The Westford Wardsman, October 25, 1919
Center. The Preston H. Skidmores have closed their summer home and went last week to spend the winter at St. Augustine, Fla.
Mr. and Mrs. George H. Jenkins drove up with friends from Marblehead last Saturday to visit Mrs. Alma M. Richardson.
Alexander A. Cameron and his bride have returned from their wedding trip and are occupying the Donald M. Cameron house probably for the winter or until their own pleasant new home, near his father’s, is completed and ready for occupancy.
Rev. Alfred R. Hussey, of All Souls church, Lowell, will again occupy the Unitarian church on Sunday, service being at four o’clock. Mr. Hussey’s sermons are well worth any effort that are made to hear them. In addition, Mrs. F. L. Roberts, of Lowell, will be present and sing. Rev. Thomas A. Marks, who has been extended a call to the Unitarian church in Littleton, has been invited to occupy the Westford pulpit in conjunction with the Littleton church. Mr. Marks is a young man and recently in the service as chaplain in the navy. He is a good organizer and a successful worker with young people and it is hoped he will become the pastor here.
Warren Sweetser and Fred Defoe, the latter of West Graniteville, are serving as jurors on the fall term of the civil term at Lowell.
Mrs. McDaniels and Miss Grace Wood have closed their summer home at the Luce homestead and returned to Cambridge for the winter.
Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel Whitney’s little son Howard underwent an operation for the removal of adenoids last Saturday.
Mrs. Mary M. Gumb is planning a visit next week to Rumford, Me., to visit a married daughter and her family
Miss Sarah W. Loker is going to move into the upstairs apartment in Harry M. Stiles’ house. This moving is hard for Miss Loker as she had not been established long in the Hamilton house, but its recent sale makes this second moving necessary.
George F. White has been absent this week on the trip of the dealers and agents of Reo automobiles to Lansing, Mich., where the Reo cars are made. There were about thirty men in the delegation, only those being eligible to join the party who have sold a given number of machines. Every courtesy is shown the visitors at headquarters and a most enjoyable time is the rule.
The second meeting of the season of the Tadmuck club will be next Tuesday afternoon at Library hall at 2:30. There will be an address by Miss Blanche A. Cheney of the Lowell Normal school, and Mrs. F. L. Roberts will be the soloist.
Word came to the Westford Relatives of the death of Dr. Frederic Smith in New York last Saturday night of pneumonia. Dr. Smith at one time was a practicing physician in Westford, and his first wife was Miss Mary Tower, of Westford. In New York he was well established in his practice and on one of the staffs of the large hospitals. Dr. Smith is survived by a son Frederic and his second wife. The other children, two daughters, Helen and Mildred, have both died since the family moved from Westford.
Don’t forget that the daylight saving term expires this Saturday night and to turn the clocks back an hour.
An unusual and beautiful sight in the early mornings recently has been the clear showing of the four planets, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and Venus, and earlier in the week the delicate crescent of the old moon.
John Feeney, Jr., while unloading his truck of boxes Wednesday afternoon, had a bad break in the engine which will cost a good sum for repair. He had the misfortune to have the same kind of break earlier in the season and with his enforced absence on state guard duty in Boston his trucking business which started so successfully the first of the season has been hard for him.
Don’t forget that the young people are having one of their successful dancing parties this week Friday evening.
The Ladies’ Missionary society of the Congregational church held its monthly meeting at the parsonage on Wednesday afternoon. There was a good number present and Miss Loker, the president, presided and led the devotional service. “Medical Missions” was the subject for the afternoon’s study. Miss May E. Day outlined the chapter, “The battalion of life”; Mrs. J. K. Felch, “A living gospel for a living age,” and Mrs. Brownsey “Native medical practices.”
Mrs. Hammett D. Wright and Miss May E. Day attended the guest day of the Harvard Woman’s club this week.
Our company of state guard are on their seventh week of duty in Boston and at this time no one knows when release will come, although many rumors are in circulation, one being that a reorganization is to take place from twelve to four companies, with some men retained from each company. Furloughs have been more generous, among the privates especially. Private John Johnson was recently presented a Gillette safety razor for the best appearing sentinel on the streets of Boston, the colonel of the 11th regiment making the presentation. Privates Francis Lowther and Charles H. Robey received honorable mention.
Fred Bicknell has sold his place on the Carlisle road to a Charles Smith, from New Hampshire.
At the Congregational church on Sunday morning Rev. O. L. Brownsey will speak on “The religion of Joy,” and the evening service, which will now be at seven o’clock since the changing of time, the subject will be “Why we fail.”
About Town. Prof. Arthur D. Butterfield, Clark university, Worcester, just back from France, gave an address last Sunday to a large audience at the village church in Dunstable, his native town, on his experience in the overseas regions. He is the son of the late Derby Butterfield, of Dunstable, and well remembered by many Westford people as a resident at the old Westford academy.
George O. Spalding, who was injured in a fall while picking apples, has recovered so far as to be removed to his home at the Fred Fletchers.
Business at the H. E. Fletcher quarry on Oak hill is brisk to a hustle point, and arrangements are being made to run through the winter months. A closed shed is being built, the frame work of wood, the covering of metal. This shed will accommodate the shifting engine and derrick. Oak hill has got the real nature gift of goods as it relates to head work to push business and push it to its limit.
The Abbot Worsted Company are making Brookside look like dress parade with paint and repairs and a general clearance of unsightly environments.
Ninety bushels of apples were picked from two trees at Oscar R. Spalding’s as per figures of one who helped pick them. It would seem that the largest crop of apples in Westford ever harvested will be picked. There is a large market in this country and abroad. New York State is short by one-half and a big shortage in Vermont as per government reports, and prices are well up as compared with two years ago when $1.00 per bushel for hand-picked apples was above the average, while this year dropped apples bring $1.75. The price this year is partly due to the quality and color of the fruit. The abundance of rain has kept apples growing to a size perhaps never before seen in New England. Cider apples are quite scarce at $1.50 per barrel—quite a rise from the time when the writer teamed cider apples four miles for fifteen cents a bushel and a drug on the market at that price.
The West Chelmsford Benevolent society of the village church held the monthly social at the vestry on Wednesday evening. The vestry was crowded with many visitors from Oak hill, Westford Corner, Brookside and Westford Center, North Chelmsford and Lowell. Following an unusual satisfactory supper an interesting program was given.
Karl M. Perham, of Chelmsford, democratic candidate for representative, was in town on Wednesday in the interest of an inside view of the state house.
George O. Jackson, of Forge Village, will soon be George O. Jackson, of West Chelmsford, as per his move.
Graniteville. Rev. Alfred Woods, of Malden, a former pastor of the M.E. church, visited friends here recently.
Charles M. Ryan, of Haverhill, deputy of Court Westford, M.C.O.F., of this village, called on friends here recently to arouse interest in the order.
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Langley and family have recently moved from here to their farm in North Westford near the Tyngsboro line.
Misses Emily and Hilma Hanson have returned from a very enjoyable vacation spent with relatives in New York and Pennsylvania.
The Graniteville bowling team met defeat at the hands of North Chelmsford last week, but hopes to have better luck next time.
The board of registrars met at the Abbot clubhouse on last Monday night and sixteen new names were added to the voting list. It appears that there is being more registration here and in fact throughout the town than in any previous year for a long time. No doubt there’s a reason.
Fred M. Defoe is now serving on the jury for the present term at Lowell.
The law is now off on pheasants and the local nimrods are making the most of their opportunities as the hunters cannot shoot partridges this year and their spare time is now put in trying to bag a pheasant.
Wedding. Sergt. William F. Buckingham, a veteran of the world war and a member of the famous second division, was united in marriage to Miss Isabelle Carpentier at the parochial residence of St. John’s church, North Chelmsford on Wednesday morning at nine o’clock. The ceremony was performed by the pastor, Rev. C. P. Heaney. Both young people are very well known here. The bride was attended by her sister, Miss Gertrude Carpentier, as bridesmaid and the best man was Thomas Gower. The bride was attired in a taupe colored traveling costume with hat of the same prevailing shade. The bridesmaid costume was of silvertone with hat to match.
Immediately after the ceremony the bridal party went to Lowell where a wedding breakfast was served in the Richardson hotel. In the early afternoon the bridal couple left for a brief honeymoon trip that will be spent in New York and on their return will reside in their new home in the village.
Mr. and Mrs. Buckingham were the recipients of many wedding gifts and start in on their new life with the best wishes of a wide circle of friends.
Death. It is with deep sorrow and regret that the many friends of Miss Abbie F. Splain here heard of her death that occurred at her home in Forge Village, Wednesday morning. Miss Splain was a woman of beautiful character and beloved by all with whom she came in contact. The Splain family are well and favorably known through their long connection with the Forge Village postoffice and Miss Abbie, both in a business and social way, made many friends. She was always bright and cheerful, ever ready to assist in any worthy cause and her pleasant smile coupled with her pleasing personality made one better for having known her. In her home life she was the life of the house and she will be sadly missed from the family circle.
She was a devout member of St. Catherine’s church and the Women’s Sodality and formerly was identified with the church choir and Sunday school, where she was an efficient teacher. She was also a member of Court Westford, M.C.O.F.
The deepest sympathy is expressed to the bereaved family in their great loss of a loving sister.
Forge Village. Mrs. Miller suffered a very serious accident on Sunday when returning from church. When descending from a machine at her street she fell and injured both knees, besides being badly shaken up. Miss Margaret O’Hara is in charge of the case.
The soccer football team played a fine game in Lawrence last Saturday and now have another victory to add to their list. The score was 6 to 0 in favor of the Forge team. They will play the Andover team next Saturday on the home grounds at Abbot’s park.
The Manchester Unity Odd Ladies will go from here on Saturday night to the town hall at Westford, where a large class will be initiated. The degree team from Leominster will have charge of the floor work. Afterwards a supper will be served to all the members. They have formerly held their meetings in Recreation hall at the Forge Mission House.
The Ladies’ Sewing circle at St. Andrew’s mission are planning a supper to be held in the near future.
Death. Miss Ellen MacMurray passed away early Saturday morning, after a long and wearing illness. She was sixty-eight years old. Born in the county of Antrim, Balleyclaire, Ireland, she came to this country when young and has made her home in this village with her niece, Mrs. Robert Orr, for many years. She has been an invalid for seventeen years, but previous to that time was in the employ of the Abbot Worsted Co. for more than twenty years. She leaves four nieces, Mrs. Jennie MacBride, Mrs. Hodgeson, Mrs. Robert Orr and Mrs. Agnes Flanagan; five nephews, John and James MacMurray, George and Albert Little and James MacMurry, and a great number of distant relatives. Although obliged to remain at home and almost always suffering, she made many friends by her cheerful disposition and her patience.
The funeral service was held Monday at two o’clock from the home of Mrs. Robert Orr. There were many beautiful floral offerings. Rev. Leslie Wallace read the burial service. Five members of St. Anthony’s choir, Miss Theresa Lowther, Misses Sarah, Mildred and Pamelia Precious and Miss E. Mae Lord sang Miss MacMurray’s favorite hymns very feelingly. The bearers were Robert Orr, sr., Robert Orr, jr., Albert Little and James MacMurray. The burial was in Fairview cemetery at Westford.
Ayer
News Items. The War Camp Community Service are extending their activities for three months longer to adjust themselves to conditions of peace time. This is a recent change in the policy of the W.C.C.S., it having been planned to stop activities the 31st of the present month. In the case of the local Soldiers’ club, the aim will be to develop it into a community house with special privileges for soldiers, but all privileges will be open to civilians as well.
Pepperell
News Items. On Thursday afternoon six members of the Red Cross society from Leominster came here in six autos with thirty-one of the convalescent soldiers from Camp Devens, for an outing. By previous arrangement they were entertained at the Homestead, together with four nurses from the hospital at Camp Devens. Fortunately the house was large enough, and the spirit of hospitality ample, so that the company were not regarded as too much of a gathering. The abundance of the refreshments by the host was also a matter of congratulation. Music was rendered by the Misses Dunton and Butler, for the entertainment of the guests.