The Westford Wardsman, May 25, 1918
Center. The Mattawaukee Camp Fire Girls held their regular weekly meeting in the form of a business meeting on last week Thursday, all but one member being present. It was voted to send for the regulation ceremonial costumes and plans were discussed concerning the grand council fire to be held in Ayer this Saturday. All the Camp Fires near Ayer will participate and the public is cordially invited to attend. Two new names will soon be added to the membership list, those of Misses Ethele [sic] and Helen Burland.
Rev. Charles P. Marshall, a former pastor of the Congregational church here, now located over the historic old Church of the Pilgrimage in Plymouth, has been granted a six-months’ leave of absence, during which he will go to France for Y.M.C.A. work with the men in uniform. During his absence Mrs. Marshall and his daughter Marion will stay at the home of one of the Plymouth parishioners. Those who know Mr. Marshall will feel sure of his ability and sincerity and friendliness to do this service successfully.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Elliott, of Lowell, have opened their summer home in Westford for the season.
Word comes to the Westford friends of the birth [May 19, 1918, Springfield] of a son [Robert Norris Hildreth] to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Griffin Hildreth, of Munson. Mr. Hildreth is one of our well-known Westford boys and Mrs. Hildreth was formerly Miss Bertha Norris, a popular teacher in Westford academy. Next month Mr. and Mrs. Hildreth and baby son plan to come to Westford for the summer and will occupy Mr. and Mrs. Goode’s apartment in the Hamlin house.
Mrs. H. V. Hildreth has had a beautiful yellow lady’s slipper plant in bloom in her garden. There were counted nineteen blossoms at one time. As is well known the yellow variety of the lady’s slipper is much more rare than the pink, and is one of the interesting varieties of the orchid family.
The householders in the community will be glad to hear that the prospect of getting the streets oiled this season is fairly hopeful by those having the matter in charge. Difficulty of getting the oil and of transportation has made the enterprise more doubtful this year and at any rate it may be later in the season in getting it done. The electric cars and the many automobiles make this modern improvement seem one of the necessities.
Miss Marjory Seavey was in attendance at the commencement exercises at Boston university this last week. She reports the exercises of great interest, although many phases of the school life being affected by the war conditions.
The epidemic of measles is still in full swing, many households where there are children being in quarantine. We heard one estimate this week of 100 cases throughout the town, including all the villages. This, of course, affects the school schedule during the closing weeks previous to the long vacation.
Rev. and Mrs. Howard A. Lincoln and Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Wheeler were in attendance Monday at the afternoon and evening sessions of the state conference of Congregational churches held at the large Piedmont church in Worcester. While there it was pleasant to meet Mr. and Mrs. Wallace, of Sterling. Mr. Wallace now has an automobile and promises to make Westford one of his first objective points of any distance.
Union memorial services will be held on Sunday at the Unitarian church and a cordial invitation is extended to all to be present. Mr. Buckshorn will preach the sermon, and Mr. Lincoln and the Graniteville pastor [Rev. Alonzo Samuel Fite] will assist in the services. Memorial day and its attendant services assume new significance in these changing days and its observance changes to thoughtful observance rather than the celebrating of a spring holiday.
The Nashobah Camp Fire Girls, in charge of their guardian, Mrs. John P. Wright, will be in attendance in full ceremonial attire at the grand council fire to be held in Ayer this Saturday.
Everyone is reminded of the senior class play given by the academy students this Friday evening. This is a pretty Japanese play and promises to be most attractive.
Twenty-five stars have recently been added to the town’s service flag, an impressive total of sixty-nine. One gold star signifies the death of Private Adlat Langley. Some faithful repairs have recently been done on the big flag that floats with the service and liberty loan flags on the big flag staff. This work was done by a committee of ladies from Westford Grange.
Plans for Memorial day next week Thursday have largely been completed. Arthur D. Prince, of Lowell, will give the address at the hall, Hon. Herbert E. Fletcher presiding. Capt. Sherman H. Fletcher will be the marshal for the day. There will be a quartet from Camp Devens and the Nashua Military band will be in attendance. The members of the state guard will do escort duty for the veterans, the procession starting from the association building at nine o’clock in the morning to decorate the soldiers’ monument, after which the procession will go to the hall for the exercises. There will be the usual concert on the common in the afternoon. The soldiers’ graves will be decorated on Sunday afternoon.
Principal Roudenbush has received the regular college certificate privilege, class A, for normal school and also has the class B certificate.
Eight members of the Boy Scouts camped at Forge pond last Saturday. While he has not received his appointment, Mr. G. W. Goode is to be the new scoutmaster, and Mr. Roudenbush, who has done such fine work in this capacity, will become a district deputy. Mr. Goode is an able nature student and a student of boy human nature and will be a good leader.
The Red Cross concert under the auspices of the Red Cross, at the town hall last week Friday evening, was finely supported and a success in every way. A group of well-known Lowell entertainers gave of their talent and of their best talent, too, for the cause. The program consisted of readings, Mrs. Lillian Dodge Haskell; Miss Etta Thompson, soprano; Mrs. Nettie E. Roberts, contralto; Harry Pascal, tenor; James E. Donelly, baritone. Hon. Herbert E. Fletcher, who presided, introduced Albert Ward, who was a friend and a guest at his house, and who is engaged in war work. Mr. Ward gave a brief talk on the absorbing subject of the hour, pertinent, earnest and thoughtful. The stage was simply and effectively decorated. To the capable chairman of the Red Cross goes much of the credit of this event.
Mr. and Mrs. S. B. Watson are making alterations and renovations on the George F. Day house [16 Main St.], which they will occupy when it is finished. George H. Cadman, at the other side of the village [near what is now the Abbot School, 25 Depot St.], is also making some attractive changes and improvements on his house.
The Red Cross drive this week is being successfully carried on this week and expects to reach its quota of $60,000 [corrected to $5,000 in the June 1st Wardsman]. Let everyone be faithful and give to the extent of his or her ability. Those having the matter in charge are Edward M. Abbot, chairman; Alfred W. Hartford, treas.; Miles Collins, Mrs. William C. Precious, Mrs. William Baker, Miss Elizabeth Delaney, Joseph LeClerc, Forge Village; Joseph A. Healey, Walter C. Wright, Wesley O. Hawkes, Graniteville; Chas. Blodgett, Hector Anctil, Mrs. Herbert E. Fletcher, north part of town; A. A. Lundberg, Brookside; Harwood L. Wright, Charles O. Prescott, Center; Miss Alice M. Howard, Mrs. Alexander McDonald, William R. Taylor, David L. Greig, Arthur E. Wilson, other parts of the town.
The Red Cross parade in Lowell on Tuesday evening will long be one event remembered in purpose and significance by those who participated in it. The Westford company, M.S.G., turned out in full form and were given the courtesy of a visiting company, being first in line of march next to the band in the long procession. Forty-five women of the Westford Red Cross branch were in line in their white uniforms, their banner reading “Westford 777 members,” being in evidence. A group of the girls of the Junior Red Cross, in charge of Miss Denfield, were also in line.
About Town. Westford Grange held its annual veterans night on Thursday evening of last week. There was a good attendance, the hall being full, to do honor to the veterans. It was expected that a quartet and orchestra from Camp Devens would be present, but these young men had been sent from the camp elsewhere the day before. There was a good program—Parson Smith’s family album, written by one of the members, made a clever hit, the men who took the parts receiving much applause, Mrs. Perley Wright reading the interpretation of the pictures and also gave several pleasing selections; songs, George Shaddick; quartet singing, Marion and Mildred Fletcher, Freda Johnson and Edith Judd; solos, Mrs. C. D. Colburn, with Mrs. C. H. Blaney as accompanist. Ice cream and cake was sold and there was general dancing.
Mrs. C. D. Cushing, who has been spending the winter at Miami, Fla., has now come north for the summer. She is visiting her daughter, Mrs. William R. Taylor.
There has been a great prevalence of measles, but most of the children are over with them now. The two girls in Arthur Day’s family, Viola and Miriam, have been among the latest victims. Norman has been staying with his grandmother so as to avoid the quarantine. Miss Martha Hildreth has felt the long strain of caring for her mother; Mrs. George Sherborn has come to help relieve her.
Mrs. Janet Wright, Mrs. George Walker and Mrs. S. L. Taylor attended the county W.C.T.U. convention in Ayer on Wednesday afternoon. Rev. C. C. P. Hiller, of Boston, formerly of Westford, was among those present.
On Friday evening, May 31, the postponed May party under the auspices of the Woman’s Alliance will take place at the town hall. This will be a very attractive affair and deserves the attendance of all. There will be the trimming of the May pole by twelve lads and lassies, some beautiful English dances and some fancy dances. As Miss Ockington has been training them we may be assured that it will all be very beautiful—the children will enjoy and so will their elders. Miss Elinor Colburn is the efficient pianist for the affair. General dancing will follow. It will be well worth your attendance.
The Hon. Herbert E. Fletcher Oak hill farm have peas in the pod stage of development. At the Old Oaken Bucket farm they just passed into the blossom stage of promise.
A hot day and a warm forest fire last Saturday afternoon on the line of the Lowell and Fitchburg railroad, near Nabnassett pond, called out the Westford fire department and fragments of the West Chelmsford willing-to-be fire department. After burning up much cut wood and uncut bushes and some briars it extinguished itself by the coaxing aid of the fire department and the impassable Nabnassett pond.
Some folks are hoeing potatoes the second time, and other folks are planting first time.
In the interest of saving wheat the department of agriculture advises the using of more rice, saying that rice is as nutritious as wheat and yet the consumption of rice in the United States, per capita, is only six pounds per year, and this mostly in the southern states. The consumption in the United States is the lowest of any nation. Norway and Sweden consume nine pounds per capita, Russia 11, England 27, France 34 Italy 101, Germany 93, Japan 147 and China 158.
The department of agriculture has this final word on potatoes: When you drive into the country you who live in the potato sections bring back a sack or two in your car; then eat them many ways every day several times a day. Not an idea that will save the country, but it will help save the big food reserve that will soon begin to sprout if it isn’t eaten. Let this fact sink in deep. Unless we increase our consumption of potatoes markedly within the next few weeks there will be a loss of much wheat-replacing food. If that happens farmers may think we don’t want so many potatoes and [won’t] grow enough this year.
The state board of agriculture says of corn: The tremendous prices for corn during the past winter have impressed on Massachusetts farmers, especially those who keep any amount of livestock, the necessity of raising more home grown corn. Twenty-five years ago the farm price of corn in Massachusetts was between 40 and 60 cents a bushel; today it is $2.15 per bushel. This is an increase of 400 percent. The board is offering $1200 in prizes. Blanks and particulars can be secured of Wilfrid Wheeler, secretary of the board, 136 State House, Boston.
James H. O’Brien, who has been seriously ill with pneumonia and blood poisoning, is now considered out of serious danger. His farm work has been taken care of by his two sons after working in the ammunition shops nights.
The Harvard Red Cross will open a tea-room on Harvard common at noon on Thursday, May 30. Lunches can be ordered in advance. Telephone connection.
Wedding. Miss Addie L. Day, one of our well-known young women, was married on Monday in Boston to Royal L. Keizer, of Berlin. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Quincy Day and the twin sister of Albert Day. She graduated from Westford academy in 1911 and later graduated from the Faulkner hospital in Jamaica Plain. She has been connected with a hospital in Ipswich and was recently chosen for a responsible position there.
The groom has special ability in the line of mechanics and graduated from the Worcester Trade school. As soon as war was declared he volunteered for service in the navy and was assigned to the submarine base in New London, Conn. He was granted a brief furlough.
Mr. and Mrs. Keizer have spent the week touring in an automobile. On Monday evening they were given a surprise party at the home of the groom’s parents in Berlin and many pretty and useful presents were given them. On Wednesday they toured to Westford and were at the home of the bride’s parents. The groom reports on Saturday for service. Mr. and Mrs. Keizer will make their home in New London, Conn., where he is stationed. The good wishes of the bride’s friends go with them.
Death. Mrs. Sarah L. Whitney, wife of Charles H. Whitney, died at her home on the Lowell road last Sunday aged 67 years and 9 months. She was born in Lowell and was the last survivor of four children of George W. and Mary R. (Brown) Sanborn. Her childhood and the early years of her married life were passed in Lowell. Her father for over a quarter of a century was a familiar figure on the Lowell police force and was well known to many Westford people. About twenty-two years ago Mr. Whitney bought the farm on the Lowell road, near Banister’s Corner, where they made their home.
Mrs. Whitney was exceptionally efficient as a financial manager. She was a woman of substantial character and New England Yankee common sense, and had a large degree of reserve force for emergency and the trials of life.
Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Whitney, only one surviving, Charles H. Whitney, Jr.; there are five grandchildren.
Mrs. Whitney was a never failing helpmeet as wife, counselor and mother, and the memory of her life will linger with those who have lived with her these many years.
The funeral took place from her home on Tuesday morning at 10:30 o’clock, Rev. Howard A. Lincoln conducting the services. Mrs. Janet Wright sang “We shall reach the summer land bye and bye” and “Lead, kindly light.” The bearers were Franck C. Drew, Francis W. Banister, William Graves and Winifred Wright. Services were held at two o’clock at the chapel in the Edson cemetery, Lowell. Many friends went to this final service. Rev. Howard A. Lincoln again conducted the services. Miss Hazel Wirt and Edward Wirt sang. The bearers were Frank C. Drew, George Weber, Francis W. Banister and Winifred Wright. There were many of the beautiful flowers which the deceased loved. The burial was in the family lot.
Graniteville. The Graniteville A.C. baseball team visited Forge Village on last Saturday afternoon and scored its third straight victory by defeating the Red Sox of that village by the score of 14 to 8. The game was replete with free hitting, with many flashes of brilliant fielding and intermingled with a few errors on each side that made the final outcome rather uncertain at time. The G.A.C. got the jump on their opponents by a four-run lead in the first inning and Griffin kept the hits so well scattered that they were never headed. Forge Village was greatly strengthened for this game, while Graniteville had practically the same lineup. The batteries for the game last Saturday were Griffin and Reeves for Graniteville, Sullivan and Tessia for Forge Village; Harry Hartford, umpire.
Many members of the local Red Cross took part in the big parade that was held in Lowell on last Tuesday evening.
Joseph Wall, local deputy fish and game warden, has recently liberated 12,000 yellow perch in the different ponds in this vicinity. These fish were sent from the Vermont state hatcheries in St. Johnsbury.
John Horan, of Charlestown, has been a recent visitor here.
The members of St. Catherine’s church choir are to hold a concert in Forge Village in the near future.
The local baseball club is without a game for Memorial day afternoon and would like to hear from any of the 16-17-year-old teams in Lowell or the surrounding towns. Address the Manager, Graniteville A.C., Box 112, Graniteville.
Joseph Wall and John Spinner, of Court Graniteville, F. of A., attended as delegates the grand court convention that was held in the American House, Boston, this week.
Fred Defoe caught a string of nine beautiful rainbow trout on last Tuesday. He said that they were biting fine somewhere “over there.”
Forge Village. John Venn, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Venn, who recently underwent an operation at the Lowell General hospital, expects to return home this week.
Mrs. Mary Lowther has been ill for several days at her home.
Miss Annie L. Cherry, a resident here for many years and a valued member of St. Andrew’s church choir, has removed to Somerville with her two sisters.
Mrs. Louisa Hughes of Worcester was the guest of Miss Theresa Lowther Thursday.
Cameron school has resumed sessions after being closed for a week on account of the measles.
In the drive for Red Cross funds the following committee is in charge for this village: Miles Collins, Joseph Leclerc, Mrs. William Baker, Miss Elizabeth Delaney and Mrs. Precious. The Abbot Worsted Co. will receive donations and are headquarters for the campaign. Contributions are coming in steadily and very generously and in some instances every member of the family has given.
The Girl Scouts committee held a meeting in St. Andrew’s mission Wednesday afternoon with Mrs. John Harwood of Ayer in charge. Mrs. S. Warren Sturgis of Groton was also present. Plans were discussed for raising $140 as the quota from this district for the Federation of the Girl Scouts.
A meeting of the local executive board [of the Girl Scouts] was held on Wednesday afternoon in the Mission house. Only two of the regular members of the board were able to be present and so members pro tem were invited to attend in the absence of the others.
Wedding. Isachar Boucher and Miss Mary Ricard, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ricard, were united in marriage Wednesday morning at a nuptial mass celebrated at St. Catherine’s church by Rev. Henry L. Scott at nine o’clock. The bride was given away by her father while the bridegroom was attended by his uncle, Hermene Boucher of North Chelmsford. The bride’s dress was of duchess satin and georgette crêpe with pearl trimmings. She wore a veil caught up with white rosebuds and carried a white prayer book. A wedding breakfast was served at the home of the bride’s parents, only the immediate families being present. In the evening a wedding reception was held in Abbot hall and a large number of friends of the young couple were in attendance to wish them many years of happiness. The bride who is a resident here for many years is held in high esteem by all who know her. The bridegroom is equally well known and they have the best wishes of a wide circle of friends. After a brief wedding trip they will make their home in this village.
Groton
News Items. When hospital construction now under way is completed more than 95,000 beds will be available for army purposes, according to statistics compiled in the office of the Surgeon-General Gorgas. The normal capacity of the national army and national guard base hospitals, the United States hospitals and the general hospitals was 62,959. This is being increased by 45%, and in case of emergency a further extension will be made possible without additional construction. The sixteen base hospitals at national army cantonments are each to have a capacity of 2200 beds; those at the national guard camps will range from 1100 at Camp Sheridan [Montgomery, Ala.] to 2100 at Camp Wadsworth [Spartanburg, S.C.]. Enough trained men to handle the normal capacity of military hospitals already have been enrolled in the army medical corps and a recruiting campaign is said to be progressing satisfactorily.
Harvard
Soldiers Encamped Here [Still River]. The new combat range is bringing many soldiers daily from Camp Devens. On Thursday about forty big auto truck loads, 25 or 30 men to a truck, all with rifles and steel helmets, came to the range for practice, and about twenty trucks more took soldiers down near the grounds where the artillery is to be placed. At the camp on the old Dyer place a lot of the Depot Brigade troops are stationed, and the Signal Corps, who expected to return to Camp Devens last week Friday, got their tents down and started for the railroad station, where the trucks were to be, as the heavy trucks are not allowed to cross the long, dry bridge, when they received orders to return and set up their tents again. On the same day two more companies came from Camp Devens and encamped on the old Carr place. This week a lot of officers arrived and have tents just above where the Signal Corps tents are located. The Y.M.C.A. have a tent there as well as an army canteen. Anyone looking across the Nashua river valley gets a good idea of an army encampment, the many tents showing so plainly.
The Signal Corps men have been putting up telephone and signal wires all about the artillery range, to what is supposed to be observation officers’ stations on the hills southeast of Still River, and in many other places, so there are indications of this being a very busy locality from now on.
Ayer
News Items. The local exemption board has issued an official notice designating Wednesday, June 5, as registration day, at which time all male persons residing in the United States, who have since June 5, 1917, reached the age of twenty-one years, must register under a severe penalty. The registration will take place in the office of the exemption board from seven in the morning until nine o’clock in the evening, which will be the hours in all the towns. In Shirley the engine house will be used; in all the other towns in the district the town halls will be used.
The following leave the headquarters of the local exemption board at the town hall on Monday morning, May 27, at ten o’clock: … Carl G. Wright, Westford; …
Hon. Charles L. Burrill, of Boston, state treasurer, and J. L. Allen, proprietor of the New Belvidere, Beachwood, Me., were in town Wednesday, visiting the camp and gave us a call.
Automobile Accident. A government automobile with registration plate marked “U.S.A. 610,” driven by Patrick Carroll of Boston, crashed into the corner of the American house block at seven o’clock last Sunday evening tearing down the covering over the stairs leading to the Subway lunch, removing an iron support, knocking down C. D. Charles, a Camp Devens laborer, painfully bruising his left leg, and rebounded from the shock several feet from the building, where it finally stopped. Charles had just finished eating supper in the lunch room and was sitting near the entrance to the place when the automobile, coming from Camp Devens, took its unexpected course. Charles was removed to the lower town hall, where Dr. Sullivan attended him.
The automobile was in charge of John McGuinnis of Boston, a licensed chauffeur, who was sitting on the seat with Carroll, who was learning to drive. In trying to turn the corner on the Main street side of the building the machine became unmanageable and the accident followed.
The automobile figuring in the accident was used by Coleman Bros., contractors at Camp Devens, the two men on it being employees of that firm.
Littleton
News Items. The soldiers broke camp on the Drew plain, near Lake Warren, last week Friday noon, after a very pleasant week. They enjoyed boating, swimming, fishing and tent life. They had daily manœuvres to keep in training and an occasional ball game. One of the Drew camps was converted into a Y.M.C.A. hut where the boys could read, write, etc.