Turner's Public Spirit, February 16, 1924
A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
Center. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Carter were recent guests of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur G. Hildreth.
Joseph Perkins, the young son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Perkins, is ill with scarlet fever.
Master Cyril Blaney is improving after his recent accident.
The Athletic club of the William E. Frost school, under the direction of Principal Percy Rowe, held a coasting and skiing party on Prospect hill on Wednesday afternoon. During the afternoon a Frankfurt roast was enjoyed and hot coffee and cookies were served. The young folks report a very pleasant affair.
Leonard W. Wheeler, who was reelected as tax collector, has given long and efficient service to the town. Mr. Wheeler first came into office in 1903, filling an unexpired term, and has served in the office ever since. At the time of his appointment there were four-years’ back taxes to collect, in addition to the other taxes. The yearly report of the tax collector would indicate that he has performed his duties in an efficient manner.
The subject of Rev. Edward Disbrow’s sermon at the Congregational church on Sunday morning will be “The inseparable love of God,” and in the evening, “Washington, the genuine aristocrat.” The Oratorio society met at the church on Thursday evening at which time plans were made for organizing. Horace N. Killim is the conductor and Miss Daisy Precious, accompanist. Miss Edith A. Wright was in charge during the entertainment hour.
The following telephones have been installed recently: Rebecca LeDuc 118-13, Walter O. Beebe 6-14, Leo Provost 118-12, William Baker 6-6, John Edwards 6-12 and Clinton B. Davis 64-32.
Death. John Wilson, a highly respected citizen, passed away at his home on last Saturday night [sic, Sunday Feb. 10, per Westford Vital Records] after a short illness following a shock [i.e., a stroke]. He was a civil war veteran, having served in the 30th Massachusetts Volunteers. His age was 80 years, 12 days [sic, 13 days]. He is survived by two daughters, Annie, wife of George Kimball, and Miss Florence Wilson, also, two sons, James D. and T. Arthur E. Wilson, and eighteen grandchildren. The funeral was held at two o’clock on Wednesday afternoon and was largely attended, delegations being present from the Veterans’ association, Sons and Daughters of Veterans and the American Legion. The latter organization conducted a military service with reading of ritual by Capt. Packard, vice commander, and prayer by Frank C. Johnson, chaplain. Rev. Edward Disbrow conducted the services and the singing [was] by Mrs. Edith Pond Blaney. A firing squad under H. E. Whiting, sergeant-at-arms, made up of Edwin Bruce and Frank Ball of West Chelmsford, and Arthur Cook, Norman Young, Joseph Perkins, Joseph Walker, Clarence Hildreth and Arthur Greenslade of the local post fired a volley at the grave and taps was sounded by Gordon Seavey, bugler.
The flowers were profuse and beautiful. The pall-bearers were Everett Jarvis, George Kimball, James D. Wilson and T. Arthur E. Wilson, and interment was in the family lot at Fairview.
With the passing of Mr. Wilson the ranks of the [Civil War] Veteran’s association has been reduced to three.
Annual Town Meeting. The annual town meeting was held on Monday. A large number of voters crowded the hall when the articles were acted upon. Hon. Herbert E. Fletcher and Alfred W. Hartford were the moderators for the day.
The election results were as follows: Selectman, Frank L. Furbush; tax collector, L. W. Wheeler; school committee, Arthur G. Hildreth and Martha G. Whiting; town officers elected without opposition were town clerk, Charles L. Hildreth; assessor, Elbert H. Flagg; overseer of poor, Charles A. Blodgett; treasurer, Frederick Meyer; trustees of J. V. Fletcher library, Julian A. Cameron, 3 yrs., William Roudenbush, 1 yr.; cemetery commissioner, Wesley O. Hawkes.
By a vote of 270 to 205 the town voted not to allow the sale of certain non-intoxicating beverages.
There were fifty-nine articles in the warrant. The two most important were those wherein $38,000 was voted for [the] school at Graniteville, and $85,000 for a six-room building at Forge Village; $6000 was voted to erect a memorial on Westford common for world war veterans; $300 to light Westford Home with electricity. It was also voted to accept the town by-laws as printed. Other appropriations were as follows: General government $6600, police department $2300, fire department $2800, sealer of weights and measures $125, fish and game warden $75, moth department $3000, tree warden $300, forest fires $1000, health department $300, brush cutting $500, outside aid $700, Westford Home $5500, soldiers’ benefit $600, schools $62,700, public library $2200, Memorial day, $380, care of common $250, town reports $600, Legion headquarters $200, town scales $25, liability insurance $500, cemeteries $900, cattle inspector $150, reserve fund $2000, outstanding bills $1160.62, overdraft $1185.84, Farm Bureau $400, schoolhouse at Graniteville $38,000, new school at Forge Village $85,000.
It was voted not to rescind the vote to withdraw from the school union.
The finance committee includes H. V. Hildreth, A. H. Burnham, J. A. Cameron, P. H. Harrington and G. F. White.
Town Meeting Notes. A reader of this column sends the following notes on the town meeting:
With all the extra interest because of contests for election and about schoolhouses there was absolutely no disturbance—not even an excited argument on the side. That is something highly to the credit of our good old town.
Did the clear northwest wind cool the heads as well as the toes?
When all others were looking for more money the tax collector [Leonard Wheeler] moved a 25% cut in his compensation.
Out of 1003 registered voters, by extraordinary effort 837 voted—16 ½% failed to vote. Did everybody get out who might?
About Town. Mrs. Lucy O. Keyes, ninety-two years old, was out and voted at the town meeting last Monday, being the oldest woman in town.
I have just received a postal from our old townsman, Hiram Dane, who is at the Soldiers’ Home, near Sawtelle, [a Los Angeles neighborhood,] Cal. He is sending me a copy of “our home paper,” containing news facts and other facts that may be of interest to his native town. He appears to be in his usual spirit of interested in public welfare.
The Daniel Gage Ice Company, with teams and ice tools, passed down the Lowell road on Wednesday afternoon in the direction of Lowell, which appears to indicate that they have finished cutting ice at Forge pond, and thus all the worry about no ice crop seems to be only a chance to exercise “lost motion” and without encore.
The last article in the Chelmsford town warrant in regard to North and West Chelmsford being set off as a separate town was unanimously thrown down and out of the door. It does not look very encouraging as to when the proposed new town of Elderville will be incorporated.
Those interested will remember that a hearing on the petition of W. R. Taylor and others of Westford in regard to rebuilding the road from the Littleton town line easterly to its intersection with the Boston road near the Amos Leighton farm, will be held at the courthouse in Lowell on Monday morning at ten o’clock. The county commissioners will be there to take your testimony.
A bill has been introduced into the legislature to allow Lowell to annex some of the suburban suburbs around Lowell. If this bill passes it carries a referendum with it. Already North and West Chelmsford have held several public meetings, looking towards annexing themselves to themselves as a separate town to be known as Elderville or some other equally appropriate name. Going through with this it will separate them from the mother town of Chelmsford, and thus will Chelmsford have two daughters, Westford and Elderville. This proposed new town is paying 67% of the taxes and think that they do not get a fair share of the expenditures. Besides there are many natural barriers that suggest a separate town. A writer under Chelmsford Center news says, “If Chelmsford has got one grain of common sense in its brains it will let them set up for themselves.”
There still resides at the intersection of Groton and Dunstable roads Matthew F. Downs, who will be ninety-nine years old next August 25. He was born in Vassalboro, Me., served on the police force of Augusta several years, moved to Lowell where he was employed as watchman and special police on the Corporations; moved to that part of Lowell known as Middlesex Village; became manager of the Middlesex hotel, and moved from there to the old historic and widely known “brick tavern,” [266 Groton Road,] where he has resided for the last forty years. While not the oldest person born in town he is the oldest resident of the town and holds the Boston Post gold-headed cane. His apparent health would be hard to duplicate and so I will not attempt the task. He was out to town meeting.
Mrs. George H. McGregor, of Westford Corner, who has been visiting her son, Charles M. Trull, in Detroit, has gone to Lakespur [sic, probably Larkspur is meant], Cal., where she will visit friends for some time.
Having made a success of getting rid of our birds we are urged to organize into rat clubs and observe special rat days in a concentrated effort to rid us of rats, who are credited with destroying yearly property valued at $3,650,000,000 and equivalent to the earnings of over 3,000,000 men. Rats are credited with being responsible for more untimely deaths among man than all the wars of history. This being thus and so and more, what say you to forming a rat club to club the rats?
Here is a conundrum and there should be more such proposed as they are all easy to ask and answer. It is a town meeting conundrum and Westford is not involved because we have not got our reservoir of wisdom drained down so low as to make it necessary to ask such a conundrum. “Why is it wiser to appropriate the sum of $850 for a Fourth of July celebration than it is to appropriate even one cent to encourage girls and boys in agricultural demonstration work?” There is a question for you to answer at the bar of financial common sense and ordinary everyday wisdom, and you have got a year to think it over in and see then if you can come to your faculties enough to answer it. It is refreshing to report that the town of Ayer at its recent annual town meeting appropriated $200 for an agricultural director—this includes the rising youth, boys’ and girls’ club work and not confined to a lot of old, hopeless hayseeds.
The largest vote in the history of the town was registered on Monday, for out of a possible 999 registered voters nearly 900 votes were cast. The town gave down its milk with but little kicking as was expected, and voted to build a new six-room schoolhouse at Forge Village on land already acquired of the Abbot Worsted Company, and to build a four-room addition to the Sargent school at Graniteville, and voted to borrow $125,000 worth of money to do this work with. The next equally wise vote was appropriating $400 to encourage the youth of the town in up-to-date, intelligent agricultural canning clubs and clubs without cans. Personally I am always glad to vote something beneficial for youth whether for school or farm, even if I have got to be a gray old hayseed and most ready to blow off the stalk.
The next meeting of the Grange will be held on Thursday evening, February 21—whist party; music; every brother bring two or one cakes; every sister bring sandwich or sandwiches; every officer bring a sugar cup of sugar or honey.
Successful Vermont. We have been fed up so much lately on the picture of the farmer going into bankruptcy, and then the almshouse as a final terminal, that it would be good for our health to feed up a little on a more optimistic picture. The picture is taken of Vermont, the native state of President Coolidge. “Eighty-six percent of Vermont farmers own their farms and the percentage of city home owners is almost as great. Vermont’s farm labor is paid from $6 to $11 per month more than the average farm labor of the country. The annual value of agricultural products approximates $85,000,000. Milk checks totaling more than $1,500,000 come into the state every month of the year. The per capita value of dairy products is $77.20, the highest in the country. Maple sugar leadership nets the state almost $3,000,000 each year. The annual value of Vermont fruits is almost $2,000,000. Forest products on the farms are valued at more than $6,000,000. In the maple sugar industry there are more than 10,000 producers of this commodity in the state. In 1922 5,559,000 trees, or 33% of all the trees, were tapped in the country. There are about 34,000 wage-earners in the state receiving wages of about $35,000,000. The capital employed in manufacturing amounts to $134,314,000.
Such is condensed Vermont under the same weather laws and bug-worm and pest troubles and the same variations in prices of farm produce as appears elsewhere in the land of the free and home of the brave, where the universal wail is, “Please, Mr. Uncle Samuel Government come to our financial rescue before we get swallowed by whales” without the brain ability of Jonah to make a successful landing. For aside from Teapot Dome stealings the chief difference financially considered between success and failure is a temperamental brain affair which no farmers’ bloc, however wisely built, can remedy.
Peaceful Germany. I was much interested in reading under Ayer news last week the account of conditions in Germany as given by Warrant Officer Freier, who was the leader of the 5th Infantry band at Camp Devens last summer. I wish to quote one of many vital statements: “Rather than endure his present manner of existence the average German would sooner go to war against his enemy, come what might.” Officer Freier predicts that “it is only a question of Germany recovering sufficiently to gain strength and resources before a new conflict against France will be launched.” So say we all, or ought to be able to see clear enough to say so, for if Germany has got any love for anybody or anything that is not labeled German some of us have got to be shown what it is.
The recent insult to the American flag and people at the death of ex-President Wilson ought to convince anyone that has a teaspoonful of brains with enough gray matter to make it constitute an ordinary intelligence that all this talk about reducing down to a peace basis so low that we could not cope with an ordinary visit is but the working of an intelligence of a little nigger, where in India they used to throw their infants into the Ganges river and themselves before the juggernaut to appease the wrath of higher up.
Interesting Report. I read carefully, as well as several times, the annual report of our fish and game warden, who signs up as “Joe Wall,” so I am not going to waste any needless time in approaching Mr. Wall. I wish to quote a little from his report: “In making this report I will say I don’t see as many small birds as were formerly in our woods and fields.” Well, now see here Mr. Joe Bird Warden, are you sure that you saw them all? Of course I know that you do not need to have very powerful magnifying natural eyes to see all of the birds that live in the “Land of the free and the home of the brave,” but to be serious, Joe, did you see and count those two birds that occupied 200 acres of land in the Stony Brook valley? And say, Joe did you see those six hunters who were after those two birds?
Here is a list of labors of love Joe has performed for the good of the cause. “The following is a list of ponds and brooks stocked by me the past year. This does not include all the fish that have been put in the ponds and brooks of Westford, as the Lowell Fish and Game association has put in a lot of blue fins of which I have no record. Most of the blue fins were put in Forge pond. I also saved 6000 small horn-pout [brown bullhead], taking them from Reed pond and putting them in the Stony Brook when the pond got so low that they could not live in it. Fish delivered in Westford in 1923: 2000 horn-pouts, Forge pond; 1150 yellow perch, Forge pond; 900 yellow perch, Flushing pond; 1200 bass, Flushing pond; 650 yellow perch, Long-Sought pond; 4000 bass, Long-Sought pond; 1200 bass, Nabnassett pond; 16,000 brook trout in the following brooks: Nashoba, Tadmuck, Snake Meadow, O’Brien’s, Reed’s, [and] Boutwell’s.”
Church Notes. First church (Unitarian)—Sunday service at 4 p.m. Special music by chorus choir under the direction of Miss Eleanor Colburn, soprano. Preacher, Rev. Frank B. Crandall, the minister. Subject, “Light from a drop of blood.” Church school at 3.
Leon Hildreth, Gordon B. Seavey and the Misses Marion Fletcher, Alice Johnson and Frieda Johnson attended the conference of the North Middlesex Federation of Y.P.R.U. chapters held last Saturday at Groton. Rev. Frank B. Crandall also attended. The next meeting will be held in Westford next May or June.
On Sunday the preacher will point out that insight is the true basis of right conduct, indicating how shame can be the beginning of understanding.
Laymen’s League Meeting. The local chapter of the Laymen’s league met last Sunday evening at seven o’clock in the vestry. Ten new members were elected, making the total membership to date twenty-six. Plans were discussed for the future as the members enjoyed smokes. It was voted to hold a men’s dinner open to the public in the near future.
President Arthur G. Hildreth appointed as a membership committee, J. Willard Fletcher, Alfred N. Hartford, Howard Ferguson, Gordon B. Seavey and E. Clyde Prescott. He appointed also as hosts to serve a supper at the next meeting, Sunday evening, March 9, Alfred W. Hartford, Frank Miller, Leon Hildreth and William Parfitt.
At eight o’clock the chapter adjourned to the church auditorium, where an address was given, under the auspices of the chapter and open to the public, by Dr. Francis A. Finnegan, health director for the city of Lowell. Dr. Finnegan’s subject was “The Schick test for diphtheria.” He pointed out that the Schick test was simply a test to determine whether a person is immune from the disease. If the test shows that the person examined is susceptible the anti-toxin is introduced into the arm within a year [and] the person so treated becomes immune, it is believed, for life. If immunity does not develop within a year the treatments is repeated.
Dr. Finnegan explained that the recent cases of diphtheria at Concord following the anti-toxin toxin treatment had nothing to do with the Schick test, but resulted from an anti-toxin toxin treatment in which a serum that had been frozen was administered. The freezing had, he said, destroyed the anti-toxin and let the toxin free to give the disease.
The speaker urged that boards of health and school committees work in harmony for the sake of public health. He pointed out the success of the Schick test and immunity treatment given children in the Lowell schools.
In conclusion Dr. Finnegan spoke of his other duties as health director in Lowell. The address received the closest attention and was followed by a question period. The success of the chapter’s first venture in community service gives promise of great usefulness for the society.
Graniteville. Both masses in St. Catherine’s church last Sunday morning were celebrated by the pastor, Rev. A. S. Malone. At the first mass the members of the Holy Name society received communion in a body. The regular meeting of the Holy Name society was held in the church in the afternoon with a good attendance.
Mrs. J. Mosher and son James, of Clinton, have been recent guests of Mr. and Mrs. Elisha Hanning.
The Abbot Worsted Company band had a sleighride party to Brookside on last week Friday evening, where they gave a pleasing concert before the regular movie show. Lunch [sic] was served to the band members at the close of the motion picture show.
William J. Healy of Worcester, has been a recent visitor here.
The Ladies’ Aid society of the M.E. church met with Mrs. J. E. York on Thursday evening.
Mr. and Mrs. W. O. Hawkes have been on the sick list for the past few days.
Westford had the largest attended town meeting in its history on last Monday, and although there were fifty-nine articles in the town warrant the business was conducted with neatness and dispatch. The moderators were H. E. Fletcher and Alfred W. Hartford. A total of 835 votes were cast. Frank L. Furbush won over Fred R. Blodgett for selectman by sixty-four votes.
The Abbot Worsted soccer club of Forge Village has been drawn to meet Fore River of Quincy in the fourth round of the American cup series at Forge Village on or before March 1.
A novelty and valentine party in aid of St. Catherine’s church building fund will be held in Abbot’s hall, Forge Village, this Friday evening.
The Westford academy basketball team defeated the Ayer high school team in Westford on last week Friday afternoon by the score of 35 to 15. It was sweet revenge for the Westford boys. The local team is putting up a good game.
Mr. and Mrs. F. Russell Furbush are enjoying a brief vacation at Palm Beach, Fla.
A son [Emile Joseph LeDuc] was born to Mr. and Mrs. Henry LeDuc on Thursday, February 7.
Littleton
News Items. The Littleton friends of Frederick K. Johnson, of Ayer, a native of this town, are interested in his engagement to Miss Marjory M. Seavey, of Westford, recently announced in another column of this paper and the Boston dailies.
Ayer
News Items. The engagement of Miss Marjorie Mitchell Seavey to Frederick Knowlton Johnson is announced by Miss Seavey’s father, Homer M. Seavey, of Westford. Mr. Seavey [sic, Johnson?] is a son of Mrs. Minnie T. Johnson, of Winthrop, formerly of Littleton. Miss Seavey is a graduate of Boston university and a member of Sigma Kappa Sorority. Mr. Johnson is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire and conducts a garage in company with Richard Dodge on Park street.
Death. Thomas F. Ward, another of Ayer’s old residents, passed away last Wednesday morning at his home on Grove street, aged seventy-seven years. He had been in failing health for some time. He was a native of Ireland, coming to this country at the age of twelve years. He spent some time in Westford, but lived for the most of his life in this town. His first wife, Maria Reidy of Groton, died May 16, 1896, leaving a son, Thomas H. Ward, who now resides in Boston. He married Anna Gookin of Lowell June 3, 1903, who survives him. He also leaves a brother, Stephen Ward, of North Chelmsford. He belonged to Ayer council, K. of C.
Mr. Ward was well known in the vicinity of Ayer, having conducted the Litton [Union] House stable, later buying the business of Alonzo Willis, whose stable was on West street. This was disposed of during the war to make room for a lodging house of the War Camp Community service. Mr. Ward had a large circle of acquaintances who recall his genial ways and cheery greeting.
The funeral will be held this Saturday morning at ten o’clock from St. Mary’s church with solemn high mass.
Real Estate Transfers. The following real estate transfers have been recorded from this vicinity recently:
Westford, Wells Blanchard to James G. Parker; Emma M. Wright et al. to John R. Greene, land on North street.
Notes:
President Calvin Coolidge was born July 4, 1872, in Plymouth Notch, Ver. Plymouth Notch is a small, quaint village nestled among the Green Mountains and makes for an enjoyable day trip from Westford. It was here that his father, a justice of the peace, swore Mr. Coolidge in as President in 1923, and it is in the cemetery here where he was laid to rest. The town has changed very little over the past century and now makes up most of the Calvin Coolidge Homestead District, a National Historic Landmark.