Turner's Public Spirit, June 28, 1924

A look back in time to a century ago

By Bob Oliphant

Center.  Mr. and Mrs. Charles Carter are in town for the summer.

Mr. and Mrs. Forrest Nelson and two children are the guests of Mrs. Nelson’s mother, Mrs. Katherine Allen.

Mrs. Clarence Hildreth and daughters, Grace and Vivian, have gone to Rutherford, N.J., where they will be the guests of relatives.

The next Ladies’ Aid supper will be held on Tuesday evening, July first.  Supper will be served from 6:30 to 8, and will be a salad supper with strawberry short cake.  Mrs. John Felch is chairman of the committee.  The entertainment promises to be exceptionally good, and will consist of a male quartet from Lowell and bagpipe players in costume.

Marden Seavey sails from New York on Saturday for Cuba, where he will be employed by the United Fruit Company at Preston, a short distance from where his brother Gordon is located.

The Missionary society of the Congregational church met at the parsonage with Mrs. Edward Disbrow on Wednesday.

Miss Eleanor Colburn, teacher of music in the Concord, N.H., schools, is at her home on Flagg road, previous to going to Northampton, where she will take a short summer course in music at Smith college.

Morton Seavey has gone to camp at Andover, where he will be in charge of the Malden Council of Boy Scouts.

Don Judd, who is ill with pneumonia, is showing improvement, but is still confined to his bed.

Mrs. Charles Colburn, daughter Eleanor and son Charles, were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Edson Boynton, Harvard, last Sunday.  Miss Colburn sang a solo at the Harvard church and on Sunday Mr. and Mrs. Boynton will be the guests of Mrs. Colburn, and while here Mr. Boynton will sing a solo at the Unitarian church, also a duet with Miss Colburn.

Rev. Edward Disbrow and a number of the young people of the Congregational church attended a Christian Endeavor meeting held in Carlisle last Sunday.

The result of the all-student track meet for high schools is as follows: The boys of sixteen schools competed and Stockbridge school was first with an average of 26.67, and Westford academy second with an average of 26.42.  The girls of eighteen high schools were entered—Stockbridge first, with an average of 26.58; Westford academy sixth, with an average of 20.62.  The boys of the academy, being second, were awarded a plaque, these being given to the two schools attaining the highest average.

The meeting of the reading circle was held at the J. V. Fletcher library on Friday afternoon.  The four-act play, “The easiest way,” by Eugene Walter, was read.

Huntington Wells, the ten-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Alice Wells, is resting comfortably at the Lowell General hospital, where he recently underwent an operation for appendicitis.

The street department has a steam roller to repair the roads in some sections of the town.

About Town.  The next meeting of the Grange will be held on Thursday evening, July 3.  There will be a program of music and other appealing attractions emanating from the lecturer as the gush fountain of the evening, with a variety of assistants.  As this is the evening before the Fourth, sometimes called “the night before the Fourth,” there will be a chance to shoot off our firecracker mouth.

The Old Oaken Bucket farm folks had their first dinner of peas on June 24.  We can remember this date because it is the date of the national democratic convention and without being construed as a slander on the convention.

While going to feed the poultry on last Sunday morning we faced suddenly right up into the face of one of those large sixty-pound snapping turtles.  He or she or it had evidently been picking strawberries at the Old Oaken Bucket farm, had crossed the Stony Brook road on its way back to Tadmuck brook and got as far as the barnyard of W. R. Taylor.  He was a savage snapping looking customer, which was the determining factor in preventing me from soothe-stroking and petting him.  I was afraid he might mistake my fingers for strawberries, and I know I was within my rights to decline to toy with those two snapping razor blades.  For all that it appeared so large it was a mere infantile infant compared with one caught in India about three years ago that weighed 450 pounds, was shipped to London, and souped up to ex-President Taft when he was the guest of England.

Not being duly posted up when the duty came off of hornpouts we counted nineteen men and 18 ¾ boys fishing off the arch bridge on the Stony Brook.  Inquiring what this large gathering all came too, the answer was “The closed season on hornpout fishing came off about an hour and more or less ago.”  While it is said by authority that fish is good for the brain I prefer not to be good at this time of the year on snapping turtle-snake diet.  Give me the palatable, juicy first peas and strawberries, the suggestive seasonable diet of nature, and I will risk the strain on my fishless brain.

John A. Taylor sailed on Friday from Quebec on the Canadian Pacific “Montroyal.”  He is conducting a party for the Temple Tours.  The party will visit places in England, Scotland, Hollard, Belgium, France and Switzerland.  On the return voyage they will sail from Havre, France, and arrive in New York on August 25.

Nathaniel W. Phillips, one of the recent graduates of Westford academy, was congratulated by his school associates and others on last week Thursday evening at his home on the Lowell road, and after the sociability and refreshments acts had run their useful limit he was presented with a gold watch and gold knife by the sixty or more who were present.

The Old Oaken Bucket farm has an acre of spring wheat just turning to head out, sowed April 5 in the frost, water and mud, so much so that we nearly lost our rubber boots in the mud.

Of her own free raising and care and urging to the front, Mrs. Herbert E. Fletcher on Oak hill had the first peas for dinner on Sunday, June 22.  This sets the whole town on the back seat.  I am so delighted that all hands got beat, including the Old Oaken Bucker farm boy, for he has been advertising ever since April 5 what an early dinner of early peas he was going to have, and after all this talk had to take up with second fiddle.

Annual dance, Harvard town hall, Friday evening, July 4.  Music, Wilson’s orchestra.

As the Fourth of July comes next week on our regular publication day it will be necessary for all our correspondents to have their copy in at the publication office one day earlier than usual.  All changes in advertisements and all church news must be in the office by Tuesday noon.

At the twenty-fifth reunion of the Manning family in Billerica on June 17, Rev. Edward D. Disbrow, of this town, was elected a member of the executive committee, and Mrs. Disbrow, chairman of the reception committee.  This organization will hereafter be known as the Manning Kindred Foundation.  The old Manning house, as it is familiarly known and located on the road between Chelmsford and Billerica, in the last-named town, was built in 1696, framed in massive oak timbers and boarded with weather-rusted pin clapboards.  The grounds are attractively laid out in modern landscape style with a caretaker constantly in charge.  The old names in these inspiring, modern settings, looks unique and appealing as you pass it or linger over the scenes and memories and changed environments since its birthday in 1696.  There were seventy-five present at the reunion dinner.  When riding out for unique, inspiring, reminiscent pleasure, stop off at the old Manning manse.  Warren H. Manning, of Billerica, has full charge of the surroundings.[1]

Among the local people to graduate from college this year who have received degrees higher than the A.B. and B.S., is Miss Margaret Elliott, M.A., daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Elliott, of Westford, Littleton and Lowell.  Miss Elliott, who is a graduate of Wellesley ’14, and who won a traveling scholarship from Harvard last June, has just received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from Radcliffe college.  Her father is well known as the oldest real estate house in Lowell and president of the Middlesex Northwest Conference of Unitarian Churches.  Her mother is well and pleasantly remembered before her marriage as Miss [Delia Lila] Naylor, of West Chelmsford.  They have a summer home in Westford on the Concord road, near East Littleton station[2].

Ripe strawberries from Acton and Concord were on the Lowell market early last week.  So there now, what do we think of our smart selves now in the Stony Brook valley?  Well, to change the subject, some of us commenced to rush haying last week and are trying to come the smart act on that.

We were extremely sorry to disappoint ourselves in not being able to attend the triple invitation to attend the graduating exercise of Littleton high school on last week Thursday, but several unavoidable breakdowns interfered with attending or visiting our school teacher in Harvard.  We are planning to take in Harvard a little later; also, a small acreage of Littleton.

Arthur J. O’Brien has engaged the haying on the S. L. and W. R. Taylor, Fred A. Davis, Bernard J. Flynn and Daniel H. Sheehan farms, and a nibbling prospect of the haying on the Oliver Desjarden farm.  The Davis haying he has finished, and the S. L. Taylor haying begins to look like a finish.

The annual field day of Middlesex-North Pomona Grange, uniting with Hillsboro (N.H.) Grange, will be held in Milford, N.H., Thursday, August 7.  The program will start at ten o’clock, standard time; automobile parade at 11:30; basket lunch at 12:30.  The afternoon session will be given over to sports and speaking by State Grange officers of Massachusetts and New Hampshire.  The committee on arrangements on the part of Middlesex-North Pomona Grange is composed of Charles A. Wright, of Billerica, Fred A. Fletcher, of Chelmsford, and Chester F. K. Bancroft, of Tyngsboro.  With this long advance notice we ought to be able to plan making a landing.

George H. Barton, of Westford and Chelmsford, power sprayed the apple orchards of W. R. and S. L. Taylor last week Thursday.

The W. R. Taylors motored to Framingham last week to visit Mrs. Taylor’s parents, the Carlos D. Cushings.

George E. Kohlrausch has grafted the Spy [apple] trees in the demonstration orchard to Red Gravensteins.  The Spys were originally set with the purpose of forming sturdy stock for Gravensteins.  He is carrying on this orchard in cooperation with the Middlesex County Extension Service and the Massachusetts Agricultural college.

Church Notes.  First church (Unitarian)—Sunday service at 4 p.m.  Music: Duet, “Love divine,” Stainer, Chorus by choir, Miss Eleanor Colburn, soprano, and Edson G. Boynton, tenor; solo, “The hills of God,” Nevin, Miss Colburn.  Preacher, Rev. Frank B. Crandall, the minister.  Subject, “Vacation and worship.”

The church closes with this Sunday for the summer vacation.

On Sunday the preacher will point the special opportunities of vacation time for church people to come into touch with the divine as revealed in nature and human companionship.

Library Notes.  Miss May Day attended the State Library club meetings held at Swampscott three days last week.  During her absence Miss Howard substituted at the J. V. Fletcher library.

During July and August the library will close at eight o’clock in the evening.

Miss Edith Wright furnished an exhibit at the library recently which attracted much attention—Brazil nuts enclosed in the case in which they grew.

Graniteville.  The Abbot Worsted [baseball] team played in South Boston on Monday evening; Reading played in Graniteville on Tuesday; Wednesday the Abbots visited North Cambridge; Thursday North Cambridge visited Graniteville; Friday the Abbots played in Medford.  On Sunday the Lynn Cornets will play the Abbots in Graniteville at three o’clock.  This will be a league game.  The Abbots have now hit their stride and are playing good ball.

Miss Rose Belland and Arthur Milot were married at St. Catherine’s church on last Monday morning at nine o’clock.  Rev. A. S. Malone was the officiating clergyman.  Miss Yvonne Belland, sister of the bride, was bridesmaid, and Charles Milot, brother of the groom, was best man.  After the ceremony a wedding breakfast was served at the home of the bride on Bridge street.  In the early afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Milot left for a brief honeymoon trip that will be spent in Vermont.  Upon their return they will reside here.

The members of Court Graniteville, F. of A., held a well attended meeting in their rooms on last week Thursday evening.  During the session the following officers were elected: R. J. McCarthy, chief ranger; Richard Healy, sub chief; A. R. Wall, rec. sec.; Edmund Provost, senior woodward; Charles A. Eaton, junior woodward.  The court was honored at this time by the attendance of William C. Mitchell, of Boston, grand secretary, who delivered an interesting address on the subject of forestry.  The next regular meeting of the court will also be a summons meeting, and a full attendance is requested, as business of vital importance to the court will be transacted.

The F. G. Sargents are spending the summer months at their cottage at Salem Willows.

The members of the Ladies’ Aid society of the Methodist church, acting in conjunction with the Graniteville Brotherhood, held a successful outdoor carnival on the church lawn on last week Thursday and Friday evening.  The affair was largely attended, particularly on Friday evening, when an excellent concert was given by the Abbot Worsted Company band.  All the booths were liberally patronized and the carnival was a great social and financial success.  Electric and Japanese lanterns with red and white streamers of bunting made a pretty decorative scheme, and with music and the sports program made the scene a busy as well as enjoyable one for all present.  Mr. Deeming, Mr. Chandler, George Wilson, Mr. Sawyer and Rev. A. L. O’Brien represented the Brotherhood on the entertainment committee.  The Abbot Worsted Company and C. G. Sargent Sons installed the electric lights.

Harvard

News Items.  On last Sunday, at the Congregational church, Edson Boynton, with Miss Colburn, of Westford, sang the duet, “Love divine.”  Miss Colburn also sang a solo.  The music was especially good.  Miss Colburn has a wonderful soprano voice and knows how to use it. …

Ayer

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

Westford—Claude L. Allen to Arthur E. Miller, land on Sought For road.  Moses Hobson to Firman Dupre [sic], land on Groton road; Frederick G. Sargent to Charles G. Sargent, land in Graniteville; Frederick G. Sargent to Harriet C. Hildreth, land on Cross street; Frederick G. Sargent to Mary H. Sargent, land on Broadway; Samuel L. Taylor to William R. Taylor land on Stony Brook road.

News Items.  The winners of the annual two-day trip to the Massachusetts Agricultural college at Amherst, which takes place on July 22 and 23, have been announced by the Middlesex County Extension Service.  Sixty-five members will have the privilege of taking this trip.  The following names are of those boys and girls from this locality who have been outstanding in club work for two years or more and have, accordingly, been awarded this trip: … Alice Heywood, Angie Parfitt and Helen Gallagher, of Westford.

 

[1] The Manning Manse is located at 56 Chelmsford Road, North Billerica, Mass. For more information see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manning_Manse. The video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7__pnaeAqM gives a brief tour of the house which ends with a quick look at a photograph showing all the attendees at the 1924 Manning family reunion.

[2] “East Littleton Station on the old Nashua, Acton & Boston Railroad was located on the north side of Littleton Rd. just west of Elliott Rd.” R. W. Oliphant, The Westford Gazetteer (2010).