The Westford Wardsman, March 15, 1919
Center. The academy closes this week Friday for one week’s vacation. The Frost school closed on Monday on account of mumps. Not only pupils were afflicted but the principal, Mrs. Whiting, also has them and went to her home in Gloucester on Monday. Schools reopen on Monday, March 24.
Mrs. O. L. Brownsey went last week with her mother to Dunbarton, N.H. The latter has been spending the winter weeks at the parsonage.
In a recent letter to his brother, Roy B. Wheeler writes from Denver, Col., of seeing John Fisher, who was at Lafayette, Col., a number of times and having some visits together. We imagine it must have been very pleasant for these old friends, who were playmates and neighbors in boyhood to renew old associations.
Miss Julia H. Fletcher is sick at her home with influenza.
Mrs. C. A. Blaney, who has been so seriously sick with pneumonia, is reported as gaining.
At the Sunday morning service at the Congregational church a beautiful bunch of twenty-five white carnations occupied a place in front of the pulpit. These were in memory of Olive J. Pyne who died ten years ago this month and were a tribute from loving relatives.
Mrs. John P. Wright entertained at her pleasant home in Cambridge a group of Westford friends for luncheon last week Friday. Those who enjoyed Mrs. Wright’s hospitality were Mrs. William C. Roudenbush, Mrs. O. V. Wells, Mrs. G. F. White, Mrs. H. M. Bartlett and Mrs. A. W. Hartford.
The subject for the morning sermon at the Congregational church on Sunday will be “Extending the kingdom,” and in the evening the second in the series of three lectures on the Pilgrims; subject, “Pioneers of Congregationalism.” Sunday school and men’s class at noon.
A very pleasant social gathering of last week was at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur E. Day, when Miss Edna Day, guardian of the Camp Fire Girls, with the other members, nine in all, were hostesses for the evening for the group of Boy Scouts. A good social time with games and refreshments of ice cream and cake were enjoyed. There were eighteen present.
Greetings come to the Westford friends this week from Mr. and Mrs. James L. Kimball in St. Petersburg, Fla.
“Better dressing on smaller expenditures,” by Mrs. Ruth S. Reed, will be the subject for the afternoon at the Tadmuck club next Tuesday afternoon at Library hall.
Mrs. Helen M. Bartlett was summoned to Maine by the death and funeral of an uncle this week. The circumstances were rather tragic, death being caused by falling from a roof.
Mrs. Isles, Mrs. Bosworth and Miss Prescott, at the telephone exchange, have all been having hard colds this week, but have maintained the usual prompt and courteous service.
An all-day Ladies’ Aid meeting was held at the Congregational vestry on Thursday with basket lunch and hot coffee at noon.
Strenuous Week. The hose company had an unwelcome amount of business this week. To begin with, Monday forenoon a call came for a chimney fire at the house of Mrs. C. R. Decatur on the Lowell road. Everybody was satisfied to have the fire confined to the inside of the chimney. No damage. Shortly after dinner the same day a similar call came from a house in the village. This time the fire was all in the parlor stove and stayed there. The third call was more serious. About 1:30 Wednesday morning a telephone call came for a fire at a camp near Keyes pond. When the members of the fire company got there they found that a member of the home guard, on his way home from the prize drill, elsewhere noticed in this column, found a fire started on the back piazza of a camp on the shore of the pond belong to Mercier of Lowell. He was able to extinguish this and with a neighbor went home, only to be called by the neighbor because the camp was again on fire. When they got there they found that the fire was in another camp close by, belonging to Henry L. Williams, of Lowell. It was then too late to save anything, but they saw a light which proved to be another camp on fire perhaps 75 rods away, belonging to Moses Hobson, of Lowell. It was also too late to save anything there, and on getting there they found a fourth camp close to the Hobson camp on fire on the farther side.
At this juncture an auto from Lowell stopped, in which there were three soldiers, late arrivals from overseas and four Forge Village men. This fourth fire was extinguished with a moderate damage. This camp belonged to Henry L. Williams of Lowell. Examination showed charred rubbish from the woodland, which had apparently been used to start the Mercier and the Williams fires. A bottle which held a few drops of kerosene was found near the charred rubbish at the Williams camp and kerosene was discernable on the side of the building.
Prize Drill. A competitive drill was held on Tuesday evening by the home guard, presided over by Major Tuttle, of Concord, with captains Hall of Concord and Branigan of Groton as judges. The first event, squad drill, of three squads, was won by the first squad, Corp. Roudenbush commanding. This squad was made up of Privates H. L. Wright, L. W. Wheeler, A. H. Sutherland, B. Sutherland, James Harrington, James Payne, Artemas Griffin and Arthur Robinson.
The second work was squad movements. The second event was a contest of all privates present in the manual of arms, won by Charles Robey, with George J. Delahaye, company bugler, as second. Robey has recently enlisted for the second time in the company, having recently been discharged from the army after overseas service.
The third event was a contest in the manual of arms by the non-commissioned officers. Corp. Roudenbush won this, with George Wilson second. Wilson is in his second enlistment after a recent discharge from the army.
After the awarding of the prizes by Major Fisher, of Lowell, all adjourned to the lower hall for lunch, served by Sergt. Hartford. An address by Major Fisher followed.
About Town. The fourth and last farmers’ institute of the season will be held on next week Wednesday at the Baptist church in North Billerica. At the morning session Middlesex County Farm Bureau will be represented by speakers who will talk on “The outlook in agriculture for 1919,” to be followed by discussion, and an address on “Poultry other than a side issue on the farm” the speaker to be supplied by the Agricultural college at Amherst. Dinner at noon with the usual after-dinner orations. In the afternoon Dr. Wheeler will give an address on “Fertilizers that we use and abuse.” He is connected with the Agricultural college and an authority on the above question.
At the last meeting of the Grange there was a worth while time. W. R. Taylor entertained with an itemized statement of his views on “Housekeeping,” a sort of simplified housekeeping like after ye mankind folks. This was followed by a long procession of ideas by Miss Edna Sargent on “How women would run a farm.” Both papers were well keyed with wit and a wonderful effusion of inexperienced advice. All in all it is worth while to make test cases of them in house and farm. Miss Ripley, formerly of Harvard Grange, gave a very entertaining recitation. Much discussion and many questions slipped in that was not on the lecturer’s “orders of the day” and amusement was kept up until light dancing called for its innings.
The annual farmers’ week will be observed at the Agricultural college in Amherst, March 17-22, inclusive. The farm event of the year for Massachusetts farmers; a week devoted to the discussion of post-war problems of agriculture and home economics.
The next meeting of the Grange will be held on next week Thursday evening. The lecturer’s hour will be in charge of Mrs. Elizabeth Taylor. This is to be a real spring meeting, and there will be an original love poem contest between the married and single men. A millinery contest between the married and single men and a potato planting contest between the farmers and farmettes is on the docket.
There was a full house at the last meeting of Middlesex-North Pomona Grange on last week Friday. “National prohibition” and “Daylight saving” and other less national questions were discussed. On the daylight saving there was a feeling that as bread is the first law of earth and the farmers raises the bread before it is raised with yeast, that any legislation that sets the clock ahead without setting the sun ahead is interfering with the natural division of daylight as laid down by the sun as regulator. Farmers who have to milk now at four o’clock to catch the milk car and under the push timetable have to milk at three o’clock right in the midst of the serenity of cud-chewing time, isn’t very far removed from disturbing the peace.
Daniel H. Sheehan has been spending the winter in Harrison, Me., where he has an engagement in a lumber camp as head sawyer.
The W.C.T.U. met last week with Mrs. George P. Walker. It was a real business utility as was the previous meeting with Mrs. Janet Wright—sewing for the Belgians and kindred work.
Miss Anna O’Brien, who has been seriously ill at her home on the Stony Brook road with influenza, is now seriously better.
Seth W. Banister, who has been having hospital treatment for injuries, writes home that he expects to leave Germany for home as soon as hospital conditions are allowable.
If you have anything to sell by auction try William F. Fitzgerald, auctioneer, Ayer. Three years’ experience.
Interesting Sermons. Rev. L. H. Buckshorn showed a sheath of interesting sermons to your correspondent after church services last Sunday. There were four sewed together. The first was the sermon preached by Rev. William Ellery Channing at the ordination of Rev Jared Sparks to the pastoral care of the First Independent church of Baltimore, Md., May 5, 1819. The other three, two were replies to Dr. Channing from “A gentleman in Boston,” and the other (fourth) was an answer by Dr. Channing to the other two. It bears his autograph on the title page. Mr. Buckshorn preached on the anniversary of Dr. Channing’s sermon and its significance for the entire Christian world. The broader theology with its finer spirit that has come to be in both branches of the Congregational church (Unitarian and Orthodox) has come out of a director study of the life of Jesus. Channing was largely responsible for this. Before his time it was not what Jesus himself had said or what the spirit of the New Testament meant, but what Luther, or Calvin, of Jonathan Edwards said about him. Mr. Buckshorn referred to the following passage as one of the finest thoughts in the entire sermon, “A revelation is a gift of light. It cannot thicken our darkness, and multiply our perplexities.” All the sermons are in good state of preservation.
Interesting Session. Rev. L. H. Buckshorn attended the two-days’ session of the Hillsboro, (N.H.) County Farm Bureau farmers’ short course last week Thursday and Friday. This was brought about by the cooperation of the International Harvester Company’s outfit, the Milford Board of Trade and the Hillsboro County Farm Bureau. Mr. Buckshorn spoke on both days. The International Harvester outfit carry two of the best practical men that ever spoke on farm affairs, and a competent woman who spoke on domestic equipment and the place of birds in the protection of fruit and cereal crops. Mr. Buckshorn reports an attendance of about 900 people at the two-days’ session. The New Hampshire farmers have a keen appreciation of the value of getting together and working in harmony for the benefit of themselves, instead of going it alone for the benefit of a bunch of consumers. The business men are alive, too, to the benefits that come from a hearty hand-to-hand work with the farmers in the community. The Hillsboro County Farm Bureau is certainly a live transformer with its competent corps of men and women under the charge of County Agent Smith. The best farmers and the best business men in Hillsboro County are members and hard workers in it. Where are we farmers and business men in Massachusetts?
Graniteville. The members of Cameron circle, C. of F. of A., held a well attended meeting in their rooms on Tuesday evening. Considerable business of importance was transacted and several applications for membership were received.
The Lenten devotions that were held in St. Catherine’s church on Tuesday evening were very largely attended. The services consisted of the recital of the rosary followed by a very forceful sermon by the pastor, Rev. C. P. Heaney on “Sin.” After the sermon the benediction of the blessed sacrament was given. The regular choir were in attendance.
The members of Court Westford, M.C.O.F., held their regular meeting on Tuesday night.
Mrs. J. W. Blodgett of Millstone road, near the Groton line, has been ill with pneumonia for the past few days and the latest report finds her much improved. Her many friend here are hoping for her speedy recovery.
Miss Nettie Hanning has been on the sick list for the past few days.
The Victory Girls of St. Catherine’s parish, who have been very active in the United War Work campaign, have recently sent in the sum of $175.00 to headquarters, which represents the amount that was raised by the girls in various ways during the campaign. They all worked hard and deserve great credit for the fine showing made.
The heavy rains for the past few days loosened up the ground in great shape and as the ice is out of the Mill pond and the boys have already begun their marble games, it begins to look like spring.
Forge Village. Rev. Angus Dun preached his farewell sermon at St. Andrew’s mission last Sunday. In spite of the severe rain storm a large number was present. Mr. Dun left here for New York on his way to Washington, to do research work for six months for the government. Later, he will go to England for a year’s study. 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":3109,"page":1},"signature":"898bb625c7dd2b571eaca376e2778c1c"} } const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest() xhr.open("POST", url, true) xhr.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/json;charset=UTF-8") xhr.send(JSON.stringify(body)) }) })();