The Westford Wardsman, October 21, 1916

Center. Mrs. A. M. [Ann Maria, nee Kendall] Felch, one of Westford’s long-time residents, suffered a paralytic shock at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Ralph Bridgeford, last Monday evening. Mrs. Felch, who is nearly seventy-three years old, has lived in Westford for nearly half a century. Since her seizure her devoted family of seven sons and four daughters have rallied to their mother’s bedside with loving solicitude one married daughter coming from Philadelphia, and others from lesser distances. Mrs. Felch is resting as comfortably as can be expected at last reports.

Miss Ruth Fisher and her friend, Miss Davis, from Providence, were in town several days last week, visiting old friends.

Misses Marion and Laura Roper were over Sunday guests of the Misses Atwood this last week. They returned the first of the week to their schools in Boston. Miss Laura is a student at Boston university and Miss Marion is taking a course at a business college, preparing for the work of a private secretary.

Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Hildreth are to occupy Miss Hildreth’s vacant house on Hildreth street, moving in on November 1.

A daughter [Alice Eileen Perkins] was born Sunday [Oct. 15, 1916] to Mr. and Mrs. John Perkins.

A recent real estate transaction of interest is the sale of the Walter J. Merritt place. William Ambler, of Boston, is the name of the purchaser. This is one of the large, centrally located farms with good orcharding, good buildings and large colonial house with all modern improvements. Included in the sale is the smaller house occupied by the Charles H. Pickerings. We understand the other smaller house occupied by Mrs. Tyler is also for sale, as Mrs. Tyler will live with her nephew. Mr. Merritt is to attend to the apple harvest and later is to be located with a large Boston real estate firm.

The Ladies’ Aid society of the Congregational church held their first meeting of the season on Thursday afternoon of last week. It was the annual meeting with the election of officers as well as a farewell reception to Mrs. Wallace. A buffet lunch was served and social hour enjoyed, and as a sincere token of the love and esteem which is felt for Mrs. Wallace by the women of the parish a substantial purse of money was presented to her with much loving good will.

In charge of William C. Roudenbush, scoutmaster, a group of local Boy Scouts went to Lowell last week Friday evening to take the second test for Boy Scouts. All of the number were successful in passing the test. They included Bertram Sutherland, Fred Robinson, Howard Judd, Fred Lindsey, Morton Seavey and the two Shea boys. At one of their recent meetings Dr. O. V. Wells gave the boys a valuable talk in “Bandaging.”

At the Congregational church last Sunday Rev. Arthur H. Covell, superintendent of the Board of Pastoral Supply of Boston, occupied the pulpit. Mr. Covell preached an able sermon and afterward held a conference with the pastoral supply committee of the church. Mr. Covell’s bureau acts as a wise intermediary between seeking churches and pastors. This coming Sunday, with a knowledge of this church’s requirements, Mr. Covell has arranged to have Rev. H. A. Lincoln, of Rochester, Vt., occupy this pulpit as a candidate. Last Sunday evening John P. Wright conducted the evening service.

On last Sunday morning, about four o’clock, when that portion of tired humanity which make up the Edward M. Abbot hose company were getting in the best sleep of the week, the insistent ringing of the telephones brought them awake to a scene of firefighters’ duty. The call came from the McGregor property just over the Westford line into West Chelmsford, and was the barn. The Westford men made record time in getting extinguishers, etc., together and covering the distance in automobiles, but when they arrived the barn and contents were beyond help and they gave their attention to keeping nearby property from taking fire. In the barn was stored an automobile owned by Roy Mason; also, bicycles and other articles of value.

The high wind of Tuesday afternoon, amounting at times to a real gale, seemed to have full sweep over Westford hill and do what damage it could. Our tree-lined street and common were strewn with dead wood and broken branches. Anything loose in the way of shingles, blinds, etc., that the wind could raise havoc with, it did. All the orchardists had cause to be thankful that part of their crop was already gathered, for what was on the trees was changed in large quantities from the hand picked variety to the windfall class. After the wind subsided at sunset the first killing frost of the season came over night, spoiling the gardens.

Among those in attendance at the Unitarian conference in Tyngsboro on last week Wednesday were Rev. and Mrs. L. H. Buckshorn, Mr. and Mrs. Abiel J. Abbot, Mrs. Alma M. Richardson, Miss Emily F. Fletcher, Mrs. Sarah J. Drew, Miss A. Mabel Drew and Miss Austrice Flanders.

It would almost seem as though a new set of game laws governing the open season for the hunters ought to be made if the elimination of our wild creatures is not to be complete. Columbus day, which began the open season, the woods and fields were full of sportsmen, many of which came from distances. In these days of the automobile the conditions are much changed. When a man used to go out with dog and gun and range over perhaps not more than six or eight miles, now a distance of fifty or sixty may be as easily covered. In our favorable location, known as “The Willows,” in the Pine Ridge locality, four automobiles were lined up at one time by the roadside. Human life is endangered, for as one of our local well-known hunters remarked, “They shoot at any moving object before they find out at all what it may be.” This marksman, who went out Columbus day with dog and gun, after a little while, returned home, thinking it the wiser course. With the popping of guns that day another local Nimrod was heard to remark that it sounded just like the Fourth of July.

A recent strongly-written article in the Congregationalist on the approaching tercentenary of the Pilgrims at Plymouth refers to Rev. Charles P. Marshall’s successful work at the Church of the Pilgrimage and refers to the wise welding together into working forces of the conservative element and those employed in the varied industries in Plymouth. Mr. Marshall’s success are always of interest to his former Westford parishioners and friends.

Special attention is called to the next meeting of the Tadmuck club, Tuesday afternoon, at Library hall, at 2:30. Miss Alicia M. Keyes, of Concord, will give an “Art talk on this color white.” Miss Keyes’ personality and ability is well-known to many of the Westford friends and to those not acquainted attendance next Tuesday afternoon promises to be most enjoyable.

Those in attendance at the association meeting of Congregational churches in Ayer on Wednesday were Miss Sarah W. Loker, Misses Sara [sic], Lillian and May Atwood and Miss Emily M. Day.

A skilled workman from Lowell has recently had charge of cleaning the handsome granite curbing around the soldiers’ monument and also the pedestal on which the bronze soldier stands. This had become badly discolored on one side and is much improved. This same man has been doing considerable work on the monuments at stones in Fairview cemetery for various people.

At the meeting of the Ladies’ Aid last week Thursday afternoon Miss Loker, in behalf of A. E. Prescott, of Westford and Boston, bespoke the sympathy and aid of the society for the wounded French soldiers across the water. Mr. Prescott has been generously giving of time, means and sympathy at the Boston headquarters during the summer, and understands the needs thoroughly. As a result of the pleas an organized effort in charge of Mr. Prescott, Miss Loker and Miss Crosby will be made, and knitting, etc., will be done through the winter and in no wise confined to this society, but to the town in general.

A supper and social will be held at the Congregational church on Friday evening of next week and a very pleasant get together started for the season’s activities is planned for by the committee in charge.

About Town. In this year of conceded small Baldwin apples the Old Oaken Bucket farm folks have some that measure eleven inches. This is several inches below last year and probably several below what others can display.

William Pollock is picking strawberries along the suburbs of the Cold Spring road. This is one better than the Old Oaken Bucket farm folks, who are looking at strawberry blossoms.

The monthly social entertainment at the Village church in West Chelmsford on Wednesday evening was a full house affair with a very enjoyable program.

Bernard Flynn, on the Stony Brook road, Pigeon hill, fell from an apple tree and broke his arm last Saturday, and the Lord finished picking the apples on Monday. Mr. Flynn’s arm is getting mended all right, but his back is still suffering from a too sudden contact with the ground.

Mrs. Felch, widow of John P. Felch, is seriously ill at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Ralph Bridgeford, Providence road.

At a special meeting of the Grange on Thursday evening eight candidates were initiated. An invitation from Tyngsboro Grange to neighbor with them on Tuesday evening, November 14, was read and unanimously accepted. Westford Grange will furnish the program of sports and serious meditation, and Tyngsboro Grange, in consideration of this, will give the local Grange board [i.e., dinner] while there.

Miss Luanna Decatur has returned to her teaching in New Rochelle, N.Y, after a lengthened-out vacation from the board of health warning of infantile paralysis.

The open season is wide open and most everything that hath a feather or future intention of one that dares to assert its right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and gets into the open, is in for fatal target practice. Well, shoot away gentlemen. Of course it is fun at your end of the gun, but the bird end is a modified form of unjustifiable cruelty. But “make hay while the sun shines,” for an effort will be made to repeal this whole open season delusion. We organize bird clubs, juniors and seniors, teach in the schools the sacredness of bird life, the state issues instructions as to the value of bird life to the farmer, and then we “right about face” with an open season and shoot down all our values.

Warren J. Gould, of Middlesex Village [a Lowell City neighborhood], well-known in Westford, his native town, will close his blacksmith shop in Middlesex Village and with his family leave for California about November 15, to spend the winter.

The Old Oaken Bucket farm folks are shipping apples to North Dakota to supply the University of North Dakota.

Mrs. Herbert Coffin, of Berwick, Me., has been visiting her aunt, Miss Belle Walker, at the old, substantial Walker homestead, [148] East Main street.

The Tadmuck Brook farm reports Baldwin apples measuring fourteen inches.

Miss Pauline S. Wallace has been elected secretary of the junior class of the College of Liberal Arts of Boston University. Miss Wallace was born in Lunenburg and is a graduate of the Westford Academy. She is the daughter of Rev. David Wallace, late pastor of the Congregational church.

Forge Village. Mr. and Mrs. Avery Smith, who were married in Ayer last week, have returned from their honeymoon and are visiting Mrs. Smith’s relatives, Mr. and Mrs. George O. Jackson.

Miss Nellie Morton has been confined to her home for several weeks with blood poisoning in her hand.

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Kavanaugh, of Worcester, have welcomed a little daughter into their home. Mrs. Kavanaugh will be pleasantly remembered as Miss Roxie Bennett, a former resident here. She is the granddaughter of our oldest citizen, Alvin S. Bennett.

Mrs. Thompson, who is visiting her brother, George Cougle, together with the Misses Harnet Kilbourn, Mary Moran, Helen O’Connor and Agnes Thompson, enjoyed an auto trip last Sunday in John Gray’s auto to Dorchester, where they were entertained by Miss Georgia Thompson. In the evening a musical program was enjoyed, the Misses Kilbourn and O’Connor being the soloists, accompanied by Miss Georgia Thompson.

Walter Bennett and two children, of Townsend, visited his father, Alvin S. Bennett, last Sunday.

Miss Violet Collins of Providence, R.I., is the guest of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Miles Collins.

William Mulligan, a well-known young man of this town, and a valuable member of the local soccer football club, left here Monday morning for New York, where he intends to reside in the future. A number of his friends presented him with a traveling bag at a party held in his honor at his home last week.

Mr. and Mrs. Albert French, of Bennington, N.H., have been recent guests at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Fennimore Morton.

Little George Orr, who has been confined at the General hospital, Lowell, for the past two weeks with a broken arm, is now at his parents’ home again.

Rev. W. M. Ford officiated at St. Andrew’s mission last Sunday. On next Sunday services will be held at 4:30 in the afternoon. A collection will be taken up for the stricken Armenians, an urgent appeal being sent out by the bishop to the people to help the starving Armenians.

The deepest sympathy of the village people is extended to the bereaved relatives of the late Harry Quinn, of Somerville, formerly of Graniteville, who died after a lingering illness at the Massachusetts General hospital, Boston. Mr. Quinn was very well and favorably known here, and through his cheerful disposition made many friends here.

Graniteville. The members of the W.C.T.U. met with Mrs. Harvey Barnes on Tuesday afternoon.

A son [Justin Wendell Layton] was born to Mr. and Mrs. U. H. Layton, of Livermore Falls, Me., Monday, October 18 [16]. Mrs. Layton was formerly Miss Ruth M. Furbush, of this village.

Joe Wall, the local deputy fish and game commissioner, has recently received three large cans of fine brook trout. Two cans were put in the Snake Meadow brook and one can in the town farm brook. The trout were in fine condition and not one of them died in transportation.

The Ladies’ Aid society of the M.E. church held a harvest supper and entertainment in the church vestry on Wednesday evening that was well attended. The usual fine supper was served at 6:30, and at eight o’clock an excellent entertainment was given by the best of local talent. The whole affair proved to be a very enjoyable affair and quite a neat sum was realized on this event.

Death. David Moran, practically a life-long resident of this village, died at his home here after a brief illness on last Saturday afternoon, aged eighty-three years. Although not in the best of health for the past few months Mr. Moran was up and about every day and was a familiar figure on the village streets. His sudden death came as a shock to the townspeople.

The deceased retired from active work several years ago. He leaves his wife, Julia, and two daughters, Mrs. John V. Downing, of Salem, and Lilly Mae Moran, of Graniteville; also, a son, Roscoe Moran, of Somerville.

The funeral took place from his home here on Tuesday morning at 8:45 and was well attended. 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, sang the Gregorian chant. There were many beautiful floral tributes. The bearers were Roscoe Moran, John V. Downing, F. Russell Furbush, Henry J. Healy, Henry Provost and W. O. Hawkes.

Immediately after the funeral service the funeral party were conveyed by automobile to Ayer, where burial took place in St. Mary’s cemetery.

Word was received here last Sunday of the death of Harry Quinn, of Somerville, who died at the Massachusetts General hospital in Boston on Saturday night after a long illness. Harry was a former Graniteville boy and the news of his death caused deep sorrow to his many friends here. Always of a cheerful disposition, with a good word and a pleasant smile for all, he formed many warm friendships and had the pleasing faculty of holding them through life. He leaves a wife and two small sons; also, a mother and a sister, Mrs. Freeman Palmer, of Ayer, and three brothers, Frank of New York, John of Lawrence, and Edward Quinn of Bridgeport, Conn. The deepest sympathy is extended to the bereaved family in their affliction. The funeral took place from his late home in Somerville on Tuesday morning. The body was taken to Lowell on the noon train where burial took place in St. Patrick’s cemetery.