Newspapers / The Fieldcrest Mill Whistle … / July 19, 1954, edition 1 / Page 2
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C.A. building. Left to right: Jean Mur- whistle Issued Every Two Weeks By and For the Employees of Fieldcrest Mills, Inc. Spray, North Carolina Copyright, 1954, Fieldcrest Mills, Inc. OTIS MARLOWE EditOT Vol. XIII Monday, July 19, 1954 No. 1 Homespun Coverlet Is Family Treasure A homespun coverlet, made by his great-grandmother more than 100 years ago, is a treasured possession of Avery A. Walker, retired Blanket Mill em ployee. Mr. Walker’s mother gave each of her seven children two of the cover lets together with other homespun ma terial which was handed down for sev eral generations in the family. Mr. Walker’s forebears raised the sheep, sheared them, scoured, carded, and spun the yarn and then wove the material on a hand loom. Dyes were obtained from native barks and roots and have not faded in more than a century. Small Boys Helped Home spinning and weaving were practiced likewise by his grandmother and his mother and as a small boy, Mr. Walker helped in shearing by hold ing down the sheep’s head, the feet being tied. He also helped to wash the wool which was placed in wooden tubs and the boys, barefoot, tramped it for long periods and assisted with the frequent rinsings. He helped in the weaving process by sitting under the loom and keeping threaded the harness and sley. The harness, too, was home made of twisted flax. Mr. Walker recalls that the loom was set up in the “big room” of the mountain home, the counterpart of today’s living room. His grandmother had the only loom in the immediate neighborhood, he said, and kinfolk and friends living near by brought in their yarn, spun at home, and took turns in weaving it into cloth for clothing or bed covers. Mr. Walker said the loom was sometimes kept busy day and night in winter months. As one neighbor completed her piece another put on her yarn and started weaving another piece of material. Complicated Pattern The coverlet Mr. Walker holds in the accompanying picture has a figured ef fect and required the use of several treadles to manipulate the loom for the relatively complicated pattern. Mr. Walker has other pieces, including some heavy wool homespun, also over 100 years old. Mr. Walker, who lives near the old Rhoulac Place just off the Spray-Draper road, retired under the pension plan in December, 1951. He had over 28 years of continuous service and worked all OBSERVERS—Members of the Junior “Y” Astronomer’s Club study the heav ens through the club’s 25-power tele scope at a vantage point atop the Y.M. of that time as a finisher tender in the Wool Carding Department at the Blank et Mill. He was born in Wilkes county and was a construction foreman for some years before joining Fieldcrest in 1923. Since his retirement he says he “has managed to keep pretty busy” in various activities in which he is interested. He has operated a farm for several years but says that this year he is “just help ing out” his son-in-law. Early Wyatt, who is doing the farming. A. A. WALKER . . . Century-Old Coverlet . . . phy, Billy Almond. J. W. Wall and George D. Fawcett, club advisor. Astronomers’ Club At Central Y.M.C.A. To Build Telescope Members of the Astronomer’s club at consolidated Central Y.M.C.A., have un dertaken to build their own 6-inch tele scope, with purchased materials, and at its completion will be able to observe the craters on the moon, the rings around Saturn and the polar caps of Mars. The clubs recently set up their pre sent 25-power telescope at Bouldin Motor Co. in Leaksville to enable in terested persons to obtain a look at a full moon through a telescope. Con tributions were taken up for the build ing of a larger telescope. The Junior “Y” Astronomers’ club ; consists of 28 boys and girls from the : Tri-Cities, meets monthly, under the direction of the advisor George D. Fawcett, for movies, talks and discus sions as well as observations of the moon through the telescope. Officers of the club are; president, Jerry Dunn; vice president, Henry Christley; secre tary, Linda Campbell; and treasurer, James Hall. The Senior Club consists of 11 men ^ and women from the Tri-Cities who f meet monthly with Joe Barham as ad visor. Officers will be elected after the i club has grown to a larger number. 1 Don’t marry for money—you can bor row it cheaper. 2 FIELDCREST MILL WHISTLE
The Fieldcrest Mill Whistle (Spray, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 19, 1954, edition 1
2
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