The Westford Wardsman, September 27, 1919
Center. Capt. Sherman H. Fletcher is confined to the house with a serious cold, complicated with some pleurisy. With both Mr. Wright and Mr. Hartford absent on state guard duty, conditions have been especially hard at Wright & Fletcher’s store.
Principal William C. Roudenbush was at home on furlough from state guard duty and able to be at school all day Thursday.
Miss Elinor Colburn has entered at the fall term at the Conservatory of Music, Boston, for further musical study.
Mrs. Martha Grant Whiting is back in town, substituting at the Frost school for a few weeks. This is very welcome assistance to the school board as the teacher whose place she took had resigned, and until her place can be satisfactorily filled Mrs. Whiting’s help is much appreciated.
A series of pleasant birthday anniversaries have recently taken place. On Thursday of last week Miss Elizabeth Carver was nine years old and a group of friends were invited for the afternoon. It was a pleasant event of games, refreshments, gifts and good wishes. Last Sunday was Forrest White’s sixteenth birthday and the event was made pleasant with a family dinner party at which were present relatives from out of town. On Thursday of this week Harold Wright celebrated the passing of six years of his life’s journey and the day was memorable with a party of boys near his own age. He was also the recipient of various gifts.
Mr. and Mrs. Edson G. Boynton, of Medfield, were in town on Monday, calling on old friends. They are now driving a Reo automobile.
Miss Mary Morin is visiting relatives in Providence, R.I.
Dr. Henry L. McCluskey and family, of Worcester, were guests of the A. E. Days on Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. George F. White, with guests, were in attendance on Thursday at the Readville fair, where Mr. White had some of his thoroughbred Ayrshires entered among the exhibits.
The A. E. Loveless family, who recently sold their farm and bought a pleasant new home in Melrose, moved last Saturday. Their going is sincerely regretted for they have made many friends while living here, and they take with them many sincere good wishes to their new home.
Gordon Seavey recently entered his fine five months old Berkshire pig, “Queen Tadmuck,” and valued at $150, at the Springfield fair or [sic] the Eastern States Industrial exposition and was awarded a fourth prize. Master Gordon also received first prize, a gold medal, for his pig demonstration team. There was also one other juvenile pig raiser from Waltham who received this honor. It should be understood that “Tadmuck Queen” is an especially trained pig taught by his young master. He exhibited her before 25,000 people driven in harness with various stops at which he had her mount on a standard and partake of gum or candy.
Mrs. A. W. Hartford has been visiting relatives in Melrose during her husband’s absence on state guard duty.
Rev. A. E. Hussey, of Lowell, is giving some splendid discourses at the Unitarian church Sunday afternoons, and it is hoped that more will avail themselves of the opportunity of hearing him.
The suggestion that plans for a welcome home celebration for our boys on Columbus day, October 12, be started at the Center in co-operation with the other villages has been received. We are afraid while the state guard duty lasts in Boston and which affects so many families, plans for special events, while many would like to enter into them, may have to be deferred a bit.
Mrs. Frank C. Wright is entertaining as a guest a maternal uncle, Washington Wyman. Westford was Mr. Wyman’s native town, but he has lived in California for thirty-five years. He is seventy-five years old and while crossing the continent visited a brother in Wisconsin, who is eighty-one years old. Mr. Wyman has always followed the carpenter’s trade, which he learned of Cyrus Hamlin in young manhood.
Mr. and Mrs. John A. O’Connell have recently enjoyed a brief vacation trip to Hanover, where they lived before coming to Westford. A good garden story is always of interest, and Mrs. O’Connell reports the following one. When they visited the man earlier in the season, a young pumpkin plant came up of itself. While not exactly wanting it where it was he let it remain and grow, which it certainly did, and this fall has fifty pumpkins to its credit. Also, reported from this section is many crops of rotted potatoes caused from the dampening weather.
Mrs. John P. Wright, who was in Westford over the weekend, took a group of friends to Boston last Saturday to visit their state guard husbands. Miss Frances Wright was the capable driver of her father’s seven-passenger Chandler. An informal but very pleasant luncheon party was enjoyed at Mrs. Wright’s apartments in Cambridge before going to Boston.
The members of the state guard on duty in Boston are being granted a day at home at a time as far as possible to straighten out and do a little work on their own affairs as far as they can in a limited time.
Invitations are out for the wedding of Alexander Cameron, only son of Mr. and Mrs. Julian A. Cameron, to Miss Joan Braley, of Concord, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. H. H. Braley. The wedding will take place in the historic old First Parish Unitarian church on Saturday, October 4.
Herbert A. Walkden, recently returned from duty overseas, and formerly Sergt. Walkden, gave a most interesting talk of his experiences and impressions Sunday evening at the Congregational church. Sergt. Walkden belonged to the great S.O.S. service of supplies army and his frank and friendly and intelligent account of his work both before the armistice and after was followed with close interest. He paid appreciative tribute to the various welfare leagues as he saw them, especially the Y.M.C.A.
Obituaries. Westford people will be interested in the following account of the death of Rev. Miner A. H. [H. A.] Evans of South Boston:
“The Rev. Miner A. H. Evans, a civil war veteran and for many years an active preacher in the New England Methodist conference, died September 23, at his home, South Boston.
“He was born in Dubuque, Ia., Aug. 25, 1842, the son of Miner H. A. and Mary Ann (Gorton) Evans. During his early life he lived in Granby, P.Q. and at the age of nineteen he moved to Manchester, N.H., where he first became interested in the Methodist church.
“Upon the outbreak of the civil war he joined the quartermaster’s department and was stationed at Hilton’s Head, S.C., where he had command of a lighthouse and arsenal eight miles outside the entrenchments of the town. In 1865 Mr. Evans became a general agent of the Freedman’s Bureau and colonized more than 10,000 negro refugees at Hilton’s Head, Ward’s and Wardmelaw islands in Charlestown harbor.
“Returning to New Hampshire in 1866 Mr. Evans attended school at Sanbornton Bridge and supplied pulpits at Bethlehem, Jefferson and Whitefield during the summer and fall of 1868. Following his graduation he organized the Methodist society at Graniteville and through his efforts the present church edifice was erected there.
“During his ministerial career Mr. Evans was pastor of churches in Meridian street, East Boston, Cochituate, Maynard, West Chelmsford and Graniteville. In 1884 he preached at Leominster and in 1885 at Gardner. He later became assistant pastor at the People’s Temple, Boston.
“He married in 1872 Harriet Sargent of Graniteville, who survives him as do three daughters, Mrs. S. C. Johnson of New York, Mrs. Chalmers Murray and Mrs. F. S. Slingerland of Boston, and one son, Rev. Miner H. A. Evans of Boston. He also leaves a [half-] brother, the Rev. N. B. Fisher [Fisk] of Stoneham and two sisters, Mrs. E. C. Charlton of Gardner and Mrs. Alfred G. Fuller of Seymour, Wis.”
Funeral services were held from his late home in South Boston this week Wednesday.
Mrs. Sarah T. Harris, who was a longtime resident of Westford, died Saturday, September 20, at the Dearborn hospital in Medford. Mrs. Harris was stricken four years ago with paralysis, since which time she had been an invalid. She was seventy-three years of age the 22d of August.
Sarah Mial Turnbull was born in Glasgow, Scotland, of sturdy Scotch parentage. She came to this country when about eighteen years of age and later was married to Charles Harris and their home was for many years in Westford. Many friends remember her as a woman of capability and individuality, a devoted wife and mother and in later years she ministered capably in many households where there was sickness.
She is survived by three sons, Charles of Dedham, Wesley of Hyde Park and Arthur of Lawrence. A fourth son, Albert, died in young manhood a few years ago. She also leaves two daughters, Mrs. Effie Richardson of North Adams and Mrs. Annie MacAskill of Somerville. There are also five grandchildren.
The body was brought to Westford and funeral services were held at the Congregational church, where she had always attended. Rev. O. L. Brownsley was the officiating clergyman and Mrs. C. A. Blaney sang. Interment was in the family lot at Fairview cemetery.
About Town. A wedding of some interest to Westford people occurred at the residence of Walter D. Falls, Lowell, when his daughter, Rachel Helen, was united in marriage to Ernest Richard Orrell, Friday evening, September 12. The bride will be remembered as the granddaughter of the late Sergt. George S. Falls, a brave soldier in the civil war, an equally brave old-time scholar at the old Stony Brook school.
Mr. and Mrs. Harry N. Hunter, of Tyngsboro, announce the engagement of their daughter, Blanche Elizabeth to Charles Everett Woods, of Westford. Mr. Woods has just returned from fourteen-months’ active service in the navy. He is a nephew of J. Everett Woods, and a member of Westford Grange.
At its last meeting Westford Grange accepted an invitation to neighbor with Stow Grange on Thursday evening, September 25, and Westford Grange extended an invitation to Groton to neighbors’ night and work the fourth degree. Neighbors’ night on the program will be November 6. On account of open meeting to returned soldiers we have got behind in degree work.
Samuel H. Balch goes to the head on best yield of potatoes—six bushels from one peck of seed, and on chemicals only. This yield is at the rate of twenty-four bushels from one bushel of planting. The average is about fifteen bushels from one of planting.
Charles L. Adams celebrated his eightieth birthday last week Friday at his home in South Chelmsford. He has all his faculties except the one relating to hearing. He is well remembered in Westford as a former resident, living on a small farm in Parkerville.
The postponed town meeting will be held at the town hall on Wednesday evening, when all our cold storage speeches will be warmed up for delivery. The warrant calls for additional money for roads, schools and town nurse; also, to see if the town will elect a board of health at the next annual meeting, and lastly to hear the report of the committee in regard to the advisability of the town operating the branch electric railway from Westford to Brookside. The town is now paying $21 a day for the transportation of school children from Brookside to Westford center, a round distance of a little over five miles.
Charles W. Robinson has been appointed director of savings for Westford. Mr. Robinson will work in cooperation with the war savings division, first federal reserve district, 95 Milk street, Boston.
Primaries. William J. Donnelly, T. A. E. Wilson, John M. Fletcher and Alonzo H. Sutherland acted as election officers at the primaries on Tuesday. The vote was unusually light considering that there were some sharp contests. Of the nearly 500 voters in town the highest vote cast, and where there was no contest, was 84 for Gov. Coolidge. This endorsement of his recent action on the police strike is proper. The rest of the candidates ran much like this: Treasurer, Burrell 42, Gifford 4, Greenwood 6, Perkins 15, Pierce 1; attorney general, Allen 29, Bottomley 10, Hallowell 5, Hitchcock 10, Rowley 1, Stoneman 13; councilor, Harris 43, Lewis 32; county commissioner, Adams 13, Barlow 45, Colburn 26; senator, Greenwood 25, Putnam 55; representative, Snow 43, Wilkins 44; town committee, George D. Wilson, T. A. E. Wilson, Fred A. Sweatt, Edward T. Hanley, Oscar A. Nelson, Frank L. Furbush, Ernest T. Wright, Herbert E. Fletcher, Sherman H. Fletcher, Gustaf Eliason, Julian A. Cameron, Alfred W. Hartford, Leon A. Hildreth, Charles S. Edwards, Harry L. Nesmith; delegates to state convention, Sherman H. Fletcher, Harold Fletcher.
Forge Village. Francis Lowther, Charles Dudevoir and Edmund de la Haye, members of the state guard, now on duty in Boston, were home on Wednesday and returned on Thursday for duty again. Edward T. Hanley, George D. Wilson and Julian A. Cameron were home on Friday for a short time. James May, now on duty in Boston, captured a pickpocket and assisted in landing him in jail.
Joseph Costello, a veteran of the world war, left for Boston on Thursday to serve with the state guard.
Miss Beatrice Hosmer has returned to the state Normal school after a year’s experience as a teacher.
Frank Lyons, who fell recently and injured his shoulder quite badly, is on the road to recovery.
The welcome home suggestion which appeared in these columns recently has made a hit among the residents here. Several people here have considered holding a reception for the returned heroes. It would be much better to hold the affair at the center of the town as suggested by the Graniteville correspondent. The Center is heard from in the items under that heading.
James Elliott has received his discharge from the army and returned home on Wednesday. He enlisted in the cavalry and spent the past two years in Douglas, Ariz.
The many friends and parishioners here of Rev. Angus Dun will be interested to learn that he sailed for England on last Saturday on the “S.S. Adriatic.” He will study in Oxford university for several months, after which he expects to teach in the theological school in Cambridge.
Graniteville. Some persons unknown attempted to wreck a train on the Boston and Maine tracks here a few nights ago. Mr. Sleeper, who is employed on the section of the railroad, was returning home Saturday night and in crossing the tracks near the foundry discovered large pieces of iron lodged between the rails. The switch light had also been pulled off the post and thrown to one side. He informed the telegraph operator at the station who held up the freight train that was then due. The tracks were cleared without any resulting damage. There appears to be no clue as to who attempted the wreck, but railroad detectives have the matter under investigation and a close watch will be kept of this particular part of the line in the future.
The state primaries were held in Westford on Tuesday, but a light vote was cast. The principal interest seemed to center about the contest for county commissioner and representative in the eleventh district.
Mrs. Clara Gray, who has made her home here for the past few years with her father, A. R. Choate, who died recently, has given up her house. After a brief visit with relatives in New York Mrs. Gray will take up her residence at Hadfield hall, Tyler park, Lowell. Mrs. Gray will be greatly missed by her many local friends, for she always took a deep interest in all things pertaining to the welfare of the village.
Mrs. Harriet Flynn and Mrs. Alice Evers of Lowell have been recent guests of Miss Fanny McCarthy.
Harold Harrington, son of Mr. and Mrs. P. Henry Harrington, is now ill with pneumonia at his home.
Many local members of the state guard, who are on duty in Boston, visited relatives and friends here for a few hours during the past few days.
Joe wall attended the big meeting held by the Lowell Fish and Game association at Willowdale on Thursday and reports a very enjoyable time.
The Ladies’ Aid society of the M.E. church will hold their annual harvest supper and entertainment in the church vestry on next Wednesday evening.
Dr. Charles E. Spaulding of the Worcester district, who has recently returned from a six months’ stay in South America, will give a lecture of that interesting country in the M.E. church here next Sunday morning at 10:30 o’clock. All are cordially invited to attend.
Shirley
Center. Shooting was started one morning last week on the rifle range at Woodsville. One of the residents at Woodsville, upon hearing two bullets go over, called up headquarters at Camp Devens and complained. The shooting was immediately stopped and the guard was withdrawn from the state road and the range has been in silence since.
Ayer
New Items. More than 1400 officers and men of the 1st Division arrived at Camp Devens Wednesday afternoon for demobilization after participating in the New York and Washington parades in honor of Gen. John J. Pershing. They will be the last men to be demobilized at this camp.
At a recent session of the U.S. grand jury this week Sam Bailey, of Worcester, and Adolph Vogel, of Ayer, were indicted for unlawfully entering Camp Devens after having been removed therefrom. Vogel formerly conducted a store on West Main street.
District Court. Peter J. Cullen, of Westford, was in court on Monday morning charged with the larceny of $9.13 from Bernard Karrigan, of Westford. Cullen and Karrigan were both employed on a farm in Westford, Karrigan being an old employee while Cullen had worked there but a few days. The money in question was taken from Karrigan’s trousers which were in his room. At about the time the loss was discovered Cullen was seen to leave the house and start for the trolley line. He was pursued and caught, and upon being brought back to the house he gave up the money. Cullen was found to have a previous record for larceny of a pair of trousers in Lowell. The court found him guilty and sentenced him to three months in the house of correction.