The Westford Wardsman, August 24, 1918
Center. Ernest Wright, Chester Griffin, Ernest Griffin, Henry Healy and Calvin Dandley go this week Saturday to Camp Jackson, S.C., to begin their military training.
Miss Eva F. Pyne, who has taught so efficiently at the Cameron school, Forge Village, for the last eleven years, has resigned and accepted a position with the First National bank in Ayer.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry M. Wright came up from their summer home at Marshfield Hills, Wednesday, to assist Mr. Fletcher at the store, made so short of help while H. L. Wright and A. W. Hartford are at camp in Framingham.
Evidences of frost were reported in the lowlands the first of the week.
We note recently the tenth [ninth] wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer D. Cole being very pleasantly observed at their home in Tewksbury. Mrs. Cole was formerly Miss Edith Seifer, of Westford, and her marriage took place [Aug. 4, 1909,] at the Congregational church in this village.
Arthur Sutherland goes to Ayer this Saturday to report before the registration board.
W. L. Wadleigh, of Montclair, N.J., whose summer home is in Falmouth, has been visiting his sister during the week, Mrs. Howard A. Lincoln, at the parsonage. During his stay he took Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln and groups of friends on two very pleasant auto trips.
Mr. and Mrs. George F. White and two sons enjoyed a pleasant auto trip to Dover, N.H., Sunday. Not so pleasant was being near at hand, a few miles out of Portsmouth, when a motorcycle and a touring car collided seriously. The motorcycle was smashed and its rider injured, and Mr. White acted the part of good Samaritan and took the young man to his home in Portsmouth.
The assessors have received the income tax returns from the state and the personal property valuations have fixed the tax rate for 1918 at $15.50 per $1000. This is ninety cents less than last year’s rate, which was $16.40. The assessors will need some time more before committing the books to the collector.
Under the auspices of the local Red Cross Miss Mary E. Lent, director of nurses, United States Public Health Service, Washington, D.C., gave a talk at the town hall on Wednesday evening. Miss Lent is interested in promoting rural nursing in the cantonment zone. As is well known, when our young men of draft age began to be examined for war service, many physical defects of more or less seriousness were constantly coming to the observation of the physicians. With proper knowledge and treatment very much of this was entirely avoidable and this campaign of rural nursing is along these preventive and helpful lines.
Gardens and all other vegetation are much in need of rain.
Even if it is war times, occasional good games of tennis have been enjoyed at Whitney playground.
Miss Sarah W. Loker was the leader of the single service of the vacation period, Sunday evening, at the Congregational church. Next Sunday evening Harry Ingalls will lead the service, this being the last Sunday of vacation.
Arthur E. Day has a new Oakland closed touring car. He, with Mrs. Day, returned the first of the week from a pleasant vacation spent in Northfield. Mr. and Mrs. H. G. Osgood accompanied them on the trip.
Miss Luella M. Hutchins, of Billerica, and Mrs. Hanver, of Chelmsford, were guests at the E. J. Whitney’s, Tuesday of this week.
Lieut. W. J. Robinson, Mess Sergt. A. W. Hartford, Cooks Johnson and Harrington went to Camp Gardner in Framingham on Wednesday, and on Thursday the other members of Company L, M.S.G., started by automobile at 7:30 for a four-days’ tour of duty.
Annual Reunion. The annual reunion of the members of the Spalding Light Cavalry association was held on Thursday afternoon and evening, August 15. These reunions have been held regularly every year, except last year, which was omitted on account of the war. This year it was deemed advisable to continue them and keep up these yearly gatherings which mean so much to the members in greeting their old comrades.
The afternoon was spent on the Whitney playground, where a clay pigeon shoot took place. Seven members entered to contest for the prize cup and good scores were made. Edward M. Abbot was the winner. This cup has to be won three years in succession before the winner can keep it. Mr. Abbot had won it two years in succession and then lost it, and now will start again.
The business meeting was held at the association building at five o’clock with seventy-five members present. The treasurer’s report showed some over $2000 in the treasury, which was invested in liberty bonds and the savings bank. The following officers were elected: Capt. Sherman H. Fletcher, pres.; Capt. John J. Monohan, West Chelmsford, v.p.; Major Edward Fisher, Lowell, sec.; Sergt. Charles E. Bartlett, Chelmsford, treas.; Major Edward Fisher, Capt. John J. Monohan, Lieut. William J. Quigley of North Chelmsford and Sergt. Caleb L. Smith of Lowell, standing committee.
The following committee was appointed to make arrangements for the reunion next year: Major Edward Fisher, Capt. John J. Monohan, Sergt. Charles E. Bartlett, Alonzo H. Sutherland, and William A. Kemp of Pepperell.
Resolutions were adopted on the death of Quartermaster George B. Holt of North Chelmsford, and a committee appointed to prepare resolutions on the death of Lieut. Benjamin F. Day, of Bedford, and George T. Day, of Westford, who died the past year.
At six o’clock a lunch was served by D. L. Page Co., of Lowell. The meeting then adjourned to the town hall, where an open meeting was held.
A large audience was present and heard a very interesting talk given by Albert Newton, a Y.M.C.A. secretary. Mr. Newton was in England and France during the organization of the French army. He was in London and Paris during a bombardment by the German airships and also at the front during the fighting. He told a vivid and interesting story of the bombardment; also, the situation of the food restrictions that they are obliged to undergo in England and France. He also exhibited gas masks, hand grenades, cloth from a German airship, etc.
Letters from Overseas. The following letters have been received from Westford boys from France, the first being sent to Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Wheeler and the second to Capt. Sherman Fletcher, and will surely be of interest to their many friends here:
July 31, 1918
My Dear Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler—
Here I am a long ways from home. France is a pretty country, but nothing can beat the good old U.S. The trip across the water was a long, unpleasant one. I was very glad when we landed. I was only sick a few days. I am stationed a few miles outside of a city with part of the company. Our quarters are good and the meals couldn’t be beat. At the present we are having beefsteak twice a day—that isn’t bad.
We are getting out stone for the roads; it is better than being in the trenches. We work nine long hours and six days a week. I am tired with night comes.
The farmers are very busy getting their wheat in—the farmers that are left are men that are too old to fight. They do most of their work with oxen. I have seen them work their cows the same way. Some have horses. I have noticed that the French people are much smaller than the Americans. Their houses are built of stone. The country people wear wooden shoes, but the city ones wear shoes more like ours.
You don’t know how many times I think of my little farm. I can see the chickens running around and always around at feeding time. I supposed Mr. Wheeler has got his haying done and now he is getting ready for the apples. I wish I was working down the field than getting out stone. One of the boys just bought some home-made butter from the farm across the road; it cost them $1.10 a pound. We get butter milk for ten cents a quart and six cents apiece for fresh eggs.
I am a long way from the front, so don’t expect to see Harold for a long time. It doesn’t get dark here until 9:30 p.m., and the sun is shining when we get up in the morning.
It is getting late so will close, hoping this letter will find you and Mrs. Wheeler in the best of health.
Yours truly,
Leon Hildreth,
Co. C, 28th Engineers, A.P.O. No. 701, A.E.F.
July 22, 1918
Dear Sir—I received your ever welcome letter and was very glad to get it. My regiment went over the top the other day and we had very few casualties. It was just my luck to be one of them. I got a sprained ankle and a bullet hole through the left hand. There was hardly any deaths; mostly slight wounds, but we did what we started to do—drove them about 2 ½ miles for a starter.
I am very glad to hear that you are doing all that you possibly can to help us boys win the war. I would like to have you do myself and the rest of the soldiers over here a favor by boosting the Red Cross along in town and the nearby towns, too because they are doing wonderful work for us fellows, but they have got to have support in order to keep up their good work.
Will close now, from
W. H. Mills, Co. K, 194th Inf.
About Town. Miss Luanna Decatur has returned from an auto trip with Cambridge friends through the White Mountain region.
Mrs. I. A. Snow had the Red Cross knitters of West Chelmsford meet at her home on Tuesday afternoon.
The small daughter of Mr. and Mrs. LaBouteley has been named Dorothy.
Mr. and Mrs. Houghton G. Osgood have been enjoying attendance at the summer conference in Northfield.
Corp. Arthur E. Blodgett, Company E, 101st Infantry, went overseas last September. He was sent from the front this month to the officers’ training school near Paris. Corp. Frank Hurley, of the same company, was also sent to the same training school. He was recently decorated with the Croix de Guerre. These two corporals will receive their new commissions at the close of their studies. Corp. Blodgett is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur T. Blodgett, of Medford, formerly of this town.
There was a heavy frost last Saturday night in the north part of the town in the swamp land between Scribner hill and Groton. Another frost landed Sunday evening at Brookside, at the east part of the town, and near the Littleton town line in the extreme western part of the town, which was severe enough to make corn feel the shock. With only a lapse of about fifty-eight days from late spring or early summer frost, if it sounds more soothing that way, to late summer frost, it would seem that we are being flanked in to a short growing season and we need to get the busy movement in our heads earlier in the spring, for a spring frost is rarely fatal, while late summer or early autumn frosts are rarely other than fatal. The Stony Brook farmers escaped the two recent frosts, though Brookside was a close-by visited place.
The new forest fire observation tower on Robin hill, South Chelmsford, for which all the surrounding towns contributed their lawful contribution, was commenced to be built on Monday, the old tower having been removed last week. The old tower was thirty feet tall. The new tower will be seventy feet of steel construction. Instead of the old style ladder, a steel stairway will furnish the climbing apparatus for visitors safer and easier. As Robin hill is 485 feet above sea level the capacity of the tower for business or pleasure outlook will be 555 feet above sea level.
Word has been received that William Mills has been wounded in France. He was one of the first to enlist from Westford.
Mr. and Mrs. William R. Taylor motored down to York Beach, Me., last Saturday for a week’s stay at Hotel Oduna.
Miss Anastasia Tulley, of Lowell, is visiting at the Greig homestead.
Death. Rev. Seth W. Walker, who had been in failing health for some time, died of consumption at his home in Berwick, Me., July 30. He was born in Westford at the old Walker homestead on August 25, 1853, the youngest of six children of Josiah and Lydia (Hurd) Walker. Here he spent his boyhood days and was one of bright action as scholar at the old Stony Brook school, and is pleasantly remembered by the scholars of his time, and by the older ones who preceded him. After the preliminaries of the district school were over with he entered Westford academy in 1863, when Albert E. Davis, of Westford, was preceptor [1863-68], and Miss Alice J. Hardman, of Lowell was assistant [1863-67]. He afterwards took a course at a commercial college. He then went west and for twenty years was engaged in mining in Butte City, Montana. This he gave up to fit for the ministry and he entered Healdsburg college in California. Upon the completion of his course there he entered the ministry, in which he has faithfully and zealously labored, for eighteen years. He was an evangelist and worked under the auspices of the Seventh Day Adventist denomination. As such he labored quite a good deal in California, Massachusetts, Virginia and Maine.
When his health declined he went to Portland, Me., and at the request of the minister of White memorial church he became assistant minister and later was called to the pastorate which he held for about a year. His health would not permit of his carrying on the work longer and hoping that a change from the seashore to the country would be beneficial he and his family moved onto a farm in Berwick, where they have since resided.
He was a man of tall, commanding personality whether as preacher or traveler on the roads. As preacher he was eloquent and emphatic, of pronounced connections which he fearlessly defended with scholarly and fluent quotations from the bible. As citizen and neighbor he was an entertaining conversationalist and the writer has passed some pleasant evenings with him in social chat at the Walker homestead. He was twice married; first, to Miss Annie Strickland, who died, leaving two children, Harry L., who for quite a number of years has been in mining in Butte City, and Eva, now dead. He last married on August 3, 1899, in Leominster, Miss Mabel Rugg, and to them were born five children, of whom three survive—Charles E. Walker, named for an uncle now living; Seth Irwin and Vernon. Immediately after his marriage to Miss Rugg they left Leominster for California and on their trip their train met in a head-on collision and his daughter Eva, ten years of age, was killed.
Besides his wife and four children the deceased is survived by two brothers and two sisters—John J. Walker, of Natick; Charles E. Walker and Miss Belle Walker and Mrs. Clara Littlefield, of Fitchburg, and numerous nieces and nephews. The funeral was from his home near Matthews Mills, Berwick. Two very close friends, Rev. H. W. Carr, of Portland and Rev. A. E. Sanderson, of Bath, conducted the service. The burial was at Evergreen cemetery, Berwick.
Ties Placed on Tracks. Some stories that are told are pure German propaganda, but this is a fact: In the early morning hours of Tuesday some railroad ties were found on the Stony Brook track, near Fletcher’s woods, just before Westford station is reached. Of course it was dark when these were discovered, which makes it seem like an attempt to wreck a train and cause further delay to railroad traffic. Fortunately they were discovered in time to prevent disaster. A slow freight, going westward, bumped into a pile of ties three feet high placed on the tracks. Conductor Krumble of the freight train at once investigated and found that they had been very carefully stacked for some purpose—was it an attempt to get the well-known Bar Harbor express from New York to Maine, which passed through shortly after the discovery between three and four in the morning, or was it an attempt to get some of the trains taking material or men to and from Camp Devens? Was it part of the same scheme which caused ties to be placed on Flanagan’s crossing, Ayer, a few weeks ago?
It may be the work of enemies to our country or it may be the work of someone mentally unbalanced or of someone who likes to have something happen just for excitement.
About two years ago a tie was placed on this same track, near Westford depot, by a weak-minded man who was discovered. Charles Ripley, chief of police, is conducting an investigation in consultation with railroad officials.
Appointed Game Warden. Willis S. Holt, of Lowell, has been appointed United States game warden for New England states and has opened an office in Room 4, Odd Fellows Building, Middlesex street, Lowell, where he can be found when not in the field by all those who desire to be arrested for violation of the game laws. The appointment went into effect on August 15. The federal offices under this act are officers of the Bureau of Biological Survey, Department of Agriculture. They are to plan measures towards a larger bird population. Great Britain has also the act for all its possessions this side of the ocean and has men now in the field. This act, which is the new agreement between the United States and England concerning migratory bird hunting and which resulted in a recent proclamation by President Wilson, is expected to insure more and better crops and will be of great value to all the people. Some of the birds are nearly extinct and the new law will undoubtedly aid in bringing many of them back. It is in this work Mr. Holt will help and his experience as a sportsman and organizer will stand him in good stead. He is one of the best known sportsmen in this vicinity. He is probably best known as the organizer of the Lowell Fish and Game club and of the Lowell Gun club.
The writer will add that Mr. Holt has appeared before Westford in the interest of better protection to birds. The appointment is by the law of natural fitness must raise. One of the weak features of the new law, like all laws more aged, is its “open season” opportunities to shoot down all that has been built up. We might as well try to put out a fire with kerosene oil as try to build up “nearly extinct” bird life with a bird in one hand and a shot gun in the other. What is needed is a closed up, hands off season for five years. At the end of that time take account of stock and perhaps multiply five by two.
Graniteville. The Graniteville ball club visited Westford on last Saturday afternoon and was badly weakened by the absence of some of its best players, which necessitated others playing out of their regular positions. Westford won handily by the score of 18 to 2. It was not the regular Graniteville team by any means, although they were all local boys. Westford gets a rather hollow victory from a crippled team, as this is the only time they have won this season out of three games played. There should be no regrets from a local standpoint.
Mrs. P. Henry Harrington, with her daughter, Miss Alice, and three boys, Harold, Henry and Edward, have recently returned from a brief vacation spent at Salisbury Beach.
Miss Nellie Healy, with Miss Mabel Rhodes, of Lowell spent last week at the Stark cottage, Salisbury Beach.
Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Carmichael have recently returned from a delightful outing, spent along the North Shore.
Michael Rafferty, of Boston, has been a recent visitor here.
Raymond V. Charlton, Henry J. Healy, Anthony Pivirotto, James J. Rafferty are called for military duty and will appear between August 26 and August 30.
William L. Wall, who was sent by the local exemption board to Syracuse, N.Y., for limited service duty, has received his honorable discharge and has returned to his duties as police officer in Ayer.
Fred M. Defoe is spending his vacation with friends in Canada.
Omer J. LeDuc, of Camden, N.J., is spending a few days with relatives here.
Philip Healy is working as brakeman in the Ayer yard.
Private Joseph Pelky, of this village, was reported as wounded severely in the list published Thursday.
Forge Village. The Forge Village A.C. will meet the Westford club on the Whitney playground in Westford this Saturday afternoon for the second game of the series, and a real hot game is expected. The Westford club was the winner of the first game, but the Forge Village boys will be greatly strengthened for this game and have strong hopes of landing a victory.
The usual large number of summer residents are occupying the many cottages around beautiful Forge pond and are fully enjoying the excellent weather we have been getting of late.
Mrs. Ellen Flynn, at the present writing, is in a very weakened condition, and the end is only a question of time.
Several of our Forge Village young women have recently returned from a pleasant outing spent at Salisbury Beach.
The sale of thrift stamps still continues to be good among the employees of Abbot Worsted Company here, and both men and women are to be commended for the fine showing made.
Groton
News Items. Edward Guion, of this town, chauffeur, who was driving a touring car from Camp Devens to Boston, is at the Massachusetts General hospital as the result of an accident at a cross road in Boxborough, opposite the Henderson farm. Mr. Guion saw a small automobile coming out of the cross road and in attempting to avoid a crash the large car skidded, went up a six-foot embankment, struck a tree, turned over twice, landing upside down, pinning most of the occupants underneath and striking the small car. Mr. Guion sustained four broken ribs, a broken nose and other injuries. The other occupants of the car were four soldiers and three officers from Camp Devens, one of whom died from his injuries, and several also received injuries. The accident occurred last Saturday afternoon.
Camp Devens’ orchestra is always good to dance by. Prescott hall, Pepperell, August 30.
Ayer
News Items. Motion pictures were shown for the first time at the Federation house on Wednesday evening with a fine program. Before the show Supt. Manford W. Schuh briefly referred to the new undertaking for the benefit of the soldiers, which he hoped would be a success. A fine new booth has been installed, together with other things that are necessary for the exhibition of the pictures.
Major-General Henry P. McCain, the recently appointed commander of the new 12th Division at Camp Devens, commenced his duties on Tuesday. Col. Almond L. Parmenter, classmate of General McCain at West Point, who has been acting commander, turned the office to his superior officer after the new commander had inspected the camp and the remount depot. The new commander is very popular with all who know him.
District Court. Laura Yost, of New York, and Peter Barkalian, a soldier were found guilty of misconduct. The former was sentenced to three months in the Cambridge jail. The latter’s case was turned over to the military authorities at Camp Devens for disposal.
Ethel Cornell, of Potomac, Va., was also found guilty of misconduct and held for sentence. Porter Winn, a former soldier at Camp Devens, now at Camp Lee, Va., was implicated in the case. He did not appear. Mary Hessler, of Chambersburg, Pa., was found guilty of being idle and disorderly. Roy Kernan, a soldier, was taken to the camp for trial in connection with the case. Both women were sentenced Monday morning to the woman’s prison at Sherborn for three months.
Julia Blood, giving her home as Pittsfield, N.H., was found guilty of unbecoming conduct and sentenced to the woman’s prison at Sherborn. She appealed and in default of bail was taken to the East Cambridge jail to await trial. Her accomplice, J. H. Clark, was turned over to the authorities at the camp, where his case will be heard.
Eugene L. White, of Boxborough, pleaded guilty to a complaint for operating an automobile without a proper license and was fined ten dollars. The indirect cause of White’s appearance in court was a serious automobile accident in which he figured in Boxborough last Saturday afternoon, in which one soldier received fatal injuries, the chauffeur severe injuries, and three officers, who were more or less injured, none of them seriously. White stated that he was coming out of a side street when the heavier machine struck his automobile, then ran up an eight-foot bank, split a maple tree eight inches in diameter in two and then rolled down the bank to the street, a wreck.
White said that he estimated the speed of the wrecked automobile as eighty miles per hour. He was driving his machine, which he had recently bought, at a speed of about eight miles per hour. White’s automobile was badly damaged.
The testimony regarding White’s case caused Judge Atwood to utter a severe and entirely proper condemnation of the habit of reckless driving of automobiles in general, and particularly of machines in which soldiers or officers were riding. The rebuke of the court came after 1st Lieut. William F. Wilkie of the provost guard had stated that the officers at the camp wished that something might be done toward remedying the reckless driving over the Boston road on Saturdays.
Judge Atwood suggested the placing of army officers on the main road, together with enlisted men, to stop the speeding of jitney busses. The court told the lieutenant that soldiers were not sent here to be smashed up in automobile accidents, but are sent here for quite another purpose.
The accident to which reference was made in the above case occurred last Saturday afternoon. The car containing the driver, Ovila Guion, of Groton, and several soldiers and officers, was on the way from Ayer to Boston when the accident happened. Guion is in the Massachusetts General hospital, Boston, in a serious condition. Private Francis Williamson, of Dorchester, who received a fractured skull and injuries to the back, died at the base hospital Monday. Other occupants of the car, who were treated at the hospital, were Lieut. William H. Pratt, of Glendale, R.I.; Sergt. R. O. Bartholomew and Lieut. H. S. Callahan of Providence. Their injuries were painful, but not serious. The inquest on the death of the soldier will be held later.
Federation House Notes. The Sunday night service for soldiers and civilians is at 7:45. The speaker will be Rev. Angus Dun of Ayer, singing by the Mendelssohn quartet of Lowell.
Tuesday at 7:45 an uplift meeting for soldiers will be held with camp pastor Anderson as speaker.
Moving picture programs—Saturday at 3:00 and 7:45, Pathe News; George Beban in “Lost in transit” and Arbuckle comedy, Monday at 7:45—Burton Holmes “Travelogue;” Jack Pickford in “The varmint,” and Black Diamond comedy. Wednesday at 7:45, “Son of democracy,” Vivian Martin in “Little Miss Optimist” and Bray’s Pictograph.
Additional Draftees. The following is an additional list of registrants called for military service between August 26 and 30, and includes those assigned to Camp Devens, Ayer, and Camp Jackson, Columbia, S.C.:
Camp Devens– …
Camp Jackson– … Westford, Clarence H. Dane, Charles M. Griffin, Jr., Henry G. Healy, Calvin J. Dandly, Ernest T. Wright; … Graniteville, James J. Rafferty, Anthony Pivirotto; …
The Camp Devens men leave for camp on August 29. Those going to Camp Jackson leave on August 28.
W.C.C.S. Notes. On Saturday a delegation of leading American writers came to Ayer as guests of the War Camp Community Service, their purpose being to study the work of the War Camp Community Service in this district. Among the guests were L. Wallace Hopkins, Gelett Burgess, Berton Brayley, Miss Jessie Payne, the Princess Radziwell, Capt. George Schriner, Dr. William T. Hornaday, Basil King, Porter Emerson Brown and Mrs. Gertrude Atherton. The party arrived from Boston after an inspection of the Naval Radio school at Cambridge. The trip to Ayer was made by motor, arriving at the West street club and were met by executive secretary, Harry E. Robbins.
After an inspection of the club the party proceeded to the Enlisted Men’s club, where lunch was served. After lunch the party drove about the camp and then left Ayer for Nantasket, where, at the South Shore Service club they were met by Joseph Lee of the executive committee for the War Camp Community Service. In the evening the party attended a dance at the Hotel Somerset, given by Mrs. A. Lincoln Filene for enlisted men under the Boston War Camp Community Service.
The Friday evening dance at the Soldiers’ club was the last at which Mrs. Harry E. Robbins will be the hostess. Mr. and Mrs. Robbins left Ayer on Tuesday for New York and then, after a day or two, Mr. Robbins will go at once to Ashville, N.C., where he is to be executive secretary of the War Camp Community Service. The dance was well attended. The floral decorations were very attractive, phlox and gladiolus predominating.
The William Howard orchestra has volunteered for the War Camp Community Service entertainments. There are over twenty men in the orchestra, who, from their long experience in ensemble, will give a delightful evening of popular music.
Lunenburg
News Items. Quite a number of soldiers from Camp Devens were entertained in town and attended church last Sunday. Among them was Edwin C. Smith on a thirty-six hours’ pass. The first time he has been home since entering the service.
Pepperell
News Items. Pepperell was in a mess on Wednesday as the effects of the late storm had not been fixed and many cable lines were out of order and the “trouble man” ordered to report at once at Camp Devens. The telephone office force was short-handed as Miss McDonald had gone on her vacation, but the girls did the best they could to alleviate the conditions.