Turner's Public Spirit, September 26, 1925

A look back in time to a century ago

By Bob Oliphant

Center. The Alliance met in the Unitarian vestry last week Thursday with Mrs. Adeline Buckshorn as hostess. Mrs. Buckshorn had planned to entertain the ladies at her camp, but owing to the inclemency of the weather the meeting was held in the vestry. Plans were made for a supper to be held on Friday evening, October 16. Mrs. H. L. Hildreth will be chairman of the supper committee. Miss Lila Fisher will give a talk on Dr. Grenfell’s work in Labrador. This should prove to be interesting as Miss Fisher had a summer’s service with the Grenfell mission in Labrador. A pleasing musical program will also be presented.

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Brown, of Providence, R. I., are the guests of Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Wright.

Mr. and Mrs. Llewellyn Robbins, of Watertown, were weekend guests of Mr. and Mrs. Fred McCoy.

Two plays well worth the cost of admission will be given at the Congregational church agricultural fair on Wednesday, September 30. The parts will be taken by well known home talent, giving the public a fine opportunity to purchase Christmas aprons from the well-stocked tables, of beautiful fancy work, aprons, etc. A supper will be served under the direction of Mrs. Harry Ingalls.

There was a box of samples of frames and materials for making hats at the library on Thursday afternoon. They were sent by the Middlesex County Extension Service. The millinery class will be held on Wednesday, October 7.

Austin Murray was in town on last Saturday and called upon two of the former teachers at the William E. Frost school, Mrs. Elizabeth C. Taylor and Mrs. Martha G. Whiting. Mr. Murray was at one time a pupil of the school, and his old-time schoolmates will be pleased to hear that he is doing well at the printing trade in New Hampshire.

Grange Fair. The agricultural fair and supper given by Westford Grange on Friday afternoon and evening of last week proved a great success. The exhibit was one of the best ever seen at a local fair and ribbons were awarded as follows:

Fruits—Best packed box of apples, Fisher Buckshorn 1st, A. A. Hildreth 2d, J. E. Sargent 3d; best plate, Grey Gravensteins, F. C. Wright 1st, Robert Prescott 2d, A. A. Hildreth 3d; Porters, John McMaster 1st, J. E. Sargent 2d; Baldwins, Robert F. Prescott 1st, J. E. Sargent 2d, W. H. Taylor 3d; McIntosh, Leon Hildreth 1st, Robert Prescott 2d, F. C. Wright 3d; Wealthy, Kenneth Wright 1st, Robert Prescott 2d; Wagner, Robert Prescott 1st, Clyde Prescott 2d; Opalescent, Robert Prescott 1st, F. C. Wright 2d; Northern Spy, F. C. Wright 1st, Robert Prescott 2d; Elberta peaches, J. E. Sargent 1st, Kenneth Wright 2d, F. C. Wright 3d; pears, A. A. Hildreth 1st, Norman Young 2d, F. C. Wright 3d; grapes, Willard Fletcher 1st, E. J. Whitney 2d, Willard Fletcher 3d.

Vegetables—Field corn, W. J. Fletcher 1st, S. L. Taylor 2d, J. W. Fletcher 3d; tomatoes, J. W. Fletcher 1st, A. A. Hildreth 2d, Leon Hildreth 3d; summer squash, Charles Colburn 1st, Alice Lambert 2d, J. E. Sargent 3d; pumpkin, M. A. Foster 1st, Charles Colburn 2d, Mrs. Graves 3d; carrots, A. A. Hildreth 1st, F. E. Miller 2d, J. E. Sargent 3d; cabbage, J. E. Sargent 1st, M. A. Foster 2d, Mrs. Charles Robinson 3d; peppers, Leon Hildreth 1st, Norman Young 2d; popcorn, S. L. Taylor; popcorn stalk, J. E. Sargent; cucumbers, A. A. Hildreth 1st, J. W. Fletcher 2d, Arthur Wilson 3d; sweet corn, J. E. Sargent 1st, Mrs. Frank Chandler 2d, J. W. Fletcher 3d; winter squash, Town Home 1st, Mrs. H. C. Osgood 2d, Town Home 3d; Green Mountain potatoes, Clyde Prescott 1st, F. A. Wright 2d, J. E. Sargent 3d; beets, A. A. Hildreth 1st, Norman Young 2d, A. A. Hildreth 3d; watermelons, J. W. Fletcher 1st, J. E. Sargent 2d; pole beans, J. E. Sargent 1st, George Prescott 2d; millet, F. S. McCoy 1st, J. E. Sargent 2d; ensilage corn (stalk), J. W. Fletcher 1st, J. E. Sargent 2d.

Flowers—Mrs. Sarah Bicknell (Easter lily) 1st, Mrs. Walter Whidden (asters) 2d and 3d.

Garden club—Elmer Bridgford 1st, Walter Wright 2d, Kenneth Wright 3d.

Canning, first year, Evelyn Benjamin 1st, Ruth Mateer 2d, Alice Griffin 3d; second year, Marjorie Wilson 1st, Ruth Nesmith 2d, Margaret Foster 3d; third year, Helen Gallagher; fourth year, Alice Heywood 1st, Angie Parfitt 2d.

Fancy work—Best collection, Mrs. George F. White; runner and pin cushion, Mrs. Freda Prescott; luncheon set, Mrs. Harold Hildreth; towels, Mrs. Charles Robinson; pillow cases, Miss Lucinda Prescott 1st, Mrs. Elizabeth Taylor 2d; crocheted centers, Mrs. Esther Snow 1st, Mrs. Elizabeth Taylor 2d; colored embroidery, Lucinda Prescott 1st, Mrs. Josie Prescott 2d; rug, Mrs. Robinson; reed work, Mrs. H. G. Osgood 1st, Mrs. M. W. Jenkins 2d, Miss Mabel Prescott 3d.

The judges were from the County Farm Bureau, Mr. Dayton on fruits and vegetables, Miss Bishop, canning, fancy work and flowers.

A supper was served at 5.30, followed by an excellent entertainment consisting of numbers by the Woessner trio of Lowell, made up of violin, S. Woessner; cello, D. Albert McBride; piano, Leona S. Cuff; violin solo, Master Vincent Ciavatta; songs, Miss Julia Roberts, of Lowell, accompanied by Miss Julia Fletcher; Frank Charlton, with Miss Regina McLenna accompanist; Master William Prescott, Mrs. Freda Prescott, accompanist; readings, Miss Regina McLenna.

The general committee consisted of Clifford Johnson, F. A. Wright, Clyde Prescott and Charles Robey.

Those presiding at the tables were as follows: Fancy work and aprons, Mrs. F. Wright; food table, Mrs. Ruth Mills; candy table, Miss Angie Parfitt; rose table, Mrs. Jennie Hartford; ice cream, Miss Marion Fletcher; fruit and vegetable exhibit, Clifford Johnson and Clyde Prescott; supper, Charles Robey, all of whom had an able corps of assistants.

Westford Grange may well feel proud of its fair. In addition the local organization recently won first prize at Chelmsford fair for putting on the best fifteen-minute entertainment, which consisted of readings by Miss Regina McLenna; solos, Miss Eleanor Colburn and E. G. Boynton.

About Town. Perry T. Snow, a former student at Lawrence academy, passed up the Stony Brook valley last week Wednesday on his way to enter Wilbraham academy. On his way he stopped off at the Old Oaken Bucket farm, Mr. and Mrs. F. A. Snow accompanied him as guests emeritus.

Mr. and Mrs. David L. Greig, of Westford, Mrs. Franklin Edwards, of Graniteville Corner, Mrs. Thomas Brown, of West Chelmsford, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Swallow and daughter and Mrs. Herbert Davis and children, of Dunstable, were guests last week of Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Dawson, of North Tewksbury.

In our account last week of the prospective proposed new house of Daniel H. Sheehan on the Plain road, we omitted some important items, in that it is proposed to establish in connection with the new house—on the first floor such as a “tea-room shoppe” and sell non-intoxicating “sloppe” and cigars and tobacco, all kinds of sweet candies and a general line such as carried by wayside inns. All this and more is contingent upon the state playing macadam with the Plain road bed, which rumor says they are contemplating, provided Attorney-General Benton is successful in suing into the treasury all outlawed taxes to proceed with this macadam work. Hurry up, Mr. Attorney-General for we are all anxious to hear the band start playing to the tune of a new tea shoppe.

The question is often asked “Why should the modern wayside market be allowed to sell on Sundays when city and rural markets are compelled to keep closed?” Well, from my own personal viewpoint I cannot see any difference whether you sell apples and farm produce generally by the roadside, or in Faneuil Hall Market, Boston. If it is right to sell beside the road it is right to sell in city markets. Personally, I am for closing up roadside markets seven days in the week, and Sunday closing of all city, town and rural markets and give our over-worked, one-sided commercial spirits a chance to rest and straighten up. The break-down of the spirit of our old-time New England Sabbath and turning it over to noisy, demoralizing pleasure is one of the chief causes of the present crime wave. If we cannot live by six days’ work and pleasure let’s quit and all hands go to our sunny home.

The first frost of the season in the Stony Brook valley, with ice as an accomplice fore and aft of the fact, was perpetrated during Tuesday sundown and Wednesday sunrise. Most everything showed what had been accomplished by the accomplice.

The Old Oaken Bucket farm and the W. R. Taylor Company attended the Groton fair on Wednesday evening and set up their ten-cent show display, accompanied by J. Willard Fletcher as competitive associate exhibitor. We could not help notice what a change there was in the road from Forge Village to the Ridges. Last year we got thrown up into the upper sky atmosphere and when we arrived back to the starting point some of our apple sauce intended for exhibition was missing in the region of Lost Lake before it was lost.

We read with much interest under Townsend Harbor news recently of the visit of Henry Fletcher, of Greenfield to his niece, Mrs. Minnie Knight, of Townsend Harbor. This recalled an association of many years ago, when Mr. Fletcher was a resident of Westford for many years and sexton of the local church for many years. To most of us old-timers who still are young-timers when it comes to retrospective memory, Mr. Fletcher seems as vividly fresh as part of activities of the town as when he left here many years ago. I can still recall him a picture of youthful health and activity and know him now at ninety-four years rounding up towards the century mark.

The Christian Register reports the marriage of Miss Emily Isabel Horner and Samuel Carl Tarrant in Manchester, N. H., Monday, September 7, by Rev. Thomas J. Horner, father of the bride and formerly minister of the church in Manchester, but now of Nashville, Tenn. The officiating clergyman will be remembered as a former minister of the Unitarian church in Westford, and the bride’s grandfather will be remembered as Hon. Halsey J. Boardman, long connected with the city government of Boston and a former president of the state senate.

The next meeting of the Grange to be held on Thursday evening, October 1, when the first and second degrees will be conferred.

The next meeting of the Middlesex-North Pomona Grange will be held on Friday, October 2, at Odd Fellows’ hall, Bridge street, Lowell, and will be an afternoon and evening session. The afternoon session will be called to order at four o’clock when the following question will be discussed: “What shall we read during the long winter evenings?” “Book review,” Jennie J. Bancroft in charge. “Exchange table.” Supper served by Dracut Grange. Evening session at 7.30. Each Grange to furnish one number for the entertainment.

On Sunday we go back to the normal timetable of the universe and the Old Farmers’ Almanac. The sun will rise from this source of authority and not from orders from the legislature.

The Extension Service will present a motion picture show in the town hall on Monday evening, September 28, with the following pictures: “In the Wake of Storm,” a reel in the story, “When the elk come down.” “Behind your breakfast plate.” “A trip through Film land.” “The corn belt derby” and “Alice cans the cannibals,” a comedy.

The Telephone Love Fund. Mayor Curley of Boston has filed a petition with the interstate commerce commission in Washington asking for an investigation of alleged violation of the interstate commerce act and the Clayton anti-trust act by the American Telephone & Telegraph Co. The petition charges that the American Telephone and Telegraph Company is the real owner of the New England Telephone & Telegraph Company, contributing fifty-eight percent of its stock and that it controls similarly the twenty-one other companies of the Bell system in the country. The American Telephone & Telegraph Company, says the petition, has forced the New England and other companies to make contracts whereby 4½% of their gross revenues shall be turned over to the American Company in a fraudulent scheme to exact unfair and unjust rates from the telephone users in violation of certain sections of the interstate commerce act. The petition charges that the American Company owns the Western Electric Company and requires the New England and other Bell system companies to purchase all their equipment from it at prices that are termed monopolistic.

Oh, how it’s pure unadulterated love of mankind, the like of which has not been seen since the advent of the Christian era that is locking arms in this movement and I rejoice to be numbered as one of their loved ones and contribute my share to the added cost of $8,000,500 to the telephone users in Massachusetts. It is wonderful what love will do for you, sometimes, and then again it will do for you what a smoke will do for a frog.

Collecting Taxes. Attorney-General J. R. Benton has filed a suit in the superior court at East Cambridge against tax collectors and their bondsmen for uncollected taxes where the lien on the assessed property has expired and said property cannot be sold to recover taxes that are our due. Among the parties proceeded against by the attorney-general is Hon. Arthur W. Coburn, of Dracut, for the sum of approximately $5,000. Mr. Coburn explains that he was trying to be merciful to those who were working but time and half pay envelopes and this is considerate and commendable if he was the only creditor, but these uncollected taxes belong to state, the county and the town of Dracut, and no tax collector has a legal or moral right to be merciful beyond the legal limits of the law. A tax collector’s duty is void of love in letters of heat. He is but an enactor of cold business law and this action of the attorney-general results from the attempt of half a dozen or more or less tax collectors trying to warm up the law relating to the tax collector’s duties with love and mercy. It is legally and morally wrong. Since the attorney-general has taken a hand at collecting taxes there has been a general rush to sell property before the lien expired. We counted one such in Lowell. We have always been fed up on the thought that there are two things certain in life, “death and taxes,” but now taxes are out of the “certain”—it leaves death the sole champion.

Grange Fair. Westford Grange held its first agricultural fair last week Friday evening. As a first fair in which we were all green, not in any sense as the song has it, “For the wearing of the green,” it was a satisfactory success in attendance and display of fruit, flowers, vegetables, decorations, supper activities and entertainment and genial social get acquainted cheery good time. Over 250 inhabitants sat down to supper and got acquainted with the supper and with everybody. Liberal premiums of ribbons were awarded to the different contributors. The Old Oaken Bucket farm was at the foot and head of second calf and they were awarded excellent ribbons. Premium on Golden Russet apples. The judges were from the Farm Bureau—Mr. Dayton judged the fruit and vegetables, and Miss Bishop the canning, fancy work and flowers, of which a most creditable display was shown. A fine entertainment was given.

The generals were Clifford Johnson, Frank A. Wright, Charles Robey, Clyde Prescott; fancy and aprons tables, Mrs. F. L. Wright; food table, Mrs. Ruth Millis; candy table, Miss Angie Parfitt; rose table, Mrs. Jennie Hartford; ice cream, Miss Marion Fletcher; fruit and vegetable exhibit, Clifford Johnson, Clyde Prescott; supper, Charles Robey; auctioneer, Edson G. Boynton. Prices were good and quick and a lot of them.

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

The Westford chapter of the Y. P. R. U. will hold its first meeting for the fall season on Sunday, October 4.

The church school will reopen on Sunday, October 4. Parents are requested to have children report on that date if possible.

The Westford chapter of the Unitarian Laymen’s League will open its fall season on Sunday, October 11.

On Sunday the preacher will deal with the question, “A reign of freedom, a reign of law, or both?”

Graniteville. Mr. and Mrs. Charles MacLean, of Ayer, and Mrs. Maria Wall, of this village, have been spending the past few days at Riverton, N. H., in the White Mountains.

The Abbot Worsted soccer team will play the Fore River club of Quincy in a league game at Forge Village on Saturday afternoon.

The tax bills have been received and there is considerable complaint, owing to the high tax rate.

Many from here attended the Groton fair this week.

The members of Cameron Circle, C. of F. of A. held a well attended meeting in their rooms on Monday evening.

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Charlton have been spending the past few days at Atlantic City.

Many from here attended the social dance held in Westford on Monday evening.

Miss Anna Lundgren was tendered a miscellaneous shower at the home of Mr. and Mrs. C. G. Sargent on last week Thursday evening by the young women members of the office staff of the C. G. Sargent Sons Corporation. A delightful chicken dinner was served at six o’clock, and it is needless to say that this was thoroughly enjoyed. The evening was then given over to merriment and a pleasing entertainment was given, the feature of which was a mock wedding. Miss Lundgren, whose marriage to Thomas Gower will be numbered among the early October weddings, was the recipient of many beautiful gifts. The spacious home of Mr. and Mrs. Sargent was thrown open to the guests and the event proved an enjoyable affair.

Forge Village. Mr. and Mrs. William C. Precious announced the engagement of their daughter, Carolyn Edith, to D. A. Newman, of Danvers, at a dinner party last week. Miss Precious is a graduate of Boston university and is a member of Sigma Kappa Sorority. Mr. Newman is a graduate of New Hampshire college and belongs to Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity.

Rev. Sherrard Billings, of Groton School, conducted the services at St. Andrew’s mission on last Sunday. He was assisted by Rev. John Ballinger, the vicar. The parishioners were much improved in health.

The Girls’ club held their first meeting of the season at St. Andrew’s mission on last week Thursday. Meetings will be held every week throughout the winter. The beautiful set of altar linen which was given by the members of the club is greatly appreciated by the members of the parish.

Miss Daisy Precious, who attended the State Normal school at Hyannis throughout the summer, has resumed her position as supervisor of music in the towns of Westford, Littleton and Acton.

Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Keefe and son, Alden P., of Townsend, spent last week at the home of Mrs. John Carmichael on Union street.

Mrs. Robert Orr and two daughters, the Misses Annie and Genevieve, sailed from Boston last Saturday for Belfast, Ireland, where they expect to spend the winter.

Ayer

District Court. The various cases in connection with the recent raid in Westford, when a federal prohibition officer was shot, were also before the court on last week Friday on continuance, and were again continued until October 9.

Henry Shevin, of Westford, charged with assault and battery on his wife, was found guilty and his case was continued for one month for sentence.

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

Westford, Claude L. Allen to William R. Beale, land on Long road.