The Westford Wardsman, August 23, 1919
Center. Miss Edith A. Wright has the sympathy of a wide circle of friends, she having undergone last week at a private hospital in Boston a serious operation. She is now reported as resting more comfortably and getting on as well as possibly could be expected.
Mrs. Alice M. Wells has been detained at home, suffering the discomforts of an attack of mumps.
Weather conditions were so unkind to the plans for the annual Cavalry reunion and outing last week Thursday that it was postponed to this week Thursday.
Foundations are in and work under way for the new home of Alexander Cameron, opposite the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Julian A. Cameron.
Charles O. Prescott has recently returned from a vacation at Manomet, where he has been with Rev. and Mrs. Charles P. Marshall. Mr. Marshall has recently returned from France after most interesting experiences in Y.M.C.A. work.
The teaching staff for the schools is not complete, but will be given next week. At the academy, Principal Roudenbush will be assisted by Miss Cohen, and Mrs. Harold W. Hildreth will assist a part of each day. The name of the new assistant will be given later, as well as the Frost school staff.
Mr. and Mrs. S. B. Watson are enjoying a trip of a few weeks away from home, going south to visit Mr. Watson’s kinspeople, and other points of interest. Mrs. Emma Day is staying with Mrs. Maria Day during their absence.
The Parker family have moved this week from Seavey’s tenement to Mr. Watson’s vacant tenement.
We are told that Everett Miller is to transfer the school children in an auto bus at the beginning of the school term.
At the single service of the vacation period at the Congregational church last Sunday evening at 7:30 J. W. Rafter conducted an interesting service with a good attendance. On Sunday evening Miss Sarah W. Loker will lead the meeting and her subject will be “Some illustrations from the parable of the sower.” Everybody welcome.
At a lively baseball game between Chelmsford A.A. and Littleton A.A. at Whitney playground last Saturday afternoon, Chelmsford defeated Littleton by the score of 8 to 3.
We quote the following from a recent daily paper; “New York, August 18—Sergt. Leroy Bicknell, of Westford, Mass., a member of Company D, 9th Machine Gun Battalion, who arrived on the Agamemnon, wore the Distinguished Service Cross, Croix de Guerre and Military Medal, awarded in recognition of his achievement when, without aid, he rescued a captured machine gun crew. In making this rescue he killed several Germans and took nine prisoners.” Sergt. Bicknell is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Chas. H. Bicknell, and his safe arrival home to his family and home friends is welcome.
Wagoner Edward Clement has also arrived at New York from overseas after a year of service in France.
We hoped to be able to announce the tax rate for 1919 last week, but the assessors were not ready until a day later with their findings. The rate this year is $17 per $1000, against $15.30 last year. The increase in state and county taxes is one reason for this advance. The books will not be committed to the collector for another week, it is expected.
Death. The death of Mrs. Mary Louise Morin took place early Tuesday evening at the home of her daughter, Mrs. J. D. Isles. Mrs. Morin, who was aged 69 years, 9 months, 1 day, had been ill during the summer. She was a quiet and unassuming woman, but always pleasant, sympathetic and kindly to meet, and devoted to the interest of her home and family, to her children and grandchildren, and in the latter part of her life to her two little great grandchildren.
The deceased is survived by her daughter, Mrs. J. D. Isles; her daughter, Miss Mary Morin, who came from California earlier in the summer to be with her mother, and a son, Frank Morin, in California. Mrs. Morin made a trip across the continent to visit these two children during the later years of her life, which experience she greatly enjoyed. She also leaves her granddaughter, Mrs. Hilda Isles Bosworth, and two great-grandchildren, as well as two grandchildren in California.
Interesting Excursion. The excursion of fruit-growers arranged by the Middlesex County Farm Bureau on Wednesday proved a most interesting and profitable day, and was successful in every way, reflecting the greatest credit upon those who had the affair in charge. It was estimated that 200 automobiles were in line, each with two, five, seven or more passengers.
Even to those who are in touch with modern and progressive orcharding this trip to some of the most successful orchards in the county was a revelation. The meeting place was at the extensive Frost farm in Littleton, owned and operated by N. L. Frost of the Frost Insecticide Co., of Arlington; Mr. Wilbur, farm manager; then going to John Hardy’s famous Baldwin orchards. Mr. Hardy thoroughly understands “grafting” in the right sense of the term. Next were E. H. Priest’s fine orchards of apples and peaches, then to Walter Kimball’s for lunch. This fine location, with its beautiful views made doubly attractive with the perfect weather conditions was most enjoyable; also, the after-dinner speeches.
The other stops which we would like to give more space to after-driving through Boxborough, a fine Baldwin section, to C. D. Wetherbee’s farm in Stow, then to the Homestead farm, owned and operated by the Wetherbees (five of them), then to the fine Lyman Priest farm in Gleasondale; next to the Dexter Dodd farm in Hudson. Here was demonstrated some expert packing methods and was displayed the top notch in a box of Astrakan apples, the same bringing $6.50 per box in the market.
The other stops were at F. Howard Brown’s, Marlboro, Highland Fruit Growers’ Exchange Roadside Stand, Marlboro, and at the Ames Brothers’, East Sudbury, after which came the departures for home after a day of pleasure and profit unmarred by any accident or other unfortunate happening.
Those going from Westford were O. R. Spalding, H. M. Seavey, Marden Seavey, E. J. Whitney, Ralph Bridgeford, Arthur Walker, Arthur E. Day, H. G. Osgood, George Spalding, William Pollock, Norman Day, Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Wheeler, Leon F. Hildreth, Mr. and Mrs. William C. Roudenbush, Mr. and Mrs. Frank C. Wright, Mr. and Mrs. Warren Wright, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Nesmith, Alfred Tuttle, Miss Ruth Tuttle, Robert H. Elliott, Thomas H. Elliott, Rev. and Mrs. William Anderson, Mr. and Mrs. Fred L. McCoy, S. L. Taylor, Mrs. Fred A. Snow, Perry and Stanley Snow, C. M. Griffin, Artemas Griffin, Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Sutherland, Mr. and Mrs. David Olhsen, Miss A. Mabel Drew and party, William E. Wright, Kenneth Wright, Judson Sweetser, Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Flagg and party.
About Town. George O. Jackson, having disposed of his real estate in Forge Village to the Abbot Worsted Co., has bought the Knowles place in West Chelmsford, a cottage house, barn and about 1 ½ acres of land and several henhouses. Mr. Jackson will engage in the poultry business. The neighborhood is delighted at the prospect of having so good a neighbor. The Knowles sisters, who have been making the place their home for many years, will move to Chicago and make their home with their brother. The Knowles family lived for many years in Graniteville, where they are still well and favorably known by the older residents.
Miss Eleanor Read, of Barre, is visiting in town with headquarters at the Decatur homestead.
The Read-Drew farm on Main street and Stony Brook road [162 Main St.] are up to the advanced class in methods in orcharding. Of late they have been thinning the Baldwin apples and sending them to Boston, where they have sold for $1.50 per bushel. They have bought three carloads of boxes, delivered at Westford station. They have harvested 175 crates of currants which average better than twenty cents per quart box. This modern fruit farm is kept at thrift point by chemicals mostly. Nearly all the rocky pastures of the once famous Zack Read farm are covered with fruit trees. The interfering stones have been introduced to dynamite. There is a very abundant scarcity of help which sets the brakes against the pace they are equipped for.
Mrs. George Howard and two sons, George and Lawrence, from Bound Brook, N.J., are visiting at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. S. L. Taylor.
Miss Luanna Decatur, who is a very successful teacher in New Rochelle, N.Y., arrived home last Saturday to stay until after Labor day at the Decatur homestead. It was a coincidence that Mrs. Howard and Miss Decatur took the same express train from New York city, but didn’t see each other until they alighted at Brookside station.
Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. F. A. Snow and two sons, and John A. Taylor motored home this week from a two-weeks’ stay at Hotel Iduna, York Beach, Me. Mr. and Mrs. William Woods came home the same day in their car from the same hotel.
Paul N. Gladu died at his home in Chelmsford Center, Thursday, August 7, aged fifty-two years. He was ill only about two weeks from a paralytic shock. He moved from Westford to Chelmsford about a year ago. While a resident of Westford he owned a small farm in Parkerville on the Concord road, where he lived for about twenty years. He was a member of Westford Grange and was a remarkably genial man to meet. Besides his wife he leaves four sons and a daughter and his father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Alexis Gladu, of Sherbrooke, Canada, where the subject of this sketch was born, but most of his life was spent in Massachusetts. The funeral was held from St. John’s church, North Chelmsford, Saturday, August 9. The bearers were Daniel and Patrick Healy and John Wrigly, of Chelmsford, Gedon and Ferdinand Leduc, of Graniteville, and Hercules Gagnon, of Lowell. Burial was in St. Joseph’s cemetery in Lowell.
Only a small gathering was in attendance at the open air lawn institute at the Bryant farm, Dracut, last week Wednesday. Hibbard’s orchestra furnished the music of the day At eleven o’clock W. D. Hemenway gave a much needed address on “Beautifying the home and community,” and at two o’clock W. R. Kinney, secretary of the Worcester-North society, spoke on “An eight-acre high school garden.” Besides these attractions representatives of the farm bureau were present to give demonstrations and invite discussion on the classification of apples and vegetables.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Trull, of Detroit, Mich., have been visiting his mother, Mrs. George H. McGregor, of Westford corner. Mr. Trull reports crops in the west as suffering from a long continued drought and that the expected bumper crops will not bump as per prophesied expectation.
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Myers and Mr. and Mrs. John S. Greig motored to York Beach recently and returned over Sunday. While there they met Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Taylor and Mr. and Mrs. Fred A. Snow.
Miss Luana Decatur, who has been teaching in New Rochelle, N.Y., is at home for the summer vacation.
We are glad to welcome Mr. and Mrs. Quincy Day back to town. Mr. Day is engineer at the Sargent machine shop.
For the number of trees, David Sherman on frosty Cold Spring road has the best display of peaches. All the trees are loaded to the prop up point.
Picking twenty-three quarts of blueberries in 4 ½ hours, or 5.1 quarts an hour, is the statement of the doings of James B. Tuttle, of Acton, of his efforts, and claims to be the champion of the county and challenges all on-comers. This challenge will have to be accepted quickly or the blueberries will all be rainfalls and windfalls. The writer, has done the above with berries, leaves and branches, but Mr. Tuttle is too good and reliable to be built that way.
Graniteville. The Abbot Worsted Co. baseball team visited Forge Village on last Saturday afternoon and at the big outing held by the M. U. Oddfellows defeated the Forge Village A.C. by the score of 19 to 4. Munroe, the young twirler who has done such excellent work for the F.V. team this season, started on the slab for Forge Village, but retired in the third in favor of Downing of the Camp Devens team, who was batted hard, 15 runs being scored on him. Batteries, Munlo and Liston for the Abbot Worsted Co.; Munroe, Downing, Spinner and Greenslagh for Forge Village. Umpires, Reed and McTeague.
Next Saturday the Abbot Worsted Co. will play the strong T.R. and T. club of North Billerica on the local grounds in Graniteville. The Billerica boys always have a fast team and the game promises to be a good one. Game called at three p.m.
Rev. Francis Curry, O.M.I., of Washington, D.C., who has been stopping at his home in North Chelmsford for the past few days, celebrated both masses in St. Catherine’s church here last Sunday.
Mrs. Joseph Conture [sic, Couture] and Miss Laura Conture have recently returned from a very enjoyable vacation spent with relatives at Tiverton Beach, R.I.
Mrs. Bernard Moran of Nashua, N.H., is spending a few days at the home of Miss Hattie O’Brien in West Graniteville.
Miss Inez Crawford of Boston has been a recent guest of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Defoe in this village.
Miss Mary Dailey of Manchester, N.H., has been a recent guest of Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Healy.
Sergt. William F. Buckingham, a Graniteville boy with the famous 2nd division, has recently returned from overseas duty and has received his discharge at Camp Devens. He is now at his home here.
Mrs. Catherine Espie of Fitchburg has been a recent guest of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Wall.
Miss Catherine Conley has recently returned from a visit spent with relatives in Lynn.
A Successful Outing. The Social club held a very successful outing at Lake Nabnassett last Sunday afternoon. George Gower had general charge of arrangements and aided by an able corps of assistants, ran off a fine list of sports during the afternoon. The first was the ball game between the Old Timers and the Young Fellows, the latter winning by the score of 8 to 6. The game created great interest. The other events and the winners were as follows:
100-yd. dash, P. Healy 1st, F. Gagnon 2d; three-legged race, Gagnon and Reeves 1st, Healy and Prinn 2d; girls’ race, E. Prinn 1st, G. Healy 2d; sack race, P. Healy 1st, J. Boyd 2d; shoe race for boys, F. Milat 1st, E. Harrington 2d; half-mile run, P. Healy 1st, F. Gagnon 2d; wheelbarrow race, Wood and Boyd 1st, Richard and Reeves 2d; ladies’ race, E. Woods 1st, M. Dube 2d; swimming race, ¼ mile, J. Shackleton 1st, Reeves 2d; potato race, A. Boudseau 1st, O. Reeves 2d; novelty race, F. Wood 1st, L. Reeves 2d. The closing feature was the three inning ball game between the young Climbers and the Girls’ club. The girls plainly showed that they follow the game closely and the Climbers were defeated by the score of 9 to 2. Refreshments were served during the afternoon and the first outing of the club was voted a great success. All had a thoroughly good time.
Forge Village. A fourth-class postmaster’s examination will be held by the civil service commission in Ayer on September 13, as a result of which it is expected to make certification to fill a contemplated vacancy in Forge Village. The compensation of the postmaster at this office was $587 for the last fiscal year. All information may be obtained from the local postoffice. Mrs. Elmer E. Nutting the efficient and courteous postmistress, has sent in her resignation to take effect in September. Mrs. Nutting succeeded her brother the late Daniel Splaine [who died Aug. 10, 1902], who took the office over twenty years ago.
The Odd Fellows field day at the athletic grounds last Saturday drew a large crowd. The attraction was a ball game between the Forge Village A.C. and the Abbot Worsted Company team. The latter won by the score of 19 to 4. Other attractions were sports of different kinds. Refreshments were on sale. The training school band of North Chelmsford rendered music during the afternoon.
A son [Charles Flanagan] was born to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Flanagan on Sunday evening [August 17].
Rev. Arthur L. Bumpus, a former vicar of St. Andrew’s church, called on former friends here the last of the week. Mr. Bumpus is spending his vacation in Shirley with Mrs. Bumpus and their little daughter.
The Misses Alice Walsh and niece, also named Alice Walsh, and Mary Delaney are spending their vacation at Salisbury Beach.
Miss Annie Hunt is visiting relatives in Ware.
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Cockroft, of Ware, returned home Monday after an enjoyable vacation spent at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Hunt.
Mr. and Mrs. James Wisely and three children, of Newark, N.J., are enjoying their vacation as the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Thompson.
Shirley
News Items. A soldier, apparently demented, paid a visit to the Phoenix and Mitchelville crossing-tenders last Monday night and held them up at the point of his gun. Camp Devens authorities are now looking for the soldier.
Ayer
News Items. The aeroplane at Camp Devens ran out of gasoline while flying near Concord last week Friday and landed in a potato field of the Concord Reformatory, turned turtle and was badly damaged, but the occupants were not hurt. Saturday army trucks brought it to the camp for repairs.
The Salvation Army hut on West Main street has been sold to William S. Foley, on whose land it is situated. Adjutant Arthur B. Armstrong, who has been in charge of the Salvation Army work at Camp Devens, left town on Wednesday after the sale had been completed and the Salvation Army’s property had been removed. He goes to Canada for a few months, but expects to return to Ayer for a short visit during the fall.
In the Boston papers on Monday appeared a story to the effect that six peddlers had been driven from town after first attempting to bribe State Officers Lawrence J. Schofield and James Devereaux, who had charge of them. The men were charged by army officers with swindling soldiers by charging excessive prices for the good they were selling. The peddlers were all from Boston. After being driven from Camp Devens, it is said that the men offered large bribes to the two state officers if they were allowed to sell their goods in Ayer and agreed to stand an occasional “pinch” if necessary. Their offers were to no effect and they were placed aboard the train for Boston. The Boston papers state that one or more of them will probably be prosecuted shortly for attempting bribery.