SPRAGUE ELECTRIC COMPANY NORTH ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS

VOLUME XIX DECEMBER, 1956 NO. 4

HappyNewYear

Page 2 SPRAGUE ELECTRIC LOG December 1956

Names in the Newsyl Christmas Message

With the close of the year 1956, the Sprague Electric(lompany has joined the ranks of those few companies whichhave been able to stay in operation for more than 30 years.That we have reached this significant milestone is due inno small part to the fine efforts and cooperation of ouremployes. This spirit will do much, we are sure, to help uscontinue our leadership in engineering, manufacturing andselling electrical and electronic components in the yearsahead

The year 1956 has been a busy one at Sprague Electric,marked by a high level of pr )duction and sales volume, butit has also been a year of increased competition in the in-dustry. This highly competitive climate has meant re-duced net profits to your Company.

Through a program of "consolidation", successfullycarried out during the year and with the cooperation of ouremployes, we have been able to improve our operatingefficiency in recent months.

However, we need to make continued gains in efficiency,as well as to develop and market new products. Amongthe steps taken during the year was our entry into the manu-facture of transistors, and the expansion of our tantalum,magnetics, and industrial oil departments, steps taken toinsure that Sprague Electric will retain its leadership as amanufacturer of basic components We have also laid thegroundwork for expanding our sales in the importantEuropean market through the purchase of a controllinginterest in a small capacitor manufacturing company inMilan, Italy.

To you all we extend our sincere and heartfelt thanks foryour fine efforts. We wish for all of you and your families,a most Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year!

Chairman of the Board

Publishing Staff

Kenneth S. BrownManager of Publications

Rose Marie CurranAssociate Editor

Circulation Manager: Marion Caron Social Chairman: Ann Heath

Photographer: Albert Horsfall

ASSISTANT EDITORSJohn Davis, Gabriella Mancini, Sylvia Orell and Etta Owen.

MARSHALL STREET REPORTERSBarbara Armstrong, Betty Barcomb, Gloria Biondo, Dorothy Boutwell,

Jacqueline Brooks, Eloise Brown, Dorothy Buzzell, Jeannette Cady, BarbaraCampedelli, Mary Cantoni, Margaret Champagny, Nora Christie, LawrenceClark, Marguerite Daub, Julia Desrosiers, Irene Dubreuil, Ella Dunsmore,Joan Durocher, Ralph Fressola, Jennie Garceau, Ella Genesi, Ida Gigliotti,Lena Grillone, Janice Harriman, Margaret Hauptfleisch, Larry Hiser, BettyJangrow, Carol Knox, Amelia Koza, Lois Lacasse, Suzette Lemieux, BernardLoncto, Geraldine Macchia, Anabelle Mahar, Carmela Mancuso, BarbaraMartin, Grace McConnell, Agnes McDonough, Doris McPherson, AliceMonette, Joan O'Neil, Helen O'Neill, Joan Paradis, Dominick Pisano, MarjorieRicher, Ceil Risch, Reginald Rowett, Kay Ryan, Russell Sacco, Jane Sartori,Patricia Schabot, Barbara Solari, Gladys Sullivan, Cecile Trudeau, LeaWalden, John Walsh, and Emily Wlodyka.

BEAVER STREET REPORTERSEmma Alongi, Marion Andrews, Leona Denault, Clifford Domenichini,

Esther Driscoll, Lorraine Duffy, Pat Harding, Jean MacDonald, JessieMeczywor, Francis Miles, Justine Minor, Gertrude Noel, Valerie Piantoni,Carmelina Roy, Cora Ryan, Veronica Sobon, Adelle Solari, Lillian Stahelek,Rita Sullivan, Theresa Thomas, Nina Underwood and Mary Williams.

BROWN STREET REPORTERSDorothy Baker, Martha Clark, Florence Clement, Mildred Conroy, Chick

Currant, Isabelle Fuller, Herbert Hafner, Ann Heath, Lena Kerr, DorothyLaDue, Jean Levy, Madeline O'Neil, Ann O'Neil, Irene Pigeon, Ace Samia,Frank Santelli, Dorothy Shea, Erminia Sweeney, Lorraine Tanguay, BlancheTatro, Corena Tatro, Art Van Steemburg and Isabelle Witherow.

Feature Reporters: Pete Mancuso and Ken Russell

Sports Reporter: John Gallese

Cartoonist: H. Saunders

"Every Sprague Employe a Reporter'1''

Published by SPRAGUE ELECTRIC COMPANY, North Adams, Mass.

David Peck, head of electrolyticcapacitor activities in the R & E de-partment. sp< ke befcre the ChicagoSecticn of the Electrochemical So-ciety en November 2nd on the develop-ment and applicaticns of aluminumand tantalum electrolytic capacitors.

Leon Podolsky. Technical Assistantto the President of the Sprague Elec-tric Company, has been honored bythe Institute of Radio Engineers byelection to the grade of Fellow in theInstitute.

Harold "Kit" Carson was recentlyelected President of the "Old Timers"Club at their annual Dinner.

Management ClubAdditions

James B. Lovett Joined Spraguein September 1955 as Manager ofSystems and Procedures. Previous-ly to joining Sprague, Mr. Lovettwas employed by the InternationalLatex Corporation. He is a graduateof the Wharton School, Universityof Pennsylvania, 1934. Mr. Lovettis married to the former MildredL. Andrews of Atlantic City, NewJersey.

1004th MilitaryIntelligenceNeeds You!

If you are an Army reserve officerwho has just moved to this area, youare invited to join the only army re-serve training unit holding trainingsessions in Northern Berkshire, as ameans of acquiring credits for reten-tion in the reserves and for ultimateretirement benefits.

The unit is the 1004th MilitaryIntelligence company which meets onthree Monday evenings a month inRoom 8 of Stetson Hall, the WilliamsCollege Library, in Williamstown.

There are two other army reserveunits in this area. Companies B ofNorth Adams and C of Williamstown,376th Infantry regiment, 94th (Re-serve) Division, but they are elementsof the ready reserve and their tables oforganization provide spaces only forjunior infantry officers. The 1004thMilitary Intelligence Company, as atraining unit, has no established tableof organization and is open to officersof all grades, arms and services. Sinceit is not part of the ready reserve, itwould not be mobilized as a unit inthe event of a national emergency,and its members are not paid for theirtraining time.

Its training work is devoted tomilitary intelligence area studies ofcritical sections of the world.

Reserve officers interested in theoutfit are invited to get in touch withLieut. Col. Robert R. Washburn ofDoanes Lane or Lieut. Col. RoyLamson of Bulkley Street, Williams-town.

YOUR CREDIT UNION

WELCOMES YOU

AND STANDS READY TO SERVE

YOUR NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE NEW YEAR

Jury DutyThis article was written by Peter Mancusowho is currently serving on jury duty and itis published here as a matter of interestsince anyone of age, is eligible to serve andof further interest is the fact that the Com-pany now pays differential pay for timespent on jury duty as one of the manybenefits offered at Sprague Electric.

"Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Hear Ye!""All persons having anything to do

before the Honorable Justice of tin-Superior Court now sitting at Pitts-field, within and for the County ofBerkshire, draw near, give your at-tendance, and you shall be heard.God save the Commonwealth ofMassachusetts." These are the wordssaid by the deputy sheriff at the dailyopening of a court session.

The Judge in the case is appointedby the Chief Justice; the appointmentschedule is drawn in December forthe following year, so that each Judgeknows where he will be sittingthroughout the year. Each Judge hasa stenographer who is appointed bythe Chief Justice's secretary, and shestays with the Judge until the sessionis completed.

There are thirty-two Judges for theSuperior Court in the State.

At the beginning of every sessionthere is an invocation by a memberof the church to which the Judgebelongs. There are four sessions ayear, two criminal sessions; one heldin January and one in July. Two civilsessions, one held in April and onein October.

The Judge has the power of ex-cusing a jurist from duty. Illness,occupation, age, position, such aspolice officer, doctor, clergy, lawyer,etc. are excused.

If a jurist is called to serve, he thenwill not be asked to serve for threemore years. But after a jurist hasserved, his name is sent to Springfield,where he could be drawn for theSupreme Court, and after servingthere, his name is sent to Boston,where his name could be drawn for aFederal Court.

There are thirty-two villages, townsor cities, in the Berkshires from whichthe Jury is picked. The jurists are

picked according to the population,one out of every 62 to 100 citizens.The citizens are picked (here in NorthAdams 250 to 300 names are placedin a bcx) and then drawn by aSelectman or a Councilman foreach session.

In North Adams there are five orsix selected lor Jury duty. When serv-ing on duty, your services are requiredlor lour weeks. If the session is notcompleted, another group of juristsare picked. The total number ofjurists Cor each session is about forty.

There are twelve jurists to a panel,and two groups are picked. A slip ofpaper with a number and your nameis placed in a miniature rotating barrelof all forty jurists. The clerk ofcounty draws a name to fill the twelveseats. The. first jury picked takes thefirst seat, the second picked takes thesecond seat, etc. If your name isdrawn for the eighth seat, you are theforeman of the Jury. The remainingjurists, not picked on the two panels,remain to fill another panel as soonas a case is settled.

Then the clerk of courts tells thepicked panel that this is a case ofMr. John Doe against the Red CabCompany. If any of the jurists arc-related to either party, has a claimfor or against either, is employed byor engaged in business with either,is a stockholder of or is conscious ofany bias or prejudice against either,of has any interest in the case; or hasexpressed or formed an opinion, willbe so indicated to the court.

If no one wants to be excused, thenthe lawyer for the defendant or lawyerfor the plaintiff can challenge threejurists apiece for reasons of their own.

When a jurist has been challenged,he is excused from the panel and ap-Other jurist's name is drawn from thebarrel, and he takes the seat of Un-challenged jurist.

When both sides of the lawyers aresatisfied with the panel, the case thenbegins.

"Miss December" - -Decorating our front page this

month is blonde Ann Marie Urquhartof Paper Rolling, Beaver Street. Aresident of Adams, Ann was bornthere and enjoys dancing and allsports. She has been with SpragueElectric six years. (Photo by ValliereVogue Studio.)

President

For Car Loan Informationat Brown Street

Contact Lawrence Moreau—Tel—88

December, 1956 SPRAGUE ELECTRIC LOG Page 3

$64,000 More InSocial Security Taxes

An estimated increase of $64,000 inSocial Security taxes will be paid byemployes and Sprague Electric nextyear as a result of amendments in thelaw signed by President Eisenhower.The law goes into effect on the firstof the year.

Presently employes and the Com-pany are both assessed 2 per cent ofthe pay, up to $4200 a year, for socialsecurity purposes. However, effectiveJanuary 1, 1957, the tax on each willwill be hiked to 2!4 per cent.

An employe earning $4200 or moreduring the year can expect to pay anadditional $10.50 more in 1957 thanduring the current year. It is estimatedthat Sprague employes will pay atotal increase of $29,000 in SocialSecurity taxes in 1957. A matchingincrease will be paid by the Company.Here is an example of what it will costyou and the Company:Annual Present New

Earnings Tax Tax$2000 $40 $45.00

3000 60 67.504000 80 90.004200 & over 84 94.50

WOMEN CAN NOW DRAWBENEFITS AT 62

Recent amendments to the SocialSecurity Act will enable women todraw benefits three years earlier thanunder the old law. The followingchanges were effective November 1,1956.

WIDOWS — A widow who hasreached 62 and whose deceased hus-band was fully insured under theSocial Security Act will be eligible toreceive the same widow's benefits as ifshe were 65. The amount is a maxi-mum of $81.40 per month or 75 per-cent of the primary insurance amountof her deceased husband.

DEPENDENT MOTHERS — Adependent mother of an individualwho died fully insured and did notleave a widow, widower or unmarriedchild will be eligible to receive thesame benefit at age 62, as she formerlywould have received at age 65. Thisamount is a maximum of $81.40 permonth or 75 per cent of the primaryinsurance amount of the deceasedchild.

WORKING WOMEN — A womanwho is fully insured may now retireat age 62. Her benefit will be a max-imum of $86.80 per month or 80 per-cent of the amount she would receive

Frank Sprague--"who Suggestions Pay a Christmas Bonuschanged the face of virtuallyevery city and town in the land. '*

Frank Rowsome Jr. has assembledsome 300 pictures and 60,000 wordsin a new tribute to a mode of trans-portation which is fast becoming ex-tinct in most parts of the nation, ex-cept for scattered museums.

"Trolley Car Treasure", publishedby McGraw-Hill Book Company isdelightful reading but of most interestto us is what it has to say aboutFrank J. Sprague, inventor, and fatherof Robert C. Sprague, Chairman ofthe Board, and Julian K. Sprague,President of the Company.

Frank J. Sprague's name belongswith Edison's and Bell's as one of thewizards who helped usher in the ageof electricity. According to the book,he not only "fathered the first practic-al city-wide trolley system, but alsomodern subway and elevated trains,automatic train-safety controls andhigh speed electric elevators." Theprincipal reason Frank Sprague didnot attain the fame accorded to otherswas that he did not demand "his namebe identified with the products hehad made possible."

Mr. Rowsome devotes an entirechapter to Frank Sprague, tracing hislife from the time he was a sixteenyear old mathematical wizard aboutto enter the class of 1878 at Annapolis.The text covers his tour of duty in theNavy which included six months of"AWOL"; later association withEdison at Menlo Park where he met

ifshewere65. For every month thatshe delays her retirement after 62her benefit will be increased by 5/9 of1 percent of the full amount.

WIVES — A wife of an individualwho is receiving old-age insurancebenefits may receive a wife's insurancebenefit at age 62. The amount is amaximum of 50 percent of $81.40 permonth or 75 percent of the benefit shewould draw at age 65. For eachmonth she delays drawing her bene-fits after 62 the amount will be in-creased by 25/36 of 1 percent of thebenefit she would draw at 65, which is50 percent of the benefit her husbandreceives. If a wife or working womanchooses to receive these modified bene-fits at an early age the amount willnot be increased when she reachesage 65.

"LOG" Cops an "Oscar"

Donald Houghton, Boy Scout District Director for Berkshire County,admires the certificate and statuette held by Kenneth S. Brown, Managerof Publications.

This award was presented to the Log for its picture story, "SpragueEmployes Help Put New Meaning Into Scouting's "Be Prepared" whichappeared in the October issue. This story was entered in the Good TurnContest sponsored by Region I (New England Area) of the Boy Scouts ofAmerica. Its purpose was to awaken the public as to the needs of Scout-ing during the recent Community Chest and United Fund drives.

The Award for the Log story, which took first place in the "picture-feature class" for industrial newspapers, was presented to Mr. Brownat the December meeting of the Massachusetts Industrial EditorsAssociation in Boston.

Three were rewarded for theirsuggestions this month. None washappier than Marion Babcock of DryRolling. Her suggestion for a newmethod of rolling was applied to one ofthe oldest company operations, whichis proof that no matter how long weproduce an item there may still be abetter way to do it. Her idea nettedher $120. John Campbell, Managerof Plant Services is pictured awardingMarion her check as her fellow work-ers Catherine Gigliotti, Theresa Mor-in, Beatrice Brown, and Anita Gibeaulook on.

Other suggestion award winnerswere: Albert W. LeBeau, Pulse Trans-formers, for color coding all varnishedcores to distinguish between the var-ious sizes. This award was for $15.00.

Edgar Remillard, Machine Shop,for improving selector doors on auto-matic capacitor testers. He receivedan award of $25.00 for this suggestion.

the "Let's- try-it- and-see-what-hap-pens" approach, completely oppositeto his disciplined, academic mind;and the formation of the SpragueElectric Railway and Motor Com-pany which launched in Richmond,Virginia, the first city-wide trolleysystem. This venture was the open-ing wedge which "changed the faceof practically every c i ty . . . "

In 1889, his company was mergedinto the Edison General ElectricCompany—the forerunner of today'sG.E. Mr. Sprague, however, con-tinued independently to invent newand better ways to put energy to work

DISABILITY PENSIONS NOWCOVER INDIVIDUALS AT AGE 50

The newly enacted Social SecurityAmendments provide new benefits fordisabled individuals. Two classes ofpersons will be eligible for these newbenefits:

DEPENDENT CHILDREN—Pre-sently a dependent child of an indivi-dual entitled to old-age insurancebenefits or who died fully insured isno longer eligible for benefits afterreaching the age of 18. Starting nextJanuary 1st, if the dependent child istotally disabled before reaching thatage, he may receive benefits there-after, generally for as long as the dis-ability continues or until he marries.The amount of his benefit is 50 per-cent (maximum $54.25 per month) ofthe primary benefit of the parent ifliving, or 75 percent (maximum of$81.40 per month) of such amountif the parent has died.

DISABLED WORKER — Startingnext July 1st an individual covered bysocial security who is totally disabledand 50 years old or older will be eli-gible to receive disability benefitsequal to the old age benefits he wouldget if he were 65. The maximumamount is $108.50 per month. Beforehe actually starts receiving paymentshe must furnish proof of his disabilityand that it has existed for at leastsix months. He also must acceptrehabilitation services or his benefitsmay be cut off.

Starting January 1, 1957, a specialsocial security tax of one-half of 1percent will be levied to finance thesenew benefits. The amount collectedfrom the new tax will go to a separatedisability fund to provide disabilitypayments only. The employe willpay one-quarter of 1 percent on thefirst $4200 of annual wages and theemployer will pay a like amount.This tax is added to the present socialsecurity tax of two percent on employeand employer. Each will pay up to$94.50 per year in total social securitytaxes instead of $84. now being paid.

(Included in this issue of the Log, youwill find a small pamphlet explaining thenew provisions of the Social Security Law.This is provided so that you may have ahandy reference.)

for man:1892—helped design a 1,000-horse-

power electric locomotive the world'slargest.

1893-Began building high speedelectric elevators with revolutionarycontrols—opened the way for sky-scrapers in United States.

1895-Pcrfected what was possiblyhis most important invention—amultiple-unit control which controlleda number of electric motors from onesingle location.

1902-Became consultant on elec-trification of the New York Centralrailroad. Also developed the "Dead

Man-'s Button" a safety device whichshut off power if the motorman shouldfaint or fall asleep.

World War I-Helped design theradically new depth charges and ar-mor piercing projectiles.

1928-Unveiled a system designedto run two separate elevators in thesame shaft.

The above achievements have help-ed open a new world that we take forgranted.

"General Electric, Westinghouse,Otis Elevator, and many other firmsowe much of their early fame" to theproducts of Frank J. Sprague's mind.

Sprague Hunters Make a KillingThough many Sprague employes took to the local woods during the deer

season, few can top the accomplishments of S. Newton Peck of mainten-ance and Maggio P. Pechini of Research and Engineering.

Newton Peck and his brother Milford (above left) while deer hunting inDrury brought down a seven foot bear which weighed close to 275 lbs. Thebrothers fired four shots to stop the bear after it had charged them whenhit by a slug from Newton's rented and sightless gun.

Making hunting a real sport, Maggio Pechini took to the woods withbow and arrow. Not one to waste time, Maggio got himself a nice trophy—an 11 point buck.

Page 4 SPRAGUE ELECTRIC LOG December, 1956

DEPARTMENTAL NEWSB0OWAJSTRtfT

General Salvageby Herbert Hajner

William Cooper, truck driver, re-cently took his vacation which hespent deer hunting in Vermont. NoLuck. William Douglas also had achance at the deer in Vermont, buthe came back empty handed also. . .Thomas De Santy spent a week inNew York City seeing the sights andattending some shows. . . Walter May-nard is going to try to show up theother nimrods in our Dept. by gettinga deer in Mass. Hope he has betterluck.

Industrial Oil CoverAssemblyby Isabel Witherow & Ann O'Dell

Congratulations to Barbara Cran-dell who received her twenty year pin.Congratulations are also in order tothose receiving their fifteen year pins:Daisy Meland, Aime Morin andHenry Armata. Martha Davis re-ceived her ten year pin and AlexanderMurach his five year pin. Congratu-lations to al l ! . . . Welcome to our newforeman, Leonard Lewitt from us all.Sure hope he will like working withus. . .We are all very sorry to seeKenny Russell leave us as we certainlyenjoyed working for him. . .We allwish a speedy recovery to Kate Field'shusband and hope to have Kate backworking with us very soon. . . Barbarais leaving for Florida on her vacation.Hope she has a wonderful time. . .We want to wish everyone a MerryChristmas and a Happy New Year!

Industrial Rollingby Erminia Sweeney

Someone has tacked a new name onFran. Delisle, the "man with a smile".Honestly?. . . Helen Unis got a pleas-ant surprise the other day, it being herbirthday. She put a quarter in thecigarette machine and out came abook of matches wishing her "HappyBirthday". . . Evelyn Laliberte has re-turned from her vacation lookingpretty chipper. . .Well as the HolidaySeason approaches, all the girls in thenew cooler send best wishes for a veryMerry Christmas and a Happy NewYear to all and most especially tothose on the sick list: Bert Raymond,Goldie Shea and Rita Fournier. Ahearty welcome is extended to thenew girls in the dept.: Esther Critelli,Cecilia Maxymillian, Alda Wood andArvilla Williams. . .We are glad thatHelen Falco is back and feeling better.. . . Fran Delisle is spending his vaca-tion deer hunting.

Network and LCC Linesby Irene Pigeon

Welcome back to Rose Walczek,Angie Pontier and Eleanor DiSanti. . . Hunting season is upon us againand two of our avid hunters FrancisGannon and Harold Bush spent theirvacation pursuing deer. . .The reasonwhy Clara Lescarbeau has been beam-ing so broadly lately is because her sonJoe is returning home from Korea tospend the holidays with his family. Joeformerly worked at Sprague's beforeentering the Service... Stella Char-bonneau hit the jack-pot. We are allpitching in and are going to give hera money bag for all her winnings. . .Your reporter wants to wish each andeveryone in our department a veryMerry Christmas and a very HappyNew Year!

Clorinolby Dot LaDue

Hi Again! Well, Christmas is al-most here again. Some of the girlshave already dropped a hint as towhat they would like. Boy, thejewelers are certainly going to sell alot of diamonds, we hope!. . . We areplanning a Christmas party and Ihope we all have as good a time as wedid last year. All the girls are ex-pecting a certain fellow to be thereso that they can really dance. See youJessey, I think... A big welcome goesto all the new girls, glad to have youwith us. . .Well I guess that is it forthis month, so to all of you, from allof us, A Very Merry Christmas anda Happy New Year.

Small Orders and Samplesby Millie Conroy

Hi Everyone. . .The Holiday Sea-son is upon us again and we sincerelyhope it will be a truly Happy One fora l l . . . If Helen Murphy's son Joe cancome home and Delia Pilling's sonRaymond gets here, it is sure to be aMerry Christmas for them. Theyare both in the Navy and haven'tbeen home since April. . . Glad to seeSally Tallarico back with us againafter her recent illness. We all missedher. . t Alice Beer and Belle Dow spenta gala week-end in Boston recentlyand the following Monday was cer-tainly a very long day for them. . .If you know of any TV station lookingfor talent, we have it all combined inone person—Margaret Perrault. . .Hi Joe Murphy, hope you are feelingmuch better... Paul Martelle returnedfrom hrs" visit to his girl in Vermont avery happy fellow. It must be love!. . .Gladys Lampiasi is giving lessonsin "How to Play Rummy". . FrankGoloski, our right hand man is lookingforward to the hunting season—hehas his hand warmer already.

Ind. Oils Assemblyby Dorothy Shea

"Mandy" Daniels is temporarilydoing the desk work while EvelynDavis is on sick leave. You are doingvery well so far "Mandy". . ."Ceil"Maxymillian has been transferred toSandia. We all miss you "Ceil". . .Our room Christmas Party which washeld on December 20th at the "Fire-side" was really a very Merry Affair.Your reporter is spending her twoweeks vacation at home.

Sandia Coolersby Dorothy Bell Baker

It was with sadness we said good-bytoAnnFortin and Isabelle DiSanti, wehope it won't be for long girls. . .Allthe girls of the Sandia Coolers wish towelcome our new boss Stanley Bagdon,we hope the stay will be long andpleasant, Stanley. . .As this goes topress we are all busy with our Christ-mas shopping. . .We celebrated twobirthdays with a cake baked forEleanor Alibozek by Vi McCelland,and Rita Zioto with a cake baked byFrances Pitonak, both girls weregiven figurines. . .Any one wishing tocrochet a hat see Vi McClelland forthe directions. . . Rose Murray is verybusy moving, we hope you like yournew home Rose. . . We have all heardof Harvey the rabbit, but have youheard of Rita Charron's new yellowconvertible the girls have given her.Well it's a Harvey too... Emma Gouldis having trouble these days gettingout of her garage. What's thetrouble Emma, don't you like toshovel snow?

Hi-Quality Lineby Mae O'Neil

First of all we would like to say Hi!and Welcome to our New Foreman,Stan Bagdon. Sure hope you cancope with us Stan. The Welcomemat is also out for Isabelle De Santi

and Ann Fortin who are our two newrollers. . . Birthday wishes went toAlice Lunney on Dec. 5th. How doesit feel to be 21 Alice?. . .What chancea pedestrian had is gone now. BettyDe Mers has just got her license.

Paper Rollingby Frances Miles

Hi—it's sure been a long time. . .We extend our welcome mat to ClaireFitzpatrick, Phil Nimmons, CarmelaTassone and Nabbie Skorupski. . .Eva King seems to favor the shades ofblack and blue lately. . . Lil Crandallhad her hair fixed especially for therecent picture taking that went on inour room. . .Everyone is anxiously a-waiting our annual Christmas partyand anticipating a lot of fun. It'sbeing held at the Fireside in Cheshire.Don't forget your grab bag gift, girls!. . .Julie Gattuso is planning on spend-ing her vacation visiting her son-in-law and daughter in North Carolinaand to see her little grandson. Enjoyyourself, Julie. . . Mary Valazza isquite a do-nut fancier, judging fromthe big bag full she brings in everymorning. . .Tillie Mendel has a newaddition to her household—a puppywho answers to the name of "Skippy". . . We would like to wish one and alla very Merry Christmas and a HappyNew Year.

Miscellaneous Paper Finishby GatnuU Noel

Glad to hear Rose Bombardier'sfather is well on the road to recoveryafter recently being hospitalized. . .We bid a sad farewell to MargaretAccetta, Frances Gayda and BettyPoirot. Hope it won't be too long be-fore you are back with us again. . .Maud Waska spent the last of herthree weeks vacation at home tryingto catch up on things that pile up onus working girls. . .Edna Cwertniec-iecz's young son, Billy had his firsttaste of deer hunting in Vermont.However, he wasn't one of the luckyones, nor was Ray Guyette includedamong the deerslayers. . . Congratula-tions to Lil Peck's husband, whobagged a 250 pound bear in Florida,Mass. . .Bea Pierce's parents recentlycelebrated their fiftieth wedding an-niversary by renewing their weddingvows and enjoyed a party planned bytheir eight children. . . Theresa Gara-fano finds herself in a grammar schoolrefresher course while helping heryoung daughter, Linda, with theweighty problems of a fourth grader. . .WE wish all a very Merry Christ-mas and a Happy & Prosperous NewYear.

Hi-Reliabilityby Marion Andrews

Your reporters would like to wisheveryone a Merry Christmas and aHappy New Year.. . . At this timeeveryone is busy doing their Christmasshopping. There is nothing likeChristmas when there are smallchildren in the family. It's interest-ing to hear mothers in our departmenttelling some of their stories about whattheir children want for Christmas. . .Dot Davis's son, Donald, was appoint-ed Assistant Editor at WentworthInstitute at Boston. Dot couldn'tfigure out where she left her cookiesshe had bought, she discovered themtwo days later on the window sill atwork. She said they were still good.

. . . We are glad to see Elsie Sum-ner back after her leave. . .We hopeto see Lorraine Andrews back soonfrom her leave and also FlorenceCarsno who went to the hospital forobservation. Best of Luck Florence.. . . Viola Tanguay's daughter Normafrom State College, Penn. visited herrecently. Her son who is in the Navyalso visited her before sailing on acruise... If you go out New Year'sEve please drive carefully. The lifeyou save may be your own.

Hi-Reliabilityby Valerie Piantoni

Claire Cantoni spent her vacationin Waterbury, Conn. . . The girls arehappy to see Tootie Choquette who isback from her leave of absence. . .Thelma Bissaillon's daughter, LoisHescock of Bridgeport, Conn., isvisiting here. . .Dottie Wolkowicz hasleft us for a position on MarshallStreet. Good Luck Dottie. We knowyou'll make out very well. . . Almosteveryone in the room was dieting justto be able to fit in their party dresses.The Christmas party was December13th.

Misc. Paper Assemblyby Adelle Solari

Well it seems we have two fifteenyear members in our department.They are Mary Zoto and TheresaVono. They both attended the fifteenyear dinner at Petey's and had awonderful time even though Mary wasterribly frightened by the Magician'simitation snake. She still talks aboutit. . .Vacations arc still in order inour Dept. Dolores Bailey just re-cently spent one week at home. Yourstmly will be spending the last week ofher vacation at home making lastminute preparations for Christinas. . .Well it's almost Christmas once moreand everyone is busy buying thingsand rushing around and although itseems like a lot of work, it's really themost beautiful holiday of the year andwhen everyone is happy it's wellworth the effort. I am taking thisopportunity to wish you all a MerryChristmas and a Happy New Year.

Bathtub Assemblyby Jessie Meczywor

On Nov. 19, Connie Urbano cele-brated her birthday. A few of herfriends helped her celebrate by pre-senting her with a gift. Many happyreturns of the day. . On Nov. 28thFrances Roy and her husband Freddiecelebrated their 25th wedding an-niversary. Her friends of BTA com-pletely surprised her by arranging abeautiful dinner including a cake andan appropriate gift. Congratulationsto both of you. . .It's good-by for awhile to Carl Briggs who left us tojoin Uncle Sam. We will all missyou. . .Sincerely wishing each andeveryone a very Merry Christmas anda Happy New Year.

Block Annexby Doris Williams

Well, here we are just getting overone big meal (Thanksgiving) andplanning what to have for Christmas.. . . The main topic these days is whatto buy and who to buy it for. Christ-mas is the one season of the year whenwithout a doubt our thoughts turn toothers, is it not? Especially at thistime of year we can all do a little"something" for someone else. Per-sonally, I'm thinking of the hoursahead when we of the Salvation Armywill be doing our share in manningthe Christmas Booth and kettles, pre-

paring Sunshine baskets for the hos-pitalized and bringing cheer andcomfort when- it is needed most.To each of you, may I extend theheartiest of Season's Greetings hop-ing that you may all have the merriestof Christmases.

Pulse Transformersby Cora Ryan and Jean Mat Donald

The old Christmas Spirit seemed totouch everyone this year. It hasreigned supreme with Eva GaudettCsince June. How about a lull week?. . . d a r a Belleau and Cora Ryan re-ceived their gifts from Santa early.Clara an automatic washer and Coraa camp at Cheshire Lake. . .Welcomehome to all the sons and daughterswho are in college and the armedservices and are spending their holi-days with their families. .. VcrnaGoodwin would like a crutch fromSanta because of her broken loot.Hope you are feeling up to par soon...Lillian LaPlante, our check in-spector, wishes for everything fromKris Kringle except rejects.. .AnnaSt. Cyr has more dented fenders thananyone we know, Santa. How aboutgiving her two new ones for Christ-mas? . . . Speaking of dented fenders,did you know that Stella Bastian wasfined $2.00 for failing to observe astop sign. Maybe her mind was onother things like her new grandsonweighing in at 8 lbs. and <> ozs.. .We are all glad to hear that BlancheHarris's husband is now out ofthe hospital... Maude Jones recent-ly spent a pleasant week-end inBoston... Best wishes to Ruth Roy,daughter of Mary Roy, who is to bemarried on December 29th. . .Groupparties for Margaret Perreault andMary Bua celebrating their birthdayswere enjoyed by all. . A happy tripto Rena Smith who is traveling toCalifornia to attend her son's weddingon December 21st.. . .Vacations wererecently enjoyed by Emily Rogowski,Blanche Bednarz and Mary Carno-han. Lucky girls we already hadours. . .Merry Christmas and a HappyNew Year to you all!

Metal Clad Finishby Veronica Sobon & Emma Alongi

Because everyone is busy duringthis Holiday Season, there isn't anyreal news to report, but we want touse this column to announce thatstarting with the January Log issue,this department will have a new re-porter, Ada Blair, who is a clerk inin the stockroom. . . Your reporters,Veronica and Emma, wish to thankthe girls in the department for theirfine cooperation in the past and knowthat the same cooperation will beforthcoming for the new reporter.We would like to wish a Very MerryChristmas to all!

Centrifuge Departmentby Dom Pisano

Alfred Rivers has left for privateemployment. A gift was presentedhim by the Centrifuge and PackingDepartments. Good Luck, Al. . .Harry Embry Sr. went to Bangor,Maine for the Thanksgiving holiday. . . Oliver O'Dell has gone on a dietand lost 10 lbs. to date. Don'tstarve yourself, Oliver. . .December'send is very near, we wish you all aMerry Christmas and a Happy NewYear.

December 1956 SPRAGUE ELECTRIC LOG Page 5

ilr. flag-son'sby George Ade

(Drawings by Sylvia Orell)

MR. SIDNEY PAYSON was full of the bitterness ofChristmas-tide. Mr. Payson was the kind of man wholoved to tell invalids that they were not looking as well

as usual, and who frightened young husbands by predictingthat they would regret having married. He seldom put theseal of approval on any human undertaking. It was a matterof pride with him that he never failed to find the sinister mo-tive for the act which other people applauded. Some of hispious friends used to say that Satan had got the upper handwith him. but there were others who indicated that it might beBile.

Think of the seething wrath and the sense of humiliationwith which Mr. Payson set about his Christmas shopping!In the first place, to go shopping for Christmas-presents wasthe most conventional thing anyone could do, and Mr. Paysonhated conventionalities. For another thing, the giving ofChristmas presents carried with it some testimony of affection,and Mr. Payson regarded any display of affection as one ofthe crude symptoms of barbarous taste.

If he could have assembled his relatives at a Christmasgathering and opened a few old family wounds, remindinghis brother and his two sisters of some of their youthful follies,thus shaming them before the children, Mr. Sidney Paysonmight have managed to make out a rather merry Christmas. Instead of that, he wascondemned to go out and purchase gifts and be as cheaply idiotic as the other wretchedmortals with whom he was being carried along. No wonder that he chafed and re-belled and vainly wished that he could hang crepe on every Christmas tree in the uni-verse.

Mr. Sidney Payson hated his task and was puzzled by it. After wandering throughtwo stores and looking in at twenty windows he had been unable to make one selection.It seemed to him that all the articles offered for sale were singularly and uniformlyinappropriate. The custom of giving was a farce in itself, and the store-keepers haddone what they could to make it a sickening travesty.

"I'll go ahead and buy a lot of things at haphazard," he said to himself. "I don'tcare a hang whether they are appropriate or not."

At that moment he had an inspiration. It was an inspiration which could havecome to no one except Mr. Sidney Payson. It promised a speedy end to shoppinghardships. It guaranteed him a Christmasto his own liking.

He was bound by family custom to buyChristmas presents for his relatives. Hehad promised his sister that he would re-member everyone on the list. But he wasunder no obligation to give presents thatwould be welcome. Why not give to eachof his relatives some present which would beentirely useless, inappropriate, and super-fluous? It would serve them right for in-volving him in the childish performances ofthe Christmas season. It would be a bur-lesque on the whole nonsensicality of Christ-mas-giving. It would irritate and puzzlehis relatives and probably deepen theirhatred of him. At any rate, it would be asatire on a silly tradition and, thank good-ness, it wouldn't be conventional.

Mr. Sidney Payson went into the first de-partment store and found himself at thebook counter.

"Have you any work which would be suitable for an elderly gentleman of studioushabits and deep religious convictions?" he asked.

"We have here the works of Flavius Josephus in two volumes," replied the youngwoman.

"All right; I'll take them," he said. "I want them for my nephew. Fred. He likesIndian stories."

The salesgirl looked at him wonderingly."Now, then, I want a love-story," said

Mr. Payson. "I have a maiden sister who ispresident of a Ruskin club and writes essaysabout Buddhism. I want to give her a bookthat tells about a girl named Mabel who isloved by Sir Hextor Something-or-Other.Give me a book that is full of hugs and kissesand heaving bosoms and all that sort of rot.Get just as far away from Ibsen and Howellsand Henry James as you can possibly get."

"Here is a book that all the girls in thestore say is very good," replied the youngwoman. "It is called 'Virgie's Betrothal';or, the 'Stranger at Birchwood Manor.' It'sby Imogene Sybil Beauclerc."

"If it's what it sounds to be, it's just whatI want," said Payson, showing his teeth atthe young woman with a devilish glee."You say the girls here in the store like it?"

"Yes; Miss Simmons, in the handkerchief-box department, says it's just grand."

"Ha! All right! I'll take it."Me felt his happiness rising as he went out of the store. The joy shone in his face as

lie stood at the skate counter."I have a brother who is forty-six years old and rather fat," he said to the

salesman. "I don't suppose he's been on the ice in twenty-five years. He wearsa number 9 shoe. (Jive me a pair of skates for him."

A few minutes later he stood at the silk counter."What are those things?" he asked, pointing to some gaily colored silks

folded in boxes."Those are scarfs.""Well, if you've got one that has all the colors of the rain-

bow in it, I'll take it. I want one with lots of yellow and redand green in it. I want something that you can hear acrossthe street. You see, I have a sister who prides herself on herquiet taste. Her costumes are marked by what you call'unobtrusive elegance.' I think she'd rather die than wearone of those things, so I want the biggest and noisiest one inthe whole lot."

The girl didn't know what to make of Mr. Payson's strangeremarks, but she was too busy to be kept wondering.

Mr. Payson's sister's husband is the president of a churchtemperance society, so Mr. Payson bought him a buckhorncorkscrew.

There was one more present to buy."Let me see," said Mr. Payson. "What is there that could

be of no earthly use to a girl six years old?"Even as he spoke his eyes fell on a sign: "Bargain sale of

neckwear.""I don't believe she would care for cravats," he said. "I

think I'll buy some for her."He saw a box of large cravats marked "25 cents each.""Why are those so cheap?" he asked."Well, to tell the truth, they're out of style.""That's good. I want eight of them—oh, any eight will do.

I want them for a small niece of mine—a little girl about six years old."Without indicating the least surprise, the salesman wrapped up the cravats.Letters received by Mr. Sidney Payson in acknowledgment of his Christmas presents:

I"Dear Brother:"Pardon me for not having acknowledged the. receipt of your Christmas present. 'The fact is

that since the skates came I have been devoting so much of my time to the re-acquiring of one of myearly accomplishments that I have not had much time for writing. I wish I could express to youthe delight that I felt when I opened the box and saw that you had sent me a pair of skates. Itwas just as if you had said to me: ' Will, my boy, some people may think that you are getting on inyears, but I know that you're not.' I suddenly remembered that the presents which I have beenreceiving for several Christmases ivere intended for an old man. I have received easy-chairs,slippers, mufflers, smoking-]ackets, and the like. When I received the pair of skates from you

I felt that twenty years had been lifted off myshoulders. How in the world did you ever happento think of them? Did you really believe thatmy skating days were not'over? Well, they're not!

7 / went to the pond in the park on Christmas dayi and worked at it for two hours and I had a lot of

fun. My ankles were rather weak and 1 felldown twice, fortunately without any serious dam-age to myself or the ice, but I managed to gothrough the motions, and before I left I skatedwith a smashing pretty girl. Well, Sid, I haveyou to thank. I never would have ventured onskates agaiin if it had not been for you. I was alittle stiff yesterday, but this morning I went outagain and had a dandy time. I owe the renewalof my youth to you. Thank you many times, andbelieve me to be, as ever, your affectionate brother,

William:'

"I knew, Sidney dear, that you would remember me at Christmas. You have always been thesoul of thoughtfulness, especially to those of us who understood you. I must confess, however, thatI expected you to do the deadly conventional thing and send me something heavy and serious. I knewit would be a book. All my friends send me books.That comes of being president of a literary club.But you are the only one, Sidney, who had the rareand kindly judgement to appeal to the woman andnot the club president. Because I am interestedin a serious literary movement it need not followthat I want my whole life to be overshadowed bythe giants of the kingdom of letters. Although Iwould not dare confess it to Mrs. Peabody or Mrs.Hutchens, there are times when I like to spend anafternoon with an old-fashioned love story.

"You are a bachelor, Sidney, and as for me, Ihave long since ceased to blush at the casualmention of 'old maid.' It ivas not for us to knowthe bitter-sweet experience of courtship and mar-riage, and you will remember that we have some-times pitied the headlong infatuation of sweet-hearts and have felt rather superior in our freedom.And yet, Sidney, if we chose to be perfectly candidwith each other, I dare say that both of us would

confess to having known something about that which men call love. We might confess that wehad felt its subtle influence, at times and places, and with a stirring uneasiness, as one detects adraught. We might go so far as to admit that sometimes we pause in our lonely lives and wonderwhat might have been and whether it would not have been better, after all. I am afraid that I amwriting like a sentimental school-girl, but you must know that I have been reading your o

charming little book, and it has come to me as a message from you. Is it not really a t ,confession, Sidney?

§>attriral QUjristmas

I I"Dear Brother:

" The secret is out! I suspected it all the time! It is needless for you to offer denial. Sometimeswhen you have acted the cynic I have almost believed that you were sincere, but each time I havebeen relieved to observe in you something which told me that underneath your assumed indifferencethere was a genial current of the romantic sentiment of the youth and the lover. How can I be indoubt after receiving a little book a love story?

Page 6 SPRAGUE ELECTRIC LOG December 1956

Filter DevelopmentCoil Winding Room

by Jeannette CodyWelcome back Betty Battcrsby.

Glad to have you home once more.While we're at it we would like towish you a happy birthday and hopeyou enjoy many more. . .Stella Beau-champ was awarded her 20 year pinat the banquet, and she also won abottle of champagne as the doorprize. She had as her guest VirginiaDel isle. Lucy Kenney was the guest ofher mother-in-law, Elizabeth Kenney.They had their picture taken at thebanquet and let me tell you it's apicture no artist could paint. . .RoseO'Brien is now classified as a coilwinder. She is learning and seemsto be doing a good job. Keep it up,Rose, you'll make the grade yet . . .It seems good to have it a little quietin our room now after all the noisethe maintenance men have beenmaking. Maybe someday they willfinish the job and we'll be rid of them. . . Everyone seems to be very busythese days trying to get a little shop-ping done whenever they have a fewspare minutes. No getting away fromit, there sure is a lot to do to preparefor Christmas, but we would miss itif we couldn't do these little things. . .There isn't too much more to say soI would like to take this opportunityto wish you one and all a MerryChristmas and a safe and ProsperousNew Year.

Prokar and PolyesterImpregnation

by Reginald RowettYour reporter wishes to take this

opportunity to wish each and every-one of you a very Merry Christmas,and a Happy New Year.

Maintenanceby Judith Kelyer

Well everyone is back to the oldroutine after enjoying their Thanks-giving feast. Hope you still haveroom for more at Christmas time. Itshould be all worked off by then, howabout it boys? How many of you willhave some vension???Hopc you havebetter luck this year. . .Our vacationschedule is quite heavy with deerhunters this month. In the Carpen-ter Shop we have Brownie Sojkowski,Harold Chilson, Bob Martelle, FrankMaroni and Al Shepard trying theirluck with the foxy beasts. TheSheetmetal has one lonely hunter,anyone care to join Forist McLain?Maybe his new son would, how aboutthat Forist??. . .The Beaver StreetMaint. is sending out its delegationto try their luck, Good Luck to youBill Kaczowski and Felix Lemieux,Joseph Garceau and Angelo Berasi.Wish you all Luck in catching a Buck. . .We are on the Production linehere in the Maintenance Department!At this time I would like to extend ourcongratulations to the proud fathersBob Martelle, a son, Forist McLainalso a son and Fred Bennett a bounc-ing baby girl. . . Well Christmas, ourgayest Holiday is just around the cor-ner and everyone is bustling aroundtrying to rack their brains, what togive Aunt Martha or Uncle Joe, theyend up saying that they have every-thing and it is so hard to buy for them.It isn't the price you pay for it, it'sthe thought behind the gift. . . Here'swishing you all a Merry Christmasand A Happy New Year!

Ceramicsby Ida Gigliotti and Lee Grillone

We trust everyone had a happy andplentiful Thanksgiving Day, as formyself and most of the other cooks,we have exhausted all of the wellknown recipes for leftover turkey andglad at the moment to see the last ofthe old gobbler. . .Welcome back toMae Riordan after being hospitalized.We're very glad to see her looking sowell and feeling fine again. . . Ourbest wishes for a speedy recovery fromher burns go to Julia Martin, and toSophie Duda who has been out be-

Happy, healthy, and good looking are the children of Peggy Moreau, Metal Clad, Beaver. 'They are I. to r.Anne Marie, 7 mos.; John 6; Dennis, 10; and Eddie, 12.

cause of illness, the girls hope you'llbe well enough to be back with ussoon. . . The Christmas spirit is lack-ing this year and up to now the happyanticipating usually associated withthe Christmas holiday, we hope thatthe feeling will change as the holidaydraws near . . . I want to extend inbehalf of myself and co-reporter andthe Ceramic Department a wish for aMerry Christmas and a Happy NewYear.

Executive Officesby Lois LaCasse

As we are reading this our thoughtswill be on Christmas wrappings, treetrimmings, Christinas Carols and ofcourse Christmas dinner with all thefixings; however, it is a little bit taxingto write of this, especially of a bigChristmas Dinner when we have justabout gotten over our Thanksgivingholiday. . . Everyone enjoyed the dayof Thanksgiving and managed not toovereat-hope we can manage to dolikewise over the Christmas holidays. . .Joan Ziter prepared her firstturkey dinner and from all reports,we are all busy now conniving waysto be invited to Joan's for Christmas.. . . Everyone has agreed that it wouldbe nice to be a little girl or boy again- -then we could receive from SantaClaus the beautiful doll and costumesthat Santa is bringing to Fran Therr-ien's little Jean Ann and for a pastimewe would all enjoy the Robots thatJean Godfrey ordered Santa to bringher nephews... I would like to takethis opportunity to wish everyone inthe office a Merry, Merry Christmasand a wonderful New Year, whichthey all deserve.

Production Engineeringby Barb Martin & Joan O'Neil

Mary Jane Boucher and BettyLoncto who used to work in the Blue-print Dcpt. have joined us in Pro-duction Eng. . . .What happened toCeil Lescarbeau, she used to be theshyest girl in the office, but now wecan't shut her up. You've beendrinking giggle water Ceil. . . A happyand very full Thanksgiving was en-joyed by everyone in the P. E. De-partment. . .Claire Farinon's antenna

"I just don't understand—" tiny3 months old daughter of Cpl. andMrs. Ted Perras, USAF currentlyin Arizona, and granddaughter ofClem Perras of Western Electricand Misc. Drys.

"Happy New Year!" says cutelittle Susan Wood, 1 year old,daughter of Walter, Western Elec-tric, and Katherine Wood, R.N.

brings in different bits of informationloud and clear. What channel doyou operate on Claire?. . . That's allfor now gang, we would like to wisheveryone a very Merry Christmasand a Happy New Year.

Quality Controlby Esther Holloway & Ella DunsmoreAt Marshall Street, we would like

to offer congratulations to ChuckWilson and Joe Cusson who each

Little Wendy McGlynn is the 9months old daughter of Joe, Mach-ine Shop, and a niece of NancyDoan, of Prokar Polyester Impreg-nation Department.

Forming a nice photograph arethe children of Ann Gentile ofHigh Quality Richard and Ros-anne.

bagged a deer this season. We wereespecially glad for Chuck as this hasbeen his 11 th year of hunting and hisfirst deer. . .The boys over in the Labare planning a party at HeartwellvilleLodge this year, steak dinner with allthe trimmings. . .At Beaver Streetplans were under way for a party also.This one was held at the TaconicTeahouse on December 8th. . . Con-gratulations to Sam Unsworth andFrances O'Neil of the Beaver Streetoffice on their recent engagement . .Bill Sakowski, husband of Ethel,recently returned from Germany andis now discharged from the Army.Ethel is positively glowing these days.. .Walt Gould our supervisor re-cently became a grandfather. Tempusfugit, Walt . . . Our congratulationsto Mr. and Mrs. Calix Roy. parentsof Bea Pierce, who recently celebratedtheir fiftieth wedding anniversary. . .At Brown Street, Sally Herringtonspent the last week of her vacationmoving to another house. . . OurBrown and Beaver Street foreman,Pete Mancuso, has quite a judicialair about him these days. Pete hasbeen on jury duty for the entiremonth of November. . .we would like-to express our appreciation to LouiseBass who does such a good job givingus the Beaver Street news each month.

Retail Salesby Betty Jangrow

Elaine Shippee brought in a Mon-key she had made from a pair ofmen's socks, she created such a sensa-tion that the girls started to orderthem from her for gifts for Children'sbirthdays and Christmas, she had somany orders that the girls decided tomake a few themselves, so far she hascompleted 8 and helped each girl cutthe pattern in our department. Thegirls work on them during rest periodand at home, some of the others havebeen knitting. They are a veryindustrious crew and it proved funfor a l l . . . Several of us have beenattending the home economic course,it has proven very interesting andhelpful. Each Tuesday we haveadditional interested people. . . OurChristmas party held at the TaconicTea House proved to be a gala affair.

"Now when did you find thatout?" queries tiny 4 months oldDonna Marie Rancatti, daughterof Dolly, Sprague Products andPete, Check Inspection Ceramics,grandfather Pete Sr., Pipe Shop.

Each girl a fashion plate is true of thegirls of Retail Sales. Mario Magnaniwho had charge- of the- arrangementsdeserves a lot of credit for a job welldone. The party was held for pres-ent personnel and ex-co-workers..Lena Cope-land had a wonderfultime at the 20 year party as guest ofher husband James Copeland ofBrown St. Plant Engineering. . .GayleLavigne's daughter of Lorraine andGerry Lavigne celebrated her 4thbirthday December 12th.

Christmas party held for formeremployes of the Wire Coating De-partment, Monday Dec-. 3rd. Alllocal plants of Sprague Electric were;represented at a Christinas party forthe- former Wire Coating Depl. EvaFaour and Betty Jangrow, Lucille-Miller of Brown St. Pete Le Page ofthe Bennington Plant, Mr. (!. EarleWashburn was our guest as were SamUnsworth and his fiancee of BeaverSt. Sam was Wire Coatings CheckInspector when he returned from theService. Mr. and Mrs. Sealie Kentand Raymond Colo were among theguests. It was grand to renew oldacquaintances at the Pine Brook Club.

Payroll, Tabulating andFactory Accounting

by Agnes KicDonoughCeil Roy lucky again; this time- it

was a pretty Christmas apron.. . Ifthis kee-ps up we will have to nickname her, "Lucky". . All are gettingin the holiday spirit. Parties havebeen profuse and our department hada very merry, jolly time at ourChristmas party at Petey Dink's onDecember 15th. . .A speedy recoveryis our wish for Millie Ottman who isill at her home. We miss you Millieand hope it won't be too long beforeyou are back with us. . SherlockHolmes where are you? Ed Lctour-neau and Mary Median have beensearching for over a week for somerecords and so far all that's beenfound is a large bump on Ed's headand mice tracks by Mary.. .EdithMaynard is spending her vacationdoing her Christmas shopping. Goodidea, Edith!. . . I would like to wishall a very Merry Christmas and aHappy New Year!. . .P.S. Irene whatabout the cake????

Machine Shopby John Walsh

The 6th Annual Christmas Partyof Lodge No. 1794 I.A.M. was held atPetey Dinks on Saturday, December8th. 75 employes of the MachineShop, their wives and lady friends at-tended. M.C. for the evening was.Charles E. Gray. Remarks weremade by President Raymond Bass andHarry Cassidy. Among those presentwere Mr. and Mrs. Carl Velte ofPittsfield, who have just returned fromtheir honeymoon. During the dinnereach one present received a gift. Threedoor prizes were also given. Followingthe dinner group singing, dancing anda social hour were enjoyed. LloydSaunders, Frank Pushee and JohnGifford made up the committee forthe Dinner arrangements. . .Thismonth also saw the engagement ofRichard Belford to Frances Boulais,both of Pittsfield. The wedding hasbeen set for January 26th.

Filtersby Alice Monette and Marge Richer

John Smith and Chick Jayne hada winter week with which to wind uptheir vacations. Hope they were ableto enjoy it anyway. . .With the deerhunting season over in Vt., BillyCurrant emerges as the only luckyhunter in the Filter Dept. Congratu-lations, Billy. Norm Blair says hereally doesn't mind because the deerwill be bigger and better next year.Sour grapes, Norm?. . . Sara Blake'sfather was also lucky and his pictureis on a different page showing his kill.. . .This reporter had a happy sur-prise. Many of you have heard ofHelen Menard's good news, but forthose* of you who haven't—Helen's

December 1956 SPRAGUE ELECTRIC LOG

husband, wh ed•riticalhin an automobile accident and wasnear death last year at this time, hasrecovered enough, that he is able towork part time. Knowing the extentof his injuries we can't help but feelhow wonderful this world is. . .BettyFleury reminds us that Nov. 19thmarked the Filters fifth anniversaryon Marshall St. Makes us realizehow time passes so fast.

Round Midget Assemblyby Jennie Garctau

Peggy Daub has toured during hervacation, attending the Ice Capadesin Springfield among other things. . .It goes without saying that TonyTovani enjoyed his vacation which hetook charing deer season. As our col-umn went to press we had no reporton his hunting prowess, but hope tobe able to report next month that hewas among the lucky deer slayers. . .The girls in our department are en-gaged in a different type of hunting—Christmas gifts. . . Hope Santa is goodto everyone and that you all getwhat is on your Christmas list, plusa peaceful and joyous Christmasand a healthy, happy New Year. . .We are preparing for our Christmasparty to be held at Petey Dink's andare all looking forward to having avery good time. . .Clad we will haveour sick co-workers with u s . . . ClaraPero is still on sick leave. We missher and hope she will hurry andget well. . .Diets are being put asideuntil after the Holidays. Alvina Mor-eau and Edna Mahar are having dif-ficulty trying to find the right sizes;it seems wearing apparel is runningon the small size for these two ladies.However, we realize Edna does haveher own fashion on shoes. . .An un-expected visitor to our departmentrecently was a cute little yellow kitten.Claire Tapella, Pearl Berti, MaryGuzzi and Ray Wellspeak plied himgenerously with the noonday lunchesconsisting of milk and Other goodies.After such a satisfying meal he curledup on a green pillow and took a nap. . . Pauline Dupuis is out on leave. . .

Josephine Piantoni, Rachel Herzog,Joan Giroux have left us for awhile ashas Romona Turgeon.. .Lucy Gil-tnore, Alice Dupuis are now at BrownStreet. (rreetings from all to you. girls.

F. P. Ovens and CoverAssembly by Marguerite Daub

John Miller and Mrs. Miller cele-brated their 39th anniversary onDec. 1st. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are(he parents of four children and thegrandparents of five girls. Mrs.,Miller is Viola of the Beaver St. plant.We all wish you at least 39 moreyears just as happy as the past 39. . .We all wish Lena Duchame who isstill in the hospital a speedy recovery. . .Our foreman Frank Gassett is en-

joying his third weeks vacation now. . . Proper Lussier is just back fromhis. . .Another couple to celebratetheir 25th wedding anniversary wasMr. and Mrs. Alfred Roy on Nov.

Sprague International Ltd.by Suzette T. Lemieux

Friday November 9 could just aswell have been a Friday the 13th asMyrna Harvey, amid shrieks of dis-may, rolled off her chair to the floor,and Beverly Sherman stopped just

Joseph Paul, 21 months; Linda,6 months and Marianne, 3j years,are the children of Mr. and Mrs.Joseph Vitro. Father works inAutomatic Rolling, Marshall.

11th. Mr. Roy is Freddie from theovens. They are the parents of twosons and grandparents to a son.

Shippingby Cecile Trudeau

Welcome back to work June Chen-ail. Hope you like working on the dayshift.. . We are pleased to hear thatEsther Chilson is convalescing favor-ably following an appendectomy oper-ation. . .LouisTesta is feeling so muchbetter that he is planning on returningto work soon... Nanette Trimarchiattended the Military Ball held atthe Adams Armory, Nov. 30th. . .Joanne Saltamartini went to NewYork for a week-end recently. Whilethere, she did some Christmas shop-ping and took in a few plays. . . Stan-ley Pasierbiak. Ellen Crocker, CecileTrudeau and Ann Tremblay have en-joyed vacations during the month ofDecember. . . We wish each and every-one of you a very Merry Christmasand a happy and prosperous NewYear. . . Welcome back to work, JuliaMorissey, who has been out on sickleave. Hope you feel much better.

Small Orderby FAoise Brown

Well Folks, people in our room aregetting the old Christmas spirit.Everyone is coming in with gay,colorful packages. . . Ourfriend'TJon"Arigoni is on vacation. From whatI hear he will be glad to be back, mustbe he misses all the good looking galshe kids with!. . . The girls who havebeen taking advantage of the HomeEconomics classes have been comingback with some marvelous ideas forthe holidays. Even I learned how tocook a turkey the correct way. . . Wellfolks that's about it on the news thismonth. Everyone seems to be toobusy to talk to me.

Harry Blake, father of Sara ofFilters, proudly displays the 160lb. 5 pt. buck he shot in Pownal,

Pictured on their wedding dayare Carol Cooper of Payroll andHarvey Richard. Carol's parents,James, is in the Machine Shop,and mother, Rita, is in F. P. Drys.

in time from biting into a surpriseelement in her apple. . . For an ex-ample of stamina, we have but tolook at our own Myrna who spent herweek's vacation (November 12) inthe cold hills of Vermont where shehoped to prove her hunting abilities.Unfortunately, the local "bucks"sensed sure disaster from her marks-manship and, in a true spirit of co-operation, remained in seclusion dur-ing her stay. . .The lure of a bubblebath was too much for Anatasia, thelittle Angora kitten living at theSherman's and in she dived. Annieis now all safe and dry (and hercuriosity probably cured), thanks toBeverly's prompt rescue. . .Rose andAl Richard spent a pleasant Thanks-giving holiday with relatives in Athol. . . Marilyn LoPresto wore an orchidgown on December 1 when she servedas matron-of-honor for her cousin,Diane Girard, at St. Patrick's Church•in Williamstown. . . Since they werevisiting their families for the Thanks-giving holiday, Marie Roy and hercunning little son Bruce, of Greenfield,and Betty (Saltamartini) Sanguinet,of Roseville. Michigan, paid us a shortbut pleasant visit on November 23. ..John Silvia's devotion to Boy ScoutTroup 63 of Stamford could very wellearn him the title of "Den Father".Jack spends much of his time with theTroop as Assistant Scout Master and,on November 29, was in charge of thedining-room at a Pancake and Sau-sage Supper which they held. BerthaRichards and her youngsters willvouch for the culinary -•• talents , ofTroop 63.

What is it—a new found photo of the "twenties". No—just a group ofgirls from Retail Sales providing some very humorous entertainment at arecent meeting of the Rosary Sodality of St. Francis Church. The girlsare: Avalina King, Dolores Domenichini, Patricia Welch and BarbaraKing. Brings back memories, doesn't it?

Flat Midget Assemblyby Carmela Mancuso

Now that the Thanksgiving Holidayis over, after being thoroughly en-joyed by all, everyone is getting ex-cited over Christmas and busy tryingto get all their shopping done in time. . .Adrian Darling was lucky to bagan eight point buck in Vermont dur-ing deer season. He also plans to tryhis luck in our state when the seasonstarts. . . We extend our welcome matto Betty Poirot. Hope you will likeworking with us. . .It was nice work-ing with Arline Montgomery during

"Look, Mommy, I'm walking"cries Donald Duprea, nephew ofMary Duprea of Hi-Reliability andFran Miles of Rolling, Beaver.

her short stay in our department. Shewas transferred back to Brown Street. . .We wonder how Nickie Fulginitiis making out in attempting to learnthe words and music to "AutumnLeaves". Do you think you may besinging it to us soon, Nickie?. . .Wish-ing one and all a Very Merry Christ-mas and a Happy New Year.

F. P. Assemblyby Grace McConnell

Ronnie Dean attended his cousin'swedding at Claremont, New Hamp-shire . . . Minnie Hamlin's son Leon-ard came home for Thanksgiving buthad to return to the Albany VeteransHospital, where he is a patient. Wehope the next time he will be homefully recovered. . . Hazel Russell hada family reunion at Thanksgiving;her son and daughter came home fromManchester, N.H. and her other sonfrom Dalton, Mass.. . . We wish to tellYvonne Griffin how much we miss her.She has left after 15 years in Sprague'sto marry a fellow from Springfield.The wedding was held on Thanks-giving day. Best of luck from all ofus . . . Emma Eastman went to Wolf-boro, N. H. over Thanksgiving whereshe saw her granddaughter whois 4 months old, for the first time. . .Welcome back to Norma Morrisseywho was a former co-worker 5years ago. . . Emma Vivori spentThanksgiving at her daughter's, Mrs.Frank Gassett at East Hartford, Conn.

Filter Development Dept.by Julia Desrosiers

We wish everyone a happy holiday.We hope Yvette DuBois enjoys hervacation and a trip to Burlington, Vt.. . . It sure looks like Christmas witheveryone coming in at noon withpackages. . . We heard Jean Wheelerslittle son, Leslie, is redecorating herfurniture. Hand painting her chair,but Mama didn't like the color. . .We hope Mr. and Mrs. AndrewKonopka and Mr. and Mrs. HarveyDuBois many more happy anniver-saries. They both celebrated their 27thyear in November. . . Ray Beldingand Donald Jones were lucky; theyboth shot a nice deer in New Hamp-shire.

Misc. Drys -Western Electric(Test and Ship)by Emily Wlodyka and FAla Genesi

Our belated Congratulations areextended to Mr. and Mrs. Calix Roy(parents of Don Roy our Supervisor)on their Golden Wedding Anniversarywhich they observed Saturday Nov.24th. God willing here's hoping thatthey are able to share many morehappy years together. . .We werehappy to hear that Louis Daub'syoungster is recuperating very favor--ably after being hospitalized for afew weeks, for second degree burnshe received recently. . . Edythe Teich-ert who in company with her husbandArt, spent a very enjoyable week-endrecently visiting her son Bob who is inboot training in Bainbridge, Md.. . .Both your reporters want to take thisopportunity in wishing the "LogStaff" and everyone in the Depart-ment a "Merry Christmas and aHappy New Year."

Advertisingby Janice Harriman

To all my Advertising palsMen, boys, women and galsI would at this time like to stateYour help with this column has been

great.You've given me all the pertinent dataYour lavish praise put me on an upper

strata.It's really been fun writing the newsEven though sometimes the joke was

on you.I hope our column will continue to

rateAnd may it never be sedate,So thanks to each and every oneWho helped make our Column filled

with fun.Merry Christmas and a Happy New

YearI'll be back in '57 never you fear!

December 23345666699

101010101112121315161920202021

2127283030

cBirthdayMarion ShermanTottie ChoquetteMargaret PerreaultMary BuaHazel RussellRuth ArighineRobert BarbutoJosephine PiantoniVilma LincolnMargaret JobinCeil MikuczewskiHarry Embry Jr.Rose LanctoRory CookJohanna KayserHoward FixCarol BarslowLillian GainerMargaret FitzgeraldGisella BlakeMary PellerinBetty BattersbyMildred WatermanClara PeroLaura DelislePhilip TalarieoDonald LapineCarmela MancusoElizabeth HamiltonDelphine RegaioliAmelia Couture

A group of girls from BTA held a surprise party for Frances Roy on her25th wedding anniversary.

'°*'7

Page 8 SPRAGUE ELECTRIC LOG December 1956

The girls in Retail Sales recently discovered a very interesting and en-joyable hobby—making toy monkeys out of stockings. It all startedwhen Elaine Shippee happened to be working on one for a Church Bazaar.How quickly it caught on can be witnessed in the above picture, withGiselle Blake, Elaine, Elinore Goffard and Barbara King all working onthe dolls.

Baby Talk---Nov. 14, Mr. and Mrs. Robert

Martelle, sonNov. 16, Mr. and Mrs. Fprist Mr-

Lain, sonNov. 18, Mr. and Mrs. James

Braymen, daughterNov. 23, Mr. andjMrs. Robert

Sorcl, sonNov. 23, Mr. and Mrs. Frederic

Bennett, daughterNov. 25, Mr. and Mrs. David

Beighley, sonNov. 27, Mr. and Mrs. Livingston

Rice, daughterNov. 29. Mr. and Mrs. Albert

Seneeal, daughter

Anniversaries . . .November 1 1, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred

Roy, 25th.November 20, Mr. and Mrs. Robert

Day, 2nd.November 22, Mr. and Mrs. Char-

les Felix, 10th.November 23, Mr. and Mrs. An-

drew Banas, 21st.November 24, Mr. and Mrs. Al-

phonse Chouinard. 24th.November 24, Mr. and Mrs. John

Totino, 24th.November 25, Mr. and Mrs. An-

drew Konopka, 27th.November 26, Mr. and Mrs. John

Silvia, 1st.November 26, Mr. and Mrs. Julian

Monette, 32nd.November 27, Mr. and Mrs. Har-

vey DuBois, 27th.November 28, Mr. and Mrs. Frank

Golden, 37th.December I. Mr. and Mrs. John

Miller. 39th.

Nov. 17, Patricia LaPreta andDominic Pedulla

Nov. 17, Angelina Romea andStuart Cheney

Nov. 21. Nancy Dellings and DavidGauthier

Nov. 24, Carol Cooper and HarveyRichards

Nov. 24, Julia Lasson and RichardPeterson

LJoina yyiy WaitShirley Jennings and Charles LincolnMary Blair and Roy Bentley

Mr. Payson's SatiricalChristmas

(Continued from Page 5)

"You have made me very happy, dearbrother. I feel more closely drawn to youthan at any time since we were all togetherat Christmas, at the old home. Come andsee me. Your loving sister,

Gertrude."

Ill"Dear Brother"

"Greetings to you from the happiesthousehold in town, thanks to a generousSanta Claus in the guise of Uncle Sidney.I must begin by thanking you on my ownaccount. How in the world did you everlearn that Roman colors have come inagain? I have always heard that men didnot follow the styles and could not betrusted to select anything for a woman, butit is a libel, for the scarf which you sentme is quite the most beautiful thing I havereceived this Christmas. I have it drapedover the large picture in the parlor., and it isthe envy of everyone who has been in today.A thousand, thousand thanks, dear Sidney.It was perfectly sweet of you to rememberme, and I call it nothing less than aj strokeof genius to think of anything so appropriateand yet so much out of the ordinary.

"John asks me to thank you—but I musttell you the story. One evening last week wehad a little chafing dish party after prayermeeting, and I asked John to open a bottle

TOAiWishing all of his former friends

at Sprague Electric a Merry Christ-mas by sketching the above greet-ing was Victor Pedrin, who whileat Sprague's was in Pulse Trans-formers. We in turn, wish Vic, aMerry Christmas and a HappyNew Year too!

Christmas...by Doris Williams

Christmas is a merry time—and we'llall happy be,

But let's not think of Christmas—aspresents around a tree;

May it hold more for each of us, thanthe giving of a gift,

But in our hearts, may we look back,and let our own thoughts drift

To a picture of a caravan on the wayto Jerusalem,

Among them Mary and Joseph, alongwith the least of them.

They are weak and tired from travel,not feeling happy nor gay,

For Mary, it's a painful trip, for sheknows this is the day

When she will have the baby, who willbe a King and then

Will have to leave his loved ones to goback to heaven again!

They stopped at the inn, their answer

of olives for me. Well, he broke the smallblade of his knife trying to get the cork out.He said: ''If I live to get downtown again,Vm going to buy a corkscrew.'' Fortunatelyhe had neglected to buy one, and so yourgift seemed to come straight from Provi-dence. John is very much pleased. Alreadyhe has found use for it, as it happened thathe wanted to open a bottle of householdammonia the very first thing this morning.

"As for Fred's lovely books, thankgoodness you didti't send him any morestory books. John and I have been tryingto induce him to take up a more serious lineof reading. The Josephus ought to helphim in the study of his Sunday schoollessons. We were pleased to observe thathe read it for about an hour this morning.

" When you were out here last fall didGenevieve tell you that she ivas collectingsilk for a doll quilt? She insists that shedid not, but she must have done so, for howcould you have guessed that she wants piecesof silk above anything else in the world?The perfectly lovely cravats which you sentwill more than complete the quilt, and Ithink that mamma will get some of theextra pieces for herself. Fred and Gen-evieve send love and kisses. John insiststhat you come out to dinner some Sundayvery soon—next Sunday if you can. Afterwe received your presents we were quiteashamed of the box we had sent over toyour hotel, but we will try to make up thedifference in heart-felt gratitude. Don'tforget—any Sunday. Your loving sister,

Katherine."It would be useless to tell what Mr.

Sidney Payson thought of himselfafter he received these letters.

ENDAcknowledgement is given to Prentice-Hall Incorporated, Englewood Cliffs,New Jersey for the use of the abovestory which was taken from the book,"A Merry Merry Christmas Book"',edited by Eric Posselt. Copyrighted1956.

"Christmas Decorations" -the subject for the December 11 noontimediscussion period which is offered each Tuesday by the Berkshire CountyExtension Service, was enjoyed by a number of women from our plants.In the above group, Ruth Yarter of Payroll makes an experiment underthe watchful eye of Mrs. Helen Johnson, County Home DemonstrationAgent. Admiring a colorful decoration are Mrs. Jean Hermansen,Associate County Home Demonstration Agent, Laura Cardinal of Re-search and Engineering, and Deborah Grace also of R. & E.

being that there was no room,Can you picture with me the anguish

as their hearts are filled with gloom?Then they were offered a Stable,

where Mary could make her a bed.And Christ was born in a Manger no

pillow, but hay instead.The Star of the East then beckoned

the Wise Men to where He layThis precious Christ, our Redeemer,

the One that was born on that day.

And so as we think of this picture andin our thoughts relive

The Birth of Christ at Christmas, mayit guide the gift we would give.

/Ire JVOM ^/rc that was the call of a lovesick Moose?"

FOR SALE1 Florence Twin-ten Oil Stove. I Combination Oil and Gas Stove. Makeoffer. Tel. Adams 349R- anytime.Heatrola Stove—ideal for camp. Small TV set lO'/i" table model. Call MO3-9804 anytime.Gowns—Size 9-Mint Green, Size 9-Coral Call MO. 3-5425 after 6:00 P.M.1947 Four Wheel Drive Jeep pickup truck—new paint, excellent tires. $550.00.Call Brown 85 or Beaver 64.1 Kitchenette Freezer—4 chairs $275.00 Call Adams 464-M3K anytime.1 Squirrel Fur Jacket. Call Williamstown 324-W after six.1 American Brand oil heat parlor stove. 1 gas water heater. 1 hot water coil1 kitchen table with drawer white and black top. Tel MO: 3-6286 after 5 P.M.Lionel electric train, 4 switches, transformer, and model table. $25. Tel. MO3-80721953—27 ft. Spartan trailer for sale. Tel. Williamstown 71-W after 4 PMGirls grey velvet trimmed winter coat, like new- size 14. Asking $20.00Girl's red chinchilla winter coat, like new—size 12. Asking $7.00Inquire at 12 Lawrence Avenue, North Adams1 pair ski boots—like new—size 9. Price $20.00 Tel MO 2-2279 after 6 PMKelvinator refrigerator—6 cubic feet—good running condition. Tel Wmstn.99-J after 5:30 PM8-room house, centrally located and in excellent condition. First floor indudes-sun porch, double living room with fireplace, dining room, kitchen. Upstairshas four bedrooms, also full bath and shower. House needs no repairs. Pricedreasonably for quick sale. Dial MO 3-9972Three-apartment house, two 6-room, and one 5-room. House has just beennewly painted and owners apartment has aluminum windows. Large sunnyrooms. Excellent investment for central location near schools and churches.GI appraisal welcomed. Owner leaving town. Dial MO 3-9972300 acre farm in Pownal, Vermont. House with 4 bedrooms. Large barn.Facilities for 30 head cattle. Convenient to main highway. Tel. Wmstn. 169-5 PM •_

WANTED:1 pair skiis for a boy 9 years old—See Rita Clifford in FP Ovens Departmentbetween 6 and 2:301 UHF converter—Call Ken Brown. Marshall Ext. 383Donation of an old fashioned round table for use of Notre Dame Girl Scouts..Tel. MO 3-5296 after 5 PM or dial Marshall 459—Lea WaldenRide from Marshall St. plant to North Hoosac Road, Williamstown, 1 1 PMCall Williamstown 1167-W

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