The Westford Wardsman, March 8, 1919
Center. The reading circle of the Tadmuck club will meet with Mrs. L. H. Buckshorn on Tuesday afternoon of next week at 2:30. The three-act Russian play, “The cherry orchard,” will be the study of the afternoon.
Miss Mary Green, of Minot’s Corner neighborhood, is spending several weeks with a sister in Portland, Me.
Mrs. Frank Bailey, of West Newbury, is spending the week with her sister, Mrs. O. V. Wells.
Perley E. Wright has moved this week John Felch and family from Townsend to Westford. Mr. Felch will work for S. B. Watson.
W. D. Pitkin, who worked for George F. White two seasons ago, is at work for him for this season.
Mrs. C. A. Blaney is sick with influenza and Mrs. Annie Hamlin is assisting in the care of her.
The roads are in pretty bad shape, as all who have to be out with autos or horses can testify. Perley E. Wright has not been to Boston with his trucks for several days for fear of getting stuck with the soft traveling. F. E. Meyer, R.F.D. carrier, reports some pretty hard trips getting over his route. Some particularly bad spots in the roads are in front of Alex McDougall’s and by the Burbeck place. With a lack of frost in the ground it is hoped that the roads will get settled early in the season
The Red Cross work was cleaned up last week Friday and Library hall presents once more the orderly appearance of former days. With five sewing machines in use and at some sessions twenty-five or thirty workers it has been a busy place. Now that the work is stopped a word of honest commendation is due the capable caretaker of the building, Charles H. Pickering. It has meant confusion and a trail of lint and dust, but Mr. Pickering has always been patient, forbearing and helpful, always forwarding and not hindering the work, thereby doing his honest bit in the cause.
There is to be a dancing class started Friday afternoon, March 14. There will be a beginners’ and an advanced class and Miss Elsie Farwell, a successful dancing instruction, of Dorchester, is to be the teacher. Mrs. L. H. Buckshorn and Mrs. J. W. Shaddick are in charge of the enterprise.
The monthly all-day Ladies’ Aid meeting will be held at the home of the president, Mrs. Perley E. Wright, next week Thursday.
The competitive prize drill of the home guard company takes place next Tuesday evening, to which the public is cordially invited. Everyone is cordially welcome. There will be a speaker; we are not able at this time to state just who, but Capt. Robinson expects a good speaker on the war. Besides the regular drill there will be competitive prize drills of three squads. There will be five prizes—one for the three squads drill, to be won twice by the same squad, one for non-commissioned officers’ drill, first and second prize, and one for the privates, competitive drill, first and second prize. Capt. Hall of the Concord company or his representative will be present, also Capt. Branigan of Groton. The Westford company is progressing well in a military way and at present, owing to some who could not attend, having to drop out, there is a waiting list in the company.
Sergt. Edwin A. Robey, of Battery F, returned home from Camp Jackson, S.C., where he received his honorable discharge from the service after a period of two years of duty. Sergt. Robey was eleven months in active service in France and was in the battle of Chateau Thierry last July when the American soldiers turned back the Huns. He enlisted in March, 1917, and went to France the following October, when he was promoted to sergeant, was in active service on the western front until September 6, 1918, when he was sent back to America as an instructor in artillery fire at Camp Jackson, S.C. He was all ready to start overseas a second time when the armistice was signed in November. We well remember enjoying a visit with Sergt. Robey when he was learning to be a soldier with Battery F at the camp in Boxford.
Westford’s large crop of winter apples have now been mostly shipped to Boston, although a few of the orchardists still have some of their crop still to be shipped, which in all makes quite a few hundred boxes. The inflated prices recently and the bad traveling have put things at rather a standstill this week, although Perley E. Wright expects by the middle of the month the shipping will be practically over.
At the Congregational church on Sunday morning the pastor’s subject will be “The kingdom of heaven,” and in the evening, “Reaching.” March 9 will be rally-to-the-church Sunday with the slogan “March on with some church from March on.” The illustrated lecture, “Foregleams of liberty,” the first in a series of three on the Pilgrims, last Sunday evening, was much enjoyed. The second in the series will be given in two weeks.
Cited for Bravery. It is thoroughly interesting to hear of the part taken by our Westford boys “over there.” We quote the following concerning two Westford soldiers: Sergt. Leroy A. Bicknell, D Company, 9th Machine Gun Battalion, of Main street, has been cited for bravery and will receive a war cross. In action during the Argonne-Meuse operations, October 9-26, without infantry support, his company withstood an enemy attack for two days, during which time two of his men and one gun were captured. He planned and carried out a counter attack, using in part captured enemy guns, and succeeded in releasing his own men and releasing fifty enemy prisoners, which he marched back to his own lines. Sergt. Bicknell, in the early spring of 1916, went to Boston, where he enlisted as a private, and was sent overseas and is now in the Army of Occupation in Germany. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Bicknell, of Westford Center. Two uncles were in the civil war, Ai Bicknell, of this town, and a brother, buried at Gettysburg.
Tadmuck Club. Children’s day in the Tadmuck club, which took place on Tuesday afternoon at the Unitarian vestry, with Mrs. A. H. Sutherland as hostess, proved one of the best children’s afternoons in the annals of the club. There were about 115 children present. The entertainers for the little people were Misses Helen Thissell and Beryl Fradd, two seniors from the Lowell Normal school. These young ladies told groups of stories that held the attention of the children every minute. In addition there were songs and folk dancing in charge of Miss Edith A. Wright of the Frost school, motion song by a group of girls and other songs by groups of children in addition to the folk dancing. A treat of crisp corn cakes was given each child at the close of the meeting. The mothers and friends evidently enjoyed the program as much as the children.
Social. The patriotic social at the Congregational vestry last week Thursday evening was attended by fully eighty people. The rooms were handsomely decorated with bunting, flags and pictures. Mrs. L. W. Wheeler had charge of the evening’s program, assisted by Mrs. Charles H. Wright with the music, and Miss Edith A. Wright as accompanist.
The program opened with a piano solo by Miss Elinor Colburn; sketch of Washington, with portrait, Mrs. Brownsey; reading, “If,” Mrs. Perley E. Wright; sketch of Lincoln, with portrait, Miss Loker; solo, in costume “In the sweet long ago,” Mrs. C. A. Blaney; tribute to Roosevelt with portrait, Mr. Brownsey; chorus with solo, Mrs. Bertha Wilson Whitney; sketch of a trip to the Gen. Putnam country and Westford, Conn., Mrs. Wheeler; piano solo, “The chimes,” Forrest White; sketch of Pershing, with portrait, Mr. Roudenbush; duet, “Till we meet again,” Sergt. George Wilson and Mrs. F. E. Meyer, Mr. Wilson in uniform and Mrs. Meyer in Red Cross dress; a defense of Y.M.C.A. work, Frederic A. Hanscom; “Battle hymn of the republic,” men’s chorus, Messrs. Day, Roudenbush, Wheeler, Brownsey, Meyer and Wilson; sketch of Foch, with portrait, Mr. Wheeler; chorus, “Cousin Jedidiah,” in costume; “Star Spangled Banner,” chorus and audience.
Refreshments of sherbet, cake and cocoa were served in the dining-room after the entertainment, the same decorative scheme of red, white and blue being used as downstairs.
Mrs. S. L. Taylor and Mrs. F. E. Meyer have the March social in charge and already have plans made for a supper and entertainment.
About Town. A Chelmsford farmer was seen ploughing on Thursday. This is ahead of the premature. This is better corn weather than we had last June.
Oscar R. Spalding has sold the Amesbury farm on Main street and Tadmuck road, reserving the woodland and orchards.
Miss Anna O’Brien is ill with the influenza and threatened with pneumonia at her home on Pigeon hill, Stony Brook road.
J. Henry Fletcher and Arthur Fletcher, of Belmont, were recent visitors in town at the Fletcher Cold Spring farm, near Westford depot.
The next meeting of West Chelmsford Grange will be held on Thursday evening, March 13. The principal feature will be a “St. Patrick’s party” in charge of Margaret Reid.
The Longley house, for so many years the home of the Longley family, West Chelmsford, and of late years owned and occupied by Mrs. Lulu Johnson, granddaughter of the elder Longleys, has been sold to James Reid, a draughtsman for the H. E. Fletcher Co., stone contractors, Oak hill.
Woodchucks are out, robins are singing, the crow is cawing and the pussy willow is blooming—spring has arrived if it don’t take a winter vacation.
While our railroads can’t live financially and have the entire freight transportation, how senseless to spend millions to develop another transportation line and thus add to the $150,000,000 railroad deficit of last year.
The country shipped overseas since the war commenced 67,948 animals, divided into 5489 cavalry horses, 979 pack mules, 33,396 draft horses and 28,088 draft mules. The total number lost enroute, so far reported, was 600 horses and mules, or less than one percent of the total number shipped.
The large, unsafe old chimney at the Keefe place on Francis hill has been razed, and a modern chimney raised skyward.
The heavy rain of last Friday night and Saturday forenoon caused a bad washout on the hill at Brookside mill which the town has been repairing with small stone and small gravel mixed at the John H. Decatur farm on the Lowell road. What is needed in this particular spot of the universe is a water route other than the center of the road. In English it is known as a ditch. The writer, in a recent horse power ride to Lowell, found the center of the road on the long hill in Chelmsford from one to two feet lower than the lowest level of an-ought-to-be ditch, but where there has been only spasmodic imitations of a ditch since the road was built fifty-nine years ago.
Congressman Rogers has introduced a bill for a large reservoir at the headwaters of the Merrimack river to conserve the surplus water for mill power and irrigation for summer shortage. This is a much more promising, helpful project than dredging the Merrimack river for ocean steamship navigation which as an emergency business proposition has no call past or present.
Forge Village. Mrs. Louisa Coley has disposed of her household furniture and will sail shortly for Kidderminster, England, where she will care for her uncle, who is getting on in years and is in very comfortable circumstances.
A son was born on Sunday to Mr. and Mrs. Edwin C. Harrigan, of Boston. Mrs. Harrigan is staying with her mother here, Mrs. Jane Dare.
The many friends of Mrs. Elmer Nutting will be pleased to learn that she is recovering from her recent illness.
Miss Mary Merrick is spending a few days with her sister, Mrs. James H. Brown, of Clinton.
Mr. and Mrs. John Bennett [sic] and son Leonard, of Clinton, spent the weekend here with his mother, Mrs. William Burnett.
Little Richard Keefe, son of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Keefe, of Townsend, is staying here with his aunt, Mrs. H. John Carmichael.
A new addition is being built on the icehouse here, making it nearly twice as large.
The new bungalow built for Maxine Record on Storey street is rapidly nearing completion.
Rev. Angus Dun will preach his farewell sermon at St. Andrew’s mission on Sunday afternoon at 4:30.
Miss Agnes Roughan, well known here as a trained nurse, is staying for a few days’ rest at Pine Ridge as the guest of Miss Eva Pyne. She is on a furlough from U.S. Deportation Hospital No. 2, Staten Island, and has recently recovered from a severe attack of pneumonia.
Benefit Concert. The benefit concert held in Abbot hall on Tuesday evening for William Burnett was the most enjoyable affair held here for some time. The hall was filled and many had to stand throughout the entire program. Local talent, assisted by splendid talent from Graniteville and Littleton, entertained the audience for nearly two hours. The audience was most attentive and every consideration was shown to those taking part.
Those taking part in the program were Miss Rebecca LeDuc, Claire Payne, Misses Winnie Thompson, Ethel M. Collins, Marion Lord, William and John Baker, George Cook, Misses Carolyn E. Precious, Adelaide Hosmer, Joseph Blott, Robert McCarthy, Misses Laura McCarthy, Annie Orr, Mildred Precious, Ruth Cavanaugh, John and William Kelley, Misses Alice Hosmer, Alice Walsh, Katherine O’Neil, Mary Sullivan, Lillian Hunt, Florence Caunter, Pamelya Precious, Carolyn Precious. Motion pictures and selections by an orchestra also helped to complete the program. The members of the orchestra were violins, Mildred Precious and Gertrude Baker; mandolins, Lillian and Gladys Baker and Pamelya Precious; cornet, Joseph Blott; piano, Carolyn E. Precious, who was also accompanist for several selections.
The committee are very grateful to all those who took part in the program, especially to those from the nearby villages, whose talent was gladly given; also, those who contributed popcorn and candy, which was sold early in the evening. Quite a large sum was realized from these sweets. The committee in charge were John Edwards, William and Thomas Kelley, Mr. and Mrs. William Baker, Mr. and Mrs. John Baker, Mrs. Fred Davis and Mrs. W. C. Precious and Miss Sarah Precious. They were ably assisted in the disposing of the tickets by Rev. Angus Dun of Ayer and several people in Graniteville and Forge Village.
William Burnett, for whom this affair was arranged, has been a resident of this village for thirty-one years. Eye trouble developed and one was removed a few years ago. Lately, the remaining eye has caused much pain and although an operation performed recently was successful, yet the sight is returning but slowly.
Mention should be made of the singing of Miss Rebecca LeDuc, who sings with a great deal of expression, and her well trained voice is always a source of much pleasure. John Kelley, whose voice is very powerful and unusually sweet, would with a few years study make a name for himself in the musical world. Miss Winnie Thompson also performed on the violin in an able manner, while the clog dancing of the Baker brothers delighted the audience.
Once again the fact was demonstrated that the population here has increased to such an extent that the hall is much too small, and that the residents are awaiting the time when the contemplated alterations are a fact, and these social affairs can be enjoyed with everyone comfortably seated.
Graniteville. The members of Cameron Circle, C. of F. of A., held a benefit concert and dance in Healy’s hall on last week Friday night that was fairly well attended. The entertainment consisted of the following numbers: Piano solo, Miss Bertha Stanley; song, Forrest Carpentier; violin solo, Richard Healy; song, R. J. McCarthy; song, Miss Rebecca LeDuc. The accompanists of the evening were Florence Caunter, Miss Claire Payne, Gertrude Carpentier and Miss Laura McCarthy. After the concert dancing was enjoyed to music of the high school orchestra of North Chelmsford and continued until a late hour. At intermission refreshments were served. The affair was in charge of Mrs. W. J. Robinson, Mrs. Maria Wall, Miss Laura McCarthy, Mrs. Elizabeth Harrington.
Both masses at St. Catherine’s church last Sunday morning were celebrated by Rev. J. Emile Dupont, who announced that during the holy season of Lent devotions would be held in the church on Wednesday and Friday evenings at 7:30. After the second mass the regular meeting of the Holy Name society was held. At that time it was voted that this organization will erect some form of memorial for the boys from St. Catherine’s church who made the supreme sacrifice during the world war, and who are now sleeping in France. A meeting will be held shortly regard to this matter.
The members of Court Graniteville, F. of A., held their regular meeting in their rooms on last Thursday night with a good attendance.
The snow is rapidly disappearing and owing to the mild weather of the last few days the frost is fast coming out of the ground. It begins to look like spring.
Many people from this village attended the benefit concert that was held in Forge Village on Tuesday evening.
Miss Hilma Hanson has been visiting with her friend, Miss Ruth Donaghy, Marlboro, for the past few days.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Rafferty have been visiting with relatives in Boston for the past few days.
Private Walter Blanchard, a Graniteville boy, has recently returned from overseas duty. Private Blanchard went across last summer as a member of the 76th Division.
About Town. F Battery of the 54th Coast Artillery, consisting of 10 officers and 230 men, and eight casual companies, four of them made from Massachusetts, and other troops, will arrive in Boston aboard the Battleship Nebraska on March 9, according to a telegram received at the Northeastern Department from Washington. Albert Tallent will arrive with Battery F, although he enlisted from Pelham, N.H. He is well known in Westford, his uncle, Eben Tallent, formerly owned the farm on Stony Brook road now owned by W. R. Taylor. He also has a sister in town, Mrs. William J. Parfitt, on the Lowell road.
Ice on Forge pond was reported as sixteen inches thick on March 6.
Battery B of the 54th Artillery was expected to land in Boston on the Vedic, Friday. It is planned to land them at Commonwealth docks and send them to Camp Devens by way of Framingham. Walter Cutter, the well-known and genial conductor-motorman on the electric line from Westford to Brookside, is expected home as a member of Battery B.
Mrs. Josiah W. Blodgett is ill with pneumonia at her home on Millstone hill.
Last Saturday the electric car lay dead at Banister’s corner and remained there until another car was sent from Ayer several hours later.
Charles W. Whitney was in town on Monday, renewing and exchanging those old familiar smiles. It does one good to mix it with him in the old-time reciprocity smile business.
Miss Lillian G. Wright, teacher in the Sargent school in Graniteville, is ill with scarlet fever at her home on the Groton road.
Lieut. Leroy Whitman Bond, of the Coast Artillery Corps, Fort Monroe, a graduate of Worcester Polytechnic in 1918, and Miss Florence Marion Wright, daughter of ex-Mayor and Mrs. George M. Wright, were married Wednesday evening at the home of the bride in Worcester by Rev. Edgar Preble of the Universalist church in Charlton. The bride is a niece of Nahum H. Wright, former town treasurer, and cousin of Harwood L. Wright, the present town treasurer, and granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Wright, so well known to Westford people. Lieut. and Mrs. Bond will make their home in Alberta, where Lieut. Bond will be associated with his father in the management of a large wheat ranch.
The electric car again became stalled on Thursday at Brookside and tied up the afternoon traffic.
Ayer
News Items. A letter received from the adjutant-general’s office at Washington to the camp commander gave official notification that the 26th division would be sent here for discharge. The letter also said that it was intended to use Camp Devens as a demobilization camp for some time to come and that it would handle the discharge of about 12,000 men a month.
The force of state police who have been in town since the advent of the camp, and who had headquarters in the building near the Soldiers’ club on West street, left town last week Friday. Mrs. Sughrue, who is one of the force and who has had her headquarters in the town hall, has also left. The town has had their careful attention during the past year and they secured a few convictions.
Federation House Notes. The motion picture attractions at the Federation House will be Pathé News and Tom Sawyer on Saturday afternoon and evening. On Wednesday evening of next week a Burton Holmes Travelogue of New Zealand and “A woman between friends.” The star in Tom Sawyer will be Jack Pickford and the play is based on Mark Twain’s great boy’s story by that name. The star in “A woman between friends” will be Alice Joyce, a very great favorite in the movies.
On Sunday evening, at 7:30, there will be the usual religious service. The address will be given by Rev. Howard A. Pease, of Fitchburg, an attractive speaker. Miss Ruth Mitchell will sing solos and there will be a violinist to lead the singing.
On Friday evening the entertainment will be furnished by Miss Ida Pratt, of Lancaster.
Miss Carolyn V. Tucker, hostess, has returned to the house after two-week’s absence.
Word has been received from Mrs. Sara Gilson, until recently a hostess at the house. She arrived safely in Liverpool and was to sail in a few days for Brest.
W.C.C.S. Notes. There is an unusually good program at the Soldiers’ club, West street, this week. The usual dances are to be held on Wednesday and Friday nights. On Saturday, March 8 the Camp Repertoire Co. will present the light opera, “Pinafore,” at 7:15. The entertainment Sunday evening will consist of a musical program by Choristers from Temple Adath Israel. Miss Gladys Lott of Boston, who has done much entertaining in camps, will give readings and songs on Tuesday, March 11.
The concert by the Crosby orchestra of Worcester at the Soldiers’ club on last Sunday was enjoyed by a large audience. Owing to the poor roads, the musicians were delayed and did not reach here until 8:30, but all felt that they were amply repaid for waiting.
Miss Sadie Campbell, the “Midget Harry Lauder,” presented a very fine entertainment, consisting of dances and character songs on Tuesday evening, March 4.
Miss Mary Steer, who for the last six months has been in charge of Girls’ Work in War Camp Community Service at Camp Devens, has been transferred to the southern district as field director.
Mrs. N. S. Gould, in addition to her duties at the Federation House, will assist with the hostessing of the dances of the Soldiers’ club and of the Girls’ League.
On Saturday, March 1, one hundred men of the 443rd Reserve Labor Battalion (colored) held an invitation dance at the Soldiers’ club. The Motor Transport Corps donated the use of autos to bring the girls from Boston, under the chaperonage of Mrs. Butler Wilson. Major General McCain and Col. Lott, chief of staff, were guests of honor. The jazz band of the battalion furnished excellent music for the occasion.
Camp Notes. Additional thefts from the United States government were uncovered at camp this week by investigators who have been looking into the reported wholesale robbery of supplies of various kinds here ever since the revelation of irregularities in the quartermaster’s department last fall; discoveries which were followed by the trial by court-martial of Capt. Harry J. Harris of Brookline, an officer in the quartermaster’s sub-depot here. It has been stated authoritatively that confessions have been obtained from at least one Negro woman outside, that they have taken blankets, sweaters and various canned goods from camp, the goods being the property of the government and have used the stolen property for their own personal benefit.
Major Patrick H. Daniels, who has been camp inspector here since last November, leaves the last of the week for Los Angeles, where he will spend a well-earned leave. He has been working on the cases of alleged theft ever since they were reported, and has been instrumental in uncovering many irregularities. His place as camp inspector here will be taken by Col. Louis G. Van Schaick, formerly of Camp Sevier.
Capt. W. F. McCann of Framingham, decorated for gallantry in action in France with a croix de guerre and twice afterward cited, has been appointed recruiting officer here. A recruiting office is to be opened in the building formerly occupied by the 212th engineers’ post exchange, near the camp postoffice.
Sheriff R. L. Corbett of Montgomery, Ala., arrived in camp Tuesday afternoon to take back with him Priv. Bert Williams, formerly known as Webb Miller, who escaped from Bagdad prison, Alabama, where he was serving a 20-year sentence for murder. He is alleged to have enlisted in the service at Jacksonville, Fla., eventually landing here, where he has been a private in the 151st company, depot brigade. The fugitive was discharged from the service Tuesday and at the camp gate was turned over to sheriff Corbitt [sic] by Special Agent Pond of the department of justice.
Close to 5000 men are due to arrive here by next Monday. Preparations are being made to receive the 60 officers and 2374 men due in Boston on Sunday on the transport Vedic and 1250 due on Monday on the battleship Nebraska. These troops are all in overseas casual companies.