cun.I
Back-To-School—Another Reason For Driving Safely
$Millions For Expansion
—Page 2
York, S.
C., Employees' Home-
town
—Page 3
Russian
Scientist the People's
Servant
—Page 7
Tir«$ton«
GASTONIA
U.S. T E XTI LE S
Working for a
'Better America
VOLUME VIII
GASTONIA, N. C„ SEPTEMBER, 1959
Number 10
PRIZED POSSESSION—Admiring the symbol of National
Safety Council's highest award are Nelson Kessell, general super
intendent (seated), and (from left) F. B. Galligan, Cotton Division
superintendent; L. B. McAbee, assistant Industrial Relations direc
tor; A. V. Riley, safety director.
OCTOBER 16-17
Flower Show Plans Made
“Roses, Dahlias, Chrysan
themums and Others” is
theme of the autumn Stand
ard Flower Show to be stag
ed at the plant Recreation
Center in October.
Mrs. Henry Chastain of
Weaving (cotton), publicity
chairman, has announced ex
hibit hours for 2-9 p.m. on
Friday, October 16; and 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday
the 17th.
The show, sponsored by the
Firestone Variety Garden Club,
will have approval of the North
Carolina Federation of Garden
Clubs. Entries will be apprais-
‘Rear View Mirror’
On Top Listing
“Through a Rear View Mir
ror,” a Firestone color sound
film, is on a list of 50 outstand
ing TV films, selected recently
in a survey of television pro
gram directors conducted by
Variety, the show business news
paper.
In “Rear View Mirror” the
story of the development of the
automobile is related in folk
songs by a balladier, reminiscing
as he follows the 1957 Glidden
Tour of antique cars to Wil
liamsburg, Va.
This film, along with other
Firestone movies, is available at
no cost other than return post
age for use by schools, churches,
clubs and neighborhood groups.
Information on films may be
had through the plant’s depart
ment of Industrial Relations.
ed by Federation-a p p r o v e d
judges from various parts of the
State.
Aim of the show is “to pro
mote general knowledge and
understanding of, and the varied
uses of horticulture; conserva
tion and suitability; and a love
for things of Nature.'’
—More on Page 5
For Safety Performance:
NSC Award Of Honor
Firestone in Gastonia is be
coming known more and
more for its outstanding pro
gram of accident control on
the job. Latest recognition of
the plant’s top safety per
formance is the National
Safety Council’s Award of
Honor.
A letter of presentation
from NSC president Howard
Pyle confirmed the plant’s
title to the award because
people on the job here had
completed 3,930,809 produc
tion manhours without a dis
abling injury. This record of
operation covered the period
of September 1, 1958 to July
1, 1959.
The National Safety Council
gives member organizations four
Maybe Polyester
Tire Fabric?
Polyester fibres such as Da
cron and Terylene soon could
take their place with cord ma
terials used today as a fabric
for use in tire construction. This
conclusion came at the end of
one phase of a research pro
gram carried out by Firestone
scientists since the coming of
synthetic fibres, and after more
than a million test miles had
been logged on tires built with
these new man-made cords.
Research centered on a wide
range of fibres, including the
acrylics, all of which except the
polyesters were eliminated in
early tests.
“Our research proves that
Dacron and Terylene as tiJre
cords are equal or superior to
any fabric now used in premium
tires,” president Raymond C.
Firestone said. The new cords
compare favorably in strength
with any cord in use today. Tires
built of these cords give increas
ed mileage and an improved
ride,” he added.
Five Gallons Black,
Fifty Of Aluminum
Polyesters combine the best
performance characteristics of
those fibres now used in the
building of tires. The fibres
stood up well under tests for ad
hesion, strength and flex fatigue
resistance, company scientists
found.
Firestone’s next development
stage will be the equipping of
fleets in various parts of the
country with Dacron and Tery
lene tires. Results will then be
compared with earlier findings
for further evaluation of the
new cord material.
types of awards to recognize
outstanding achievement in ac
cident prevention. The Award
of Honor is the highest of these
presentations. Others are the
Award of Merit, Certificate of
Commendation, and the Presi
dent’s Letter.
The more than 3,000,000 man-
hours without a lost-time in
jury served to recall the his
toric figure of 9,217,145 no-in
jury manhours attained here a
number of years ago. That was a
world record in the textile in
dustry.
A Push Toward Victory
In Interplant Contest
Moreover, the safety record
which won for the plant the
NSC Award of Honor heighten
ed interest in another goal—win
ning the long-range interplant
safety contest, now underway.
This rivalry involves the three
North American textile factories
of the company.
—More on Page 4
In late August workmen scal
ed the more than 160 feet of the
plant’s water-storage tower, to
give the giant bucket and its
supports a regular inside-out-
side repair and paint job.
The tank, its highest point
standing some 62 feet above the
fifth floor of the mill, received
an inside wax coat as protection
against erosion, which also in
sures maximum life of the
aluminum paint on the outside.
It had been seven years since
the last workover for the tower.
Erected in 1902, it has a ca
pacity of 100,000 gallons. Water
stored here is primarily for fire
protection. It comes from wells
on the plant property and the
roof-drain which is stored in the
3-million-gallon reservoir be
hind the mill.
September Trijles ^iVith Summer
September Down South is a month of many moods—a
changeover from hot to cool, from earth’s green freshness
to the first crisp tints of autumn splendor.
While the Ninth Month still trifles with summer
weather, a mighty inviting thing is an old water pump—like
this one on the Dallas-High Shoals highway. Here, Teresia
Hoyle “lifts” a cooling sip for Harriet McClure, while Har
riet’s sister Shelby (right) and Teresia’s sister Carol wait
their turn. The Hoyle girls’ mother is Mrs. Donald Hoyle,
inspector in Quality Control. The McClure sisters are
granddaughters of Mrs. Charlie McClure, splicer in Weav
ing (synthetics).