Turner's Public Spirit, January 21, 1922
A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
“Center. The public schools were closed on last week Thursday and Friday, due to the heavy
snow storm on Wednesday.
“Mr. and Mrs. H. V. Hildreth left a week ago Sunday for Jacksonville, Fla., where they expect
to stay for a short time, and also attending a granite convention at that place.
“W. W. Johnson & Son recently filled their icehouse and state that the ice harvested was the
best in years.
“The weather conditions on last week Wednesday evening, which also caused the electric
lights at the town hall to be put out of commission, caused the postponement of the meeting of the
State Guard Veterans’ association….
“The electric light service was restored again on last week Thursday, the homes being without
electric lights on Wednesday evening, due to the heavy snowfall.
“About Town. William R. Taylor and Frederic A. Snow were bearers at the funeral of S. L.
Taylor’s cousin, Mrs. Elizabeth Adams Dame, Lowell, last Sunday afternoon. Mrs. Dame was a
true gentlewoman, belonging to one of the old families of Lowell, and was a devoted member of
St. Anne’s Episcopal church. She had several ancestors who were loyal patriots of their country
in the revolutionary war…. She was a … granddaughter of Capt. Samuel Law, who once owned
the Polley place adjoining the old Taylor homestead.
“‘The horn of the hunter is heard on the hill’ is a familiar chime to us. The other day we saw
one of our good hunters carefully making a hunter’s horn. He had a very large steer’s horn which
he had polished beautifully until it looked like marble or onyx. With a file he was slowly carving
out the mouthpiece. It is quite a knack to blow on these horns and our naturalist, Henry A.
Fletcher, can do that to perfection, equally as well as make the horns. We have heard that he has
made two hundred of these, which is some stunt, and they are beauties. Mr. Fletcher has two fine
owls which are most interesting to watch with their big eyes and horned ears.
“The moonlight nights of last week were unusual. In the words of the famous Christmas
poem: ‘The moon on the crest of the new fallen snow gave a lustre [sic] of midday to objects
below.’ They were wonderful nights for coasting as some can testify until the blizzard came….
Someone ‘on the hill’ told of the beautiful view she had of the moon rising and lighting up so
clearly the belfry of the Unitarian church, even revealing the bell made by that jack-of-all-trades,
Paul Revere, in his bell-making career.
“Horace E. Gould, who has been ill at his home [7 Gould Road] in the north part of the town
… is improving much better than could be expected, or to express in the language of his friends,
‘He is holding his own.’ But we were unable to learn just how much that measured, not knowing
what his normal ‘own’ was, but we inferred that he is gradually clearing off his physical
mortgage to the mortgagee, the holder being pneumonia.
“Frank W. Bannister, the all-round handy and accommodating man, has been sleighing to the
depot for Mr. Balch, whose automobile transportation arrangement was unable to collide with the
snow and carry the mail back and forth.
“Tuesday morning was the coldest this winter, registering 16 below at Westford station, and 8
below at the Old Oaken Bucket farm [70 Lowell Road]. As both locations are on the lower frost
levels of the Stony Brook we can only account for this difference in the fact that the latter place is
one mile nearer the sunrise.
“On last week Thursday our telephone service was restored and it has been hello week ever
since and likely to continue until some breakdown storm breaks up the circuit. After this
comparatively long shut-off hello seemed as refreshing as an oasis in a desert.
“Traps an Otter. Mervin Steele, the well-known trapper, as well as the well-known track
repairer on the Stony Brook [rail]road, trapped an otter last week near the dam on the Stony
Brook at Westford station. It measured four feet and four inches in length….
“Graniteville. The moving pictures drew large crowds here last Monday when two shows
were given. The features were: Wallace Reid in ‘The charm school’ and [6-year-old] Jackie
Coogan in [the 1921 film] ‘Peck’s bad boy.’ This show made a great hit.
“Deaths. James O’Brien, a well known and highly respected resident of this village, dropped
dead while shoveling snow at his home on West street on Thursday morning, January 12….”
For Westford Wardsman readings see “Bob Oliphant’s Westford Wardsman Podcast” at
youtube.com.
Horace Emery Gould (1860-1948), who had pneumonia in 1922, survived another 26 years.
Courtesy photo / findagrave.com.