Turner's Public Spirit, July 26, 1924
A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
Center. Master Claude Wright [8 years old] had his tonsils removed at the Lowell General hospital on Wednesday.
Miss Ruth McCoy is the guest of relatives in East Harwich this week.
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Ingalls entertained Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Mitcheli and sons Everett and Ralph, of Winchester, N.H., over the weekend.
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Taylor, of Cleveland, Ohio, called on friends in Westford on Tuesday. They were on their way home from Cape Cod where they had been spending their vacation. It was Mrs. Taylor’s first visit to Westford. Mr. Taylor has recently received the contract for the architectural gardening of the Harding memorial park at Marion, Ohio.
Mrs. Harry Gumb, who was to have returned from the hospital on Monday, will not return until next week. She is having a special treatment and is showing improvement.
A recent letter from Marden Seavey, who is in Cuba, reports very hot weather.
A citizens’ meeting will be held at the Congregational church on Wednesday evening at 7:45 to take action on referendum 3[1]. The Graniteville M.E. church will unite with them.
Miss Elizabeth Wells is spending her vacation at the home of her aunt in West Newbury, her brothers, Huntington and Richard, being with relatives in Vermont.
Rev. and Mrs. Edward Disbrow, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Horace Killam, motored to Lake Winnipesaukee on Friday. Mr. Disbrow will return for the Sunday and mid-week meetings, after which he will rejoin his family.
Congregational Notes. At the Congregational church on last Sunday morning Rev. E. D. Disbrow gave an interesting sermon on “The twofold life of man,” and Misses Elva Judd and Lillian Sutherland sang a duet. In the evening the subject was “Place of art in religion.”
The Sunday school picnic was held at Silver lake, Hollis, N.H., on last week Thursday. There were about 125 in attendance, the young people with their friends and relatives, being transported in Perley Wright’s truck and private cars. During the day swimming, boating, races, quoits and baseball were enjoyed. The committee in charge were as follows: Houghton Osgood, Mrs. Percy Shupe, Mrs. Harry Ingalls, general management; Mrs. E. D. Disbrow and her Sunday school class, finance; Mrs. John K. Felch, Mrs. Houghton Osgood, refreshments; Raymond Shea, Fred A. Hanscom, Rev. Edward Disbrow, sports.
The [paper torn] men of the church will [torn] Mrs. George Walker’s lawn [torn] day evening. There will be [torn] wiggly sale, band concert [torn] the Army band refreshments [torn] sale.
About Town. A new, modern bungalow has been built on the Picken [Picking?] farm that fronts Keyes pond, and the batters are up for another one. This pond, not far from the Lowell and Fitchburg railway, is gaining as a summer camping resort.
Was much interested in reading under Harvard news the passing to the other shore of that snapping turtle that weighed sixty pounds and was aged 170 years. On this basis of aging, how old would a snapping turtle be that weighed 450 pounds and souped into ex-President Taft in London? If snapping turtle soup is one of the essentials of being a candidate, I decline the nomination; but spell it ice cream and I am already elected.
Norman Phillips is doing the haying on the old Peletiah Fletcher farm on the Lowell road, or rather it should be that he has done it up smart and gone elsewhere.
John A. Taylor, who is leading a touring party to Europe writes “We have reached Edinburg in ‘Bonnie Scotland.’ It’s a splendid country and people, the land of the Scotch heather of Burns and Stevenson.” He is planning to go to Paisley, the native town of his grandfather, William Taylor, and for many years a resident of this town.
The Abbot Worsted Company band played Wednesday evening at a lawn party in North Tewksbury on the church lawn.
Sweet corn is silking out at the Morning Glory and Old Oaken Bucket farms, planted May 2 and 3. The ground was in the mud transition stage and we are now in the dust and rainless stage. Unless we get rain relief we may have to be content with silk goods instead of corn in the milking stage, but even this is likely to beat “Plant me late and harvest me never.”
Chelmsford appropriated money for band concerts, one for each village—Center, North, South, East and West. This last will be held at West Chelmsford on Friday evening, July 25.
When the hurricane shower of last week Thursday arrived at the Stony Brook valley it had nearly gotten over its hurry, and the only damage done so far as we discovered was at the Old Oaken Bucket farm, where four bean poles were blown over. They were heavily loaded, the result of mud planting. Had we been like the other fellow planting in the hot sands of summer, we would have escaped this loss. But perhaps we can stand this loss, as we have planted plenty more of the early mud-planting variety.
Last week was father and son week at the Y.M.C.A. camp at Lake Nabnassett. Over fifty fathers arrived on Friday and more were expected on Saturday, guests of the boys and of Director Thomas R. Williams. The program of sports was well carried out. The boys competed against their dads and although it was expected that the boys would win, there was sharp rivalry and we have not yet learned who did win. Charles Shields, the champion of the camp for underwater endurance, challenged any dad in the camp to equal his record one minute. The special feature of the camp was the father and son service in the camp chapel on last Sunday. There was a special sermon to fathers and sons at that time.
The Old Oaken Bucket farm had string beans for dinner on last Sunday. Anyone ahead of that? Come to think it over, perhaps we had ought to have kept that bit of news to ourselves until after someone else had reported, for we recall that we got left on first early peas by being too precociously premature in announcing the news and date.
Glad to read that the annual fair of the Groton Farmers’ and Mechanics’ club will be held September 25, 26 and 27. All right, I am planning to be there with my hayseed and wheat, and expect first prize on hayseed.
An attractive set of Italian posters in color is now on exhibition at the library. They will remain until August 4. A few new books recently added to the library are “Interpreter’s house,” Burt; “Planning a trip abroad,” Hungerford; “Camera trails in Africa,” Johnson; “Household painter” Kelly, and “Toiling of Felix,” a poem by Henry Van Dyke.
Why Resign? The mobilization of the military forces of the United States on September 12[2] has distorted some folks into resigning the office of chaplain. Does it make any larger army to mobilize them together than to mobilize them apart, a soldier here and there all over the United States, perhaps one to a 100 acres? Our military strength would be as great as it would be in the taking of stock in efficiency on September 12. Such is the limit of peace at any price that President Coolidge and Secretary of War [John Wingate] Weeks [of Newton, Mass.] are being implored to call the mobilization off. If we are ready to dispense with all military protection and police protection and let foreign juggernauts crush us out of national existence and sell our jail and let crime continue to abound, why call this mobilization off, Mr. President and Mr. Secretary of War, and in its place give us a mobilization of how willingly weak and helpless we are. Japan, come over here and help yourself to territory for our naughty sauciness in framing you out of our United States. We are too good to stop you, and nothing to stop you with if we hadn’t recently become so good. Oh dear, I haven’t got anything to resign—if I had and resigned under the terms assigned I should think I had lost the last vestige of common sense that I ever had if I ever had a vestige to lose.
Death. Oscar J. Pearson, an old G.A.R. veteran, died at his home in North Chelmsford last Sunday afternoon, aged 76 years and 10 months. He is well remembered by the older residents of the Stony Brook valley where in his early life he lived several years at the farm now owned by Norman Whitten [possibly Herman Whitton is meant] on the Lowell road, then owned by Sally Hewey, better known as Mrs. Sally Cummings. Just prior to the beginning of the civil war he organized a fife and drum corps of young boys and paraded the roads of the Stony Brook valley and other parts of the town to the cheery delight of the citizens. He had much native and cultivated talent as a drummer. When the civil war broke out he enlisted as drummer and served until the close of the war.
For several years he was employed as a section hand on the Stony Brook railroad on the section between North Chelmsford and Westford station in the days of old crank hand car, when the late James Dunn was foreman. As the Old Oaken Bucket farm is bounded on the north by the Stony Brook railroad we have had many friendly social chats with him. He was as apt and entertaining in chatty conversation as with his drum.
The deceased leaves two sons, Frank and Herbert Pearson, a sister, Mrs. Dorothy J. Worden, of Chelmsford, and a nephew and a niece.
The funeral was held on Tuesday afternoon from the funeral parlors of Hiram Brown, Lowell. Rev. E. E. Jackman, of the Highland M.E. church, conducted the services. Members of the G.A.R. and the Ladies of the G.A.R. were in attendance. Interment was in the Riverside cemetery, North Chelmsford, where the officiating minister read the burial service.
Graniteville. [paper torn] [The board of registrars held a [meeting in] the town hall on Wednesday [paper torn] for the purpose of [examining] nomination papers. [missing words inferred.]
Mrs. Clara Rivers of Ayer has been a recent visitor here.
Mr. and Mrs. Fred J. Parker and family have recently moved to Pepperell, where they will reside in the future.
Rev. Edward C. Mitchell, a former curate of St. Catherine’s church, now pastor of the Sacred Heart church in Groton, with a flourishing mission in West Groton, is planning to hold a big field day in West Groton in the near future. A new church building is one of the possibilities in Groton proper, while funds are also being raised for a smaller church building for the mission. Mr. Mitchell has done great work both in a spiritual and material way since assuming the pastorate at Groton, and has the hearty cooperation of his parishioners. His many Graniteville friends wish him every success.
Work on the Sargent school building is rapidly nearing completion. Contractor P. Henry Harrington, who has charge of the work, has a large force of men busily engaged on this contract and will have the entire job completed before the opening of the fall term. [The school was being enlarged from four to eight classrooms.]
Many Maynard fans attended the ball game here last Sunday. The Abbots will play a return game in Maynard on Sunday.
Mrs. Margaret Horan, of Somerville, and Mrs. Anne O’Brien, of Lowell, have been recent visitors here.
The band concert in Forge Village on last Saturday evening by the Abbot Worsted Company band was largely attended. The excellent musical program was thoroughly enjoyed, and the singing of [Edward] “Tip” Hanley’s Honey Boy quartet scored a decided hit.
The members of the Methodist church Sunday school held their annual outing at Whalom Park on last Saturday. The trip was made by special trolley cars that left here at 9:30. Excellent weather prevailed and although the park showed the result of the recent storm[3] in that vicinity, a pleasant day was enjoyed by the entire company.
Mr. and Mrs. William Craig and family, of Salem, and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Carter, of Bristol. R.I., were weekend guests of Dr. and Mrs. Fabyan Packard.
Groton
News Items. The friends of Mrs. Fred M. Partridge, of Ayer, formerly of this town, are pleased to learn that she and her children are gradually recovering from the injuries received in an automobile collision in Westford on last week Friday. Mrs. Thomas E. Bywater, who went to see her sister early in this week, found Mrs. Partridge with her face badly bruised, and learned that Helen Partridge had received the most serious injury, having her shin bone crushed. Marion, the baby, was thrown into the street and was unhurt except for two scratches.
Ayer
Auto Accident. Another accident was added to the ever-increasing list on last week Friday afternoon when a Studebaker big six touring car, driven by Alfred Craig Yates, in which were his mother, Mrs. Alfred Yates; his sister Evelyn, and a neighbor, Mrs. Fred M. Partridge, and two children, was wrecked about 1:45 at Hartshorn’s [Hartson’s][4] curve, just beyond the four corners in Westford, while en route to Lowell. The Yates car collided with a Peerless sedan driven by James J. Norton, of Chelmsford street, Lowell, skidded into the gutter and turned over against a tree. All were thrown out through the roof of the Studebaker except Marion, the infant daughter of Mrs. Partridge, less than a year old, who fell into the street and was unhurt.
The accident happened where a roadside stand is located and cars were parked [on] both sides of the road, leaving room for one to pass through. As the two cars came to the passageway, Yates, seeing a collision could not be avoided, tried to pass behind the cars parked on his left and into the yard, but the on-coming car locked front wheels with the Studebaker, which swung about and overturned.
Mrs. Yates sustained two cuts, one over the right ear and one over the right eye, requiring several stitches. Mrs. Partridge received a contusion over the right eye. Miss Helen Partridge had a cut on one leg and the other received bruises.
The injured were attended by Dr. Packard of Chelmsford, and Dr. Leon D. Sullivan, of Lowell, formerly of this town.
It is reported that the occupants of the sedan, aside from the driver, received slight injuries.
Real Estate Transfers. The following real estate transfers have been recorded from this vicinity recently:
Westford, Claude L. Allen to Alphonse Lemieux, land on Olive road; Richard Picking to John A. Healy.
[1] “The Massachusetts Prohibition of Alcohol Production and Transportation Act, also known as Question 3, was on the November 4, 1924 ballot in Massachusetts as a veto referendum, where it was approved, thus upholding the legislation. The measure prohibited the production and transportation of certain alcoholic and intoxicating beverages in the state.” Quoted from https://ballotpedia.org/Massachusetts_Prohibition_of_Alcohol_Production_and_Transportation,_Question_3_(1924).
[2] Coolidge Approves U.S. Defense Test
September 12 to Be Day of Nation-Wide Military and Civil Demonstration.
Weeks Gives Program
War Department Officials hope for Full Participation.
Authorization for national defense plans, worked out by the War Department during the past four years, to be subjected September 12 to a “defense test” through a nation-wide demonstration, has been given by President Coolidge, Secretary Weeks announced yesterday. The day was selected as the sixth anniversary of the battle of St. Mihiel, which also will be the day before Gen. Pershing’s sixty-fourth birthday, the normal age of retirement from active service for the Army and Navy officers. [Gen. Pershing was placed on the retired list Sept. 13, 1924.]
Secretary Weeks emphasized that the purpose of the demonstration was to “inform the public of the plans and methods by which American Armies will be raised” in any future war emergency.
Test to Be Confined.
The test will be confined to the actual mobilization of the Regular Army, National Guard and Reserve Officer skeleton, which composes the peace-time organized reserve, to be supplemented by such voluntary enrollment of man power to fill up the reserve units as each community over the country may decide upon for itself. In some cases reserve officers probably will enroll volunteers and assemble them to explain just what an actual mobilization would require. In other cases, the test will consist of patriotic meetings with the co-operation of state and municipal authorities and civic societies.
The striking difference between the methods under which the United States mobilized for the world war and the plan worked out since lies in the complete decentralization of all the early stages of mobilization now contemplated.
“Our program,” Secretary Weeks said “provides for individual and community cooperation and the exercise of decentralized authority by so many elements, national, state, municipal and private, that it is desirable to portray the functions and missions of each of those agencies, civil as well as military. The ‘defense test’ should illustrate to citizens and communities the initial services required for national defense.
“The demonstration will be local in nature, and will not involve any increased expenditures of public funds. So far as practicable, arrangements and ceremonies will be in accordance with the wishes of local civil committees, as the War Department only desires an opportunity to illustrate in each community the effects of its plans for national defense.”
War Department officials are hopeful that a movement to make the day one of patriotic celebration will be widespread, and are certain they will obtain much information of value in connection with further elaboration of defense plans.
The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., Thursday, May 15, 1924, p. 12.
[3] The terrific thunderstorm that struck Lowell and nearby towns on July 17 is vividly described in The Lowell Sun of July 17, 1924, page 1; Westford is not mentioned:
Cloudburst Breaks Over City
Untold Damage Left in Wake of Most Terrific Electrical Storms Within Memory …
Leaving untold damage in their wake, a series of the worst electrical storms within memory broke with terrific force over the city shortly after 12:30 o’clock this noon, bringing with them showers of hail stones and sheets of blinding rain and a darkness so intense that objects only a few feet distant were completely blotted out of view. For a full half our, with streets turned into rivers and storms reaching cloud-burst proportions, the entire city waited with extreme anxiety for signs of clearing.
Although reports of damage to any great extent are impossible because of crippled telephone services, particularly with neighboring towns, a rapid survey showed extensive crop damages in Pelham, N.H., and other towns in the north and west and great hail flurries to the eastward. …
The Lowell telephone exchange was cut off from practically all communication with outlying towns …
The storms were without doubt the worst in the history of the city. For ten or fifteen minutes before they reached here, they could be seen sweeping down from a northwest direction. As they broke overhead, the city was in darkness, broken only by vivid flashes of lightning, accompanied by heavy thunder. …
The extent of damage to company property and service in near-by towns is not known as lightning early in the storm put all company phones out of order. Emergency crews are being dispatched on all out-of-town lines and until they report back the damage will not be known. …
[4] Walgreen’s
“First called Alabama Farm in the 1920s, Alabama Lunch, located at 145 Littleton Road [about a quarter mile east of the Minot’s Corner ‘four corners’] in Westford, served the traveling public from the 1920s to the 1950s. Many newspaper articles refer to dining functions being carried on here. It was a destination location for people from Lowell and Boston. In 1925, Frank Hartson was the owner. He was taxed on 30 acres, his house, barn, store, henhouse and gasoline pump. On 14 April 1927 Ada Day wrote in her diary, “Clear and cold and windy. Went down to Mrs. Hartson’s to see Kelvinator demonstration. Went with Alice.”
Marilyn Day & Geoffrey D. Hall, Littleton Road, Four Miles of Westford History (2022).