The Westford Wardsman, February 23, 1918
Center. Mrs. H. V. Hildreth’s faithful efficiency as leader of the local branch of the Red Cross is well known and we learn this week that her mother Mrs. William Read [Reed], of Graniteville, ably supplements the work with industrious knitting at home. Mrs. Read will be seventy-eight years old in March, and has just completed her fifty-second pair of stockings. We wonder if there are many who can exceed this record.
Mrs. Grace Lumbert Kenney, of Wellesley, is spending the greater part of this week in Westford, the guest of Mrs. J. Herbert Fletcher.
The second in the series of dancing parties for the children following the classes earlier in the season took place in the town hall on Tuesday afternoon. Rain and hard traveling affected the attendance, but a good number enjoyed the afternoon’s party. Mrs. Buckshorn, Mrs. Prescott and Miss Ruth Flagg had the care of the afternoon and Fred E. Meyer was the pianist.
The second union service took place at the Congregational church on last Sunday with Rev. Howard A. Lincoln preaching the sermon and Rev. Louis H. Buckshorn in charge of the rest of the service. The two pastors will alternate in preaching during the union services, therefore Mr. Buckshorn will preach on Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry M. Wright, of Quincy, are expected guests at H. L. Wright’s for over the holiday.
The home guard drill, with inspection, went off nicely at the town hall on Tuesday night. The men acquitted themselves well in the various manœuvres [sic] for the inspecting officer, Capt. Staples, of Boston. Interested spectators in the gallery watched the proceedings with much interest.
John P. Wright, who has been confined to his home with sickness, is much more comfortable.
Miss Bunce’s many friends are glad to learn that she is making a good convalescence from her illness. During her absence Miss May Day is in charge of the somewhat limited library service.
J. Henry Colburn is reported as seriously sick.
Tadmuck Club. An interesting meeting of the Tadmuck club took place Monday afternoon at the Congregational vestry. Miss Howard presided, opening the meeting with patriotic greeting. Letters of appreciation were read from Mrs. Wetmore and Miss Bunce for flowers sent to them while sick in hospital. Special notice of the mid-winter meeting of the State Federation of Women’s clubs at Chelsea, February 20, was given. Miss Howard made sympathetic mention of Mrs. Perkins, the club’s first secretary, who has so recently met with bereavement in the death of her husband, the late William A. Perkins, at their home in Woodstock, Conn. The names of Misses Alice and Madeline McDonald were accepted into membership.
In place of the annual guest night which was not held this year, the sum of $15 was voted to be given to the Red Cross and $5 to the work for French relief. Mrs. Charles D. Colburn preceded and closed the afternoon’s program with enjoyable solos with her daughter Elinor as accompanist.
A roll call of home helps was responded to with helpful variation and originality, after which came the reading of a four-act drama, “Lady Windemere’s [Windermere’s] fan,” in charge of the literature and library extension committee, Mrs. William C. Roudenbush, chairman. Those who read the various characters were: Mesdames H. V. Hildreth, H. W. Hildreth, Lincoln, Roudenbush, Wells, Buckshorn, Wheeler, Bartlett and Sutherland and the Misses Howard Drew and Day.
At the next meeting, March 5, Miss Mary G. Balch will be the speaker; subject, “Humor in art.”
About Town. The next meeting of Middlesex-North Pomona Grange will be held on Friday, March 1, in Odd Fellows’ hall, Bridge street, Lowell.
At the farmer’s institute in Tyngsboro last week Thursday Prof. Thompson presented the question of “Seeds.” At the present uplift prices he advised the home-raising. Many seeds that we have supposed could not be raised, the present high price has proved that we can. In the afternoon on “Maintaining farm fertility,” he contended that rather than pay over five dollars per cord for stable manure delivered on the field, it is more economical to plow in green crops and use chemicals, ready mixed, rather than home mixed. The next institute will be held at the Paige street church in Lowell, on some date not yet fixed in the first week in March. The exact date will be given later. For speakers, John B. Abbott, of Middlesex County Farm Bureau, will be one, the other not decided upon.
Richard Yarnold died at his residence on Texas road, Parkerville, on Monday, of pneumonia. He was a veteran of the civil war.
The water and the ice on the Stony brook at the arch bridge on Stony Brook road, have clogged for priority right of way nearly to the capacity extent of the arches.
How unaccountable on the ground of congestion of freight are our heatless days, and yet wood as fuel can find cars to transport it wherever desired. Please rise and explain you manager or mismanagers of the heatless days.
George C. Moore in the interest of less heatless days is cutting the birch and maple lot between the Lowell road and Stony brook and creating heat for heatless days at the engine at Brookside mills, and wood from Maine is being carried to North Chelmsford and wood from Westford is being carried to mills in Lawrence.
Hon. Herbert E. Fletcher is ill at his home on Oak hill. As a result of this an amendment had to be offered at the recent annual town meeting, electing Capt. Sherman H. Fletcher as moderator as a substitute for the efficient Oak hill Fletcher.
Corn known as No. 1916, raised on the Frank C. Drew farm, has leaped clear over into No. 1918. Such was its efficient productiveness. About 200 farmers live in town, and only 12 raise corn. Fifty years ago there were only about twelve who did not raise corn. Then there was little said about “farming don’t pay.” No it has got to be a nearly unanimous chorus. The chorus as a corrective to the “don’t pay” chorus is “raise more grain.”
The Red Cross circle at the Blacksmith’s corner met at Mrs. Houghton Osgood’s home on last week Thursday. A good deal of work was accomplished and a good many were present. As it was valentine’s day and also the birthday of the hostess, ice cream and delicious cakes suitable to the day were served.
Food Conference. The Middlesex county conference on food supply met at the state house on Tuesday. This conference was called by the Massachusetts Board of Food Administration and the Middlesex County Farm Bureau. The original call was for the conference to be held in Waltham, but was changed to the state house by better convenience of attending. E. Howell Crosby, of Arlington, food administrator for Middlesex county, presided. Among the questions discussed were “Why we should produce more and save our food supply, the task before the United States for 1918.” This question was ably discussed by Prof. Carver, of Harvard. “Results of the 1917 campaign in Middlesex county and conclusions as to the future in food production—professionals and amateurs—in food preservation in food conservation.” This wide reaching question was opened up and presented to meet facts by John D. Willard, secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Food Administration. “Food production resources of Middlesex county.” This question and its twin, “The organization of Middlesex county for food production,” was discussed by many volunteer speakers so eager to contribute their “bit” that they were in each other’s waiting time.
Back to ye old time farming, with modern machinery was the chorus in unison on the question of more food in Middlesex county and a unanimous backing of the State Board of Agriculture on the bill before the legislature for the right to buy farm machinery—reapers, threshers and tractors., of Whitman, a member of the mobile ordnance detachment, died of pneumonia at the base hospital on Monday morning.
According to orders issued on Tuesday by Major General Hodges seventy-seven officers are relieved from their present assignments and are “attached” to their commands. At the same time 119 other officers are given permanent assignments. An assignment of an officer means that the officer is regularly appointed to the company pending assignment. The assigned officers, it is believed, will be the ones to go to France with the first fighting section of the division. Some of the officers attached are away from camp attending special schools or doing important special work in the cantonment, while a number have been relieved because they have been chosen for the cavalry camp at Fort Ethan Allen, Winooski, Vt. The list of those attached includes 20 captains, 5 first lieutenants and 52 second lieutenants.
The cost of feeding the 76th division is increasing. It now costs Uncle Sam just 40.62 cents per day to feed each soldier at the camp. When the first recruits came last September the cost per man per day was 38.75 cents.
Jordan, Marsh & Company, of Boston, have sent 150 smileage books to the camp for distribution among the boys.
Passes over Washington’s Birthday will be good until this week Saturday morning, with the exception of the officers’ training school, where it is said that the passes will be good until Sunday night.
The Knights of Columbus are to have a big patriotic celebration at the camp on Washington’s birthday. The speaker of the day will be J. E. Burke, supervisor of schools of Boston.
Lieut. Walter Bickford, of Waterville, Me., of the 303rd Field Artillery, is the instructor of ju-jitsu, the noted Japanese athletic art, at the camp.
The total amount of war risk insurance taken out by the national army soldiers at Camp Devens amounts to $246,815,000. It was explained that the showing would have been even greater if so many men had not been transferred to other divisions. Of those who remain 98 percent have taken out insurance. The total policies taken out number 24,855 and the average amount is $8410. Thirteen of the fifty units have attained an average of 100 percent insured. The first $10,000 policy paid by the government to dependents of the men here was turned over to the family of the late Capt. Frank Keaton [death certificate not found], of Kingston, N.Y. Capt. Keaton died here at Christmas. Camp Devens leads in the average amount of insurance applied for per man.
Next Saturday the first half of the New York quota of 3800 is due to arrive and the remainder on Monday. All men in the officers’ training school are to have four days’ vacation from Thursday night to Sunday night.
A large crowd visited the camp on Sunday and enjoyed the drilling of the soldiers who were making final preparations for the grand review which was set to take place on Monday morning.
District Court. E. Fred David, of Dracut, was found guilty of violation of the milk law in Westford, and was fined fifty dollars. David is foreman for E. W. Schofield, of Dracut, at the latter’s farm in Westford.