The Westford Wardsman, February 2, 1918
Center. The republican caucus on Monday evening was a rather quiet affair. The three new officers nominated were George H. Hartford for assessor, Charles O. Prescott for school committee, and Mr. Ripley, at the town farm, for constable. Following are the nominations for three-year terms: Town clerk, Charles L. Hildreth; selectman, Frank L. Furbush; overseer of the poor, Fred R. Blodgett; assessor, George H. Hartford; school committee, Charles O. Prescott and T. Arthur E. Wilson; commissioner of public burying grounds, Wesley O. Hawkes; trustee J. V. Fletcher library, Julian A. Cameron; one year term, town treasurer, Harwood L. Wright; tax collector, Leonard W. Wheeler; constable, Charles S. Ripley; auditor, Edward T. Hanley; tree warden, Harry L. Nesmith. The caucus was called to order by Alfred W. Hartford. Sherman H. Fletcher was elected a chairman, and Alfred W. Hartford, secretary.
At the Congregational church on Sunday the communion service will be observed and fifteen new members are to be received into membership. Unless the weather is very severe, the morning cookservices will be held in the auditorium.
Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Knight entertained their soldier grandson, Corp. Ralph Yetton, last Sunday; also, Sergt. Whiting and Dr. Bigwood, all from Camp Devens. The latter and Corp. Yetton are both from the same home town, Wayland.
Mrs. George F. White has her father, Mr. Dustin, of Nashua, staying with her during her mother’s illness. Her mother is at the Nashua hospital, where she underwent a serious surgical operation on Wednesday.
While the tracks to the branch line electrics are frozen in, and the car is not operated, Charles Bicknell is transporting the school children to and from Brookside by barge.
While Mr. and Mrs. H. V. Hildreth and Mrs. H. W. Hildreth were on their trip to Camp Meade to visit Harold last week, a telegram came to Westford from Leon at Camp Gordon, Ga., telling of his transfer to Camp Meade. The message was forwarded to the latter place in time to reach the relatives, and by remaining longer they were able to see both boys, making a real reunion. Both brothers were very well and interested in their work. Harold, who is in Company C of the Quarryman’s Engineers unit, may receive marching orders at any time. Leon is in Company A of the same unit. Both boys sent their greetings to all the Westford friends.
W. D. Pitkin is gaining each day from his serious attack of pneumonia. Dr. O. V. Wells has had the care of the case and during the worst part of Mr. Pitkin’s illness two trained nurses were in attendance.
During some of our recent extreme weather our local grocers report a lively trade in kerosene oil, which showed that many households helped out the heating problem with kerosene heaters [instead of coal-fired furnaces or stoves].
The necessary papers have recently been passed, transferring the ownership of the house for a number of years the home of Mrs. Lauretta Tyler, to Charles S. Edward, of Brookside.
The meeting of the literature class of the Tadmuck club, reading modern contemporary drama, will meet with Mrs. Louis H. Buckshorn on Monday afternoon.
The meeting of the Tadmuck club will be held the same time as scheduled in the calendar, Tuesday afternoon at 2:30, and will be held in the Congregational vestry. It will be in charge of the committee on educational and social conditions. Mrs. Hammett D. Wright, chairman, and Mrs. Mary K. O’Sullivan, of Boston, a well-known lecturer, will be the speakers. Misses Julia H. Fletcher and Elinor Colburn will give the musical part of the program. Owing to prevailing conditions the club calendar this season has met with some interruptions, and it is hoped that the members will attend in good numbers on Tuesday afternoon.
Federal income tax blanks to assist those who need to in filing their income statements may be secured from J. Herbert Fletcher, postmaster.
The Ladies’ Aid society of the Congregational church were delightfully entertained by their president, Mrs. John P. Wright, and Mrs. J. W. Bright at the latter’s home on last week Thursday. Work on the Red Cross aprons was the order of the day. Basket luncheon, supplemented by hot coffee and other good things by the hostess was enjoyed at noon. There were fifteen in attendance.
The regular meeting of the French Aid took place on Thursday afternoon. A generous citizen has recently given fifty dollars to the working fund of this branch and more than that amount has been given by others in lesser amounts, greatly aiding the work in effectiveness. With gauze doubled in price adequate funds are most necessary.
At the next meeting of the Grange the lecturer wishes to announce that Mr. Hanscom will give a travel talk, “A trip across the continent,” illustrated by radograph. This will be an interesting evening, and a good attendance is looked for.
The Red Cross held its regular meeting on Wednesday at the library. Mrs. Oscar R. Spalding has contributed for the sewing work a good grade, entirely new sewing machine, and her generosity is much appreciated. The meeting for surgical dressings work will take place next Tuesday evening in the conversation room at the library. This is a regular library night, but this arrangement helps fuel conservation.
The members of the home guard held their drill at the town hall on Tuesday evening. They received an unexpected visitation and inspection from Major Tuttle, of Concord, accompanied also by the adjutant major and the sergeant major of the company. Although taken by surprise the attendance was good and the company made a very presentable showing in both work and attendance.
An appreciative audience gathered at the Unitarian church parlors last Saturday evening and enjoyed a travel talk given by Abiel J. Abbot, whose subject was “Sunny shores of South Sea Islands,” and was an interesting review of a trip taken by Mr. and Mrs. Abbot last year. Customs, people, climate and many other details of the Fiji Islands and the beautiful Island of Samoa, where Robert L. Stevenson made his home were cleverly delineated. Mr. Buckshorn introduced the speaker of the evening and supplemented him afterward in entertaining fashion. A very pleasant social hour, accompanied with refreshments of cake and cocoa, was enjoyed after the travelogue. Mrs. O. V. Wells, Mrs. L. H. Buckshorn, Mrs. Edward Hamlin and Mrs. John Feeney had charge of the evening’s entertainment.
Annual Meeting. The officers of the Westford Water Company held their annual meeting on last Saturday afternoon at the home of Julian A. Cameron. The company has had the most serious trouble and expense this winter with pipes and mains freezing since it was installed. This is especially the case in Graniteville and Forge Village. The large pipe freezing at Caunter’s bridge in Graniteville made an especially expensive repair job. One of the mains in Forge Village and a number of service pipes to houses have frozen and the continued cold weather adds to the difficulties. The Lowell Electric Light Corporation has been helping thaw out the pipes.
At its business meeting the annual report was read and accepted. Appropriate resolutions were passed on the death of the late George T. Day, director and president, and copy of the same spread upon the records. The treasurer’s report showed a balance of $2535.09, and the following board of directors were chosen for the ensuing year: John C. Abbot was elected president; Charles O. Prescott, clerk and treasurer; Charles F. Kellogg, auditor; Capt. Sherman H. Fletcher, manager, and Alonzo H. Sutherland, superintendent.
About Town. At the annual parish meeting of the Unitarian society Capt. Sherman H. Fletcher was chosen moderator; Abiel J. Abbot, clerk; Charles O. Prescott, treas.; Hon. Edward Fisher, Dr. O. V. Wells, H. V. Hildreth, prudential com.; Mrs. Alma M. Richardson, Mrs. Emily F. Fletcher, president and secretary of the Alliance, who with the prudential committee were constituted collectors.
As a showing of the effects of the drought David F. Houston, secretary of agriculture, has asked congress for an appropriation of $6,000,000 to purchase seeds to sell to farmers at cost. Two general areas have suffered severely from drought during the past season—the southwest, including a large part of Texas and a part of Oklahoma, and a considerable portion of the northwest, including large sections of North Dakota and Eastern Montana. These regions represent a large part of the grain producing areas of this country.
Much as this winter has been called unusually cold, our cold waves, of which we haven’t had but one which had a beginning and no ending yet, feels like the warm waves of dog days compared with other years elsewhere and here. On January 15, 1885, in the interior of Siberia, the lowest temperature was 90° below zero, and the ground froze 100 feet deep, and never thaws out in summer. In the United States the coldest it has ever been was in January, 1888, at Miles City, Montana, when the thermometer reached 65° below. Capt. Cook of Houlton, Me., died at the base hospital on last Sunday afternoon from an attack of appendicitis. He was a member of Battery C, 303rd Field Artillery.
Private John J. Curley, of Dorchester, who disappeared from camp on December 8, walked into the office of his company commander last week Friday and gave himself up. He was confined to the guard house and will be later tried by court martial.
The firemen attached to the camp fire department want a piano. As they come from all parts of New England there is no one community that they feel like calling on for funds to supply this need. The men are on duty twenty-four hours every day, and the only enjoyment they have is what they can furnish in their own quarters. A piano would add much to their pleasures.
Col. G. H. Estes, commander of the Headquarters Train and military police, received word from Washington last Saturday that he was appointed secretary of the new war council, with orders to proceed at once to the national capital for duty.
A post exchange council, composed of twenty-one officers of the 76th division, has been formed by order of the war department. The council convened for the first time on Monday. The council will have charge of the supervision of all the post exchanges in the cantonment and under their direction it is planned to take great strides toward making the post exchange what it is intended to be—a place where officers and men may obtain the necessities of life at minimum cost. Plans for a huge warehouse to be erected near the railroad tracks on the east of the camp so a stock of articles sold in post exchanges may be kept at all times have been made.
William Weinstein, of Boston, is the shortest man thus far sent to the camp, he being but four feet, six inches high. He arrived last week and later was assigned to the 27th Company, Depot Brigade. With him came George J. McGann, also of Boston, who shortly after his arrival was stricken with the measles. The 27th Company of the Depot Brigade, to which he was assigned, had just been relieved from quarantine after McGann arrived. As a result the entire company were again put under quarantine for three weeks more.
Two one-pound guns have arrived for the Headquarters Company of “Boston’s Own,” 301st Infantry Regiment, the first guns of their kind to arrive at the camp.
Two milk contractors have been barred from the camp for selling milk below the standard. The supply of milk is under close surveillance by the health officers, who also firmly insist that all other health regulations be strictly followed.
More than 300 privates and non-commissioned officers of the New England division of the national army will be given an opportunity to become second lieutenants in the quartermaster’s corps. The examinations began on Monday.
The divisional officers at the camp are much concerned over the question as to whether Ayer will vote license or no-license on Monday. Reports from headquarters say that if the town goes license that all soldiers will be barred from Ayer, even if it becomes necessary to post guards at every corner of the highways leading to Ayer. An official from the camp has had an interview with the selectmen during the past week on this matter and it is understood that assurance has been given the camp officials that if the town votes for a license the rate will be so high that no one can afford to pay it.
Hereafter Red Cross helmets and other head coverings will be discarded. In their place the men will wear regulation winter caps. This order went into effect on Tuesday. Another conservation measure prevents the burning of coal for cooking, wood being used instead.
Food conservation and disease prevention are the reasons that Colonel Tompkins of the 301st Infantry regiment gave Wednesday in an order barring dogs from the camp.