USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newburyport > Waban, early days, 1681-1918 > Part 15
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At the second meeting, held at the residence of Dr. Clark on Windsor Road, "They heard about 'Money and Banking'," says the Boston Transcript. The paper was written by Mr. Al- bert H. Willis. He showed some old bank notes and paper currency dating back to Revolutionary days. A waiting list for the Club now develops. And if anyone missed three consecutive meetings, he was out of it.
At the third meeting, "He told them about Evangeline," the one who told them being Louis K. Harlow and the host for the evening the Rev. Mr. Williams, the first minister in Waban. At this meeting, on February 17, 1899, the name of the Club was changed to the "Beacon Club."
At the fourth meeting, held "at the handsome residence of Mr. William C. Strong on Windsor Road . . . they were told about 'Books and Book-making' by an author," who was
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Mr. John Preston True. He spoke "with the grace of style and occasional touch of humor which make Mr. True's books such excellent reading. ... Discussion as to enlarging the Club and holding the meetings in Waban Hall; all Waban men to be extended an invitation to join. Motion carried."
And so the fifth meeting was held for the first time in Waban Hall, that spot so dear to we Old-Timers. There were thirty-five present. Supper served by the Club. Was the ex- pense put down as advertising? Mr. Willis presided. It seems that a fair was held that spring, Mr. Saville reported that "the Restaurant" netted $100, so we presume that it was run by the Beacon Club. Voted that the Club now foot the entertainment bills. Mr. Lewis H. Bacon read a paper on "House Building."
At the next meeting Mr. F. D. Wood read extracts from books, one being by Bill Nye. The Club then seems to have rested until October, when the usual eight o'clock supper was served in the hall to twenty-four members. Dr. Jordan read a paper on Christian Science entitled, "As a man thinkest in his heart so he is," "creating considerable discussion, which con- sumed the whole evening, so that the other parts of the enter- tainment planned by the committee were given up" (or to speak more correctly, "given absent treatment") so the records read. Moved that every member be assessed 50 cents per meet- ing to meet the expenses. (Up to this time, there had been no dues.) From then on, if you were at the meeting and it cost more than the assessment, you paid your share of the excess. (We presume in that case you got more to eat-or did you ?) Again they drew the names of the "essayists" (so they called them) for the coming season.
Mr. Wardwell on "The Formation of Trusts" was the author of the paper given at the following meeting. Resigna- tions were read, but not accepted. "Whist and social inter- course" followed the essay. Mr. Louis K. Harlow was host at the December meeting; forty-two were present. Mr. David
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A. Ambrose read a paper on "The Metropolitan Park System," then supper was served and a concert given by unnamed friends of Mr. Harlow. "One of the most enjoyable evenings the Club has had," records the secretary.
Mr. William H. Gould was the next host. Each man was now to be assessed $1.00 and the accumulated surplus (if any) be devoted to a Ladies' Night. (Note the word "devoted"- how appropriate!) P. S. No record of Ladies' Night. (We wonder what kind of a Ladies' Night it was.) Essayist at this meeting was Col. C. L. Hovey on "The American Flag."
The records of the fifteen meetings of this Club omit any report on the twelfth and thirteenth meetings. We have no way of knowing whether these two meetings were held or not, but as there are two blank pages reserved, probably the in- tention was to write them up. Naturally, we wonder what took place at these meetings, if held, and why they were not written up. We wonder whether the papers planned for these nights failed to materialize or was there just a scarcity of listeners?
The subject of the paper, by Mr. Barnes, at the April meeting was "The Manufacture of Ladies' Hats." Well, well! And then it came to pass that there were no more records. Well, they voted to have a Ladies' Night, didn't they? And then came Eve. There was just one more meeting, the record hastily scrawled in lead pencil. At Mr. Wardwell's house Mr. Miller talked on "Extracts and Perfumes." (Again Eve!) They adjourned until October. Still talk of the Ladies' Night, but when or if is unrecorded.
In the back of the secretary's book we find a typewritten leaf pasted in. It is the record of a business meeting on October 18, 1900. It indicates that this was not a regular meeting, but actually a reorganization meeting; twenty-one present. Resigna- tions tabled, as usual. It was nigh impossible to extricate one- self from this Club, once in it. The treasurer reported $24.20 in the bank; that was a lot of money in those days. One thing
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is certain-the Club didn't pass away at this point, as we have before us an attractive booklet published some time in 1900. It sets forth the Constitution and By-Laws, evidently newly formed, and for the first time; it gives a list of fifty-one mem- bers and, also for the first time, a list of officers. Up to this time, a host for the evening and a committee had sufficed. These first officers were as follow:
President-Lewis H. Bacon.
Vice-president-Charles L. Hovey.
Secretary-Benjamin H. Davidson.
Treasurer-A. S. Barnes.
Executive Committee-Mr. Scarborough, Mr. Folsom and Mr. Morse.
At that time there was an initiation fee of $1.00 and an- nual dues of $5.00.
We also have a 144 page song book with the Club's name printed on the front cover. Some of the titles of the songs with which the Beacon Club rent the peaceful atmosphere of Waban were: "Seeing Nellie Home," "After the Ball," "All Coons Look Alike to Me," "Harmless Little Girlie with the Downcast Eyes," "Hear Dem Bells," May Irwin's "Bully" song, "There's a Tavern in the Town" and "Upidee."
We have memories of other later meetings that must have been held by the Beacon Club. One was at the home of Louis Harlow and the speaker was Governor Curtis Guild. Another at the home of Mr. Farrington when Senator John Wingate Weeks spoke. The Improvement Society was more or less in- active after 1897 for a few years, and the social activities of the town were then carried on by the Beacon Club, which pro- ceeded as reorganized, until the advent of the Neighborhood Club. When the Beacon Club ceased to exist we do not know, but it was surely the source of much sociability and good- neighborliness, ably fulfilling the dream of the founder, Mr. William Saville.
THE TENNIS CLUB
1903
(This article is based upon information furnished by Mr. Charles C. Blaney. Ed.)
The Tennis Club was formed as a voluntary organization under the name of Waban Tennis Courts in 1903, the originator and prime mover in the enterprise being Dr. Lawrence W. Strong. The first meeting was held at Mr. Buffum's house on May 10, the organization was completed on May 28, and the two courts at the corner of Windsor Road and Beacon Street were opened for play on May 30, 1903. The first back nets were fish nets and the timbers Dr. Strong confessed were lifted in the dead of night from the partly burned Poor Farm rail- road bridge.
WABAN TENNIS CLUB COURTS Courtesy of Mr. Willard Woodward
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The Club was incorporated in 1908 under the name of Waban Tennis Courts, Incorporated, and in the spring of the same year the two lower courts were built and opened for play.
The membership of the Club was originally limited to fifty, but from time to time increased until it reached one hun- dred, plus a waiting list of a dozen or more. The junior mem- bership for boys and girls between the ages of thirteen and eighteen was established in 1906.
The seal of the Club, an Indian Chief's head surrounded by the inscription "Waban Tennis Courts, 1903," was designed by Mr. Franklin L. Wood, who lived in the house now occu- pied by Mr. Rhodes Garrison, and, like Mr. Garrison, was one of our best players.
In 1906 the Club built a roque court between the upper and lower courts. Roque is scientific croquet, the wickets being just large enough for the balls to go through and the court being surrounded by rubber cushions like a billiard table. The game of roque did not prove popular with the members, so the next year the roque court was turned into a regular croquet ground, but croquet did not prove any more popular and the next year the roque court was cut up to make room for the lower tennis courts.
The principal officers of the Club were as follows:
Presidents: Dr. Lawrence W. Strong, Mr. N. W. T. Knott, Mr. William M. Buffum, Mr. George M. Angier.
Vice-presidents: Mr. W. A. Toles, Mr. W. M. Buffum, Mr. Arthur M. Crain, Mr. Louis W. Arnold.
Secretaries: Dr. William H. Parker, Mr. Eliot H. Robin- son, Mr. Alfred C. Turner.
Treasurers: Mr. George K. Heald, Mr. Donald M. Hill, Mr. Rhodes A. Garrison, Mr. Willard W. Dow.
Chairmen of the Grounds' Committee: Mr. H. Stewart Bosson, 1903-6; Mr. Charles C. Blaney, 1907-17.
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(The long-suffering and highly important Grounds Com- mittee was, at each annual meeting, coaxed, implored, warned and threatened on the subject of having the courts ready for play by April 19-also known in Waban as "Marathon Day." But the Grounds Committee just smiled and said quietly, "Weather permitting.")
Mr. Buffum, upon his election as president, presented a cup to the Club, known as the President's Cup, to be played for in the Championship Singles Tournament each year, and to become the property of the player winning it three times. This Cup was finally captured by Mr. Eliot H. Robinson. Mr. Angier upon becoming president also presented a President's Cup, which was won by Mr. Rhodes Garrison. After that a championship shield was given by Mr. Angier; it remained the property of the Club and upon it were inscribed the names of the winners of the championhip singles tournaments start- ing with the foundation of the Club.
In addition to tennis, the Club always endeavored to pro- vide social entertainment for its members during the winter months, and for a number of years the dramatic entertainments given by the Club, consisting of minstrel and vaudeville shows, were the leading social events in Waban. The Club gave shows in 1904, 1905, 1906, 1908, 1910 and 1911. From the proceeds of these shows the Club built the lower courts in 1908 and laid by a special or reserve fund amounting to over $1000. In addition to the shows, the Club gave card, dancing and character parties during the winter months. So largely attended were the dances that on at least one occasion Bray Hall in Newton Center was hired. Among the more interesting of these parties were the Poverty Party, the Kids' Party, the County Fair, the Emigrant Party, the Advertising Party, the Freak Party and the Paddy Ball.
At various times there was agitation for a club house-the stage at Waban Hall was only about 10 x 15 feet and the hall
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itself 24 x 30 feet. As time went on, the Waban Neighbor- hood Club was formed, in 1917, absorbing the Tennis Club, which made over to them their funds, which amounted to $1603.39. This was done on condition that the Neighborhood Club construct and equip upon its land three first class tennis courts, to be ready for use in the spring of 1918. Of the 94 members of the Tennis Club, 61 agreed to join the new Neigh- borhood Club. This marked the finis of a gay and colorful organization, which all through its existence supplied Waban with the larger part of its good times-its competitive sports and high jinks. Of found memory is Dr. Lawrence W. Strong and his Waban Tennis Club.
MIKE CUMMINGS
From Tennis Club Minstrel Program 1905
WABAN MINSTREL SHOWS
( A hardy lot, those old-time W abanites! )
Minstrel shows were given in Waban from the very start of the town, long before the advent of the Tennis Club. The earliest one of which we have record was "The Waban Min- strels" of 1894, given in Waban Hall, of course. The inter- locutor was Louis K. Harlow; end men, John Heymer, Charles Stone, Billy Buffum and Alexander Davidson. Others in the caste were Jim Morse, LeRoy Willis, Charlie Buffum, William Saville, A. S. Barnes and Thacher Raymond. John Heymer was the manager; William Saville, treasurer; Jim Morse, secre- tary and Charlie Buffum took care of the music.
Then, in 1897, we know that another show was given, because we also have the program. Fred Webster, Sr., was interlocutor; George Angier, Billy Buffum, Alex Davidson and John Heymer were listed as comedians. Billy Buffum sang "Little Yeller Coon" (one of his specialties), John Heymer rendered "Aunt Loo" and "Fardie" Angier, "March Up Wid de Band." Many old programs omit the year; many are missing.
The Waban Tennis Club gave, on February 26 and 27, 1904, a "Carnival of Minstrelsy; Under the able management of Signor Strongini, Assisted by Herr Bilious Buffum and Count de Angerino." "The circle consists," reads the announcement, "of the best of 'Waban's Warblers' Presided over by the King of Interlocutors, Charlee Crossbee Blanee." On the list of attractions, "The ONLY INIMITABLE 2 B's, the long and the short of it, in their up-to-date sketch, 'Gaiety from the Ghetto'." "Stuteski" was H. Stewart Bosson and "William-
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ouski" was Billy Buffum. "Previous to this sketch, the audience will be searched for Eggs, Brickbats and Cabbages." Followed by "Goergies-2, in their side-splitting travesty, 'An Afternoon at the Woman's Club'." (That was "Son" Dana and "Fardie" Angier.) "To stay away you miss the time of your life," states the program. "Tickets may be obtained from Mr. Rhodes at his Pill Shop."
Mr. Blaney was always Interlocutor at the Tennis Club shows. No one who ever saw him has forgotten how he looked in dazzling white dress suit, with his hair powdered; a striking contrast to the black-faced circle-the only white they
A MINSTREL SHOW, 1894
Courtesy of Mr. Arthur B. Harlow Interlocutor: Louis K. Harlow End men: John E. Heymer, Charles D. Stone, William M. Buffum and Alexander Davidson.
James E. Morse LeRoy H. Willis
William Saville
A. S. Barnes
Charles J. Buffum
Thatcher R. Raymond
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ever displayed being a flash of white teeth! That 1904 caste included Mr. Angier and Son Dana as the Bones; Bosson and Buffum, Tambos, and the others were Parker, Ambrose, Hill, Crain, Lane, Robinson and Perry. Margaret Strong, in black lace gown, played the piano; scenery by Eliot Robinson; prop- erties by Miss Henrietta Blood. Program note: "The Manage- ment requests the ladies to remove their hats and overshoes." To give a further idea of what a Minstrel Show was like in the early day, here are excerpts from the opening chorus:
'We play tennis night and day, If there's light,
With our might
In the 'good old summer time';
And we only stop when it rains Or when the snow is on the ground.
Though the dinner may be late, Let it wait.
This is great.
We must play another game or two
Tho' our maids may leave, Larry's lost ball may be found." Chorus "We all are tennis cranks, Yes, every one!
It's vantage, deuce or game; And then it's thirty all;
a
We serve, we cut and drive or smash the ball. Just watch our wives, they're on the run."
Julia Buffum wrote the words to the choruses; Eliot Robin- son arranged the music and trained the chorus to sing them.
The long series of Waban Tennis Club Minstrels goes on. "No Seats Reserved. First In 'Em Get 'Em." The pro- grams are works of art; filled with "Personal Items" such as, "George Angier found an egg in his hen house last week. He
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says he had no idea who put it there." "The many friends of Hoff Davidson will be glad to know that he has at last com- pleted the round of golf he started in 1899."
"The new minister {Mr. Sharp] says it's the best looking crowd of sinners he ever saw."
"When the church at the hall takes up a collection for Foreign Missions all they have to do is drop it through the cracks in the floor."
1906. "After the performance get a glass of hot chowder at Rhodes'."
"First and Last Time on Any Stage Fardie Angier assisted by A. Few Eggs."
"We hear Mr. Robinson is going to leave the hill on account of Frank Childs milking his cows on Sunday."
"Mr. Cook is sleeping out of doors. He will not be inter- ferred with if he keeps off the Common."
"Women and young children should not walk on the roque court. Several people have been seriously injured by the crowds."
"If you want to get into Boston by nine a.m. take the six o'clock train - and - perhaps you may."
At the Woman's Club
Mrs. Heald: Your dog Lee is a setter, isn't he?
Mrs. Le Clear: Oh no, indeed; he gets up and plays around sometimes.
1908. "There is a rumor that Billy Buffum sleeps in the cellar, but it is denied. It is the dog. Bill sleeps at Trinity Place Station."
"Everyone ought to join the Improvement Society; we all need it."
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From the Opening Chorus of the 1910 show:
"Here we are again, the black face circle, full of mirth and melody !
Here we are again, the end men likewise full, and 'dear old C.C.B.'!
Here we are again, we thought our pianists grand, but 'Oh, you band'!
Here those fiddles play, let their music gay, drive your cares and troubles all away!
"Glide, glide, if you are able; slide, slide, 'go easy, Mabel'! There's a tennis ball in Waban Hall; most of us don't dance at all, the hall's so small;
Thump, bump, always colliding, short range gossip con- fiding,
Collars wilt away and dresses rip, when we do the Wabanola drip."
"They say the new capitol of Waban is to be built on the west side with statues of Congdon, Childs and Arthur Comer on the Plaza."
"The last census shows Waban's population 399 and Dick Whight." (1911)
Who remembers Bob Brigham singing "The Bird on Nellie's Hat"? A big green hat and the bird a plush monkey. And the doll that was fed its milk with a bicycle pump by Fardie Angier until its head exploded, while a long shriek of grief rose from the audience from the owner of the doll!
We wind up this bird's-eye view of minstrel shows in Waban in the old days by one last quote from one of the pro- grams:
"All our new neighbors think Waban is great. They should have been here when we were young and frivolous. They will never know what they missed.":
THE C.C.C. CLUB
1906
The first club for boys in Waban was the C. C. C. Club, organized by Rev. James C. Sharp with the co-operation of Messrs. Angier, Bacon and others. The first meeting was held on October 5, 1906. This club was composed of the boys of the Sunday School of the Church of the Good Shepherd. Meetings were held every two weeks at the homes. The first officers were Fred Williams, President; Stanley Arend, Vice- president, and Irving Heymer, Secretary and Treasurer. Later presidents were Dean Parker, Arthur Knight, William Saville, Jr., Donald Angier, Philip Bache and Lewis Bacon.
In 1912 the club was enlarged to include boys from other Sunday Schools. The name of the club was a secret; it was that of a noted Christian Indian. The club had its baseball team, also football and hockey; they gave three Pet Shows, dances and a Punch and Judy show. They listened to addresses by Captain Bert Waters, the famous Harvard football star; Lieutenant Damon Cummings talked on the tour of our battle fleet around the world; Winfield Thompson spoke on Lincoln and Harry Atwood, aviator of the pioneer days, talked to them. The boys bought a Radioptican for showing lantern slides and post cards. They gave $5 to the girls in the choir for surplices, $10 to Alaska, $50 to the sick and poor of Boston for vacations in the country, $72.75 to the Newton Hospital - and they wrote a short history of Waban, each boy taking a topic; that was in 1915, when the record of this busy and useful little club ends. They deserve much credit for enterprise, energy and good fellowship.
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PET STOCK SHOWS
LEWIS H. BACON, JR.
The Waban Pet Stock Shows were run by the C. C. C. Boys' Club of the Church of the Good Shepherd. The first show was held May 30, 1912, at the Angier's. Each boy was on a committee, mine being the care of entries and fees. This kept me so busy that I do not have much recollection of the details of the other activities. I remember marching around town with Don Hill's bass drum and posters. Looking back now, I guess that the benches for the cages, the roped-off areas, booths, etc., must have grown by magic. (I suspect that the fathers got a "kick" out of the show themselves!)
The second show was held on May 30, 1913, in the pine grove on the Seaver place, then occupied by Herbert W. Hayes. This show was to have been held at the "Angier's Farm" but Fardie Angier was ill and plans had to be changed. The C. C. C. held its third show on Decoration Day, as usual, at "Hayes' Farm" again in 1914.
The entries for these shows ran from house pets to turtles and even included Mike Cummings' cow, named "Beauty," and Connie Mehigan's calf, "Rebecca"; also Mary Cotter's pig and six piglets and George Angier's calf, "Molly." There were parrots, rats, rabbits, toads, snakes, "some ugly cater- pillars" and a tree toad (exhibited by Homer Tilton), and also an alligator. In the 1914 show there were 114 entries, including 40 dogs and 36 cats. The judges were "imported," authorities on livestock. (How we held our breaths while they made whispered consultations!) All entries had to be caged and tagged, the show providing benches made of planks and
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sawhorses. The awards were ribbons and in addition, a long list of donated prizes, such as Mr. Angier's silver cup in 1913 and one given by the National Sportsman in 1914; these to the largest and most interesting entry. Other prizes ranged from dog collars, leashes and whistles to baseball bats and gloves, fishing reels and tickets to ball games.
Elaborate programs were printed, giving each entry. "Esq." appeared after the name of each committee member.
One of these shows earned so much that $72.75 was sent to the Newton Hospital to permit any needy person to go there and be very sick.
The Pet Show Epidemic continued in 1916 with the fourth C. C. C. pet show combined with the Men's Club of the Church which put on a Country Fair. This was held at Knoll- wood Hall (the Besse place). "Anybody caught leaving the Grounds with money in their clothes will be liable to the full penalty of the law." Then in October of 1917 and 1918 there were two more pet shows, put on by the Newton Fur and Feather Club combined with a Community Harvest Day. The proceeds of the former show went to the Army and Navy and the latter for War Relief. These shows were both held at the Playground. They were not at all like the C. C. C. shows, as there were no dogs and cats, etc., and just poultry competing in interest with produce, canning and jelly.
Directors of the Waban Pet Stock Shows were as follows: Lewis H. Bacon, Jr., with Frank Hodgins as assistant superin- tendent, ran the C. C. C. shows; the Country Fair combine was headed by Herbert O. Stetson, and Herbert W. Hayes ran the two Fur and Feather shows.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD CLUB 1913
DONALD M. HILL
In the early years of this century, Waban was a very small community of friendly neighbors. The only meeting place for dances, minstrel shows and plays was Waban Hall, the seating capacity of which was about one hundred and twenty-five, and you can readily see that it did not take many couples to fill the hall at a dance. The Woman's Club held its meetings in the houses of members and so did the Beacon Club. There were many houses sufficiently large for these meetings, but later they were held in the hall. The third social organization in the vil- lage was the Waban Tennis Club, which had no club house and meetings were held in some home, usually Bill Buffum's house on Beacon Street. There had been sporadic discussions of build- ing a small club house, but nothing came of it.
As the town began to grow more and more rapidly, the meetings began to be too large for any house except the very large ones and soon too large for these. The hall was too small and for awhile Dr. Besse's barn on Beacon Street op- posite the school was used, but this was soon outgrown and besides, the accommodations there were not satisfactory. Grad- ually the need of a larger gathering place began to be severely felt. On May 16, 1913, a joint meeting of the Waban Improve- ment Society, the Waban Woman's Club, the Beacon Club, and Waban Tennis Club was called, and as a result a large com- mittee was appointed, which spent some time looking into the matter and reported against the feasibility of a club in Waban. However, due to the activities of a small group several years
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later, another community meeting was held and at this meeting a committee of seven was appointed, given the green light, and told to go ahead and do the job of organizing a club and financ- ing and building a club house. This committee was incorporated as the Waban Neighborhood .Club on July 21, 1916. It consisted of the following:
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