hundred persons attended the banquet from this and surrounding towns. Before the banquet a short reception was held in the auditorium of the church, during which those in attendance were entertained by piano solos and songs by Miss Alice May Gilson and Miss Madeline Holland. During the banquet music was furnished by the Middlesex Training School band of North Chelmsford. John B. Carmichael was head waiter, assisted by Thomas E Denio and a corps of thirty-five assistants.
The whole affair was one grand success and the men’s bible class, under whose auspices the banquet was held is to be congratulated on its untiring efforts in providing such an excellent banquet and entertainment.
The committee feel very grateful to all, particularly the Boy Scouts, who helped to make this such an unqualified success as it proved to be.
This is only a forerunner of future events of a similar nature that will be held here now that the finishing of the basement has been an accomplished fact.