Turner's Public Spirit, January 10, 1925
A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
Center. Mrs. Frank C. Wright, who has been ill, was at the Lowell General hospital for a few days for observation, but the surgeons decided that no operation would be necessary at present.
The Tadmuck club will hold their next meeting at the Unitarian church on Tuesday afternoon, January 13, at 2:45. The speaker of the afternoon will be Mrs. Henry H. Braley, of Concord, who will speak on “Current events.” Mrs. Leahey [sic, Leahy?] will be the soloist of the afternoon. Tea will be served, with Mrs. Charles Carter as hostess.
Carl Anderson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Anderson, leaves January 15 for Flint, Mich., where he will play in an orchestra. He is expected to spend a few days in town with his parents before assuming his new duties.
Attention is called to an advertisement in another column requesting those who have articles to be inserted in the town warrant to have the same in the hands of the town accountant, Harold W. Hildreth, on or before January 12.
The next meeting of the Auxiliary will be held on Monday evening. It is hoped that there will be a good attendance, as there is important business and election of a secretary [to be held]. Plans will also be made for the installation of officers, which takes place in the near future.
Mr. and Mrs. Harry E. Whiting and daughters, Anna and Jean, were recent guests of Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Knight in Hudson, N.H.
The new officers of the Grange will be installed at the next meeting, Thursday evening, January 15.
John O’Connell and family have removed to the Parker farm, recently purchased by V. C. Bruce Wetmore, Mr. O’Connell being foreman for Mr. Wetmore.
The Laymen’s league will hold a meeting at the Unitarian church on Sunday evening.
The schools reopened on Monday of this week.
The firemen held another of their enjoyable suppers at the firehouse on Tuesday evening.
The Ladies’ Aid of the Congregational church held an all-day meeting at the home of Mrs. A. B. Hartson on Thursday.
Herbert W. Kendall has been reappointed superintendent and Mrs. Kendall as matron of the town farm. The institution is said to be one of the best kept in the state. The overseers held their annual inspection and appraisal of town property last week. George Burke, W. E. Wright and Arthur Burnham were the appraisers.
George W. Preston, of Wenham, gatekeeper of the State Grange, will be the installing officer at the Grange meeting next Thursday evening.
About Town. William W. Johnson has harvested his ice crop at Burgess [i.e., Burge’s] pond. The ice was of twelve-inch quality and thickness, and dry and snowless. On account of the absence of snow the harvesting was less expensive.
The next meeting of Westford Grange will be held on Thursday evening, January 15, at which time the officers will be installed by Deputy Preston of Kansas. Supper will follow, and go home will follow the first follow.
Here is to New Year’s day: “St. Johnsbury, Vt., January 1, 1925—John Morren celebrated his 109th birthday anniversary today by vigorously attacking the woodpile. Mr. Morren claims to have been born in the Province of Quebec on New Year’s day, 1816.” That word “claims” is a most important word wherever used, and frequently heavily charged with uncertainty. “Mr. Morren’s nearest competitor is Mrs. Philema Drown, who lives at Kirby, a few miles off, who will celebrate her 104th birthday in May.” It seems to be contagious; let’s move up there. Oh, I forgot, it’s 40 below zero up there. I had rather stay down here and be warmer and die young.
Potatoes are selling in some part of Canada for twenty cents a bushel. I do not stand in need of any, but I am willing to help in the general welfare of the $14,000,000,000 in debt folks and pass in an order for half a peck. But before the order is clinched I must see how much they come to. There are four or five pecks in a bushel and sometimes there “hain’t” only 3 ½, and sometimes only three. Let’s compromise and call it four pecks—that would be five cents a peck, or 2 ½ cents a half peck. They seem reasonably cheap, but I am afraid if I tack on Canada potatoes to my Littleton bondings I will not be able to financially cover myself and shall look financially like a cucumber vine that has been hit with the frost.
The department of agriculture is all “het up” over the merciful wailings arising from the low price of potatoes. As a result the government has broadcasted special potato blanks to be filled out by crop reporters, said reports to be returned by January 1, 1925, but as some of us did not receive the reports until January 5 we could not very well return them before we received them. Among the questions asked was “How many potatoes are being held for higher prices that you know of?” and I answered “A heap of them, as I have advised everybody to hold, hold, hold. Foreign lands wants them all, and now, presto, changeo they do not want any, and when these holdings are released potatoes will take a tumble towards the lower regions.” Not a very optimistic report, but very true just the same. I am awful glad that I did not dig all of mine.
A grass fire started last week Friday on the Old Bucket farm land between the Stony Brook railroad and the Stony Brook. As this land is bounded on the north by gravel and iron rails, and on the south by water and no danger of setting the brook afire at the railroad rails we let it run as usual as the land is of that variety known as “hold the world together.” The fire, as usual, was set by an incendiary [locomotive] engine, evidently.
Joshua A. Downs, of this town, died Tuesday at the Lowell General hospital, aged seventy-one years. He is survived by his brother [sic, father] Matthew in his 100th year, two sons, Harvey L. and Charles F. Downs, and two grandchildren, all of Lowell, and a sister, Florence M. Hutchins, of this town.
The steam sawmill of Oscar R. Spalding at Burgess pond, near Westford station, is running to capacity and is reported to be on a million-feet job with private haulings coming in.
The W. R. Taylors report an earthquake shock shortly after eight o’clock Wednesday morning, shaking the house and causing twigs of shade trees to fall. Lowell also reports a shock, and east as far as Maine.[1]
“V. T. E. won” was reported last week. Well, now, where and what did he win? The telephone company is altogether too accommodating and courteous for me to keep up loading a rapid-firing of “writ sarcastic.” I spoke my piece and rather saucily and quit. And then again, the dance of first bondholders to second bondholders’ music of another business concern makes the proposed increased telephone rates look like invisibility and my financial palate really begins to develop a hankering taste for it. “On with the dance” to any tune except “All hands change.” “The first shall be last, and the last shall be first.” I do not like the modern interpretation of it. It’s bad enough to read about it without being a dancer.
Official figures show the rainfall of 1924 as seven inches below normal, and the Merrimack river (heading towards a brook) is away below normal and could easily stand half an inch of rainfall without overflowing its banks. Why not get rid of the rest of our forests and so get rid of rainfall altogether, or else come in floods and drown us all, and that would stop our worrying about is it ever going to rain again?
This Saturday the earth come to its own one minute’s worth earlier in the morning. While all this time the days have lengthened fifteen minutes the morning has only contributed one minute toward the length. Thus does the earth with its eccentric orbit gradually prepare us for daylight saving.
Farmers’ Institute. The second farmers’ institute of the season was held last Saturday at the Y.W.C.A. building, John street, Lowell, with an inspiring attendance. Edward F. Dickinson, of Billerica, committee on institutes, presided. The question for consideration was “How can we improve our town government?” The first witness called to enter the ring was Selectman Arthur G. Hildreth, of Westford, who made some telling points and was unanimously applauded. Another who was called upon to declare themselves was John R. Barrington, of Billerica, who stressed the importance of Billerica changing over from electing a superintendent of highways to appointment by the selectmen, and a special town meeting is being called to rescind, to make it effective at the close-by annual town meeting. After these advisors it was go as you please, who were represented by Rev. Charles H. Williams, of North Billerica, Sidney A. Bull, of Billerica, George W. and John Trull and Howard Foster, of Tewksbury, Frederick A. Hanscomb, of Westford, Burt A Cluff, of Dracut, Arthur G. Marshall, of Tyngsboro, Herbert Wallow and Arthur N. Hall, of Dunstable.
Charles A. Mann, the sixty-acre apple man of Methuen, entertained at the dinner hour.
More Restrictions Needed. I quote the following from the Rural New Yorker and make it a Christmas remembrance for Christmas, 1925, to all those who are so precociously sure that Christmas greenery as now so extensively used is in harmony with forest protection and reforestation:
“Stolen Christmas trees, holly and other greenery are barred from the District of Columbia municipal markets this year by order of George M. Roberts, superintendent of weights and measures, which requires that all persons desiring space at the municipal market for the sale of such products must sign an application stating whether or not they were procured from land owned or controlled by the applicant. If trees and greens were secured from another person’s property a statement in writing must be produced to show that they were procured with the owner’s consent. Market masters are also instructed to note in each application the license number of the vehicle used to transport the stock to market. By taking this action the district lines up with a number of states that have similar restrictions promulgated as the first step toward ending the wholesale and destructive cutting of our forests, holly and other plants used for decorative purposes. The movement as taken in Washington, aiming at the preserving of trees and plants, will not, however, include mistletoe which is a parasite and which does not seem in danger of extinction, or laurel, which is plentiful in the Washington section, although disappearing in some sections of New England.
Now, how does this testimonial compare with the Christmas testimonials of 1924 which in substance said “it is a benefit?” I would like to speak a question right here, “Who gets the benefit and who says ‘it is a benefit’?” For an infallible answer ask the dollar side of this business. We have only to travel as far as North Acton to find this testimonial, which in substance reads, “I am only cutting the scrub isolated trees in pastures and sugar orchards in Northern Vermont and New Hampshire and eastern Canada that would be worthless for lumber and it makes ready money for the farmer and to deprive them of this opportunity would be a great hardship to them.” Now this is the first and most unselfish testimonial of unadulterated love for the $14,000,000,000 debt oppressed farmers. I hope this mutual love holds together and that this benefactor of the farmer is only playing second fiddle for the love he has developed for the farmer, and that he or any of the rest of the crowd would not do anything toward the extermination of our forests, although there are dollars in it for Christmas purposes. Blessed are they whose love for the oppressed farmer is so boiling over that they cut his worthless scrub spruce trees for Christmas and give the proceeds to the farmer.
How Come? Mr. Blank wishes to raise some money on his business so he issues bonds and gives the bondholders first mortgage on the property. Then Mr. Blank spreads out beyond his brain or financial capacity in hiring and buying business and needs more money and as an inducement to get more money he issues more bonds, the first mortgage bondholders to become second mortgage bondholders, and the to-be-bondholders are to play first financial fiddle as first mortgage bondholders. Of course, Mr. Blank has got possession of the original borrowed money and they are fast. But in order to come the second mortgage act it seems necessary to side-track the first mortgage bondholders and give the to-be- bondholders the preference of first right of way as an inducement to raise more money.
Some questions come in here: Wherein does this scheme differ from a gold brick to raise money, except that it is open and you know about what it will audit up, whereas a gold brick may be in the swamps of Florida and you may get a hornpout or a hornet’s nest? Another question, does it require a special high-priced brain to think out this plan of raising money? Couldn’t it be formulated in Sing prison, and if it couldn’t wouldn’t it be conclusive evidence that the brain capacity of the inmates was deteriorating the same as the outside ones who planned the plan? Would it be constitutional to compel a first mortgage bondholder to take second place and give the new proposed bondholder first mortgage because Mr. Blank could not raise it if he didn’t?
Come to think it over I guess it does not need to be constitutional. I recall that Lay Folly Etta[2] said that it was constitutional to over-ride the constitution when it was in the way.
Wages Now and Then. [I] Am still reading the history of Shirley as a rare good treat and retreat from some other literature not so helpful or restful. Like all historians an occasional error gets mixed in with the wheat, but as a tare it is harmless. “The old warrant (highway warrant) of 1789 is interesting aside from its disclosures, since it shows what were then thought to be fair wages for a man, his oxen and his cart. If a man worked the modern eight hours he and his team would have earned $1.92. He, of course, worked ten hours and made about $2.40. A man today earns three dollar with a single team, or five dollars with a pair of horses.”
Well, brethren and others of the jury, some of us have been hiring team work for over forty years and in the last modern quarter of a century we have paid eight dollars per day or one dollar per hour, two-horse team and man, and some that we do not hire charge $1.25 per hour. If they are working in Shirley in this modern day for 62 ½ cents per hour I must either move up to Shirley or move Shirley down to the Old Oaken Bucket farm [of Samuel L. Taylor in Westford, the author of this piece], which is waterless and also rumless. Considering the present upkeep of a horse eating up all and more of summer earnings, we cannot and ought not to expect wages less than a dollar an hour. Aside from this non-essential error of the scale of wages the history of Shirley is written up in a decidedly original and highly entertaining style which does a whole heap to relieve the unavoidable monotony and avidity of uninspiring plain facts.
Pomona Officers Installed. The newly-elected officers of Middlesex-North Pomona Grange were installed last week Friday at the monthly meeting by Mrs. Margaret A. Sarre lady assistant steward of the State Grange. She was assisted by Esther R. Putnam, past master of Chelmsford Grange, as marshal; Etta G. Spaulding past master of Chelmsford Grange, emblem bearer; Elizabeth L. Stickney past master of Dracut Grange, regalia bearer. Mrs. Nettie Roberts of the First Universalist choir, Lowell, was the soloist.
The following officers were installed: Lillian Snow, Tyngsboro, m.; Evelyn P. Richardson, Burlington, o.; Ida F. Whitely, Dracut, lect.; Fred L. Fletcher, Chelmsford, stew.; Harry L. Peavey, Dracut, asst. stew.; Josephine Prescott, Westford, chap.; Norman L. Peavey, Dracut, treas.; Lulu M. Hutchins, Billerica, treas.; George B. Barnet, Dracut, g.k.; Rosa G. Goldwaite, Dunstable, Ceres; Philistia R. Flint, Tyngsboro, Pomona; Grace W. Dawson, West Chelmsford, Flora; Lois Kittredge, Lowell, l.a.s.; Esther Putnam, Chelmsford, pianist.
During the business meeting at the morning session West Chelmsford Grange was awarded the silver cup held by Tyngsboro Grange last year for most efficient work during the year.
A Paying Investment. Here is some practical municipal forestry as quoted from the Rural New Yorker:
“About thirty years ago the village of Warsaw, N.Y., acquired some water rights, built their own water system, purchased the water rights and business of the private company, paid for it all and now have a $12,000 income a year, and plenty of good water. Their land holdings on the head waters are about 200 acres of rough land, for the greater part unfit for farming. About ten years ago the president of the village set out 5000 white pine seedlings, more than 75% of which lived, and today they make a beautiful spot in the landscape.
“Then nothing further was done until the spring of 1924, when they planted 5000 white pine, 5000 Scotch pine and 2000 Norway spruce, and it is believed that 75% of them are living. Then last autumn they planted 10,000 white pine transplants and 10,000 Scotch pine transplants. Next spring’s orders are in for 25,000 transplants, divided among white pine, Scotch pine, balsams, spruce and Carolina poplars.”
Thus does our indiscriminate wastefulness in defiance of nature begin to show signs of recovery all over our beloved land, and the advocates of applying the emergency brakes to forest preservation are having their innings, and only for the application of the emergency brakes the United States would be a forestless Sahara desert. Such, at least, are the warnings of some of the Garden of Eden farming lands in foreign countries, of making a clean annihilation of the forests.
“Think ye upon whom the tower of Siloam fell were sinners above all men? I tell you nay, but except you repent ye shall all likewise perish.”[3] You can moderate this quotation of old and fulfil it in the full of our nature-protecting forests.
Walden Reservation. Some of us have gotten outside information, or perhaps it is called inside information, that the incoming legislature that convened on Wednesday will be petitioned to seize or purchase a strip of land of about thirty-seven acres on both sides of the Fitchburg railroad at Walden pond to enlarge the present holdings of eight acres surrounding Walden pond, now owned by the state and known as the Walden pond state reservation. This is not so much to enlarge as it is to protect against undesirable summer cottage residents. When I got informed of the proposed future whereas of this question I immediately called a special town meeting over myself and acted as moderator, clerk, ballot clerk, inspector of ballots and counter of ballots. The polls closed one minute after they were opened. Whole number of ballots cast 1, unanimous for taking over the land, and so, Mr. Representative, you have already heard the echoes before the shooting begins.
This Walden pond state reservation was deeded to the state by Edward Waldo Emerson, [and] Mrs. Edith Emerson Forbes, children of Ralph Waldo Emerson, and … Heywood, descendant of … Concord family, who were … in the preservation of the … and its surroundings. intellectual retreat for … inspiring thinking of Emerson … someone has said “ … of his best preparation … while crooning in the Walden woods,” [ellipses indicate missing text due to hole in newspaper page] and he contemplated building a small camp on the peak of its highest knoll for a literary workshop, but being so far from the village (or as Thoreau would say, the village being so far from it) the plan was never carried out.
Among the other literary women and men who meditated in the Walden woods and by the shores of the inspiring Walden pond were Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry D. Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Louisa Alcott and her father, A. Bronson Alcott, William Ellery Channing, Frank Sanborn and others.
John Muir, who with Robert Underwood Johnson, visited Walden pond in June 1893, wrote home to his wife, “No wonder Thoreau lived here two years.[4] I would have enjoyed living here two hundred years or two thousand years,” such is the effect on human inspiration.
The deed from the Emerson heirs contains some important, vital restrictions which will be enforced by the county commissioners of Middlesex county, who are named as trustees, and who have police headquarters on the grounds. By all reasonable means add the proposed desired land and thus undesirable campers from too close proximity to this old-time resort of these literary beloved of the Lord, who are still a literary eclipse to the undeveloped, and will remain so as long as we are content with a ten-cent admission to a nine-cent performance.
Church Notes. First church (Unitarian)—Sunday service at 4 p.m. Preacher, Rev. Frank B. Crandall, the minister. Subject, “The human ideal.” Church school at 3.
The minister wishes to express his gratitude to the people of the parish for a generous Christmas gift received by him.
The Westford chapter of the Y.P.R.U. met Sunday afternoon after the service. The society voted to hold a minstrel show and a dancing party at two dates to be announced. Refreshments were served after the meeting.
The Westford chapter of the Unitarian Laymen’s League will meet on Sunday evening. A supper will be served at 7 to members and invited guests.
Graniteville. All the schools resumed sessions on Monday after the Christmas vacation.
Harold and Henry Harrington resumed their studies at M.I.T., Boston, Monday, while Edward Harrington returned to St. John’s prep at Danvers.
The mills of the Abbot Worsted Company resumed operations on Monday after a brief vacation.
Death. Mrs. Emma Carpentier, wife of Joseph Carpentier, died at her home on River street, Wednesday, December 31, after a long illness, aged fifty-two years. Besides her husband she leaves five sons and five daughters, Joseph, Jr., of Johnstown, Pa., Clifford, Frederick, Arthur and Forrest, of this village, Mrs. W. F. Buckingham [Isabelle Emma], Southbridge, Mrs. Louis Morrow [Gertrude] of Haverhill, Florence, Irene and Blanche, of this village. [An eleventh child, Ruth A. Carpentier, was born and died in Dec. 1914.] The funeral took place from St. Catherine’s church last Saturday morning, when a solemn high funeral mass was celebrated at nine o’clock by the pastor, Rev. A. S. Malone, with Rev. J. Emile Dupont, of North Chelmsford, as deacon, and Rev. William O’Brien, of Ayer, as sub-deacon. The regular choir was in attendance, and under the direction of Miss Mary F. Hanley sang the Gregorian chant. There was a beautiful display of floral tributes which testified in a marked degree to the high esteem in which the deceased was held. The bearers were R. J. McCarthy, Charles E. Dudevoir, Henry Carpentier, Alfred Prinn, William J. Robinson and A. R. Wall. Interment took place in St. Catherine’s cemetery, Graniteville, where the committal service was conducted by Rev. A. S. Malone.
Ayer
Joint Installations. The joint installation of George S. Boutwell Woman’s Relief Corps and Capt. George V. Barrett camp, Sons of Veterans, was held in Hardy’s hall on Thursday evening. …
Harvard, Shirley, Groton, Littleton and Westford were represented. The gathering was honored by a good representation from George S. Boutwell post, G.A.R.
Shirley
News Items. Mrs. Charles H. Miner and daughter Evelyn spent Friday visiting relatives in Westford.
Pepperell
News Items. Mrs. Fred A. Parker entertained Miss Ruth Cort, of Graniteville, over New Year’s.
[1] Lowell Gets Taste of Real Earthquake
Shock Lasting 15 Seconds Shakes Buildings and Gives Impression of Heavy Truck Rumbling in Street
No Damage Is Reported Here
Disturbances Felt in Eastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire Coastal Region Cause by Sudden Cracking of Great Stratum of Rock
The New England coast inland for 35 miles was shaken yesterday morning by an earthquake that was felt here in Lowell for 15 seconds. During that time householders heard a heavy, thunderous rumbling, like a heavy truck in the street, and felt the shaking of the floors as the crust of the earth, deep down, shook and trembled.
In all of the towns surrounding Lowell the quake was noticed, but in some more distinctly than others. Westford hardly knew there had been any earth tremor, but Dracut, Pelham, Tyngsboro and Dunstable sensed it and Andover got it the worst. There, two distinct shocks were felt.
Marblehead and Nahant bore the brunt of the tremor for the coast. Inhabitants rushed out of their homes and offices into the streets, while houses did a sort of elephantine dance and pictures rattled down from the walls and dishes were piled up together in closets.
Observatory seismographs reported getting a record of the shock at 8:09 a.m. The centre of the disturbance is believed to have been at sea. Pelham, N.H., is believed to have been the northernmost point and Westford the westernmost point that felt it at all.
Quake Fifth In New England History
Boston, Jan. 7.—Eastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire today suffered a definite earthquake, the fifth in the three centuries of the recorded history of New England’s earth disturbances, which rocked houses, office buildings and other structures, and caused panic among thousands.
The quake was most pronounced in the coastal district from Portsmouth, N.H., to New Bedford, Mass. …
Because of the lack of more than one seismograph in this section [at Harvard Univ.] … the exact time, depth and center of the disturbance could not be determined exactly.
Lowell Courier-Citizen, Lowell, Mass., Thursday, January 8, 1925, p. 1.
[2] This is a not-so-admiring reference to U.S. Senator Robert M. La Follette (1855-1925) of Wisconsin, a member of the Republican and then the Progressive Party. “In 1922 … after the Supreme Court struck down a federal child labor law, La Follette became increasingly critical of the Court, and he proposed an amendment that would allow Congress to repass any law declared unconstitutional.” See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_M._La_Follette.
[3] This quote comes from Luke 13:3-5. “I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen upon whom the tower in Silo′am fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” KJV
[4] For more on Thoreau’s cabin site at Walden Pond see https://www.walden.org/property/thoreaus-cabin-site/ and https://tylerarboretum.org/what-is-thoreaus-cabin-doing-at-tyler/.