The Westford Wardsman, January 6, 1917
Center. Miss Bertha H. Norris, whose home is in Nashua, and who teaches in Willimantic, Conn., spent part of her Christmas holidays in town renewing old friendships. Miss Norris is pleasantly remembered as one of the former academy teachers.
Miss Marion Hathaway was a guest for over the weekend and the holiday of Miss Hazel B. Hartford.
Mr. and Mrs. Alonzo H. Sutherland observed the twenty-fifth anniversary of their marriage last Sunday. No special festivities were planned, but the day was spent pleasantly with the family circle of mother, father, two sons and two daughters.
Westford friends are sorry to hear that Edward Fisher is ill at his home in Lowell, threatened with a nervous breakdown.
Arthur Hildreth, who teaches in Munson academy, has been spending his Christmas holidays at home.
Miss Evelyn Hamlin, who teaches in Providence, R.I., made a brief visit in town this week.
At the Congregational church last Sunday Rev. Howard A. Lincoln gave excellent morning and evening addresses suitable to the new year. On Sunday the communion service will be held at the close of the morning service. On Monday the annual meeting will be held to hear the reports for the year of officers and committees of the church and to choose officers and committees for another year. This will be preceded by a dinner at noon for the church members in charge of the deacons and their wives.
The work of removing the old blacksmith shop, harness shop and sheds is nearly finished, although considerable debris remain to be taken care of. Located centrally as they were, they were an unattractive group and their removal is one of the real village improvements of the year. When the space is smoothed up, and with a view of John M. Fletcher’s well kept orchard at the back, the transformation is one that will be appreciated by everybody.
Albert W. Heywood, who was in town at Christmas time, has recently joined the navy for a period of four years. He is on the Gunboat Dubuque which was then at Portsmouth, N.H.
Mrs. O. V. Wells and daughter Elizabeth enjoyed a visit of several days last week with relatives and friends in Amesbury.
Annual Appraisal and Dinner. The annual appraisal and dinner to the town officers took place at the town farm last Saturday. The appraisers this year were L. W. Wheeler, S. H. Balch and Fred L. McCoy. Those present at the dinner were J. Willard Fletcher, C. D. Colburn and J. Austin Healy of the board of assessors; A. R. Choate, Fred H. Blodgett and S. H. Balch, of the board of overseers of the poor; Charles L. Hildreth, town clerk; C. A. Blaney, town physician; Harold W. Hildreth, clerk of the board of selectmen; L. W. Wheeler, collector of taxes; Oscar Spalding and Frank L. Furbush, selectmen. Sherman H. Fletcher, selectman; Harwood L. Wright, treasurer, and Edward T. Hanley, auditor, were unable to be present. The dinner served by Supt. and Mrs. Barnes and their assistants was a credit in every way, and the premises and everything about them were in the best of well cared for condition. This town farm for years has been listed by the state inspector of institutions of this kind as one of the best cared for in a town of this size as any in the state. Mr. and Mrs. Barnes, who have been the caretakers for a number of years, have recently resigned to take effect April 1, they having bought a farm in New Hampshire. There are at the present time five inmates at the farm.
In New Quarters. The Edward M. Abbot hose company held their regular monthly meeting with supper Tuesday evening at their new quarters, occupying the upper floor of the old academy building. These quarters serve their new purpose nicely, and the members have equipped the room with a large stove for heating; also, at one side of the room which might be called the kitchen side, a cook stove, sink, table and dish closet are arranged. Little is left either upstairs or down to remind former academy scholars of old school days, although on one side of the room are the blackboards and written thereon are the class mottos of by-gone years, some going back to the classes in the seventies. The teacher’s platform, minus the desk where Preceptor William E. Frost, of cherished memory presided for so many years, remains the same. The room is now lighted with large hanging oil lamps. Electric lights and fresh paint will be one of the improvements to look forward to.
At the meeting on Tuesday evening Mr. and Mrs. Knight served an appetizing oyster and cold meat supper. There was no special business besides an inspection of apparatus and arrangements of last details for the annual ball of this week Friday evening.
Tadmuck Club. The first meeting of the new year of the Tadmuck club took place Tuesday afternoon in Library hall with a representative attendance present. Miss Howard, the president read new year’s greetings for the club; also, a petition from Winthrop Packard of the Massachusetts Audubon society, who gave an address last year before this club, to feed the birds during the winter, especially while the ground is covered with snow.; revision of the state constitution, particularly as referring to suffrage laws, and lastly some phases of the great war. Mrs. Louis H. Buckshorn gave a book review, choosing for her subject, “The Channings,” by Mrs. Henry Wood, a charming old story of English life in a cathedral town. Mrs. Buckshorn gave a scholarly and sympathetic interpretation of the book and its characters and was much enjoyed by those present. Mrs. Fred L. Roberts interspersed the program with a group of solos given in excellent voice and happy informality.
About Town. The W.C.T.U. met on Wednesday afternoon with Mrs. Daisy Colburn, with ten members and two visitors present, the storm blocking a larger attendance. The president, Mrs. Janet Wright, presided. Rev. Howard A. Lincoln led in the devotional exercises. After the usual transaction of business five delegates were chosen to attend a convention to be held in Arlington on January 24. Mrs. Lincoln read a paper on “National prohibition,” sent to the Westford branch by Mrs. Stevenson, the state president, read in Maine five years ago. A letter of thanks and appreciation from the Frances Willard home in Boston was read, acknowledging the gift from the Westford W.C.T.U. of a large Thanksgiving donation.
Edward Littlefield, of Fitchburg, has been visiting at the home of his uncle and aunt, Charles E. and Miss Belle Walker.
At the Unitarian church last Sunday Rev. Louis H. Buckshorn gave an eloquent and sensible sermon on “Futures.”
Wallace W. Johnson & Son commenced to cut ice Wednesday on Burgess pond. Considering the weather has got down to ice business only once below zero this winter, we ought to be thankful for a ten-inch cake of coolness next summer.
The F. W. Banisters held installation services at the installing of a telephone on Wednesday.
The incorporated milk farmers held a meeting in Lowell on Tuesday evening. Ingles Wetmore was chosen a director and Frank C. Miller of Westford Academy committee from Westford to increase the membership.
The Branch Alliance will hold its next meeting on Thursday afternoon, January 11. Subject, “Hymns and hymn writers,” Mrs. L. H. Buckshorn.
Directors Elected. The Middlesex County Farm Bureau which is now incorporated, held its second meeting at the town hall, Concord, Tuesday afternoon. The towns in Northern Middlesex were well represented. The Lowell Board of Trade has joined the bureau and everything is on the boom boost side of getting together for better farming and a wider and better range of social life and simplified and healthier indoor living. The directors to teach and stimulate a healthier household life are Mrs. James J. Storrow of Lincoln, Mrs. Frank Cooper of Wayland, Mrs. Ida F. Miller of Wakefield, Mrs. Leon R. Richardson of Pepperell, Mrs. Harold Thompson of Arlington, Miss Alice Howard of Westford, Miss Anna Murphy of Framingham.
The following, from nearby towns, were elected general directors of the Farm Bureau, a part of whose duty will be to engage instructors for the Farm Bureau: Capt. and Mrs. William P. White, Robert Marden, Mrs. Margaret A. Sarre, Lowell; Harry Dawson, Mrs. Carrie Chase, Tewksbury; Claude A. Bell, Mrs. Warren A. Sherburne, Tyngsboro; Mrs. Frank C. Wright, William R. and Samuel L. Taylor, Westford; Charles A. Wright, Mrs. H. B. Hosmer, Mrs. George P. Greenwood, Billerica; Hon. and Mrs. Arthur W. Colburn, Dracut; N. H. Tenney, Ernest Teel, Mrs. Gertrude Daniels, Acton; Luther Ford, J. R. Comley, Miss Mary Laws, Bedford; William E. Foss, Mrs. Nellie O. Wilson, Carlisle; Frank H. Hill, Mrs. J. M. Hartwell, M. C. Pratt, Albert Shedd, Littleton; Howard Fuller, Mrs. A. R. Cummings, Shirley; Fred Payne, James E. Kendall, Mrs. Samuel Shaw, Dunstable; Mr. and Mrs. Wallace A. Brown, George S. Knapp, Groton; Mrs. Leon R. Richardson, O. M. Nash, Mrs. C. H. Mills, Pepperell; Hon. John M. Keyes, Miss Grace Keyes, Charles A. Noeonne [sic], Concord; Mr. and Mrs. Walter Holder, Mrs. Murray Pratt, Chelmsford; Lyman Priest, Charles Warren, Miss Whitney, Stow; Fred A. Smith, Mrs. G. D. Brooks, Ayer; Mr. and Mrs. Howard B. White, Ashby; Galen Proctor, Mrs. Vernal Barber, Townsend.
Several are missing in the above list who will be notified by the secretary of the bureau of their election.
Hon. Nathaniel Bowditch, of Framingham, presided. Capt. White, of Lowell, spoke against the right to strike on public service corporations and Bertram Tupper, county agent for Plymouth, gave a hold-your-audience address on the working of the Farm Bureau in that county. The meeting was adjourned to meet at the call of the president.
Graniteville. At the regular meeting of Court Westford, M.C.O.F., held in the rooms of the organization Thursday evening, December 28, the following officers were duly elected for the ensuing years; Mrs. Julia B. Wall, p.c.r.; Mrs. Emma Carpentier, c.r.; A. R. Wall, rec. sec.; Agnes F. Charlton, fin. Sec.; J. A. Healy, treas.; Miss Isabelle Carpentier, s.c.; Robert J. McCarthy, j.c.; Miss Fanny McCarthy, i.s.; Chas. E. Dudevoir, o.s.; Mrs. Julia B. Wall, J. A. Healy, delegates to grand court convention; R. J. McCarthy and C. E. Dudevoir, alternates.
Last Monday being a feast day and a holy day of obligation, two masses were celebrated in St. Catherine’s church by Rev. Henry L. Scott. As January 1 was a holiday, with the mills and shops closed, both masses were largely attended.
Over forty people from Graniteville and Forge Village and several from Lowell, Lawrence and North Chelmsford attended the reception of novices that was held at the Convent of Mercy in Manchester, N.H., on Monday afternoon at 3:15. At that time Miss Mary G. Provost, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Provost, took the first veil as a novice, and hereafter will be known as Sister Ignatius. The service was very impressive and made a lasting impression on the large number in attendance. Sister Ignatius has the distinction of being the first young woman from St. Catherine’s parish to become affiliated with the sisterhood. She will be stationed with the Sisters of Mercy in Manchester, N.H.
Mrs. J. A. Healy, who has been ill at the Carney hospital in Boston for the past few weeks, returned to her home here last Tuesday.
Miss Mary Perrin, of Lowell, has been a recent guest of the Misses Rebecca and Dora LeDuc.
Mrs. Clarence Wiley, of Cuttingsville, Vt., formerly known as Miss Mary J Burke, of North Westford, visited friends here recently.
The watch night service that was held in the M.E. church last Sunday evening was well attended. Refreshments were served.
Mrs. Lillian McLenna, with her daughter, Miss Inez, are visiting at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence McLenna in Ayer.
George Reese is seriously ill at the Lowell General hospital.
Many from here attended the ball of the Peace and Unity club held in Ayer on Monday night.