Turner's Public Spirit, September 19, 1925

A look back in time to a century ago

By Bob Oliphant

Center. Mr. and Mrs. Albert D. Taylor and son Charles, of Cleveland, Ohio, who have been spending their vacation on the North Shore, were in town last week, calling on old friends.

Washington Wyman, of Oakland, Cal., is the guest of his niece, Mrs. Frank C. Wright.

A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. David Scott on last Saturday. [Margaret Claudina Scott born Sept. 12, 1925.]

At a recent meeting of the school committee, upon the recommendation of Supt. Carter, the same janitors as last year were re-appointed, and are as follows: William E. Frost school, Wiley Wright; Sargent school, Mr. Beebe; [Westford Academy?] Mr. Healey; Nabnassett, Charles Edwards; Parkerville, Mr. Williams.

Mr. and Mrs. Waldo Prescott, of Tacoma, Wash., are the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Oscar R. Spalding.

It was necessary to postpone the display and sale of hat frames and materials from the Extension Service which were to have been shown in the library hall on Tuesday, the date will be announced later.

The regular meeting of the W.C.T.U. was held at the home of Mrs. Charles Wright, Hildreth road, Wednesday afternoon.

The Alliance held an all-day session at the camp of Mrs. Adeline Buckshorn at Forge pond on Thursday.

The regular meeting of the Grange was held on Thursday evening, at which time a reception was tendered to the superintendent of schools, teachers and school committee.

The agricultural fair under the auspices of the Union Congregational church will be held in the town hall on September 30, afternoon and evening. There will be a large display of flowers, vegetables, fruits, etc., as well as the sale of useful and fancy articles, candy and the white elephant table will also be a feature. An excellent supper will be served, followed by an entertainment, which will consist of two one-act plays, entitled “Blood will tell” and “Joint honors in Spain.” The first cast will be made up of Mrs. Perry Shupe, Mrs. W. R. Taylor, Mrs. A. H. Sutherland and Mrs. C. A. Blaney, while the cast of the second play will be Mrs. Perley Wright, Miss Edith A. Wright, Mrs. Warren Hanscom and Mrs. W. C. Roudenbush.

Miss Eleanor Colburn left on Monday for East Livermore, Me., where she has accepted a position as supervisor of music in the schools.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank T. Doolittle, who have been the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Hildreth, have returned to their home in Rutherford, N. J.

About Town. Daniel H. Sheehan has decided not to sell his farm for an aviation field. I thought so, and everybody thought so, and there was a universal thought so feeling pervading the Stony Brook valley and some hilltops. Daniel still remains one to his trade mark identity.

Now that the telephone users of Massachusetts are to contribute $8,000,500 extra to uses of the New England Telephone Company will it be sufficient to install the telephone in isolated places like, for instance, Bankers’ hill in Westford, otherwise known as Pigeon hill, on the Stony Brook road? They have been refused heretofore all consideration on account of the poverty of the telephone company. Now that they are falling heir to $8,000,500 perhaps they can afford to take care of some of these neglected spots. On Bankers’ hill lives Daniel H. Sheehan, he of the large potato farming interest in North Carolina, ditto wheat farming in Georgia. He could easily use a telephone every minute of the year. Try it on the telephone company and hear the thing buzz.

On the westerly side of Long-Sought pond, Westford, is located Long Sought For Lodge, which is doing much to make child welfare work an inspiring feature of camp life, located on the old John Dane place. Annually they give exhibitions at the camp near the close of the season. Their recent exhibition consisted of folk dancing, pageantry and a demonstration of class and handicraft work. During August there was an enrollment of 107 children, which is the largest membership since the adoption of the lodge. A large audience witnessed the exhibition, and instructors and children were commended for their spirit and work.

Emily Louise Nagle Billings announces her fall and winter opening for next Tuesday, Sept. 21 at 2 P.M. A variety of popular priced felts, velours and velvets await your selection at The Hat Shop, street floor, Carley Block, Ayer.  Adv.

The recent raid in Westford at Flushing pond, on the Groton road, by federal and state officers in which Joseph Mailhot shot John M. Mulcahy, a state officer, and who later died at St. John’s hospital, Lowell, will come to trial in the criminal court in East Cambridge on Tuesday, September 21, at which time Joseph Mailhot will be tried for the murder of Officer Mulcahy. Counsel for the defense, Donahue & Son, of Lowell, objected to so early a date on the ground of lack of time to prepare. Judge Flynn overruled the objection and the date will stand. Since then it is reported that the Donahues have withdrawn from the case and Lawyer John J. Feeney, of Woburn and Boston, has been selected to act for the defense.

We read with much interest the communication of V. T. E. on the subject of “Coal” and cold. As we review our impression of his viewpoint it seemed that he hewed to the line of truth. “A mutually agreed affair.” We held this view before we read the communication of V. T. E., which only confirms the thought. “Great minds frequently run in the same channel all unbeknown to each other.” In the age of the supremacy of the dollar over all other considerations of tender mercies we must expect all grades of cold weather suffering as the result of the coal strike from shivering with the cold to frostbite and freezing to death. Having made the dollar our ideal idol we must worship this modern “golden calf” and our common humanity must contribute to this fetish worship to help keep our industrial darling, monopolistic idol. This at all hazards and let the poor and unfortunate perish to do it if necessary. Some more eight percent stuff.

Dog days ended as per order of the Old Farmers’ Almanac on Saturday, September 5, but they have not as yet quit. Either they are working overtime or disobeying the regulations of the almanac. For right down hot heat that goes clear through you and comes out on the other side of you and is clinched, give us September heat such as we had on last week Friday and Saturday. It was hotter than-er-than-er – yes, hotter than dog days.

Miss Mary Jane Dix, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. Wilson Dix, of East Chelmsford, for the past eighteen years head stenographer in the law office of Qua, Howard & Rogers, Lowell, died last Saturday at St. John’s hospital, Lowell, aged forty-four years. Miss Dix was born in East Chelmsford and made her home there with her parents. She was educated in the East Chelmsford and Chelmsford Center schools, at the Lowell high school and Lowell Normal school and at Miss Hardy’s shorthand school. To the older residents of Westford, more especially Westford Center, Miss Dix’s mother will be well remembered as Miss Mary A. Marshall, of East Chelmsford, a student at Westford academy in 1868, and several years following.

The street rumor has it that Oliver Desjardens has sold his farm on Bankers’ hill, Stony Brook road, to a Lowell party.

Mr. and Mrs. Waldo F. Prescott, of California, are spending a month’s vacation in Westford, his native town. While here they will be the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Oscar R. Spalding. Mrs. Spalding [nee Fanny Bertha Prescott] is a sister.

We thought that we were on the lowest priced list in getting returns of only fifteen cents per box for sweet corn in the Boston market, but a Westford gentleman informs your correspondent that he only received thirteen cents per box and expenses out of that.

If your memory is worth the laying around let it lug around the thought that the Groton fair will be held on next week Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

There has been widespread shortage of rainfall in various parts of the country. In parts of Maine the first rain of any duration for three months fell last Sunday, following an electrical shower on Saturday. In Atlanta, Ga., rain fell last Sunday the first since July 18. In Tennessee the Baptist state convention at its assembly petitioned the governor to appoint a day of prayer for rain, and while they did not say it in words, it is easy to read into the petition the thought that if they did not get rain ere long the Baptists would have to substitute sprinkling for immersion. Keep cutting down the forests and reap a harvest of pests for our shortsighted hind-sightedness.

The Boston Herald has commenced the publication of the recollections of the late Thomas Riley Marshall, vice president in the Wilson administration. Mr. Marshall won national reputation as a wit and philosopher. These recollections were completed the day before Mr. Marshall left his home in Indianapolis for Washington, where he died on June first.

On Wednesday the rain came down in bucketful dimensions in its attitude towards stopping rain prayers. “When it rains, rain is what I want,” but not quite so needful as some who have not been visited for several months, which reminds me of an anecdote of the two Scotchmen, Sandy and the deacon. Sandy said, “Oh, aye, deacon, hadn’t you better pray for rain?” “Oh, aye, to be sure, Sandy, but hadn’t we better wait until it clouds up a wee bit?”

Our tax collector informs us that of the 944 assessed poll taxes he has collected all but five. This is certainly a top notch record and it is doubtful if it can be duplicated in the United States, as you cannot sell to collect as in property taxes. You can jail, but that not only does not pay the tax, but adds to the expense of the government in case the tax is non-collectable.

The Lowell road is being remodeled and repaired to modern standards with modern equipment, including steam roller, water tanks, oil tanks, road scraper and hammer and tongs generally of the latest approval. As I have watched the new-day methods and compared it with the old district system of which Westford had twenty districts and twenty authorities for repairing, no two of which agreed except in building high bars to pitch you up and pitch you down. These twenty road repairers were elected at the annual town meeting by nomination from the floor, and the man who spoke first and got his road repairer regardless of qualification, and ox plow the roads were repaired. The farmers handled the shovel and hoe. The hoe was used mostly to lean on while smoking a T.D. [clay] pipe, and all this when you couldn’t farm.

While Daniel H. Sheehan has decided to sell his whole farm he is waiting for the state to macadamize the Plain road, which bounds his farm on the north—then he will sell all his farm but the ten-acre frontage on the Plain road, where he proposes to build a modern house and retire. This is what he informed your correspondent while riding on the electric cars on Wednesday.

As a bearing on southern competition in cotton manufacturing, the Appleton mills of Lowell have recently bought the Brogan mills of Anderson, S.C. For the past two years the Appleton mills have been investigating southern prospects with prospective intentions of building, but gave it up to make the present purchase. Their new purchase is incorporated for $1,323,600 and employs 600 hands. With this movement away from Lowell certain labor leaders stood up Labor day in Lowell and decried all danger of southern competition. If the rank and file of labor unions do not know any more than certain labor leaders it is time to start a kindergarten class.

Gordon Seavey, recently in the employ of the United Fruit Company, entered Boston university on Wednesday for a four-years’ course.

The September first outlook for the Maine potato crop is not as good as the August first prognostication. The yield is placed this year over 1,880,000 bushels less than the five-year average of 1920-24. This is the word from the crop reporting board of the Department of Agriculture, Washington. Certified seed potatoes made a bad showing. A writer in the Rural New Yorker excuses it on the ground of a cold, dry spring. Was it any colder and drier for certified seed than for the non-certified?

Quoting from last week’s issue— “There might be added to the assessors’ statistics of last week that whereas they find property to the amount of $4,232,234, the state officials call $6,106,147 a proper valuation for the town.” This is just the it of this whole question of valuation for there is an element of uncertainty as to just what the exact valuation of any property is correct, for there is no standard to measure property values by. If there is a dispute about the acreage of land put on a sworn surveyor, and that settles it, but there is no sworn surveyors for values. If there is a dispute about the weight of a horse, weigh it; but you cannot weigh the price. But values are a guess work quantity. I incline to tether to $6,000,000.

Westford Grange was the winner of the first prize offered by Chelmsford Grange for the best program presented at the annual fair on last week Thursday evening.

Death. The George A. Blackadar family, who recently moved to the William E. Green farm on Providence road, from Chelmsford Center, are saddened by the death of one of their children, Howard Parker Blackadar, at the Lowell Corporation hospital, Saturday, at the age of fifteen years, from sleeping sickness that covered the larger part of the year. Howard was an especially bright boy and a general favorite with a large circle of friends, and with his parents, sisters and brothers, had lived many years on Warren avenue, Chelmsford Center. He was a member of the Central Baptist church, Chelmsford, and was a student of the Chelmsford high school until his health caused the interruption of his course. He had much promise of musical ability and was a good violinist for his age. While he had been ill for about a year he was able to be about until within a few months, when paralysis developed.

Besides his parents he is survived by three brothers, Armand, Roland and Donald; two sisters, Edith and Barbara, and his grandfather, J. W. Robbins, of Haverhill.

The funeral was held on Monday forenoon from the Central Baptist church, Chelmsford. Rev. Charles H. Ellis, pastor of the church, and Rev. John G. Lovell, of the Central Congregational church, conducted the service. There was a large attendance and a large offering of flowers. The bearers were E. Percy Bouller, Frederick Holt, Mr. Welch and Mr. Fitch. Interment was in Pine Ridge cemetery, where the committal service was conducted by Rev. Charles H. Ellis.

Tax Rates. Last week the David L. Greigs had a most enjoyable visit from Dr. Gardner’s mother, of Lowell, and his two sisters, Goldie and Hazel Gardner.

In advising last week the tax payers of Westford to cheer up and read the revised essay, entitled, “The tax rate in Revere will be $48.” it is now amended to read, “The tax rate in Revere will be $48.80.” In comparison with this the rise rate in Westford to $32.20 looks like a peaceable Fourth of July toy balloon ascension and besides to add to the cheery ascension our beloved mother, Chelmsford, has got a rise rate of $3 per thousand over last year, or $31.50 per thousand – or only seventy cents less than Westford, her full grown and growing daughter of loyal heritage. Besides we are all apparently quietly submitting to a three-dollar rise in telephone taxes yearly, and this at the two-dollar window, and more at the higher priced windows and without anything visible for the increased cost of the goods, and no universal wail because of this rise like town taxes going up eleventeen cents’ worth we are ready to reach for the emergency brakes, although we have got $10,000 worth of new fire apparatus to show for our money as against not even a peanut shell for our increased telephone rates which was ordered by the law of we can and so we will, with the consent of the public service commission, who are easy “consentors.” Of course, someone has got to have eight percent on their money invested in telephone stock if the rest of us have to raise farm apple sass 101% below the cost of the production.

Birthday Anniversary. The birthday anniversary of Mrs. Mary L. Regnier was observed at Abbot hall, Brookside, last week Wednesday evening. A large number attended and the celebrant was presented with a china set by David Olson, past master of West Chelmsford Grange, in behalf of the gathering. A variety program of entertainment was given and among the numbers were dancing specialties by Miss Erma Lanctot, toe and Spanish dance by Miss Lillian McLaughlin, and readings by Miss Rose McLaughlin. These exercises were followed by whist. At the conclusion the three entertainers were presented with three beautiful bouquets of roses. The cutting of the large birthday cake donated by Mrs. [illegible name] Larrabee, of Tyngsboro, by the celebrant, was one of the enjoyable features of the evening. Refreshments were served by the Sunshine Tea Room of Tyngsboro. Miss Delphine Smith presented her aunt, the celebrant, with a large bouquet of Ophelia roses in behalf of the Regnier family. Music was furnished by an orchestra. The program of the evening was under the direction of Mrs. Matthew Smith. Thus Brookside moved up a notch in its social and fraternal spirit.

Church Notes. First church (Unitarian)—Sunday service at 4 p.m. Preacher, Rev. Frank B. Crandall, the minister. Subject, “St. Matthew, the apostle.”

The minister attended a meeting of the prudential committee of the North Middlesex conference at Lowell on Wednesday to plan the program for the meeting of the conference to be held at All Souls’ church, Lowell, in October.

On Sunday the preacher will deal with the story of the calling of St. Matthew, as contained in the traditional gospel for the day, pointing out a special meaning that it has for the present time.

Graniteville. The funeral of Samuel Blowey, a former resident of this village, took place from his late home in Forge Village at two o’clock last Wednesday afternoon, and was largely attended. The services were held at the home and were conducted by Rev. John Dallinger, of St. Andrew’s Episcopal church of Ayer. The floral tributes were varied and beautiful, and testified in a marked degree in which the deceased was held. The bearers were John Edwards, Fred Davis and John W. Catchpole, representing Self Help lodge, M. U., of Forge Village, and R. J. McCarthy, A. R. Wall and John W. Shackleton, representing Court Graniteville, F. of A., of Graniteville. Interment was in Fairview cemetery, Westford, where the committal service was conducted by Mr. Dallinger.

Miss Evelyn Healy, Westford academy ’25, is attending the Lowell Normal school.

Richard A. Wall has registered at St. John’s prep school at Danvers.

The Abbott Worsted soccer team opened the league season on last Saturday in Forge Village and defeated the Hub team of Boston 3 to 1. Both teams were nearly exhausted at the end of the game, owing to the extreme heat.

Groton

West Groton.  Miss Maud Kittredge, of Westford, has been visiting at L. J. Talman’s.

Ayer

News Items. Daniel J. Donahue and Joseph P. Donahue, of Lowell, will assist Hon. John P. Feeney in the defense of Joseph Mailhot, charged with manslaughter in a camp in Westford about two weeks ago. The Lowell attorneys were here on Wednesday examining court records in the case.