USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > A History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, vol 1 > Part 45
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Executive Committee-Spencer Borden, Jr., Nathan Durfee, Robert R. Borden and Henry. F. Searles.
Field Assistants -- Malcolm Ware, Merton E. Grush and Ralph Angier.
Publicity Committee-Charles B. Chase, Leonard S. Chace, James H. Mahoney and Willard R. Terry, secretary.
Individual Subscriptions-Robert C. Davis and Thomas S. Bassett.
General Committee-Miss Anna Borden, Mrs. F. O. Dodge, Eric W. Borden, Supt. of Schools Hector L. Belisle, Frank H. Borden, John S. Brayton, W. L. S. Brayton, Thomas R. Burrell, Simeon S. Chase, E. P. Charlton, Walter T. Cornell, Edmond Cote, George Delano, M. J. Doran, George H. Eddy, Jr., Adam W. Gifford, M. T. Hudner, O. S. Hawes, Albert A. Harrison, Mayor James H. Kay, William Kaylor, J. E. Nute, Charles H. Percival, Dr. H. A. Rosa, Everett N. Slade, John F. Stafford, Charles E. Smith, Thomas Taylor, James Tansey and E. Ventura.
There was no lag in the drive for the "Fighting Fourth" Liberty Loan, though the floating of so large a loan appeared an enormous task at the outset. The city's quota was $7,368,000, and the total of subscriptions was $8,927,000, exceeding the quota by more than one and one-half millions. Joseph E. Nute was chairman of the Liberty Loan committee of societies and unions, and his chairmen were:
George Grime, Order of Elks; Alfred A. Howarth, Butchers and Grocers; A. J. Jennings, Fall River Bar Association; Dr. Ralph W. French, Fall River Medical So- ciety; Willard R. Gilbert, Royal Arcanum; Everett M. Snow, Friendly Union Lodge, I. O. O. F .; James Whitehead, Weavers' Progressive Association; Frank D. Parkhurst, Mt. Hope Lodge, I. O. O. F .; Dr. F. O. Kidd, Knights of Pythias; Alvin G. Weeks, Improved Order of Red Men; William H. Platt, Y. M. P. T. & B. Society; Elmer Young, Masons; Joseph X. Thibault, Loyal Order of Moose; William A. Hart, Cham- ber of Commerce; James Tansey, Card Room Protective Association; Thomas Taylor, Loomfixers' Association; Thomas J. Harrington, Fall River Philanthropic Burial So- ciety; James H. Gifford, Fall River Lodge, I. O. O. F .; Edward J. Guiney, Knights of Columbus; Robert Almond, Fall River Bowling Green Club; Simon S. Sullivan, Fraternal Order of Eagles; Frederick Dinsmore, Central Labor Union; Frank T. Mellor, Musicians' Protective Union; Wright Turner, Typographical Union; Thomas J. Ashton, Manchester Unity Lodges; Daniel Reagan, Y. M. I. A. C. T. & B. Society; John J. Cummings, Court Benevolence, Foresters of America; William Harwood, Slasher Tenders' Union; George W. Adams, Clan McAlpin 153, Order of Scottish Clans; Albion J. Edgell, Pilgrim Lodge, Ancient Order of United Workmen; John H. Carey, Builders' Association; Benjamin R. Acornley, Fall River Trade & Industry As- sociation; John A. Crowley, Foresters of America.
Mr. Nute also was chairman of many other campaigns, such as those of the Boy Scouts that in February, 1917, raised $10,600; the Red Triangle, that in November of that year secured $72,839; the local Y. M. C. A., that in February, 1918, brought in $13,714.54; the Second Red Cross war fund, that in May totalled $181,091.63; the United War Work campaign, that in November, 1918, collected $243,000; the local Y. M. C. A. campaign of March and April, 1919, that secured $32,408; the third Red Cross roll call, that totalled $554,886.70.
In the Victory Loan drive of May, 1919, the quota for this city was $5,551,350, yet the city totalled, as a result of splendid effort, $6,365,160, more than $800,000 in excess of the quota. Fall River thus subscribed a total of $32,166,700 worth of bonds to the five loan campaigns, or an average of $6,433,340 for each campaign.
The war savings committee consisted of Edward S. Adams, chairman; James H. Hoar, Hon. John W. Cummings, William B. Hawes, and William F. Winter, and their report for the four years follows: 1918: Number
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of war savings stamps, 168,695; sales value, $705,810.33; number of thrift stamps, 896,000; value, $224,000; total sales value, $929,810.33. 1919: Number of war savings stamps, 19,256; sales value, $80,069.37; number of thrift stamps, 85,845; value, $21,461.25. Treasury certificates, $3,542.80. Total sales value, $105,073.42. 1920: Number of war savings stamps, 3,999; sales value, $16,688.07. Number of thrift stamps, 15,880; value, $3,970; Treasury certificates, $2,685.40. Total sales value, $23,323.47. 1921 : Number of war savings stamps, 1,143; sales value, $4,769.06. Num- ber of thrift savings stamps, 5,915; value, $1,478.75. Treasury stamps, $61. Treasury certificates, $1,179.95. Total sales value, $7,488.76.
Special Aid Work .- A call came to the women of Fall River in the spring of 1916 to join with those of other cities in definite enlistment for patriotic service by means of the Special Aid Society for American Pre- paredness, an organization that had been launched by Mrs. William Alex- ander of New York City, her co-laborer in Boston being Mrs. Barrett Wendell. At the request of a representative of the Massachusetts Branch, Miss Anna H. Borden, of Fall River, invited to her home a group of twenty- seven women, including representatives of all the women's large organiza- tions, and by them, on April 24, 1916, the Fall River Branch of the society was formed with the following-named officers: President, Miss Anna H. Borden; vice-president, Miss Elizabeth T. Higney; secretary, Mrs. Chester D. Borden; treasurer, Mrs. Frederick O. Dodge; corresponding secretary, Mrs. James M. Morton, Jr. At the same time, work of five departments was undertaken thus: Economic Cookery, in charge of Mrs. Harold H. Anthony; Red Cross instruction, Mrs. James M. Morton, Jr .; Surgical Dressings, Mrs. F. B. Albert; Hospital Equipments, Mrs. John Heathcote; Girls' Training Camps, Mrs. Hector L. Belisle. These officers and ap- pointees, with Mrs. William A. Gifford, Miss Frances S. Brown, Mrs. Charles D. Burt, Miss Margaret Brennan, Mrs. Edmund Coté and Miss Margaret M. Hurley, were constituted an executive committee, while the following-named were the advisory committee: Mesdames Charles H. Warner, John S. Brayton, Nathan Durfee, J. B. Richards, W. J. Speers, J. D. Milne, G. H. R. Buffinton, J. C. Mackenzie, J. T. C. McGuire, E. C. Herrick; Misses Margaret Shove, Florence Hills, Margaret Brayton, May Hudner. All constituted a general committee for directing the affairs of the society.
The slogan of this society, so well organized, was "Immediate service without red tape," and women in all walks of life responded enthusiastically and with prompt and unselfish devotion. The maximum membership at any one time was 602. The society had the pleasure of hearing talks by Lieutenant Godfrey L. Cabot and Miss Helen Fraser, and the first active work entered upon was that of education, when classes in economic cookery and first aid to the injured were immediately organized; practical work was undertaken for the men on the Mexican border; contributions were made toward the expenses of three service houses conducted by the Massachusetts Branch, etc. By their special methods in the "Treasures and Trinkets" movement, the society contributed a large sum for aviation, and in a score of other ways their title proved no misnomer. The organiza- tion filled its unique place, as a practical herald of many helpers to come. The local Woman's Liberty Loan committee and the Fall River unit of
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the Woman's Committee of the Council of National Defence, as to its personnel, was identical with that of the Special Aid Society, and the society's treasury financed both committees. Its work was a pioneer one in meeting all sorts of war needs. It was indefinitely adjourned at its third annual meeting, November 11, 1919.
A strong and effective right arm in every wartime effort in Fall River was the Fall River Chapter of the American Red Cross. In it were con- centrated both the energy and the sinews of nearly every successful venture that was planned and carried out for the amelioration of the hard conditions attending the struggle. Here was a work for men, but chiefly here was presented a work for women, and the latter gave very bountifully of their time and their talents, as well as of every means at their command, in order that the institution should prove the success that it did in this city. Throughout the war, between 550 and 650 volunteers gave their time freely, and with no reward, there being but four paid workers, one secretary of the home service department, one stenographer, a janitor and a watchman. All the effort of Fall River Chapter dates from that day, April 4, 1917, when John L. Saltonstall, director of the northeastern division of the Red Cross, came here to preside at a meeting of seventeen citizens in the Massasoit- Pocasset Bank building; and it was at that time that an organization com- mittee was formed, consisting of F. Stafford Mathewson, chairman; Miss Anna H. Borden, secretary; and Mrs. Ellen W. Heathcote, Mrs. Charles H. Warner, Harry P. Brown, Dr. Ralph W. French and Frederick Webb. Later, this committee met again and nominated the following-named officers : F. Stafford Mathewson, chairman; Miss Anna H. Borden and Asa Mills, vice-chairmen; Mrs. Harold H. Anthony, secretary; Arthur W. Allen, treasurer. Executive committee: Hector L. Belisle, Mrs. Nathan Durfee, Mayor James H. Kay, Mrs. F. S. Mathewson, Mrs. James M. Morton, Jr., Charles P. Ryan, Miss Margaret Shove, Mrs. Ellen W. Heathcote, Richard P. Borden, Dr. Ralph W. French, Mrs. Patrick Kieran, Joseph E. Nute, Mrs. Anna E. Rothrock, Frank M. Silvia, Mrs. Charles H. Warner. After- ward the following-named were added to the executive committee: James H. Mahoney, Thomas J. Pickering, treasurer, to succeed Clifford M. Gard- ner, who succeeded Arthur W. Allen; Mrs. F. E. Woodruff, assistant secre- tary ; W. D. Wilmot, Harry Smalley, Earle P. Charlton, Charles B. Chase, Simeon B. Chase, Mrs. Michael F. Sullivan, John H. Holt, Miss Marion R. Thomas. This list of officers was elected Monday, April 13, at the Wo- man's Club, Mrs. Mathewson presiding. Charles B. Chase was chosen chairman of a committee for a membership campaign, and as a result, in May, 17,689 members were enrolled in the chapter.
The first summer work on surgical dressings, under the direction of Mrs. Ellen W. Heathcote as chairman, was carried on at the Woman's Club. Mrs. J. Edward Newton was at her continuous post of duty, giving out work on hospital garments; and Mrs. F. S. Mathewson supervised the work of the knitting department. The library at the Truesdale clinic was used for the monthly executive meetings. In the first War Fund drive the sum of $49,000 was raised, twenty-five per cent. of which was retained by the chapter.
The Junior Auxiliary was formed in October, 1917, with Harry Smalley as the chairman, and one by one the auxiliaries in the nearby towns were
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formed, such as those at Westport Point, Assonet, Swansea Center, South Swansea, South Somerset, Somerset, Pottersville, and that under the Steiger- Cox direction. The store of Cherry and Webb, North Main and Elm streets, was taken over for headquarters, December 3. Under the leader- ship of Mrs. Nathan Durfee and James H. Mahoney, the Home Service de- partment was started at about this time, with Miss Hester Gunning as the secretary ; and the educational work was begun under the leadership of Mrs. James M. Morton, Jr. The first Christmas membership drive took place the week of December 17-24, with Charles B. Chase as chairman, the chap- ter enrolling 30,600 members; and the Service Club was opened on Christ- mas Eve, 1917, under the direction of Thomas Chew. The next year was filled with scores of duties that the well-organized chapter found itself able to cope with. The canteen committee, Miss Margaret Brayton, captain, was started by the Special Aid Society, and taken over by the Red Cross in May, 1918, Miss Marion R. Thomas then succeeding Miss Brayton as captain. The first drive for clothing for Belgian relief in April, 1918, brought in 3785 pounds; and the second drive, Mrs. M. Hartwell Adams, chairman, brought in as much. The result of the second Red Cross War Fund drive, May 20 to 26, under the chairmanship of Joseph E. Nute, amounted to $181,000.
Splendid as were all its wartime results, those of the Red Cross during the influenza epidemic were heroic. While that epidemic called for the services of the entire community that was already giving liberally to war causes, the chapter again exerted itself to the utmost, the Board of Health turning over its functions to the civilian relief department of the chapter, under the chairmanship of James H. Mahoney. The hospital garment de- partment, Mrs. J. Edward Newton chairman, proved of great value during the prevalence of the disease. That year thousands of Christmas boxes were sent to camp and field through Fall River Chapter. In order to facili- tate that and various other kinds of work in which the chapter was en- gaged, the Fall River Motor Corps was formed in November, 1918, with Miss Marion R. Thomas as captain, and with twenty drivers and eight aids enrolled; and the Home Service department instituted the information and communication departments, and acted as a clearing house for the doctors, nurses, and calls of all sorts. In the early part of this year there was held a great parade in demonstration of the Red Cross campaign. The Red Cross nursing service was one of the most useful organizations within the institution, seventy-one nurses being added to the membership. Miss Anna E. Rothrock was chairman. Up to December 1, 1918, the Chapter Juniors had organized fifty-five school auxiliaries, enrolled 16,095 school pupils, and deposited in the school Red Cross fund the sum of $4093.24.
From April 21, 1917, to December 1, 1918, the total of receipts from the first and second war funds amounted to $56,514.37; from the first and second membership drives and additional memberships, $25,100.75; the grand total from all sources being $103,744.19. The payments for the knit- ting and garment department, surgical dressings, civilian relief, etc., amount- ed to $71,192.02. The report of the work of the chapter from January to June, 1919, follows: In the home service section, 4499 calls were made at the office for assistance, not necessarily financial, and $5481.47 were given to ex-service men and their families; in the garment department, 12,024 gar-
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ments were made; in the knitting department, 4067 articles were made; and the canteen service, during this period, worked with the War Camp Ser- vice, and gave out 400 bars of chocolates ; five canteen workers also assisted in April, 1919, at the Y. D. division parade in Boston. During the month of April, they also served meals to members of firing squads. In June, forty-five members of the Red Cross canteen service were transferred to the Red Cross canteen reserves. The motor corps, composed of twenty-six members, gave 630 hours of service, with a mileage of 638 miles.
The War Camp Community Service, with its hostess house in Fall River, started in January, 1918, and entertained on an average between 2000 and 3000 service men a week. The Red Cross headquarters were turned into the War Camp Community Service Club, with Emily M. Wooley, of Denver, Colorado, as head of the Girls' Club, and Harold P. Whitney, of Washington, as head of the Service Club.
The War Library Committee, acting in cooperation with the Public Library officials to collect books for the men in military and naval service, was appointed September 20, 1917, as follows: Miss Anna H. Borden, Richard P. Borden, John S. Brayton, Harry P. Brown, E. P. Charlton, Charles P. Chase, Dr. A. L. Connell, Edmond Coté, E. J. Guiney, Oliver S. Hawes, Charles L. Holmes, Miss Grace Lincoln, Charles B. Luther, F. S. Mathewson, Asa A. Mills, Mrs. James M. Morton, Jr., Joseph E. Nute, B. B. Reed, M. F. Searles, Rev. M. F. A. Silva, David Silverstein, Joseph Turner, W. D. Wilmot, acting in cooperation with Librarian George W. Rankin, chairman; Oliver S. Hawes, treasurer; W. D. Wilmot, publicist.
Action was taken early in the year 1917 intended to arouse interest among Catholic women of Fall River for the formation of an organization of their own. Thereupon, Mrs. Michael F. Sullivan and Mrs. James H. Mahoney asked for and received assistance from Grand Knight Michael J. Collins, of the Knights of Columbus, and his deputy, Grand Knight Wil- liam D. Keefe, who offered the Knights of Columbus hall for a meeting place. Their first meeting occurred April 9, 1917, three days after war was declared, Mrs. M. F. Sullivan presiding. There was a large attendance, and all desired to share in some kind of service. At a meeting that soon followed, the name of the Catholic Women's Service League was adopted, and the following-named officers were elected: President, Mrs. Michael F. Sullivan; vice-president, Mrs. James E. Sullivan; secretary, Mrs. Michael R. Skelly; treasurer, Mrs. James H. Mahoney; chairman of knitting, Miss Katherine M. Moran; chairman of dressings, Mrs. Emma D. Shay; chair- man of sewing department, Mrs. James H. Mahoney. Hundreds of articles were made by this society, the material being paid for by the Knights of Columbus and then donated by them to the Coast Artillery and the Naval Reserves. Liberal gifts of money were received from the Queen's Daugh- ters, Court Lady of Victory, Catholic Order of Foresters, from Right Rev. James E. Cassidy, D. D., and many other individuals. The knitting depart- ment was incessantly at work, some of those aiding in the cause being Mesdames of the Holy Union of the Sacred Hearts, Sisters of St. Joseph, Dominican Sisters, Mesdames of Sacred Hearts in Taunton, pupils in the Davol and N. B. Borden schools, and many women in the Kerr Thread Mill, under the leadership of Miss Rose Maynard.
The nuns of the Sacred Heart Academy made hundreds of articles for
FALL RIVER-COURT HOUSE
EARLY NORTH VIEW OF FALL RIVER
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the men in the service. Mrs. Francis J. Fennelly had charge of the blanket work; classes were formed in first aid and in the making of surgical dress- ings. The work of this league was heartily endorsed by Right Rev. Bishop Daniel F. Feehan, and was under the immediate direction of Rev. Charles A. Donovan, supervisor of Catholic charities for the Fall River diocese.
How many scores of individual and corporate efforts in Fall River for the support of our country in the World War may have been omitted from this narrative, it is not easy to estimate, yet it will be acknowledged that through the main channels, thus reviewed, every war energy eventu- ally found its outlet to the ocean of allied struggle against the Central European powers. The most thrilling and unanimous event in Fall River's history shall ever be recorded as an event in which all served as one, and every local organization of whatever name was a Republic of patriotism in miniature; and there are close to two hundred names upon Fall River's honor roll, as a solemn memorial of that service and of the supreme sacrifice of Fall River's sons.
CHAPTER VI. THE MUNICIPALITY OF FALL RIVER
A glance of the eye cannot range the Fall River of today, even from the vantage-point of her highest elevation. Neither can several interviews or many strokes of the pen sufficiently set forth all the salient portions of the story of this city of great industry. The narrative of the town's prog- ress and the city's annals at one time might well be comprehended in detail within the covers of an ordinary book. But we have arrived at a goal of the municipality's history beyond the chapter of the incredible World War events, that historians of old could not in any wise prophesy. Of a sudden, the story of the city has become encyclopedic in its proportions, so that a score of historians within the modern community might indite each his volume upon any topic, municipal, educational, ecclesiastical, industrial, lingual, as witness, for example, one recent work, "Le Guide Français de Fall River," with its more than eight hundred pages. And many are the as yet unwritten histories upon related subjects within the one city. There- fore, it must be granted that an historian shall undertake a labor of im- mense magnitude who shall attempt to make even a general survey of Fall River-city of expanding toil, of manifold institutions, of delectable situa- tion. Now indeed have we come upon those times when every hour is herald of wonderful development-this being the annus mirabilis and not yesterday, after all.
While there is to come our chapter that shall have for its special con- cern the rise and progress of the city's industries, our earlier procedure thereto must be by way of those municipal milestones whereat the city has placed her chosen sentinels and guides, who have challenged the advance to the present. The prideful announcement is now upon the tongue's end that we are a city of a population of more than 130,000, and the declaration that Fall River operates millions of spindles in her mills is put forth with justifiable satisfaction. The city's total valuation, the visitor is told, is close to one hundred and thirty-three millions; and the provision for the
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cosmopolitan populace is comprehensive and on a par with that of any city of this size upon our coast. Yet such statements are best approved and realized as we again in retrospect familiarize ourselves with those steps in the municipal journey that have secured to us this summit.
Incorporation as a City .- Unlike most New England communities, Fall River has even now been invested with its municipal honors much longer than with those of the town, and since April 12, 1854, when this city was incorporated, a succession of city-making and industry-increasing events has transpired that is rarely the lot of any New England community. In 1854, then, with the population at 12,000, and with the valuation of the town placed at close to $9,000,000, with thrift and promise of future great success as incentives, the city entered into its own. There were pro- gressive and enterprising men in charge of the destinies of the city charter proposition, Dr. Foster Hooper being the chairman, and his aids being John Westall, Nathaniel B. Borden, Israel Buffinton, Eliab Williams, Samuel L. Thaxter, Robert C. Brown, Thomas Wilbur and Louis Lapham.
On April 22, 1854, the report of the city charter committee was accepted by a vote of the town, 529 for, and 247 against the proposition. There were three leading candidates for the city's first mayoralty, namely: James Buffinton, Dr. Foster Hooper, and Nathaniel Durfee, but Mr. Buffin- ton received the majority of votes over all, of 331 in the aggregate of 1261, at the election that took place May 6, 1854, the inauguration ensuing at the City Hall on May 15. Mayor Buffinton proved to be a peerless mayor at the launching of the city. He was a self-sacrificing citizen, not only car- rying out the wishes of the community and his constituency while in office, but proving his humanity during the prevalence at that time of the Asiatic cholera scourge, when he personally cared for sick and dying, and even prepared the dead for burial. For this and for all his enduring qualities as citizen and mayor, his friends were legion. He was reelected to the mayoralty in 1855, but in the autumn of that year he was chosen as representative to Congress. No generation will ever see quite his like again. He was an avowed Abolitionist, and at the outbreak of the Civil War he raised a company of volunteers and shared with them in their daily drill. Hon. Edward P. Buffinton then filled the unexpired term of the first mayor. He had been a member of the State House of Repre- sentatives in 1852, and was a member of the city's first board of aldermen. After serving the previous part term of his predecessor, he was elected mayor in 1856.
Like Mayor Buffinton, Hon. Nathaniel B. Borden, the third mayor, had served both in the Massachusetts Legislature and as representative in the National Congress. He, too, was a philanthropist of the highest type, a believer in and co-worker with his fellow-men for the upbuilding of the city. It was during the hard times of the winter of 1856-1857 when but few of the mills were running, and when thousands of people were out of work, that he found means of employment for the needy, and that for the first time here he had district committees of relief appointed.
Hon. Josiah C. Blaisdell was the choice of the people of Fall River for their executive head in 1858 and 1859, and again as in the case of the other mayors, he had served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Rep- resentatives. As mayor of this city, he is remembered for his methods of
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rigid economy, and as Henry H. Earl, A. M., historian, graphically says "The administration lived within its income." While he held office, and in 1858, some movement was made towards bringing about a surrender of the city charter, but the popular vote that was taken in the matter, of two to one in favor of upholding and continuing the charter, set aside the opposition. It is conceded that it was largely through the economy of Judge Blaisdell that the city was enabled to enter upon a new era of prosperity.
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