PAGE 2
MHWi
APRIL, 1958
GOING PLACES-SEEING THINGS
Beach Season Arrives With Pirates Jamboree
RETIREE Alva Bryanl (center), Edward Crisp, doffer-creeler
(left), and Quality Control Supervisor Carl Guffey discuss the
quality of a package of twisted synthetic cord. Picture was made on
Mr. Bryant's last day of work.
Former Twisting Inspector
Has Variety In Retirement
Alva C. Bryant grew up in
the Deep South, but he was 30
years old before he looked in
side a textile mill. Once he tried
his hand at a twister-tender
job, he liked the work well
enough to give 34 years of his
life to the industry.
Recently Mr. Bryant retired,
after putting in the past several
years as an inspector in twist
ing. He had first come to the
job here in 1924, after two years
at a cotton mill in Winnsboro,
S. C.
In Gastonia, after one or two
interruptions, he settled down to
the past 13 continuous years of
work at Firestone. Much of that
time was spent in the job of in
specting in Twisting.
About 66 per cent of Ameri
can workers drive in automo
biles to their work.
WHEN the Dublin, Ga. native
wrapped up his last day of em
ployment here, he had an impos
ing schedule of things to get his
years of retirement off to a live
ly, interesting start.
There were volunteer tasks to
be done at Unity Baptist Church,
where he is a member. Some
traveling was on the schedule.
With a brother in Florida and a
lot of kinfolks in Georgia, he
was anxious to take to the road.
There were plans for the ardent
pursuit of his gardening projects
each summer at home, 115 East
Fourth avenue. Hunting, fishing
and playing checkers were also
on schedule. The fact that he
has won a number of first-place
honors in checkers competition
made him even more interested
in keeping up this pastime in
his retirement years.
“It’s a good way to keep the
mind whetted,” he figured.
Plant Garden Club In National Contest
The Firestone Variety Garden
Club has concluded an avocado-
growing project by entering a
photograph of accomplishments
in a national contest.
Members of the dirt-dobbing
organization here planted avo
cado seeds in water and nurtur
ed the sprouts in humus soil.
The resulting small shrubs were
Firestone Depends
On Small Business
Pointing up the mutual de
pendence of large and small
businesses in our country, sur
veys of some of the largest U. S.
companies reveal that they de
pend upon many thousands of
smaller companies to supply
them with the goods and serv
ices they need.
A recent survey at Firestone
reveals that 13,423 suppliers
scattered throughout the coun
try furnish materials and serv
ices needed by company plants.
The survey further revealed that
a total of 10,032, or more than
74 per cent, of the supplying
companies employ less than 250
persons.
put on display at the March club
meeting in the Recreation Cen
ter.
Of the several seeds started,
there were four plants—eight to
ten inches high — which were
brought to the display. Main
feature of the March meeting
was a luncheon “playing up” the
avocado theme.
THE FOUR avocado plants
were grouped at the center of an
arrangement built of greenery,
t^'opical fruits and spring flow
ers. Fruits included avocados,
lemons, oranges, and bananas.
A photograph of the arrange
ment was submitted to the Flori
da Avocado and Lime Commis
sion, sponsor of the national con
test which was open from last
October through late March. AU
federated garden clubs were
eligible to enter. The Firestone
group is affiliated with the
Garden Club of North Carolina,
Inc.
Mrs. Carl Rape of Quality
Control, president of the Variety
Club, said the avocado-growing
project had been one of the most
interesting and informative ever
undertaken by the organization.
“The avocado is a tropical
fruit native only to the Ameri
can hemisphere. It thrives in
Showy blossoms from coast to mountains, good
fishing, festivals and a round of sports events
are a few of the attractions that beckon Firestone
travelers to the out-of-doors in April.
The Recreation Travel Information Service
posts the reminder that golf and riding are excel
lent in the mid-South resorts of Pinehurst, South
ern Pines and Tryon.
Along the North Carolina Coast from the Outer
Banks to the beaches near Wilmington and
Southport, April is a top month for surf fishing,
and all ocean fishing piers open during the
month. Deep-sea fishing is prime by mid-May.
The mountain trout season opens in early April.
Dogwood is blooming profusely throughout
eastern North Carolina, and moving west to the
Appalachian foothills b|y early April. Across
Western North Carolina, where the Blue Ridge
and Great Smoky ranges soar up to the highest
peaks in Eastern America, the spring flower
parade begins with the appearance of small
ground flowers in April and the white drifts of
shadblow and dogwood by early May.
All sections of the famous Blue Ridge Parkway
are open for motor travel by late April, with
recreation facilities along the Parkway and in
the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in
full use by May. In the mountains, as well as
along the coast, there is a good choice of ac
commodations year round, with all hotels and
motor courts opening for the summer season in
May and June,
ARRIVAL of the surf-and-sun season on the
Outer Banks beaches will be celebrated April
24-27 this year, with the fourth annual Dare
Coast Pirates Jamboree. The program features
special events which usher in the spring and
summer vacation season from Kitty Hawk to
Cape Hatteras. Fishing contests, pony and jeep
races, fish fry on Hatteras, model plane contest
at Wright Memorial and a Pirate’s Ball at Nags
Head will be outstanding on the program.
Highlight of this year’s Jamboree is the dedi
cation of Cape Hatteras National Seashore on
Bodie, Hatteras and Ocracoke Island. Here is a
picnic and camping area. Ocracoke, now acces
sible by free automobile ferry from Hatteras, has
a new paved State highway running from the
northern tip of the island to the village of Ocra
coke. A Museum of Natural History has been
established at nearby Bodie Island lighthouse.
Like the Maritime Museum at Cape Hatteras
Lighthouse, it is an all-year attraction in the
seashore park.
A DISPLAY of famous gardens enlivens the
April scene in North Carolina. Duke Gardens at
Durham, gardens in the Sandhills resorts of
Southern Pines and Pinehurst, Reynolds Gardens
at Winston-Salem and other famed beauty spots
offer a brilliant show of spring blossoms.
At Winston-Salem, Salem Tavern, in the 18th
Century restored Moravian community of Old
Salem, will be the setting for a Flower Fair
April 16-17.
Garden Club chapters across the state schedule
flower tours in April, May and June to coincide
with peak bloom of annuals, perennials and
flowering shrubs.
Many other attractions help to make the
April travel calendar a lively one. Some of these
are: Do-It-Yourself Home Show, Asheville, April
14-18; NC Federation of Women’s Clubs con
vention, Charlotte, 15-17; NC Music Festival (In
strumental), Greensboro, 15-18; Fourth annual
State Science Fair, Durham, 17-19; Sixth annual
Country Club Lawn Bowling Tournament, Pine
hurst, 21-25; Horse and Hound Show, Tryon, 23;
NC Garden Club convention, Raleigh, 23-25; NC
Federation of Music Clubs convention, Gastonia,
23-26; Spring Music Festival (Vocal), Greens
boro, 24-25; Fine Arts Festival, Leaksville, 25-27;
Gospel Sing, AsheviUe, 26.
Enterprising Employee Sells Firestone Tires
On the average working day
Clarence Houser handles two
jobs. When he walks out of the
mill at the end of the first shift,
he goes to his auto service sta
tion on West Franklin avenue
and Weldon street.
The Rayon Weaving employee
with more than 22 years of serv
ice in the plant has been operat
ing his present business for
around two years. His son,
Wayne, is in partnership with
him. Before the Housers came to
the present location, they op
erated another station in the
same block of Franklin avenue.
MANY of the Houser cus
tomers are people who work in
the plant.
Wayne is manager of the sta-
Central and South America, and
in the United States is grown
commercially in Florida and
California,” she said.
SHE NOTED that the avo
cado, or “alligator pear,” was a
standard item of diet for the
natives to the South as long
ago as the 14th century, when
Cortez and Coronado sailed the
Spanish Armada into the Carib
bean. In Latin countries the
fruit is used as a meat sub
stitute, because it has a high
protein content. In this country
it is popular as a salad ingredi
ent.
“When it is grown as a potted
house plant, it is highly reward
ing for its beautiful, showy
foliage. With a little pruning and
feeding with a balanced fertiliz
er, it will become a very pretty,
unusual house plant,” Mrs. Rape
said.
tion. He and his father are proud
of the Firestone dealership for
tires and auto accessories.
“If we don’t have an item in
stock, we can get it quickly from
Company suppliers in the area,”
says Mr. Houser.
The employee is no newcomer
to experience in the auto servic
ing business.
“I’ve been operating a car
since 1924, and any old timer
will recall that cars in that day
required a lot of attention.
“In all those years since 1924,
I have always bought Firestone
tires. Several times I traded cars
but had the tires changed over.”
Being on the cord-fabric pro
duction line here enables Mr.
Houser to especially appreciate
the quality that is built into that
portion of a Firestone tire.
It goes to remind us, says the
employee, that the very product
one helps to make here, may
very likely wind up in a tire on
his own automobile.
“Then, we can really appreci
ate its quality,” he adds.
Clarence Houser, Rayon Weaving, (left), talks over the merits
of a Firestone DeLuxe Super Champion tire with Jesse Jones,
Carding (center), and Wayne Houser, at the Housers' Franklin
avenue service station. The father-son business has a Firestone
dealership in tires and auto accessories.