The Westford Wardsman, March 22, 1919
Center. A correction in last week’s account should be that George Wilson won first prize in the contest of the manual of arms, and Corp. Roudenbush second prize, which was the reverse as stated in last week’s paper.
Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Burnham and Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Wheeler were in attendance at the farmers’ institute in North Billerica on Wednesday. The program for the closing of the series for the winter was an excellent one. Mrs. Ida F. Harrington, of the County Farm Bureau, gave an excellent address in the afternoon on “Homemaking.”
Beginning next week, from March 24 to March 31, under the auspices of the Westford Red Cross branch, there will be a campaign for clothing for immediate relief in the Near East. The drive will be in unison with the other towns in the North Middlesex chapter and it is hoped that Westford will do her full part. Used clothing, shoes, knit goods and any pieces of outing or other flannel are all earnestly solicited. Mrs. H. V. Hildreth is in charge at the Center, all articles to be left with her; Mrs. William Baker at Forge Village, and Mrs. Wall in Graniteville.
At the meeting of the Tadmuck [club] Tuesday afternoon at Library hall Mrs. Ruth Stevens Reed spoke capably and with originality on “Better dressing on smaller expenditure.” Mrs. L. H. Buckshorn and Miss Alice M. Howard for the literature and library extension department read appropriate after-the-war poems. At the next meeting a musical in charge of the music committee will be given. Madam Minor G. Del Castello of Cambridge will give a lecture recital with music and photo play. Those not members can come on payment of the usual guest fee.
A group of seniors at Westford academy went to Boston Wednesday with one of their teachers, Mrs. Harold W. Hildreth, in charge of the day’s outing. Lunch in the city, attending a matinee at the Hollis Street theatre, at which they saw George Arliss in [the plays] “Mollusc” and “The well remembered voice,” visiting the public and state house and Trinity church was the day’s program. The party were taken on the trip by Perley E. Wright in his auto. Those who went were Miss Hildreth, Ethel Collins, Ethel Ripley, Ruth Sargent, Morton Seavey and Austin Fletcher.
Mrs. William C. Roudenbush, Mrs. Perley E. Wright and Miss May E. Day attended the neighborhood meeting of clubs with the Ayer Woman’s club on Wednesday.
Mrs. Adeline Burbeck observed a [81st] birthday anniversary this last week with a family party of relatives and other friends. Advanced years do not deter Mrs. Burbeck from an active part in the affairs of her household and the enjoyment of family and friends. One of the presents for her birthday was a fine new Victrola from her son, Will Burbeck.
Quite a few sick ones in the village are reported. Mrs. C. H. Pickering is seriously ill. Mrs. Isles at the central telephone has suffered this last week with an ear abscess complicated with a bad cold. Mrs. Harold Hildreth and Richard are both reported sick. Mrs. Moran, who is sick, has Miss Comey of Forge Village with her. Mrs. Nellie E. Carkin, Miss Julia Fletcher and Mrs. C. A. Blaney are making good convalescence.
Just as wind and sun after good rains and with very little frost in the ground had made the roads in very good shape, Sunday’s snow storm made bad work and the mud and ruts are pretty bad in places.
It is good news to the Westford home people and their many friends to hear that Harold and Leon Hildreth have recently had three days’ visit together, both still in service overseas. This is the first time these two brothers have seen each other in over a year. Leon writes “We don’t hear much about going home, but let’s hope we may soon.”
Miss Edith A. Wright is afflicted with an attack of mumps.
At the Congregational church Sunday morning Rev. O. L. Brownsey will preach from the topic, “Wonders of faith” and in the evening “Taking sides.”
The usual weekly drill of the home guard took place Tuesday evening at the town hall. Attendance not as good as usual but a strenuous evening’s drill by those present.
Good record of Edward Blodgett, formerly of Westford, as a soldier comes to his friends here. Just previous to the signing of the armistice he was cited for promotion from second to first lieutenant. While in action his captain and first lieutenant were wounded and he took command most creditably. However, Lieut. Blodgett does not expect to remain in the army but to return to his former occupation.
While the final papers have not been passed a real estate transaction of much interest this week is the sale of a large amount of land and some buildings of the Prospect Hill farm [10 Hildreth St.], owned by Miss Ella F. Hildreth, to Timothy Sullivan. This includes land going through to the Boston road, the house formerly occupied by Mr. Robinson and family also the house and buildings occupied by Peter Clement. Miss Hildreth retains her own big house and buildings on Hildreth street, also the small house on the same side owned by her and the one on the opposite side of the street that Mrs. C. D. Colburn and son and daughter have occupied this winter, also some orcharding.
The board of selectmen have bids out for meat inspector and for cattle inspector to be in the hands of the board by March 29.
About Town. At the next meeting of West Chelmsford Grange the following question will be debated: Resolved, “That we are influenced more by the company that we keep than by the literature that we read”: affirmative, Fred A. Hanscom, S. L. Taylor; negative, Rev. William Anderson and Fred A. Myers. This debate will be held at Historic hall on Thursday evening, March 27.
The large elm tree so prominent on Pigeon hill on the Stony Brook road, and which has century marks of its age, has been cut down to a precautionary “safety first” movement.
Arthur O’Brien has been kept to the companionship of the fireside by an infringement on his rights by indigestion at his home on Pigeon hill.
A carload of kelp potash produced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture experimental plant at Summerland, Cal., was recently sold by the department to the Nassau (N.Y.) County Farm Bureau at Long Island. The car contained about 74,000 pounds of 33 ½ percent material and was sold for $142 a ton. No, we don’t care for any at that price, and raised splendid potatoes last year and the year aforesaid with potash several miles from the hill. The government informs us that no European potash will be available before June. Well, keep it, please, we shall be digging potatoes by that time.
Our little adjoin town of Carlisle of 450 inhabitants voted itself internal moisture [i.e., allowed the sale of liquor] by a vote of 25 to 24 at its annual town meeting. We believe this is the first time in its history. Like many towns, as national dry is close by and a light vote, a closing kick was easy to rally.
The republican town committee organized last Friday evening with Hon. Herbert E. Fletcher as chairman; Alfred W. Hartford, secretary, and Julian A. Cameron, treasurer.
John C. Abbot has received an interesting letter from Clarence Hildreth, who is in the airplane brigade in Germany. He gives a description of conditions as far as allowable and expresses the opinion based on conditions that peace terms should have come sooner.
The Union church will give a supper and social in the vestry on Friday evening, March 28. There will be a play and songs and readings, interspersed with listening.
The Red Cross and French Relief have finished the work assign them. They had so many garments to make that required button holes, that since last August Miss Emily Fletcher has made 757 button holes.
Alexander Cameron, who has been at a submarine base in California, has received his discharge and is at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Julian A. Cameron.
Judge Samuel P. Hadley of Lowell, died in the house where he was born, Tuesday morning, aged eighty-seven years. He was one of the best known personalities in Lowell, as well as one of the most genial and companionable of men. He published the early history of Middlesex Village, then a part of Chelmsford, where he was born. This history gives a most interesting account of the old Middlesex canal, the glass works, etc. For twenty-eight years he was clerk of the Lowell police court, and for twenty-seven years afterwards judge of the police court. He was educated in the Lowell public schools, Phillips academy, Andover, and Lawrence academy, Groton. In 1887 he received the honorary degree of Master of Arts from Dartmouth college.
The Milk Question. We read with much interest last week, under the Groton news, the article on the high cost scarcity consumption of milk written by “Anonymous.” We have loaned our paper so if we get the handcuffs on to the wrong party in the dark it is unintentional. Let us all plead guilty, both as defendants and plaintiffs, to the high cost of milk and other sources of food. At the farmers’ institute in Westford two year ago P. M. Harwood, chairman of the dairy bureau, said that milk for food was worth twenty-two cent per quart, compared with eggs, poultry, meat and fish, which at the then going price averaged all grades twenty-two cents per pound. As meat has not cheapened any since, milk, which has been retailing for fifteen cents per quart, has been selling seven cents per quart below its food value as compared with meat.
Now this try-out of the comparative value of milk and meat are the authoritative figures of experts on the value of foods. Now, if you can afford meat in sufficient quantity at twenty-two cents per pound, can’t you afford milk in sufficient quantity of equal value as food at seven cents per quart less than its comparative value. That is the question before this meeting house of facts.
Mr. Harwood admitted that it was difficult to educate the consumer to believe this proven fact.
Part two of this story is like unto the first and more, too. While milk has been consumed so high-priced sparingly New England has become flooded with surplus milk, and the consumer suffering for the want of it, and here “Anonymous” has a case of the law of supply and demand. Why should milk that is daily accumulating to excess be dealt out as though it was almost a famine scarcity? There is a general answer in which no one in particular is responsible, but a general tendency in everything and everywhere for the last quarter of a century to hold up the law of supply and demand as an indirect robbery.
The Middlesex County Farm Bureau advises the farmer to reduce the flood of milk by making less and so keep the price up. The south is planning to reduce the acreage of cotton thirty-five percent in order keep the price up. A few years since they burned it to keep the price up. Labor which don’t labor because there isn’t any at its price, says keep the price up. Can you buy more bread with nothing than with the wages of supply and demand? We have seen cases where produce couldn’t be bought at the then going high price; it was kept until the lowest unprofitable level was reached and they were happy in the thought that they had tried hard to play the game of extortioner. We have seen labor refuse six days’ work in the week, but they preferred two days’ work in the week at the keep up the price wages, some of whom got on the charity list. But never mind keep up the prices if it sends both capital and labor to the soap house.
Milk, to get to nursing again, should never be sold at a fixed price for a longer period than a month. There is no more sense in it than selling all kinds of farm produce at a fixed price for six months.
Forge Village. A Red Cross dinner was held in Graniteville on Wednesday, given by the Red Cross. Several from here attended.
Westford academy and Cameron school closed last week Friday for a week’s vacation. They will re-open on Monday for the spring term.
James May was soloist at the motion picture show on last Saturday evening. On Wednesday evening the orchestra furnished music.
Rev. Leslie Wallace, of Taunton, conducted the morning service at St. Andrew’s church, Ayer, but was unable to be at the mission here because he had to be in Taunton that night. Mr. Knox, of Groton School, conducted the services.
The picket fences that have been so familiar for many years on Pleasant street have recently been removed by the Abbot Worsted Co. This will be quite an improvement when the work is finished.
Mrs. Margaret Wilson, a resident here for many years, and who recently moved to Graniteville for the purpose of conducting a boarding house when her son entered the war, has returned to this village and is now occupying one of the new houses on Pershing square, erected by the Abbot Worsted Co.
Private Thomas Costello, [Jr.,] who has recently arrived from overseas, is at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. [Thomas] Costello. He was severely wounded in the last few months of the war, and has just been released from a hospital in Baltimore, Md., and will return to Camp Devens for his discharge. His many friends gladly welcome him back.
Miss Pamelya [sic] Precious is the pianist at the dancing classes held in Westford.
Work will commence on Abbot hall, shortly, to enlarge it. This will be a much needed improvement.
Miss Sarah J. Precious was the guest of her sister, Mrs. Michael Keefe, of Townsend Harbor, over the weekend. Her nephew, Stephen Keefe, who has been very ill with influenza, followed by pneumonia, is slowly recovering.
Misses Mary Merrick, Mary Delaney and Margaret Cavanaugh were the guests on Sunday of Mr. and Mrs. James H. Brown, of Clinton.
Miss Hazel Comey underwent an operation at the Lowell General hospital for the removal of tonsils and adenoids, from which she is rapidly recovering.
David Lord is confined to his home with illness.
Mr. and Mrs. Lionel Goucher announce the engagement of their daughter Lilian Isabel [Lillian Isabelle nee Macomber], to George J. Walker, of New York.
Joseph Bennett has sold his house to the Abbot Worsted Co.
Mr. and Mrs. John Shaddick entertained Miss Elsie Farwell, of Dorchester, Friday and Saturday.
Graniteville. Mrs. Helen Furbush McNiff has recently resigned her position from the office staff of the C. G. Sargent Sons’ Corporation.
The members of Court Graniteville, F. of A., held an interesting meeting on Thursday evening.
Miss Margaret Tweed, of Lowell, has been a recent guest of Miss Alice Harrington.
Miss Rachel Wall, the well-known vocalist of this village, sang at a concert given under the auspices of the Ladies’ Independent Order of Foresters, held in Grafton hall, Lowell, last week Thursday evening.
The Ladies’ Aid society of the M.E. church is planning for a supper and concert to be held early in April.
Although it is rather early to speak of baseball it is hoped that when the proper time comes a team will be formed to represent Graniteville on the diamond the coming summer. Some of the local men are now overseas and it is hoped that they will get home in time to get into the game. It is intended to use local men as much as possible, but this matter will be determined later.
The usual March weather has prevailed here during the past few days, which goes to show that the old New England climate is still on the job.
Work at the machine shop of the C. G. Sargent Sons’ Corporation has resumed full time once more.
Letters have been recently received here from Private Frank Sullivan in France and William Buckingham in Germany, and both boys are entertaining strong hopes to be home for the opening of the baseball season.
Private Emile J. Milot, of Camp Merritt, N.J., is now spending a few days at his home here.
Miss Belle Carpentier has been visiting with friends in Newburyport for the past few days.
Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Carmichael, who have been on the sick list for the past few days, are now feeling very much improved.
The opening of the spring term will commence at the Sargent school on Monday.
Ayer
Clipping. The following is taken from the Boston Herald of last Saturday:
Mrs. Grace Taylor, alias Mrs. Grace Stone, and Mrs. Vivian Lestley, alias Vivian Wright, the two women arrested by department of justice officials in a raid on a house on the Harvard road, about a mile and a half from Camp Devens, a week ago, were arraigned before Judge Morton in the federal district court last week Friday afternoon charged with keeping a house of ill-fame within five miles of a military camp.
Both women pleaded guilty and told Judge Morton pitiful stories of their past lives, of being deserted by their husbands and of working to support their children. Mrs. Lestley admitted that she had been sent to Sherborn shortly after her first husband deserted her ten years ago in Amherst. Her three children are now in the custody of state authorities.
Mrs. Lestley said she had not heard from her first husband for ten years and that she married Andrew H. Lestley last December. He is now being held by military authorities at Camp Devens on a charge of bigamy. She said she supposed he was her husband, but has learned that he has a wife living in New Brunswick. Lestley is alleged to have told the military authorities at the camp that he is Mrs. Lestley’s third husband and to have admitted that he himself has been a party to three marriages without being divorced.
Mrs. Taylor said she was married in Keene, N.H., but that her husband left her and she had since been taking in washing to earn a living.
Judge Morton decided to continue the cases indefinitely and put the women on probation. They are to report to local federal officials regularly and if they mend their ways the case against them will be dropped. If they failed to go straight Judge Morton told them they would be brought back and sent to jail for substantial terms.
Federation House Notes. There will be a motion picture program on Saturday afternoon and evening and again on Wednesday evening. On Saturday the pictures will be Charles Ray in “Playing the game,” a western picture, with the virile life of the plains well portrayed. The Pathé News will be the other attraction. On next Wednesday the picture will be one of Douglas Fairbanks’ best, “In again out again.” For fun and clever action and liveliness this actor takes the lead. On the same program will be a Burton Holmes travel picture, showing beautiful pictures of New Zealand.
On Sunday evening there will be the usual religious service and Chaplain Charles Smith of the base hospital will give the address. Miss Ruth B. Mitchell will sing.
On Friday evening there will be an entertainment and refreshments for the soldiers. The attendance at these Friday evening socials keeps up despite the discharges and the changes in the camp.
Shirley
Center. During the time that the home of George F. Buxton, at Woodsville, has been closed on account of the rifle range, somebody has entered the house and carefully removed the tacks from the stair carpet and carried the carpet away, together with an old clock which was left in the house.
Pepperell
Special Aid Notes. A special meeting of the Special Aid society was held at the rooms on Wednesday afternoon with a good attendance. It was voted that since so few of Pepperell soldiers had received the most severe injuries of the fifty or so who were overseas, to apply a part of the money from the Fund for the Wounded to the needs of the wounded soldiers now in the base hospital at Camp Devens. C. B. Hamilton and a volunteer committee of four are to visit the hospital each Saturday, representing the Special Aid of this town, and anyone wishing to send articles to give pleasure to the wounded ones may confer with the committee through Mr. Hamilton. Pepperell is fortunate in having so few of her own boys there that the town should keep pace with other surrounding towns in relieving some of the loneliness and suffering.
The society also voted to entertain the wounded boys one day in each week. Mr. Hamilton has offered the use of the Homestead for one day each week, commencing next Thursday. It is the purpose of the society to give the boys at the hospital who have no relatives or friends in this vicinity a day’s outing and any auto owners who are willing to help in the matter of transportation to and from the camp are requested to notify Mr. Hamilton. It is planned to give the soldier boys a little recreation, a dinner and return them before sundown, arrangements having been made with the adjutant general at the camp. Any others who are willing to entertain may send their names to the society, through the chairman.
The regular meeting will be held on Monday afternoon at the rooms. Members are requested to bring pieces of attractive cretonne or other material, suitable to make into individual hospital bags to be used in taking the articles and any dainties to the wounded men at the hospital, Camp Devens.