PAGE 6
Tire$ton« MSWi
JANUARY, 1957
20-Year Employees
Now Number 250
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In December, 1936, a number of persons began their em
ployment at the plant. Of that group there are today two
employees who marked their 20th anniversary last month.
They are Will A. Brown, Spinning; and Delona Stacy Taylor,
Rayon Weaving. These persons have each received the 20-
year service pin and a gold watch, to commemorate the two-
decade period of employment. Addition of their names
brought the total number in the 20-year category to 250.
The December list of five-year
record holders includes Hazel E.
Owens and Hattie B. Stevenson,
Spooling; Lillian A. Green and
Robert E. L. Burleson, Rayon
Twisting.
Verlon R. Montgomery, Cotton
Twisting; Claude E. Whitaker,
Cotton Weaving; Donald E.
Hoyle, Shop; Edith S. Whidden,
Winding.
As usual, all employees with
records of 5, 10, 15 and 20-years’
service received the appropriate
service pin.
At the close of 1956 there were
several others who passed long
time service milestones with the
Company. Alphonzo Nixon, Cot
ton Weaving, completed 15
years.
Nine were added to the 10-
year roster. They were Stanley
Ledford, Grady P. Stacy and
Minnie Valentine, Spinning.
Isaac A. Hutchins, Monroe
Jackson, Vincent Griggs and
Sallie Spencer, Rayon Twisting.
Vauda G. Clark and Edward J.
Tims, Cotton Weaving.
NAMES OF THREE WOMEN went into Ihe
record as 20-year employees in November, 1956.
They are congralulated and presented with 20-
year gold watches and service pins by Francis
B. Galligan (left). Superintendent of the Cotton
Division; and General Manager Harold Mercer.
The record holders are (from left); Lillie A.
Brown, Grace Neely and Hazel D. Ward.
Evaluate And Plan During Winter
For Improved Garden This Spring
Gardening is America’s No. 1
hobby. And for the followers of
this pastime, there is no better
time than the present winter lull
for reviewing the errors and
successes of last summer’s ef
forts, and planning for the sea
son ahead. This reminder comes
from Firestone Variety Garden
Club leaders, who offer the fol
lowing additional pointers for
the gardening employee:
Now is a good time to order
a few seed catalogs and nursery
men’s books. Such publications,
usually free, include not only a
list of plants for sale, but a
wealth of information on new
varieties, suitable plants for dif
ferent locations in the country,
and even hints on garden cul
ture.
IN JANUARY the gardener can
find time to plan for improve
ments for the upcoming season,
by taking a serious look at his
overall program, before the
spring enthusiasm for dirt daub
ing takes over. This time of year
offers a good opportunity for
the gardener to label plants.
This is especially important to
those who would exhibit flowers
at agricultural fairs next fall.
For equipment which the
gardener may need — such as
tools—this mosith is not too
early to stock up. There is good
reason to think that prices will
be cheaper now, because when
spring comes, a seasonal demand
will be created for such items.
Nylon To Be Built Into Air Springs
At New Noblesville, Indiana Plant
Edward M. Lyles, son of
George Lyles, Twister Tender,
and Mrs. Lyles, enlisted in the
Navy on November 15, last year.
He is taking basic training at
Great Lakes, 111. His address is
U.N.S.T.C. Cop. 677-141 Batt.,
Great Lakes, 111.
Retired L. G. Barber Keeps Pace With Life
We’ve come a long way in the
textile industry since the era in
which Retiree Lonnie G. Bar
ber drew $4.80 in cash payment
for a long week’s work at the
mill here. The erstwhile em
ployee of the Cotton Opening
Room is one of the original
group of 20-year people, and at
the time of his retirement a few
Lonnie Barber: Investment in
the King's Country.
weeks ago, was the oldest mem
ber of his race to be employed
at the plant.
Since retirement. Barber
spends much of his time around
home at 1023 West Seventh ave
nue, where he does household
chores. Come next spring, he
will continue his long-time
hobby of vegetable gardening
and flower raising.
A large portion of his time is
devoted to activities centering
around Pleasant Ridge AME
Zion Church on Spencer avenue.
There he is a spiritual oversight
leader, with 15 church members
in his care.
HISTORY of his days at Fire
stone strikes a tender cord in the
retiree’s heart. Beginning work
here when just a youngster, he
was assigned as horse-and-buggy
chauffeur for President Andrew
Moore of the factory, which was
then Loray Mill. Next, his job
was driving a horse-drawn wag
on, delivering coal to employees’
homes in the company-owned
village. After that, he worked on
the cotton trucking yard, before
an assignment in the shipping
department.
“Back in the old days,” says
Barber, “I worked from 6 to 6
five days a week. At the time I
got married, my salary was $5
a week.”
BUT in the passing years,
working conditions and methods
improved, pay was increased and
extra benefits were added. It
was after Firestone bought the
plant in 1935 that Barber had
his first vacation with pay.
Through the years since then,
he has stayed home on vacations
and used the extra money to
purchase his winter’s supply of
coal.
Mr. and Mrs. Barber have two
daughters, both high school
teachers. One is in Gastonia, the
other in Terrell, Ga.
The former employee takes
this view of life’s perspective;
“On this earthly journey, a
man has to slow down with the
passing years. If he’s lived right
along the way, he has all the
more reason to believe that mak
ing preparation for that Land
where we’ll never grow old, is
life’s most important job down
here on this earth.”
Volume production of Fire
stone rubber air springs is
scheduled to begin in July at a
company plant to be constructed
soon at Noblesville, Ind. The
completed factory will be lo
cated adjacent to the Firestone
Industrial Products plant,
Noblesville.
Nylon cord fabric, such as is
processed at Firestone Textiles,
goes into the construction of the
suspension systems to be mar
keted as Firestone Airide.
In announcing plans for the
new factory at Noblesville, Har
vey S. Firestone, Jr., Company
Chairman said:
“Adoption of the new Airide
system in place of the leaf and
coil springs now used on some
automotive vehicles is the great
est contribution to passenger
comfort since pneumatic tires
replaced solid tires on motor
cars.”
THE COMPANY began ex
perimenting with Airide bellows
for automotive suspension sys
tems in the early 1930s and has
co-operated with the motor car
industry in their development.
They have been in use on some
trucks and buses for several
years. Engineers believe they
have great possibilities for ap
plication to passenger cars in the
future.
The incorporation of the Fire
stone Airide bellows in the sus
pension system will permit cars
of the future to be constructed
lower to the ground than any
automobiles mass-produced at
this time.
Many of the 1957 models have
adopted the 14-inch tire to bring
streamlined car bodies closer to
the ground. The Firestone Airide
through control valves auto
matically maintains fixed road
clearance regardless of load, per
mitting lower car design.
AIRIDE suspension systems
are far less costly to maintain
and repair than steel springs. A
major transcontinental bus com
pany which recorded 300,000,000
miles on Firestone Airide report
ed it has had so few repair and
replacement expenses with the
air springs that it has stopped
keeping replacement and repair
cost records.
The Firestone Airide system is
based on an air compression
principle. It utilizes a variable
volume of air encased, like an
automobile tire, in rubber and
nylon to cushion the shocks of
the road.
THE AIR enclosed in the rub
ber bellows adjusts automatical
ly to give the proper “soft” ride
for the boulevard and the need
ed protection from the shocks on
irregular road surfaces regard
less of passenger load.
Damage and wear on automo
bile parts due to road shocks are
considerably reduced with the
air suspension system because of
the greater ability of the Airide
to absorb them.
In addition to its use
trucks, buses and trailers in re
cent years, Airide has many in
dustrial applications where it is
used to cushion machines from
shock.
The Six Mistakes Of Man
The Roman philosopher and statesman, Cicero, said it 2,000
years ago. It’s still true todaj^ The “six mistakes of man” are:
1. The delusion that individual advancement is made
crushing others.
2. The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed
or corrected.
3. Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot
complish it.
4. Refusing to set aside trivial preferences.
5. Neglecting development and refinement of the mind,
not acquiring the habit of reading and study.
6. Attempting to compel other persons to believe and live
we do.