Turner's Public Spirit, February 28, 1925
A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
Center. Misses Clara and Mildred Keirstead, of Waltham, were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Wright over the weekend.
Miss Lillian Sutherland, of the Pollard school, Billerica, is spending her vacation with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Sutherland.
Several from here attended the Masonic concert in Lowell on Monday evening.
Mrs. Horace Killam, daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Edward Disbrow, who has been ill at the Hale hospital, Haverhill, is reported as improving.
Frederick Hanscom has returned from a pleasant trip to Washington, D.C.
Misses Karen and Dorothy Grant, of Rockport, are the guests of their aunt, Mrs. Harry E. Whiting.
The Tadmuck club held their regular meeting on Tuesday afternoon. A speaker from the Society for the Preservation of Native New England Plants [now the New England Wild Flower Society] gave an interesting talk, illustrated by lantern slides. Tea was served with Miss Florence Wilson as hostess.
The Y.P.S.C.E. [Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavor] of the Congregational church presented a missionary pageant last Sunday evening. Miss May Day was in charge, and “A Chinese boarding school” was presented, conducted by Miss Mabel Prescott, assisted by Alice and Ruth Swanson [sic, Swenson], Ethel and Lawrence Ingalls, Raymond and Herbert Shea. There was a solo by Miss Elva Judd; duet, Misses Alice and Ruth Swanson, and a duet by Marion and Viola Day.
Miss Gladys Ingalls spent the weekend as the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Boychenko, of Malden.
The schools of the town have been enjoying a vacation this week.
The second meeting of the food selection project was held in the town hall on Thursday. The object of this meeting was to score family food habits and discuss the causes of overweight and underweight.
The engagement is announced of Miss Frances Elizabeth Wright and George Washington Cornelius. Miss Wright is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John P. Wright, of Wollaston, formerly of this town.
Miss Eleanir [sic] McCoy has been the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Robbins, Watertown, this week.
Plans are being made for an inaugural ball at the town hall on March 4, under the auspices of the republican party of the town.
Charles M. Gardner, high priest of Demeter of the National Grange, was the speaker at the meeting of the Grange held on last Thursday evening. It was an open meeting, being patriotic night. Members of the Legion and Auxiliary were present. For the entertainment there were readings by Miss Regina McLenna, solos by Miss Elva Judd, Charles Robey, Clifford Johnson and Ellis Cram. Mrs. Edith P. Blaney was the accompanist of the evening. At the close of the entertainment refreshments of sandwiches, cake and coffee were served.
Miss Eleanor Colburn, of Concord, N.H., was at home over the weekend.
Miss Laura C. Gothberg was the winner of the second prize, $15, in the George Washington essay contest conducted by the Washington Savings bank, Middlesex street, Lowell. The first prize was awarded to Leo A. Keville, of Lowell. The prizes reached a total of $100 and the judges were Arthur W. Stackpole of the Courier-Citizen, Frank A. Lawler of the Sun and William Trottier of the Telegram. Miss Gothberg is a member of the Westford academy faculty, and during the world war won a prize contest for an essay on Memorial day.
- W. Johnson, whose obituary appeared in last week’s issue, left three great-grandchildren instead of two, as reported.
Rev. Henry A. Blake, of Hartford, Conn., who is the guest of Rev. Edward Disbrow, will be the speaker at the morning service at the Congregational church on Sunday and will administer communion.
About Town. Mrs. Alma E. (Decatur) Prud-hammer [sic Prud’homme], who has been recuperating at the Lowell General hospital from the effects of a broken leg, has so far recuperated as to be able to visit her sister Luanna in New Rochelle, N.Y.
Mr. and Mrs. Almon E. Downing, one-time owners of the Walker homestead, who, after selling it moved to the McMaster place on the Chamberlain road, have recently moved back to Lowell, from whence they came to Westford.
All that prevented the Old Oaken Bucket farm folks from planting peas on Washington’s birthday was the rain and the non-arrival of the seed peas.
As an object lesson in the unwisdom in not having an inexpensive patrol to look after our hill roads in washout weather time, the Stony Brook road from its intersection with the Lowell road to the residence of W. R. Taylor furnishes the lesson, for while there has been no dangerous washout twenty-five cents would have prevented what it will take many individual dollars to replace. A sum of $100 or less would save the town sometimes many hundreds or even thousands of dollars in repairs. To illustrate: A few years ago the Chamberlain road, at Brookside, with its mile of hill washed away because the ditch became stopped up with leaves, brush and stones that fell from the walls, there being no one to clear the ditch. The water, like much of our New England water, sought its level, which was in the middle of the road, and much of the middle of road washed to its level, and its level is what is now the Abbot Worsted Company’s mill, and what did not stop there went to Newburyport and thence out to sea where it was lost track of.
I have just received a poem of ten verses from our rugged substantial fellow townsman, Horace E. Gould, now enjoying nature’s weather hospitalities at Mount Dora, Lake county, Florida. I was delighted with his poem and laughed so while reading it that it shook my winter cap off my head, which of course it isn’t good manners to wear in the house.
The next meeting of Middlesex-North Pomona Grange will be held in Odd Fellows’ hall, Bridge street, Lowell, Friday, March 6. The program reads for this meeting discussion on “Forestry and all it involves.” Everyone should have something to say on this important subject. Afternoon session, vocal solos by Mrs. R. S. Robertson and Wesley Boynton, Miss Margaret Martin, accompanist. Speaker, Charles O. Bailey, director of forestry. Dinner served by Westford Grange.
Under Harvard news last week I read with much interest and several times the article by Arthur West, relating to the Shakers and his promise to give a revised edition without any untruthful George Washington little hatchet stores. I am impartially delighted to get to reading the revised version, for I am anxious to learn how much I have got to unlearn, so pass up the evidence Arthur, before the frost all gets out of the ground for when that period arrives I expect to be too busy keeping in sight of the rash crowd in the Stony Brook valley to have time to read, write or think.
The new governor of Texas, Mrs. [Miriam Amanda Wallace “Ma”] Ferguson, suggests a tax on smokers by increasing the tax on tobacco. She says those who think the tax too high have an easy remedy—smoke less tobacco. Say, Ma, this will never do, for this is only an indirect way of infringing on that modern child of civilization in these modern days, “personal liberty.” Why, Ma, where have you been living all these days since national prohibition that you have not heard the senseless, silly illogical drivel about infringement of personal liberty? No, ma’am, let us get at reforms direct with our teeth. While personally I have no use for tobacco and would be willing and glad to have it all dumped into the frog pond, I am not in favor of the tax.
The next meeting of the Grange will be held on Thursday evening, March 5. Speaker, Berton L. Mowry, state lecturer. Refreshments will follow.
Over-production. The U.S. government, by way of the Department of Agriculture, advises the farmers not to reduce the acreage of potatoes as the result of the unprofitable excess crops of 1924, claiming that this excess was not due to an increased acreage over 1923, but to excess yield. Thank you Mr. Government, that is the viewpoint some of us have always preached and practiced, but just the same, Mr. Government, we are given lessons by agricultural colleges, farmers’ institutes, farm bureaus, agriculture literature and various other ways how to raise crops and have learned our lessons so perfectly that we all stand at the head of the class, and as the result of perfect lessons we overcrowd the market beyond covering expenses if we allowed ourselves fifty cents an hour for our labor, and with this non-paying glut we buy farm produce that is not a glut which could be easier raised than the glut we do raise and lose heavily in dollars in the exchange. If this is good financial wisdom, Mr. Uncle Sam, will you not in your next monthly report describe the other animal, known as financial un-wisdom?
To state it a little different, Uncle, would it not be wise for you to transfer part of the advice you have been and are now handing us in telling us how to raise crops for market to the point of stagnation, and emphasize the importance of raising crops on our New England farm which we own instead of raising them on western farms which we do not own? Here we have starved out nearly every old-fashioned granite millstone mill in our beloved New England that once lived by grinding various kinds of grain so native to our New England soil. But then, come to review it all, perhaps it is happier to be new-fashioned and poor and damn taxes for our poverty than it is to be tagged old-fashioned for everybody to read any uncomplimentary interpretation into it that fetches a smile. But regardless of this smile the Old Oaken Bucket farm will continue to raise cob-corn and wheat as long as there is a hen to feed.
Railroad Fares. From the Lawrence Telegram I wish to quote to show that raising passenger fares on the Boston and Maine railroad does not always bring increased revenue:
“Eleven months ago the railroad obtained permission from the public utilities commission to increase by 20% the prices on commutation [commuting is meant] tickets. In arguing for the privilege of making that big increase in the prices on commutation tickets the road’s statisticians claimed that it would result in a net increase of the road’s receipts from passenger traffic of $600,000 a year. At the rate protest hearing, held in Boston this week, it was shown from the road’s own books that the net increase for the eleven months had been only $22,000. The big increase in passenger fares had resulted in a 14% reduction in the use of commutation tickets. The railroad’s figures showed a falling off in commutation travel of 19,000,000 passenger miles from 1923 to 1924. It seems to be one of those cases where increasing the price does not result in the expected gain in receipts. Perhaps if the Boston and Maine tried the well-known recipe of successful merchants of trying to give more for the money than had been given, instead of less, it would find a more encouraging set of figures on its books at the end of each fiscal year.”
Some of us have seen individuals perform the same way—keeping farm produce until spring for a rise; got the rise, but the shrinkage more than offset the rise. If you keep potatoes until spring you have got to get better than a 25% raise to do anything towards heading you towards Easy street; ditto with the apples. With our railroads being managed by special brains I am surprised at the above (to use a slang phrase) counting your chickens before the hen has even laid the eggs. If a group of hayseed brains should do so on a large scale it would be said, “What can you expect, for they do not know nothing?” Hurrah for the hayseeds just the same and give them an encore.
Deaths. John Josiah Walker, who died at the Burbank hospital, Fitchburg, Wednesday afternoon, February 18, was one of the five sons and three daughters of Josiah and Lydia (Hurd) Walker, and was born in New York city on November 7, 1844. On account of the poor health of his mother, the family bought a farm in Westford and made frequent trips from New York to the farm. They later finally settled in Westford. Mr. Walker received his early education in the schools of this town and was graduated from the Westford academy [matriculating in 1854].
At an early age he went to Fitchburg, where he learned the blacksmith trade from the late Seth Brigham, and boarded with his [i.e., John’s, not Seth’s] sister, Mrs. Orrin Littlefield [nee Clara Augusta Walker] on Ashburnham Hill road. He afterward went to Natick, where he opened a blacksmith shop of his own, making his home with his uncle, Joseph Walker, of New York, who owned large estates in Natick.
He was married to Sarah (Allen) Walker, his cousin’s widow. After the death of his wife, and because of failing health, Mr. Walker gave up his blacksmith shop and worked for a number of years in a greenhouse in Natick.
After the death of his father and mother, the old home place in this town was sold, and the brother and sister, who lived at home, Charles and Belle, went to Fitchburg to live with their sister, and in the spring of 1918 Mr. Walker moved his family from Natick to Fitchburg. His sister, Mrs. Littlefield, died in 1921, and after the marriage of his daughter Mr. Walker and his step-son kept house alone on Congress street, Fitchburg.
For the past several years he had been employed by the Parkhill Mill Company, and never missed a day from the time he started to work until the Saturday noon before his death when he was stricken with what appeared to be a shock [i.e., a stroke]. He was taken to the Burbank hospital the following afternoon and was found to have a rupture of a blood vessel at the base of his brain. He remained in an unconscious condition most of the time until his death.
Mr. Walker was a great lover of music and for many years sang in churches in Fitchburg and Natick. For several years he belonged to the Knights of Pythias, as well as other orders, but at the time of his death the only order of which he was a member was the Fitchburg Grange.
His death leaves only a brother, Charles E. Walker, now of Wellesley, where he has gone to make his home with his niece since the death of his other sister [Lydia Arabella “Belle” Walker], who died at the Burbank hospital last Thanksgiving day. He also leaves to mourn his loss a daughter, Mrs. William Jones, of Fitchburg, a step-son, Charles Walker; a granddaughter, Ruth Travis, of Fitchburg; three nieces, Mrs. Edgar F. Wallace, of Wellesley, Mrs. Herbert Coffin, of Berwick, Me., and Mrs. Solon Dodge, of Groton; five nephews, Edward Littlefield, of Fitchburg, Fred Littlefield, of Farmington, N.H., Charles, Irwin and Vernon Walker, of South Lancaster, and several grandnieces and nephews.
The funeral services were held last Saturday afternoon from Bolles’ parlors, Fitchburg, attended by many relatives and friends. Elder P. F. Bicknell, of the Seventh Day Adventist church, South Lancaster, officiated at the service and music was provided by singers from the church. Nephews of Mr. Walker officiated as bearers. Interment was in Forest Hill cemetery.
There was an abundance of flowers among which was a sheaf of wheat from Fitchburg Grange, a pillow marked “Father,” spray of callas and ferns marked “Brother,” and sprays from nephews and nieces.
In the death of Mr. Walker another of the fast-thinning ranks of the Old Stony Brook scholars has come to its earthly terminal as far as physical existence was a part of life. I recall our school days together in class recitations, our mutual and good-natured competition for the head of the class, in the school days of “get above” the next scholar who was between you and the “head.” I recall him as an apt scholar like all of the Walker family, which made it easy for him to pass and repass some of us of slower mental growth. I recall him in school sports as one of the most jovial and companionable in playing the games. He had speed and strength and I do not recall that he ever played the unfair use of them with some of us who were at the foot of the class in speed and strength. I recall our neighborhood jolly, hide-and-seek games in the twilight hours of summer. Those were the happy, happy hours of freedom from the withering, wasting cares of frosty modern life, and John always played this youthful hide-and-seek phase of life for all of the enjoyment there was in it, which was much, as it abides as a refreshing oasis of diversion even down to these shady days of 1925.
I recall our social hours together at his home, the old Walker homestead. He was a most generous entertainer with song or story, youthful reminiscences, passing the candy, popcorn, refreshments and other palatable enjoyments. Like all of the Walker family his cheery, social life preserved his youthful spirit when old age was fast numbering his days.
Farewell to one whose best and most joyful and most inspiring assets that buoyed him up in his youth were still his heritage when death numbered him farewell to earth.
Mrs. Josephine Taggart Fisk died last week Friday at her home in Lowell after a long illness, in her eighty-third year. She was born in Lowell and received her early education in Manchester, N.H., graduating from the high school, and later from Mt. Holyoke seminary. After graduating she taught in Manchester high school, Westford academy [preceptress 1867] and the high school in New Haven, Conn., and later in Lowell. She is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Donald M. Cameron, of Westford and Lowell, and two grandchildren, Donald Fisk Cameron and Mary Eleanor Cameron. [She was married to the late Albert Levi Fisk (1844-1880) of Lowell.] Funeral services were held from the home of Mr. and Mrs. Donald M. Cameron, Lowell, Monday afternoon, Rev. Arthur C. McGiffert, minister of All Souls church, officiating. Burial was in the Lowell cemetery, where the service was read by Mr. McGiffert.
Melvin Walker died at the Melrose hospital, recently [Feb. 18, 1925, per his Mass. death certificate], after a brief illness at the age of 77 years and 11 months [and 1 day]. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Walker [Anthony, of Sudbury, Mass., and Pemelia [sic] (Ware) Walker, of Acworth, N.H., per death certificate] and lived for many years in the house now occupied by Mrs. Graves, and late in the house now owned by the Abbot Worsted Company near Westford station. His father will be remembered as the section foreman on the Stony Brook railroad from Westford to North Littleton. Melvin Walker will be remembered as one of the old-time scholars at the Stony Brook school in the palmy days of large schools and scholars. For many years he was an engineer on the Boston and Maine railroad, operating between Boston and Concord, N.H. After retiring from the employ of the railroad he bought a small farm in Chelmsford Center, where he lived for twenty-two years. On account of failing health he sold his Chelmsford residence and made his home with his son Morton, of Lowell, and a daughter, Mrs. George Fullington, of Melrose. The funeral took place Saturday afternoon from the home of his son Morton in Lowell. Burial was in the family lot at Chelmsford cemetery. Thus is laid to rest another genial schoolmate of the old Stony Brook school.
Who’s Who Answered. In the article last week, entitled “Who’s Who?” here is the findings of the jury of one: “Charles Orson Perham was at one time postmaster of Tyngsboro. Aside from this I can give you no information.” So I came out just where I expected to—an apostle of ignorance, and all by my lonesome at the foot of the class in genealogy, which I hold by the right of eminent domain and without being eminent. Perhaps a few additional facts in regard to Mrs. Mary E. (Richardson) Perham, recently deceased, and widow of the Charles Orson Perham now identified, might be interesting.
As before stated, Mrs. Mary E. (Richardson) Perham was born in Westford, January 20, 1838. She passed her girlhood days in Groton then known as the Groton community, where the Groton Episcopal school is now located. She was a sister of the late Prof. Rufus B. Richardson, of Dartmouth college, and director of the American School of Archeology at Athens; also, a sister of Mrs. Lucy Keyes Flagg, of North Acton, who was a long-time resident of Westford, and widow of Edward Keyes, a soldier in the civil war [and a widow of Isaac Train Flagg]. Mrs. Perham was also a sister of Alfred A. Richardson who enlisted from Westford on August 31, 1862, in Company B, 16th Regiment, and died at Suffolk, Va., December 8, 1862, who rests in our Fairview cemetery, Westford, and only a few rods from the home of his birth. A brother, Joseph H. Richardson, of Ayer, and Manatee, Fla., now in his ninetieth year, is the last of his generation.
Mrs. Perham was a direct descendant of the Richardson family, who came over from England with Governor Winthrop in 1630, and settled in Charlestown. She lived for many years in Charlestown, Oxford and Chelmsford. Six years ago she moved to Hyde Park to make her home with her niece, where she died February 6. Funeral services were held on Sunday, February 8, Rev. George W. Owen, of the Congregational church, officiating. Mrs. J. Foster Cass sang “In the garden” and “Abide with me.” Burial was in West Waterford, N.Y.
Whoever wrote the above with a few additions of my own I feel like saying “Thank you” to them.
Clipping. The following is taken from the Boston Herald of February 21:
William L. Butterworth of Westford, postmaster of the Nashoba postoffice station at that place, and Elmer C. Cheney of Lancaster, former postmaster, pleaded guilty before Judge Brewster in the federal court, Boston, last week Friday to an indictment charging conspiracy to defraud the United States in the diversion of mail from its normal channels, and were fined $200 each. Butterworth was given until Wednesday of this week to pay.
The complaint against the men was unusual. Cheney is in the mail order business. It is alleged he and Butterworth conspired to have Cheney deposit his large quantities of mail in Butterworth’s office for the purpose of increasing Butterworth’s compensation as fourth class postmaster is determined by the amount of business done by the office.
United States Atty. Williams yesterday told the court that Cheney shipped his mail from Lancaster to the Nashoba station by express so that it might go through Butterworth’s office and that as a result of the conspiracy Butterworth received additional compensation of $550, which was divided between the men. Full restitution has been made, Atty. Williams said.
Church Notes. First church (Unitarian)—Sunday service at 4 p.m. Preacher, Rev. Frank B. Crandall, the minister. Subject, “Lent and the individual.” Church school at 3.
The Westford chapter of the Y.P.R.U. will meet Sunday evening at the vestry. A supper will be served at 6:30 by the hosts. The speaker will be Miss Mattie J. Floyd of the Children’s mission, Boston. She will also speak before the church school at 3.
The Westford chapter of the Laymen’s League will meet Sunday evening, March 8.
Miss Eleanor Colburn, soprano, teacher of music in the Concord, N.H., schools, was the soloist last Sunday. On Sunday the soloist will be Mrs. Nettie Roberts, contralto, of the choir of the First Universalist church, Lowell.
Graniteville. The members of Court Graniteville, F. of A., held a well attended and interesting meeting in their rooms on Thursday evening of last week. Much business of importance was transacted and several applications for membership were received.
Frank L. Furbush retired recently as a member of the school committee. Mr. Furbush was urged to have his name go before the caucus, but declined to serve further. He has been a member of the committee for a period of twelve years and has performed his duties faithfully and efficiently. He has been strongly upheld and supported by William R. Taylor, chairman of the committee, who served with Furbush over seven years. Mr. Taylor also retired from office at the expiration of his term last week.
Night sessions at the Sargent night school closed last week Thursday evening. The school has been in session ten weeks and in that time it has proved a success. A social will take place shortly and diplomas will be awarded similar to those of last year.
The concert and moving pictures given by the Sargent school teachers’ association in Abbot hall, Forge Village, last week Friday evening, proved very successful.
The various rooms and classes of the Sargent school observed Washington’s anniversary Friday morning of last week. The children participating did well in their respective parts.
Middlesex County Extension Service
Happenings Hereabouts
School Boys Judge Apples. Boys who are members of Middlesex County Extension Service fruit judging classes in Littleton, Groton and Westford, during the past week received instruction from Prof. Brooks D. Drain of Massachusetts Agricultural college. Prof. Drain trained the national prize winning apple judging team this past year and Littleton, Groton and Westford boys should give a very good demonstration of their ability at the fairs next fall as a result of their instruction from George Erickson, county club agent, James Dayton, associate county agent, and Prof. Drain. The twenty-four boys who are enrolled in these fruit judging classes will meet in the Littleton High school on Monday, March 2, at two o’clock for a contest in apple judging. The four boys from each town who do the best work will be selected as judging teams to assist in apple judging at some of the local fairs this coming fall.
Elmer Bridgford [sic] of Westford, also Edward Sullivan and Dorothy Heywood of the same town, had averages of 52.2%, 57.7% and 61.3%, respectively in the January egg laying contest conducted by the Massachusetts Agricultural college through 4-H clubs in this county. Considering that 32% is very good egg laying in January the birds owned by these Extension Service club members did more than very good. This production reflects great credit on these young people for their care of their hens and their knowledge of poultry work. Leroy Shattuck of Pepperell averaged 48% with his flock in the same month.
Littleton
News Items. On Monday, March 2, at 2:30 p.m. there will be an apple judging contest held in the high school building between the boys of Westford, Groton and Littleton. The public is invited.
Townsend
Center. Hazel Warren is enjoying a vacation visit with her sister, Miss Alma Warren, at the home of Rev. and Mrs. A. L. O’Brien at Graniteville.