Turner's Public Spirit, October 17, 1925

A look back in time to a century ago

By Bob Oliphant

Crop Reports. The government monthly crop reports for August, as sent to your correspondent, may be of use to know how near and far off we are from the famine line. “New England potato crop of 41,504,000 bushels is 25% below the big crop last year of 56,170,000 bushels, and 7% below the average. Maine has 30,156,000 bushels as compared with 41,264,000 bushels last year, and her average of 31,725,000. New York has 33,355,000 bushels as compared with 46,620,000 last year. New Jersey has half as many this year as last year, and Pennsylvania has somewhat less. The United States crop of 344,391,000 bushels is 24% below last year’s and 18% below average. The potato market outlook is strong, with prospects of good prices as the season advances.”

The acreage of sweet corn for canning, an important industry in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, is 16% above last year. Total for the three states is 21,276 acres with 16,628 acres of it in Maine. The country’s field corn crop is 18% above last year, but slightly under average.

New England’s commercial apple crop is reported as slightly less than last year. Size and quality are generally good and two weeks earlier than last year. The United States apple crop shows a 6% gain over last year.

All men folks and some women folks will be delighted to read this: “The Connecticut Valley has one of the best tobacco crops raised in several years, both as to yield per acre and quality in spite of many poor crops.” Now here is something that is unusual to mention, unless you are equipped with a special permit to open your mouth: “Production of certified seed potatoes in the north eastern competitive region, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York will be much less than the excessively big crop last year, but is likely to be about sufficient for seed demands.” This “sufficient for seed demands” fits in well with some of the testimonials of those who have have used certified seed potatoes.

“New England pastures, considerably reduced by recent acute drought, are not much above last year. United States pastures are 10 points below average.” As about all the people who once lived on grass are dead, this pasture report does not interest us as it did when grass was all the go for some folks.

Here is something that shows the trend of tendencies: “Spring wheat in parts of Maine and Vermont is a crop of some importance, and the acreage is much larger than last year and yields large. It is grown only for home use. United States wheat crop is 699,565,000 bushels, which is 80% of last year’s crop. Canadian wheat crop is 43% above last year’s. World crop is 5% or 6% larger.”

Now that the government has issued a dependable crop report that we have quoted from, take to your shopping early before prices, like taxes, begin to soar.

Religious Gold Bricks. Here is some more goldbrick quotations from the Rural New Yorker:

“Stock selling campaign literature abounding in biblical quotations has caused the California state corporation commission for the investigation of the reports of the Kit Carson Valley Mining Corporation proposal of financing a mining enterprise in Nevada. The prospectus sets forth the ‘surest guarantee of success is the presence and approval of God and that God has committed a great and exceedingly rich gold quartz ledge for the company.’ It offers $600 annual return for each $100 invested in the firm. Rev. William Keeney Towner, pastor of the First Baptist church of San Jose, Cal., is secretary-treasurer of the mining company and has admitted authorship of some of the literature, but said he had ‘tried to keep within the law.’ The thought occurs, was this minister ever a serious stockholder in the principles involved in the words ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust doth corrupt. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt nor thieves break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also?’ [Matthew 6:19-21] If he ever was a stockholder in the principles involved in these words it looks on the surface of the evidence as though he traded it for stock in ‘a great and exceedingly rich gold quartz ledge in Nevada.’

This is not to be construed as a slur on Christianity, the church or minister in particular, but as the power of the idol money; “ye old-time golden calf” in modern business life in varying degrees and manifestations, ranging all the way from highway robbery to its twin pay envelope robbery with automatic revolver accompaniment to just plain gold bricks or just plain falsified farm produce—it’s all the same piece of goods for the same motive—the dollar sign and viewpoint of life. It’s a dangerous ideal and fast coming home to roost in our modern golden calf age. Let’s all hands quit it and go to the town home.

Non-enforcement of Laws. Much waste of tongue exercise has been broadcasted about the non-enforcement of national prohibition and the charge is made that this non-enforcement or at best lax enforcement creates a disregard for all law. Well now, see here, you who think more of your rum than you do of the welfare of society, we have laws older by far than the thought of national prohibition that there is not even a vague pretense to enforce that are close to every-day life. Here is one such relating to towns maintaining guide boards. The law in substance reads: “Towns shall maintain guide boards at all intersecting roads and other necessary places.” There is a fine of $5 for each non-existing guide board, and the question has been asked by a local paper, “Did you know of any town being fined $5?” and yet it is safe to say that probably there isn’t a town or city in Massachusetts but what is liable. I [Samuel L. Taylor] have not got to leave my dooryard to locate liability at the intersection of the Lowell and Stony Brook roads [where Mr. Taylor lived]. The Lowell road is posted all right, but the Stony Brook road is postless, and when people call to inquire where that road leads to I frequently answer northerly—it leads to the “brick tavern” and the north pole, and southerly it leads to Cathead and Cathead Spring, “Texas” (Parkerville).

This is not to be construed as a criticism of any board of selectmen, past, present or future, but as showing the unfairness of the criticism that gloats and glories over the wreck of a drunken driver, but has nothing to say about the wreckage of over-speeding sober drivers. Their brainless and prejudiced argument is “Why and how is it possible for anyone to get drunk under national prohibition?” If there is any depth of thought in such a simpleton argument so that in comparison with the non-pretense of non-enforcement of many other laws I have yet to find a magnifying glass powerful enough to pick the brains out of such an argument.

Center. Rev. William E. Anderson [a former pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Graniteville (1905-1907 & 1919-1924)], of Spencer, W. Va., who has been the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wright [his wife Clara Belle’s parents], has returned to his home.

The third and fourth degrees were conferred on a class at the Grange meeting on Thursday evening.

1. Joseph Graham, of Gloucester, Philip W. Kimball, of Salem, and Miss Mary A. Grant, of Rockport, were the week-end guests of Mr. and Mrs. Harry E. Whiting.

The W.C.T.U. held a meeting at the home of Mrs. George Walker on last Wednesday afternoon and the following officers were elected: Mrs. Walker, pres.; Mrs. C. A. Blaney, sec.; Miss Mattie Lawrence, treas.; Mrs. Fred L. McCoy, Mrs. Janet Wright, flower mission work. The retiring president has given about fifteen years of faithful service as president to the society, and it has been through her untiring efforts that the local organization has attained a high standing in the work expected of them by the higher departments of the union.

Mrs. Francis Banister, with Somerville relatives, enjoyed an auto trip to Hudson, N. Y., by way of Mohawk Trail [Mass. Rte. 2], over the holiday.

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Coleman Peterson have issued cards announcing the marriage of their daughter Nancy to Francis Ferguson Hicks, in Westford, Saturday, October 3.

The Auxiliary meeting which was to have been held on Monday evening, was postponed, the date of the meeting to be announced later.

Mr. and Mrs. Robbins (Bertha McCoy), of Watertown, were week-end guests of Mr. and Mrs. Fred L. McCoy.

Mrs. Albert Jordan, who has resided on the Providence road for several years past, will, with her son Frederick, remove to Lowell in the near future.

Mrs. J. E. Knight, who is at present in Mooers, N. Y., reports about seven inches of snow there in the storm of October 10.

Tadmuck Club. The Tadmuck club held their first meeting of the season on Tuesday afternoon. A reception to new members and officers was held; also, an excellent entertainment, followed by a club tea. It is planned to have three different classes during the season under the auspices of the club — reading, basketry and cooking. The reading class held its first meeting on Wednesday afternoon at Library hall. The first class in basketry will be held on next Tuesday afternoon at 2:45, in Library hall. There will be no expense to club members other than the cost of material used, and non-members who wish to join the class may do so by paying a small fee. The third class in cooking, it is hoped, may be held later in the season. The basketry class will be under the direction of Miss Lucinda Prescott, while the reading class is in charge of Mrs. George F. White. Book reviews and plays will be read by the latter class. The club officers for the year are Mrs. Arthur G. Hildreth, pres.; Mrs. Perley Wright, vice pres.; Mrs. Adeline Bucksborn, sec.; Mrs. T. Arthur Wilson, treas. Eight new regular members were added to the list and two new junior members, making a total membership of 108.

About Town. “Announced by all the trumpets of the skies, arrives the snow,”[1] and there were no encores. We of the Old Oaken Bucket farm observed the day and the usual scene of apple trees laden with apples, leaves and snow and then we betook ourselves to sawing wood, popping corn and making second crop of snow-laden grass.

One hundred acres of the state reservation at the summit of Mt. Watatic[2] has been reserved as a retreat for birds. Mt. Watatic lies in the extreme northwest section of Middlesex county and the summit of Mt. Watatic is the dividing line between the towns of Ashby and Ashburnham.

Another improvement in the trial of minor cases before a jury is to allow nine jurors to convict. Here is an illustration of the miscarriage of justice. Within a year a man was convicted in the district court at Lowell of assault and battery and fined $75. The defendant appealed to a jury and a disagreement resulted in the trial, and the jury stood 11 to 1 for conviction—a clear case where there was blocked justice, for there was no more doubt of defendant’s guilt than there is that I am writing this communication with a faint marking lead pencil.

As a bearing on the destruction of bird life a correspondent in the Rural New Yorker writes: “In recent issues I saw where a correspondent did not like sparrows in his shed. In making it tight, all except a window for light, where the sparrows can get in, and getting them used to this opening he can put calcium cyanide in there early in the morning before they see him and then he can get the sparrows in droves. They are blowing calcium cyanide dust into trees and vines on houses and killing blackbirds and sparrows by the thousands.” Thus do our birds pass into the silence of extermination. Someone does not like the sparrow and someone else does not like the blackbird, the robin and the crow or the woodchuck and goes out for extermination. If everybody’s dislikes are legalized there will not be even a hornet left of our fast vanishing wild life. Much of this out to exterminate wild life is but little, if anything, above cannibalism.

At a meeting in Lowell on Tuesday of the Middlesex-North Agricultural society the following officers were elected: George W. Trull, Tewksbury, pres.; George L. Huntoon and Edwin C. Perham, Chelmsford, Sidney A. Bull, Billerica, Arthur W. Colburn, James J. McManmon, Alton B. Bryant, Dracut, John E. Foster, vice pres.; Charles T. Upton, Lowell, sec.; George H. Upton, Lowell, treas. Emery Taylor, L. K. Teele, Acton, Edwin F. Dickinson, John E. Bull, Billerica, W. M. Lapham, William Bellville, Chelmsford, Harold M. Fox, Dracut, A. W. Swallow, L. W. Goldwaite, Dunstable, Myron P. Swallow, Moseley Hale, Groton, Charles H. Stickney, John C. Weinback, Lowell, George W. Trull, F. A. Tuttle, Lowell, L. A. Boynton, S. R. Merrill, Pepperell, Fred J. Childs, A. Leroy Case, North Reading, John Trull, Howard W. Foster, Tewksbury, James H. Wooward,, Benjamin B. Lawrence, Tyngsboro, Herbert E. Fletcher, Samuel L. Taylor, Westford, A. B. Eames, and A. G. Eames, North Wilmington, trustees. Edward F. Dickinson, Billerica, Ida F. Whitley, Dracut, George H. Upton, Lowell, institute committee.

The Franklin Proctors of Cambridge were Columbus day visitors at the Old Oaken Bucket farm.

The Merry-go-round Whist club of Westford Corner and West Chelmsford held an open meeting at the home of Mrs. Herbert Baum. Mrs. David L. Greig won first prize, Mrs. Frank Lupin the second prize, and Mrs. Charles Hill consolation. Refreshments followed.

The M.E. church of West Chelmsford observed last Sunday as rally day with special features at all services. At the Sunday school hour the children gave their annual rally day concert.

Mrs. Sarah J. Drew observed her ninety-first birthday last Sunday. Many friends, neighbors and relatives were present to congratulate her well preserved mental and physical individuality. It was an exceptionally social, happy, inspiring time, with a charming variety of refreshments to add to the cheer of the occasion, with special emphasis on ice cream—at least someone did.

The jury in the case of the commonwealth against Joseph T. Mailhot for the murder of Officer John M. Mulcahy, who, with other officers, was raiding a camp at Flushing pond, Westford, returned a verdict of “not guilty,” “held justifiable because of illegal warrant,” in the most unjustifiable verdict returned in Massachusetts since Christopher Columbus didn’t discover Plymouth rock. If a technical error in a warrant procedure gives a criminal or anyone else the right to murder, it is setting a new and dangerous precedent for our already fast growing crime wave, and well and wisely does District attorney Arthur K. Reading, in a letter to the district court in Ayer, in cautioning them not to let such an error happen again, adds, “I am afraid this verdict is setting that precedent.” It would seem that the verdict indirectly implies that if the search warrant had been legal then the murder of Officer Mulcahy would have been murder, or shall we assume that if the search warrant had been legal Mailhot would not have fired the fatal shot that killed Officer Mulcahy. This view is by far more sensible than the verdict that was returned.

Under Groton news last week reference was made to the cool weather that interfered with some features of the Groton fair. The above thought is too important to be repeated yearly. The fair is held too late in the season for several reasons, chief among which is that we are fast heading toward weather too cool to draw as large gate receipts as earlier in September. As an assistant to the chief idea, the late September farmers are busy harvesting their crops, especially apples, and are not inclined to warm up to the situation, especially if the weather is cool. A third assistant to the first reason is the fact that the last of September brings what is the tail end of the season of out-door shows. The first week in September would be a better all-round fit than the last week.

A medium is responsible for the statement that William Jennings Bryan, he of the late transplanting, was now a believer in the much assailed law of evolution.

Dies in Lowell. Miss Helen A. Whittier, prominent for many years in Woman’s club life in Lowell and Boston, died at the home of her niece, Mrs. Artemas S. Tyler, Lowell, Sunday, after a few week’s illness. She was the daughter of the late Moses and Lucinda (Blood) Whittier, and was born in Lowell on December 7, 1846. She was educated in the Lowell schools and Lasell seminary in Auburndale. In her earlier life she made her home with the Whittier family in Lowell and was prominently identified with the [paper torn, 2 lines missing] Middlesex Woman’s club, of which she was a charter and life member. Gifted in no small degree herself, with artistic talent, she developed an unusual aptitude for the inspiration and guidance of others in matters of artistic appreciation, and through her residence in Boston conducted classes in such subjects. She was the second president of the Middlesex Woman’s club, taking the office in 1897 to 1900, as successor to Mrs. Daniel S. Richardson. For the past ten years she had been summer companion for Miss Ella T. Wright at Miss Wright’s summer home, “The Elms,” at Brookside.

Wedding. Tuesday afternoon, October 13, at four o’clock, a very pretty home wedding occurred when Ruth I. Flint, daughter of Capt. and Mrs. George F. Flint, was united in marriage to Edward A. Felch at the home of her parents, 63 Woodward avenue, Lowell. The gathering was made up of relatives and immediate friends, and the ceremony was performed by Rev. H. W. Haynes, pastor of the First Universalist church.

Against a background of glowing autumn leaves the bride was very charming in a gown of white crepe de chine trimmed with Irish crochet, with a bouquet of bride’s roses and ferns.

The maid of honor, Miss Helen Smith, of Chelmsford, was dressed in gray georgette and carried Templar roses, while J. Flint Manahan, a five-year-old nephew of the bride, and little Caroline Campbell were the flower-bearers, the double ring service being used.

The best man was Lewis H. Felch. The ushers were Oliver Flint and J. Irving Manahan, and the wedding march was played by Miss Mabel Marden of Chelsea. From seven to nine in the evening a reception was held at the home of Capt. and Mrs. Flint.

Mrs. Felch is a well-known telephone operator in the Lowell central, and Mr. Felch is a chef in the employ of Harry M. Randlett.

After a brief wedding trip, shortened because of serious illness in the immediate family of the groom, Mr. and Mrs. Felch will return to Lowell, to reside at 169 Merrimack street, where they will be at home to their many friends after November 15.

Efficiency Contest. At the first meeting of the fall season of the Y.P.R.U. at the vestry on Sunday following the service the chapter planned to engage in the National efficiency contest of the Y.P.R.U. chapters of the United States and Canada. The chapter has excellent prospects of making a high score.

The chapter has been accumulating counts since April 1, when the contest began. By serving as delegates to Young People’s week at Star Island, Isles of Shoals, Fisher Buckshorn and Gordon B. Seavey, the chapter gained 75 points. By attendance at conferences, sending delegates to the annual meeting of Y.P.R.U., service to Sunday school as teachers and to church as singers in the choir, and in conduct of its own meetings, the chapter has accumulated about 225 additional points.

During the coming season the chapter plans to gain additional credit by working its attendance and membership, by observing in February the annual Young People’s Sunday, adding to church membership and community service.

Church Notes. Unitarian—Sunday service at 4 p. m. Preacher, Rev. Frank B. Crandall, the minister. Subject, “The greatest book on evolution.” Church school at 3.

The first meeting of the fall season of the Laymen’s league was held at the vestry Sunday evening. Allister McDougall of Lexington, director of the Farm Bureau, gave an instructive and interesting account of the work of his department, emphasizing the big factor of personal influence in the development of a community. An oyster supper was served before the meeting by the host, Charles Robey, chairman, Rev. Frank B. Crandall, Sherman H. Fletcher, Herbert Fletcher, Arthur G. Hildreth and Benjamin Prescott.

Forge Village. Mrs. Nelson O’Clair, third grade teacher in Cameron school, was confined to her home last week with a severe cold. Mrs. Charles G. Carter substituted during her absence.

Peter F. Perry, principal of Cameron school, spent the week-end and holiday with relatives in Plymouth.

Other people home for the holiday were Miss Mildred Precious of the Billerica High school faculty, Miss Carolyn Precious of Somerville and Dedwood [sic] A. Newman of Danvers at the home of Mr. and Mrs. William C. Precious.

Don’t forget the dance next Wednesday evening in Westford under the auspices of the Graniteville Teachers club. The proceeds of the dance will be used toward the purchasing of a piano for the grammar school.

The Abbot C [soccer] team defeated the Fore River Juniors in a league game at the Fore River field in Quincy. The score was 1-0 Malcolm Weaver making the only goal.

The seniors played the Hub team Sunday and lost the game by a 2-0 score.

Rev. John Dallinger had charge of the Sir Galahad club last Monday evening.

Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Longbottom of Westboro motored here Monday and spent the day with Mrs. Longbottom’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Burnett.

1. B. Watson of the center has purchased the station at Pine Ridge and is having it moved nearer the road [now at 56 Forge Village Road]. Modern improvements are to be installed and when completed it will be a model seven-room house. It is understood that the house will be to rent.

Mrs. Louisa Hughes of Worcester is visiting at the home of Miss Theresa Lowther.

Mrs. Michael Keefe [nee Annie Precious of Westford] of Townsend and Miss Anna V. [P.?] Keefe  [her daughter] of Lynn spent Sunday here with relatives.

It is expected that a large number from here will attend the parish meeting which is to be held Friday evening at St. Andrew’s Episcopal church, Ayer, at 7:30 p.m.

Miss Ruth Choate and party of friends from Lowell enjoyed camp life at Forge pond over the week-end and holiday.

Center.  Capt. Sherman H. Fletcher has been appointed to fill the vacancy on the finance committee caused by the resignation of George F. White. Capt. Fletcher was appointed chairman of the committee at a recent meeting and W. R. Taylor, secretary.

The ladies of the Congregational church will conduct a food sale in the vestry on Friday afternoon, October 23, at three o’clock.

Mrs. Sarah Drew observed her ninetieth birthday at her home on the Boston road last Sunday. Many friends called during the day to extend best wishes. Among the guests was her son Albert and family, of Greenwich, Conn. Mrs. Drew has a daughter, Miss A. Mabel Drew, who resides with her mother.

The Y.P.R.U. of the Unitarian church will conduct a Halloween military whist party at the church parlors on the evening of October 23.

The annual banquet given by the Congregational church will be held on November 6, instead of November 9, as reported in last week’s issue.

About Town. Here is some interesting facts and figures in the world of gold bricks and get rich schemes generally any way to make a landing by the sweat of the other fellow’s brow, we quote from the Rural New Yorker that is after the “too lazy to work and too proud to beg”: “Stock frauds in New York state in the last year have enriched swindlers by more than $500,000,000 through these so-called worthless securities, it was declared September 17 by Deputy Attorney-General Oliver B. James, who has been studying the facts and evidence obtained from time to time by the bureau of frauds in the state legal department. Approximately one-half of the losses sustained by investors throughout the United States through fake stock sales has been in New York state, the deputy general estimates. He figures the total loss through frauds of this kind in the nation at $1,000,000,000.” Hurrah for poverty, pinching, handicapping poverty, with its fetters rather than riches at the prices of this billion-dollar golden calf.

Soft Drinks vs. Pure Milk. As a hearing on the drink habit the Rural New Yorker says, “We’ve enlisted for the war in this battle to substitute milk and fruit juices for so much of this ‘pop.’ We shall try to make our people understand what they consume when they open the mouth, throw back the head and permit a bottle of ‘pop’ to empty itself down the throat. A chemist of wide experience tells us, the business is full of tricks, and we have to keep a constant supervision of this ever-growing soft drink business. Impure water is commonly used, saccharine and coal tar dyes are the usual content and the stuff is produced under unsanitary conditions very often. Some of these drinks contain a habit-forming drug or unduly stimulating drugs. Misbranding is usual. Some so-called orange drinks have no more orange than has storage battery water.

And to think of the millions of gallons of such stuff poured down the human throat, while wholesome milk and pure fruit juices may be had. Are you for the dairy cow and the sun-washed pasture or the sweating workman in the cellar?

Not only in the name of health should pure milk and the Sunkist fruit juices be substituted for so much swill-tub “soft drinks,” but pure milk and the fruit juices could be substituted for so much swill-tub tea and coffee, and all in the interest of health and thus prevent so much premature squinting toward the cemetery. Good medical authority says every person should consume a quart of milk daily as the minimum amount. If this were followed in the name of health it would settle forever, and the day before and following the question of “surplus milk” for apparently by a rough estimate there isn’t enough produced in the rural towns to supply its own inhabitants with one quart daily per inhabitant, and even more is desirable as per authority.

But with all the medical backing of milk as a health diet it is queer but true that when the pay envelope becomes slack with slack work the very first item on the bill of fare to be cut is health-giving milk down one notch and total elimination. Meat is continued to give us strength to walk across the room, and at a price so high that a dog could not reach it if he barked himself to death by trying and crying for [it]. It’s poor health judgment that thus substitutes for milk and fruit and fruit juices.

Largest Taxpayers. Westford’s heaviest taxpayers [over $100] are as follows:

 

Alice M. Abbot                                  $1143.10

Edward H. Abbot                                  129.44

John C. Abbot                                       851.20

Abbot Worsted Co.                           52,153.21

William E. Anderson                             164.22

144. C., L. B. & M. Atwood 144.90
145. H. Balch 114.95
146. F. Balch 138.46

Joseph Belinda [sic]                               144.90

Wasil Belida                                         103.04

Elizabeth Blaisdell                                 225.40

Walter L. Blanchard                              145.06

Cyril A. Blaney                                     136.21

284. A. & F. R. Blodgett 284.65

Blodgett & Co.                                      101.43

Albert Boisvert                                      138.46

Cornelia A. Boynton                              148.12

Adelord Brule                                       154.88

Adeline Buckshorn                                190.62

182. A. Burbeck 182.42
183. E. & G. A. Burbeck 203.02
184. H. Burnham 256.47
185. W. Burnham 151.34

Oliver Byron                                         115.92

Thomas W. Caless                                 131.38

Mary E. Calvert                                     177.10

378. A. Cameron 378.35
379. A. Cameron 281.75

Lucy A. Cameron                                 499.10

John Carmichael devisees                      112.70

Cora E. Carver                                      120.75

162. R. Carver 162.61

Harry R. Coburn                                    298.49

Charles R. Coburn, devisees                   172.91

Joseph P. Connell                                  102.07

Alfred Couture                                      125.58

Charles Couture                                    164.86

Ralph Cutting                                        185.15

133. W. Day 133.13
134. O. Day 101.42

Resimon Degagnon                               123.81

Zachary Denesevich                              175.01

232. Desmond 232.49

William C. Donnelly                              136.85

180. F. Downs 180.64

Frank C. Drew                                      352.59

Julian Dymowicz                                   154.08

Henry F. Eastman                                  112.02

Louisa Edwards heirs                             215.74

William C. Edwards                              197.06

John Feeney                                          177.10

Alec Fisher                                           342.77

294. H. Flagg 294.63

Lucy M. Flagg heirs                              128.80

Eleanor L. Fletcher                                161.00

1842. E. Fletcher 1842.65
1843. R. Fletcher Co 544.82

Harry N. Fletcher                                  352.44

294. Herbert Fletcher 294.31
295. H. & K. B. Fletcher and Edith Wilson 180.32
296. W. Fletcher 106.26

Ralph A. Fletcher                                  227.33

257. H. Fletcher 257.60
258. L. Furbush 210.91

George Q. Gilson                                  115.92

322. E. & E. H. Gould 322.00

Graniteville Foundry Co.                       756.70

John R. Green                                       137.82

358. L. Greig 358.71
359. M. Griffin 122.04

Harry Gumb                                          125.90

127. H. Hale 127.19

Frank L. Haley                                      131.38

Nathan Hamlin heirs                              180.32

227. T. Hanley 227.01
228. H. Harrington 247.62

Elizabeth Healey                                   186.76

103. Austin Healey 103.68
104. A. Healey & Sons 572.84
105. A. Healey 2d 118.08

Margaret M. Healey                               154.56

106. A. Hildreth 106.42

Bertha H. Hildreth                                 144.90

Charles L. Hildreth                                135.24

Charles W. Hildreth                               139.27

Ella F. Hildreth                                     508.76

Frank C. Hildreth                                  271.61

231. V. Hildreth 231.84
232. L. Howard 190.95

Laura P. Jordan                                     154.36

Henry O. Keys, devisees                        120.75

George A. Kimball                                282.56

James L. Kimball                                  320.39

107. E. Knowlton 107.87

George E. Kohbrausch                           185.47

Austin Lawrence                                   121.55

205. A. LeClerc 205.44

Ferdinand LeDuc                                   121.39

148. P. LeDuc 148.12
149. LeDuc heirs 144.90
150. G. Lundberg 129.44
151. A. Lundberg 108.83

Dorothea Lydaird                                  128.80

Fred L. McCoy                                      128.48

Alexander McDonald                            169.21

Henry A. McDonald                              173.88

Margaret McDonald                              264.04

Hilda Marshall                                      144.90

Minka & Walkovich                              154.56

Henry J. Murphy                                   195.94

Harry L. Nesmith                                  169.86

Arthur J. O’Brien                                  106.26

Houghton G. Osgood                             197.87

Lewis P. Palmer                                    157.69

Lewis P. Palmer & Sons                        267.58

Amos Polley                                         117.53

Harry B. Prescott                                   157.78

Richard D. Prescott                                151.98

Robert Prescott                                      280.46

John D. Psarias                                      138.30

Rachel W. Reed                                    246.33

Joseph C. Regnier                                  425.68

Conrad Richard                                     250.68

Rudolph Richard                                   101.43

Alma M. Richardson                              196.42

Allan C. Sargent                                    563.02

Charles G. Sargent                                 230.55

4768. G. Sargent est. trustees 4768.02
4769. G. Sargent’s Sons Corp. 2403.15

James M. Sargent                                  128.80

Joseph E. Sargent                                  187.08

Mike Sawosik                                       103.04

Adolph Schneider                                  107.87

Homer H. Seavey                                  148.44

Wasil Sedach                                        117.85

David Sherman                                     103.04

Rose Shugrue                                        140.07

Perry T. Shupe                                      138.14

John T. Simpson                                    154.72

Gertrude C. Skidmore                            154.24

Josephine Socha                                    199.64

Oscar R. Spalding                                1865.35

Spalding & Prescott                               173.88

Elizabeth Spinner                                  177.10

Splain & Nutting                                   206.08

Nicholas Sudak                                     174.53

Sullivan Bros.                                       196.10

James Sullivan                                      106.90

Timothy Sullivan                                   554.65

148. H. Sunbury 148.12

Judson F. Sweetser                                407.17

John Tanders                                         135.40

William R. Taylor                                 209.30

Orrin Treat                                            127.50

Alfred W. Tuttle                                    180.16

Velantgas & Son                                   114.79

Almon S. Vose                                      208.49

George A. Walker                                 244.88

Joseph G. Walker                                  105.94

Joseph Wall                                          189.98

720. B. Watson 720.31

Mrs. S. B. Watson                                 161.00

Westford Water Co.                               669.76

1080. C. Bruce Wetmore 1080.31
1081. W. Wheeler 210.13

George F. White                                    452.89

Henry E. Wilder                                    141.35

250. A. E. Wilson 250.19

Charles H. Wright                                 307.67

Emma M. Wright                                  183.22

Frank C. Wright                                    178.39

Harwood L. Wright                               135.24

Perley F. Wright                                    384.79

Sidney B. Wright                                   111.57

Walter C. Wright                                   140.07

William E. Wright                                 161.00

Wright & Fletcher                                 105.29

Non-Residents

Claude L. Allen                                     167.44

George H. Barton                                  128.80

Arthur F. Blanchard                               193.20

Minnie A. Book                                    230.23

Meta J. Cameron                                   402.50

Arthur LeCarteret                                  109.48

George A. Drew                                    592.48

Robert Elliott                                        309.12

Thomas H. Elliott                                  173.88

513. Henry Fletcher heirs 513.59

Martina Gage                                      3280.86

Charles H. Worcester                             161.00

Beesie Griffin heirs                               629.03

George L. Lawson                                 193.20

Lowell Electric Light Co.                     1245.72

Lowell & Fitchburg St. Ry.                    442.27

Frank A. Malorey                                  209.30

Samuel Merrill heirs                              110.15

784. E. Tel. & Tel. Co 784.97

Edward L. Parker                                  231.03

Harry L. Parkhurst                                 127.19

Mrs. David Reed heirs                           161.00

Roman Catholic Archbishop                  483.00

Fred O. Stiles heirs                                193.20

Ella T. Wright                                       177.10

John P. Wright                                      112.70

Mabel E. Wright                                    483.81

 

Littleton

News Items.  George H. Kimball and family and Mr. and Mrs. Fred S. Kimball were among the guests at Mrs. Drew’s 90th birthday reception in Westford last Sunday afternoon.

Ayer

Real Estate Transfers. The following real estate transfers have been recorded from this vicinity recently: …

Westford, Claude L. Allen to Agnes M. Caproni, land on Sand Beach road[3]; Claude L. Allen to Arthur J. Roux, land on Hillside road; Ann M. Clough et al. to Mary R. Dupre, land on Littleton road.

District Court. On last Saturday morning Peter Marshall of Westford, who was before the court for fishing in Forge pond without a license, was found guilty and his case was placed on file.

Obituary. John W. Hughes, aged sixty-six years, died suddenly Tuesday evening at his home on Nashua street extension. He had been working as usual during the day at the new house of Howard P. Fletcher.

He was born in Nesboro, England, the son of James and Clara (Hutchinson) Hughes. He came here nine years ago and had worked at various places, at one time being janitor of the telephone office at Camp Devens. He leaves four sisters, Mrs. Catherine Baker and Mrs. Edward E. Rivers, of this town, Mrs. Margaret Holstead, of Lowell, and Mrs. Jennie Turner, of Fitchburg; two brothers, Thomas, of Quincy, and James S. Hughes, of Detroit, Mich. and a son, Arthur C. Hughes, of Providence, R. I. The family were very devoted to one another and sudden advent of death was a hard blow.

The funeral was held from the home of the deceased at two o’clock on Thursday afternoon, Rev. Leonard L. Campbell, pastor of the Baptist church, officiating. Interment was in Westford, Mr. Campbell performing the committal service.

The bearers were John E. Holmes, of Boston, John H. Sanderson and Edward E. Rivers, of this town, and John Flynn, of Fitchburg. Floral tributes were numerous and beautiful. Relatives were present from Quincy, Lowell, Providence and Fitchburg.

Mailhot Acquitted. The following is taken from the Boston Post, Sunday, October 11:

Joseph Mailhot, twenty-five-year-old Lowell man on trial for the past ten days in superior criminal court, East Cambridge, charged with first degree murder in connection with the death of John M. Mulcahy, federal prohibition agent, at Westford, September 2, was acquitted by a jury late yesterday afternoon.

The acquittal of Mailhot came as a surprise in some quarters. Others thought the verdict inevitable after John P. Feeney, counsel for the prisoner, secured a court ruling that the warrant on which the officers were acting was invalid.

District Attorney Arthur K. Reading last night issued a letter, bitterly criticizing court procedure which led to the faulty warrant.

Judge Fosdick opened the session yesterday morning, charging the jury for close to two hours. The jury returned the verdict shortly before five o’clock.

Brought over from East Cambridge court, Mailhot was placed in the dock. Foreman Kane had hardly pronounced the words “Not guilty,” when the prisoner was seen to sway from side to side. Just as he collapsed over the railing court officers William M. Emerson and Augustus Littlefield jumped to his side, and eased him into a chair. He was carried into Sheriff Fairbairn’s office, where members of his family worked on him for half an hour before he could be revived.

Hardly had Mailhot left the court house for his home in Lowell before District Attorney Arthur K. Reading drew up a letter to Judge Warren H. Atwood, justice of the Ayer court, where the warrant was issued, bitterly denouncing the court procedure that resulted in the release of Mailhot.

The evidence at the trial showed that state police, federal prohibition agents and military authorities raided Mailhot’s camp on the shores of Flushing pond in the early morning hours of September 2, a demand was made of Mailhot to “open up, state and federal officers with a warrant.” According to testimony Mailhot replied, “Go to hell and prove it,” following which a volley of shots were fired. Mulcahy dropped to the ground, fatally wounded.

When Mailhot took the stand he admitted he had fired the shot, but stated he had no intention of slaying any members of the raiding squad, and did not believe they were such when they called upon him to “open up.”

During the trial a bitter argument developed between District Attorney Reading and Attorney John P. Feeney, counsel for Mailhot, over the admissibility of the search warrant in evidence. The climax was reached in startling fashion yesterday morning when Judge Fosdick, in his charge to the jury, ruled that the warrant was invalid, and that the raiding squad were trespassers upon Mailhot’s premises.

A single thread of legal technicality set the Lowell man free, according to District Attorney Reading in his letter to Judge Atwood last night. The search warrant was issued by an assistant clerk of court at Ayer instead of the clerk. This made it invalid, resulted in the court ruling the raiding squad were trespassers and set Mailhot free.

“I feel it my duty to direct your attention to the fact that in the case of Commonwealth against Joseph T. Mailhot,” wrote District Attorney Reading to Judge Atwood, “Judge Fossick ruled as a matter of law that Thomas F. Mullin, your assistant clerk of court, has no authority to issue search warrants, because under chapter 218, Section 33, of the General Laws, only assistant clerks who are paid by the county may issue such warrants.

“On the morning of September 2, members of the state police patrol, having in their possession evidence that Joseph T. Mailhot, previously found guilty in your court of keeping and exposing liquor for sale, was still engaged in that traffic, made application to D. Chester Parsons, Esq., the clerk of your court, for a warrant, and were by him referred to Thomas F. Mullin, assistant clerk. The evidence came from our soldiers who admitted having purchased liquor from Mailhot the previous night.

“The officers had no knowledge of the legal incapacity of Mr. Mullin to issue a search warrant, inasmuch as they knew him to be an officer of the court, and were expressly referred to him by the clerk.

“Armed with this warrant, issued from a court of competent jurisdiction and appearing in every way to be valid upon its face, the state officers, accompanied by federal prohibition agents and military officials went to Mailhot’s camp at Flushing pond, Westford.

After describing the circumstances of the shooting the letter proceeds:

“I feel very strongly that the officers of the law are entitled to the fullest protection of the courts in the proper performance of their duties, and that these officers had every reason to rely upon the authority of an officer of the court, who was duly represented to them as duly authorized to issue search warrants.

“In as much as the superior court in the trial of the Mailhot case found, as a matter of law, that Thomas E. Mullin had no legal right to issue a search warrant, and that the warrant issued by him to the state officers on September 2 was not a valid warrant, the court was also bound to rule that the officers and those assisting them in executing the mandate of your court were trespassers, who had no legal right to be on Mailhot’s premises.

“The jury has just found that the shooting of Mulcahy under the circumstances of that raid was justifiable. In other words, the presence of every officer at Mailhot’s camp on the night of September 2, in what he believed to be the performance of his duty, was a wrongful act on their part, through no fault of their own, and without their having any reason to believe the warrant was not properly issued by your court.

“I am not so much concerned with the result in this particular case as I am with the precedent established which may result in the loss of lives of other officers.

“I hope that so far as your court is concerned there will be no recurrence of this, as a result of which the lives of other officers engaged in performing their duty may be needlessly sacrificed.”

Church Notes. St. Andrew’s—The annual parish meeting of St. Andrew’s Episcopal church and St. Andrew’s mission, Forge Village, will be held on Friday evening, October 16, at 7.30. Church officers will be elected for the coming year, and all matters pertaining to the interest of the parish will be discussed and voted upon. It is of the utmost importance that all who are members of the church should be present at this meeting.

 

[1] This is the beginning of the poem The Snow-Storm by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1802-1882), one of Samuel L. Taylor’s favorite author and philosopher.

[2] “The name is probably a corruption of the Native American term Wetu-tick, ‘wigwam brook’, and probably applied first to the nearby large stream and thereafter to the mountain and the pond.” Quoted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Watatic.

[3] “Sand Beach Rd. is a private dead-end road running westerly off Beaver Brook Rd., toward the southeast corner of Forge Pond, between that road’s junctions with Pine Grove Rd. to the south and Pleasant St. to the north. The oldest house here was built about 1925.” Quoted from Robert W. Oliphant’s Westford Gazetteer.