For 1960 Record
Plant Gets Safety Citation
During the 1960 calendar year Gastonia Firestone Tex
tiles recorded 2,893,551 production hours free of physical
injury resulting in lost time on the job. For that accomplish
ment in safety, the plant has received its ninth award in
the Textile Section of the North Carolina Industrial Com
mission’s citation program conducted jointly with the NC
Textile Manufacturers Association. When an injury in Sep
tember interrupted the record, the plant had marked up
5,345,243 hours of safe operation. The previous figure of
9,217,145 hours was at that time a world record for a single
plant in the industry.
The citation plaque was pre
sented recently at a dinner
meeting of supervisory person
nel at the Gaston Country Club.
Among company officials at
tending other than from the Gas
tonia plant were:
James E. Trainer, executive
vice president; W. A. Karl, presi
dent of Firestone Textiles Com
pany; J. A. Meek, vice president
(production); R, M. Sawyer, as
sistant manager textile division
—all from Akron, Ohio. Others
were William Astle, manager of
Firestone Textiles Ltd., Wood-
stock, Ontario, Canada; and E. F.
Sweeney, manager of Firestone
Textiles, Bennettsville, S. C.
H. S. Baucom, safety director
of the NC Industrial Commis
sion, presented the award
plaque.
Departmenial Records
Mr. Karl presented framed
Certificates of Merit to 7 depart
ments for safety records of 5
and 15 years. They are (15
years): Main Office, Industrial
Relations, and Quality Control;
and (five years): Twisting (ply);
Twisting (cable); Weaving (syn
thetics); Weaving (cotton); Mul
ti-Stage Nylon-Treating Unit;
Warehouse; and Winding.
featured speaker at the
V* >.*0.1. X X Cixll*-
er, who declared; “People on the
job make safety records. That’s
what I'm awfully proud of.
“Practice safety on every level
of life,” he pleaded. “There were
still 93 thousand persons killed
and 45 million injured in this
country last year. All the things
that have been done in the in
terest of safety are not enough.
In most cases it isn’t you who
are to blame—but the damage is
still being done. Let’s see if we
can find out who is doing it!”
In the course of his talk, Mr.
Trainer pointed out that a good
safety record in industry goes
hand-in-hand with efficiency in
production.
“We can have fine buildings
and other facilities and turn out
lots of goods, but if people don’t
buy what we produce—we’re in
trouble. So, if we’re to make a
go of our business, the things we
manufacture must be produced
efficiently and in the best tra
dition of high quality,” he said.
Of The Passing Scene
A Lonesome Place Against The Sky
OFFICALS
VISIT
GASTONIA
FACTORY
Edward Tart Jr. of Weaving (cotton) explains
the moisture monitor on a slashing installation,
to company officials on a recent production tour
of the Gastonia plant. They are (from left): J. E.
Trainer, company executive vice president; W. A.
Karl, president of Firestone Textiles Company;
ui'id J. A. xtlc&lc, VIC6 pi'eSxiJetii £u£' piOvliiCliUil.
Don’t Let Fire
Ruin Yule Joy
Fire destroyed the holiday joy
in hundreds of American homes
last Christmas. The grim story
will be repeated this Yule sea
son—unless people at home take
precautions to prevent it. That’s
the word from the National Fire
Protection Association, with this
reminder:
Christmas is a time to be es
pecially cautious of fire dangers.
Many of our traditional Christ
mas customs—trees, lights, deco
rations, Yule logs—add greatly
to fire hazards at home.
Sometimes a combination of
active children and preoccupied
parents results in the moment
of carelessness which is all that
fire needs to start.
These basic rules are nothing
new, but could well be the most
important thing you could read
—and obey—this Christmas sea
son;
Tree: Pick one fresh - cut
with no needles shedding. Stand
trunk in. water until tree is
brought into house, and keep in
water as long as it is in the
X :4. n . .
Winter Sports-Recreation On
More than 110 employees and members of their families
are participating in the winter-season bowling program here.
They represent all three shifts at the plant.
In addition, there are six teams in billiards play, nine in
table tennis, and eight in pinochle. Other sports-recreation
activities are centered in volleyball, ceramics, art-flower-
making and arranging, Firestone Retired Employees Club,
and Variety Garden Club.
Basketball for both sexes among employees and mem
bers of their families is scheduled to begin the latter part
of December.
• “A pine tree is a poet’s tree
and when it is cut down, it
leaves a lonesome place against
the sky,” says American folk
lorist Otto Ernest Rayburn. The
pine’s evergreen cousin, the
cedar, is not so famous in poetry,
but both share honors in folklore
surrounding observance of
Christmas in such areas of the
☆ ☆ ☆
Coffin On Wheels?
The heater makes your car
cozy on nippy mornings. But if
you aren’t on guard against the
danger of carbon monoxide (CO),
your auto can easily become
your coffin on wheels. And so
far as danger goes, your com
fortable home can be a death-
box, too.
In this season, when CO be
gins to take its deadly toll, prac
tice of some simple precautions
can save many a life.
This odorless, tasteless, color
less gas is a sneak thief—a waste
product of burning gas, wood
and coal. It has a way of being
breathed into the blood stream
so gradually that the victim may
not know what’s happening.
When the CO reaches a 25 per
cent saturation in the blood, a
person can pass out. Before that,
he iiiciy stagger and von'iit. Low
er than 25 per cent saturation
can lead drivers to highway ac
cidents.
United States as the Blue Ridge
Country and the Ozark Moun
tains.
Used with mistletoe, cedar
makes a fine Christmas decora
tion, but it is considered bad
luck to take it into the house
until the beginning of the Yule
season. It must be removed from
the house before the eve of Old
Christmas, Jan. 5. Says Mr. Ray
burn; “If these directions are
followed, even the most super
stitious need not fear,” The folk
lorist would modify this edict
of legend to add a safety re
minder at Christmastime: “Mis
tletoe is safe when hung at the
traditional height in the house.
The berry-like fruit is toxic, and
if eaten by small children, can
cause vomiting and perhaps
more serious effects.”
3. Never sit or sleep in a park
ed car with motor running and
windows closed all the way.
4. Never start a car with
garage doors closed.
5. Keep at least one car win
dow open at least a crack while
driving.
ik ik ik
Christmas
Thoughts
Here's what experts advise, to
help you stay alive:
1. Be sure each house or apart
ment has adequate fresh-air
ventilation when heating equip
ment is in use. Have all home
heating equipment properly
vented.
2. Make certain flues at home
and exhaust pipes in cars are in
good condition.
ed off when setting up or adjust
ing, to avoid shock hazard.
Decorations, Wrappings: Use
only non-combustible or flame-
resistant decoration matei'ials.
Dispose of gift wrappings
promptly and safely. Careful
with smoking around the tree!
Plan in advance what
must do for the life safety
your family in case of fire.
Plant In Japan
—From page 1
plant. Firestone will set up a
sales organization to market its
products in Japan, and will ex
port if the demand warrants.
Firestone foresees new tire
The stars stand out in space.
The moon casts a holy glow,
as light shines through the
darkness. For this is Christ’s
birthday.
Hate gives way to love. In
tolerance fades into toler
ance. Unhappiness becomes
joy. Turmoil is lost in
peace.
We pray to God that people
everywhere remember that
each day is a renewal of the
Birth of the Prince of Peace.
•Iris Higgins
you
of
new tir(
water m tne iT^^ykets in the extensive road
house. Support it well; never lo- building program underway in
rate it where it might cut off es- Japan. The agreement with
cape m case of fire. Take tree
out no later than Dec. 26.
Lights; Check sets for fray
ed wires, loose connections and
broken sockets. Never use
candles on or near tree. Make
sure tree lights are turned off
before going to bed or leaving
house. For outdoor lighting, use
only weatherproof equipment
and cords. Have electricity turn-
p a n . The agreement with
Ohtsu, which has been approved
by the Japanese Government,
gives Firestone 17 overseas tire
plants.
The growing Japanese
market is the largest in
with 1,696,500 cars, trucks
buses registered in 1961.
tire
Asia,
and
7ilr«$ton«
December, 1961 Page 3
A Gift From The Hills
Begins on page 1
the battered old car, members of the thin and
ragged family—and the singing little girl with
the large, lonely eyes.
The trail here ended so far as the back
ground of this beloved folk-carol is concerned
—unless history, yet unwritten, adds another
chapter.
Was the song really old as the plaintive tune
suggested? Had little Annie Morgan composed
it as she sang along, and hesitated to take
the credit for it? Or, had she learned it from
her family and others who had perpetuated it
as a popular song that had drawn upon an
ancient style that goes back to the time of
Chaucer?
JOHN JACOB NILES did considerable re
search, and so far as he could find out the
song had never been written down. Nobody
with whom he talked had ever heard of it
It was introduced to the world in sheet
music by the Schirmer company in 1934. Since
then, the carol sung by a little wandering girl
in the hills of Cherokee County and recorded
by a man whose life was dedicated to preserv
ing a part of the American heritage, has be
come a beloved Christmas favorite around the
world.
Nowhere is it more at home than in North
Carolina, and especially in the pine-clothed
hills and rhododendron-carpeted ravines,
where a little wandering girl named Annie
Morgan sang it 30 years ago.
Now as much a part of the Christian
world’s heritage as “Silent Night” and
“O Little Town Of Bethlehem”, the carol
“I Wonder As I Wander” will again be
heard many times this Christmas season.
Here are the lyrics as Annie Morgan sang
them:
I wonder as I wander out under the sky,
How Jesus the Savior did come for to die
For poor on’ry people like you and like I,
I wonder as I wander out under the sky.
When Mary birthed Jesus ’twas in a cow’s
stall.
With wise men and farmers and shep
herds and all.
But high from God’s heav’n a star’s light
did fall
And promise of ages it then did recall.
If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing—
A star in the sky or a bird on the wing,
Or all of God’s angels in heaven to sing,
He surely could have it, ’cause He was
the king.