The Westford Wardsman, August 18, 1917
Center. Miss Lillian Sutherland is at Swanzey, N.H., visiting friends, where she formerly taught school. The trip up to Swanzey was made with her family in their automobile.
Mrs. Isles, at the telephone exchange, is the unfortunate sufferer from severe steam burns on her left arm and shoulder, which happened while she was preparing food for her baby granddaughter.
Mr. and Mrs. J. Henry Colburn, this last week, drove with their auto to Alton Bay, N.H., to visit the latter’s mother, Mrs. Burton H. Streeter, at her summer cottage. The trip up to the lake was made on Saturday, and the return trip on Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry M. Wright return the first of the week to their summer home in Marshfield after spending several weeks at the Wright homestead in this village.
Rev. Howard A. Lincoln returned on Monday from a pleasant ten-days’ outing in Maine.
Mrs. J. Herbert Fletcher and son John go this weekend with Waltham relatives to Ludlow, Vt., where they will camp for two weeks at Lake Rescue.
The Charles D. Colburns drove to Waverley [in Belmont, MA] in their automobile the first of the week and visited Mr. and Mrs. H. B. Hall and family. They found Mr. Hall not at all well. This family retain the sincerest interest in their former Westford home and its associations.
Mrs. J. W. Bright has returned to Westford after a several weeks’ visit with relatives in Buffalo, N.Y.
Mr. and Mrs. George Cameron, of Somerville, were Sunday guests at A. H. Sutherland’s.
Westford friends will be interested in the marriage of Miss Laura Elizabeth Roper to Lieut. William Ryan at St. Paul’s cathedral, Boston, August 14. Miss Roper is the second daughter of the late Rev. and Mrs. E. H. Roper, Mr. Roper being a former pastor of the Congregational church here [1897-1902]. The young people became acquainted in Portland, Oregon, the bride’s former home, when Lieut. Ryan was then studying mining engineering. This was a soldier’s wedding, for after a brief honeymoon the bridegroom sails for England and the bride goes to New York city to remain with her mother and sisters.
A recent visitor at Mrs. J. W. Blodgett’s has been Mrs. Clara Church and daughter Marjory, of California, formerly of Lowell.
William C. Roudenbush conducted the evening service at the Congregational church last Sunday evening and on Sunday evening, August 19, J. W. Rafter will lead the service and the same good attendance that has been given these single vacation services is hoped for.
Miss Eva F. Pyne is at home again from the hospital, where she underwent an operation for appendicitis. Her many friends are glad she is convalescing nicely.
Miss Agnes Balch remains ill at her home in care of doctor and trained nurse.
The Westford M.S.G. everyone in the vast crowd at once arose and remained standing while the national anthem was being played. At the conclusion of the parade the battalions marched back to their quarters, where they were dismissed. The colored company received much applause as they passed on their return from the parade ground.
The regular Inspection took place Sunday morning. Regimental streets are carefully looked over and all bedding is examined. The men, too, are under the careful examination of the inspecting officers and all are required to be neat and tidy in their personal appearance. The colored company has the enviable reputation of being always up to the standard in these particulars.
Various diversions break the monotony of camp life. Parties of the soldiers gather in tents and enjoy themselves in singing and playing instrumental music. Sunday, the pet monkey, which was brought from the Mexican border last fall, furnished quite an entertainment for a large number.
From the knoll at the south end of the military camp grounds, a fine view of the grounds may be had. The picture of the vast number of tents with the fringe of green about them and the big hill to the eastward, fresh and green in the beautiful summer foliage, presents a scene of beauty seldom equaled.
Entrances to the main camp are being more closely guarded from day to day. The reason, which is quite apparent, is that more buildings are being constructed as time passes, which makes it imperative to have extra guards to protect them. Company K, of Lowell did outpost duty a part of last week.
The announcements frequently made that the camp buildings would be finished by September 1 does not mean that all the buildings in the camp will be completed by that time. There are many other buildings to be erected, such as chapels, recreation centers for the draft army and others. The buildings for the recruits, however, are expected to be competed on that date. It will probably be well into the fall before all the buildings are ready. About 700 buildings are now ready or under construction. Fully 500 more will be constructed, according to present plans.
Two brush fires occurred at the camp last Sunday. The efficient system of fire protection saved any possible damage that might result if the fires get under headway.
The First Corps Cadets, which are now the engineer corps, are doing important work in the laying out of the camp. Incidentally, they are given war training under Lieut. Landon. Trench digging is being done by the cadets along lines that will give them experience in this kind of work, similar to that performed in France.
Work on the main line of sewers is progressing favorably, with the prospects favoring their completion by September 1.
A meeting of the committee on training camp activities was held in St. Andrew’s vicarage last week Friday afternoon. These members of the committee were present: Former Governor David I. Walsh, R. S. Hubbard, Judge George A. Sanderson and George H. Brown, of Ayer; George B. Morrison, Charles Johnson, Carl Dreyfus, Joseph Lee and Mrs. Clarence R. Edwards, all of Boston. Mrs. Edwards is the wife of Brigadier General Edwards, the head of the Department of the Northeast. The committee plans to have a recreation center at Robbins’ pond, where there will be a clubhouse and lunch-room. A central shower bath will be installed on the shore of the pond, the pond to be used as a swimming pool.
The camp will have twenty-five miles of sewers and thirteen miles of water pipe. A large refrigerator with a capacity of twenty-five tons, is planned.
Telephone Topics, the official book of the telephone company, devotes a large amount of space in its August number to the telephone activities at the Ayer office and Camp Devens, including two pages of fine photographs.
Many of those who have been accepted for the draft army visit the camp to see the place of their future training activities.
Many kinds of tricks are used in the attempt to smuggle liquor into the camp. The guards, however, are not easily fooled. The most unique method used so far in getting the contraband goods into the grounds was disclosed last Saturday night when a camp workman was held up and searched. In his bag was a watermelon, which had been hollowed out and a bottle of whiskey placed inside. The guards detected the trick when they noticed a plug in the end of the melon, placed there to conceal the hole. The liquor, as usual, was seized and destroyed.
The electric cars were jammed all day Sunday in handling the great crowds visiting the camp.
Members of the 6th regiment took a hike through town last Saturday morning, returning to the camp a few hours later.
Baseball is one of the attractions at the military camp. The engineers and a team from the colored company, which have the two best nines in the camp, played for the championship. The engineers’ team easily won.
Companies C, G and K of the 6th regiment went to Lowell on Thursday to take part in the big military parade. All the members of these companies are Lowell boys. They expect to walk back to the camp, starting this week Friday morning.
Rev. Capt. Constant Doyan, chaplain of the 22nd Canadian regiment, said mass at the camp last Sunday. This famous priest was in the service with his regiment for two years on the French battle front. In a sermon to the catholic soldiers of the 6th he gave them excellent advice regarding their conduct, paying particular attention to the evil results of strong drink, which aside from its bad effects on the morals of the men, was also a great detriment to the men in the performance of their duties as soldiers. Rev. Thomas P. McGinn, of St. Mary’s church, announced that confessions would be heard on Monday and Tuesday, so that the catholic soldiers could receive communion on Wednesday, the feast of the assumption of the Blessed Virgin. He was assisted in the work by several priests.
E. J. McRay, a camp employee, while crossing Main street in front of Barry’s block, Monday, was stuck by a Fitchburg auto truck and severely injured. He was attended by Dr. Sullivan, and later removed to the camp hospital.
Representatives of the Salvation Army were in town this week, looking for a site for erecting quarters at the camp for the organization.
Robert Burns lodge, I.O.O.F., is to give a social and smoke-talk to the members of the order now at Camp Devens, in their quarters this week Friday evening.
Mayor James M. Curley, of Boston, is to speak at the Y.M.C.A. tent this week Friday evening.
Second Draft Call. A call for another examination in District 15, comprising towns in this vicinity, has been issued by the local board. There will be three lots of men to be examined on three different days. The following is a list of those who are included in this second draft, divided into the days upon which they are to be examined at the town hall, Ayer, from Ayer, Boxborough, Groton, Harvard, Littleton, Lunenburg, Pepperell, Shirley, Townsend and Westford:
August 18 | ||
Call no. | Serial no. | Name and Address |
41 | 1732 | Wolkvich, John, Forge Village |
247 | 1714 | Slaiko, Simon, Forge Village |
305 | 1709 | Sechovicz, Matvey, Forge Village |
332 | 1722 | Syspro, Grigree, Forge Village. |
523 | 1707 | Sasnofski, Joseph, Forge Village |
291 | 1675 | Haracho, Dmitri, Westford |
300 | 1543 | Biloda, Wasil, Westford |
502 | 1622 | Cianci, Antonio, Westford |
510 | 1517 | Miller, Frank E., Westford |
526 | 1660 | Cencevicz, Cymofier, Westford. |
530 | 1652 | Bilida, Sam, Westford |
533 | 1640 | Regnier, Francis E., Westford |
548 | 1634 | McGrogan, John J., Westford |
556 | 1554 | Charlton, Frank E., Westford |
588 | 1596 | Nyder, Evstafy S., Westford |
August 20 | ||
682 | 1700 | O’Neill, John, Forge Village |
694 | 1702 | Orr, Robert J., Forge Village |
602 | 1528 | Sullivan, Wm. T., Westford |
609 | 1556 | Charlton, Raymond V., Westford |
613 | 1606 | Pupszik, Wasil, Westford |
616 | 1520 | Prescott, Benjamin A., Westford |
620 | 1690 | Luke, James, Westford |
623 | 1593 | Nonacelli, Domonico, Westford |
632 | 1588 | Lewkowicz, John, Westford |
633 | 1591 | Milot, Emile A., Westford |
636 | 1686 | Lami, Propser [sic], Westford |
640 | 1525 | Seavey, Marden H., Westford |
658 | 1458 | Brunelle, Alexander, Westford |
664 | 1521 | Prescott, Ebenezer C., Westford |
669 | 1604 | Polier, Josepher, Westford |
670 | 1571 | Gilson, Wm. W., Westford |
677 | 1550 | Buckingham, William F., Westford |
692 | 1633 | Laboutely, Gaston E., Westford |
August 21 | ||
718 | 1720 | Sudakevicy, Matvel, Forge Village |
772 | 1735 | Kammadan, Alla, Forge Village |
701 | 1638 | Peterson, David G., Westford |
721 | 1602 | Pelkey, Joseph, Westford |
759 | 1654 | Boucher, Eugene, Westford |
765 | 1547 | Brule, Adalard J., Westford |
781 | 1489 | Blaisdell, Arthur G., Westford |
792 | 1519 | Perkins, Joseph, Jr, Westford |