The Westford Wardsman, September, 1908
Saturday, September 5, 1908
About Town. A merry party of the grangers left town last week Thursday for Revere beach and Wonderland, where European sight-seeing curiosities, limited of course, could be seen. The weather was of the autumn sunshine type, which with the recreations of the day left sunshine impressions on the individual expression as they gathered back home. Only about fourteen answered the rollcall to the exhibitions of the day. It should have been multiplied by six, with some to carry.
The contract for remodeling Monument square in Lowell has been awarded to the H. E. Fletcher Co., Oak Hill, Westford. The figures were below the expectation of the city engineer. These figures were in competition with the Lawrence Granite Co. of Lawrence.
Judson F. Sweetser, who lives on Bear hill, one of the southerly suburbs of Parkerville, is the only person in town who appears to have a large crop of peaches. Give him a call and take that bright shining dollar with you, and bring home a basket and then invite in thy neighbor who has not the financial shine thou hast, and see what an endorsement of the sale though wilt have together.
The Unitarian church will open Sunday after its usual summer vacation.
The scholars in the Nashoba school will be transported to the new school at the Center, instead of the Minot school. All schools open Tuesday, Sept. 8.
James A. Walkden has sold to Mark W. Jenkins, a lot of land containing about three acres on the Chamberlain road, between the blacksmith shop and the Putney place. This lot of land was formerly a part of the Zacheus Reed farm and familiarly known as Bowen lane.
A Brookside farmer has been inquiring of his potatoes how they liked the long-continued stringency in rainfall. They report, now that they are all harvested, ten bushels planted and twenty bushels harvested. Had they been planted whole it would have been better to have dug them the next day after planting; it would have saved labor and sorrow.
Edwin E. Park, who was on trial last week before Judge Pickman of Lowell for hen thieving, was found not guilty. Sidewalk evidence generally gets pretty well shaken up on the witness stand.
Daniel H. Sheehan is making preparations to start up his cider-vinegar-sawmill cotton manufactory located on Tadmuck brook near Stony Brook school.
Baseball. The struggle of the season in baseball lines took place at Milford, N.H., last Saturday between the Milford and Westford teams. Two games were played on July 4, Westford winning the first and the second was a tie, and the Westford boys were obliged to leave to catch the cars. A later game resulted in a tie, again the Westfords being obliged to leave to catch a car, and the Milford team were rather liberal with the thought that this catching car business was only an excuse for running from defeat. But this last game Westford put on the defiant attitude and resolved to fight it out to a final finish, and that there should be no catching car, tie games in this final struggle for supremacy. The Westford boys stuck to their batting and catching and running and decoying, and one of the crack teams of New Hampshire got one of the worst whippings they have experienced for a long time when Westford defeated them by a score of 9 to 1.
Now there are those who think that the Westford team is over-estimated. Even thus may it be so, but to all doubters of ordinary caliber, just try the batting capacity of your doubts with the Westford boys, and at the end of the game you will have a more discouraged than doubting look. It looks now like the close of the baseball season.
The park lands. Frank A. Levey of Union Hill, N.J., was in town last week, searching for his real estate located at Brookside park, near Graniteville. The assessors were asked to join in the search. This park being mostly water of the frog-pond variety, and steep precipice, and the balance imagination on paper to help sell the park, it is a difficult task to satisfy the many lot owners that this uninhabitable frog and mosquito headquarters is their property and is identical with that thriving, growing park they bought on paper. A Lowell party when shown her property wished the assessors were all in that hot region where water is not reported to be as abundant as at this park. Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island are all represented in ownership in this park and still coming. It is gathering a national reputation like unto Yellowstone and Yosemite. Look for a low rate of taxes from prospective land and water sales.
Center. Rev. and Mrs. C. P. Marshall and daughter Marion returned home to the parsonage Wednesday after a delightful vacation spent at Dover and Gorham, N.H. While at Gorham Mr. Marshall was joined by Chas. O. Prescott and John P. Wright, and this trio of friends enjoyed a tramping trip of several days through the White mountains. They were fortunate in having the bright, bracing weather of last week, and are enthusiastic enough over their experience to hope to repeat it another season. Wm. A. Perkins was to have joined the party, but the recent moving of his family and getting settled in a new home was undertaking enough before the commencement of his school duties.
Mrs. Wm. L. Woods and Mrs. Lizzie Hamlin, with their children, enjoyed a day’s outing at Nantasket beach Tuesday.
The regular church services will be resumed at the Congregational church on Sunday, Sept. 5. At the close of the morning service the communion will be observed.
Pleasant word comes to the Westford friends from the Perkins family in Grafton, where they are pleasantly settled.
Dr. O. V. Wells assumed charge of the practice of the late Dr. Sleeper the first of September. In the two years that Dr. Wells has been here he has made many warm friends who wish him much success.
Miss S. W. Loker conducted a well attended missionary meeting Sunday evening at the Congregational church. The subject was Dr. Cyrus Hamlin and his work in Constantinople. Dr. Hamlin was related to the Westford Hamlins and had spoken during his life a number of times at this church. Miss Mary Bunce and John A. Taylor gave well-prepared outlines of his work and Mrs. Wheeler read a description of the city of Constantinople where Roberts college that he founded and where he labored so long was situated.
The W.C.T.U. met with Mrs. Nellie Carkin at her home on Main st., Wednesday afternoon. There was a good attendance of members present and one visitor. Miss May E. Day was added to the list of members. Various business of importance was transacted, among which was the appointment of Mrs. Frank C. Hildreth and Mrs. H. G. Osgood as delegates to the state convention, to be held in Lowell the last of this month.
Work progresses well on Frank Drew’s new house on Main st. Warren Carkin, Bert Hildreth and Pearl Harmon are the men behind the hammers and saws.
The appointment of a trustee of the J. V. Fletcher library was made necessary by the resignation of Wm. A. Perkins. At a meeting of the remaining trustees and the selectmen, Julian A. Cameron was chosen to serve until the next town meeting.
Miss Mary E. Moran is spending a few days with Misses Carrie E. and Florence Reed at Barre.
Miss Alice L. Davis has been a recent guest of Miss Emily F. Fletcher. Miss Davis’s early home was in Westford and she was a graduate of the academy, after which she taught at Minot’s corner and Stony Brook, and later at the Center. She is now the principal assistant at the Belle school in Somerville. It is after a lapse of eleven years that Miss Davis visited here, and she expressed much pleasure at so many changes all along the line of improvement in our village, but also with it the inevitable undercurrent of sadness that the years bring in changes among families through death and removals.
Graniteville. The members of A. R. Choate hose company, No. 2, under the direction of Capt. J. A. Healy, were out for practice duty last Monday evening and flushed out many of the hydrants in the village. Considerable of the work was done by the light of lanterns, but that did not interfere with the members to any extent. The regular meeting of the company will be held in its room on Monday evening, Sept. 7, at seven o’clock.
Mr. and Mrs. W. K. Putney and little son Alfred C. of Needham are visiting in this village for a few days.
The Brimstone baseball club will cross bats with the Littleton club at Littleton on Saturday afternoon, and a good, warm game is expected. The Brimstones have been very successful during the season and hope to finish the season with a clean slate.
Wm. A. Nickerson, a former principal in the Graniteville grammar school, has recently been appointed to [a] similar position in Westwood. Mr. Nickerson made many warm friends during his brief stay here, and they will be pleased to hear of his success.
Jack Frost has been getting in his fine work of late. On last Saturday morning ice had formed on a water pail that had been left out over night at the Blodgett Bros.’ farm on the Millstone road.
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Robarge of Willimantic, Conn., with their daughter Lillian, were recent visitors at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Provost.
Outing. Cameron circle, C.F.A., held a gala day at Hillside park, this village, last Saturday afternoon, that proved to be a success in every way. The principal attraction for the afternoon was the baseball game between the Brimstones and the All-stars. The game was closely contested for the full nine innings, when the Brimstones finally won by a score of 5 to 3. Batteries—Tom McCarthy and Ledwith for the Brimstones, Bob McCarthy and Hemen for the All-stars; umpire, J. W. Harrington.
After the ballgame the time was pleasantly spent in visiting the other attractions, the “dodger” act as performed by Dorrie DeLorenzo making a decided hit. Frank Loftus was manager of this event, and as the original fakir was all to the good. The tonic, icecream and candy tables did a flourishing business during the afternoon. At 5:30 an excellent, old-fashioned supper was served under the pines and all who partook of the spread certainly got their money’s worth.
In the evening a social dancing party was held in Healy’s hall from 7:30 till 11:30 that was largely attended. Many were present from out of town. Smiley’s orchestra of Acton furnished excellent music, and at intermission refreshments were served. A late car for North Chelmsford and Ayer conveyed the visiting people to their homes after the dance. The affair was in charge of the following committee:
General manager, Mrs. Daniel W. Harrington; dance committee, Mary J. Sullivan, Annie Healy, Dora LeDuc, Flora Stuart; refreshment committee, Mrs. Peter Healy and Mrs. Joe Wall; reception committee, Rebecca Leduc, Mrs. T. A. Riney, Mrs. P. H. Harrington, Mrs. W. Welsh, Mrs. C. Couture, Catherine O’Hara, Della B. Blodgett, Elizabeth McCarthy, Catherine Rafferty, Edith Brooks, Catherine Darling, Mary Harrington, Grace Ledwith, Julia Rafferty, Cora Shattuck, Engla Mattson, Amy Ellison, Ella M. Caunter.
Forge. Mr. and Mrs. John Shackelton held a birthday reception at the home of Mrs. Dinah McMurray Saturday evening, it also being the latter’s birthday. It was a very social and pleasant gathering. Many friends were present and all was fun and mirth when supper was announced. The table was laden with an abundance of good things, while the decorations of goldenrod and asters lent an added charm not only to the table but to the rooms. Many tokens of kindly remembrance were received. The party broke up at a late hour, with best wishes for many happy returns of the day.
Miss Sophie Wamaroneka and Adam Sylvesa were married last Saturday at the Polish church in Lowell, but will reside here. [Adam Szylivian, 28, and Zofia Wajnovowska, 20, were married Aug. 29, 1908, per the 1908 Westford Town Report.]
Mrs. Wilson, who was taken ill in Lowell and removed to the hospital, has returned home and is slowly improving.
Misses Edith and Hilda Normington, formerly of this village but now of Worcester, have returned from their trip to England and have brought many beautiful souvenirs from the land of their birth.
Rev. B. H. Carey, the Baptist minister of Littleton, held an open-air service on the shore of Forge pond last Sunday afternoon, which was well attended, especially by the summer visitors at the cottages. A duet rendered by Mr. and Mrs. Carey was very effective. The weather permitting, there will be another service Sunday afternoon.
The ladies sewing circle met with Mrs. Burnett Thursday afternoon, the first time after a long vacation.
Death. John Connell died at the home of his son John, jr., of this village on Tuesday, at the advanced age of eighty-seven years. [John O’Connell, son of John & Mary (Sullivan), aged 87 years 2 months 21 days, died Aug. 25, 1908, per the 1908 Westford Town Report.] He was born in Ireland and married Miss Bridget O’Hare there. Soon after he married they came to Lowell, but for the last forty years they resided in Groton. A few weeks ago, owing to the infirmities of age, Mr. Connell and his wife came to live with his son. The immediate cause of death was a paralytic shock. Six children, four boys and two girls, survive him; also, twenty-one grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Funeral services were held at St. Catherine’s church, Graniteville, Friday morning, and burial was at St. Mary’s cemetery, in the town of Ayer.
Graniteville. About the Schools. At a meeting of the Westford board of education, held at the Centre on last week Friday night, it was decided by the committee to rescind the vote previously made in relation to the closing of certain schools, and for the coming school year all the schools will be opened as heretofore. There will be some change in the staff of teachers in the Graniteville schools during the opening of the fall term. Gerald Decatur, who formerly taught at the Nabnassett school, will be the new principal, a position formerly held by William A. Nickerson. Miss Mary A. Dunn of West Chelmsford, a graduate of the Lowell Normal school, will teach the first grade, Miss Ruth Tuttle having been transferred to the Centre school in Westford proper. There will also be a new teacher in the Cameron school at Forge Village, Miss Mary E. Garney of North Chelmsford, having been recently appointed to the position. Charles N. Edwards of Brookside will teach the Nabnassett school at the opening of the fall term.
Saturday, September 12, 1908
About Town. Lorenzo Fletcher of Kansas City is visiting his brothers, J. Alton Fletcher on Groton road, and Hon. Herbert E. and Henry A. Fletcher on Oak Hill.
A large contract for paving stone for the city of Lowell has been awarded to Lewis P. Palmer of Graniteville, for $1.10 per square yard.
George Philbrick has sold his blacksmith business at North Chelmsford and will reopen the shop at Westford Depot where he formerly carried on the business.
Arthur H. Burnham has been busy the past week cutting corn for the farmers in Stony Brook valley with his three-horse corn-cutting and binding machine. About an acre an hour is what the machine will stand without balking for less work.
The school committee have appointed John A. Taylor school census enumerator, and he is preparing to wheel into line.
Mr. and Mrs. John Bernhard of Newark, N.J., were guests of Mr. and Mrs. David Greig last Saturday and Sunday.
Alfred W. Hartford and Wm. R. Taylor represented the republican town committee Wednesday evening at the American house, Lowell, at a meeting of chairmen and secretaries of the town committees for this senatorial district. Mr. Taylor was a substitute for Hon. H. E. Fletcher, chairman of the town committee, who was unable to be present.
On Saturday several members of Westford ballteam played with the Pepperell team against the Nashua card company team, and others played with the Marlboro team. The Westford team has a reputation and demand, either in single or consolidated form.
Mrs. Johnson from New York and Mrs. Smith from New Jersey have been spending the week at the hospitable farm residence of F. W. Banister.
Labor day was observed generally after the predetermined temperament of the individuals who were mostly swayed to the exciting auto race on the Merrimack Valley track at Lowell and Tyngsboro, where the contestants endeavored to run close to the danger limit at Hairpin curve and not upset.
Cheap living. Our well-known townsman, Cornelius Freeman Keyes, has made a public statement at the Lowell opera house Monday evening.
Grange. At the last meeting of the grange, which was postponed one week owing to an accident to the new lighting system [at Town Hall], there was a good attendance and much routine business was transacted. Applications for a good-sized class for the October initiations were received. The feasibility of running a course of lectures and entertainments for the coming winter was discussed, but no definite action taken until the next meeting. Owing to the ill health of the lecturer, Mrs. C. A. Reid, Mrs. L. W. Wheeler was appointed to carry out the literary programs for the remaining meetings of the year, and Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Boynton to have charge of the musical features of the meetings. The grange voted not to enter an exhibit this year at the Dracut grange fair. At the lecturer’s hour there were readings and some good music by the grange orchestra. After this came the auction of the boxes for the box party that the sisters had prepared, and the contents of these were very much enjoyed and seasoned with the best of condiments, pleasant sociability.
Party. One of the pleasant social affairs of last week was a delightful outdoor supper party given on the grounds between the houses of Mrs. John Feeney [10 Depot St.] and Mrs. A. W. Hartford, who were the joint hostesses. The weather of the afternoon was admirably adapted to the occasion. A long table was spread under the trees, filled with good things. Steamed clams were the feature of the spread. Mrs. Feeney prepared these juicy bivalves for the guests, which is equivalent to saying they were just exactly right. These were accompanied with corn, potato chips and olives, followed by icecream, cake and coffee. There were about fifteen present of neighbors and friends who did full justice to the repast and thoroughly enjoyed a social hour. Mrs. Wm. L. Woods and Mrs. Edward Fisher assisted Mrs. Hartford and Mrs. Feeney with the supper.
Forge. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Quinn of Boston stood sponsors for the little son of Mr. and Mrs. Freeman Palmer of Ayer last week. Mrs. Palmer is Mr. Quinn’s only sister. After the christening service Mr. and Mrs. Quinn were guests of his aunt, Mrs. Ellen Flynn, of this village.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Whidden of Melrose celebrated the eleventh anniversary of their marriage at Tanglewood last week.
Theresa Lowther and Rachel Cherry have recently returned from a very enjoyable visit with friends in Worcester.
Mr. and Mrs. J. Martin of Roslindale have been spending their honeymoon at Idealwood. They returned home on Tuesday.
Rev. Dr. Miller of St. Thomas’s Episcopal church, Philadelphia, was a visitor at Forge mission Sunday. Communion services will be held at the mission house on Sunday at 10:30. The afternoon service will be omitted.
The ladies’ sewing circle met at the mission house Thursday afternoon.
Fred Morris of Cambridge was the guest of Mr. and Mrs. William Burnett Sunday.
The infant son of Mr. and Mrs. John del Favro passed away last week Thursday and was buried in the Catholic cemetery at Graniteville Saturday afternoon. Mr. del Favro is in Italy. [Celestion Giovani “John” died Sept. 11, 1908. He was born in Westford April 23, 1908, son of Bertolo & Gertrude (DeLotto) Del Favero.]
Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Sargent, with their little granddaughter, Arline Farmer of Somerville, spent this week with their friends, Mr. and Mrs. David Lord.
A. S. Bennett of Weyanwego, Wis., is visiting his brother, Alvin Bennett, and his sisters, Mrs. Drake and Mrs. Reed.
Mrs. Eunice Murphy of Lowell, who has just returned from a trip abroad, was the guest of Mrs. M. A. Lowther Sunday.
Mrs. Pratt of Rochester, N.Y., formerly Miss Kate Connelly of this village, was the guest of Mrs. Elmer Nutting this week. [Mrs.] Pratt came to Lowell to visit her father, who is quite an old man and very infirm. Mr. Connelly and family were residents of this village for some years.
We are glad to report that the little son of Mr. and Mrs. William Blodgett, who has been so very sick, is now much better.
Graniteville. P. Henry Harrington, the local contractor and builder, has the batters up for the new parochial residence for the Catholic church in Groton, and is also to make extensive repairs to the church building. Mr. Harrington’s men are also making extensive repairs on the Methodist church here. The work includes the building of steps, fixing up the belfry and other minor repairs.
The mills of the Abbot Worsted Co. will close for stock-taking during the last week of September.
Fred Defoe of this village has returned from a very pleasant visit with friends in Canada.
Mrs. W. C. Wright has taken up her duties as assistant postmaster, after spending a very pleasant vacation in Bethlehem, N.H.
The Brimstone baseball team will play the last game of the season on the home grounds this Saturday afternoon, when they will have the strong West-ends of Littleton for their opponents. Game at three o’clock.
Cameron circle, C.F.A., held a very interesting meeting in its rooms on Tuesday evening, and for the good of the order appointed a committee of four members to have charge of the social hour after each meeting, during which entertainments will be given, followed by general dancing. The following committee was appointed for the current quarter: Miss Flora Stuart, Miss Mary J. Sullivan, Miss Dora LeDuc, Miss Lena J. Healy.
The overtime work in the machine shop of C. G. Sargent has been discontinued for the present, and the plant is running on its regular schedule time.
Miss Alice L. Prescott, teacher, returned to Ashland, N.H., Monday. She has been promoted to the fifth and sixth grade school, with quite an increase in salary.
The members of the Holy Name society of St. Catherine’s church have received an invitation to participate in the big parade in Boston in November, which will mark the close of the ceremonies commemorative of the one hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the diocese of Boston. The local branch will unite with division twelve, which includes Lowell and vicinity, and plans are now under way for the coming event. The Holy Name society of St. Catherine’s church is composed of prominent men of the parish, and as the coming ceremony is something unusual in church annals, it is thought that the full membership of the local society will be represented on this occasion.
F. O. Stiles, a former resident of this village, but now proprietor of the Littleton house, and one of the largest fruit dealers in this section of the state, is slowly recovering from a severe injury to his right leg sustained in a runaway accident a short time ago. The accident is particularly unfortunate at this time, owing to the fact that it comes right in Mr. Stiles’s busiest season and when his large apple interests demand his constant attention. He estimates his own apple crop this season at 1800 barrels, aside from what he will handle for different growers in the surrounding towns. His many friends in this village take pride in his success and are hoping for his speedy and complete recovery.
Saturday, September 26, 1908
About Town. At the republican caucus Tuesday evening Hon. H. E. Fletcher, chairman of the town committee, read the call and was chosen chairman of the caucus, and Alfred Hartford secretary. The following delegates were elected to the several conventions:
State, Capt. S. H. Fletcher, G. H. Hartford; congressional, G. T. Day, A. H. Burnham; councilor, H. E. Fletcher, T. A. E. Wilson; senatorial, A. W. Hartford, W. R. Taylor; county, W. O. Hawkes, J. A. Cameron; representative, Fred Sweatt, Thomas Danio, W. A. Whidden, S. L. Taylor. Town committee, H. E. Fletcher, A. W. Hartford, J. A. Cameron, E. M. Abbot, A. H. Burnham, T. A. E. Wilson, Fred Sweatt, John Edwards, W. O. Hawkes, John Danio, J. A. Healy, W. F. Sargent, W. A. Whidden, S. L. Taylor, C. M. Trull.
A motion of W. R. Taylor to instruct the delegates to the state convention to vote for Luce was voted down.
Mary Flynn is seriously ill at her home on the Stony Brook road.
The Westford A.A., which has had such a successful year in making other athletic associations unsuccessful, will hold a barn dance jollification time at town hall, Friday evening, Oct. 2. Music by Hibbard’s orchestra of Lowell. All who have ever attended these barn dance annuals know they are. Let all lovers of this type of sociability come and be taken again.
The Curtis Gilman family of Methuen, former residents of the town, were visitors at S. L. Taylor’s last Sunday.
Middlesex North will hold its annual agricultural fair at Dracut in connection with Dracut grange, on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. It was a great attraction and success last year, and is planned on a basis of more so this year. Go and see it fulfilled.
The next meeting of Westford grange will be held Thursday evening, Oct. 1, at which time a large class will be initiated.
The next meeting of Middlesex North Pomona grange will be held at Oddfellows’ hall, Bridge st., Lowell, Friday, Oct. 2.
The milk now being carried to West Littleton has been sold to Herman Decatur of Lowell, and Fred C. Smith will collect and deliver, he being the same Smith with the same previous experience.
Allusion was made in a recent article in the Westford Wardsman to a cozy, homelike gathering at Paradise spring, which has led to several inquiries as to the location of said spring. There is Cathead spring in the southwest part of the town, where the boundaries of Acton, Carlisle, Littleton and Westford all guard territorial rights; Mysterious spring, on the westerly edge of Tadmuck swamp; Nashoba spring, noted for its medicinal qualifications to unseat disease, on the Foster farm; Cold spring, near Stony Brook and Westford stations, after which farms, roads and postoffices are named, and the licensed spring at Forge Village, which sprang up as a spring last spring. But Paradise spring seems to be without either latitude, longitude or equator. There is no doubt of its existence, but dense ignorance doesn’t know the points of the compass that lead to it. Haven’t been to Forge Village to lose the points of the compass, either. Now perhaps someone well versed in natural history will just suggest a few of the roads, bridges, lakes and mountains that are traveled over in going to Paradise spring. Make it quite clear, as there is now and then a stupid person.
Center. There are to be some changes in the train service of our Stony Brook railroad. Station agent Whidden has not been notified of just what the new schedule is to be, but rumor has it that the first train down and the last rain up at night, familiarly known as Conductor Bixby’s train, is to be discontinued, and to offset this the train of the American Express Co. that goes through in the morning from Worcester and Ayer will have a passenger coach attached and stop here for passengers. This would be later and would not accommodate business men so well in the morning and less well at night. A protesting petition is in circulation.
A marriage of interest to many Westford people is that of Miss Josephine L. Bright to Rev. Frank W. Baker, at the home of the bride in South Royalton, Vt., Monday, Sept. 21. Miss Bright is a sister of Mrs. John P. Wright, and has spent various periods of time here with her sister, making many friends who extend many good wishes for her happiness and prosperity. Mr. and Mrs. Baker are spending a part of the honeymoon with Mr. and Mrs. Wright.
We sincerely hope the serious drouth will be a thing of the past before this item reaches the reader, but never was the fine new water supply installed last year more appreciated by the users than now.
Miss Grace L. Fletcher, eldest daughter of J. Willard Fletcher, and Edward M. Saben of Augusta, Me., were united in marriage at Lynn, Sept. 3. Mr. Saben holds a responsible position at the insane hospital at Danvers, and Miss Fletcher, who is a trained nurse, is also employed at the same institution. Her many Westford friends extend their good wishes for her happiness and prosperity.
Grange. There was a good attendance of the members at the regular meeting on Thursday evening, Sept. 17. Balloting on the large class of candidates to be admitted to the order next month took up considerable time. This class will bring the membership up to about 175. It has been decided to run a course of lectures and entertainments the coming season. At the lecturer’s hour S. L. Taylor gave a recitation in his original way which was so much enjoyed that he recited a second time. The grange orchestra gave two selections that were much appreciated, and Frank Chandler read an article on mountain climbing. State deputy, Leslie B. Smith, who was scheduled for a previous meeting, was present and gave a talk on industrial education. The hour was late, but Mr. Smith gave an interesting talk on the subject.
The members are busy with plans to go to Groton to neighbors’ night, Oct. 27, and to Carlisle Oct. 14, contributing their share of the entertainment. Billerica is the invited grange here on neighbors’ night, Oct. 15. The ladies’ degree staff perform the work of the third degree on that evening.
Graniteville. In spite of the excellent water service now being extended by the Westford Water Co., and with the main pipe running within thirty feet of the town farm in West Graniteville, the town authorities have not installed a system of running water in the town farm buildings for the use of both man and beast. The people at the farm are very much in need of water at the present time owing to the extended dry spell.
Court Graniteville, F. of A., will hold its annual dance in Westford town hall on Friday evening, Oct. 9.
Mr. and Mrs. O. W. Sherman of Damariscotta, Me., have been recent guests of Dr. and Mrs. W. H. Sherman in this village.
Mrs. William Willis and son Samuel of Lowell visited friends in this village recently.
Cameron circle, C.F.A., held a very interesting meeting in its rooms on Tuesday evening. Considerable business of importance was transacted and after the meeting closed a social hour was enjoyed during which dancing was indulged in by members and their gentlemen friends. Excellent music was furnished on the piano by Miss Ruth Furbush, and Omer LeDuc violin. It is the intention of the circle to have these social affairs every two weeks.
The town men who are working on Broadway in this village have taken a sudden brace of late and have made a better showing during the past few days than they had for the previous two weeks. The citizens here understand that $600 is to be expended for streets in this locality.
Miss Mary L. Shea of Wilton, N.H., is spending a few days in this village as the guest of Mr. and Mrs. D. W. Harrington.
J. B. Healy, the local contractor, has commenced operations on the repairing of a certain portion on Main st., in Westford Center. This particular part of the street is composed principally of ledges, and considerable blasting will have to be done.
Baseball. The West-ends of Littleton visited here last Saturday afternoon and in a closely-contested baseball game defeated the Brimstones by a score of 15 to 13. It took ten innings to decide the game and during that time the crowd was constantly on its feet and the rooters on both sides made things interesting from start to finish. The Brimstones outbatted their opponents, but the Littleton boys had the happy faculty of hitting the ball when runs were needed, and aided by the costly errors of the Brimstones at critical stages of the game managed to land a victory. Loftus, the local catcher, turned on his ankle in the seventh inning, but pluckily went behind the bat once more and remained until the ninth, when he exchanged places with Ledwith, who finished the game. The features of the game were the heavy stick work of Ledwith, Healy, Moran, and Gower for the Brimstones, the pitching of H. Canney and the all-round work of R. Canney for the West-ends. Following is the line-up and the score by innings:
West-ends—Fulton s.s., Crane 1b., Hurst c. and 3b., H. Canney p., Lawton r.f., Prouty l.f., Brown 3b and c., Piper c.f., Canney 2b. Brimstones—McTeague 1b., Moran p., Ledwith 3b. and c., Loftus c. and 3b., Hughes s.s., Buckingham l.f., Gilson 2b., Healy c.f.
. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
West-ends, | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2—15 |
Brimstones, | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0—13 |
Umpire, J. B. Riney.
This winds up the baseball season in Graniteville for 1908.
Forge. The ladies’ sewing circle held its first supper and dance of the season at Recreation hall Saturday evening. Among the out-of-town guests who attended were Rev. Dr. Miller of Philadelphia, and Miss Shaw, niece of Rev. Medville McLaughlin. After supper dancing was enjoyed by a large number. Miss Sarah Precious and James Brown of this village and Mr. Brewster of Ellwood, Ind., furnished music. The proceeds will go for the benefit of the mission house. The sewing circle met at the mission house Wednesday afternoon.
Rev. Medville McLaughlin will preach his farewell sermon at the mission house, Sunday, Sept. 27, at 4:30 p.m. Sunday school will also commence.
At the meeting of the M.U.O.F. Dr. Cyril Blaney was the successful candidate for the lodge physician, in place of the late Dr. Sleeper.
Among the visitors in town during the past week were Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Cockroft of Ware at her brother’s William Hunt; Mr. and Mrs. Albert Bailey of Lowell at Mr. and Mrs. Miles Collins’s.
Mrs. Buckshorn and son Fisher of Concord, N.H., are at her cottage, the Tadmuck.
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Murphy of Lowell entertained a large party of school teachers for the week-end at Crow’s Nest. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Fisher and Mr. and Mrs. Knowles of Lowell were at the Birches; Mrs. McGuane and daughter of South Lowell at Mr. and Mrs. James Sullivan’s.
Allan Carkin of Gardner is spending his vacation at his father’s A. W. Carkin.
Mr. and Mrs. Goode entertained Mr. and Mrs. Woodward at their cottage for a few days. Mr. Woodward is principal of the Westford academy.
The Forge Village Lions defeated the Burnsides of Lowell Saturday afternoon, 22 to 13. The Lions play the Zolas of Lowell on the home grounds this Saturday.