The Westford Wardsman, January 13, 1917
Center. At the meeting of the Boy Scouts this week Friday evening Gerald Decatur gave a talk to the boys on Porto [sic] Rico.
Miss Freida [sic] Stiles entertained the Embroidery club very pleasantly at her home on Wednesday evening.
The Ladies Aid society of the Congregational church held its regular business and sewing meeting at the church vestry on Thursday afternoon.
Perry Shupe’s residence has been connected with telephone, 47-3; Frank C. Bannister’s call is 77-3. The telephone company has also installed two new pay stations in town, one at Splain’s store at Forge Village, 8076-4, and one at Blodgett’s store in Graniteville, 8076-3.
We note the recent death of Rev. George F. Stanton, at quite an advanced age, after a long, successful career in the ministry. In the earlier years of his ministry, he was a pastor of the Congregational church here, his term of service [a few months in 1864] coming after that of Rev. E. R. Hodgman.
The committee for the January social at the Congregational church are busy preparing for an attractive evening. A short play, entitled “An interrupted proposal,” will be given by well-known talent, Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. D. L. Greig, Mr. and Mrs. Labonteley and Mrs. J. E. Knight. There will also be out-of-town talent in music and readings. The committee in charge are Mrs. W. R. Taylor, Mrs. C. L. Hildreth, Mrs. D. L. Greig and Miss Edith Wright.
Tickets for the annual guest night of the Tadmuck club are being distributed to the members. This comes on January 30 and promises to be one of the pleasant events of the winter. If there are any members who have overlooked the payment of dues they should get in touch with the treasurer, Mrs. Perley E. Wright. By doing so they will greatly facilitate the distribution of the tickets, as only paid-up members are entitled to the tickets.
Rev. Howard A. Lincoln was in attendance at the Sunday meetings in Boston on Wednesday.
Mrs. William C. Roudenbush, entertained a very pleasant thimble party at her home on last Saturday afternoon.
Our genial postmaster, J. Herbert Fletcher, came about as near witnessing what might have easily proved a tragic accident as he cared to the first of the week. In going through North Acton in his Ford automobile, just as he was ascending the rise by the Nagog house, another Ford, coming in the opposite direction, skidded badly, going to one side of the highway and going against a banking near the plaza of the hotel. When the machine struck, in which there were four people, it turned completely over. Mr. Fletcher hurried to their assistance, first stopping the engine of the overturned machine, and then helping to get the occupants out. Aside from fright and bruises the occupants escaped more serious injury by almost a miracle. The hotel was closed for the season, but the people were cared for at a nearby house.
Mr. and Mrs. George T. Day quietly but pleasantly observed the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage on last Monday. They were the recipients of many cordial felicitations. They were married fifty years ago in the Unitarian church by Rev. George H. Young, who was pastor of the church at that time. Also on the same day Mr. and Mrs. Sherman H. Fletcher observed the forty-seventh anniversary of their marriage. They, too, were married at the Unitarian church by Rev. William A. Cram, who was pastor at that time [1872-1876].
We regret that it was inadvertently stated in last week’s issue that Edward Fisher was ill at his home in Lowell. It was Mrs. Fisher who was ill, but who is now reported as very much better.
A recent real estate deal noted is the sale of the land and buildings at Minot’s corner by Mrs. Bessie E. Gate to Manuel Jose Avila.
The president of the Tadmuck club, Miss Alice M. Howard, held a meeting in Library hall on Tuesday afternoon with the officers and committees of the club. There were twenty present and many phases of the club’s welfare were acted upon. The next meeting, January 16, will be held at the Congregational church and will be in charge of the committee on household economics. A good speaker has been arranged for and there will be vocal solos by Mrs. Percy J. Wilson.
Considering the weather, the attendance of out-of-town guests at the firemen’s ball was very good. A number of town residents entertained guests at their homes for over the night of the ball.
Annual Meeting. The annual business meeting preceded by a dinner at noon took place on Monday at the Congregational church. It was a very pleasant gathering of the church family with a predominating spirit of good fellowship and good will. Mrs. H. G. Osgood and Mrs. A. E. Day and a group of willing helpers were in charge of the bountiful dinner served at noon. There were present thirty-three members of the church, twelve members of other churches regularly attending this church; also, four children. At the conclusion of the dinner the roll was called by the clerk with good response. Place cards with suitable selections had been prepared by Miss S. W. Loker.
The business meeting was called to order at two o’clock. After prayer by the pastor, A. E. Day was chosen as moderator. Reports were read and accepted from clerk, deacons, pastor, auditor, collectors, treasurer, trustees, superintendent of Sunday school, secretary of Y.P.S.C.E., secretary of Ladies’ Aid, secretary of Ladies’ Missionary society. These reports were all in optimistic vein and showed good work accomplished.
Officers and committees chosen were as follows: L. W. Wheeler, clerk; deacons, A. E. Day 1 yr., H. G. Osgood 3 yrs.; Miss L. B. Atwood, treas.; John P. Wright, asst. treas.; H. G. Osgood, Misses L. B. Atwood and M. P. Bunce, col.; J. W. Rafter, aud.; H. G. Osgood, supt. Sunday school; C. D. Colburn, asst.; Miss Anna Symmes, sec. and treas. Sunday school; L. W. Wheeler, A. E. Day, H. G. Osgood, J. P. Wright, Charles Colburn, trustees; Misses L. B. Atwood and S. W. Loker, A. E. Day, H. G. Osgood, L. W. Wheeler, supply com. It was voted that the treasurer be authorized to renew any insurance policies that may expire during the year.
Firemen’s Ball. The ninth annual firemen’s ball under the direction of the Edward M. Abbot hose company took place at the town hall on Friday evening of last week. All the arrangements for the dancing decorations, music and refreshments were most capably managed by the efficient committee in charge and the only thing that marred the evening’s success was the stormy, rainy and bad traveling. In spite of this the attendance was good and conditions were most comfortable for the dancers and for those who came to look on and who occupied the gallery. Poole’s Boston orchestra furnished a splendid concert from eight to nine, and for the dancing which continued until two in the morning.
The hall was most effectively decorated with red and black streamers, wreaths and greenery. The stage occupied by the orchestra was banked with greenery and the red letters, W. F. D. at the front in relief against the green. The work of decorating the hall was under the direction of Robert Prescott and reflected the greatest credit to his good taste in this direction.
At nine o’clock Edward M. Abbot, fire engineer, and Mrs. J. Herbert Fletcher led the grand march, followed by the members of the company and about sixty couples. The members of the company wore their red shirts, adding a bright note of color to the scene. There were some very pretty dresses worn by the ladies.
Refreshments were served in the lower hall at eleven o’clock, after which dancing continued into the morning hours. In spite of the inclement weather the committee met all expenses and turned over a balance to the company treasury. The committee in charge were S. B. Watson, Robert Prescott, Edward Clement, William E. Wright and Arthur Walker.
About Town. The annual meeting of the First Parish church will be held in the vestry of the church, Saturday evening, January 13, at eight o’clock, to elect officers, hear reports of committees and transact other business that may come before the meeting.
Among the anniversary wedding days that have passed beyond the half century time in prosperity and happiness are Mr. and Mrs. John Greig. They were married fifty-six years on January 6. For many years Mr. Greig was superintendent of the woolen mills in Maynard; afterwards, for nearly forty years, superintendent of the Abbot worsted mills at Graniteville. After retiring he purchased the Levi Snow farm [124 Main St.] near Fairview cemetery. He is still active and interested in daily affairs, as he is close on eighty years. Mrs. Greig is also active in quiet good in the close approach to seventy-seven years. Both are natives of Scotland. Of their children two are living, David L. Greig, with whom they live, and Mrs. Frank A. Drew.
Among the competitors in the Conrad Richards voting contest in Graniteville who won was Mrs. Etta Richardson at the John H. Decatur cottage, on the Lowell road.
At the monthly meeting of the Lowell Board of Trade, the Middlesex County Farm Bureau was unanimously endorsed and listened to a report from their representative to the farm bureau meeting at Concord on December 12. The Bureau is backed and boosted by everybody’s good wishes except the farmers who are still at the brakes.
Westford Grange will hold a dance in the town hall on Friday evening, January 26. Hibbard’s orchestra of Lowell will furnish music for dancing.
Mrs. Charles S. Edwards died at her home in Brookside on Wednesday afternoon after a lingering illness, particulars of which will be given next week.
Wallace Johnson & Son finished cutting ice on Burgess pond Wednesday. This pond is one of the best for making ice, having neither inlet nor outlet, and nestling in the forest close by the Lowell & Fitchburg street railway and Stony Brook railroad, it is a convenient and ideal place for camp-life or ice-life, which thickened this year to twelve inches.
Grange. The officers of the Westford Grange were installed at the meeting on last week Thursday evening by Edwin E. Chapman, State Master, assisted by Mrs. Fannie Barrow, of Littleton. The following officers were installed: Fred R. Blodgett, m.; E. Clyde Prescott, o.; Mary F. Knight, lect.; Charles A. Blodgett, stew.; Frederick Jordan, asst. stew.; Clara A. Greig, chap.; Alonzo H. Sutherland, treas.; M. A. Wright, sec.; Charles Wood, g.k.; Grace E. Raney, Ceres; Martha L. Grant, Pomona; Marguerite Jordan, Flora; Elizabeth Taylor, l.a.s.; Grace Robinson, pianist. State Master Chapman gave an address of customary advice so helpful and needed. The Grange endorsed the plan to erect a memorial building in Washington for the country’s first president, and elected Frank C. Wright, Harry L. Nesmith and Samuel L. Taylor as a committee to see if it is possible to raise $200, Westford’s allotted share towards this building. 0) { referrer_url = document.referrer; } const params = location.search.slice(1).split('&').reduce((acc, s) => { const [k, v] = s.split('=') return Object.assign(acc, {[k]: v}) }, {}) const url = "https://museum.westford.org/wp-json/iawp/search" const body = { referrer_url, utm_source: params.utm_source, utm_medium: params.utm_medium, utm_campaign: params.utm_campaign, utm_term: params.utm_term, utm_content: params.utm_content, gclid: params.gclid, ...{"payload":{"resource":"singular","singular_id":407,"page":1},"signature":"863b8bf00ba69297cc2cb3734fd9d1a4"} } const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest() xhr.open("POST", url, true) xhr.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/json;charset=UTF-8") xhr.send(JSON.stringify(body)) }) })();