Turner's Public Spirit, September 29, 1923
A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
Center. The millinery class under the auspices of the County Extension Service will be held on Thursday, October 4, at Library hall. Mrs. Draper will again be the teacher. The class is open to all women of the town. Bring hat frame, new material and sewing supplies. Come at ten o’clock sharp, bring a box luncheon and stay until four in the afternoon. No hats will be started in the afternoon. Visitors are welcome. An article in the Middlesex County Bulletin, suggesting the kind of frame and material that is being used will be helpful to those making hats. The bulletin can be consulted at the library by those who do not take it.
Harold, the young son of Mr. and Mrs. Perley Wright, celebrated his tenth birthday on Tuesday afternoon from four to seven o’clock at his home on Main street. The following boys attended: Roger Hildreth, Cyril Blaney, Richard Hildreth, Richard and Huntington Wells, Roger Bosworth, Harold and Howard Anderson, William Carver, Kenneth Wright and Donald White. Games were enjoyed and a supper consisting of salads, cold meat, hot biscuits, fancy crackers, ginger ale, ice cream and cake was served by Mrs. Wright, assisted by Mrs. Helena Bartlett and Mrs. Perry Shupe. Mr. Rowe, principal of the William E. Frost school, also enjoyed supper with the boys. Games were played and Master Wright was the recipient of many remembrances of the happy occasion.
Harry Blaisdell, who is in the employ of the state moth department, has been a recent visitor in town, and while here, together with his brother Edson, enjoyed an auto trip to Pittsfield, returning by way of the Mohawk Trail.
Mrs. A. J. Blaisdell has been entertaining her mother, Mrs. Hutchins, recently.
Rev. Mr. Disbrow, of West Boxford, who occupied the Congregational pulpit a fortnight ago, will again fill the pulpit on Sunday at both services.
Ernest Dane has the contract for painting and reshingling the belfry of the Congregational church and has started work upon the same.
The ladies of the Unitarian church will hold a supper in the town hall on Friday evening, October 5, and it is hoped that there will be a large attendance. The suppers given by these ladies need no further advertising to those who have attended them in the past.
Mrs. John Feeney, Sr., has recently had a telephone installed—113-3.
James Loorm, while driving a horse Monday evening, under the influence of liquor, collided with an auto driven by Mr. Thifault, of Parkerville. Mrs. Thifault was injured, but not seriously, and the buggy of Loorm was demolished. In the district court in Ayer on Tuesday morning Loorm was fined $25 by Judge Warren Atwood for cruelty to animals, while the drunkenness charge was placed on file and the defendant put on probation for three months.
William Pond, formerly of this town, is attending Hebron academy [Maine]; Eric Anderson, Bryant & Stratton’s; and Gladys Ingalls and Alice Swenson, Fitchburg Normal school.
Henry Bunce, of Chelmsford, has announced the engagement of his daughter, Dorothy C., to Hollis Wilkins, of Chelmsford, the wedding to be in the near future [Oct. 1, 1923, in Chelmsford].
Miss Maud Robinson returned on Thursday to Washington, D.C., to resume her duties as teacher in Miss Tomlin’s School for Little Children.
A meeting of the Missionary society was held at the home of Mrs. William Roudenbush on Wednesday afternoon, at which the following officers were elected: Miss Sarah W. Loker, pres.; Mrs. Quincy Day, vice pres.; Miss May Day, sec. and treas.; home department, Mrs. John Felch, pres.; Mrs. George F. White, vice pres. During the afternoon interesting talks were given by the following ladies: “The people of the south,” Mrs. Perry Shupe; “Cuba,” Mrs. Florence Williams; “The university of Atlanta,” Miss Eleanor Colburn, the latter having been a teacher at the institution. Refreshments were served by the hostess, Mrs. Roudenbush.
Thomas O’Sullivan, a well known and highly respected citizen, passed away at his home on Tadmuck road, Wednesday morning, at the age of 81 years 4 months, 25 days. He was a veteran of the civil war and always showed keen interest in all things pertaining to the soldiers. He is survived by his wife, Hannah; four sons, Eugene, of Auburndale, and James, William and Frank, of this town; also, two daughters, Belle and Margaret, of this town. [Another daughter, Mary J., died June 29, 1923, in Westford.] Funeral services were held from St. John’s church, North Chelmsford, Friday morning, with interment in the family lot at Lowell.
Grange Notes. At the last meeting of the Grange “educational night” was observed with a reception to the teachers, nearly all sections of the town being represented by one or more teachers. The speakers of the evening included Frank Morse, of the department of education; Principal William Roudenbush of the academy; Supt. Herman C. Knight and Miss Sarah W. Loker. The musical part of the program consisted of a piano duet, Miss Marion Fletcher and Miss Freda Johnson. Miss Mabel Drew and Mrs. Perley Wright, of the school committee, introduced the teachers to the guests. At the close of the reception a business meeting was held at which time the applications for membership were acted upon.
At the next meeting, the first and second degrees will be conferred upon the following new members: Mrs. T. A. E. Wilson, Miss Laura Gotberg, Miss Ruth Swenson, Norman Day and Nathaniel Phillips. The following members will come in on demits: Frank Wright, Benjamin Prescott and Arthur Wilson.
About Town. A small collection of old-fashioned dolls is now on exhibition at the library, lent by several of the townspeople. Of special interest is the four-posted bedstead and two dolls formerly belonging to Miss Miranda Luce and now in the possession of Elizabeth Wells.
The attractive banner for fourth prize won by the town at the Farm Bureau picnic in Groton on August 15 is now at the library. The banner was won by the children alone, many of them taking part in the games. Attention is called to the picture of Elizabeth Carver, winner of the croquet game, in the last Middlesex County Bulletin.
Gerald and Luanna Decatur were among the guests at the Bishop-Gould wedding which took place last week in New York. Miss Gloria Gould is the youngest daughter of the late George Gould. [Miss Gloria Gould, daughter of George Jay Gould (who died in France May 16, 1923) and Edith Kingdon Gould, married Henry Alfred Bishop, Jr., on Sept. 11, 1923, in New York City. George Jay Gould (1864-1823) was the son of Jay Gould (1836-1892), the American railroad magnate and financial speculator. These Goulds are not related to the Westford Gould family, at least not closely related.]
If there was any reason why the Acton fair should take off its hat to Groton fair as they have been averaging, I was unable to discover it on last Saturday afternoon. Fruits and flowers and vegetables were all well sized up and highly colored up (colored up by nature) and the junior department, boys’ and girls’ club work display and individual display, was one hopeful encouragement to behold. It shows what can be done by organized effort on the part of the youthful, rising, but diminishing crowd who remain attracted to open nature, the greatest and wisest of school teachers. Acton, like all of our towns, has suffered from the season’s drought, and there were scattering symptoms in some of the exhibits, but not enough to detract from the fair being classified as generous and successful. In the line of the animal display it was far above Middlesex-North in its declining days, or just before we declined from show work and inclined to charity work.
Carl H. Lydiard, of the Parker farm, with his motor truck, transported the “apple sass” contribution of the Westford farmers to the charity of the Middlesex-North Agricultural society at the Auditorium in Lowell on Wednesday and Thursday.
At the meeting of the Village Improvement society on Thursday evening a photograph of several of the great-grandchildren of Joseph Underwood, who once owned several hundred acres of land in Westford, including the beautiful common, was on exhibition. They are living in Kirksville, Mo. This photograph was sent to your correspondent [Samuel L. Taylor] about five years ago when engaged in furnishing the genealogy of their Westford ancestors.
Of the four miles of Tadmuck brook three miles are dry from its source to the Lowell road, and that is back water from Brookside mills. This is the driest ever for this brook. Some other small brooks have not suffered as much. If Daniel Sheehan continues to run his cider-cotton-woolen mill and do it with water power he will have to team the water and stop the large leak in his dam.
They are planning to dig the potatoes on the Old Oaken Bucket farm with a Cold Spring potato digger. Potatoes at a 147% rise ought to be able to get along without special Magnus Johnson government aid.
George O. Jackson and sister, Mrs. Stephen Kirby, and niece, Miss Bessie Jackson, have returned to West Chelmsford after spending the summer with relatives in Maine and Nova Scotia.
Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Taylor motored to Framingham last Sunday to visit Mr. and Mrs. Carlos D. Cushing, Mrs. Taylor’s parents.
A party of Old Oaken Bucket farm folks made a hurried tour through Townsend on Monday, making a few minutes’ stop in West Townsend.
“The Man About Town” under the Ayer news wisely say, “Don’t cast your bread upon the waters today and expect it to come back in the form of sponge cake tomorrow.” This is just the sad truth of what we are doing and expecting. Sponge cake represents dividends on the cake invested and it requires no self-sacrifice to cast it upon the waters of commercial investment, and when charity and earthquakes appeal for aid investment here will not return any sponge cake, and we are too oft inclined to excuse ourselves with the slang phrase in spirit, “Let George do it,” and it is this limited few who are doing it for church, for charity and public welfare in all directions where it cannot be legally taxed out of the crowd. “Let the wealthy give; they can afford it,” is another excuse for “casting your bread upon the waters.” In this we are not as generous or wise as the “widow’s two mites” of old who beat all the multi-millionaires, ancient and modern, with her response to charity.
On last Saturday afternoon the editor of this paper and “the Man About Town” called at the Old Oaken Bucket farm, but the old boy himself was at the Acton fair, where they had just come from. So sorry, for I wanted to have a head-on collision with somebody, now that Teacher No. 1 of Harvard is in Montana. Unless I can get practice with someone I am liable to be Dempsey over the ropes and without his comeback when teacher gets after me when he returns.
I have received an illustrated postal [i.e., postcard] from my Harvard Teacher No. 1, who is now in Montana. He is having a splendid time at an elevation of 4000 feet.
The next meeting of the Grange will be held on Thursday evening, October 4, at which the first and second degrees will be conferred.
The next meeting of Middlesex-North Pomona Grange will be held on Friday, October 5, at Odd Fellows’ hall, Bridge street Lowell; neighbor’s day, with Essex Pomona as guest. Debate, “That horses are more valuable on New England farms than are tractors.” Perley E. Kimball and Harry C. Dawson, affirmative; F. A. Hanscom and Chester F. K. Bancroft, negative. The afternoon program is in charge of the visiting Pomona.
The will of Gilbert F. Wright, of Chelmsford, who died on September 16, has been filed in the probate court at Cambridge. Larkin Trull, of Lowell, is named as executor. The will cuts off Arthur G. Wright, son of the deceased, and Stella, his daughter, with bequests of one dollar each, while a nephew and niece, Ernest and Olive Brown, of Roxbury, each receive $500. The residue is to go in trust to Larkin T. Trull and the income is to go to the testator’s sister, Miss Marion L. Wright, for life. Upon the death of his sister the trust is to go to the Newton Theological institute. The estate is valued at $20,000 real estate, and $2000 personal property. The will is dated April 4, 1923.
First Parish church (Unitarian)—Sunday service at 4 p.m. Preacher, Rev. Frank B. Crandall, the minister. Subject, “Conscience and contempt.”
The home department of the Middlesex County Extension service will conduct a millinery meeting here on Thursday, October 4. This will be held from ten in the morning until four o’clock in the afternoon, with lunch at noon. Miss Draper is very anxious to have all who desire to get the best possible help from this meeting to come early and spend the entire day, receiving instructions and renewing friendships.
Some Potatoes. Here is something that sends everybody into the shade who has been giving personal testimonials about large yields of potatoes and large individual potatoes. This is in Pelham, N.H., not far off, but just a little nearer the north pole than Harvard or Westford, from whom we have had potato testimonials. Listen everybody: “Farmers in this vicinity (Pelham, N.H.) report an exceptionally good yield of potatoes, both in size and quality. William D. Smith produced 185 bushels of Green Mountains from six bushels of seed, with ordinary fertilizer and care. Tubers weighing approximately two pounds each are common, in fact raisers are wont to comment generally on the extraordinary size of individual tubers and also on the size of them ‘as they run.’ Chester Donovan is showing several selected specimens of which weigh over a peck, the largest weighing six pounds and seven ounces. George Muldoon reports a yield of a little better than twenty-five bushels from each bushel of seed planted.” Just two questions: When did you have the hay scales tested last, and what do you mean by approximately? Guessing? If so it is a rare exception that individual potatoes raised on the Old Oaken Bucket farm this year won’t weigh “approximately” two pounds. They are so common that I wouldn’t think to mention it only for the above six pounds and seven ounces showing the contrast with two-pound “pig potatoes.” That’s all. Who’s next?
High Cost of Living Facts. The national industrial conference board reports: “The cost of living in the last six months has risen to a point higher than ever before, but the earnings of the average American working man have gone even proportionately higher. In other words the wage situation reflects a higher level for so called ‘real’ earning compared with what these earnings will buy than at any time since before the war, not excepting the ‘peak’ period of 1920. Between March and July of this year food prices soared to a point of 47% above the pre-war level. The highest increase reported was 58% in Washington, D.C., and the lowest 27% in Salt Lake City. Rent has risen more rapidly than any other item in the family budget, having climbed to a point 75% higher than in 1914. In the line of food the potato led all other varieties of food, having climbed 147% since 1914.”
Why, how can food have gone up like this? Hasn’t there been talk of an extra session of congress to provide financial means to prevent the wholesale bankruptcy of farmers because food is so cheap that it does not pay for harvesting? And here are most of us with our mouths daily threatening to go to the poor farm, and the laborer is also threatening a strike or in a strike for higher wages and lower victuals (hoping, perhaps, to get them for nothing), and yet facts are against both farmer and laborer.
“The Suspended Sentence.” I read with entire approval communication of V. T. E., entitled “The suspended sentence,” in the issue of September 15, but a pressure of nonsense prevented me from a public approval. I am well aware that there is reckless driving everywhere, even where there is no drunkenness and hardly anyone called to trial until an accident occurs, and then, too oft, the punishment is “a suspended sentence,” the modern interpretation of the law of love, which has emptied our jails and made them for sale. This kind of punishment fosters a speeding up towards a mile a minute [60 MPH] pace without sounding the horn at crossroads or cross-foot passengers. They will pass the foot passenger with the impression of a monopoly of the universe and a speed of a behind-time express train, and we have fast and far drifted away from the old-fashioned farmers’ open spring wagon for market or church. There were hospitality and courtesy, healthful and inspiring to good manners and stimulating the helpful spirit.
Our automobile speeding, violating all the laws of safety first, and fostered by the “suspended sentence,” has nearly obliterated from the road safety and hospitality, and is extending into too much of business life by the principle “we can and so we will.” This principle is what leads to reckless driving on the road, aided and encouraged by non-enforcement of the law, and worse yet, when it is enforced by a “suspended sentence.” This, as V. T. E. says, is a much overworked principle of mercy and it [is] not likely to be appreciated by the reckless, intoxicated driver, and we must make a diagnosis and the line between the sober, reckless driver and the intoxicated, reckless driver. The former has control of himself and has control of his machine, though reckless in speeding, but has averted accidents by his quick handling of the machine. The latter has not even the control of his head, it is under the control of spirits that are not of the spiritual. Not having control of his head he is unable to avert an approaching accident; if it is averted, it is averted by the quick action of the party who has the control of his head and machine.
I cannot close better than to quote from V. T. E., for it needs emphasis: “A man who will fill himself up with hooch and undertake to navigate an automobile while under its influence, is too reckless to be allowed at large and is not likely to be of the makeup to appreciate the leniency of the suspended sentence.” Gasoline and hooch do not work well together and anyone reckless enough to violate the constitution and endanger the lives of everybody on the road ought to pay rather dearly for his lawlessness. The legislature could not do a better job than to pass a law making the crime of driving while under the influence of liquor punishable by at least a year’s imprisonment and allowing no suspension of sentence. The careful driver and the general public need protection.
Graniteville. The Ladies’ Aid society of the M.E. church held their annual harvest supper and entertainment in the church vestry on Wednesday evening, the affair being largely attended. Many were present from out of town. Supper was served promptly at 6:30 and was one of the best efforts of the Ladies’ Aid, which means that it was excellent in every way. A fine entertainment was given at eight o’clock by local talent, assisted by talent from West Chelmsford. The whole affair was a great success. Mrs. George Chandler had general charge of arrangements.
The members of Cameron Circle, C. of F. of A. [Companions of Foresters of America], held a well attended meeting in their rooms on last Tuesday evening. The meeting was made notable by the attendance of two visiting members, Mrs. Elizabeth Powers, circle deputy, and Miss Bessie Burns, marshal, of Fitchburg. After the meeting a social hour was enjoyed. A short entertainment was given and refreshments were served.
The Abbot Worsted soccer club defeated the Charlestown team of the Boston district league in a state cup game at Forge Village on last Saturday, 6 to 0. This Saturday the Abbots will meet the Arlington Mills team in an Industrial league game at the Gill avenue ground in Methuen.
James Fitzgibbons, principal of the Sargent school, is coaching the Westford academy basketball team. Much progress is being made. The academy boys will open the season in about three weeks.
The motion picture shows have opened for the fall and winter season in Abbot’s hall and will be shown on every Friday evening.
Overseers Hold Outing. The overseers of the Abbot Worsted mills in Forge Village, Graniteville and Brookside, with their wives and lady friends, held an outing at Glen Essex [in Lawrence] on last Saturday afternoon. Although the day was a trifle misty it did not dampen the ardor of those in attendance and the affair proved very enjoyable. The feature of the day was a cricket match between teams captained by “Tom” Sugden and “Connie” Precious. Both teams won one match each and the “rubber” will probably be played off at the next outing. [Glen Essex was noted for its cricket grounds in the 1920s.]
After the list of sports had been run off an excellent lunch was served by a Lawrence caterer. A group picture was then taken of those present, after which the party assembled in the clubhouse and with Miss Daisy Precious at the piano a community sing was held. Mrs. A. M. Whitley was heard in some excellent vocal solos and Miss Regina McLenna gave some fine readings that were thoroughly enjoyed. After singing the old songs and winding up with “Till we meet again,” the day’s festivities came to a close. The affair was a great success. The following committee had charge: Thomas Sugden, R. J. McCarthy and Ernest Smith.
Ayer
News Items. Mrs. Catherine Baker spent the weekend with her friend, Mrs. Joseph Isles, of Westford.
District Court. James Loorm, of Littleton, charged with cruelty to a horse, was found guilty and fined $25.
Townsend
Weddings. … Miss Olive Virgene Cobb of Portland, Me., and Walter G. Warman of Augusta, Me., formerly of Townsend, were married at the Congregational church of Portland on Monday, September 24, in the presence of relatives and intimate friends, the double ring service being used.
Mr. and Mrs. Warman are spending a week at Sebago lake. Later they will visit his sister, Mrs. Leslie Miller, at Westford and his grandmother, Mrs. Martha J. Brown of this town.
They will reside this winter at Augusta, Me.
Mrs. Warman has been employed in the office of Hinds’ Honey and Almond Cream laboratories. Mr. Warman is the son of Mrs. Helen D. Warman of Gardner, formerly of this town, and is remembered as having attended the public schools here in the earlier grades. He is a member of Douglass Melody Men, a well-known orchestra of Maine, which furnishes music for the social functions given by Governor Baxter at the state house. He is also taking a course of study in architecture.
Footnotes
Magnus Johnson (1871-1936) of Minnesota was elected to the U.S. Senate in July 1923 special election after serving in the state house of representatives and the state senate. He was a member of the left-wing Minnesota Farm-Labor ticket whose platform called “for farmer and labor union protection, government ownership of certain industries, and social security laws.” He is the only U.S. Senator born in Sweden. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Farmer%E2%80%93Labor_Party.
Ecclesiastes 11:1-3. “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.” KJV
Mark 12:41-44. “41And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. 42And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. 43And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: 44For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” KJV
William Harrison “Jack” Dempsey (1895-1983) was an American professional boxer from 1914 to 1927. He was the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. On Sept. 14, 1923 Dempsey fought Argentine boxer Luis Angel Firpo (1894-1960), “The Wild Bull of the Pampas,” at the Polo Grounds in New York City before a crowd of 80,000. Early in the first round Firpo dropped Dempsey to one knee, but he quickly recovered. He then rushed Firpo knocking him down seven times. Then towards the end of the first round Firpo trapped Dempsey against the ropes, and a hard right to Dempsey’s chin knocked him backwards and through the ropes into the ringside seats (a scene immortalized in a 1923 painting by George Bellows). This was the scene alluded to by Samuel Taylor. Dempsey ended the bout in the second round with a knockout to retain his championship. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Dempsey_vs._Luis_%C3%81ngel_Firpo.