A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
“Center. The Westford academy baseball team went to Harvard on Wednesday afternoon and played the Bromfield school team. Westford won by the score of 9 to 4.
“Brush fires have kept the fire-fighters busy this week. Five calls were reported on Wednesday.
“Frank C. Wright and Harry L. Nesmith are driving Buick cars this spring. Both Mrs. Wright and Mrs. Nesmith drive these new cars efficiently. Mrs. Simpson, on the Leighton place, has purchased a Ford truck.
“The extreme cold last week Friday and Saturday must have hurt fruit buds in the lowlands, but as far as we learn on Westford hill there was no damage of any amount.
“Miss Elsie M. Farwell, who has had charge of the dancing class, gave a very pleasant costume dancing party at the town hall on last week Friday evening. There were about sixty couples in attendance and the Lenox Ladies’ orchestra of Lowell furnished music for the dancing. The prizes for the best costumes were awarded as follows: Lady’s first prize, Miss Ruth Loveless; Gentleman’s first prize, Forrest White; eccentric prize, Walter Socerelis; honorable mention, Betty Prescott and Elizabeth Carver. Little Miss Loveless’ costume was an old-fashioned one and was quaint and attractive. Forrest White’s was a chef’s costume of spotless white with cap and apron. Walter Socerelis wore a native Greek costume, and Betty Prescott a queen of Heart’s dress, and Elizabeth Carver was an attractive little lady in a spangled frock representing ‘Night.’
“Tadmuck Club. The closing meeting, which is the annual meeting, with luncheon, took place on Tuesday afternoon at the Unitarian church. Luncheon was served at 1:30 by the D. L. Page Co…. The decorations were marguerites, daffodils and ferns, also evergreen foliage.
“At the conclusion of the luncheon the president, Mrs. Roudenbush, called to order…. The recording secretary reported 112 members at the opening of the season; 4 new members have been added and 17 withdrawn. There have been thirteen meetings with an average attendance of about 35. Four meetings were given to relief work….
“About Town. Between 70 degrees in the shade and 20 degrees in the sun we are taking stock to know what got pinched. Winter and spring wheat, grass and grasshoppers generally got by. Potatoes we haven’t heard from; neither dare we say hello to them when the ground was frozen hard enough to pinch tears from their eyes. Plums and pears are reported to have passed away quietly Saturday morning when ice formed one-half an inch thick. Peaches are reported to be a tie. The evidence that they have been killed and the evidence that they have not been killed balances. Considering the steady wind that prevailed all of Saturday evening to mitigate the bite of the freeze, what should we have got if it had been calm? Well we should have been liable to get a view of zero getting into the saddle.
“Mr. and Mrs. Albert Day and eight-months-old son, Robert Leslie Day, have been visiting at the old Day homestead at the junction of the Cold Spring and Graniteville roads. Mrs. Emma Day is great-grandmother of Robert Leslie Day.
“John A. Taylor writes home from France of meeting Harold Hildreth as student soldier at a university. Harold is the first Westford boy he has met overseas.
“The selectmen have appointed W. Otis Day as director of the Middlesex County Bureau of agriculture and home economics. The appointment is an ideal one—youthful, progressive, and well seasoned with sense.
“Amos Polley, on the Prairie farm, is planting quite an acreage of potatoes with the Aspinwall planter. He also has an acreage of winter wheat of real thrift green color, which will be fed to the cows, color and all.
“W. R. Taylor protected his peach trees against the recent attempts of weather to come the zero act by cloth coverings.
“Minstrel Show. The Forge Village A. C. presented its minstrel show in Abbot hall on Monday evening to a crowded house. Large numbers were obliged to stand throughout the entire program. The singing in the choruses was very good; the jokes were clever and the end-men handled their parts in an able manner. One of the features was a novelty dance by William and John Baker. William Kelly was the interlocutor….
“Graniteville. The Graniteville A. C. played the Middlesex A. C. on the local grounds last Saturday afternoon and met with defeat by the score of 19 to 7. It was a poor day for baseball on account of the cold weather. The local club was also trying out several new players and this also proved a handicap. It is expected that the local team will make a better showing when these two clubs meet again.”