Turner's Public Spirit, January 31, 1925

A look back in time to a century ago

By Bob Oliphant

Center.  The third meeting of the food selection project, under the direction of the Middlesex County Extension Service was held this Friday in the town hall.  The work taken up at this meeting was overcoming food prejudices.  There was a short demonstration on salads.  Definite plans were made for the luncheon which will be held at the fourth meeting.

Mrs. Eben Prescott, who is ill at her home, was at last reports showing improvement.  Her daughter, Miss Lucinda Prescott, of Framingham, is with her mother during her illness.

The W.C.T.U. will hold their next meeting at the home of Mrs. Hugh Ferguson on Wednesday afternoon, February 4, at three o’clock.

A special meeting of the Legion Auxiliary will be held at headquarters on Tuesday evening, February 2 [Tuesday was Feb. 3], at eight o’clock.  Important business will be transacted, part of which will be the election of a secretary.  A large attendance is desired.

Some of the members of the C.E. [Christian Endeavor] society attended the banquet and rally held in St. Paul’s church, Lowell, Monday evening of this week.

Miss Eleanor Colburn, assistant supervisor of music in the Concord, (N.H.), schools is spending a week’s vacation at her home.

The motion pictures, featuring Jackie Coogan, in “Peck’s bad boy,” given under the auspices of the Middlesex County Extension Service at the town hall, Monday evening, brought out a large attendance.

A number of the school friends of Miss Elizabeth Wells tendered her a surprise party on Monday evening. Games were enjoyed and refreshments were served.  Miss Wells was presented with a turquoise ring.  The party was in the nature of a farewell, as Miss Wells leaves on Saturday for Westbrook seminary, Portland, Me., where she will continue her studies.

The only contest on the town ballot this year will be the one to fill the vacancy on the board of health.  Miss Eva May Lord, former public health nurse, who gained the nomination at the primaries, will be opposed by Dr. C. A. Blaney, who has taken out nomination papers.

The Rainbow Girls held a dancing party at the town hall on last week Friday evening.  At intermission refreshments were served.

Misses Ruth McCoy, Frances Sunbury, May Day, Rev. Edward Disbrow and Mr. Josselyn attended the C.E. Banquet in Lowell on Monday evening.

Westford academy defeated Littleton high school by the score of 33 to 10, in Littleton last week Thursday evening.  The academy team went to Salem on Tuesday to play the Salem Normal School team.

An excellent supper was served at the Congregational church on last week Thursday evening in charge of Mrs. Perry Shupe.  The entertainment, which proved very pleasing, consisted of a piano solo [sic, duet?] by Misses Viola and Marion Day; violin and piano duet, Mr. Lehman and Miss Ruth Swenson; songs, Miss Elva Judd, accompanied by Mrs. Edith P. Blaney.  Miss Mary G. Balch, as Prof. John R. Thistle, gave a very humorous political speech which was much enjoyed.

The thermometer registered 10 below zero at Wright & Fletcher’s store about 7:30 Thursday morning.

Mrs. F. C. Wright wishes to state that the Buick car which she has purchased is not the one formerly owned by Charles H. Wright.

The officers of Westford post, A.L., were installed on Monday evening by Dr. Harry Coburn, past commander, as follows: Edward Healy, com.; Dr. Fabyan Packard and J. Edward Clements, vice commanders; Arthur Ellestone, adjt.; Joseph G. Walker, treas.; Joseph Walker, chap.; Norman Young, sergt.-at-arms; Clarence Hildreth, Dr. Packard, Joseph Murphy, finance committee.

About Town.  At the annual meeting of the Grace Universalist church, Lowell, Hon. Edward Fisher was elected as one of the trustees.

Owing to the pressure of the law of safety first, as urged on crime waves and public opinion, the judges of our courts are handing out severer sentences than probation and selling jails.  We read “from twenty-five to forty years.”  The next step will be “step into the electric chair” and “sit then doon and bide thee a wee bit.”

If we did not get up in season to see the eclipse of the sun we saw the spot in the sky where it all occurred and that certainly is worth writing down in the diary of the mind to tell future generations.  They will certainly be proud of an ancestry that could sleep through all of this astrogeological curio.

Much is said and justly said about the burden of taxation that presses so heavily on the small, down and out farmer and some others and they have my sympathy if there is any dividend to declare after settling with self.  But let us remember that if the town did not appropriate any more money than the hard-pressed taxpayer can reach to, we should never be arrested for financial over-spending or ever go to the legislature for permission to raise more money.  Rather, we should need a powerful financial microscope to see if we were even on the modern map of life.  Better by far that the assessors avail themselves of the law which in spirit and substance reads: “If in the judgment of the assessors any person is not fully able to contribute to public taxation they may abate part or all of said tax.”

In last week’s issue, under general information, in charge of the proprietor of this paper, I read, “The next pressing problem to be attacked by the Carnegie Foundation is the study of how the increasing leisure of the average American can best be employed.  The new topic was announced by Frederick P. Keppell, president, who said a series of special studies would be made of the question: ‘What shall be done with this new-found leisure?’”  Mr. Foundation, I am ready to speak my piece now without stopping to rehearse it and want neither your foundation money nor anybody’s encore, “Forestry and the preservation of birdlife, including our dearly beloved old New England crow.”

The Farm Bureau motion picture show on Monday evening was just a laughable and helpful success, and “Peck’s bad boy” proved the truthfulness of the ideal saying of old, “A merry heart doeth good like medicine.” [Proverbs 17:22]  The next Farm Bureau movies will be held on Monday evening, February 23, and pictures will be “Lincoln at the White House during the civil war and other scenes of the civil war.”  A more definitely worded program will appear later, but not too late for the papers as this last one was.  Let us specialize ahead on time and contributions and give “Lincoln” an overflowing house.

Clayton Davis, who lives on the back road from the Judson F. Sweetser place to the Carlisle station, on the Lowell & Framingham railroad, has been appointed postmaster at Nashoba, which is in the southeast section of Westford with office at the Carlisle station, also in Westford.

The first annual meeting for the election of town officers, under the two-town-meeting system, will be held on Monday, February 9.  Voters, this is precinct voting day and you vote in at one of the following precincts: Precinct 1, Westford Center; precinct 2, Graniteville; precinct 3, Brookside; precinct 4, Forge Village.  The annual town meeting for the transaction of town business will be held in the town hall, Westford Center, Monday, February 16.  Polls open at one o’clock and will close when we quit, which may be as by some previous meetings when we can see the stars that we missed at the eclipse.

The next meeting of Middlesex-North Pomona Grange will be held on Friday, February 6, at Odd Fellows’ hall, Bridge street, Lowell.  This meeting will be held in connection with the Middlesex-North Agricultural society in the role of a farmers’ institute.  Hon. Edward Fisher, of Westford and Lowell, will speak at the morning session at eleven o’clock on “The work of the state board of conciliation and arbitration,” of which he is a member.  The afternoon program at the time of writing has not been listed to my eyes.

Information by personal letters from New Jersey and New York indicates that the total eclipse of the sun via the moon was all that [paper torn, line missing] the end of the world, and that has been postponed until February 6.  The reason for postponing is not given; perhaps to give some of us time to finish drying out undug potatoes.  This was the first total eclipse of the sun in New York since white people lived there.  Dogs were scared and birds took to trees.  The corona was just magnificent.  A gentleman told us he saw a total eclipse of the sun in Georgia in 1907 and the negroes were terribly frightened.

Evidently Dr. F. Earland Gilson, of Groton and Ayer, is a mind-reader.  I think that is what you call it, or is it sub-conscious new thought, for he seems to know my lackings and likings and has sent me a modern history of Ayer, published in 1909 by William M. Sargent.  The pages are liberally adorned with the pictures of men whom I knew and others whom I am not acquainted with.

Dance town hall, Ayer, this Friday night.  Exhibition dancing by Arthur Karr and Gladys Pillman.  Flanagan’s orchestra.

Insects vs. Birds.  The Farm Journal, which is the organizer of the Liberty Bell Bird club, in enumerating its many New Year’s duties, states, “Another duty is to see that every farm is a bird sanctuary.  Tell it out that insects still cause a loss of more than $1,300,000,000 every year, and if we increase the number of birds they can quickly reduce this terrific loss.”

Well, I want to know if insect pests are responsible for all of this damage.  Why my stars, where have I been living that I did not know this before and know the value of the birds before?  I can only excuse it on the ground that lately I have been a pupil of the anti-crow Ananias club that charges all farm losses up to the crow, including hens, hogs, calves and sheep.  Owing to my discipleship in this fraternity of Ananias I have either honestly forgotten all that I ever knew to the contrary of Ananias’s teachings or else I have purposely forgotten by adopting the Ananias trade mark.  I think that I will withdraw from the fellowship of the anti-crow Ananias pro-Dupont powder club and join the Farm Journal Liberty Bell Bird club.  I am delighted to the point of dreadful glad to transfer my fellowship from buying powder to shoot crows to leaving corn in the field for crows, jays, etc. to eat.

The Embargo on Poultry.  The recent European chicken plague[1], so-called, has started something besides the plague.  It looks as though it had started a more humane method of transportation as well as sanitary and more humane methods of preparing poultry for market.  The Rural New Yorker says:

“The embargo was declared about two weeks before Christmas, when shipments were unusually heavy.  Over 100 carloads of live chickens were standing in the large live poultry yards on the west shore of the Hudson river.  Two yards are located in Jersey City and one in Weehawken, N.J.  The Jersey City board of health took control and ordered all birds inspected and all diseased birds and those showing symptoms were ordered killed.  There were 90,508 pounds of condemned live birds.  A group of laborers were employed to kill them.  These men attempted killing by clubbing, wringing the necks and by crushing the heads underfoot.  The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals got word and assumed charge and stopped this cruel and inhuman [sic] method.  A chemist on the staff of the Jersey City board of health was put in charge and he suggested using calcium-cyanide, which is painless (and harmless to unfeathered, two-legged roosters).  The chemist, with the aid of one person, gassed over 100,000 pounds of live poultry between December 16 and 24.”

This particular method of disposing of diseased poultry is likely to start a movement for a more humane and sanitary method of transportation.  This inhumane and cruel method of crowding sanitary and diseased poultry into unsanitary cars, which increases with transportation, has got to have a “hold-up” applied, and perhaps this embargo, which is still on, will in self-defense remedy this unsanitary and cruel method of transportation, side-tracked in storm without food or water.  This in the past, has been exemplified in the transportation of live stock in unsanitary cars, trampled to death, and foodlessed and waterlessed to death.  We cringe at the European plague, which some folks think could rightly be named American-pean plague, but be this as it may, what about American inhumane cruelty in comparison?  I have it from authority that we are the most cruel nation in the method of killing for food.  Most other nations stun, which is comparatively painless, before killing.  Say, are we in such a terrific rush to get onto “Easy street” that we have got to practice all this cruelty to help us land them?  If it is plague, visit me at our nice, sunny Westford town home.

Hair-splitting English.  The “pink parlor purists” as it relates to “good English,” who have been after all of the presidents of recent years for their “slovenly English,” are now hot on the trail of President Coolidge for his slip up or slip down in saying “We will invite disaster” if we do not do thus and so instead of “shall.”  Well, now, see here, some of you hair splitting, empty heads, President Coolidge will leave a monument to his memory for his services and love for humanity as lasting as the world, and if the likes of some of your hair-splitting auxiliaries have a monument for your life’s work tall enough to shade a grasshopper while he is busy haying in the hot sun I shall be more disappointed than seeing the world continue doing business after February 6.

There are many who serve as a [paper torn, word or two missing] in the Great Sahara Desert of hair-splitting English, and what they lack in fine-tooth comb English they make up, and with compound interest to spare, in an inspiring individuality that is thoroughly equipped to charm by their eloquence of their conversational powers.  They entertain all except a few isolated grammatical icicles, who chill everything they touch.  They are cheaper than ice to have around in the summer time, if you are not afraid that their too constant presence will make an iceberg of you.  Some of us have listened to lectures, every word of which was measured out before spoken, to conform to “pure English” as per the empty-headed critics of President Coolidge, but there was not enough fire of inspiration in it to keep a toad awake.  The late Dwight L. Moody[2] had the well-earned reputation of being in the “bad grammar” crowd, but he left an immortal monument at Northfield that it is an inspiration to visit as a feast of righteousness to his memory which will last while there is youth to be inspired or needless hair-spitting to be cussed.  What we need is a new beatitude, “Blessed are they who are dumb, for they are the only ones who can speak good English.”

Fire.  The revised edition of the account of the burning of the George C. Moore house at Lake Nabnassett reads: In addition to the Westford fire company the West and North Chelmsford fire companies were called and both responded in quick-step time.  The West Chelmsford company was less than a mile off; the other two companies were nearly four miles off.  We quote the following in regard to the part the West Chelmsford fire company took at the fire:

“The excellent work of the local fire department was again demonstrated at the fire which totally destroyed the farmhouse at Lake Nabnassett early Friday morning (last week).  Had they the apparatus to work with it is believed that part of the building might have been saved, but with only the chemical [extinguishers] they were unable to cope with the situation.  However, much credit should be accorded the local department to its prompt and efficient response to all fire signals.”

Another deterrent was the fact that Nabnassett brook, the outlet of Nabnassett lake, and within three rods of the house, was frozen so deep and close to the bottom of the brook as to make it unavailable as a fire extinguishing asset.

The fire took in the back of the house.  Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Bradley and family, who were rendered homeless by the fire, are temporarily stopping with Mr. Bradley’s folks at Forge Village, but will leave soon to take up their residence in Vermont.

Citizens’ Caucus.  At the citizens’ caucus the following occurrences occurred after voting to have them occur:

Alfred W. Hartford was chosen as chairman and occupied the chair when he was not standing up.  Charles L. Hildreth was elected clerk.

The following were nominated without opposition as candidates for town office: Burton D. Griffiths, of Forge Village, selectman; Joseph Willard Fletcher, Cold Spring, assessor; Perley E. Wright, dispenser of charity; David L. Greig, cemetery commissioner; Minnie A. Palmer, of Graniteville, Axel G. Lundberg, of Brookside, school committee; William C. Roudenbush, trustee of library, all of the above for three years; Fred R. Blodgett, cemetery commissioner, two years; Leonard W. Wheeler, tax collector; Warren K. Hanscom, treasurer; Harry L. Nesmith, tree warden, all for one year.  For one-year offices the following contests occurred: Constable, John F. Sullivan 108, Joseph G. Walker 96; board of health, Miss Mary [sic] Lord 100, Dr. C. A. Blaney 93.

Some folks prophesied that we would have to name an assessor in place of Elbert H. Flagg, removed to Littleton.  Some of us were heavy stockholders in this thought, and all that we put into it.  As one of the largest stockholders I am pleased that I did lose, because Mr. Flagg is an assessor of good judgment, and the fact that he moved a few rods and feet over the town line into Littleton would not seem to disqualify his judgment or his legality considering that he is already a legally elected member of the board of assessors of Westford.  Of course, it is possible that the supreme court of Massachusetts would not sustain this decision, but I could appeal it to the supreme court of the United States and see if they decided “again” me.

There was an average of 200 voters at the caucus, which is quite numerous, considering that there was no known contest in political air.  If there was it was not broadcasted over much territory; also, considering that zero had charge of overhead weather arrangements, and slip down and break your bones and black and blue up your physical flesh had charge of the weather of the roads.

I slipped up, not on the ice, but in memory, in naming candidates for town office.  Hon. Herbert E. Fletcher, of Westford and Florida, was nominated for moderator for one year.

Graniteville.  The members of the Ladies’ Aid society of the Methodist church held a very successful calendar bazaar and entertainment in the church on Wednesday and Thursday evening.  The affair was largely attended and proved to be a great social and financial success.

Town politics have begun to warm up and warm sessions are expected both at the election and the regular town meeting.

Many from here attended the basketball game in Littleton on last week Thursday evening when the Westford academy team defeated Littleton high school by the score of 33 to 8.  The [paper torn, word missing] boys showed good team work. [paper torn, word or two missing] home game will be in the [paper torn, line missing] on February 3; with the strong West Groton Tigers.

On account of the eclipse of the sun, and owing to the fact that the mills close at eleven o’clock on Saturdays, all work was suspended in the mills of the Abbot Worsted Company last Saturday.

The senior class of the Westford academy is planning to hold a social dance in the near future.

Many from here attended the social by the Rainbow Girls[3] at the town hall, Westford, last week Friday evening.  An excellent orchestra furnished music for dancing and at intermission refreshments were served.

Precinct voting will be held in the town for election of town officers on Monday, February 9.  Town meeting will be held on Monday, February 16, at the town hall at Westford Center at one o’clock.  About the only contest on the ballot is that for membership on the board of health.  Miss Eva M. Lord and Dr. Cyril A. Blaney are the candidates.

Middlesex County Extension Service

Happenings Hereabouts

Awarded Gold Medal.  At the annual union agricultural banquet held in Worcester January 6 W. Otis Day of Westford was awarded the gold medal offered by the state department of agriculture for the most noteworthy work in agriculture in Massachusetts during the year 1924.

Mr. Day is a poultryman of outstanding qualities.  He started in a small way when a boy and gradually built up a business that is a credit to himself and substantial asset to Middlesex county.

Preceding 1916 Mr. Day had not done any extensive poultry breeding work.  In the spring of 1917 he began trapping his layers.  This was the starting point of real poultry work.  Since that time he has been making wonderful progress in developing a strain of Rhode Island Reds of excellent fecundity.

Up to the time he started in the poultry business in earnest the farm had been considered a dairy farm, selling milk at retail at the neighboring industrial centers.  Mr. Day soon learned that his efforts would bring him more money when devoted to poultry work than he could earn in the dairy business.

[Full length photograph of “W. Otis Day, Westford”]

He has gradually increased the poultry and decreased the dairy work.  At the present time he is only keeping the family cow and has 2500 laying hens on the farm.  Apparently he was born to be a poultryman.

It was not until 1922 that poultrymen not intimately acquainted with Mr. Day realized the wonderful good work he was doing in breeding.  During this year he entered a pen of birds in the egg laying contest conducted in Essex county.  This pen was successful in winning honors over all other breeds.  The publicity achieved from this accomplishment brought Mr. Day considerable business and many orders for breeding stock.

During 1924 he entered a pen in the [Agricultural College at] Storrs egg laying contest and again was successful in winning over other American breeds.  He was only beaten by one Leghorn pen.  One bird in this pen entered by Mr. Day at Storrs holds the record over the 13,000 that had been trapped at that institution.  This particular bird laid 336 eggs from the time she laid her first egg until the completion of the years.  So far as is known this is a record for Rhode Island Reds if not for all other breeds.

In developing this wonderful strain of Rhode Island Reds Mr. Day demonstrated marked ability and excellent judgment.  Instead of a mushroom growth like many poultrymen experience, Mr. Day has simply had a normal growth from year to year and in that way has been able to develop his market along with the high quality stock he is producing.

A year ago he installed a Mammoth incubator.  During this winter he has added another double decked Mammoth machine and expects a little later to deck the one he started with last season.  The demand for baby chicks and hatching eggs has been so great it has necessitated this rather rapid development of the incubator capacity.

In talking with Mr. Day, one would not realize from his conversation that he had accomplished such wonderful things.  It is only by looking his plant over and talking with people who have obtained his stock that one is fully aware of what he has done to advance the poultry business to such a high standard as to win him this agricultural department gold medal.

Ayer

District Court.  On last Saturday morning … James Murray, of Westford, was found guilty of being drunk in that town and fined $5.

On Monday morning Constantine Kestechka, of Westford, before the court for drunkenness in that town, was found guilty and fined $5.

On Tuesday morning James Murray, of Westford, charged with a similar offence, had his case placed on file.

Real Estate Transfers.  The following real estate transfers have been recorded from this vicinity recently:

Westford, Claude L. Allen to Augusta M. Hall, land on Beatrice road; Claude L. Allen to Ingeborg Gustafson, land on Long road.

[1] “Overview of Avian Influenza – By Dr. Dave Halvorson, Extension Animal Scientist, Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota – Avian influenza (AI) is a viral disease characterized by respiratory signs, depression and reduced feed and water intake. In egg laying birds there is a decline in egg production and quality. There are two pathotypes of AI virus: the most common is low pathogenic AI (LPAI) and the other is highly pathogenic AI (HPAI). … Highly pathogenic AI (fowl plague) was first documented in Italy more than 100 years ago. Highly pathogenic AI first occurred in the United States in 1924-1925 and again in 1929 but was eradicated both times. …” Quoted from https://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/overview-of-avian-influenza.

[2] “Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899) … was an American evangelist and publisher connected with Keswickianism, who founded the Moody Church, Northfield School and Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts (now Northfield Mount Hermon School), Moody Bible Institute, and Moody Publishers. One of his most famous quotes was ‘Faith makes all things possible… Love makes all things easy.’ … Moody … chose a tranquil farm he had purchased near his birthplace [and where he died] in Northfield, Massachusetts. He felt he could better recover from his lengthy preaching trips in a rural setting. … Northfield became an important location in evangelical Christian history in the late 19th century as Moody organized summer conferences. These were led and attended by prominent Christian preachers and evangelists from around the world. … Moody founded two schools here: Northfield School for Girls, founded in 1879, and the Mount Hermon School for Boys, founded in 1881. In the late 20th century, these merged, forming today’s co-educational, nondenominational Northfield Mount Hermon School.” Quoted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_L._Moody#External_links.

[3] The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls, commonly known as the Rainbow Girls, was formed in 1922 for young women whose fathers were members of a Masonic Lodge and is now open to all girls. Demolay International, formed in 1919, is the corresponding Masonic organization for boys aged 12 to 21.