Turner's Public Spirit, December 18, 1920
A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
“Center. We are sorry to report two more cases of scarlet fever. One of the five children in
the Strong family at the Drew farm has the disease and one of the children in the Mann family at
the Miller farm is sick. Both are reported as light cases.
“One of the children in the William Parfitt family is sick with diphtheria.
“Twelve academy students attended the College club play, a Shakespearian play, ‘Twelfth
night,’ at Colonial hall, Lowell, Wednesday evening. Also, three others went for the afternoon
performance.
“Mrs. William C. Roudenbush, who has been so seriously ill with measles, complicated with
bronchitis, is reported gaining and beginning to sit up for short periods…. While Principal
Roudenbush is under quarantine regulations Mrs. Harold W. Hildreth is acting principal at the
academy.
“Schools closed this week Thursday afternoon for the Christmas vacation and reopen Tuesday,
December 28.
“A very pleasant holiday affair was that for the pupils of the Frost school Thursday afternoon
at the town hall, when a Christmas tree was provided with gifts for any child and candy and
oranges as well. This was a surprise treat to the children, not even the parents knowing of it in
advance, and was made possible by the generosity of the Abbot Worsted Co….
“Tadmuck Club. A drenching rainstorm Tuesday afternoon did not dampen the ardor of the
workers and members of the Tadmuck club sale and entertainment. There was a good attendance
and $75 was realized for the club’s treasury…..
“About Town. Plowing is still the order of the winter and many are doing their spring work.
Arthur O’Brien, who has been busy for several months doing team work for the Abbot Worsted
Co. at their Brookside mill, is now shifted to farming and plowing the large field adjoining their
mill.
“The Brookside mill, while running half time, is still running the mill as many days per week
as before; half of the help half of the time and the other half the balance of the time. This is wiser
than a total shut-down half of the time.
“The work of rebuilding the furnaces of the First Parish church was completed last week and
services resumed in the building Sunday.
“Tests for Seed Potatoes. Last spring the Middlesex County Farm Bureau arranged a series
of tests for seed potatoes as to yield from seed raised in New York, Vermont and Maine. The
towns listed in this experiment were Sudbury, Bedford, Waltham, Dracut, Westford. The test in
Westford was made by William Pollock, superintendent of the Fletcher Cold Spring farm….
“It will be seen that the largest yield on the three tests runs was on the Cold Spring farm. 386
bushels per acre is certainly doing something in this locality to make H.C.L. [high cost of living]
look as though it was going out of business….
“Graniteville. There are a few cases of scarlet fever here at present. Edward McLenna son of
Mr. and Mrs. Lester McLenna, and little Richard Palmer, are victims of the disease. Both the
McLenna and Palmer homes are under quarantine. The sickness appears to be in a mild form.
“Joseph Murphy, the well-known telegrapher, is now substituting at the Westford station on
the Stony Brook line.
“The Abbot Worsted Co. soccer club and the Arlington mills eleven of Lawrence met in a hot
match at the Glen Essex grounds in Methuen on last Saturday, in which the Arlington mills won
by the score of 1 to 0. The game was closely contested, as the score will indicate, and a high
wind blowing from the river made play rather difficult at times. On next Saturday the Abbot
Worsted club will meet the Gray and Davis eleven of Cambridge in the third round for the state
cup and this game should certainly be a hummer….
“Forge Village. Work of rebuilding the icehouses at Forge Village that were destroyed by
fire several weeks ago is now underway. The work at present will be of the temporary order, as it
is expected that the Gage Co. will build only stacks in order to house the ice harvested during the
present winter. When the stacks are filled, cars will probably be loaded and the surplus ice
transported to the Lowell houses of the company as in former years.
“Large crowds were in attendance at the movies here on Tuesday evening when Wallace Reid
was seen in ‘Excuse my dust.’ On Saturday evening the popular screen star, Mary Miles Minter
will be seen in ‘Anne of Green Gables,’ followed by a Fatty Arbuckle comedy.”
1926 photo of Evelyn May (Rafter) Roudenbush (1873-1956), wife of Westford Academy
Principal William Roudenbush, who was sick with measles and bronchitis in 1920. Courtesy
Photo / Ancestry.com Family Tree of Gloriaupchurch.