A look back intime to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
“Center. Harry Stiles is adding a piazza across the front and at one side of his house [on Boston Road] and which when completed will be a great improvement.
“Miss May E. Day, commencing next week, will take the summer librarian’s course at Simmons college, being gone for the number of weeks that the course lasts, from Monday until Friday. During this time Miss Alice Howard will be in attendance at the Fletcher library.
“Pleasant accounts come from the Arthur E. Days on their Canadian trip. Going to their destination at Coe Hill [Ontario], which took about a week…. They reported no machine trouble, nor a punctured tire. In about a week they start the return trip home.
“Rev. William Anderson has a new telephone installed at his residence, 41-12, and the John P. Wrights have their telephone, 53, which was disconnected during their absence from town.
“Perley E. Wright has purchased a new 3½-ton National truck to be used in his trucking business.
“It has been pretty trying weather for everyone this week, especially for the hay-makers, who have hay down, and for those who have more to cut. It has also interfered with the raspberry crop. Shipments of early apples are coming in good and the first shipments of blackberries have started this week.
“Master Richard L. Hildreth [age 4] has been a pretty sick little boy this last week—a combination of mumps and an indulgence in green apples, the latter causing more trouble than the first.
“About Town. The old white horse of Guy R. Decatur, reported last week as strayed or stolen, was found Sunday afternoon by Frank C. Drew in the abandoned icehouse cellar in his pasture on the Lowell road. This cellar is about eight feet deep, into which the horse in the darkness of the night and impaired eyesight fell, and where he had remained nearly a week. When found he was standing up and apparently no worse for the fall or fasting. He was gotten out by neighbors building a sloping platform at the bulkhead entrance, which was two feet lower than the cellar walls. The building has long since been self removed by age. This old icehouse was known as Tower’s icehouse, built in the days of individual icehouses.
and is the youngest subscriber to the Bulletin.
“Private Ernest T. Wright has recently returned from several months’ service overseas. While in France he was assigned to duty at the adjutant general’s office in Tours, and later was privileged to attend the A.E.F. university at Beauve. His brother Karl is still on duty in France. They are the sons of the late Mr. and Mrs. Gilman F. Wright on the Groton road and graduates of Westford academy, and were active in the Fortnightly club while it had activity.
“Graniteville. The Abbot Worsted Company team played the Lamson Company ball team at the big outing held at Canobie Lake park last Saturday and were defeated by the score of 11 to 10. It was a game filled with all kinds of baseball in which the local club failed to get any of the breaks….
“Joseph Wall, the local fish and game warden, has recently received some pheasant eggs from the state game farm at Wilbraham. The different settings have been given to people interested in poultry here, and it is the intention after the birds are hatched to care for them for such time as they are able to care for themselves, when they will be liberated in this vicinity.
“Owing to the new 48-hours-per-week law the Abbot Worsted Company is now working on the following schedule: 6:45 until 12 and from 1 o’clock until 4:30, and Saturdays until eleven o’clock.
“Forge Village. The Misses Caroline, Pamelya [sic] and Mildred Precious furnished music for an informal dancing party last Saturday evening in South Chelmsford.
“The Forge Village A.C. met and defeated the strong Orford A.A. of Lawrence last Saturday, the score being 14 to 3. Although the score indicates a slow and rather slack game it was much the contrary, being filled with spectacular plays and fine base running….
“Mr. and Mrs. James H. Brown, of Clinton, with their little son Stephen, are spending a two-weeks’ vacation at the home of Mr. Brown’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Merrick.
“Miss Emma Goucher is spending the summer with her sister, Mrs. George Walker, of New York city.”
Young Gordon Seavey rides his pig-powered sled, c. 1918. (Photo courtesy of the Westford Historical Society)