Turner's Public Spirit, April 21, 1923
A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
Center. Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Cameron are receiving congratulations upon the arrival of a son [Braley Abbot Cameron], born at Concord on April 15.
Recent arrivals from the south include the Misses Lillian, Carrie and May Atwood, Mr. and Mrs. Perry Shupe and E. J. Whitney and housekeeper, Mrs. Helena Bartlett, all of whom have been wintering in Florida, and Mr. and Mrs. Whitney, who have been spending the winter in Cuba.
Miss Nellie Laughton, who has been boarding in town, has returned to Lowell.
Westford post, A.L., will hold a dance at the town hall Friday evening, April 20. Fogg’s orchestra of Brockton will furnish the music.
Dr. C. A. Blaney has purchased a new Ford sedan.
The Misses Gertrude and Julia Fletcher have a new Chevrolet touring car.
Sunday guests at the home of Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Sutherland were the following: Mr. and Mrs. Clark of Winter Hill, Mr. and Mrs. Cameron of Somerville, Mr. and Mrs. Cass and three children of Arlington, Mr. and Mrs. David Olsson of West Chelmsford, Miss Lillian Sutherland of Melrose and Alfred Sutherland of Lynn. During the day a family picture was taken of the group.
First Parish church (Unitarian)—Sunday service at 4 p.m. Preacher, Rev. Frank B. Crandall, the minister. Subject, “The value of the bad.”
The firemen held a turkey supper with all the fixings on Tuesday evening, and to say it was enjoyed by those present would be putting it mildly. Mrs. J. E. Knight prepared the supper for the men. The firemen recently sent Mrs. Knight a note of appreciation for the excellent suppers which she has served them the past winter.
If thinking of buying a bus body see advertisement.
The Ladies Aid of the Congregational church held a food sale at the home of Mrs. George H. White on Tuesday afternoon. Tea was served and a social hour was enjoyed with music and reading by Mrs. Perley Wright. About thirty-two dollars will be realized from the sale. The committee was composed of Mrs. Dustin, chairman, Mrs. White, Mrs. Clarence Hildreth and Mrs. Phonsie Isles.
The Tadmuck club will hold their annual guest night in the Congregational church on Tuesday evening, April 24, at 7:45. Mr. Bazeley will be the speaker of the evening and there will be vocal and instrumental music. Mrs. Robert Prescott will be the hostess of the evening.
The men of the town are invited to a supper at the Congregational church this Friday evening at 6:30 [torn paper, line missing] Mallory, of Boston, will speak in the main auditorium to the men. The whole family is invited to this second meeting. Supt. David Reid of the Hope Mission, Boston, will be present and will play and sing. William T. Murphy will speak on Saturday evening on “The judgment day” and Miss Reid will sing. Mr. Comy will play and speak again on Sunday evening. The Morse sisters will sing also. Other Sunday services as usual.
- W. Park, blasting, Chelmsford.
Deaths. Warren E. Carkin, a well-known former resident of Westford, died at his home in Littleton early last week Friday morning, after a long illness. He was a carpenter and worked in Westford and surrounding towns nearly all his life. He moved to Littleton last year and was employed by Conant & Houghton, as a carpenter. Mr. Carkin was the son of a Civil war veteran [William Orin Carkin (c. 1836-1901)] and is survived by one brother, William Carkin, and his mother, Nancy Carkin, with whom he made his home.
Emily Frances Fletcher died at her home on Main street last week Friday evening. She was born in Westford on January 17, 1845, the daughter of Sherman D. and Emily A. Fletcher. She attended Westford academy and was a student there at the time the late Gov. John D. Long was an instructor at the school. In her younger days, especially, she was closely associated with the affairs of the town. She was an attendant of the Unitarian church and a member of the Woman’s Alliance and the Tadmuck club.
Miss Fletcher was a great lover of nature and her work along botanical lines brought her much fame. She frequently recorded interesting plants appearing on fields fertilized with wood waste and has sent some notable specimens to the Gray Herbarium [at Harvard Univ., named for famed Harvard professor of botany Asa Gray (1810-1888)], where she has been styled as “an observer.” One of her most interesting discoveries in Westford was that of “wessaldula callimorpha,” a native of Eastern Bolivia and adjacent Brazil, which was not known to science until 1906 and even now is represented by only three collections. She had made a complete and beautiful collection of the pressed flowers of her native town. She was a member of the Gray Memorial Botanical chapter of the Agassiz association and the New England Botanical club.
Miss Fletcher was also an expert taxidermist and gave a valuable collection of native stuffed birds to the J. V. Fletcher library a few years ago. She leaves a wide circle of friends and will be greatly missed.
She is survived by one brother, Capt. Sherman H. Fletcher, and two nieces, Gertrude D. and Julia H. Fletcher of Westford.
The funeral was held from her home on Monday afternoon, the services being conducted by Rev. Frank B. Crandall, of Ayer. Many friends attended to pay their last respects to the deceased and the floral tributes were profuse and beautiful. The bearers were Alonzo Sutherland, Herbert V. Hildreth, Harwood L. Wright and Alfred Hartford. Interment was at Fairview cemetery.
Academy Notes. The certificate recently awarded to the academy by the National Educational association reads in part as follows: “This certifies that the National Educational association commends Westford academy for high professional spirit, and for enrollment of 100% of its teaching force in the National Educational association for the year 1922-23. (Signed) Wm. B. Owen, pres.; J. W. Crabtree, sec.”
Headmaster Samuel F. Holmes and Registrar George D. Church, of Worcester academy, visited the school on April 11.
Harry Hartford has been engaged to coach the academy baseball nine. The first game of the season will be played in Westford on May 2, the opposing team being from the Groton high school.
The boys who have been taking up a subscription for the baseball team report good success and the boys greatly appreciate the donations which have been received.
Two representatives of the Bentley School of Accounting and Finance, Boston [opened by Harry C. Bentley in 1917 on Huntington Ave.; now Bentley Univ., Waltham], visited the school on April 12 and spoke to the boys regarding the work of their school.
Principal William Roudenbush is in Framingham attending the junior, senior high school conference, held at the State Normal school, April 19-21.
About Town. The funeral of Charles A. Lull, whose death was reported last week, took place from his home in West Chelmsford on Tuesday afternoon. Rev. Clarence E. Churchill, of Nashua, N.H., a cousin of the deceased, conducted the services, and Rev. E. E. Jackman of the village church [West Chelmsford Methodist Episcopal Church] sang “Face to face” and “Saved by grace.” There were numerous floral tributes of respect and esteem in token of the universal esteem in which he was held in the village community and elsewhere. The bearers were Reuben A. Wilson, Horace A. Kittredge, Amos Kendall, G. B. Kittredge, representing Oberlin lodge of Odd Fellows, Lowell. Mr. Lull was a member of Valley lodge of Hillsboro, N.H. Burial was in the family lot in West Chelmsford cemetery, where the committal service was read by Rev. E. E. Jackman.
Warren E. Carking, a well-known former resident of this town, died at his home in Littleton on last week Friday after a long and painful illness. He was a handy man at carpenter work and much other skilled labor and worked in this and surrounding towns all of his life. For several years he worked on Oak hill for the H. E. Fletcher Co. Here he was handy with stationary engine work and machinery generally. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Carkin [sic, William Orin Carkin], his father being a veteran of the civil war. He is survived by his mother, Nancy Carkin, and a brother, William.
Thomas Bartlett, for many years a resident of Brookside, died at his home in Lowell on last week Saturday. Besides his wife, Mary (Sharkey) Bartlett, he leaves nine children and eleven grandchildren. The oldest son was formerly a conductor on the Lowell and Fitchburg railroad, and his father was [a] spare-hand track repairer.
So far this season the Stony Brook farmers and others have grown more ice than vegetables since April was ordained, it being almost a half an inch thick last Saturday and Sunday mornings, and snow and rain Monday morning.
All who believe in forestry and reforestization and all unbelievers and all others who don’t know what they believe are invited by the Tadmuck club to their fortnightly meeting at the Congregational church on Tuesday evening, when an address will be given by the state forester on “Reforestization in Massachusetts.”
For the benefit of the social life of the town, both wholesome, fun-loving and educational, I am glad to quote the following from the Farm Bureau: “For our April pictures we are going to give you something a little different. There will be a travel picture and some educational reels, but the feature will be Charles Ray in ‘The pinch hitter.’ Charles Ray is one of the best known screen actors and it has been said of him, ‘He never produced a picture that was not fit to be seen by every man, woman and child.’ ‘The pinch hitter’ is good and very funny.” Come to the town hall, Westford, Saturday evening, April 21, and get humorously het up and hit up by “The pinch hitter.”
[paper torn, illegible word or two] Gould, who lives on the Groton road, south of Conscience hill, was the first in town and many towns to dig new potatoes last week. These potatoes were planted in late October, 1922, and have been growing while the rest of us have been groaning with zero and snow.
- R. Taylor has two acres of land ready for sweet corn and more under marching orders to get ready.
Daniel H. Sheehan is propping the props to his cotton-woolen-cider-vinegar mill preparatory to manufacturing his recently purchased Georgia cotton plantation.
I saw a bird trying to eat a frozen apple on the tree last week. It ought to be exterminated for eating food without permission of the owner, but I haven’t any exterminating apparatus and so I supposed that it and other its will continue to eat at the expense of the farmer. It is too bad; right down clear too bad; but I’ve got to stand it I suppose.
The new road-trailer-tractor is doing good work on the road, crowning up the roads and filling up the deep auto track ruts and so much faster than horse tractors. The horse on the road as road builder or traveler is on the way to take his place with the oxen.
Frederick A. Snow, of West Chelmsford, has bought a new Reo pleasure-business car.
Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Naylor, of Detroit, are making their home with his mother, Mrs. A. M. Naylor.
The Grange has received and accepted an invitation to neighbor with Stow Grange on the evening of Tuesday, May first. Supper at seven to be followed by an entertainment by Westford Grange.
Foxes have not yet got over the snow hunger of last winter and are looking around for a chance to engage in the poultry business.
The assessors are busily getting the taxpayers lined up for the annual fee to pay for our annual spontaneous generosity in keeping tagged progressive. Well, who wants to be tagged otherwise? Better have the town tagged progressive or save our money and inherit in its place stationary ideals long since abandoned in the dust of an incompetent past. What is true of the individual is true of a town. “He liveth long who liveth well; he liveth longeth [sic] who can tell of true things truly done each day.”
Death. Mrs. Julia A. Maybury died on last week Wednesday at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Blanche E. Pickup, Brookside, at the Theodore Hamblett house, aged seventy-four years. She leaves two daughters, Mrs. Ora A. Dutton, of Billerica, and Mrs. Blanche E. Pickup, of Brookside; a son, Eugene H. Maybury, of Billerica; a sister Mrs. Mary A. Maybury, of Carlisle, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She had been a resident of Brookside for the past eight years and was a member of the Ladies of the G.A.R. of Billerica. The funeral services were held from the home of her daughter, Mrs. Pickup; Rev. J. Harold Dale, of Billerica, conducting the services. Miss Hazel F. Tuthall, of Lowell, sang appropriate selections. Billerica Ladies of the G.A.R. were represented by Mrs. Maude L. Gage, as president, and others who read the burial service of the order. Flowers were unusually abundant and appropriate. The bearers were Columbus and Raymond Pickup, Wilfred and Walter Cowdry. Burial was in the family lot in Fox hill cemetery, Billerica, where the committal service was read by Mr. Dale.
Graniteville. The Abbot Worsted soccer team defeated the Massachusetts Cotton Mills at Bunting park, Lowell, last Saturday in an Industrial league contest, 4 to 1. On the same afternoon, in Forge Village, the Abbot Juniors were defeated by the Roxbury F.C., 2 to 0, in the third round of the National Amateur cup series. Both games were hotly contested.
Mrs. Harriet Reed, a former resident here for many years, died at the home of her son Fred in Lowell on last Sunday after a long illness. She was a woman of beautiful character and beloved by all who knew her. The funeral was held on Tuesday afternoon. Interment took place in the Hayden family lot in Groton.
At a meeting of the Ladies Aid society of the Methodist church, held at the home of Mrs. C. E. Eaton, recently, the following officers were elected: Mrs. Lucy A. Blood, pres.; Mrs. C. E. Eaton, vice pres.; Mrs. George E. Chandler, sec.; Mrs. Emma Wright, asst. sec.; Mrs. A.B. Carr, treas. At the close of the business session a social hour was enjoyed and refreshments were served.
A whist party in aid of St. Catherine’s church building fund was held in Abbot hall on Tuesday evening.
Miss Gertrude Carpentier and Louis Morrow were married early Monday morning at a nuptial mass celebrated in Brunswick, Me. Immediately after the ceremony the bride and groom boarded a train for Graniteville. On Monday evening a reception was held at the home of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Carpentier, which was attended by a large number. The bride was formerly a Graniteville girl, but for the past year has been stopping with her aunt in Brunswick, Me.
The mills and shops were closed here on Thursday for the [Patriot’s Day] holiday.
The Abbot Worsted baseball club is fast getting in shape for the summer season. The Abbots intend to have a very fast semi-pro club on the diamond this year and the fans are assured in seeing some of the best clubs in the state in Graniteville during the playing season. It is the intention to play twilight and Saturday baseball. Although the town at its last town meeting voted in favor of Sunday sports it is thought that there will not be many Sunday baseball games as a regular thing.
Ayer
News Items. Rev. Frank B. Crandall officiated at the funeral of Miss Emily Frances Fletcher in Westford on Monday afternoon.
Rev. Frank B. Crandall officiated at the burial service of Miss Alice Davis of Marlboro, a former resident of Westford, at Fairview cemetery in that town Wednesday afternoon.
Real Estate Transfers. Westford—Anachet Brisson to Amede Cantin et ux., land on Graniteville road; John DeCarteret to Arthur DeCarteret, land on Oak hill.
Well Presented. On Friday evening of last week the order of Sir Galahad, assisted by members of St. Andrew’s club, presented the play, “Deacon Dubbs,” in the town hall. These two societies represent the young people of St. Andrew’s parish and are doing good work. …
The recent success will be presented in Forge Village on April 17. …
Harvard
About Town. Mrs. Charles Ripley, of Westford, with her little adopted son, spent a day last week with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Horace Pattee.
Hollis, N.H.
News Items. We feel very sure that any of the farmers in town who have had 75 and more apple trees so badly budded by partridges that they will get no apples from them for three years at least would be very glad if it were possible to transport some of the birds for the use of the Westford resident who lost so much on his apples last year.
Littleton
News Items. Warren E. Carkin, in his fifty-ninth year, passed away last week Friday morning following a trying sickness that had covered a period of many months. Funeral services were held from his late home on Sunday afternoon, Rev. C. A. Wheeler of the Congregational church, and Rev. John H. Blair of Westford, officiating. Interment was in the family lot at Fairview cemetery, Westford. The deceased is survived by his mother, Mrs. Nancy Carkin, and a brother, William F., of Marlboro, N.H. Although Mr. Carkin had lived in town but a short time he had won the esteem of our people, among whom he had made many friends. The sympathy of fellow townspeople is extended to members of the Carkin family who mourn this untimely death.
Pepperell
News Items. Mrs. Edna Kittredge Clement, of Westford, was in town recently at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ingalls Kittredge. Mrs. Clement has been employed for some time in the office of the Metropolitan Insurance Co., Fitchburg.
This quote is an alteration of the second verse of the Scottish minister and hymnist Horatius Bonar’s (1809-1889) poem He Liveth Long Who Liveth Well:
He Liveth Long Who Liveth Well
He liveth long who liveth well;
All other life is short and vain;
He liveth longest who can tell
Of living most for heavenly gain.
He liveth long who liveth well;
All else is being flung away;
He liveth longest who can tell
Of true things truly done each day.
Be what thou seemest; live thy creed;
Hold up to earth the torch divine:
Be what thou prayest to be made;
Let the great Master’s steps be thine.
Fill up each hour with what will last;
Buy up the moments as they go;
The life above, when this is past,
Is the ripe fruit of life below.
Sow love, and taste its fruitage pure;
Sow peace, and reap its harvest bright;
Sow sunbeams on the rock and moor,
And find a harvest-home of light.