PAGE TWO S3HWI MARCH 10, 1955 St. Patrick’s Day Honors Patron, Statesman St. Patrick’s Day, celebrated on March 17, honors the memory of Ireland’s apostle and patron saint, whose Celtic name was Sucat, and to which the name of Patricius was probably added. The Irish national holiday is marked with green, the color of the day, which is significant of undy ing gratitude to the memory of St, Patrick. On this day the shamrock is worn by the Irish and their de- scendents everywhere to commem orate its use by their patron saint as a symbol of the Trinity. Celebration of St. Patrick’s Day expresses chiefly the patriotism of the sons and daughters of The Emerald Isle—wherever they may be. The observance takes on the color of parades, balls, special fes tivities, dinners and speeches, not only in Irish circles, but in general social life. ON THIS DAY parades are stag ed throughout the world. Those in Dublin, New York’s Fifth Avenue, Chicago and San Francisco are outstanding. The festivities are de signed primarily to point up the history, tradition, customs, folk lore, music and fairy literature of Ireland. The man whose memory St. Pat rick’s Day hallows was Eire’s most beloved missionary and one of the great founders and statesmen of Christendom. There is uncertainty as to the place of his birth. His father was a native Britain and apparently a leading citizen of his community. At the age of 16, Sucat was taken prisoner by some Irish who made a raid on western Britain and carried off the youth as a slave into Ireland. After six years he managed to escape, probably to western France, where he traveled for days, suffering hardship, until he found a refuge in a monastery. After some time he traveled on to Britain, where he claimed to have had a miraculous vision of himself as an apostle to Ireland. He went to Gaul, studied for about 14 years, then became the religious leader which brought him lasting fame. * * * HIS NAME is associated with many legends. But apart from tradition, the impact of his mini stry—during the latter half of the fifth century—was so great that he has earned an enduring place in history, not only of the Irish, but of the peoples of the world as well. Someone wrote of him, “He converted numberless heathen to Christianity. . , . found ing, some 365 churches and plant ing as many schoolhouses by the side of each.” IN BRIEF CARDING Airman 2/C Bill Owens, of the United States Air Force, son of Overseer S. L. Owens and Mrs. Owens, has landed in Tokyo, Japan, on his way to Okinawa for duty. Perlie Anderson, card tender, is a patient at the Gaston Me morial Hospital. Will Deese of the Carding De partment, and Mrs. Deese visited the former’s mother, who is very ill, in Lancaster, S. C., recently. Bobby James, son of Section Man Carl James and Mrs. Novella James, Main Office, and W. A. Gaddis, Jr., son of Second Hand W. A. Gaddis and Mrs. Gaddis, spent the week end recently with their parentSi Bobby and W. A., Jr., are students at Appalachian Teachers’ College, Boone, N. C. Miss Margaret Lewis, daughter of Section Man Peyton Lewis and Mrs. Lewis, is recuperating after an appendectomy at Gaston Me morial Hospital. Miss Lewis is a The Customer: Life-Blood Of Business The customer is the most important person in any busi ness. The customer is not so much dependent on us as we are dependent on him. The customer is not an interruption of our work—he is the purpose of it. The customer does us a favor when he calls—we are not doing him a favor by serving him. The customer is a part of our business—not an outsider. The customer is not a cold statistic—he is a flesh-and- blood human being with feelings and emotions like our own. The customer is not someone to argue or match wits with. The customer is a person who brings us his wants—it is our job to fill those wants. The customer is deserving of the most courteous and attentive treatment we can give him. THE CUSTOMER IS THE LIFE-BLOOD OF THIS AND EVERY OTHER BUSINESS. —Writer Unknown FIRESTONE NEWS Volume IV, No. 5, March 10, 1955 Published by The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company Firestone Textiles Division Gastonia, North Carolina Department of Public Relations CLAUDE CALLAWAY, Editor Department Reporters CARDING—Edna Harris, Jim Ballew, Jessie Westmoreland. SPINNING—Ray Thomas, Mary Turner, Maude Johnson. SPOOLING—Nell Bolick, Helen Reel, Rosalee Burger. TWISTING—Pearl Aldridge, Corrie Johnson, Lorene Owensby, Dorothy Baber, Dean Haun, and Vera Carswell. SALES YARN TWISTING—Elmina Bradshaw. SYC WEAVING—Vivian Bumgardner, Lucille Davis, Sara Davis, Nina Milton, Juanita McDonald. CORD WEAVING—Roy Davis, Irene Burroughs, Mary Johnson. QUALITY CONTROL-—Sally Crawford, Leila Rape, and Louella Queen. WINDING—Mayzelle Lewis, Ann Stevenson, and Christine Stroupe. CLOTH ROOM—Margie Waldrop. SHOP—Rosie Francum. WAREHOUSE—Patsy Haynes, George Harper, Albert Meeks, Roscvelt Rainey. PLASTIC DH>—Frances Huffman. MAIN OFFICE—Mozelle Brockman. SUPERINTENDENT’S OFFICE—Sue Van Dyke. PERSONNEL OFFICE—Barbara Abernathy. student nurse at Gaston Memorial Hospital. Jimmy Dill, son of Mrs. Louise George Dill, Weaving Department, left February 16, for the United States Navy. Jimmy is taking his training at Great Lakes, 111. George Robinson, Carding De partment, Mrs. Robinson and their son. Max, visited relatives in An drews, Marble and Murphy, N. C., recently. N. L. Harris, slasher tender, and his wife, Mrs. Edna Harris, can hauler, spent a recent week end with Mr. and Mrs. N. N. Nolen in Greenville, S. C. MAIN OFFICE Mrs. Eula Wilson, Payroll super visor, Mrs. Joe Wilson, Sr., and Mrs. Marvin Quinn vacationed re cently in Jacksonville, Fla. While in Florida they visited Mrs. Joe Wilson’s son, Joe Wilson, Jr., who is stationed at the Naval Air Base at Mayport, Fla. The employees of the Payroll Department enjoyed a fish fry dinner recently at The Hideaway Fish Fry located on Davis Park Road. Fifteen employees made up the party. Misses Doris McCready, Main Office, Betty Holbrook, Shipping Department, and Maxine Taylor spent the week end of February 27 at Chimney Rock, N. C. While there, they visited Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Rhodes. Miss Helen Spencer, Main Of fice, attended the Royal Ambassa dor Convention held at the First Baptist Church in Shelby, N. C., Saturday, February 26. Miss Spencer accompanied at the organ the Junior Boys Choir, which con sisted of boys from the different Baptist churches of the Associa tion. PERSONNEL Mrs. Nellie Stowe and her hus band, Carl, visited his mother, Mrs. J. T. Stowe, the week end of February 26. Mrs. Stowe is ill and is making her home with her daughter in Hillsboro, N. C. Plant Officer Charles M. Fer guson and his family have moved into their new home at 913 West Second Avenue. The house, form erly an apartment house, has been remodeled and redecorated. (Continued on Page 4) Perry In Textiles 34 Years When Granville A. Perry reported for duty as Second Hand in the Weave Room at Firestone, January 3 this year, he rounded out a 34-year career in the field of textiles. He was transferred here from the Firestone unit which was maintained in Roanoke, Va., until the operation there was incorporated in the Gastonia plant recently. O - - At the Roanoke unit, from Au gust, 1949 through December, 1954, Perry was an engineering foreman in the rayon weaving department. The new second hand here was born and reared near Independence, Grayson County, Va. His career in the textile industry goes back to 1920, when he took his first job in a mill at Fieldale, Va. During his employment there he found time to study at a textile school, before he left in 1934 to spend the (Continued on Page 3) CLEAN HOUSE--AVOID FIRES A clean house seldom burns. That’s the conclusion which the Na tional Fire Protection Association has reached. The NFPA, interna tional, non-profit technical and educational clearing house on fire safety, in a bulletin prepared to help homeowners particularly in the spring at clean-up time, points out that most fires start in trash piles, rubbish or stored odds and ends that accumulate in and around the house. Closets, attics, and cellars are the main starting places of home fires, and plain ordinary good housekeeping is one of the best ways to prevent both the start of fire and its spread. “Real clean-up for fire safety boils down to a choice only you can make,” cautions the NFPA, “Either get rid of that extra stuff around the house that burns so easily—or keep on taking the long chance of living amid such ideal fuel for fire,” Other suggestions include: With the elimination of combustibles in mind, look over the things you’ve got in your attics, closets and basements. These items will burn fast: old linen and clothing, mattress es and wooden furniture, curtains, draperies, lampshades, magazines, papers, linoleum and rags—particularly dirty rags that have been used for painting or polishing. This is the rubbish—the fuel—that too often means the difference between a small, controllable fire and fire-gutted home, 5fe H: ^ DON’T STOP when you’ve cleared out the inside of your house. Go after rubbish in your back yard, in alleys and in vacant lots near your home. And dispose of trash regularly and often—don’t let it pile up. If you must burn your own trash outdoors, the NFPA offers these pointers: First, get a fire permit from your fire department or fire warden. Then pick a spot well away from house and garage and clear a strip of earth around the pile to be burned. The same advice applies to wire and sheet metal trash burners. Don’t try to burn too much at one time. Have a few pails of water ready and a rake or wet broom at hand. When you’re done, soak embers with water; stir to be sure all embers are wet. A gust of wind can fan up embers that are seemingly dead. Make sure that all fires are thoroughly out before you leave. WHAT IS YOUR “CLEAN-UP QUOTIENT”? The NFPA has prepared this quiz. If you truthfully answer “Yes” to all of these ques tions, yours is one of those clean houses that “seldom burns”! 1. Do you regularly dispose of trash and rubbish? 2. Do you keep the grounds around your house free of dead grass, weeds, trash, and dried brush? 3. Are your dust mops safely cared for and oily rags kept ii' safe metal containers ? 4. Do you cooperate with charity drives for paper and trash: sal vage your cast-off clothing, furniture, etc., or contribute it < to rummage sales ? 5. Do you have your chimney and heating system cleaned at least once a year? 6. Do you invite your fire department to inspect your home and instruct you on fire-safe housekeeping?
