This Day in Norwood History-Talk Of The Town-February 20, 1903

These news items were the talk of the town on February 20, 1903

Norwood had its worst snow storm of the season last Tuesday morning. Mails were all late and the Boston morning papers did not get here until about 9 o’clock in the morning. For a time the electrics were stalled in all directions, but the Norfolk & Bristol kept its lines open clear to Manfleld most of the day, and had on the whole the best luck of the three roads. The Old Colony opened its road in the early morning but though the tracks seemed clear, cars were not running at all regularly until afternoon. In fact the service has been more or less demoralized all the week. Cars were stalled on the Blue Hill and Canton lines Monday night and at the present writing (Thursday noon) the blockade continues. The town did fairly good work with streets and sidewalks Tuesday forenoon though the snow was damp and hard to handle and had come down in very large quantities.

THE WOMAN’S CLUB AND THE SCHOOL QUESTION

Presented by the vote of the Directors Board of the Norwood Woman’s Club

Article II of the constitution of the Norwood Woman’s Club is, “ The object of this club is to become a social centre for united thought and action upon matters of general improvement. ”

Most of the women of Norwood are United States citizens and Norwood citizens.

According to the census 1895 the number potentially is 2137. All should be woman voters; only 302 are registered, however. This variation in figures suggests what is evidenced in several other ways, namely, that the women of Norwood express but little interest in the schools of Norwood or in the public system of education.

It is also unnecessary to state that it is the privilege of every individual member of this club to vote as she thinks best. At the same time it is true that the majority of our women of Norwood do not regard that their expressed interest in education, in civics, and in the school hoard, is a duty.

The educational department of the Norwood Woman’s Club commends the following resolutions, which have been adopted by the Directors’ Board.

Resolved, The members of the school board shall be chosen and voted for in an entire absence of partisan spirit and with the qualification only of fitness for the promotion of the educational spirit.
Resolved, The women of this club should assume their share of responsibility in establishing and maintaining a high standard which an educational body like a public school committee should maintain.

There is no expense attending the registering or voting for the individual woman. The period ‘of registration closes 21 February at 10 p.m.

Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Bigelow entertained the evening whist club last Wednesday evening at their home on Day Street.

With two of our Norwood clergy vacating their pulpits in April and another becoming a benedict, there is good ground for believing that things will be unusually lively among the church people and especially the ministers.

Judge V. H. Lane of Anu Arbor is a visitor at the home of W. T. “Whedon. He is East delivering a series of lectures before the students of Boston University Law School.

We are glad to hear that our genial friend, Dr. Gould, who went to the hospital last week with threatened typhoid fever, has escaped the malady and will be brought about again before many days.

Mr. and Mrs. A. P. Thompson of Salem spent Sunday in Norwood visiting their parents.

Mrs. C. S. Gould Mrs. Geo. E. Sanborn and son Kenneth leave the last of this month for a trip to Jamaica to be gone several weeks.

Owing to the severe storm the Choral Society did not meet hist Tuesday night. Conductor Brackett was greatly disappointed, as he expected to begin work on a new male chorus which lias considerable fun in it and will make one of the interesting and taking selections for the coming concert. A full attendance of all members, both ladies and gentlemen, is expected at the rehearsal next Tuesday night in Conger Hall.

The next meeting of the Norwood Literary Club occurs next Monday evening with Mr. and Mrs. F. G. Allen on Walpole Street. The committee in charge of the evening, Mrs. Geo. F. Willett, Mrs. H. M. Plimpton and Mrs. F. G. Allen, have planned to give the club what promises to be one of the most delightful meetings of the season in bringing to Norwood Miss Helen A. Brooks, well known in the literary and musical world for her recitals in musical lines. Her subject on this occasion will be her new recital, “The Troubadours of the Twelfth Century,” which has met with such universal favor and which brings in the old French history and the legends and music found in a wonderful thousand milo bicycle trip in France. This will be in every sense a rare treat. The quotations to the roll call will be from hymns and songs, and Mrs. E. W. Ellis will be the Club Listener of the evening.

Methodist church concert, Village hall, Feb. 26. Allen A. Stockdale, reader.

Rev. Fr. Doody, lately appointed permanent pastor of St. Mary’s parish, the parish formerly ministered to by the late Rev. Fr. Scully, was formerly associated as orator with Rev. Fr. Johnson in Dedham, when Norwood, or South Dedham, was a mission of that parish, and is therefore well known to many people in Norwood.

The Norwoods defeated the Hyde Parks in three strings and by a score of 1319 to 1175, in the New Century League game at Ellis’s alloys last evening. The Norwoods will play the Websters at Roxbury next Thursday evening and the Boylstons on the evening of March 5.

Schools will close next Monday in honor of Washington’s birthday.

The twentieth anniversary of the marriage of Rev. G. W. and Mrs. Nead, will be observed at the parsonage Wednesday evening, Feb. 25, at 7. 45 o’clock. This invitation is extended to members of the church and also to those who are not members. All are welcome.

Captain J. Stearns Cushing, of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, returned Wednesday from a visit to Washington, D. C.

Stereopticon pictures of “The Sea in Winter” and a talk upon the Seamen’s Friend Society by its secretary will bo given at the Congregational church Sunday evening, at 7 o’clock. All invited.

Tiot Lodge, I. O. O. F., worked the second degree Wednesday evening. A number of applications for membership were received.

Invitations have been issued by the Wednesday Night Club for a dancing party to be given in Village Hall on Wednesday evening, February 25.

A patriotic concert with some very novel and interesting features was given last evening by the ladies of the First Baptist church. Various American national airs were sung and prizes were given for guessing the names of songs allegorically portrayed on the blackboard by various artists of the congregation. Prizes were also given to those cutting the most cherries from a little tree. Vocal solos were given by Mrs. Theodore Grant, selections were sung by a quartette including Miss Hattie Chickering, Miss Jennie Alden, Mr. Chickering and Mr. Hastings, and a piano duet was given by Mrs. Herbert Chickering and Miss Edith Newton. There was a large attendance both at the entertainment and at the supper which preceded it.

The first annual ball of the core makers of J. E. Plimpton & Co.’s foundry was held last evening in Conger Hall. There were about 100 couples present. Music was furnished by Greenwood’s orchestra and dancing was continued until 12 o’clock.

Three members were initiated into Neponset Lodge, N. E. O. P., last evening.

Mrs. Reuben Bock, who is undergoing treatment at a Boston hospital is reported much better and on the road to recovery.

G. A. Stuntzner is to have a new grocery in a building which is being erected on the old Lemuel Dean place, corner of Chapel and Washington streets.

Rev. George W. Nead gave a lecture on the creation of the world and other features of Old Testament history at the Baptist church last Sunday evening. The lecture was illustrated by the stereopticon manipulated by M, H. Howard. The lecture was highly interesting and many fine views were shown.

The Norwood Athletic Club held one of the most largely attended and successful dances of the season in Conger Hall on Friday evening of last week. There were 400 or more people present and the club cleared $42.50 by the affair. The best of good order prevailed, and all objectionable characters were carefully excluded. Praise is heard on all sides of the good management of the affair. The club includes some 35 Norwood young men, and is a practically new institution, having no connection or relation with the defunct Norwood Athletic Association, formerly existing here. The club has its rooms in the village ball block and will follow out the rule of making all its public assemblies respectable and calculated to please the best people.

It is announced that on Tuesday evening, Feb. 24, Hon. George Fred Williams, of Dedham, will address the people of Norwood and vicinity, on the advisability of independent action in politics. It is presumed that in this address he will explain the “People’s Rule,” of which some description has already been given in these columns. All the people are invited to attend.

John M. Mutch was struck by the engine of the Wrentham branch, while crossing the track near the Norwood Central station on Friday of last week. Though badly shaken up his injuries do not appear to be of a nature likely to lead to any serious results.

Foreman Arthur Billings of the electrotyping department of the Norwood Press, is ill at his home on Walnut Avenue, at the present writing.

Invitations have been issued for the marriage of Juliette Christine, daughter of Mrs. Moses Morrill, to Rev. Arthur Howe Pingree, pastor of the Norwood Congregational Church. The wedding will take pla e at the Old South Church, Boylston Street, Boston, on Wednesday, March 4, at 4. 30 p. m.

Captain Donald B. Smith of the schooner Rebecca Palmer, is spending a few days at his home on Vernon Street.

Miss Ida F. Seavey of Canton, was visiting Mrs. Edgar F. Roby in Norwood this week.

The chief feature of the Washingtonian festival to be held in the Univer-salist chapel, Monday, Feb. 23, will be a lunch counter which will be open from 4. 8 p.m.

Frederick S. Noyes, first lieutenant of Nelson R. Stevens Camp No. 45, S. of V. is attending the State Encampment which is held in Lowell today.

Mr. and Mrs. Edward Morse were the guests of Mrs. Morse’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Tate in Canton, this week.

Some 200 attended the game of basketball between the Norwood High School girls and the members of the Basket Ball Association. The game was highly interesting and closely contested, the High school girls winning by a score of 4 to 3. Miss Smith, Miss Bateman and Miss Thorn did the best playing for the High School team and Miss Maud Boyden and Miss Duncan carried off the honors for the Association team.

(Originally published in the Norwood Advertiser and Review)