The Westford Wardsman, April, 1908
Saturday, April 4, 1908
Center. The officers and members of the new Edward M. Abbot hose company, No. 1, are as follows:
Capt., L. W. Wheeler; 1st lieut., J. Herbert Fletcher; 2d lieut., Edward M. Abbot; steward, Aaron Tuttle; clerk, Howard H. Ferguson; treas., Aaron Tuttle; standing com., Wm. L. Woods, Alec Fisher, J. Herbert Fletcher; regular men, W. L. Woods, E. M. Abbot, J. H. Fletcher, Alec Fisher, John Good, L. W. Wheeler, H. H. Ferguson, W. E. Carkin, Peter Clement, Fred Clement, Aaron Tuttle, Albert Heywood; call men, Alec McDonald, Timothy Sullivan, Frank E. Miller, John Feeney, O. R. Spaulding, H. L. Wright, S. B. Watson, Geo. M. Balch.
Aaron Tuttle, who has long acted as janitor at the Center primary, has graduated to a like position in the pretty new four-room schoolhouse on Main st.
Mrs. Clara Wright Anderson in Virginia writes to the home people of the recent moving to a new parish where Mr. Anderson has been appointed. Mrs. Anderson meets the new experiences with characteristic capable energy and cheerfulness, which makes the home letters most entertaining.
The ladies’ degree staff of the grange are rehearsing, preparatory to conferring the third degree on the eighteen candidates on April 16.
Miss Grace Lambert is at home again after spending several weeks with relatives in Oxford.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank C. Wright gave a reception for their son Warren and his bride, Saturday evening at their home. The pleasant event was to give young Mrs. Wright opportunity to become more acquainted with the relatives and friends here. There were about forty present and a merry, social evening was enjoyed. Mrs. C. A. Reid, one of the guests, furnished some excellent music at the piano. Refreshments of ice cream and cake were served.
Miss Eva M. Pyne had the misfortune to spend a good part of her vacation with a siege of tonsillitis, but was able to resume her school duties Monday. Miss Pyne has forty-six little ones in her class and thoroughly enjoys her work.
There has been a general change of motormen and conductors on our branch line of electrics. In the morning Motorman Robbins and Conductor Hartford make the customary trips in place of Blodgett and Goddard, and in the afternoon Motorman Fitzgerald runs the car and Conductor Sargent takes the place of Conductor Smith.
Club. At the Tadmuck club Tuesday afternoon, March 24, in library hall, it was, owing to a combination of circumstances, another afternoon of substitutes. However, it was a program of great excellence, and it was unfortunate that the attendance was not quite up to the average. It was the third and last in the biographical series. Miss Martha J. Taylor, the chairman of the afternoon, was unable to be present, having been called out of town, but she had prepared an able paper on the life and work of Samuel Gridley Howe, which was the subject for the afternoon’s study, outlining the life work of this truly great man in alleviating conditions in the limited lives of the deaf, dumb and blind. This paper was read by Mrs. Chas. L. Hildreth. Miss Eva Fletcher read Mrs. Laura Richards’ [1850-1943, daughter of S. G. Howe] account of her father’s life; also, extracts from the [1901] centenary anniversary of Dr. Howe’s birth, giving part of [Mass.] Senator [George Frisbie] Hoar’s [1826-1904] speech and a letter form Helen Keller. Miss Loker read J. G. Whittier’s and O. W. Holmes’ poetical tributes to Dr. Howe. Current events in response to the roll call were answered with general quotations.
The next meeting will be in charge of the philanthropy committee and the subject will be “Prisons.” Miss Ella Hildreth, chairman.
The delegation of four members from this club who attended the meeting of the club in Littleton on the preceding day thoroughly enjoyed the visit with its cordial welcome and its program of rare excellence.
The funeral, of Hiram Whitney, whose sudden death last week Thursday in Lowell came as such a shock to the townspeople, took place from the family residence Sunday afternoon at three o’clock and was largely attended by relatives, neighbors and friends. The floral offerings were of great beauty. Rev. B. H. Bailey was the officiating clergyman and brought a message of wise and tender sympathy. A quartet rendered some beautiful selections—“Lead, kindly light,” and “Abide with me.” The bearers were Sherman H. Fletcher, Edward Fisher, Oscar R. Spaulding and C. Willis Hildreth. Interment was in Fairview cemetery in the family [plot]. Mrs. Whitney’s many friends are very glad that her daughter, Mrs. [Mabel E.] Wright, is staying with her.
Tourists. Westford will feel a sort of connecting link with old world travel this summer from the number of her people who are planning to spend the coming summer, enjoying a trip abroad. This month Mr. and Mrs. Abiel J. Abbot, their son John and daughter Alice C. sail for Genoa. Mrs. George W. Goode was in town Tuesday, saying goodbye to friends. Mrs. Goode had come on from New York to make a little farewell visit with her mother and sister in North Chelmsford and expects to sail in about ten days on the Lusitania from New York, going with a lady friend who has previously enjoyed foreign travel. Their itinerary includes England, France and Germany. Mr. Goode remains in New York, but later in the season may join his wife and accompany her home. The third group includes Mr. and Mrs. Donald Cameron, Mrs. Josephine L. Fisher, the two children, Donald and Mary Cameron, and maid. They plan to sail from Boston April 22, and spend the summer touring Scotland and England. Both Mr. Cameron and Mr. Abbot ship their own touring cars across the water.
About Town.—At the republican caucus Tuesday evening, Hon. H. E. Fletcher, chairman of the town committee, read the call. For personal reasons he waived the common courtesy of serving as chairman of the meeting, and on motion of Capt. S. H. Fletcher, S. L. Taylor was elected chairman, who called for the nomination of secretary. Wm. R. Taylor was elected, on motion of Senator Fletcher. The polls were opened at 7:55, and from that time on for the next half hour the polls were ready to receive proposals for delegates to the state and congressional conventions. At the close of the polls the following were found to be elected: state, Geo. T. Day, Sherman H. Fletcher; congressional, Geo. H. Hartford, Samuel L. Taylor. They were unanimously elected, and are unanimously unpledged.
Edward Gray, who has been employed in the foundry at North Chelmsford, has gone to work for Henry B. Read on the farm, and moved his furniture last week to the Read farm.
George Regis has moved from Lowell to the J. Murray Chamberlain cottage on Main st. He is a milk contractor and has a retail route in Lowell. He has bought the dairies of Cold Spring farm near Westford depot and John Haley on the Stony Brook road.
The firm of Fletcher & Leahy, who have been large contractors in the stone quarry business at the quarry of Hon. H. E. Fletcher, has been dissolved by mutual consent, and in its place rises up the Fletcher-Leahy Co., with Thomas Leahy, president, and Herbert E. Fletcher, treasurer.
Seth Walker, as he was familiarly known in his younger days when he was one of the boys at the old Stony Brook school, is now visiting from California at Walker homestead, with his wife and two children. He appears now as Rev. Seth Walker. All the old Stony Brook associations will rejoice to think that one minister was evolved from that harmless, lawless, heterogeneous gathering.
Mrs. S. [Susan] Augusta Butterfield died in Ayer Tuesday evening, where she had made her home for several years with Hon. Geo. J. Burns. Mrs. Butterfield was born in Westford in August, 1828, and was in her eightieth year. She was the daughter of Levi T. and Amy (Richardson) Fletcher, of old-fashioned, hardy New England stock. Her father’s farm was near Brookside and in her youthful days was one of the largest in town. She was the last of several children. She leaves an aged aunt at the old homestead, Miss Sarah Richardson, who is eighty-nine years old. Mrs. Butterfield was cousin to Charles E. and Augustus F. Whidden of this town.
Rev. B. H. Bailey, who has had a vacation of illness for four weeks, has recovered to normal conditions and now proposes to recover his flock, who have been variously occupied in other than—well, perhaps church-going. Next Sunday will offer an open door at the Unitarian church, a new opportunity to recover back any decadence toward the open door.
The selectmen have appointed Harry L. Nesmith to have charge of suppressing the moths, browntail and all other colors. Having contested all the rights of the moths on all the highways, Mr. Nesmith and his men are now sampling private land. At present they have a busy undertaking on the acorn orchard of Chas. L. Hildreth on Prospect hill, known as the Proctor lot.
A petition is being circulated and signed, to be presented to the county commissioners, with a view to some adequate system of caring for the surface water on the main streets.
Word was received Monday from Edwin C. Perham, cattle inspector of Chelmsford, to be on the watch for a dog that escaped from the barn of Amos B. Adams, where it was confined, awaiting the result of the recent mad dog scare in the town. The dog is described as a large yellow dog and quite lame. The manner of escape seems to indicate that it was suffering from rabies.
Graniteville. The new fire company that has recently been organized here extends its sincere thanks to Albert R. Choate for his generous donation in the form of a substantial check, which will enable the company that has been named in his honor to start with very bright prospects in its new line of work.
W. O. Hawkes, the popular station agent at the southern division depot of the Boston and Maine, has just completed twenty-five years of faithful service at this station, and his village friends are congratulating him on the length of service and hope that he may continue and have good health for twenty-five years more.
John Donahue has accepted a position with the Boston and Northern street railway company and left here to resume his new duties last week.
The Lenten devotions that were held at St. Catherine’s church on Wednesday evening were largely attended and the sermon preached by the pastor, Rev. Edmund T. Schofield, proved very interesting.
Appointments. The Westford board of education met at the town hall Saturday and organized for the ensuing year. Albert R. Choate was elected chairman and Walter C. Wright secretary. The following members of the board will serve on the different committees:
Supply agent, W. C. Wright; transportation, Henry B. Read, John Spinner, Albert R. Choate; text books, Chas. O. Prescott, H. B. Read; music and drawing, John Spinner, H. M. Seavey; assignments of schools: C. O. Prescott, high and Center grammar; H. B. Read, high and Stony Brook; H. M. Seavey, Minot’s corner and Parker Village; John Spinner, Forge Village; Walter C. Wright, Graniteville and Nabnassett; A. R. Choate, Graniteville grammar; Dr. Cyril A. Blaney, medical inspector; J. A. Healy and E. G. Boynton, truant officers; C. O. Prescott and H. B. Read, high school graduation.
New School. The entire school committee recently inspected the new school building at Westford Center [William E. Frost School], that is now practically finished, and are very much pleased with the work done by the contractor, P. Henry Harrington, who has had full charge of the entire work. The building is a fine one and up-to-date in every particular. It is a credit to the town and second to none of similar graded schools in Middlesex county. The building committee, which is composed of H. V. Hildreth, O. R. Spaulding and H. B. Read, are to be commended for the deep interest they have shown in their work and the practical knowledge that has been manifested in the details of construction. The town certainly owes them a vote of thanks for their excellent work. For the interest of the public the school committee is authority for the statement that the new school will be opened for the regular sessions of school work not later than May 11, and the parents and relatives of the school children are cordially invited to visit the rooms of this new building at their earliest convenience after this date, not only for the purpose of looking at the interior finish of the building, but to study the methods as laid out by the school committee in regard to the transportation of pupils. This is an important work and the committee is desirous of getting the opinions before beginning the school year.
Forge. Hose company No. 3, W.F.D., held a meeting this week at the home of John Edwards. It was suggested that hereafter it be known as the John Edwards hose company. Walter Precious and John W. Catchpole were added to the list of regular fire and call men.
Frank Collins of Lowell spent Sunday with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. M. Collins.
Mr. and Mrs. Lyons and son Harold of Melrose spent Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. Parsons.
A. R. Paine of Boston has purchased Fensmere farm, Groton, of Miss Piper and has come there to live.
Stephen Haley and family have moved to Graniteville.
A little son [George W. Orr] came to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Orr on Tuesday morning; also, Mr. and Mrs. [Frank] Merrick welcomed a boy [Mathew F. Merrick] to their home [on Monday, March 30].
Schools reopened Monday morning with the same teachers.
The DeLaurie family and the Vincents have gone to Canada to live.
Mrs. A. W. Carkin spent Wednesday with her daughter, Mrs. Caisse of Leominster.
Miss Della Blodgett was a weekend guest of her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. George Blodgett.
John Burnett and wife are visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Burnett.
Saturday, April 11, 1908
About Town. Of the 150 or more horses stolen in Massachusetts within a year, only six have been recovered, according to police statistics, so this industry being safe and profitable, it is spreading in proportion to its safety and profit. With this as a basis the barn of Fred H. Shorey on the Concord road, Parkerville, was entered Tuesday evening and a valuable horse stolen. This is the second horse stolen recently in this locality. Constable Boynton was notified and traced the horse as far as Billerica, but lost the trail at that place. As horse thieving is active in the towns toward Boston, it might be well to secure the barn before the thief secures the horse.
A petition is passing around for signatures to be presented to county commissioners, asking them to relocate, widen, reconstruct and tear up the ground generally at Westford corner, commencing at the Chelmsford line and continuing to Brookside. If plans are carried out as contemplated it will necessitate relocating tracks of the electric road in some places; also, the element of widen on the other fellow’s land is likely to be solved in the shaking up of plans and boundaries. This is the third petition the citizens of Westford have sent to the county commissioners asking for improvements on the roads at Graniteville, Westford Center and Westford corner.
Petitions seem to be contagious, and one is being circulated, to be presented to the school committee, in remonstrance against closing Stony Brook school and transporting the scholars to the Center.
The fourth congressional district will hold its convention at town hall, Ayer, on Saturday, April 18, for the purpose of nominating two delegates to the Chicago convention.
Mrs. John Wilson celebrated her seventieth birthday last week Thursday. From her abundance of friendships she was loyally remembered in this line.
Miss Ella Wright of Cleveland, Ohio, who was present at [the] funeral of her cousin, Mrs. Augusta Butterfield of Ayer, is visiting her aunt, Sarah Richardson, at Brookside.
Charles Whitney has bought the milk route of John J. Dunn at West Chelmsford and Brookside.
Westford A.A. held its annual meeting at town hall Monday evening. The meeting was called to order by Edward Fisher, president of the association. The treasurer’s report showed all bills paid and $35.40 in the treasury. Three new members were added—Fred A. Smith, Harry Hartford, M. L. McGlinchey. Election of officers resulted as follows:
Pres., Edward Fisher; vice pres., Samuel H. Balch; sec., W. R. Taylor; treas., Wm. L. Woods; directors, H. L. Wright, Oscar R. Spaulding, E. A. Hamlin, H. B. Read, C. M. Trull.
The old ball grounds at Westford depot will be used the coming season.
At a meeting of the assessors Monday evening at the selectmen’s room, for the purpose of organizing and other preliminary work, S. L. Taylor was elected chairman and J. Willard Fletcher secretary.
Two applications for license to sell intoxicating drinks have been received by the selectmen. These licenses, if granted, will not allow the sale of drink on Sunday on the basis of a sandwich. The selectmen have wisely determined to prohibit the sale of liquor on Sunday. With the closeby towns voting no, there would seem to be business enough in the fluid line without coaxing it along with Sunday sandwiches.
On Wednesday evening, April 15, at eight o’clock in the Congregational church there will be a song and reading recital. Miss Jessie Cone of Boston will appear in song. Those who have heard her before are glad to hear her some more. Robert Howard Barnham of Boston will make his first appearance here as a reader and entertainer. He has a standing and reputation elsewhere in being able to neutralize any tendencies to drowsiness in the audience.
The warrant is posted for the annual parish meeting of the Unitarian church, to be held at the vestry Saturday evening, April 11. The warrant contains the usual routine business and is directed to Abiel J. Abbot, clerk of the parish, and signed by W. H. H. Burbeck and H. V. Hildreth, assessors of First parish.
Death. The oldest woman in town, Mrs. Persis Weston Smith, died at her old homestead on the Concord road on the evening of April 1, at the advanced age of ninety-five years. She was a native of Duxbury. Her parents were Daniel Weston and Persis Phillips Cushman. She was a direct descendant of Robert Cushman of Pilgrim fame. In 1836 she married Capt. Jacob Smith, who was her father’s first mate on a merchant vessel. Four years later Capt. Smith gave up following the sea and settled on a farm in Westford, where he died eight years ago. Mrs. Smith is survived by two daughters—Miss Clara Smith at the old homestead, and Mrs. O. B. Young of Hopedale; also, one granddaughter, Mrs. Gertrude Aery, and three great grandchildren. An only son, Henry G. Smith, was killed on a freight train several years ago, where he was employed as brakeman.
The funeral took place from the old homestead of hallowed associations last Saturday and was largely attended by neighbors and friends, some of whom vividly recall the blending association of her useful life in church and town during these nearly three score years and ten, and its orbit always in the realm of the higher affinities in the life of the town. Rev. B. H. Bailey of the Unitarian church officiated and brought those choice thoughts gathered from the ripe fruitage of an old age guided by temperate habits, and loyalty to the inspiration of truth, regardless of what horizon it was discovered in. Following this fitting eulogy Mr. Bailey read with rare taste a poem entitled “The good old grandmother.” [Emrich], secretary of the Massachusetts home missionary society, will preach. He is a pleasing and forceful speaker and knows the church in this state from the cape to the Berkshires. In the evening Mr. Marshall will speak on “The beauties of Japan,” using the new stereopticon and some sixty beautiful colored slides.
There are fine Japanese color prints on exhibition at the library, loaned by the library art club. The flower and bird studies are particularly graceful and interesting.
Miss Delia Wheeler has gone to stay with Mrs. John B. Fletcher, and Miss Mattie Symmes is assisting at Dea. Wright’s.
Mrs. Calvert and Mrs. Barnard have returned from their winter stay in city environment, and are at their pleasant home on Graniteville road.
Miss Miranda G. Luce’s many friends are sorry to hear of her recent illness.
Mrs. A. R. Leighton and daughter Frances are making a short visit at Mrs. C. H. Fletcher’s.
Patriots’ day was quietly observed on Monday. Flags were in evidence, with appropriate significance. The day was cold and raw, not ideal for out-door diversions. Among the out-of-town guests were noted Mr. and Mrs. F. A. Hildreth, Mrs. Allen and Katherine, at H. V. Hildreth’s; Mrs. M. A. Cass and Mrs. Bertram Cass of Winter Hill, at A. H. Sutherland’s; Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hildreth of Cambridge at Willis Hildreth’s.
Former tree warden, James Spinner is out again, after having been confined to the house for some time with sickness.
Aaron Tuttle has been a recent victim of grippe.
Miss Morin, our village nurse, is at Littleton for Dr. Godfrey on a surgical case.
A fourth child, a daughter [Violet M. Green], has recently been born [April 11] to Mr. and Mrs. William E. Green.
Carl Bridgeford of South Chelmsford has been visiting his cousins, Edward Blodgett and Clifford Bridgeford.
Edward Fisher is confined to his home with illness.
Mr. and Mrs. D. L. Felch of Townsend have been spending a few days with his mother, Mrs. J. P. Felch.
Mrs. John B. Fletcher has returned to her village home, after her usual sojourn during the winter months with her niece in Chelmsford.
Mrs. Annie Barnard is in town renewing old acquaintances, the guest of Mrs. Willis Hildreth. It was pleasant to have her present at the Tadmuck club Tuesday.
Miss Kate S. Hamlin has sent from San Francisco to our library reading room a copy of the Sunset magazine. The principal contents are articles entitled, “San Francisco two years after the earthquake.” They are profusely illustrated and give a vivid idea of the splendid rebuilding of the stricken city. Miss Hamlin’s loyal interest in her home town and the library, of which she was formerly a trustee, are always appreciated.
Club. The last meeting of the season for the Tadmuck club, for which there was a regular working program, was particularly interesting and worth while, on Tuesday afternoon. Owing to the length of the program, all preliminary exercises in the way of current events of quotations were dispensed with. The meeting was the last in the series of three in charge of the nature study committee. The first two subjects were birds and trees and this last was flowers, and it was enjoyable to consider so pleasant a subject while the chilly spring winds seemed loath to subside. Mrs. Herbert E. Fletcher was chairman of the afternoon, and the first speaker was Miss Elsie Locke of Andover, who gave a happily considered paper on “Seeds,” with beautifully mounted specimens to illustrate her talk. Although handicapped with many years of invalidism, Miss Locke made very evident the comfort and diversion to be derived from the study of this phase of nature’s secrets.
Miss Emily F. Fletcher, our naturalist, followed with a unique subject, “Flowers that come to us from wool waste,” describing in her keen and interesting way how the tiny seeds from the washing of fleeces of wool get into our brooks and ponds and perpetuate themselves.
Mrs. Fletcher closed the program with a paper on ‘Our native ferns.” This is Mrs. Fletcher’s specialty in nature study, and she gave an illuminating and charming talk on these native beauties of our fields and woods, illustrated with her fine collection of mounted specimens.
It was the business meeting of the year and the nominating committee appointed at the last meeting brought in their report. They did not excel in originality, and the same officers were unanimously chosen for the ensuing year—pres., Miss S. W. Loker; vice pres., Mrs. B. H. Bailey; sec. and treas., Mrs. L. W. Wheeler.
The next and last meeting will be the social and guest day. Each member has been presented with a ticket, with the privilege of inviting one guest. It will be a happy combination of good music, reading, refreshments and sociability, to be held in the Congregational vestry.
Graniteville. Patriots’ day was observed very quietly by the village people here. The day was cold and chilly and not conducive to out-door sport. The regular ball game that was scheduled to take place was called off on account of the disagreeable weather and poor condition of the grounds, but a “scrub” game was indulged in by many of the ardent fans.
Word has been received here that Gilbert Quinn, a former Graniteville boy, is confined in a hospital in Boston with an attack of typhoid fever. His many friends here hope for his speedy recovery.
The St. John’s minstrels, North Chelmsford, will give a grand minstrel show in town hall, Westford, Thursday evening, April 30, for the benefit of St. Catherine’s church. The show will consist of all the latest songs, recitations, buck and wing dancing, stump speeches, etc., with elegant costumes and stage settings. Joe Wall, manager.
Death. Miss Ella Gilson, the beloved daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Q. Gilson of this village, died very suddenly of heart trouble at the home of her parents on Friday, April 17, aged 16 yrs. 9 mos. 18 days. She was the eldest of three children, and leaves to mourn her loss a father and mother, a brother, William, and a sister, Alice May Gilson. Little Ella, as she was familiarly called, was possessed of a lovable disposition and was a great favorite with her associates both in the public school and in the Methodist Sunday school. Although she had not enjoyed good health for several months, she was always about with some of her schoolgirl friends, and her death coming so suddenly was a severe shock to the entire community. The sympathy of the village people is extended to Mr. and Mrs. Gilson and family in their sad bereavement.
The funeral took place from the Methodist church on Sunday afternoon at two o’clock, and was very largely attended, the church being entirely filled with relatives and friends. The services were conducted by Rev. D. Harold Hickey of Boston, who spoke feelingly of the life of the departed. The singing was by a quartet—Mrs. Janet Wright, Mrs. Harriet Sargent Hildreth, Edson G. Boynton and Alfred Prinn, whose rendering of the hymns “How gentle God’s commands,” “Moment by moment,” and “No sorrow there,” made a deep impression on the large audience present. Miss Emily Prinn presided at the organ. At the conclusion of the services, when all present were invited to come forward and view for the last time the features of their beloved one, the scene was a very sad one, for all felt their loss as a personal one, and during that last solemn march the feelings of all were unrestrained and there was not a dry eye in the church. The many floral tributes, which testified in a marked degree to the high esteem in which the deceased was held, were varied and beautiful, and were tastefully arranged about the beautiful white casket at the altar rail. As before stated, the funeral was very largely attended and the procession of carriages was one of the longest that has been seen in this village for many years. The bearers were William Sargent, Clarence H. McLenna, John Mattson and Thomas Danio. Burial was in Fairview cemetery, Westford.
Easter. The glorious festival of Easter was fittingly observed in St. Catherine’s church last Sunday, when a high mass was celebrated by Rev. J. J. McNamara at 9:45 o’clock. The choir, under the direction of Miss Mary F. Hanley, and augmented for the occasion, sang a new mass by Emerson, the solos being sustained by Miss Christina Lowther, Miss Rebecca LeDuc, R. J. McCarthy and G. P. Leduc. The choir is to be commended for the artistic rendition of this difficult mass, the result of faithful practice under the able supervision of Miss Hanley. The altar was tastefully arranged with ferns, palms, and cut flowers, and presented a beautiful appearance, which added greatly to the impressive ceremony of Easter.
Forge. The Lions of this village defeated the Blue Socks of Westford on the Westford grounds last Saturday, 7 to 6. The features of the game were a fast double play made by Dumont to Wilson and Perkins, and the fast fielding of Vincent and Curley; also, the battery work of the Spinner brothers and Wilson. The Forge team put up a good game and outplayed their opponents. The Westfords played in Forge Monday and were again defeated.
Mr. Burroughs, a foreman in laying the water pipes for the Westford Water Co., left last week Thursday for a similar position in Canuet, Rockland county, N.Y.
Word has been received of the birth of a son to Mr. and Mrs. Small of Everett, so they will not open their cottage, “The pines,” as early as usual this year.
Gladys May and Gertrude Mildred, the two children of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Baker, were christened at Forge mission Easter Sunday. Mrs. Polly DeRoehn, Mrs. Elizabeth Davis and George Weaver were the sponsors.
One of the little twin babies [Leanne B., aged 3 months] of Mr. and Mrs. Boucher died Monday and was buried Wednesday. The other child [Leda B.] is very sick.
The mills of the Abbot Worsted Co. were closed Monday, but run Friday to make up for the four days.
The ladies’ circle continues to meet at the mission house every Thursday, and the ladies seem to enjoy the change.
The Easter services were largely attended at the mission house Sunday. Mr. Richards of Groton School assisted Rev. T. L. Fisher in the services. The singing was particularly fine. Miss Edith Precious sang very feelingly, “He is risen,” and Miss Theresa Lowther sang, “They have taken him away,” very impressively.
The police of the town made several raids Saturday night and secured quantities of liquor and beer at all the places visited. As a result, three citizens of the village will be called to court at Ayer to answer to the charges; they are, Charles Shugrue of North Westford, John Sullivan and James Benoit of Forge. The raids were made by John Feeney, L. W. Wheeler, Walter Precious, E. G. Boynton, Walter Whidden, H. L. Nesmith, E. H. Davie, Frank Healy.
Mrs. Hermine Boucher of North Chelmsford was in the village Wednesday to attend the funeral of the little Boucher baby.
[Mrs.] David P. Lawrence, whose extreme age we have mentioned before, has been quite ill, but was more comfortable at time of writing. Miss Priscilla Bennett has had an attack of tonsillitis, making it advisable to have her tonsils removed. Joe Bannister is on the sick list. Miss E. C. Comey is keeping house for him. Mrs. S. N. Eaton is recovering from attack of grippe. Mrs. Charles Shaw has a severe attack of jaundice.
Visitors in town over the holiday were Miss Henderson of Malden at Lincoln cottage, who entertained Mr. and Mrs. Field and Mr. and Mrs. Appleton; Thomas Fisher and Mr. Roberts at “The birches;” Mr. and Mrs. Averill Nichols of Everett at their cottage; Mr. Shafter, with a party of friends, at his cottage; J. Campling and daughter of Methuen at Wm. Whigham’s; Dr. Howard Tuttle, one of the resident medical staff at the state hospital, Tewksbury, at Mr. and Mrs. Fred Sweatt’s; Mr. and Mrs. Dailey and two children at her father’s, D. Hanley; Violet Collins of the Channing hospital, Providence, R.I., at her father’s, Miles Collins; Fred Morris of Cambridge at Wm. Burnett’s; Mr. and Mrs. Alvah Bicknell of Somerville at her brothers, John Carmichael; Albert Jones of Worcester at Wm. Burnett’s.