The Westford Wardsman, June 9, 1917
Center. Miss M. A. Cloyd, of Pelham, N.H., is visiting at the Congregational parsonage for a few days.
Children’s Sunday at the Congregational church will be observed on June 17, and not on June 10, as at first planned. The children are to rehearse at the church this Saturday afternoon.
The Edward M. Abbot hose company held its regular monthly meeting and try-out Tuesday evening in charge of S. B. Watson, first lieutenant.
Friends of Harry S. Reid, whose relatives reside in North Westford, will be pleased to learn that he has successfully completed his period of training at the naval training station, Newport, R.I., and has won his first promotion. Young Reid is very enthusiastic about the navy and is making good in every regard. He writes that the training station is now taxed to its full capacity, having practically twice as many men under training now as was the case during peace times and that owing to the large number who have to be given preliminary training the drills are carried out with great vigor and zest. Everything is running like clock work and training station life is satisfactory.
Two pleasant out-of-door gatherings are being planned for this month by the ladies of the Congregational church. On Thursday, June 14, the Ladies’ Aid society will hold an all-day meeting. Through the courtesy of Miss Ella F. Hildreth, this gathering will be at the log cabin on Prospect hill. Basket luncheon with hot coffee at noon will be enjoyed. On Friday, June 15, the Ladies’ Missionary society will hold a field day with box luncheon at the home of Mrs. A. E. Loveless. A special speaker is planned for the afternoon exercises, and with good weather these two field days should prove most enjoyable.
The reading circle under the auspices of the Tadmuck club met with Mrs. L. W. Wheeler on Wednesday afternoon. There were ten members present to read John Galsworthy’s three-act drama, “Strife.” [English author John Galsworthy (1867-1933), best known for his novels The Forsyte Saga, published 1906-1921, and for winning the 1932 Nobel Prize in Literature, published Strife in 1909, which “addressed the class system and other social issues.” See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Galsworthy.]
The coating of good gravel placed on the village streets is a great improvement and when the oiling is done will put it in good shape for the summer.
John M., John H. and John G. Fletcher enjoyed a week-end trip to Farmington, N.H., and other points of interest this last week. The three Johns visited kinspeople and altogether considered the trip most successful. [Probably John Marion Fletcher (1846-1923), son of John Bateman Fletcher and Joanna Hildreth, John M.’s son, John Herbert Fletcher (1880-1960), and John H.’s son, John Gill Fletcher (1904-1975).]
Friends who remember Miss Eva Young, of London, England who spent some time in Westford a few seasons ago, will be interested to hear of her message to former friends here, sent in a recent letter to a friend. Hearing of our Red Cross and French relief activities and being in the same work herself, she writes as the typical, loyal Englishwoman, that she is with us heart and soul in all that we try to accomplish in any way to help a great and just cause.
Bert Walker, of Marblehead, spent Sunday with his home people.
Misses Elinor and Marjory Cameron are at home for the summer vacation from Miss Wheeler’s school for girls in Providence, R.I. [The Mary C. Wheeler School was officially founded in 1900 when Mary Colman Wheeler (1846-1920) added a college preparatory curriculum to her existing art school for girls. Today the school is a coeducational independent day school with about 800 students, still located on the east side of Providence.]
Mrs. Elizabeth Whitney is at the Whitney homestead for the summer.
The Boy Scouts, in charge of Principal Roudenbush, and the Camp Fire Girls of Boxborough, in charge of their guardian, Miss Burroughs, gave a joint entertainment and exemplification of what their organizations stand for to a large and interested audience of parents and friends at the town hall last week Friday evening. The plan and purpose of the organization, handicraft, signaling, first aid and what to do in emergencies, were well illustrated by the boys in their exercises. The awarding of honor beads by their guardian for work accomplished by the Camp Fire Girls was most interesting. Members were also heard in solos and first aid and bandaging work was most skillfully illustrated. Owing to lack of time it was to be regretted that the Boy Scouts, who have been given such good training by Dr. Wells, did not exhibit their proficiency in first aid and bandaging. Luncheon was served to the two organizations at the close of the entertainment.
Thieves have been at work at Fairview cemetery, taking plants and flowers placed on graves by loving relatives. Detection of this despicable thievery will be dealt with to the full extent of the law.
Frank Johnson continues carrying the mail between the postoffice and Westford depot until S. H. Balch, the newly-appointed carrier, finishes his jury term. Fred H. Meyer, R.F.D. carrier appeared out this week in a fine new uniform.
Miss Elizabeth G. Norton is to tell of her experiences in French hospital work at the Congregational church on Monday evening, June 18. Albert E. Prescott, whose vocal ability is well known and appreciated in this town, will sing.
Military registration on Tuesday [June 5, nationwide] was a new experience to most of the residents in town. The ringing of church bells at seven in the morning, at noon and at six in the evening sounded like the Fourth of July. One of the registrars of voters, with an assistant, was at each polling place in town. Charles L. Hildreth, town clerk, was at the town hall with L. W. Wheeler; Alfred W. Hartford was at Abbot’s hall, Forge Village, with John Edwards; R. J. McCarthy, Healy’s hall, Graniteville, with A. W. Prinn; Alfred Tuttle at Moore’s mill, Brookside, with Charles S. Edwards. The number of non-English speaking aliens made Forge Village the hardest place for the workers. Interpreters had to be used there, as in Graniteville. All went quietly and smoothly. After closing time all gathered at the town hall and tabulated the cards. Of the 250 registered 119 were aliens. One of the registrars inquired what labor union would get after them for being on duty from seven in the morning until one o’clock the next morning, making nineteen hours from leaving homes to returning to them.
Library Conservative Work. The libraries of the state have been asked to make available at this time all possible material on the preparation and conservation of food, and also on the latest methods of increasing production.
The J. V. Fletcher library has in an accessible place a good collection of books on all phases of agriculture. Suggestions are welcome and more will be added as needed. Farmers bulletins are also being collected and many of them are of value.
An attempt is being made to also supply as many books as possible that will be suggestive to the housekeeper in her attempts to lower the cost of living. Several good books based on the demand for low cost recipes have already been obtained and the federal government and the state are both willing to send pamphlets and bulletins that are both very helpful. A collection of the most useful will be on exhibition at the library. These may be borrowed or individuals may copy the numbers and obtain them for themselves.
A bulletin board with suggestions from newspapers and from individuals is to be kept through the season. Suggestions in the way of reducing the cost of living or saving food materials will be welcomed from any of the housekeepers.
About Town. The Middlesex-Northwest conference of Unitarian and other christian churches will hold its spring session with the Unitarian church in Ashby on Thursday, June 14.
Norman Whitten, the recent purchaser of the farm on the Cold Spring road, formerly owned by Mr. Pollock, is stirring for farm crops to make the dust fly if it were not for the overhead system of sprinkling [i.e., rain] that acts as a universal antidote everywhere this season and acts often.
Poles for electric lighting have got into horizontal position on the Stony Brook road to the residence of W. R. Taylor. This will connect with the line on the Lowell road. An agent of the Lowell Electric Light Company has interviewed the residents on said road and enough have been willing to make an assignment of their intentions in favor of the Lowell Electric Light Company to make it look lighter.
John B. Abbot is planning to visit the large dairy farms in town to encourage the raising of leguminous crops, such as clover, alfalfa and soy beans. As agent of the farm bureau he has some important advice and later he will test soils for acidity.
Mrs. Etta Clement Douglass and Harry Abrahamson were united in marriage last Sunday afternoon by Rev. L. H. Buckshorn at the residence of the officiating clergyman. They were attended by Mr. and Mrs. Fred L. Snow. Mr. Abrahamson holds an important position at the Brookside mills. Mrs. Abrahamson is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William W. Clement, of Brookside. They will reside at Westford Corner.
The Fletcher Cold Spring farm have received several bushels of spring wheat for sowing from Joseph Breck & Sons of Boston. Such was the pressure for seeds this spring to cause the delay. For the first time in ninety-five years they closed down their seed department from May 1 to May 28 to protect orders already in. Short crops, late harvest, increased planting on account of the war have caused congestion in the seed trade beyond precedent. [Joseph Breck (1794-1873) of Medfield founded Joseph Breck & Co. in Boston in 1818. They published their first seed catalog in 1840. The company exists today as Breck’s (www.brecks.com).]
At present it appears like a 110 percent of early apple blossoms and 70 percent of winter apples. At the Old Oaken Bucket farm several young trees badly girdled by winter mice have refused to die. Bank the girdled tree up after it is girdled and the sap will ascend just as well without bark.
New cross bars are being bolted onto the telegraph poles on the Stony Brook railroad. This will make seven cross bars on the poles and heavy laden with wires.
Some farmers on Pigeon hill, Stony Brook road, are planting corn who have not planted any for forty years. Such is the power of persuasion in $3.40 cornmeal, a rise of $2.75 per hundred from lowest prices prior to the civil war period.
Peas are in bloom at the Old Oaken Bucket farm. Yet not so far east as Maine, by several hundred miles, peas are in the pod.
W. R. Taylor, of the Tadmuck farm, is planting an acre of white beans.
The weather vane and much else not so vain all point to a large hay crop. This, following the excess of last year, is very liable to overdo the demand. The only farm crop raised last year that was and still is a drug on the market, the best choice selling at twenty dollars a ton, while grain is selling around sixty dollars per ton; potatoes better than $100 per ton; beans around $100 per ton. These pieces and the fact that the automobile has displaced the hay-eating horse would seem to justify and compel a rearrangement of catering to market conditions. There is ample time yet to upset sod land and sow buckwheat—easily raised, good for the horse and good for the hens. The farm bureau estimates that one-half of the poultry industry of Massachusetts will be wiped out before mid-summer on account of the high cost of grain. It would seem to be advisable to follow the advice higher up and open the Buckwheat throttle.
W.C.T.U. The W.C.T.U. generously entertained on children’s day, Wednesday afternoon, at the Congregational church. It was open hospitality for the children, and they in turn were entertaining in song, music, recitation and dialogue. The meeting opened with devotional exercises by Mrs. Janet Wright, the president, followed by the children’s program in charge of Mrs. Perley Wright and Miss Edith Wright—piano duet, Marion and Mildred Fletcher; recitation, Kenneth Wright; flag song salutation, ten children of the first and second grades; dialogue Ruth and Everton Loveless; song, four girls; children’s chorus; recitation, Roger Hildreth; folk dance, ten children, first and second grade, Frost school; piano duet, Marion and Mildred Fletcher, dialogue, Elizabeth Wells, William Anderson, Ruby Richardson; song, Gordon Seavey; reading, Frances Wright; recitation, Clarence Colburn; song, Frances and Alice Wright, Elva Judd, Daisy Precious. The last was everybody’s favorite, “The Star Spangled Banner,” and everybody took hold of it and care of it. Refreshments were served with a liberal hand and received with appreciation and a liberal appetite.
Graniteville. A patriotic concert, under the auspices of the Graniteville Auxiliary of the American Red Cross society, will be held in the Methodist church on Thursday evening, June 14, at 7:45. This promises to be a big affair and the very best of local talent, with the famous Mandolin club as the special attraction, will have numbers on the program. Refreshments served.
Mrs. Julia B. Wall, Mrs. Elizabeth Harrington and Mrs. W. J. Robinson, delegates from Cameron circle, C. of F. of A., attended the annual convention of the grand circle that was held in Boston this week.
Miss Stella Shattuck is visiting with relatives in Portland, Me., for a few weeks.
Leo Provost, a student at St. Anselm’s college, Manchester, N.H., is at his home here for the summer vacation.
A large number between the ages of 21 and 31 registered for the draft here on Tuesday. R. J. McCarthy, of the Westford board of registrars, had charge of the registration, assisted by Alfred Prinn, clerk of Precinct 2.
A daughter [June Roberta Fite] was born to Mr. and Mrs. Alonzo Fite at the Coram hospital in Lowell on Tuesday, June 5. Mr. Fite is the pastor of the M.E. church here.
The Westford Boy Scouts baseball club defeated a picked club from Graniteville on the Abbot playground here last Saturday by the score of 5 to 2. Gower and Hall did the battery work for Graniteville, while Day and Griffin were on the firing line for Westford. William Buckingham was the umpire and did a good job of it.
The recent warm spell has started the local gardens in great shape.
Wedding. George Boyd, a former resident of this village, and Miss Annie Mullaney, of Fitchburg, were united in marriage at St. Bernard’s church, Fitchburg, Monday morning, June 4, at nine o’clock. Miss Katherine Mullaney, a sister of the bride, was bridesmaid, and the best man was William Prinn, of Graniteville.
The bride was gowned in a costume of blue taffeta silk, and wore a white picture hat. She carried a shower bouquet of Killarney roses. The bridesmaid was becomingly attired in a costume of blue silk. She wore a white hat of the prevailing mode and carried a large bouquet of sweet peas.
Immediately after the ceremony a wedding breakfast was served at the home of Mrs. George H. Sanborn, sister of the groom, that was attended by the bridal party and friends of the immediate families. The newly-wedded pair boarded a rain in the early afternoon for Malone, N.Y., where they will spend a brief honeymoon, and on their return will take up their residence in their newly-furnished home in Fitchburg. The best wishes of a wide circle of friends, both here and in Fitchburg, is extended to Mr. and Mrs. Boyd in their new life.
Forge Village. A motorcycle with side car attached, traveling at a high speed, without headlights, coming from the direction of Ayer, narrowly escaped being wrecked last Sunday evening, just before eight o’clock. As it was, the driver and occupant of the side-car, both young men, were severely shaken up when the machine overturned while crossing the tracks of the Boston and Maine railroad.
Roscoe C. Thomas, of Groton School, gave a very interesting lecture with views on the Balopticon at St. Andrew’s mission last week Thursday evening. A large audience was present and greatly enjoyed the affair. Mr. Thomas gave his personal experience as he traveled to Bavaria to witness the performance of the Passion play in 1910. The views were particularly good. [The Balopticon was an optical instrument for projecting an image of an opaque object on a screen by reflected light.]
The Social club of St. Andrew’s mission are rehearsing for a comedy in one act, “Rubber boots,” to be given on June 14 for the benefit of St. Andrew’s mission. An added attraction will be several tableaux, given under the personal direction of Mrs. S. Warren Sturgis, of Groton, who is also coaching the members of the club.
Mrs. V. C. Bruce Wetmore entertained a number of her friends at an informal luncheon at her spacious home, Nashobah farm, Tuesday. Covers were laid for sixteen in the sun parlor. The color scheme was yellow. After the luncheon whist was played until five o’clock. Among those present were Mrs. H. Earl Blunt, Brookline; Mrs. William H. Graham, West Newton; Mrs. C. Arthur Boutelle, Newton Center; Mrs. Adams Curtis, Mrs. Harmon Curtis, Mrs. E. Valentine Wetmore, Miss Ella Tait and Mrs. Arthur Moody, all of Newton Center; Mrs. Hanson Savage, Cohasset; Mrs. Edgar J. Badger and Mrs. M. W. Vyr, Wollaston; Mrs. William R. Carver and Mrs. H. V. Hildreth, Westford, and Mrs. Reuben Dursford, Chelmsford.
Miss E. Mae Lord left last week Thursday for East Jaffrey, N.H., where she has been appointed district nurse, after a visit with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. David Lord. Her sister, Miss Helen Lord, also a graduate nurse, is home for a month’s rest from her hospital duties in Barre.
Frank Delaney, of Montreal, is visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Delaney.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry G[?] of Lowell with their daughter, Miss Blanche, are at their cottage at Forge pond for the summer. Mr. G[?] has been very very ill and is still causing his family much anxiety.
Cameron school will not close for the summer vacation this year until June 22, instead of two weeks earlier as formerly.
A delegation from Loyal Self-Help lodge, I.O.O.F., M.U., decorated the graves of deceased members at Fairview cemetery on last Sunday.
Plants have been stolen from the lot of J. W. Pyne at Fairview cemetery and flowers removed from other graves. There is a fine of $100 or imprisonment for the persons caught stealing from the cemeteries. Fairview cemetery is always kept in first-class condition and the well-kept appearance of the lots show the care of loving hands. Such acts of vandalism should be punished to the limit of the law.
The many friends of Miss Mabel Wyman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Wyman, of Camden, N.J., will be glad to know that she is recovering from a very critical illness of several weeks. Miss Wyman is the granddaughter of William Burnett and a native of Graniteville, and has many relatives in town. It will be at least a year before she will enjoy her usual health.
Miss Josephine Socha, while acting as interpreter for the Russians and Poles at the registration headquarters in Abbot hall on Tuesday, suffered a collapse and was taken to her home in an unconscious condition.
Miss Stella B. Carkin and friend, of Lowell, spent the weekend at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Carkin.
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Daly, of Clinton, spent Sunday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Daly.
Miss Eva Mountain is recovering from an illness of three weeks.
Thomas Fisher, of Lowell, has built a cosey bungalow on the shore of Forge pond, which he expects to occupy this summer with Mrs. Fisher and their little daughter.
Albert A. Hildreth is able to be out again after having been quarantined at his home on the Boston road with an attack of diphtheria.
The Misses Grace Litchfield, of Chelsea, and Mary B. Raynes, of Lowell, are getting their cottage at Forge pond ready for occupancy.
A number of girls who attend Westford academy attended the field day of the Lowell high school at Spaulding park last week Thursday.
Ayer
Military Camp Notes. Col. Beaumont B. Buck, militia officer on General Edwards’ staff at the Boston headquarters, was ordered Monday to report for special duty “somewhere” with an infantry unit. Col. Buck has become well-known in this vicinity owing to his frequent visits in regard to the location of the camp.
Forty trained telephone operators will, it is said, be added to the local office when the camp is in readiness for use. There will be sufficient room for the new operators in the Ayer telephone building by using a part of the commercial department quarters on the lower floor, the remainder of the commercial department office to be added to the wire chief’s quarters, making one room for both departments. When the changes take place a new switchboard will be installed. Two new lines will be run between Ayer and Boston when the wire arrives.
The army engineers are still busily engaged in getting out plans for the camp. They are working day and night at their headquarters in the Barry building. They have several automobiles at their disposal which are used in making trips to various parts of the camp ground and other places. The machines bear no distinguishing marks except “U. S. A.” placed on the rear of the automobiles. No license or number plates are required for government automobiles.
The water problem still continues to engage the attention of the authorities. It has been suggested that the government might put in a separate pipe line for its own use, the town to furnish the water. Under this plan the town reservoir could be used for storage of water, forced there by the town pumps. Tests are to be made as to the amount of water the present driven wells can furnish.
The Barrett Mfg. Co., of Boston, are to have the contracts for building all the camp roads throughout the country at a cost of about $5,000,000. This firm is the biggest of its kind in the country and has offices in all the big cities. It was stated this week Friday morning that there would be “something doing” here within the next few days.
The work of procuring leases for land is taking up a good deal of time. The large number of land owners and the details attending the transfers naturally make slow work. Government officers were here again this week Friday in regard to the matter.
The telephone company has appropriated approximately $2400 for a new switchboard for the local office to handle their increased business. Work will be started on it right away.
The government agents are now considering a place for an aviation field to be established in connection with the Ayer camp. The authorities are considering the leasing of over 100 acres in Lancaster, Bolton and Still River for that purpose. These places were visited by the agents last Saturday. If the land in Bolton and Lancaster is taken over it will mean in some cases considerable loss to the owners as the land is quite valuable for general farming and pasturage. A meeting is being held this week Friday in the Ayer court-room of the farmers of the section where the proposed camp is to be located. The vastness of the area included in the government’s plan is surprising to all. The camp, according to present indications, will be the largest in the eastern part of the country. The elimination of six of the general concentration camps leaves but sixteen in the entire country. One of the largest is to be located here.
That an overhead bridge will be constructed somewhere near the West Main street crossing is the latest story out. The idea is to have a safe passage over the tracks for the large amount of street traffic that will come this way and also to abolish the three railroad grade crossings—the ones at the old Harvard road and at Shirley and West Main streets.
Clipping. The following editorial is taken from the Providence Journal:
“With commendable initiative and foresight the Massachusetts authorities have already made plans for a joint control of sanitary conditions in the towns which immediately adjoin Ayer where camp will be pitched for the training of 30,000 men of the national army. The federal authorities will control the military reservation of course, and under the army act liquor selling to the soldiers can be prohibited over an area of any extent. But much of the responsibility for general health conditions must be assumed by the local authorities, both for the protection of these communities and to assist in guarding the camp itself.
“In addition to the troops, the fifteen towns within a radius of ten miles of the reservation will have the combined population increased by thousands of civilians, and suitable accommodations must be found for the visitors. The towns are all small, with populations ranging from 800 to 3000. For this unique task of preparedness, and the solution of the many problems which will arise, the joint community council and state and federal officials will co-operate.
“The American people would not tolerate a repetition of the conditions of the Spanish war camps, a shameful memory. Massachusetts may be depended upon to throw every safeguard about the young recruits who will be mobilized on her soil, and her example should be promptly followed wherever training camps are to be located.”
Joint Meeting. On Thursday evening representatives of the public safety committees of Ayer, Groton, Harvard, Littleton, Shirley and Townsend met in Page hall for the purpose of discussing the problems that would arise within these towns through the establishment of the military camp in Ayer, and to determine how these committees could, by joint organization or otherwise, give united cooperation to the solution of those problems.
There were present at this meeting, which was a large one, not only the chairmen and members of the various public safety committees, but also many of the selectmen and public-spirited citizens of the towns involved. The meeting was called to order by Mr. Putnam, of Harvard, and temporarily organized with George H. Brown, chairman, and Eugene S. Barry, secretary. The work being done and planned by the state department of health was outlined by Dr. Alan MacLaughlin, state commissioner of health, followed by Drs. Simpson and Finnegan, the health officers detailed by the state to direct the state health unit established in Ayer. General discussion of the problems to be met followed, and extended remarks were made by representative men of all the towns interested, among them Dr. Peabody of Groton School.
The general spirit of the meeting was one of realization of the importance of cooperation and united work on the problems that would arise. It was, however, the belief that until it could be determined in what fields the public safety committees could best furnish cooperative help, no permanent organization should be formed. The meeting was adjourned to be called later when the action that could best be taken by these committees could be more clearly defined.