Newspapers / Firestone News (Gastonia, N.C.) / Dec. 1, 1957, edition 1 / Page 7
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DECEMBER. 1957 S3SWI PAGE 7 From Gaiety To Tragedy In A Puff Of Flame RETIRED IN NOVEMBER—Second hand W. B. Ward chats with Grover Woody on Mr. Woody's last day of work. The re tiree looks over a department store gift certificate, presented by his fellow workers in Spinning. Retirement A Full-Time Life For Former Section Man When in November he worked his last shift as a section man in Spinning, Grover Woody step ped into a world of retirement with a long list of plans to keep him happy and busy in the “home-stretch” years. Behind him was a span of some three decades within walls of textile mills in North Caro lina. Before him; New places to Textile Industry Has Opportunity A wide-open field of career opportunities may be found in textiles, a Carolinas textile lead er told the freshman class at NC State College in November. Carl R. Harris, manufacturer, said that the industry offers seven or eight jobs to every tex tile graduate. He said that the starting salaries range from $350 to $475 a month. Emphasizing the importance of the textile industry in the North State, the speaker pointed out that of the more than 476,- 000 factory employees in North Carolina, approximately 228,000 work in textiles. December is Off-the-Job Safe ty Month at Firestone Textiles. visit, new friends, flowers to cultivate at his 1121 West Third avenue home, upcoming sum mers of baseball games, and sea sons around the calendar of other sports to consume his in terest. Then, too, there would be many fruitful hours spent at the Firestone Recreation Center, participating in the activities there. “I’ve made a lot of friends since I came here in 1928—seven years before the Company start ed operating in Gastonia,” he reminisced. The retiree’s first work in in dustry was on-a job in a cotton mill at Marion, N. C. Then a while in a similar job at Ruther- fordton. THE NATIVE of Clyde, Hay wood County, N. C., was a foot soldier in World War I. He saw action in some of the famous battles of Europe, including Ar- gonne Forest. After his dis charge, he reenlisted twice be fore settling down to his life job in textiles. Throughout his years on the job here and at other places he has been in Spinning, with ex ception of a brief time as a weaver. He has been section man for the past 13 years. Color and gaiety of the happiest season of the year can turn to tragedy in a puff of flame. This stark reminder from the plant Safety de partment points up the fact that danger of home fires is increased at the Christmas season. Over worked lighting systems, Christmas trees, gifts, decorations and wrappings are but a few hazards on the list. Safety Director Alvin Riley calls attention to the efforts of the National Fire Protective Asso ciation at this time of year, in urging house holders to be especially careful of fire. These familiar rules of safety, listed here, can help you avert tragedy and disaster from fire this Christmas season: The Christmas Tree Choose a tree as fresh as you can find. If obtained early, keep it outside with the trunk in water until you are ready to decorate it inside— preferably around December 24. Remove soon after the 25th. The smaller the tree, the better. When you set it up, saw off the trunk at an angle at least an inch above the original cut. Anchor in a sturdy base and provide a way to keep it watered all the time it is inside the house. Place tree away from heat sources, or where standing or fallen, it could block passage from a room or out of the house, should fire break out. Home Lighting Eliminate all open flames wherever you can. Candles on the tree or other flames near com bustibles invite tragedy. Use only lighting sys tems that have the Underwriters’ Laboratories label. Before putting into use, check lighting sets for frayed wires, loose connections and damaged sockets. Don’t overload any wiring system. If you’re not experienced, leave lighting ar rangements to the licensed electrician. Over loading of extension wires is a chief danger. Turn off tree lights during sleeping hours and when you leave home for any length of time. Decorations and Wrappings Never allow wrappings to pile up. Burn in an incinerator or put in a covered metal trash can. It is dangerous to burn paper in an open fire place. Non-burnable materials such as glass, metal, asbestos are safest for home decorations. If you must use combustible materials, insist on “flame- proofed” items. Paper decorations and materials for clothing usually ignite easily. True of Santa’s whiskers, too. About Those Gifts . . . Put these at the top of the list as good fire- starters: Non-flameproofed articles such as cow boy suits, pyroxylin plastic dolls and other toys, and toys operated with alcohol, kerosene or gaso line. Insist on the Underwriters’ label on elec trical toys. This assures that they have been test ed for fire and shock hazards and may be reason ably safe if properly used and maintained. Among Other Reminders . . . Careful with that cigarette, pipe, cigar! No smoking in bed. Plenty of large ashtrays are good fire control equipment. Screen open fireplaces. Especially watch children around matches, lighters, candles, all open fires. Have you inspected those home fire extinguish ers lately? Now is a good time. Have handy some buckets of water and your garden hose, just for an emergency. Slow down in the holiday rush enough to give thought to what you would do in case of fire. Should fire break out, keep calm, and ex tinguish the blaze if you’re sure you can. Mem orize the telephone number of your fire depart ment before an emergency arises. Should you forget or fumble for it in case of fire, have that number written down in a prominent place near your telephone. On the day of his retirement Mr. Woody glanced back over the years, reviewing some changes in the textile industry. “I’ve seen many improve ments in equipment, methods of doing the work, and increase in workers’ benefits,” he said. “For example, the overhead cleaning equipment in spinning rooms. It allows for better quality work and cleaner surroundings.” “Another good thing that has come about in fairly recent years is workers’ benefits, like social security and the Company re tirement fund,” he added. The son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Young (arrival: Novem ber 3, Gaston Negro Hospital), has been named Melvin Eugene. The father is a picker tender in Carding. -From Page 4 People and Places Louella Queen. Cable Twisting and Respooling inspector, and her mother, Mrs. Emory Isham, went to Halifax, and Weldon, N. C., in November for a visit with Mr. and Mrs. Edward Sweat and fam ily and Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Willis. Mrs. Sweat is a niece of Mrs. Queen. George Pendergrass and John Jenkins have returned to work after a few days of illness. Fellow workers of William Byrd, picker tender, express their sympathy upon the death of his sister, Christine Byrd. Louise Sutton, creeler, spent a week end in November visiting her father in Dillsboro, N. C. Faye Kennerly, winder tender, and Mr. Kennerly took a fall trip to Tennessee for a visit with relatives. In November, Lillian Seism underwent treatment at Gaston Memorial Hospital. School Teachers Visit Plant On BIE Day High school teachers and people in business, industry and other professions swapped scenes for a day for Gastonia’s annual BIE Day, Novem ber 13. The Business-Industry-Education event is sponsored by the Gastonia Chamber of Com merce. Its purpose is to acquaint school students with the business-industry-professions picture, at the same time allowing their teachers to find out first-hand what makes the wheels of industry and business go ’round. T. B. Ipock, Jr., director of Industrial Relations here, spoke to students at Ashley High School on textile manufacturing. Three teachers from Ash ley went on a tour of the Firestone plant, ending with a conference at which Company staff mem bers answered questions concerning operations here. The photos above—Left: In Carding, employee Fred Chastain shows card sliver to R. L, Denton, algebra teacher at Ashley High School. Center; Walter Wray, Ashley cabinetmaking instructor, studies cotton spinning, as operator Eula Church explains the process. Right: Loom fixer J. B. Warren shows nylon fabric to literature teacher Robert Riddle, Jr., (right). With them is J. V. Darwin, Plant Sales, tour guide for the visiting teachers.
Firestone News (Gastonia, N.C.)
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Dec. 1, 1957, edition 1
7
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