The Westford Wardsman, May 20, 1916
Center. Mrs. Charles H. Pickering returned early in the week from an enjoyable week’s visit with her married daughter, Mrs. Marie Pickering Smith, in Albany, N.Y.
Mrs. J. Henry Colburn has returned from a pleasant ten-days’ visit with Mr. and Mrs. B. H. Streater.
Rev. David Wallace and Houghton G. Osgood were in attendance at the sessions of the annual meeting of the Massachusetts Congregational conference of churches held in Cambridge on Thursday.
The Charles D. Colburn family have purchased a new five-passenger Ford automobile.
The time-honored custom of holding a union memorial Sunday service will be observed as usual this year. This service will be held on Sunday, May 28, at the Congregational church. The members of the Westford Veterans association will be the guests of the day and will be escorted by the sons and daughters of veterans. Rev. Louis H. Buckshorn of the Unitarian church will preach the sermon and will be assisted in the service by Rev. A. F. Fite of the Graniteville M.E. church; also, the pastor of the entertaining church [Rev. David Wallace]. The choirs of the three churches will unite in giving good musical service. Everybody is cordially invited to attend church on that day and do honor to the remaining band of veterans.
Miss A. Mabelle Drew has a new Ford automobile and has already become proficient in driving.
A very pleasant surprise birthday party and evening of whist was enjoyed by the younger set at Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Sutherland’s last Saturday evening, the party being in honor of Miss Lillian Sutherland [born May 13, 1895]. By clever cooperation among the other members of the household the event was a genuine surprise to the recipient. There were four tables of whist. Charles Roby had the highest score for the gentlemen and Miss Marguerite Young for the ladies. Refreshments of ice cream and cake were served. Miss Sutherland was the recipient of a number of gifts and many earnest good wishes were expressed for many happy returns of the day.
Mrs. George T. Day’s many friends are glad she is making such satisfactory convalescence from her recent serious illness. Mrs. Day is able to receive her friends and is regaining strength most satisfactorily.
The speaker for Memorial day is Dexter D. Morrill, of Lowell. Miss Marjorie Patten, who gave so much pleasure two seasons ago with her readings, has been again engaged for this year. The Nashua Military band will furnish music for the day.
Dr. O. V. Wells gave the second in his series of practical talks to the Boy Scouts at the Congregational vestry last week Friday evening. There were twenty-four boys in attendance and they were keenly interested in his first aid talk. The boys were reviewed in their last lesson on “Bandaging,” more particularly the triangular bandage, and its various uses. Instructions in quickly improvised stretcher and splints were given, each member having to demonstrate personally the lesson taught. Many questions were asked and answered and the evening was full of profit and interest.
An interesting appointment made by the school committee at their meeting on Tuesday evening was that of Miss Martha L. Grant as principal of the William E. Frost school for the next school year. This is a well earned honor for Miss Grant and her many friends are glad for her. She has been a faithful and capable teacher for eight years in the school and is well qualified to assume this charge. Miss Clara Smith retires from teaching the first of this coming year after a long and efficient service as both private teacher and in the public schools. She then becomes eligible under the teachers’ pension law passed by the legislature some three years ago.
S. K. Nahigyan, a young Armenian colporteur under the auspices of the Massachusetts Bible society, was the speaker at the Congregational church last Sunday morning and evening, speaking to interested audiences at both services. In the absence of the pastor, L. W. Wheeler conducted the opening services in the morning and W. A. Roudenbush in the evening.
[Perhaps Mr. S. K. Nahigyan of the Mass. Bible Society arrived in Westford in a similar wagon in May 1916. (Photo courtesy of Rev. Anne Robertson, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Bible Society and former pastor of the United Methodist Church of Westford.)]
Tadmuck Club. The closing meeting for the season of the Tadmuck club took place on Tuesday afternoon at the Congregational church. This was a reception to the retiring officers and was in charge of the reception committee, and was one more successful affair under their direction concerning all details of entertainment, decoration and refreshments. The Ladies’ Titania orchestra, a favorite with the members, furnished music for the afternoon—Miss Mary B. Raynes, leader and ‘cello; Miss Grace McEnvoy, cornet; Miss Bernice Moulton, piano, and Miss Mildred Brenan, violin. In the receiving line at the reception were the retiring officers; also, the incoming ones for next season. This feature was in charge of Mrs. Frederic A. Snow of the committee of ushers.
After the reception Miss Loker, honorary president, was called upon to speak, and in well-chosen words presented Mrs. L. W. Wheeler, who has been the club’s recording secretary for seven years, with a handsome copy of Louise Closser Hale’s charming auto story “We discover New England.” Mrs. Wheeler was taken entirely by surprise but assured the members of her appreciation. Mrs. H. V. Hildreth, who has served the club so efficiently as president for two years, was presented with a splendid bouquet of daybreak carnations. These were gracefully presented by Mrs. William A. Roudenbush and accepted with gracious thanks by Mrs. Hildreth.
Delicious refreshments of ice cream with crushed strawberries and assorted cake were served and a social hour enjoyed.
The reception committee in charge were Mrs. O. R Spalding, Mrs. V. C. B. Wetmore, Miss Ella F. Hildreth, Mrs. J. A. Cameron and Mrs. W. R. Carver.
The club closes a most successful year. Six new members have been added during the year and the club mourns the loss of four members by death, Mrs. Lizzie A. Hamlin, Mrs. Mary E. Haywood, Mrs. Albert A. Hildreth and Mrs. Elizabeth M. Tuttle. The present membership is 101.
About Town. The younger people in town will be especially saddened at the death in Manchester, N.H., Monday, from pneumonia, of Mrs. Johanna O’Brien Gallagher. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John O’Brien, living on the Tadmuck road. She was a graduate of Westford academy and will be recalled in pleasant memories by her school associates and others of a lovable disposition and the ambition to live and live well. She died at the early age of thirty-one years, and leaves besides her husband five small children, the youngest only one week old, her father and mother, four brothers, William, George, John and James, and two sisters, Mary and Maggie. The funeral took place Wednesday afternoon, the services being conducted by Rev. Edmund Gearhart, D.D., pastor of the Unitarian church. The bearers were the four brothers, and burial was in Pine Grove cemetery.
The meeting of West Chelmsford Grange on next Thursday evening will be observed as Memorial night, with essay on Lincoln by Emma Brown, essay on Washington, Alice Robarge; essay on Grant by Melvina Naylor, with patriotic music in charge of the music committee, Emma Edwards, Mary Donnelly, Elizabeth Smith.
Dexter G. Morrill, of Lowell, will give the address on Memorial day. Music by the Nashua Military band. Concert in the afternoon on the common from two to four o’clock.
Corn on the Old Oaken Bucket farm that is six inches up refuses to be drowned by the recent rainy weather.
A number of people attended the banquet Wednesday night of Ancient York lodge in Lowell.
Charles Albright and family, who have been spending the winter in Vermont, have moved into the John Decatur house.
David Sherman is building a cottage house on Cold Spring road.
A Pleasant Trip. With Arthur Fletcher as auto director, the writer [Samuel L. Taylor] last Saturday afternoon visited the Thomas Varnum farm on the banks of the Merrimack river at Pawtucketville, Lowell. Mr. Varnum is the largest milk producer in Lowell, averaging fifty cans daily. He buys all his cows in Brighton on the plan of three cows for $100 rather than one cow for $100. Old age cows are preferred. If they have stood the test of life so far without damage they are likely to endure to the end. The cattle have running water constantly before them and are not loosened from the tie-up during the winter. Aside from milk he makes a specialty of raising cabbages and sweet corn, planting nearly two acers of sweet corn May 6, which is late for him, but is chargeable up to the cold, backward season.
Poultry and apples are extensively raised, though not as a specialty, and root crops for the cows and several acres of squash, which are also fed to the cows when they do not bring satisfactory prices, likewise cabbages, of which he fed 2000 barrels because of the low market price. As a milk producer they have no equal, and he claims it will pay to raise them for this alone. In connection with a natural hay farm, never failing to cut two crops [of hay each summer], he has no use for a silo.
Mr. Varnum is eighty years old and appears like a man not far removed from sixty; straight, nimble, rugged, vigorous in action. He has built a new house of modern enticements, and the old house remains for the help. He was delighted to show the fruit of his thrift and wisdom, including the lot sold to the city of Lowell for a contagious hospital, the lot containing twenty acres, sightly and sunny. The wonder of everybody, including Mr. Varnum, is what the city of Lowell wants with such an acreage of earth for a single building. They have seized it and taken possession, and it is theirs, all but paying for it, which is likely to be tried in court.
Valuable Paper. There has recently come into the possession of the town library a very valuable paper dating back to 1774. It has the original signatures of 207 citizens of Westford at that time. That it has been preserved through all these years and is still readable is remarkable. There is a bit of a story about it.
In those days there were no vaults and safes for the keeping of public records, so this particular paper was probably kept by the town clerk of the time and was handed down in the family. It may not have seemed so important a paper at first, but added years gives it great value. It was presented to Westford library by Miss Mary A. Tenney, of Roxbury, who is in the Boston library. It came to her with other family papers and after showing it to the president of the Colonial society in Boston she decided to return it to the town from which it originally came. Her ancestors were Fletchers of Westford and two of them were signers of this paper. Her courtesy in presenting this document is much appreciated. It is so precious a paper from a local standpoint that like the declaration of independence it is not to be exhibited, but carefully preserved.
Plans are now going on throughout the town for the observance of Memorial Sunday, May 28. The choirs from all the different churches, as well as all other singers not connected with the choirs, are invited to take part in the singing service that will be held at the different cemeteries. Leaflets have been printed with the words of well-known hymns and these will be distributed so that all may join in the singing. The invitation is general and it is possible that a rehearsal may be held some time before Memorial Sunday.
Charles A. and Fred R. Blodgett, of the Millstone road, have recently returned from Maine with a carload of fine cows.
Work at the different quarries was resumed here this week, but the business does not appear to be so brisk in the stone line as it was at a similar time last year.
The members of the Graniteville W.C.T.U. met with Mrs. Barnes at the town farm, West Graniteville, on last Wednesday afternoon.
Robert McCarthy and Edward Riney, two delegates from Court Graniteville, attended the Foresters of America convention that was held in Lynn this week.
Harry Quinn, of Somerville, has been a recent guest of Mr. and Mrs. F. L. Furbush.
Mr. and Mrs. Edward DeLorenzo and family have recently moved to Milford, N.H., where Mr. DeLorenzo is employed with the Fletcher & Lovejoy Granite Co.
Barney Pais and family have recently moved to Providence, R.I.
Forge Village. The Young People’s Social club held a meeting last Monday evening and were very delightfully entertained by Mrs. Warren Sturgis, of Groton School. The club members have turned in a lot of relief work during the winter which will be forwarded to the hospitals in France. The final meeting of the club will be held in June when a reception will be held.
Cameron school closes its work on June 10 for its annual summer vacation which leaves but four more weeks of study.
Mr. and Mrs. George Good have opened their cottage on the shores of Forge pond for the season.
Miss Edith M. Foster has turned over thirty-four dollars, proceeds from the recent concert, to the treasurer of the mission. This money will be used to purchase new pews for the chapel.
Miss Rose Dare is spending this week with her aunt, Miss Margaret O’Hara, of Concord, N.H.
Mr. and Mrs. John Carmichael entertained Mrs. Michael Keefe, of Townsend Harbor, and her daughter, Miss Annie V. Keefe, of Cambridge, over the weekend.
All vegetation in these parts is in its full glory and promises to be a fine harvest. The beautiful greens of the grass and foliage, combined with the magnificent blossoms of the apple, pear, peach and plum trees, certainly affords a picture for any artist. An abundance is sure to be reaped if the frequent rains continue to fall.
The girls’ baseball team played its first game of the season on the grounds of Cameron park on Monday evening. The girls won to the tune of 7 to 6. The game was witnessed by a large crowd. Alda Cushing and Annie Orr performed for the girls’ team, while Dare and Mulligan worked for the Tigers. After a few more practice games the girls will be ready to play any girls’ team in town.