Turner's Public Spirit, April 12, 1924
A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
Center. Recent arrivals from Florida include Mr. and Mrs. Oscar R. Spalding and the Misses Lillian, Sarah and May Atwood. The steamer upon which the Atwood sisters came to Boston was in a collision with a freighter and caused several hours’ delay in their arrival.
Mr. and Mrs. Edward F. Carley and daughter Elizabeth, of Wilmington, Dela., have been spending a few days at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Knight. Mr. Carley is connected with the advertising department of the Dupont Company in Wilmington.
- Oscar Campbell, of Northeastern college, spent the weekend in town.
The long-waited-for special town meeting will be held in the town hall on Monday evening at eight o’clock. The warrant has been posted and contains seven articles, five having been added to the two for which the citizens demanded the meeting. The two original articles have been dropped to fourth and fifth places, respectively.
Mrs. Alfred W. Hartford is confined to the Lowell General hospital by illness.
A son [Walter Whidden Fletcher, Jr.] was born to Mr. and Mrs. Walter Fletcher at the Lowell Corporation hospital on Wednesday [sic, Thursday] of last week [April 3].
The Merry Go Round Whist club of West Chelmsford held an enjoyable dinner and theatre party in Lowell recently. Mrs. David L. Greig was among those present.
Gordon Seavey left town the first of the week for Cuba, where he will be in the employ of the United Fruit Co. His many friends wish him success in his new work.
At the George F. Walker farm on Wednesday afternoon Mr. Gilson, of Waltham, gave a demonstration of some of the different sizes and make of nozzles used in spraying.
The third and fourth degrees will be conferred on a class of twelve candidates at the next regular meeting of the Grange, Thursday evening, April 17. The ladies’ degree team will work the third degree, Mrs. Elizabeth Taylor acting as master while Mrs. Josie Prescott, who has directed the degree team so efficiently in the past, will again be in charge. The inspecting deputy, Ralph M. Forbes, of Worcester, will be present, and a supper will be served in charge of Frank A. Wright.
The Alliance will hold an Easter sale in the vestry of the Unitarian church on Thursday afternoon, April 17. During the afternoon there will be a short entertainment in which no admission will be charged. There will be fancy apron, food, grab and memory tables, and it is hoped that the sale will be well patronized.
A daughter [Lois Ann Banister] was born to Mr. and Mrs. Seth Banister at the Newton hospital on last Sunday [sic, Saturday, April 5, 1924].
At the Congregational church on Sunday morning Rev. Edward Disbrow will take as his sermon topic, “The royal effect of Christ on our lives,” and in the evening, “Who are our kings?” Warren Hanscom will sing a solo and there will be a special anthem. Miss Edith A. Wright is choir director.
Gives a Fine Address. The Unitarian Layman’s league, assisted by the ladies, gave a supper at the town hall on last week Friday evening. Arthur K. Reading, district attorney of Middlesex county, gave a very interesting talk on the duties and power of the district attorney; also, on the mode of punishment from the early days up to the present system of trial by jury. He also stated that it is up to the officials of cities and towns as to the kind of people selected for jury duty. No names should be put on the jury list but those of good morals, who are honest and reliable citizens. He also stated that it was the patriotic duty of every citizen, if accepted, to serve for the welfare of the country. In speaking of the recent act of the legislature for women to serve on the jury, and asking the ladies who desired to serve on juries to raise their hands, he found out that the Westford ladies were unanimously with the legislators. He spoke of the need of police, stating that when without them that that is the time the criminals begin to work. He used the conditions at the time of the Boston police strike as an example of this. He gave those present a chance to ask questions and explained the nol prossing [sic, nolle prosequi] of cases, the plea nolo contendere, secret indictments, etc., which proved very instructive to those present.
Mr. Reading has a strong personality and a good delivery, and it is hoped that the townspeople may be given an opportunity at some future date to hear him again.
During the evening Miss Eleanor Colburn entertained with vocal solos, and there was a piano duet by Miss Colburn and Miss Elizabeth Wells. Frank Miller, with an able corps of assistants, had charge of the supper, and the committee is to be congratulated for both the excellent supper and program.
About Town. We were sorry not to be able to hear Arthur K. Reading, district attorney, and would have liked to have cross-examined him on “Causes of increased lawlessness to some of us elderly old ones.” It looks as though the breakdown of the New England Sabbath and substituting a sporting Sabbath has contributed more increased lawlessness than all other causes, because punishment against the evil-doer is not speedily executed.
In reporting last week of the return of Mrs. W. R. Taylor from a visit to her mother, Mrs. Carlos D. Cushing, in Miami, Fla., your correspondent erroneously reported Mrs. Cushing ill as the result of being injured in an automobile accident. Her illness was the result of pneumonia.
The promising peach buds are reported killed by the last cold blizzard snow storm. Well no, see here, what should develop them into a kill condition for so far we haven’t had heat enough to warm up the business end of a hornet, and how could it warm up the business end of a peach bud to kill the plant.
In the report recently given of the surviving relatives of Miss Ella Hildreth should have been added the names of Mrs. Jennie L. (Hildreth) Maxwell and Annie M. Hildreth, cousins, Townsend.
The Old Oaken Bucket farm boys sowed an acre of spring wheat and spring grass seed last Saturday, and also squeezed a couple of quarts of peas into the mud and water. Yes, there was mud in spots a foot deep where we sowed and planted.
Fred Davis, who is carrying on the Abbot Worsted Company farm at Brookside, is planning, as per reports, to set out 25,000 cabbage plants. These plants are coming from the residential section of the recent Harvard town farm, where Mr. Davis was a former superintendent.
Amos Polley of the Morning Glory farm was hustling preparations to plant his potatoes on Thursday. If there are any folks who haven’t found out that spring has come, just call around and see the bushes bow their assent to the speed with which spring is being rushed into gear, but you are warned not to get too close as there is liability of being caught in the gear.
Plans have been completed for a parade of thousands of women on Easter Sunday afternoon down Euclid avenue in Cleveland, Ohio. It is to be a mammoth peace parade. The executive board of the Woman’s Council for the Prevention of War is back of the movement. Mrs. Malcolm McBride, who carried the banner of the women’s suffrage years ago, and who later led the same group of women down Euclid avenue in a liberty loan drive, will be one of the leading figures in the parade. Mrs. McBride is a niece of Miss Ella T. Wright, who owns the summer residence, “The Elms,” at Brookside on the Lowell road [now No. 120], and spends her summer here. Her niece, Mrs. McBride, is a frequent visitor here.
In a presidential year, when we ought not to make any unnecessary move to cause dissension, it looks as though the move against Lieut.-Gov. Fuller was about as near political un-wisdom as short-sighted foresight could evolve and all in the name of dress parade.
Arthur O’Brien trucked to Lowell on Tuesday and brought home forty bushels of seed potatoes, and ten are to be delivered. He said, “I am going to plant all my land to potatoes.” The smart ones of the Stony Brook valley are meeting their Waterloo now in that rising tide of youth.
Pomona Meeting. The largest attended Pomona Grange meeting was held on last week Friday in Lowell when the Middlesex-North Pomona Grange invited Hillsboro Pomona Grange of New Hampshire to neighbor with them, and by the way that they lit on us in numbers we should say that they accepted the invitation, although some of us hadn’t heard that they accepted, but they certainly proved the old adage, “Actions speak louder than words.” It was a delightful day as weather goes and a still more delightful day as friendship goes. The hall was crowded and we cannot lower the gauge and gauge it with truth.
The forenoon was devoted to short addresses by the visiting deputy of Hillsboro Grange and Leslie M. Smith, master of the Massachusetts State Grange and others, including a descriptive and highly interesting address of James McMannon, of Dracut Grange, of his recent trip south and west. Among the other State Grange officers who spoke was Mrs. Margaret A. Sarre, lady assistant steward. Dinner was served at noon by Tyngsboro Grange.
The entertainment of the afternoon was given by the visiting Pomona of a most enjoyable nature, followed by a most humorous play. At the evening session at 7:30, the fifth degree was conferred with inspection by the state deputy. Aside from all this the psychology of auctions was illustrated as the closing act of the forenoon. Charles A. Wright, of Billerica, demonstrated when to bid and when to control your tongue and let the other fellow bid a while from the auctioneer’s point of view, and Elbridge demonstrated the psychology of the bidder, when to and when not to bid.
Deaths. Mrs. Mary K. Fletcher Heywood died last week Friday at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Lottie Heywood White, in Marlboro, aged eighty-six years. She was born in this town the oldest of four children of Abel and Mary (Kimball) Fletcher. Albert was killed [June 14, 1863,] at Port Hudson, [Louisiana, during the Civil War], Lucy A. and Edward E. Fletcher all having passed on to the larger beyond, as well as three half-brothers, Oliver R., of Waltham, Abel B., of this town, and Sampson Fletcher of Harvard.
Mary Kimball Fletcher, as she was familiarly known, spent her early days at the parental homestead on Flagg road on the farm now owned by Frederick Myers, and received her early education in the Nashoba school (now discontinued) and at the old historic Westford academy. In her younger days she was a constant attendant at the Union Congregational church and sang in the choir. I recall those happy, wholesome days of large choirs and a large, responsive congregation. Soon after graduating from Westford academy she married Edwin E. Heywood and for many years she lived on the Eliel Heywood [Edwin’s father] farm on the Chamberlain road, now owned by Joseph E. Sargent. Here they passed many happy years, and here their children were born and attended the Stony Brook school. Mrs. Heywood was of pleasing personality as well as a positive personality and could hold the game of entertaining conversationalist with the rest of the Stony Brook youths. Of a positive, optimistic temperament the writer has had many a cheerful, helpful chat with her. Such a refreshing change from the pessimistic guess view of life. Peace and cheer to the last repose.
The funeral was held Monday from the church, Rev. Mr. Carlin, of Marlboro, conducting the service. The bearers were Fred W. Burbeck, Clyde Prescott, Houghton G. Osgood and Lyman Wilkins. Interment was in the family lot in Fairview cemetery.
Mrs. Heywood leaves as near relatives a daughter, Mrs. Lottie Heywood White, and a grandchild.
Mrs. Mary Crossland, a former resident of this town, died early Sunday morning at the home of Mrs. Alexander Johnson, 57 C street, Lowell, aged 77 years and 10 months. Besides her daughter she leaves a son, Christopher E. Crossland, of Carlisle.
Mrs. Crossland will be remembered as the widow of Christopher [sic, Samuel] Crossland, who for many years lived on the small farm adjoining the Parkerville schoolhouse. They were English people, good-natured and happy, and here they lived in peace with neighbors and the rest of humanity. Besides carrying on the farm Mr. Crossland was employed by the road department. After his death the farm was sold and Mrs. Crossland made her home with her daughter in Lowell.
The funeral took place from the funeral parlors of W. M. Saunders, Appleton street, Lowell, last week Tuesday. Rev. Appleton Grannis, rector of St. Anne’s Episcopal church, conducted the service. There was a large attendance of relatives and friends and a large contribution of flowers. The bearers were Alexander and Robert Johnson, Asa Jones and Leon D. Abbot. Interment was in the family lot in the Edson cemetery, where the committal services were read by the officiating clergyman.
Laws Defied. Dogs are bounding and skipping about untied, unmuzzled and free of all other visible restraint, and apparently as plentiful as though the selectmen had not ordered them restrained for ninety days. If one man in a thousand gets drunk it starts a grand chorus of “See, see, see, te-he-he. All hands getting drunk.”
“Eighteenth amendment nothing but bunk.” But all the dogs in kingdom can bark and snap at your feet and give you a taste of the rabies for a treat, and we don’t expect the dogs to be confined if the law does say so and the selectmen issue a legal order to that effect. We expect to contribute poultry, peaches, watermelons and apple sass generally to thieves and others who borrow but never return. We expect auto traffic will violate all the restraining regulations for “safety first” and we are not disappointed in our expectations and find 14,000 people lost their lives in 1923 in the United States by violating the law of “safety first” and in defiance of the public statutes, but when an attempt is made by law to lessen the death rate from alcohol it has failed to obliterate altogether, up goes the chorus against national prohibition.
Special Town Meeting. The long-expected, petitioned and promised special town meeting will come up for the enacting clause on Monday evening at the town hall. The following is some of the condensed bill of fare:
Article 1. To see if the town will reconsider borrowing $38,000 to build additions to the Graniteville school and which was illegally borrowed, and borrow it according to law.
Article 2 is a twin sister to the first article and relates to the borrowing of $85,000 legally for building a new schoolhouse at Forge Village, said sum being borrowed at the annual town meeting.
Art. 3. To see if the town will accept the deed of land from Oscar R. Spalding.
Art. 4. To see if the town will vote to authorize the use of the town hall in accordance with established custom and rules to citizens of the town and to instruct the selectmen to place no restrictions upon the subject to be discussed therein, or the political, social, religious or fraternal character of the meetings to be held as long as they conform to the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and these United States of America.
Art. 5. To see if the town will vote to rescind the vote taken under Article 12 at the last annual town meeting.
Art. 6. To see if the town will appropriate money for the Westford home.
Art. 7. To see if the town will vote to establish two additional hydrants on North street.
Church Notes. First church (Unitarian)—Sunday service at 4 p.m. Special music for Palm Sunday by chorus choir and quartet of the First Unitarian Parish, Ayer: “Jerusalem,” Parker; “The palms,” Faure, Miss Eleanor Colburn, soprano; excerpts from the sacred cantata, “From Olivet to Calvary,” by Maunder, Mrs. Wm. S. Beckford, soprano, Miss Elinor Clark, alto, Henry E. Sanderson, tenor, and Leon M. Huntress, basso—Prelude, “O Thou whose sweet compassion”; “And when they had sung a hymn,” alto solo; “Thy will be done,” quartet; betrayed and forsaken: “And while He yet spake there came a great multitude,” soprano and alto; “Oh, was there ever loneliness like His?” soprano solo; The march to Calvary: “The Saviour king goes forth to die” quartet; Calvary: “Droop, sacred head, upon that breast divine” and “The strife is o’er, the victory is thine,” soprano and alto; “Rock of ages,” quartet. Preacher, Rev. Frank B. Crandall, the minister; subject, “Our victory.”
Church school at 3.
The Y.P.R.U. met Sunday after services. The chapter presented a watch to Gordon B. Seavey, who left Tuesday for Banes, Cuba.
On Sunday palms will be distributed as tokens of victory in the battle of Everyman with sin and temptation
Graniteville. The Ladies’ Aid society of the Methodist church met with Mrs. L. A. Blood on last week Thursday evening. During the business session officers were elected for the current year.
Rev. A. L. [Alfred Lawrence] O’Brien [1893-1973] is the new minister recently assigned to the Methodist church here.
The warrant for the special town meeting has been posted. This meeting will be held in the town hall on Monday evening and promises to be largely attended.
A son [Arthur Thomas Perkins] has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Perkins [April 3, 1924, in Westford].
The night school closed here last week. The pupils who attended will hold a party at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Deeming in the near future. Mr. Deeming was the prime mover in starting the night school and has shown a deep interest from start to finish.
Owing to the severe storm here on Monday all the schools in the town were closed.
Owing to the Methodist conference that was held in Lynn recently there were no services held in the Methodist church here on last Sunday.
Miss Ruby McCarthy, who has recently finished her course of nursing at the Lowell General hospital, has been a visitor at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. R. J. McCarthy.
The forty-hours’ devotion will be held in St. Catherine’s church commencing Friday morning and ending on Palm Sunday morning. During that time the blessed sacrament will be exposed.
The Abbot Worsted soccer team received a set-back last Saturday in Quincy when the Fore River team defeated them in a league game by the score of 2 to 0. The Abbots will now confine their activities to the America and state cup series.
A son, Albert Joseph, [Jr.] was recently born [March 24, 1924, in Westford] to Mr. and Mrs. Albert [Joseph] Guichard, West Graniteville.
The mills of the Abbot Worsted Company and C. G. Sargent’s Sons Corp., are now running on a four-days-per-week schedule.
Harold and Henry Harrington have returned to Chauncy Hall school[1] in Boston after the brief spring vacation.
William McGuire, of Hudson, has been a recent visitor here.
Mr. and Mrs. William F. Buckingham and daughter Arlone [sic, Arlon], of Southbridge, have been recent guests of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Carpentier.
Miss Regina McLenna, the well-known reader, was heard in several pleasing numbers at the entertainment given by the Odd Ladies in Forge Village on last week Friday evening.
In spite of the rather backward spring the trailing arbutus has made its appearance here. Mrs. Fred Parker picked a large bunch of the fragrant blossoms in the nearby woods recently.
Ayer
Real Estate Transfers. The following real estate transfers have been recorded from this vicinity recently:
Westford, Clara L. Buswell to Abbot Worsted Co., Westford, land at Forge Village; Charles O. Prescott et al. to Joseph Wall, land at Forge Village.
District Court. On last Saturday morning Frank Jevamer and John Lacovitz, both of Westford, were in court, charged with assault and battery on Steve Belida of that town. They were both found not guilty. Atty. John D. Carney appeared for the government and Atty. John M. Maloney for the defense.
Thomas Dube, of Westford, was before the court on the same day on complaint of John A. Richards for not paying wages, a charge which is very seldom brought in this court. Atty. John M. Maloney, who appeared for the defense, filed a motion to quash, which was granted by the court. Atty. George L. Wilson appeared for the complainant.
Townsend
Center. The pulpit at the Methodist church will be occupied next Sunday by the Rev. Wilbur T. Hale from Lunenburg, who has been appointed, at the annual New England Methodist conference held at Lynn last week, to succeed Rev. A. L. O’Brien who is transferred to Graniteville, after a two year pastorate here. Mr. Hale…
[1] Chauncy Hall school in Boston was founded in 1828 as a school for boys. In 1971 it joined with Chapel Hill, a school for girls founded in 1860 in Waltham, to form Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School, which continues today on the Waltham campus. See https://www.chch.org/about/history.