PAGE 2
S3SWI
MAY, 1958
SPINNING Overseer W. S. Guffey (lefi), holds a gift of money
for Roscoe Mauney, representing a token of appreciation from Mr.
Mauney's fellow workers at the time of his recent retirement. The
retiree holds a box of spinning travelers, like those he installed
during the last three years of his employment here. Mr. Mauney's
daughter, Lucille Baker, works in Spooling; his son Ernest, in
Twisting.
J. R. Mauney Earned Ten Cents
For A Day’s Work In 1901
A six-day week of 66 hours—and no pay. That was the
situation when Josie Roscoe Mauney became an apprentice
at doffing in a textile mill more than 50 years ago. When
he retired recently, after more than 30 years at the mill here,
the Cleveland County native had to his credit experience in
the spinning, carding and weaving departments of almost
two dozen textile plants in North Carolina.
In 1901 Mr. Mauney hired out
as a “learner-hand” in Spinning
here,- and- for-, almost three
months received no pay at all.
That was when he was almost
nine years old. After “catching
on’- to the doffing operation he
received 10 cents a day for his
labors. Later he made 25 cents,
then 50 cents.
“In those days two of my
aunts lived in the house with my
folks and me. They would often
help me keep up my job when I
got behind,” he recalls.
“I’ll admit that on a few occa
sions I’u let them get busy help
ing me run my job, then I’d
sneak off somewhere and take
a nap.”
WHILE in the subject of mem
ories, the retiree recalled that
years ago the lack of lighting
and^lhe long .working linursJinr-
terfered with each other. “The
lights were poor, equipment and
methods of doing the various
jobs were quite primitive, com
pared to things today,” he said.
Through the years the retiree
has found time to work “at
spells” in cafes and stores. Now
that he has put aside his travel
er-changing job, he plans to
work limited hours in a West
Gastonia lunch stand. Other
things to keep him occupied will
be some gardening on his lots
near the Mauney’s 303 South
Vance street home, and a bit of
traveling around to visit rela
tives—especially a daughter in
Charleston, W. Va.
Check Your Car...
—From Page 1
1,000 communities in the 34
states which do not have com
pulsory motor-vehicle inspec
tion.
One out of every five vehicles
inspected in the nationwide Safe-
ly-Check in 1957 needed im
mediate attention to one or more
of the 10 checked items affect
ing driving conditions," Mr.
Firestone pointed out.
"Our program is part of the
Company's continuing campaign
Id keep employees safe on and
off the job," he added.
The Company has the best
on-the-jpb safety record in the
rubber industry, and one of the
best in all industry. Firestone
has received the National Safe
ty Council’s highest award, the
Award of Honor, on a Company-
wide basis nine times since 1945.
WHEN you have your car
safety-checked in May, you will
have joined the “Circle of Safe
ty” and will receive a wallet-
That Poison Ivy
Season Is Here
Touch it or not, you may get
it anyhow. The US Department
of Agriculture has the timely
reminder that you don’t have to
handle poison ivy to catch it.
Simply touching things that have
come in contact with the plant
is enough to erupt in plenty of
misery and woe.
The USDA says that poison
ivy may be caught from touch
ing the steering wheel or door
handle of a car which has been
driven by a person who has been
in contact with the noxious
plant.
Gardening clothes or tools that
have touched the plants should
be washed thoroughly in sev
eral changes of water.
Don't overlook the possibility
of being severely poisoned by
the vapor given off from burn
ing any part of the poison ivy
plant.
Dogs and cats romping
through the woods may get the
poison on their hair. It will
make very little difference to
them, but human beings may
get poisoned thereby.
Says the Department of Agri
culture; To remove the poison
from pets, wash the animal in
warm soapy water and wear
rubber gloves as an extra pre
caution.
WARP AND FILLING
Of The Passing Scene
sized “Circle of Safety” mem
bership card at the check lane.
The card has fill-in spaces on
the back for “Family Car Facts”
including key and license num
bers, model and year of vehicle,
insurance information, tire size
and pressures, and servicing
data. The card also provides
safe-driving tips and urges each
driver to remain in the “Circle
of Safety” by checking his driv
ing to curb accidents.
Cooperating with the Inter
industry committee and Look
magazine in the nationwide pro
gram is the Association of State
and Provincial Safety Coordi
nators. H. D. Tompkins, Fire
stone vice president, is chairman
of the Inter-Industry commit
tee. J. W. Maples, director of
manufacturing, is heading the
committee for Firestone's na
tion-wide auto-safety check.
At the Gastonia plant, Thomas
Ipock, Jr., manager of industrial
relations, is chairman of the
safety-check program. Serving
with him are L. B. McAbee of
the industrial relations depart-
Firestone Student
Wins Scholarship
Carl J. Stewart, Jr., senior at
Duke University, has won a
$1,000 scholarship to Duk^
School of Law. The student’s
parents are both employed here.
In his three and a half years
at Duke, Carl has made a bril
liant record on a Firestone Col
lege Scholarship.
As one of five winners of the
Duke University School of Law
regional scholarships, he will be
gin his study at Durham next
fall.
Eight Teams Play
In Golf League
Eight teams, composed of 16
men at the plant, are playing in
the Partners Golf League this
season. League play, begun in
early April, will continue
through July 31. After that date,
an Individuals Tournament will
begin. From this competition the
plant golf champion will be se
lected and awarded a trophy.
Last season, Bill McSwain of
Main Office earned the champi
onship title.
This season, W. S, Guffey,
overseer in Spinning; and B. J.
Bumgardner, second hand in
Cable Twisting, are defending
champions.
Plant golfers play each Mon
day, Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
at the Municipal Golf Course.
ment; Alvin Riley, safety di
rector; W. G, Henson, plant en
gineer; and S. E. Crawford, plant
protection officer.
Also cooperating and assisting
in the program will be Captain
Roy Short of the Gastonia Police
Department; James I. Mason, di
rector of Gaston Technical In
stitute, and Charles L. Moore,
manager of the Gastonia Fire
stone Store.
Return To The Good Old Days?
Back in 1830, Amasa Whitney,
a Massachusetts manufacturer,.
posted on his factory door a set
of rules and regulations for em
ployees. This employer’s com
mandments would seem a bit
strange, compared with a mod
ern industrial plant’s policies for
operation today.
Would you care to go back to
“the good old days”? These
samplings from Whitney’s list
of “rules” could easily decide
one’s thinking on this question;
1. The Mill will be put into
operation 10 minutes before sun
rise at all seasons of the year.
The gate will be shut 10 minutes
past sunset from the 20th of
March to the 20th of September;
at 30 minutes past 8 from the
20th of September to the 20th of
March. Saturdays at sunset.
2. It will be required of every
person employed, that they be
in the room in which they work
at the times mentioned above,
for the Mill to be in operation.
3. Hands are not allowed to
leave the Factory in working
hours without the consent of the
Overseer. If they do, they will
be liable to have their time set
off.
4. Anyone employed for a cer
tain length of time will be ex
pected to make up lost time, if
required, before being entitled
to his pay.
5. Any person employed for no
certain length of time will be
expected to make up his lost
time, if required, before being
entitled to his pay.
6. All who have leave of ab
sence any length of time, and do
not return by the time agreed
upon, will be liable to forfeiture
of one week’s work again—if no
satisfactory reason can be given
for their tardiness. If no reason
able explanation can be given,
they will be considered as those
who leave without giving any
notice.
7. It is intended that the bell
be rung five minutes before the
gate is hoisted, so that everyone
may be ready to start their ma
chines precisely at the time ap
pointed.
8. The hands will take break
fast before going to work, from
the 1st of November to the last
of March. They will take supper
30 minutes past 5 o’clock p.m.,
from the 1st of May to the last
of August. From the 20th of
September to the 20th of March
before sundown and dark, 20
minutes will be allowed for sup
per—and no more. The hands
will leave the factory so that
the doors may be fastened with
in 10 minutes from the time of
leaving work.
WORK OF ART—Charlie Woody (left), of Twisting looks over
a spacious cedar chest crafted by his son Richard. This is one of five
pieces belonging to a bedroom group which Richard turned out as
a school shop class project.
Teenager Is Wood Craftsman
Red cedar wood is pretty in
itself. But give it to Richard
Woody and he will transform it
into things of beauty and use
fulness. The 17-year-old son of
Charlie E. Woody of Twisting
is a Dallas High School senior.
He has just completed five pieces
of bedroom furniture in cedar
which he proudly exhibits in
their home at 1613 West Frank
lin avenue.
Richard has been interested in
making things in wood since he
was a little boy. First, he had
some simple hand tools with
which he fashioned items such
as gun racks and lamp bases.
Later he collected enough equip
ment to have a workshop at
home. Because he started to high
school in Dallas when they were
living in East Gastonia, Rich
ard continued to attend there
after they moved to the West
end of town.
His woodwork masterpiece—
the bedroom group in cedar—
consists of a bed with bookcase
headboard, dresser, storage
chest, wardrobe and chest of
drawers.
The young craftsman spent
upwards of 100 hours on the en
tire project, averaging five hours
a week in the school agriculture
shop. Working plans for his
furniture were obtained from
the school shop, then modified
to his own requirements.
Along with his ' liking for
woodcrafting, Richard has de
veloped an interest in textiles.
He plans to enroll at the North
Carolina Vocational Textile
School at Belmont, after gradu
ation from Dallas High in June.