Newspapers / Firestone News (Gastonia, N.C.) / July 1, 1968, edition 1 / Page 2
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m Col. John Nixon Read The Stirring Words A FREEDOM- HERITAGE FEATURE FOR JULY DONALDSON: ^Everything The U.S.A. Has’ Vietnam. “A faraway place I was glad to leave, but to which I feel an obligation,” said Roger Donaldson upon his discharge from the Marine Corps and re turn home to Gastonia. For a while he worked at Firestone in twisting (tire cord), in the same department where HemisFair: Goodwill Show Cultures of two conti nents join forces this year to create the first major international exposition ever held in the South western United States. This show of goodwill be tween North, Central, and South America also makes HemisFair the first expo sition anywhere to have as its theme the history, cul ture, industry, commerce, art, and economic develop ment of the Americas. This year, when it’s all taking place, is also the 250th anniversary of San Antonio. More than 9,000,- 000 people are expected to be feted during the Hemis- Fair’s 184 days of gaiety and spectacle. When the AtmosFair of Fun has cleared its 90 acres, the HemisFair com plex will be devoted to fostering the twin worlds of education and intercom munications between the family of Americas. his parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Donaldson Sr., have been em ployed for many years. An old er brother, Clarence Jr., is a technical assistant in process re finement and development. Roger’s tour of duty in Viet nam received wide publicity some months ago. Early last year, while on his way to Viet nam, he wrote home a letter in which he expressed some serious thoughts on family and friends, freedom, love of country, and a vision of world peace. THE LETTER, “I Remember —and hope” was published in the Gastonia Gazette and in Firestone News. Portions of the story, and the letter in the plant publication were reprinted in the Disabled American Veterans magazine. “What did you look forward to most before you got back home?” asked a newspaper re porter of Roger. “Everything the U.S.A. has,” he replied. “I can appreciate what I have here more than ever before.” V anishing Scene — Seasoned countryman at Gaslonia variety- store lunch counter, saucerin' n' blowin' and unmistakably relish ing his cup of coffee. Sign in window of Gastonia's shoe-repair shop: WE BRING BACK DEPARTED SOLES. Overheard: Two whittlers'- bench men discussing the sun- fun season now upon us. Said one: "My hands never did fit the handle of a plow, hoe, rake and lawnmower. But they're cupped just right to hold a fishing pole." Future Of Tire Industry The recent announcement of our revolutionary LXX concept in tires for the 1970s is another example of what a progressive development and research pro gram can do to make driving safer and more enjoyable for the millions of motorists on our highways.” Drastically different in con struction and appearance from any present-day tire, the LXX has a radically-different shape with a narrow, large-diameter rim which combine to give it safety advantages never before realized in a pneumatic tire. “We recently announced our first six-month sales and profits,” the president continu ed. “For the first time in our history we exceeded a billion From Page 1 dollars in sales in the first six months of a year. Through the extra efforts of all our people we also improved our profits for this period by 20 per cent over the similar period last year. “We are quite optimistic that this trend can continue for Fire stone for the balance of the year and that the close of our fiscal year will set still another record in sales and profits.” For many Americans in ‘these times’, a Fourth of July means the first holiday of summer, the beginning of a vacation, a picnic, sports event, or maybe a street parade. For most, the birthday anni versary of our National Inde pendence still holds a patriotic flavor, and across the country there are yet a few Old-Fashion ed “Fourths” such as the gala celebration at Faith, N. C. But did you ever wondsr what it was like in 1776, the first time our country celebrated Inde pendence Day? People danced and paraded in the streets, blew bugles, rang bells, fired cannon. There were feasts and banquets and many a toast raised in the name of the newly-gained freedom. From the balcony of Old State House in Boston the Declaration was read to cheering crowds. There was noisy rejoicing — along with not a few wild pranks. Many people did not learn of the Declaration-signing for quite some time, because news travel ed slowly in those days. Copies of the Declaration of Independ ence were ordered made and distributed July 5 to governors of several colonies and to com manders of the army. THE FIRST public reading was on July 8, 1776. The bell in Philadelphia’s Old State House, where the Continental Congress was in session, rang out to at- JACK ANDERSON 25 Years A father and son, both em ployed at the Firestone Ben- nettsville plant, are in a class of distinction when it comes to service records. Jack Anderson recently receiv ed his 25-year service pin and the company appreciation gift of $100, presented by Ralph King, plant manager. Jack is the second recipient of the 25-year award at Bennetts- ville—the first one having been his father, Garl Anderson. tract the people. Never was there a more eager audience. Col. John Nixon read the stir ring words. Subsequently, the document was read in courts and council halls, on public squares and village greens, from pulpits and platforms throughout the colonies—turned new states. Independence was actually de cided on July 2, by the casting of one vote from each colony. And did you know that Thomas Jefferson’s beautifully - worded Declaration sprang from a reso lution made in Congress earlier that year by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia? On June 7, 1776, Lee had pro posed that the united colonies ought to be free and indepen dent states, absolved from al legiance to the British Crown. The proposal was discussed in Congress for two days and then action further delayed, presum ably until a full declaration could be drawn up, but actually to give freedom a better op portunity to win. NOT ALL the colonies were ready to vote for independence. By delaying final vote on the resolution, members who favor ed freedom gained three weeks to sway doubtful or objecting voters. While a committee headed by Thomas Jefferson drew up the Declaration, congressmen oppos ing liberty had time to change their minds. As of July 1, delegates from New York were without instruc tion from their colony on how to vote. The majority of Penn sylvania’s delegates opposed in dependence. Delaware was equally divided on the issue and a third congressman known to favor independence was at home, 80 miles away in Dela ware. That delegate rode horse back all night, to make it into Philadelphia so he could vote for liberty. Other states delegates lined up in favor of independence, and others who were opposed stayed away from the July 2 session. So, by that date, the “Indepen dence Party” was in control. Lee’s resolution passed unani mously among those present, ex cept New York abstaining from casting a vote either way. THE DECLARATION waS adopted two days later, but no one signed it that day. Actual signatures weren’t begun until August 2, and names were still being added as late as 1781- Many men authorized to sig^^ the treasured “birth certificate of freedom” weren’t even in of fice when the Declaration was adopted. John Hancock, President of the Congress, put his bold sig' nature to the document, know ing that on his head was a re ward of 500 pounds sterling. His fellow patriots performed equal acts of heroism by defiantly adding their signatures to the Declaration. STE Coming In October Lists of exhibitors in the 25th Southern Textile Exposition at Greenville, S. C., Oct. 21-25 have been distributed to management of some 1,600 mills in the U.S. and Canada. Lists and accompanying floor plans are an aid for those at tending the exposition to study the machinery, equipment and supplies to be displayed by al most 600 manufacturers and suppliers. Representative members of management and other functions at Firestone’s Gastonia plant traditionally attend the giant textile show every two years. Size of the exposition makes it necessary for textile peopl® to plan their tour of Textile Hall, to make best use of time and avoid overlap travel over the 315,000 square feet of hibits. Aisles in Textile Hall are de' signed “avenues” (lengthwise oi building) and “streets” (cross wise of the structure), to allo'^'^ easy orientation in exhibits. "The Earth and Its Seasons" is theme of the planetarium p^®' gram for the month of July at Gastonia's Schiele Museum of Natuf' al History. The program features a cause-and-effect demonstratio*' of the four seasons of the earth year. There is a simulated trip the Arctic Circle for comparison of seasonal variations. Textiles Advanced Our Civilization Development of textiles paved the for civilization, points out a filmstrip whicp the American Textile Manufacturers Insti' tute has distributed free in recent months to more than 1,000 schools across the couH' try. The strip, of some 40 color frames original art, shows how textiles aided many major advances in man’s history. • Primitive man developed crude textil®®' This is one frame from the ATMI filmstrip. Volume XVII Number 7 GASTONIA July, 1968 Page 2 Claude C. Callaway, Editor Monthly publication of the Gastonia, N. C., plant of Firestone Synthetic Fibers and Textiles Company, a division of The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio. Division headquarters, Hopewell, Va. Robert W. Rice, president. John V. Darwin, Gastonia plant manager. Plant REPORTERS Offices Warehouses ☆ ☆ Carding—Payton Lewis Industrial Relations—Rita Maye Main Office—Bea McCarter Mechanical Dept.—Rosie Francum Quality Control—Louella Queen, Leila Rape Twisting (synthetics)—Elease Cole, Katie Elkins, Catherine Fletcher Warp Preparation—Elmina Bradsba'^' Nell Bolick Warehouse—Harold Robinson, Good, Rosevelt Rainey Weaving (cotton)—Ruth Veitch Weaving (synthetics)—Ann C o s ® ^' Mayzelle Lewis BENNETTSVILLE PLANT Ruth Covington—Correspondent ..g Mary H. Oliver, Ruth V. Sikes, LoU>» S. Preston—Reporters.
Firestone News (Gastonia, N.C.)
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