Turner's Public Spirit, December 29, 1923
A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
Center. Miss Maud Robinson, of Washington, D.C., is the guest of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Robinson, over the holidays.
Charles Robey, who is at the Lowell General hospital, is reported as resting comfortably and showing a slight improvement.
Miss Katherine L. Ott, of the academy faculty, is spending her Christmas vacation at her home in Shrewsbury.
Miss Blanche Lawrence, of the William E. Frost school, is spending her vacation at her home in Amherst, N.S.
Mrs. John Samuelson [nee Jeanette E. Clement] and daughter Jeannette [sic], of Rockport, who have been recent guests of the former’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Clement, are at present the guests of Mrs. Samuelson’s sister in Lowell.
Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Knight spent Christmas in Hudson, N.H., the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Campbell.
The selectmen have issued a new order, beginning December 22, restraining all dogs for a period of ninety days. All dogs must be muzzled or kept off the streets for that length of time unless conditions warrant the lifting of the ban before the expiration of the time.
An enjoyable Christmas party was held at the last meeting of the Grange on Thursday evening of last week. Each member brought a Christmas gift which were numbered and distributed among those present. The affair proved very enjoyable for those who attended. At the next meeting the new officers will be installed by the gatekeeper of the State Grange, George Preston, of Wenham. The Grange recently presented Mrs. Charles MacLean of Ayer, and Mrs. Henry Ewing, of Littleton, with five-dollar gold-pieces. Both are popular members of the local organization, who have married recently. Mrs. MacLean was formerly Miss Rachel Wall [married Nov. 11], and Mrs. Ewing before her marriage was Miss Ruth Johnson [married Nov. 21].
Mrs. Sidney B. Wright has returned home from the Lowell General hospital.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank C. Wright entertained a large party on Christmas day. Among those present were Burt Decatur, of Springfield, Lawrence and Warren Gagnon, of Lowell, Mr. and Mrs. Warren Wright and Miss Lena Gagnon, of Chelmsford, Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Wright and family of this town, and Mr. and Mrs. Fraiser [probably Fraser], of Groton.
The young people from the Unitarian and Congregational churches sang carols on the streets on Monday evening after the exercises at the churches.
Calvin Howard and family, of Littleton, spent Christmas day as the guests of Mrs. Sarah and Miss Mabel Drew.
Dr. and Mrs. C. A. Blaney entertained Mrs. Blaney’s brother, Winthrop Pond, and family of Framingham, Christmas day.
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Clement entertained Mr. and Mrs. J. Edward Clement on Christmas day.
Christmas exercises with a tree were held at the Congregational church on Monday evening. Each child received a box of candy and a gift, and an entertainment was presented by the children of the Sunday school, consisting of recitations, songs and piano selections. Santa Claus was present as usual to see the little folks.
Chief of Police Whiting was called to the state road not far from Wayne’s bridge about three o’clock Sunday morning to investigate an auto accident, whereby one of the occupants sustained a broken leg and was removed to St. John’s hospital, Lowell. The car, which was owned and driven by a Mr. Welch, of Hudson, skidded and left the road, the car tipping over. The car was badly damaged and later removed to the garage of Harry Whitney for repairs, while the occupants were taken to Hudson by Fred Burnham.
Mrs. George Walker has returned to her home from the Lowell General hospital.
Allister MacDougall, manager of the Middlesex Extension Service, and family, of Lexington, spent Christmas in town, the guest or Mr. MacDougall’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Alec MacDougall.
Miss Alice Heywood has been awarded second prize for canning in Middlesex county. Little Miss Heywood [13 years old] has won many prizes at the fairs for her splendid work in this line, and her many friends will be pleased to learn of her latest prize.
About Town. The Daniel Gage Ice Company ice-cutting teams, loaded with hay and grain to [feed] the horses, also loaded with snow scrapers and other ice tools, passed up the Lowell road last Saturday headed for Forge pond. Evidently they will not cut much ice until the drowning-skating season is passed, and at the time of writing it is 10° above freezing and 40° above zero; more favorable for drowning than for ice.
I read with much interest the short punches of the Man About Town, and particularly so in that direct punch on the bootleg booze situation which reads, “Say what you will about prohibition, it is easier for young men to dodge bootleg booze than it was to get by the swinging doors of the old saloon.” Say, do you know that I have a good mind to cut that out and mail it to the editors of the Lowell Courier-Citizen. But upon reflection I don’t know as it would do any good, for I read, “And the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart.” [Exodus 10:20, among others]
I note with much pleasure the marriage of Miss Lillian Upton at the home of her grandparents, Representative Fred L. Snow and Lillian Snow, of Tyngsboro, to Maxwell G. Sherburne, of Tyngsboro. Rev. Albert C. White of the Unitarian church performed the ceremony.
Once more the project to make the Merrimack river from Newburyport to Lowell navigable for ocean steamer has been rejected by the board of engineers for rivers and harbors. The report has been approved by Major-General Beach, chief of army engineers, who joined with the board in saying that the project would serve no commercial purpose or necessity. This is certainly wise sense, for we have got more means of transportation than can live and pay dividends to stockholders. Why split up a nonpaying dividend business with some more nonpaying dividend transportation nonsense. This is the same plan that came up before the Massachusetts legislature as far back as 1913, when the state was asked to contribute several millions to help the cause along. Others wanted dredging for ocean navigation and it was right here that Rep. Fessenden of Townsend wanted to have Townsend Harbor and Squannacook brook look first for “this way for steamer to Ireland.” I voted the Fessenden amendment, and I am planning to slip up there before long and visit friends and see how the amendment looks in action.
The first of five joint debates between fundamentalists and modernists was held in Calvary Baptist church, New York city, last week Thursday evening. Rev. Dr. John R. Stratton, pastor of the church, and one of the city’s most outspoken conservatives, spoke for the fundamentalists, and Rev. Charles F. Potter, pastor of the West Side Unitarian church, spoke for the modernists. The question was, Resolved, “That the bible is the infallible word of God.” Dr. Stratton, of course, argued the affirmative. The board of judges, composed of two Episcopal ministers and a Christian Scientist, were unanimous in awarding the decision to Rev. Charles F. Potter on “the manner in which the arguments were presented” and not on the merits of the arguments, which the judges did not pass upon. One of the debates to follow will be in substance, “The origin of man, bible or evolution.”
The usual early skating accidents preceding the joyful Christmas season. We readily admit the truth of the old saying: “One swallow don’t make a summer,” but parents and children alike and face to face with yearly drowning accidents have yet to learn that from 60° in the shade to a sudden 10° above zero does not make safe skating. We can excuse skating youth, but it is inexcusable in parental judgment.
Miss Luanna B. Decatur is home from her school duties in New Rochelle, N.Y., for the Christmas-New Year’s holidays.
Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Taylor spent last Saturday in Boston, otherwise called the “Hub,” around which the universe revolves.
Mrs. Martha Taylor Howard, of Bound Brook, N.J., writes that her Christmas tree had especial interest in that it came from the Piedmont Forestry Co., in charge of Archibald D. LaMonte, of Bound Brook, N.J., chief of the New Jersey forestry department, and a cousin of Thomas LaMonte of the Pierpont Morgan firm in New York city. Mr. LaMonte is in the business of growing Christmas trees and says that there is good profit in doing this–$1500 or more an acre. New Jersey has six state forests with an area of 17,000 aces. Over 250 private individuals have set out plantations on otherwise unprofitable land.
Over-production. The Farm Journal for December, after giving a lot of wholesome advice to the farm bloc in congress, closes with this sensible advice: “This list of recommendations will not cover all the troubles that will confront you this winter. Our concern is that the farm bloc shall continue to function and that it shall deal wisely with what agricultural measures will come up. We want farmers to get what they want from congress, just so far as this coincides with what they need and ought to have. On the other hand we believe there is very little that congress can now do for the farming business. It should stand on its own feet and fight its own battles, and this it can do and will do if it is not lulled into a feeble dependence on the government for things that can only be successfully done by farmers themselves.” Hurrah, this is the kind of farm bloc that I endorse—“do it ourselves” and not the farm bloc, whose motto is “Let George do it.”
As a hearing on “do it ourselves” I wish to review some of its failures. Let us consider some of the natural obstacles. First, there are 30,000,000 farmers in the United States and more than 3000 miles apart from the Atlantic to the Pacific, with every variety of soil, climate and market conditions, and every variety of farm products. Second, more and worse we are a heterogeneous conglomeration of every nationality on earth, and all of them from out of the earth and ranging in intelligence and moral development all the way in degree from the comparatively recently arrived from Frogdom to the immortal Emerson. Third, let us remember that the government is powerless to remove these natural obstacles to cooperative farming. Of course congress could pass a resolution to remove these obstacles and it would be just as effective as the nations of the world to come together and “Be it resolved that war is outlawed and we are not going to have more of it.”
We quote from the Rural New Yorker: “Of all the cooperative farming organizations that have started in the United States, three-fourths have gone out of existence and here are the chief causes: looting on the part of the managers; honest but inefficient and unbusiness-like management; over capitalized, under capitalized, jealous squabblings on the part of the farmers. (This last, I guess, is the real show down of the whole trouble.) This attempt at cooperation is older by one year than the writer of this article [Samuel L. Taylor, who was born in Westford Dec. 4, 1845].
Too much cotton seventy-nine years ago and human nature obstacles remain the same today and cannot be resolved into a change. Cotton, as early as 1840 overproduction drove the price from fifteen to five cents per pound. In 1844 cotton eclipsed all previous records and the price to the farmers fell to three cents a pound, and this led to an attempt to control the price by reduced acreage and all attempts for eighty-seven years to control the price by controlling the acreage have failed, for all the cotton farmers would agree to it and many who signed to reduce played back down and not until the Lord took a hand and sent the boll weevil has the acreage been reduced and the price sent skyward. Bless the boll weevil say some cotton farmers.
But to get down closer home. There has been a unanimous advice from the government and Mr. Little Fellows for the western wheat farmers to reduce the acreage of winter wheat sowing to help relieve the present congested wheat market, but present indications are that the acreage will exceed that of last year. Here is some more human nature, scattered as they are over millions of acres and too far apart to know what the other is doing; each thinks the other will reduce and so the price will go up; hence all hands increase their acreage. Some with potato spots in the west fell off; Maine, New York and Idaho took a double-up turn, hence there is surplus enough to prevent a scarcity price.
I recall perhaps forty years ago, be this as it may as by time, it was when Ayer was Groton Junction; this resolution performance was passed, but not lived out. A mass meeting of all the milk farmers in the towns around Ayer met at this central point: “Resolved we will not sell milk below the price agreed upon at this meeting”—and what happened? “Resolved individually that we will sell milk for any darn price we can get,” and all but two farmers in Westford broke the original resolution agreement. Until we can get some of this greedy, selfish, jealous disposition weeded out of our system so that we can sell a quart of milk together without flying at each other’s throats over it, it is down right dishonorable dishonestly to ask the government to prop us up financially with money wrung from other industries that are doing business as a business unit, while we thirty million farmers are as ancient in our business methods as Noah’s ark. Let the farmers pay the penalty tax and stop their groaning and grunting about.
Prohibition and Evolution. I have before me an editorial in the Lowell Courier-Citizen that is so remarkable for its illogical comparisons that I have a desire to show these two or more bright, smart fellows. The editor asks, “Is it really to legislate that mankind shall think only what Mr. Bryan thinks than it was to legislate that no one shall ever drink anything but what Mr. Bryan Drinks? It comes to that when one reads of these legislatures soberly enacting that within the jurisdiction represented no public teacher shall venture to inculcate the lessons drawn from the evolutionary hypothesis of human development. As we recall it one state has already passed such a law and one or two others have escaped the same absurdity by only a narrow margin.”
In the first place, gentlemen, don’t be so inconsistently prejudiced in favor of rum and the rum crowd as to senseless and untruthful statements in an attempt to show that there is both law and constitution preventing anyone from drinking or thinking only what Mr. Bryan drinks or thinks. This line of comparison is the most senseless and illogical attempt to prop up your darling god, the rum traffic, that was ever tossed out of any brains this side of the frog pond—where our ancestors lived. Why, bless your dear, darling brains, let me see if I cannot clear up the clot on them that the rum consideration has apparently left them. Briefly, intoxicating beverages are a menace to health, to wealth, to business, to moral [sic, morality], to sanity, to satisfy on the road, to church, school, town, state and nation and civilization. Do you deny it? If you do you would deny that two and two is four and stick to it like a contrary minded hog. And more there is no evidence to show that there has been suffering, mentally, morally, physically or materially, as the result of enforcing the constitution decree of the people against your god, the rum menace. Now where does the Darwin theory of “The origin of man” fit in so awfully dreadfully logical that if Mr. Bryan wants to prohibit it being taught in the public schools that it is no worse to thus prohibit to Mr. Bryan’s thought than it is to prohibit to Mr. Bryan’s thought on drink. Well, no, let’s see where we come out? Is there anyone outside of the mentally defective who would for a moment contend that believing in “evolution” was a menace to health, wealth, morals, “safety first” a menace to all the virtues of marriage, family and home-life and civilization; if so it hasn’t yet appeared to do much business, and if so some of our most scholarly evangelicals belong to the menacing “evolution” company and believe it both scriptural and scientific.
Personally I do not care what I sprang from. What concerns me most is that which I am springing towards. Rum is hard pressed for props and editors hard pressed for logic when they try to connect Bryan as rum prohibitionist and Bryan “evolution” prohibitionist, for there is not as much logical connection as between man and croaking frogs, for we all have spells, at least I do, when I croak beyond my brain equipment to interpret it as evidence of “the missing link.” If I was an editor I would scratch the hair all off my head in an effort to dig out something more sensible, reasonable and logical than Bryan anti-rum and Bryan anti-evolution; if I could not I would let my hair grow again and dry up and shut up on the eighteenth amendment.
To the Editor: Just a few preliminaries before I enter the ring and shake hands. I did not intend to hide in disguise behind any anonymous correspondence, and as a correspondent for the Westford column I always sign my name. But if that is not enough I will say right out loud that my name is Samuel Law Taylor, a real Scotch-Yankee name, which I have been lugging around for more than seventy-five years, and in many respects I do not know as much as I did when I first commenced to lug it around. I belong to that open-mouth class of whom the minister said in a sermon in Westford several years ago, “An empty wagon makes more rattle than a loaded one,” and he lashed right out at me, but I kept on going to church just the same, for it is not best to take offense at the truth.
In the ring now, I quote: “Then your correspondent’s picture of the league as made up of fifty and more snarling, snapping nations doing little but adding jealousy to jealousy is but another score for our ignorance. I can’t help wondering what ignoramus he got it from.” Here are some of my ignoramus sources: Enough for me to know that the United States senators, specially charged with foreign affairs, read this pact of nations, spent months in discussing it, turned it down with an overwhelming thud, and this turn-down was endorsed by the most overwhelming endorsement by the people ever recorded in the annals of a presidential election. You may sneak out of the meaning of this vote as all apostles of “peace at any price” do by shouting “Wilson nonsense.” Wilson wasn’t running and his free trade tariff had not damaged us any so as to fetch that overwhelming turn-down because the world war prevented its operating; but this was thunder and lightning from the common people against mortgaging our liberties to the dangerous world pact. And to back up this conclusion, James Cox, democratic candidate for president, soon after his nomination, paid a visit to President Wilson and appeared after the visit with a smile on his face that reached clear around and buttoned on his backbone as he said “I am in perfect harmony with President Wilson.” From that time on it was evident that the league of nations was to be the vital issue.
Now if you with the peace folks deny this had anything to do with the presidential vote, let us add that President Wilson’s words on the league issue: “I refer it to the solemn referendum of the people,” and he certainly got the decision, but his pet got buried and it is likely to remain there as a “closed incident.”
Now if you do not believe that the vote of the presidential election was an overwhelming turn-down of Wilson’s pet idol, “the league of nations,” I advise you join Zion out near Chicago, whose head boss teaches that “the world is flat; doesn’t revolve on its axis, because it hasn’t any to revolve on, and no need of any because the world is stationary. The sky is a solid dome and its edges rest on the earth, and what is called the sun, moon and stars are only chandeliers set in the sky dome.” Now, sir, if you can believe that the presidential vote in 1920 was not the protest of the people against the league of nations, then you are fully prepared to join this Zion contradiction of proven facts. One is as believable as the other.
Aside from the United States senate as an ignoramus and the verdict of the people as another ignoramus, and the lamented President Harding as another ignoramus, succeeded by the silent Calvin as another ignoramus, then there is Senator Lodge, another ignoramus and such has been chairman of foreign affairs for the last quarter of a century (and say, to digress a little, I would give more for his judgment on foreign affairs than all of the ministers in the United States—and this is nothing against the ministers). Aside from these ignoramus sources I add the following daily and weekly papers: Four farm papers, Congregationalist, Christian Register and daily contact with common ignoramus folks like myself as I find it helpful to exchange ignorance.
My picturing of foreign countries as snarling and snapping shows that I am in ignorance and all my sources of course are ditto. And then he bids us all listen while he quotes Guy Inman of the Christmas Century: “I wish every one of my countrymen could have had the experience I had at Geneva at the league headquarters and at the council of the league. It is about the liveliest finest and I might say largest and most unselfish organization for the brotherhood of man that I have seen in all my years of travel.” Well, I want to know, if this is such a lively unselfish paradise of nations, let me ask a question: Why are they so anxiously pleading for the United States to come in and pull the chestnuts out of the fire that they haven’t in their jealousy dared to do? Speak right up loud in meeting, brother, so that we can all hear. Why doesn’t this brotherly crowd drive France out of the Ruhr? They are there in violation of the Versailles treaty. They do not dare to do it. Why don’t they stop Germany and other nations arming beyond the same treaty agreement? They don’t dare do it for fear of precipitating another world war. If they are such a helpful organization why does England desert France in her attempt to collect her debts due from Germany? “Jealousy,” that’s the answer. Oh, and they are such a helpful gang—turned the Christian Armenians over to the brutal mercies of the butchering Mohammedean [sic] Turks. Oh, this league, aren’t they just lovely in their brotherly helpfulness?
In view of what I have called off of the list of some of their helpfulness, I feel like joining in the thought of Inman, “I am not sure but what the league of nations is doing more of the work of Christ in healing the wounds of this bleeding than are some of the organization that call themselves Christianity by name.” I wonder if any of these Christian organization use a butcher knife and hatchet to teach Christianity with? In view of the fact that America entered the world war in her loyalty to justice, sacrificed thousands of lives, piled up a huge debt and loaned money that there is little prospect that it will ever be paid, “expect nothing, got nothing and want nothing,” it is slanderous in the extreme to refer to the American people in the closing of Mr. Kent’s communication; it is too slanderous to quote and so clearly untrue. I will only say that I am agent for Roosevelt’s Ananias club in this and the surrounding towns. If anyone knows of any suitable candidate send me their name. S. L. Taylor
Church Notes. First church (Unitarian)—Sunday service at 4 p.m. Music by chorus choir: “He giveth His beloved sleep,” Roecket, Miss Eleanor Colburn, soprano. Preacher, Rev. Frank B. Crandall, the minister. Subject, “The challenge of the New Year to the Liberals in the churches.” Church school at 2:30 p.m.
Last Sunday was marked by a beautiful and impressive service of which the special Christmas music was the feature. The church was adorned with beautiful laurel wreaths, hung at the windows, provided through the generous kindness of Mrs. Alice M. Abbot [widow of Abiel J. Abbot]. The chorus choir, which moved in processional through the main aisle to the chancel at the singing of the processional, “O come, all ye faithful,” sang with great credit to themselves and their director, Miss Eleanor Colburn. The preacher’s discourse was an interpretation of the stories of the Nativity.
A meeting of the parish will be held Saturday evening, January 5, at 7:30 o’clock at the vestry.
Members of the parish feel great satisfaction that through the cooperation of the Village Improvement society, the tower clock of the church now can serve the community at night as well as by day.
On Sunday the preacher will take notice of the pastoral letter of the Episcopal bishops, pointing out that the liberals at all the churches are challenged together and jointly share a grave responsibility for the future welfare of the cause of religion.
The Christmas exercises for the young people were held on Monday evening and consisted of a party at four o’clock at which time games and dancing were enjoyed, followed by a supper at six o’clock, with a Christmas entertainment and tree at seven o’clock. Each child received a gift and candy and oranges were distributed. The entertainment of the evening consisted of a piano solo, Elizabeth Carver; recitation Robert N. Hildreth; piano duet, Elizabeth Carver and Edna Hamlin; violin solo, Betty Prescott; piano solo, Helen Greig; piano duet, Elizabeth Wells and Julia Fletcher. Two short plays “The Christmas spirit” and “Here I am,” were given by the children of the Sunday school.
Y.P.R.U. Dance. The Westford Y.P.R.U. [Young People’s Religious Union of the Unitarian Church] dance held at the town hall Friday evening of last week proved an even greater success socially than their first party of several weeks ago. A large number attended, including young people from Ayer, Littleton, Forge Village, Graniteville and other places.
The decorations were a feature of the occasion. The ceiling lights were decorated with cut crêpe paper and streamers ran from the lights to the center of the ceiling. The windows were decorated with crêpe paper headers and streamers. The stage was decorated with evergreen trees banked to the rear representing a spruce grove. Among the trees a moon, the work of Miss Mary G. Balch, shone out with beautiful effect in the moonlight dances.
Inspiring music for dancing was furnished by the Foley-Gray six-piece orchestra of Lowell. Refreshments of Arctic sweethearts and homemade cake were served during the intermission by young ladies of the society. The arrangements were in charge of Gordon B. Seavey, Fisher Buckshorn and Leon Hildreth.
Townsend
Center. Christmas day visitors in town included Mr. and Mrs. O. McNeal and family and Mrs. Marie McNeal, of Worcester; Mr. and Mrs. B. C. Cumming, of the Harbor, at S. Gilson’s; Mr. and Mrs. Frank Smith, of Worcester, at L. Z. Watkins; Mrs. Carmichael and Miss Sarah Precious, of Forge Village, and Mrs. B. A. Barnes of North Scituate, at the home of S. Keefe; Mr. and Mrs. H. L. Beckonert and Mr. and Mrs. B. H. Macker, of Fitchburg, and Harry Spaulding, of Sharon at the home of M. Spaulding; Mr. and Mrs. Edward Austin, of Brentwood, N.H., at the home of C. Going; Mr. and Mrs. Louis Streeter and son Herman, of Waltham, at the home of T. E. Flarity.
Ayer
News Items. Benjamin Normand returned home on last Saturday from a visit at the home of Philip Prescott in Westford.
Among those from this town who attended the dance given by the Westford Y.P.R.U. in the Westford town hall on last week Friday evening were the Misses Evelyn Johnson, Ruth Harlow, Alice Rand, Mildred Pillman, Rachael Turner, Bertha White, Caroline Hopkins, Dorothy Whittier, Marion Dwinell, Beryl Proctor, Gladys Pillman, Marjorie Fletcher and Gladys Proctor, Mrs. George H. B. Turner, Rev. and Mrs. Frank B. Crandall, Roger D. Johnson, Edward Hopkins, Frank C. Harmon, Alexander S. Gibb, John Turner, John Henry, Donald Martin and Benjamin Normand.
Mrs. Sacie [sic] Sanders, Miss Doris G. Dickerman, Miss Julia Hooley, Leon M. Huntress and Rev. Frank B. Crandall went to Westford on Thursday evening, where they played in the cast of “The Cassilis engagement,” given for the benefit of the Westford Legion Auxiliary, and played by the same persons here last year for the benefit of the Woman’s club. The play is to be repeated this Friday evening in Forge Village. Mrs. Charles E. MacLean accompanied them as pianist.
District Court. On Saturday morning Mrs. Eva Tracek of Westford was before the court charged with a sale of liquor to Charles Cardell. John Tajduss of Westford, who occupies a tenement adjoining that of Mrs. Tracek, was before the court charged with keeping and exposing liquor for sale. Upon request of counsel his case was continued until December 29. After hearing the evidence against Mrs. Tracek the court also continued her case until December 29 for disposition. Attorney John D. Carney appeared for the government in both cases. Attorney Robert H. J. Holden appeared for Tajduss and Mrs. Tracek was unrepresented.
Stanley Wilk of Westford, charged with operating an automobile in Pepperell while under the influence of liquor, had his case continued until December 25 [sic].
Real Estate Transfers. The following real estate transfers have been recorded from this vicinity recently:
Westford—Claude L. Allen to Mary T. Lombard, land on Littleton road; Wilford G. Blodgett to Abbot Worsted Co., Westford, land on Central street; Frederick Davis et al. to Abbot Worsted Co., Westford, land at Forge Village; Delia D. Flanagan et al. to Abbot Worsted Co., land at Forge Village; Pearl E. Johnson et al. to Abbot Worsted Co., land on Forge Village road; Joseph A. Leclerc to Marie Tousignant, land at Forge Village; Annie Naliwaiko et al. to Charles A. Blodgett et al., land on Groton road; Marie Tousignant to Joseph Tousignant, land at Forge Village; George H. Weaver to Abbot Worsted Co., land on Pleasant street; George D. Wilson to Abbot Worsted Co., land on Pleasant street.
Hollis, N.H.
News Items. Mr. and Mrs. Howard Barnard and Mrs. L. C. Plaisted visited their brother and other friends in Westford and Acton Sunday.
Notes:
“The Nashua, Acton & Boston [Red Line] Railroad passed under Powers Rd. through a stone arch beneath the road called the John Wayne Arch, or Wayne’s Bridge. It was named for John Wayne, Jr. (c. 1838-1922), the farmer and Civil War veteran who lived on the south side of Powers Rd. just west of the railroad.” Robert W. Oliphant, The Westford Gazetteer (2010).
The idiom “One swallow doesn’t make a summer” means “that because one good thing has happened, it is not therefore certain that a situation is going to improve.” See https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/one-swallow-doesn-t-make-a-summer.
“The Cassilis Engagement,” a comedy in four acts by the English playwright St. John Emile Clavering Hankin (1869-1909), was written in 1907. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John_Emile_Clavering_Hankin.