The Westford Wardsman, May 11, 1918
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Center. Mr. and Mrs. James L. Kimball are at their Westford home for the spring months.
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Foss, of Lowell, are to occupy Miss Ella F. Hildreth’s vacant house on Hildreth street. Mr. Foss has recently retired as superintendent of the locks and canals in Lowell after a service of twenty-five years.
Forrest White, one of our enterprising Boy Scouts, secured the sale of ten liberty bonds before the close of the campaign and will receive a medal for his good work.
In a recent letter received from Wesley Hawkes, Jr., somewhere in France, he writes of having met Edwin Roby, one of the enlisted men in the service from Westford, and of how much they enjoyed talking over the Westford associations and mutual friends. Both men report being in excellent health.
George Perkins has been quarantined with measles and is reported as having been pretty sick.
A group of citizens and the town road men worked last Saturday putting the roadbed of the electric line in safe condition. A new time schedule which went into effect the first of the week is as follows: Leave Westford week days, 7:00, 8:05, 11:50 a.m., 1:00, 1:50, 2:45, 4:00, 5:00 and 5:40 p.m. Leave Brookside, 7:45, 9:00 a.m., 12:05, 1:20, 2:10, 3:05; 4:20, 5:28 and 6:06 p.m. Sundays—Leave Westford 8:40, 9:40 and 10:40 a.m., 1:00, 3:00, 5:00 and 7:00 p.m.; leave Brookside, 9:00, 10:20 and 11:00 a.m., 2:00, 4:00, 6:00 and 7:00 p.m.
The reading circle of the Tadmuck club will meet with Mrs. L. W. Wheeler on Monday afternoon.
An attractive concert is being arranged under the auspices of the local Red Cross to take place on Friday evening, May 18. Mrs. Nettie E. Roberts and James E. Donnelly, of Lowell, are among the well-known talent who will contribute to the event: also, Mrs. Lillian Dodge Haskell, reader.
A quiet, pretty home wedding took place on Wednesday evening at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Robinson, when their eldest daughter, Miss Grace M. Robinson, was united in marriage with James B. Hartford, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. George H. Hartford. The ceremony which took place at seven o’clock was performed by Rev. Howard A. Lincoln. Miss Maude Robinson, the bride’s only sister, was bridesmaid, and Fred Robinson, the bride’s brother, was the groom’s attendant. The bride was most becomingly gowned and there were simple but effective decorations in which the national colors were in evidence. The wedding party was confined to the bride’s immediate family. Refreshments were served after the ceremony and later the bride and groom took their departure for a wedding trip. They were the recipients of many pretty wedding gifts from their many friends and many sincere good wishes go with them into their new life for happiness and prosperity.
A supper and entertainment, to take place later in the month, is being planned by the committee in charge for May at the Congregational church. This capable committee consists of Mrs. Perley E. Wright, Mrs. George F. White and Mrs. Perry E. Shupe.
Owing to the outbreak of measles the pretty May party, which had been so carefully planned and rehearsed for this week Friday evening, has been postponed until a later date. Betty Prescott, one of the principal participants, is in quarantine, and other cases are reported.
An all-day Ladies’ Aid meeting was held at the home of Mrs. William C. Roudenbush, Thursday. Much work was accomplished on the bungalow aprons and the attendant sociability and noon-time luncheon were much enjoyed.
About Town. On the Old Oaken Bucket farm there is a Baldwin apple tree one-half of which broke down last year from too heavy a load. Although all the tree bore last year, only the half that broke down last year and rests on the grass is loaded with blossoms this year. Does anyone know how to account for the whereof of this? The broken down half hangs only by the bark and a small layer of wood. The long, severe winter has evidently toned down the ardor of the Baldwin apple trees too much for food production this year, but the half of the apple tree sheltered by the ground and uncut grass escaped the full intensity of the winter. Be this so or not so, it is the only tree at the Old Oaken Bucket farm that is loaded for business; all else is a far apart scattering.
James H. O’Brien, Stony Brook road, Pigeon hill, is seriously ill with pneumonia and under the care of a trained nurse.
The people came out last Saturday to help repair the electric line. This car line is getting to be something of a community affair. Rev. Louis Buckshorn has taken an interest in this mode of travel and rallied the workers. Mrs. Ralph Bridgeford fried 100 doughnuts for the dinner for the workers and Mrs. Francis Banister made the coffee.
The funeral of Miss Mary Louise Crosby was held at the First Evangelical church in Lowell, where the deceased was a member, on last Saturday afternoon at two o’clock. Many of the Westford friends went down for this last honor to the deceased. The services were conducted by Rev. Thomas Laite, pastor of the church, who spoke with appreciation of the truly Christian life of Miss Crosby. Three favorite hymns had been chosen by Miss Crosby, who felt that she was passing on. These were sung by the congregation, Miss Ada Atkinson playing the accompaniment. The arrangements for the funeral were in charge of Capt. Thomas R. Atkinson, a cousin of the deceased.
The bearers were Capt. T. R. Atkinson, William Goodwin, Lakin Hill and David Fulton.
In accordance with the wishes of the deceased there were no flowers except a few from societies. The Lowell Woman’s Missionary society sent a spray of pinks. For years Miss Crosby has supported a girl in China. The W.C.T.U. of this town sent their official emblem, a bow of white satin ribbon. Burial was in the family lot in the cemetery at Bedeque, P.E.I.
In the Stony Brook valley the blossom of Baldwin apples this year does not promise but little more than enough fruit for home consumption. But even this is a fairly large something where some individuals eat nearly a peck per day.
Some of those early planted potatoes are up that were pushed into the ground with zero only twenty degrees off from striking April 20.
Investigation by the United States Department of Agriculture among sheep owners in fifteen states east of the Rocky Mountains shows that out of a total of 6,836,192 sheep of the 502 owners reporting, 34,683 sheep were killed by dogs in 1913. Crop reports in thirty-six farm states submitted estimates which showed that the number of sheep in those states could be increased 150 percent without displacing other live stock. Such an increase would place approximately 34,000,000 more sheep in those states than there are now. Uniform state laws are advocated by the Department of Agriculture as the most effective measure of dealing with the sheep-killing dog. Long live the dog with a sheep in his mouth seems to have been our dilly dally tender policy.
Peas planted March 30 are several inches high and promise to blossom before the Baldwin apple trees and much more abundantly.
Quota Trebled. The third liberty loan committee has made out its report of the local campaign. This interesting report shows a list of 516 names as contributors, with a total of $268,350 [an average of $520 per person], which is three times the quota for the town and $40,000 besides. John C. Abbot, who has been the most efficient manager of the campaign, in behalf of the committee, thanks the townspeople who have been ready subscribers. Thanks also goes to the Boy Scouts, who sold $1050 worth of bonds and to many citizens who took an interest in securing bond buyers. Westford stands high in the list of the twenty-one towns in Northern Middlesex, and now has three stars on its honor flag. To have raised over a quarter of a million is a splendid record. Of this amount, $50,000, the largest single subscription, was taken by the Abbot Worsted Co., Abiel J. Abbot took $30,000, J. C. Abbot $10,000, Julian Cameron $20,000, Edward Abbot $5000. This made more than $100,000 for the members of the firm. There were many subscriptions for fifty dollars, which shows that those who could take only small amounts were ready to do their part and do it willingly. One citizen who was born in the same town as Carnegie and has celebrated his golden wedding, showed his patriotism by purchasing bonds to the amount of $2000, which he gave to ten members of the family circle, which included four generations. There are many instances of sacrifice and many of generosity, which show the desire of many to do their part in helping to win the war. There are still some who had the means and yet would not subscribe.
Extracts from Letter. The following extracts from a letter written home by Prof. John A. Taylor, of the University of North Dakota, may prove interesting and timely. Mr. Taylor has given his services as reader and lecturer in many places that the proceeds may go to the Red Cross. Sometimes the opera house is crowded, sometimes $200 is cleared, sometimes it is only a bit that is accomplished as is shown here, because the country is sparsely settled. But here is true American patriotism way out on the prairie which may put us to thinking. He writes of a recent trip up among the North Dakota buttes, up in the “Bad Land,” as it is called where [Theodore] Roosevelt had a ranch—a most picturesque country:
I want to tell you about my lecture trip a week ago up in the extreme western part of the state, out in the bad land regions. This is practically new territory; the county has only been organized three years. It is therefore real pioneer territory. I went off into the remote rural sections twenty odd miles from a railroad. I spoke in some of the so-called consolidated rural schools. The school building would be located in the exact center of a township (six miles square) sometimes without a house in sight. I met a young school teacher from Minnesota who told me she had not seen a steam car since last September. She was exceedingly glad to see me, because I had been on one. She boarded at a farmhouse four miles from the schoolhouse.
In another place the school master stayed in a three-room shack occupied by a homestead farmer. One small room served as a general living room and yet everyone was happy and apparently healthy. Under primitive disadvantages I found contentment and the best of hospitality. Some people who live in houses equipped with all modern conveniences are broken down with nervous prostration if they have to entertain a guest at a simple meal. Such genuine patriotism I have never seen.
The women would drive for miles and miles to help at a Red Cross circle—and they don’t have modern tools to work with and good quarters for meetings. A homestead shack serves their purpose, and occasionally they have a sale and supper at the schoolhouse.
I wish you could see how appreciative these farmers and cattle ranchers were at my talk. Many of them drove a good many miles to hear me. Of course, we didn’t begin until about half past nine. At one place we had a patriotic meeting after the talk and we kept it up until one o’clock, and no one left and no one wanted to. Someone played “The Star Spangled Banner” on an old-fashioned organ. It sounded like a Sears-Roebuck sewing machine, but what did it matter, so long as the spirit of the people was light. Some of the patriotic speeches made by the farmers were a trifle faulty in grammar, but tremendously sincere and embodied a genuine eloquence which you do not find in an artificial Fourth of July oratory.
These farmers are all mortgaged up, for they have suffered two entire crop failures. But they pledged their willingness to go without sugar and butter if need be to save money to help the boys at the front. They raised $490 that night for war saving stamps. It is impossible for them to buy liberty bonds, and most of them pledged a Red Cross acre. They are to donate the profits realized on one acre of land this summer. How is that for spirit?
The county seat was a little village of seventy-five inhabitants, twenty-seven miles from a railroad. Think of hauling wheat to a grain elevator that distance, and yet they think it is handy, for in the early days forty and sixty miles were the distance. You must remember that this is a country of vast distances. Two schools eighteen miles away, had a debate last winter. The teachers and students rode down that distance in the cold of winter on a bob-sled and thought nothing of it.
This is the rolling slope section of Dakota. I wish you could get one glance at the Bad Lands. The rocky hills of Vermont would seem tame to you—the Bad Lands are used mostly for cattle ranches. The cattle roam at will over the entire ranges and then twice a year come the round-ups. I wish you could see how fat and sleek some of the cattle looked that stayed out all winter. The horses fared the best, for they are better able to paw away the snow and forage for food.
The young preacher at the county seat was a typical “sky pilot.” He owned a full-blooded broncho [sic] and rides on horseback thirty-six miles every Sunday to preach the gospel to isolated people.
Perhaps you wonder how I traveled about in this rough country. How else could I go except in a trusty Ford? Every farmer has one. The roads are so rough that I kept being tossed up in the air for exercise. In among the buttes it would be impossible to see the landscape, but Henry the Fourth would give a jounce and I would ascend into the air and stay up for several minutes, gaze at the scenery and come down at my leisure. I usually managed to return to my assigned seat beside the driver. I wish Mark Twain had lived to ride in a Ford, what abundance of material for a humorous sketch! It occurred to me that this would be a good method of punishing German prisoners by making them ride through the Bad Lands in a Ford. John Adams Taylor
Forge Village. An interesting program was given at Cameron school on last week Friday afternoon by the sixth, seventh and eighth grades, in charge of Miss Letitia V. Ward, including several four-minute patriotic speeches. The first award, given to Miss Annie Dare, was a certificate sent from Washington, and her name will go down on the roll of honor there. James Sullivan, Reginald Blowey and Miss Alice Walsh received honorable mention. The judges were Misses Mary Garver, Abbie M. Blaisdell and Eva F. Pyne. A number of visitors were in attendance and enjoyed the program thoroughly, particularly the singing.
Ephraim Reed, Jr., who successfully passed the examination in Worcester for the marine corps, was rejected as physically unfit when he took the examination in Boston four days later. Three examinations are necessary before the men are finally accepted for this branch of service. The young man was very disappointed, as he is anxious to serve his country and is under the draft age.
Mr. and Mrs. John Burnett and son Leonard, of Clinton, spent the weekend at the home of Mr. and Mrs. William Burnett.
Miss Carolyn C. Precious was the guest of Miss Rachel Kimball, of Littleton, for the weekend.
Quite a number of the children are absent from school on account of the measles.
Mrs. John Feely, of Warren, N.H., is visiting her sister, Mrs. J. W. Pyne.
Mrs. H. E. Randall had as her guests, Sunday, Mr. and Mrs. John Bennett and two children, Mr. and Mrs. Carney Bennett and Mrs. Mary Whittemore of Worcester, and Mrs. Mary Drake of Shrewsbury.
John Baker is attending the district meeting in Boston as a delegate from Loyal Self-Help lodge, I.O.O.F., M.U.
An operetta, “The American girl,” was held in Abbot hall Friday evening by the Goldenrod troop of Girl Scouts for the benefit of the Federation.
Mrs. Henry P. Guerney and daughter Blanche, of Lowell, have been staying at their camp at Forge pond for a few days. Plans are being made to enlarge the cottage.
Letter from Overseas. A very interesting letter has been received here from Tony Palermo of this village, dated March 15, which will be read with much interest by his many friends here.
Just a few lines to let you know of my good health, and I hope to hear the same from you. I have received your letter and I was very much pleased to hear of the good news of the village. I think it will be a city when I get back. I hope so.
By what we read in the papers it was a bad winter over there. Lots of snow and ice, the thermometer 30 degrees below zero. Whew! Pretty cold! But just the same, more than one fellow wishes he was back home. We are having the weather here at this time; lots of sunshine. The days seem long now. All our clocks and watches are put an hour ahead of the usual time we have been having.
The company has been broken up and men have been sent in twos, threes and fours doing out-post duty with French Gendarmes; Gendarmes who have been in the service for years. Two other fellows and I are doing M.P. work with a French Gendarme. We eat twice a day, French ration, 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Uncle Sam gives us our breakfast—hard tack and corn willy.
The rats around here are as large as dogs. They roam about as if they were afraid of nothing. The other night we saw a rat chasing a cat. He didn’t catch her, though, for the cat climbed a tree and one of the fellows rescued it. We have seen so many things this last month, more than we have ever seen since we landed in France. I would like to write about some of them, but the censor prohibits it. We have seen a French airplane bring down a Boche airplane. It came down on a headlong dive at a height of 10,000 feet. It was worth looking at. It came about two kilometers from where we are located and I went over to see it. It was a different sight then, with two charred bodies of Germans. We hardly see a civilian around here. A civilian has as much chance over here as a snow ball has on a good hot summer’s day—that is, unless he is well fortified with papers.
I will close now, so receive my best regards. –Tony Palermo.
Co. A, 101st M.P., 26th Division, A.E.F.
May 10, Friday evening, the Goldenrod troop presents an operetta called, “The American girl,” in Abbot hall at 7:45. There will be singing by the Brownie Scouts, and stereopticon slides showing Girl Scout Activities in different parts of the country will be shown before the two-act operetta begins. There will be at least twenty girls taking part and their singing has already won a high reputation.
Graniteville. Miss Nellie Bruns and Miss Mildred Evers, of Lowell, have been recent guests of Miss Fanny McCarthy.
The Ladies’ Aid society of the M.E. church met with Mrs. L. A. Blood on last Thursday afternoon.
Thursday being a holy day of obligation, two masses were celebrated in St. Catherine’s church; the first at five o’clock in the morning for the working people, and the second mass at 7:30.
A miscellaneous shower was tendered to Miss Anna Rafferty, whose coming marriage to Private William Peters, of Camp Devens, has already been announced, at the home of Mrs. Martin Hanson, last Monday evening. This affair was largely attended and was in charge of the Misses Emily and Hilma Hanson. Miss Rafferty was the recipient of many gifts of cut glass and linen, and was deeply appreciative of the kindness extended by her loving friends. During the evening a pleasing musical program was given that consisted of piano solos by Miss Alice Gower and Gertrude Carpentier, songs by Miss Mattie Blanchard and readings by Mrs. Cora McEnaney. Refreshments were served. The affair was a great success and thoroughly enjoyed by all.
The few days of warm weather enjoyed this week has speeded up the war gardens in great shape.
A daughter [Irene Juliette] was born to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Langley on Tuesday [May 5].
Baseball. The G.A.C. Baseball club opened the season here last Saturday on the home grounds when they met and defeated the Red Sox of Forge Village by the score of 12 to 7. “Artie” [Artemas Gage] Griffin [b. 1899] was on the firing line for the G.A.C. and held his opponents safely at all times, getting thirteen strikeouts to his credit. He was well supported behind the bat by “Albie” Reeves. Tessia did the pitching for the Forge Village boys, and after the first two innings did good work, but enough runs were scored during that period by the home club to win the game. Both clubs played rather loosely in the field, the home club being the worst offenders. This being their first game and being a trifle over anxious to win, and with some of the players playing out of their regular positions, those things can be overlooked at this time, and from now on they are expected to come fast. This is the first organized baseball club that we have had here for the past few years, and as the members are all local boys, it is hoped that the village people will extend both their moral and financial support.
Pepperell
A Great Success. The telephone operators’ concert and military hop at Prescott hall on Friday evening, May 3, was a success in every sense. By eight o’clock all the seats in the gallery were taken and those who came to hear the concert alone were obliged to crowd onto the floor and the music held many of these to the close of the dance. The main body of the hall was decorated by scores of small U.S. flags and on the stage the flags of the allied nations and stacks of guns were displayed. The 303rd Heavy Artillery Band from Camp Devens furnished the music and it went with a zip. In the crowd—for there were too many to make dancing that extreme delight that just enough furnishes—were handsome girls, bright costumes, a few uniformed men and civilians, and one in navy suit, all seeming happy. There were telephone operators from all the surrounding towns. Prominent among the telephone people were District Manager W. J. McLaughlin, and wife and District Traffic Chief J. T. Harvell, and wife, all of Fitchburg; Wire Chief H. F. Farnum, wife and daughter, of Ayer, and Miss Margaret McCarthy, chief operator and Miss Susie Daffey, cashier, both of Ayer. The Pepperell operators realize the hearty support given them by the citizens to make it a financial success and Mrs. Bessie Wright said that she wished that all could be thanked who so helped them. As a result of the evening’s affair $100 was turned over to the Red Cross.
Littleton
News Items. Guy Green is driving the large Camp Devens laundry truck that passes through the town several times each week.
Groton
News Items. There will be a social dance in the town hall on Saturday evening, May 18 at 7:45, for the benefit of the Red Cross. An orchestra from Camp Devens will furnish the music. Vocal solos and choruses by the boys from Camp Devens will add greatly to the evening’s entertainment. A large gathering is anticipated.
Ayer
News Items. Ayer was well represented at the baseball game between the crack Camp Devens’ team and the Harvard varsity nine on the camp baseball field Wednesday afternoon. Camp Devens won by a score of 5 to 1.
The reports from the European battle front during the past week speak highly of Bert Ford, a well-known Boston American war correspondent, now in France. Mr. Ford was a former correspondent at Camp Devens and made many friends during his stay in town.
First Class Private Charles Ellison of Greystone, R.I., twenty-five years of age, single, an acting corporal in Company F, 301st Engineers, lost his life by the capsizing of a canoe containing himself and two companions on Robbins’ pond last Saturday afternoon. The three soldiers were changing seats when it upset.
Auto Accident. A seven-passenger Packard touring car owned by Max L. Hasel and driven by Harry J. Roach of Lowell, crashed into the rear of a small runabout machine driven by Lieut. Woodmancy of Camp Devens on the eastern approach to the overhead bridge on East Main street at 12:20 o’clock Thursday morning. Both cars were headed for Camp Devens. The machine driven by Lieut. Woodmancy was returning from Cambridge. The car running behind, and which caused the trouble, was returning to the camp from Lowell. It contained besides the driver seven passengers, all soldiers. The heavy laden car struck the lighter one with terrific force, driving it through the fence and half way down the steep embankment, near the top of the bridge. The runabout was turned half way round, and was practically a total wreck. When the heavier car came to a stop it was balanced on the edge of the steep embankment with half the car hanging over the steep incline.
Those who viewed the scene of the accident marvel at the fact that the occupants of the wrecked car were not instantly killed. The only thing that saved a possible fatality was the breaking of the rims of the wheels which prevented the car from running clear down the embankment.
Passengers on the car which was the cause of the accident say that Roach, the driver, was going at a speed of between forty and forty-five miles per hour through East Main street just before the accident occurred.
The driver of the runabout was pinned in the car, but was removed uninjured. Not one of the party was in any way hurt.
The police were immediately notified and made an investigation of the accident. As a result Roach, the driver of the Packard car, was arrested and taken to the police station. Later he procured bail. The disposition of the case will be found in the court news.
A section of the fence was torn down by the wreck. Later, it was repaired under the direction of Douglas C. Smith, superintendent of streets.
District Court. Henry J. Roach, of Lowell, was arraigned Thursday morning on complaints for operating an automobile while under the influence of liquor, for reckless driving and for not having a license to operate an automobile, to all of which he pleaded guilty. On the first named complaint he was found not guilty; for reckless driving he was fined $25, and for not having a proper license he was fined $15.
The appearance of the defendant in court was the result of an accident on the overhead bridge on East Main street at 12:20 o’clock Thursday morning, in which an automobile driven by the defendant ran into a car driven by Lieut. Woodmancy of Camp Devens.
Chief Beatty, the first witness, told about his investigation of the accident and to conversation with the defendant, both at the scene of the accident and at the police station later. Several soldiers testified, whose stories of the collision were practically alike.
The evidence submitted showed that the car causing all the trouble left Lowell at 11:30 with seven soldiers headed for Camp Devens; that the driver said he could make fast time to the camp; that the fare would be seventy-five cents each; that the driver was under the influence of liquor, though not apparently to such an extent as to prevent him from skillfully operating the car. As the car approached the scene of the accident the car was going at such a high rate of speed as to make it very doubtful as to whether the driver could “make” the sharp curve at the top of the bridge, whether or not there were any other machines in the way. The danger was considered so great that some of the occupants of the car had prepared to jump. Incidentally it appeared that the driver was not paid for transporting his passengers, for the reason that he failed to fulfill his contract in not bringing them to their destination.
The defendant, a clean looking young fellow of twenty years, testified in his own behalf. He stated that he left Merrimack square, Lowell, with his car at 11:30. Everything went well until he arrived at the turn in the roadway over the overhead bridge in Ayer. While turning the corner at this point he said that the car ahead suddenly swerved from his right to his left hand side of the road, making a collision unavoidable. The lighter car was thrown violently against the fence, breaking it, and then went down the bank. The defendant stated that he had driven a car for the past three years.
Townsend
Center/. Nine hundred soldiers from Camp Devens of the 301st Engineer Corps are coming Monday to pitch tents for the night at Athletic park.