The Westford Wardsman, April 26, 1919
Center. Mrs. Isles of the local telephone exchange has recently heard from her sister, Miss Mary Moran, in San Dimas, Cal., as being especially well and busy with her nursing, and has decided not to come east this spring.
Mrs. Gladys Fletcher Searles [daughter of Joseph Willard and Miletta Louisa (Wilder) Fletcher], of Greenfield, was a visitor at her old home at Westford depot for the holiday, and called on friends in the village during her stay.
Mr. and Mrs. [Benjamin A. and Freda V. (Stiles)] Prescott and baby were at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Stiles [her parents] for the holiday.
Miss Frances E. Wright, of Cambridge, was an over Sunday guest of Miss Marjory Seavey.
Rev. and Mrs. O. L. Brownsey, Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Wheeler, Miss S. W. Loker and Misses Lillian and May Atwood attended the spring meeting of the Middlesex Union Association of Congregational Churches in Dunstable on Wednesday. An excellent program with pleasant hospitality was enjoyed, the special topic for the day being “The post-war church.”
At the congregational church on Sunday morning the subject will be “The unparalleled opportunities of the hour,” and in the evening, “The inspiration of the ordinary.”
At the next meeting of the Grange, which will be open to the public, Mrs. Frank C. Wright, chairman, the class in home economics, under the auspices of the Grange, will have its exhibit and will be judged by some member of the Farm Bureau and prizes awarded. Miss Alice Lee, supervisor of school gardens of Lowell, will be present and give a short talk, and Mr. Rice and Mr. Trask of the Farm Bureau will tell of the work of the children’s prize pig club and war gardens, illustrated with lantern slides.
A good number went from Westford to Camp Devens on Tuesday to see the review of the famous Yankee Division of soldiers. They report the immense crowds and the review a sight never to be forgotten. Between twenty-five and thirty students from Westford academy and their teachers were among those who went.
Mrs. George A. Walker is reported ill with pneumonia.
For the convenience of members of the Tadmuck club who wish to confer with the hostess, Mrs. Harry M. Ingalls, for the closing meeting of the season next Tuesday afternoon, we would state that she has moved to her new home and her changed telephone number is 62-11. The D. L. Page Company will cater for the luncheon the same as last year, and other parts of the program promise to be full of interest. Mrs. Herbert A. Geurney, president of the State Federation, and Mrs. Frank A. Torrey, chairman of the sixth district, which includes Westford, are the special speakers of the afternoon.
The Board of Trade held its quarterly meeting at the town hall on Wednesday evening which was open to the public. About seventy-five availed themselves of the invitation to hear Simon B. Harris give his personal reminiscences of Buffalo Bill (William F. Cody). Mr. Harris gave a vivid autobiography of this picturesque plainsman and the early history of Mr. Cody’s time and locality.
Since the encampment of Company L, M. S. G., in the late summer at Framingham, there have been four deaths in its membership—Inglis Wetmore, Dr. O. V. Wells, William Orange and J. Henry Colburn. The latter’s brother, Charles D. Colburn, while not a member of the state guard, died in the autumn, a victim of pneumonia, following influenza.
The academy baseball team have played two games this week at Whitney playground—Monday, with the Littleton team, and Wednesday with the team from Ayer high school. The visiting teams carried off the laurels at both games.
It was pleasant to have as visitors at the Easter services at the Congregational church, Sunday morning, Wesley Hawkes, Jr., recently home from overseas duty, Mr. and Mrs. Loveless, parents of A. E. Loveless, Mrs. Ella Ferguson Woods and Miss Jennie Ferguson.
A brush fire on Wednesday near the town farm, which burned over considerable territory, called help from the village.
Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Wheeler enjoyed an auto trip to Newport, R.I., Friday and Saturday of last week to visit relatives.
Mrs. A. W. Hartford, Mrs. H. M. Bartlett and Mrs. George F. White were the decorating committee for Easter at the Congregational church.
Fatal Accident. The sad and fatal accident in which J. Henry Colburn lost his life on Tuesday evening has shocked and saddened the entire community. The accident happened when members of Company L, M. S. G., who had been drilling at Whitney playground, were returning to the town hall, which constitutes the armory. When about opposite George P. White’s [62 Main St.], Walter Fletcher, son of J. Willard Fletcher, of Westford depot, came down the street at a rapid pace with his two-ton grain truck. The members of the company scattered to one side, but Mr. Colburn was struck and stunned into unconsciousness. The men did everything possible for their injured comrade, getting Dr. Blaney and the public health nurse, Miss Weir, to the scene as quickly as possible, and on a quickly improvised stretcher moving him to the town hall. Dr. Blaney gave first aid and ordered his removal to the Lowell General hospital. He was started for Lowell in Julian Cameron’s car, but the end came soon after starting.
Medical Examiner T. B. Smith, of Lowell, was notified of the accident and result and found upon examination that a fracture at the base of the skull was the cause of death. The accident happened so suddenly and with the glare of the headlights that all who witnessed it were unable to tell just how it happened. Most of the company swerved quickly to the right, but a few on the left of the street jumped out to the left, and when young Fletcher turned out suddenly to his right Mr. Colburn, of this last group, was hit.
J. Henry Colburn was born in Westford on October 21, 1878, the second son of the two sons of the late Jonathan T. and Mary Day Colburn. He received his education in the public school and at Westford academy. Later, he learned the mason’s trade and also worked at carpentering. On September 9, 1907, he married Miss Daisy G. Nathans, who, with a son, Clarence Henry, survives him.
Mr. Colburn was a member of the Union Congregational church, with which he united on January 2, 1898. He was a long-time member and interested worker in Westford Grange, and a member of Company L, M. S. G. Some years ago he built the house next to the town hall [at 57 Main St.] which had been his home until last fall, when he moved to Littleton to be nearer his work at the Conant, Houghton Company’s plant.
The funeral services with military honors, was held on Friday afternoon at two o’clock from the home of his sister-in-law, Mrs. Norah S. Colburn.
Victory Loan Drive. The fifth and last liberty loan drive opened this week under the chairmanship of Capt. Charles W. Robinson, of Company L, M.S.G., with members of the company and other helpers as follows: Executive committee, Capt. Charles W. Robinson, Lieut. Herbert V. Hildreth, Lieut. William R. Robinson, Sergt. Alfred W. Hartford, Fred Smith, sec. and treas.; Westford Center district, Corp. William C. Roudenbush, Sergt. Julian A. Cameron, Private L. W. Wheeler and Fred A. Myer; Forge Village, Sergt. Fred Naylor, Sergt. George A. Wilson, Corp. James May, Private Frank G. Lowther and Miles Collins, superintendent of the Abbot Worsted Co., and Joseph Leclair; Graniteville, Corp. Isaac Hall, Private George Green and George W. Whitley; east part, Clyde Prescott; south part, Private Artemas Griffin; west part, Corp. John Howard; north part, Private George Burke; Brookside, A. G. Linbery, Marion Harriman, Miss Mary Donnelly. The Quota is $150,000, and every person in town will be called upon.
Easter Services. Beautiful weather added to the Easter Sunday programs. At the Congregational church an especially large congregation was present and sermon, music and decorations were most appropriate for the story of the resurrection. The pulpit platform was decorated with a background of green and ferns and choice home plants. Mr. Brownsey’s text was from Rev. 1:18. The full choir gave an inspiring program under the direction of Mrs. Wright and Mrs. Colburn, and Miss Elinor Collins, organist. The following made up the choir: W. C. Roudenbush, A. E. Day, A. E. Loveless, L. W. Wheeler, bass; Mrs. W. R. Taylor, Mrs. A. E. Loveless, Mrs. H. M. Bartlett, Mrs. C. H. Wright, altos; Miss Lillian Sutherland, Miss Edith Wright, Mrs. Felch, Mrs. Meyer, Miss Elva Judd, Mrs. Whitney, Miss Mabel Prescott, sopranos; Arthur Walker, Fred Meyer, tenors. At the evening service the choir gave the Easter cantata, “The dawn immortal,” the text of the service being read by Mrs. Brownsey.
About Town. George C. Moore, the proprietor of Brookside mill, with his usual enthusiasm for public and private improvements, has taken upon his public spiritedness to lengthen the highway bridge at his farm on Nabnassett road, this brook being the outlet of Nabnassett pond. The bridge was built in the days of ye horse power motor and was built like all old-time bridges, with a driveway at the end of the bridge for ye horse power motor to stock up with what we shall all have to resort to after July 1. This driveway left the bridge so short that the railing of the bridge was about as near the center of the traveled highway as guessing could get it, and the wonder of road slewing, skidding accidents in this age of automobiles is that no accident ever occurred there.
Mrs. Mary O’Brien of the Pigeon hill family, who has been nurse for several years at the state hospital in Tewksbury, has resigned to accept a similar position in Braintree.
Seth W. Banister has been removed from New York to Boston for more needed rest and a nearer convenience for his home folks.
Westford Grange had one of its old-time crowded houses last week Thursday evening when the third and fourth degrees were exemplified on a class of candidates. The third degree was exemplified by the ladies’ degree team and was a handsome sight. A large delegation was present from Tyngsboro; others from Littleton, Chelmsford, West Chelmsford and Maine. The social delights of supper and youthful informal dancing was the finale on the program. The supper was set out and handed out in enticing manner by Mrs. Eben Prescott. The Grange accepted the invitation to neighbor with Groton Grange on May 27.
Mrs. Sarah P. Fletcher, who recently died in Providence and [was] buried in West Chelmsford cemetery, was the widow of Daniel A. Fletcher, who will be remembered as one of the old Stony Brook scholars in the days when it was a full school of large boys and girls. When a scholar at the Stony Brook school he lived with his uncle, Levi T. Fletcher, at the farm now the summer home of Miss Ella Wright at Brookside.
There is a new variety of apple on the Capt. Peletiah Fletcher farm on the Lowell road. This variety, which resembles the Baldwin, will keep 365 ½ days and would keep more days if there were more. Apple experts at Amherst college have been unable to name it, nor our apple expert, G. E. Lebouty, recently of the Read-Drew farm. The tree was thrown in as an inducement offer with an order for lawn shrubbery. The writer has grafted from the stock this year.
The Old Oaken Bucket farm has finished planting two acres of potatoes. This sounds big for a town that now raises its potatoes in Aroostook [County, Maine], but compared with the days of 1860, when some farmers raised a thousand bushels, two acres looks like pig [sic] potatoes.
The next meeting of Middlesex-North Pomona Grange will be held next Friday in Odd Fellows hall, Bridge street, Lowell. This is the last meeting until September. A program appropriate to the season will be offered.
Seth W. Banister has arrived in Boston and awaiting orders to be loosed for home.
The next meeting of the Grange will be held on next Thursday evening. An attractive program has been prepared by the lecturer.
The Sunday school gave an interesting Easter service with songs and recitations at the Unitarian church last Sunday before an encouraging audience to inspire to helpful living. With the close of Rev. L. Buckshorn’s pastorate the church will be closed until the return of Mr. Abbot, chairman of the prudential committee.
Rev. Benjamin H. Bailey died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Lewis, Jamaica Plain, Tuesday [April 22, 1919], aged 89 years 9 months, 16 days. He will be remembered with a full measure of love and reverence by all who were fortunate to know him when he was minister of the First Parish church [1903-1911] in our ancient Westford. He was a manly and practical type of the early New England minister, as well as a characteristic illustration of our early New England forefathers—tall, erect, solid and substantial in his attitude towards all humanity. His conduct was the verdict of a sound judgment, formed from a sane viewpoint. His four [eight – 1903-1911] years of ministry in Westford with the First Parish church will ever be remembered for his reverence for the work of the Father, and his openmindedness toward the new thought of present day light. The funeral was held on Thursday afternoon from Brookside chapel, Dedham.
An organization has been formed to get New England back to ye olden days of self-support. This organization has lined up under the firm name of “Farm and food foundation plan to increase food production and lower labor costs.” Manufacturers have got onto the alarmed list at the high cost of living for those who labor for them, which necessitates higher wages than west and south, where food is raised to supply the world. There seems to be something abnormal when a rural town like Westford with 19,000 acres of land, import potatoes, hay, grain, beef and other could-be-raised crops by the carload annually, when no farther back than 1860, like the rest of New England, we were nearly self-supporting. In the interest of self-support a meeting of the above organization was held in Lowell on Tuesday evening. Reginald W. Bird, the president of the organization, was the chief speaker and gave some interesting facts.
Forge Village. At St. Andrew’s mission, Easter Sunday was fittingly observed. Rev. Thomas L. Fisher conducted the services. The singing by the choir was unusually good. Caroline E. Precious presided at the organ, assisted by Mildred Precious, violinist. Many beautiful flowers were arranged on the altar and added much to the impressiveness of the service.
A meeting is to be held shortly to confirm the appointment of Rev. Lester Wallace as vicar of St. Andrew’s parish, which includes Ayer and this village. Mr. Wallace is at present curate at the Episcopal church in Thornton, R.I.
The instruments for the brass band to be formed here were purchased this week. Edward T. Hanley, Arthur M. Whitley and James Larkin, the latter to be bandmaster, selected the instruments.
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Day and little son, Woodrow Wilson Day, spent the Easter holiday at the Quincy Day farm and at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Fennimore Morton.
Miss Annie L. Cherry, of Somerville, spent Easter with her relatives here.
The pupils of Westford academy, under the direction of Principal William C. Roudenbush and the teachers, attended the review of the 26th Division at Camp Devens on Tuesday.
The movies will be shown this week for the last time this season. The minstrel show, to be held next week, will be the last affair to be held in the hall in its present condition, as work will commence on it shortly to enlarge it and make it up to date.
Miss Helen Lord, of the naval hospital at Newport, R.I., spent Easter with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. David Lord.
Littleton
News Items. Practically all Littleton went to Camp Devens on Tuesday to view the parade and review of the 26th Division, Y.D. men. Some went by steam and electric cars, some in automobiles, and some drove their horses to the scene of activities. E. A. Flagg took a truck load of people and F. S. Kimball conveyed a party of young people in his school barge. All report a very successful occasion, and a most satisfactory view of the spectacular event.
Ayer
News Items. Last Tuesday morning, at about two o’clock, a large Packard touring car, owned by A. Mathison, of Methuen, and driven by Berge Cavelry, of Dracut, crashed through the rail fence on the right hand side of the road just after crossing the overhead bridge on East Main street. The machine, which was a public one, was coming from Lowell, and contained besides the driver seven soldiers and two civilians. They had been to a dance in Lowell. It was admitted by some of those in the car that it was going at a high rate of speed and that the driver underestimated the sharp curve just after the bridge. After breaking through the fence the machine rolled over and over down the embankment and threw its occupants in all directions. When it reached the bottom it was facing in the opposite direction to which it had been going. The injured men were taken to the base hospital, Camp Devens, among whom were Clyde Olicott, A. H. Flynn, Albert Boland and Harry Westerland, of Worcester; George Thurell, North Adams; John Thomas, Wilkesbarre [sic], Pa., and John P. O’Neil, Lowell.
Sergt. Frank J. Herman, of Company B, 36th Infantry, of New York, shot himself through the heart with a service revolver last Saturday at Camp Devens.
Camp K. of C. A spirited contest, which was a fight for the basketball championship of Western Massachusetts, was witnessed in the K. of C. main building last week. The team of the Fisk Rubber Company fought sharp and hard to hold the honors against the all-star girls of Holyoke. The team from Chicopee was the winner, but not without a real contest. A fine game was played, after which the young ladies distributed a large quantity of cigarettes, candies and other comforts to the soldiers. The building was crowded to capacity. Mayor Ryan, of Holyoke, and Commissioner James E. Donnolly, of Lowell, both were responsible for the cracker-jack entertainments given at the K. of C. huts in camp, and attended by overseas men as well as members of the permanent staff at Devens.
Inspecting camp. Gen. Peyton C. March came to Camp Devens last Saturday to inspect the camp which the war department contemplates buying. He came upon the parade field just before the start of the review of the 101st regiment, to attend which a gathering of notables, including governor [Calvin] Coolidge and Mayor [Andrew James] Peters of Boston, had journeyed up from Boston.
The review of “Boston’s Own” was late in starting, but during the delay thousands of friends from Boston and other communities which contributed soldiers to the regiment visited at the barracks and officers quarters. Hundreds of automobiles were drawn up on the parade field, and many reunions were held between past and present commanders and member of the “Fighting Ninth” and the “Dandy Fifth.”
Gen. March’s arrival at headquarters was awaited by Major-General McCain and all the officers of the camp staff, including Brig. Gen. Palmer A. Pierce, depot brigade commander, and formerly of the 27th division of New York.
The pennant of red and white with the seal of the U.S. distinguished Gen. March’s automobile. He was met by Major General McCain and Major General Hale and the division commander and staff advanced to the line of flags.
The regimental flags, each beautifully embroidered with a representation of the seal of the United States, were lowered, and over the top of the pike, between the silk and the bronze point, the ribbons were securely fastened. Blue ribbons were used to decorate the flags of the infantry regiments, silver letters setting forth the names of the battles. On the artillery banners red ribbons were placed, red for the engineers, orange for the signal corps and blue for the machine gun battalions. Official army photographers who served with the Y.D. in France recorded these scenes, as did a large battery of camera men. Cheers followed the conclusion of the ceremony. Later, silver bands will be engraved and placed on the flag poles. Until then the battle streamers will signalize the proud achievements of the Y.D. organization.
Major General Clarence R. Edwards, who organized, equipped, trained, won a place in the first American army for the Y.D., and led it through its wonderful career to the end of hostilities, was a spectator to this heart-stirring event. He arrived at the parade field and stood silently watching the entire scene with keen and appraising eye. More than any other man he knew how much blood toll, how much anguish and travail it cost the Yankee Division to arrive at that point of its career when it should receive from the war department the visible tokens of signal honor.
There was never before in the history of the town such a large gathering of people and automobiles here. The road to the camp was blocked for hours by autos going and coming.
Townsend
Center. The school children and teachers at the Center attended the review of the 26th Division held at Camp Devens, being conveyed by auto and Fessendens’ auto truck.