Turner's Public Spirit, April 2, 1921
A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
“Center. Forrest White from Chauncy Hall school, Morton Seavey from Boston university,
and John G. Fletcher from Phillips Exeter are all enjoying vacations at home this week.
“Inadvertently omitted from the account of the Tadmuck club at the Congregational church
last week was the club singing in charge of Mrs. F. E. Meyer and the brilliant piano duet by Miss
Julia Fletcher and Miss Elinor Colburn.
“Help was called from the center to help fight a grass fire near the baseball park, Graniteville,
Wednesday. The chemical [truck] at the Center responded to the call. The fire caught from the
spark of a passing engine and looked threatening for a time. Although several acres were burned
over a good force of help brought the fire under control.
“Arthur E. Day came home from the Massachusetts General hospital Sunday.
“As low as fifteen above zero was reported in the low lands Wednesday, which after the high
temperatures of the first of the week, was a pretty sharp contrast.
“The young people held a pleasant dancing party at the town hall Friday evening of last week.
The Tadmuck orchestra, composed of a group of local young people, furnished music for the
dancing. These were Morton and Gordon Seavey Carl and Eric Anderson and Miss Elinor
Colburn.
“With the season of spring housecleaning arrived, the J. V. Fletcher library wishes to help the
housekeepers with their spring cleaning and renovating and calls their attention to books and
other articles on the subject. ‘Cleaning and renovating at home’ (Osman) will tell how to remove
all stains from clothing. ‘Dane Curtsey’s book of hints to housewives’ gives help on all subjects
from laundry, mending, etc., to first aid. The ‘House beautiful’ for April has an article on ‘Why a
servant for the cook or electricity in the home.’ Two excellent books are ‘Furnishing of a modest
home’ and ‘Household engineering.’
“About Town. Gerald Deatur is home from New Rochelle, N.Y., for a week’s vacation and
expects to return Saturday.
“Amos Polley is removing the needless walls [i.e., fences] on the Prairie farm and double
walling the pasture on Francis hill, which borders on the Lowell road. When the walls were built,
it was the era of fencing off land into small fields. That era has passed and the walls are passing
back to the hills from whence they came, or are being utilized in the stone crusher for better roads
and a more beautiful landscape in their removal. The writer willed two needless cross walls to
the town for road improvement and there are more willing to be willed.
“The firehouse, which has been located on Nabnassett road at Westford corner, has been
moved to Brookside road opposite Donnelly’s store. Arthur O’Brien was building mover.
“As another evidence of our unusual early spring Mrs. W. R. Taylor has a flower, the
forsythia, in full bloom, several weeks ahead of its usual season.
“With the coming of early spring have come early snakes. Fifteen were killed in one bunch
March 17, cooling themselves in the shade of the woods at West Chelmsford.
“Graniteville. The Abbot Worsted Co. soccer club and the Hendee Indians of Springfield
battled for two hours at the Fore River field in Quincy on last Saturday without either landing a
victory. The score was two goals each. This game was the semifinal for the state cup. Owing to
the tie score this game will have to be replayed. The time and place to be announced.
“Westford Grange will hold its old-fashioned ball in the town hall, Westford, Friday night,
April 29. All the old dances and also the modern ones will be given at that time. The usual
rehearsal was held at the town hall on last Wednesday evening and was well attended. Joe
Hibbard furnished the music and Joe Wall had charge of the floor.
“The Abbot Worsted Co. have been presenting some fine motion pictures here of late and the
big attraction for the last of the week will be that much talked of photoplay, ‘Humoresque,’
featuring Alma Rubens. This show will be given in Graniteville on Friday night and in Forge
Village on Saturday when two shows will be given, one at five and the other at 7:45 p.m. The
comedy, ‘Torchy’s triumph,’ and the Paramount magazine will also be shown. At the two shows
in Forge Village Will Rogers in ‘Water, water everywhere,’ will also be shown. Don’t fail to take
in the big double bill in Forge Village on Saturday.”
The 1920 silent film “Humoresque,” available on line at www.youtube.com, is based on a short story by American novelist Fannie Hurst. It has interesting street scenes of New York City in 1920. Courtesy photo / www.wikipedia.com.