Turner's Public Spirit, April 19, 1924
A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
Center. Mrs. Elizabeth Kebler Sargent was in town to attend the Tadmuck club dancing party.
Mr. and Mrs. Leland Balch, of Lowell, and Mr. and Mrs. Warren C. Anderson and young sons, Warren and Robert, were weekend guests of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Prescott.
The valedictory and salutatory honors have been awarded for the class of 1924. Frank Jarvis has secured the first honor, with the second going to Elliott Humiston. The play and prize-speaking contest will be given some time during the month of May.
The ladies of the Congregational church are planning to hold a supper, followed by a one-act play, “Neighbors,”[1] at the church, Monday evening, May 5.
Owing to the large number of fires after permits had been granted, the state forester has issued orders to the local warden, Harry L. Nesmith, to grant permits for burning grass and brushland on wet days only.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank C. Wright were recently presented with a fine radio set, the donor being Albert D. Taylor, of Cleveland, Ohio.
A large automobile owned by Julian Cameron was stolen from Main street on last week Friday evening while the occupants were attending the dance. The culprits are believed to have come from Lowell, but up to last reports no arrests had been made.
The W.C.T.U. will hold a food and candy sale at the Congregational church on Wednesday afternoon, May 7. Judges will make awards on the best candies and the recipes will be sent in for the W.C.T.U. jubilee book. At the last meeting of the society the members presented Mrs. Charles Wright with some beautiful Lincoln memorial bookends, the occasion being Mrs. Wright’s forty-fifth wedding anniversary.
At the meeting of the Alliance on April 10 in the Unitarian vestry, the annual business meeting was held with a good attendance. The following officers were elected: Mrs. Eben Prescott, pres.; Mrs. L. H. Buckshorn, vice pres.; Miss Mabel Drew, sec.; Mrs. H. V. Hildreth, treas.; Mrs. Alma Richardson, religious news; Mrs. Charles W. Robinson, sewing com.; Mrs. W. R. Carver, Mrs. J. Herbert Fletcher Mrs. Harry Prescott, directors of Whitney fund; Mrs. W. R. Carver, Mrs. John Feeney, Sr., Mrs. Benjamin Prescott, calendar com.; Mrs. Frank A. Wright, Mrs. Frederick Burbeck, flower com; Miss Eva Fletcher, press correspondent.
An Easter concert will be held at the Unitarian church on Sunday afternoon at three o’clock and all are invited to attend.
Little Phyllis Wright, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William E. Wright, had an interesting experience recently while the guest of her aunt in Providence. She was much interested in listening in to the bedtime stories as broadcasted from one of the Providence stations. The story-teller calls all her little friends “radio pals,” and receives many letters from them. Phyllis decided to write a letter and a few evenings afterward was much pleased to hear her own name called, followed by an interesting conversation regarding her letter.
Mrs. A. W. Hartford, who is at the Lowell General hospital, was resting comfortably at last reports.
At the meeting of the Laymen’s league held at the Unitarian church on Sunday evening the following officers were elected: Arthur G. Hildreth, pres.; Alfred W. Hartford, vice pres.; J. Herbert Fletcher, sec. and treas.
- B. Watson has purchased a new Buick sedan and J. Herbert Fletcher a Velie sedan.[2]
The boys of the William E. Frost school have their new baseball suits and according to reports they are very fine ones. Principle Rose is in charge of the athletics and no doubt the team will prove a great success.
Back-Log club Sunset party, Littleton, April 19, Hannon’s orchestra.
Congregational Church. The services at the Congregational church on Sunday will be as follows: Morning prelude, “Marche religeuse,” doxology, invocation and Lord’s prayer, “Gloria Patri,” responsive reading, hymn, “Jesus Christ is risen today,” scripture lesson, anthem, “Christ is risen,” pastoral prayer, with response by the choir; offertory, “Offertoires de Ste. Celia,” male quartet, Messrs. Hanscom, Walker, Disbrow and Cram; reception of new members, anthem, “I am He that liveth”; Easter sermon; soprano solo, “The resurrection,” Mrs. C. A. Blaney; hymn, “Jesus thou joy of loving hearts”; benediction; postlude, “sonata Cromatica.” Mrs. Jeanette W. Wright, wife of Charles H. Wright, will be received by letter from the Methodist church in Graniteville, and Mrs. Amy Marilla Schellenger from the Plymouth Congregational church in Chicago. Evening service at seven o’clock; Sunday school concert, a pageant, “Her Easter Choice,” the young ladies class, Mrs. E. D. Disbrow, teacher; recitation by the primary department, Miss Mabel Prescott, superintendent; singing by the whole school, Deacon Houghton Osgood, superintendent. At the services on Palm Sunday “The palms” was very effectively sung by Warren Hanscom.
Special Town Meeting. The special town meeting of Monday evening brought out a large attendance and matters were rather breezy at times. The following articles were discussed:
Article 1. Voted to amend the vote passed under Article 43 of the warrant for the last annual meeting, held February 11, whereby the sum of $38,000 was appropriated to meet the expense to be incurred in building a four-room addition to the present schoolhouse in Graniteville, and equip and furnish the same so that the amount to be borrowed under this vote will comply with the provisions of Chapter 338 of the Acts of 1922, and provide that $1000 be raised in the levy of the current year and that $37,000 be raised by loan.
Art. 2. It was voted not to borrow $85,000 to meet the expense to be incurred in erecting a schoolhouse in Forge Village.
Art. 3. Voted to accept the deed of land from Oscar R. Spalding.
Art. 4. Voted to authorize the use of the town hall in accordance with established custom and rates to citizens of the town and to instruct the selectmen to place no restriction upon the subjects to be discussed therein or the political, religious, social or fraternal character of the meetings to be held as long as they conform to the laws of the state and the United States.
Art. 5. It was voted not to rescind the vote taken under Article 12 at the last meeting held on February 11.
Art. 6. It was voted to appropriate money for the Westford Home.
Art. 7. Voted to establish two additional hydrants on North street.
Article 2 was voted down, as a two-thirds’ vote required by law was not obtained, although the article had been acted upon favorably at the annual town meeting.
Under Article 4, the moderator ruled that the same was improperly worded, so as to cover the motion as read. But the sentiment of the people regarding the appointment of a fulltime police officer was taken and a very large majority of the voters were in favor of the same.
Selectman Arthur G. Hildreth spoke of the need of an officer and used as an example the recent automobile theft which he stated had not been properly investigated. Mr. Hildreth also delivered a short, but very fine patriotic talk in favor of Article 4, which was well received by a large majority of those present.
Club Notes. The Tadmuck club will meet at the Unitarian church on Tuesday afternoon, April 22, at 2:45. There will be an organ recital by Charles N. Pollard and a club tea, with Mrs. William R. Carver as hostess.
The dancing party given under the auspices of the club on Friday evening of last week proved a great success and was well attended. The hall was prettily decorated, and during the evening novelties were introduced. The matrons were Mrs. Oscar R. Spalding, Mrs. William R. Carver, Mrs. Addie Buckshorn and Mrs. H. V. Hildreth. The affair was in charge of Mrs. Robert Prescott, assisted by Mrs. Addie Buckshorn, Mrs. George F. White and Mrs. William E. Wright. John Feeney, Jr., Fisher Buckshorn and Robert Prescott assisted in decorating the hall. Much credit is due the chairman, Mrs. Robert Prescott, for the social and financial success of the affair.
About Town. Mrs. Mary G. Andrews [nee Mary Ada Cheever, daughter of Joel B. & Mary M. Cheever, born Oct. 15, 1854, married Charles F. Andrews (1854-bef. 1920) May 3, 1874, Lowell] died on last week Thursday [April 10, 1924,] at the home of her son, Edward G. Andrews, Dorchester, aged 69 years and 5 months. Besides her son she leaves two sisters, Mrs. Edith B. Mosher, of Chelmsford, and Mrs. Bertha Rhodes of Brooklyn, N.Y. The deceased will be remembered as the widow of Charles [F.] Andrews, owning and living on the farm on the Stony Brook road now owned by W. R. Taylor. The house was burned down several years ago, the barn and large henhouses remaining. After selling the farm they lived in several places, including West Chelmsford, Lowell and the old Daniel Hayden farm near Forge Village. They were genial good neighbors. Funeral services were held in Lowell on last Saturday afternoon, with interment in Edson cemetery.
The Old Oaken Bucket farm has planted ten bushels of potatoes and the Morning Glory farm has countered by planting fifteen bushels. Besides this there is an acre of wheat peeking for daylight and a bushel of peas boosting hard to get a glimpse of the fellow who planted them in the mud.
Governor Cox is going to call, if he has not done so already, a meeting of expert officials to consider some way of making “safety first” something more than mere words. Over 600 persons were killed in the state last year by automobiles and we have started off with an increase again this year, and the governor [paper torn] his old-time [paper torn] thing, and it is up to us [paper torn] interested listeners for the [paper torn] this important gathering, and I hope it will not be called ego. My own observation is that not over one auto in ten sounds a horn at the intersection of roads or sounds it for a pedestrian until too close an approach and the pedestrian in the hurry and confusion to get out of danger is liable to jump the wrong way and jump into danger.
The defeat of the plan for a new schoolhouse at Forge Village is to be regretted as the result of the special town meeting on Monday evening. The only reason we have heard for its defeat is “we can’t afford it this year.” At the last town meeting the town was nearly unanimous for the new schoolhouse.
We note with a chill that the new ice truck of W. W. Johnson & Son has commenced delivering ice which indicates that there are others who are going to keep cool beside Coolidge in more senses than one.
Ice thickened up to one-half inch deep Wednesday morning at the Old Oaken Bucket farm. How is this for planting an acre of sweet corn on Saturday?
The Middlesex County Extension Service presents George M. Cohan’s stage success[3] as the feature picture to be shown at the no admission movies to be given in the town hall on Monday evening, April 28, at 7:30. There will also be several excellent scenic educational reels. In conjunction with the movies the boys’ and girls’ clubs of the town will exhibit and give a short program.
The Reading circle will hold its next meeting at the home of Mrs. Robert Prescott on Wednesday, April 23, at 2:30 o’clock. “Gettysburg” [a one-act play published in 1921] by Percy MacKaye and “lle” [a one-act play published in 1923] by Eugene O’Neill will be the plays under consideration.
Miss Alice M. Howard recently spoke before the Nineteen Hundred club of Billerica and conducted the reading of the plays “Lonesome-like” and “The work house ward” with members of the club casting the parts. [4]
Mr. and Mrs. Norman Phillips, on the Lowell road, near Westford station, gave a delightful party on last week Friday evening in dedicating their newly-installed radio set.
Church Notes. First church (Unitarian)—Sunday service at 4 p.m. Special music for Easter-day by chorus choir: “Ye happy Easter bells” Lincoln, chorus; “Alleluia,” O’Connor-Morris; “Day of days,” Van de Water; “Consider the lilies,” Silcher, Miss Eleanor Colburn, soprano. Preacher, Rev. Frank B. Crandall, the minister. Subject, “Sunrise, springtime and the resurrection.”
Palm Sunday was marked by one of the largest congregations of recent years. Palms were distributed to all who attended the service.
On Sunday the church school will give an Easter concert at three in the vestry. All are cordially invited.
Annual Laymen’s Meeting. The first annual meeting of the local chapter of the Unitarian Laymen’s league was held on last Sunday evening in the vestry. The report of the secretary-treasurer, J. Herbert Fletcher, showed that the chapter had more than doubled its membership since its foundation in January. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year: Arthur G. Hildreth, pres.; Alfred W. Hartford, vice pres.; J. Herbert Fletcher, sec.-treas.; Sherman H. Fletcher, F. Everett Miller, J. Willard Fletcher, ex. com. Mr. Fletcher was elected in place of Gordon B. Seavey, who recently left town for Cuba. The other officers were reelected.
The president appoint the following committees. J. Herbert Fletcher, Alfred W. Hartford, Arthur G. Walker, with the members of the executive committee, social; Homer M. Seavey, Benjamin Prescott, Sherman H. Fletcher, development; J. Willard Fletcher, Hugh A. Ferguson, Edward M. Abbot, finance; Joseph G. Walker, Howard Ferguson, Charles W. Robinson, Fred A. Burbeck, Frank E. Miller, membership.
Programs of meetings for the ensuing year, with the committees to act as hosts at each meeting, will be printed and distributed to the members.
The last meeting before the summer will be held on Sunday evening, May 11. The committee to furnish the supper includes Arthur G. Hildreth, J. Herbert Fletcher, Rev. Frank B. Crandall, Homer M. Seavey and Charles W. Robinson.
Library Notes. The library will be closed on Saturday, April 19, as it is a legal holiday.
An attractive set of pictures illustrating the Canary Islands is now on exhibition at the library, where they will remain until May 5. For those who cannot visit the islands these pictures will be a pleasant way to become acquainted with the place.
A few books recently added to the library are “Colonial lighting,” by A. H. Hayward; “The Adirondacks” and “The Catskills,” by T. Morris Longstreth.
Graniteville. The Ladies’ Aid society of the M.E. church held a supper and entertainment in the church vestry on Wednesday evening that was largely attended and proved to be a great success.
The Abbot Worsted baseball club will open the season in Graniteville in a Boston Twilight league game on Tuesday, May 6, with the Lawrence Independents as opponent.
The Abbot Worsted soccer club will play the Fall River club in the semifinal game of the American cup series at Pawtucket, R.I., this Saturday.
Many from here attended the special town meeting that was held in the town hall on Monday evening.
The mills of the Abbot Worsted Company and C. G. Sargent Sons’ Corporation are running on a four-days-per-week basis.
The concert held in Forge Village in Abbot hall on last Sunday evening in aid of the building fund of St. Catherine’s church was one of the most successful events of its kind yet staged in this section and the church fund received a substantial boost as a result. The concert was under the direction of James E. Donnelly, who contributed several numbers, and he was ably assisted by several other well known Lowell entertainers, who presented a program that gave immense enjoyment to the large audience.
Palm Sunday was fittingly observed in St. Catherine’s church on Sunday morning, when both masses were largely attended. The palms were blessed by the pastor, Rev A. S. Malone, before the second mass, and later were distributed to the members of the congregation. Fully 500 members of the church received holy community [sic, communion?] at both masses in St. Catherine’s church on Palm Sunday morning.
Groton
Woman’s Club Meeting. On last week Friday afternoon the Woman’s club entertained guests from nearby towns on their annual neighborhood day. There was a large attendance, the Woman’s clubs being represented from Ayer, West Acton, Berlin, Harvard, Lancaster, Pepperell, Leominster, Stow, Waltham and Westford. …
Ayer
Real Estate Transfers. The following real estate transfers have been recorded in this vicinity recently:
Westford—Elise Bibeault to Edward H. Russell, land on Chelmsford road; Elise Bibeault to Edward H. Russell [sic]; Ernest Dumont to Albert Boisvert et ux., land on River street; Henry Emond [sic] to Elise Bibeault; Lewis P. Palmer et al., to Alfred Hughes, land in Graniteville.
Woman’s Club Notes. Federation day was observed by the Woman’s club on Wednesday in Hardy’s hall. Guests were present from Townsend, Shirley, Groton, Berlin, Gardner, Hudson, Waltham, Westford, Harvard, Pepperell, Leominster and Lunenburg. There was an unusually large number of club members present to greet the guest and state officers and to enjoy the afternoon’s program. …
News Items. The quartet of the Unitarian church went to Westford on last Sunday, where they rendered portions of the sacred cantata, “From Olivet to Calvary” at the Unitarian church. Leon M Huntress, basso of the quartet, took the other members, Mrs. W. S. Beckford, soprano; Miss Elinor Clark, alto, and Henry E. Sanderson, tenor, with him in his car.
- V. Hildreth, of Westford, has purchased a new Special Six Studebaker touring car from Yates’ Garage.
[1] The one-act comedy “The Neighbors,” by Zona Gale (1874-1938), © 1914, is “A delightful comedy, with characters who are taken bodily from small-town life. A touching story about a friendless child who falls into the care of ‘The Neighbors.’” See https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=iau.31858022913804&seq=5.
[2] The Velie Motors Corporation of Moline, Ill., produced automobiles from 1908 to 1928. The company was founded by Willard Velie, a maternal grandson of John Deere. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velie.
[3] This was probably the film Little Johnny Jones that was released in 1923 and was based on Cohan’s musical of the same name that opened in 1904. The show is most noted for Cohan’s songs “Give My Regards to Broadway” and “The Yankee Doodle Boy.” See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Johnny_Jones and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Johnny_Jones_(1923_film).
[4] Lonesome-like was a one-act play by English playwright Harold Brighouse (1882-1958) that was produced in 1914. The Workhouse Ward was a one-act play by the Irish dramatist Lady Gregory (1852-1932) that was first performed in 1908.