These news items were the talk of the town on May 22, 1903
Last Tuesday evening Mr. and Mrs. James E. Slavin entertained a number of friends at their home on Rock Street. The evening opened with a reception and this was followed by vocal and instrumental music and other exercises. The talent included Doderick and Clark, humorists, Miss Kate Conley, William J. Mahoney, Ambrose Glenuou, Mrs. James E. Slavin in vocal selections, and James in’, vocal and instrumental eleven o’clock a collation was served. The affair was somewhat in the nature of a house-warming for the refined and popular young couple in their charming home and was made enjoyable to all attending. A local orchestra furnished music.
Rev. Mr. Dn8seanlt of Hyde Park, P. M. G. of the order in Massachusetts, has been invited to deliver the address at the Memorial Sunday service of Tiot Lodge, I. O. O. F., which will be held on June 7, the first Sunday in June.
George Dann of Brockton, a former resident, is visiting Norwood friends.
The Norwood cider cases, laid over from last week, came up again forbearing in the district court in Dedham on Tuesday last. Levi Greenwood, Sr., charged with the illegal sale of cider and with maintaining a liquor nuisance on Nahatan Street, was pronounced not guilty on the first charge and guilty on the second. He was fined $150. He appealed to the Superior Court. Dennis McCarthy, Jr., who was in court on precisely the same charge as these preferred against Greenwood, his place being located on Dean Street, was declared guilty on both charges and was fined $100. He took an appeal. Both cases will probably come before the Superior Criminal Court in September.
The N Y., N. H. & H. railroad people have built a turntable in the car shop yards at Norwood Central. It is much larger than the old one. Tinite has been used in its construction instead of wood. On the lower track large blocks of granite have also been used in place of sleepers.
Married in Islington, May 10, by the Rev. W. F. Bickford, Mr. Joseph Wilder and Mrs. Jennie Gibson, both of Islington.
Miss M. B. Walsh has returned from a visit of several months to Ireland and is stopping with Mrs. Lee, Pleasant Street. She returned to Norwood last Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Whitney have gone to their summer home at Southport, Me.
H. R, Ellis’ place is being greatly improved by the arts of the painter and the renovator.
N. L. Newman has moved into his handsome new residence on Wheelock Avenue.
Mrs. F.E. Bartley has gone to California for a two months visit.
The engagement of Miss Elizabeth Gibson of this town to Eugene Monahan of Charlestown is announced.
Louise MacLaren, daughter of the late Mrs. Daniel MacLaren, who died at her home on Railroad Avenue last week, died on Saturday last at the Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston.
Daniel Mahoney, who has been living in the West for several years past, is the guest of his brother, Thomas Mahoney of Railroad Avenue.
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Boyd of Newton Highlands came to attend the Literary Club reception last Monday night. Mr. and Mrs. Boyd were among the charter members of the organization twenty years ago.
Geo. F. Bagley, Jr., has a new automobile.
The Boston Herald of a short time ago published an interesting article about the value of a Guarnorius violin, made in Cremona, Italy, in 1742, by Joseph Guarnerius. The item in the Herald is in a dispatch from New York, and reads as follows: “What experts say is probably a genuine Guarnerius violin was pawned in this city recently for $20. The pawnbroker says if it is a Guarnerius it is worth $5,000. It was pledged by a Hungarian violinist. The following inscription is discernible inside the instrument: ‘Joseph Guarnerius Fecit Cremonae. Anno. 1742, I. H. S.’ It is the opinion of experts that there is but one other Guarnorius in New York. H. O. Havemeyer owns it. Now it happens that there is a violin in Norwood, which the Advertiser man has seen, purporting to be a Guarnerius. It bears the legend, “Joseph Guarnerius Fecit. Cromonae, Anno. 1714, I. H. S.” If really made by Guarnerius in 1714 it must be considerably older than the New York one. It is owned by Alfred J. Wells of Vernon Street, and he is thinking anxiously of that $5,000.
Miss Susie D. Wheelock arrived home this week from an extended visit to lier sisters in California.
Geo. E. Sanborn has been spending a fortnight down in Nova Scotia.
Mrs. Margaret Williamson Mitchell of Bridgewater was in town Monday night attending the Literary Club reception.
Mr. and Mrs. F. O. Winslow are expecting to sail for home the last of this month, arriving early in June.
A meeting of the committee on an Old Home Week celebration, held last Tuesday evening, was attended by eleven of the fifteen members, and much interest was shown. Arrangements were made for the holding of a public meeting to form a local Old Home Week association. This meeting will be held in Village Hall on next Tuesday evening at 8 o’clock. All present residents and former citizens of the town are urged to be present. A constitution and by-laws will probably be presented for adoption, and it is likely that the town will be asked to appropriate some $300 in town meeting for the celebration. At the mooting Tuesday evening an address will be delivered by Mr. Thomas F. Anderson, secretary of the Massachusetts Old Home Week Association.
The committee from the Board of Trade on Old Home Week observance will meet next Tuesday night in Village Hall at 7:15 o’clock sharp.
The sad news of the death of Rev. Ellis Mendell of Jamaica Plain, formerly pastor of the Congregational church in this town, was received on Wednesday with deep sorrow by a host of people here who loved him most deeply. He died after a three days illness of typhoid-pneumonia. Mr. Mendell was broad-minded and earnest minister and an extremely social man, and his friends, among all denominations, were legion. The sympathy of this whole community goes out to his bereaved family.
A number of Norwood ladies went to Walpole Wednesday night to hear Prof. E. H. Briggs’ lecture before the Woman’s Club of that town.
Mrs. B. F. Colburn entertained the woman’s afternoon whist club on Wednesday.
The comptroller of the currency has granted the petition of Norwood capitalists for a national bank for Norwood. The next move prior to obtaining a charter will be the raising of the capital stock, which should be held by Norwood people. It is expected that a subscription paper will soon be afloat.
Four fishermen came back to town Saturday night with stories of a pickerel weighing a pound and a half, and measuring sixteen inches in length. It is early in the season for good, fish stories, but they come in once in in while, nevertheless.
The Boston Daily Globe is devoting considerable attention to Norwood’s proposed Old Home Week celebration, and the Globe of this (Friday) morning contained a fine portrait of William T. Whedon, secretary of the Norwood committee of arrangements.
The books of the Tabard Inn Library arrived at Perley B. Thompson’s store Thursday morning and a brisk demand immediately set in from subscribers. The books, though mostly of the lighter order, embracing chiefly fiction and travel, are remarkably well selected. They are not only some of the best books, but there are quite a number of the old favorites, the works which many people have always been anxious to read, and-which many are always glad to read a second time.
Roy. and Mrs. A. E. George of Walpole were the guests of Mrs. E. K. Angier at the Literary Club reception Monday evening.
(Originally published in the Norwood Advertiser and Review)