Turner's Public Spirit, May 30, 1925

A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant

Center. Children’s day will be observed by the W. C. T. U. on Wednesday afternoon, June 3, at the Congregational church vestry. At the close of the children’s exercises the ladies will conduct a food sale.

Mrs. Charles Wright, Mrs. Arthur Burnham, Mrs. Fred McCoy, Mrs. C. A. Blaney and Mrs. Mattie Lawrence attended the Middlesex county convention of the W.C.T.U. in Weston on Tuesday afternoon. A. B. Stroup, prohibition divisional chief of New England, was the chief speaker of the afternoon.

The Y.P.S.C.E. of the Congregational church will have a refreshment booth near the common on Memorial day. The proceeds will be used for C.E. [Christian Endeavor] work and it is hoped that the booth will be well patronized.

On Tuesday afternoon, June 2, at two o’clock, in the town hall, Miss Billings of the Extension Service will give a talk on “Lunch box suggestions” and “Menus for underweight and overweight.” Tea will be served. Posters will also be made for the Home-makers’ picnic, which will be held on Friday, June 5, beginning at ten o’clock in the morning at Nuttings-on-the-Charles.

A beautiful silk flag has been presented to the Congregational church by the Taylor family in loving memory of Alta M. Taylor and John Adams Taylor [wife and son of Samuel L. Taylor].

Philip T. Prescott has been selected as one of the team for the declamation contest at the commencement exercises of Lawrence academy, of which he is a pupil.

The color-bearers of the American Legion on last Monday were Joseph Walker and Roy Keizer; color guards, H. W. Hildreth and F. J. Fitzpatrick, while the firing squad, commanded by Sergt. H. E. Whiting, was made of George Wilson, Charles Robey, Jacob Alko, Arthur Greenslade, J. G. Walker, Frank Johnson and Messrs. Sleeper and Taylor.

Memorial Services. The union memorial services were held at the Congregational church on Sunday, May 24. The order of morning service was as follows: Prelude, “Requiem;” doxology; invocation and Lord’s prayer; “Gloria patri”; responsive reading; “Lullaby in sorrow”; an episode out of the world war; four-part chorus for women, with bass solo by George Wilson; scripture lesson; “In Flanders Fields,” four-part chorus for men, solo parts by Miss Marion Nelson; pastoral prayer, Rev. Alfred L. O’Brien; solo, Mrs. Edith P. Blaney; “Christ in Flanders,” chorus; sermon, “A better way”; hymn, “For all the saints who from their labors rest”; benediction; postlude; Miss Daisy Precious, organist and director. Veterans of the civil war, Daughters of Veterans, members of the Legion and Auxiliary attended in a body. The pastor’s sermon proved to be very interesting. The musical part of the program was excellent, especially the solo parts given by Mrs. Edith P. Blaney, Miss Marion Nelson and George Wilson. At the close of the services an excellent lunch was served in charge of Mrs. John K. Felch, assisted by Mrs. Perry Shupe and Mrs. Mattie Lawrence.

The veterans and their escort then proceeded to the various cemeteries, led by members … of Con [paper torn, line missing].

The following civil war veterans who attended the services were Wesley Hawkes, Wayland Balch, J. Everett Woods and Joseph E. Knight.

Field Day. The children of the five Westford schools entertained their parents and friends with a program of games and dancing at the Whitney playground on last Saturday afternoon. Charles G. Carter, superintendent of schools, and an efficient corps of teachers, were in charge of the pupils who took part. Folk and May pole dances, athletic contests and baseball games were among the events.

The schools and their standing in the athletic contest were as follows: Sargent school, Graniteville, first; Nabnassett school, second; Cameron school, Forge Village, third; Frost school, fourth, and Parkerville school, fifth. A silver cup was presented to the Sargent school.

The pageant given by pupils of Cameron school was in charge of Miss Chipman and Miss Rylander, assisted by Mr. Sterling, principal. May pole dance in charge of Miss Lawrence, assisted by Mr. Rowe, principal; folk dances in charge of the Misses Wright, Toolan and Willey; wand exercise by pupils of Nabnassett school in charge of Principal Berry, assisted by Miss Warren; Virginia reel by pupils of Parkerville school, in charge of Mrs. Hunter; calisthenics by boys of all schools in charge of Mr. Fitzgibbons.

The result of the sport events was as follows: 50-yard dash for girls, Virginia Connell, Cameron, first; Mary Cosgrove, Cameron, second; Annie Nordlof, Nabnassett, third; 100-yard dash for boys, Edward Sullivan, Frost, first; William Pivirotto, Sargent, second; Michael Vargo, Nabnassett, third; obstacle race, Tony Paduano, Sargent, first; Edward St. Onge, Nabnassett, second; Anthony Donosovitch [probably Anthony J. Denisevich, born Sept. 4, 1913], Cameron, third; baseball throw, William Pivirotto, Sargent, first; Allen Healey, Cameron, second; Constantine Sudak, Sargent, third; Schlaug ball for girls, Cameron vs. Sargent, Sargent 14, Cameron 11; three-legged race, George Moran and Michael Vargo, Nabnassett, first; Lida Succo and Marjorie Wilson, Parkerville, second; potato race, Wealthy Wright, Nabnassett, first; Gertrude Anderson Nabnassett, second; Norman Nesmith, Parkerville, third; relay race, Sargent school first, Cameron school second; running broad jump, Constantine Sudak, Sargent, first; Michael Vargo, Nabnassett second; Edward Sullivan, Frost third; baseball games, Sargent 12, Frost 8; Sargent 2, Cameron 0.

About Town. Peas planted at the Old Oaken Bucket farm on March 7, broke forth into blossoming glory. On Wednesday, May 20, it was eleventeen minutes of thirteenth legislative time tinkering timetable or eleven minutes to twelve by the Old Farmer’s Almanac by which the sun, moon and stars do business when we discovered that the prophesy made that we would have green peas for dinner on Decoration day will be fulfilled.

Ernest L. Moore, Judge of probate court, a relative of Coolidge and Winnifred N. Sargent, a relative of Atty.-Gen. John Garabaldi Sargent, and both natives of Plymouth, Vt., last week captured two three-weeks-old bear cubs on Weston Mountain. The mother took to flight and the three cubs took to a tree. The tree was cut down and the two cubs were captured, the third cub being killed in the fall of the tree. The two captured cubs are named Cal and Garabaldi and are at present in Ludlow, Vt.

Hon. John W. Weeks, our most efficient secretary of war, who has been ill at a hospital in Washington and suffered a relapse from gallstone colic, left Washington for Boston last Saturday, traveling in a private car attached to a through train, accompanied by members of his family, personal physician and a trained nurse.

While hoeing potatoes last week Thursday a neighbor, who is all through planting except for four acres more of sweet corn, came over to see us hoe those early potatoes at the Old Oaken Bucket farm. After a few minutes of chatting he said, “See here, there are some potatoes budded to blossom.” I said, “Yes, this is what you get by planting potatoes in March instead of Fourth of July.” I repeat it, “How does February planted beans stand in with this show, sister?”

We wish to just add to last week’s history of sweepstakes blue ribbon first prize corn that we got the seed corn from which it was raised from George S. Knapp, of Groton, in the spring of 1924. To show the spryness of its vigor to germinate, this spring we planted it ten days later than sweet corn, and on similar soil, and it arrived at sunrise ten days earlier than the sweet corn. We are delighted with the way this blue ribbon corn acts after it is planted. It acts as though it was planted to come up and not waiting for a Knapp.

We are busy inter-cropping between those March peas with popcorn. Too much one crop idle land in Massachusetts and New England generally for making financial out goes and in goes balance.

The visit of Middlesex-North Pomona Grange to Westford Grange last week Thursday evening was a most refreshing oasis in sociability and entertaining program, a full house and overflow of enthusiasm. The contributions of Westford Grange to the program were song singing by Edson G. Boynton, with several song singing encores, and Fred A. Fletcher and Miss Regina McLenna were encored in several humorous readings. Westford Grange furnished victuals in abundance and a generous left-over. Mrs. Ida F. Whitely, lecturer of the Pomona Grange, had charge of the entertainment, and nearly every Grange contributed something, but we were unable to catch the name. The closing number was a farce, “Wanted, a girl to do housework,” with Mrs. Whitely as the mistress of the house. It caused much oft-landing laughter. The Granges represented at the meeting were Burlington, Billerica, Dracut, Lowell, Tyngsboro, Dunstable, Wilmington, Chelmsford and Westford.

Remember, Saturday is Decoration day. Walter C. Wardwell, ex-Mayor of Cambridge, and present county commissioner, will be orator of the day, and the Abbot Worsted Company band will intersperse the forenoon exercises with music. In the afternoon the band will give a concert on the common. Come everybody and others and stock up with music and sociability.

On last week Friday, while looking at the blossom end of our potatoes, a passing long freight train on the Stony Brook road had one car well whitened with a recent fall of snow. Quite a variety of change from snow to potato blossoms.

Amos Polley of the Morning Glory farm commenced haying on Monday in the rain.

Among the pests that threaten apple trees, and which we are advised to spray for, is the oyster scale. Well, now, I have seen oyster scale on the old apple trees for nearly eighty years and these trees have never been sprayed and they are green with leaves, and blossoms set for fruit. I have reason to believe that it is as old as the apple orchard of Adam and as harmless as the freckles on your hands and face.

[paper torn, line missing] [Charlotte E. Taylor died, aged 83] years.[1] She was born in Westford, being of a large family of children of Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel Whitney on the Carlisle road. She was of a genial and helpful disposition. She leaves three sons, James B., Howard A. and Charles E. Taylor; a sister, Mrs. Sarah F. Bicknell, of this town; two grandchildren, Gertrude F. Ayer, of Lynn, and Lieut. Herbert H. Taylor, of the Navy; one great-grandson, Frederick H. Ayer, of Lynn, and several nieces and nephews. Mrs. Taylor was a member of the South Chelmsford Baptist church, a charter member of Evening Star lodge, Daughters of Rebekah, Dorcas Temple, Pythian Sisters and Minniequa Council Degree of Pocahontas.

Word comes from the west that late frosts have badly injured the fruit blossoms. So after all we may get enough out of our New England crop to part pay for the spraying.

Our efficient fish and game warden and president of the Lowell Fish and Game association, Joe Wall, has just mailed me a copy of the appeal of William C. Adams, state director of game and fisheries. This is an appeal to the 140 fish and game clubs in the state to raise funds for holding fingerling trout until they are running from six to twelve inches in length, or from one to two years old, before planting them, and as many of our pheasants to be adult birds. This we could do if we had the rearing pools and feed. This calls for funds. The director asks the various fish and game clubs to raise $10,000 by June 15. I believe this adult movement is a wise one and in the interest of fish, bird and man.

Edgar E. Whitney, for several years a resident of this town, was instantly killed on last Sunday evening in Pawtucket, R.I., while riding on top of a tall freight car, in coming in contact with an overhead bridge while working for the Hartford and New Haven railroad. When he lived in this town he lived with his uncle, the late Charles H. Whitney, on the Lowell road, where the Harmon Whitten family now live. He leaves besides his wife, a daughter, Helen Whitney Emerson and a grandson. He was a most genial and companionable friend to associate with. The funeral was held on Wednesday afternoon from the chapel in the Edson cemetery, Lowell, Rev. Richard Peters of the Highland Congregational church conducting the services. Interment was in the family lot in Edson cemetery. Frank R. Banister was among those who attended the services.

Frost to the extent of ice was reported on Wednesday morning in some parts of the town, but we still insist that we will have peas for dinner on Memorial day.

We were pleased to greet at the last meeting of the Grange our two old social, jolly, good friends, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Knights, long-time residents of this town, but now living in Hudson, N. H.; also, Mr. and Mrs. Edson G. Boynton, for several years an important singing, social, helpful part of the Harvard reservations of humanity.

1. Henry Decatur, of Springfield, was in town last week, looking up old acquaintances.

They have a new one at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Willard (Edna Sargent) Morse [sic, Moore] at the Fletcher Cold Spring farm. When they get around to it the new arrival will bear a boy’s name [Willard Franklin Moore, born May 22, 1925]. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Sargent, living on the Edwin E. Heywood place, on the Chamberlain road, are grandparents to the boy.

The field day of the schools of Westford on last Saturday afternoon on the Whitney playground was just one of those occasions of inspiring events of hilarity and education outside of the dryness and dumbness of books that too rarely is demonstrated. In fact this particular, hopeful and helpful type of bookless demonstration was never demonstrated by the schools of Westford before to my knowledge. If it ever has, then I missed one of the solid and never-to-be-forgotten joys of my life. Unless I had been a witness to this demonstration I could not possibly have been convinced that the schools of Westford could acquit themselves so entertainingly and so skillfully before an appreciative and cheering crowd. As I have not read a chapter in the dictionary for a long while I cannot seem to catch onto the word that covers this demonstration with the amount of glory due it. More of these demonstration exercises in the open would be an advantage to the entire school system. It adds a much needed variety. It stimulates enthusiasm and interest on the part of the taxpaying public in our public schools. The Abbot Worsted Company band played fine music during the exercises.

Graniteville. The Abbot Worsted Company band will furnish music for the exercises in Westford on Memorial day morning and will also give a band concert on the common from two to four in the afternoon.

Many people attended the big field day that was held on the Whitney playground in Westford on last Saturday afternoon. The honors went to the Sargent school in Graniteville, this school winning the most points in the athletic contests and taking the silver cup. The whole affair was a great success and the committee in charge are to be commended for arranging such a successful and interesting program. The day was one of great pleasure to all, the older folks enjoying it fully as well as the children. The Abbot Worsted Company band furnished music during the afternoon.

The Abbot Worsted baseball club opened the Boston Twilight league season here on Thursday evening with the South Boston club as opponents. The Abbots will play Lawrence in Lawrence on Memorial day morning, and the Lynn Cornets in Graniteville at three o’clock on Sunday afternoon.

The members of the Epworth League presented a pleasing comedy-drama, “The last loaf,” to a large audience in the vestry of the M. E. church on last week Friday evening. All did well in their parts and scored a great success with the play. The following were the participants and were responsible for the success of the affair: George Goucher, John Trask, Walter Fletcher, William Robinson, Malcolm Wearier [probably George Malcolm Weaver, born July 26,1910], Ada Eaton, Emma Goucher and Alma Warren.

The funeral of Omer Bellemore took place from his home on Pond street, Forge Village, last Saturday morning at 8:15 and was largely attended, many being present from Forge Village, Graniteville and Lowell. A funeral mass was celebrated in St. Catherine’s church by the pastor, Rev. A. S. Malone. There were many beautiful floral offerings. The bearers were Ludger Charbonneau, Henry Martin, Alfred St. Germain, Joseph Cantarn, George Lamy, [and] Joseph Gelinas. Interment was in St. Catherine’s cemetery, where the committal prayers were read by Rev. Fr. Malone.

About Town. The Farm Journal is responsible for this statement: “Cows now being fed on hydrolyzed sawdust at the University of Wisconsin are producing as much milk as those that are eating bran.” Your correspondent is willing to be responsible for the statement that sawdust, bran and ensilage are equal triplets in feeding value. If you feel that you must have one of these three to make milk then take the sawdust every time—it costs cheaper and the dividends in the milk pail are the same. The first bag of bran for a long time was left by mistake at the Old Oaken Bucket farm recently and I have been trying to make the hens believe it was an egg-producing feed, but they deny it by refusing to eat it, and in so doing they have displayed more sense than eggs. I have been trying to change their opinions by several fasting days. And yet the farmers have spent millions in buying bran under the mistaken notion that it would fill the milk pail. Now, after spending millions on bran the Wisconsin experiment tells us sawdust is worth just as much.

As a bearing on prohibition as a principle to eliminate what it is designed to prohibit, here is an unjustifiable, sneery, jeering slander on prohibition as a principle in a short editorial in the Lowell Courier-Citizen: “Since 1900, according to statistics which may or may not be reliable, the consumption of cigarettes in this country has increased from under three billions to seventy-one billions a year. By far the greatest jump has come since 1915. Reasons are difficult to ascribe, but one suspects that if only a constitutional amendment prohibiting the use of these solaces can be adopted the consumption thereof may hopefully advance to around eighty billions per annum.” This is nothing less than a scurrilous attack on the constitution of the United States and involved in it is a defiance of the principles of prohibition to eliminate any evil. If this attitude is correct we might as well go back to jungle life again and take William Jennings Bryan with us and let him see how it all happens.

Spraying. “Price of potatoes in Northern Maine dropped to fifteen cents per bushel, which was about the worst price situation for many years. Far western potato holders were in luck this season. The drought out there was a help by reducing the crop and making what potatoes were left worth far more than the usual big crop.” So sayeth the Rural New Yorker.

Has farming come to this, that adverse weather conditions that cut off half of our crop are a benefit and if adverse weather conditions are a benefit why not let the pests devour half of our crops and have so much needless, expensive spraying?  And while we are on the witness stand we wish to quote a little sense from this Rural New Yorker, bearing on spraying and the wealth of a half crop of fruit as compared to a full crop:

“Some growers are pleased at the prospects of a heavy apple bloom. Others wish that they could knock three-fourths of the blossoms off their trees. Experience has shown that bumper crops make nobody rich.” And here is a little something that confirms what some have always known, the needless and expensive foolishness of the modern spraying craze: “No wonder that some fruit men formerly laughed at the idea of spraying. The apples from a certain Gravenstein tree were full of maggots in 1923, while in 1924 the fruit was free from this pest. The tree went unsprayed both years. At the same time if some particular spray had been used on the tree it would have been credited with perfect control of apple maggots. Spraying gets credit for lots of things it doesn’t do.”

Even thus is it so. I can find but one justification for spraying more than once, and that is for the scale, for if not controlled it will kill the tree. All of this spraying a half a dozen times seven days in the week, including nights and Sundays, is a waste of gasoline and muscular eyesight effort. I can find orchards that have not been sprayed for five years that are as free from maggots and [paper torn, line missing] European corn-borers as the orchards of the needless spraying craze crowd.

Ayer

High School Notes. “Non quantum sed quantum bene.” [“How well, not how much.”]

The high school team lost the last game played in Westford by the score of 6 to 1.

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

Westford. Claud L. Allen to Walter C. Lutes et ux., land on Dunstable road; Frederick A. Hanscom to Harry M. Ingalls et ux., land on Forge Village road; John L. Hildreth et al. to Frank A. Wright et ux., land on Hildreth street; Frank Rafalko et ux. to Frances E. Wing; Susan M. Rigby et al. to Anna S. Johnson, land on Pine Grove road; Harvey W. Tarbell to Alonzo H. Sutherland et ux, land on Boston road.

District Court. The case of Henry O’Brien, of Westford, after a partial hearing, was continued until August first.

Littleton

Church Notes. Bear in mind that Wednesday, June 10, our conference meets in Westford at 10 a.m. Be sure to fill every seat in your motor [car].

News Items. Mrs. John Hutchinson, her daughters, Josephine and Clarissa, and Janet Hartwell, attended the athletic contests between different schools in Westford held last Saturday.

Brookline, N.H.

News Items. Richard Wright, Howard and Archie Beaublen, George Rockwood and Rodney Wright motored to Westford on last Sunday to witness a ball game there.

 

[1] Obituary. Mrs. Charlotte E. Taylor, widow of John A. Taylor, and a resident of this city for 60 years, died yesterday at the home of her son, Howard A. Taylor, 452 Wilder street, at the age of 83 years. She is survived by three sons, Howard A., Charles E. and James B. Taylor, all of this city; one sister, Mrs. Sarah F. Bicknell of Westford; two grandchildren, Gertrude F. Ayer of Lynn and Lt. Herbert H. Taylor of the United States navy; one great-grandson, Frederick H. Ayer of Lynn; also several nieces and nephews. Mrs. Taylor was a member of the South Chelmsford Baptist church, a charter member of Evening Star lodge, Daughters of Rebekah; Dorcas Temple, Pythian Sisters, and Minnequa council, Degree of Pocahontas. The body was removed to Saunders’ Funeral home, 217 Appleton street.

Lowell Courier-Citizen, Lowell, Mass., Monday, May 25, 1925, p. 8.

Funerals. The funeral of Mrs. Charlotte E. Taylor took place yesterday afternoon at 2 o’clock from Saunders’ Funeral home, 217 Appleton street, and was largely attended by relatives and friends. Evening Star Lodge, 30, Daughters of Rebekah, was represented by Mrs. Eva M. Wheeler, N.G.; Harriet E. Noyes, V.G.; Hallie E. Whitney, acting chaplain, and Bertha Hoagabaom, acting treasurer. Dorcas Temple, 13, Pythian Sisters, was represented by Lulu E. Russell, M.E.C.; Lillian J. Starker, E.J.; Gladys A. Whitting, M.; and Mabel A. Bumps, P.C. The delegation from Degree of Pocohontas was Elva Kecey, P.P.; Margaret McNally, P.P., and Mrs. Margaret Ruen. The services were conducted by Rev. Grady D. Feagan, pastor of the First Baptist church. There were many beautiful floral tributes. The bearers were George E. Marshall, William Adams, Charles Hayward, William Melvin, Fred Hall and Al Bodin. Burial took place in the family lot in the Edson cemetery, where the burial service of the Daughters of Rebekah was exemplified by the delegation of that order and the committal prayers were read by Rev. Mr. Feagan. Arrangements were in the charge of Undertaker William H. Saunders.

Lowell Courier-Citizen, Lowell, Mass., Thursday, May 28, 1925, p. 8,