The Westford Wardsman, March 24, 1917
Center. Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Pickering are moving from the cottage house recently purchased by W. A. Robinson to the west side of the Edward Hamlin house.
Mr. and Mrs. Ripley, who have had charge of the town farm in Harvard, are to take Mr. and Mrs. Barnes’ place at the town farm after the first of April. Mr. and Mrs. Barnes, who have given such good service during their stay here of five years, have bought a farm in Vermont and will move as soon as the new superintendent and his wife come to take charge.
The program for the Tadmuck club meeting on next Tuesday afternoon will be a Lenten organ recital at the Unitarian church by Miss Ella L. Gale, of Lowell. This is an open meeting to any one who would enjoy and appreciate the program offered, and a cordial welcome is extended by the committee in charge to avail themselves of this musical treat. Miss Gale is a member of the Association of American Guild of Organists and is an accomplished and well-known musician, and plans to give of her best in her best in her program of nine numbers for the Westford people next Tuesday afternoon. The music committee of the Tadmuck club have made an effort to provide an excellent musical afternoon and hope to be rewarded with a good audience.
A baby daughter [Phyllis Elizabeth Wright] was welcomed into the house of Mr. and Mrs. William E. Wright at their home on Boston road last Sunday [March 18, 1917].
H. Bert Walker, who is now living in Marblehead, was an over Sunday visitor with his parents this last week.
Miss Lottie L. Dunn, who has been a patient at the Lawrence General hospital, was able to leave the hospital last Saturday and is convalescing most satisfactorily at the home of an uncle and aunt in North Andover. Miss Dunn expects to return to her teaching at the Frost school at the beginning of the spring term.
Bluebirds and robins have been reported some time since as harbingers of the spring, and in addition one of our local bird students reports seeing a large flock of blackbirds.
The Boy Scouts held a most enjoyable anniversary meeting with supper at the lower town hall on Tuesday evening. William C. Roudenbush, scoutmaster, was in charge of the evening, and the guests of the evening were Mr. Faulkner and Mr. Williams, of Lowell, and also those gentlemen who have so kindly given addresses to the organization—Dr. Wells, Mr. Robinson, Mr. Amesbury, Gerald Decatur, Rev. L. H. Buckshorn and Mr. Prescott. The committee in charge were Charles O. Prescott, John P. Wright and Rev. H. A. Lincoln.
While we thought we were quoting authentic authority last week in giving the spring vacation at the Frost school one week, the same as at the academy, we were in error and the vacation is the usual two weeks, and while the academy resumes sessions Monday, the Frost school does not reopen until one week from Monday.
The reading circle under the auspices of the literature and library extension committee of the Tadmuck club meets next week Thursday afternoon. The class are reading “Chief contemporary dramatists,” and the drama to be read next week is Oscar Wilde’s “Lady Windermere’s fan.” The committee invite all members of the club who may be interested to avail themselves of these afternoon readings.
The monthly meeting of the Ladies’ Missionary society took place Wednesday afternoon at the house of Mrs. J. E. Knight. The subject for the afternoon was a study of the life of Ann Gordon Gulick in charge of Miss May E. Day. [The book Alice Gordon Gulick, Her Life and Work in Spain by Elizabeth Putnam Gordon was published in 1917. Boston native Alice (Gordon) Gulick (1847-1903) and her husband William Hooker Gulick served as missionaries in Spain from 1872 until the Spanish-American War in 1898, working under the auspices of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and the Congregational Woman’s Board of Missions.]
The community sing was held at the town hall Monday evening with a good attendance and good interest. The gathering was in charge of Mrs. W. R. Taylor and the accompanists were Mrs. Blaney, Miss Elinor Colburn and Miss Mabel Prescott.
Social. The social for March in the regular series of the winter took place Wednesday evening and was a very pleasant and social affair. A supper of cold ham, escalloped macaroni and cheese, macaroni and tomato, rolls, coffee, relishes and fancy pies were served at 6:30. This was followed by an entertainment at eight o’clock as follows: Piano solos, Elinor Colburn; songs, Raymond Cummings; piano duet, Marion and Mildred Fletcher; debate, Resolved, “That there is more real happiness in poverty than in wealth,” S. L. Taylor and L. W. Wheeler, affirmative side, W. A. Roudenbush and F. A. Hanscom, negative. Mrs. Blaney sang in old-fashioned costume, “In the sweet long ago” and “Coming through the rye” most attractively, and was accompanied by Miss Edith A. Wright. The committee in charge of the evening were Mrs. Clarence Hildreth, Mrs. John Feeney, Jr., Mrs. Perley E. Wright and Mrs. Fred Myers.
About Town. Hen thieves are working a living on the Groton road at Samuel Farrow’s.
At the last meeting of the Grange the past masters were administrators of the entertainment and introduced the McKnight sisters of Lowell, who appeared in the role of song and reading and for an hour held the Grange to the key of delight and applause. They were accompanied by George Faulkner, of Lowell, who appeared in the role of piano. After all these delights for the mind had their innings then cometh forth the innings of ice cream, coffee and cake, at which everyone made a home run and got there, and then there was song for the second run. Twenty-five proposals for membership were announced. The next meeting, April 5, will be in charge of Oscar A. Nelson, of Graniteville. As he is always resourceful and brings others who are in the resourceful class, lookout for happenings.
Stanley Law Snow, of West Chelmsford, of five summers, has peas in blossom. This is a flank movement on some who have seen seventy-one summers and who were preparing to do up all the Smiths of Graniteville on early peas and without New Jersey as a reserve flank movement.
There was a large attendance at the social and drama at the vestry of the First Parish church last week Friday evening. “Sweethearts” was the real keynote of the evening and was well worth the efforts of actors and beholder. The play was in two acts and these were sub-divided into a great number of acts that were so funny and fascinating as they were impersonated in real know how by Frank T. Johnson, Miss Mary G. Balch, Rev. L. H. Buckshorn, Mrs. Harold W. Hildreth. Splendid music between the acts was given by Miss Gertrude D. Fletcher and Mrs. Adrith Feeney. Cocoa-cola [sic] and cake were served. The committee of efficiency who directed the trail leading to the evening were Miss Mary G. Balch, Mrs. Harold W. Hildreth, Mrs. Edwin Hamlin, Miss Mabel Drew and Miss Julia H. Fletcher. The net cash value is $26.25.
Mr. and Mrs. [Charles T.] Ripley, of Harvard town farm, will be Mr. and Mrs. Ripley of Westford town farm on and after April 1.
A successful food sale, measured by attendance or dollars, was given by the Ladies’ Benevolent society of the Village church, West Chelmsford, last week Friday afternoon. It was a real village turnout. Besides the good program there was a musical program—songs, Mrs. Harry Saxon, of Lowell; piano duet, Mrs. L. J. Ellinwood and Miss Grace Ellinwood; solo, Miss Edna Edwards, followed by more solos by Miss Mildred Johnson. The committee of responsibility were Mrs. Fred A. Snow, Miss Lottie Snow, Mrs. John A. Foye, Mrs. H. J. Nelson.
William Pollock, of the Cold Spring road will be superintendent of the Cold Spring farm, near Westford station, during the coming season.
Martha Hildreth is seriously ill at her home near Westford station and a consultation of doctors was held on Tuesday.
Ralph Bridgeford, who has been ill with typhoid fever, is able to be out of danger.
If any one has any doubt as to the severity of the winter, would thirty-one inches of ice on Forge pond and recently reported removed, doubt enough to believe in severity?
The 8:40 electric car jumped the track on Edward’s hill last Sunday night and the four o’clock electric from Brookside to Westford was derailed by spreading of the rails Sunday afternoon at Brookside corner.
Funeral. The funeral of Gilman F. Wright took place from his home on the Groton road last week Friday afternoon and was largely attended by relatives, friends and neighbors, many of the relatives coming from Keene, N.H., Hartford, Conn., Melrose and Lowell. Although sadness reigned, the spacious parlor sent forth a cheerful influence with its banking of flowers. Rev. Caleb E. Fisher, D.D., minister of the First Universalist church of Lowell, conducted the service and spoke in an optimistic mood of the life of man whether here or in the close by unseen life. To Mr. Wright he paid a tribute true to his life, one who loved all things beautiful in nature, whether bird, flower, tree, mountain or winding brook, who loved the best in literature and friendship and home environments. His inherent fondness for music was fittingly remembered in the service. Mrs. J. M. Hartwell and Mrs. Leslie A. Hager, of Littleton, sang sympathetically “Home, sweet home,” a favorite of the deceased, “Beautiful isle of somewhere” and “The christian’s good night.” The bearers were Carl and Ernest Wright, sons of the deceased, Edwin H. Gould, son-in-law, and Fred Tibbetts, a nephew. Burial was in the Wright cemetery, where Rev. Dr. Fisher read the committal service and Mrs. Hartwell and Mrs. Hager sang “Nearer by God to thee.”
Graniteville. Edward De Lorenzo, of Milford, N.H., has been a recent visitor here.
W. Carroll Furbush, of the U.S. Torpedo Boat Destroyer Tucker, made a brief visit at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. F. L. Furbush, this week.
A farewell reception was tendered Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Barnes and their son, Percy Barnes, at the Methodist church vestry room on last Tuesday evening at 7:45. The Barnes family will leave here April first for their new home in Vermont.
At 3:30 last Sunday afternoon Miss Lottie York called the session of the Junior league to order. Forty were present. Unusual interest continues to prevail. Elmer DeRoehn led the Epworth league with a great deal of interest to all. It was his initial step at leading. The Sunday school board met immediately after the Sunday school session and appointed Mrs. Archie Sager, Mrs. Albert Carr and Mrs. Ellsworth York as a committee of three to arrange an Easter program. At both the morning and evening services the pastor reminded the people that next Sunday closes the church year. At that time a general statement will be made about the past year. Mr. Fite will also present a plan to put the church finances on a business basis.
The Sargent school will be closed for two weeks for the annual spring vacation. The school will re-open on Monday, April 2.
The cold weather still continues and local dealers in garden truck are wondering when they are ever going to get a chance at that garden.
Frank V. Valortinck, incensed at his wife’s persistent pleading that he attend mass with her at St. Catherine’s church, Graniteville, last Saturday morning, drew a revolver, fired point blank at her, and then turned the weapon on himself. Both were removed to the Lowell hospital, where they lie in serious conditions, each with a bullet wound in the abdomen. Valortinck is a Pole, 23 years of age. His wife, Kate, is a Russian, and a devout attendant of the Catholic church.
Death. Eslien Conrad Richard, the little nine-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Richard, of this village, died at his home here on last Saturday afternoon after a long illness of rheumatism, the disease finally affecting the heart and causing his death. Conrad, as he was familiarly called by his little playmates, was a bright little fellow and a pupil of the Sargent school here. Although it was known that his condition was considered serious, it was not thought that the illness would prove fatal, and his passing away caused deep sorrow to the village people who extend their deepest sympathy to the bereaved family in the loss of their boy. Besides his father and mother he leaves a sister, Regina, and a brother, Albert. Conrad was the oldest child. The funeral took place from the home here on Monday morning at 8:30. At nine o’clock a funeral mass was celebrated in St. Catherine’s church by Rev. Henry L. Scott. The regular choir was in attendance and under the direction of Miss Mary F. Hanley, sung the Gregorian chant. There were many beautiful floral tributes. The bearers were John Provost, Fred Healy, William Boucheau, L. Canton. The body was placed on the noon train and funeral party accompanied it to Danielson, Conn., where the burial took place.
Ayer
District Court. Steve Sparks, of Forge Village, was found guilty of drunkenness and assault and battery Thursday morning. On the former complaint he was ordered to pay the expense of the prosecution, amount to $6.30. The second complaint was filed. John M. Maloney represented the government. According to the story of the complainant, John Bulcowicz, Sparks came to his home last Saturday night in an angry mood. He was refused admittance, but later forced his way into the place. After calling the complainant names and making himself generally offensive the defendant was ordered out. He refused to go until forced to do so by the combined attack of the complainant and the latter’s wife. In the mix-up the complainant claims that the invader assaulted him, and said he would kill him, his wife and children. The complainant said that he slapped the defendant’s face after the latter had hit him. Later in the night someone broke in a window in the complainant’s home. The culprit is unknown. Sparks denied the charges preferred against him by the complainant.
Mike Matouk, of Lowell, only a week ago a resident of Forge Village, was brought into court on Thursday morning by Officer William Wall on a charge of inciting Frank Walocdickz, of Forge Village, to shoot Mrs. Walocdickz last Sunday. Matouk was held in $5,000 bail by Charles F. Worcester, associate justice, for trial at the local court on April 2. Being unable to furnish the necessary sureties, Matouk was committed to the East Cambridge jail. Walocdickz shot his wife and then turned the weapon upon himself last Sunday at their home in Forge Village. Both were taken to the Lowell hospital where they are still in a serious condition from bullet wounds in the abdomen. Walocdickz will be brought here for trial as soon as his condition will allow such action to be taken. Thursday afternoon John M. Mahoney, counsel for Matouk had a conference with District Attorney Tufts in Cambridge in regard to a reduction of the bail. The result was that the bail was reduced from $5,000 to $1,000. This amount was furnished and Matouck was released.