series of articles on
hobbies is being started in
this issue of Firestone
News (see page 3). If you
have an interesting hobby
tell your department re
porter about it.
Tilre^tone
NEWS
GASTONIA
You are invited to attend
the Labor Day Events at
the Firestone Ball Park
starting at 9:30 a. m., Mon
day, September 1, and con
cluding with the annual
overseers - second hands
softball game at 7:30 p. m.
VOLUME I
GASTONIA, N. C., AUGUST 20, 1952
NO. 7
Recreation Department Plans Labor Day Events
Auction Sale Set
For September 6
Got something you wanna sell?
^ so, bring it to the Recreation De
partment’s first Auction Sale Sat-
^^day, September 6, at the Band
oom. The sale, to get underway
10 a. m., is a new venture for
he Recreation Department, and if
It proves popular it will be repeat
ed on following Saturdays for
several weeks. All proceeds from
he sale of articles sold through
ese sales go to the owner of such
articles, no charge of any kind be-
imposed for the service of
auctioning. Employees and mem-
of employees’ families are in
vited to participate in these auc-
lons as buyers, sellers, or both.
Here are the rules:
!• Auctions will be held on Sat
urday mornings at 10 a. m.
All articles to be auctioned
•iiust be brought to the place
O-f auction (Band Room under
^ Girl’s Dormitory).
Owner has right to set mini-
•i^um bid on any article put up
for bidding.
4. Highest bidder (above owner’s
minimum if so desired) re
ceives article being bid on.
• All sales are cash (unless
other arrangements satisfac
tory to both owner and bidder
^ can be worked out).
Firestone Textiles Em
ployees or members of their
families may participate in
these auctions.
firestone Downed
Shelby In
Tourney Finals
Shelby Victors 2-0
ha Vaughn, a big right-
ed with a sharp curve, pitched
Shelby Woodmen to a 2-0 vic-
over Firestone in the final
me of the Midwestern District
Softball Tournament. Shelby
st'f ^^P^esent district 7 in the
^e tournament at Canton, N. C.
Ave Firestone’s Bo Davis
^®oked up in a hot pitcher’s
jji five innings, but in the
wrapped up the game
I'll pushing across two
on three hits and a walk,
biggest threat was in
also, Jack Guffey singled
ev. Costner was safe on an
the first baseman, but no
• s Were pushed across,
sto praise is due the Fire-
sh for the remarkable
which they made in the
They were a constant
through the tournament
^^th a break might of been
They were awarded a
tou ^ being runners-up in the
and placed three men
^Continued on Page 4—
LABOR DAY FUN, 1951—This picture of the wheelbarrov/ races at last year’s Labor Day Events at
Firestone Ball Park is just one of the many outdoor games and contest scheduled again this year on
the Labor Day holiday, Monday, September 1. Activities will start at 9:30 a. m.
Precision Machinery Assures
Pilots Of Rocket Accuracy
IT’S more than chance that
sends aircraft rockets to their
mark in Korea. The dead-center
accuracy of these big-punch
weapons depends upon precision
machining of the rocket motor as
well as pilot marksmanship.
At The Firestone Tire & Rubber
Company in Akron^ Ohio, where
motors for these five-inch rockets
are in mass production, tolerances
on all parts—the steel tube, multi-
ple-nozzle exhaust ring and launch
ing brackets — are microscopic
Only the finest machining can
bring the nozzle within the split-
hair tolerance required for accurate
flight to the target. It is through
the “throat” and exit holes of this
device that the propellant gases
are transformed into thrusting
power for high-speed, controlled
flight.
Rockets of this type give fighter
and attack bombing planes addi
tional firepower equivalent to the
punch of a battery of five-inch
naval guns. They are being used
with devastating effect against
truck convoys, railroad cars and
tanks by Navy, Air Force and Ma
rine Corps planes.
The motor units made by Fire
stone are shipped to Navy depots
for propellant charging and attach
ment of war heads.
MOTORS for five-inch aircraft rockets are being mass produced
in Akron by The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company for the U. S.
Navy Bureau of Ordance. Above is shown a section of the rocket
motor production line. The tubes are finely machined and threaded
for the attachment of nozzles, fins and war heads, and hydrostatically
tested for 4,800 pounds pressure. Next,' they are bonderized and
painted. Final assembly includes the affixing of precision-machined
exhaust nozzles, which control the rocket’s speed and direction, and
fins, which guide their flight. The motors receive their charge of
propellant and war heads at Navy arsenals.
Lower-Cost
Synthetic Rubber
Announced By
R. C. Firestone
DEVELOPMENT of a new syn
thetic rubber that eliminates need
for the costly refrigeration equip
ment now used to produce “cold”
rubber for tire treads was announc
ed recently by Raymond C. Fire
stone, Vice President in Charge of
Research and Development of The
Firestone Tire & Rubber Company.
The new rubber possesses all of
the long-wearing attributes of cold
rubber and can be produced with
the same equipment standardized
in all synthetic rubber plants dur
ing World War II for output of
GR-S rubber.
This means that future synthetic
rubber plants can be built at a
lower cost than the present ones
which have had to install refrigera
tion equipment to improve the
quality of synthetic rubber.
* * *
SEVERAL years ago, motorists
were introduced to cold rubber,
which was polymerized at 41 de-
-^Continued on Page 2—
FATHER OF GENERAL
MANAGER, PASSES
Cornelius Seymour Mercer, 84,
father of General Manager Harold
Mercer, died Monday, August 4 in
Plainfield, Ind., after a lingering
illness.
The late Mr. Mercer had been
active' in the newspapers and pub
lishing business in Indiana since
young manhood. At the time of his
death he was still the active head
of the C. S. Mercer Company,
printers and publishers in Plain
field.
Funeral services w^ere held
Thursday, August 7 in Seymour,
Indiana.
LABOR DAY again this year
will be the occasion for a final
“wrap-up” of the summer’s out
door recreational activities at Fire
stone Textiles. This annual game-
fest, to be climaxed as usual by
a softball game between the over
seers and the second hands, has
grown in popularity each year.
According to Recreation Director
Ralph Johnson, free popcorn and
lemonade will be added attractions
at this year’s events, which start
at 9:30 a. m. at the ball park.
Headlining the morning schedule
is a softball game between the
first and second shift’s all-stars, to
be played at 11:80. The overseers
meet the second hands in their
annual dual at 7:30 p. m. Industrial
Relations Director Tom Ipock of the
overseers’ team will be pitted a-
gainst Second Hand Alvin Riley as
they assume the roll of manager
for their respective teams. Both
men predict victory for their side,
thus suggesting a hard fought,
out-of-breath contest all the way.
A partial list of other events and
contests to be held during the
morning includes: 50 and 100 yard
dashes, bicycle race, egg race,
three-legged race, wheelbarrow
race, soda pop drinking contest,
baseball and softball throwing
contest, and rolling pin throwing
contest.
All employees and their families
are invited to attend these events.
SQUARE DANCE CLUB
RESUMES ACTIVITY
With the hot days of summer
about over the Firestone Square
Dance Club will resume its regular
meetings on Thursday, August 21
at 7:30 p. m. in the Girls’ Club.
The Square Dance Club is open
to all employees and members of
their families. If you are not now
a member and wish to join, you are
urged to do so. Its lots of fun for
everyone.
Firestone News To Be
Mailed To Employees
In Armed Services
Firestone News will soon be
mailed to all employees present
ly serving in the Armed Forces.
The names of such employees
are, of course, already available
and as soon as addressograph
plates can be prepared their
names will be added to the mail
ing list for the paper.
As for Service People who
are not employees (on leave) of
Firestone Textiles but who
might be interested in getting
the plant publication, it is sug
gested that friends or relatives
forward their own copies of
Firestone News to them. Addi
tional copies of the paper may
be obtained for this purpose at
the Industrial Relations Office.