The Westford Wardsman, June 15, 1918
Center. Mr. and Mrs. James L. Kimball have gone to Winthrop for the season and the Hylan family, of Lowell, will occupy their Westford home the same as last season.
George F. White and his herdsman, Mr. Holt, were in attendance Tuesday and Wednesday at the thoroughbred sale of Ayrshire cattle at Hartford, Conn. They report a most interesting meeting and the sale of many valuable animals. Mr. White purchased three thoroughbreds to add to his herd.
The Charles H. Wrights have purchased a new five-passenger Buick automobile.
The Pitkin family have had a hard siege with measles. Mrs. Pitkin has had them as well as the children, being in bed. This quarantine prevents Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Hildreth and infant baby coming to occupy the other part of the house as soon as they had planned.
In the current number of the Ladies’ Home Journal is an article by Miss Clara Endicott Sears, of Harvard, on the last season’s work of the Girls’ Canning and Evaporating club in Harvard; also, an article on “Bee-keeping” by Miss Dorothy Wright, of Chelmsford, which gives this number of this well-known magazine much of local flavor.
P. Henry Harrington and men are at work shingling the Congregational church.
A son [Everett Elsworth Miller] was born to Mr. and Mrs. Everett Miller last Sunday [Saturday, June 8, 1918, per the Westford vital records].
The two working meetings of the Red Cross this week have been well attended, but with the extra quota of work for this month more helpers would be welcome either at home or at the library. The local branch wishes to acknowledge the splendid gift for its treasury of sixty dollars, the result of an entertainment earlier in the season at Forge Village, in charge of Miss Eva Pyne and others.
Alexander Cameron is at home from Annapolis on a furlough with his home people.
A son [William Benjamin Prescott] was born last Saturday [June 8] at the Coram hospital in Lowell to Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin A. Prescott, of Westford.
An all-day Ladies’ Aid meeting was held on Thursday at the home of Mrs. Gumb on Boston road. Work on the bungalow aprons was the order of the day, in charge of the directresses, Mrs. Bartlett, Mrs. Day and Mrs. Shupe. Basket lunch, with hot coffee supplemented by the hostess, was enjoyed at noon.
A larger number than for some time were present at the home guard drill on Tuesday evening. After a trial at movement en echelon, platoon movements were used in anticipation of the flag day parade in Lowell on Friday evening.
A very pleasant shower party was held at the home of Miss Edith A. Wright on Tuesday afternoon in honor of Miss Lottie Dunn, who finishes her teaching at the Frost school this week and later in the season becomes the bride of Charles A. Blodgett. The party, the nature of which proved a complete surprise to Miss Dunn, was planned and carried out by Miss Wright and the other teachers. The music teacher, drawing teacher and school nurse were also in the group. The screened porch and parlor were beautifully decorated with roses, ferns and mountain laurel. The gifts, which were both attractive and useful, occupied a large white-trimmed basket. Later, refreshments of ice cream and cake were served.
Work on straightening the curves on Graniteville road is well under way. George D. Greenough, of Acton, has been awarded the contract and the expense will be about $10,000. A detour around by the road beginning at Pine Ridge out to the Day farm is in order during the work.
An all-day knitting party of Red Cross workers will be held at the Spalding camp at Forge pond on next week Thursday. Basket lunch at noon with hot coffee served by the hostess. All who plan to go please communicate either with Mrs. Spalding or Mrs. H. V. Hildreth.
The graduating class of Westford academy held an outing at Marblehead on Thursday, going by automobiles.
A recent real estate transfer of interest is the sale of the Frank E. Miller farm to William E. Wright and Rev. William A. Anderson. This farm is well set with berries and fruit and is considered a good purchase.
The graduating exercises of Westford academy with a class of fourteen—ten girls and four boys, takes place next Wednesday morning at the town hall at 10:30. There will be attractive music by the Titania orchestra and the principal parts are salutatory, Rachael E. Kimball, class history, Bertram W. Sutherland, class will, Frances E. Wright, “The class colors,” Eleanor S. Colburn, class prophecy Frederic A. Amesbury, presentation of service flag, Sylva F. Gladu, acceptance, Ruth M. Sargent, Class of 1919; also the presentation and acceptance of class gift by the same; essay, with valedictory, Caroline E. Precious. The address will be by Frank W. Wright, state deputy commissioner of education and Supt. Frank H. Hill will present the diplomas. At the close of the graduating exercises an informal reception of the graduating class will be held to which all are cordially invited.
The thrift stamp campaign is on in earnest. Mrs. Herbert E. Fletcher is chairman and the assistant team at the Center are Miss Julia H. Fletcher, Mrs. J. Herbert Fletcher and Mrs. Alfred W. Hartford. Everyone understands about the thrift stamps, so think it over and be ready to assist those in charge and be ready to lend the government in this way all that you can.
Postmaster J. Herbert Fletcher and son, John G. Fletcher, enjoyed a weekend motor trip to Northwood and Farmington, N.H., and other points of interest to them this last week.
Westford friends calling on Rev. and Mr. B. H. Bailey at their home in Jamaica Plain this week find them in very comfortable health and interested in all their friends here.
Continued reports of the rather slow convalescence come from Miss Bunce in Lowell, where she is staying at the home of her aunts, Misses Maria and Carrie Bunce.
Death. Word came to Westford on Monday of the death of Mrs. Helen Keith Frost in Chicago, where she had been with Mr. and Mrs. Francis E. Frost since last autumn, and during the last weeks of her life sick in a hospital. Mrs. Frost was the widow of the late William E. Frost, the long-time preceptor of Westford academy. She was born in Augusta, Me., her father being a physician of sterling Scotch ancestry. She was educated at Kent’s Hill seminary, Farmington, Me., and was all her life a woman of fine, scholarly attainment, with an intense love of books and research in general. Her late husband used to say that she was just as deserving as he of the degree of B.A., for she was a better Greek scholar than he was. In addition to her love of books she was a student and lover of good music. Originality, loyalty in her friendships and fortitude in time of sorrow were other strong characteristics. Mrs. Frost came to Westford as a bride in the early seventies, where she had lived since with the exception of a period of being abroad with her son, Thomas R. Frost, after her husband’s death. She has always been identified in religious affiliations with the Unitarian church.
Mrs. Frost was a devoted wife and mother. She is survived by her son, Francis A. Frost, who is in newspaper work in Chicago. Her younger son, Thomas R. Frost, a musician, died some years ago.
About Town. The social dance on last week Friday evening, under the auspices of the Grange, with Joe Wall as the real push agent and enthusiastic interlocutor of its doings, was one grand, wholesome indoor gathering. It was a large gathering and most agreeable to the dancing participants and the non-dancing patrons. Hibbard’s orchestra of Lowell had the real snappy music of old times. It is estimated that there were 150 couples present. American and Allied flags furnished the proper decorations; three girls led the grand march, carrying an American flag—Misses Alice Wright, Mildred and Marion Fletcher. The receipts, above expenses, were sixty dollars, which is to be divided between the K. of C. and the Y.M.C.A. to use in war work.
Daniel H. Sheehan in these busy planting days is sawing lumber in Littleton, near the Harwood farm. He informs your correspondent that he is planning to finish sawing in season to plant four acres of popcorn and four acres of beans at his farm on the Stony Brook road. This may seem a little late, but the United States government will keep him company in lateness having taken over 325 acres of land in Lancaster. It is planning to plant 250 acres to potatoes and will soon determine the acreage of corn. With modern tractor plows and other machinery the land is being hurried up. Soldiers from the south have been preparing the land. Wednesday one hundred interned German prisoners will do the farm work under heavy guard from Camp Devens. This tract of land is about three miles from Lancaster and the most fertile in this part of the state. The farm will be patrolled against all visitors and notices to that effect posted on all roads.
The last meeting of the Grange was roll call, but the writer was unable to attend on account of the roll call to the Barnum & Bailey circus and animal exhibit at Lowell. For a helpful change it was more than worth the while to see the close call daring of men and women and the cleverness of the animals.
The next meeting of the Grange will be held next Thursday evening. The program of the lecturer’s hour is to be announced.
Yes, there is always some one ahead just as you think that you are it. Harry H. Howard of Chelmsford had the first picking of peas Wednesday, June 5, and well does he say, “We used to think if we got peas by the 17th of June it was early.” The writer can go one beyond that in saying if we got them for Fourth of July it was called early. But the early ones don’t stop now for winter to vacate. Mr. Howard planted his peas in March and the Old Oaken Bucket barely registered March 31.
Potatoes never were so early in appearance and so vigorous in their stand up to the task assigned them. It has been thought early to have new potatoes Fourth of July, but the Old Oaken Bucket farm folks had new home grown potatoes on the table June 9. They weren’t so dreadful large, but they were “awful nice.”
Amos Polley of the Prairie farm commenced haying Monday, June 10. He is preparing to upset a lot of sod ground and set it up with buckwheat.
W. R. Taylor has just introduced a bushel of buckwheat to the soil at his farm on Stony Brook road.
James H. O’Brien, who has been seriously ill, is making a gradual heading towards improvement.
Oliver Desjardin has a horse troubled with illness and called on a veterinary to diagnose the case.
The two sons of Hon. and Mrs. Herbert E. Fletcher—Ensign Harold H. Fletcher and Ensign Ralph A. Fletcher, have been assigned for duty at Seattle, Wash. For some time they have been stationed at the government naval aviation school at Cambridge. Now they have been transferred to the Pacific coast to assist in organizing a naval aviation school there at the University of Washington. Mrs. Harold H. Fletcher accompanied her husband on the trip.
On June 5 the second registration of the selective draft occurred. On that day twenty-four young men registered here. The registration was in charge of Charles L. Hildreth and W. R. Taylor.
Gerald Decatur has just finished setting out 250 white pine trees on the sandy sloping hill on the Decatur farm just the west side of Tadmuck brook. These pines will be attractive and valuable some day. At present they are only six inches high and are four years old. They were purchased from the State Agricultural college at the rate of a cent a piece. The state forester was here on a tour of inspection and thought the land very satisfactory for the raising of pines. He wishes more in the state would set them out. So far only about 60,000 young pines have been secured from the state and set out. Some day we shall wish there were more pine trees. We are glad some one in Westford was enterprising enough to start now and do this.
Rev. Louis Buckshorn and S. L. Taylor attended the Unitarian conference in Groton on Wednesday.
Mrs. Carrie Taylor Carr, daughter of Thomas E. Taylor of Woodsville, N.H., formerly of this town, has been visiting at the home of her uncle, S. L. Taylor. She was accompanied by her daughter, Miss Hazel Glazier Carr.
The J. H. Denton family of Concord Junction were visitors at his sister’s, Mrs. Frank W. Banister, on the Lowell and Providence road. Mr. Denton holds a responsible position at the Concord reformatory.
Graniteville. The Graniteville A. C. played the Forge Village A. C. on the home grounds here last Saturday and met with defeat by the score of 8 to 3. The game was a light hitting affair on both sides, with Forge Village getting all the breaks. The home team lost through errors in the early part of the game, failing to hit Kavanaugh in the pinches. Keenan started the pitching for Graniteville, but being out of practice was rather wild and later was relieved by Griffin. Artie pitched his usual good game, but the lead was too heavy to overcome. Forge Village played a strong game in the field, the principal features being the clever pitching of Kavanaugh and the “comeback” of “Dick” Spinner, who caught a good game behind the bat. Batteries—Graniteville, Keenan, Griffin and Nystrom; Forge Village, Kavanaugh and Spinner. Umpire, Harry Hartford. Graniteville will play the St. Peter’s A.A. of Lowell on the home ground here this Saturday and a good game is expected.
The Ladies’ Aid society of the M.E. church met with Mrs. Moore at the parsonage on last week Thursday afternoon.
The Abbot Worsted Company has posted notices to the effect that beginning Monday, June 17, there will be an increase in wages in all departments.
Edward Riney left here recently to accept a position as carpenter in one of the big ship-building yards in Camden, N.J.
George H. Brown, of Tewksbury, visited his son Nelson here recently, and also called on A. R. Choate, an old schoolmate of his that he had not seen for over sixty years.
Several members of the 301st Ambulance Corps, assisted by the Sanitary orchestra, of Camp Devens, gave a minstrel show that was followed by a dance in Healy’s hall on last week Wednesday evening for the benefit of the Graniteville Auxiliary of the Red Cross. This affair was largely attended and thoroughly enjoyed by all. The soldier boys were entertained by the members of the Red Cross after the entertainment and were well pleased with their treatment. Quite a neat sum was realized on this event.
The members of Cameron circle, C.F. of A., held a well attended meeting in their rooms on Tuesday. Much interest was taken in the report as submitted by the delegates who attended the state convention that was held in Springfield recently.
Forge Village. John O’Neil, son of Mr. and Mrs. John O’Neil, who enlisted in the Ambulance Corps two years ago has been on the firing line twice, caring for the wounded. He has been praised for bravery, courage and coolness under fire. In a very interesting letter received here by his parents recently, he speaks of meeting with a Westford boy in the Y.M.C.A. building in France. Harold Hildreth, who recently arrived in France, was mailing a letter, when it fell. John, who stood by, in picking it up, noticed that it was addressed to Westford. Both young men, who were not acquainted before, immediately became friends; both found much to discuss about their home town. Mr. O’Neil also met Corp. Edward Blodgett in France. Corp. Blodgett is a former Westford boy, a grandson of Mr. and Mrs. William Weaver, of this village. His parents live in Medford.
Cameron school closed for the summer vacation on Friday of this week.
A wedding of much interest is to take place the middle of this month when Miss Letitia V. Ward, principal of Cameron school, is to become the bride of Nelson O’Clair, a well-known young man of Ayer.
Helena Naylor, the little daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Naylor, is very ill with pneumonia, the after-effect of measles. Mr. and Mrs. Naylor buried their baby [Robert M. Naylor] Memorial day from the same cause.
Pleasing Entertainment. A very enjoyable party was held on Thursday evening of last week at St. Andrew’s mission, when the Girls’ club entertained the Red Cross workers and members of the Groton School, who have given their services here throughout the winter, and Miss Margaret Eaglesfield, for whom the affair was planned. In behalf of the Girls’ club Miss Eaglesfield was presented with a knife, which will be of much use to her in France, where she expects to spend the next six months. She will sail the last of this month with an agricultural unit for war service, and the knife is one of the articles required, as it answers several different purposes. Miss Lillian L. Baker made the presentation and Miss Eaglesfield responded in her usual charming manner.
The following program was carried out: Selection, orchestra; song, Miss Annie Orr; recitation, Adelaide Hosmer; selection, orchestra; reading, “The woman of Flanders,” Mrs. S. Warren Sturgis; recitation, Miss Ruth Cavanaugh; piano solo, Miss Ethel Collins; song, Miss Marion Lord; final number, orchestra, composed of Gladys and Lillian Baker and Pamelia Precious, mandolins; Mildred Precious, violin; Carolyn Precious, piano. Informal dancing was afterwards enjoyed. Ice cream, war biscuits and lemonade were served by members of the club.
The happy occasion was brought to a close when the crowd assembled on the steps of the mission house and gave three cheers for the Groton people and sang “Good-bye, good luck, and God bless you.”
Hears from Her Sons. Mrs. Matthew Elliott has received a letter from her son, Matthew, Jr., now in the trenches, written on mother’s day. He is now on the firing line for the second time. He says he is feeling fine and sent his mother a check.
In the same mail a letter came to Mrs. Elliott from another son, James, who is in Douglas, Ariz., in the 17th Cavalry, Camp H. J. Jones. Part of his letter runs as follows:
“We had sabre drills and pistol drills every day, getting ready to fight somebody. Believe me, mother, I am going to show where I came from. I am feeling just like showing my good old fighting blood just like Matt did. I’m sending you a snapshot some of the fellows took of me with my horse. I feel fine, weight fifteen pounds more and feel like the king of hearts.”
Thomas Elliott, another son, is in New York, trying to enlist. He finds it difficult to get into the branch of service he desires on account of his youth, for he is only eighteen.
Harvard
News Items. Souvenir hunters are besieging the Harvard Shaker settlement, where a sale has been going on this week of the household equipment of this once prosperous community. The members of the family are to leave their home before long, going to various Shaker families in this and other states. Just what disposition is to be made of the property now controlled by Fiske Warren is not known, although rumors of a government control there is being talked of.
Still River. On Tuesday morning of last week 100 German prisoners, formerly sailors on the interned ship, Crown Prinz Wilhelm, 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":1992,"page":1},"signature":"da7d4c6e1836b7c949263a9e6379fa1f"} } const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest() xhr.open("POST", url, true) xhr.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/json;charset=UTF-8") xhr.send(JSON.stringify(body)) }) })();