The Westford Wardsman, December 21, 1918
Center. A merry Christmas and a happy new year to the readers of the column.
Mrs. George E. Jenkins, of Marblehead, has been spending a few days with Mrs. Alma M. Richardson.
John P. Wright, of Cambridge, was in town Tuesday evening at the home guard drill, remaining over night at the home of his cousin, Harwood L. Wright. He reports his family well and enjoying his new home in Cambridge. Mrs. J. E. Bright is also living in Cambridge with her daughter and family.
Mrs. O. V. Wells’ little daughter, Elizabeth, who has been so seriously sick with an attack of appendicitis, complicated with an attack of chicken-pox, is resting much more comfortably.
Westford friends of William L. Woods are sorry to hear that he is confined to his home in Somerville with illness.
George F. White has completed the installation of a milking machine run by electric motor power for his thoroughbred herd of Ayrshire cows. Mr. White has just recently added a high pedigreed imported Ayrshire cow to his herd.
Beginning Monday of this week the new schedule on the branch line electrics is as follows: Leaves Westford at 6:40, 7:40, 8:40, 11:40 a.m., 12:40, 1:45 sharp, and then every forty minutes past the hour until 5:40 p.m. Cars leave Brookside on the hour at 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 11:00 a.m., and in the afternoon at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 and 5:00, the two latter cars waiting and connecting for the trains leaving at 5:20 and 6:20 p.m. The first car on Sunday leaves the village at 7:40. This present schedule makes a ten-hour day for the men.
A recent marriage reported to us is that of Miss Helen Socrelis [sic, Socorelis] to James [Demetreos] Pappas [Pappasconstantenu], of Lowell. The latter has been in the wholesale fruit business in Lowell for the past seven years and is well-known in the Greek colony. He has purchased for himself and bride a new, modern bungalow in Dracut, where they have set up housekeeping. Following their marriage the young couple enjoyed a ten-days’ wedding trip to Boston, Worcester, Springfield and New York. The bride is well and favorably known in Westford; also, in Littleton and Groton where she had conducted a successful fruit route.
Mrs. Annie Barnard, who is spending the winter with Mrs. Willis Hildreth, goes to Brookline to spend the holidays with her daughter, Miss Florence Barnard. Mr. and Mrs. George W. Goode go to Chelsea to spend Christmas with Mrs. Goode’s sister, Miss Grace Litchfield. Mrs. Lillian Lumbert goes to Wellesley to be with her home people over the Christmas season.
Mrs. Frank R. Comstock is reported sick with influenza at her home.
The Misses Atwood and Mrs. C. D. Cushing have arrived safely in Jacksonville, Fla., although three days later than they expected to.
At the farmers’ institute dinner last week Friday a fine box of oranges were [sic] furnished by Winn, Ricker & Co., of Boston, the well-known produce merchants. These were given for the dinner and the generosity of this firm was much appreciated by Westford friends. Westford fruit-growers have sent a good many shipments to this firm. Mixed with some nice apples, generously contributed by H. G. Osgood, they added much to the attractiveness of the dinner tables.
Word has been sent to us of the recent birth of a little son to Mr. and Mrs. Valentine Wetmore, of Boston, which has been named Charles Inglis Wetmore, after his late uncle of Westford, whose sad death from pneumonia, a victim of the influenza epidemic, took place earlier in the autumn. The little namesake is to be called Inglis as his late uncle was and thereby do the parents perpetuate in loving memory the name of Charles Inglis Wetmore.
The weekly drill of the home guard will take place on Monday evening instead of the usual Tuesday evening, the change being on account of the Christmas holiday.
Dr. C. A. Blaney has bought the so-called Frank Fletcher house on Boston road, occupied by Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Knight. Mr. and Mrs. Knight are to move to the house next [to] the postoffice, recently occupied by Miss Loker and Miss Bunce. This will make a pleasant central location for Mr. and Mrs. Knight and their family of school teachers.
The regular meeting of the Red Cross took place on Wednesday afternoon at Library hall. The meeting next week will be held on Friday afternoon and after that there will be two sewing meetings a week for a while to finish the quota of sewing for the branch. Will willing needlewomen please take notice and help on these relief garments still so very much needed overseas.
It was Charles A. Blodgett’s birthday anniversary which was so pleasantly celebrated at his home last week Wednesday evening and not Mrs. Blodgett’s as was erroneously stated in our account of last week. Sorry for the mistake, but glad it was so kindly taken by those directly concerned.
The owner of Nashoba farm authorizes any outstanding bills due payable to the manager, J. A. O’Connell.
It’s pretty nice for the family and friends of our boys overseas to get the various news of them since the great happening of November 11. Harold and Leon Hildreth write of expecting to be home soon. Edward Clement writes a good letter to his home people that he is well. Mr. and Mrs. Henry M. Wright, of Quincy, receive word of their son Livingston that as an ambulance man in the army of occupation, and we understand in German territory, will not be home at present. Mrs. Helena M. Bartlett has had word from her son Perley in France, just recovering from a siege of pneumonia.
Robert and Moreland Wetmore and Richard Savage have been recent visitors in town.
This wonderful peace Christmas of 1918 is to be celebrated in many places with special music, Christmas carols and community sings. Westford is not behind and next Tuesday evening at about eight o’clock, or as soon as the children’s Christmases at the two vestries are over, there will be special outdoor singing if the weather at all allows. A special rehearsal will be held this week Friday evening at the Congregational vestry at 7:45, and anyone who can sing much or little and who is at all interested come and rehearse. This is in charge of Mrs. C. A. Blaney and Mrs. William R. Taylor.
The second meeting of the Tadmuck club for December was held Tuesday afternoon at library hall, a relief work meeting with the program in charge of Mrs. Harold W. Hildreth. Mrs. Hildreth gave a clever review of Archibald Marshall’s well known story of modern English life, “The squire’s daughter.” Mrs. Hildreth also read a splendid war poem, “Carry on,” by Robert Service. home was her sacred sanctuary where she labored in love and died attached to its exemplification. She is survived by five children, John, James, George of Westford, William of Seattle and Mrs. Arthur Cole of California, and seven grandchildren.
The usual and unusual Sunday school Christmas festival of the Unitarian church will be held on Tuesday evening. Children’s entertainment from four to six o’clock; supper at six. Through the generosity of the Abbot Worsted Company there will be moving pictures, commencing at 7:45. This new Santa Claus at 7:45 is open to the welcome public.
With all the cheer of the Christmas season we must avoid wasteful extravagance. A one-time innocent feature of this celebration and in a very limited small way was the Christmas tree, now grown to carload and trainload lengths, highly contrary to the efforts of conserving our forests.
Farmers’ Institute. The first farmer’s institute of the year was held in Westford last week Friday with a successful attendance, there being about 200 present, the largest institute for several years. Edward F. Dickman, committee on institutes, acted as starter.
Dr. George M. Twichell was ill with the second edition of the influenza, and Henry H. Howard, of Newton, gave the address. He is a large market gardener, has fourteen acres of land and employs seven men. He believed that you should follow a continuous line and not shift with every adverse fluctuation. As a specialist in raising lettuce he got only $7.50 for an acre once, reset the same acre and cleared several hundred dollars, so don’t be a weather vane in farming.
The noon hour was devoted to dinner, which was abundant and a lot of it.
After the dinner had been partaken of Edward F. Dickinson as starter and timekeeper, exhibited some after-dinner movies. Mrs. Alice Livingston Gage, of Lowell, entertained with humorous readings. Hon. Charles A. Kimball, of Littleton, recalled the pleasant memories of the days when he was in the old seventh senatorial district. He congratulated the people in their loyalty to wheatless, meatless, heatless, eatless, sugarless, sleepless days, but he wondered how some folks were going to get off at national prohibition as ordered so to do on July 1. We have often thought of that ourselves and have began [sic] to practice daily on it so that the jolt will not be too sudden at the terminal, July 1. Rev. William Anderson and Rev. L. H. Buckshorn saluted the firing line with numerous uppercuts and right swings of wit and wisdom in the farming community. Others who were tagged for the after-dinner show could not be exhibited for lack of time.
The afternoon session pulled in at two o’clock. Prof. Sears of Amherst, as seer in raising fruit, was unable to be present and Walter B. Farmer, of Hampton Falls, N.H., who is developing one of the largest and best managed orchard and poultry plants in the east, took his place. His personal appearance and presentation of his subject has started a desire to visit his place and a trip may be planned for the coming season.
The high school and academy scholars attended the afternoon session in a body which was as inspiring and useful as school gardening.
The ladies are to be congratulated on the efficiency of the dinner, the janitor on the efficiency of heat and the farmers and others in town and towns for the light of their countenances.
The next institute will be held in Lowell in early January, the speaker and place of meeting to be announced.
Forge Village. Rev. Endicott Peabody, headmaster at Groton School, occupied the pulpit at St. Andrew’s mission on Sunday afternoon and the large congregation listened to his sermon with deep interest. The Christmas tree exercises are to be held on Tuesday evening at St. Andrew’s mission.
The new and very attractive looking houses that have been erected in Pershing square are now in the hands of the painters and will soon be ready for occupancy. The houses are being built by the Abbot Worsted Co.
Leo Cushing, son of Mr. and Mrs. Omer Cushing, who enlisted in the navy at the outbreak of the war, has left for France. His ship, the New Jersey, left early Sunday morning, probably to bring home troops.
The Russian cemetery was dedicated last Tuesday afternoon and the bodies of the three men and two-year-old child who died here during the epidemic of influenza were taken from the vault at Fairview cemetery and buried in the Russian cemetery. The bodies were placed in the receiving tomb at Westford until the newly-purchased ground was cleared.
The committee in charge of the Red Cross campaign are making a house-to-house canvass and oblige them by having your dollar ready. It is the very least you can do for your country and the soldier boy. This is not for charity—it is for humanity. If your boy did not have to go across, thank God for your luck and give twice. Those in charge of the funds here are Miles Collins, John McNiff, Misses Emily and Annie McNiff, Harriet O’Neil, Annie Cavanagh and Rose Molloy.
Officers Elected. The members of Loyal Self Help lodge, I.O.O.F., M.U., held a very interesting meeting and also the last one of the year in Abbot hall on Monday evening. The business affairs were found to be in a very satisfactory condition and three new members are to be initiated at the next meeting. The following officers were chosen for the ensuing year: Fred Davis, n.g.; Francis Lowther, v.g.; Arthur Beaver, elect. sec.; George Weaver, per. sec.; William Burnett, treas.; John Edwards, lect. mas.; Charles Benson, g.m.; Frank Gregory, delegate to district meeting; John Spinner, alternate. At the conclusion of the meeting Francis Lowther presented the treasurer, William Burnett, with forty-five dollars as a gift from the Odd fellows for long and efficient service. Mr. Burnett was very much surprised, but rose to the occasion and thanked those who had so thoughtfully remembered him. Mr. Burnett has been treasurer of the organization for twenty-six years and has been a loyal and faithful member.
Letter from France. Miss Harriet O’Neil has recently received a letter from her brother, Private John O’Neil, of the medical department, 21st Engineers, 1st Battalion, France. The letter, in part, is as follows:
Just a few words to let you know I am in the best of health and hope you are all the same at home. Things are kind of quiet just now. I guess it is pretty near the end. I hope so; we don’t want to spend another year in this place. We had quite a little time a few days ago. It was a lovely day and the aeroplanes were out for Heinies. About three o’clock in the afternoon we heard the shooting above us, but could not see anything. After a few minutes a machine came down slowly, flying in circles. He came down about as low as the housetops. The sun was shining bright and we could not see who it was until he happened to make a turn against the sun and then we saw it was a Fritzie, so the boys just let him have it with their rifles and finally they got him. My what a crash! I guess he had got hit in the flight above and was trying to fix his troubles and get away. If he had landed he would have been alive now, but when he kept circling over us the chances are he would have cleaned us out with his machine gun when he had got his machine fixed. Anyway he did not get the chance.
That night some of his pals came over and gave us a hot time. I can thank God and your prayers that I am writing now. I was in bed when they came over. I heard them coming, dropping bouquets as they came. I just jumped up and into my shoes—we sleep with our clothes on bright nights—and by that time he was almost over us. I did not have time to get to the dugout and he was dropping them right along the trench, so I just dropped in a shell hole, when bang! right near me I felt the ground shake, and I am sure my heart stopped beating. I did not know I was in a shell [hole] until afterwards, because I just threw myself down, and as it happened I struck the hole. Well, they beat it then without doing any damage at all except the holes they made, and those will mean more wash water for us. I was buried from my waist down, but I was mighty lucky at that. I saw the hole he made, and it was just about as far as our first apple tree and the door from me.
Well, dear sister, I guess I’ll close, wishing you all a happy Christmas and hope to be with you soon after, so good-bye, with love to all, and God bless you.
The postmen in Portugal save themselves much walking on Sunday by delivering letters at church.
Littleton
News items. All officers and men discharged from the service, both soldiers, sailors and marines, on returning home are to register immediately with the city or town clerk of their home towns. This is done so that every town may obtain a complete list of every man who has served in the army, navy or marine corps. The town clerk in Littleton is Oliver J. Fairfield, and it is hoped that no one in the excitement of returning home will forget this last order to register.
Ayer
Hydrant Broken Off. A heavy army auto truck from the camp broke off a hydrant in front of the Page hose company’s quarters on West Main street Wednesday night about 9:30 o’clock, releasing a volume of water that flooded the street as far as the railroad overhead bridge, quite a distance west of the broken hydrant. A volume of water rushed out of the hydrant with terrific force, making gullies in the highway and on the sidewalk on the north side of the street. A bad washout occurred in front of E. O. Proctor’s garage, the water causing a deep gully under the sidewalk and running under the west side of the garage. Fortunately, the water did not get into the business establishments along the street, thereby averting a very serious loss which no doubt would have resulted. E. O. Proctor, water commissioner, and E. H. Bigelow, superintendent, succeeded in shutting off the water before any great damage was done.
It is estimated the 75,000 gallons of water was lost before the water could be shut off from the gates connecting with the broken hydrant.
The turning off of the water left the houses in the western part of the town without water for a time. None who had occasion to use water knew of the reason why their supply was cut off and supposed the water was frozen in the pipes. Many got busy in “thawing” out their service pipes, when in fact they were not frozen at all. When the situation became known the next morning there was considerable fun at the expense of those who had been deceived from this cause.
Passing of 76th. The 76th Division, recruited and trained in New England, passed out of existence on Tuesday when the last units of the division were discharged at Camp Devens. The twenty-seven remaining officers were formally discharged on Wednesday. The records of the division fill eighteen boxes, which will be sent to the adjutant general in Washington. The division headquarters is disbanded and the skeleton organization of any other remaining units and regiments of the division become casual troops. These are the men who returned from France on the Transport Kroonland last week.
Honorable discharges were given to 743 men on Tuesday, including members of the 76th Division, the 282nd Aero Squadron and part of the aero service squadron which recently arrived on the Transport Canopic, negroes in the 48th company, two companies of the development battalion and others from the Depot Brigade.
Although thousands are being discharged from the camp almost equal numbers, including wounded soldiers from overseas and men transferred from other camps are constantly arriving, which makes the number at camp now about 35,000, nearly as much as were there at any one period since the camp was opened to the recruits. The men coming in are from many states of the union, including California and other far western points.