The Westford Wardsman, October, 1907
Saturday, October 12, 1907
At a special meeting of the ladies’ aid society of the Methodist church, held at the home of Mrs. H. N. Fletcher, last week Thursday afternoon, it was decided to hold a harvest supper and entertainment in the vestry, Friday evening, Oct. 18.
Saturday, October 26, 1907
Center. Supper. On Tuesday evening the vestry of the Unitarian church was the rendezvous for about 140 of the townspeople, who came for the pleasant harvest supper, which is one of the annual events of the town. The room was very attractive, with the bright branches of autumn foliage, the jack o’lanterns and the banquet tables laden with the appetizing dishes. After a jocund hour around the tables a delightful program was given. Six lads and lasses—Bertram Sutherland, Charles Miller, Clifford Woods, Frances Wright, Annie Perkins and Freda Johnson, sang in an ingenious way a goldenrod song. Miss Gertrude Hamlin read a selection. An attractive operetta, “Grandma’s birthday,” was given. Miss Elizabeth Cushing in a very natural manner took the role of grandmother, whose birthday the children helped to make pleasant, and celebrated in a pretty way with their songs and acting. The following children took part—Beatrice and Lillian Sutherland, Hazel Hartford, Marjorie Seavey, Walter Sleeper, Alfred Woods, Leon Hildreth, Bertram and Alfred Sutherland. Miss Miller was the accompanist, and a quartet composed of Misses Gertie and Julia Fletcher, Mrs. Seavey and Mr. Barnes, assisted the children with the singing. The efficient manager of this evening of pleasure was Mrs. A. H. Sutherland, who was assisted by Mmes. Wood, Feeney, Hartford and MacDougall.
Graniteville. John B. Carmichael, foreman at the C. G. Sargent & Sons machine works here, and well known in Lowell and vicinity as a charter member of Highland council, No. 970, R.A., has been confined to his home in this village for the past two weeks with a very painful illness, and during that time two operations have been performed by Drs. W. J. Sleeper and O. V. Wells of Westford. Mr. Carmichael is now improving slowly and hopes to be about before long.
Thomas Kiernan, the stone worker who was struck by an electric car while walking on the tracks near Crystal lake, North Chelmsford, last week Friday night, is now resting comfortably and hopes to be about in a few days. Mr. Kiernan resides here.
Fire. The two-story house owned by Mrs. Rachel Reed, situated in West Graniteville and occupied by C. H. McCullough and family was burned to the ground at about 8:30 o’clock last Saturday morning. The fire started from some unknown cause in the ell of the house, and although the fire department from Abbot Worsted Co., and the employees of C. G. Sargent’s machine shop responded quickly, the fire had gained such headway that all their efforts at saving the building were out of the question and their attention was given to saving the adjacent houses, also owned by Mrs. Reed. In this they were successful, and all the men deserve great credit for their good work when they had so little to do with. It was a case of the bucket brigade once more, and if the new water system that is now being installed was only in working order much better results would have been obtained.
Mrs. Reed had the house well insured, but the household goods and personal property of the McCullough family, which were a total loss, did not have any insurance whatever. The good people of Graniteville will help them…
The Harvest Supper and entertainment that was held in the vestry of the M.E. church last week Friday night, under the management of the ladies’ aid, was a great social and financial success. The interior of the church was tastefully decorated with autumn leaves and various colored foliage, and presented a very pretty appearance. There was a large attendance of the village people and many were present from Ayer, Groton, Forge, West and North Chelmsford and surrounding towns. An excellent supper of cold meats, baked beans, hot rolls, all kinds of cake and pie, doughnuts and coffee was served from six to eight o’clock. Mrs. Jeannette Wright had general charge of the supper, and was ably assisted by a score of ladies who attended to the wants of the hungry. Immediately after the supper a short but nicely balanced entertainment was given. The program was as follows:
Piano duet, Alice May Gilson, Rachel Wall; song, Miss Maud Robinson; recitation, Willie Counter [Caunter]; piano solo, George Robinson; mandolin and piano duet, Miss Agnes Charlton and Miss Emily Prinn; recitation, George Perkins; piano duet, Edith Normington and Ruth Furbush; exercise by children; song, “School days,” Alice M. Gilson, Lily Mattson, Marion Counter, Grace Robinson, Carrie Prinn, Rachel Wall, Lulu Drew, Willie Buckingham, Martha Loman, Leon Holland, Mildred Loman, Madeline Holland, Helen Furbush, Maud Robinson, Myrtle Blanchard.
The entire entertainment was in charge of Miss Emily Prinn, and great credit is due her for the capable manner in which it was conducted. All who took part acquitted themselves with credit, special mention being made of the singing of “School days,” by the children, and the piano duet by Misses Edith Normington and Ruth Furbush. The harvest supper and entertainment were certainly very successful and the ladies’ aid society still holds the record of social affairs of this kind.
Reminiscences of Fifty Years in Westford by the Old Norway Spruce
To those of you who have never seen me let me say my home is at the west end of Main st., Westford, and my height of eighty feet is hardly exceeded by any object on this hill. My first recollections are of being brought as a very small tree to this village by the minister [Rev. Leonard Luce to 25 Main St., built c. 1830]. With loving care he placed me just beside his study window, where he watched and tended me as I grew taller year by year, until my head reached far above that study window. Ere many years had passed I could look over the roof itself; now proudly I gaze above the tallest trees around me and I hear it said my top can be seen many miles away. The years of my glory may be short, for of late there has risen far above me on a neighboring hill a huge shaft [the water tower on Prospect Hill?] which o’ertops by many feet all nearby objects. Not many moons ago there, came to my ears the question, “How many boards would that tree make? Spruce boards bring much money.”
Of all the tall trees in my vicinity, the giant elms, the sugar maples, too were only shrubs in size not yet so very long ago. They also reach their heads toward heaven and give a grateful shade through summer’s sun and heat. Another ancient elm planted abut 1832 for Mrs. Sherman D. Fletcher, then a child, still stands and sends to me its memories through the silent nights. And these are some of them. Now ‘neath my branches rolls the electric car, where once I saw the stage coach at the tavern near. The church nearby has turned around and faced the other way. I’ve seen the common beautified by trees around its every side. A flagstaff, too, with flag afloat, ‘mid cheers from many throats. “The soldiers starting for the war, our young men brave and true; all these and many other scenes have passed within my view.” So says the old elm tree.
Many changes has the old spruce seen in many years of life. When first I looked around the Byam house [at what was then 30 Main St.] faced me across the street, with its tall poplars guarding it like sentinels. That house one day, went slowly rolling down the street to make another home [4 Main St.], while the poplars went the way of all old trees. Just beyond the corner stood the Groce house, later burned with its noble oak in front. That, too, died, perhaps from grief at the loss of the old house. Who knows? Another house occupied the same spot, later moved, and now the house of Arthur Day on the Graniteville road. Still later the estate was purchased and is now occupied by the residence of one of our foremost citizens, and is one of Westford’s most elegant homes. The old Prescott house stood where now is Dr. Sleeper’s pretty home [29 Main St.], with its ancient elm o’ershadowing, its age unknown. Both house and tree disappeared in the march of improvement. Where now the Atwood house stands [4 Graniteville Rd.] was then a vacant lot, as also where now is the residence of Mrs. Frost [12 Main St.]. There were then no houses on Graniteville road below the Osgood house [located near the entrance to the present Randolph Circle], not long since taken down, ‘til one reached the old house at the foot of the hill known as the Heywood house [11 Graniteville Rd.]. That, too, has disappeared. Still another vacant lot is now occupied by the modern, comfortable parsonage.
So many things have happened in my time, some full of joy, but many sad, heartbreaking ones as well. But through them all, through heat and cold, I’ve done my part to cheer, have kept my foliage evergreen, each year have fed the squirrels as they chattered up and down and made their little homes among my tall branches, far above danger, while they nibbled my cones that no other tree could give them.
When first I came to Westford no town house reared its tower just up the street; no beautiful library graced our streets, an ornament, a luxury, a benefit and an educator to old and young. May the memory of its giver be as green as my branches, and as fresh as the winds of heaven that blow over this hill. Time fails to tell of all that I remember, of all the good men and true who have walked these streets and have done their part to make this village what it is; of the noble women, too, who have made and kept these homes and hearthstones bright and cherry. The old Norway spruce remembers them all; they live in the hearts of all who knew them.
—M. LUCE.
Forge. Mr. and Mrs. [Clement T.] Maston [Masten] and son, also Mrs. Maddern of Fitchburg, were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. G. H. Prescott over Sunday.
Mrs. Jas. Chamberlain of Greenville, N.H., a former resident, and her sister, Mrs. Pierce of Leominster, visited Mrs. W. E. Parsons recently.
Miss Piper of Somerville has been stopping at Fensmere farm, which she has recently purchased.
Miss Alice L. Prescott, now teaching in Ashland, N.H., spent Sunday with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Prescott.
The ladies’ circle met with Mrs. A. H. Comey, Thursday afternoon, and all are interested in the supper sale at the mission house, Saturday evening, Nov. 2.
John Splain is ill at his home and Miss Stubbs, residing at Mr. Cougle’s is on the sick list.