The Westford Wardsman, December, 1906
Saturday, December 1, 1906
Entertainment. A very pleasing entertainment was given in the M.E. church vestry on Friday evening of last week, which consisted of the following numbers:
Phonograph selections, E. G. Boynton; piano duet, Rachel Wall and Alice May Gilson; song, school children; vocal duet, “Grandma’s advice,” Carrie Prinn and Rachel Wall; more phonograph selections and the closing song, “Good night,” by the following children: Martha Lorman, Mildred Lorman, Emma Woods, Maud Robinson, Grace Robinson, Lulu Drew, Carrie Prinn, Lillie Mattson, Rachel Wall, Alice May Gilson and Marion Counter.
Miss Harriet C. Sargent had charge of the affair and much credit is due her for the able manner in which the entertainment was conducted. Both the supper and entertainment proved to be a great social and financial success, and a neat sum was realized as the result.
Dance. The members of the Starlight club, an organization composed of young ladies of the village, held a very enjoyable dancing party in Healy’s hall, last Saturday evening, which proved a great social success. Many were present from Ayer, Forge, North Chelmsford, Littleton and surrounding towns, and all had a thoroughly good time. Kittredge’s orchestra of Lowell furnished excellent music for dancing, which was enjoyed from 7:30 until 11:30, with a short intermission at ten o’clock, during which light refreshments were served in the lower hall. The following young ladies had charge of the affair; general manager, Julia Rafferty; floor director, Miss Daisy Gagnon; aids Miss Lena DeLorenzo and Miss Mary Healy.
Forge. W. L. Mussey of the Lowell Y.M.C.A. will begin instruction at the Mission gymnasium on Wednesday evening, Dec. 5. All who wish to join the class are requested to leave their names at Chamberlain & Co.’s store or to make application to Rev. Thomas L. Fisher on Sunday next.
Twenty-five of the young friends of Miss Helen Lord gathered at her house last Saturday evening and spent several hours in pleasant games and pastimes. During the evening John Spinner, Jr., with appropriate words, presented Miss Helen with a beautiful signet ring. The pleasant affair was followed by a supper provided by Mrs. Lord and after many congratulations the guests retired to their homes.
The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Augustus W. Carkin, Maud E., was married to Louis Caisse of Leominster on Thanksgiving evening. Mr. Caisse is employed by the Fitchburg and Leominster street railway and is favorably known as one of Leominster’s most popular young men. …
Mr. and Mrs. A.W. Carkin greeted their son Allan for the Thanksgiving feast and Miss Gertrude White of Lowell was also with them. Mrs. E. A. Penny of Lowell enjoyed her Thanksgiving at the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Parsons.
Saturday, December 8, 1906
Center. Word comes from Miss Thompson at the Cottage hospital at Exeter that while very seriously ill at first she is now making good progress toward recovery. Miss Manuel is substituting very acceptably at the academy during Miss Thompson’s absence.
Mrs. Helen R. Leighton and Miss Frances were week-end guests at A. H. Foss’s.
Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Foss left on Tuesday for Stanford, Fla., where they expect to stay for the next four months. Mr. Foss goes to escape our New England winter which he found so trying last winter. Mr. and Mrs. D. W. Bugbee of Lowell accompany them.
Mrs. Arthur E. Day left on Tuesday for her home in Canada, going to Montreal and then west to her home. She is accompanied by her two young children, and Mr. Day will make his home with his mother, Mrs. J. W. Day, during their absence.
How our two popular bachelors, H. L. [Harwood Livingston] Wright and W. R. [William Reuben] Taylor, alternate their honors in serving as best man at the weddings of their friends. This time the genial Reuben at the Hildreth-Bailey wedding. Dick’s turn next.
Miss Lucia Burbank and Miss Olive Coston of the school of domestic science, Boston, spent Thanksgiving week with Miss Lucy Lambert.
Our venerable townsman, Alvan [Alvin] Fisher, celebrated his eighty-fifth birthday last Sunday.
In a recent issue of this paper our Graniteville correspondent makes the naïve admission that they have plenty of gas in Graniteville, but not the kind that lights their streets or buildings. In the Franchise of the Lowell and Fitchburg street railway company is a provision for electric lights at curves and crossings. Does Graniteville care enough for street lights to insist that the company live up to its agreement?
Among those who went to gather around festive boards in other places were:
Dr. W. J. Sleeper and family to Manchester, N.H.; Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Goode with relatives in Maynard; Mr. and Mrs. Edward Fisher to Mrs. Fisher’s in Swampscott; Mr. and Mrs. Andrew S. Wright spent the day with Dr. and Mrs. Henry L. McCluskey in Worcester.
Water Supply. A long-continued policy of no-license, enforced by periodic raids of our citizens, and supported by a persistent W.C.T.U., has made this town so “dry” that even the birds have to fly for water. Much of the water that is here does not come up to the requirements in quantity or quality. A project for public water supply was turned down in town meeting by appeals to the dwellers in the suburbs and to sectional prejudice.
Now we hear that a private corporation is forming which proposes to ask the legislature for permission to supply the three main villages with water. Probably water will be obtained from driven wells near Pine Ridge station, where previous tests indicate a sufficient and satisfactory supply. A pumping station there will drive the water to standpipes on Prospect and poor farm hills, whence it will be distributed to the several villages. The estimated outlay for the plant is $65,000.
The gentlemen named in connection with the enterprise are Julian A. Cameron, Abiel J. Abbot, Fred Sargent, Geo. T. Day, Sherman H. Fletcher, Oscar R. Spaulding, Edward Fisher, Edmund M. Blake and D. C. Heath. All but the last two are citizens of Westford. If this much-needed enterprise must be carried out by a private corporation we are glad that it may be in the hands of our townsmen, and that we have townsmen of sufficient public spirit, push and faith in the future of the town to undertake this.
Club. The attendance at the Tadmuck club Tuesday afternoon was somewhat lessened by the fact of the Unitarian fair coming the following day, thus making it necessary for a number to be busy with preparations for that event. Possible also the extreme cold made a little difference. Those who came, however, enjoyed a most interesting and stimulating program. Mrs. Alma M. Richardson supplied current events. This is the first time Mrs. Richardson has served in this capacity and her selection of seasonable items was most enjoyable. Mrs. H. B. Hall was the chairman of the afternoon and had for a subject, “Our national parks and reservations.” Mrs. Hall gave a paper on the reservations throughout our country. This paper was very clearly written and while thoroughly practical and instructive, was most attractive and inspiring to all who love God’s wonderful handiwork as revealed in nature.
Mrs. M. J. Wheeler followed with a paper on the Pike’s Peak reservation. It has been Mrs. Wheeler’s good fortune to visit this famous Rocky Mountain region a number of times, and her description, touched with happy reminiscences, was a real addition to the afternoon’s program. Miss Elizabeth C. Heywood followed with an interesting account of the buffalo reservation in Wichita, Oklahoma. Miss Emily F. Fletcher closed the program with an account of her trip to the Yellowstone park. She gave a delightfully informal and entertaining talk about this beautiful place, making its wonders and beauties more vivid by the use of some fine photographs loaned for the occasion by Mrs. Katherine Kebler. While not in town and able to meet with us regularly, this is one of the many nice things Mrs. Kebler has done to manifest her interest in the progress and advancement of the club.
Roy B. Wheeler of Denver, Col., sent a very interesting letter to his mother, Mrs. M. J. Wheeler, on government reservations in Colorado. The next meeting on Dec. 18, will be in charge of Rev. C. P. Marshall, who will have for a subject, “Philanthropy and sociology.” Rollcall B with appropriate quotations.
Wedding. On Wednesday, Dec. 6, a very pretty home wedding occurred at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Henry Bailey on Porter road, Andover, when their daughter, Alma Richardson Bailey, and Albert Abijah Hildreth, son of Mr. and Mr. Frank C. Hildreth of Westford, were united in marriage. The ceremony was performed at four o’clock, and was performed by Rev. Charles P. Marshall, pastor of the Union Congregational church of Westford. There were present about seventy-five relatives and friends. The bride was charming in a beautiful white gown of fine French lawn. Miss Helen Bailey, a sister of the bride, was a bridesmaid and wore a gown of pink crêpe de chine. Wm. R. Taylor was best man.
Following the ceremony a reception was held and a wedding collation was served. The rooms were beautifully trimmed for the occasion with a profusion of hemlock. Mr. and Mrs. Hildreth were the recipients of many beautiful presents. After a wedding trip they will reside in Westford, at present with Mr. Hildreth’s parents where they will be at home after Jan. 17. In the spring they plan to build for themselves. The groom has lived in Westford all his life, where he is well known and liked and the bride has made many friends here. Their friends extend to them very sincere good wishes for their prosperity and happiness.
About Town. The first free ride on the spur line of the electric railway was made last Saturday evening, when one and perhaps more rode on the tower car from the four corners down to Tadmuck brook. The management of the road were surprised Monday morning to find that the car had been so successfully operated without electricity, but probably not without the laying on of hands.
Since last writing Gerry Decatur, who has had several weeks’ struggle with typhoid fever, has recently had several severe relapses, and the case is a close one.
Albert E. Walkden and George Albert Prescott started last Tuesday for Colorado.
Charles W. Walker and niece, Miss Arabella Walker, were guests at Fairview farm on Thanksgiving day; also, Thomas Greig of Danvers.
Louis Alexander of Lowell and Paymaster Barr of the Merrimack mills were in town Thanksgiving day gunning for partridge. As a result, the number of partridge is diminished by one, and that one proved to be an owl. His hoot, toot will be heard no more in the twilight quiet of Francis Hill’s woods. [Frances Hill on the Chelmsford line is called Francis Hill throughout these Wardsman transcriptions. The hill was supposedly named after Frances (Grant) Keyes, wife of Solomon Keyes, who owned land here in what is now Westford in 1664 and is possibly Westford’s first settler. See Edwin Hodgman, History of Westford, p. 457.]
Paul T. Wise has been ill with threatened fever at his home, Cold Spring farm. Dr. Wells has been attending him and the threatened fever is beating a retreat. Mr. Wise is superintendent for George C. Moore at the Brookside mill.
John Greig and Eben Prescott have been drawn as jurors.
The trolley wire that carries the current, when there is a current to carry, is now all in position for duty from Brookside to Westford Center. Said wire comes in contact in many places with the telephone wires on the Lowell road. Something by somebody must be doing to prevent the current on the trolley wire from switching onto the telephone wires. Something would surely be doing then. No one in the valley is ready for the trip that might follow the innovation of the uses of the telephone wire.
Graniteville. A. J. Sargent of Lewis, N.Y., is visiting at the home of his daughters, Mrs. W. C. Wright and Mrs. H. N. Fletcher of this village.
Saturday, December 15, 1906
The ladies’ aid society of the Methodist church met with Mrs. W. O. Hawkes last week Thursday evening.
Saturday, December 29, 1906
Graniteville. Mrs. Clara E. Gray of the Grant Jewelry Co., who has recently been elected a member of the Lowell board of trade, has the distinction of being the first woman ever admitted to membership in this organization. Graniteville takes local pride in this election as Mrs. Gray, formerly Miss Clara E. Choate, received her early education in the public schools here, and later in Westford academy. She is the daughter of Albert R. Choate of this village, the present chairman of the Westford board of education.
W. O. Hawkes, superintendent of the M.E. Sunday school, wishes to thank the Abbot Worsted Co., for their generous donation, which helped materially toward the success of the affair. It is certainly very kind of them and the act will be long remembered.
Among the out-of-town people who spent the holiday here were noticed Katherine, Anna and James Harrington and Miss Laura Healy of Leominster, Mary J., Dennis and Michael Driscoll of Lynn, Edward Quinn of Claremont, N.H., Albert DeRoehn of Pepperell, Agnes J. Dunn of Brookside, Fred Defoe of Harrisburg, N.H., Frank McLenna of Greenville, S.C., and Lottie York of Boston.
Mr. and Mrs. O. A. Nelson of this village spent the holiday with friends in Worcester.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Smith were recent guests of friends in Fitchburg.
Miss Etta and Patrick Wall spent the past few days with W. H. Wall of Lynn.
The spirit of Christmas was ably exemplified by the people here. Christmas trees in both churches, numerous home gatherings, happy reunions, nearly every housekeeper exhibiting a wreath of holly, Christmas bells or some other outward sign of the cheer within, showed to no uncertain degree the happiness and contentment enjoyed by our village people. When the shops and mills started up Wednesday morning each one returned with a pleased expression after the brief holiday, and hope to start the new year under favorable circumstances.
Little Alice May Gilson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Gilson, is ill at her home in this village.
At The Churches. The Christmas tree exercises held in St. Catherine’s on last Sunday evening were very largely attended and the children all did finely in their respective parts. The program was carried out under the direction of Miss Catherine Conley, who deserves great credit for the careful manner in which she trained the children so that everything ran along smoothly. Joe Wall was right at home in the part of Santa Claus and his appearance was hailed with great delight by the children. The tree presented a beautiful appearance, and the lady Sunday school teachers had the decorations and the presents arranged very artistically. They were ably assisted in the work by James O’Brien and Henry Provost, while Miss Hattie O’Brien, Miss Fanny McCarthy, J. A. Healey and James Sullivan, with the help of several girls and boys, assisted Santa in distributing the numerous gifts. The success of this affair is due in a measure to the generosity of the Abbot Worsted Co., who sent a substantial check to the committee in charge, which enabled them to supply every child with a suitable gift, besides a large bag of sweets to take home. The singing of the children made a decided hit, and was under the direction of Miss Mary F. Hanley.
The exercises Monday evening in the Methodist church were largely attended. The church was beautifully decorated for the occasion, and the large tree prominently arranged in the center attracted great attention. Miss Emily Prinn had general charge of arrangements, as well as training the children for the different parts. Much credit is due her for the able manner in which she conducted the affair and the pleasing recitations and excellent singing of the children showed evidence of their careful musical training. The varied form of entertainment was pleasantly received by the large audience present, and the advent of Master Walter Shattuck [age 12] as Santa Claus was the cause of much merriment. The pastor, Rev. W. E. Anderson, was present and with the help of the members of the Sunday school class assisted Santa in distributing the numerous gifts.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Wright announce the engagement of their daughter, Clara Belle, to Rev. William E. Anderson, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church at Graniteville.
Beginning next Sunday morning and until further notice, Mass will be celebrated in St. Catherine’s church at 9:45 o’clock instead of 8:45, which has been the usual hour.
The usual Christmas services were held in St. Catherine’s church on Christmas morning at 8:45… The regular choir were in attendance and sang for the first time here the Mass in the plain chant on the sixth tone, by Dumont. At the offertory “Adeste fideles” was sung with fine effect. Miss Mary F. Hanley, organist and director.
Forge. Frank Pratt of Concord Junction, a conductor on the Boston and Maine for many years spent Saturday last with Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Parsons. Mr. Pratt was a pupil of Mrs. Parsons in the old brick schoolhouse in this village.
The members of St. Andrew’s Sunday school, both scholars and teachers, were remembered by the young men of Groton School at the Christmas tree exercises held last week on Wednesday. The occasion was very pleasant and many happy children there received their first installment of Santa’s goods.
John Edwards and Henry Lynds of Melrose came to the village last week with a fine stock of bait. After prospecting for fish until their bait was all gone they returned to Melrose. They report a bang-up time.
Mr. and Mrs. G. H. Prescott gave their annual supper to the visiting Groton School boys on Wednesday last week. We are inclined to think that their repeated coming is a compliment to Mrs. Prescott’s table.
N. [Noble] W. Ruiter, who has been very ill for some time, is slowly recovering.