Turner's Public Spirit, April 26, 1924

A look back in time to a century ago

By Bob Oliphant

Center.  The date of the next monthly supper and entertainment to be held at the Congregational church has been changed from May 5 to Friday evening, May 9.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Carter were in town last weekend.

Mrs. Charles Campbell [nee Annie Maria Knight], of Hudson, N.H., has been a recent visitor at the home of her father, Joseph Knight.

Philip W. Kimball, of Salem, and Miss Mary A. Grant, of Rockport, were weekend guests of Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Whiting.

The Middlesex County Extension Service will hold the next in the series of motion pictures at the town hall on Monday evening and at this time the Bread, Lunch Box, Sewing and Poultry clubs of the William E. Frost school will hold an exhibition.  The Parkerville school club will also participate, and the children of the Frost and Parkerville schools will give a short entertainment.  Miss Ruth Tuttle of the Frost school is in charge of this work, and Mrs. Hunter, of the Parkerville school, will be in charge of the children from that school.

The Middlesex County Council of the Ladies’ Auxiliary, A.L., and Legion Council will meet in Lexington on Saturday afternoon of this week.  The meeting will be held in Masonic hall at two o’clock.  The Legion County Council will be the guests of the former organization at three o’clock.  There will be music and speaking, and at six o’clock a supper will be served for which a nominal sum will be charged.  It’s hoped that there will be a delegation from both auxiliary and post present.

The third and fourth degrees were conferred upon a class of twelve at the meeting of the Grange held on Thursday evening of last week.  The third degree was given by the ladies’ degree team and was exceptionally well done.  Mrs. Eben Prescott directed the work and Mrs. William R. Taylor acted as master.  The solo work during the conference of the degrees was by Mrs. Rachel Wall MacLean, of Ayer.  Deputy Forbes, of Worcester, was present and inspected the Grange and an excellent supper was served in charge of Frank A. Wright.

Another special town meeting is planned for May 19, at which time articles pertaining to a new schoolhouse at Forge Village will be taken up.

The building committee met at the town hall on Tuesday evening to make awards on the bids for building and heating the four-room addition to the Sargent school at Graniteville.  The former contract was awarded to P. Henry Harrington, of Graniteville, by a vote of 5 to 4.  The four opposed [voted] for the lowest bidder, Francis Green, of Lynn.  The bids were as follows: P. Henry Harrington $25,757, Handley Co. $25,000, Francis Green, $25,256.  The $25,000 by Handley Company did not include bond, which if added on would make this company second lowest bidder.  The heating contract was unanimously awarded to the lowest bidder, D. J. Wholey Co., of Fitchburg, for $8355.

The name of Arthur Walker was unintentionally omitted from the list who helped to make the Tadmuck club dance a success by assisting with the decorations.

Mrs. Alfred W. Hartford, who was operated on at the Lowell General hospital on Thursday of last week, is reported as resting comfortably.

Mr. and Mrs. Otis White and family, of Newton, were Sunday guests of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wright, their daughter, Miss Frances, remaining for her vacation.

Miss Blanche Lawrence attended the Canadian club ball given at the Copley-Plaza, Boston, on Wednesday evening of this week.

The Oratorio society held a rehearsal on Thursday evening.

Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Whitney have been visiting in Boston and vicinity.

A number of the members of Westford Grange attended a meeting of Reading Grange on Wednesday evening, the party going in Carl Lydiard’s Reo Speed Wagon.

Obituary.  The following article concerning the death of Mrs. Sarah E. French, a former resident, has been received from a reader of this column:

The passing of Mrs. Sarah E. French, which occurred at the home of her sister, Mrs. W. E. Dyer, at 10 Lawson street, Lowell, on April 11, will be mourned by her many Westford friends, who had come to know and love her during the five years she resided in Westford as housekeeper for Charles O. Prescott.  She cultivated an amiable and cheerful disposition, and was thoughtful to give pleasure to others in quiet and unostentatious ways.  She had acquired the grace of giving so whole-heartedly that it was the way of giving as much as the gift, which charmed the hearts of the receivers.

At the time of her death and for several years previously, she had been an active and earnest member of the Westford Woman’s Christian Temperance Union.  Less than a year ago she entertained the union and was among those of this union who attended the county convention held in Holliston last May.  Among the many beautiful floral tributes which surrounded her, ere she was borne to her last resting place, gleamed the great bow of white, with the letters W.C.T.U. in gold, placed there by the loving hands of her white-ribbon sisters.

Mrs. French had been a member of the Tadmuck club while in Westford.  She is survived by the sister, with whom she went to live, and a brother, Mr. Hubbard, whose home is in Herkimer, N.Y., and several nieces and nephews.

Easter Sale.  The Easter sale held at the Unitarian church on Thursday afternoon of last week was a great success in every way.  The affair was in charge of the members of the Woman’s Alliance and they are very grateful to all who helped to make the affair such a marked success by their contributions and earnest endeavors.  The sum of $200 will be netted from the sale.  During the afternoon an entertainment consisting of recitations by Master Robert Hildreth, Master William Prescott and Miss Barbara Hildreth was given.  The table committees were as follows: Fancy, Mrs. Benjamin Prescott, chairman, assisted by Miss Lucinda Prescott; apron, Mrs. Charles Robinson, chairman, assisted by Mrs. Alec MacDougal; memory, Miss Julia Fletcher, chairman, assisted by Mrs. Addie Buckshorn; grab, Mrs. Annie Hamlin, chairman, assisted by Miss Alice Johnson; food, Mrs. John Feeney, Sr., chairman, Mrs. William R. Carver, Mrs. Alec Fisher, Mrs. Mary G. Balch and Miss Eva Fletcher; candy, Mrs. William R. Carver, chairman, Miss Elizabeth Carver, Miss Alice Heywood, Miss Elizabeth Wells, Miss Angie Parfitt, Miss Edna Hamlin and Miss Dorothy Heywood; entertainment, Mrs. Arthur G. Hildreth, Mrs. Addie Buckshorn.

Easter Services.  A large number attended the services at the Congregational church on last Sunday, the Easter concert program in the evening was as follows: Chorus, school; scripture reading, Harold B. Wright; prayer; primary department, “Welcome,” William Prescott, Elizabeth Bosworth, Rita Edwards, Vivian Hildreth, Mary Wilson, Dorothy Dubois, Olive Hanscom, Phyllis Wright, Lillian O’Brien; song for four boys, “Easter smiles,” Roger Bosworth, Gordon Whitney, Kenneth Smith, Howard Whitney; song and recitation, Miss Elva Judd, Olive Hanscom, Phyllis Wright, Lillian O’Brien; recitation for two girls, Elizabeth Bosworth, Rita Edwards; recitation, three girls, Vivian Hildreth, Mary Wilson, Dorothy Dubois; song, boys of junior department, Kenneth Wright, Herbert Ingalls, Cyril Blaney and Harold Wright; song, girls of the junior department, Inez Blaney, Genevieve Blaney, Ruth Metier; offering and notices; solo, Miss Elva Judd, “Her Easter choice,” Mrs. Disbrow’s class, Gladys Ingalls, Alice Swenson, Violet Green, Dorothy Anderson, Marjorie Sundbury, Viola Day, Ethel Ingalls, Charlotte Wilson, Marion Day, Ruth Swenson; chorus, school; “Farewell,” Ruth Hanscom; story and benediction, Mr. Disbrow.

Charles H. Wright and Miss Amy M. Schellenger joined the church on last Sunday.

About Town.  The to-be-champion potato raiser for 1924 in this potatoless town is Edward H. Keyes, who is planning to plant 100 bushels and to prove up his faith by his works or his works by his faith he bought his 100 bushels of seed potatoes last autumn and the whole north end of the town is to be turned upside down as a potato ranch.  If this planting makes an average yield it is liable for an output of 2000 bushels or more than all the combined smartness of the rest of the farmers in five years.

Mrs. Sarah E. French died on last week Friday at the home of her sister, Mrs. William E. Dyer, Lowell, aged sixty-two years.  Besides her sister she is survived by a brother, William Hubbard, of Herkimer, N.Y.  She will be remembered in town as the efficient housekeeper for several years for Charles O. Prescott, Main street, and was universally liked.  The funeral took place from the funeral church on Westford street, last week Monday.  The services were conducted by Rev. Everett E. Jackson, of the Highland Union M.E. church.  The floral offerings, the contributions of relatives and friends, were especially liberal and appropriate.  The bearers were Herman J. Drew, George Jones, Dennis Costello, John Greenwood.  Interment was in the family lot in Ridgewood cemetery in North Andover.

Mrs. John McMaster, Main street, near the intersection of Providence road, informs your correspondent that she had peas up March 15, and is planning on the first mess Decoration day.  Now if this all comes to pass (and we see no reason why it should not) the Old Oaken Bucket farm boy will be beaten by forty-eight hours, as his are ordered for dinner on June first.

We have been informed that Daniel H. Sheehan has bought a large cotton plantation in Alabama, and is planning to engage in raising cotton.

How many more young people have got to be drowned by the upsetting of canoes to prove that in the inherent nature of their construction they are most dangerously unsafe and more than doubly so in the turbulent freshet waters of the spring?  Society holds life so sacredly valuable that we quarantine ourselves against all contagious disease and then we go forth and skate on thin ice and sail the waters in the death-inviting canoe.  We should put the dangerous canoe under quarantine and never lift the embargo, and ditto thin ice.

Californian Troubles.  Have just received a letter from an old neighbor living in California.  In this letter reference is made to quotations in this paper from Clara Endicott Sears’ new book, “Days of delusion.”  I quote the following from the letter to show that we sometimes “build better than we know,” and this without any thought of ego, for I detest the word and all those who have the disease.

“Received the Westford Wardsman and the story of ‘Crazy Amos.’  Have not enjoyed anything so much for a long time.  Thank you very much for the story.  I am passing it around to a great many people here who are getting as much pleasure out of it as I am.  Please do a few more of those kind of things.  It is a good thing to keep such traditions alive, and the people who know these things not only to be true but were interested witnesses are fast dying out.  You know what is a tragedy for one generation is history to be proud of for the next.”

To show that the troubles of farm life are not all located in the wheat fields, but are scattered north, south, east and west, each point of the compass however thinking is has it all I quote Californian troubles from this letter:

“You people in the east have had all the rain and snow this winter.  We have had but little here.  This is the third bad year for the ranchers.  Two years ago I saw the most wonderful vineyards left with grapes hanging on the vines—no cars in which to ship them.  The same thing with fruits in the ‘Willow’ last year, the banks being forced to take over ranch after ranch.  The rice crop, which during the war made people very wealthy, now is a thing of the past; the people either spent the money or else reinvested it in more land.  Now the great rice fields are left to the wild ducks and the hunters.  We are having a terrible siege of the hoof and mouth disease out here.”

So it is evident that government rescue money cannot all be centered on the wheat farmers for there are bankrupt cotton and apples and milk [farmers] south, east, west and north, and the government had better keep out and stay out.  That California has had three bad years there is no reason to doubt, and the east has escaped three dry seasons in succession, and the spring of 1924 can boast of the largest crop of mud for many years, for when a citizen of Westford gets mired in the mud on Powder Hill road in Groton and it costs him five dollars to get dug out, it shows that the mud was not all on the Lowell road in Westford, for I was an eye witness to same in Groton, but it was not Powder hill mud.

Death.  Catherine M. Whidden, widow of the late George W. Whidden, a former resident of North Chelmsford, where she had resided for sixty-five years, died at the Blanchard hospital, Dracut, last week Monday, aged 82 years, 6 months.  She is survived by four grandchildren: Misses Effie M. and Mildred A. Perkins, of Lowell, Mrs. Marion Clower, of Easton, Pa. and Fred S. Perkins of Emporia, Kans., and three great-grandchildren, Audrey, Herbert and Gene Perkins, of Lowell, and three nieces living in Boston.  Mrs. Whidden, since the death of her husband, had made her home with her granddaughter, Miss Effie M. Perkins, in Lowell.  Mrs. Whidden’s husband, George W. Whidden, will be remembered as a resident and native of Westford, where his early life was passed and where his early education was obtained in the little red schoolhouse at the intersection of Groton and Oak Hill roads, at Whidden’s corner, this corner being named for his father, Joshua Whidden, and still carries the Whidden name as one of the historic places in memory of the large Whidden family who were born and lived their early life there.  One of this large family of Joshua and Martha (Fletcher) Whidden still resides at the Whidden corner, Augustus Fletcher Whidden, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the original Whidden family.

The funeral of Mrs. Whidden was held on last week Thursday afternoon from Saunders’ funeral parlors in Lowell.  The services were conducted by Rev. Percy E. Thomas, minister of the First Congregational church, Lowell.  There was special singing by Lilly Moran and Harry Hopkins.  There were many floral tributes.  The bearers were Benjamin Clancy, Mortimer Pearson, Daniel Quinn and Patrick Brown.  Interment was in the family lot in Riverside cemetery, North Chelmsford, where the committal service was read by the officiating clergyman.

Unitarian Church News.  An enjoyable concert was given on last Sunday afternoon at three o’clock by the pupils of the church school.  Miss A. Mabel Drew, the superintendent, presided at the exercises.  Banks containing the pupils’ contributions to the Children’s Mission, Boston, were received.  The program included recitations and songs by girls of the church choir.  At the conclusion of the program flower seeds were distributed and Rev. Frank B. Crandall gave a short address.  Among those who gave recitations were Alice Heywood, Robert Hildreth, Barbara Elaine [sic, Healey?], Arnold Prescott, Marjory Millis, Doris Peterson, Priscilla Greig, Adeline Parfitt, Donald Greig, Ada Cutting, Richard Hildreth, Eileen Downing, Edgar Peterson, Evelyn Millis, Ethel Bell, Ruth Mateer, Inez Blaney, Helen Greig, Genevieve Blaney, Dorothy Heywood and Angie Parfitt.

Church Notes.  First church (Unitarian) Sunday service at 4 p.m.  Special music by chorus choir: “Peace be unto you,” Scott, Miss Eleanor Colburn, soprano.  Preacher, Rev. William Ware Locke.  Church school at 3.

Easter Sunday was marked by a large congregation, and a wealth of beautiful flowers adorned the church.  A considerable part were memorial flowers.

The preacher on Sunday is minister of the Unitarian church in Lawrence and is a lineal descendant of the celebrated Dr. William Ware[1], Hollis professor of divinity at Harvard.

Graniteville.  The Abbot Worsted baseball nine will play the Redmonds of South Boston in a twilight game here on Friday evening, May 2.  The local team will play a return game in South Boston on Saturday, May 3.

The motion pictures were largely attended here on Tuesday evening, when the feature picture, “His children’s children”[2] was shown.

The festival of Easter was fittingly observed in St. Catherine’s church on Sunday morning when two masses were celebrated by the pastor, Rev. A. S. Malone, both being largely attended.  The second mass was a high mass.  The regular choir, under the direction of Miss Mary F. Hanley, sang the mass of St. Cecilia.  The solos were sustained by John Kelley, R. J. McCarthy, N. Pigeon, James May, Mrs. Mary Charlton, Mrs. J. H. Brown, Mrs. Marjorie Gray and Miss Laura McCarthy.  The pastor delivered an eloquent sermon on “The resurrection.”  The altar was beautifully decorated.

The Easter morning service in the Methodist church was well attended.  The pastor, Rev. A. W. O’Brien, was heard in an interesting sermon.  The choir, under the direction of George O. Wilson, gave a special musical program.  Miss Lilly Mae Moran, of Lowell was heard in a pleasing solo.  The Sunday school children gave a pleasing Easter concert in the church on Sunday evening under the direction of Mrs. A. M. Whitley and Mrs. Edmund de la Haye.  Miss Maud Whitley was the accompanist during the evening.

The members of Court Graniteville, F. of A., held a well attended meeting in their rooms on last Thursday evening.  Much business of importance was transacted and plans were formulated to entertain the members of the grand court here in the near future.

Miss F. Bernice Parker, nurse at the State hospital in Worcester, has been a recent guest at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. F. A. Parker.

Mrs. Reginald McAdoo and Miss Nelson, of Lowell, have been recent visitors here.

The pupils of the night school held an enjoyable party at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Deeming recently.  The evening was spent very pleasantly in playing games and other forms of amusement.  During the evening Miss Mary Profita gave several pleasing readings.  Songs were given by John Boyd and Mr. Deeming, while the entire company united in singing many of the old songs.  Prizes in gold for those who made the most progress during the winter months were awarded Miss Nora Gagnon and Miss Inez Brule.  Miss Emma Wood is president of the night school organization and Ernest Deeming, treasurer.  Mr. Deeming gave a brief talk complimenting the pupils on the good work that had been accomplished during the night sessions that have recently closed, and hoped that all would be found in attendance at the night school when it opened again in the fall.  During the evening dainty refreshments were served.  Thanks were also extended to Mr. and Mrs. Deeming for their kind hospitality.  The whole affair was a great success.

Members of the board of registrars will meet in the town hall at the Center on Saturday evening from 7:30 to 9.

News Item.  E. J. Whitney and Mrs. H. M. Bartlette [sic] of Westford have returned from Kissimmee, Fla., where they spent the winter.  On their homeward trip they enjoyed a pleasant visit with friends in Mount Dora and Jacksonville, Fla.

Ayer

News Items.  The third and fourth degrees were worked on a class of twenty-five candidates at the meeting of the Grange on Wednesday evening in Hardy’s hall, with inspection by Deputy Arthur Fairbanks, of Templeton.  Ayer patrons to the number of 118 were present, while Shirley, Groton, Harvard, Bolton, Westford, Boxborough, Ashby, Templeton, Winchendon and Greenville, N.H., were represented, as well as other towns. …

Real Estate Transfers.  The following real estate transfers have been recorded from this vicinity recently:

Westford, Claude L. Allen to Agnes Kemp, land on Pine Grove road; Joseph Wall to William L. Wall [son of Joseph], land in Forge Village. …

[1] Probably either Henry Ware (1764-1845), who took part in founding the Harvard Divinity School and the establishment of Unitarianism, or his son Henry Ware, Jr. (1794-1843), also an influential Unitarian minister and a member of the Harvard Divinity School faculty, is meant. Dr. William Robert Ware (1832-1915), a graduate of Harvard and an important American architect, was not a part of the Harvard Divinity School.

[2] “His Children’s Children is a lost 1923 American silent drama film directed by Sam Wood and starring the winsome Bebe Daniels. It is based on a novel, His Children’s Children, by Arthur Train. Famous Players–Lasky produced and Paramount Pictures distributed the film.” See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_Children%27s_Children.